August 2nd Letter from Elaine Ball, Congregational Life Coordinator

Dear Friends & Neighbors, Family & Colleagues, Newcomers & All:

As we draw nearer to the start of our 2024-25 Church Year – just about a month away! – Hospitality is on my mind, and I hope on yours. I’m so excited to see you all on September 8th.

Our mission to “welcome all as we build a loving community” truly takes all of us. Thank you, for being part of this beloved community! Whether you participate primarily in person or online, or switch between the two, I hope we can bid you welcome in ways that are meaningful for you.

From making & serving coffee, to staffing the Welcome Table, to Greeting and Ushering and more, it takes our whole village to create warmth and welcome not only on Sunday mornings, but also throughout the weeks and months as we continue getting to know each other, longtime members and friends and newcomers alike. Offering these small acts of welcoming gives you as a volunteer opportunities to connect with new and familiar friends, to get to know fellow congregants by name, and build community — just by signing up to make or serve coffee once a month, or help set-up and staff the Welcome Table, you’ll get to know so many people, and also become familiar with all the goings-on in our active UCM community.

If you’re interested in taking on one or two tasks a month, I would love to hear from you! I hope you’ll consider ways you might be excited about jumping into this welcoming work, and becoming just a bit more involved, if you have the interest and capacity. Please let me know if you’re curious and have any questions! We are glad to train new volunteers, and welcome you to ‘shadow’ experienced volunteers so you won’t be on your own as you’re learning or becoming familiar with a new role.

Also, families are welcome to volunteer together! A parent & child team may enjoy making and serving coffee together, or welcoming people at the front doors, or ushering together in the Sanctuary. This is a wonderful multi-generational option, for parents and youth to work together and meet people of all ages as they do.

Thanks for considering how you might connect and ‘plug in’ to what we do and who we are, and again, thank you for being here together!

~ Elaine Ball, ucm.membership@gmail.com, 802-595-9801