Who We Are
Our Beliefs and Principles
Volunteering
at UUCJ
Fellowship and Fun
- Dinners-For-Eight
- O'Leno
- Special Events
Unitarian Universalist
History
There have always been people who believed that one Creation
embraced all people, that life should be a unity, rather than
warring factions of sacred and profane. There have always been
people who believed that life was good, death was peaceful, and
hell and devil were mistaken superstitions. The early Christian
Church contained both Unitarians, arguing for the unity of God
and the humanity of Jesus, and Universalists, arguing that a good
God and a loving Jesus would save all people, but these beliefs
became heresies. At the beginning of the Reformation, in the 1500s,
individuals and small movements throughout Europe began again
to proclaim Unitarian and Universalist beliefs. Transylvania's
King John Sigismund, who was a Unitarian, made the first edict
of religious toleration in the Western world in 1568. He declared
that each community should elect its own religious leaders and
agree upon its shared doctrines in love. Joseph Priestley, who
discovered oxygen and hydrogen, was an 18th Century
Unitarian minister in England. Unitarian and Universalist ideas
came early to the American colonies, and many prominent Americans
were members of our faiths: five Presidents, a multitude of famous
authors and politicians, philosophers and inventors, and, particularly,
women and men social reformers. In 1961, the two denominations
joined together. There are presently more than 1050 Unitarian
Universalist congregations, and more than 200,000 Unitarian Universalists
in North America.
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Unitarian Universalist
Church of Jacksonville History
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville [UUCJ] was
founded in 1906, significantly by Duncan Fletcher, who served
as Mayor of Jacksonville, and became one of Florida's U.S. Senators.
After hard times during the depression and war years, the congregation
was renewed in the 1950s by strong lay-leadership, led by Dorcas
and Francis Alberti. The congregation, by 1958, had a home on
St. John's Avenue in Riverside. In 1960, a new minister, the Rev.
McGehee was hired. With many from our congregation, he became
an active leader in the civil rights movement. In 1966, our present
building was dedicated. The architect was Bob Broward, a student
of Frank Lloyd Wright, and still himself a leader in the congregation
and in NE Florida. We share a boundary with the Tree Hill Nature
Center, and our buildings have received significant architectural
awards. We are, at present, a congregation of about 300 adults
and 100 children and youth.
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Minister
Dr. John L. Young, grew up in Kansas, did
graduate work in political science, and became an activist in
the civil rights and disarmament movements. He became a Unitarian
Universalist as a college freshman, having grown up in a home
that was spiritual, but not church going. He has worked as a musician, camp counselor, construction and factory worker, community
organizer, hospital chaplain, and US Immigration Officer, before
becoming a UU Minister in 1970. He received his doctorate in
Ministry from the Meadville/Lombard UU Seminary at the University
of Chicago and has been a Merrill Fellow at Harvard University.
John has served churches in Chicago, New York City, Bloomington,
IN, Paramus, NJ, and Sacramento, CA, before becoming our minister
in August of 1999. John is married to Kathleen Moran, recently retired from her technical
writing career. He has two grown children. John has been a leader in nonprofit
organizations serving the homeless, building affordable housing
for the poor, serving the mentally ill, working for disarmament
on behalf of the United Nations, and for ecumenical understanding.
He has traveled widely, is a published author and poet, and enjoys
the outdoors and music. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy
and Religion at the University of North Florida, teaching courses
on Religious Non-Violence, the Religions of India, Gandhi, Truth
and Reconciliation, and Contemporary Liberal Religion. He is presently a Fellow at the UNF Ethics Center. John recently completed two years
on the national UUA Nominating Committee.
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The Board
The Board plans for and administers the resources and facilities
needed to fulfill the purposes of the Church. It sets policy and
acts in the name of the Church between Congregational meetings. The Board has final jurisdiction over all activities of all committees
and offices of the church, and authorizes all committees needed
for carrying out its responsibilities and specifies their duties.
The UUCJ Board consists of a: President, President-elect, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Building and Grounds Chair, Community Outreach Chair, Finance Chair, Membership
Chair, Religious Education Chair,and two
Members-at-Large.
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Our Congregation
We govern ourselves democratically. We elect our Minister,
Officers, and Board, which makes our policies and support our
programs, volunteers, and staff between congregational
meetings. Congregational meetings are usually held directly after
Sunday services several times each year. They also may be called, with
at least ten days notice to the congregation, to respond to special
concerns. Our by-laws presently mandate three annual meetings:
one in December to choose the Nominating Committee for elected
offices, one in March to consider a preliminary budget and to
elect Officers and Board members, and one in June to hear annual
reports and to vote upon a final budget for the coming financial
year, which is from July through June. All members may vote, serve
on committees, and hold elected offices.
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Our Spoken Affirmation
Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest of truth is its
sacrament, and service is its prayer. To dwell together in peace,
to seek knowledge in freedom, to serve humanity in fellowship,
to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the divine,
thus do we covenant with one another.
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Our Mission We are a religious and
spiritual community celebrating our Unitarian Universalist principles.
We are committed to caring for each other with acceptance and
respect. We pledge to sustain a sacred space where, together,
we seek personal growth, life's meaning, and justice. We serve
as a catalyst for social change through our actions.
