Visitors and Newcomers

We welcome visitors and want to help you feel at home.

Kelly Ross, Member & Admin Coordinator

SPRING & SUMMER 2020
During this time of uncertainty, we are taking care to determine how to best reach out to newcomers and visitors. There is a lot of information below about what to expect in "normal" circumstances. If there is anything that our staff can do now to help you get plugged in, please let us know. Our Member & Admin Coordinator, Kelly Ross, is able to answer questions about how to get more involved with our community now that we meet online.

Kelly can be reached at memberadmin@unitarianlincoln.org.

Visitors and newcomers are very welcome at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln. We make it our special mission to welcome you warmly, invite you into our congregation, and give you information about our church and the programs that we offer. Just about all of us were newcomers at one time in our church lives.

You will find that very few of us were born Unitarian Universalists. Some of us were raised in families who worshiped in the Protestant, Jewish, or Roman Catholic faiths. Others among us were raised agnostic or atheist. It is only as adults that we have found this church home.

We are a family of people with diverse spiritual orientations. We seek to share a journey of spiritual growth and work together to find ways to live our faith in the world, while respecting the right to freedom of individual beliefs. We hope
that we will meet you in person soon and that you will join us as we create and cultivate a diverse, justice-seeking, spirit-growing community.

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What to expect
Common questions
Newcomer Classes

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Here's what we hope you will experience when you visit on a Sunday morning:

Entering: When you approach the church through the west doors (which are wheelchair accessible), door greeters will be on hand to greet you and to show you to the Welcome table where you will be invited to put on a name tag. You will be offered a newcomer packet of information that will tell you more about our church and the programs that we offer.
Gathering: After you put on your name tag, you will proceed to the Sanctuary, where our ushers will greet you. Please let them know if you'd like to utilize an assisted-listening device, and they will help you obtain one.
Sitting: If you would like to sit with a church member, please mention this at the newcomer table when you pick up your name tag, and we’ll introduce you to a church member who will sit with you. We ask that if you have small children that you seat yourselves at the back of the Sanctuary, so that if need arises you can take the children into the Gallery, where you can listen to the church service and they can play. Or, if you prefer, you may take your children to the preschool room where we have several childcare providers available to look after the children.
Beginning: We start the service with announcements and some music. Then we will light a chalice, which is the symbol of our denomination. You can learn more about that here.
Learning: Children attend the beginning of the service with their parents or guardians. After a Time For All Ages story, children depart for their Religious Growth and Learning classrooms with their teachers.

Worshiping: Service topics are listed under the "Upcoming Services" and the podcasts of recent services are linked under "Sermons" to give you an idea of the issues and challenges with which our liberal religious community wrestles.
Listening: Music for our services is provided by members of our church and by guests from the community.

Sharing: During middle hour between services, we gather in the Gallery to have coffee, tea, and conversation. Our minister, the Rev. Oscar Sinclair, is also typically in the Gallery during the coffee hour and would enjoy meeting you.
Asking: On the first and third Sundays of each month we offer a Newcomer Chat in the Library, which is located in the northeast corner of the Gallery space.

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What should I wear?

Dress is generally casual. Please wear whatever makes you comfortable. Children usually wear clothing such as jeans and sneakers, although some enjoy dressing up on occasion. We have a playground, and in good weather, children play outside after church.

When does the service start?

The first service begins at 9:00AM and usually lasts for 45 minutes. The second service begins at 11:00AM and usually lasts for 70 minutes. Our church year begins in August and ends at the beginning of summer.

Where do I park and enter?

There are several places to park. We have a small parking lot on the church grounds. It is located on the NE corner of Eldon Dr. and A St. Across from Eldon Dr. to the west, there is a large parking lot owned by Pius High School. They allow us to use their lot on Sundays and on weekday evenings.

Our Church entrance is on the west side of the building, just off of the parking lot. The first hallway on the left leads to the restrooms, just after you pass the large reception window into the Church Office. The first hallway on the right leads to the Religious Education wing of the building. This wing also has a gender neutral restroom.

Door greeters will be on hand to greet you and to show you to the Welcome table where you will be invited to put on a name tag. You will be offered a newcomer packet of information that will tell you more about our church and the programs that we offer.

What happens during the worship service?

Services follow this general outline: announcements, opening music, opening words, chalice lighting, congregational singing, a time for all ages story, a sermon, more singing, a time of sharing joys and sorrows and silent reflection, closing music, and closing words. After the first church service ends around 9:45am, we gather in the Gallery to have coffee, tea and conversation until 10:45am. Please plan to stay after the first service or arrive early to the second in order to connect with us during this social hour.

What are the sermons like?

Our sermons may be quite different from what you are used to if you have been attending another congregation. Our sermons are not based on bible readings, and we have no creed in Unitarian Universalist churches and fellowships. We believe that our members have a good sense of who they are and what we need to do as individuals to make our world a better place. We believe that any salvation that we find will come here on earth for the work that we do here. We have a set of principles that we use to guide our daily lives.

