Worship Associates    

• Lisa Nosal (co-chair)
• Jennifer Martin (co-chair)
• Nancy Blake
  
• George Beeler
• Ellen Beeler
• Francis Prévot
• Karen Mansergh

If you are interested in joining the Worship Committee contact Lisa Nosal or Jennifer Martin for details. Must be a pledging member of the congregation.

Emeritus Worship Associates (Invited to lead services as needed)

• David Dodd
• Jodi Boyle
• KC Greaney
• Rachael Newman
• Carol Crabill
• Diana Spaulding
• Berkley Sturgeon
• Dean Watson

From the UUP Worship Resource Binder, published summer 2015

“The purpose of worship is to nourish the head, touch the heart and inspire the hands, by creating time and space where we can connect with that which is larger than ourselves.” 

Adopted by the Worship Committee in 2014 as a concise expression of what we are striving for as the UUP Worship Committee.

The Worship Committee is composed of the Minister and six to eight Worship Associates, lay leaders who are pledging members of the congregation. Together the Minister and the Worship Associates select monthly themes, plan the annual worship calendar, review services as a means to continually attend to the quality of worship and adopt practices to improve future worship services. The worship calendar includes annual rituals, UUP participatory services, invited guest speakers and “All Ages” or multigenerational services, which are developed with the assistance of the Director of Religious Education. Generally, the Minister leads worship twice a month and Worship Associates lead twice a month.

Worship Associates serve in several different capacities as creators and facilitators of worship services at UUP.

* They work in collaboration with our Minister when the minister is leading worship, helping to shape choices about music, readings and the message of the day, including often offering short personal reflections;
* They take the lead in planning and facilitating all aspects of worship when guests are speaking. Guests include lay and ministerial visitors, as well as members of the congregation speaking of their spiritual journeys through “This I Believe” and “This I Do” services;
* They organize participatory services where members of the congregation offer reflections through a pass the microphone format; and
* With sufficient experience they both plan worship and offer the message of the morning.

The Worship Committee strives to have six (6) to eight (8) fully functioning Worship Associates at any given time, with no fewer than four (4) members who have had at least six (6) months of experience leading worship services. The Worship Committee is responsible for adding new members, so that it is fully “staffed” at all times.

• The Committee has developed a written “expression of interest” form and packet. This packet shall be distributed and available to the congregation at least once per year and members of the congregation will have the opportunity to submit the form to the minister and the chair(s) of the WC. Once an expression of interest form is received, the chair(s) will confirm receipt.
  • In addition, the WC shall identify, recruit and discuss candidates for service on the WC.
  • Congregation members who submit an expression of interest form to serve on the WC shall be reviewed by the full WC. The final decision will be made by the Committee chair(s) and the Minister, and the congregation member will be notified.