As Minister of Membership and Outreach my sole reason for being is to make the entry into our congregation smoother for newcomers. Sounds easy enough but it is quite labor intensive. I work with our staff and Membership Council on everything from the sign outside, to visitor packets, to classes, to policies on membership, to nametags... and on it goes.
It is a full-time job, but the position is only 18 hours a week. If I didn't work in a warm and inviting congregation, I could not hope for any success on that part-time basis. But I do work in a welcoming and friendly congregation. I work with a great staff. And we have been blessed with a constant stream of inquisitive and enthusiastic visitors. We are constantly tweaking the system to improve it, but we have seen some great success in the past couple of years. This year alone we have welcomed over 100 new members and friends.
So here's my question... what's up with our publication UU World? When it comes time for new members to get our denominational magazine - it isn't happening. Some members have been in 8 months and aren't getting it yet.
Maybe we are doing something wrong? Did someone forget to teach us the secret handshake? Or are we putting too many in the system at the wrong time? I mention this now, because my issue came while I was out of town. I've just started poring over it and it's a great one. I'll be preaching and blogging on some of it, but I hesitate to do so knowing that many of my new members are going, "Hunh? What magazine?"
SO... new members - now you know. Feel free to check out the magazine's website. And blogiverse - do your magic.
2 comments:
I'm glad you're enjoying the new issue, but am very sorry to hear about the long delay in getting subscriptions to your new members.
I've written to the circulation manager to ask for more information about the current process for congregational circulation management, but won't be able to help you with further details until he's back in the office on Tuesday.
Chris Walton
Executive Editor
Two years. TWO of them we waited. I got a call a call from the UU in Greensboro, NC. We had moved some months earlier. Our UU World subscription finally started flowing. Two years after we joined and months after we moved.
And it was being delivered to the church.
We joined the UU in Ft. Lauderdale. My family wa sinterviewed for a story in the UU World on UU homeschoolers (look up the stats for UU SAT sscores). But did we get to read it? Nope. Not until the nice secretary in Ft. laud gave us a copy.
We sent a change of address but, since we didn't live at the UU, our address was not one it was being delivered to so how could we change it?
Yesterday, I got a UU World. In MY mailbox. MY MAILBOX. MINE? What gives? Has the world gone crazy?
It is a sign. A sign I tell you! A sign.
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