1 more church gains welcoming
congregation status in April

One more Southwest Texas Conference church joined the list of certified welcoming congregations in recent weeks. Two more renewed their welcoming status for another year.
New welcoming congregation is:
> First UMC, Palacios, Victoria District, certified April 17.
Lake Travis UMC, Austin District, became the fifth congregation to renew its welcoming status for the third year. Faith UMC, Woodsboro, renewed its welcoming status for a second year April 17.
Welcoming status is to be renewed annually.
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, 39 congregations have renewed their certifications at least once.
The count of welcoming congregations by district stands at Austin, 36; Corpus Christi, 30; Kerrville, 19; McAllen, 28; San Angelo, 10; San Antonio, 22; and Victoria, 17.
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.