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UU News
Monthly Newsletter of
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro
An Intentional Liberal Religious Community June, 2013
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Greetings!,
| Welcome to the June edition of our church Newsletter!
This month we'd like to announce several upgrades to our Communication Team Staff. Lindsey Clinard has signed on as our Facebook and Forum coordinator
Dakota Spooner has joined our team as our Twitter Master and Administrator for Communication Tool Development.
If you have any submissions for the newsletter or questions for the editor, please send them to commuucg@bellsouth.net.
Sincerely,
Vance Archer
Newsletter Editor
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Liberal Religious Community
|  ALL ARE WELCOME IN THIS CHURCH
Distinctions of power, privilege, and estate, which apply outside these doors, do not apply within them. Women, men, and children; persons of any color, culture, age, ability, economic status, or affectional orientation; skeptics and those pursuing common or unorthodox religious paths...
All Are Welcome Here!
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Sunday Worship Services
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June 2 "The Cycle of Life " Rev. Posa
Introduction to UU after the Service
June 9 "Choose Life" Rev. Posa
New Member Signing
June 16 "The Hard part of Goodbye..... And the Good Part" Rev. Posa
June 23 "Our Family's Journey: Sandy and Michael Wayt.
A much requested reprise of their service from June 2011 in which Sandy and Michael share the story of their journey of finding out Michael is gay and how it has opened their eyes to a whole new world. Michael also presents his perspective as the gay son of straight parents.
June 30 "Coming out as a Unitarian Universalist: Karen Madrone
How growing up in the Christian faith informs my Unitarian Universalism": Unitarian Universalism, we discuss the big questions: why are we here? what is our purpose? As someone who grew up in the Christian faith, I learned early on the importance of knowing the answers to these questions. As a Unitarian Universalist I have become comfortable with not having all the answers and I have learned that the answers change over time. However, the lessons I learned in my childhood faith still guide my life and inform my beliefs as a Unitarian Universalist. I believe that these lessons have relevance for others and for our church as a whole.
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Sunday Morning Schedule
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9:30-10:30
| Adult and Children's RE
| All are welcome. There are offerings for all ages, (Nursery services provided)
| 10:30-10:55
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Social
Gathering
| Informal Social Gathering prior to Worship. (Nursery Services Provided)
| 10:55-12:15
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Adult and Youth Worship
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Both adults and children start our service together. On most Sundays the children adjourn to their own Sunday Worship which also ends at 12:15. On Services labeled as "Worship for All Ages", the service will be shared by both children and adults.
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It varies
| Typically Rev. Posa meets visitors who wish to know more about our movement. There are often a variety of ministry team and special interest meetings to attend if you wish to participate.
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Expressions and Pot-Luck - On Vacation
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 Expressions Services and the Wednesday Pot Luck Dinners are on vacation until Fall. Please stay tuned for the return of our Wednesday Evening Tradition
Thank you for supporting Expressions on Wednesday evenings with your presence!
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From Rev. Posa | |
And so this month - my final month of service as your minister - has
arrived. We have already taken a short trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where I will serve my next interim ministry at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, and signed a lease on an apartment there. Suzi and I move out of our current home on June 14. We have temporary housing set up for our last two nights here. Then Sunday morning, June 16, is not only my final Sunday in the pulpit; it's our final day as North Carolina residents. After worship and some final farewells, we drive to the UUA General Assembly (GA) in Louisville, Kentucky. After GA, we travel to Texas for a couple weeks vacation time with family and friends, before returning to Harrisburg to settle into our new life
Endings like this are hard, and it is also true that this church is experiencing a set of endings, which may be difficult for many of you. Some of you may be extremely sad that I will be leaving soon; others, q uite glad. Perhaps more of you feel the very-understandable mix of emotions that come with such a transition: sadness over my leaving, gladness over Rev. Ann Marie Alderman's arrival in the pulpit here, grieving some of the small aspects of church life that soon will change while feeling hope for what is to come.
