Frequently Asked Questions

What do adults wear?
You are welcome to come in whatever makes you comfortable. You'll find most people wearing casual attire -- everything from typical "Friday casual days" wear to jeans and T-shirts. But there are a few men who feel more comfortable in a coat and tie and a few women likely to wear a dress or suit. 

What do children wear?
Children will be fine in sneakers and jeans or any other play clothes. They will probably spend part of the Religious Education class sitting in a circle on a carpet, and another working with paste, glue, paint or crayons. They play in the yard when the weather is appropriate. Please dress them accordingly.

Is your church accessible to people in wheelchairs?
Yes. Several members use wheelchairs. There is a ramp at both the front and back entrance and an accessible bathroom. The hallway and doorways are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, too. There are, of course, parking spaces designated for handicap use.

What other accessibility issues have you addressed?
We have several large-print hymnals and orders of service at the usher's table as you enter the worship space. Please let us know if one of these would be helpful to you. Once a month a professional interpreter signs our services for the deaf and hearing impaired community.

What do children do during the service?
We provide childcare for children babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, beginning at 9:45 a.m., allowing parents to get their children settled before the service begins (at 10:00 a.m.). Children from K-12 join the adults for the first part of the service, which is geared to accommodate them. They and their teachers then go to their Religious Education classes. 

May our child stay with us during the service?
Of course. Most Sundays there are a few young ones in the congregation. 

How do I find you?
We're on the southbound service drive of Northwestern Highway, south of 10 Mile Road. See our map.

Will I be welcome?
Absolutely. Your first sign of welcome will be the parking spots reserved just for visitors. As you enter (at our front door), you will be greeted by church members who will officially welcome you, provide you with a nametag, and answer questions you may have (ranging from where do I hang my coat to where is my child's classroom to what can I expect this morning). Ours is a diverse community: young and old, walking and wheeling, straight, lesbian, gay and transgendered, black and white, singles, couples, and families. You'll meet social workers, teachers, carpenters, nurses, doctors, secretaries, lawyers, artists, business folk, computer programmers, unemployed people, homemakers, students, retired people, and much more. 

Do you welcome gays and lesbians?
Yes. We have many active members of our community who are openly gay or lesbian. Some come just for Sunday services. Some serve on committees or on our Board of Governors. All are integrated into our community.

Will I be pressured to join or to be saved?
No. We'll welcome you at the door. We'll chat with you during coffee hour after the service. We'll send you our newsletter for a while. We'd be happy to have you join us, but we won't try to push ourselves on you. We never ask newcomers to join the church on a first visit. In fact, we recommend you visit for a while 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. 

What goes on during the worship services?
We usually have:

* An opening piece of music
* Introductions - The minister or guest speaker introduces herself/himself and a few other staff members. We invite visitors to stay to meet people after the service
* A short story/parable for the children (it usually relates to the days' sermon topic)
* Sharing - We invite people to share their Joys and Sorrows with the congregation (The children and their teachers do this first. Later in the service, the remaining adults share.)
* Several hymns
* The morning offering
* A reading
* Live music (piano, other instruments, our growing and welcoming choir)
* A sermon (See the Upcoming Services page for a list of topics. Or read past sermons.)
* Announcements
* Coffee and optional discussion groups

Our minister is in the pulpit three Sundays a month; on the fourth we are lay-led or have a guest minister.

Does your congregation have diverse beliefs?
Yes, indeed. Most of us started out as Jewish, Catholic or Protestant. Some of us are still Christian or Jewish. Some are agnostics or atheists. Some believe in an earth-based spirituality. Some are Buddhists. Some are humanists. Some are theists. We all believe in the search for truth and a deeper meaning in life. Learn more about our beliefs from Rev. Riegel's recent sermon.

What does your church look like?
Right now it is a one-story U-shaped building with a Memorial Garden and a play yard for the children. But we are about to build a new addition that will provide us with a larger worship space and other amenities. It will be more visible from the street and will incorporate sustainable ("green") building techniques allowing us to live one of our principles.

How do I become a member?
We strongly suggest you attend our services until you are comfortable with us. We have new member orientation meetings every few months. We suggest you attend one of those, too. Once you have decided you want to join, you sign the membership book in the presence of our minister or a board member. You will be asked to make a financial contribution, in any amount, to the church every year. You don't have to sign any statement of creed or belief.

Credit: We'd like to thank Gila Jones, one of the moderators of the UUA-sponsored Newcomers e-mail list, for most of the questions above. The answers are our own.