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WELCOMING MINISTRY

The Welcoming Ministry is a part of the Stewardship Commission. The goal of the Welcoming Ministry is to contact new parishioners and make them feel at home in our parish and to give them a personal connection. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below to find out more about the Welcoming Ministry.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN THIS MINISTRY! If you feel called to this important ministry, please email the Welcoming Ministry coordinator at welcome@abecket.org. You can find out more about the welcoming process and time commitment below.

What is the Welcoming Ministry?
The Welcoming Ministry consists of volunteers who have agreed to connect with new parishioners after they register in the parish. Volunteers call new parishioners to welcome them to the parish and follow up with a note. The goal of this ministry is to heed the call of God in Leviticus: "You shall treat the stranger who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you, have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once strangers in the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 19:33-34)

How does the Welcoming Ministry work?
Periodically, Cathy Hulett, our Records and Posting Coordinator, prepares a report for the Welcoming Ministry coordinators listing all of the people who have joined the parish recently. The coordinators split the list among volunteers. Each volunteer receives the contact information for a small number of new parishioners (the number of contacts each volunteer receives depends upon the total number of volunteers available). The volunteers phone each new parishioner and warmly welcome him/her to our parish. Volunteers answer questions and direct parishioners to parish resources. They also follow up with a written card and a magnet, providing their own contact information in case someone has a question later. The goal is to bring all new parishioners into fellowship with us around the table of the Lord.

What is the time commitment?
Lists of new parishioners are distributed periodically. The number of new parishioners that volunteers contact varies. The more volunteers we have, the fewer people each volunteer will need to contact because the list of new parishioners will be divided among a larger pool of volunteers.

What is the financial commitment?
There is no required financial commitment. The cards to be mailed to new parishioners are provided by the Welcoming Ministry. Volunteers usually absorb the cost of mailing the cards provided to them (3-10 stamps every three months); however, funds are available to cover the cost of postage if needed.

What if I'm not an expert on all things St. Thomas a'Becket or am new myself?
No problem! You do not need to have all of the answers. You just need to provide a warm welcome and to assist people in finding the answers. The Parish Office and our parish website are great resources to share. The Welcoming Ministry coordinators, as well as the staff at St. Thomas a'Becket, are always available to answer questions.

I'm new, but have not been contacted yet. What do I do?
Lists of new parishioners are provided to our Welcoming Ministry periodically throughout the year, so it may be a few more weeks until you receive a personal welcome. You don't need to wait for a phone call to get involved at St. Thomas a'Becket. Check out our list of groups to find something right for you!

I still have questions about the Welcoming Ministry. What do I do?
At this time, we are still looking for a new coordinator for the Welcoming Ministry. If you have questions, please direct them to the Stewardship Commission chair at stewardship@abecket.org.

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