While I would never ignore or deny these complex emotions, it's also important to recognize that allowing some things to end is necessary to clear space for something new to start. It's true for ministries, too. This ministry needs to end, to clear the way for you to receive your new developmental minister. So while I will keep contact through General Assembly - indeed, I hope to send a couple of GA reports to our church's Facebook page - after that, I will not be contacting any of you for the next year, by phone, email, Facebook, etc. This is not because I want to avoid you, but a recognition that the end of my ministerial relationship with you will allow a new one to begin.
Yet I leave here, grateful for the faithful work we have engaged together. There are so many of you for whom I am thankful, and simply not enough space to thank them all here. But I will lift up two groups within UUCG, without which this interim ministry period would have been much less successful. One is the Transition Team, which served as guides for much of our interim work together, and as my consultants to inform how the tasks of interim ministry may be engaged in the particular context of
UUC Greensboro. These five people - Nora Bird, Mary Davis, Larry Graham, Chellie Mason, and Rod Swonguer - went above and beyondthe call of duty numerous times; I could not have done it without them. The other group is the staff. This church is blessed not only with great individual staff members in Mark, Julie, Cindy (& Cindy's predecessor, Beth), and Walter, but also in that these members work well together as a team. It has been a treat to work with them these past two years.
I truly have been blessed by this ministry with you, and leave with deep gratitude for our time together. I pray for the best for this church in its future ministry, as you share liberal religion with one another, and with your community. Fare thee well, UUC Greensboro, and may we all go forward in peace. In faith,
Rev. Eric Posa |
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From Cindy Dillard, RE Coordinator
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The theme of this year's annual dinner was GRATITUDE. The dinner was a joyous and delicious event that had much humor and much heart. It was a celebration of our community's strengths, and I appreciated spending time with people I've partnered with, people I've laughed (and cried) with, and people I only met that night. In the spirit of gratitude, I'd like to thank everyone-the coordinators, the hosts, and the participants for bringing your talents and energies together, resulting in a warm (not just due to the lack of air conditioning) event.
And in the spirit of gratitude, I'd like to thank the following people for their contributions to UUCG's LRE program: TEACHERS: Fred Lehman, Marty Ward, and Michele Giorgi (Wonderful Welcome); Michelle Lee, Rissa Tuttle, and Cindy Williams (Spirit Play); Lauren Houck and Kevin Houck (Circle Worship); Shavonta Dickerson and Benn Kuecker (OWL); Steve Pearsall (Adult RE); LRE TEAM/FRIENDS: Laura Graham, Michelle Puzio, Breeze Dunham, Harold Gunn, Ian Perkins, Julie Potts, Ken Williams, Rob Hamilton, and Sharin Francis; NURSERY STAFF: Donya Lucas & Kristian Hultgren, Xoey & Dan Kelly, and Michelle Hutchins. Please join me on Sunday, June 9 for our Teacher Appreciation Service, which will be followed by an RE Family potluck. |
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From the Congregational Vice President - Karen Madrone |
At this month's Coordinating Council meeting, it was decided that we would use a Process Observer for the next six months. Using a Process Observer will strengthen how the Council members interact with each other. Over the course of the last year the Coordinating Council has made great strides in how we run our meeting, and we have developed a Covenant. Utilizing a Process Observer will help us be more cognizant of how we interact and work together. For this year's Annual Dinner the teams and committees were asked to "act out" the work they do for the church. They did an AMAZING job of coming up with creative ideas for showing what they do both in words and actions. It really made for a great program. Thank you to everyone who participated in the program and the dinner. The Annual Meeting was probably the shortest ever - most likely due to the air conditioning being out! The budget was approved. All the candidates who were running for positions were accepted by voice vote. Donya Lucas and Ben Keucker were nominated from the floor for the Committee on Leadership Development, and they were approved. In addition, the changes to the bylaws were approved. Thank you to the Committee on Leadership Development for their work on this election and to the Governance Task Force for their work on the bylaws. Our church exemplifies the seventh principle: we are all interdependent. Each of our teams and committees need the others. I am grateful for the service each of you gives to UUCG. Thank you. |
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A Special Note from the Editor
|  As Editor of our Newsletter and the Chairperson of our Communications Ministry Team, I would like to thank Rev. Eric Posa for his service with UUCG. This I do for our Communications Team and for the members and friends of our church.
