All are welcome in our congregation. Services are Sunday at 10:30 during the summer. We will resume services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 11. Services last about an hour. An outstanding religious exploration program for children and youth coincides with the service. Babysitting is available.

Our Youth Group lead service on March 21 got us dancing and thinking about our personal UU beliefs.

We are an open-minded, liberal faith community in the humanist tradition that encourages each of our members to seek his or her own spiritual path. Whether you follow the Judeo-Christian tradition, or are more interested in Eastern religion, agnostic or atheist you will be comfortable in our midst. We nurture and pursue our individual spiritual journeys and work together to put faith to work on our planet and make our communities and our world a better, more livable and just world.

Our congregation is diverse. People of all ages, economic circumstances, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientation/gender idenitity are welcome. TUUC is officially designated by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Welcoming Congregation, which means we are committed to affirming, welcoming, and celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual individuals and couples within our church family.

Information about Unitarian Universalism is posted at http://www.uua.org/visitors. Another informative website is http://www.uufaq.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are our services like?
Our services vary from week to week. A normal Sunday service includes singing, meditation of some kind, a time to share joys and sorrows, We have a diverse and talented choir that presents both traditional and secular music. Although they do not sing every Sunday, we usually have some sort of special musical treat. Our children initially sit in the sanctuary with their families, but early in the service they go to their classes downstairs.

As the seasons and holidays vary, we draw from a variety of worship forms. Highlights of our church year include evening solstice celebrations outdoors, focus on Nature and spiritual forces as well as acknowledgement of special Christian, Jewish, and various other traditional religious holidays. Music is an integral part of these special celebrations.

What is the children's religious program?
We have a talented director of children's religious exploration. She uses age appropriate UU curricula to teach our children to understand and respect others and to care for our environment. As the children get older they learn more about the different religions of the world and about Unitarian Universalism and the people who have lived in this tradition through the years. The Principles of our faith are integrated into all they learn.

Religious Education Class Schedule
We have two Sunday services with Religious Exploration programs offered during each service starting after Labor Day. RE classes will be as follows:

Earlier Service (9:30)

• Nursery for ages 3 and under
• Preschool for 3 & 4 year olds
• K-1st Grade Group
• 2nd-3rd Grade Group
• 4th grade & older attend service or help in a classroom

Later Service (11:15)

• nursery for ages 5 and under
  
• 1st-3rd Grade Group
  
• 4th-6th Grade Group
  
• Jr. High OWL class
  
• High School Youth Group

What special programs are at TUUC?
Our Adult Spiritual Development program is growing everyday. A variety of topical programs of various lengths are offered, primarily on Wednesday evenings. Additionally we have weekly meditation and yoga classes and choir rehearsals. We have a Third Friday Potluck lunch with a special program every month. Small covenant groups in which members develop closer bonds cater to a variety of interests. New covenant groups are formed whenever there is sufficient interest.

Accessibility and Hearing Assistance
Our sanctuary is accessible to wheeled mobility equipment by a ramp on the east side of the church. The library, church offices, and an ADA rest room are all on the same floor as the sanctuary for easy access.

We have posted handicapped parking spaces by the entrances on the west side (ramp) and the east side (six stair steps) of our church building.

Our ushers will provide assisted listening devices and large print hymnals upon request.

Location
Our church is located in Tacoma about six blocks east of Interstate 5 on the north side of S. 56th Street at the corner of "L" Street. We're about ten blocks west of Pacific Avenue. To print a map, click here for map.

Our Mission

The mission of the Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation is to sustain a community in which we:

• Welcome all with love and compassion,
• Celebrate the diversity in our common humanity,
• Inspire the spirit, heart, and mind,
• Engage with the wider community in working for justice,
• Live and promote Unitarian Universalist principles.

Our Covenant

We the members of the Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation, do hereby commit ourselves to strive to live by the following words:

1. I will connect with people in a respectful and loving way by listening carefully, by welcoming newcomers and members alike with kindness and encouragement, and by promoting diversity.
2. I will offer my stewardship to enable the church and its programs to flourish; and to provide fair compensation, a proper working environment and continuing professional development of the minister and church staff.
3. I will make commitments thoughtfully, keep them faithfully, and support the work done by others.
   I will pay faithful attention to my relationship to the church, and balance my commitment to the nurturing of myself and others.
4. I will support the Board of Trustees, its committees, and the staff in the governance of the congregation, and will express my opinions through these channels, especially if I disagree with a decision.
5. Recognizing that conflict can be an opportunity, I will engage with others in responsible problem solving by speaking respectfully and directly to the person involved first; and by listening carefully, respecting confidences, and being willing to participate in mediation.
6. I will participate in a process that examines the church's relationship to the wider community and strives to be a responsible, vital, and inspirational part of that community in a way that is consistent with our Unitarian Universalist principles and values.

Our Principles

We don't claim to have answers to life's unanswerable questions; we don't expect anyone to adopt someone else's views as their own. As a member congregation of UUA we share the following principles:

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm
and promote

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. T he goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

1. 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 which create and uphold life;
2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
3. Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
6. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant promising to one another our mutual trust and support.