WELCOME TO DISCOVER UU and UCN UCN’s Path to Membership INFORM-INSPIRE-ENGAGE SESSION 101

INTRODUCTIONS FACILITATORS/LEADERSHIP/PARTICIPANTS

CHALICE HISTORY This flaming chalice is a symbol for Unitarian Universalists just as the cross and the Star of David are symbols for other religious groups. The story of how the flaming chalice became our symbol is an interesting one and it begins during the Second World War. Many Unitarian Universalist churches and fellowships start their worship service on Sunday morning by lighting a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice is a symbol for Unitarian Universalists just as the cross and the Star of David are symbols for other religious groups. The story of how the flaming chalice became our symbol is an interesting one and it begins during the Second World War. During that war, a lot of people living in Eastern Europe—Unitarians, Jews, and others—were in danger of being put in prison or killed by Nazi soldiers. A group of Unitarians came together in Boston, Massachusetts, to form the Unitarian Service Committee and their plan was to help the people in danger from the Nazis. The director of the Service Committee was the Unitarian minister Charles Joy. Rev. Joy had an office in Portugal so he would be near the people he wanted to help. He was in charge of a whole secret group of agents and messengers who worked hard trying to find safe routes for people to escape. Rev. Joy and his assistants often needed to ask governments and other organizations for their help to save people who were in danger. They would send messages to anyone in government who might give them money, transportation, or a safe route. Because they were a new organization though, not very many people had heard of them. This made it much harder for Rev. Joy and the people in the Unitarian Service Committee to get the help they needed. In those days during the war, when danger was everywhere, lots of people were running away from their own countries. Often, people who were escaping and people who wanted to help didn't speak the same language. Rev. Joy decided it would be much better if the Service Committee had an official symbol, or picture, to help identify its members. With a picture or symbol, it wouldn't matter if people couldn't read the language. It looked like Rev. Joy would need to find an artist. He went to a very talented man named Hans Deutsch for help. Deutsch had escaped from the Nazis in Paris, France, where he was in danger because he drew cartoons showing people how evil the Nazis were. Rev. Joy asked Deutsch to create a symbol to print on Service Committee papers to make them look important. He wanted the symbol to impress governments and police who had the power to help move people to safety. For his drawing, Deutsch borrowed an old symbol of strength and freedom from Czechoslovakia—a chalice with a flame. Rev. Joy wrote to his friends in Boston that the new symbol seemed to show the real spirit of the Unitarian religion. It showed a chalice, or cup, that was used for giving a healing drink to others. And it showed a flame on top of the chalice because a flame was often used to represent a spirit of helpfulness and sacrifice. And so the flaming chalice became the official symbol of the Unitarian Service Committee. Many years later, the flaming chalice became the symbol of Unitarian Universalist groups all over the world. By the early 1970s, enough Unitarian Universalists had heard the story of the flaming chalice symbol that they began to light a flaming chalice as part of the worship service in their churches. Over the years, this practice has spread over most of the United States and Canada. What does it mean to have a symbol like this? Well, one thing it means is that wherever you see a flaming chalice, you know that there are Unitarians and Universalists nearby. Having a symbol also can remind you of what's most important to you—and sometimes a reminder can make a very big difference. One very old woman told how the flaming chalice of her homeland, Czechoslovakia, helped her while she was in a Nazi prison camp. Printed under the picture of the Czech flaming chalice was the motto "pravda vitezi," which means, in English, "truth overcomes," or "truth prevails." Every single morning in that terrible camp, the old woman said, she traced a picture of a flaming chalice in the sand with her finger. Then she wrote the motto underneath it. "It gave me the strength to live each day," she said. Whenever she drew the chalice in the dirt she was reminded that some day the world would remember the important truth that every single person is important and should be free to think and believe as he or she chooses.

