Ideas for Your UUCM Group
Organizing Checklist
- Determine where, when, what and how much cost for the event.
- Figure out a way for people who don't have cars to get to the event through public transportation, carpools, etc.
- Send and email to the group announcement list and reminder emails several times before the event date.
- Send an email to the local church(s) to publish an announcement in the Sunday Bulletin by Wednesday evening in order to run the following Sunday morning.
- Notify webmaster to update the events page or emailed calendar of events.
- Announce your event to other members of the group during regular meetings.
- Organize the event itself.
- Welcome new people and do a check-in during the event.
Workshop and Discussion Ideas
- Time Management and Your Spirituality
- Campus Safety
- Resume Workshop: Who am I, really?
- Vocational and Career Choice
- Stress Management
- Homosexuality and Religion—Panel Discussion
- Relaxation Techniques and the Inner You
- What is Community? How to build it?
- Relationships: A Liberal Religious Approach
- Techniques for Meditation
- Feminist Theology
- Values Exploration—how have I changed this year?
- Drumming: Rhythm and sound, the role of drumming in spirituality from different traditions
Student Group Activities
- Welcome event for new and returning students
- Camping trip or retreat
- Weekly lunch
- Service Project
- Sports Event
- Monthly Worship
- Off Campus Event, musical, movie
- Study Breaks—midnight minutes
- Organize Sunday Service
- Recognition of graduating seniors
Example: Organizing a Pizza Night
- Call Pizza Place to reserve space for ten to thirty people.
- Confirm reservation the day of or the day before.
- Send out email to YourGroup@uuyan.orgyourgyour @ uuyan.org email list.
- Optionally announce pizza in the Sunday Bulletin by sending an email to the Congregation Office by the previous Wednesday.
- Show up fifteen minutes early.
- Welcome new people and get their email addresses, phone, etc.
- Pass out business cards and event listings to newcomers.
- After people have finished eating run a check-in.
- Light a chalice (optional).
- Ask people to go around, say their name and weekly highs/lows.
- After check-in, announce upcoming events.
- Blow out the chalice and return to previous socializing.
- Touch base with newcomers before leaving to welcome them back or answer any questions about YOUR GROUP.
Example: Organizing potluck and Discussion Night
- At least three weeks before the discussion, call the church or school office to reserve a room to meet in, preferably keeping a consistent space.
- Work with group members to plan topic facilitators for the upcoming months. If there are none signed up, use the potluck as a planning session for future months.
- Contact the upcoming facilitator a week ahead of time to remind them and line up a backup facilitator/topic if they can't make it. If you are doing most of the topic facilitation, then take thirty minutes to prepare yourself, creating an agenda and gathering what materials you need.
- Announce the event on the YourGroup@uuyan.org email list.
- Contact the Church Office the previous Wednesday to post an invitation in the Sunday Bulletin.
- Make sure you are able to access the space, do you need a key, will someone else open the door for you, etc.
- Bring potluck utensils, plates and cups for people to use; alternatively ask people to bring their own place settings and bring a few extra just in case. If you are ordering pizza, then make sure you ask for utensils, napkins and cups when you place the order.
- Show up fifteen minutes before to set up and let people in
- Welcome new people and ask for their email, phone, etc.
- After people have settled a bit, start the discussion.
- Light a chalice and say a few words welcoming people into the intentional community.
- Ask people to check-in and share their highs/lows of the past week.
- Introduce the facilitator to start the discussion.
- During the discussion, keep the conversation flowing (see "maintaining group harmony" below).
- Around 8:30 p.m. or when the discussion dies down have a moment of silence (perhaps with the lights out), give any last minute announcements, say some closing words and blow out the chalice.
- Hang around to make sure the room gets cleaned up properly before leaving.
- Touch base with newcomers to welcome them back for future events.
Ideas for Events
Evening Events
- Progressive Dinners (4 houses)
- Ballroom Dancing
- Movie night ( monty python, etc.)
- Lasarium show
- Barbeque or dinner at someone's house
- Stargazing at foothill college
- Watch Sporting Events (Town women's basketball/Town ice hockey/Town baseball/Town soccer/etc.)
- Play/Symphony
- Rock Concerts
- Beach Bonfire
- Dance Clubs
- Bowling
- Comedy Clubs
- Haunted House
- Parties at people's houses (Holidays)
- Babysitting (Valentines day)
- Pool/Billiards
- Swimming/Hot tub party
- Jazz Clubs
- Murder Mystery Dinner
- Slumber party
- Animation film festival
- Spike 'n Mike's twisted animation
- Go out to a popular movie
- Games Night
- International Film Festival
- Art/Tools/Show and Tell
- Arts and Crafts Night/Creation Night
- Spirituality/Soulful Sundown
- Potluck Prayer --> Draw a Picture of what we all see from the inside and the outside.
- Folk Dancing/Dance Party
- Formal Dinners
- Theatre and Plays
- Guided Visualizations/Guided Meditations
All Day Events
- Walk around town
- Bike trip to town
- Aquarium/Zoo
- Tech Museum/OMSI/IMAX films
- Brewery/Winery trip (wine tasting)
- Church Service Day
- Skydiving
- Art Museums ( egyptian)
- Sailing in the bay
- Fairgrounds/Carnivals
- Arts/crafts fairs
- Group Athletics/Frisbee/Soccer/Crazy Olympics
- Attending non-Unitarian Universalist services (Catholic, Quaker, Muslim, etc.)
- Afternoon Events:
- Scavenger Hunt Around Town
- Mini-golf
- Grand Prix Race cars
- Ice Skating
- Broom Ball
- Car Rally
- Boat Cruise on the Columbia
- Valentines Brunch
- Yard Party with croquet, etc...
- Superbowl Party
- Lunch after church
- Roller Skating/Roller Blading
Outdoor Activities
- Mountain biking trip
- Rock Climbing
- Hiking nearby
- Rollerblading
- Horseback Riding
- River Rafting
- Kite Flying
- Trail Maintenance service
Sporting Events
- Baseball/Softball
- Volleyball
- Snow/mud football
- Street hockey (rollerblades)
- Tennis
- Racketball
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Badminton
- Golf
- Bowling Events
- Paint Ball
Weekend Events
- Camping nearby and far away
- Backpacking
- Water-skiing
- Snow-skiing
- Inner tubing
- Canoeing
- Stay in Cabins somewhere
- Go to a Retreat Center
- Fishing trip
- Seattle Trip/Beach Trip
Other Events
- Sponsor Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) events
- Guest Speakers
- Soup kitchen/homeless shelter
- Habitat for Humanity or other service project
- Young Adult Conferences
- Longer Group Vacations (not necessarily Conferences)
Special thanks to Tim Kutcha of the Portland Unitarian Universalist Young Adult Group for much of this list!
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
