by Nicole Duff, Membership Development Manager
I have an idea… an idea that will help build community, attract visitors, and help the staff better collaborate with each other and members. The idea is “Church Night.” It would be once a week, every week. It has worked in other churches, both UU and non-UU alike, and I believe it could work here. So how does it work?
It Starts With Dinner
The night, most likely Tuesday, would start with a potluck dinner and would be open from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Come as you are, bring what you can, and enjoy. Members and friends alike would sit down to enjoy a meal and conversation. You can come for just the dinner and leave or stay.
Meetings Anyone?
After dinner is the perfect time for meetings. Teams can choose to hold their meetings on Tuesday night starting at 6:00, 6:30, or 7:00. Teams can pick their week, so maybe week one is Outreach, week two is Membership, week three is Mission Fund Drive, so I can attend a meeting every week, and clean up other evenings. I won’t be wondering what night I need to stay late. Also, with multiple meetings happening at the same time, we can offer… CHILDCARE! This will allow us to welcome more parents onto our teams and grow our teams. This will also hopefully allow Sundays to stay focused on community building and visiting with new faces instead of dashing off for a meeting. Lastly, there is the possibility of allowing the church to close on one or two evenings a week, giving the staff more overlap in their schedules for collaboration.
There’s Always Time to be Social
While meetings are great, it’s also important to have social time. Not just for members, but also for visitors! New friends can come, enjoy a meal and get to know us (and fall in love with us because we are wonderful!). After dinner, we will also have a rotating schedule of fun, social, all ages activities. Some ideas include: game nights, sing-a-longs, movie night, meditation, and maybe even the return of book bingo! I would love to hear an activity that YOU would like to host, just email me.
I am hoping to start Church Night this fall, and more details will come out. Please send me your feedback. I hope it will soon become East Shore culture to know that church happens on Sunday morning…and Tuesday night!