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Safe churches need policies and vigilance
Models for congregations that strive to be free of sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct.
Up to our necks
As a nation, we are buried up to our necks in a history of violence against people of color.
Alzheimer's caregiving takes a village
How UUs can better serve people with dementia and their loved ones.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado, needed transformation. What a difference five years has made!
In hopes of traveling light
Some people seek balance and stability, but I like to be off-kilter.
Selling the seeds of change
A UU-founded company is on a mission to reclaim our seed heritage.
When pigs fly
Do we try too hard to grasp joy when it comes?
Opportunities are always there
Thriving congregations have leaders who seize the opportunities before them.
Room to be both Jewish and UU
Religious pluralism was as much a part of our lives as the Southern drawl that flavored our interactions.
The soundtrack of childhood cancer
Alastair Moock's songs for his 5-year-old with leukemia now help many other families, too.
Kairos, engagement, and marriage in Little Rock
What I experienced in the rotunda of an Arkansas courthouse was an ethos of graciousness.
Justice journeys with the UU College of Social Justice
The UU College of Social Justice offers experiential learning and social justice training programs.
Growing up on Star Island
Looking back on my summers spent at a beloved UU retreat.
Spiritual landmarks: Exploring Boston's churches
Three historic churches are home to Unitarian Universalist congregations in downtown Boston.
Fellowship days
I remember the truth and the love and the social justice, but also the cartwheels and the donuts.
SUUSI: The other General Assembly
Unitarian Universalists get hooked on SUUSI,
a high-energy, thinking-person's family camp.
Following my moral compass
We all navigate through circumstances at the limits of human experience.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Harmony, Landen, Ohio
Innovative lay-led congregation has unusually high ratio of children to adults.
Singing for humanity: The Pete Seeger saga
Speaking truth to power, with banjos and boats.
Parents of murdered teen raise awareness about dating violence
'Grief is the hard form of caring,' says Malcolm Astley, the father of a murdered teen.
An origins story in glass
Laurie Bieze's stained glass windows tell an evolutionary creation story.
A letter about Santa and God
By telling the truth about Santa, maybe I can better explain what I believe about God.
A lie, or just editing?
How much can you alter a story before it’s not itself any more?
Paying my rent to the planet
I pick up litter for an hour on my early morning dog walk.
How to become a peacemaker
Four broad, ancient guidelines for human behavior at the heart of every religion.
Gini Courter's revolution
The UUA's longest serving moderator reflects on a legacy of volunteer leadership.
A pond behind the church?
In my experience, no one improves by way of a scolding.
Choice words
Hands-off parenting gives kids choices they aren't ready to make.
Spiritual landmark: Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs
Florida church home to largest collection of paintings by George Inness Jr.
Magic Mondays
Three decades later, a weekly women's group is still going strong.
Where is your water from?
When you pour water into your congregation's Water Communion bowl, where will it come from?
Kay Montgomery's retirement marks end of an era
Kay Montgomery has held the number two position on the UUA staff for almost thirty years, becoming its 'heart and nervous system.'
Now let us sing
What is your favorite Unitarian Universalist hymn?
'The only place I can really be me'
Summer camps help kids build their Unitarian Universalist identity.
Sacred ground
The Boston Marathon bombings desecrated a public ritual and a beloved place.
Praying for each other
People felt closer to the church community, knowing the struggle of another in the room.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: Unitarian Church of Sharon, Massachusetts
How a small church chose to invest in a more ambitious future.
The lesson of Clive
I am a rock person; my husband is a cloud person.
The spirituality of the body
People watch the Super Bowl for reasons not usually recognized as spiritual, though they are.
Pet ministry: Caring for all creatures
UUs are providing comfort for ill or dying pets and their caregivers.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: First Parish in Bedford, Massachusetts
At First Parish in Bedford, worship is 'holy theater' and anything but stuffy.
Tim DeChristopher's path
How an undergraduate's activism led him to prison, and to plans to become a UU minister.
Zach Wahls takes on Boy Scouts
UU Eagle Scout Zach Wahls leads the charge to end the ban on gay Scouts.
