In past posts I have probed the question of growing Unitarian Universalism, and have suggested that there isn't a magic bullet. If Unitarian Universalism wants to grow we must find ways to both increase our numbers and at the same time "grow" in depth of religious understanding, in commitment to the each other, and in involvement in the wider community. These can not be separate things, we can't postpone paying attention to the quality of lay and ordained leadership, while we spend money on marketing that will increase the number of first time visitors. When marketing a service rather than a product, the quality of the service is key. Advertising only raises interest in checking out the service, the consumer will decide whether or not to buy (or subscribe) to that service based on their relationship to other consumers, and to the people supplying the service. The Uncommon Denomination must be uncommonly good.
One of the ways that we can understand the relationship between growth in numbers and qualitative growth is to look at the relationship between attracting new Unitarian Universalists and retaining Unitarian Universalist commitment for the long haul.
To attract people to Unitarian Universalism we need to pay attention to seekers. We need to welcome them, to help them find connections to other people in community, to answer their questions and overcome their fears. The worship service oriented toward those who are new Unitarian Universalism introduces religious liberalism, and celebrates the seekers discovery of a welcoming home in a different kind of religious community.
Unfortunately that same sort of worship service gets old quick. Once a person has become acquainted with the Unitarian Universalists they begin to seek religious depth, and spiritual growth that goes beyond new UU, seven principles, and famous people. The "welcome to seekers" worship service becomes less and less "relevant" to those who have decided to journey among Unitarian Universalists.
On the other hand many of our congregations have services devoted to sustaining a community of committed Unitarian Universalists. Sermons on questions of depth are offered week after week, sermons that challenge the audience to decision, worship services that celebrate the gathered community but provide little or no introduction to Unitarian Universalism. With a excellent preacher these congregations might attract a large number of visitors and some of those visitors may return, but nothing in the worship itself introduces the visitor to religious liberalism, or speaks to their seeking for a spiritual home.
Can we do both? I don't think we can, at least not in the same worship service. We may want to look at the experience of some of our larger churches that have different worship services, some pitched at seekers, and others pitched at those who are committed to their own spiritual journey in the context of that community.
There is more to say, and I will return to this topic soon.
You made an important point in this post, how can we keep our members growing....
I sometimes feel I have heard it already.