Committees
Sunnyhill's committees are staffed entirely by volunteers from our members and friends.
Here are the committees, in alphabetical order because they are all equally important!
COMMUNICATIONS
Communications Committee
This committee is responsible for the online presence of Sunnyhill, including the website, newsletter, and weekly update. Read more about communications on the Communications Page.
This group also oversees other communication vehicles between and among members and church leadership, including the order of service, meeting documents, and external marketing.
If you have a suggestion or question about communications please contact commgroup-at-sunnyhill-dot-org. Questions specifically about the website can go to website-at-sunnyhill-dot-org.
COMMUNITY LIFE
Caring Committee
The Caring Committee offers help to people within Sunnyhill in time of crisis. The help comes in many forms and is tailored to the needs of the moment. Included in this are visits, meal preparation, transportation, domestic chores, childcare, and shopping.
If you find yourself in need of help or would like to help with the committee's efforts, please send an email to caring-at-sunnyhill-dot-org.
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee welcomes newcomers, hosts Get Acquainted Gatherings in which newcomers meet members of the church, recognizes new members during special Sunday services, and hosts the annual New Member Party.
Read more about membership on the Membership Page.
Memorial Committee
This committee creates opportunities for remembrance of loved ones through memorials such as the Memorial Garden. The large granite boulder in the garden has space for bronze plaques to be mounted as a testimony of love and remembrance. The Memorial Committee complies bibliographies on past members whose loved ones want them included in the Memorial book.
FACILITIES
Facilities Committee
Our committee is a loose confederation of dedicated souls, who take on specific work projects to keep the Sunnyhill facility safe, clean and cosmetically and structurally sound. Projects range from Spring or Fall cleanups to major renovations of rooms, offices or exterior building requirements. Projects are assessed and prioritized by the committee co-chairs and volunteers are usually recruited based on the task at hand. So if possess some handy skills you would like to exercise at Sunnyhill, please join.
- Art Committee
We were organized to work with the Board to make sure that artwork donations are appropriate to our needs, both aesthetically and with regard to our available display spce. This screening process for donations also was created to avoid unpleasantness by ensuring that all donations are treated fairly, all being screened in the same manner and through the same process.
- Garden and Grounds Committee
This group of green-thumbs meets in the spring to plan and prioritize any projects needed to maintain the beauty and charm of outdoor Sunnyhill. Members organize outdoor parties that include the mowing of the lawns, pruning of the trees and weeding of the gardens. The committee also organizes the Adopt-a-Garden program.
- Technology Committee
This committee incompasses the computer network, sound system, copier/fax, and telephones along with other technologies. We work in concert with the Facilities Committee if modification within the building is required. We also work with the Administrator and outside contractors for the maintenance of the facility's computer systems when necessary.
LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Adult Enrichment & Education Committee
This committee coordinates adult enrichment courses. OUr goal is to meet the religious education needs of Sunnyhill adults who wish to enrich their spiritual and intellectual lives.
Religious Education Committee
The RE Committee consists of volunteers interested in the religious education of children and youth attending Sunnyhill. Members of the committee assist the RE Director in various capacities, including planning and implementing the supplemental activities that our children and youth participate in each year. In addition, the committee works on securing volunteer teachers throughout the year, planning musical activities for the children, implementing various curricula, and engaging the children in social action.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Sunnyhill Social Action Committee
This group allows tyou to put UU principles into action to promote the common good. Past projects have addressed community needs on the local, national and international levels. We hold a yearly Social Action planning meeting where individual projects are discussed and agreed upon. Those dedicated to the same project develp an action plan to bring to the congregation to garner support. For more information, see our page at Social Action.
Follwoing are committees that fall under our umbrella:
- Designated Offering
The designated offering is a special offering for social justice causes to benefit those outside of our Sunnyhill Community. Anyone can propose an offering and, if it fits our very general guidelines, a month is assigned for the offering and directions are provided to the sponsor of the offering to promoste and collect it.
