The highlight of October was the Board’s Annual Retreat , entitled It’s All About Belonging! The Board was joined by Rev. Sian and 25 other church leaders for a 4-hour discussion on what specifically promotes the feeling of belonging and what actions each of us can take to nurture that sense of belonging in others.
The list that was generated included:
Personally greet new people – look for the visitor badge; ask
- What brings you here?
- What would you like to know more about in order to get involved?
Engage intentionally in conversations with new faces
- Make a personal connection
- Listen to what they are looking for
- Identify interests/needs so you can say “Yes, you’ll find that here”
- Ensure follow-up on contacts by having visitors register at the Welcome table
Invite new people to your next event whether it’s social, a club or a committee meeting
Invite people to get involved as a volunteer or become active in a project
Be intentional about following up
Offer low-barrier ways of getting involved (e.g., ushering, auction committee, Lunch Bunches)
Know who the best person is to handle issues (not every question needs to go to the Minister)
And perhaps you look at this list and think, “I do that one... and I’ve done that,” but can you say you do them all? Each one of us can make progress in demonstrating radical friendliness.
And for those of you who believe you already do this, please consider becoming a Host, which was discussed in the recent edition of The Blast. Our Membership Executive Team (MET) is looking for individuals who will be identified as Hosts to personally welcome newcomers and help them feel that OCUUC is where they belong. No experience is needed, and introverts are especially welcome as they’re often the best listeners! Just send an email to met@ocuuc.org to let them know you’re interested in the Host training to be held on November 15th after church.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and hoping you spend it somewhere you feel a true sense of belonging.
Kathleen McFarlin
President, Board of Trustees
Kathleen McFarlin is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's Board President.