Growth Resources

On this page you will find links both to websites and specific documents. Many of these are PDF files. If you don’t have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader you need it.  Its free, get it here. This page is a work in progress.

Also see:
Select listing of UUA Resources.
Visit the UUA’s Growing Unitarian Universalism blog.
My Membership Resource compilation.

For All Staff

• Congregational Handbook: How to Develop a Healthy and Vital Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation
• Updating Your Congregation’s Information (members, address, website, subscriptions, etc.)
• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Health Plan
• Church Staff Compensation (UUA Staff Contacts)
• WorshipWeb: a variety of worship resources (sermons, quotes, meditations, prayers, blessings, etc.)
• Ideas for Small (up to 150 members), Midsize (151-550), and Large (over 550) Congregations
• Safe Congregations: information about safe congregations, covenants, disruptive behavior, right relations, professional misconduct, disaster trauma response, and other concerns regarding ethics and safety.
• ARAOMC: learn, grow, and educate on behalf of the UUA’s anti-racist, anti-oppression, multicultural mission.

Administrators

• Congregational Handbook
• Data Services: update your congregation’s listings with the UUA
• Congregational Monthly Mailing
• UUA Bookstore: Church Administration and Leadership
• Email List: Church-Admin-UU
• Meetings That Work (PDF, 38 pages)
• Personnel Policy Manual for Religious Organizations
• Your Congregation’s Bylaws: A Guide to Effective Writing and Revising
• Association of UU Administrators
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Administration

Campus Ministry Coordinators

• Campus Ministry Resources
• Connect UU: on online database with listings of young adult and campus ministry groups and events
• Campus Ministry Grants
• The Young Adult and Campus Ministry Resource Catalogue (PDF, 12 pages)

Financial Officers

• Building Loans and Grants
• Church Staff Compensation
• Email List: UU-Money
• Endowment Fund
• Endowment Fund Guide for UU Congregations (PDF, 49 pages)
• Financial Management for Congregations
• Group Insurance
• Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
• Taxes, Clergy Housing, Social Security and Medicare
• A Really Good Booklist On Financial Planning
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Money: Accounting / Finances

Membership Coordinators/Directors

• The Membership Journey (PDF, 53 pages)
• Membership Resources: Hospitality and Belonging
• Email Lists:
  • Memb-L: discussion of UU membership and growth issues
  • Memb-Pros: for paid professional membership staff

Musicians

• UUA Music Leadership Credentialing
• Hymnals
  • Singing the Living Tradition
  • Singing the Journey
• WorshipWeb
• UU Musicians Network
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Worship / Music

Religious Educators

• Department of Lifespan Faith Development(LFD), Unitarian Universalist Association
  • Resources
  • Curricula
• Religious Education Credentialing (UUA Staff Contacts)
• UUA Health Plan
• Email Lists:
  • Adult-RE: discussion of UU adult religious education programs
  • Reach-L: discussion and sharing of UU religious education
  • LREDA-L: for members of the Liberal Religious Educators Association
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Religious Education

Website Developers

• Creating a Congregation Website
• Chalice Clip Art
• Email List: Websters
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Website Development

Young Adult Ministry

• Young Adult Ministry Resources Page
• The Young Adult and Campus Ministry Resource Catalogue (PDF, 12 pages) is a helpful annotated list of our resources and services for young adult and campus ministry.
• The Guide to Young Adult Ministry (PDF, 52 pages): contact the Office of Young Adult Ministries to request a hard copy.
• Young Adult Ministry Grants

Youth Ministry

• Chrysalis Training Program: advisor trainings and more
• Email Lists:
  • Youth-Related Email Lists
  • Advisor-L: discussion list for youth advisors
• Youth Advisors’ Handbook
• Office of Youth Ministries
• Youth Advisor of the Year Award

