Ministries

Venice United Church of Christ host numerous ministries within its congregation.Use the links below to read more about each.

Ministry Groups

Advertising Ministry

The goal of this ministry is to invite both the wider community and the community of the church into the shared life envisioned in our Vision, Mission, and Core Values in such a way as to increase the membership, commitment and participation in our shared life.

Altar Ministry

To perform the Lay duties in the sanctuary such as preparing communion and setting up the sanctuary for church seasons.

Alternate Christmas Gift Ministry

This ministry provides hand crafted and catalog ordered items from artisans and producers from many developing countries. This puts our members in touch with unusual ideas as Christmas gifts. The sale for these items provides income for farmers and artisans of these developing countries who struggle to increase their standards of living.

ASONEME - (Assimilation of New Members)

Endeavors to design and implement programs to assimilate new members.

Backpack Ministry

To sponsor, in partnership with All Faiths Food Bank, children from Garden Elementary School by providing a backpack of food during weekends for each child throughout the school year.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters Ministry

Volunteers serve as a big brother or big sister to a young person in the public schools.

Called To Care Ministry

The goal of this ministry is to encourage a caring ministry in our congregation.

Choir Ministry

Worship God and lead the congregation with hymns and anthems, both traditional and contemporary.

Communion Steward Ministry

This ministry ushers the congregation and serves communion on the first Sunday of each month and at all other communion services called by the Pastor.

Crop Walk Ministry

The goal is to raise awareness of local and world needs related to hunger. The focus of this ministry is the annual “Crop Walk” normally held in February or March.

Deborah Circle Ministry

Women of the church meeting for friendship, study, and service.

Dreamwork Ministry

Participants in this ministry group are studying, exploring, and sharing their dreams. One of the ways that God Is Still Speaking is through our dreams.

Esther Circle Ministry

Women of the church meeting for friendship, study, and service.

Families Ministry

Provides a community outreach to families.

Family Night Dinners

Provide a night of fellowship for church members and the wider community. These are normally held on the second Tuesday of the month and attendees are asked to bring their own place settings. More information is available on the calendar or in Special Events.

Financial Assistance Ministry

The goal of this ministry is to provide a helping hand with short term financial assistance to Venice UCC members.

Flower Ministry

Affirm peoples love for God and our church sanctuary through flowers. Offer our church members an opportunity to honor and recognize loved ones and occasions which are important in their lives.

Friends of Laurel Civic Association Ministry

Church members regularly volunteer at the Laurel Civic Association after school program, reading for renewal, and support the programs through monetary giving.

Good News Ministry

Offers the Good News of Venice UCC by providing hospitality and encouraging the congregation to catch our welcoming spirit and extend the friendliness shown in the sanctuary to the fellowship after the services in Naar Hall. Communicate with new people about programs or events at VUCC.

Greeters Ministry

Provide a cordial welcoming to all people as they enter the sanctuary before worship each Sunday.

Holiday Food Baskets Ministry

Provides Holiday food baskets as a mission to those in need within the church and wider community.

Internet Ministry

Through the use of the internet, provide an overall story in text and photographs of the life the Venice UCC family, provide up to date information of activities within the church, to offer an inviting story for people seeking a new church home, and to spread the word of The Gospel.

Koinonian

Provides fellowship and mission work cooperation among the United Churches of Christ. These include the Venice United Church of Christ, Faith UCC Bradenton, Sun City Community UCC, St. Andrew UCC and First Congregational UCC Sarasota. The hopes and dreams are that these churches will continue their fellowship and develop more mission projects beyond the current Back Bay Mission Biloxi work camp and do things that can best be fulfilled together.

Ladies Advent by Candlelight

Celebrates the Season of Advent with women of the church and the community.

Landscape Ministry

Landscape and beautify the church campus as needed.
To enhance the welcoming of all people to our church through visually pleasing and well maintained outside surroundings.

