Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis

The UUCD sanctuary was built in 1968 and can be seen to the right. A view inside the sanctuary.

Website

http://www.uudavis.org

Contact Information

e-mail: <office AT uudavis DOT org>

phone: (530) 753-2581

mailing address: UUCD, PO Box 73710, Davis CA 95617

street address: 27074 Patwin Road, Davis CA 95616

(West down Russell Blvd., past Lake Blvd., turn left onto Patwin)

The Church Office is open Monday – Thursday, 9am – 3pm.

Office Staff

Senior Minister, Rev. Elizabeth (Beth) Banks

Campus Ministry Intern (during UC Davis school year)

Director of Lifespan Learning (Religious Exploration for All Ages), Kate Raymond

Religious Exploration Assistant, Helen Sutton

Youth Director, Leonie Pickett

Office Administrator, Mandy Dawn

From website: “The UU Church of Davis is a liberal religious congregation that welcomes and affirms a diversity of religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, culture, and physical ability among our members and visitors. Our mission is: To welcome each and all, cultivating the spirit, serving others in our quest for justice.”

UUCD is a certified Welcoming Congregation, embracing people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. They also support marriage equality and the work of the UU Legislative Ministry of California's Action Network

UUCD is a UU Ministry for the Earth certified Green Sanctuary.

UUCD has a Religious Exploration Lifespan Learning program for Children, Youth, Adults, All Ages Together.
Contact: Director of Religious Exploration, Kate Raymond, <re AT uudavis DOT org>

UUCD has Many Ways to Connect to Others in Our Community (more can be found at http://www.uudavis.org)

• UNIQUE Youth Group, Contact: Leonie Pickett, <re AT uudavis DOT org>

• Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry Group, Meets at The Belfry. Contact: Aiden McCormack, <campusministry AT uudavis DOT org>

• Young Adult Group, age 18-35, contact the church office to join the listserv.

• Peace & Justice Committee, committed to social justice work in Davis and around the world.
  

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, "protecting human rights for over 50 years."

• Green Sanctuary Committee, committed to environmental work in Davis and around the world.

• Community Involvement Committee (supporting STEAC, Progress Ranch, Adopt a Social Worker, Davis Community Meals)

• Buddhist Meditation Group at the Unitarian Church

UUCD is a Beautiful Place to Go for a Walk!
The grounds are planted with trees from around the world.

The Unitarian Universalist Association represents the larger denomination.

The Flaming Chalice is the symbol of Unitarian Universalism.

From website: “Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition that affirms that religious inspiration comes from many sources—direct experience and mysticism, prophetic women and men, the world’s religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, humanism and science, and earth-based spiritualities. We encourage people to develop their own worldviews while together engaging in social justice—working to end oppressions like racism and homophobia, and to save the environment.”

Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:
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 within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian Universalism: The Living Tradition
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions. We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places.
We believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. In the end religious authority lies not in a book, person, or institution, but in ourselves. We put religious insights to the test of our hearts and minds.
We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a noncreedal religion. Ours is a free faith.
We believe that religious wisdom is ever changing. Human understanding of life and death, the world and its mysteries, is never final. Revelation is continuous. We celebrate unfolding truths known to teachers, prophets, and sages throughout the ages.
We affirm the worth of all people. We believe people should be encouraged to think for themselves. We know people differ in their opinions and lifestyles, and we believe these differences generally should be honored.
We seek to act as a moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion. The here and now and the effects our actions will have on future generations deeply concern us. We know that our relationships with one another, with diverse peoples, races, and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, and compassion.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis is a liberal, noncreedal spiritual organization that welcomes and affirms a diversity of religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, culture, and physical ability among its members and visitors. While the Unitarian Universalist religion historically originated from two Christian sects, there is currently no precisely phrased statements of belief to which members subscribe, and its members are from a variety of religious and non-religious traditions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Paganism, and atheism to name a few. Beyond exploring truths found in the world's religions, the church is heavily focused on issues of peace, social justice, and environmentalism.

Services consist of lighting a chalice, hymn-singing (using hymns that often sound vaguely Christian but don't contain specifically Christian doctrine), a period of silence for meditation and prayer, and a sermon whose topic is not typically a text from the Bible as is common in Christian churches. Sermon topics in the past several months have included such diverse topics as fear, the nature of time, sex, aging, changing seasons, the politics of food, and the story of the good Samaritan.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis is an active participant in the Interfaith Campus Council, and has a campus ministry for the UCD student community. It participates in community service organizations such as STEAC, Progress Ranch, and Davis Community Meals.

UU Summer Chalice Camp, July 13-17, 2009 9am – 3pm.
Steep your child in UU values and ideas for a whole week this summer! For children age 4 through 6th grade, this year's theme will be Justice-Making Throughout the Ages, and we will travel together, complete with costumes, to different places and times to learn about how human rights, including those of women, children, and ethnic minorities have developed over time to be what they are today. We will also spend some time talking about the relationship between humans and the environment, and will work together to vision a future that works for everyone. In addition, your children won’t want to miss out on waterplay, drama, cool crafts, the Shaving Cream Extravaganza, and energetic worship, all with UU flair! Save the date on your calendar. Registration forms appear in the Great Hall and at the Bridgehouse in early summer. UU Member-families have priority enrollment. After-hour care available for a little extra. No one turned away due to a lack of funds. Confidential scholarships available.