Responsibilities of Greeters
Goal: Creating a Culture of Hospitality
Ideally there will be at least 3 greeters: one at the door to welcome and assist those who need help, and two at the Welcome Desk. If other greeters are available, they can position themselves close by to offer conversation, directions, tours of the building, etc.
Invite first-time visitors to fill out a red name tag and repeat visitors to fill out a blue tag.
Invite those who have attended several times to apply for a permanent name tag. However, they must fill out a Visitor Information form (on the desk) to do so. (We have had disagreeable instances in which people with permanent name tags cannot understand why they are not receiving emails about UUCF events and calendar changes.)
Invite new visitors to tour the building, view the art show, attend pre- and post-service meetings, etc.
As time permits, engage visitors in friendly conversation. Try some of the following:
- Are you familiar with Unitarian Universalism? If they know nothing that's when an “elevator speech” comes in handy:
- Have you come from another congregation? Are you just looking to see what we are about? What brought you here, do you know anyone?
One or all of these can give the greeter an idea of what to expect from this visitor and how far you can go to encourage exploration in other areas of our congregational life.