Library Ministry

Provides an open, reasonably screened, selection of books, magazines and reference materials for the congregation in the Venice United Church of Christ Library.

Mary Circle Ministry

Women of the church meeting for friendship, study, and service

Men's Fellowship Ministry

Provide an opportunity for the men of the church to get to know each other and to provide an informal setting for discussion of when and where the men of the church might be able to provide support for other ministry groups.

Office Assistants Ministry

Provides clerical assistance to church staff during busy seasons and fills vacancies during vacations or illness.

OUTREACH Ministry

Regularly or spontaneously design and facilitate opportunities to reach out with time, talent, and resources to spread the good news of Christ and the Gospel.

Pictorial Directory

The goal of this group is to plan, design, and produce a pictorial directory of the members and activities of the Venice United Church of Christ.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

This ministry provides people who are ill with a handmade shawl. Each shawl is prayed over by the congregation for the comfort and love of the recipient.

Readers Ministry

Contact people of the church to be lay readers for all Sunday morning worship services and for any special needs for readers.

Scholarship Ministry

Review requests for financial assistance which conform to the existing Scholarship Guidelines and funding criteria. Encourage the congregation toward replenishing the Lithgow Education Fund in ways that ensure the longevity of the scholarship program.

Scripture Study Ministry

This is a program of Bible Study led by Rev. Don Wilson. Meetings are normally Fridays at 10:00 AM in the Chable Parlor and are open to all.

Stephen Ministry

The goal of this ministry is to visit everyone from our church who is in the hospital or Hospice to make sure they can get the loving support they need and to provide one-on-one caring support and encouragement for those going through a crisis or life transition. They provide continuing education to the church and community about issues of aging, health and safety.

Sunday Fellowship Ministry

This ministry provides and serves refreshments in Naar Hall immediately after worship on each Sunday giving members, friends and guests an opportunity to meet, greet, and visit with one another.

Sunday School Teacher's Ministry

Teaches Sunday school children the Christian faith. They provide creative activities, holiday festivals, and outreach ministries to the children. Some of the activities are Trick and Treat for UNICEF, Christmas caroling to the shut-ins, a Easter egg hunt, a Christmas pageant, and other events that arise during the program year.

Tellers Ministry

Meets weekly to count, balance, deposit, and provide the safekeeping of all offerings and other monetary gifts to the Church.

VICA Ministry(Venice Interfaith Community Association)

This interfaith group supports the development and maintenance of a vibrant interfaith community in the Venice area. Meetings are normally held the third Thursday of each month at the Venice Lions Club Community Room.

VUCC Players

This ministry group provides plays, sermons and skits for worship and other VUCC programs. The goal is to increase variety, energy, and enthusiasm through dramatic presentations.

Welcome Table Ministry

Volunteers staff the Welcome Table at all Sunday services to welcome all new and returning visitors with the Venice UCC spirit. They provide the visitors with name tags and maintain the guest book.

Women’s Basket Auction and Bake Sale Ministry

Organize and manage this annual fund raising event, held annually in November, for the Women’s Fellowship.

Women's Book Study

This ministry group will provide seasonal book and bible studies for women of the church and their guests.

Women's Fellowship

Promotes the fellowship among the women of the church by working and serving together in the various projects of the church. This begins with their own lives and reaches out into the home, the community, and the world. Annual activities include the Rummage Sale (February), the Card/Game Party (March), the Theme Basket Sale (November), and the Christmas Cookie Sale (December). Monthly meetings consist of a lunch at 12:00 noon on the first Monday of the month held in Naar Hall.

Women's Game/Card Party Ministry

Organize and run game and card parties to enrich the fellowship between women of the church, their friends, neighbors, and all women of the community.

Women's Rummage Sale Ministry

Organizes and runs the annual Rummage Sale as a major fundraiser of the Women's Fellowship for the benefits of fellowship, community outreach, and church social functions.