Growing Connections To Our CommUnity: Practice Welcoming

Over many years, we have likened stewardship to a shepherd watching over their flock; ensuring the flock is protected and has what it needs to flourish. Put in simpler terms, our community is blessed with many Members and Friends who contribute their time, their talent, and their treasures to ensure that our community has what it needs to flourish.

Thank goodness for our volunteers who make our community possible. With our limited amount of staffing, we rely heavily on our Members and Friends to help with both large and small tasks critical to ensuring a robust and fulfilling experience for all Members and Friends.

Did you know it can require up to 35 people to assemble a Sunday morning? And what about all the individuals who serve as committee and board members or the folks who maintain our building and our grounds. Or the many Members and Friends who help with Hospitality or the auction or packing food boxes during the holidays. The list goes on and on and all of us benefit from this abundance of giving of our time.

Many volunteer opportunities take only a few minutes, take little, if any, training, and can be done at your convenience. How about volunteering to be a greeter on a Sunday morning? Or helping prepare for or clean up Coffee Hour occasionally? Or sign up to bring flowers for a Sunday service?

How does one get more involved in serving our community? Talk to someone who is already doing something you would be interested in. They will point you in the right direction. When you volunteer – when you give back to our community – you experience the satisfaction of giving and the gratitude of the community you serve.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees

For our church community, September is like early Spring in the desert. Even though our fiscal year officially begins in July, July and August are quiet months. September is when full-year Members and Friends begin to emerge from our air-conditioned homes and return from vacations away as the heat subsides. We begin to anticipate and plan for the surge in activity that begins in October. And our seasonal Members and Friends contemplate closing their summer homes and preparing for their season in the desert.

In September, our Board of Directors meets to determine our goals for the church year. Our various committees reconvene and make plans for the coming year in anticipation of our Church Council in October. Our church calendar will be bursting with activities, and we will celebrate the coming together of both full-time and returning seasonal Members and Friends with our In-Gathering luncheon on Sunday, October 13 following our service.

Is September a good time for each of us individually to determine our plans for the coming church year and identify how we can participate in and support our church community?

Our community is stronger than the sum of its individual parts and our contributions that support our community. Each of us, at some level, contributes to the well-being of our community and we rely upon our Members and Friends to be generous with their time, their talents, and their treasures.

What can you offer to support our community in the coming year?

It is August now.

In the desert, it’s hot, our energy is low, and we tend to rest. It’s a time for rest and reflection.

Some of you may be in areas where the weather, friends, and families are keeping you very busy leaving little time to think about UUCOD. Perhaps allow yourself some moments to consider last year and the coming year both where you are now and, in the desert, when you return.

When we reflect on our Church experiences this past year, we think of all the people we call our friends.

When you think of last year in our UUCOD Beloved Community, what comes up for you? Smiles, laughter, joy at what events? Which people? Groups you are a part of? Friends you have made? Are you laughing as you consider these things?

We also reflect on the activities in which we engaged during the year. Some we want to continue; some new ones we want to try out and see how it fits for us.

Reflections include allowing memories to come to you in quiet spaces and times. Memories will also include emotions and feelings to which we consider how we want to respond.

Consider all these situations, events, memories, joys as you consider how you would like this coming year at UUCOD to be for you.

Do you want to make new friends? Consider Men’s Breakfast or Women’s Night Out. Join a Chalice Circle.

In our July article we spoke of Community of Communities. In this coming year, do you want to join a small community? Choir? Hospitality? AV team? Worship? There are so many more options available for you in small communities (Membership, Stewardship, Finance, Social Justice, Facilities).

Most importantly, make a decision to do something differently this next year that will bring you that “I belong here” feeling of community or as one of our new members said, “I found my people”.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees

We think of the Church as our Beloved Community. We work to make this incredibly special community as welcoming as possible.

What makes a community? Our June article “Needing One Another” spoke of communities forming around central concepts and primary needs. As well as our personal interests, needs and abilities.