Printed under the picture of the Czech flaming chalice was the motto "pravda vitezi," which means, in English, "truth overcomes," or "truth prevails." Every single morning in that terrible camp, the old woman said, she traced a picture of a flaming chalice in the sand with her finger. Then she wrote the motto underneath it. "It gave me the strength to live each day," she said. Whenever she drew the chalice in the dirt she was reminded that some day the world would remember the important truth that every single person is important and should be free to think and believe as he or she chooses

“PROVIDING THE LIGHT OF RELGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE WARMTH OF A CARING COMMUNITY”  When we see people light the chalice/candle at the beginning of our service every Sunday and meetings, we can enjoy it because it is a lovely thing to do. But we can also remember the story of the flaming chalice and the strength it has given people for hundreds of years. We use it to let others know that Unitarian Universalists believe in helping—others.

WHY WE LIGHT A CHALICE We like this Chalice to: Affirm that new light is ever waiting to break through to enlighten our ways, that new truth is ever waiting to break through to illumine our minds and that new love is ever waiting to break through to warm our hearts. May we be open to this light and to the rich possibilities that it brings us. Let us say this together.

OBJECTIVES FOR SESSION 101 Engage participants, answer questions and provide a better understanding of UU’s & UCN Elevate awareness of our own unique spiritual journey Inspire you to learn more about UU’s and UCN

WHO ARE WE?

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

UNITARTIAN 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 described in our six Sources.

OUR 7 PRINCIPLES 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 in our congregations and in society at large; The goal of a world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are apart.

OUR 6 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 that create and uphold life; Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront the powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love; Wisdom for the world’s religions that inspire us in our ethical and spiritual live; Unitarian Universalism is rooted in the Jewish and Christian traditions, and yet as a "non-creedal" religion we do not ask anyone to subscribe to a certain dogma or accede to a specific creed. Rather, as a liberal religion, we encourage our members to keep an open mind about religious questions, and to struggle with those questions in the company of others who may have differing experiences and perspectives. In our view, a person's own experience, conscience and thoughtfulness are more powerful in answering religious questions than any particular external authority figure or text or institution.

OUR 6 SOURCES (cont’d) Jewish and Christian teachings that call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbor as ourselves; Humanistic teachings which counsel us to heed to the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against the the idolatries of the mind and spirit; Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the scared circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST “Unitarian” developed, meaning the oneness of God “Universalist” believed in universal salvation, since God is merciful and would not condemn anyone to eternal damnation in a fiery pit. . Unitarians and Universalists have always been heretics. We are heretics because we want to choose our faith, not because we desire to be rebellious. “Heresy” in Greek means “choice.” During the first three centuries of the Christian church, believers could choose from a variety of tenets about Jesus. Among these was a belief that Jesus was an entity sent by God on a divine mission. Thus the word “Unitarian” developed, meaning the oneness of God. Another religious choice in the first three centuries of the Common Era (CE) was universal salvation. This was the belief that no person would be condemned by God to eternal damnation in a fiery pit. Thus, a Universalist believed that all people will be saved. Christianity lost its element of choice in 325 CE when the Nicene Creed established the Trinity as dogma. For centuries thereafter, people who professed Unitarian or Universalist beliefs were persecuted.

UNITARIAN & UNIVERSALISTS IN US HISTORY John Adams Abigail Adams John Quincy Adams Benjamin Franklin Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Paul Revere Daniel Webster As early as the 1830s, both groups were studying and promulgating texts from world religions other than Christianity. By the beginning of the twentieth century, humanists within both traditions advocated that people could be religious without believing in God. No one person, no one religion, can embrace all religious truths. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition that was formed from the consolidation of two religions: Unitarianism and Universalism. In America, the Universalist Church of America was founded in 1793, and the American Unitarian Association in 1825. After consolidating in 1961, these faiths became the new religion of Unitarian Universalism through the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

UCN’S HISTORY 50 Years and On in the Barn In 1962 a group of nine men and women gathered to form a new liberal religious fellowship on the North Shore of Milwaukee. They called themselves the North Shore Unitarian Fellowship of Milwaukee and began meeting in people's homes. In 1963 they received a charter from the UUA, and in 1969 renamed their congregation Unitarian Church North. Since then we have grown to about 150 members, built a church home in 1986, and an addition to that home in 2005. We have been served by a full time minister since 1976 and a Director of Religious Education since 1991. In the first half of 2013 we celebrated our founding in January 1963, and the highlights of the subsequent half-century of faith and fellowship in our welcoming congregation.

