Smorgasboard: December 2025

A few weeks ago, we welcomed new members with a resounding “You are whole, holy, and worthy, wanted and welcomed, and you belong!” That feeling of being welcomed and wanted, of belonging, is absolutely critical to building the beloved community to which we aspire. As I noted in a previous column, one of the Board’s goals this year is to deepen the sense and practice of belonging among members of First Universalist. Although Welcoming and Belonging was the highest scored area in the congregational health survey we did over the summer, it was also the one respondents most commonly thought the Board should prioritize for the coming year.

We have several specific actions identified. One is to work with the staff to promote greater opportunities for and participation in shared ministry. The other is to learn more about the state of belonging here. Why, for instance, do people seem to think the church is doing well in fostering welcoming and belonging, but also think it’s a priority for the Board to develop further? How do different communities within the church feel about belonging? What would strengthen the sense of welcome and belonging that people feel?

The survey was a good start—and again, thanks to the many of you who participated—but of course it has its limitations. To help us learn more, we are planning a series of dialog sessions in the coming months. These will allow us to explore themes and hear suggestions in a deeper way.

We are hoping to have a half dozen or so such opportunities. Each will be facilitated by two Board members. To promote meaningful dialog, we will keep each to no more than 10-12 participants. Some will be open to all, while others will be targeted to groups that we know were underrepresented among survey respondents so we can get a broader understanding across our entire church community. Please look for announcements in the coming weeks. And of course, all of us on the Board are always open to individual conversations as well.

Marc Gorelick, President