2 congregations join welcoming
list, 1 more renews certification

Two more Southwest Texas Conference church joined the list of certified welcoming congregations in recent weeks.
New welcoming congregations are:
> First UMC, Lockhart, Austin District, certified March 31.
> Flatonia UMC, Flatonia, Victoria District, certified April 3.
First UMC, Luling, renewed its certification for a second year.
The number of certified welcoming congregations in Southwest Texas stands at 160. That’s the most of any conference in the United States. Forty-five percent of Southwest Texas congregations have been certified.
Of the total, 38 congregations have renewed their certifications at least once.
The count of welcoming congregations by district stands at Austin, 36; Corpus Christi, 29; Kerrville, 19; McAllen, 28; San Angelo, 10; San Antonio, 22; and Victoria, 16.
The certification program is part of the denominationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign. The goal is to help congregations do a better job of relating to visitors and encouraging them to return.
Granted by the General Commission on Communication, certification means a congregation has systematically evaluated its hospitality and intentionally embraced a lifestyle of welcoming newcomers. Certified congregations earn a plaque and a special designation in the “Find a church” database at www.unitedmethodist.org.
To earn certification, congregations must qualify for at least 100 points on a yearly checklist of welcoming activities. To earn recertification, welcoming congregations must earn an additional 100 points doing things they didn’t do the first year.
Checklists are available at www.ignitingministry.org. District superintendents sign checklists to confirm reported information.