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MEMBERSHIP |
HOW TO BE WELCOMING
We all want to help make our church an inviting place for visiting guests. Toward this end, the Membership Committee has come up with a list of Frequently Asked Questions people often have about our Sunday worship services.Q1: On Sunday morning, what is my first opportunity to be welcoming?
A1: Choose to park away from the building, leaving room in our small parking lot for guests and members who are mobility challenged.
Q2: As I enter church each Sunday, what should I do?
A2: Wear your name badge or the larger nametags usually available at all events and committee meetings at the church. Guests (and members) will appreciate your making it easier for them to learn your name.
Q3: We have many guests every week. How can I help them feel comfortable entering the sanctuary?
A3: Stop by the welcome table and offer to go in and sit with a guest. If asked, quietly answer questions. Your example will help them learn our customs and feel at home.
Q4: How should I greet a guest during the ‘Greet Your Neighbor’ portion of the service?
A4: Reach out. Move toward the guest if you need to. Find a guest and kindly introduce yourself and welcome them to our church.
Q5: What should I do as I leave the service?
A5: Walk out with an unaccompanied guest. Offer to introduce visitors to the Minister or speaker. Invite them to join you for coffee hour. Introduce them to other members and friends especially to those who might share a common interest.
Q6: What should I do during coffee hour to welcome guests?
A6: Do not talk about or conduct church business! Talk about the service. Talk to people who lit candles during joys and concerns. Look for guests and visitors and talk to them about the service.
Q7: How can I encourage guests to learn more about our church?
A7: Introduce them to the Membership Host/Greeter. Encourage them to sign up to receive the church newsletter, or pick up one of the many UUCE specific brochures, such as a Visitors Guide or the Resource Guide for Members and Friends (The volunteer interest survey from the center of the Resource Guide goes in the box in the social hall and can be used to help the guest connect with other folks with common interests.) Invite them to go to our Web site (http://www.uueugene.org) to find out more about UUCE affinity groups, activities, and events or sign up to receive the weekly UUpDate via email.
Q8: What should I do after becoming acquainted with a guest?
A8: Call or send an email note to the church office (office@uueugene.org) with the guest’s name and information you learned about them. Include the date of the visit. The information will be entered into the church database and used by (our volunteer coordinator), the Minister, and the Membership Committee to maintain communication with the visitor after the initial visit.
Q9: What can I do to be ready for questions from guest about being a UU?
A9: Work on your UU “elevator speech” during spare moments. That’s the speech you’d give if someone asks you a question about being a friend or member of the church while you are both on an elevator, with only a few seconds to chat. We all need to have one ready to offer. Talk to the Membership Committee or our Minister for help in developing your own, personal UU elevator speech.
10: Rather than saving seats, welcome guests to sit next to you.
Thank you for helping us to lovingly welcome visitors! Creating and maintaining the culture of a welcoming congregation is part of the joy and responsibility of being a member of our beloved community.
Please consider joining the Membership Committee as well. It is fun and rewarding to help our church welcome guests and to support our members as they become more active in our beloved community and continue their personal journey of faith.