Building Block #4

Assessment Questions

Clergy and other pastoral care providers must be prepared and skilled in handling the sexuality-related needs of their congregants. The Religious Institute has identified more than one hundred sexuality concerns that congregants might bring, ranging from couples struggling with sexual dysfunction, infertility, or marital issues; people coming out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual; families dealing with the news of a teenage pregnancy or Internet affair; people trying to overcome a legacy of childhood physical or sexual abuse, and so on. Every clergy and chaplain can think of times that sexuality issues have been raised in their private offices. Clergy need special training to deal with these pastoral care issues; congregants need to feel comfortable raising these issues with their clergy; and there needs to be an active referral network for those congregants who need more assistance.

To be completed by:

• Congregation Minister(s)
• Lay Pastoral Care Providers
• Care Committee Chairs
• Small Group Ministries Facilitators

Pastoral Care: Assessment Checklist

Suggested Readings

• A Time to Build, 2nd Edition, by Debra W. Haffner, Religious Institute, 2012
• Counseling on Sexuality Issues: A Handbook for Pastors and Other Helping Professionals by Andrew J. Weaver, John D. Preston, and Charlene A. Hosenfeld, Pilgrim Press, 2005
• Ministry Among God's Queer Folk: LGBT Pastoral Care, by David Kundtz and Bernard Schlager, Pilgrim Press, 2007
• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Guide on Marrying Same Sex Couples (PDF, 31 pages)
• UUA Premarital Counseling Guide for Same Gender Couples (PDF, 18 pages)
• UUA Resources on Transgender Identity and Inclusion

For More Assistance

• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists for a list of certified sexuality counselors and therapists in your state
• Association on Marriage and Family Therapists
• UUA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Ministries