One of the joys and obligations of membership at MSUS is becoming involved in the church community. There are many ways to get involved at MSUS. These include:

• Social Activities
• Interest Groups
• Committees
• Volunteer Opportunities

Social Activities

• Bouncing Brunches and Circle Suppers are held in the fall and spring
• A Holiday party held during December, including a special family service in the evening of December 24th
• Monthly potlucks held the second Sunday of the month after the service
• A Service Auction is held in the Fall, and a Rummage and Flower Sale is held in the Spring

Interest Groups

• Book Discussion Group (Sunday) - meets monthly to discuss a variety of books
• Women's Book Club - women meet at 9 am the first Saturday of each month at MSUS to discuss books by women authors
• Men's Group - a discussion, support, and social group for men
• MSUS Drama Guild - hopes to expand their productions and to become an important part of the church outreach efforts. All aspects (acting, construction, properties, costumes, lighting, sound, program, and refreshments) of their productions are open to those who wish to participate.

Committees

Adult Religious Education - organizes classes for adults on religious or spiritual topics to allow deeper exploration of our beliefs and values.

Audio-Visual - records Sunday services on audio tape and is responsible for the sound system.

Building and Grounds - works with Land and Facilities Committee to recruit volunteers for repair, maintenance, planting, weeding, and grounds cleanup.

Building Rental - supervises the rental of the building to raise funds.

Bylaws - reviews and suggests revisions to bylaws for consideration at annual meetings.

Caring and Member Support - organizes support, including cards and visits, for members dealing with life events such as births, illnesses, and deaths in the family or financial hardship.

Coffee and Flowers - every week volunteers bring coffee hour treats and flowers for Sunday services.

Committee on Ministry - provides guidance and support for the Society's professional ministry.

Denominational Affairs - informs congregation of issues in the denomination and UUA.

Finance - provides oversight for all financial activities of the church and conducts the annual pledge drive.

Historian - records the history of the congregation.

Investments - advises the Board on investment of the congregation's funds.

Land and Facilities Planning - plans for the present and future facilities needs of the church. This includes setting criteria, coordination requests, and purchasing furnishings for the church building. Also includes: Building/Grounds which plans, plants and maintains the landscaping.

Library - organizes the MSUS library collection, records lending activity and selects new titles for inclusion in the library. The library contains titles of interst to liberal religious people. A number of the selections are donated.

Mailing List and Directory - keeps track of address changes, prepares the membership directory and supplies mailing labels.

MemComCom - Membership welcomes visitors, helps new members become assimilated, recruits and trains greeters, and considers the ways the Society can better meet the needs of all its members.

Music - organizes, schedules, and conducts the MSUS Band and Choir.

Newsletter - compiles, produces, and distributes the MSUS monthly newsletter.

Nominating - elected to nominate candidates to the Board of Trustees.

Order of Service - prints the Order of Service for Sunday services, along with announcements and upcoming events.

Purchasing - purchases any needed items such as coffee and copy paper.

Religious Education - is responsible for the RE program for the children and youth. The material is drawn from a variety of sources including the UUA. Teachers are volunteers from the Society.

Social Action - plans the social events of the Society. We have a full program of social events including excursions to the theatre, concerts, outdoor activities, and parties.

Social Action - recommends social actions for the Society, organizes support the UUSC, and oversees the distribution of the social action contributions made monthly and yearly to various organizations for the needy in the area.

Special Music - schedules musicians for our Sunday services.

Sunday Services - organizes speakers for the adult program and introduces the speakers. Trains the Sunday Service leaders. These services explore a wide range of topics and are presented by invited speakers and by members of the Society.

Welcoming Congregation - investigates the UUA curriculum designed to help congregations become more welcoming places for gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) people in our midst and in the wider community. It is hoped this curriculum will expand to include racism, ableism, ageism, or other groups who may feel unwelcome in our midst.

WWW Web Page - maintains and updates the MSUS Internet Web Page at www.msuu.org.

Additional Committee and Volunteer Opportunities

Greeters at Sunday services, providing coffe hour treats and flowers, Sunday service leader.