Friends of A2U2
"Friends” of A2U2 are always welcome to participate in our programs and attend all activities, including our Spiritual Enrichment Groups, Religious Education programs, Social Action Groups, committee meetings, affinity groups, and more. You can sign up to be on our emailing list, and receive weekly announcements of activities. You can contribute your time to church projects. Being a "friend” is a way to take your time to see if this community is working for you.
Members of A2U2
After attending services and other programs and activities for awhile as a "friend” of our church, you may find that our church has become a spiritual home to you. At that point, you may want to consider becoming an official member of Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church. Membership means that you share in the mission of our church, and the ministry of our church. We believe in a shared ministry—all members are part of the ministry of our church, not just our professional minister. Ministry is everything we do to live out the mission of our church.
Here is our mission statement:
At Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church,
we are growing a community
that transforms lives through the power of love.
We celebrate diversity, encourage spiritual growth,
and promote social responsibility, as we walk with care on this earth.
We empower our members to share their gifts
to build a world of compassion, equality, and freedom.
When you decide to join this church, it’s an important moment for you, and for us. We want to help you find a place in the community where you can make friends and continue your spiritual journey. We want to help you find a way to contribute to the life of our church, with your own unique gifts and passions. We encourage you to have a chat with the Membership Coordinator, who can tell you more about what membership is all about.
There are some tangible benefits to being a member: Members are able to vote at congregational meetings, and help to shape the direction of our church. Our church is a democracy, and members are involved in important decisions, such as the calling of a new minister, the adoption of congregational stands on issues in the larger community, changes to the facility, and budget issues. Members can serve as Committee chairpersons, or in certain Ministries of the church, such as our Pastoral Care Team, or on the Board of Trustees. Members also have access to the services of the minister and use of the church facilities for weddings, memorial services and child dedications, without paying an additional fee beyond their regular contributions.
There are also intangible benefits. Becoming a member of A2U2 is an acknowledgment that we are in this together, that we can make a greater difference together than we ever could alone.
Responsibilities of Membership: Every new member is asked to make a pledge of time, talent, and treasure. Taking part in the shared ministry with your volunteer time means that you are co-ministering to your religious community. Making a financial pledge, of an amount that fits your financial circumstances, means that the church is able to maintain the facilities, hire the staff, and create the programs that make a difference in the lives of the members of the church and the larger community. Attending congregational meetings, informing oneself about the issues before the congregation, and voting according to one’s conscience and for the greater good of the community make the democracy of the congregation stronger and more representative.
Orientation Programs: A good preparation for becoming a member is to attend our orientation sessions, New UU at A2U2. The sessions give you an opportunity to meet other newcomers and learn about Unitarian Universalist history, theology, and principles, and to hear about our many programs and activities and responsibilities of membership. You may want to talk about what you’d like from the church and where you might fit in.
Becoming a Member
To become a member, you talk to the Membership Coordinator, and complete a New Member Covenant, which asks you to identify a monthly financial pledge, and your areas of interest in sharing your time and talents.
When these are complete, new members can sign our Membership book. Usually this is done as a part of a New Members Sunday, but we can also arrange for you to sign the book at another time at your request. We have two New Member Sundays each year. During the church service on those days, we invite new members to stand and be introduced by name, and participate in a simple ceremony. Before the service, we take photographs of each new member, and we also ask you to write a paragraph introducing yourself to help the congregation, to help us get to know you. You can contact the Membership Coordinator, Laura Burden, for more information about becoming a member.
After someone becomes a member of A2U2, the journey continues. We hope our new members will join in the life of our church community. Come to our Sunday services as regularly as you can, work on your own spiritual development, serve on a committee or on projects, attend some of our activities (issue forums, film nights, fund raising events, and more), and come to our meetings.
New member mentors: New members may be matched with current members to help facilitate the process of getting to know our church community, make connections, and find ways to participate in activities. Contact our Membership Coordinator if you’re new and would like a match, or if you’d like to help a newcomer get oriented.