A Home for Every Unitarian Universalist

•How many people are there in the Florida District who are UU’s and don’t know it?
•How many don’t even know what Unitarian Universalism is?
•How did I find out about UU?
•Why did I join?
•Does our congregation want to grow?
•Do we have enough professional staff and trained lay leaders to grow?
•Do we have enough space and facilities to grow?
•Do we have a plan for growth?
•Do our services provide stimulation and sustenance for those of us on spiritual journeys?
•Have we considered two services during the peak season?
•Can the District Executive or the Extension Committee be of help?
•Do I have a friend that I should invite to go with me next Sunday?
•Do we make visitors truly welcomed?
•Have I introduced myself to a visitor every Sunday this year?
•Do we have “clarity at the gate” so that new members understand the freedoms and responsibilities of being part of this great faith movement?
•Do we walk the talk of “diversity and pluralism”?
•Do we help new members make six new friends in their first six months so they really find a new home?
•Do we practice the UU Principals and Purposes in all of our affairs?
•Do visitors feel as welcomed and accepted if they are a Republican as a Democrat, a Christian as an Humanist, an Afro-American as a Caucasian, or a Gay as a Straight?
•Do we provide a caring, energizing, nurturing community that brings out the best in each of us?
•If unable or unwilling to grow, is our congregation willing to support the establishment of a new congregation nearby?

A home for every Unitarian Universalist is the theme adopted by the Board of Directors for the 1999/2000 church year. The questions listed above are some of those that we hope our congregations and individual members will be asking themselves during this year. District programming and training will be aimed at stimulating discussion of these topics and helping you and me to find some of the answers.

I personally feel a strong sense of duty or responsibility to help make available to others what has been given to me by the Fellowships, Society and Churches of which I have been a member. It’s payback time in my book. I hope you will all join in the process. — ED PORTEUS, PRESIDENT