Worship Committee

The Worship Committee provides an avenue for church members to participate in the creation of Sunday morning worship services. Most often, worship associates and anchors support minister-led services. They also support services led by guest worship leaders. Experienced worship members lead services as well, in the summer and at other times during the year, usually working as part of a team of lay leaders.

Worship Associates Description

Worship Associates work with the minister and other worship associates to plan and conduct Sunday morning services throughout the year.

When working with the minister, the worship associate typically speaks on the phone or meets with the minister two or three weeks ahead of the service to discuss the theme of the service. While the minister makes final decisions regarding the hymns, readings, and other aspects of the service, the worship associate often has input, such as selecting the meditation. Worship associates typically lead the welcome and announcements, introduce the meditation, light candles during the candles of community, and often recite a reading.

Qualifications

Be a UUCE member
Ease and comfort in speaking to large groups
Responsible and punctual
Communicate respectfully and appropriately
Willing to do research and be open to spiritual practices that support the
      creation of worship
Likes to work as part of a team
Able to receive coaching and direction from the minister

Commitments

Attend Worship training
Serve as worship associate or anchor at least once or twice each quarter
Attend Worship meetings
Contact the minister or other worship leader one month before the service to
      set up an appointment to discuss and plan it
One year commitment

 

Anchor Description

Anchors work behind-the-scenes to help prepare the worship space, support the worship leaders, and do the little, invisible things that help make an event go smoothly.

“Anchor”: An instrument that holds the vessel in place, that keeps it from drifting off course. A device giving stability to a structure.

The Anchor creates a space of safety so that people may have a meaningful worship experience. They stay attentive to the needs of the worship leaders and the congregation.

Anchors bring water or a hot drink to the worship leaders, make sure the candles are set up, and slide open the dividing wall to the social hall when the sanctuary is filled. They look out for people with special needs and tend to them directly (helping an elderly person to their chair) or ask someone else to do this. They see how well people are being greeted. If hymnals are not distributed, the anchor notices this and make sure they are. This practical focus includes a spiritual dimension. What is the energy, the sense, of the group in the room? Anchors can do little things that help shift the feeling in the room.

We seek a diverse Worship Group that reflects our commitment as an inclusive, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-generational congregation. Therefore, we encourage congregants of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations to apply.