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Our Goals
- Enrich, inspire and nurture our members and children
- Realize the beauty and value of our buildings and grounds
- Build bridges of love and justice within our church, in our
community, and in the world
- Ensure the economic viability of the church
- Be a beacon for liberal religion in Northeast Florida
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Our Congregational Covenant
As members of this congregation, in order to nurture and enhance
our lives together in this sacred space where we seek personal
growth, discern life's meaning, and build relationships of fairness
and love, we intend to:
- Offer our unique gifts, talents, time, energy, and financial
support
- Respect the views and needs of others, practicing tolerance,
understanding, and acceptance even in disagreement, allowing
loving relationship to transcend issues
- Celebrate the diversity within our midst even when it is difficult
or uncomfortable
- Invite and welcome others in the quest for spiritual and ethical
growth, recognizing each other and guests in fellowship
- Share the ministry of our church, caring for each other through
times of joy and sorrow
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Unitarian Universalist Principals
and Traditions
We 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 rights of conscience and the use of democratic process
within our congregations and society
- 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
The living tradition we share draws from many sources
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder,
affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to renewal of the spirit
and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge
us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion,
and the transforming power of love
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our
ethical and spiritual life
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to
God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of
reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries
of the mind and spirit
- Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions, which celebrate
the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony
with the rhythms of nature
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Volunteering at UUCJ
Our enjoyment of membership is increased as we participate in
the life and the work of our church. New and long-term members
strive to make UUCJ and our world a better place. Listed here are some of the ways we contribute our efforts to benefit us
all.
To find out more about these and other volunteer opportunities,
talk with the Membership Committee Chair, the Membership Coordinator,
our Minister, or any of the church leadership.
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Membership
- Greet visitors and members, hand out the Order of Service, and
collect the offering.
- Talk with visitors and prospective members in the Social Hall
after Sunday service. Provide
information about church activities and direct visitors to the
information they need.
- Help interested people obtain reprints of previous sermons,
and collect donations to defray the cost.
- Attend an occasional Orientation meeting, and join in discussing
the religious journeys that led us to UUCJ.
- Mentor a new member or family to assist in their
integration into the life of the church.
- Support the Membership Coordinator in and around the office
as needed before the Sunday Service.
- Make phone calls to members through the telephone tree when
an urgent message must be conveyed.
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Fellowship / Hospitality
- Set up coffee and snacks for the social hour on Sunday as
a Coffee Hour volunteer. Follow instructions on purchasing supplies
and cleaning up.
- Send reminders as Hospitality Coordinator to coffee hosts
with information on how to set up and find supplies, and periodically
check on supply of staples. Get replacements when needed.
- Provide a comfortable atmosphere for a small group cooperative
or potluck dinner at your home as host/hostess for Dinners for
Eight.
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Community Outreach
- Participate in providing a meal for the homeless. This may entail baking cookies and/or assembling lunches at the I.M. Sulzbacher
Center for the Homeless.
- Participate in the Crop Walk Annual fall community event where
many churches join together to raise money for food for the
needy.
- Sign up participants as the Crop Walk Organizer.
- Represent your church by participating in the Martin Luther
King Day Parade.
- Distribute information as needed about timely issues after Sunday service as an Information Table volunteer.
- Assist in collecting and delivering items and funds for our
local Arlington food bank.
- Coordinate with North Florida AIDS network in collecting and
distributing needed articles for AIDS patients
- Help organize Community Outreach potluck dinners for specific issues or speakers held in the Social
Hall.
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Religious Services
- Perform mini concerts before and provide music during Sunday
service.
- Provide arrangements of flowers or interesting objects for
the Chancel Table at Sunday services.
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Building and Grounds
- Help with general grounds keeping, planting, weeding, watering,
and clearing our Pond.
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Life Span Religious Education
- Lead a study group session or series, using a subject of special
interest to you or based on UU materials.
- Teach UU curriculum to our youth as an RE teacher.
- Plan activities for children/teen annual events as an RE event
planner.
- Provide and prepare food for RE parents and teachers for special
RE events as an RE volunteer.
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Finance
- Meet with church members to consider financial stewardship
and contributions as a member of the Canvass team.
- Participate in planning/organizing annual fund raising events
as a Canvass event volunteer.
- Assist in compiling services for auction, and help with bidding
or refreshments as a Service Auction helper.
- Create and produce special events and projects with fund raising
potential.
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Zip Code Caring Network
- Contact members in your geographic area periodically, and
pass along information on their special needs.
- Coordinate social events at least twice annually for each
zip code group as a Social Volunteer.
- Assist the Social Coordinator for a specific event as a Zip
Code volunteers.
- Provide assistance to one or more members as a trained Caring
Associate as members' needs are identified.
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Fellowship and Fun
UU's are notorious for wanting to have fun together, so our various Interest Groups aim to please by organizing
many fun, intergenerational social events such as Luaus, Halloween
parties, movie nights, and group outings to athletic
events.
Dinners-for-Eight
Share an interesting evening each month with 8-12 other UU's
and friends by signing an interest list in the Social Room after
the Sunday service.
O'Leno
This annual event is shared by all church members and friends
and takes place in spring at O'Leno State Park near Gainesville,
Florida. From Friday through Sunday afternoon, all generations unite
in good fellowship, food, fun, and a reaffirmation of our church
community. There is a nominal fee to cover food costs and camp
rental.
Special Events
Musical performances, lectures, workshops, and artistic exhibits
are offered or sponsored by the UUCJ on a regular basis. Watch
this Web site and the church bulletin for details.
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