Our Beliefs
We are a member church of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions and open to all. Open to those who doubt the faith they were taught as a child, open to mixed-faith married or partnered couples seeking a place to worship together, open to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of our community who want an inclusive and welcoming church, open to parents who want a broad and balanced religious education for their children, open to those whose beliefs or disbelief do not fit neatly within the doctrine of other religious denominations. The members of this congregation welcome all who believe that religion is wider than any sect and deeper than any set of opinions. We gather in the spirit of open hearts and inquiring minds to celebrate life, give back to our community and walk our spiritual paths in fellowship.
Our Vision Statement, with which we open each worship service, reflects this Unitarian Universalist tradition.
We journey as a family toward:
Spiritual growth
Freedom in faith
Celebration of diversity
Commitment to action
Devotion to each other,
the community
and the Earth
The Closing Words which we use at the end of each service also describe our approach.
Be Ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere;
Its temple, all space;
Its shrine, the good heart;
Its creed, all truth;
Its ritual, works of love;
Its profession of faith, divine living.
As a free congregation we do not have a creed or doctrine which we require our members to believe. We have members who identify their religious grounding as Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, humanist, and atheist. We invite all of our members and friends to follow their own spiritual path and live a better life.
We do have a set of human values or principles which we affirm and promote as a member church of the Unitarian Universalist Association. We try to follow them in what we teach and how we act individually, and as a church.
They are:
The inherent worth and dignity of every person
At the core of Unitarian Universalism is recognition of the sanctity of every human being across the lifespan. We are relational creatures, capable of both good and evil. We have experienced enough brokenness, including in ourselves, to seek the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. We are called to make choices that help to heal and transform ourselves and the world, and to move toward solidarity with all beings.
Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
Grateful for the gift of life and mindful of our own mortality, we seek to respond with generosity and loving action. We are called to live in right relationship with others.
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
We seek to enter dialogue with one another in mutual love and respect, honoring our varied backgrounds and paths. We are called to stretch and deepen our faith through religious education, creative engagement, and spiritual practice in our congregations and in our lives.
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
Unitarian Universalism is an evolutionary religion that encourages and supports lifelong spiritual exploration. Unitarian Universalist religious authority lies in the individual, nurtured and tested in congregation and wider community. In a spirit of humility and openness, we are called to seek truth and meaning, wherever found, through experience, reason, intuition, and emotion.
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
We seek to ensure that all voices are heard, especially those often left out on the margins. We are called to promote fairness, accountability, honesty, and transparency.
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
We seek to create, sustain, and celebrate multi-generational and multi-cultural communities where oppression cannot thrive and where hope and peace flourish. We are called to counter legacies of injustice and to foster reconciliation.
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
Inspired by the beauty and holiness of the Earth, we become more willing to relinquish material desires. We recognize the need for sacrifice as we build a world that is both just and sustainable. We are called to be good stewards, restoring the Earth and protecting all beings.
Unitarian Univeralism Resources