Membership at Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Our congregation strives to create loving community, inspire spiritual growth, and encourage lives of integrity, joy, and service. We recognize in each other freedom of mind. We agree to impose no theological conditions of membership and respect differences of opinion among us.

Guests are always welcome to participate in our services and programs and to contribute to the life of our fellowship. When guests recognize a desire to deepen their connection to this church community -- when they no longer view themselves as guests here -- it may be time to become a member.

First Steps
We encourage you to read our newsletters and other literature about UUism and the congregation and its activities. Live Oak thrives because of its shared ministry, which means each of us plays an important role. Together, we quite literally keep the doors open and the programs running. This is our congregation. As members we gratefully share in the life of the community.

We strongly encourage you to participate regularly in Sunday Services. Your presence is a meaningful addition to the community’s energy and power. A word, the silence, music or a song may be a healing, encouraging or transformative moment for you. Or perhaps you will be the one to reach out warmly to welcome someone new, offer an affirming look or say a transforming word to someone. A small miracle may happen through you – or to you.

Expectations of Membership

• Serve the congregation. We are grateful for and encourage your gifts, and will support you as you search for your ministry in the community: for example, providing pastoral care, teaching religious education, participating in creating worship, involvement in community service projects, serving as a greeter or usher, or more – whatever capacity calls to you.
• Serve the larger community around us. As individuals -- and as a congregation -- we give of ourselves to change our neighborhood, our city, the world for the better. We will support your sense of mission and help you respond to the needs with your compassion and action.
• Make a stewardship pledge and giving generously to support this congregation and its work.
• Cultivate your own spiritual life: for example, participate in adult religious education classes; meditate; pray; read scripture, poetry or other inspirational words; commune with nature; keep a journal; etc.

How to Join
Sign the membership book. Any Sunday, after the service, look for a Board Member (identifiable by their nametags). Any of them will be happy to talk with you about membership and will direct you to the Membership Book, if you are ready. Several times a year, we will officially welcome new members into the congregation during a worship service.

Benefits of Membership
As a member of the fellowship you have the right to vote at all congregational meetings and elections. And, if you wish, you can be nominated and elected to serve on the Board of Trustees or the Nominating Committee. And when Live Oak is recognized as a congregation by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), you will also automatically be a member of the UUA and receive its magazine. In the meantime, you may enjoy the content of the magazine on-line.

Our membership in the UUA and the Pacific Central District will allow us to “stand and be counted” as a liberal religious body so we may have more influence in making real the values and vision we have for ourselves and the world around us.

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