They don't come to us because they want to serve on a committee. They come looking for a place that has meaning and that will help them with their lives. And they want the church to demand something of them as human beings. Hallman asks prospective members to attend four Thursday night sessions of 90 minutes each. She focuses on what it means to be a UU, what the church is about, commitment, and how to get involved in meaningful ways.
Money is also part of it.
All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK, the largest UU congregation, with more than 1,500 members, has no membership rules, just customs, says associate minister Suzanne Meyer. We make the classes convenient. We offer child care. I offer the classes six times a year. Our goal is that you're not a newcomer for more than six weeks before a class comes open.