The gravity of family
All my adult life, I have valued my chosen relationships over the ones I was born into.
Steps toward a nuclear-free world
How my congregation works for a nuclear-free future.
UUA membership declines for fourth year
Over the past decade, 22 percent of congregations have shrunk by 20 percent or more.
'Called out into the great, open, windy world'
Jack Mendelsohn made social justice essential to Unitarian Universalist identity.
Spiritual landmark: UU Congregation of Phoenix
Safe haven in a desert landscape.
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: All Souls New London, Connecticut
An attitudinal shift transformed All Souls New London.
The Zen koan of Baizhang’s fox
We are what we do. And whatever we are, unless we notice and take corrective action, we just become more of it.
Bound to the last spot of land in Louisiana
A visit to Plaquemines Parish, just ahead of Hurricane Isaac.
A recipe for connection
An hour spent looking through old recipes is like a visit with old friends.
We know we will be safe here
When my husband became my wife, our congregation welcomed us again.
Follow 'Justice General Assembly' with UU World
Keep up with the latest news from the UUA's Arizona GA.
'Justice for everyone'
Unitarian Universalists in Danbury, Connecticut, help immigrants directly every week.
Helping children understand ‘white lies’
UUA Breakthrough Congregation: UU Church of Ogden, Utah
Worship is always multigenerational at the UU Church of Ogden, Utah.
Service is our prayer
Acts of service have spiritual and psychological dimensions, too.
Hand in hand, Summer 2012
The true test of this year's GA is what our congregations in every state do five years from now.
Spiritual connections to the universe for teens
Spiritual landmark, Spring 2012
Fellowship's lighthouse motif evokes 'free and responsible search for truth and meaning.'
Occupy paradise
I was willing to be arrested to be part of something beautiful.
A Titanic victim's architectural legacy
Unitarian brothers Edward Austin Kent and William Winthrop Kent designed Buffalo church.
A book group for the ages
An Illinois church's intergenerational book club creates connections.
Disney buys UU's 'Dark Life'
Unitarian Universalist Principles infuse Kat Falls's children's books.
Dating rules for Unitarian Universalist teens
For love and justice
Unitarian Universalists mobilize in response to laws
that tear families apart and abuse immigrants.
Enforcing gender stereotypes in the shoe department
How my testimony went viral
Values I learned from my two moms and UU church led me to testify before the Iowa House.
When parents practice different faiths, stress beliefs not truths
A passion for environmental justice
For the Rev. Bob Murphy, environmentalism and ministry overlap like the shoreline and the sea.
Serving, as families, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Bethlehem's hospitality
I'm chagrined to learn that our Christmas pageants have the birth in the stable all wrong.
The best gift that money can't buy
What is the best non-commercial gift you’ve ever received, and why?
Teaching gratitude in a culture of consumerism
Isipho binds Atlanta UUs to African village
'The impact of Isipho on us has been massive. Our whole family is different.'
Spiritual landmark: A towering stronghold
Beverly, Illinois, Unitarian Universalists worship in a castle.
Holidays: Time for interfaith dialogue with your parents
A candy bar for death
I remember exactly when I first became afraid of death in a more-than-childish way.
Pets, children, and the Seven Principles
Passing it on from the land of plenty
Eddie O'Toole ships American surplus to Honduras, dramatically affecting people's lives.
Marilyn Sewell's next calling
Retired minister speaks about the documentary film made about her.
Windows and mirrors
I was watching my son through the dim reflection of myself.
Campaign to restore First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
Spiritual landmark: First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.
Finca Esperanza Verde: 'What ecotourism should be'
An organic coffee farm and ecotourism lodge
founded by a Unitarian Universalist couple
is a model for just and sustainable tourism.
The raucous gardening fairy
So much for a tranquil ten minutes in the garden.
Fourth Principle holiday idea: Ingersoll Day
A panhandler's greeting means 'Look at me'
I stop for everyone who greets me, including panhandlers.
‘Bless you’: Social convention or theological statement?
Lucy Stone Cooperative rooted in UU values
Young adults create Boston housing cooperative.
