Growth Group

Meeting Minutes of 4/30/09

Members present: Jim Kupel, John McCall, Rick Angell, Dave Allen, , Stan Jordan, Elinor Redmond.
Absent: Kendra Palmer, Sue Ross.

Stan opened the meeting with a prayer at 5:30 p.m.

**indicates future action

I. Parish Host Document
Jim had re-worked the Parish Host document, including both our group mission and the comment from the new members’ focus group that ‘buddies’ would be helpful, if not pushed too hard. We discussed the many uses for the document, with variations:
• tool for parish host, staff, growth group
• reference to anybody in the church
• recruiting document
• lets newcomers know about the program

**Dave will be visiting with Growth and Fellowship and will be sure that group knows about the document and the program. Rick and Elinor will share the document with SL&W as well.

We spent a little time on minor edits of the document. Jim will re-work the document and create a version for newcomers so that they have a summary as they are invited to participate.

Next steps include recruiting hosts and creating the tool kit. The host group will need coordination and record keeping. We imagine 12 hosts in the program.

**Stan and Rick will work up a list of potential hosts.
**Elinor will work on the tool kit materials over the summer with the goal of having all documents available electronically for ease in updating.
**Dave will prepare an implementation time line for the next meeting.

II. New Member Process
We discussed where in the process the Parish Host Program would begin for a newcomer. The logical place is at the step; “If the prospect continues to worship” and beginning with the words “John contacts by phone/e-mail”. John/Elsa could make the offer OR a lay person could be in charge of this process from the beginning.

How long would a host stay ‘assigned’ to a newcomer? John told us the rule of thumb for newcomers staying with a church: make 6 friendships in 6 months. Would the host attend the Inquirer’s meeting with the newcomer? Would the host stay involved after the individual becomes a church member?

We will start the program slowly and see where it takes us.

III. Group Information
Dave e-mailed the teams the request for information about the various groups needed to create a booklet of information for everyone in the church. The teams should send the request along to the various groups affiliated with them and replies should go to Dave.

IV. Groups that use the building
John had sent a list of ‘outside’ groups that use the building. He estimates 8-9 would be open to hearing a member speak about the church and invite participants to attend. These include: Al-Anon, AA (when they have an open meeting), Alzheimer’s Work Group, Meetinghouse Yoga and the Mother and Dad’s Club.

**We will consider this as an agenda item in the fall.

V. Homework/Hospitality
We discussed the articles John had passed out. The church may want to plan to grow, but we cannot control what people do. What we can work on is being hospitable. We may be friendly and welcoming and still not hospitable.

**Education on hospitality. Devote 1 or 2 Sundays to hospitality. Jim will bring the sheet used by the Hospital to train volunteers in hospitality.

VI. Group Maintenance
Should we expand the size of the Growth Group? Yes! New members may come from individuals recruited as hosts.

We are looking at Mondays at 5:30 p.m. as a regular meeting time, (possibly the second Monday of the month).

The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

NEXT MEETING: Monday, June 8 @ 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond