THE NEW UU
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Adults
WORKSHOP 6: MEMBERSHIP
BY JONALU JOHNSTONE
© Copyright 2010 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 9:35:00 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
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 (at www.uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/newuu/introduction/160181.shtml) 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:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 2 |
Activity 1: Sentence Starters | 10 |
Activity 2: A New Small Group | 20 |
Activity 3: Rights and Responsibilities of Membership | 15 |
Activity 4: Review of the Parking Lot | 15 |
Activity 5: Joining the Congregation | 10 |
Activity 6: Hopes | 15 |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: Getting Involved | 10 |
Alternate Activity 2: Guest Panel | 30 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Consider how you came to join the congregation. What factors influenced your decision? What has it meant to you since? How has your spiritual journey been shaped by your congregational membership? How has your life been changed? Has membership met your expectations? How has it fallen short? Share your responses with your co-facilitator(s).
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
If guests are attending, invite them to make name tags. Point out rest rooms and refreshments and direct people to the child care space if you are providing child care.
OPENING (2 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Bring the group together and invite a volunteer to light the chalice. Read in unison the congregation's covenant or affirmation. If you know the history of how it was developed, share it with the group.
If your congregation does not have a covenant or affirmation, share Reading 471 from the hymnbook.
ACTIVITY 1: SENTENCE STARTERS (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity by saying something like:
We began this program with Sentence Starters in our first workshop. Since then, we have learned more about one another. This is our last opportunity to be together in this particular way, so we will complete some sentences once again. As the basket comes to you, draw out a sentence and complete it. If you pick one that you can't or don't want to answer, feel free to try a different one. Pauses for thinking are fine. After completing your response, pass the basket on.
Invite participants to identify themselves as they select and complete the sentences each in turn. Be sure to participate in this activity yourself.
ACTIVITY 2: A NEW SMALL GROUP (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity with these or similar words:
We are changed by the community we join. Membership is about shaping the community, but also about shaping ourselves in the context of community. We'll explore that idea by sharing a story.
Introduce the story by explaining:
Many Unitarian Universalist congregations have small group ministries—groups that gather, often in members' homes, to deepen their spiritual connections and form community among the members. Usually, they begin with a check-in, that is, a time when participants share what is going on in their lives.
If your congregation has such groups, variously called covenant groups, chalice circles, or simply small groups, describe the model used in your congregation. Continue the introduction to the story:
This story is a fictional account, drawing on the stories heard by one minister from various people in different congregations about what their congregations mean to them.
Distribute the story and invite volunteers to read aloud a paragraph or two at a time, until the story is completed.
Lead a discussion, using these questions to guide you:
ACTIVITY 3: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity with these or similar words:
We have talked about covenant as the basis of Unitarian Universalist congregations. We covenant, or promise, to respect and support one another despite our differences. Membership is an expression of covenant—an agreement to work together with others for the benefit of the congregation.
Distribute the handout. Ask volunteers to read the handout aloud, one bullet point at a time. After each bullet point, ask for questions or comments. You may wish to illustrate the points with your own examples.
ACTIVITY 4: REVIEW OF THE PARKING LOT (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity with these or similar words:
When we began this series of workshops, we asked what questions you had about the congregation and Unitarian Universalism, and we listed them. We have added to the list during the workshops. We have also addressed many of the questions. Now, we will review them to be sure they have been answered.
Read each question. If you believe it has been answered, ask participants to confirm that and check it off on the newsprint. If a question has not been answered, do so briefly. If necessary, refer participants to another resource, either within the congregation or beyond it. After all listed questions have been reviewed, ask if there are any final questions.
ACTIVITY 5: JOINING THE CONGREGATION (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity with these or similar words:
Through this program, we have shared a lot about Unitarian Universalism and this congregation. Today, we talked specifically about the rights and responsibilities of membership in this congregation. You may or may not be ready to make that step. Membership is a real commitment, not to be taken lightly.
If you are ready at this point in your journey to join us as a member, we invite you to do so now. All that is required is signing the Membership Book to signify your willingness to share in our congregational covenant as a member.
Facilitators and invited guests should stand near the book, so they can greet and welcome each signer individually. If your congregation gives members a membership packet and/or welcome gifts, facilitators and/or guests may distribute these.
If some participants do not sign the book, assure them they are welcome to continue with the congregation at whatever level of involvement feels comfortable. Tell them whom they should talk with should they decide to join later.
ACTIVITY 6: HOPES (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Invite participants to choose a conversation partner and share their hopes for their involvement with the congregation. After three minutes, ring the bell or chime and say, "If the second person hasn't begun, please begin now." After another three minutes, bring the group back together. Invite participants to offer a word or phrase about the hopes they have shared.
