Throw a party. No, seriously. The arrival of a new minister is, and should be, a moment of celebration so celebrate in style. Our congregation includes a member of a local retro pop-rock group (who was on the ministerial search committee) and he brought them in one night and threw a party. We did charge for it and the proceeds went to the church.

We help our ministers find housing and get moved. UUs are spread pretty thin across the continent and so ministers often have to move long distances (our current minister didn't move too far, but one of our previous ministers is now in Victoria). Furthermore, most UU ministers are American, so sometimes need help with immigration, health care, etc. since they are crossing the border.

There's a couple off the top of my head.

Mendalla

Great to hear you're writing an article about this.  I think we had a thread here a while ago about this topic too - did you try the search function on the site?  Perhaps a bunch of ideas have already been posted? 

Baskets of stuff were ready when we arrived here.  NOt just foodstuffs but also gift cards and certificates to local amenities (a year membership to the library for instance, swim passes to the outdoor pool, maps of the area).  If collecting these things, think about the family stage of those coming (young children? teenagers?).   Are you welcoming a person? a couple? a family?

Also name tags during worship and post-worship coffee.  Simple thing but often overlooked.

And of course have someone (maybe from the Search Committee or from M&P) ASK what might be appreciated, how they can help.

Get a couple dozen strong backs together to help him move into the new home.

Practical displays of welcome are usually of more use to a new minister than anything else.

Doesn't mean you can't have a party though

As with everything it depends.  WE had a moving company provide the strong backs.  And in our circumstance (with 6 of us, my parents and an anti-social dog) settling in to the house worked much easier with fewer bodies offering help

GordW, the nametags were what popped into my mind.  Coincidentally, the nametags have quit being worn at our church for lots of reasons: construction affected the location of them, my Mom/Dad used to sort them, but Mom died..and well, you know how all that happens.  Anyhow, our minister requested on Sunday that we wear them.....it is a good practice.

ps..i love the idea of the basket...very thoughtful

I like covenanting services that are filled with things that are symbolic - of the church, of the community and of the new minister(s). For example, at a convenanting service I attended recently, the youth of the congregation gave the new minister a basketball to remind her of the spirit of youthfulness and play. At the service for the two ministers at my church, they were each given a gift certificate to their favourite restaurants.

Our minister spoke to how much she appreciated my parents inviting her & her wife over for tea.    

I know it is not something that I do; but, I have been told it is so meaningful ...as it is easy to buy something...but less easy to welcome someone into your life / space.

Take 'em into the office and lay down the law.  Let them know who is boss.  Tell them they have your complete support.  Keep 'em on a short leash.  Make sure they know that they are expected to do plenty of visitation.  Tell them you hope they'll be able to keep up the tradition of outstanding preaching that your church has become famous for except that you hope their approach will be much more innovative than the last guy.  Tell them to make sure that the services don't  much beyond an hour.  Tell them you want something that holds to the old values but is presented in a groundbreaking way.  Tell them you are looking for evolution not revolution.  Then sit back.  Watch it all unfold ... 

lol....gosh, does that sound familiar....

I love this post. This was meant to be funny, right? Very profound!

Indeed it does depend on the situation. My point was that sometimes doing practical work has more value than "expressions".

There are other things you can do as well, depending on the need. Have someone make sure the lawn gets mowed and garden weeded in the time before they move in. Make sure the snow is cleared from the driveway and sidewalk before they arrive with the movers. Bring them supper. Offer to babysit.

One church I attended as a youth the manse was heated with wood. When the new minister arrived he was greeted with a full woodshed, enough for the winter.

Last time my mother's church had a new minister arrive, I went over with a selection of extra long computer, TV, and Audio cables, which turned out to be just what they needed. I ended up staying long enough to get them set up with the cable company for TV and Internet. They probably could have managed to get the right cables and make the phone calls themselves in a couple of days, but I made it one less thing to worry about.

Often times when you're moving in to a new job, and, as a minister, meeting two or three gazillion new people at the same time, just getting the lawn mowed is an overwhelming "one more thing". Having someone just "take care of that" for you can be a great relief, and a very practicl way to welcome.

Hello writerwoman and welcome to WonderCafe,

In my experience what works is not putting all of the welcoming eggs into the day of arrival basket.

Moving into a new home is an ordeal.  One congregation went out of their way to have a warm, home-cooked meal ready for us.  10 points out of 10 for intent.  What really happened was, a blown transmission half-way resulted in emergency repacking and a significant delay in our arrival.  Upon arrival it was too late to eat and most of the foods prepared lovingly and thoughtfully were dishes that neither my wife nor young children would normally eat.  So the house reeked of food that didn't appeal to us at all.

