Congregational Designations:Options for the Future

Phillip LundLifespan Program Director

Prairie Star District

67

59

The difference?

Affiliation.

UUA Requirements

1. 30 adult charter members2. Bylaws3. Articles of Incorporation4. A check

PSD Requirements

None

Not Affiliated with UUA

1. Okoboji2. Storm Lake3. Hutchinson4. Buffalo5. St. Cloud (Spirit Of Life)6. St. Paul (Groveland)7. Warrensburg8. Dickinson

Two Categories

•Affiliated–Decorah–Ashland–Salina

•Unaffiliated–Groveland–Spirit of Life–Buffalo

Emerging

• An Emerging Congregation has not yet been accepted into the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for membership. It may be new and growing toward full service or not yet ready to become a UUA member congregation.

New Category

Growth Program Area Goals

• By July 2014, as a result of the work of the Prairie Star District Growth Program Area:– We will have 4 of the Emerging

Congregations affiliated.– We will have 4 new congregations in the

process of being affiliated (satellites of larger churches or fellowships at new locations, but not full-service churches).

New, Unaffiliated Groups

Three Options

• Work toward affiliation (Emerging)• Become members of an existing

congregation (Multi-site branch)• Be designated as something other

than a congregation (Fellowship/Study Group)

Emerging

• The designation indicates a commitment to grow and eventually become a full member congregation of the UUA.

• The District Executive is the person that makes the request with the UUA headquarters office to add a group as an Emerging Congregation on the UUA website.

Prerequisites

• Leadership School• Radical Hospitality• Multigenerational Faith Development

– Youth & Young Adult Ministries

• Financial Contribution to PSD

Multi-site

• One church (meaning one staff, one board, one budget) meeting in multiple locations, usually with various sites developing unique personalities yet sharing the same “brand identity” and DNA.

Multi-site

Multi-site

Fellowship/Study Group

• A small group of Unitarian Universalists meeting on a semi-regular basis.

• Meetings tend to be programmatic rather that worshipful.

• Little or no interest in becoming a fully affiliated congregation or a multi-site branch.

Consistent Designations

• Emerging Congregations and Multi-site Branches will be listed on both the UUA and PSD websites.

• Fellowship/Study Groups will be listed only in a separate section on the PSD website.

Healthy, Vital Congregations