Peer Pastoral Care for Youth

Peer Pastoral Care Training Three part series. This is a series of interactive online workshops for youth to learn peer pastoral care skills in a way immediately useful in their online lives.

This is a series of interactive online workshops for youth to learn peer pastoral care skills in a way immediately useful in their online lives.

Pastoral care is an essential part of religious community and an essential part of caring for each other as human beings. We each can be present to each other as we go through both the hard and joyful parts of life. Compassion, witness, listening, and empathy are gifts we can all give each other.

Part 1: Intro to Peer Pastoral Care and Listening Skills

This training explores what pastoral care is and gives youth a chance to practice core skills to pastoral care through video and text role play. This training is appropriate to all youth. This training is also very helpful for adults who work with youth.

  • Do note that we require each congregation sending any youth to this training also send an adult, if this is an issue, please contact Shannon Harper at sharper@uua.org.

Part 2: Supporting Youth in Crisis

This training explores how to support youth in crisis--when what is facing them feels overwhelming and they may need more than listening and compassionate support. We will also explore the ethics of pastoral care including the limits and need to expand confidentiality to help those experiencing harm or in danger of harm.This training is also very helpful for adults who work with youth.

  • You must complete Part 1 before attending this workshop.
  • Do note that we require each congregation sending any youth to this training also send an adult, if this is an issue, please contact Shannon Harper at sharper@uua.org.

This training discusses topics including child abuse, intimate partner violence, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. For this reason, we will ask for a reference email from a congregational religious professional for all participants and send an email to youth’s parents describing the contents so that if they have concerns about their youth’s participation they can discuss those concerns with their youth and contact regional staff.

Part 3: Pastoral Care After Microaggressions

This training will explore the intersection of oppression, identity, and pastoral care with a focus on providing pastoral care when oppression, such as microaggressions, has occurred. We will explore the dynamics of providing pastoral care to someone who has experienced the microaggression both as someone with a similar identity and someone without; providing pastoral care to someone who has hurt someone else through microaggressions; and providing pastoral care to a witness or community member.

  • You must complete Part 1 before attending this workshop.
  • Do note that we require each congregation sending any youth to this training also send an adult, if this is an issue, please contact Shannon Harper at sharper@uua.org.

If you have questions about these workshops, please contact Shannon Harper.

Current Trainings

Currently there are trainings scheduled for May 2022. See the list below. Additional dates may be added depending on demand.