Consider thinking of the entire Unitarian Universalist Association as a Community of Communities called, for example, congregations, Churches, or many other names.

Then consider thinking of UUCOD as a Community composed of many smaller communities. For example, Choir is a community, Sacred Grounds Team is a community, the Board and Church Council are communities, Hospitality, Chalice Circles, AV Team, Book Club, Crafting Time, Scrabble, our 80+ Group, Women’s Night Out, and Men’s Breakfast are all communities. Plus, Committees, such as Worship, Care, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging (DIB) Ministry, Social Justice, Membership, Finance, Facilities, Stewardship are all communities. We make friends when we share events, music, and engage in crafting or making coffee on Sunday morning.

What happens to our concept of UUCOD when we think of it as a Community of Communities? What happens when we think of ourselves as belonging to one or more smaller communities within the greater whole of UUCOD’s Community? We each belong to our special smaller communities and to our Beloved Community of UUCOD.

For a visitor of just a few weeks, this may not be apparent. For a visitor, “friend” or new member this concept may come as an awareness of how comfortable we feel when with our special community. How much we miss our small community when we are away for the summer or for months at a time.

When we consider our personal needs, interests and abilities perhaps think of which community you would like to join.

Searching for and creating community with others is a basic practice as old as nature. And it is not just humans that seek community. Most animals instinctually do this: consider honeybees or a gaggle of migrating geese working together to achieve a specific goal. Or how about a flock of sheep, a pack of herding dogs, and the shepherd forming a mutually beneficial group? Ancient humans formed community with like-minded individuals for safety and segregation of duties based on individual interests, skills, and needs.

Increasingly less common, extended, multi-generational families are tightly knit communities that work collectively for the common good. However, today we find many individuals who have, for various reasons, moved away from their friends and family. Finding and creating bonds with individuals with values and interests similar to one’s own is a challenging task. And as we form community with one another, we begin to develop a logical family of choice that feeds our soul and helps us define our own space in the world.

Communities form around central concepts and primary needs. For UUCOD Members and Friends, shared beliefs and values are often a common thread that first brings us together. Our primary ministry helps us discover more about them. But our personal interests, needs, and abilities are also a factor. Some may come for the music; to hear it or make it. Others find our grounds and our belief in respect for all creatures to be what draws them to our community. Still others are attracted to the opportunity to serve members of our community and our larger Coachella Valley community. This may take the form of participating in our social justice work, assisting our Members and Friends in times of need, or ensuring our facilities are maintained or food is available after services. Others serve our community through board or committee work, assisting with services, or providing social and educational opportunities for all.

Maintaining community is work. People move, change interests, or pass away. Illnesses and diminished physical capabilities prevent us from coming together as frequently as we would like. Many travel or spend extended periods of time away from our community. But making the effort to come together brings us joy and provides us with a sense of belonging. It provides us security. It feels good to find oneself surrounded by those we care about. People strengthen us; elevate us; make us feel loved. Support our UUCOD community as you are able.

UUCOD Stewardship & Membership Committees

When did you first become aware you needed community?

Our Stewardship Committee holds a belief that most everyone has a need and desire for belonging, connection and inclusion. It is a basic instinct to come together with others to protect and care for one another, share responsibilities, and work for the common good. When we, as humans, feel we belong to a community, we tend to give our time, talents, and treasures, as we are able, to support our common goals. We believe that “Being in CommUnity” is an active, rather than passive, concept.

When we support our community, we should not be surprised to find that our community returns that support to us. We become connected and we belong. Not only does our community thrive, but we as individuals thrive also.

Volunteering is one, very important way to support our community. If you were present at or watched our Service when new member induction and volunteer appreciation coincided on the same Sunday, you might have been surprised to hear of so many volunteer tasks that keep our Church facilities and community thriving.

Volunteering, even for small tasks, can increasingly lead YOU feeling you belong in and are a vital participant of our Church community. While tasks are being done, we talk with each other sharing our joys and concerns. We make friends and we feel more and more a part of something that is important to us.