With Rev. Posa's help and leadership, we have turned a change in pastoral leadership into a renewal of our church's understanding of itself. We've made these last two years of deliberate interim ministry into a critical turning point in the life of our spiritual community.
Reverend Posa has been a big part of that, and just look at what we've done.
- We revisited and then moved beyond our particular history. We've moved to improve our institutional memory by establishing church archives and meeting to rediscover and evaluate our past.
- We studied and then improved our outdated and weak governance structure, This directly addressed the institutional shortcomings that were identified by the Alban Institute report on our church.
- We worked to improve the culture within our church. Our Congregational Culture Task Force worked with members of our community to hear members and friends in turmoil and to develop communication skills that will help the growth within our community. We are a stronger spiritual community now than we were two years ag,o and we have new institutions and a trained communications core that can help us keep our bearings going forward.
- We have strengthened our financial situation. We've moved beyond years of declining budgets where we had to shrink our mission by cutting staff hours and committee budgets. We are finally moving forward. This year we are beginning to replace the staff hours and team budgets that enable our mission. The Board and Finance Committee are putting aside money for repairs that we know lie ahead, and we have established an Endowment capability that has grown to where it can now be professionally managed and combined with other UU endowments.
- This year more members of our community stepped up to make our mission work, not only with increased contributions to the budget, but also to team and ministry participation -- the other real work that membership in our movement entails.
Our denomination has demonstrated good spiritual leadership in establishing ministries specifically geared to churches in transition. We thank Rev. Posa for being with us during our time of transition and the Unitarian Universalist Association for providing the vision, support and training which that made Rev. Posa's interim pastorate a success. We are a much stronger church than we were two years ago, and we are ready to enter the next chapter of our Church's life and history. I look forward to working with Rev. Alderman to take the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro into its next era. In Covenant Vance Archer |
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Adult RE Summer Offerings - By Steve Pearsall |
Adult RE is going to have a lazy summer, but it won't be without some opportunities to connect and learn. There will be no Adult RE on Sunday mornings in June, there will be one 9:30 session in July. We will have something to offer most Wednesday nights in June and July. Our GA delegates will host a couple of evenings discussing this year's business. A film series is planned for Wednesday nights in July. Watch the weekly announcements for details.
Starting in the Fall we are planning a full schedule with Sunday morning classes from 9:30-10:30 and Thursday nights from 7:00 and 9:00. If you have ideas, interest, or inclination to assist the Adult Religious Education program, please contact Steve Pearsall. |
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Team, Committee Meetings and ways to help out
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Some of the Teams and Committees that make our UUCG mission real have regular meetings. Others meet irregularly or virtually and accomplish their missions without regular meetings. The list below contains the meeting time and location of those teams and committees that meet regularly. Feel free to attend any of these meetings as they are all open. We invite your participation in our church's governance and mission. Coordinating Council MeetingsThe Coordinating Council meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary. This monthly meeting is where the complex church meeting and mission schedule is worked out by our various Team and Committee Chairs. The Council is chaired by Rev. Posa and Karen Madrone, VP. This is an open meeting. Board of Trustees MeetingsThe Board of Trustees meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary. This monthly meeting is where Governance Decisions are made for our Church. This is an open meeting. Communications TeamThe Communications team publishes the monthly newsletter, and maintains the web site. We also administer our Facebook and Twitter Sites. We don't have regular meetings but there are several jobs that you could help with. If you would like to explore joining the Communications Team, please contact Vance Archer. Fellowship Team MeetingsThe Fellowship Team meeting is on the first Wednesday of the month. We meet during the potluck -- look for the table with the small flag. Everyone is invited to join this team that is always on the lookout to create opportunities for people to connect and have fun.
