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UU News
Monthly Newsletter of
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro
An Intentional Liberal Religious Community July 2015
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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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Newsletter Notes
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The deadline for the August newsletter will be Friday, July 24.
Send news items to [email protected]
The newsletter will be published on July 31.
Hard copies of this newsletter are available in the church foyer on the Visitor Table.
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Sunday and Special Worship Services and Schedule
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Sunday, July 5
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"Thus do we Covenant" Might the way we understand membership in our congregations be changing?
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Rev. Ann Marie
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Sunday, July `12
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"Is This What Democracy Looks Like?"
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Rev. Tom Rhodes
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Sunday, July 19
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"This is What Transformation Looks Like: Our Experiences in the Greensboro Black Lives Matter Movement"
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Tim Liesman and Karen Madrone
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Sunday July 26
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"And the Living is Easy" Relax and enjoy life!
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Rev. Ann Marie
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Sunday Morning Schedule
10:30 - 10:55
| Social Gathering
| Informal Social Gathering prior to Worship. (Nursery Services Provided)
| 10:55 - 12:15
| Adult and Youth Worship
| Both adults and children start the service together. On most Sundays the children leave the sanctuary for Youth Religious Education, which ends at 12:15. Services labeled as "Worship for All Ages" are Intergenerational, shared by both children and adults.
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Inspirations
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Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush little baby, Don't you cry One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky  But 'til that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you With Daddy and Mammy standin' by
Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush little baby, Don't you cry
One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But 'til that morning, there ain't nothin can harm you
With Daddy and Mammy standin' by
Composer: George Gershwin Sung by Ella Fitzgerald
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Wednesday Potluck
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We share a potluck supper at 6 p.m. each Wednesday.
Please bring a dish to share and your own table service.
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Summer Film Series
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The following films will be shown after the potluck on Wednesday evenings:
 June 10 through July 22 "The Prisoner," a 1967 BBC series
July 29 "Mighty Times: The Children's March," a 2004 documentary produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center
Aug. 5 through Aug. 19 "The Prisoner"
Aug. 26 "Bullied: A Student, A School and A Case That Made History," a 2010 documentary produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center
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Reflections from Rev. Ann Marie
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Just returning from Portland, Oregon where this year's General Assembly was held! It didn't rain one drop. If one needs proof of global warming the temperatures there this past week would have satisfied you. Luckily I am used to the heat. What I have never gotten used to is the thrill of being with 3,000+ UUs. It just makes one feel good, to be with so many who worship, learn, lead, have fellowship and do social witness like we do. You would have been proud of the attendance at the workshop lead by our very own Charlotte Hamlin and Marie Houck. Steve Pearsall and I were there and counted over 115 folks. You are on the map for StoryTelling!
I sure hope you drive the short distance over to Winston-Salem on Monday, July 13th to Stand on the Side of Love and be with other UUs there. I won't be joining this social witness, as my family and I will be in Guatemala doing our version of an international witness and standing on the side of love in that part of the world.
Yours in faith,
Rev. Ann Marie
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Cindy Dillard, Youth Religious Education Director
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YRE (Youth Religious Education)
The Treehuggers-our multi-age (preschool-5th grade) summer Sunday School program-is focusing on our 7th Principle this summer: affirming and promoting respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Here's the July schedule:
July 5: Cooperative Games/Children's Garden; July 12: Taking it T-UU the Streets/Children's Garden, July 19 and July 26: Circle of Trees/Children's Garden
Youth (6th grade and older) are welcome to volunteer in the classroom or may stay in the service. For more information or to learn how you can get involved, contact Cindy Dillard ([email protected]).
SHELTER NECK SUMMER CAMP
Camp can be a potentially life-changing experience for your youth, when they will make lasting friends and memories, learn more about the world, and deepen his/her ties to Unitarian Universalism. Middle School Camp (for youth entering grades 7-9 in the fall) will take place July 5-11, while High School Camp (for your entering grades 10-12) will be held July 12-18. For more information, check out this link: http://www.shelterneckuucamp.org/
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From the Congregational Vice President Michelle Lee
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Congregational Polity 101
Unitarian Universalism uses a form of church governance called congregational polity. This is a balance of independence and interdependence. As an independent congregation, UUCG is responsible for its own decision making (who will be minister, how we will budget, etc.). As an interdependent congregation, UUCG is in covenant with the other member churches of the Unitarian Universalist Association. This covenant is based on a historical understanding that we need each other to co-create beloved community and serve our divine call.
To read some provocative ideas about congregational polity, including phrases such as, "... no such thing as a UU by themselves," and, "...democracy emphasizes the wrong things," check out this presentation: tinyurl.com/CongPolity-Myth1
Please contact Karen Madrone, president, or Michelle Lee, vice-president, if you would like to talk more about congregational polity.
