If we’re welcoming and we know it….

by Val Chongva

 

Early in 2014, a Steering Committee was formed at Central United Church that would guide our educational needs pertaining to the Affirming Process.  A couple of options were put in place.

 

First, a Lenten study met on five different Sunday afternoons in March and April, providing congregation members with an opportunity to explore being a welcoming and open congregation.  What were the fears and concerns, the hopes and possibilities?  Using storytelling, film, and bible study we explored what an affirming congregation would look like.

 

Secondly, we decided to have a ‘Minute for Affirm’ about once a month.  Since this will be an on-going event over the next year or so, it was felt that a jingle of some kind was needed after each one, to remind ourselves regarding the Affirm Process.  We wanted something lively and easy.  One day, as I was wandering around the house humming the popular children’s song, If you’re happy and you know it, I realized that was it!  That was the jingle we could use – with a few word modifications of course!

 

You see, we believe that we are a welcoming congregation.  We are open to everyone; we greet people at the door; we have an elevator and a ramp; we provide gluten-free snacks.  The question has arisen as to why, if we are a welcoming congregation, do we need to go through the process of becoming an Affirming Congregation.  The steering committee thought about that question and realized that a.) we need to accentuate the ways in which we are welcoming and b.) see if there are ways that we can be even more welcoming.  So we have modified the words of the children’s song to:

            If we’re welc’ming and we know it, let’s affirm it.

            If we’re welc’ming and we know it, let’s affirm it.

            If we’re welc’ming and we know it, then our actions ought to show it,

            If we’re welc’ming and we know it, let’s affirm it.

 

As we discussed being welcoming, we quickly discovered that even though the elevator and a ramp aided parents with babies in a stroller or carriage, the church didn’t have a baby changing table.  So that was the focus of our first ‘Minute for Affirm’ which was held in April.  By means of a short, funny but to the point, skit, we noted the fact that we were welcoming but there were things that still needed improving.

 

We have decided to check into a number of different areas and determine if we are really doing enough.  We know there are some areas that we could improve if we had the money – like a new sound system.  But what are some of things we can do which we can afford?

 

Over the next year we are going to take a look at a number of different areas, and present a ‘Minute for Affirm’ on a Sunday morning once each month.  Our aim will be to ask the question “In what other ways can we still be and become more welcoming?”  It’s not enough to say we are welcoming.  Our actions need to show it.

Val