Faith Without Borders: Faithful Stewardship

Global map showing the lights of civilization.

Faithful Stewardship includes all of the financial support that a congregation provides to international engagement: support for an international organization, for an international partnership, for an international program, or for the entirely of a congregation’s international engagement.

Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations are invited to use the following check-list as a way of evaluating the inclusion of Faithful Stewardship in their international engagement.

  • Our congregation financially supports at least one international UU organization (UU Service Committee (UUSC), UU United Nations Office (UU-UNO), UU Holdeen India Program (UUHIP), UU Partner Church Council (UUPCC), etc.)
  • Our congregation provides ongoing financial support of a second international UU organization.
  • Our congregation contributes to the ministry of a Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist (U/U) congregation overseas.
  • Our congregation provides ongoing financial support to an interfaith international organization.
  • Our congregation fully funds its international engagement ministries.
  • Our congregation visions and implements 10% of its annual financial contributions for international engagement.

If your congregation fulfills two or more of these examples of Faithful Stewardship, you’re well on the way towards integrating this aspect of international engagement.

Please consider choosing one or two additional elements to grow into over the next 1-3 years.

If there are other ways in which your congregation is involved in international Faithful Stewardship, please share them with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) International Resources Office (IRO).

Faithful Stewardship Resources

  1. Visit the IRO website for an index of U/U organizations involved in international work. Peruse the short descriptions, and follow the links to visit the websites of the organizations. Determine whether one or more of these organizations have a mission that supports your congregation’s international vision. And, finally, consider whether your congregation could become a faithful steward of that organization.
  2. Many overseas U/U churches are involved in incredibly transformative programs, including:
    • Youth Ministries
    • Educational Ministries
    • HIV/AIDS and other Health ministries
    • Orphanages
    • And many more.
  3. Your congregation could become a faithful steward of one or more of these congregational initiatives, or simply be a part of strengthening U/U congregations around the world. Please contact the IRO for more information.
  4. The efforts of international interfaith or secular organizations are also extremely valuable. Many UUA congregations support organizations like Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity International, Save Darfur or the International Red Cross. If your congregation would like to know more about an organization of this sort or congregational experience with an organization, please contact the IRO.
  5. As your congregation develops its international vision, and begins to plan for its implementation, the resources necessary are likely to increase. For assistance in building congregational support to fully fund an international vision, or to designate 10% of annual financial contributions for international engagement, please contact the IRO.