The decision to join a religious community is not one to be taken lightly. One's spiritual path is personal, yet many feel their lives are more exciting, challenging or rewarding if they are part of a community of like-minded people.
You will find there is no pressure to join the church, though there is a process involved. When you feel you know us well enough to proceed, pick up a Membership Packet from the membership greeter. Fill out the information. It's a great way to guide your thinking about church membership and commitment. Return it to a member of the Membership Team and we will order you a permanent name tag. Then sign up for our New UU class. There are three sessions and the class is scheduled several times a year to meet the busy schedules of prospective members. You will learn about Unitarian Universalism in general and our church in particular. You must complete this three-session series prior to signing the membership book. At the end of the course you and your classmates will meet with the minister as a group (individual meetings also can be scheduled) to begin to get to know each other.
You will then have one-to-one meetings with representatives of the membership and stewardship committees to clarify your and the church's expectations.
Membership is established by your signature in our Membership Book, usually on a "Membership Sunday." Most people go directly from the New UU Course to signing the book, although a few choose to stay a "Friend" for an additional period of time. While we certainly hope you will join us, again there is no pressure on you to do so.
The New UU Classes
(From the membership Committee)
This series of three classes is offered to visitors and guests attending Community Unitarian Universalist Church. It is designed to help you decide whether this congregation meets your needs and how you might want to be connected to us. The goal of these classes is for you to make an informed decision about membership and have an opportunity to ask questions that you might have. It is also a wonderful opportunity for you to meet with other faith seekers and learn about their experiences and hear their opinions.
In the first session of this class, we plan to share with you the journey of our faith movement through historical stories of our denomination and congregation with the intent that they will help to explain what we have become today. You will be asked to share your faith journey with the participants.
The second session of this class focuses on the Purposes and Principles of our faith that we covenant to affirm and promote as friends and members of our church and how these principles can apply to our own lives. We will be sharing stories of famous UU men and women who lived out these principles and purposes in their lives.The third session of this class invites several key members of this congregation to share with you some programs and activities in our church including committee work and leadership positions. Other topics introduced are organizational charts, how to become a member and ways to receive from and give to each other and our community.
These three classes form the framework for becoming a member of this congregation and have strengthened the commitment of many who have taken them. The participants, in turn, have strengthened the voice of our congregation both within and without our walls.
We will be offering these three classes together as a single, half-day workshop on Saturday,
May 17, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to a closing luncheon with church leaders which should end by 1 p.m. Childcare will be available if requested.
To enroll, please email Denise Dittmar or Anne Smith at membership@communityuuchurch.org.
