UUJMCA In Your Community
We are a statewide justice ministry working to empower the voices of those who share Unitarian Universalist values. Through our advocacy and empowerment work we bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice, love, and liberation.
UUJMCA is also a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting justice leaders who are striving to make a difference in their local communities. Part of our mission is to nurture and support leaders who are trained, effective, inspiring, and connected – locally AND statewide.
We know that California is large, and we know that connected communities and congregations are at the core of our collective liberation. There are over 70 Unitarian Universalist congregations in California and an estimated 13,000+ Unitarian Universalists around the state. Most – if not all – of us are engaged in service-oriented and/or transformative justice ministries. Our goal is to support congregations in building and sustaining strong justice ministries, by promoting regular communication, collaboration, and creativity.
UUJMCA Clusters
UUJMCA uses a cluster model to connect Unitarian Universalists and their congregations, and support them in working together to promote justice education, witness, and advocacy engagement through local collaborations. Cluster Co-Coordinators work with key contact points in congregations in their cluster to support connection and collaboration on local and statewide justice efforts. By having Cluster Co-Coordinators for each of the geographic clusters in California, we can empower and enable congregations to work beyond their church walls, imagining and creating justice on a local and regional level beyond what each individual congregation can do alone.
Each UUJMCA Cluster works to:
- Engage with local partners and communities,
- Connect individual UUs and UU congregations in their cluster,
- Provide a justice community for individuals without a congregational home, and
- Provide leadership development and justice engagement through accountable partnerships with local organizations, as well as our regional and statewide advocacy campaigns.
UUJMCA Congregational Ambassadors
UUJMCA envisions congregations across California having strong justice ministries, collaborating beyond congregational walls, and joining with each other and community partners to create positive change in the world. We want every congregation in California to have opportunities to learn about and act on issues locally, statewide, and nationally with a strong foundation in faith and community.
As a core component of our grassroots organizing, we work to identify a Congregational Ambassador in each congregation. This assists us in keeping congregations up-to-date on various issues and actions, with clear opportunities for UUs to get involved. Congregational Ambassadors receive training and ongoing support from UUJMCA to facilitate their congregation’s connections to justice opportunities, partners, and resources. Our Congregational Ambassador Network also facilitates the growth and development of strong justice ministries by connecting congregations to a network of justice leaders in their vicinity.
UUJMCA is currently revitalizing our network of Cluster Coordinators and Congregational Ambassadors, and we want you to be a part of it!
Volunteer leaders are critical in shaping and coordinating UUJMCA’s training events, plugging UUs into issue action teams, and coordinating local efforts with identified community partners. They are at the forefront of effective, accountable, and faith-rooted justice ministries. By volunteering, you can help UUJMCA connect UUs in your congregation to justice partnerships and opportunities in your area today!
Interested in organizing for justice? Let us know if you’d like to learn more about being a Cluster Coordinator or Congregational Ambassador!
