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Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach Adult Programs Committee
- Establish clear statements of the Adult Program Committee's (APC's) mission and goals. (Our APC acts as a resource, assesses church and community needs, helps initiate new programs, and evaluates program effectiveness and appropriateness. APC assists other church members to develop and operate the programs themselves.)
- Hold an after-church brainstorming session for the entire congregation. Publicize the event beforehand and afterward. Mail minutes of the session to everyone who attends.
- Appoint APC liaisons to offer help to organizers of new programs and to leaders of established and emerging programs.
- Publicize new program ideas in the usual ways: newsletter, flyers, Sunday announcements. Publicize also in unusual ways. (We devote a portion of our APC bulletin board to "Interest Forms," which operate like this: anyne can post a program idea; everyone signing up will be contacted, but signers do not commit themselves to participating.
- Solicit program ideas, organizers, and sign-ups at your church's annual Committee Fair.
- Develop and maintain an Adult Religious Education curriculum file that is fully accessible to church members.
- Ask one or two of your most thoroughly organized and experienced church members to develop a brochure that lists all the steps in planning an event, and then gives details about each of those steps.
- Develop and distribute "Suggested Donation" guidelines for programs and events.
- Foster support for childcare and for transportation assistance throughout your church.
- Develop an APC logo. (Ours incorporates the three areas of adult programming in our church: Personal/Developmental, Religious/Spiritual, Social/Fun.)
- Publish a lively and attractive brochure that describes all of the ongoing programs. Keep it updated. (Ours is a single-fold publication, printed on colorful cardstock.) Make it available to visitors. Display and distribute it wherever your church is officially represented in your community.
- Publish a compact "Programs for Adults" column as a regular feature of your newsletter. Include each program's title, meeting day and time, and a phone number. Post the list on your church's bulletin board, also.
- Publicize special all-church events through your telelphone tree. (We call ours the "Grapevine.")
- Communicate regularly with all committees whose interests are similar to the APC's. (Our "kinfolk" are Religious Education, Social Concerns, Confronting Racism, Welcoming Congregation, Fun -- intergenerational social events, Funsters -- family-oriented events. We are now in the process of developing a Religious Education Council.)
- Keep a high profile, stay alert to new ideas, and be ready to act.
