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 represents the diversity of age, gender, duration of association, and interests of the congregation.

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 the preparation and delivery of regular, minister-led Sunday worship. The Worship Committee seeks and welcomes feedback and suggestions regarding all Sunday worship.

Bryan Field, co-chair, Robin Folsom, co-chair, Claudia Dery, Mike Lambert, Bev Spiro, and Rev. Lane Fisher.  

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's support in times of illness, death, the celebration of significant milestones, and short-term emergencies by offering meals, visits, and phone calls. 

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

Lay Pastoral Care Associates: Tom Cowan, Barbara Harlow, John Richards

Committee on Shared Ministry (CoSM)

The concept of shared ministry was added to the PUUC By-laws in 2020, and the current Committee on Shared Ministries, or “CoSM”, was formed by the Governing Board in January 2022. UU congregations with full-time clergy have also moved to this model as it helps to clarify how the congregation and the minister can work together successfully. CoSM is responsible for facilitating communication and enhancing connection among the various ministries (committees) of the congregation.

CoSM is guided by its Vision and Mission:

• Vision: A spiritual community where all ministries collaborate to fulfill the mission of PUUC.
• Mission: CoSM will interweave PUUC’s ministries by enhancing communication and offering guidance and support.

CoSM hosted gatherings of committee chairs on June 12, 2022 and Nov. 12, 2023. Central to the discussion was each committee or group looking at itself as a ministry. Each group also shared their current challenges and goals, the first step in looking for commonalities and ways to assist each other. In September 2023 CoSM presented a worship service to further clarify for the congregation who we are, and to open conversation about future possibilities for PUUC. CoSM has also been actively involved in the "Who Are We?" process.

CoSM has three current priority areas:

1. Create a climate for shared ministry
2. Support the Ministerial Review process
3. Support the Covenant Development process

Membership consists of five lay people appointed by the Governing Board, each for a 3-year term. For 2023-2024 these are Linda Field (2024), Rob Eichler (2024), Dottie Bauer (2025), Peter Johnson (2026), and Jane Eckert (2026). Rev. Lane serves in her role as our professional minister. CoSM meets monthly on the first Tuesday. We share leadership, so questions may come to any one of us.

Finance Committee/Treasurer

The Treasurer and Finance Committee oversees and manages 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 it 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.  

John Saywell, Chair and Treasurer, Peter Harrison, Asst. Treasurer, Mark Beal, Bob Gordon, Peter Harrison, Dwight Schenk, Tony Brinsdon, Vanessa Amsbury-Bonilla, ex-officio

Membership

This committee fulfills the 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, Debbie Bruchez, Julie Flood Page, Rick Miller, Marsha Morrow, Meg Gourley, Bev Spiro

Property

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

Phil Jones, Peter Harrison, Rick Miller, Ed Morrow, Dwight Schenk, Doug Copley, Stewart Harris, Mike Lambert, Gary Bonhiver, 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 liaisons 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.

This committee is currently on hiatus until further notice

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 the congregation.

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

Susan Copley, Jane Eckert, Anne Fischer, David Flemming, Joy 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

Rotating Committee Chairs: Sept, Oct. November: Jonathan Gourlay

December: 

Jan, Feb, Mar:

April, May, June: 

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 Anne Fischer

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.

Rhonda Barkley, Chair, Debbie Bruchez, Darline Harris,. Marsha Morrow, Chase Roeper, Jill Shaffer-Hammond 

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 the 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

Tech Team

The Tech Team provides technical support for hybrid worship at PUUC. Each Sunday 2-3 members are stationed in the balcony, operating cameras, soundboard, computers and specialized software. Members have varying degrees of technical know-how and experience and provide training and support to each other for continuous improvement. 

The Tech Team’s mission is to provide an optimal audio-visual experience to those worshiping on Zoom and in the Sanctuary.  We are actively researching improved hardware and software to support both PUUC worship and the Monadnock Summer Lyceum’s programs. The Tech Team seeks to work cooperatively with other PUUC ministries, such as Worship, Property, and Accessibility.

Members include:  Eric Blackmer, Molly Mansfield, Mark Beal, Greg Scerbinski, Joel Huberman, Jill Shafer-Hammond, Bob Gordon, Dottie Bauer.  

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.