Point out the stones on the table. Invite each participant to select a stone one at a time to take with them and to say something about what they take with them from this series of workshops. Participants may pass or take a stone without saying anything. Be sure you take part by offering your own words as you select a stone. When everyone has had a chance to share, move immediately to the Closing.
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Sing Hymn 346, "Come, Sing a Song with Me," or share Reading 728, "Blessed Are Those" responsively. Extinguish the chalice.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: GETTING INVOLVED (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Provide resources to participants for getting involved in the congregation. Review and read aloud, as appropriate.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: GUEST PANEL (30 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the panel with words such as:
Membership in a congregation can have a tremendous effect on people's lives. Rather than simply say that, we have invited guests to share how this has been true in their lives. I will ask each of the guests to introduce themselves and tell their story. After all have spoken, you can ask any questions you might have.
After the introductions, monitor the time so each panelist has an equal amount. If necessary, prompt panelists to wrap up. Presentations should be complete in about 20 minutes. Then, invite participants to ask questions. At the end of the time, thank the panelists.
THE NEW UU: WORKSHOP 6:
STORY: A NEW SMALL GROUP
It was the first gathering of a newly formed small group. The eight people who gathered in Ann's living room recognized one another, but had no real connection, except for the two married couples who were there. Ann, one of the two leaders of the group introduced herself, offered opening words from a hymnbook, and then invited a moment of silence. In the silence, a slow gentle relaxation came. A man who had come directly from work loosened the grip of his tie. A young woman's shoulders dropped visibly. Another woman leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and focused on her breath for the first time in days.
Ann broke the silence. "As Bill and I talked about this group, we thought it might be odd to begin with a regular check-in since we don't know one another well. We decided it might be helpful to begin with a question about the way in which we're all connected: our membership in the church. So, here's the question we came up with: How is our congregation important to you?"
Feet shuffled a bit, and a tinge of anxiety entered the room. A young woman interrupted the silence. "I'm Dylan. I've only been a member of the church for a few months. I never thought I'd be a church person—I mean, my grandparents are not church people. My parents don't go to church. But the music transports me, and the minister speaks directly to my life. I have found one friend who takes classes at the same college I do, which is nice—it makes me feel like I have a connection to someone. There's a professor from my school who comes, too, but I'm kinda shy about that. I don't know whether to say something to him or not, but it's sorta comforting to see a familiar face. Running into him at school reminds me of my connection to the church, and running into him at church helps me feel connected, even if I don't know him, really, at all." She paused a moment and gathered her thought, "I've been looking for some way to search out answers for the big questions I have about where I'm going and what matters in life. Who would've thought I'd find it in a church? But here I am."
Dylan's words were greeted by smiles and nods.
Two of the men looked shyly at one another and one began. "I'm Arturo, and this is my husband Alan." Alan, the man who had loosened his tie earlier, nodded. "We found the church when we were looking to get married. The openness and acceptance impressed us."
Alan picked up the story. "You'd think the hard part would have been our sexuality. What was funny—not funny funny, but odd—was I learned things about my family I hadn't expected. They were OK with me being gay, but seemed uncomfortable with Arturo's heritage."
"I'm Cuban," Arturo interjected. "And, I'm not sure they were OK with your being gay."
Alan laughed. "Anyway, Rev. Chris was great with talking us through everything—not only the ceremony, but the family dynamics. Even the cultural issues."
"Yeah, we did our vows in both Spanish and English. My grandmother really appreciated that," Arturo beamed.
Alan went on. "We decided to explore making the church our home. And it was the perfect place to bring Diego, who we adopted from Columbia. It matters that he's around other families who completely accept us as a family."
Another woman went next. "I'm Leslie. When I moved across the country to here, I had no idea how to make friends or where to start. I had been active in a Unitarian Universalist congregation back in North Carolina, but it took me several months before I was ready to jump in. Once I did, I could remember what I loved about my former congregation. They're different, sure. There are ways I'd pick my old congregation. But, there are ways I'd pick this one. I've made friends. I've learned the routines. I'm glad to be here."
Bill, the second leader of the group, spoke next, beginning with a deep sigh. "Some of you know my story. This church saved my life." He paused a moment, biting his lip and composing himself. "Our son Matt was fifteen when he took his life. I don't know how I would have survived without this church community. People came immediately, bringing food, giving hugs, and taking the younger children so Patty and I could be alone together and try to make sense of it all. The service was amazing. Andy and Nick, Matt's best friends from the youth group, spoke a marvelous tribute at the service." Bill stopped to wipe his eyes. "Since then, I've learned a lot about youth and suicide. I've gone into the schools and talked about the realities and the resources. The people of this congregation have supported me through it all. I've grown into a more out-going and self-confident person. Of course, I'd trade it all to have Matt back. But I don't think I would have survived, much less grown, if it hadn't been for this congregation."
