by David Hoover and Laurie Petersen
Laurie is a long-time member of First Church, and previously of the Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine. This is her second year on the Membership Team. “I’m drawn to the work of creating a warm and welcoming presence for our friends and visitors, in our large and sometimes intimidating church. Equally important is for new members, once they join, to feel a real connection to our community. Connections frequently need to be fostered and encouraged, and we create opportunities for that to happen — like our popular New Member Pizza Nights!”
Dave joined First Church just a year ago. “We’re members and owners, not customers. It’s up to each of us to get involved and build the community life that we want to live.” Dave values supporting the Membership Table during coffee hour and the Journey to Membership classes but, for him, “Our most impactful work is simply being present, saying ‘Hi’ and getting to know each other.” Everyone can do that, so join us—your ideas are welcome!