Why Volunteer at UCC?
- We are a self-governing, Congregational Church.
- We define our culture.
- Your voice will be heard.
The Area Coordinating Teams (ACTs) organize and carry out the broad ministries and mission of the congregation, and are:
The Standing Committees organize and carry out the internal affairs of the congregation, and are:
Executive Committee, responsible for coordinating the Cabinet’s activities, setting the Cabinet agenda, facilitating communications between the Cabinet, staff, teams, and committees.
Nominating Committee, responsible for preparing the annual slate of nominees for positions in the Cabinet, ministry teams, and standing committees, and for recommending mid-year replacements for open positions.
Personnel Committee, responsible for position descriptions of all staff other than the pastor(s), participating in employment processes, and providing a neutral presence during performance evaluations if requested.
Finance Committee, responsible for proposing the annual operating budget for Cabinet and congregational approval, monitoring monthly receipts and disbursements.
Investment Committee, responsible for managing the designated and non-designated monies in long-term investment fund(s), reports quarterly to the Cabinet on the health of such fund(s) and recommends changes.
Pastoral Relations Committee, responsible for maintaining relationships between the pastor(s) and the members of the congregation, consulting with the pastor(s) on his/her specific responsibilities, reviewing the mutual health of the church’s call and the pastor(s)’ calling.
Other Committees and Programs:
Other volunteer roles:
Congregational Connections
- Promotes friendship for the people of the church and community.
- Fosters hospitality and care for each other.
- Small group ministry
- Work with the Director of Small Group Ministry
- Provide ideas and support for small groups
- Hospitality and Care
- After worship gathering time (aka, Fireside Café)
- Care Core (cards and visits to those in need)
Faith Development
Welcomes children, youth and youn adults.
Fosters intergenerational connections.
- Provides ongoing support and activities for children, youth and young adults.
- Children’s Church school (during worship service Sept-May
- Middle School/High School Activities –weekly activities with ages 12-18 curriculum (Sept-May)
- Plan youth retreats and/or mission trips (budget dependent).
- Support, plan, and coordinate youth-adult service projects.
- Provide support to children and youth as they develop their own personal faith, values, and identity.
- Planning and oversight of intergenerational activities, such as: participation in worship, service activities, and coordination with worship teams.
Justice and Witness
Involves us in transformative missions and promotes greening our lifestyles. The committee currently has 3 members and would like to expand to 6+ members.
- Providing for those in need
- Poverello Shelter, Missoula Food Bank and Family Promise
- Works with community partners
- Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, Habitat for Humanity and Missoula Interfaith Collaborative
- Promoting social justice
- Working to understand the effects of colonization on indigenous peoples as well as deepening our understandings of land acknowledgements and how they might be better realized in our lives.
- Advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and individuals, reproductive rights, economic equality, justice for BIPOC communities, and abolition of the death penalty.
- Becoming responsible stewards of God’s creation
- Work done via Green Team
Worship and Spiritual Life
Promotes spiritual formation through worship, workshops, small groups and retreats.
Creates a welcoming atmosphere for visitors and newcomers.
- Worship
- With Pastor, chooses Worship/Seasonal Themes
- Recruits and trains liturgists
- Recruits and trains communion servers
- Creates arts and seasonal installations in Sanctuary/Foyer
- Helps Plan/Offer Special Services
- Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and others (Taize, Healing)
- Helps Plan/Offer Retreats and Workshops
- Day retreats and workshops as well as those held off-site
- Small groups especially during seasons of Advent and Lent
This is a great opportunity for people who like to explore things theologically or spiritually, help themselves and others to ‘go deeper’ spiritually, enable others to participate in one of the vital parts of the church, express themselves creatively, and see results almost weekly. ????
We meet, depending on pastoral needs, about four – five times a year to plan worship. We meet more frequently prior to hosting a retreat, workshop or planning small groups.
Visionaries meet to plan and install liturgical paraments per season (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, Recovenanting, Harvest/Generosity)
Other Committees and Programs:
Green Team
Being a Creation Justice Church means that UCC continues to work on reducing the environmental damage done to our God-Given Planet.
