Andy Pakula's Growth Scheme is now endorsed by the GA and available on the Unitarian web site. Check it out and see what you could do to remove barriers to growth.

Probably the least obvious barrier is the desire to grow without knowing why you want to grow. If it's just to get "bums on pews" that's not enough. It has to be because you want to include others in your beloved community and share the freedom you have found. You have to put your own house in order and deepen the spiritual life of your community before you can get others to join it. You have to care about an issue that's unrelated to growth, and inspire others to join you in your quest for social and environmental justice. And you have to communicate your enthusiasm to others, using all the media available to you (both online and print).

Unitarians don't proselytise. Well, OK, we'd like it if everyone had a liberal and tolerant attitude to diversity of belief, but we want to attract like-minded people. We want to share what we have. We have welcoming liberal spiritual communities where you can be yourself, and explore your spirituality in an atmosphere of openness and mutual support.

Problem is, hardly anyone has heard of us. Fearful of being seen as evangelical, Unitarians have rather been hiding our light under a bushel. But that is changing. It's hard sometimes to get across a more subtle view of religion than is purveyed by fundamentalists and evangelicals, but we are trying.

One example of the effort to encourage like-minded people to join us is a growth initiative created by Andy Pakula, which shows congregations how to be welcoming and to raise their profiles.

Unitarian communities, please sign up for his scheme. He writes:

I am happy to answer any questions posted as comments on the original blog post.

In addition, I will be highlighting online those congregations that have made progress along the steps of the scheme. Congregations, please let me know if and when you have reached any particular level. I will then add you to an online honour roll, which will also help seekers to find the congregations that are keen to have them!