leap of faith
DESCRIPTION
Emerson UU's draft Leap of Faith presentation.TRANSCRIPT
LEAP OF FAITH Emerson Unitarian
Universalist Church, Houston, Texas
Where are we?Here we are!
Houston is the nation’s 4th largest city, with a pop. of 2.25 million.
Emerson
Downtown
Emerson is about 10 minutes from the Downtown area.
Houston is the nation’s 4th largest city, with a pop. of 2.25 million.
EmersonDowntown
Emerson is about
10 minutes from the Downtown area.
Downtown Houston
Houston is the 2nd busiest port in the U.S. and an intensely international city. For instance, Houston is behind only New York, NY and Washington, D.C. in foreign consulates. Houston is also the energy capital of the world. We are home to the Texas Medical Center, which is the largest medical center in the world, and employs over 75,000 people.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSTON
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSTON
Another Impressive Statistic
Houston has a very impressive mosquito population!
Emerson
Galleria
Emerson is in the Galleria/Tanglewood area. We are about a mile away from the Galleria itself.
The Galleria’s skyline.
The Galleria/Tanglewood area is filled with single-family homes, townhomes, restaurants, parks, boutique stores, and is a very
busy place!
And we’re in the middle!
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church just celebrated our 50th Anniversary! We were chartered in 1960 to serve the growing western suburbs of Houston.
EMERSON’S HISTORY
Our newest building is Delaney Hall. It was built in 2004 and is LEED certified.
EMERSON’S HISTORY
It’s the first LEED Certified church building in the nation, and Houston’s first!
Another view of Delaney Hall.
Our Co-Ministers, Becky and Mark Edmiston-Lange have been here since 1999.
Our Sanctuary holds 400.
Our Gathering Place is open and bright.
It’s also home to our Bookstore.
Westwood Hall is our original Sanctuary and is now used as a Fellowship Hall.
We’ve got beautiful grounds with trees and gardens.
Who are we?
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
We’ve got about 450 members who are mostly Anglo, over 40, and college educated.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
What do we do?
We have many music programs…including a choir, with paid section leaders, a rock band, a small choral group, and an intergenerational orchestra…
MUSIC
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
…and monthly Saturday night performances during the church year by artists brought in from across the
country for our Unitunes Coffeehouse series.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
We are a Welcoming Congregation and participate in many GLBT events, including
the Gay Pride Parade.
WELCOMING CONGREGATION
We’re beginning our 2nd year of the monthly Welcome MAT movie and discussion series.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
We have a “Culture Caravan” which goes out to different functions about once a month. We also have a dinner theater group, who recently performed an Agatha Christie play.
PERFORMANCE AND CULTURAL ARTS
We have Solstice and Equinox services, with receptions following.
SPECIAL SERVICES
We have a Labyrinth on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
Currently, an interim DRE is in charge of the children and youth while we search for a permanent employee.
CHILDREN & YOUTH
The YRUU group is very active. They performed during Youth Sunday, and went to Galveston over the summer.
FUNDRAISINGWe have a service auction in the Spring and have our Canvass in the Fall.
FUNDRAISINGWe recently had our first Green Bazaar, Book & Bake Sale.
What do we have to give?
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
SOCIAL ACTION COUNCILOur Social Action Council’s projects include:
SOCIAL ACTION COUNCIL
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
SOCIAL ACTION COUNCILPart of the SAC is the Ministry for Earth, which is itself very active and has many events, including
We also have a Green Sanctuary Certification from the UUA.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
We have a lay pastoral ministry that are trained volunteers who counsel church members undergoing life transitions. We have annual training for those who wish to participate.
LAY PASTORAL MINISTRY
Drug Court: a Moral Imperative Emerson's Drug Court Task Force received recognition in the following article published in the October 2003 edition of Mosaic, the newsletter of the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston.The opening of two Drug Courts in Harris County is being celebrated at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church. For more than a year, several members of the congregation have served as consultants and tireless advocates for an issue they feel extends beyond government responsibilities.
DRUG COURT
What do we need?
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
More young families and young adults! We recently cancelled a Field Day/Picnic mostly due to low attendance.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
More participation - we just started a multi-generational education class about water, but had very low attendance.
Our Identity Statement:Our beloved community of faith,
reason, and affection welcomes all to grow in mind and spirit as we
build a better world.
Higher attendance! Stated earlier “Our Sanctuary holds 400.” But, it rarely does. Our attendance is usually around 150-180.
A reduction in membership drops. Many members join and then leave within a year.