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Team and Committee Meetings and ways to help out
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Members and friends of UUCG are invited to participate in Ministry Teams or in Governing Committees. Whether you have a particular talent or want to learn one, there is a place for you!
Some of the Teams and Committees 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.
Ministry Team Lead Meetings
All Ministry Team Leads meet with the Minister on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary to plan together for all church ministry programming. This is an open meeting.
Coordinating Council Meetings
The Coordinating Council (both the Ministry Team Leads and all Committee Chairs) meet quarterly (Feb, May, Aug and Nov) on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary. The Council is co-chaired by Michelle Lee, VP and Rev. Ann Marie Alderman. We share regarding current and upcoming events. This is an open meeting.
Board of Trustees Meetings
The Board of Trustees meets on the 3rd Wednesdays in odd months at 7:30 pm, and 3rd Thursdays in even months at 7 pm. Please check the calendar for each month's meeting date. This monthly meeting is where governance decisions are made. This is an open meeting.
Communications Team
The Communications Team publishes the monthly newsletter and maintains the web site. We also administer our social media presence. We don't have regular meetings but there are several tasks that you could help with. Please contact Liz Gauger if you would like to join the Communications Team.
Fellowship Team Meetings
Everyone is invited to join this team that is always on the lookout to create opportunities for people to connect and have fun. Contact Kay Bishop and Rick Tolley for more information on the Fellowship Team. We sponsor the Wednesday night Potlucks and the Young Adult Gaming Group and many periodic fun fellowship events.
Healthy Congregation Committee Meetings
For more information, contact
Justice Action Team Meetings
The Justice Action Team meets on second Sundays after the service at 12:30 pm in the Library. Opportunities for volunteering with JAT include hands-on nitty-gritty tasks and work toward policy change to benefit Greensboro's residents. Membership Team The Membership Team makes visitors welcome in our church and works to expand our membership. 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. Take a look at our bulletin board in the foyer and get to know our new members. If you are interested in working with us, contact Steve Pearsall. We also sponsor the Chalice Circles, which are coordinated by Laura Graham.
Music Team MeetingsThe Music Team meets after church on the Sunday before the Ministry Team/Coordinating Council meeting. This is typically the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the Month. Meetings are typically held in the Library. Policy & Procedures Committee
Worship Team Meetings
Our Worship Team meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 3:30PM in the Minister's office. Please contact Nora Bird if you are interested in helping the Worship Team as a Team Member, an Usher, Service Leader or Service Coordinator.
Youth Religious Education Team
For meeting times and dates see the calendar or contact Team Lead Heather Rushforth.
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Green Burial Film
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Determined that his final resting place will benefit the Earth, psychiatrist, musician and folk dancer Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial while battling lymphoma. The spirited Clark and his partner Jane, boldly facing his mortality, embrace the planning of a spiritually meaningful funeral and join with a passionate local cemeterian to use green burial to save a North Carolina woods from being clear-cut.
This winner of San Francisco IndieFest and eight other awards, will be screened at UUCG on Thursday July 16th at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to public. Movie trailer can be seen at
https://vimeo.com/62452617
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| Living Our Faith | |
Standing on the Side of Love Working Group
Meeting July 21 at UUCG Library
Friends,
The Standing on the Side of Love Team is continuing to sponsor monthly meetings of any who are interested. We hope you will join us at 6 p.m.on Tuesday, July 21 for a meeting of UUCG members interested in exploring how our congregation can stand up for race relations. Please bring your ideas of how to practice "Living Our Faith" as it relates to this important issue, and together we will develop ideas of how our congregation can take part in this movement.
If you are interested in joining, please contact Tim Leisman or just mark your calendar and join us.
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Coffee Volunteers
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Volunteers are needed for Coffee service in July. It is a gift of a time and joy we can all share. Anyone can sign up; the sheet in on the bulletin board just outside the kitchen, next to the 'Flowers' sign up. Servicing coffee is easy, and we will be glad to go through it with anyone interested. 
We would like to express a sincere "Thank You!" to the great folks who have volunteered to provide coffee after Sunday service.
Karen and Robb Fulkerson
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| Ladies' and Men's Night Out | |
Ladies' Night Out
Ladies are invited to our monthly Vietnamese dinner at the Saigon Restaurant the last Monday of the month -- July 27. We meet at 6:30 p.m. If we have ten or more, we have the option of having the chef prepare a communal meal for us. It's usually a soup, two kinds of egg rolls and one or two entrees, costing a little over $10.00. We also have the option of selecting from the menu. It's a lively evening of table discussion, laughter and getting to know more about each other. Newcomers are always welcome. If you plan to attend please contact Janet Plummer (294-6364)
Men's Night Out
Join us the 2nd Monday of the month -- July 13 -- at 6 p.m. at Villarosa, 6010 Landmark Center Blvd, Greensboro, near I-40 and Wendover. We also meet on the last Monday of each month at Applebee's on Battleground Avenue at 6 p.m.
