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What do adults and children wear?
We encourage you to "come as you are." You will see adults wearing t-shirts and jeans and sports coats and ties, pants and dresses, sandals and shorts.
Children should wear whatever makes them comfortable: play clothes and sneakers are just fine. Projects for some classes may involve markers, paint, and clay, or cooking, and in nice weather the children sometimes go outside.
What happens during your worship services? Most of our services include the following:
- An introduction and welcome from the morning's lay leader Chalice lighting and opening words (the chalice is the symbol of Unitarian Universalism)
- Readings or personal reflections
- Sharing of Joys and Concerns - a time for members to share important transitions in their lives
- A sermon or reflections (See the Worship Services page for topics)
- Instrumental music
- Singing of hymns or other songs by the choir and congregation
- Closing words and extinguishing the chalice
Our Minister is usually in the pulpit two Sundays a month. On the Sundays she is not in the pulpit, she may be with the children or performing other ministerial duties. Our lay led services are coordinated by our Sunday Services Committee and often feature visiting UU ministers or clergy, professors or community organizers from the area. Some services feature talks on a variety of topics by members of our congregation.
What do children do during the service?
We provide childcare for small children, beginning 15 minutes before services begin, allowing parents to get their children settled before the service starts. During the service, there are religious education classes for children from K-8. About twice a month, our youth begin in the meeting room with the adults, before going to their classrooms. Each year, several worship services are fully intergenerational.
Does your congregation have diverse beliefs?
Yes! Our congregation includes people who identify as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and others. As there is no official Unitarian Universalist creed, we are free to search for truth on many paths.
To quote the Rev. Marta Flanagan, "We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a non-creedal religion. Ours is a free faith."
Do you welcome gays and lesbians?
Yes. We have been certified by the UUA as a Welcoming Congregation for over 15 years. This means that SUUS members have studied issues relating to the LGBT community and actively support LGBT justice issues.
Is your church accessible to people in wheelchairs?
Yes. Our accessibility ramp is at the front door of the house. You may drive your car up to that area from Route 1 (Boston Post Road), and drop off anyone who has trouble with stairs. A bathroom on the main level and one near the coffee room are handicap-accessible. There is also a chair-lift for access to and from our lower level coffee room.
What other accessibility issues have you addressed?
We have a sound system equipped with assisted listening devices. Please let a greeter know if one of these would be helpful to you. We also have magnifiers to help with those who need larger print to read the bulletins or hymnals.
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