It is All About Being Welcoming

It is All About Being Welcoming

Good morning.

I’m Bill LaPorte-Bryan and I’m your Membership Chair and a member of your Disabilities Committee.

When I joined the Unitarian Society of Hartford a couple of years ago I remember being very impressed by how warm and welcoming everyone was to me. That had a lot to do with why I decided to become a member. I remember having a feeling that you were all on the welcome team.

Today, with your help, I’d like to take a little survey to find out if that’s really true.

Here we go … if you’ve ever been the Chair of the Membership committee at this church, would you please stand up and remain standing. If you’ve ever been a member of the Membership Committee, please stand up and remain standing. If you’ve ever been a greeter or served at a welcome table here would you please stand up. If you’ve ever introduced yourself and talked with a visitor in this Meeting House, would you please stand up. Finally, if you are a visitor today or a newcomer to our church, I’d like you to stand up too.

WOW!! I guess I was right. (note: Bill was looking at the entire congregation, standing.)

I hope that those of you who haven’t yet decided to join our church but are thinking about membership know that the first in a series of four consecutive Wednesday night meetings called Pathways to Membership will be held this coming Wednesday evening here in the Meeting House. It’s designed specifically for you. You’re invited to join Reverend BJ and me in discussions with a few of our church leaders about our Unitarian beliefs and the programs here at the Unitarian Society of Hartford.

It’s a wonderful chance for all of us to get to know each other and there’s even a pot luck dinner at the end. You can sign up today at the welcome table in the lobby or the visitors’ table downstairs in Fellowship Hall during coffee hour or call the church office. It promises to be fun and educational. We’d love to have you join us.

Bill LaPorte-Bryan

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 03/05/07)