Who We Are
 Religious
diversity is at the core of our beliefs and services. We are
affiliated with the Unitarian-Universalist (UU) denomination, but
each UU church is operated independently by its members. While some
who attend our services have a UU family background, many of us come
from other religious traditions or from Interfaith families. Many
grew up Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish, but others are agnostics,
atheists, humanists, pagans, wiccans, scientists, or simply
searchers for a spiritual home for their own brand of faith and
community. Some people believe in God and/or Jesus Christ, some do
not, and some are still deciding. But each is here to undertake
aspects of their search in a church community. Many come to help
find answers either for themselves or for their children. We
encourage each person or family member to practice elements of
his/her faith, while sharing in a church community. For more
information on our UU beliefs, click
here.
What to Expect at Our
Sunday Morning Service:
We hold our weekly service on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am. Our
Service lasts about an hour, and normally includes music, hymns,
candles of joys and sorrows, readings, and a sermon. Sometimes there
is voluntary community reflection on the sermon topic. Children sit
with their families for the first 15 minutes and then they either
are led out to classrooms for age appropriate religious education or
they may stay with their parents during the Service. Parents are
always welcome to leave the Sanctuary with their children and attend
their child’s Religious Education class.
Minister
 Rev.
Barry Bloom delivers the sermon two Sundays per month (usually the
2nd and 4th Sundays) from September to June each year. He also attends other Sundays when possible.
When he is not leading the Service, our Worship Committee arranges
for other ministers, lay leaders, or speakers to deliver the sermon.
To see some recent sermons, click
here.Due
to the variety of our Services, we urge visitors to come a few
Sundays in order to both meet our Minister and sample our other
types of services.
As You Enter
When you arrive, a Greeter will greet you in the foyer, answer
questions, and give you a newsletter or church and denominational
information. Our Greeters will offer you an optional chance to fill
out a nametag. You may also sign our guest registry form to tell us
if you’d like more information, if you’d like us to send you our
monthly newsletter or put you on our email announcements list.
Families are often greeted by Ruth Cowger, our DRE -- Director of
Lifespan Education (Sunday School) -- who can answer questions,
tell you about our age appropriate classes, provide you with a
calendar of events for each grade level, or direct you to our
Nursery.
Order of Service
A Greeter will offer you an Order of Service with details of the
day’s Service, Announcements, and Information. The Minister or lay
leader conducting the Service will advise you when to stand or sit
(as you are able) and announce when silence or meditation is
appropriate. The Worship Committee encourages everyone to show their
appreciation with smiles and nods rather than by applause.
Greeters will advise you when to enter if you arrive late. Sound
is available in the Lobby so you don’t have to miss part of the
service or if you need a time out place with a fussy child. You may
leave during the Service but please do so quietly.
A typical Service includes:
- Welcome &
Opening Prayer
- Greeting
- Announcements by lay leader
- Prelude
- Call to Worship
- Chalice Lighting
- Candles of Joys &
Sorrows*
- RE Announcements & Children go to RE classes
- Communal Reading
- Hymn
- Offering
- Sermon
- Community Reflections (when desired by Minister/speaker)
- Pastoral Prayer
- Hymn
- Closing Circle (all able are asked to join hands around
Sanctuary space)
* Candles of Joys and
Sorrows in our time for people who choose to light a candle in
silence or share their joy or sorrow with brief words. Children
under 10 should be accompanied by an adult.
Children may rejoin their parents at the Closing Circle or just
thereafter while parents enjoy Coffee time; children may also play
in the RE rooms or our fenced backyard.
Holidays
We celebrate the traditional holidays in a manner appropriate to the
UU faith. These holidays include Christmas and Easter, as well as
Passover, Summer and Winter Solstices, Day of the Dead, Chanukah,
and Kwaanza, etc. We also note secular events such as Mother’s Day
or Martin Luther King Day. Religious ceremonies include marriages,
memorial services, child dedication/ naming ceremonies, and coming
of age ceremonies. In addition, we have our own annual traditions,
such as intergenerational services, flower or water communion
services, etc.
