Membership at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Why do people join our Congregation? For many different reasons:
- To be welcomed into a caring community.
- To receive support for your spiritual, personal and ethical growth.
- To find sustenance during times of transition or be cared for during sorrow and difficulty.
- To personally support our Unitarian Universalist principles.
- To meet the most interesting, vital, and intelligent people.
- To feel a part of something bigger than yourself alone.
- To have personal opportunities to know others at a spiritual & emotionally intimate level—beyond small talk of surface relationships, sharing and learning from each other.
- To have people be happy for you in times of joy!
- To support freedom for liberal religious congregations to exist; without the structure and pledged support of people, liberal religion would be weakened in this time of great increase of fundamentalism. We need to pass on freedom to search and belief as we choose, to the next generations.
- To delight in seeing the congregation’s children learn to love themselves, to respect others, to respect other life, to orient their lives toward making this world a little more just and a little more peaceful.
- To access a professionally run church school for their children, a school that does not teach dogma, but teaches clear values and principles and endeavors to make our children and youth feel that they are a vital part of our community.
- To have opportunities to join together to demonstrate for peace and justice.
- To have opportunities to join together to help people in our community and the wider community with basic life needs of food, utilities, and shelter.
What are the responsibilities of membership?
- Time: We hope you will come often to Sunday morning services, the one time each week we all can be together. Your presence with us is important. We also hope you can come to social gatherings of the Congregation, such as picnics, potlucks, and other fun activities.
- Treasure: Support the Congregation generously, whatever generosity means to you. We have some guidelines. Some of us can give thousands. Others can hardly meet the $100 annual direct cost for a member. Don’t let money keep you from joining.
- Talent: Find a way to be involved in the life of the Congregation, sharing your gifts and talents, maybe stretching your comfort level to learn new skills—we will encourage you! Singing in the choir, or serving on a committee, teaching in church school, making coffee once a month, helping with a social justice project, or …
How do I join if I am ready?
You can join at any time…Let our Minister or church President, Paula vanHaagen, know that you are ready to join and they will schedule a time with you to sign the membership book. Requirements:
- Attend a Fellowship Orientation—required. 1st Sundays at 12:30 or schedule an individual orientation.
- Turn in your pledge—required. Mail, drop in Sunday morning basket, set up on-line giving through our website or email to our Treasurer, Donna Govro, —required.
Recommended:
- Attend a Candlelight and Conversation event, a chance to share our spiritual journeys and get to know other newcomers, our minister and membership folks—recommended.
- Try to attend the Welcoming Ceremony held about 4 times a year on a Sunday morning.
- Let us know how we can help you integrate into the Congregation and feel at home.
