CVUUS
Visitor Center
|
New to
UUism |
UU
Principals and Purposes |
| ||
|
|
UU Faqs |
Famous
UUs |
|
|
The Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist
Society is a
welcoming congregation. We are pleased
to welcome you regardless of your background or personal circumstances.
This page contains information about CVUUS, our history, our purpose, and
our programs.
CVUUS is a member church of the Unitarian
Universalist
Association (UUA). We are a non-creedal
religion—we don’t agree on a particular theology or spiritual practice.
We do concern ourselves with relations between human beings on a
community, local, and global level, and with relations between human beings and
the environment. We use reason and thought in our quest to understand the world
and ourselves. We understand that spiritual growth never ends, and that we are
all searchers.
The member
congregations of the UUA covenant together to affirm and promote the following
basic principles
The central idea of historical Unitarianism, that
God is a
single entity and that the idea of the trinity has no scriptural
authority,
arose early in the Christian era. The
church itself began to organize during the 16th century, at
the time
of the Protestant Reformation. In the
United States, 19th century Unitarians represented liberal
Christianity (as opposed to the conservative Calvinists or Puritans) in
New
England and the northeast. At the time,
Unitarianism stood for the use of reason and intellect in resolving
matters of
faith, and the capacity of individuals to earn salvation through good
works and
self-discipline. In the 20th century, Unitarians joined with other liberal
humanists, including those from Eastern and earth-centered traditions.
Universalism developed in North America during the
late
eighteenth century, in rural New England. The faith spread to New York state and to the Midwest and South,
and in
the mid-19th century it was among the largest Protestant
denominations in the United States.
Historical Universalists believed in a loving God who guaranteed
salvation to every human being.
Both Unitarians and Universalists have long been
dedicated
to the causes of religious freedom and social justice. In 1961, the two denominations merged to
form the Unitarian Universalist Association, which has its headquarters
in
Boston.
For more information, see the websites of the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society [link] and Notable American Unitarians [link].
CVUUS was founded in 1986 by a group of twenty-one
residents
who wished to create a home for liberal religion in Addison County.
After a decade of meeting in rented space,
in 1995 a group of forty members purchased the current church sanctuary.
In 2001 the church called its first settled
minister, the Rev. Johanna Nichols. In
2006, we conducted a capital campaign to raise money to build a new
sanctuary
and so far have raised more than $950,000. We hope to begin
construction in the spring of 2008.
As members and
friends of the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, committed to the
Unitarian Universalist Principles, we strive to be an inclusive and welcoming
community that sustains a liberal religious tradition. We aspire to be visible
and active on behalf of social justice and environmental responsibility. We
nurture and empower each other at all ages on our spiritual journeys, and we
reach out to the larger communities of which we are a part.
Worship is a central part of our religious life
and
community. We come together each week
to reconnect with one another and with what we, individually, believe. We come to learn, to be challenged, to find
peace
and fellowship. Our services contain
music, stimulating talk, and time for reflection, but differ from week
to
week. Some are lead by our minister
Johanna Nichols, some by church members and some by members of the
larger
community. If you are visiting, try to
come more than once to experience some of this variety. Our services are held at 9:00 and 10:30
during the school year; we hold a single service at 10:00 in the
summer.
Religious Education is for everyone, not just for
children.
Each Sunday, CVUUS offers nursery care for infants and toddlers, and
curriculum-based
religious education for older children and young teens. In addition, at 9:00 each week children of
all ages may attend “Spirit Journeys,” a less formal and activity-based
program.
We also offer educational
programs for older teens and adults, with the understanding that
everyone, no
matter how old, is on a spiritual quest that we can help to nurture
with
readings, ideas, and conversation. For more information, look at our Religious
Education Page [link], or speak to our Director of Religious Education, Sherri
Glebus. [e-mail link]
The essence of community is the sharing of gifts
and talents
with one another. CVUUS
offers many opportunities to give of
yourself, whatever your gifts may be. You can help with membership, perform or direct music, teach a
Religious
Education class, write for the newsletter, help with worship service,
be an
usher or a greeter, participate in church governance or finances, help
with the
church website, bake for coffee hour, among other things. For a list of
committees and other service opportunities, click here [link]
The Social
Action Committee coordinates and publicizes opportunities to volunteer for
community service, at Community Suppers, for example; or to work on behalf of
social justice by demonstrating or writing letters.
Membership in CVUUS is open to everyone, and you
are also
welcome to participate in our activities without becoming a member.
Members agree to attend worship regularly
and to contribute financially to the church, and concern themselves
with the
well-being and longevity of the organization. Friends may participate in all activities except voting in
congregational meetings and serving on the Board of Trustees. To learn about joining
CVUUS as a member, click here.
Four times each year, the Membership Committee
holds a
Membership Orientation session, designed to introduce potential members
to one
another and to church leadership, and to provide them with information
about
our community and the expectations of membership. The
next session will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2007. Contact Brett Millier [link millierb@gmail.com] in you are
interest in attending.
Directions: From the Middlebury
Green on Route 7, take South Pleasant Street to where it takes a sharp left turn
and becomes Cross Street. Our Meeting House is on the right-hand side of the
street, at the corner of Water Street.
Telephone: 802-388-8080
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 857,
Middlebury, VT 05753
To receive more information, please leave a
message with
your name, address and phone number on our answering machine, or send
e-mail to
office@cvuus.org
Things You
Might Want to
Know