Volunteer Opportunities

GUUF Connections Form

Sunday Worship Service Volunteer Opportunities

Music Program

Do you enjoy singing? If so, the choir is a great place for you! Our choir generally sings one piece per Sunday. Rehearsals are usually Sunday mornings.

Do you play an instrument? Guest instrumentalists often play during our services. To find out more about our music program opportunities, contact our music director, at music@greenvilleuu.org.

Help with the Worship Service

Do a Reading – Would you like to do a reading during a Sunday service? Each week, we work to include people from the congregation as readers. You may provide a short reading relevant to a Sunday sermon, or a worship associate (explained below) may provide you with a reading

Be a Worship Associate – Worship Associates meet several times a year to brainstorm ideas for Sunday Service sermons and themes. Worship Associates volunteer to work with the minister to coordinate details for particular Sundays, typically once every month or two. Beginning Worship Associates have mentors who help them learn what to do. Some Worship Associates also monthly Sunday Services meetings.

Be a Luminary (for children) – We love for our children to help us light the chalice and candles, and sometimes do a reading at the beginning of the service and during the Community Caring (Joys and Concerns) time.

Provide Flowers – Each week, we all enjoy the flowers that our flower committee provides.

Be an Usher – Our ushers greet people, help folks find seats, pass the collection baskets during the offertory, and count money after the services. Ushers work in pairs, usually once every month or two.

Holiday Decorating – We decorate the sanctuary for several special occasions, including Christmas and La Dia de Los Muertas.

Help with Sound/Audio & Visual – Every week, we depend upon our great sound crew to be sure that the ministers, speakers, the choir, and any supporting equipment are ready, and that everything planned can be heard and seen properly. This is a great group, and they always welcome help. If you are good with support technology, please contact soundcrew@greenvilleuu.org (Our sound and audio is part of the Communications Committee, but they work together with Sunday Services.

Sunday Services Committee

The Sunday Services Committee oversees the functioning and timing of Sunday Services. We meet quarterly to plan sermon topics, share ideas for improvement, consider concerns from congregation members, and recommendations for new directions.

For information about any of the above service opportunities, please contact sundayservices@greenvilleuu.org.

Ways and Means Committee

The Ways and Means Committee coordinates fundraisers. We have two major fundraisers each year. In November, we coordinate the Annual Auction, our major fundraiser, and a second less demanding fundraiser each spring, The No Talent-Talent Show.

Auction volunteers help with recruiting donations, cataloging them, and getting them set up for the event. They also coordinate food/beverage signups for the event. During the Auction, volunteers help to track bids, receive payments, and distribute sold items.

The No Talent-Talent Show is a really large time. We schedule about 20 performers who sing, dance, tell stories, do standup, play instruments, perform skits, or whatever! It isn’t called the No Talent-Talent Show for nothing, and everyone generally has a rousing good time.

 

If you like to meet great people, and spend your time actually DOING things, instead of MEETING ABOUT doing things, the Ways and Means Committee might be the perfect fit for you. We are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and we welcome everyone! Check us out!

For more information or to volunteer, contact wandm@greenvilleuu.org.

Communications and Technology Team

The Communications and Technology Committee is a new one, and they are uniquely positioned to help the Fellowship create a comprehensive and unified communications system that will be highly effective in getting the word out about the existence, ministries, and activities of the Fellowship.

We use all kinds of media: Signs, website, social media, newsletters and bulletins, and digital content. We are working presently on designing clear and comprehensive signage for the campus, and plans for the next couple of years include “branding”—which is creating an attractive and recognizable style that will characterize all our publications, a new website design, and incorporation of new ideas for establishing a clear presence in the greater community.

The Technology Team is a sub-committee who manages the computers, printers, intra-network, the Internet Wi-Fi network, the sound system and lighting for regular worship services and special events, printers and copiers, and other electronics used by the Fellowship.

This team is amazing and COOL, and without them, a lot of the great things that happen around GUUF couldn’t happen.

Anyone with skills in Marketing, Web Design, Networking, Computer Maintenance or Sound Engineering is encouraged to join this vital team!

