Lay Leader Resources

Service Planning

Lay Leader Script (last updated Sept 10, 2007) - Includes general tips on what to do before and after the service. Print it and practice (or at least review) before the service. There should be a copy on the podium. This is meant as a guide only. Feel free to improvise. [ Editable version]

Greeter Responsibilities (last updated Sept 10, 2007)

Guest Speaker Letter (last updated Sept 12, 2007)

Favorite Hymns List - A reference list with names and numbers of some of our favorite singable hymns from the black hymn book, "Singing in the Living Tradition."

UU Best Practices for Sunday Services

UU Litergical Calendar - Draft version of a calendar of commonly celebrated occasions in Unitarian Universalist congregations. This page is part of UUA's WorshipWeb, and includes links to readings, meditations, and rituals for different holidays and seasons.

Sources for Chalice Meditations, Calls to Worship, Opening and Closing Words

UUA's WorshipWeb. WorshipWeb includes a searchable collection of prayers, meditations, readings, and words to open or close your service. Entire services are also available. WorshipWeb includes Learning Guides on UU worship theory, planning worship, starting a service, leading mediation, using readings and closing a service. See Calls to Worship | Meditations | Mediations & Prayers

Blogs of UU Ministers, Seminarians & Other UUs

Church of the Larger Fellowship - Month of Sundays. Each selection contains four, easy-to-use worship services. Services usually include a sermon by a leading Unitarian Universalist minister, opening words, a children's story, meditation or prayer, closing words, and suggested discussion questions. In addition to these online services over 50 Month of Sundays notebooks (200 services) are available for borrowing by post-mail.

Church of the Larger Fellowship - Quest Archives. The online edition of the monthly CLF magazine includes sermons and readings by many different ministers on a seasonal or other themes. The archives go back to 1996.

UUA Pamphlets. Great background reading and source of quotes and ideas. These are the UUA pamphlets you see when you come in the meeting hall. You can order them or read them in their entirety on the web. General topics include Basic Introductions to our faith, Children & Youth, Diversity, Faith of a... (Humanist, Theist, UU Buddhist), History Perspectives, UU Views of... (the Bible, the Church, God, Prayer).

Just Google on "UU Mediations" (Try including your theme in the search term.) Remember to credit whoevers words you use, no matter where you find them!

Books of meditations by UU ministers are available from Beacon Press and Skinner House Books. We have a small library you can check out, or buy some new ones and donate them to the library if you wish.

Resources for Intergenerational Programs

Intergenerational Worship Services. Creating effective intergenerational services can be tough. This site exists to provide information and resources to help you do it well, including scripts and other materials to download, organized by theme.

Resources for Social Justice Programs

UUA Social Justice Statements. A complete listing of all social witness positions taken by the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly and UUA Board of Trustees since 1961. Browse actions by year or topic. For Study/Action Issues and Statements of Conscience that are currently in process, go to the Commission on Social Witness.

UUSC Materials. Download Guest and Your Table and UUSC Celebration Sunday materials. Find out about Action Alerts, read about UUSC programs and workcamps.

Chalic Font and Clip Art

New UUA Chalice Logo. Download tiff and eps versions of the UUA logo, adopted in 2004.

Chalice Font and Clip Art. This page includes a link to download a TrueType chalice font for Windows. Follow the instructions to install it on your PC. The font gives you 15 different chalices to access from your keyboard in your Word Processing program, including the official UUA chalice (character "k" of the font). Chalices produced from the TrueType font will be scalable and should reproduce well in print at any size. Caution: Other chalices on this page are distributed for use on the web and may not reproduce well in print.

Other Resources

InterConnections Resources. This site includes a QuickStart section for those new to lay leadership; an Events Calendar listing workshops, conferences and classes; an FAQ section for answers to common questions in key lay leadership areas; and a link to the online version of the InterConnections newsletter for lay leaders. Past articles have been organized into a very useful toolbox and resource library.

UU Faith Works. This Lifespan Learning clearinghouse publishes new online issues twice a year that include materials on Church Administration, Community Building, Curriculum and Learning Resources, Leadership Development, Social Justice, and Worship. Their mission is to share resources that inspire faith development, educate for religious identity, connect ethical and spiritual practices, and empower religious educators, ministers, and lay congregational leaders. The site includes old REACH packet archives.

UUA Guide to Programs and Services. From Accessibility to Youth Advisers, and alphabetical index of online resources.