The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, Oregon

UUCS Teams

Fellowship Team:  The mission of the Fellow­ship Team is to organize and promote various social activities and shared meals that help build relationships among members.  Primary respon­sibilities include Marvelous Monday dinners (for all the teams that gather to meet on the first Monday of the month); Coffee hour after Sunday service; Lunch Bunch; Circle Suppers; Hiking Group  (see listings for these activities in this brochure).  Also, see display on bulletin board. Membership/Newcomers Team:  The mission of the Membership Team is to provide a warm welcome to newcomers and new members.  See bulletin board display. Operations Team:  The operations team, assisted by our custodian, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the church.  The following committees make up this team:  Archives, Aesthetics, Landscape and Grounds Maintenance, Library, Plant Operation and Maintenance.  See bulletin board display. Religious Education Team:  The mission of the Life Span Religious Education Team is to provide a quality program for Life Span (i.e., all generations) Religious Education.  Within this larger framework our Director of Religious Education program serves as the primary facilitator of this program.  Primary responsi­bilities are recruiting and training teachers and organizing other volunteer help; developing curriculum and planning classes for young and old alike; organizing and maintaining a library and supply inventory. Social Action Team:  The mission of the Social Action Team is to encourage and assist the congregation to be engaged in social service and social action endeavors that promote the ideals embodied in our Unitarian Universalist principles.  Its goals are to promote awareness of the activities and programs of the Department of Social Justice of the Unitarian Universalist Association and to facilitate our participation in various social service programs such as the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the Marion Polk Food Share, the Jason Lee Soup Kitchen, the 25th Street Cleanup and in various social action endeavors such as the Oregon Farm Workers Ministries and Stand for Children. Stand for Children (http://www.stand.org/) is a national, nonprofit membership organization that helps people who care about children come together to advocate for concrete, lasting changes that improve the lives of children. Since 1999, our members have won 50 state and local victories that have resulted in better schools, quality early childhood education and after-school programs, and other essential services for hundreds of thousands of children.  The Salem-Keizer Chapter of Stand for Children has 13 teams, of which the UUCS is one. Sunday Services Team:  The mission of the Sunday Services Team is to plan and help create Sunday services that build community and promote awareness of our Unitarian Universalist ideals as embodied in our Principles and Purposes.  Our primary responsibilities are to plan services when the minister is not in the pulpit; support and advise the minister in matters relating to worship services; support Sunday morning speakers; train and schedule Celebrants (lay worship leaders); work with the music committee to coordinate music; provide logistical support and arrange set-up of the sanctuary. Unitarian Universalist Connections Team: The mission of this team is to enhance our awareness of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), and our partner Unitarian Church in Simenfalva, Romania, and to encourage participation in their various programs and activities.  This team is also responsible for facilitating internal (among ourselves) and external (to the surrounding community) communication to promote the programs and activities of the congregation. Team Council:  The leaders of our "Teams" (see separate listings and bulletin board display for Fellowship, Membership, Operations, Religious Education, Social Action, Sunday Services, Unitarian Universalist Connections) meet monthly to plan and exchange ideas among themselves, the Board and the Minister.  See Congregational Calendar for dates. Communications Team:  The mission of the Communications Team is to develop policies regarding UUCS external and internal communications. External communications includes public relations news releases to the media, associated organizations and other external entities. Internal communications includes the twice-monthly newsletter, the Order of Service and other internal communications to members and friends of the congregation. Chalice Circle Players:  The mission of the Chalice Circle Players is to support and encourage broad participation in music, theater, and dance within our church.  We use our talents to enhance worship services, educate each other, and reach out to the community at large.