To find out more, please contact comm@greenvilleuu.org

Adult Religious Education Committee

Have a burning issue, interest, or topic of inquiry you would like to bring to the GUUF Community? Then check out A.R.E.-the Adult Religious Education Committee! If you’ve ever had a hankering to explore, say, comparative religions or spiritual/ethical issues; if you know of a great DVD course or a fascinating workshop and would like to see it offered here at GUUF, or if YOU would like to facilitate a class of special interest to you and others, this is the committee for you!

Adult RE is a good fit for people who like to search out and plan for spiritual growth and learning opportunities for adults. Past programs have been diverse, including UU curricula from the Tapestry of Faith, discussion courses on Progressive Christianity, Feminist Theology, Other Faith Traditions, and shorter offerings on subjects as diverse as Vegetarian Cooking, The Tarot, End of Life Issues, and Zentangle.

Times for classes vary: many are offered on Sunday mornings prior to Service, but others meet on Sunday afternoons, weekday evenings, or Saturdays.

The Adult Religious Education Committee meets quarterly to screen and choose potential classes, review current or just finished courses, and schedule upcoming events.

To find out more about Adult RE, or to volunteer, please contact adultre@greenvilleuu.org.

Children and Youth Religious Education

The Children and Youth Religious Education program at GUUF is a fantastic way to get involved, meet people, have fun, and learn what UUs believe.  Our spiraling curriculum is outstanding. We provide classes and activities for children from age 3 through high school that cover values, our Seven Principles, stories and teachings from world religions, Judaism and Christianity from an historical and UU perspective, UU Identity, Social Justice, Coming of Age, World Religions—beliefs and practices, Covenant Circles, and Leadership Development.

Each year’s curriculum at every level is intentionally chosen to provide a comprehensive religious education and a safe and supportive place for youngsters to ask and seek answers to big questions for the next generation.

Teachers receive a link to their exact lesson the week before they are scheduled to teach, and all the necessary materials are gathered and waiting when they arrive to teach the class.

Here is our promise: If you volunteer with CYRE, you will learn something valuable and you will gather love. Many of the folks involved in CYRE started because they wanted a good program for their children. And they stayed because it is awesome and rewarding!   You can volunteer for one class, or for a whole year, or for other support tasks.

Our CYRE program is large, and we try to run it like a CO-OP, so that everyone involved knows what’s going on and can help to keep it going.

And if you like planning and directing events and projects, the CYRE committee is one of the most creative, fun-loving, get ‘er done groups in the Fellowship.  Come join us!  We would LOVE to have you!

For more information, contact

Director of Lifespan Religious Education: dre@greenvilleuu.org
CYRE Assistant: rea@greenvilleuu.org
Youth Director: youthdirector@greenvilleuu.org
CYRE Committee Chair youthre@greenvilleuu.org

Building and Grounds Team

Our Building and Grounds Team is responsible for overseeing special projects, general repairs, and maintenance around the GUUF campus. They paint, fix leaks and locks, install plumbing, cut grass, weed-eat, spread mulch, give tutorials on how to run the dishwasher; they change burned out lights, adjust thermostats, pile sandbags, and decide when to call in the professionals.

On the second Saturday morning each month, they host a B & G Workday, when anyone can come and pull weeds, sort screws, or take a turn with the leaf blower.

This is a great and sweaty group, and no matter what the job of the moment is, they always seem to be and having a large time.

If you are good with your hands, with tools, or have an area of maintenance expertise, or even if you just want to learn how to drill like a pro, or try out the pressure washer, this might be a great way for you to volunteer.

For information about the committee or the workdays, you can contact bandg@greenvilleuu.org.

Audrey’s Closet Thrift Shop

Audrey’s Closet is a very cool little thrift store housed in the basement of The Cottage, the little brick building you see as you enter the campus from State Park Road. Audrey Klute, a sweet little old lady who had worked in retail for many years, started the store a little over 15 years ago as a way to raise money for Social Responsibility projects.

The Thrift Shop has three main goals:

  • To provide good quality items for low prices, or even for free, to people in need
  • To encourage recycling
  • To raise money for the Fellowship to use for its mission (We consistently bring in $10,000-$12,000 each year.)

