Outreach to Young Adults

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Outreach to Young Adults

• Canadian Unitarian Council ACM
• May 2005

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Goals for Participants

• View young adults as a potential target for
  growth efforts
• Learn methods of doing young adult-targeted
  outreach
• Gain tools and program ideas
• Learn about resources available from the UUA to
  help you

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Why Outreach?

• We have something unique and powerful to offer
  the world
• We want to be an influential public voice on
  issues that matter to us
• New people keep our living tradition vital

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Why Young Adults?

• Ideas, energy, creativity, passion
• Leadership for the present and the future
• Young adults are often under-represented in our
  congregations

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Who is YA outreach meant for?
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We are seeking.

• Young people who grew up UU and who are no longer
  connected to a congregation
• Young people seeking a faith that lets them be
  who they are a faith with more than one possible
  right answer
• People trying to match what they do with their
  values
• Young people seeking a faith grounding for
  justice work
• People in their first jobs and careers
• Young couples in new relationships
• New parents

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Young Adults are Seeking Us

• The young adult period is a time of great
  transitions
• Many young adults are seeking a liberal religious
  home that is non-judgmental and makes sense

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Some Hard Data from the US

• 80 of first-year university students are
  interested in spirituality
• 76 searching for meaning and purpose
• 48 describe their spiritual outlook as
  seeking, conflicted, or doubting

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Outreach Focuses on Needs

• Effective outreach first takes into account the
  needs of the groups youre hoping to attract
• What are some needs that all young adults will
  share?
• What are the different needs of different groups
  of young adults?

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Young Adult Needs

• Respect for the experience that they have
• Need to be treated as adults
• Understanding that they are in a transitional
  period of life
• Intergenerational community

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New UUs

• Develop a strategy for welcoming all newcomers to
  your congregation
• Dont assume someone is a new UU just because
  they are young
• Need to be welcomed into your congregation
• Need to learn about UUism
• Need us to watch insider language that is
  exclusionary

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Young Adult Families

• Child care or childrens programming at events
• YA parent and family-oriented events
• Child-friendly events
• Invitation to an excellent RE program
• Time to be with other adults
• Programs focused on parenting and spirituality

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UUs from Elsewhere

• Need to be respected as people not new to our
  faith
• Invitations to leadership in your congregation
• An understanding of what they found meaningful in
  their previous congregation

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Outreach Requires Shifting Attention

• Outreach requires us also to look outside of our
  walls at the communities around us
• Attracting people different from the ones we
  already have challenges us to live our theology

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Your Community Young Adults

• Where do young adults gather in your community?
• What shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, etc. do
  young adults frequent?
• What are popular venues for live music?
• What neighbourhoods tend to attract young adults?
• What are media in your community that young
  adults use for information?

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Demographics

• Demographic studies let you find out about your
  congregations community in new ways
• Possible variables include age, demographic
  segment, faith involvement

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Gathering Events

• What are the hot issues in your community?
• What do we as UUs have to say about them?
• Hold an event that will attract community
  attention

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Outreach Needs a Plan

• Forms of Outreach to put in your plan include
• Advertising
• Print materials
• Press outreach
• Electronic outreach
• Networking (person-to-person outreach)

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Advertising

• Place advertisements in local media
• Can include newspaper ads (both display and
  classified ads work), radio spots and even TV
• Independent media likely to attract young adults
  often have affordable rates

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Print Materials

• Produce colorful, high-quality publicity material
• Pamphlets and flyers can be distributed to
  various places in the community
• Be aware of who your audience is and why they
  might be attracted to your congregation

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Using the Media Effectively

• What local media will attract young adult
  attention?
• How can you get publicity for things you are
  doing?
• Press releases
• Op-Ed Pieces
• Letters to the Editor
• Engagement with making change (and thus making
  news)

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Using Electronic Media

• Attractive, updated web sites are an effective
  way to reach out to young adults
• Use e-mail, but be aware of death by email
  phenomenon
• Electronic media exclude those without access

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Networking

• One-on-one communication is the most effective
  outreach
• Most people find our congregations because they
  are invited by friends
• Partnerships with justice organizations can be
  very effective as outreach tool

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Making An Outreach Plan

• An outreach plan should have
• An understanding of your target audiences and how
  best to reach them
• An understanding of how you are going to use
  several different outreach media
• Timelines associated with various parts of the
  campaign
• Point people for each part
• Evaluation methods

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Outreach Requires Programming

• Successful outreach requires programming in the
  congregation
• A balanced model has 3 elements
• Worship and spiritual growth as the center of
  your program
• Opportunities for social interaction (fellowship)
  and community building
• Opportunities for social justice and service to
  the wider community

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Small Group Ministry

• Covenant groups offer a chance to build
  relationships
• Groups include spiritual, social and service
  components
• Touch Groups familiar to many youth
• Small Group Ministry model is adaptable

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Making Connections

• Invite young adults to fuller participation in
  your congregation
• Connect young adults to intergenerational
  programs
• Have an intentional path to membership for young
  adults

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Getting Help with YA Outreach

• Consulting
• Training
• Grants
• Print and Video Resources
• On-line resources and resources for electronic
  outreach

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Consulting Resources

• Staff and trained consultants available
• In-person consultations and workshops
  custom-designed for your needs
• Consultants work with your congregation over the
  course of several months

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Training Resources

• Regional Campus Ministry Trainings
• Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Trainings
• YA Leadership Development Weekends

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Grants

• Program grants up to US500
• Billings Fund grants up to US2000 for events
• All require honor proper financial support of the
  CUC on behalf of the congregation

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Print and Video Resources

• Available from UUA Bookstore
• Curricula
• Guides
• Pamphlet
• Videosincluding new video out in June
• Posters and brochures available from YACM office

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On-line Resources

• Covenant Group Resources
• Free curricula and manual available for download
• Code of Ethics for Peer Leaders
• Includes educational materials on how to
  implement and use it
• Code available with standard Canadian spelling

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Database and E-mail Lists

• ConnectUU Online database
• www.connectuu.com
• Register your group and events here
• On-line event registration
• Free E-mail list hosting
• newlist.uuyan.org

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www.uuyan.org
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Contacting the YACM Staff

• My contact information
• 919-949-1158 (cell)
• mtino_at_uua.org
• Boston-based Staff
• 617-948-4273
• Website
• www.uuyan.org