We each contribute to the work of the church.
Each of our talents and skills is needed in small ways and large to keep our church functioning and there are many ways to we work together to serve the church community. Committees are always looking for interested members. Please contact a committee chair or the Office Staff if you'd like more information on how to get involved with the work of the church.
Building
The Building Committee is responsible for creating and maintaining a facility that will reflect the vitality, attention and stewardship of our church community and be inviting to newcomers as well as to long time members. The group maintains, repairs and improves the church building, contents and exterior fixtures and constructed features by:
1) Identifying and addressing areas of maintenance necessary to keep the building in good condition.
2) Maintaining a plan for future major repairs or additions.
3) Developing a yearly budget.
4) Recruiting and delegating "one time" jobs to volunteers and work groups.
Past projects include replacing the carpet in the Fireplace Room, installing new parking lot lights and fluorescent lights in the Auditorium and FIreplace Room, arranging for a concrete pad and fence to be installed for the dumpster. The group hopes to hold an annual cleanup/spruce up event which would include minor sanding of woodwork, refinishing, cleaning our storage space, interior painting, etc.
Joining the group is as easy as talking the the church office and indicating an interest and/or giving Harry Heafer a call. Meetings are held on an as-needed basis dependent on maintenance issues that come up.
Contact Person : Harry Heafer ~ 420-1233 ~ hheafer@neb.rr.com
Denominational Affairs
The Denominational Affairs Committee promotes the work of our church as part of a larger denominatin. It chooses Share-the-Plate recipients. The group encourages church members and friends to participate in the Prairie Star Annual Conference in April and the General Assembly in June. It also encourages church leaders to participate in district leadership training.
Outgoing Committee Chair: Kathy Johnson ~ kj54726@windstream.net
Grounds
The grounds committee is responsible for the care and maintenance of our lawn, trees and plantings. Church Members interested in mowing can join the "mowing posse" via D Moritz dmoritz2@yahoo.com and those interested in weeding can join the "weeders for peace" group by contacting Jackie Egan egan@neb.rr.com. Each spring and fall the grounds committee holds an all member grounds clean up. The goal of the committee is to have our church have "curb appeal". Look for Grounds Committee meeting times on the calendar and in the newsletter.
Journey Toward Wholeness
The Journey Toward Wholeness (JTW) is shaped by the anti-oppression work that is done by Unitarian Universalists in our congregations, districts, denominational structures, and organizations; it is embodied in how we work for justice in the world; and The Journey Toward Wholeness is deeply
spiritual work.
Marketing & Public Relations
The Marketing & PR Committee is responsible for assisting other committees with marketing their activities within the congregation and to the public. The group handles written marketing materials in Yellow Pages, in local newspapers and on TV and tracks where visitors hear about the church in order to determine best method of advertising. Their work will now be supplemented by our new Community Visibility Specialist.
In addition, the committee spreads our message to the world (or at least to people who use A St.) with our Wayside Pulpit display. Contact Aura Lee Furgason alfurgason@windstream.net , Wayside Pulpit guru, if you have suggestions for short, pithy, UU-friendly sayings which might fit on our sign.
Committee Chair: Lee Manns ~ lmanns@unlnotes.unl.edu
Newcomers
The Newcomers Committee's goal is to provide a welcoming environment, to assist those who express an interest in the Unitarian Church of Lincoln become secure and comfortable members, and to participate with the rest of the congregation in our common search for meaning, truth, fellowship and opportunities for service. Activities of the Committee include:
• Member Ingatherings: We welcome new members during a spring time Sunday service. Each new member receives a flower and photographs are taken and put in the New Members Notebook. The entire church then celebrates with cake after the service.
• Newcomers Table: Staffed each Sunday by two people to assist guests and to provide a welcome packet
• After Church Chat: These informal sessions are offered to introduce the newcomer to Unitarian Universalism. There is a short DVD entitled Voices of a Liberal Faith which is used. It takes about 10 minutes to view the DVD. We are also interested in learning a little bit about you.
• All-Church Potlucks: Are held several times throughout the year to welcome our newcomers and the entire congregation into a fellowship experience. We offer delicious food and friendly fellowship.
• Social Events for New Members: Social events for new members are held each summer and winter to introduce new members to one another. The first is event is held just as the fall church activities begin. The winter event is held close to Valentines Day.
Pastoral Care Associates
The Pastoral Care Associates serve as the center of support for the congregation of the Unitarian Church of Lincoln. Our task is to provide that support to congregants and friends of the church as they experience life in times of celebration, transition or crisis.
Committee Co-Chairs: Charles Coley ~ sroleg@yahoo.com and Shalla Powell-Mandigo ~ pshalla@hotmail.com
Religious Growth & Learning (RGL)
The RGL Committee and the Religious Growth Director work together to:
- Plan for children and youth's Sunday programming
- Plan for Youth In Action (YIA) and recruit advisors
- Choose curricula for the church year
- Organize Cookie donation/distribution for shut ins.
- Recruit teachers and assistants
- Organize teacher orientation and teacher appreciation luncheon
Committee Co-Chairs: Tonya Haigh ~ trhaigh@hotmail.com & Trish Lanning ~ trish.lanning@gmail.com
Social Justice
The Social Justice Committee collaborates with other Lincoln churches and social action groups to promote the social justice values we hold in common, and they monitor local and larger social issues in order to undertake actions our church's values inspire. Learn more about our current work on the Social Justice page.
Church members who would like to be involved with the Social Justice Committee are invited to attend one of the meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month. Member responsibilities are diverse: e.g., participation in peace demonstrations, transcribing meeting minutes, representing the Church and Committee on relevant community boards, organizing lectures and other social action events, selling greeting cards and coffee for fund-raising, editing materials, etc.
Social Action work is also carried out by our national organization Unitarian Universalist Service Commission (UUSC.) Information on UUSC work in our district can be found in the monthly UUSC-Prairie Star District newsletter. We are also actively participating in the Standing on the Side of Love campaign.
Meeting Time: Third Wednesday of each month at 7 PM
Committee Chair: David Asper ~ kasper7@earthlink.net
LGBTA Welcoming
Our church is officially recognized as a "Welcoming Congregation" by our denomination. That is, we publicly and successfully welcome Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people and their Allies (LGBTA) by including and addressing their needs at every level of congregational life.
For more information about our LGBTA Welcoming Committee, go to our Committee Page, and if you want to know more about what UU's are doing on the National level, please visit the Welcoming Congregation page on the UUA web site.
Meeting Time: 3rd Sunday of each month at 11:30 AM
Committee Chair: D Moritz ~ dmoritz2@yahoo.com
Worship Associates
The Worship Associates are responsible for coordinating approximately 20 Sunday Services annually. Its goal is to provide lay-led services that are relevant, varied, thought-provoking, spiritually enriching and reflective of our diversity of opinion by seeking out voices from both within and outside of our church community. The group also works with the minister on the logistics and general structure of all worship services.
The Worship Associates meet monthly on the third Monday except in December and July, and hold a vision-setting ‘retreat’ in January. Committee members generally facilitate or deliver 2-3 services each year. Anyone interested in finding out more about the work of this committee should contact the committee chair. Church members who wish to present a service can fill out a request form and submit it to the committee.
Meeting Time: Third Monday of each month at 7 PM
Committee Chair: Kathy Disney ~
kedisney@hotmail.com
