The UUA regards an emerging congregation as one that is active and meeting but has not yet been accepted into UUA membership.

Official recognition by the UUA as an emerging congregation allows that congregation to be listed in the congregation finder on the UUA website. As more people are finding congregations through the web, this can be an important boost for publicity.

The designation by the UUA that a group is an “emerging congregation” indicates a commitment to grow and eventually become a full member congregation of the UUA. Before the UUA can request that its office of data services add a group onto the website as an Emerging Congregation, the group needs to make contact with the staff of its district. The executive of that district should then contact Diane Martin of the Department of Congregational Services and make the request. It is important that members of the fledgling group develop contacts at the district level. For more information email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In addition, to the district recommendation, the Department of Congregational Services needs the following information:

• Name of emerging congregation
• Mailing address
• Meeting address
• Phone contact
• Email address
• Website address

To be listed on UUA.org as emerging, a group must have either a meeting address or working website or both. Visitors must have a way to quickly find out where they are meeting and if they meet in different places, those places must be posted on their website.

This process usually goes quickly and the UUA Department of Congregational Services is glad to assist.