Recent Stories
Cambridge church will host shelter for homeless youth
First Parish partnership with Y2Y Harvard Square will shelter 20 young adults.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation Lake Country UU Church
Membership at Lake Country UU Church has more than doubled since 2006.
We stepped outside
In an affluent town near Ferguson, UUs held weekly sidewalk vigils.
Seeing your sanctuary by candlelight
Candlelight transforms a meetinghouse for Christmas Eve.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, Kansas
The Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, Kansas, has nearly doubled its membership.
Offenders among us
Can we be in community with both sex abuse victims and offenders?
Reforms take aim at clergy misconduct
It is easy to think of clergy misconduct as a Catholic or evangelical problem. It's not.
Safe churches need policies and vigilance
Models for congregations that strive to be free of sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct.
Immigrant finds sanctuary in Denver Unitarian church
Denver-area Unitarian Universalist congregations join new sanctuary movement.
All are welcome, to a point
Anti-abortion activists interrupted a Unitarian Universalist worship service, then complained when they were ushered out.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado, needed transformation. What a difference five years has made!
What is developmental ministry?
A new program matches congregations with ministers to solve specific institutional problems.
Seminary 3.0
Meadville Lombard has transformed its approach to theological education.
Opportunities are always there
Thriving congregations have leaders who seize the opportunities before them.
Spiritual innovators: Into the beyond
Changing how we do church is scary, but not changing means decline and a lost opportunity.
Spiritual landmarks: Exploring Boston's churches
Three historic churches are home to Unitarian Universalist congregations in downtown Boston.
Fellowship days
I remember the truth and the love and the social justice, but also the cartwheels and the donuts.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Harmony, Landen, Ohio
Innovative lay-led congregation has unusually high ratio of children to adults.
Religious community is not enough
Unitarian Universalism's purpose is much bigger than gathering with like-minded people for mutual support.
An origins story in glass
Laurie Bieze's stained glass windows tell an evolutionary creation story.
The only time I was called by my first name
When I was in the Army, the Sunday service was the only hour of my week when I could be my true and whole self.
Sculptures: A congregation in clay
Members of a Massachusetts congregation made self-portraits in clay.
Gini Courter's revolution
The UUA's longest serving moderator reflects on a legacy of volunteer leadership.
A pond behind the church?
In my experience, no one improves by way of a scolding.
Simply listening
I hated candles of joy and concern, until I started listening.
Spiritual landmark: First Unitarian Church of Louisville, Kentucky
After 1985 fire, Unitarian church transformed the space inside its gothic walls.
Spiritual landmark: Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs
Florida church home to largest collection of paintings by George Inness Jr.
Magic Mondays
Three decades later, a weekly women's group is still going strong.
Where is your water from?
When you pour water into your congregation's Water Communion bowl, where will it come from?
Bound in covenant
Congregational covenants are declarations of interdependence.
Now let us sing
What is your favorite Unitarian Universalist hymn?
ZIP code: 02043
Old Ship Church, First Parish, Hingham, Massachusetts.
Installation: Valley UU Congregation, Chandler, Arizona
Wooden panels created by and for the congregation.
Praying for each other
People felt closer to the church community, knowing the struggle of another in the room.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Unitarian Church of Sharon, Massachusetts
How a small church chose to invest in a more ambitious future.
Spiritual landmark: Atkinson Memorial Church
Oregon City UUs enjoy rare stained glass in a distinctive building.
ZIP code: 57701
Black Hills UU Fellowship, Rapid City, South Dakota.
The end of iChurch
To build Beloved Community, Unitarian Universalism needs a new narrative.
Unitarian Universalism's two truths
What is our healing message? To what are we being beckoned when we gather?
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: First Parish in Bedford, Massachusetts
At First Parish in Bedford, worship is 'holy theater' and anything but stuffy.
Spiritual landmark: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island
Artist-members grace Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island.
ZIP code: 80435
High Country UU Fellowship, Dillon, Colorado.
Engaging the 'nones'
The fastest growing religious group in America claims no religious connection.
UUA membership declines for fourth year
Over the past decade, 22 percent of congregations have shrunk by 20 percent or more.
Spiritual landmark: UU Congregation of Phoenix
Safe haven in a desert landscape.
Obama's religious roots
Despite his childhood exposure to Unitarian Universalism, Barack Obama found his religious home elsewhere.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: All Souls New London, Connecticut
An attitudinal shift transformed All Souls New London.
A different church
They would embrace me in my full Amazon glory, or they could fry ice.
