Wimberley Presbyterian Church

Michael Petty, Elder

The overall goal of this Committee is to help visitors and new members to feel welcomed and cared for, and to help them find their place in the church family. The Committee seeks to welcome and integrate visitors and new members into the life of our congregation by doing the following:

Visitors

1. Maintain and date the Friendship Registers each week.
2. Maintain visitor materials in the pew racks.
3. Recruit, assign and train greeters to greet both visitors and members as they enter the church for each Sunday service.
4. Give first-time visitors visitor cards to fill out, and ask visitors to wear the name tags so they can be greeted by name.
5. Collect the Friendship Registers at the end of each service and give the pages for that Sunday to the church secretary.
6. Prepare and distribute a weekly Visitors Report based on the Friendship Registers and personal observation.
7. Prepare and deliver to the home of each new visitor a loaf of bread and a bag of church information as early in the week following the visit as possible.  Secure homemade bread for the bread supply.
8. Send a note of welcome to first-time visitors.

New Members

1. Keep the New Member Packets updated, and present them to new members when they are received by Session.
2. See that the New Member Information Sheets are given to the Clerk of Session for recording and distribution.
3. Take pictures of new members and see that the pictures are given to the Nurture Committee for the Church Life bulletin board.
4. Interview and write a biographical article on each new member for the church newsletter.
5. Follow up with new members within two months, assisting them in becoming integrated into church activities and service.
6. Host semi-annual receptions for new members to allow them to become better acquainted with each other and with members of the Session.

 
Additional Duties

1. Coordinate special social gatherings (e.g. Date for 8, Corral Theatre movies, and EmilyAnn Shakespeare plays) to allow visitors and new members to meet and fellowship with other members of the congregation.
2. Provide, maintain and update children's Friendship Bags, and make sure they are available for Sunday services.
3. Coordinate the annual publication of a church directory.  When a professional directory is published, coordinate photo sessions, provide text, and edit the proofs prepared by the publishing company.

Committee Members: Bettye Webb, Annanette Harper, Jim Beall, Mary Goulden, Mary Southwell, Marilyn Nienow,  Mariana Kerr