Vacation Bible school for Unitarian Universalist kids?
Remembering liberation on Memorial Day
Mom, four kids, a year of service
Teresa Keller and four kids are spending a year in service around the globe.
Introducing meditation to children and youth
Eggplant extravaganza
What happened when I vowed to get all my vegetables from a local farmshare.
Bunnies, eggs, and resurrection
Talking with children about horrific news
A report from the front lines of the culture wars
Why my church voted to support same-sex marriage.
Stories about evil can be good for kids
An abortion hotline that doesn't judge
Activists at a New York church launch an abortion hotline that offers support without judgment.
Chaos cats
They will spring your traps with impunity and lie in wait just to show you who's in charge.
Dinner with Monsanto
Planting the seeds for a code of ethics for bioengineers.
Finding, and shaping, a religious community
Preparing children for a world that doesn’t share their values
Congregations give a hand to immigrants
'It is one thing to talk about immigration in the abstract and another to hear people's stories.'
Slowing down when the holidays speed up
Mi casa, tu casa, nuestra casa
¿Estamos dispuestos a incluir personas de diferentes culturas en nuestras congregaciones?
My home, your home, our home
What can we do to help others feel at home?
Celebrating the winter holidays
The Christmas tallis
Celebrating the holidays with my interfaith family.
If you want grateful children, be grateful
Raising children who value justice and compassion
Sudden death
The real sting of death is the thought that all life’s possibilities were supposed to wait until I got around to paying attention.
Tricks and treats: Parenting and costume choices
Twenty years of the partner church movement
How partnerships between American and Transylvanian Unitarian Universalists transformed both.
The partner church movement today
Almost 200 North American UU congregations have partner churches in other parts of the world.
My child came home wearing a cross
Service is our prayer
When we serve we become more compassionate, more sensitive, more understanding, and more aware.
The spirituality of service
Giving our time to our congregations can be spiritually transformative.
Choirs bring a 'heart connection'
Unitarian Universalist church choirs strengthen community, deepen personal spirituality.
There is enough
There's enough for you. There's enough for me. We don't have to throw anybody under the bus.
Unitarian Universalist culture needs to embrace spiritual complexity
Our minds are open; our hearts and hands are not.
What my GPS has taught me about parenting
Unitarian Universalists need a change of vision, not of culture
There are people like us in every community.
I'm proud of Unitarian Universalist culture
That's my culture you have identified as the number-one barrier to diversity.
Raising resilient nonconformists
Let's take off the hair shirt
We underestimate the very real obstacles we are up against.
Unitarian Universalism's rarefied culture
I feel comfortable in a Unitarian church only because I am not ethnocentric.
Unitarian Universalism's junior high factor
We were the kids who didn’t quite fit in.
Unitarian Universalism's narrow niche
Six characteristics of Unitarian Universalist culture.
What is Unitarian Universalist culture?
Is Unitarian Universalist congregational culture a barrier to a more diverse faith?
Gender stereotypes and raising UU kids
Helping children develop a healthy sexuality
The catch
I haven't played chess in decades, yet somehow I've ended up with a chess player's worldview.
Social media help spread Unitarian Universalism
Facebook, Twitter, and other tools for sharing your congregation's good work.
Parenting as children grow up and choose their own paths
The 'it' church
If we 'get religion' we will thrive. If we don't, we will decline.
Spiritual practices for children and youth
The great mystery: Talking about death
Transforming the Jericho Road
The Jericho Road Project links Unitarian Universalist professionals with nonprofits in struggling cities, creating a new avenue for social justice.
Congregations benefit from camp experience
'Retreating and camping is a growth opportunity for Unitarian Universalism.'
It’s not easy being UU in middle school
Spiritual and ethical growth spurts
Is Unitarian Universalism for kids?
Who owns your congregation?
A congregation's owner isn't its board, minister, or members; it is its mission.
Sharing beliefs is not indoctrination
The unique challenges of Unitarian Universalist parenting
Welcome to UU World's parenting blog!
Innovations help congregants hear
How some Unitarian Universalist churches are helping people with hearing disabilities.
