Interested in Membership?

UUSGS is a membership organization.  We don't have members and non-members because of any desire to be exclusionary.  In fact, it is the opposite.  Membership is open to anyone.

Membership has at least two important logistical functions.  First, members are part of the legal structure of the congregation.  Members make important decisions and are essentially 'owners' of the congregation... its phsycial property, its name, its history and culture.  Second (and related), membership is required for certain leadership positions at UUSGS, like the Board of Trustees.  This ensures alignment between authority and accountablity.

Beneath all of the logistics, however, is a deeper, more powerful spiritual idea.  It is the idea of joining.  Freely joining.  Joining together.  Joining together to do something important.

To be clear, joining is counter-cultural these days.  More than half of US adults say "they attended no clubs or organizations, did not attend religious services, volunteered no time, and got together with their neighbors to help their community zero times over the last year."  Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone...began charting this trend more than 25 years ago.  Today, this is old news: many people today say they simply "aren't joiners."

And yet, there is so much to be gained by joining, by doing things together.  This is especially true of the spiritual path... and even more especially true when folks chose to walk their path with open minds, as we do.  Life is enriched by good company & by diverse persepctives... to say nothing of the mutual aid and community care that can help when life gets tough...

Membership at UUSGS then is not only about logistics.  It is about a powerful personal choice: to journey with others; to create freely gathered community around shared values; to root oneself in love and justice, in care for self and others; and to commit to practices that lead to "the free & unrestricted development of the human spirit for the good of all."  (UUSGS Mission)

Interested?  Have questions?  Good!

Drop Rev. Jason & Darcie a line to let them know you're interested in learning more.  We're looking to convene a small group who will join together and be welcomed into membership in September!