This is really a matter of choice for the US congregation to decide. We can talk with you and give you some ideas, but you really have to think about this on the basis of your congregation. Do you have members of your congregation who have a heritage from one of the places where we have partners? Does one country appeal more to you than another?

If not, we can help you think about other conditions that might make a difference in a long term sustainable relationship such as ease of travel to the partner, make up of the congregation (young families, lots of kids), urban or suburban settings, size of the congregation. Our outreach coordinator can talk through these ideas with you to help you choose on that will be right for you.

Our website contains information about all the congregations looking for partners who have filed an application with UUPCC for partnership. You are invited to read the profiles and let us know which village or town or city interests you the most. We cannot guarantee that the one you choose will be available when your congregation ultimately votes to partner (the process can take 3 months to a year or more depending on the church organization) but we will do our best to reserve a congregation if you identify one you really think is a good fit.

Notify us of your interest. Set up a steering committee to review the support materials you will receive from UUPCC and educate your congregation about the benefits and responsibilities of partnership. Review churches looking for partners and fill out your own application for partnership. Join the UUPCC as an institutional member. Let us know when your congregation has finally voted (or you have Board approval depending on the governance of your church.) We will put the two partners in touch and you are off and running.

The UUPCC is a grassroots organization – we do not have a large paid staff. We maintain a system of networkers who work with a cluster of churches to provide support. One will be assigned to your partnership and they will be your primary support. If you have a long-standing partnership, you have a networker. The list of networkers is available on our website.

Frequent communication is at the heart of a solid partnership and our advice is to spend time at the beginning of the relationship to establish effective systems.

If your difficulty is translation, ask around for someone in your community who speaks the language and is willing to translate. One community we know actually put an ad in the local newspaper and ended us with several new members of their church as a result. Or your partner might be able to find a translator easier than you can. Ask.

If the difficulty is the mechanics of communication, take heart. This is getting easier and easier to solve with access to text messaging, SKYPE and email. It is worth the effort to solve this and we can help with specific advice for your problem. Write us at office@uupcc.org or call 781-275-1710.

Institutional support for UUPCC is $150 per year. Any additional costs are up to the individual churches to determine. UUPCC does recommend that you help establish communication links and this often means support for internet connections or cell phone support. We also know the importance of face-to-face contact and that requires travel. Sometimes members of your church might have frequent flyer miles they can donate.

UUPCC highly recommends that building the relationship come before “gifts” of money are sent however. This can get the partnership off in a paternalistic and unequal direction. Our handbook has a list of recommendations on economic fairness and awareness and can be found here.

Every successful partnership has local steering committee of anywhere from 2 to 20 people that shepherds the relationship, plans trips, keeps the congregation informed and plans local events.

The UUPCC offers this as a service to our member congregations. For specific details, see our How to Send Funds to Your International Partner page.

Give the office a call. We can help you identify resources in your area. If none can be found we can recommend people who can travel to your congregation if you agree to cover their expenses.

The Greater Washington DC Area has a wonderful regional partner church gathering that meets quarterly. They rotate the responsibility of hosting among the groups that attend. The MassBay District has one that meets twice a year. We would love to help you start a regional support group in your area. Please contact the office if you are interested in establishing a regional gathering.

Yes. Our PATHS program offers opportunities for international relations with Unitarians and Universalists through school sponsorships at all grade levels, community organizing and planning, support for building UU churches through a building fund and support for small farmers through a UU Microcredit program. Read about these programs here.

There are many resources about U*Us available. Please see our resources for curriculum materials for both adults and youth. The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists also have wonderful materials from around the world. www.icuu.net And finally, the UUA Office of International Resources has curriculum materials for congregations interested in becoming involved internationally.

As soon as you have gathered a small steering committee and are serious about partnering, fill out the application. You need not wait till the congregation votes to become a partner.

Well, like all relationships they might not last forever. Some partnerships have been terminated for various reasons. The length of the relationship is based on the two churches involved and should be discussed with your partner. If you are having trouble with communications or other issues, UUPCC can help. Please call or write your networker or the office. You can find out who your networker is on our website.

Yes if all the churches agree to it and can work out the details. This can sometimes lead to everyone thinking the “other” is taking care of things so it does add a level of complexity. We do have successful shared partnerships, so it is possible.

UUPCC recommends that this be answered by the partners together in some of the early conversations. Be realistic about your interests and commitments. Work on relationship first and find your common interests. Are both congregations engaged in social action work? Are environmental issues important to both of you? Do you have Women’s associations that might engage together? Be clear about your expectations and interests and ask them to be clear as well. Talk to as many people in their congregation as possible.

Language differences can lead to some really funny stories. Relax and enjoy the challenge. Overseas communities are better at this than we are. They generally have access to at least a few people in each community who speak English. This is an opportunity to find others in your wider community who can help. Ask around in your church or community. Is there an ethnic group that speaks the language of your partner? They will probably be glad to translate letters. Phone conversations where you need a translator on each end are very difficult.

When you travel, hire a local translator (pay them and their expenses). It is helpful to have your own and not just rely on someone local. We can help you with finding one and with what to pay. Write to our travel coordinator John Dale at jdaleuupcc@yahoo.com

Above all, keep in mind that you are speaking different languages with all their nuances. Keep your sentences short. Don’t use complicated sentence structure or colloquial phrases.

Even for those who speak English fairly well might have trouble writing and definitely will have trouble spelling. So be understanding in your communications.

Face-to-face contact is an important goal for a relationship to develop. Travel is expensive and it is quite likely only affordable for the N. Am. congregation. But even one contact can go a long way to bring the partnership to life. So consider taking up a collection and paying for your minister or one “ambassador” to travel. Or consider bringing the minister or an “ambassador” from overseas here. Perhaps someone has frequent flyer miles they are willing to donate.

Reality is that you will never get the whole congregation “involved” unless you have a variety of projects and programs. You can keep everyone informed through “News of our Partner” articles in your newsletter, sharings during your worship service (weddings, babies, deaths, holidays) and by having the UUPCC newsletter posted in a convenient location. See other suggestions at LINK TO HOW TO RENEW YOUR PARTNERSHIP

UUPCC has a travel coordinator and can help you plan a trip. We can provide information and contacts you need. We offer at least one trip per year to India and the Philippines and several to Transylvania. If you have five or more people in your church who would like to travel together, we can help make arrangements for your trip. Write to our travel coordinator John Dale at jdaleuupcc@yahoo.com.