Pacific Northwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association
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13 Steps to Start Your Church Year Strong
by Tandi Rogers Koerger, Program Specialist
From: September 2007
It’s that time of year , folks! Back to school shopping. First day of the new church year. There’s a buzz of possibilities in the air. Are you ready? Here’s a checklist to help you get back into the swing of things.
Bathroom sniff test. Yes , I’m serious. What’s the first room you clean in your own home when company is coming? I rest my case. Is your church bathroom up to “company standards?” I especially love those congregations that put out a basket of goodies like fragrance-free lotion, band-aids , feminine products , safety pins, diapers and diaper wipes. (If you separate by gender, provide baby needs in each bathroom.) It’s delightfully welcoming.
- Sound System. The only thing worse than a musty-dusty bathroom is a sound system that doesn’t work. Please respect your assembled community and the folks who lovingly put together the worship enough to make sure the sound system supports the service seamlessly. Make sure that a cadre of people know how to work technical magic and can step in when needed. Make sure the worship associates are comfortable using the equipment. Practice.
- Greeters as Ministry. Wouldn’t it be great to be greeted at the door by someone who knows you by name and says , “How are? I’m so glad to see you!” I’m convinced this is an under appreciated ministry. We all crave to be seen and known , and wanted. Blessed are the greeters who take special care with visitors. Remember your first day? Unless you were born into Unitarian Universalism , you were probably nervous your first day. Filled with questions. Am I in the right place? Will I be accepted? What if I have trouble following the liturgy? Who will be my Sunday School teacher? There are a couple congregations who employ the talents of youth and child greeters to help all ages feel welcome and at home. Yes!
- Membership Tracking. As the Rev. Peter Morales of Jefferson UUC says , “If you can’t count them , you can’t serve them.” I believe that. When I grew up , my church had us all sign in the Membership Book that was housed in each pew. If my family missed a couple Sundays I knew I could count on someone from the church calling to make sure we were alright. How loving!
- Name Tags. They’re a matter of hospitality and good manners. Even in a family-sized congregation , newer members are not going to know everyone’s name. And here’s another purpose: tracking. Have a basket out by the name tags. After church ask/train people to put their name tags in the basket. Voila! Your membership counter knows who attended (see #4.) And you just might have a little helper learning their ABC’s whose job it could be to put them back in order for the next Sunday.
- Real Cream. We are so into our free-trade organic coffee and usually fumble on the nasty powdered milk substitute. It’s up there with stinky bathrooms and screeching microphones. Spring for the real cream. It makes a difference.
- Projected Announcements. The Saltwater UUC in Des Moines , WA (http://www.saltwaterchurch.org/) uses a computer and projector to post their announcements before the service. We are often treated to pictures of church events that happened that previous week. Add captions with names and it can be a powerful community builder. If you start running this ten minutes before the worship service starts , I bet people will start coming on time.
- Newsletters with Purpose. Two of my current favorite newsletters are those of the Kitsap UUF (www.kuuf.org) and Cedars UUC (www.cedarsuuchurch.org.) What sets these apart is how user friendly they are. The contributors don’t assume I know acronyms or common phrases. Contact information is sprinkled throughout the articles and announcements so people can call or email right then. Their newsletters become my guide to getting involved with their congregation and wider community. Reread your newsletter with fresh eyes (pretend you’re a new member.) What does your newsletter tell you or not tell you?
- Websites with Purpose. Most people seeking Unitarian Universalism will search the Internet to find their nearest church. Knowing that , does the front page of your site give clear directions? Does it tell people what kind of religious community you are and what you value? Is it inviting? Does it provide easy to find contact information for staff and church leaders?
- Voice Message with Soul. Make me want to come to church! Tell me who you are and where you are with an upbeat , clear voice. And please , if you’re going to answer the church phone , make sure you will represent the congregation with a welcoming spirit and accurate information.
- Community with Soul. Fall is a great time to reaffirm your Covenant and what it means to be a member of your religious community. Lift up your vision and celebrate how you plan to build that vision. Need some help? There are great tools out there from the UUA: Vision , Mission , Covenant ( http://www.uua.org/documents/congservices/visionmissioncovenant.pdf) and the Membership Journey (http://www.uua.org/documents/congservices/membershipjourney.pdf) are two I highly recommend.
- Search Team of Possibilities. Skip a couple Sundays this fall and go check out another church. What do you like? What good ideas could you bring back? What do you especially appreciate about your home congregation? I always thought it would be fun to have an organized team who went out and systematically went searching for possibilities to share with their leadership.
- Have Fun. We’re in this for the long haul. If it’s making you anxious , angry , or resentful why not let someone else do <insert distasteful duty here> for a while. Or maybe it doesn’t get done for a while. Lead with love and creativity and fun. Abundance will follow.
Have a great year!
In faith ,
Tandi Rogers Koerger