To be a member is to commit to the Unitarian Universalist tradition and the particular community at First Parish. Membership does not commit you to any fixed creed but rather to a moral and spiritual purpose and a search for the good and the true. Membership is about participating in the life of this community, sharing in worship, supporting its work, and charting the course of its work through the right to vote at congregational meetings.
Ideally, one becomes a member after participating in the two-session New UU class, offered in the fall and the spring. First Parish holds a yearly Recognition Ceremony to celebrate and officially welcome the new members of First Parish.
With membership comes the expectation that you will volunteer time and talents to the workings of First Parish. There are many opportunities to become involved in the life of the congregation, from taking a shift at a community event to singing in the choir to teaching a religious education class or joining a committee. (The Deepening Connections Sampler developed by the Membership Committee suggests a variety of ways to more fully connect to life at First Parish and further explore one’s own spiritual practice.) There is also the expectation that every member will make a personally meaningful financial donation to First Parish to maintain the workings of the congregation. But it is important to note that there is no minimum pledge amount and that no one will be turned away for an inability to pledge.
Read one member’s reflections on joining First Parish here.
Please contact the Membership Committee if you have any questions about First Parish membership.
Unison Statement of the Congregation at First Parish New Member Recognition Ceremonies
We welcome you with joy into the life of First Parish. We promise you our support as we share in the hopes and labors of this liberal religious community. May we continue to grow together in wisdom and love. May we together work for justice and be witnesses to what is good in the world.