Newcomers Information & FAQ
Whatever your heritage, whatever your faith, whomever you love, you are welcome here!Programs & Times
Service begins at 10:30 am
Our Sunday service is an hour long; most are designed for adults, but some are multi-generational, with all ages welcome. After a brief break for coffee/tea and socializing, you have the option of engaging in a discussion of the service theme or attending a workshop on another topic during the second hour, which begins at 11:45 am.
We offer programs for children and youth, grouped by age: Nursery 0-4 years Children Pre-K – Gr. 6 Jr. & Sr. Youth Gr. 7+
What to expect
Let us walk you through a typical Sunday morning.
At 10:20 am you have arrived. You have taken off your shoes and are hanging up your coat. Now where do you go?
Flute music will start. Adults will make their way into Coburn hall (Sanctuary), Youth will head to the main floor meeting room and children will head downstairs. Some Sundays we will all be together in Coburn hall. This will be clearly communicated.
Children’s programming happens downstairs (lower hall), Nursery is open. Jr & Sr Youth program commences.
End of adult service and beginning of coffee/tea in the lounge. End of children’s programming and beginning of children’s snack time. Youth programming wraps up.
Adult 2nd hour programming starts in main floor meeting room or in Coburn hall (Sanctuary). This is an opportunity to exchange thoughts on the service topic. At this point there is no childcare or children’s programming.
End of adult 2nd hour programming. All clean-up commences – lounge, all rooms, lower hall, Coburn hall (Sanctuary) etc.
Our Values
As Unitarians we do not have a dogma or creed that we believe or follow. We have Seven Principles that we strive to consciously live by.
More About Us
FAQ
How do I get there?
What do Unitarian Universalists believe?
Unitarian Universalists believe a wide variety of things. You will find UU Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, Agnostics, Atheists and Humanists as well as people who have trouble classifying their beliefs. What we have in common are our seven principles, which we all agree to support, the desire for a faith community where we can be accepted regardless of what we believe and the commitment to make a difference in the world.
Will I fit in?
Affirming the worth and dignity of every person is one of our seven principles. We welcome people of all races, ages, gender, sexual orientation, and abilities.
Will I be pressured to join or be saved?
No. The right to a free and independent search for truth and meaning is one of our seven principles. Expect people to be friendly–you will likely be greeted, offered a name tag, and given an opportunity to sign our guest book. We are not oriented towards spreading our religion as much as we are towards making it available for people who are looking for it.
What provisions do you have for people with disabilities?
The Entrance level which has the lounge, main floor meeting room and offices is wheel chair accessible. The Sanctuary (Coburn Hall) access has a short flight of stairs. We do have a chair climber, but at present the Sanctuary is not wheel chair accessible. We are striving to bring full wheel chair accessibility to our building.
What should I/my family wear?
You should wear whatever you are most comfortable in. Most people dress casually (jeans are fine), but some people dress up. Your children should wear something they can play in.
Is there childcare and/or Sunday School? What is taught?
We have a program for all ages–from our nursery to our youth group. We have a part time Director of Religious Education, who oversees our children’s program.
My child doesn’t separate well. Can he/she stay with me during the service?
Absolutely. Many parents, particularly of smaller children, keep their children with them in the sanctuary. Many parents also choose to be in the nursery with their child, in order to help the child adjust and also to have a chance to chat with other parents. You are also welcome to breastfeed anywhere in our building or at our events. You are encouraged to do whatever works for your family.
How do you worship together if you don’t all believe the same thing?
What unifies us is our desire to share our experience of life, to celebrate what is important to us, and to engage together in an exploration of meaning. Sometimes we use different words to describe the same thing (service or worship; hall or sanctuary) and that is ok. We know that the same ritual might be experienced differently (a moment of silence can be for prayer, meditation or contemplation) and that is ok too – it’s an expression of the diversity of life.
Some of our services are more spiritual, others more intellectual. Some aim to inspire, and others to provoke or challenge. But all of them are grounded in freedom, responsibility, and respect. It is up to each individual to consider the speaker’s point of view and then to follow their own conscience and come to their own conclusions about the meaning of the ideas or experiences presented.
What goes on at a Sunday service?
There are always exceptions, but the general format of a service involves lighting our chalice (symbol of Unitarianism), music & singing and either a sermon from our minister, or a talk by a member of the congregation or the wider community. We also take an offering of which we share half of the collection with a non-profit group/organization in our city. The services are 1 hour, followed by tea or coffee in the foyer.