UU Growth Lab members, here is our new on-demand training on deepening member engagement with handouts, transcript, and audio MP3.
This training covers strategies to help newcomers move out of the "visitor zone" and develop a deeper sense of belonging before they drift away or give up.
Click here to go to this training in our UU Growth Lab member area to watch training video, download print resources and the audio file MP3.
Not a member? Learn more and join the UU Growth Lab.
Are your visitors slipping away before they truly connect?
In today's digital world, newcomers arrive having already researched your congregation extensively. They're not looking for a slow orientation—they need rapid confirmation they're in the right place and meaningful connection from day one.
In this UU Growth Lab training with Peter Bowden we explore why traditional approaches to visitor welcome are failing in the internet age and provides strategies to help newcomers move quickly from "just visiting" to "I belong here."
Highlights:
- Why visitors today are "pre-qualified" and what that means for your welcome process
- The three critical stages of building resonance with newcomers
- Specific strategies to help promote belonging before formal membership
- A strategy for address missing demographics (young families or young adults)
- How more effective newcomer engagement naturally enhances your stewardship outcomes
This training isn't theoretical—it's based on real-world success stories and practical strategies you can rapidly implement.
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your newcomer experience!
The difference between a visitor who never returns and one who becomes a committed member often comes down to what happens in their first visits.
Included Resourece Downloads
Download the following resources using the download links next to the training video. Go to this training's page in our member area.
- Takeaway Guide 10 Page PDF
- Full Transcript 19 Pages PDF
- Training Session Audio MP3
Understanding Today's Visitors
The internet has fundamentally changed how people connect with congregations. Visitors now arrive having spent hours researching online—watching videos, reading about UU beliefs, and in a sense "pre-qualifying" themselves for membership.
This represents a seismic shift from the days when newcomers would arrive with minimal advance knowledge, expecting to gradually learn about Unitarian Universalism over weeks or months of attendance.
While visitors may still want personal space and the freedom to observe without pressure, the reality is that they need to move through the stages of resonance much more quickly than in the past.
Many congregations are still operating with pre-internet membership development approaches that assume newcomers will invest significant time before forming connections.
Today's visitors have already done this preparatory work—they need verification, connection, and a sense of belonging during their very first visit, or they may never return for your formal newcomer classes and membership processes.
The core challenge for congregational leaders is recognizing this shift and adapting our welcome approaches accordingly.
We need to create multiple, low-barrier opportunities for newcomers to share their stories, connect with others, and develop that crucial sense of resonance—the visceral feeling that "I belong here"—from day one.
Our communications must clearly highlight what makes UU congregations distinctive, our welcome processes must create immediate connections, and our community practices must invite participation before formal membership.
The strategies outlined in this takeaway guide— resonant language, pre-service tours, story circles, collaborative approaches, and adaptations for special circumstances— can help meet today's visitors where they are.
These practices help newcomers move rapidly from intellectual interest to emotional connection without overwhelming them. By embracing these approaches, congregations can transform the critical first visit experience from one of tentative exploration to one of meaningful engagement and belonging.
Remember that different people need different approaches—some visitors will be ready to dive in immediately while others will be more tentative. The key is creating multiple pathways for connection that respect individual comfort levels while still facilitating that essential sense of resonance.
Through intentional practices that create authentic connection from the very beginning, we help today's digitally-prepared visitors become tomorrow's engaged members of our congregations.
Go to this session in our member area to watch, listen, and read.
Responses