What to Expect in Worship
If you are visiting us for the first time, we look forward to welcoming you!
What should I (and my children) wear?
We want you to be comfortable. Jeans and shorts are welcome, as is your Sunday best. Shirts and shoes are required, but otherwise we do not have a dress code.
What time should we arrive?
Our Sunday worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. but we encourage you to come a bit earlier.
Our Welcome Ambassadors arrive at 10:00 a.m. to begin greeting first time visitors at our Welcome Table inside the front door. They will invite you to complete a guest registry card, make a stick-on name tag, show children the nursery and classrooms, answer any questions, and provide literature about Unitarian Universalism, our congregation, our Religious Education program, and our LGBTQIA Welcoming Ministry.
You are also welcome to join our informal small group Coffee Conversations between 9:30 and 10:15.
Where do I park?
You will find a few parking spaces reserved for Visitors conveniently located opposite our front door. If our parking lot is full there is overflow parking available – just follow the signs.
Is your building wheelchair accessible?
Yes, our building is wheelchair accessible. We are on one level, inside and out. Handicap parking spaces are near the front door.
Is babysitting available?
Yes, our nursery is staffed with two babysitters for children under four years of age. We also have a “wiggle room” at the rear of the sanctuary where you can sit with a baby while seeing and hearing the worship service.
Is there child care or Sunday school during the service?
Yes, children of visitors are very welcome in our religious education classrooms. The children begin the worship service seated with their family, then leave for classes after the Time for All Ages early in the service. Classes are dismissed when the worship service ends at 11:30 and the children join everyone for refreshments and fellowship.
What about welcoming LGBTQIA individuals?
Yes, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual – whatever your gender identity, gender expression, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, family or relationship structure, you can be at home here. We welcome and affirm each person as an individual.
What about Christians or other faiths?
Yes, we have both present and former Protestant and Catholic Christians as well as Buddhists, Jews, Mormons, Bahai’i, agnostics, atheists, humanists, philosophers and more. We welcome people from all religious backgrounds and beliefs. We have a Christian Fellowship group that meets regularly to discuss issues from a Christian perspective. We have many multifaith families.
Are there Pagans at your church?
Yes, our church has an Affinity Group called Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS) who meet regularly for fellowship and rituals.
What goes on during your Sunday worship service?
We are a lay-led congregation. Each week a different speaker presents a thought-provoking and inspiring topic. Throughout the year speakers may include Unitarian Universalist ministers, Jewish rabbis, Buddhist or Bahai’i leaders, college professors, and members of our own congregation. The format for most worship services stays the same, including uplifting music, spiritual readings, brief sharing of personal joys and concerns, and collecting the offering. One Sunday isn’t enough to grasp the full nature of our church.
Visitors are welcomed at the beginning of the service and invited to introduce themselves if they are comfortable doing so.
What about religious holidays and rituals?
We have a year-long liturgical calendar for worship services that recognizes many of the holidays and holy days of major world religions, often with an appropriate speaker. Two of our special Unitarian Universalist rituals are Water Sharing, a homecoming celebration the first Sunday after Labor Day, and Flower Communion that takes place on Easter Sunday. We also have a traditional Christmas Eve service of music and readings.
In addition to our regular worship services we hold special ceremonies for life milestones such as child dedication (birth), bridging (completing high school), marriage (including same sex couples), and celebration of life (death).
What if I have more questions?
Please contact our Membership Chair at membership@bbuuc.org and they will be happy to speak with you personally.