Descriptions of Volunteer Roles
involved in Multiplatform Worship

 

Front Door Greeters (1 person/family, 9:45–10:35)

Ideally, greeter stands outside front door in order to be visible as people approach the building. This person greets people as they arrive, opens door as needed*, and directs newcomers to the Welcome Table as needed.
(*If outside temp is the same as inside temp or warmer, it’s fine to keep the door open. If it’s cold out, then please keep the door closed until people arrive. Then, door can be opened manually or by pushing the wheelchair automatic door opening button. Also, it’s fine to stay inside if it’s too cold to be outside, and just open the door as folks arrive and greet them as they enter.)

Welcome Table Volunteers (2 people, 10-10:45 & 11:45-12)

Stationed at the Welcome Table from 10:00–10:45 and 11:45–12:00, these people welcome newcomers and answer questions, assist with nametags, share resources, get to know people and make them feel welcome. A trained Welcome Table Volunteer will be with you at the table.

A couple of additional tasks, if you are able to help with them:

*Sometimes a Welcome Table Volunteer and/or Front Door Greeter is asked to help the Director of Lifespan Faith Development (DLRE) with the children & youth street crossing after the Story for All Ages. (Holding the stop sign to stop traffic before and while children/youth cross). If unable to help with that, just let the DLRE know. 

** Before the worship service, the Maintenance Tech carries the yellow “Welcome” flag out in front of the building. If possible, it is very helpful if a Welcome Table or Greeter volunteer brings it in from outdoors and returns it to the coat closet.

Ushers (3 people, 10:00–12:00)

Direct people to seating; count number of attendees and write on attendance sheet in usher envelope; and collect and count the Sunday offering (details about the collection and count process are in writing at UUSS).

Note 1: Counting people:

• If the RE teachers and children/youth will be leaving the service after the Story For All Ages, then wait and do the count after they have left. This is because their attendance will be counted in their RE classes and submitted to the Church Administrator that way. However, if the service is a multigenerational service, meaning children and youth won’t be leaving the worship service, then count any time.
• Also, please count all humans attending the worship service in the building, whether sitting in the Great Hall or listening in the Fireplace Room, and please count them regardless of whether they are staff, worship leaders, members, etc. and regardless of their age (eg. if some children or babies stay in the room rather than going to RE programming, count them).
• FYI the Zoom host counts the people attending on Zoom, and gives that # to the Church Administrator, so ushers don’t have to get that # from the Zoom host.

Note 2: We no longer wait for offertory music to end and then carry baskets to the center of the circle. Instead, ushers can consolidate baskets as soon as they are done with the collection, and the usher stationed near the Welcome Table can place the stacked baskets on the chancel.

In Person Security (2 people, 9:45–12:00)

These people place themselves in a location in the circle where each can see a UUSS entrance, paying attention to people and either extending a greeting to anyone who seems of interest or exhibiting inappropriate behavior, and/or alerting staff.

Zoom pre-service Greeter/post-service Conversation Ambassador (10:15–10:35)

Greet Zoom attendees as they arrive, and then at the end of the service, stay on the Zoom while people have conversation, to greet any newer folks and facilitate providing them with an opportunity to speak if they so wish.

Tech Crew:

Online (Zoom) Slide Screen-sharer (9:15-11:45)

Shares slides (eg. welcome slide, Bond of Union slide, offering slide) on Zoom screen during worship service.

Sound (9:15 – 12 noon)

Work with Camera volunteer to set up and put away the sound equipment. During the service, use the iPad “soundboard” to provide sound in the Great Hall and on Zoom. Training by mentoring is provided (contact Kristin at clc@uuschenectady.org for details).

Camera/Tech Laptop (9:15 – 12 noon)

Work with Sound volunteer to set up and put away the camera monitor and tech laptop equipment. During service, run the camera/tech laptop to provide visuals for Zoom and sometimes for the screen in the Great Hall. Training by mentoring is provided (contact Kristin at clc@uuschenectady.org for details).

Zoom Online Security (10:15–12:00)

This person pays attention to who is in the Zoom room to manage/remove anyone exhibiting inappropriate behavior.

Other Volunteering Opportunities:

Hot Beverage Crew (2 shifts)

Note some changes in the way hot beverages are served now as compared to pre-pandemic times, when we had  two custodians working on Sunday mornings rather than one maintenance technician.

1. We’ve now found that it is best to have at least 2 people working an early shift and 2 on a later shift, so that the early shift can put out mugs and tea bags and get the coffee urns and tea kettles ready, and then after the service, all 4 people work together to serve the beverages and start the clean up, and the later shift stays to ensure that the last mugs are cleaned and put away. These folks also examine the carpet in the Great Hall; if there are any spilled crumbs/powdered sugar, shift 2 folks use the vacuum cleaner or sweeper (both stored in the coat closet) to clean them up, and if there are any coffee/tea spills, they use a multipurpose cleaner (stored in the kitchen) and rag to clean them up.
2. Coffee/tea is currently being served in the Great Hall, using the large wooden table that is in front of the back windows. That allows for better access to the hallway.
3. Also, as we are trying to create a culture of allowing time for everyone to take a breath at the end of the service and greet their neighbors, we ask that beverage volunteers wait until after the benediction to leave the Great Hall, knowing that members will be patient and gracious if they need to wait a few moments for a beverage.
4. Ultimately we will need a person(s) to coordinate the coffee/tea aspect of Sunday mornings, ensuring that an adequate number of volunteers are available to make it happen, that fresh cream is available, and that people who would like some instruction on making coffee and/or using the dishwasher are provided that instruction.

Summer Beverage Provider(s)

This role can be done by just one or two volunteers. It involves:

1. arriving a few minutes before the worship service to mix lemonade and chill it in the refrigerator, and put a tray of glasses on the table in the dining room. (If desired, a pitcher of ice water and/or a pitcher of iced tea may also be prepared).
2. Then after the worship service, this person/people brings the lemonade (and other cold beverages if desired) to the dining room and assists in serving.
3. After people have finished enjoying cold beverages, the volunteer(s) runs the pitcher(s) and glasses through the dishwasher and puts them away.

Supporting the Religious Education Program

Volunteering your time with UUSS Children and Youth can be an incredibly rewarding and spiritual experience that can make a huge difference for the future of UU! There are many ways to help:

• Be a member of an RE Teaching Team (meaning you teach an RE class about twice a month, and the other team members teach on other Sundays)
• Be a substitute teacher
• Be a member of the RE Team (which meets monthly to plan and support RE programming)
• Lead a Children’s Chapel (a one-time program for a mix of age groups)
• Be a Sunday Supervisor (about once or twice a month, support the DLRE with Sunday morning administrative tasks)
• Help out in the Nursery on occasion

If you’d like to support our Children and Youth in any of these ways, please contact interim Director of Lifespan RE Leah Purcell at dlre@uuschenectady.org.