3 more churches earn welcoming status
Southwest Texas ends
’06 with 86 churches
on certification list
Three more Southwest Texas churches joined the list of welcoming congregations this month.
The Southwest Texas Conference ends 2006 with 86 certified welcoming congregations. That’s the most of any conference in the United States.
In addition, First UMC, Rockport, in the Corpus Christi District, renewed its certification Dec. 1 for the second straight year. Welcoming certification must be renewed annually.
New welcoming congregations are:
> First UMC, Yoakum, Victoria District, certified Dec. 4.
> First UMC, Marble Falls, Kerrville District, certified Dec. 11.
> St. Andrew’s UMC, San Antonio, San Antonio District, certified Dec. 11.
The count of welcoming congregations by district now stands at Austin, 14; Corpus Christi, 9; Kerrville, 13; McAllen, 21; San Angelo, 7; San Antonio, 13; and Victoria, 9.
Conference Lay Leader Jay Brim called on district lay leaders in June to help all current welcoming congregations renew their certifications. He challenged leaders to inspire at least half the remaining churches in their districts to be certified before next June.
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. 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.
Checklists are available at ignitingministry.org or umcswtx. org.
District superintendents must sign each checklist to confirm the information reported.