MISSION OF UCN IS TO: create a diverse and inclusive community; promote free religious expression; inspire spiritual and ethical growth; and work for justice in our world.

UCN’s CONGREGATIONAL COVENANT In support of congregational life at Unitarian Church North, we value the open exchange of ideas and we respect the deliberative process. We make the following commitments to one another: We create an atmosphere where all of us feel included, safe, respected and accepted, and in doing so are mindful of each other’s personal space. We remember that building a welcoming community requires active participation and stewardship. We give generously of ourselves and our resources, and we inspire others to do the same. After expressing our opinions, we work toward consensus. We practice the democratic process for decision-making, understanding that we will then support the final decision. We recognize that at times we will agree to disagree. When conflict occurs we work directly with each other and attempt to resolve the issue through our conflict resolution process. We are imperfect human beings. We forgive ourselves and each other, and when necessary we begin again in love. In support of congregational life at Unitarian Church North, we value the open exchange of ideas and we respect the deliberative process. We make the following commitments to one another: We create an atmosphere where all of us feel included, safe, respected and accepted, and in doing so are mindful of each other’s personal space. We remember that building a welcoming community requires active participation and stewardship. We give generously of ourselves and our resources, and we inspire others to do the same. After expressing our opinions, we work toward consensus. We practice the democratic process for decision-making, understanding that we will then support the final decision. We recognize that at times we will agree to disagree. When conflict occurs we work directly with each other and attempt to resolve the issue through our conflict resolution process. We are imperfect human beings. We forgive ourselves and each other, and when necessary we begin again in love.

UCN’s DRE (Director of Religious Education) "The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation."  — Ray L. Wilbur, third president of Stanford University   A safe place for children and youth to wonder, ask questions, and discover. Exploration of themes such as Unitarian Universalist identity, world religions, peace & justice, the web of life, and social justice. Religious Education classes that run during our worship services. Meaningful, age-appropriate worship for children and youth. A focus on spiritual growth and faith exploration in the context of a caring community. The purpose of Religious Education at Unitarian Church North is to nurture and minister to the children of our church community and to provide opportunities for our children and youth to actively engage in the process of forming religious beliefs and values putting them into action.

WE BELIEVE THAT FAITH IS A JOURNEY THAT WE TAKE TOGETHER We believe that faith is a journey we take together.  Religious education takes a lifetime. It happens both within and beyond a congregation's walls. We support one another as individuals, families, and communities in an ongoing search for truth and meaning. We strive to guide one another—all ages among us—in religious questioning, personal change, and discovering ways to better live in faith.

WE BELIEVE THAT FAITH IS A JOURNEY THAT WE TAKE TOGETHER

WE BELIEVE THAT FAITH IS A JOURNEY THAT WE TAKE TOGETHER

YOUR HISTORY/PERSONAL RELIGIOUS ODYSSEY Personal religious odyssey or spiritual timeline-Please draw a line that represents your life. Please write the significant events and changes in your religious history at appropriate points on this time line.

FINISH YOUR TIME LINE WITH… “Why did I come to this UU congregation?” Please feel free to take a break when you have completed and we start again at____________

PLEASE SHARE YOUR TIME LINE

HOPES and EXPECTATIONS:

EXPECTATIONS and HOPES: QUESTIONS… What do you hope to get out of these sessions? Do you have a question about something that may puzzle you about this community or Unitarian Universalism? What do you hope to get from this church? What do you hope to offer this church? Note card exercise.

HOMEWORK Explore your folder contents Visit UCNorth.org Visit UUA.org

THANK YOU