May Unitarian Universalist Thread - All Welcome

[Adele_Mommy]

Welcome to the May support, community, information, conversation, and fun thread for UUs and UU curious.

Here is the link to the previous April Thread.

Come on in and say "Hi", ask a question, tell a story, or feel free to just lurk for awhile.

In honor of Mother's Day, here is a quote my minister used at a Mother's Day sermon a couple years back that I really like:

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

Wishing you all a month of peace, joy, and love!
:

Adele

[jazzharmony]

I'm new and have a question. Has anyone attended multiple UU churches before finding the right fit? We live near quite a few and will be going to our fourth tomorrow. Each is so very different. I suppose my plan is to find the UU community that I resonate most with and stick with that church. I'm totally new to the regular church going thing too
Do UU folks typically go to church every Sunday?

[whiddle]

Well we just went to the UU Church last Sunday and now I found out that we have to move. So, I'm gonna have to go visit a new church now. There's one that's pretty close to my house but I don't know. It seems more "god-y" to me. Then there's one about an hour away.... Anyone from FL?

[siobhang]

subbing!

[tammylsmith]

I'm not from FL but I was looking for some UU churches to suggest to my mom. There seems to be quite a long list from FL. I just went to uua.org and the visitor section (on Adele's recommendation, thank you ) and the top link is "find a congregation."

I have a question. Once a person visits their church, and decides it's a good fit, what do you think is the best way to jump right in and start meeting people? The coffee social seems like a good start, but I was wondering what other ways you like to get/stay connected with your fellow UUs?

[tammylsmith]

Though now that I look at your post Whiddle, you probably already know what churches are around. Just excited to share what I found out. Good luck finding a congregation that fits.

[Callimom]

Has anyone been a part of a UU coming of age ceremony (in any role?)
Could you share what it was like?

I am wanting to plan something for my 11 year old to happen in concert with his 13th birthday so I have some time but I want it to be meaningful.

I found this but it is a bit short on details.

tia
Karen

[robin3]

At our church the kids that are 13 or in 8th grade go through a Coming Of Age (COA) program. I have had the honor of being an advisor for the program and a mentor at different times. During our COA programs the kids spent 5-6 months working with the advisors at meetings separate from the regular RE program. They focus more deeply on the 7 Principles and try to begin to come to some kind of understanding of their own beliefs. Each child chooses a mentor from the church to meet with, generally someone that they have something in common with. The mentor's job is to get to know this young person and to be someone they can come to. Part of the program generally includes some hours of community service, group activities like camping, hiking, and our group usually does some kind of social action project together. This year they did the CROP walk which raises money for food banks.
At the end of the 5-6 months the kids put together their own Sunday service. This is always one of the most popular services during the year. It is so inspirational to hear these young peoples speak! Sometimes they will write a play or sing or dance. The mentors and parents usually present them with their first Chalice necklace. Then, the current YRUU group does a presentation to welcome the COA group to join them. There are always a LOT of tears in the church!
I am always honored to be a mentor and try to do it when asked. It is such a joy to work with these young people. I know every church does COA differently, but that's how we do it! Hope that helps!
Robin

[DaughterOfKali]

It's music sunday today. Yay! I hope my son sits through the service. Then we'll be having coffee hour outside.

[mags]

Jazzharmony, that is really good that you get to, "shop around" for your UU church. We live in an area where our UU church covers a radius of about 40-50 miles. So, unless we want to drive an hr to another UU chruch (already drive almost 30 min to attend ours), we don't have a choice. Luckily, I like our UU church, but I was very nervous before attending knowing that it would be the only UU church I'd get to try out in our area and hoped it would work out. I heard that it is more conservative (most of our congregation is over the age of 60), it is nice, esp since we live in an area that is overrun with conservative, evalgelical churches. It's a safe haven from all of that...

[artgoddess]

Just checking in to the May thread. We have a flower communion Sunday this week. I have some beautiful roses to bring.

[weliveintheforest]

We went to our old UU fellowship last week while we were in town visiting and it made me so sad that we don't have that here. I think I really underestimated how important it was to me to have that in my life when we decided to move somewhere with no UU church close by.

[tammylsmith]

I went back to my local UU for the second time today. Today, I left my 2 year old at home so I could focus on the service. By lucky chance, I happened upon a service where they were electing a new settled minister. It was a very joyful service, as the congregation voted her in unanimously. There was much laughter and applause, and then the coffee hour (with champagne and cake today, : fun!)

