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Membership

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Welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Fairhaven!

We are so glad you are here. 

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) recognizes us as a Welcoming Congregation.

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The term “Welcoming Congregation” has a special meaning in our faith tradition. It represents our commitment to offering an abiding welcome to LGBTQ individuals and families.

 

If you have questions regarding joining, please call the office at 508-992-7081 or email welcome@uufairhaven.org. Ashley Aadland-Lessa, our Membership Coordinator, or a member of the Membership Committee, will be happy to answer any questions you may have either over the phone, via email, or in person on Sundays! 

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If you haven’t visited us yet, you are invited to join us on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. (in person or via the Zoom link posted on our calendar/Facebook page) or for one of our fun community events! The first step to joining is attending our services when you are able to get a better feel for who we are and what we do! When you visit, please leave your contact information so that we can reach out! 

 

The image below can help you learn more about what membership at the church entails!

LEARN. Participate in an Adult Faith Formation course -OR- Participate in a self-study and

Our Congregation

Our congregation is composed of approximately 160 members and many friends. While our buildings are in Fairhaven, our members live all over South Coast Massachusetts! We also use Zoom to stream our service each week and have visitors and long-term attendees from across the country. 

Green Sanctuary

We are a Green Sanctuary which is a congregation that lives out its commitment to the Earth by creating sustainable lifestyles for its members as individuals and as a faith community. 

Social Justice

We have a strong commitment to social justice issues and have a strong activist presence here on the South Coast. 600+ people beyond our congregation subscribe to our bimonthly Justice and Service Newsletter!

Welcoming Congregation

The term “Welcoming Congregation” has a special meaning in our faith tradition. It represents our commitment to offering an abiding welcome to LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

If you’d like more information about membership, get in touch today.

Ways to Get Involved

Small Group Ministry

The mission of the Small Group Ministry program is to provide a trusting and nurturing community in which our members can explore their spiritual beliefs, further their personal growth, serve the larger community, and establish and sustain deep connections among group members and our church community.

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Small Group Ministry is a dynamic lay-led program that has been offered here in Fairhaven since the spring of 2003. You are invited to join this grass roots movement to get to know others and to get to know yourself!

  • Groups of 6 to 10 church members gather for 1-2 hours, 1-2 times a month to share their stories and ideas, establish strong bonds of friendship and trust, and to deepen their spirituality.

  • Small groups explore the spiritual dimension of a variety of topics, ranging from religious concepts to daily habits, and anything in between! Some small groups are centered around a specific topic, and some are broader.

  • Each meeting encourages the group members to think deeply about themselves and their spiritual journey. The groups are careful not to give advice, but to share their experiences, practice deep listening, and provide a safe place for members to explore new thoughts and ideas. Most group members discover that the personal exploration continues well beyond the 2-hour meeting time.

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To “Minister” is to Give Help

As a member of Small Group Ministry, you will have the opportunity to minister to yourself, to the other members of your group, and to the larger community.

  • Each group meeting always has one empty chair to signify the spirit of inclusiveness and welcome to the possibility of new members joining their group. Each new person who joins a group offers a new opportunity to learn, grow and forge new relationships. The groups are open to all possibilities.

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How do I join a Small Group?

If you have questions or would like to join a small group, please contact the church office at office@uufairhaven.org. We’ll be glad to let you know about our most current group offerings!

Small Groups Currently Offered

Friends Having Coffee

Women's Alliance

This group is more than 100 years old. It seeks to help benefit the lives of women, non-binary people, and children. They provide hands-on assistance on Sundays and plan events – both “just for fun” and for fundraising!  All are welcome. 

Fishing

Men's Fellowship

This group invites all to join. They often lead recreational, outdoor activities (open to all) and lead many fundraising events for to the church. 

Gardening

Growing Older Gracefully

Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays @ 2 pm in Harrop Center and led by Rev. Ann Fox. “Come and share your thoughts – about your life, what’s on your mind, these days, what’s amusing, what’s not….The sky is the limit! Looking forward to seeing you.” – Rev. Ann C. Fox, Minister Emerita Newcomers are welcome!

Our congregation is a congregation-governed religious community, we are individually empowered to help with the work of the church. A variety of committees, teams, the Board of Governors, the Committee on Shared Ministry, and various ad hoc working groups all help to keep the church running in collaboration with our staff and ministry team.

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If you are interested in joining a committee or learning about the many opportunities to serve the congregation, please reach out to the office!

 

Areas of involvement include: 

  • Religious Education Team

  • Stewardship-Membership Team

  • Social Justice Umbrella Team

  • Finance Committee

  • Property Committee

  • Music Team

  • And more!

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Committees & Teams

Brief Introduction to Unitarian Universalist History and Current Thinking

We are both an old and a new religion.

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The unitarian and universalist ideas go as far back as the Nicea Council in 326 when one theological position was unitarian (the wholeness of God via Arius, the presbyter) and the other position was trinitarian (God as three-in-one via Athanasius, a bishop). Universal salvation was also held by many early church fathers.

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Following the decision to adopt the Apostle’s Creed, these ideas were heretical and people were killed for espousing them. Following the Reformation in the sixteenth century, people who held these ideas eventually formed liberal religious organizations in Europe and later in eighteenth and nineteenth century America.

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In the twentieth century, the Unitarians and the Universalists found they had more similarities than differences and so they merged in 1961. As our congregations struggled with the questions of traditional Christianity, they recognized that their religious response to the world was deeply inspired by Judeo-Christian teachings and many other teachings.

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Following is a quote from the Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide, page x of the Preface:

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“To be human is to be religious. To be religious is to make connections. The word religio in Latin means to reconnect. To lead a meaningful life among the many competing forces of the twenty-first century, each of us needs support in making meaningful reconnections to the best in our global heritage, the best in others, and the best in ourselves.”

What is Unitarian Universalism?

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal, non-credal religion. Our congregation has a wide variety of beliefs.

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Many of us come from a Christian tradition, and still hold some Christian beliefs. Others are humanist, believing in humanity as the source of spiritual inspiration, and focusing on human values and concerns. 

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Some of our members embrace earth-centered, nature-based religious beliefs. Others draw inspiration from the Eastern Religions.  

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Most of us still consider ourselves spiritual explorers; our beliefs evolve as our spiritual and intellectual understanding and experiences continue to shape us.

 

In the 1980’s, Unitarian Universalists congregations across North America met in focus groups to consider a set of Principles we could all mostly agree with and a set of Sources from which we draw our inspiration.

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This process took three years of discussion, from 1981 to 1984, and then the fine points of language were struggled with and agreed upon with a final vote at the 1985 General Assembly.  Another source was added in 1995.

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We are clear that these Principles and Sources will change as our collective understanding changes. Following are the Principles and Sources in the words that are written into our Association’s bylaws.

Our
Faith
Our 
Principles

We, the Member Congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Covenant to Affirm and Promote:

  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person,

  • Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations,

  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations,

  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning,

  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large,

  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all,

  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

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