Zip code: 74114
All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A recipe for connection
An hour spent looking through old recipes is like a visit with old friends.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: UU Church of Ogden, Utah
Worship is always multigenerational at the UU Church of Ogden, Utah.
National 'Day of Witness' planned for June 23
At General Assembly and across the country, UUs urged to devote the day to justice.
Zip code: 96817
First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Common elements in Unitarian Universalist congregational names
The ten most common elements of a Unitarian Universalist congregation's name.
Service is our prayer
Acts of service have spiritual and psychological dimensions, too.
How old are Unitarian Universalist congregations?
Some date back to the 1600s, but 59 percent were founded in the last sixty years.
Spiritual landmark, Spring 2012
Fellowship's lighthouse motif evokes 'free and responsible search for truth and meaning.'
Flowers for communion
What does your Flower Communion bloom symbolize?
A Titanic victim's architectural legacy
Unitarian brothers Edward Austin Kent and William Winthrop Kent designed Buffalo church.
A book group for the ages
An Illinois church's intergenerational book club creates connections.
Congregations as allies in the fight for immigrant rights
How three Unitarian Universalist congregations are pursuing immigration justice.
Zip code: 78521
All Souls UU Church, Brownsville, Texas.
What size are Unitarian Universalist congregations?
Most congregations have fewer than 100 members, but most UUs belong to larger churches.
Faith takes practice
Our religious ancestors recognized each day as a chance to form their spiritual character.
'Willing to be changed by what we've started'
Universalism resonates with people of all races, but our churches do not. Yet.
Risk blessing
To avoid decline, Unitarian Universalism must risk offering heart, spirituality, and blessing.
A spirit of fierce unrest
It is time for each congregation to find its greatness.
Spiritual landmark: A towering stronghold
Beverly, Illinois, Unitarian Universalists worship in a castle.
Campaign to restore First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
Spiritual landmark: First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.
Hand in hand, Fall 2011
We must do three things: get religion, grow leaders, and cross borders.
ZIP code: 02492
First Parish in Needham, Massachusetts.
Love, freedom, and wonder
Recalling a childhood in a Unitarian Universalist fellowship.
Let mission drive us
Welcoming change requires a strong sense of a congregation's mission.
ZIP code: 18976
BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Warrington, Pennsylvania.
Spiritual landmark, Summer 2011
The focal point of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Syracuse, N.Y., is a window depicting the world's religions.
With diversity comes strength
Our congregations are only starting to embrace what we teach our children.
Everything changes, and we must, too
Central to our faith tradition is our willingness to leave behind what no longer serves us.
A report from the front lines of the culture wars
Why my church voted to support same-sex marriage.
With kidney donation, congregation extends 'circle of care'
Member to donate kidney to religious education director, as others fundraise and cook.
An abortion hotline that doesn't judge
Activists at a New York church launch an abortion hotline that offers support without judgment.
ZIP code: 46226
All Souls Unitarian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Spiritual landmark, Spring 2011
Jefferson Unitarian Church keeps growing, building.
Jefferson Unitarian Church has expanded three times
Colorado church's additions make space for a growing congregation.
Chaos cats
They will spring your traps with impunity and lie in wait just to show you who's in charge.
Congregations give a hand to immigrants
'It is one thing to talk about immigration in the abstract and another to hear people's stories.'
Mi casa, tu casa, nuestra casa
¿Estamos dispuestos a incluir personas de diferentes culturas en nuestras congregaciones?
My home, your home, our home
What can we do to help others feel at home?
The Honey Springs worship committee ponders a revival
What would a Unitarian Universalist revival be reviving?
Spiritual landmark, Winter 2010
North Carolina congregation moved into a former dry-cleaning facility.
The spirituality of service
Giving our time to our congregations can be spiritually transformative.
The Honey Springs congregation confronts its ant problem
Conflict resolution in a congregation not unlike yours.
Choirs bring a 'heart connection'
Unitarian Universalist church choirs strengthen community, deepen personal spirituality.
Spiritual landmark: First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio
Tree motifs prominent in San Antonio church.
Unitarian Universalist culture needs to embrace spiritual complexity
Our minds are open; our hearts and hands are not.
Unitarian Universalists need a change of vision, not of culture
There are people like us in every community.
I'm proud of Unitarian Universalist culture
That's my culture you have identified as the number-one barrier to diversity.
Let's take off the hair shirt
We underestimate the very real obstacles we are up against.
Unitarian Universalism's rarefied culture
I feel comfortable in a Unitarian church only because I am not ethnocentric.
Unitarian Universalism's junior high factor
We were the kids who didn’t quite fit in.
