FAQ

General

How can I get involved?
How can I get on the Newsletter mailing list?
How can I speak with a minister?
What are worship services like?
What is your history?
Who can attend?
What does it mean to become a member?
How do I become an Usher/Greeter?

Families, Children, & Youth

What is there for children and youth?
Do I need to register my children/youth in order for them to participate?
How can adults get involved in children's and youth's programming?
Do I have to be an official member or make a financial pledge to register my children in Religious Education?
Who can I contact with questions about Religious Education?

 How can I get involved?

There are many ways to get involved in our community. The best way is to come to Sunday services. If you would like a quick way to get to know people, sign up to be an usher. If you are looking for a way to know people on a more intimate level, join a Small Group Ministry. Check our or Volunteer Opportunity Bulletin Board for more ideas on how to get involved! (Link to the Volunteer Opportunity Bulletin Board)

How can I get on the Newsletter mailing list?

If you would like to receive our newsletter, you can either complete a pew card in the Sanctuary, or you can send your Name, Address, and Phone Number to our Administrative Assistant at office@uusociety.org.

How can I speak with a minister?

If you would like to make an appointment to meet with our minister, please contact her directly at:

Rev. Roberta Finkelstein RevRoberta@uusociety.org  or 802-862-5630 ext. 24

What are worship services like?

Our gatherings begin with ringing a meditation bell, inviting heightened awareness and appreciation of the moment. Inspirational readings from scriptures, poetry and modern literature are included along with music and, typically, reflections from one of our ministers.

What is your history?

Our Society was founded in 1810. Many Unitarian Universalist churches trace their origins to the very beginnings of this country. Famous Unitarians include American founders like John and Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson, poets and essayists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, reformers and visionaries like Susan B. Anthony and Buckminster Fuller.

Who can attend?

Our facilities are handicap accessible and gatherings are free and open to the public. Dress is casual. Come as you are.

What does it mean to become a member?

Our congregations are all self-governed. Becoming a member means you are a stakeholder in the congregation and have a right to vote along with a responsibility to lead and support the community with contributions of your time, money and energy.

How do I become an Usher/Greeter?

We’re always looking for friendly folks to help by serving as usher/greeters. If you would like to help out just add your name to the sign-up sheet in the sanctuary before the service, or in the parlor after the service. It’s a great way to meet people, and we welcome young children to help out if they are accompanied by an adult. Please plan to arrive about 15 minutes before the service on the date that you plan to serve as an usher/greeter. A Coordinator from the Membership Committee will help organize and provide direction to the usher/greeters.

What is there for children and youth?

We hope that you will bring your children and youth when you visit First UU! We have much to offer people of all ages.

• For infants and toddlers, our nursery is open during both the 9 AM and 11 AM Sunday services. When you arrive, a greeter will direct you to the nursery, where our youngest ones are cared for by paid staff. Please sign your child in (staff will assist you), and alert staff to any special information they should know about your child. You are welcome to stay with your child as long as you would like, during the worship service. If you do leave your child, please tell the staff where they can find you in the sanctuary, should they need to.

• For preschoolers and children up through fifth grade, we offer Religious Education (RE) programming through classes which meet most Sunday mornings. Families with children in this age range may choose whether to attend at our 9 AM or 11 AM service; the same content is provided at both times, though class groupings may vary slightly. On most Sundays (regular RE Sundays), children join the congregation upstairs in the sanctuary for the first portion of the worship service. Following a brief “Reflection for All Ages,” the children and their teachers depart for classes. Please escort your visiting children at this time. You are welcome to spend some or all of the remainder of the morning with your children in their class, or you may return to the sanctuary for the rest of the service. Worship services conclude at 10 AM and 12 PM; classes conclude at a quarter past the hour. Please meet your children at their classroom when classes are dismissed.

• For youth in sixth through eighth grade, programming is offered only during the 11 AM service. Sixth graders, and seventh and eighth graders who are in the Neighboring Faiths class start their mornings with the congregation in the sanctuary, and depart for their classes along with the younger children. Seventh and Eighth graders in the Our Whole Lives (OWL) class do not generally participate in congregational worship; their class starts at 10:45. All classes are dismissed at 12:15. Note that both Neighboring Faiths and Our Whole Lives have unique class schedules; please contact the Director of Religious Education for information about your seventh or eighth grade visitor.

• For youth in ninth through twelfth grade, there is our “Yuuth” Group, which meets from 10:45-12:15 most Sundays. One Sunday a month, they meet Sunday evening instead of in the morning. Greeters can direct youth visitors to the proper room when you arrive.

For more detailed information about our Religious Education program, go to the RE portion of this website, where you will find a link to our current RE Prospectus, or Program Guide.

Do I need to register my children/youth in order for them to participate?

You do not need to register initially. Please, however, when you first visit, complete a Welcome Brochure, so that we can respond to any questions you have about our congregation, and provide any special information about your children to the adults who lead their classes. If, after a few visits, you feel you would like to attend regularly, please do complete a Religious Education registration form.

How can I become involved, as an adult?

Our Religious Education program is cooperatively led, requiring the active participation of both children and adults to fill it with life! When you register your children or youth, you are asked to choose from among a variety of volunteer stewardship roles which support our programming. Newcomers are invited to take six months to first get acquainted with our community before choosing their RE stewardship role. The best part is, that as a classroom leader, you learn and receive at least as much from the children as you give to them!

Do I have to be an official member or make a financial pledge to register my children in Religious Education?

No, you do not. Our RE programming is open to all, regardless of their status in this community. However, religious education is the largest program of our Society, serving approximately 200 children and youth. It would not exist without the financial pledges of members and friends of First UU, and we hope you will count yourself among them!

Who can I contact with questions about Religious Education?

Please contact Martha Dallas, Director of Religious Education.

Her office hours are:

Mondays: 1-5
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 9-5
Phone: (802) 862-5630 x 28
Email: martha@uusociety.org