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Faith Formation
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Adult Faith Formation will be "on break" for the summer,. For more information, contact Steve Pearsall. | Every Sunday Afternoon |
Deep River Sangha, Buddhist meditation
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4:00 - 5:30
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Justice Action Team Update | |
Taking It T-UU The Streets 
Our children will continue their journey towards understanding the plight of the needy on Sunday, July 12, assembling carebags. Please consider donating non-perishable individual food and hygiene items to the collection basket in the lobby. If you (or someone you know) travels, please gather the soaps, etc. and donate them to the lobby basket. Financial donations are also welcome to help purchase materials for the carebags. For more information, please contact Cindy Dillard ( [email protected]).
Monday Night Dinner at Urban Ministry
On the first Monday of each month, a group of volunteers from our church prepares and serves supper to the residents of the Urban Ministry shelter.
For the past couple of months, we have had a small number of volunteers show up. We need some new workers, especially younger ones, to be part of this important contribution to the welfare of some or our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.
Share the Plate: July
Donations will be given to the Greensboro Urban Ministry.
Peanut Butter Alert
Thanks to everyone at the Unitarian Universalist Church who contributed to
the 97 pounds of peanut butter and nonperishable food collected last month for the Greensboro Food Bank. You are greatly appreciated!
Becky Floyd
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Board of Trustees
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Highlights of the June 16, 2015 UUCG Board of Trustees Meeting
- Karen Madrone, President, presented framed certificates of appreciation to outgoing Board members: Suzanne Deering and Lonnie Houck. She also thanked continuing Board members.
- The fall Board retreat will be held on Saturday, August 22. All Board members will participate in "Healthy Leadership 101," an eight module online leadership course offered by the UUA.
- Lonnie Houck, Treasurer, reported that our delta number (income vs expense) for the year is still positive by $2,488. Pledge income received through May was about $600 under YTD budget.
- Rev. Ann Marie Alderman noted that in September there will be an open period for membership in Chalice Circles, including the opportunity to join a new online group. She said the Standing on the Side of Love rally will be Monday, July 13 in Winston Salem and encouraged members to participate.
- Discussion of the process for deciding whether to declare UUCG a smoke free campus will be continued at a later meeting pending further review.
- The Board authorized the Finance Committee to move forward with efforts to trade our current Beech Mountain time share week (week 15) for a week in January. This would make it possible to offer it at the Cabaret Auction as a ski weekend.
- In order to work with scheduling needs of Board members, the 2015-16 meeting times will alternate between Wednesdays at 7:30 and Thursdays at 7 pm, beginning in August. More details are available in reports posted at the UUCG website http://uugreensboro.org/for-members/members-only Go to "Board Reports 14-15" in June.
- The next Board meeting will be Tuesday, July 22, at 7 pm and is open to all.
Submitted by Sharin Francis
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| Community Events | |
NC Voting Rights Court Hearing
Dear Friends,
Fifty years after Selma the fight for equal voting rights is still going on, and this summer a major battle is heating up in North Carolina. On July 13 the Federal Court in Winston-Salem, NC, will begin to hear the lawsuit that the North Carolina NAACP brought against Governor Pat McCrory (NC-NAACP v McCrory) to challenge the voter suppression law in North Carolina. This law is the first and worst since the US Supreme Court's Shelby v. Holder decision, which gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The outcome will impact voting rights across the nation, and UUA President Rev. Peter Morales has accepted the invitation of NC-NAACP President Rev. William Barber to come to Winston-Salem for a Mass Moral Monday March for Voting Rights and Justice at 5pm on July 13.
We hope to build on the Moral Monday movement that has helped mobilize a broad coalition in our state, and also to begin to make real the faithful pledge that Unitarian Universalists made at the 50th anniversary events in Selma this year. We stand on the shoulders of giants like Jimmie Lee Jackson, Unitarian Universalists James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, and countless justice warriors who have gone this way before us. We stand on the side of love, and on the side of justice.
The schedule includes a welcome at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem on Sunday afternoon, July 12, and an ecumenical worship service at a local congregation at 6 p.m. Sunday evening. Monday begins with a press conference at 8 a,m,, followed by teach-ins sponsored by the NAACP from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. We'll gather for the rally between 4 p.m.and 5 p.m., and the Mass Moral Monday March begins at 5 p.m. Please register here and to find details about transportation and housing.
