Between Us – Growing the Congregation

By Rev. Clyde Grubbs, October 3, 2022

On opening Sunday of this church year I was asked by a congregant, “what are you going to do to grow First Parish?” I suggested that I could do very little, but together we could do quite a lot.

So the question might be rephrased. What are we going to do to prepare for growth?

Is it enough to welcome newcomers and include those who are searching for a church community, one in which they experience inclusion and support? Being friendly and supportive is a good start, but the potential Unitarian Universalist is also looking for a community with a vision of a better world, a more peaceful world, and a more inclusive world. In other words, they wish to live lives of meaning and are attracted to venues and communities that promote and support them in achieving that goal.

The young adults now moving into Canton and the towns nearby are looking for a meaning giving community, and for many of those new neighbors the last place they expect to find their community is an old established church. People who visit us on Sunday morning may have some previous church experience that prompts them to check out a worship service. But there are many potential UUs who are not looking to spend Sunday morning in a church; for them church is not the place where they expect to find meaning and supportive community. We can’t expect them to come to us.

This is what we mean by the term “community outreach.” What are the forums, concerts, or art shows that will attract people to our buildings and to our events? Could we initiate a discussion on an important community issue? How do we let our light shine the other six days a week? We will be asking this question over the next several months. Do you have ideas? The Parish Committee and I would love to hear from you.

Rev. Clyde