- Habitat For Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, Washington County office, is a faith-based non-profit organization that builds affordable homes in partnerhsip with families in need of decent housing. Sunnyhill organizes work groups a few times a year to support Habitat operations or build homes. Work occurs once a month, on Saturdays. Look for information and signups on the bulletin board in the dining room or in The Beat or The Drummer.
-Partner Church
The purpose of the Partner Church group is to learn about Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism all around the world, and to maintain a connection with our partner congregation inn Kopec, Romania. American UU congregations currently have about 200 partner congregations, mostly in central and eastern Europe, India, and the Philippines.
- South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM)
Sunnyhill has been a member of SHIM for many years. SHIM provides a number of programs to help low-income residents, including a food pantry, counseling services, summer camp, tutoring programs, and holiday gift and mitten tree programs. In the holiday programs participants provide "sweat equity" to earn points to "buy" presents for family members. Sunnyhill partiipates by holding collections for the SHIM food pantry and for school-supply programs throughout the year.
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
The UUSC is a social justice and human rights organziation founded during World War II to help refugees from Nazi oppression. Currently, the UUSC works all over the world to defend women't and children's rights, support the struggles of oppressed communities, effect disaster relief, and more. The Service Committee is an affiliate of the UUA, but in order to stay independent, receives no funding from the UUA nor any governament agency. The UUSC relies on its individual members for financial support.
STEWARDSHIP
Finance Committee
This committee is responsible for considering and recommending appropriate changes or new procedures for managing the financial health of the church. This would include all financial aspects of the church, such as pledging, facility maintenance, grounds, all other sources of income, and long-range planning so that a complete vision of our finances is monitored and reported to the board and the congregation.
- Endowment Fund
The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to receive gifts and bequests from those who want to make a lasting contribution to the church. In turn, the Endowment, through sound and prudent investment policies, cares for the long-term well being of the church and the Unitarian Universalist values that it upholds. The Endowment has a Directed Fund for gifts with a specific purpose and a General Fund that for gifts that are not restricted. Because of the many ways of endowed giving and the resulting tax implications, members of the Endowment Committee are available to answer questions you may have about the Endowment Fund.
- Fund Raising Advisory Committee
FRAC is committeed to reviewing and providing guidance with regard to all special fundraising activities at Sunnyhill, in an effort to recruit leadership, ensure greater success, and provide assistance in various ways. After each major event, we will reach out to the event chairs to solicit their feedback. This committee is not involved in the canvass or in actually running fundraising programs.
Stewardship Committee
This committee encompasses all aspects of giving to the church, including financial, talen, and time.
-Canvass Committee
Our primary responsibility is for the yearly pledge drive that allows members and friends to make a pledge of financial support to Sunnyhill for the following year. The Board of Trustees approves how and when to conduct the pledge drive. Church members and friends are asked to aprticipate in order to support and facilitate the canvass.
SUNDAY SERVICES
Sunday Service Committee
It is the role of the Sunday Program Committee to provide for quality Sunday services for any of the services not conducted by the minister. These services may be conducted by a member of the congregation, a visiting UU minister, or by an outside speaker. The committee coordinates these services with Sunnyhill's minister to provide for cinsistency and to promote diversity in Sunday programming.
BOARD-APPOINTED & CONGREGATION-ELECTED COMMITTEES
Ministerial Search Committe
This committee shall search out and recommend to the membership a minister for the church. They work with the board in negotiating an initial job description and terms of employment with the candidate.
Nominating Committee
This committee is elected by UUSCH members annually and is charged with providing a slate of candidates for the new Board of Trustees and Nominating Commmittee to the cureent Board of Trustees for elections at the annual meeting
Personnel Committee
Consisting of 3 UUCSH members, this committee acts on human resource matters between UUCSH staff (excluging the minister) and Board of Trustees.