Outreach for Your Congregation

Unitarian Universalist (UU) values help people live better lives and create a better world. In a rapidly changing society, we can't expect people to seek us out the way they used to. We need to get outside our walls, build connections, and make our faith as accessible as possible. The UUA's Outreach Team offers tips, tools and resources for connecting with potential UUs through social media, websites, community events, and focused communication.

Outreach Revolution Network

Join the network of UU's who are turning their ministry outward, doing outreach work in their congregations. Each month, you'll receive an email care package with our most recent original Growing Unitarian Universalist blog post, recommended blog posts with insights on outreach from other sources, and customizable social media graphics you can use to share the UU message, with your own congregation's name and community's needs in mind. Whether you do communications, social media, websites, membership, social justice, or marketing and promotion, whether you are a lay leader or professionals alike, find your place with others who see the power of reaching out.

• Sign up here to get Outreach Revolution monthly updates
• See a sample care package

Love Reaches Out Workshops

The Love Reaches Out workshops engage your congregation in discovering who you are, what you do, and why it matters. It helps you understand your "brand" in your community, and helps you identify opportunities and actions for building relationships and getting the word out. The three workshops can be led by members of your congregation, using the guides and slides we've developed, tested with congregations, and refined. 

• Download the Love Reaches Out leaders' Guide (Word) (PDF)
• Download the Love Reaches Out Slides (Powerpoint) (PDF)

Unitarian Universalist Brand Identity

The UU brand identity is a shared way to effectively communicate boldness, compassion, reverence, and relevance. Developed by the UUA in 2014, it offers a flexible approach to design, images and words. Congregations are invited to use these colors and graphics: visit our brand identity page to learn more. 

• View brand logos, graphics, colors, and fonts
• Download the UU Brand Identity Guidelines to learn about placement, sizing, tone of writing, and more (PDF)
• Explore UU branded options for e-mail marketing through Emma, with an over 50% discount for UU congregations.

Websites and Social Media

Social Media

Some of Unitarian Universalism's most powerful outreach tools are websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Our Outreach Team is currently developing toolkits for UU congregations and groups. Learn more about the outreach toolkit currently under development.

Check out these Outreach Team #UUsGetSocial presentations on outreach, social media, and the web:

• Reaching "Nones," Activists, and Spiritual Seekers (GA 2014)
• Creating Content That's Seen, Liked, and Shared (GA 2015)

If you're looking to establish a congregational presence on social media, check out this helpful guidance to get started with social media.

Websites

Your website is the first thing most people see, so make it a great one! The UUA WordPress Theme for Congregations is like a template for building a site: it comes with a beautiful and functional design, organized for effective communication and ease of use. Further, it comes with sample text you can use to communicate the vibrancy of our faith and your congregation. Visit the WordPress Theme information page to learn more.

Check out this presentation on effective websites, offered by Sarah Gibb Millspaugh of the Outreach Team and Christopher Wulff, the developer of the WordPress Theme:

• Make Your Website Awesome and Make It Yours (GA 2015)
• "How I Made My Congregation's Website in 90 Minutes" blog post (March 2016)

More Outreach Tools

• View the presentation from "Where Have You Been All My Life?" (on prezi.com), a workshop on outreach from General Assembly 2015.
• To read more about growth statistics and research, visit the UUA Demographic and Statistics page. Includes links to outside surveys and research. 
• Sign up for help with your creative ministry idea through the Emerging Ministries page.