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April 7, 2008

Dear Ones,

Months of hard work came to fruition last week as the Membership Committee completed a very successful pilot of our revised Newcomer Orientation series. Seven new members “signed the book” at the close of Session III-Belonging. In this last of the three sessions we focus on the core human need to belong and the balance we seek here between the autonomy of each individual and our responsibility to the common good, both within our congregation and beyond its walls. After we read through the new document, Rights and Responsibilities of Membership, one of the eventual "signers" waved her copy excitedly in the air and said "I've belonged to a number of churches in the past and have never received such a clear articulation of what I can expect and what is expected of me!"

Newcomers and long-time members alike reacted with similar enthusiasm in Session II-Deepening to the video we show, An Heretical History, a fast-talking half-hour packed with facts about UU history and theology. Ken Lanouette treated us to an "I was there" show-and-tell of the early years of UCW. In this second session we discuss ways in which we UUs can differ (the word "heretic" comes from the Greek haireisthai, to choose), and also some things we agree upon here: our free pulpit, the Affirmation we recite every Sunday, the chalice symbol, the seven principles and six sources of our Association, our Safe Congregation policy, our decision to be intentionally welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, and our congregational stand in support of a woman’s right to choose.

Session I-Connecting offers information on how newcomers can get more involved, including the handout A Dozen Ways to Connect Right Now, a month’s worth of upcoming community events. We’ll be adding a “map” of the congregation, so that visual processors can get a sense of the breadth and depth of our ministries. Session I is about connection, so it is people-heavy. Newcomers can meet the ministers, Small Group Ministry program facilitators, learn about Social Justice activities from David Vita and children’s RE from Perry and Jamie or RE Council reps, and get their burning questions answered about who we are and what we do.

The Membership Committee would like to invite you ALL, regardless of your membership status, to consider attending one or more of the four 3-session Newcomer series next year. I think you’ll enjoy the content and also the opportunity to meet some new friends and hear the awesome stories we all tell about our paths to these doors and the powerful personal impact of spiritual homecoming. In the months to come, you will see parking spaces newly designated for visitors, UCW signs at the Merritt exits and Lyons Plains Rd. intersections, new member bios in Soundings, a new member picture board in the foyer, service notices in your local paper and possibly some UU radio spots financed by a coalition of regional congregations. People out there are looking for us right now: for connection, for deepening, for belonging. When they come, we’d appreciate your help in recognizing them, welcoming them and connecting them to Greeters so that we can get to know them as they get to know us.

It’s gonna get a lot more crowded before we get it together to resolve our space challenges, friends. As I mentioned in my last letter, we’re already at 110% capacity for parking, 100% of RE space and 70% at worship. We are completely zeroed out in storage space. Our Administrator has no private office space. Perry and Jamie share an 8’ x 6’ room and Bobby and David that teeny triangular room next to the bathrooms. Jason would be a third in that room had he not agreed to isolated office space in the Meeting House. Last week I finally declared my office officially off-limits for storage of catering supplies, video equipment and electronics, brochures, easels, display boards and other homeless items. So, keep your elbows in and be sure to take part in upcoming congregational discussions about making room for everyone we welcome to “sign” and join us.

Optimistically,

Margie

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