What Newcomers Often Want to Know - NUUF FAQs
What can I (and my children) wear to church? Wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing is fine. Some of us wear pearls and heels or dockers and a white shirt (no tie), others of us wear jeans -- or even shorts on a hot summer day. Children may have art projects or outdoor activities. They should dress so they can actively engage in the program.
Is there childcare/Sunday school during the church service?
Children often remain in the service for the first 15-20 minutes for a gathering song and story. They may stay in the service or go out to join play activities. Childcare for infants and toddlers is available on Sundays, and nearly always when there is a meeting or church gathering.
If my child doesn't separate well, can she or he stay with me in the service?
YES! If you find that you need to step out, there is a speaker in the classroom off the main hall so you can continue to listen to the service.
Will I be pressured to join or be saved or donate?
No. In fact, people sometimes think we are being aloof because we don't approach our visitors as if we were selling used cars. We'll welcome you at the door. We'll send you our newsletter for a while, if you ask for it. We'd be happy to have you join us, but we won't try to push ourselves onto you. We will never ask you to join on your first visit to our church. We recommend you check us out for a couple of months before you consider joining. We'll never pressure you to be saved, either. We don't believe in salvation by grace. That is where the "Universalist" part of "Unitarian-Universalists" comes in.
How can an agnostic or atheist go to church?
The agnostics and atheists at our church arrive by foot, bicycle, car and bus.
Seriously, this is one of the things about us that puzzles people. Why would an agnostic (atheist, humanist...) go to church? We offer people a place to explore and grow spiritually, even if they grow in different directions. We talk about "things-that-matter" on a regular basis. We encourage deeper thinking and exploring of religious and spiritual values, including better ways to live our lives consciously. We provide religious education for our children, so that they can make an informed choice when it comes time for them to choose a religion. Finally, there is the social aspect of church. Even agnostics like potlucks.
Is your church accessible to all people?
We believe it is. Everything is on one ground floor and one of our two bathrooms is wheelchair accessible.
Are you genuinely welcoming to all people?
Yes. We are a home of free faith and religious diversity. We gather to worship, honoring our differences in age, race, gender, ability, class, sexual orientation, and national origin. We trust that the unique and beautiful qualities that you bring will be celebrated and appreciated. While saying so doesn't make it so, an important reason we come together is to remind ourselves of what we value. And because we value human diversity, we include the voices and dreams of all people – in our readings and music and our Religious Education (R.E.) classes.
What goes on during the worship service?
We do not have a minister so Sunday morning will be led by a variety of speakers. We address a wide range of social, ethical, and inter-personal issues from different points of view. And in the end, you are left to make up your own mind. You are not just free to do so; you are responsible for doing so. It may seem unsettling to go to a church which provides more questions than answers, but if if you invest yourself in our community, you will find a strong network of support from fellow seekers.
Our Sunday Services involve singing, music, meditations, readings (from just about any source imaginable) and reflections by our president and/or members of the congregation. The services last about an hour. There is childcare during the service and religious education beginning at 10 a.m., though we don't have RE during the summer months.
Altogether our Sunday Services are a mix of tradition and openness to change. They reflect our acceptance of the joyous and painful mysteries of life, and our unflagging efforts to make life meaningful.
Who Are the UUs?
Unitarian Universalists believe that religious faith is uniquely personal and evolves as we each engage our inner search in our life journey. We find our quest is enriched and empowered in community, a community that embraces and welcomes all persons. We affirm, promote, and celebrate the full participation of everyone in all of our activities without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, physical or mental challenge, affectational or sexual orientation, marital status, age, or national origin. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the office to learn more about the path to membership or to make an appointment with the minister. Our minister and our members welcome your questions.
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that emerged from the Jewish and Christian traditions. Unitarianism has its roots in the early Christian era. We trace our history to the Socinians, to Michael Servetus, whom John Calvin had burned at the state for heresy in the 13th century, and even back to the 4th century controversies about the natures of Jesus and God and the rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity ("Father, Son, and Holy Ghost"). It developed along especially tolerant and humanist lines after being brought to America by noted minister and chemist Joseph Priestley, among others, late in the 18th century. Influential people in our more recent history include Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Ellery Channing, and Theodore Parker. Universalism, the doctrine of universal salvation, developed in Germany and England in the 17th and 18th centuries; the first Universalist church in America was founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1796.
The name Unitarian originally came from the belief in the "unity" of God rather than a Trinity. The name Universalism originated with the belief in "universal" salvation, the idea that everyone will be saved and no one is eternally damned. Unitarians and Universalists merged in 1961. Contemporary Unitarian Universalism has no creed and is an alternative to creed-based religions. The most fundamental of its principles is individual freedom of religious belief.
Learn more about Unitarian Universalism
