Welcome to Unity Church!If you are a visitor or a newcomer to Unity Church–Unitarian, you will probably have many questions. This section is an overview to who we are, what we believe, and what to expect. You will find a warm welcome here.
Who attends Unity Church? Unity Church - Unitarian is an intergenerational congregation of about 900 adults and 450 children located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We strive for a deeply meaningful, transforming liberal religious experience, finding hope, beauty, and inspiration in our worship. Our religious community thrives on diversity. Many of our members were raised in other religious traditions and bring with them a variety of spiritual experiences. Our members are single and married, with or without children, and consist of people who are gay and straight. Our doors are open to all who wish to join us. We are a certified UUA Welcoming Congregation, one that welcomes and affirms bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender persons. We are an in the process of becoming an anti-racist congregation with a team of members actively engaged in helping us challenge racial barriers in our larger society and within our congregation. Our facilities are handicapped accessible and our Sanctuary is equipped for those who require additional amplification. What are Sunday worship services like at Unity Church? Our worship services begin at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 4:30 p.m. every Sunday during the regular church year. During the summer, from the Sunday before Memorial Day through the Sunday before Labor Day, there is one service each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Following the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services (and the 10:00 a.m. summer service), please visit the Parish Hall for refreshments and fellowship. If you come for the 4:30 p.m. service, please be our guest at a soup supper in the Parish Hall immediately following worship Visiting with kids? We’re delighted! On your first visit, you may choose to worship together as a family. Children and youth are welcome in our Sanctuary. Drop-in nursery care is available for little ones ages 6 months (and sitting up) to 3 years. Be sure to visit our Welcome Table in the Parish Hall and pick up a “New Family Welcome Packet” with information about our Ministry with Children and Youth. Some parents would like their children to experience Sunday School on their first visit. This can be arranged at any of our three services. We ask that a parent stay with each visiting child in their classroom for the duration of their first Sunday’s Religious Education sessions. If you call or email prior to your first visit, the Director of Religious Education, K.P. Hong, ([email protected]) can prepare a welcome and visiting plan specific to your child(ren)’s ages. See our Visiting with Kids page for more information or to set up a Sunday visit. Here are some helpful tips for your first Sunday at Unity Church with children:
What do Unitarian Universalists believe? Unity Church is a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, which includes over a thousand congregations throughout the United States and Canada. With its historical roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions, Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion -- that is, a religion that keeps an open mind to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places.We are a "non-creedal" religion: we do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. This means that Unitarian Universalists believe different things: some believe in a personal God and find great meaning and support in prayer; others pursue a non-theist path, using Buddhist meditation practices or yoga or some other discipline to deepen their spiritual lives. Humanists among us sometimes describe themselves as atheists or agnostics. UU Christians follow the path taught by Jesus of Nazareth, and those who arrive among us from a Jewish background retain their Jewish identity while whole-heartedly embracing their new religious home. For more information on our denomination, please visit the Unitarian Universalist Association’s website. How can one religious community hold so many people with different beliefs? We thrive on our religious differences, because we believe that in the search for spiritual wisdom and maturity there is no such thing as a final answer: we keep learning and deepening our understanding all our lives. We therefore strive to create within our walls a lively and engaged religious home that supports the spiritual journeys of our members and friends through meaningful worship, quality religious education classes for adults and children and youth, Covenant Group discussions, exploration of a variety of spiritual disciplines, and socially engaged ministry in the wider world. What's going on at Unity Church and how can I get connected? We are a community of communities. We are a congregation with many opportunities to connect with others.There are many fellowship groups where members gather to share similar interests or a desire for broader and deeper fellowship. Spiritual practice offerings provide a small-group means to connect on a spiritual level beyond Sunday services with others from the church community. Community Outreach Ministry Teams allow our members to live out their liberal religious values in the world by engaging in social justice work, service, education, and advocacy to the larger community. These programs provide a catalyst for positive personal change as well as change in our local community and the world. Innovative lifelong religious education programs for children, youth, and adults, all provide opportunities for spiritual development. The Music Ministry is integrated into the life of the church through choirs, concerts, and community outreach. Our libraries and bookstall team uses resources across different medias to bring the church together using the monthly theological themes. Unity Church also holds Wellspring Wednesdays, a mid-week gathering for dinner, a short worship, classes, workshops, and fellowship every Wednesday evening. Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a short intergenerational worship service at 6:45, and workshops and classes begin about 7:10 p.m. Opportunities for fellowship occur all evening long and everyone is welcome. Mentoring at Unity: A Path to Deeper Connection Unity Church has a new mentor program, which is now available to visitors and new members! What can a mentor offer? A mentor is available as a guide and a resource in the congregation. They pledge to meet at least once a month face to face, and be available for ongoing questions and advice. Each mentor/mentee team can decide what is most helpful — to have a buddy with whom to attend services and events, a partner with whom to discuss Unitarian Universalism and each other’s spiritual journeys, and more. Each pair makes a commitment to work together for at least six months. If you have questions, or would like to request a mentor, please stop by the Welcome Table in the Parish Hall or email Laura Park at [email protected]. We welcome you to join with us in worship and community. |
Photos courtesy of Morgan Sheff Photography.
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© Unity Church-Unitarian • 733 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104 • 651-228-1456 • [email protected] • A Welcoming Congregation