At UUCP, we are Unitarian Universalists, people of many backgrounds who have different beliefs, but shared values. Together, we offer a guided path towards a better you and a better world. The tabs below describe what is most fundamental to UUism. When you’re ready, you can explore how we experience UUism at UUCP.
We Are Unitarian Universalists
Animator—Elliott Cennamo
Voiceover—Stephanie Carey Maron
Video Transcript
A transcript of the video is available if you prefer to read it.
We are Unitarian Universalists. We are people of many paths who are brave, curious, and compassionate thinkers and doers.
Every day, people are inundated with information, overwhelmed by demands, and pulled by a culture that seeks to divide us from the web of life. Unitarian Universalism reconnects, bringing people together with meaning and inspiration. We are a house without walls, a congregation without spiritual limits, and a movement that calls you to put more faith in yourself, your community, and your beliefs. We are a faith that honors your mind, your heart, your journey. Simply put, we are a guided path towards a better you and a better world.
Grounded in more than two hundred years of thoughtful, spiritual communities, we are people of many generations, ethnicities, genders and sexualities, and spiritual backgrounds. People engaged in making the world a better place. People focusing on what really matters – love, justice, integrity, and hope.
Unitarian Universalists have different beliefs. but shared values. We are Unitarian Universalists, and at the same time we may also be agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, humanist, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, atheist, believers in God, and those who just let the great mystery be. The diversity of beliefs you’ll find in a Unitarian Universalist community is one of our strengths – we’re always learning how to see the world from a different perspective.
What unites us are our core principles that uphold seven real-world values:
Believing in the worthiness of every person.
Showing compassion and fairness.
Accepting others for who they are.
Growing through a personal search for truth.
Leading with democratic spirit.
Working for justice.
And understanding that everything is interconnected.
Seven days a week, Unitarian Universalists live these principles by doing. When we gather we worship, reflect and remind ourselves what matters most in life. Whatever our age, we learn to live with more wisdom, more awareness, more gratitude and more soul.
We show our values by showing up to answer the call for social justice. We have a track record of siding on the side of love for civil rights, LGBTQ equality, immigration reform, environmental sustainability, reproductive justice, racial justice, and more.
Find what it means to live your deepest values out loud. Join us on this extraordinary adventure of faith!
What Matters to Us
As Unitarian Universalists, we draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.
Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
created by: Tanya Webster
Interdependence.
We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
Pluralism.
We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
Justice.
We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
Transformation.
We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Generosity.
We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
Equity.
We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
Direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder are primary sources of Unitarian Universalist inspiration. These experiences open our hearts, renew our spirits, and transform our lives. We draw upon, and are inspired by, sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. We respect the histories, contexts, and cultures in which these sources were created and are currently practiced. Grateful for the experiences that move us, aware of the religious ancestries we inherit, and enlivened by the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.
Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to truly welcome all persons who share our values. We commit to empowering and enhancing everyone’s participation, especially those with historically marginalized identities.
Congregational freedom and the individual’s right of conscience are central to our Unitarian Universalist heritage. We do not require that members adhere to a particular creed, but to agree to our mission and shared covenant.
Shared Unitarian Universalist Values
As Unitarian Universalists, we draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.
Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
created by: Tanya Webster
Interdependence.
We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
Pluralism.
We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
Justice.
We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
Transformation.
We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Generosity.
We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
Equity.
We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
Inspirations
Direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder are primary sources of Unitarian Universalist inspiration. These experiences open our hearts, renew our spirits, and transform our lives. We draw upon, and are inspired by, sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. We respect the histories, contexts, and cultures in which these sources were created and are currently practiced. Grateful for the experiences that move us, aware of the religious ancestries we inherit, and enlivened by the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.
Inclusion
Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to truly welcome all persons who share our values. We commit to empowering and enhancing everyone’s participation, especially those with historically marginalized identities.
Freedom of belief
Congregational freedom and the individual’s right of conscience are central to our Unitarian Universalist heritage. We do not require that members adhere to a particular creed, but to agree to our mission and shared covenant.
UU Principles
There are seven Principles that Unitarian Universalist congregations 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
UU Sources
Unitarian Universalism draws from many Sources:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life
- Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love
- Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature
Ready to learn more? Discover what Unitarian Universalism looks like at UUCP.