What is Unitarian Universalist culture?
Is Unitarian Universalist congregational culture a barrier to a more diverse faith?
Unitarian Universalism's narrow niche
Six characteristics of Unitarian Universalist culture.
Social media help spread Unitarian Universalism
Facebook, Twitter, and other tools for sharing your congregation's good work.
Small fellowship builds without debt
Huntsville, Texas, Unitarian Universalists build a church for $105,000.
The 'it' church
If we 'get religion' we will thrive. If we don't, we will decline.
Transforming the Jericho Road
The Jericho Road Project links Unitarian Universalist professionals with nonprofits in struggling cities, creating a new avenue for social justice.
Congregations benefit from camp experience
'Retreating and camping is a growth opportunity for Unitarian Universalism.'
The Honey Springs worship committee plans its Easter service
A minister, a Pagan, a Christian, a Humanist, and an anthropologist set to work, in a congregation not unlike yours.
Who owns your congregation?
A congregation's owner isn't its board, minister, or members; it is its mission.
Can Unitarian Universalism change?
Our tradition has always been responsive to the needs of its time, but are we ready to adapt to our increasingly multicultural society?
Unitarian Universalism must change
We must admit that Unitarian Universalism has a specific, sometimes alienating culture, and we must change it.
Spiritual Landmark, Spring 2010
Historic landmark draws visitors, TV cameras.
Innovations help congregants hear
How some Unitarian Universalist churches are helping people with hearing disabilities.
Christmas nostalgia for the family we never were
I never rode in a one-horse open sleigh or saw visions of sugarplums dance in my head.
Restoring a Gilded Age church
Church built to honor William Ellery Channing in 1880 is restored for the 21st century.
What do you need a potion for?
Maybe I went too far mixing V8 and Pop Rocks, but life isn't always sweet.
The gospel of inclusion
The Universalism of former Pentecostal bishop Carlton Pearson.
Reach out to become a public church
A Unitarian Universalist church should see the greater good as its primary purpose.
Youth, adults bond through service trips
Service trips are a great way to help people in need.
Unitarian Universalism in Africa
Unitarian Universalism is growing rapidly in Africa, uniting people from many tribes to serve the poor.
Congregations organize to combat recession
Tightening their own belts, Unitarian Universalist churches help members in need.
The church board and the Illuminati
What did the Décor Committee know, and when did they know it?
Expanding a landmark
A green addition to a Frank Lloyd Wright landmark.
Congregations remain hopeful in face of recession
Most are worried about finding ways to support members in need.
The mini-golf church
Unitarian Universalists congregation in Colorado Springs bought an amusement park in 2007.
Congregations develop programs for seniors
What Unitarian Universalist congregations can do to make churches friendlier places for seniors.
Two die in Knoxville church shooting
Knoxville congregations, UUs nationwide reaffirm openness after July 27 attack.
More congregations create addiction ministries
125 Unitarian Universalist congregations now offer ministries to people struggling with addiction.
Rowe Camp chapel fully renovated
101-year-old building serves UU camp founded in 1924.
Congregations helping other congregations
Aiding another congregation gives 'sense of supporting a larger vision of Unitarian Universalism.'
The stages of rest
Four stages of burnout and recovery as the church year draws to a close.
Cedar Lane's modernist auditorium
Pietro Belluschi's design for a Unitarian Universalist church in Maryland.
The fellowship movement
A look back at the lay-led congregations that transformed Unitarianism.
Music programs key to congregational life
Growing diversity in music characterizes Unitarian Universalism today.
Adapting to children's needs for 200 years
How Unitarian and Universalist religious education evolved over two centuries.
New London congregation has room to grow
Remodeled sanctuary features skyscape mural.
Recycling an old church
Elements from a 1911 church are incorporated into a new sanctuary.
Congregations welcome transgender people
Unitarian Universalist churches, General Assembly affirm transgender people.
Spiritual landmark in Second Life
Building a church in virtual reality.
Starting a new congregation from scratch
How three new congregations began.
Confessions of a prodigal volunteer
Life after burning out at church.
Passionate, unfiltered voices about ministry
New book about congregations and ministers working together.
Midweek church nights build spirit
Dinner, programs, and worship for all ages bring people together on weeknights.
The spiritual practice of hospitality
Welcoming people to our congregations is a way to encounter the mystery and wonder of life.
Our calling, Summer 2007
The unfulfilled promise of a racially and culturally diverse Unitarian Universalism.
Churches take steps toward diverse, multicultural future
Congregations respond to the General Assembly's challenge to examine race and class.