Healthy Congregation Committee Meetings
Healthy Congregation Committee meets Sunday, April 21st at 9 a.m. in the Library.
Interested members are invited to attend. Thanks, Sue Beck
Membership TeamThe Membership Team makes visitors welcome in our church and works to expand our membershp. Our team runs the visitor's table on Sunday Mornings, contacts all the visitors who come to our church and organizes meetings and classes for new members. Our team doesn't have regular meetings, but If you are interested in working with us, please contact Vance Archer Music Team MeetingsThe Music Team meets after Church on the Sunday before the Coordinating Council. This is typically the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the Month. Meetings are typically held in the Library. Policy & Procedures Committee Social Action Team Meetings Regular meetings of the Social Action Team are scheduled on the second Sunday of each month following the service. Opportunities for volunteering with SAC include hands-on, nitty-gritty tasks and work toward policy change to benefit Greensboro's residents.
Worship Team Meetings
Our Worship Team meets once monthly, on the first Wednesday of the month after the Potluck and Expressions. Contact Barbara Hands if you are interested in helping this team. |
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Regular Events
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Feeding the Hungry at Urban Ministries, First Monday of each month
On the first Monday of each month a group of volunteers from our church shop for and cook a meal for the homeless at Urban Ministries.
We are in the process of building a new team to carry out this important project. If you would like to be part of the action, contact Ken Knight at oldpeacenik@gmail.com or at 288-0103.
Men's Night Out, Monday, Second Monday each month
Join us at our next Men's Night Out beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Mi Pueblo,3911 Tinsley Drive in High Point for dinner and fellowship.
Ladies' Night Out, Last Monday each month
Ladies' Night Out returns to the Saigon Restaurant the last Monday in June. That's June 24. We dine on scrumptious Vietnamese cuisine at 6:30 pm. Newcomers are always welcome. We enjoy good stories, happy fellowship and always learn something new at this monthly meeting of church women. We have a special room set up for us. If you plan to attend please contact Mary Davis (586-0188) or Janet Plummer (294-6364) before 5 pm that day. Thanks!Janet Plummer
Men's Night Out 2, Last Monday each month
A second Men's Night Out is held the last Monday of each month. We will meet at Applebee's on Battleground Ave.
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Words and Pictures = Upcoming Services in July - Nelson Stover -
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The Sunday worship services in July will include sermons by Nelson Stover, a long-time member of UUCG. The sermon titles are:
"Seeing the Face of God in the Natural World" (July 14),
"Touching the Hand of God in Community" (July 21) and
"Feeling the Breath of God in the Depth of Self" (July 28).
Each of the three worship experiences, while self-contained, will provide a different perspective from which to recover a viable religious understanding in the 21st Century.
Anyone interested in reading the background thinking on which Nelson draws can read narrative versions of the previous sermons that he has delivered at UUCG over the past several years. These are available on-line at www.greenschemesnc.com/publications.html.
Also in July, a special art exhibition will be presented on the back wall of the sanctuary. Many of the drawings and photographs from Nelson's personal office will be available for contemplation and reflection. These images have helped shape his perspectives and may inspire others and inform the worship services.
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Introduction to Unitarian Universalism and Membership Opportunities
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On Sunday June 2, the Membership Team will host a reception for those interested in learning more about the Unitarian Universalist Movement and exploring membership in our Church and Movement.
Marie Houck will introduce our history, and members of the Team will be there to share and get to know you better
We will meet in the Library about 15 minutes after the Service. Refreshments will be served.
On June 9, Rev Posa will be accepting new members into our congregation. If you would like to join on June 9, please let Rev. Posa or Julie Hamilton know of your interest.
