sugnim
Member
My family & I have been members of our local UU Fellowship for the past 2 years. I love the UU ideas & principals, but I am growing increasingly frustrated with our local church. We are a small fellowship of about 30 people. We have no minister, and are lay-led. This means that members take turns offering Sunday services, and many of our committees are comprised of the same people. I love the idea of a small, community church. But, at our church, there is a small group of 5 people who have been very close friends for years and who are in charge of everything. This means that they are very cliquey, and the church tends to run just the way they want it. It feels exclusionary, and I have seen people leave the church after not experiencing a welcoming sense of community. I have tried to be a part of the church, but I feel I need more. Today, we visited our local UCC church. It was Christian, to be sure, which felt a little odd since I am not Christian. But, the feel of the building and the congregation was warmer and more welcoming than the UU church. And now I'm torn. Do I stay at our UU church based upon my religious values, or do I move to another church that espouses different values, and retain my UU identity, essentially staying as permanent visitor? Has anyone else had a similar experience?