Becoming Unitarian Universalist
Posted by Annette Marquis on March 10, 2008
I believe that it is the role of our congregations to, first, help new people connect with members of the congregation, secondly, to help them understand Unitarian Universalism and deepen and clarify their faith, and thirdly, to help them put their faith into action by serving the world. If you see this as your mission with new members of your congregation, I would recommend that you become intentional about how you bring people into this incredible faith. Having a plan for what happens after someone joins your congregation can result in developing a life-long UU, rather than one that burns out and leaves us after two or three years. Whether you are from an emerging congregation or a well-developed one, I encourage you to develop a program that moves people through the steps of connecting, deepening, and serving. The following three programs make a great way for new members to spend their first year in your congregation:
Evensong- this eight-week small group ministry program designed to help congregation members make lasting connections with one another. It includes Weekly worship services designed for groups of 10 to 20. Each service includes singing, readings and discussion. Participants in this program are invited to share thoughts, experiences, doubts and religious beliefs. Evensong is a wonderful way for members to get to know each other at a deeper level and to help them clarify their beliefs.
A Chosen Faith by former UUA President, the Reverend John Buehrens, the minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City, the Reverend Forrester Church. Use the online discussion guide to delve deeper into what Unitarian Universalism is all about.
Weaving the Fabric of Diversity – this eight-week course delves into the hallmark of Unitarian Universalism social justice work with an exploration of embracing diversity: racism, heterosexism, ableism, classism and ageism.
(Thanks to The Reverend Susan Smith, District Executive in the Southwestern Conference for these wonderful suggestions)
Shirley McGuire said
One way we’ve found to help new people connect is, after they’ve been coming for a while, asking if they’d make coffee every once in a while. We have specific instructions for making coffee and someone to help them. This has been very successful in helping them connect with the congregation. We also ask them to help with greeting. Of course we always make a point to speak to them during our meet and greet part of the service and speaking with them during coffee hour.
We’d like to introduce some other small tasks so we can meet their interests in case they are not interested in either of the above tasks. Do you have intentional ways in your congregation to help newer people connect? If so can you share them with us? Thank You. Shirley McGuire, President Westside UU Church, Knoxville, TN.