Mission Statement:

In the spirit of the words of our covenant - “to minister to each other’s needs and to those of humanity” – the Service Committee empowers the ministry of social justice and outreach at First Parish by serving as a conduit for outreach to the wider community locally, nationally and internationally.

Description:

The Service Committee is composed of interested volunteers in the congregation and elects its own chair. It is supported by funding from the annual church budget and, additionally, oversees Second Sunday collections to benefit worthy charities and causes.

The committee meets after church each month on the second Sunday. A representative of the committee meets with the Parish Committee once per year and attends Church Council and budget setting meetings.

The Service Committee frequently coordinates efforts to reach our goals by working with and contributing to already existing social justice and outreach efforts.  Four areas of focus help to organize our work: Neighbor to Neighbor, Sustainable Development, Education, and Human Rights.

Goals:

The Service Committee reflects the values of the church in pursuing outreach to the larger community. Our goals are to:

• contribute to local, national and international causes and crisis including social injustice and natural disasters
• promote volunteerism within the congregation
• raise awareness about worthy causes
• support the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

In serving as a conduit to and from the parish on issues worthy of our response, we:

• focus on on-going projects involving the parish (i.e.: Prison Ministry; partner church in Kadacs, Romania; Norwell Food Pantry; etc) and donations to local charities
• coordinate Second Sunday collection where loose offering and designated checks are used for outreach to a project or organization the committee, on behalf of the congregation, deems worthy of our attention
• communicate to the parish through articles in the Spire, Parish Hall visibility, and presence within the worship service to enable people to see their role in service and help them take action
• communicate UUSC issues (Guest at Your Table, UUSC Action Alerts, etc) to the congregation
  

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Sue Robinson, Service Committee Chair

Members:
Kevin Beggs, Jean Christensen, Pat Crumley, Dave Dube, Bev Gardner, Elizabeth Lewis, Barbara Meacham, Mary Mercier, Lisa Messersmith, Prue & Roger Miller, Jack Wallace, Stan & Jane Wilderoter


View From the Pew - UUSC Sunday 2006


Hear Helen Fogg speak about the UUSC:

What is so Special about the UUSC? (2M mp3 file)