What moves you?
We only find ourselves when we lose ourselves in service to something that transcends us.
Christmas nostalgia for the family we never were
I never rode in a one-horse open sleigh or saw visions of sugarplums dance in my head.
A poet's grief
Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno's poetry chronicles her grief after her daughter's murder.
Restoring a Gilded Age church
Church built to honor William Ellery Channing in 1880 is restored for the 21st century.
The DIY spiritual practice
A spiritual practice my wife and I cobbled together.
What do you need a potion for?
Maybe I went too far mixing V8 and Pop Rocks, but life isn't always sweet.
The gospel of inclusion
The Universalism of former Pentecostal bishop Carlton Pearson.
Unitarian Universalists want our movement to change
A letter from the newly elected president of the UUA.
Youth, adults bond through service trips
Service trips are a great way to help people in need.
From mother to gypsy
Saying goodbye to the home where I raised my children.
Their spirit is still with us
One year after a gunman opened fire in the Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville.
Unitarian Universalism in Africa
Unitarian Universalism is growing rapidly in Africa, uniting people from many tribes to serve the poor.
The promised land is under your feet
Communities owe their health to those with the fortitude to stay put.
President Sinkford's public witness
President William G. Sinkford looks back on eight years of leadership.
Congregations organize to combat recession
Tightening their own belts, Unitarian Universalist churches help members in need.
Graduation day
Parenthood makes life serious and challenges you to push past limitations you have accepted too easily. But those issues don't go away when you decide not to have children.
Expanding a landmark
A green addition to a Frank Lloyd Wright landmark.
The love truck
The Karma Fairy is laughing her head off at the SUV in my driveway.
True to my lineage
The Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed's quest for spiritual integration.
Congregations remain hopeful in face of recession
Most are worried about finding ways to support members in need.
Working together to create common security
Sharing each other's burdens in a time of economic crisis.
A little of that human touch
Relationship insights from the Boss.
The mini-golf church
Unitarian Universalists congregation in Colorado Springs bought an amusement park in 2007.
Watching the evidence change
A meditation on the inauguration of President Barack Obama, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Hold on: The wisdom of endurance
Suffering and anxiety are usually just as finite and
time-limited as high passion and unalloyed joy.
The devil and Martha Stewart
Don’t give in to the voice that fuels the fires of perfectionism—especially here at the holidays.
The ghosts of Unitarian Christmas
'A Christmas Carol,' updated.
Congregations develop programs for seniors
What Unitarian Universalist congregations can do to make churches friendlier places for seniors.
More congregations create addiction ministries
125 Unitarian Universalist congregations now offer ministries to people struggling with addiction.
Ted Sorensen, JFK's Unitarian speechwriter
An interview with President Kennedy's counselor and speechwriter.
Do you have just enough anxiety?
Anxiety can be a major source of energy in our lives and our organizations.
How to raise a mensch
Cultivating your child's ethical and spiritual growth.
General Assembly: 'The threshold of a new era'
UUA General Assembly resounds with calls for liberal leadership.
Congregations helping other congregations
Aiding another congregation gives 'sense of supporting a larger vision of Unitarian Universalism.'
The avatar's advantage
Cast your goals in mythic terms to make a lasting difference.
The call of self
Finding my path when the choices I made in my twenties didn't work out.
The stages of rest
Four stages of burnout and recovery as the church year draws to a close.
The story of the 'Sources' cantata
Music celebrating the Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism.
The daffodil rescue mission
People say, ‘Bloom where you’re planted,’ but things happen.
Music programs key to congregational life
Growing diversity in music characterizes Unitarian Universalism today.
Home grown Unitarian Universalism
Developing home-based community rituals that root UU adults and children.
Was your town a sundown town?
How to find out if your community intentionally excluded African Americans.
Sketches of Crete
A sense of humor builds a bridge across cultures.
Recycling an old church
Elements from a 1911 church are incorporated into a new sanctuary.
Spirited defender
Karen Tse's human rights ministry is helping to eradicate torture.
