By the Hospitality Ministry Coordinators
WUU is proud to be a Welcoming, Worshiping, Witnessing Congregation. Each Sunday we are particularly proud to offer a warm welcome to all who come through our doors.
For many years we struggled to provide this sort of warm welcome. A few people assumed that responsibility each Sunday morning, and struggled to make coffee and serve coffee, provide other refreshments, and ensure that ushers and greeters were in place. The Membership team welcomed visitors while lacking coordination with other welcoming activities.
The Program Council considered options:
- Other congregations were surveyed and most were in the same condition: volunteers frustrated by lack of help and burning out. But one congregation, the UU Fellowship of Centre County, in State College, PA, has had, for several years, a successful plan: involving the entire congregation in a truly welcoming Sunday morning ministry. — In that congregation, everyone, including children, joins to carry out essential tasks, and in the process getting to know each other and feeling a real sense of connection to the congregation.
- Program Council asked: Why not try such a plan at WUU? It was worth a try. Lola Warren agreed to chair; and Dave Neiman, Donna Stanford, Dave Wilcox and Carolyn Wilson volunteered to join her, becoming the Hospitality Ministry Coordinators.
- The WUU Hospitality Ministry came to fruition: Procedures were developed; seven teams were designed to include congregants at all levels of involvement at WUU; and team leaders came forth: Judy and Ty Alexander, Carolyn Greathouse, Pat Hoppe (replaced by Angela Surber), Pat Russo (eventually replaced by Les Solomon), Ruth Hopkinson, Paulina Carrion and Rio Riofrio, and Barbara and John Chowning. Letters went to all team members, congregation meetings were held, and notices posted. Reaction was varied: enthusiasm to skepticism; “let’s give it a try” to “I’m not interested.”
September 2018, the Sunday Morning Hospitality Ministry assumed the acts of Welcoming each person who entered WUU’s doors, supporting the services and providing refreshments, and have enthusiastically continued ever since.
- Each team has been serving for one month, with the teams rotating through the years.
- 227 people have provided that welcoming between September 2018 and December 2019. Many, many thanks to each of you.
- Regular visitors have been invited to participate, becoming part of a team; some have become active WUU members.
- The teams have been reduced to five, giving each team approximately 65 members. Many thanks to Paulina and Rio, the leaders, and to Jamison Miller, the scheduler of Team 6 and to Corey Buttram, the scheduler of Team 2 whose teams were integrated into other teams as this change was made.
What’s next?
- On Sunday, February 2, all of the teams, their leaders, and schedulers were recognized with special thanks during both services.
- Check out the team lists posted in the Gathering Hall. Is your name there? See who has a gold star, indicating their participation. If your name doesn’t have a gold star, consider saying “yes” to your team’s scheduler when asked to help.
- Continue to enjoy the hospitality you receive every Sunday as you come to worship and witness, get to know more WUU’ers and enjoy the camaraderie of helping.
Details of Team Responsibilities may be found at wuu.org/serve/hospitality-ministry.
Email the Hospitality Coordinators at hospitality@wuu.org for more information.