Welcome!

We are so glad you are exploring or expanding your connection to Unitarian Universalism! Whether you are learning about and possibly becoming a member of a congregation, or you've been an active member of a congregation for decades, this section is for you!

We believe the role of our faith community is to provide a container, that is, a space where individuals like yourself can:

• explore what it means to be fully human
• to reflect and act on how UU practices and ideals foster and grow our humanness and connections with others
• make the world a better place.

Communities such as your congregation represent an invaluable vehicle to meet those needs. Having a safe place to grow and develop is vital. Regaining one’s equilibrium during tough times requires resilience. At their best, congregations can offer you the space, tools and community support required to grow into your best self.

The Reason for This Resource

We recognize that the diversity of backgrounds, life experiences, and differences of race, age, sexual orientation, geography, nationalities, and gender may or may not be present in your congregation. We share these connections and resources to support you, and to help you experience being a part of a more diverse faith than you might be experiencing locally. You are a key part of the diversity we want to include and support.

UU congregations are bound together by a commitment to real community with religious authority, not indoctrination, creeds, religious hierarchy or sacred texts. Instead, religious authority comes from within each individual choosing to live their best selves, centered in conscience, offering care and support to one another.

Despite the diversity among our UU members and congregations, we still share things in common. As the late Rev. Dr. Hope Johnson reminded us,

We are one, a diverse group of proudly kindred spirits, here not by coincidence but because we choose to journey together. We are active and proactive. We care deeply. We live our love as best we can.

We of the liberal religious tradition strive to live based on the values and beliefs expressed in our principles and purposes. That is the good news!

But we are also a microcosm of the larger world. Unfortunately, you may experience some of the same racism or other forms of oppression that we struggle to overcome in the larger world. We apologize in advance. Not every Unitarian Universalist has achieved self-actualization, nor have any of us arrived in creating Beloved Community. What you need to know is that we are wholeheartedly committed to and are working on these issues as an Association.