The service practically brought me to tears, as I had no idea this beautiful congregation existed, yet was exactly what I had been searching for for so long. (ok, obviously I wasn't searching that hard... I think hoping for but not believing is a better descriptor of my mindset) The sermon itself used that old "here is the church, here is the steeple" rhyme to talk about the give and take of a congregation, which I had just been showing my daughter the other day in the car. Funny coincidence. There was music from Mozart and the Beatles, and the choir sang a Simon and Garfunkle song. I about lost it when we were singing a hymn about God loving the whole human race, and caring for one another (no matter what one's opinion about the existence of God, I wished more people realized that it's not an exclusive club. I got a UU pamphlet for kids that had some of the different takes from kids on God in it. One said that to her cat, God was probably a cat. I have 2 cats, so that one made me smile ) It was awesome! :

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by tammylsmith

It was awesome! :

It sounds like it!

I'm so glad you had a lovely time.

We had our Beltane service this morning where we danced a maypole and talked about blossoming with energy to make the world more beautiful. After I had a wonderful conversation with an inter-racial gay couple, a young high school aged woman just back from building schools in Ghana, a mom happily nursing her 18 month old and our Buddhist yoga-teaching spriritual coordinator about starting a book club for parents and developing a coming of age ceremony for 13 year olds.
I love our congregation.

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by robin3

At our church the kids that are 13 or in 8th grade go through a Coming Of Age (COA) program. I have had the honor of being an advisor for the program and a mentor at different times. During our COA programs the kids spent 5-6 months working with the advisors at meetings separate from the regular RE program. They focus more deeply on the 7 Principles and try to begin to come to some kind of understanding of their own beliefs. Each child chooses a mentor from the church to meet with, generally someone that they have something in common with. The mentor's job is to get to know this young person and to be someone they can come to. Part of the program generally includes some hours of community service, group activities like camping, hiking, and our group usually does some kind of social action project together. This year they did the CROP walk which raises money for food banks.
At the end of the 5-6 months the kids put together their own Sunday service. This is always one of the most popular services during the year. It is so inspirational to hear these young peoples speak! Sometimes they will write a play or sing or dance. The mentors and parents usually present them with their first Chalice necklace. Then, the current YRUU group does a presentation to welcome the COA group to join them. There are always a LOT of tears in the church!
I am always honored to be a mentor and try to do it when asked. It is such a joy to work with these young people. I know every church does COA differently, but that's how we do it! Hope that helps!
Robin

This sounds beautiful. May I share it with our RE team?

Thanks for sharing
Karen

[tammylsmith]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4

We had our Beltane service this morning where we danced a maypole and talked about blossoming with energy to make the world more beautiful. After I had a wonderful conversation with an inter-racial gay couple, a young high school aged woman just back from building schools in Ghana, a mom happily nursing her 18 month old and our Buddhist yoga-teaching spriritual coordinator about starting a book club for parents and developing a coming of age ceremony for 13 year olds.
I love our congregation.

That sounds wonderful too! I love the maypole tradition. I think the diversity of the UU church as a whole is what I love the most

[robin3]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4

This sounds beautiful. May I share it with our RE team?

Thanks for sharing
Karen

Sure! And if you have any questions feel free to ask!

[tammylsmith]

I have a question for you who have been UU for awhile. What is your favorite way to get involved with your congregation? Where would you direct a newcomer to best get to know other members and start becoming a part of the fabric of the congregation? Thanks!

[robin3]

Originally Posted by tammylsmith

I have a question for you who have been UU for awhile. What is your favorite way to get involved with your congregation? Where would you direct a newcomer to best get to know other members and start becoming a part of the fabric of the congregation? Thanks!

My best advice is don't jump in too soon!!! Take your time to get to know the congregation. Go to social events, potlucks, spend lots of time during coffee hour meeting different people. Our church has a Friday Family Fun Night where we have potluck and games and we especially welcome newcomers to that. Does your church have a class for newcomers? That would be a good way to learn more about ways to get involved.

I have mostly been involved in Religious Education (RE). If you have kids that seems to be the best way to get involved.

[tammylsmith]

Originally Posted by robin3

My best advice is don't jump in too soon!!! Take your time to get to know the congregation.

Hehe, This is excellent advice Robin. I do have to admit I am a little excitable at times. Best to take these things in a bit at a time so I can settle in first. There is a newcomer's class. I spoke with the RE director about that. It starts in the fall. Since my daughter is only 2, I can't get too involved in the kid's stuff yet, though I have met a few other moms with toddlers. I enjoy coffee hour, and made it a point to go and introduce myself to some people this morning. This is only my second Sunday, as I said, but I met a few more people today, and next week, I'm sure I'll meet a few more...

There will be a flower communion at the end of the month. It sounds lovely. Is this something that other UU congregations do too?