Our Mission
Honouring the wisdom and truths found in a wide range of spiritual and secular sources, Saskatoon Unitarians are a nurturing and diverse community in which people of all ages gather to search for meaning, experience wonder, and be a positive influence in the world.
Find meaning. Experience wonder. Live ethically.
Unitarian Universalist Principles
As Unitarians we do not have a dogma or creed that we believe or follow. We have Eight Principles that we strive to consciously live by.
We Affirm and Promote our Principles
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our Congregation and in society at large;
- The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part;
- Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions.
We are part of the interdependent web of Unitarians across Canada – We are Canadian Unitarian Universalists, video by the Canadian Unitarian Council
Welcoming Congregation
We are a Welcoming Congregation, inclusive and expressive of the concerns of all people at every level of congregational life, however they choose to define themselves in terms of sexual and gender identity.
We are Self Sustaining & Governing
Each Unitarian Universalist congregation is independent and self-governing, we use democratic process within the congregation and we are finanically self-sustaining.
What does the Chalice mean to us?
We light our chalice at the beginning of every service. The flaming chalice, like our faith, stands open to receive new truths that pass the tests of reason, justice, and compassion.
Reconciliation
Truth-Telling, Reconciliation, and Dismantling Oppression
In 2014 the Canadian Unitarian Council and the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada issued a Truth and Reconciliation Statement. In this declaration, they made a commitment to accept responsibility for truth-telling, healing and reconciliation.
We are committed to a journey of educating ourselves and learning how to better support Indigenous leadership. From 2016-2021, Saskatoon Unitarians’ Reconciliation Team invited Indigenous leaders to speak and lead educational events. The team also encouraged congregational participation in events lead and promoted by Reconciliation Saskatoon and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner.
Over time, the Reconciliation Team came to understand the importance of educating themselves and the congregation about Anti-Racism and the need to dismantle oppression. In November of 2021, the congregation voted to support the Canadian Unitarian Council by adding an eighth Principle on Dismantling Oppression.
Educating ourselves and learning to act for justice is not a linear process with an end point. Everyone is welcome, wherever they are at. Contact our office or our Minister to find out how you can get involved.
Refugee Sponsorship
In 2016 Saskatoon Unitarians joined forces with other community members and established a refugee sponsorship. We brought a family of six to Canada. They fled from the atrocities of Burundi. Thanks to the generosity of many, many people, we received the needed funds to settle the family here in Saskatoon. By 2019 they had adapted to our climate in all its variations, the children were enrolled in school, and the parents continued to study english. During the pandemic, they made the decision to move to Ottawa to be closer to family. We are so glad that they are flourishing in their new home!
Although we are not directly sponsoring a family at the moment, we support Flaming Chalice International’s refugee fund, and we contribute to refugee sponsorship by other organizations.
Green Sanctuary
Our congregation is striving to live more consciously, to respect & celebrate the interconnected web of which we are a part, teach environmental justice in our religious education programs and practice sustainable living. We hold a vision towards a healthier future for generations to come.
Some of the recent Green Sanctuary initiatives are reducing paper waste by projecting orders of services on a screen, changing lighting to LED’s, and creating a butterfly & bee garden. The Green Sanctuary project, Habitat for Wildlife made the news when it was showcased in the Star Phoenix article that celebrated our youth Justice Makers. We grow vegetables & herbs in our Permaculture garden, we recycle and compost. We endeavour to live sustainably & ethically.
Social Action