A “lay leader” is a volunteer leader, not trained in ministry, and can be found in all religious traditions. In addition to governance, our Fellowship’s worship program is also planned and led by lay volunteers. We like ministerial perspective and pastoral support, but also value the nature of lay-led services.
One of the wonderful aspects of Unitarian Universalism is the role of volunteers and lay leaders in church governance and programming. This includes continuing opportunities to present Sunday services. When the Prairie Lakes UU Fellowship was organized in Ripon [see history] we met two Sundays per month and most services were created and led by PLUUF members and friends. Now that we have the half-time assistance of a minister, the Fellowship meets weekly with two Sundays a month led by the minister and the remainder led by members and friends. For lay-led services, a volunteer proposes a topic to the Program Committee and then prepares reflections and selects readings, music, and a story for all ages to present the information and perspective in a spiritual context. Most Sundays follow the same basic order of service, giving a framework of familiarity and ritual to the diversity of topics and presentation styles.