The Green Team believes any project we pursue as a congregation we must not only look at what we are spending financially but also what we are spending in terms of impact to God’s Creation.
- Facility Projects
- Solar
- Sustainable cleaning and paper products
- Congregational Education/Awareness
- Pollinator friendly yard presentation
- Katherine Hayhoe film presentation
- Solar Education-Youth
- Carbon Fasts
- Bike/Walk/Bus to Church
- Supporting Sustainable Organizations
- Faith and Climate Action
- Missoula Interfaith Collaborative
- Recycling Works
- 350.org
Building Committee
The building committee keeps the UCC buildings properly functioning and suggests maintenance and improvements to the cabinet but is not engaged in day-to-day maintenance.
The committee currently has 3 members and would like to expand to 6+ members. The needs are great! Seeking folks with an interest in keeping our large facility in good condition.
Recent and current projects:
- Building Projects
- Roof replacement on the education building
- Solar Project Coordination
- Maintenance Projects
- Church painting projects
- Installation of new sanctuary lighting
- Ice melt systems
- Lining of sewer pipe to the alley
- Addressing leaking roof issues
- Developing plans to ensure long-term routine maintenance of facilities
- Safety/Security Projects
- Addressing analysis of safety for staff, members, and preschool
- Door access control system/security locks & cameras
Music Program
UCC has a vibrant music program with many talented musicians. We are always looking for talented individuals to join our ensembles. If you possess a passion for music and have a desire to be of service to UCC, we welcome musicians of all skill levels.
- Chancel Choir
- Ensemble Voices
- Jubilation Bell Choir
- String Ensemble
- Brass Ensemble
- Flute Ensemble
- And More…
Pastoral Care
Provides care and support to our members as a shepherd tends to their flocks.
Offers to nurture, encourage, counsel, teach, guide, support, equip, and be present. The core idea is for pastors and volunteers on the Care Ministry Team to attend to their community. Pastoral care includes spiritual advice and being present with a person as they journey life.
- Care Core Table
- Staffed every Sunday before/after worship.
- Writing cards to members sharing prayers for wellbeing.
- Visitation
- In-home/residence/hospital visits to those in need.
- Congregational Care Ministry Team
- A small group that reaches out on a regular basis to UCC folk in need of care, prayer, and support.
- Meets twice monthly to share updates, to pray for those in need, and to plan actions of support.
- Occasionally, this group participates in training around special care-giving topics.
Sunday/Office Volunteers
Every Sunday service takes a village! There are many volunteer opportunities on Sundays!
- Welcome Table
- Answer questions from individuals seeking more information about our church – materials provided.
- Arrive early to set up a table at the entrance.
- Fellowship Hour Host/s
- Prepare coffee and snacks after church fellowship.
- Arrive early and stay afterward to clean up.
- Ushers
- Greet people as they enter and take the offering.
- Sanctuary Tidier
- Picking up papers and other materials after service.
- Ensuring pew back materials are in place.
- Worship Stream Technician
- Manages the streaming of worship on Sunday mornings-requires training.
- Sound Technician
- Manage sound system and sound for the streaming services -requires training.
- Office/Clerical -non-Sunday Regular or occasional
- Regular duties might include answering the phone or duties assigned by the Church Administrator.
- Occasional duties (e.g., stuffing envelopes for a mailing).
UCCC Preschool Liaison
Founded by University Congregational Church, UCCC Preschool has been a part of the Missoula community for over seventy years, first as a private kindergarten in the 1950’s and, since 1972, as a cooperative preschool.
The Preschool Board of Directors oversees the preschool operations. While UCCC Preschool is a separate entity from UCC Missoula, we share the love of educating young children and the building.
A liaison serves as a conduit between the UCCC Preschool and the UCC Cabinet, fostering good communication and relations between both. This person (or persons) attend 3-4 UCCC Preschool Cabinet meetings per school year, and reports pertinent information back to the UCC Cabinet.