In Covenant
Vance Archer, Membership Team Chairperson
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Compassionate Communication Practice Sessions are on Vacation
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Compassionate Communication Practice Sessions are taking a vacation. During the months of June, July, and August there will be no Practice Sessions, as we create a new look and feel for our practices. Beginning in September, we will begin a series of completely redesigned, interactive and fun ways to practice heart-to-heart communication.
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Coffee Hosts Needed
|  The church is looking for hosts for Sunday coffee time. Join in this joyful activity that makes Sunday fellowship time a treasure. Being Coffee hosts requires about 45 minutes to set up and a little less after the service to make sure that the kitchen is completely cleaned and ant proof It's a great way to get to know the congregation better and to contribute to the well being of our community. For more information as to what this entails can be obtained by contacting Cindy Williams at Cmmrw@triad.rr.com or Suzanne Deering at zanned@earthlink.net |
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Denominational Affairs |  Summer has two of the biggest UU annual gatherings. Both have numerous opportunities for connecting with UUs from all over the country. Both have many wonderful worship opportunities and workshops to deepen and extend our spirit. General Assembly also includes denominational business. Leading up to GA we will have a couple of information sessions led by UUCG's delegates. The sessions will be on Wednesday nights following the weekly potluck. Our delegates this year are Charlotte Hamlin, Lonnie Houck, Marie Houck, and Steve Pearsall. Rev. Posa will also represent us. Charlotte will be a remote delegate, participating over the internet from home. Please plan on attending one or more sessions to help these folks prepare for representing us. Upcoming Events General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly 2013, A Meeting of Congregations June 19-23, Louisville, KY
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend.
http://www.uua.org/ga/ Southeastern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI) Let it be a Dance! July 21-27, 2013
The mission of SUUSI is to provide a one week experience evoking the best within us, in concert with Unitarian Universalist principles. SUUSI offers the opportunity to share an intergenerational environment of love, personal freedom, ethics, and joy in an intentional, nonjudgmental community. http://www.suusi.org/index.php/home If you are interested in any of these programs, please contact the Denominational Affairs lead, Steve Pearsall for more information. |
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Many Hands opportunities in June |  For UUCG, our mission of creating a welcoming and supportive spiritual community means providing a beacon for people of different beliefs who seek a faith community with an open mind. It has been said that a smile is the light in the window of your soul. While this is true, another way to keep the light shining in our collective window is to share your time and talent. And volunteering is a wonderful way to get acquainted with other UUs. Thanks to Ann Galiger, Lindsey Canard and Dakota Spooner who have stepped forward to help the Communications committee with newsletter proof-reading and Facebook and Twitter administration. Thanks also to our volunteer coordinator, Sue Sherwood, for matching up volunteers with the appropriate congregational leaders. She reminds team and committee chairs to let her know of any jobs or projects for which volunteers are needed. She is usually in the church office on Tuesday mornings and can be reached there at 856-0330. At other times, please contact Sue at 632-0312 sue@tssherwood.us We want to highlight some volunteer opportunities in April, along with whom to contact for more details. Occasional food provider
- We also need people who are willing to be contacted to supply a food item, as appropriate, for memorial services, fundraising receptions, shut-ins, blood drives, etc. If interested, please contact Sue Sherwood, volunteer coordinator at 632-0312 sue@tssherwood.us
Join the Church Visitor's Greeting Team - Join the Membership Team by agreeing to serve at the Visitor's Table on some Sunday Mornings. Greet visitors and help them to understand our Church Community and Unitarian Universalism. See Vance Archer for more details, or talk to Zoli on Sunday morning,.
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Summary of the June 2013 UUCG Board of Trustees Meeting
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- No motions were adopted at the June Board of Trustees Meeting other than the anticipated disbanding of the Governance Task Force after completing its charge.