Silence enveloped the group for a moment.
"It's hard to have anything to say after that," said Ann. She smiled shyly. "My name's Ann, but I already said that. I don't have a story anywhere near as dramatic as Bill's, but my connection runs deep, too. I came to the church just after my divorce. My children were grown and gone, and I was lonely. There was a lot I didn't know about myself, though. I started going to the women's group. Listening to their stories, I realized I wasn't alone with my issues. And whenever I needed to talk, they listened to me, too. Since then, I've branched out. I even started singing in the choir." She laughed. "I hadn't sung since I was in high school, and it was great! I agreed to co-lead this group because it's time to take a risk and try leadership. I hope I'll do OK for you."
The next woman picked it up. "I'm Donna. I first came to this church when I was ten years old. My mother was a charter member. Most of my adult life I lived away, but when Mother got sick ten years ago, I came back here to take care of her. First, I came on my own; for a year, I commuted back and forth before I persuaded my family to move here." She smiled at the man next her and took his hand. "Mom had drifted away from the church, but I brought her back, because I needed the support, whether she did or not. Her old friends took her in right away, but it took awhile for me to find my place, especially to find a place separate from my mother, but still somehow connected. I found it in the Green Sanctuary group. I was a biologist before I moved back here, and I get really excited about being an environmental evangelist." She looked to her husband.
He spoke up. "I'm Ted. Donna brought me along. Me and our two teenagers. I had never been part of a church, so it was an adjustment. What really helped me, though, was knowing that my kids' questions were being heard in an atmosphere that I could trust. I've worked in the religious education program with the middle school youth. Middle school's such a great age—they've begun thinking for themselves, understanding abstract concepts, and they have such incredible energy." Ted's eyes twinkled. "I've loved it."
Ann summed up. "There are a lot of fabulous stories in this group. I'm glad we're together, and I look forward to where we're going to be able to go as a group."
THE NEW UU: WORKSHOP 6:
HANDOUT 1: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Members may vote at any congregational meeting, be elected to the governing board, and participate in any activities of the congregation.
Because we are a covenanted congregation, members have certain responsibilities to the congregation and to one another. They are best fulfilled by:
THE NEW UU: WORKSHOP 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: SENTENCE STARTERS
Print out the incomplete sentences, enlarged to at least 16-point type. Cut the pages into strips, with one incomplete sentence on each strip. Select sentences most appropriate to your congregation, and/or add some of your own. Fold strips of paper and put them in a small basket or bowl. Provide a few more than the number of participants you anticipate. If necessary, duplicate some phrases to have enough for all participants and facilitators.
These workshops have...
________________________________________________________________
I look forward to...
________________________________________________________________
In recent weeks, I have connected with...
________________________________________________________________
Membership in a religious congregation...
________________________________________________________________
In my life, church has meant...
________________________________________________________________
Connections in this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
What surprised me about this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
What I have come to value about this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
In this congregation, I hope I find...
________________________________________________________________
This congregation reminds me of...
________________________________________________________________
Worship in this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
Religious Education in this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
Social Justice in this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
Religion requires...
________________________________________________________________
Religion offers...
________________________________________________________________
I hope to get involved in this congregation through...
________________________________________________________________
Coming to this congregation...
________________________________________________________________
From this series of workshops, I have learned...
________________________________________________________________
My favorite workshop activity...
________________________________________________________________
I still don't understand...
THE NEW UU: WORKSHOP 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: LETTER TO PANELISTS
Complete the personalization of the letter by filling in the brackets in the text below. To determine the length of time each participant may speak, assume that the presentations will take 20 minutes and divide the time among the panelists.
Dear Panelist,
Thank you for agreeing to meet with The New UU workshop on [date] in [place]. We anticipate that the panel portion of the workshop will begin about [time], and last approximately 30 minutes. Our purpose is to share with prospective new members how people's lives have been enriched by being part of this congregation. We are including panelists from a variety of generations and experiences. [List the specific panelists.]
Each panelist will have [amount of time] minutes to describe their experience. We're relying on you to talk about how your life has been changed by being part of our congregation. After all the panelists have told their stories, the workshop participants will have 10 minutes to ask questions of the panel. Sharing compelling stories will help our workshop participants understand the value of church membership and participation. You may learn something, as well, from hearing others' stories!
We're very grateful for your participation. It helps provide potential new members with a deeper understanding of our congregation, as well as faces they will recognize. It's also an opportunity for you to get to know new people in our congregation and welcome them warmly.
Sincerely,
[Facilitators of the Workshop]
FIND OUT MORE
The adventure is only beginning! To find out more, review the most current Annual Report of your congregation, read your newsletter regularly, and review the website to stay current. Continue to explore the UUA website (at www.uua.org/) as well as that of your UUA District to know what is happening more widely in the Association.