Districts near goals set for welcoming list

One district has met and another is nearing a welcoming-congregation challenge issued last June.
A third district is working on a second challenge.
Southwest Texas Conference Lay Leader Jay Brim called on district lay leaders last year to inspire at least half the churches in their districts to be certified as welcoming congregations before the June 6-9 annual conference session in Corpus Christi.
He further challenged district lay leaders to help current welcoming congregations renew their certifications.
As of last week, the Corpus Christi District, with 42 congregations, had surpassed Brim’s goal. It had 25 welcoming congregations.
The Austin District, with 64 congregations, was closing in on the 50-percent mark. It had 27 certified welcoming congregations.
The McAllen District, which had already passed the 50-percent mark last year, was working to have its welcoming congregations recertified. Welcoming status must be renewed annually.
In fact, San Juan UMC in the McAllen District renewed its certification for 2007 May 9.
Four more local churches joined the welcoming congregation list this month:
> Cedar Creek UMC, Austin District, certified May 7.
> Industry UMC, Austin District, certified May 10.
> Gaddis Memorial UMC, Comfort, Kerrville District, certified May 10.
> Memorial UMC, Austin, Austin District, certified May 16.
The Southwest Texas Conference now has 127 certified welcoming congregations. That count is the most of any conference in the United States and represents nearly 37 percent of the 344 congregations across the region.
The count of welcoming congregations by district now stands at Austin, 27; Corpus Christi, 25; Kerrville, 17; McAllen, 25; San Angelo, 7; San Antonio, 16; and Victoria, 10.
Granted by the General Commission on Communication, certification means a congregation has systematically evaluated its hospitality and intentionally embraced a lifestyle of welcoming newcomers.
The certification program is part of the denominationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign. The goal is to help congregations do a better job of relating to visitors and encouraging them to return.
Certified congregations earn a plaque and a special designation in the “Find a church” database at www.unitedmethodist.org.
To earn certification, congregations must qualify for at least 100 points on a yearly checklist of welcoming activities. Those activities include designating a welcoming coordinator, training church members in welcoming techniques and doing various things around the church to make it more welcoming to visitors.
To earn recertification, welcoming congregations must earn an additional 100 points doing things they didn’t do the first year.