What is Young Adult Ministry?

Young adult ministry means all the ways that young adults are involved in our Unitarian Universalist faith and communities: in congregations, at regional and national events, online, and through long-lasting friendships.

Our goal is to create vibrant, multigenerational congregations that are welcoming, radically inclusive, and actively serving the needs of young people. Whether your congregation defines “young adults” as those in a particular age range or lets people decide for themselves if the category fits them, it’s important to consider how young people fit into your congregational life. Congregations that do young adult ministry well find that their numbers grow and they are enriched by new leaders and new perspectives.

How Does the CUC Support Young Adult Ministry?

Young adult events and programs: CUC staff and volunteers organize regular events that include young adults or are tailored specifically for them. These conferences, retreats, online gatherings and camps are important opportunities for young adults to connect with each other and find their place in the larger UU community. Upcoming events are listed on our events calendar (choose the category “Young Adults”) and on the Young Adult Events page.

Congregational support: CUC staff are happy to meet with congregational leaders and staff to help you develop your young adult ministry, troubleshoot issues, generate new ideas, and connect you with other congregations.

Resources for congregations: The CUC develops, collects and shares useful resources and best practices to help congregations in their local young adult ministry. Our resources page contains a wealth of information and links, including the CUC’s “Strategies for Young Adult Ministry” guides.

Congregational consulting: CUC staff are happy to meet with congregational leaders and staff to help you develop your young adult ministry.

Resources: The CUC collects and shares resources and best practices to help congregations learn about and develop their young adult ministry. Our resources page contains a wealth of information and links.

Contact the CUC

We’re here for you! We can be a sounding board for your ideas, provide resources, connect you to other congregations that have had similar experiences, or organize an online roundtable or webinar to address a topic of interest.

Email young-adults@cuc.ca to contact a Young Adult Ministry staff member. 

Young Adult Welcome and Inclusion

In 2017 and 2018, the CUC created the Young Adult Welcome and Inclusion Project to give congregations a structured way to improve their local young adult ministry. The project was led by Rev. Carly Gaylor and Asha Philar, in partnership with the UU Ministers of Canada and the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. Seven Canadian congregations participated, doing self-assessments, being mentored by CUC staff, and taking measurable actions. 

Many useful resources were developed through the project and updated in 2020. Highlights are below, but we encourage you to check out the Young Adult Ministry Resources page for the full list. 

Improving young adult ministry can feel daunting, but the CUC is here to support you along the way by providing guidance, resources, best practices and connections to other congregations.