New Unity in London: More UU congregations should have a site like this

[applewuud]

I just came across a Facebook posting by the minister of a Unitarian/Unity church in London offering consulting to other Unitarian congregations in Britain. It's called New Unity; here's a quote from the first page of the site:

"What began as a space for nonconformist belief has blossomed into a radically-inclusive gathering, bound to no creed and dedicated to the pursuit of peace and unity.

At New Unity we organise activities for personal and community growth, from mindfulness and discussion groups to book and study circles. We also run a weekly children’s programme and various other family-friendly activities. If you’re in your 20s and 30s, whether in your heart or on paper, New Unity is a chance to meet new people who share a sense of whimsy and curiosity about the universe."
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This is the best web site for any UU church I've ever seen. I'm particularly taken by the "Believe in Good" tagline. Here on the forum there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about us, and this first page (http://www.new-unity.org/#believeingood) portrays what we are (or, at least, what we hope to be) more succinctly than anything else I've seen.

The page describing the governance of the church (http://www.new-unity.org/learnmore/#how-new-unity-works) is also a short and sweet description of what "congregational polity" is, in a world where most people have difficulty understanding why we don't have archbishops and bishops. I particularly like the way they describe their volunteers as "drivers":

Engine and drivers
Engine is an open gathering of New Unity members who are interested in pitching in and doing what they can to help New Unity grow and develop. Engine meets once monthly after a Sunday service and its gatherings may involve planning, brainstorming, updating, etc.

Drivers are individual volunteer leaders who have been given responsibility for specific areas of congregational life.
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Is there anyone on this forum who is a member of this church and can share what it's like there?

 

[Kirran]

I'm afraid I haven't been to this particular church. But I have attended the Unitarian Church in Cambridge (in the UK) a few times, and know some people there.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I just came across a Facebook posting by the minister of a Unitarian/Unity church in London offering consulting to other Unitarian congregations in Britain. It's called New Unity; here's a quote from the first page of the site:

If you live in the area it sounds like it's worth a visit. Their material reminded me of the Quakers, with whom I've had some involvement. No creed but core values, non-theists involved but the majority still having an idea of God in some sense, that kind of thing.