Please plan to spend part of your summer making a difference in this important civil rights arena. Let us be emboldened by our faith. Let us dare to stand on the side of love.
Yours in faith,
The Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz, Minister
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem
The Rev. Robin Tanner, Lead Minister
Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church
The Rev. Deborah Cayer, Lead Minister
Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
The Rev. John L Saxon, Lead Minister
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
The Rev. Rod Debs, Minister
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville
The Rev. Susan Archer, retired in Greensboro
The Rev. Ann Marie Alderman, Minister
Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro
The Rev. Dick Weston, retired in Chapel Hill
Minister Emeritus, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, CA
The Rev. Patty Hanneman, Minister
Unitarian Universalist Church of Hillsboro
The Rev. Thom Belote, Minister
The Community Church of Chapel Hill, Unitarian Universalist
The Rev. Tom Rhodes, Retired
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
The Rev. Mark Ward, Lead Minister
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville
The Rev. Lisa Bovee-Kemper, Associate Minister
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville
The Rev. Holly Lux Sullivan, Hospice Chaplain
The Rev. Dr. Xolani Kacela, Assistant Minister
Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
The Rev. Don Southworth, Executive Director
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
Earthquake Relief
To assist those in need following the earthquake in Nepal, visit Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
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July Birthdays
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Best Wishes to this month's honorees:
Jason Adams, Elaine Stover, Nelson Stover, Rick Tolley, Jr.,
Heather Rushforth, Julie Potts, Carl Cook,
Barry Collum, Ken Knight, Laura Graham,
E.J. Deering, Pete Summers and Amelia Mattocks
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Attendance
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May 31 |
101
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69
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June 14
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103
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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
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Karen Madrone, President
Michelle Lee, Vice President
Lonnie Houck, Treasurer
Sharin Francis, Secretary
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UUCG Trustees
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Suzanne Deering (2015)
Cindy Williams (2015)
Katja Brown (2016)
Sue Beck (2016)
Jim Roeder (2017)
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UUCG Staff
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Reverend Ann Marie Alderman, MinisterRev. Ann Marie Alderman may be contacted by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or on her mobile phone 704.770.8748. She is usually in her UUCG office on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.  Julie Hamilton, Congregational AdministratorOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments
Office Phone: 336.856.0330 Cell: 336.687.4101 E-mail: [email protected] Mark Freundt, Director of MusicOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments Office Phone: 336.856.0330, Cell: 336.908.1103 E-mail: [email protected] Cindy Dillard, YRE DirectorOffice Hours: Please call church office for appointments Office Phone: 336.856.0330 Cell 614.975.0126 E-mail: [email protected]
Walter McCorey, Sexton
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday (times vary based on needs). |
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Ministry Team and Board Committee Contacts
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Ministry Teams--Reporting to the Minister
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| Adult Faith Formation Team (formerly Adult RE)
| Steve Pearsall and Nina Nameste
| Building and Grounds Team
| Ken Williams
| Care Team
| Sara Bourquin
| Communications Team
| Liz and Jeff Gauger
| Denominational Affairs Team
| Open
| Fellowship Team
| Kay Bishop and Rick Tolley
| Fundraising Team
| Open
| Cabaret Auction Sub-Team
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Lauren Houck
| Justice Action Team (formerly Social Action)
| Sue Cole, Sara Bourquin, Becky Floyd
| Environmental Stewardship Greensboro
| Vance Archer
| Food Drives and Food Donations
| Becky Floyd
| Standing on the Side of Love
| Karen Madrone | Potter House Service
| Ken Knight
| Red Cross Blood Drive
| Tim Leisman
| Pastoral Care Team
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Joe Gecinger
| Membership Team
| Steve Pearsall
| Music Team
| Sue Sherwood
| Worship Team
| Nora Bird
| | Labyrinth | Michelle Lee | |
Youth Religious Education Team
| Heather Rushforth
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Committees and Task Forces
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Report to the Board of Trustees
| Accountability Committee
| Karen Madrone, Acting Chair | ACT
| Harold Gunn | Archival Records Committee
| Sharin Francis
| Designated Gifts Task Force
| Ken Williams
| Finance Committee
| Lonnie Houck | Healthy Congregations Committee
| Marie Houck
| Human Resources Committee
| open
| | Policies and Procedures Committee | open | | Strategic Planning Committee | Katja Brown |
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Congregational Standing Committees
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Report to the Congregation
| Committee on Leadership Development
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| Committee on Endowment
| Ken Williams
| Coordinating Council
| Rev. Ann Marie, Michelle Lee
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