Five Questions Saturday
Thirteen of us met, on September 25, 2004, under threat of
hurricane Jeanne, to brainstorm over the "Five Questions" for self-
evaluation published as part of the UUA's Uncommon Denomination
program. You can find it online at:
http://www.uua.org/programs/congservices/uncommon/assessment_instructions.html
Our goal was to raise awareness and community among our leadership
circle and to garner a few good ideas.
Present were Elaine Elle, Dot Muise, Shirley Braunstein, Rev Gail
Tapscott, Judy Knopp, Lyn Kurpiewski, Sandy Harris, Sharon Page,
Leslie & Mark Murphy, Susan Friend, Mark Woodpecker, and Kip
Barkley. We received phone regrets from several folks making
hurricane preparations: Scott Bejlovec, Carole Wilschke, Sunny
Goldenberg, Gary Ladka, and Peggy Salomonsson.
First I asked, "Why are you a member of this UU church?" and
gathered these responses:
This is the only game in town for me.
Diversity: All ages, paths, and in an air of tolerance.
This is my kind of people and community.
Self-improvement.
To raise our daughter (or son).
Spiritual growth.
Self-improvement.
Freedom from rules.
This is where I belong.
Our UU Principles.
Below I have listed each of the Five Questions along with the ideas
and observations we came up with. Following that, I listed some
possible action items:
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Question One: Will Visitors and Prospective Members Come? Our image
and visibility.
We already have a stream of visitors through our doors.
All our visitors have previously seen our website.
We are not seen as a religion.
"Our Kind" does not see a need for "Church."
Visitors seem to be seeking new ideas, but not necessarily ours.
We are seen as a Pagan center, whether that's good or bad.
Outsiders see us in a better light than we see ourselves.
We like our ads on National Public Radio.
We look to doing something on 940-Air America Internet Radio.
We run a paid ad in the Pompano Pelican.
Otherwise, our publicity is weak.
Helping the Cooperative Feeding Program is our most visible
outreach.
When our phone rings before events (unless our secretary is here),
it often goes unanswered.
It is difficult to recruit greeters, and they go off duty after the
service ends.
We need more political activity for visibility and involvement.
Our sign outside needs much work.
Possible Action Items:
Everyone: Practice how to explain our "religion."
Everyone: Answer the phone.
Activists: Think of exciting "easy to join in" social action.
Everyone: Form a "fix and pay for a new sign" committee.
Committee Chairs: Take responsibility for your own publicity.
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Question Two: Will They Come Back? The initial experience.
90% of our visitors never return.
Greeters: not everyone is cut out for this task.
Long time members leave for lunch with each other.
We need more "UUA Red Cards" to pass out.
Move Newcomers' Corner to patio where visitors gather.
We don't expect the minister to greet people before the service.
We expect the minister to greet after the service.
Visitors are called, mailed a welcome letter, and receive our
newsletter for three months.
Give Visitor Nametags to kids.
We need to offer political involvement to visitors.
We need activities that build bonds.
Kids are not greeted unless DRE Eileen is told that they arrived.
We have had creeps at our Coffee Hour working the crowd.
Our appearance needs work: stains on carpet, clutter in front of
sanctuary, cruddy flooring in kitchen and restrooms.
Our outside sign needs much work.
Possible Action Items:
Move Newcomers' Corner to patio.
Encourage the "Re-Tiling Committee" by staying out of their way.
Think of a single event to host that would include newcomers.
Do not distract minister from after-service greeting with personal
needs or committee work.
Donate 500 "UUA Red Cards."
Donate rental of $50 rug cleaner to try on stains.
Volunteer one Sunday to be a Greeter.
Direct parents with kids to DRE Eileen.
Activists: Extend personal invitations for mutually agreed-upon
social action.
Donate Visitor Nametags for kids.
Everyone: At Coffee Hour, remain aware of what is going on with
other people.
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Question Three: How will guests and new members get to know us?
Worship and Programming.
Sunday Morning 10:30 am - 1 pm is "Show Time" for appealing to
visitors.
We lament that our core group is so small.
Some like our music. Some want more singable hymns and to be more
contemporary and upbeat.
Some like Rev Gail's sermons. Some what them to be more delineated.
Some express other needs.
Some want sermon copies, which means transcribing and editing the
audio tapes.
Members are embarrassed by bumbling lay services. Visitors leave
early.
No one is in over all charge of Sunday Services: public
embarrassments are the appearance of sanctuary, some lay speakers
demonstrating weak presentation skills, some lay speakers see
service as a personal therapy session.
Visitors at announcements make rambling presentations of interest
only a few.
Unsingable hymns.
Noise from kitchen and hallway distract during service.
Adult Education is limited to Wisdom Wednesdays and Pagan Study
Group.
Those interested in Buddhist path go to our tenant group that is
looking to build their own membership.
The Liberal Christian Group died from an inability to meet on their
published dates.
The Pagans have a support group to which to refer Pagan visitors.
People show up at pot luck's without food, eat, and leave before
cleanup.
Social events are spun out of the Talent Auction. Guest lists are
thus assembled six months in advance and exclude newcomers.
We need more fun events at which to build community.
We miss "Dinners for Eight" and dinners of six including new
members.
Possible Action Items:
Everyone: Be aware of everything that is going on at Sunday
Service.
Board: Determine who is charge of Sunday services, establish
guidelines, and enforce them.
Everyone: Offer to present an Adult Education class, one to four
sessions.
Sunday Moderator: Take charge of announcements and cutoff the
ramblers.
Everyone: Invite into your home for dinner members you want to get
to know better.
Everyone: When someone demonstrates inappropriate behavior, stop
suffering in silence.
Everyone: Offer a one-time event that would be fun for you to host.
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Question Four: What does it mean to get serious? The Membership
Process.
We are using our visitor's data form.
Orientation - the minister needs participation from finance and
membership plus elders, new members, and anyone else.
We might/should offer child care with orientation.
Provide giving guidelines: giving follows commitment.
Add more ceremony to our joining process.
Communications: We need to do it better.
We must want new members for more than just their money.
We have both a dollar and an energy deficit.
Possible Action Items:
Everyone: Participate in Rev Gail's New Member Orientations.
Everyone: Subsidize our child care person.
Everyone: Decide why you really want new members.
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Question Five: Do we make it easy for people to connect, to serve
and to grow? Building a committed relationship.
Learning Opportunities:
Adult Education
Dinners among members
Do the "New UU" Program.
We have fiefdoms owned by individual members. They dictate what can
be done on their turf.
New members are exposed to both chaos and organization.
We get people looking to be told where they are going. We don't
deal with this well.
Communications: We need to do it better.
We might/should offer child care with classes.
Setup a Buddy System for prospects and new members.
Setup extended families. Right now we have UU Sisterhood, Men's
Group, Pagan Group.
Encourage members to go to SUUSI or SWIM.
Do more Cluster interaction with other UU congregations.
Encourage Youth/Teen Group and also conferences with other UU
Youth/Teen groups. We need a second Teen Leader.
Caring Committee: That's Ellen Lubin, the new membership committee
and Rev Gail. Do we nurture our elderly?
Music: Labyrinth Cafe, Concert Series, Sunday Services.
Leadership Training? On the job training?
Possible Action Items:
Everyone: Invite visitors/members to lunch/dinner.
Everyone: Offer to co-lead the four-session New UU Program.
Committee Chairs: Support/encourage new members in completing
neglected projects.
Board: Embrace new members when they offer to do something.
Everyone: Take responsibility for the publicity of your own
program.
Everyone: If you see something that's broken, fix it.
Everyone: Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
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