For the Leadership Level, you must address one of the following elective competencies, and it must be different from the one addressed in your pursuit of the Advanced Level:

Family Ministry

“Growing our UU village”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Congregation-family relationships
• UU identity development at home
• Support for family life-cycle changes
• Support for the diversity of families present (or yet-to-be present) in your community (e.g., single, two-parent, extended family, same-gender couples, biological, adoptive, foster, interracial, etc.)
• Family-friendly scheduling; and relationship-strengthening both within families and between families.

Examples

• Holding regular potlucks/ picnics/ gatherings of multiple families to celebrate milestones
• Distributing resources (handouts, newsletter articles, blogs, etc.) to help families connect to UU values at home
• Creating and implementing policies and procedures to support families within the larger structure of the congregation’s life

History & Philosophy of RE

“Understanding RE—where we come from and where we’re going”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Educational philosophy of key figures in U, U, and UU histories
• Exploration of Religious Education broadly; within and beyond UU circles
• History and theories of Religious Education
• Important persons in the development of Religious Education, methods and types of Religious Education instruction (curricula, models)

Examples

• Exposure to or use of methods, curricula, or models from non-UU circles
• Collaborating with the Religious Education (RE) Committee to articulate an overarching RE philosophy and vision for your community

• Interacting in community with children, youth, or adults in interfaith settings

Leadership Development

“Embracing your power within a larger system”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Development in others of management skills
• Communications skills
• Change and conflict skills
• Skills in growing other leaders

Examples

• Designing curriculum and Programs for training children, youth, and adults as leaders
• Attending or participating in leadership training or leadership school
• Establishing structures to train up volunteers to take ownership and leadership in the congregation and/or community

• Demonstrating variety of ways to communicate, especially in cases of conflict or change

Spiritual Care

“Caring with wisdom and intention”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Emotional support of people in pain, grief, fear, as well as joy, gratitude and strength
• Helping children, youth, and others respond to peers in need of care and concern
• Consultation with and support of ministers and lay caregivers
• Recognition of boundaries in Spiritual Care and when to utilize professional ministry or counseling services

Examples

• Creating caring networks among young families, adolescents, adults, etc.
• Demonstrating awareness of resources in the community, books/media, etc.
• Participating in lay spiritual care team activities, when appropriate
• Collaborating with ministers and lay caregivers with regard to spiritual care issues unique to children, youth, and families

Small Group Ministry

“Sharing leadership for our UU village”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Support for small, lay-led groups
• Community-building
• Covenant creation and implementation
• Deepening of group relationships
• Deepening of spiritual exploration within a group.

Examples

• Creating a structured process for starting covenant groups
• Supporting and advertising affinity groups (such as Young Families Group; Black Folks’ Potluck; Senior’s Group; Military Families; etc.)

Social Justice Theory & Practice

“Changing the world, one community at a time”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Promotion of equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities
• Dismantling systems of oppression
• Promotion of environmental sustainability
• Public witness and education
• Theological and philosophical foundations of social justice
• Involvement in congregational study/action issues and issues of immediate witness passed by the UUA General Assembly
• Partnering with other groups and/or faith traditions in justice work

Examples

• Creating a multigenerational campaign with other congregations in the district to address a specific environmental justice hazard
• Helping to sustain a prison ministry
• Creating a family or youth-based Program to address an issue of immediate witness from General Assembly

Stewardship

“Nurturing a 7th Generation perspective”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Nurturing generosity in children, youth, and adults
• Appropriate support of stewardship campaigns and fundraising.

Examples

• Creating themed annual campaigns for various age groups
• Designing curriculum regarding generosity and stewardship
• Encouraging offerings in RE for children’s giving