New Member Ministry
at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Needed - a Small Flock of Good Shepherds!
We have visitors almost every week. Although our goal is to make them feel welcome and secure, we've never really had a plan for making this happen. Our new Good Shepherd Program is designed to ensure that all visitors are welcomed and cared for. Ideally we would have five shepherds or pairs of shepherds for the 10:00 service, and two for the 8:00 service. The shepherds would rotate weeks (the 5th set at 10:00 having 5th Sundays).
Current Work of the Committee
The New Member Ministry has been meeting for the last several months. Current undertakings of the group include:
- New Resident Letters - The group has created a Welcome Letter that will be sent to all new residents in our surrounding communities. The letter welcomes them to the area and provides church service times and contact information.
- Updated Brochure - Our existing brochure has been updated to include current information and is now available at the back of the church.
- Visitor Packages - A special Holy Trinity tote bag containing brochures, informational pieces, a cross, and other giveaways is being developed for use with the Good Shepherd Program.
- Visitor Gifts - Also for use with the Good Shepherd Program, Holy Trinity Mugs are being designed. These mugs, containing either candy or a plant, depending on the time of year, will be delivered to visitors within a day or two of their first visit to Holy Trinity.
Other Ways to Help
Other than serving on the committee or being part of the Good Shepherd Program, there are lots of simple ways to help this ministry.
- Be here - Although we know we have a large and vibrant congregation when we're all together, some weeks the church looks pretty empty. This is not an encouragement for visitors. Making every effort to be here and fill those pews will give newcomers the right impression about Holy Trinity.
- Greet visitors - Both before the service and at the Peace, simply saying "Hello and welcome!" is a great way to make newcomers feel at ease.
- Introduce yourself at coffee hour - Although many visitors choose not to come to coffee hour their first few weeks, when they do, it is very important that they be included. Be sure to introduce yourself, chat with them, find out where they're from. Let them know how pleased we are to have them here.
- Invite new members to events - Once a visitor has come a few times, including them in non-Sunday morning activities is the next step in moving them from visitor to new member. Be sure to mention upcoming events, make sure they have a bulletin, show them where sign up sheets are. Help them to know how much we think they'd enjoy it.