by Rev. Dave Dunn
The Importance of Every Interaction
Welcome to UUMAN’s Membership Team!!!
UUMAN’s Membership Team meets virtually on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. (Here’s the link if you’re interested:
https://meet.google.com/nem-ivsm-dhu )
Generally speaking, the role of the Membership Team is to integrate UUMAN members and visitors into the UUMAN community. A few times each year they lead the introduction to Unitarian Universalism courses (UU101), and welcome new members in the Sunday morning new member ceremonies.
Many might think that the bulk of the Membership Team’s work takes place on Sunday morning as they welcome new visitors, yet they work hard throughout the week at keeping updated on the status of both members and visitors by coordinating with Greeters, Care Circles, Program Council and Staff.
That said, EVERYONE is an honorary member of the Membership Team. (Yes, that means you…and I bet you didn’t know that!) 😊
Back in seminary, during my Leadership Studies class, which was a part of my internship at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, we discussed the topic of “ministerial authority” – what it is and how it is maintained. On one level, authority is spelled out in a contract or job description (e.g. Ministerial Contract); yet my internship supervisor said, “Your true authority in renegotiated in every interaction that you have with a congregant.”
I have tried my best to carry this with me throughout my ministry at UUMAN.
The importance of every interaction applies to welcoming visitors and engaging new and existing members at UUMAN. Visitors and new people at UUMAN don’t have an experience with the “Membership Team” or with “Greeters,” they have an experience with “UUMAN.” Visitors and new people don’t know the Membership Team from the Board, the Program Council, the Communications Team, etc. If a new person has a bad experience with any single individual or group (e.g. Minister, Communications Team, DRE, 2nd Hour Facilitator) in their mind, it’s a bad experience with UUMAN.
How a visitor or new member perceives UUMAN is renegotiated in every interaction that we, all or any of us, have with them.
So, I kindly ask that all honorary members of the Membership Team (again, that is all of you) keep this in mind in ALL interactions you have that pertain to UUMAN.
A new person who is excited about UUMAN might want to jump right in and tackle a project or initiative. Although they might have the best of intentions, they might inadvertently step on a few toes and knock a few things over. Our response, as members of the Membership Team, should be first encouraging, grateful and gentle…and we should be willing to help them. This pertains to in-person interactions, email, social media postings, etc.
We can still have difficult conversations…but we can have them gently, covenantally, lovingly.
Again, Welcome to UUMAN’s Membership Team. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!!!
Nurture our spirit. Strive for Justice. Transform the world.
