Programs > Branches > Socorro

Socorro News: March 2008

The Rev. Ronald A. Hersom welcomed new members to the Socorro branch of First Unitarian Church on Sunday, February 17.

Socorro News: February 2008

Since Sunday, September 23, last year, we’ve had 20 regular weekly services. We also had a special Christmas event on December 23 that attracted 75 people, for which the Socorro branch’s music director, Elise, rounded up several expert singers and instrumentalists to create an outstanding concert. The concert donations, together with coins accumulated from offerings through January 2008, totaled $385. By vote of the congregation, the entire sum was donated to the Socorro Storehouse.

The Socorro branch congregation is now governed by a steering committee of six core people, including a chairperson (Richard Sonnenfeld), a treasurer (Gerry Watson), and a secretary (Barry Clark). Just in this month we’ve acquired our own branch bank account. Also, a weekly pre-service meditation group has started recently, and our first mini covenant group will meet for three weeks in February and March. Attendance at Sunday services recently has averaged around 25; we’re providing child care, but so far only for one to four children.

As we plan ahead for our second half-year, we already need to identify new leaders. One of our founding members has gone away for several months and another, along with his entire family, is moving to Florida in May.

Socorro News: October 14, 2007, Membership Sunday

Worship services are now held at a new location. We have rented the Parish Hall and one additional room from Epiphany Episcopal Church in Socorro, and the new accommodations are truly lovely. In addition, Rev. Christine Robinson is visiting the Socorro branch as they hold their first Membership Sunday. Meeting times continue to be 3 pm on Sundays.

Socorro News: September 2007

As of September 23, 2007, worship services in Socorro are now held weekly.

Socorro News: July 2007

Branch Organizer, Roger Hartz, and members of the First Unitarian Church in Albuquerque have been meeting with the group of UUs in Socorro on a monthly basis since April. During that time attendance has risen from 8 to 16 or 17. Each meeting starts with a lay-led worship service with either a DVD or a downloaded video sermon, which is followed by organizational meetings and planning sessions. The Socorro group currently meets at 3 pm on the first Sunday of the month in a classroom in the library on the New Mexico Tech campus.

The importance of having a critical mass of 10 to 12 solid core members is underscored by the amount of work that needs to be done by each branch as it organizes. They have volunteers now in place as Contact Person, Location Coordinator, Technicians (local iMinistry members), Branch Stewards, Membership/Advertising/PR Coordinator, and Musician. (Meeting refreshments are taken care of on an ad hoc basis.) In addition to this, three or more people will be receiving training in small-group worship leadership and covenant group leadership later in September. And the religious education program is still being developed. There’s a lot being done!

But there’s even more to be done! After small group worship leader training in September, they plan to start offering weekly worship services on September 23 and to host a Grand Opening Sunday on October 7. In preparation for Grand Opening Sunday, the group is planning a community-wide advertising and public relations campaign to develop community awareness, attract new members and perhaps find more “stray UUs” in the area.

--Roger Hartz

Socorro News: May 2007

On Sunday, May 6, 2007, Branch Action Team (BAT) member Margaret Cost and Associate Minister David Grimm accompanied me on my second trip to assist the UUs in Socorro to get a branch campus of First Unitarian up and running.

“Socorro SUCCESS! Together we are doing it!” is the theme for what’s been happening in Socorro. How did the meetings go? Well, how does “Excited! Enthusiastic! Ready to go!” sound? The group is eager to get started – next week if they could.

From now through September, Branch Action Team (BAT) members and I will be going to Socorro once a month to conduct short worship services and help with planning and organizing. Between visits, Socorro UUs will be doing community-building activities such as picnics, celebrations, and movie nights. In August and September, they will come to Albuquerque for leadership training to prepare to branch in October. It’s a lot of work for them.

But there’s a lot of work to do in Albuquerque, too. I’ve been working on how covenant groups and adult religious education might work, and the iMinistry team has invited two Socorro members to join them.

Albuquerque committee chairpersons, group organizers, extended families, and members: as you’re working out your plans for the coming year, please consider how you might bring branch members into your activities. Think globally; act locally. Remember, we’re all in this together and together we’re doing it!

--Roger Hartz, Branch Organizer

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