The many ways that UUFSD members participate

UUFSD members find many ways to actively participate with other fellowship members, in the details of keeping the fellowship running, and reaching out to the community.

More than half of the fellowship is involved in supporting other members in some way. Although this isn’t an every day activity, nor is it something formally organized by the Fellowship, it involves more members of hte Fellowship than anything else.

Committees – a mainstay of UU congregational life – also spur involvement by more than half the fellowship. It may come as no surprise that there is a core of members who are more active than others. At present, around one in six members is involved in committee work as often as every week or two. Another one-sixth are involved every 2 to 4 weeks.

Sunday Services also involve involvement by more than half the fellowship. This ranges from participation in the Sunday Services Committee, to periodic lay-led services. These member-guided services, typically held in the summer, include music, dance, and thoughtful “This I believe” formats.

This fellowship has built homes for families across the border in Mexico. Called the Homes for Hope project, each home build has involved a different group of Fellowship members, including some very hands-on JRUU and YRUU members.

A few areas that get narrower participation are leadership, Denominational affairs, and helping in the office.

The Board is rated positively, by those who know the Board

Since the Fellowship Board has important functions, it’s critical that they have the support of the Fellowship.

UUFSD’s Fellowship rates the Board very positively in many areas – how well they communicate with the Fellowship, how representative they are of the Fellowship, that they encourage and develop participation and new programs, and are responsive to the Fellowship.

However, more than half of the Fellowship answered “Don’t Know” to these assessments of the Board. This says that although those who know the Board’s work rate it highly, most of the members aren’t familiar enough with the Board’s work to rate it.

Many hands make light work – half of the Fellowship help 3 or more hours per month

It can take a lot of hands to manage the many details involved in an active Fellowship.

Fortunately, two-thirds of the Fellowship spend an hour or more helping out.

Also, it’s not like a very small part of the Fellowship are doing everything.

Half of the Fellowship spend 3 or more hours per month on Fellowship affairs. One-third of the fellowship spend 6 or more hours, and the most-active fifth of the Fellowship spend more than 10 hours per month.

How often members attend the many activities around UUFSD

Sunday services and the coffee hour that follows immediately and the more frequently-attended activities. Social activities rank moderately high, with half of the followship participating every 2-3 months or more often. Children’s/RE events are attended each 1-4 weeks by as many as never attend.

Other activities are attended more sporadically.