Our sermons range over a wide variety of topics and generally have a thought provoking message to them. We also feel free to engage our minister, or others giving the sermon, in conversation about the sermon topic after the service during fellowship time. We believe that we learn more from one another when we dialogue together and agree to respect the opinions of other thoughtful people. Sermons are given by our minister, the Rev. Oscar Sinclair, on most Sundays. On other Sundays, our Worship Associates lead the service. They may choose to invite a speaker from the community, or they may choose to offer the sermon themselves.

Can I bring my children?

You and your children are very welcome to join us in the church service. Our children stay with their parents for the first fifteen minutes of the church service. There is a time for all ages story during that time. After the story, children have the option of staying in the sanctuary with their parents or going to their classrooms. On occasion, when special activities have been planned, the children stay with the adults through the entire church service.

If you are most comfortable having your children with you as a newcomer, please feel free to do so throughout the service. We are not troubled by intermittent squeals and sounds of young children. We do ask that if you have small children that you seat yourselves at the back of the Sanctuary, so that if the need arises, you can take the children into the Gallery, where you can listen to the church service and they can play. Or if you prefer, you may take your children to the preschool room, where we have adult childcare providers available to look after them.

Our religious education classes “facilitate ethical and spiritual development in our children so that they will be empowered to become free-thinking individuals who know and respect themselves and others, contribute to their human and natural communities, and make informed decisions regarding their spiritual paths.” If you would like your child to visit our Religious Growth and Learning program (akin to Sunday School), it would be helpful to come 15 or 20 minutes early so that you can sign your children into the class and to have a quick orientation provided by the Religious Education Director or others on duty. There is a special table set up in the Religious Education Wing for registering children for class. Someone there will take you to see the classroom and orient you to the class activities.

We provide free childcare for toddlers and preschoolers, from 15 minutes before the start of the church service until 15 minutes after the church service is over. Should a problem arise with your child, a childcare provider will come and find you in the Sanctuary. There is a nursery available where parents will find cribs, a changing table and a rocking chair. There are drapes at the windows for privacy. The room is set up with the sound system so that parents may listen to the church service while caring for their infants.

Will I be welcome?

Yes, absolutely. We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We encourage our members and friends to accept one another and to seek spiritual growth. We have a rich heritage of encouraging individuals on their spiritual path wherever that may lead them. We respect and encourage all in their spiritual journey. We have members who are rich and poor, of all ethnic backgrounds, young and old, heterosexual, gay, gender neutral, and transgender. Our members come from many different occupations, cultural heritages, and religious backgrounds.

What if I am part of an interfaith family?

Many of our church families choose to worship with us because we celebrate many religious traditions in our church services. We often use readings in our church services from other faith traditions.

Will I be welcome if I’m agnostic or atheist?

You are welcome. Within our membership are agnostics, atheists, humanists, theists, and pagans who revere the natural world. We offer people a safe place to explore and grow spiritually, wherever they start from and wherever they journey to. We provide religious education for their children, teaching them how to make informed and ethical choices. We provide a larger forum for making a difference in the world through social action. And we provide a vibrant social community.

What holidays are celebrated?

Unitarian Universalism draws upon many religious traditions. Often we celebrate religious holidays including Easter, Passover, Summer and Winter Solstices, Day of the Dead, Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. When we do, we celebrate them in a way that speaks to the Unitarian Universalist faith.

Will I be pressured to join or convert?

No.

We strive to be friendly. We do not ask visitors to join our church right away. We invite you to participate in classes to inform you of Unitarian Universalist beliefs and practices. You will make your own choice as to whether you would like to join us in membership. You are free to take part in most offerings that we have here whether you are a member or not. We would hope that after you learn more about us and find that you are comfortable among us that you will want to join us freely in the exploration of your spiritual life.

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To learn more about any of the programs listed below, please submit the form at the bottom of this page:

Newcomer Chat

On the first and third Sundays of each month we offer a Newcomer Chat in the Library, which is located in the northeast corner of the Gallery space. We show a short DVD made by the church that introduces you to some church members and also a brief overview of Unitarian Universalism. Afterwards there is time to chat with members and friends and also to ask questions. The chat usually lasts about 30 minutes. The Newcomer Chat on the first Sunday of the month is at 10:00am after the first service. The Newcomer Chat on the third Sunday of the month is at 12:15pm after the second service. Childcare is provided during the chat, but if you prefer, you may pick up your children from their classes and bring them with you to the chat.

Starting Point Class

Starting Point classes will give you the background of our Unitarian Universalist history and how we journey together as Unitarian Universalists. We encourage you to take this class as an exploration to see if Unitarian Universalism is for you. We hold these classes at least four times a year, and many times the classes are mixed with long-time members and newcomers, which gives everyone the opportunity to create connections in addition to learning more about Unitarian Universalism.

Membership Class

Once you have taken our Starting Point class and are ready to consider committing to the church, we have a membership class that provides a review of Unitarian Universalist history, the Unitarian Universalist Principles that help to guide our lives, and the history of this Unitarian church. The classes are free and will give you a good background in Unitarian Universalism and that should help to inform you and make your decision as to whether to join us in membership. Some people feel a strong connection and wish to join within the first year of their visiting, others have been known to take years to decide whether to sign the membership book. You will be welcome here whether you sign the membership book or not.

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Do you have additional questions or interest in a class?

Our Member & Admin Coordinator, Kelly Ross, would be happy to talk with you. You can use this form to begin a conversation with her.

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