Ministry Support

Unity South Central Region (USCR) offers ministry support via Unity Worldwide Ministries’ (UWM’s) accredited ministry consultants. Support includes:

Board & Leadership Training

  • Creating community-supported vision, mission, and core values

  • Developing spiritual and emotional leadership maturity

Transitional Services

  • A healthy process of finding a new minister after the current minister retires, has resigned, or was asked to resign.

  • Providing support during the transition period that may be filled with internal conflicts and disagreements

Peace-Making Skills

  • Transforming conflict into opportunities

  • Moving past self-limiting conversations

Costs Involved

There are three major components involved in the cost of hiring a ministry consultant:

Honorarium for the ministry consultant

  • Our UWM-accredited ministry consultants are self-employed and therefore cover their own expenses such as food, amenities, preparation, healthcare, etc.

  • The honorarium is negotiated between the ministry consultant and the ministry.

Cost of materials, venues, beverages, lunch, etc.

  • The ministry is expected to cover all costs of materials (copies, binders, etc.) as well as providing appropriate venues to conduct the training.

  • It is also recommended to provide beverages (coffee, tea, water) throughout the training while offering a lunch option (paid, unpaid, love offering).

Expenses for travel and accommodation

  • Even though many ministry consultancy services can be rendered virtually, sometimes, an in-person approach is necessary. In that case, travel and accommodation for the ministry consultant are an additional expense to consider.

  • Travel usually involves a flight from the ministry consultant’s place of home or business to the ministry.

  • Accommodation should be arranged for the day before as well as the day after the services are rendered.

  • For member ministries in financial hardship, USCR offers financial support options (see form below). Financial support is limited depending on the remaining funds as budgeted for each of USCR’s fiscal year.

Steps to Get Financial Support

Step 1: Get in Touch

Your first point of contact is your regional representative to help you direct any concerns with our region’s available resources. Then, if necessary, we will help you connect with our ministry consultants for further assistance.

Contact USCR’s regional representative via email at

Step 2: Understand What Financial Support Is Provided

USCR offers financial support for two out of the three major expense items to receive ministry support:

  1. Travel & Accommodation

  2. Ministry Consultant Honorarium

Travel & Accommodation

USCR offers a reimbursement of up to 50% for travel expenses that would be reasonably expected when hiring a ministry consultant operating and living within the region and close to the ministry.

  • Flights are expected to be at the level of premium economy. Travels to and from the airport are not covered.

  • Other arrangements (e.g., travel by car) are recognized at a set expenditure per mile (e.g., $0.20/mile), capped at the cost of what a flight would have cost.

Ministry Consultant Honorarium

USCR offers a reimbursement of up to 50% of the ministry consultant honorarium. A detailed outline of the services and costs must be provided for approval. The services and costs must be directly related to the ministry’s current concerns, excluding other activities (e.g., Sunday message).

 

Step 3: Check Your Eligibility for Financial Support

After you have established a plan with your regional representative and ministry consultant, you are welcome to apply for financial support.

To be eligible for financial support,

  1. your ministry must be located within the USCR region,

  2. your ministry ideally supports or has supported USCR in the past,

  3. your ministry must be in good standing with UWM and USCR,

  4. and your ministry must be lead by a Unity minister, spiritual leader under special dispensation, or board president in good standing with UWM and USCR.

In the case you are not meeting all eligibility requirements, you may submit the financial support application to indicate your desire and need. In such a case, some additional conversations with the regional or a board representative may be necessary.

Step 4: Approval Process

NOTE: The financial support application must be submitted before the event for which financial support is sought to be considered for the maximum 50% reimbursement.

After your financial support application is submitted, it will be

  1. reviewed by USCR’s Regional Representative and your ministry consultant to present to USCR’s Board of Trustees,

  2. put on the next regular board meeting’s agenda if time permits,

  3. reviewed by the board of trustees for approval or further inquiries.

Any further inquiries will delay the process as applications are only reviewed during regular board meetings (usually once a month) and only if time allows. As such, it is essential to carefully prepare for the application and provide all necessary information.