Regional Services
The work of the Pacific Western Region complements the work of the broader Unitarian Universalist Association to strengthen Unitarian Universalism. How does the UUA serve our congregations?
Consultation: Pacific Western Regional staff offer consultation to Unitarian Universalist leaders (including ministers, staff, and lay leaders) regarding all aspects of congregational life in-person and by email, phone, and video conference. Each congregation and covenanting community has a primary contact person on our team.
Leadership workshops and trainings: We support engaged, spiritually-grounded, and vital leadership by offering workshops, trainings, and webinars. Check our PWR Newsletter for upcoming opportunities. Our offerings support many kinds of leaders in our congregations: youth advisors, religious educators, sexuality educators, ministers, staff teams, boards, committees, stewardship teams, and more.
Multicultural growth and transformation: We partner with our national UUA staff to help our congregations live into the vision of Beloved Community described by Widening the Circle of Concern. We also partner with the broader UUA to support religious professionals of color serving our congregations.
Ministerial transitions: We help congregations in search for a new minister, whether settled, contract, interim, or developmental. Contact your primary contact or the UUA transitions office to engage our regional staff about a ministerial transition.
Conflict transformation: Our staff engage congregations in practices to prevent destructive conflict through consultation, facilitation, and training. We are connected with the national HOPE for Us conflict engagement team that assists congregations in conflict.
Lifespan religious education/faith formation: We support lifelong spiritual growth by helping congregations build and maintain excellent programs for children, youth, and adults. We offer resources and workshops to re-enliven and re-tool programs for children and families, to train youth advisors, and to equip leaders of lifespan sexuality education programs (Our Whole Lives). We also offer direct faith development programs for high school youth (see "youth ministry," below.) In addition, we offer startup workshops when congregations hire new religious educators. Write to your primary contact to learn more.
Youth ministry: We provide programming for youth at the district and regional level. This includes conferences (cons), camps, coming-of-age programs, retreats, trainings, and the annual week-long youth leadership school. We support collaborative partnerships between youth and adult leadership.
Emerging adult ministry: We help congregations minister to emerging adults (ages 18-24) through inclusion, age-specific programming, and outreach.
Safety, behavior, boundaries, and misconduct: We support congregations in developing Safe Congregations policies and practices. We partner with congregational leadership to establish good boundaries on behavior and address misconduct and breaches of trust.
Congregational partnerships: We facilitate congregations working together. We help congregations learn from each other, share resources, and work together for social justice.
Emerging groups: We support emerging congregations and covenanting communities in the Pacific Western Region.
Chalice lighters: We promote and provide administrative support for the Chalice Lighter programs in all four districts. Chalice Lighters allows individual Unitarian Universalists to make small financial contributions to help other Unitarian Universalist congregations in their district with projects, often capital improvements, they otherwise might not be able to afford.
Connection to the UUA: We help congregations identify resources and services from other parts of the UUA. We share information about congregations with the larger UUA leadership to help the whole organization provide the best possible services to congregations.
If you have questions or would like more information about any of these services, please contact your congregation’s primary contact.