Universalist Unitarian Congregation (UUC) has received recognition as a UUA Welcoming Congregation. This designation indicates that UUC has completed the UUA program to become intentionally more inclusive of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender (b/g/l/t) people.
As a Welcoming Congregation, UUC strives to:
- Include and address the needs of b/g/l/t persons at every level of congregational life—in worship, in programs, in social occasions, and in rites of passage—welcoming not only their presence, but the gifts and particularities of their lives.
- Assume the presence of b/g/l/t people and celebrate this diversity by having inclusive language and content in our worship.
- Fully incorporate the experiences of b/g/l/t persons throughout all programs, including religious education.
- Include an affirmation and nondiscrimination clause in our bylaws and other official documents affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
- Engage in outreach into the b/g/l/t community in advertising and by actively supporting b/g/l/t affirmative groups.
- Offer congregational and ministerial support for union and memorial services for b/g/l/t persons, and for celebrations of family definitions.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and welcome same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard to sexual orientation.
- Seek to nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual persons and to create deeper trust and sharing.
- Affirm and celebrate b/g/l/t issues and history during the church year.
- Attend to legislative developments and work to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
- Speak out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.
Learn more about the Welcoming Congregation program.
The Green Sanctuary Program is a UUA program that encourages congregations to practice the UUA’s Seventh Principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. The program is a means by which congregations can work toward focusing on the theological, spiritual and ethical aspects of human activities that affect the health and sustainability of the living earth. Each participating congregation completes at least 12 projects in four focus areas:
- Worship and Celebration
- Religious Education
- Environmental Justice
- Sustainable Living
The first step was to conduct an environmental audit, providing a snapshot of where the congregation stands with respect to its environmental behaviors. An action plan of projects/events was developed and submitted to the UUA. Once the plan was completed, the voting membership of the Congregation voted (on May 13, 2012) on its application to the UUA for certification as a Green Sanctuary Program. To view the application, click here.
On November 12, 2012, our congregation was approved as a Certified Green Sanctuary congregation. At the Sunday service on December 2, UUC member Dick Bauman read the approval letter to the Congretaion. | Audio link.
An accreditated Green Sanctuary Congregation is one that:
- Has received official recognition for completing the Green Sanctuary Program.
- Lives out its commitment to the Earth by creating sustainable lifestyles for its members as individuals and as a faith community.
- Is committed towards creating a religious community that has a fundamental, bottom-line, commitment to living in harmony with the Earth.
Learn more about the Green Sanctuary program.
- Adapted from UUA.org website.