'Twilight Zone' writer challenged prejudice
Rod Serling, a Unitarian, confronted prejudice with innovative television scripts.
Spiritual landmark in Second Life
Building a church in virtual reality.
Starting a new congregation from scratch
How three new congregations began.
Carolyn McDade's spirit of life
The story of Unitarian Universalism's most beloved song.
The floating life
Going with the flow sounds nice, until the river tries to kill you.
Documenting the gay marriage revolution
The story of legal same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
Even secular parents are religious educators
If you don't answer your children's religious questions, someone else will
Midweek church nights build spirit
Dinner, programs, and worship for all ages bring people together on weeknights.
Fireworks at the wedding
Fireworks and church may not seem to go together, but in my family they do.
Excess baggage
Nonmaterialists on vacation.
Our calling, Summer 2007
The unfulfilled promise of a racially and culturally diverse Unitarian Universalism.
Unitarian Universalists on the Eightfold Path
Buddhism puts down roots in American congregations.
What you can do about global warming
The global warming problem is too global for a few simple steps to solve it, but there are actions you can take.
Help for anxious parents
The world is a dangerous place, but many parents are at risk of overprotecting their children.
John S. Dacey, the anxiety pro
Psychologist John Dacey's own struggle with anxiety inspired a career helping others.
Interfaith community groups leverage power
Hundreds of people gathered on a specific issue can have a strong impact on elected leaders.
Religious reality in a virtual world
Second Life, the much-hyped online virtual reality world, is home to a growing Unitarian Universalist congregation.
Books address adoption's complications
Clear and honest writing about adopting a child.
Congregations for the environment
Turning the UUA's Seventh Principle into a call to action.
Stick your neck out
How you can make a difference.
Tyrone Edwards leads his town back to life
A hurricane-battered Louisiana town comes back to life, with Unitarian Universalist help.
Partners in the Gulf
Helping marginalized communities rebuild along the Gulf Coast.
Writers, join the planet's rescue team
Don't turn language into a weapon.
Why the Pentagon Papers still matter
Why Beacon Press's Pentagon Papers still matter.
UU songwriters hit a nerve with SUV song
Meet Rozanne Gates and Suzanne Sheridan.
Why I am fasting for Ramadan
A Unitarian Universalist embraces a month-long discipline of letting go.
Sexuality education is a religious issue
Fight for comprehensive sexuality education.
UU tackles patient safety after tragedy
Ilene Corina became an activist after her son's death in 1990.
Musicians’ network offers children’s songbook
Thirty songs for children's choirs and worship services.
Summer UU religious education programs
Children need religious education in the summer, too.
Learning to resist reasonable atrocity
Too often 'commonsense' truths lead people into calamity.
Community ministers help build bridges
Ministry to youth on an organic farm in Los Angeles links church to larger community.
Music vs. AIDS in Africa
The music of a pandemic.
Community investing plants seeds of opportunity
Unitarian Universalist congregations are joining in to help.
Learning to raise lifelong UUs
We're not just a religion of exiles.
Outdoor labyrinth
Virginia church practices a centuries-old tradition.
Fairbanks home to northernmost UU congregation
New building puts Alaska congregation 'on the map.'
Reviving a 227-year-old church
How the oldest Universalist church in America came back to life.
Three ways husbands express love
A new book surveys men in heterosexual marriages.
The joys and challenges of covenant groups
Not all small groups are covenant groups.
Frederick Lawrence Keefe
A brief biography of the author of The Investigating Officer.
World War II novel connects with today's headlines
A 40-year-old novel asks unnervingly relevant questions about soldiers in the moral chaos of war.
UUs join interfaith efforts to shelter homeless
Unitarian Universalist congregations shelter the homeless.
Poet laureate Ted Kooser's this-worldly faith
The U.S. poet laureate and winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize in poetry is a Unitarian Universalist.
Philip Simmons's wisdom
A documentary follows contributing editor Philip Simmons through his final months.
Acts of kindness in a hurricane's aftermath
Unitarian Universalists work tirelessly to help
the displaced residents of the Gulf Coast states.
A death in Iraq; a church changed
An opponent becomes an ally after losing his soldier son.
