Congregational Models
for UU Social Justice Ministries

Congregations that actively engage their entire membership in choosing the focus for their social justice ministries report a much higher level of participation from all sectors and ages of the congregation. One-on-one interviews as part of a Listening Campaign are an effective way to learn the true priorities, hopes, and concerns of the members in your congregation.

Congregations that involve everyone in one or two social justice priorities report greater congregational cohesiveness, increased collaboration in interfaith and UU coalitions, and the satisfaction of seeing that their congregation is helping to make a positive difference in their larger community.

When evaluating possible priorities for your congregation’s social justice work, it is useful to consider how your efforts can build on and enhance the work of others.

Faith in Action Model of the UU Community Church of Santa Monica

• Overview (40K MS Word document, 52K Rich Text Format, or 44K PDF)
• Structure
• Funding
• Model Task Group

• Statement of Purpose
• Areas of Work
• One-on-one interviews
• Annual Cycle for Listening, Planning, Acting
• The Core Team
• The Justice Associates
• Board Policy on Congregational Positions

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Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Justice Council is to advance the mission of the church by increasing the power of Unitarian Universalist religious values to create justice.

The Justice Council facilitates the collective actions of church members toward this purpose. It creates and sustains projects and campaigns through which the congregation makes its values real in the public arena locally and globally.

Areas of work:

1) Correcting Injustice: Public Advocacy & Action for Systemic Change
          Core team, Task Forces, Coalitions
2) Service & Social Responsibility: Personal & Interpersonal Change
          Justice Associates (ongoing programs)
3) Myth Making: Heart and Soul Change
          Intentional Relationships; Worship: Faith Development

One-on-one interviews

The social justice model used in the First Unitarian Church of Oakland hinges upon the personal commitment of CORE Team members, including a very intensive aspect of the program, conducting one-on-one conversations.

We began by doing an “inreach” - 24 people interviewed 120 members of the congregation, asking questions like "what do you like best about your community?", "...about our congregation?" and "what would you like to see changed in your community?" and "...in our congregation?"

We seek to determine through personal conversation what is most important to congregants, looking for what is exciting, where their passions reside, what holds the greatest meaning in their lives, and where they come alive.

This intensive process is challenging to do every year, yet it has proven to be vital and nourishing to the individuals who participate and to the church community as a whole. It has helped us to better focus our justice work in ways that hold meaning for congregation.

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Annual Cycle for Listening, Planning, Acting

(Adapted from Gamaliel Foundation faith based organizing model)

A. Beginning in September, Core Team conducts 1-1 interviews regularly throughout the year with church members and community members. It includes established and new leaders, members “in the pews,” new members, and folks who are not members of the church but are active in other congregations’ interfaith work or in issue areas of interest.

B. Fall/winter “outreach campaign” conducts 1-1's more intensively. It may also be used to get commitments to participate in events, recruit for the Core Team, and form task forces.

C. ISSUES ASSEMBLY in February is a congregation-wide workshop and decision-making meeting to determine the agenda for spring campaigns. People bring issues; Core Team reports on outreach, small groups evaluate issues and develop strategy; the group selects a limited number of campaigns on which at least 10 members will commit to work. Current Examples: Same Gender Marriage, Get Out The Vote. Past Examples: Peace & Civil Rights; Tax Equity (Prop 56); Just Cause; Lafayette School Mentor Recruitment.

D. ISSUE CRITERIA. Chosen issues must be aligned with UU principles and the mission of the church. And, they must 1) inspire members and build community, 2) directly benefit people in the community, 3) involve specific action s with measurable outcomes, 4) be winnable.

E. CAMPAIGNS begin in March; Core Team provides technical assistance, liaison to overall church structure, ties to congregation and larger community, leadership training.

F. REPORT BACK in September and the cycle of 1-1s, outreach, issue development and action begins again.

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The Core Team

The Core Team is the group in the church that:

• PLANS, LEADS AND SUPPORTS social justice actions & campaigns.
• BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS & COMMUNITY through one-to-one conversations and other activities.
• DEVELOPS LEADERSHIP by giving and receiving ongoing training.

The Core Team facilitates creating and implementing an annual justice agenda determined by the congregation at the Congregational Issues Assembly. It also participates in the Oakland Coalition of Congregations, a citywide interfaith organization that provides training and opportunities to engage in larger, collaborative public actions.

Core Team membership is open to any church member willing to conduct one-to-one conversations with members and others. Core Team members also organize and lead congregational or citywide task forces, plan and present events, and receive leadership training. The Core Team Captain is elected annually by the members.

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The Justice Associates

Justice Associates are church members who lead ongoing projects that engage the church in service, education and advocacy in the larger community. Many members of the congregation as well as others in the community participate in these projects as volunteers. Current Justice Associate Projects and their Associates are:

• GotCom - Computer Online Mentoring project
• Lafayette School Mentoring Project
• McClymonds High School Merit Awards
• UU’s for Ethical Treatment of Animals (UFETA)

Two Justice Associate Projects, GotCom and the McClymonds Merit Awards, receive fiscal sponsorship from the Center for Urban Family Life, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization affiliated with the church.

Board Policy on Congregational Positions

Congregational positions may be taken either by the Board or by the congregation at a duly called congregational meeting. The Board relies on the Justice Council to obtain congregational feedback and provide recommendations. Congregational feedback must:

• Be broadly publicized
• Illuminate the range of views among church members
• Gather opinion from a broad segment of the congregation

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