The PCC will be bold and ambitious in the support we provide.

• We will encourage, embrace, and support a wide range of partnering models, including ones that go beyond today's approaches.
• We will encourage and support both church-to-church partnering relationships and meaningful participation opportunities for individuals and congregations that are not in a partnering relationship.
• We will support grassroots partnering activities by developing effective leadership, stewardship, fellowship, and logistical services.
• We will provide outreach and informational support so that partnering efforts are widely recognized and strongly supported by US and Canadian UUA congregations.
• We will work cooperatively with the international efforts of the UUA and other international religious organizations, and we will encourage and support the UUA in developing and maintaining a strong international engagement.
• We will provide other support and services to ensure that partnering has a significant, increasing, and mutually beneficial impact worldwide.

Ways to renew our partnership efforts

• State your intention and desire to re-establish a closer relationship with your Partner TO your Partner. Try to learn from your past, but be forward focused.
• Remember to keep relationship building as your top priority and be patient as you grow together. All relationships go through stages that are more or less difficult especially relationships that involve different cultures. Your commitment and caring for each other will grow as you honestly work through any problems or misunderstandings you face.
• Increase your communications – both in frequency and number of contact people on each side. The availability of low cost international phone plans, instant messaging, email and SKYPE all make this much easier and more affordable than it was just last year! Some examples of natural contacts are teacher-to-teacher, minister-to-minister, choir director to cantor, religious education classes, and women’s groups.
• Send photos and stories that help share who you are – get to know each other all over again!
• Share your joys and concerns with each other and with your congregations. Announce holidays and special occasions during your Sunday services. Share info about births, weddings and deaths in the communities.
• Ask the ministers to write yearly letters to each other- sharing holiday prayers, greetings on special occasions, and sermons. They might choose a common topic for the sermon on a particular Sunday. Encourage the ministers to read these messages to the congregations.
• Ask the lay presidents to exchange their greetings and thoughts and share them with each congregation.
• Visit your Partner Church and spend several days getting to know each other well. UUPCC travel program can help you plan a meaningful trip for 5 or more people from your congregation. Or you can join a open trip with other UUs if less than 5 people from your are interested. Write to jdaleuupcc@yahoo.com to plan a trip and/or check our website at www.uupcc.org/travel to see what open trips are planned.
• Engage in a meaningful project together. If you need help getting started, learn more about UUPCC’s community organizing program called Community Capacity Building. You can join your partner as they identify their priorities in their own community and then work with them to achieve their plans. See the Community Development section at www.uupcc.org
• Create a covenant between your two churches. There are samples on the uupcc.org website.
• Invite guest speakers to your church- call the UUPCC at 781-275-1710 for suggested speakers.
• Create a greater presence for your Partner within your congregation by including references to them during Joys and Concerns, celebrating the holidays of your Partner, sing and play the music of your Partners, have a visual presence on bulletin boards and by displaying gifts, discuss books relevant to your Partner’s faith and culture during your book study groups, have sermons about Partnership and how it has touched you, and include Partnership stories in your newsletter.
• Focus children’s and adult RE classes on learning about your Partners and their culture, history and current concerns. Learn a song or a few phrases in the language of your partner. There are resources for both youth and adult RE classes on our website.
• Create festivals and/or a special dinner to celebrate your Partners and your Partnership.
• Infuse your Religious Education with learning about your Partner and a sense that we are all connected.
• Take a photo directory to your Partner and help them create a photo directory to share with your congregation.
• Create artwork, poems, songs, etc. to give to your Partners. Exchange drawings or audiotapes of your adult or youth choir or whole church singing.
• Stay current with your UUPCC membership and take advantage of the wonderful resources found on the UUPCC website and in the newsletter.
• Become an active participant in the PCC-chat, learning and sharing with others engaged in Partnership. To join, send an email to pat.rodgers@sbcglobal.net
• Work through your misunderstandings and find support from the UUPCC if this proves to be an especially difficult task. Sometimes cultural and language differences are at the root of the problem and these difficulties can be easily overcome once understood and tended to. Write us at office@uupcc.org
• Set up exchanges between families and individuals. Encourage congregation members of all ages to participate in Partnership.
• Invite the minister or members of your Partner Church congregation to visit your church. UUPCC has a travel scholarship program to help with travel costs for first time visits. See details at www.uupcc.org/travel
• Remember to hold each other in gratitude and respect.