RE (Sunday
School) for Children and Youth
Members serve as teachers who follow a UU curriculum which
includes well planned lessons designed to help children understand
our faith and how to live UU values in their daily
lives. The nursery and one classroom are adjacent to the front
lobby. All other classrooms are behind the sanctuary. Children are
generally grouped by age and grade:
- Preschool (toddlers through age 5)
- Primary Class - grades K-1-2,
- Intermediate Class - grades 3-4-5,
- Middle School Class - grades 6-7-8
- High School discussion session -- a discussion group on Sunday
mornings.
- We have regular intergenerational, team building, and
mentoring event so the children have chances to interact.
Children are free to stay with their parents for the adult
service; however, most children get bored and find the RE classes
better meet their needs.
Infant Care
Every Sunday a trained and paid high school youth provides infant
care in the preschool classroom. A changing table is located in the
preschool classroom restroom. Parents are always welcome to stay
with their infant, toddler, or preschooler during the service.
Offering
We take a weekly offering by passing baskets during the service.
Visitors are invited to let the basket pass on their first visits.
Returning visitors may feel free to make a donation in cash or by
check made out to CUUC. Members make annual pledges that are paid
during our fiscal year; pledges and offering basket amounts are used
to support the church operations, our programs and activities, and
the Unitarian Universalist Association. Occasionally, we take a
special designated collection.
Music
 Our
services usually include a Prelude, 2 hymns, and music in the
Service including during the Offering played by live musicians –
members, friends, or invited guest musicians. We have two UU hymnals
distributed amongst our seats. Our Choir usually sings twice a
month. If you have musical talents, please introduce yourself to our
Choir Director, David Burrows.
Coffee &
Conversation
After service, we invite you to join us for coffee, snacks, and
conversation. This time provides an opportunity to meet Members, the
Minister or Speaker, and other visitors, to learn about church
programs and activities. This is also a good time to check the
bulletin boards or activity sign-up sheets on the back table, and to
make friends in our church community.
Welcoming
Congregation
 Columbine
Unitarian Universalist Church is a Welcoming Congregation, welcoming
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people to our community.
The rainbow sticker worn by many members and friends on our nametags
is a symbol of our commitment to diversity. We also support GLBT
community activities such as Pridefest in Denver.
Ways to Get Involved and Meet People
The week’s activities and contact people for our committees and
groups are listed in the Sunday Order of Service. Our monthly
calendar of events is online here.
Our Groups include Church Committees, Women’s Circle, Men’s Group,
Book Club, Prayer Circle, Biking Group, Women’s Hiking group,
monthly family events. Social Action programs are organized under
the Just Act Committee, and include Interfaith
Community Services donations and programs, Unitarian Universalist
Service Committee programs, tutoring at a local school, and Green Teams.
We also have Fellowship dinners, potlucks, parties, and occasional
classes, and seasonal events. In many cases, childcare is provided
at no charge at our activities, but it is best to verify in advance.
Parking
Parking is available in our lot or on Webster Street. Handicapped
parking is available next to our main door. New visitors are
encouraged to use the designated Visitor spots.
Handicapped Access
All our rooms are on one level. We have a handicap accessible ramp
to the front door and a handicapped accessible restroom located in
the nursery classroom off the Lobby.
Dress
Feel free to come to our church in comfortable clothes – jeans are
ok -- while other people may wish to dress up a bit. Ties are rare
but welcome. Children should dress comfortably in outfits that allow
them to move and do class craft projects.
Air Conditioning
Our rooms are air conditioned.
Questions
Talk to a Greeter, the Minister, a Member (blue nametags), the DRE
(Director of Lifespan Education), a teacher, or ask a Member to
introduce you to the Membership committee representatives or a
church Officer. You may also email us at
cuuc@columbineuuchurch.org . |
