WE
WELCOME NEWCOMERS WARMLY, because
we value being open to all that newcomers can bring. As individuals, we
come from many backgrounds: Unitarian Universalist, Christian
,
Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, humanist and many other traditions.
We
take pride in our diversity; from this diversity comes strength. We
welcome
new members without regard to race, sex,
sexual orientation, or physical abilities.
Our
congregation is growing rapidly because we have a great minister, a vibrant, diverse
membership of over 300 individuals and families, exciting programs, classes,
and events, all encompassed in a very unique and
elegant historic building. We are a caring community of many
friends, old and new, who enjoy being together to share our common
values of open mindedness, acceptance of diversity, and social
responsibility.
Come to our Services this Sunday and see what you
think. Be sure to park in our reserved visitor spaces in the gravel
lot nearest to the building. The first thing you'll notice when
you walk in the door is our Welcome Table. The volunteer at the
table will welcome you warmly and give you a nametag. If you would
like to receive our newsletter or have us contact you during the week to
welcome you personally to our congregation and answer any questions that
you have, please fill out a guest card. The volunteers at the
table will also be happy to answer your questions or introduce you to
others who can help.
If you come to the 9:00 am Service and have school-age
children (ages 3-18), we will help you register them for our religious
education classes (Sunday School) and walk with you upstairs to find
their classrooms and meet their teachers. Some Sundays, the
children join the beginning of the Service and then go to their classes
midway thr
ough. Other Sundays, the children go right
upstairs and join their classes for "Children's Chapel." A few
Sundays a year, the children stay for the whole Service. If your
child is not comfortable joining our classes right away or if you come
to the 11:00 am Service, he or she is very welcome to stay with you;
children are always welcome in our Services.
Quiet babies
in arms are also always welcome in the Services at any time, but if your
arms need a break, we have a nursery for babies and children under the
age of three at each service, where caring volunteers will be pleased to take care of
them during the service (you'll need to sign in and provide your contact
information). If you keep your baby with you during the Service,
but need to step out to care for him or her at any time, the library
next to the Meeting Room (where the Services are held) has a speaker so
that you can continue to hear the Service. We are very supportive
of breastfeeding mothers; please feel free to nurse your baby discreetly
anywhere in our Fellowship, including during the Service.
During the service, we
like to welcome newcomers personally (there are usually several), so you
may be asked to stand up and introduce yourself if you want to (if you
don't, that's fine, too). When the collection basket comes around,
please don't feel an obligation to contribute. For the first two
Sundays that you join us, you are our guest and we don't expect our
guests to feel obligated to donate to our Fellowship.
After the service is over, please join us for our very
enjoyable Coffee Hour, which is many members' favorite part of coming to
Sunday Services. It's a time for us to see old friends, meet new ones,
and just enjoy being together. Plus we have very good organically grown,
free trade coffee and a nice assortment of snacks. Many times,
there are also special tables set up for the ac
tivities that we have happening or special projects members
have organized. Sometimes we even have crafts or specialty items
for sale. The children come downstairs from their religious
education and rejoin the gathering around this time (at 10:30), adding
their happiness and joy to our conversations.
If you have children
attending the classes, you'll need to go to the classes when they end to
get them. Their teachers will be sure to let you know how the
classes went for your child.
When you're ready to
leave, please leave your nametag so that we will have it ready for you
when you come back. If you didn't get a chance to do so earlier,
please fill out our guest card to receive our newsletter and, if you'd
like, a personal call from a member of our congregation to learn more
about our Fellowship. You are also welcome to call our minister at
any time to talk to her or make an
appointment to meet with her in person.
To help you
become oriented to our congregation and Unitarian Universalism beyond
our Sunday Services, we have newcomer dinners and activities, an
introduction to Unitarian Universalism course called "Getting to Know
UU," and other adult enrichment courses. Our Newsletter and Sunday Bulletin
have information about when these activities will happen next.
Don't worry, we won't ask you to volunteer for anything for a
while. Just as we don't ask for donations right away, we want to
give you time to acclimate to our community before contributing your
time and talent.
We really look forward to meeting you at our
Services and getting to know you. To learn more about our congregation
before you come, read over our Frequently Asked Questions and
the other pages on this website. Your journey with Unitarian
Universalism begins with just these few clicks of your mouse.