Thanks, Ken Williams |
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Birthdays this month
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Jeff Adams, Richard Parker, Kirby Archer, Charles Hamlin, Pat Meller, Paula Swonguer, Rosemary Lancaster, Eleanor Stoller, Richard Garson, Katie Klod, Kathleen Jordan-Washington, Heather Donovan, Alex Ward, Tessa Farley, Christopher Perez, Roger Galloway, Marian Stewart, Cyllan Wilson, Mathew Bahr, Anna Beth Rushforth |
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Attendance and Collection | |
Sunday Worship Counts -
Adults RE C A Collection
April 28 117 (Multi-Gen) 5 2 $2,156.76 May 4 103 21 9 $3,611.25
May 12 95 19 11 $4,027.69 May 19 158 (Multi-Gen) $2,305.00 Expressions Counts
Attended Offering
April 24 29 $8.00
May 1 23 $3.00
May 8 30 $8.00
May 15 65 $19.00
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UUCG Covenant
| We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro, do covenant to:
- Promote a search for personal meaning, respecting individual truth in a community process of quest
- Speak and act with caring, courtesy and love thereby maintaining emotional, physical, and spiritual safety for all
- Support UUCG and denominational efforts with our resources
- Combat injustice while promoting equality
- Nurture our children on their spiritual journeys
- Hold ourselves to this covenant, especially during times of conflict and disagreement
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UUCG OFFICERS | Charlotte Hamlin, President chamlin1@triad.rr.com
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TRUSTEES
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Michelle Lee (2015) nc.dogwood@yahoo.com
Stephanie Blake (2014) cicciblake@triad.rr.com
Myra Anne Geese Dean (2014) myraannegesse@yahoo.com
Steve Andrews (2013) sand3420@aol.com
Suzanne Deering (2015) zanned@earthlink.net
Katja Brown (2013) sabrown@ieee.org
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UUCG STAFF
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Reverend Eric Posa, Interim MinisterOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments Office Phone: 856-0330, Cell: 508-7568 E-mail: uucgminister@bellsouth.net  Julie Hamilton, Congregational AdministratorOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments
Office Phone: 856-0330, Cell: 687-4101, Fax: 856-0384 E-mail: uucgadmin@bellsouth.net  Mark Freundt, Director of MusicOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments Office Phone: 856-0330, Cell: 908-1103 E-mail: uucgdirmu@bellsouth.net Cindy Dillard, RE Coordinator Office Hours: Please call church office for appointments Office Phone: 856-0330 Cell (614)975-0126 E-mail: uucgre@att.net
Walter McCorey, SextonTuesday, Thursday & Friday (times vary based on needs). |
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Congregational Contacts
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Accountability Committee Zoli Rabb
Archive Committee Sharin Francis
Building and Grounds Team Jim Roeder
Care Team Suzanne Andrews Committee on Leadership Development Harold Gunn, Ann Dickinson Committee on Endowment Rob Cary Communications Team Vance Archer Newsletter Vance Archer (Editor)
Website Mariella Perez-Simons, Vance Archer Facebook Lindsey Cinard Twitter Dakota Spooner Coordinating Council Karen Madrone Denominational Affairs Team Steve Pearsall
Fellowship Team Cindy Williams & Karen Madrone
Finance Committee Open
Cabaret Auction Lauren Houck & Katie Klod
Governance Task Force Sharin Francis
Healthy Congregations Committee Sue Beck
Labyrinth Task Force Steve Pearsall & Ken Williams
Lay Pastoral Care Associates Janet Eley & Liz Harrell
Lifespan Religious Education (RE) Open
Membership Team Vance Archer
Music Team Sue Sherwood & Marilyn Clayton
Policies and Procedures Committee Michelle Lee
Social Action Team Sara Borquin, Sue Cole, Becky Floyd
GLBTQ Karen Madrone
Volunteer Coordinator Sue Sherwood
Worship Team Barbara Hands
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