Welcome!
The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. That action is the testimony of love as the practice of freedom.
-bell hooks
Welcome to this congregation of seekers
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Who strive to deepen their spiritual lives while staying informed about the world
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Who trust their own wisdom and knowledge and beliefs and the love in their own hearts
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Who honor the many individual paths we each take to find meaning and truth in our lives and celebrate in sharing that with each other
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We are inspired and called to live lives of service and integrity as we work toward a world of equality and justice
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Who see the strength and value of a joyfully inclusive community of support, and accountability who strive to keep growing.
Please join us.
What We Believe
One of the great gifts of Unitarian Universalism is that we are theologically diverse.
One of the challenges of Unitarian Universalism is that we are theologically diverse.
We do not gather around a common creed expecting all to think alike and believe the same way.
Instead, Unitarian Universalism honors the beliefs and understandings that each of us comes to-- from our own life experiences, self-reflection and wisdom.
Differences in theology and approach to life and spiritual growth are opportunities to practice our values of deep listening, acceptance, open-mindedness and curiosity.
We are bound together in community through a covenantal relationship-- reliant on the promises we make to each other of how we will honor, support and respect one another.
We believe that faith is a journey we travel throughout our lives and on that journey beliefs change and expand.
We celebrate these individual journeys and the collective one we share in community.
Meet Our Staff
Minister
Rev. Jan Hutslar
My calling is to serve in UU parish ministry that stirs the heart, enlivens the mind, engages the body, nourishes the soul, affirms the individual and empowers the community.
Directors of Religious Exploration
Jennie Harriman & Kirsten Ward
Co-directors Jennie Harriman and Kirsten Ward lead our youth programming.
Church Administrator
Vicki Hathorn
Vicki is our office administrator and supporter of the minister, DRE, board and committees. She normally works mornings Tuesday through Friday.
Song Leader
Hannah Jeffery
Hannah Jeffery (She/They) is a Songstress, Composer, Song-keeper, mother and playful spirit. She is a gifted songleader and space-holder and delights in gathering people to sing as prayer for mutual upliftment, honoring What Is, and praising Life!
They invite you to come sing, come pray, and come play together!
Minister Emerita
The Rev. Dr. Patience Stoddard
Now retired, Patience served as the UUCUV's contract minister immediately prior to Jan's calling. Among many other things, she helped supervise the construction of our sanctuary and meetinghouse.
Affiliated Community Minister
Rev. Nancy Bird Pellegrini
Rev. Pellegrini affiliated with the congregation in April 2020. She primarily serves beyond the walls of the church as a hospital chaplain. She periodically assists with worship and pastoral care.
Membership
Membership is a formal commitment of your time and energy to the spiritual life of the church community. People who are new to UU ideals in general, and to the UUCUV in particular, are encouraged to attend New Visitors and Friends Gathering one Sunday each month (check the calendar for dates, carry your coffee in from Fellowship hour), in which congregational leaders and our minister can discuss the congregation and its ideals, history, and plans and answer your questions.
If our Mission, Vision, and Covenant support your values about how to be in community, we hope you will make the commitment to membership.
The formal act of membership comprises two parts. First, identify your own contribution to the community in terms of service and monetary donations in line with your current situation. Second, the commitment is symbolized by signing the membership book, usually as part of a Sunday service, but it can be done privately.
Welcoming Congregation
The UUCUV is recognized as a Welcoming Congregation, a voluntary program that reflects our belief to the inherent worth and dignity of every person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Learn more about the program at the UUA web site.
Our congregation spearheaded Vermont's effort to pass the country's first civil union legislation in 2000. The UUCUV has made a special effort to learn about, grow with, and celebrate our members, friends, neighbors, children, and fellow travelers whose gender identities challenge traditional expectations.
We celebrate and support families of every constellation. Children's religious ed materials are carefully vetted to show that every kind of family is a place where people are loved and safe, from single folks living alone to multi-generational, multi-affectional families with kids from all over.
We use the Our Whole Lives curriculum at every age level as a supplement to Sunday morning religious ed, not in place of it. The bonded, closed groups of our OWL classes happen on a long calendar rotation.
Green Sanctuary
The UUCUV was among the first congregations accredited under the UUA's Green Sanctuary Program. The accreditation reflects our deeply felt commitment to the environment of the world that we all share, and the integration of Earth-based spirituality into our services and communal gatherings.
The UUCUV's religious ed programs for children incorporate lessons about the interdependent web from encouraging a sense of wonder to hands-on environment-protecting projects.
The UUCUV has an ongoing commitment to fighting for climate action. We installed solar panels on our roofs in 2018 and we now generate more than enough electricity to offset our needs.
Learn more about the Green Sanctuary program at the UUA web site.