Other Activities
We offer a variety of social, spiritual, and educational activities at times other than Sunday mornings including sharing circles, book discussions, dances, and Earth-based ceremonies. We also support social and environmental justice in many ways, from advocacy to participating in social action events in our community. Events are shared in our eNews and on social media.
Care and Connection
We offer regular mindful sharing circles which start and end with a short mindfulness meditation practice. We are invited to be mindful in how we speak, listen, and share the space so that we can get to know ourselves and each other in a deeper way. These circles help us to feel more connected, to help build the community we long for.
The Care and Connection team also coordinates supporting one another. Want to lend a hand? You can volunteer to send cards, make phone calls, offer rides, or help out in other caring ways. Need a little support? Whether you’re facing a challenge, grieving a loss, or just need someone to talk to, we’re here for you.
Click here for more information.
Circle of Song
If you’d like to experience the joy of singing with others and learn some uplifting, beautiful songs, our singing group is for you. No singing experience or musical training is required.
We meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Unitarian Centre (with a short break for homemade ginger tea with honey!). We occasionally sing in Sunday services or other Unitarian events (e.g., Winter Solstice celebration). Regular attendance will enrich your experience, but if you can’t come to every session, that’s okay. New singers are welcome throughout the year.
Please send a message to Kathryn via our office for more information.
Green Sanctuary
Since 2012, the Green Sanctuary team has sought to spread awareness of ways to live in healthy relationship with nature. The team has undertaken many projects to increase the sustainability of our congregation, in our building, our practices, and our grounds including replacing two sections of lawn with wildflowers and permaculture plants.
The team regularly offers Sunday services on environmental themes and seeks opportunities to advocate for sustainable policies. For example, recently our congregation supported the Swale Watchers’ concerns about the freeway being proposed by the provincial government, which would impact the Northeast and Small Swales. Another important initiative has been supporting the Indigenous-led Saskatchewan River Water Walk, which has taken place over the past several summers.
Welcoming Congregation
All people should feel welcome at every level of congregational life, however they define themselves in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2000, our congregation became certified as a Welcoming Congregation by the Unitarian Universalist Association (US), which involved completing an extensive education program and voting as a congregation to affirm that we welcome the membership and active participation of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
We live out this commitment in different ways, including participation in and support of Pride activities in the community; addressing LGBTQ2S+ issues in some of our Sunday services; and advocacy (e.g., speaking out against the Saskatchewan government’s 2024 pronoun law). But we know the work of welcoming is ongoing. We strive to keep learning how to practice radical inclusion.
Widening the Circle
From 2016-21, our Reconciliation team invited Indigenous leaders to speak and lead educational events and encouraged congregational participation in events offered by Reconciliation Saskatoon and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner. Building on the work of this team, Widening the Circle has a broad mandate to find ways to understand and decrease racism, work towards truth and reconciliation, enhance cultural awareness, and dismantle oppression. The members have been learning about these issues together and are exploring ways to engage the whole congregation in further learning, in Sunday services as well as other formats.
Children and Youth
We welcome children of all ages but we are in the process of rebuilding our children and youth program and for now are not offering any separate activities for them. On Sundays, they are encouraged to hang out with their parents or caregivers or at the table with art supplies and other activities at the back of the hall.
In the past, we have offered all kinds of programming and events for children and youth, and we are looking forward to doing so again.
Click here for more information and if you would like to get involved and help rebuild the program, please let us know!