Get Involved!

There are a variety of ways you can join us in building our beloved community at First Unitarian Church!

If your group is interested in childcare for a meeting or event, please see the Guide for Requesting Childcare here before filling out a Childcare Request Form here.

Interested in working behind the scenes? Check out these opportunities:

The Board and it’s committees and teams:

The Board of Trustees is the final authority of the church on all questions of policy, long-range planning, personnel, capital improvements, finances, and building use and maintenance. The Board oversees church operations and accomplishes its activities through the use of staff and Church ministries and committees. Several committees report directly to the Board, including but not limited to the Media and Technology Team, the Resources Committee, and the Finance Committee. Look here or contact the office for more information.

Endowment Board:

The purpose of the Endowment Board, also known as the First Unitarian Church of Louisville Endowment Fund Board of Trustees (“Endowment Board”), is to oversee the Endowment Trust Fund and to convey information about it to the Church Board and the Congregation. The members are nominated, serve and can be removed as per the Trust Fund Document. The Endowment Trust was established by First Unitarian Church to ensure the long-term viability of the Church, primarily by contributing to Church operating funds as described in the document that created the trust. Look here or contact the office for more information.

Nominating Committee:

The Nominating Committee is responsible directly to the congregation. It recommends to the congregation nominees for the Board of Trustees, Secretary, Treasurer and Endowment Committee, as well as other positions as requested by the Board. Look here or contact the office for more information.

Ministries:

Our Ministries help define who we are and the meaning of our mission in the world. They are chaired by lay leaders of the congregation who volunteer their time and talent to the service of the church. Look here for more information, or contact the office.

Stewardship:

The Stewardship Committee is the fundraising arm of the Church that reports directly to the Board of Trustees. They organize the two main fundraising activities of the Church—the Pledge Drive and the Auction. They also solicit and review suggestions from members for other activities that would add to the church coffers. To find out how to get involved, contact the office.

Archives:

Another Resources Committee endeavor, the archives are where we store materials from past services, church activities, and items and documents related to the church. Some original documents can also be found at the Filson Historical Society. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Interested in taking care of others and the environment? Check out these opportunities:

Lunch crew:

Every first Sunday of the month, we gather to share a meal together. The Sunday Lunch Crew makes this possible by donating their time and talent to prepare these delicious meals. For more information or to get involved, contact the office.

Safety Team:

The purpose of the Safety Committee is to provide oversight, expertise and training to the staff, volunteers, rental groups and the wider congregation, and to act as a liaison to other task teams and committees as needed when security concerns arise. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator for more information.

Compassion Team:

First Unitarian Church recognizes the worth and dignity of all people, and we strive to meet the needs of our vulnerable and unhoused neighbors with the resources we have available while maintaining a safe environment for those using our building and grounds. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Women’s Alliance:

The mission of Women’s Alliance of First Unitarian Church is to advocate for women, children, and families. Look here for more information, or contact the office.

7th Principle Team:

In June of 2020 Board to authorized the Team for the Seventh Principle. They called for this new group because they recognized the fragile and interdependent state of our Earth and all living things, along with the need to protect and maintain the quality of our common life-giving natural resources such as water, soil, and air, as well as the need to join with others to bring forth a sustainable society based on respect for our planet and all its life-giving resources. The Team involves the congregation in making our sacred space environmentally sound and encourages members to use environmentally sound principles in their lives, as well as encouraging us to work in the broader community to support efforts for an environmentally sustainable world. For more information or to get involved, look here or contact the office.

Solar Array Project:

It’s not something that members, visitors or guests notice when they enter First Unitarian Church. The solar arrays are settled comfortably on the building’s roof, carefully positioned to catch the sun’s rays and convert them to energy. The Solar Array Project is another Resources Committee group. Look here for more information, or reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

The Kitchen Watch Team:

Our kitchen is a busy place! The Kitchen Watch Team has evolved into a joint project between the Seventh Principle Team and the Resources Committee. 7P has named the project, “Eco Kitchen” for its goal of
reducing the use of single-use products, and using resources wisely and recycling wisely. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Interested in beautifying our building and grounds? Check out these opportunities:

House and Grounds:

One of many groups under Resources committee, our House and Grounds team works hard to keep our building running smoothly. They meet the second Saturday of each month at 9:00 AM to take care of maintenance items like replacing filters in our HVAC units, changing out old lighting panels for new LED ones, and small repairs around the church. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved, or just show up!

Aesthetics Team:

The Aesthetics Team is the arm of the Resources Committee that works to select and place artworks, decorative objects, furniture, plants, signage, window treatments, etc. in public areas of the Church (i.e. entry spaces, hallways, sanctuary, social hall, etc…). Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Churchyard Tenders:

Another grounds related group, the Churchyard Tenders keep our grounds clean from litter and yard waste. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Have a green thumb? Check out these opportunities:

Courtyard Friends:

Also tied to our Resources Committee, this group of folks keeps our courtyard looking sharp and clean. Reach out to the Operations Coordinator to get involved.

Memorial Wildflower Garden:

This serene corner of our church grounds is a place for quiet reflection. If you would like to help this Resources Committee group in tending to this special area, reach out to the Operations Coordinator.

Interested in connecting with others? Check out these opportunities:

Choir:

Do you like to sing? The Choir wants to welcome you…Rehearsals are Thursday nights in the sanctuary from 7pm to 8pm. E-mail our music director Ethan or find him after service on Sundays for more information!

CUUPs:

Our CUUPs group is committed to promoting the practices and understanding of Pagan and Earth-Centered spirituality. We do this through providing education to the UU congregation and for the public. We promote interfaith dialog and encourage the development of theological and liturgical materials based on Pagan and Earth-centered religious perspectives. We encourage discussion about a variety of Earth-Centered paths such as Druid, Norse, Wiccan, Hoodoo, etc. and believe the various perspectives to be important to better understand each other’s journey. Look here for more information, or contact the office.

Book Club:

Book Club provides an opportunity to meet in friendship while spurring each other to explore more widely and delve more deeply into our world through discussing what we read. We achieve this through the
democratic selection of books and rotating discussion leaders. Look here for more information, or contact the office.

Chalice Circles:

Chalice Circles is the name we give our structured Small Group Ministry program at First U. Groups – or circles – meet regularly to discuss themes important to who we are as Unitarian Universalists – as we practice deep listening and build meaningful connections with one another that are not possible solely through participating in the Sunday worship experience. Chalice Circles encourage us to develop deeper connections with each other and with the church community. Each group has a fixed membership, without “drop-ins” or “visitors,” allowing the participants to create a safe environment in which to know and be known, to care for each other, and to search for truth and meaning. Look here for more information, or contact the coordinators here.

Young Adult group:

The Young Adult Group mainly exists as a self-driven group that stays in contact through WhatsApp. It is a way to stay in contact with a community of people to explore community through cooking and eating together, coming together for social events, and participating in civic engagement. We currently don’t meet regularly for meetings. However, if someone wishes for that we can support them in making that happen! Contact the office or reach out to the Adult RE folks for more information.

First Unitarian Church of Louisville