By Donna Johnson
Worship is the heart of WUUC. The goal of the worship team is to help create meaningful worship experiences that support our lives for the rest of the week. To that end, we’ve been building a strong team by planning for transitions and welcoming new members.
We are full of gratitude for all the work that Chick Sweeney has done for the worship team. He is a dedicated Worship Associate who coordinated and led many important services in the history of WUUC. Chick will be moving to Indiana soon. We will miss his wisdom, experience, and support. Chick always seems to know just the right thing to say, and the right reading or poem for a worship service theme. In the last year, Chick served the worship team as a co/lead and Lead Worship Associate.
We are pleased to announce that Dan Ballard will now be serving as the Lead Worship Associate and worship team co-lead. Dan has been with the worship team for many years and is a co-lead of Earth-based worship at WUUC. He also sings in the choir, serves as an usher, works the sound board during services, and generously contributes to our congregation in many other ways.
We are also welcoming Winny Schnitzler and Ava Priest as new Worship Associates. The process to become a Worship Associate starts with a written expression of interest followed by a conversation with worship team leaders. Since last fall Winny and Ava have been learning about worship and transitioning into fully independent associates.
Winny Schnitzler has attended WUUC for four years. She serves as a member of the Building and Grounds Committee, and can often be found wherever help is needed at church. Winny was drawn to WUUC by “the warmth that envelopes this congregation in the sanctuary.” Her goal is, “to further the inclusivity of our congregation by challenging everyone’s concept of who WE are.”
Ava Priest has been associated with WUUC for 16 years and is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. They were interested in the worship team because it provided opportunities for celebrating and sharing the warmth and love of this congregation. As a Worship Associate, Ava looks forward to learning new things and offering their strengths to the community.
Please support Ava and Winny in their new roles.
There are many opportunities for WUUC friends and members to be involved in worship. Next summer we will have lay-led services that can benefit from large and small contributions from the congregation like readings, poems, sermons, or music. We are also planning to train additional Worship Associates in the next few months. Please talk with Donna Johnson or Dan Ballard if you would like to serve WUUC by helping to plan and conduct our worship services.