Seeking Truth, Building Community, and Promoting Justice
Welcoming Congregation
We are a welcoming congregation that seeks to be a spiritual home for people of free faith. We value the full range of human diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, affectional/sexual orientation, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, and ability.
We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional and sacred land of the Anishinaabe and Dakota people. In honor of their stewardship throughout the generations, we commit ourselves to protecting that land and working to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The St. Cloud Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a small religious community serving the central Minnesota area. We are a welcoming congregation and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association which has more than one thousand congregations in the United States and Canada.
Our denomination has a shared set of shared values and principles to guide us rather than a prescribed creed. Each individual has an opportunity to seek their own spiritual path. Our efforts and growth are encouraged through intellectual, aesthetic, supportive and spiritual programs and activities and through discussions among members and friends.
If you are seeking an open and welcoming religious environment, please visit us and share in our fellowship.
sidewithlove.org
Sunday Services
We meet at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings from September through May. The services usually include music, a presentation by Rev. Phillip Lund or other speaker, and a chance to respond to the presentation. Casual dress is common and the service is less formal than many churches. Visitors are welcome.
On two select Sundays of each month from September to May, a Children’s Religious Education (CRE) experience, based on UU Principles, is offered for children and youth ages 5 – 16. Recent topics have included: Cultivating Compassion, Building Belonging, Nurturing Gratitude, Choosing Hope, and Meditation. Occasionally we go on a Sunday field trip, and last year we attended a Catholic Mass and visited a Hindu Temple.
A “CRE Corner” in the Sanctuary has quiet games and activities for youngsters to enjoy during the other Sundays of the month. “Time for Children” story time is offered early in most services and a nursery is available for infants and toddlers.
Would you like to share your Joys and Sorrows at the Sunday Service and/or in our weekly email update?
Join Zoom Meeting for Sunday Services: Meeting ID: 946 2497 9280 Passcode: 891129
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Our Monthly Theme for September:
Beloved is Where We Begin
“If you would enter into the wilderness, do not begin without a blessing. Do not leave without hearing who you are: Beloved…”
© Jan Richardson. www.janrichardson.com
Sunday Services
Sunday, September 6, No Service
Sunday, September 13, at 10:30 a.m.
Coming Home: Like Rivers to the Sea – Rev. Phillip Lund
Our new season of Sunday services begins with a water ceremony. You are invited to bring some water to the service from any source that feels meaningful to you. The blending of these waters represents how each of us contributes to building this fellowship of belonging and care. We’ll also learn about the very first Water Ceremony in 1980.
Children’s Program (CRE): Water Ceremony for All. Children participate with their adults. The Bright Bulb Kidz Korner and nursery are also available.
Sunday, September 20, at 10:30 a.m.
We Begin Again in Love – Rev. Phillip Lund
Continuing this month’s exploration of the theme of “Beginnings,” we’ll consider what it means to choose love as the starting point for our individual and communal conduct: beginning with the sphere of self and spirit and spiraling out towards the sphere of the congregation in the wider world.
Children’s Program (CRE): Beginnings. We’ll learn about the chalice and it’s use in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Then we’ll build a chalice of our own. Mary Ness will guide this time together. Younger children can enjoy the nursery with Ms. Shumey.
Sunday, September 27, at 10:30 a.m.
Fe Y Justicia for Our Latino Community – Ma Elena Gutierrez
September 15 through October 15 is recognized in the United States as National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history, cultures, and many contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in our country. This year, we recognize that many immigrant and Latino families are also experiencing fear and uncertainty as a result of anti-immigration policies and increased immigration enforcement.
Today we welcome Ma Elena Gutierrez, Founder and Executive Director of Fe y Justicia MN (Faith and Justice), a local Latino-led organization dedicated to building justice, dignity, and stronger communities through leadership development, education, advocacy, and direct support. She will talk about the work of Fe y Justicia, the needs and concerns of local immigrant families, and how increased immigration enforcement is affecting our Latino community. She will also invite us to reflect on how our faith calls us to stand with our neighbors with compassion, courage, and justice.
Children’s Activity: Youngsters are invited to enjoy the Bright Bulb Kidz Korner or the nursery with Ms. Shumey.
