The Journey of All Souls
Pathways In Membership
The Clearing
Welcome to All Souls! Here’s where you can begin your journey with us. We believe that we are all on a journey, and wherever we are going, we are going there together. So All Souls has some signposts and stations along the way.
On each stage of the journey, you will find faith resources – books or other materials we recommend; community -building resources
– activities or other ways to build relationships within All Souls; and practices that support our shared values as a community of faith.
Faith
Community
Practices
A Chosen Faith by Forrest Church and John Buehrens
The Way of Gratitude by Galen Guengerich
All Souls at 200 by Beck, Bechman, Coleman, Jackson, & Macholl (a copy of this book may be checked out from All Souls)
Subscribe to First Light Meditations (Email Cecily Millen to be added)
Join a Newcomers Friendship Circle These are 6-month smaller group gatherings, led by Rev. Audette. You will get to know other newcomers and explore All Souls in a more personal way.
Attend services at least once a month; attend 10 am adult ed and join in some activities. Meet with Robert Wohner, our Membership Coordinator. Join us for All Souls in 20 Minutes, and one of our monthly Newcomer Brunches.
Join All Souls Connext, our virtual campus and online community.
As justice-seeking people, we invite you to familiarize yourself with The 8th Principle Project of Unitarian Universalism
Take a Widening the Circle of Concern workshop
Sign up for the Souls in Action elist & visit Souls in Action website monthly – join in 3 actions this year.
PathFinders
Congratulations! So you’ve decided to join All Souls as a member – we’re so glad you’re taking the next step on our journey. As a member, there are always new things to learn, new ways to deepen your spirituality, and new practices of engagement and connection.
Becoming a member is simple. You sign our membership book,
make a financial pledge at a level that you feel is appropriate, and join us in one of our new member celebrations! Being a member is what matters most. While as a member you have the privilege of directing our future through voting, and you can hold key leadership positions, the main responsibilities are to build community, and continue to spiritually grow.
Faith
Community
Practices
All Souls is for All Ages! Let us know if you need any additional support with getting your children or youth connected.
Sources of Our Faith by Kathleen Rolenz
OR for Young Adults: Becoming by Kayla Parker
The Through Line: 200 years of the Berry Street Lectures – Kate Walker, ed.
Schedule a time to meet with Rev. Audette for spiritual direction/ reflection on a specific practice or study within Unitarian Universalism
Now that you’ve made a good start on your membership journey, it’s a great time to expand a little. Contact our membership coordinator Robert Wohner to volunteer to help usher on a Sunday morning, or consider offering opening words. You might consider helping to welcome newcomers at our fellowship hour. You might lead a Friendship Circle, or volunteer to love and serve our families by lending a hand with religious education classes or special events.
As a member, your financial support is what makes all our ministry possible. We hope you will give generously.
The foremost All Souls spiritual practice is to attend church regularly. Setting aside time for communal reflection and connection is one of the world’s most spiritually nourishing practices.
Living your faith in practice matters, as well. At this point in your journey, we hope you will participate in justice work through Souls in Action, our hub for our many justice activities. Or visit Monday Night Hospitality or Friday Soup Kitchen to serve our neighbors in need.
Waymakers
The Waymakers journey is for those members and friends who have been with All Souls for a year or more, and have begun to feel at home. This is a wonderful part of the journey – you probably have made good friends, and feel as though you know many of the ins and outs of congregational life. At All Souls, we believe that faith formation is a lifelong journey. It’s important to continue to learn, grow, and deepen your faith and connections. And our Waymakers lend their time, talent and treasure to help build for the next generation.
Faith
Recommended Reading:
God, Revised by Galen Guengerich
Voices from the Margins by Jacqui James & Mark Morrison-Reed
ChangeCrafting: A Whole-Life Perspective Audette Fulbright Fulson
Consider participating in a SpiritCrafting class.
Explore our Buddhism & Mindfulness programs.
Community
At this level, we hope our members will: attend regularly, participate in a range of activities, or at least 2-3 core activities; and volunteer in more sustained ways: become a Lay Pastoral Associate, or step onto our Leadership Development track — as well as actively welcome and help us orient new members.
And be sure to participate in one of our lay-led Friendship Circles!
Practice
At this level of engagement, we expect our members and friends to participate in our anti-racism and justice/equity/inclusion trainings – such as Widening the Circle or some of our Pride activities. Become familiar with the UUA’s Five Pillars of Welcome.
It is from among our Waymakers that we look for our next generation of leaders. Serving on the Board or another members-only position is a special honor.
The Phoenix Circle
Our Phoenix Circle is a very special level of membership and involvement. This is a circle which might include members at the level of, for example, our deacons – those members whose love and service has been formally recognized with this title by the congregation – or members and friends of over 15 years whose participation has been very high.
The Phoenix Circle is encouraged to meet two times a year with the ministers to consider spiritual formation for their religious needs.
The Phoenix Circle is particularly well suited to helping us form and regularly improve upon our practices of welcome and inclusion. We hope that Phoenix Circle members will consider hosting small gatherings for newcomers or to serve as newcomer mentors/coffee pals, and to work actively to positively promote All Souls. This might include working with the stewardship team or making personal appeals to members, encouraging groups, businesses or individuals to consider All Souls for rentals or events; lead or encourage legacy giving, or otherwise help prepare All Souls for the next generation.