Unitarian Universalists on the Eightfold Path
Buddhism puts down roots in American congregations.
Maryland congregation meets in a yurt
Sugarloaf Congregation of Unitarian Universalists builds inexpensive new home.
New playground illustrates UU Seven Principles
Texas church helps design and build Principles-themed playground.
What membership means
Our covenant is open to all who will enter it with us.
Interfaith community groups leverage power
Hundreds of people gathered on a specific issue can have a strong impact on elected leaders.
The church in the hill
Jacksonville, Fla., church is built into a hillside.
Congregations for the environment
Turning the UUA's Seventh Principle into a call to action.
Golden age of Unitarian growth
One person inspired eight new churches in a dozen years.
Centenarian ordained to honor long service
Muriel Davies ordained by Maryland church she founded almost 50 years ago.
Church meets gold standard for green buildings
Ohio fellowship gets LEED gold certification for new building.
Summer UU religious education programs
Children need religious education in the summer, too.
Musicians’ network offers children’s songbook
Thirty songs for children's choirs and worship services.
Community ministers help build bridges
Ministry to youth on an organic farm in Los Angeles links church to larger community.
Learning to raise lifelong UUs
We're not just a religion of exiles.
Outdoor labyrinth
Virginia church practices a centuries-old tradition.
Fairbanks home to northernmost UU congregation
New building puts Alaska congregation 'on the map.'
Reviving a 227-year-old church
How the oldest Universalist church in America came back to life.
Books to honor great occasions
Four new books celebrating life's passages.
'Great Story' religious education
Science and religion in the Sunday school.
The joys and challenges of covenant groups
Not all small groups are covenant groups.
Hurricanes’ devastation is emotional as well as physical
Florida UUs uneasy about third stormy year; Louisiana church is hiring to help volunteers.
UUs join interfaith efforts to shelter homeless
Unitarian Universalist congregations shelter the homeless.
Churches give away Sunday collection
Entire nonpledge Sunday offering donated to community groups every week.
Churches relying on renewable energy sources
Wind, solar, and geothermal power are among sources.
A death in Iraq; a church changed
An opponent becomes an ally after losing his soldier son.
Bare naked church ladies
Church's playful fundraising calendar celebrates senior women.
Tombaugh memorial window
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces honors a founding member's scientific achievements.
Interim ministers help ease transitions
Interim ministers help congregations make successful transitions between settled ministries.
New border ministry for El Paso
A Massachusetts church youth group calls border ministry in Mexico an 'eye-opener.'
Frank Lloyd Wright's Unitarian Universalist churches
Architect with Unitarian roots designed two famous UU churches.
Why I go to General Assembly
Denominational diversity in all its splendor.
Raising money through home hospitality
Congregations turn to creative fundraisers.
General Assembly Report 2004
Annual event in Long Beach, California
Enduring bond between American church and African clinic
Unity Church-Unitarian and the Nyirongo family.
Sharing the plate increases giving
More congregations give their Sunday offering to charity.
10 ways to make your religious education program boy-friendly
Are boys getting what they need at church?
When Sunday school isn't boy-friendly.
Congregations commit to civil liberties
UUA champions civil liberties as U.S. responds to 9/11.
Childhood memories of a Unitarian fellowship
The cartwheels, the parade, the presents for poor people.
The bold experiment of the fellowship movement
The do-it-yourself fellowship movement spread Unitarian congregations far and wide.
'His rightful place'
The Rev. W.H.G. Carter's great-granddaughter shares a family's living tradition.
A step toward racial reconciliation
A Cincinnati church reaches out to the family of a black Unitarian minister it rejected many years ago.
Grassroots work joins Unitarian Universalists, others
Faith-based community organizing builds alliances to make change.
Congregation's wall of remembrance
Sharing the grief of 9/11.
Unitarian Universalist responses to 9-11
Congregations near and far respond to 9/11.
UUs open their hearts in 9-11's aftermath
UU congregations and volunteers respond.
9-11 postcard from Brooklyn
One minister describes a day of shock and mourning.
UU churches in cities attacked on 9-11
Houses of hope.
Universalism: 200 years and growing
The spirit of Universalism and the future of Unitarian Universalism.
New Wichita church full of spaces for children
New UU building also has 'safe' rooms built to withstand tornadoes.
A bookshelf for inclusion
Five books to help congregations welcome people with disabilities.
ZIP code: 83843
UU Church of the Palouse, Moscow, Idaho.
Minnesota church's expansion offers sustainable beauty
White Bear church pulpit and one wall's paneling were made from trees the church displaced.
