Welcome to the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.  We have the distinction of being the first Universalist Church in the United States, organized in 1779. Our church has a long and distinguished history in the establishment of religious freedom in the United States.

Ours is a historic church, and an historic faith with a progressive message for today:  that we are born out of one great Love and to that Love we will all return.

In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, every person is free to pursue his or her own spiritual journey without the burdens of creed or dogma, to see truth and meaning in this life and in this world. We are bound by covenant, not creed: we commit to walking together on a journey devoted to spiritual transformation and stewardship of our community and the natural world.

In welcoming you to our congregation, we offer you a forum for the lively and respectful exchange of questions and ideas.  We honor your uniqueness and the qualities and experiences you bring to a community of seekers.  In this congregation you will find freedom from prejudice and imposed belief and the support of others who respect your views and needs as they do their own.

We look forward to meeting you.

What to Expect on Sundays

• We hold a service every Sunday of the year.

The service begins at 10:00 am with the sound of our church’s Paul Revere bell, rung by children in our Religious Exploration Program, with guidance by our Sexton.   Dress is casual.

Child care is provided (for infants up to 4 years old) during the “church school year“— mid-September to mid-June.

Children will typically join the entire congregation in the sanctuary on the first Sunday of the month. There is a “Time for All Ages” on those Sundays.  When the children and youth don’t begin upstairs they will gather downstairs in the vestry for Religious Exploration.

After the service, which usually lasts one hour, all are invited to join us for Coffee Hour, held downstairs in our Vestry.  This is a time to casually visit with friends we may not see during the week.  There is a table set aside where children eat their treats.  Most Sundays an activity is planned for them, while their parents visit.

• Mission

As a Unitarian Universalist congregations, we gather in a spirit of joy to celebrate community and the gifts of each individual. We honor freedom of thought. We seek spiritual guidance and inspiration. We support spiritual inquiry. We seek to be guided by love in welcoming and nurturing all. We strive to put our ideals into our deeds and to work for justice and peace.

• Welcome to Unitarian Universalism

We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, and people of many beliefs. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world.

Unitarian Universalism affirms and promotes seven Principles, grounded in the humanistic teachings of the world’s religions. Our spirituality is unbounded, drawing from scripture and science, nature and philosophy, personal experience and ancient tradition.

• Our Unitarian Universalist Principles

We covenant to affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equality 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.

• Children’s Version of UU Principles