Committees

Nominating Committee

This committee presents a slate of nominations to Annual Meeting for all elected positions and fills occasional vacancies during the year. It ensures membership of committees fairly represent diversity of age, gender, duration of association, and interests of the congregation.

Julia Lennon, Sarah Dengler and a Member of Governing Board

Standing Committees

Worship

The Worship Committee is responsible for providing non-ministerial led Sunday worship. We create collaborative, creative lay-led worship, support congregants who wish to deliver sermons or entire services, and arrange for and support guest ministers and speakers. We also provide welcome and hospitality to ministers who come to PUUC via pulpit exchange with the minister as well as those seeking a neutral pulpit. When needed or requested, we support the minister in preparation and delivery of regular, minister-led Sunday worship. The Worship Committee seeks and welcomes feedback and suggestions regarding all Sunday worship.

 Robin Folsom, Chair, Morgan Cooper, Ray Dodge, Chase Roeper, Miriam Dunn, Marybeth Hallinan *ex-officio

Care Network

The Care Network at PUUC is made up of the Care Committee, the Pastoral Care Associates and the Minister. The Network facilitates the congregation’ssupport in times of illness, death, celebration of significant milestones, and short-term emergencies by offering meals, visits, and phone calls. 

Care Committee: Anne Fischer, Chair, Julie Flood Page, Meredith Martin, Sarah Dengler

Pastoral Care Associates: Nancy Arnold, Jeannie Balfour

Finance Committee/Treasurer

The Treasurer and Finance Committee oversee and manage congregational finances--revenues and expenditures throughout the church year, reporting monthly to the Governing Board.  They prepare an annual budget for Governing Board review and present  to the membership for discussion and approval.  They oversee the Office Administrator in carrying out the banking and financial tracking.   They coordinate with the Trustees concerning the Endowment.  

Peter Harrison, Chair, Tony Brinsdon, Dwight Schenk, Vanessa Amsbury-Bonilla, ex-officio

Membership

This committee fulfills congregation’s membership growth goals, welcomes and assimilates new members, and arranges a periodic New Member Welcome Service. It maintains the name tag board, maintains parish lists and records in compliance with church by-laws, and reports to the Standing Committee.

Susan Stanbury, Chair, Jeannie Balfour, Debbie Bruchez, Tom Cowan, Julie Flood Page, Rick Miller, Marsha Morrow

Property

The Property Committee proposes the annual maintenance schedule at beginning of church year and coordinates property budget. It oversees routine cleaning, snow removal, and maintenance and repairs, arranging occasional working parties for church projects. It reports to Standing Committee in June on maintenance performance for year.

Phil Jones, Peter Harrison, Rick Miller, Ed Morrow, Dwight Schenk, Doug Copley, Paul Barnes, custodian

Religious Education

This committee prepares for and holds monthly RE meetings. It collaborates with the Director of Religious Education regarding the children’s religious education program and with special events for children and families. Its members act as liaison to the Sunday School classes, and assist with teacher recruitment. The committee advises, assists, and evaluates the DRE, and has a level of involvement in the hiring of the DRE. It oversees the RE budget and reports to Standing Committee.

Sarah Dengler, chair; Doug Copley, Mark Beal, Zoe Wroten-Heinzmann, RE Director, ex-officio, staff liaison

Social Justice

The Social Justice committee coordinates social outreach programs, educates the congregation on matters of social concern, and implements social policy as determined by congregation.

It establishes and oversees ad hoc working groups on particular issues, organizes occasional letter writing and other campaigns, and coordinates response to UUA resolutions. This committee sponsors the congregation’s 1% program.

Joy Flemming, Chair; Lane Fisher, Minister; Susan Copley, Jane Eckert, Anne Fischer, David Flemming, Julie Flood Page, Jonathan Gourlay, Anne Huberman, Joel Huberman, Tim Riley, John Richards, Dwight Schenk, Susan Stanbury, Mary Vallier-Kaplan, Elsa Voelcker, Chase Wilson-Roeper

Stewardship

This committee is charged with running the annual canvass ‘fund drive’ to support the church budget with pledges from members and friends. It promotes support of our church community with time, talent and treasure.

Sarah Dengler and David Robins, Co-chairs

Fundraising

This committee plans and promotes regular events for fun and fundraising within the congregation and out in the community. Subcommittees are formed for the Rummage Sales, Holiday Stroll and Annual Auction.

Tom Badgley, co-chair, Rhonda Barkley, co-chair, Sarah Cooper, Marsha Morrow, Susan Stanbury, Chase Wilson-Roeper

Subcommittee: Rummage Sale

Deb Bruchez, Linda Scerbinski

Community Supper

Greg Scerbinski, Dwight Schenk

Grant Writing

This committee is active in securing funds for ongoing projects such as the Community Supper and greening efforts for our sanctuary, supporting property committee projects.

Anne Fischer, chair, Rick Miller, Marsha Morrow, John Richards

Personnel

This committee reviews staff performance annually; oversees staff contracts and terms of employment; deals with staff grievances; recommends annual salary awards for staff; and reviews evolving staffing needs of congregation. It is an ad hoc committee, made up of members from committees that have staff reporting to them, such as Music and RE. It reports annually, and as needed to Standing Committee.

Minister, President of the Governing Board, other

Community Committee

Lyceum Committee

The Lyceum Committee stands a bit outside the main committee structure; it has the responsibility to research, plan, and engage 8-10 speakers for the Monadnock Summer Lyceum series, which happens Sunday mornings from late June through August each year. It functions autonomously, raises funds independently, and manages its own budget. Half of the committee members must be PUUC members, to ensure PUUC oversight. According to its bylaws, it is the only committee that recruits and holds committee members from outside our congregation with the intent to invest the Lyceum purpose with a broader community focus. This combination of church members and others from the broader community has worked very well, as reflected in the wealth of intellectual content that appeals to the large attendance on summer Sunday mornings.