Our community is only as strong and resilient as the sum of our individual Members and Friends. Know that your contributions in supporting our community are needed, noticed, and appreciated. If you want to become more involved, speak with a board member or committee chair. Continue to come forth and Be in CommUnity.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees

At the heart of Unitarian Universalist beliefs is the recognition that we do not all start from the same place. We believe that we must acknowledge this and do our part to help adjust these inherent imbalances. We strive to achieve fairness and justice in all our endeavors and our Social Justice Committee develops and leads many programs and activities with this in mind.

The “Share the Plate” Sundays are a perfect example of how we learn about local programs that work with those in need. We share our treasures with them so we can work toward righting imbalances and provide justice and fairness in the world. Please donate generously. We encourage Members and Friends to search for deserving programs to add to next year‘s list of Share the Plate recipients and consider getting involved with them beyond the Sunday service. Also, consider giving generously of your time and talent as well as your treasures. Perhaps your talents fit the Social Justice Committee?

Consider actively participating in the other Social Justice Committee guided activities. In addition to the Pride Parade, we have marched against gun violence and for women’s rights, written letters to get out the vote, supported safe schools for LGBTQ+ students, campaigned for ecological justice, and petitioned for support from our U.S. Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz. In addition, we provide holiday food boxes and gifts for migrant families and children throughout the Coachella Valley.

Getting involved on a personal level, such as packing food boxes, delivering our Sunday donations to the various organizations, handing out holiday turkeys and food to lines of cars with deserving families, brings great joy to those involved. Working alongside other Members and Friends to better the lives of others is a wonderful way to help us bond and further Grow our CommUnity!

If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of our greater Coachella Valley community, please contact our Social Justice chair, Denise Janssen-Eager, at djansseneager@gmail.com.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees

In February we begin our annual pledge drive where it’s typical to think of generosity in pledging. Certainly, giving generously of our monetary treasure helps to pay the bills for our community as well as care for our building.

There are so many additional ways to practice generosity in our Community.

We give generously of our time on Sunday mornings by helping Hospitality in the kitchen, being a greeter, or volunteering as an usher. Also, there’s finding our individual interests where we enjoy giving generously of our time.

Perhaps you would enjoy working with others on a committee. Do you like finance? Our finance committee will welcome you. Do you enjoy meeting new people? Our membership committee will also welcome your assistance. Do you have skills and/or experience in maintenance of a building? Our facilities committee would welcome you.

Is social justice your passion? Our Social Justice Committee is always engaged in activities and events where your passion will be appreciated.

If you are not interested in joining a committee, there are many ways to volunteer around the church. You could help out on our special events, like the chili cookoff, the auction, our yard sale and our occasional meals together.

Not sure about any of these, but wonder how to meet new people? Practice generosity in reaching out to folks you don’t know. You might be surprised at how generously a bright smile and a “hello, how are you?” will be received.

Generosity of time, experience, skills, talent, and treasure, all of these enrich our community, deepen our friendships and help to Grow Connections to Our CommUnity.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees

An old adage says that half the battle is won by just showing up, and that holds true for strengthening our bonds of community as well. Sunday services have the highest attendance of any activity during our church week and offer so many opportunities to engage with one another; to catch up with old friends and greet individuals new to our community. Your attendance is a gift to others attending the service and to our community. We hope your presence is meaningful for you as well.

Attending services in person, being among other like-minded people, and sharing the richness of the service together is simply a more powerful, personal experience than viewing the service remotely. Circumstances often prohibit us from attending service in person, so our streaming service is a wonderful alternative but the warmth of community that surrounds us in the sanctuary during services is a very real feeling.

Showing up on a Sunday morning helps reflect to newcomers that we are a robust, engaged, and committed community. Perhaps a place where they might be welcomed and find community as well. We always look forward to seeing you.

UUCOD Stewardship and Membership Committees