Tapestry of Faith: The New UU: A Program for Welcoming Newcomers to Unitarian Universalist Congregations

Introduction

Part of The New UU

There is nothing in all the world so important as to be loyal to this faith which has placed before us the loftiest ideals, which has comforted us in sorrow, strengthened us for noble duty and made the world beautiful. — Olympia Brown, 19th-century Universalist minister

This culminating workshop ties up loose ends and explicitly invites participants to move into membership. Be sure to involve the minister(s) and Membership Committee in the planning. You may need to adapt the workshop for the membership requirements and traditions of your congregation. Activity 5 includes the signing of the Membership Book; if you use Activity 5, you may wish to invite leaders of the congregation to welcome new members. If you do not wish to include signing the Membership Book, eliminate Activities 2 and 5 and replace them with Alternate Activity 2, Guest Panel.

Before leading this workshop, review Accessibility Guidelines for Workshop Presenters found in the program Introduction and make any preparations needed to accommodate your group.

If you only have an hour, omit Activities 5 and 6, and shorten Activity 2 by five minutes.

Goals

This workshop will:

  • Present information about the rights and responsibilities of membership in a Unitarian Universalist congregation
  • Answer participants' questions about Unitarian Universalism and the congregation.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  • Share their impressions of congregational life
  • Make a decision about joining the congregation
  • Share their hopes about participation in the congregation.