UU Veatch grants support justice programs
A few modest corrections won't fix the injustice in our society; radical change is needed.
The Veatch story
A generous gift has provided millions for Unitarian Universalist and social justice programs.
Parents crusade to end the death penalty
A Texas couple's crusade to end capital punishment.
Tombaugh discovered Pluto, co-founded church
At 24, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the elusive ninth planet.
Jason Shelton's music aims for transformation
Nashville music ministry brings new energy to Unitarian Universalist worship.
Film documents law's effect on same-sex couple
A Unitarian Universalist couple leaves Virginia to preserve their rights.
Don't just say no
Abstinence-only programs hurt kids and society.
Spiritual lessons from running
Ten spiritual lessons that running has taught me.
Chaplain in the wilderness
Kate Braestrup's ministry in the Maine woods.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Unitarian Universalist churches
Architect with Unitarian roots designed two famous UU churches.
Raising money through home hospitality
Congregations turn to creative fundraisers.
UU awarded MacArthur 'genius grant'
Amy Smith, an instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a lifelong member of Follen Church in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Joseph Nye, soft-power theorist
An expert on international relations praises the 'soft power' of attraction.
Ric Masten, dancing through life
A poet responds to cancer the way he knows best.
Meet today's UU abolitionists
Four Unitarian Universalist groups confront modern slavery.
Addictions ministry moves beyond AA
The Rev. Denis Meacham creates new ministry at First Parish Brewster, Mass.
Same-sex marriage comes to Massachusetts
Deeper and broader trends make the rest of the country more tolerant, too.
Visit to the Kasambala Medical Clinic
An American minister visits the African clinic his church supports.
Enduring bond between American church and African clinic
Unity Church-Unitarian and the Nyirongo family.
Reconciliation as a spiritual discipline
In our own souls, between individuals, within groups, and between groups.
The practice of reconciliation
A personal guide.
Resetting the worry alarm
Psychologically and spiritually, we don't have to live in Code Orange.
Rituals for holidays and everyday
Five rituals to try at home.
Creating rituals with and for children
Celebrate your family's values with your own traditions.
Sharing the plate increases giving
More congregations give their Sunday offering to charity.
10 ways to make your religious education program boy-friendly
Are boys getting what they need at church?
When Sunday school isn't boy-friendly.
Philip Simmons, 1957-2002
A tribute to Philip Simmons by his editor at UU World.
Congregations commit to civil liberties
UUA champions civil liberties as U.S. responds to 9/11.
Liberal evangelists on campus
Young Unitarian Universalists are sharing their faith and building worship groups on college campuses — and the UUA and local congregations are scurrying to support them.
A step toward racial reconciliation
A Cincinnati church reaches out to the family of a black Unitarian minister it rejected many years ago.
Grassroots work joins Unitarian Universalists, others
Faith-based community organizing builds alliances to make change.
Unitarian Universalist responses to 9-11
Congregations near and far respond to 9/11.
UU churches in cities attacked on 9-11
Houses of hope.
9-11 postcard from Brooklyn
One minister describes a day of shock and mourning.
Congregation's wall of remembrance
Sharing the grief of 9/11.
Ministers bring blessing to Ground Zero
'We went into a nightmare.'
UUs open their hearts in 9-11's aftermath
UU congregations and volunteers respond.
Eleven UUs died in 9-11 attacks
In memoriam.
Transforming the lives of India's 'broken people'
How the UU Holdeen India Program helps India's outcastes.
Unfinished journey: Selma 1965
Unitarian Universalists responded to Martin Luther King Jr.'s call to Selma. Two gave their lives.
Reclaiming the best of fatherhood
Roundtable discussion with Mary Pipher, William Doherty, and Neil Chethik.
What do sons really need from their dads?
What losing a father teaches men about fatherhood.
Tips for more confident fathering
Hands-on fathers help children thrive.
What's distinctive about UU relationships?
Unitarian Universalist principles for healty relationships.
Universalism: 200 years and growing
The spirit of Universalism and the future of Unitarian Universalism.