Resources for Congregational Elected Leaders

• Accessibility
• Adding Worship Services (PDF)
• Advertising Resources for Your Congregation
• Assessing Our Leadership (PDF)
• Attracting Young Adults
• Becoming a Welcoming Congregation
• Congregational Bylaws: A Guide to Effective Writing and Revising
• Congregational Growth in Unitarian Universalism (PDF)
• Congregational Handbook: How to Develop a Healthy and Vital Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation
• Congregational Life Dynamics and Conflict Management: An Application of Family Systems Theory:
  • Part 1: Systems Theory (PDF)
  • Part 2: Conflict Management (PDF)
• Congregational Stewardship Consultant Program
• Congregations Count: Evaluating Your Membership Process
• Demographic Research and Information
• Effective Congregational Committees (PDF, 37 pages)
• Email List: CongPres-L
• Email List: UU-Leaders: discussion for UU lay leaders
• Facilitating Fruitful Retreats (PDF, 6 pages)
• Faith Communities Today Congregational Surveys
• Growth Workshops: Planning for Growth and Vitality in Small and Mid-Size Congregations
• Hospitality and Belonging Practices
• JUUST Change Consultancy
• Large Congregations Services
• Meetings That Work (PDF, 38 pages)
• Membership Journey (PDF, 53 pages)
• Updating Your CEBS List (Congregational Elected Board and Staff)
• Your Congregation’s Facilities (PDF)
• Leaders’ Library Resources

Social Justice

• Social Justice Home: Issues, Action Center, Policies, and more, including most-requested resources:
  • The Real Rules (PDF, 20 pages) (Word)
    Congregations and IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections
  • Inspired Faith, Effective Action (PDF, 31 pages) (Word)
    A Social Justice Workshop and Handbook
  • Social Justice Empowerment Workshop
    • Handbook (PDF, 141 pages)
  • Congregation-Based Community Organization (CBCO)
  • Socially Responsible Investing
• Study/Action Issues & Process
• Offices and Programs
  • Congregational Advocacy & Witness
  • Washington Office
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Social Justice

Public Relations

• PR-L Public Relations Email Distribution List

Public Witness

• Sharing the Good News: A Public Relations Manual for Congregations (PDF, 121 pages)
• UUA Press Room
• Leaders’ Library Resources on Public Witness
  

Identity-Based Ministries

• Accessibility / Equal Access
  • Leaders’ Library Resources on Accessibility
• Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender (BGLT) Concerns
  • Leaders’ Library Resources on BGLT Concerns
• Racial and Ethnic Concerns
  • Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, Multicultural (ARAOMC) Resources
  • Leaders’ Library Resources on Racial and Ethnic Concerns
• Young Adult and Campus Ministry (YACM)
  • Leaders’ Library Resources on YACM
• Youth Ministries
  • Leaders’ Library Resources on Youth Ministries

UUA Worship Web

• Search the Worship Database
• Essays on Worship Theory
• Technology and Worship
• Worship Collections by Topic

UUA Marketing Resources

• For Your Congregation
  
  • Before You Begin
  • Media Resources and Buying
  • Order Materials
  • DVD for Visitors
  • Direct Mail Marketing

• Regional UUA Marketing Campaigns
• National 2008 UUA Marketing Campaign
  
  • From UUA President Sinkford
  • About the Campaign
  • View Campaign
  • FAQ
  • UUA sponsored Time Magazine Religion Pages

• DVD for Visitors

Hospitality & Belonging

• Resources
• Assessing Your Hospitality
• Welcoming Our Guests
• Path to Membership
• Member Talents and Gifts

Misc. Growth Documents

• 101+ Ideas for Membership Growth (2001)
  
• Adding Worship Services: A How-To Manual PDF
• Congregational Growth in Unitarian Universalism PDF
• Congregational Life Dynamics and Conflict Management: An Application of Family Systems Theory
  • Part 1: Systems Theory PDF
  • Part 2: Conflict Management PDF
• Demographic information about Unitarian Universalists
  
  • UUA Membership Statistics PDF 1961-2009.
  • Faith Communities Today Survey
• Effective Congregational Committees PDF
• Facilitating Fruitful Retreats PDF
• Governance for UU Congregations PDF
• Growth Resources List for Small Congregations (1-150 adult members) PDF
• Growth Resources List for Mid-size Congregations (151-550 adult members) PDF
• Meetings That Work PDF
• The Membership Journey PDF
• Size Transitions in UU Congregations PDF
• Vision, Mission, and Covenant: Creating a Future Together PDF
• Your Congregation’s Facilities PDF