As luck would have it the box with toilet paper was sacrificed to make room for bodies (we were travelling in two vehicles) so at midnight when the need was upon us we were lacking the most essential of all household papers.

What personally did not work for me was showing up for service on the first day of a new pastoral relationship and getting a standing ovation.  Seriously, a standing ovation for showing up to work, what kind of pandemonium do I cause if I stay?

The standing O was meant to be friendly.  It is somewhat more attention than I feel comfortable getting, especially for walking into a room.

Minister's never, ever show up on a whim.  There is always some kind of planning involved.  That would be the time to find out what kind of food the family will or will not eat.  It is also a good time to find out whether the family is extroverted or introverted as what is welcoming for an extrovert may be off-putting and awkward to an introvert.

Stock the bathrooms with toilet paper (we've only made the mistake once and the family never remembers my midnight ride through Botwood trying to find Toilet Paper.  The local Mary Brown's gave me one of their industrial rolls which only added to the memorability of the episode.  We used that massive roll for months before we could get to something more reasonably domestic.

My family doesn't appreciate being swarmed so we are good with not having a huge welcoming party.

Taking the time to get to know us and what we like/dislike is probably the most welcoming.  That and not forcing your expectations on us first thing.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Living in a large urban area - I've used a map of the community and marked on it key things the family might need - bank/ATM, gas station, Canadian Tire store, pharmacy, grocery store, walk-in clinic, hospital, video store, pool, library, shopping mall, playground etc.  (must remember to add all-night toilet paper depot after reading Rev John's post!)

Personally I'm a fan of the potluck dinner. Potluck dinners to welcome new ministers. Potluck dinners to say goodbye to departing ministers. Potluck dinners to say thank you to ministers who are doing a good job. I just like potluck dinners.

I think MC likes to eat

What works also depends on the size/nature of the community.  The day I arrived in my settlement charge the person delegated to meet me gave me a comprehensive tour of the town.  It took half an hour at most.  Such a thing would not have worked here even if I had still been on my own.

Another thing my settlement charge did (partly because they bvalued the clergy being an active part of the community) was postpone their annual Father's Day BBQ till September to make it a "Meet the New Minister" BBQ.  OF course I can't really meet and remember meeting 150 people in two hours but the principle was sound.

And then the Father's Day BBQ of 2010 became the "Say Farewell to the Minister" BBQ so there ws a degree of balance there.

Lists of things like the names & numbers of other ministers in the area or in the Ministerial Association; a photo directory and/or up-to-date list of the congregation members; food; help with house & yard if needed, suggestions where to park extra vehicle etc.  Labeled keys for the church offices. List of who has keys for church and manse, if applicable. List of Board members & their positions.  Invitations to local events, with no big pressure--just opportunity if they're wanting it. Municipal maps, if a rural area; also local history books stocked in the office for reference when getting to know families. Have the Presbytery delegate offer some minutes or other meeting information. Welcome Wagon goodie bag, or equivalent, with coupons or pamphlets from local businesses & organizations.  A town directory if there is such a thing.  Privacy, if that's needed, to catch their breath. Warmth and gentleness. Get a good turnout to the covenanting service, make it a great celebration, like a wedding.

Yes, that's true, Gord, I do. However I see the value of the potluck not only in the food. It is also about the coming together of the community. It is about sharing with old friends and discovering new ones. All hail the potluck!

Photo directory....One of the best wecome tools for a new minister is a photo directory.  ipcphoto.ca  This Company which is one that is coast to coast makes available a directory similar to a high school year book free of charge for churches.  They offer portraits for the way of covering the expense of the free photo directory.  They even offer a free photo board to put on a wall!  What could help a new minister more than this to get to know the names of all the people he or she comes across.

Hope this idea is one that helps!

put vodka in his water glass at the pulpit.

I admit that I didn't read the thread, but has anybody answered "Sleep with him" yet?

that comes after the vodka.

We have just welcomed a new minister a week ago. There was a small welcoming party waiting to greet him Monday morning when he arrived. They showed him around and helped him carry his stuff into his office.

He was VERY pleased by this.

We also had his name put on the Church sign. We also have an arrangement with the local Legion (we share a parking lot) -- we have rented a "mobile" sign (the Legion has one side, we have the other) -- and we made sure there was a WELCOME message displayed.

Later in the week (Friday) we held a dessert and games evening to give people a chance to meet him and his wife, and of course there was the requisite Coffee hour following his first service, yesterday.