Members of the congregation donate items, and the store is run entirely by volunteers. Goods include clothing, house wares, furniture, books, children’s items, and more. Volunteers help to sort, price, display, and sell the donated items.

Donations and volunteers are always needed.

The Thrift Shop is open Thursday and Saturday mornings from 9-12, and on Sundays after services.

If you’d like to volunteer, you can just show up and they’ll be glad to see you, but it probably would be best to talk to Linda Turner or Donna Goethe to find out more.

Reach Linda at lindaturner@yahoo.com

Reach Donna at socialdonna@yahoo.com

Membership Team

The Membership Committee is responsible for helping new members get connected and involved in the Fellowship, and for keeping membership data current.

Here’s what we do:

  • Coordinate greeters for each Sunday to welcome visitors, (Greeters answer questions, and help new folks get oriented to our facility and services.)
  • Maintain Welcome Tables in the lobby and the Fellowship Hall (The tables have blank name tags, yellow visitor cards folks can fill out to receive more info or be put on the mailing list, and informational pamphlets about GUUF and Unitarian Universalism.)
  • Send friendly emails to visitors who have filled out yellow cards, and make sure their information gets passed along to the Fellowship Administrator to be added to our mail lists
  • Host meetings after services every other month for people who wish to join the Fellowship to meet with the Minister and Membership Co-chairs and sign the Membership Book
  • Make sure new members receive welcome packets, which contain information about the Fellowship, available programs, and Unitarian Universalism
  • Set up appointments to have new members’ pictures made for the Directory
  • Coordinate New Member In-gatherings twice a year
  • Update membership data each year to certify our congregational affiliation with the UUA

If you are friendly and like to meet new people, the Membership Team might be a good fit for you. It is not only a pleasant way to serve; it is very important, because when people come through our doors, the way they are greeted and how they are treated, even in those first few minutes, shapes their experience of who we are, what we stand for, and why this is a great place to be. IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE!

For information about the Membership Committee, or to volunteer, contact membership@greenvilleuu.org

Social Responsibility

We do a lot! Like, A LOT!

We feed the poor, house the homeless, march for justice, host marginalized groups, raise money, give away money, teach and learn, and generally do all we can to help people in need.

We use our power and our love to implement the demands of justice, and correct anything that stands against love.

To get involved with ongoing projects or to suggest one of your own, contact socialresponsibility@greenvilleuu.org


GUUF and the Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network

One of our major social responsibility initiatives is our work with GAIHN.

The Rowland McFerrin House, owned by the Fellowship, provides homeless families with transitional housing, free of charge, while a more permanent solution is being found.

We also participate with the GAIHN families program, together with other congregations in the area. Twice each year, we host GAIHN families at the fellowship, to provide food, laundry facilities, showers, shelter, and entertainment for one week in the spring and fall.

We always need volunteers to help with the upkeep of the Rowland McFerrin House and when GAIHN families are visiting, there are all kinds of ways to help.

The UU World of Children

For nearly 20 years, GUUF has been home to the UU World of Children, a Montessori preschool serving an ethnically and socio-economically diverse group of children in Preschool and K5. Though it is an independent non-profit entity, the World of Children depends on GUUF for building space, utilities, scholarship support, and love. Our school is certified and has received high praise from the agencies who share oversight of their programs.

The school welcomes volunteers, and your donations are tax deductible. Please contact montessoriworldofchildren@gmail.com for information about registration, volunteer opportunities, and scholarships.

Furniture, Furnishings and Aesthetics Team

Do you have an eye for design? Have an idea for how to decorate a space? Interested in art? Have some nice things to donate? These are your folks.

This committee schedules and hangs the art displays in our lobby/gallery, and manages our furnishings and décor. If you enjoy arranging, you’ll work with others to make the most of our spaces.

Contact aesthetics@greenvilleuu.org.

Safety Team

We care about our congregants and our staff. We have a dedicated Safety Team that looks after the best interests of our people while they are at GUUF. Their work includes training in CPR and First Aid, Crisis Intervention, and Emergency Preparedness. They get updated training, and meet quarterly or as needed. These folks wear pink name badges and want to be there whenever they are needed.

If you are interested in learning more, contact office@greenvilleuu.org.