What Newcomers Often Want to Know

What can I (and my children) wear to church?
Whatever you feel comfortable wearing is fine. Some of us wear pearls and heels, or dockers and a white shirt (no tie), others of us wear jeans—or even shorts and flip-flops on a hot summer day. Children may have art projects or outdoor activities. They should dress so they can actively engage in the program.

Is there childcare/Sunday school during the church service?
Children often remain in the service for the first 15-20 minutes for a gathering song and story. Then they go to classes for the remainder of the hour. Children’s classes address matters such as ethical decision-making, world religious traditions, and developing a reverence for the mystery of life.  Childcare for infants and toddlers is always available on Sundays, and when there is a meeting or church gathering, free child care is available with several days' advance notice.

If my child doesn't separate well, can she or he stay with me in the service?
YES!  If you find that you need to step out, there is a speaker in the foyer where you can continue to hear the service. Or, you may choose to attend class with your child if that works best at first.

Will I be pressured to join or be saved or donate?
No. In fact, people sometimes think we are being aloof because we don't approach our visitors as if we were selling used cars. We'll welcome you at the door. We'll send you our newsletter for a while, if you ask for it. We'd be happy to have you join us, but we won't try to push ourselves onto you. We will never ask you to join on a first visit; we recommend you visit for a couple of months before you consider joining. We'll never pressure you to be saved, either. We don't believe in salvation by grace. That is where the "Universalist" part of "Unitarian-Universalists" comes in.

How can an agnostic or atheist go to church?
The agnostics and atheists at our church arrive by foot, bicycle, car and bus.

Seriously, this is one of the things about us that puzzles people. Why would an agnostic (atheist, humanist...) go to church? We offer people a place to explore and grow spiritually, even if they grow in different directions. We talk about "things-that-matter" on a regular basis. We encourage deeper thinking and exploring of religious and spiritual values, including better ways to live our lives consciously. We provide religious education for our children, so that they can make an informed choice when it comes time for them to choose a religion. Finally, there is the social aspect of church. Even agnostics like potlucks. More info at our Orientation Series.

This is a link to the PDF of a brochure about our church for visitors to print out:
http://www.uueugene.org/Membership/InfoResource.pdf

Is your church accessible to all people?
We believe it is. Five of our six bathrooms are wheelchair accessible, both levels are accessible either via the main ramp to the main door, or down the path near the playground to the lower level classrooms and office.
We have two Braille hymnals, we have four hearing assitive devices, and large print programs. Please ask the ushers to help you.

Are you genuinely welcoming to all people?
We are a Welcoming Congregation, and a home of free faith and religious diversity. We gather to worship, honoring our differences in age, race, gender, ability, class, sexual orientation, and national origin. We trust that the unique and beautiful qualities that you bring will be celebrated and appreciated. While saying so doesn't make it so, an important reason we come together is to remind ourselves of what we value. And because we value human diversity, we include the voices and dreams of all people – in our readings and music, our Religious Education (R.E.) classes, and our leadership.

What goes on during the worship service?
Our format may feel familiar, but you may be surprised with the message.  We address a wide range of social, ethical, and inter-personal issues from different points of view. And in the end, you are not just free to make up your own mind, you are responsible for doing so. It may seem unsettling to go to a church which provides more questions than answers, but if you invest yourself in our community, you will find a strong network of support from fellow seekers.

Our Sunday Services involve singing, music, meditations, readings (from many sources) and reflections by our minister, guest speakes, and/or members of the congregation. The Services last about an hour. After every Sunday Service we have a coffee hour. Folks who are involved with church-based projects often have informational tables and sign-up sheets in the social hall. There are childcare and RE classes during every Service, though during the summer months RE classes are somewhat more informal and only for elementary-aged children and younger. There is information about the other activities of the church on the weekly UUpDate page.

This description is typical, but in no way definitive. We may have an "alternative" service – maybe the sharing of music and poetry, or a service led by members of the congregation, by visiting ministers, or by other local speakers.  Altogether our Sunday Services are a mix of tradition and openness to change. They reflect our acceptance of the joyous and painful mysteries of life, and our unflagging efforts to make life meaningful.

Who Are the UUs?

Unitarian Universalists believe that religious faith is uniquely personal and evolves as we each engage our inner search in our life journey. We find our quest is enriched and empowered in community, a community that embraces and welcomes all persons. We affirm, promote, and celebrate the full participation of everyone in all of our activities without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, physical or mental challenge, affectational or sexual orientation, marital status, age, or national origin. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the office to learn more about the path to membership or to make an appointment with the minister. Our minister and our members welcome your questions.

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that emerged from the Jewish and Christian traditions. Unitarianism has its roots in the early Christian era. We trace our history to the Socinians, to Michael Servetus, whom John Calvin had burned at the stake for heresy in the 13th century, and even back to the 4th century controversies about the natures of Jesus and God and the rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity ("Father, Son, and Holy Ghost"). It developed along especially tolerant and humanist lines after being brought to America by noted minister and chemist Joseph Priestley, among others, late in the 18th century. Influential people in our more recent history include Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Ellery Channing, and Theodore Parker.  Universalism, the doctrine of universal salvation, developed in Germany and England in the 17th and 18th centuries; the first Universalist church in America was founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1796.

The name Unitarian originally came from the belief in the "unity" of God rather than a Trinity. The name Universalism originated with the belief in "universal" salvation, the idea that everyone will be saved and no one is eternally damned. Unitarians and Universalists merged in 1961. Contemporary Unitarian Universalism has no creed and is an alternative to creed-based religions. The most fundamental of its principles is individual freedom of religious belief.

So it won't be a mystery, click the following link to see our church's Membership Responsibilities, Benefits, and Process.

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