Planning your visit
You don’t have to be Unitarian Universalist, believe a particular thing, or know a soul. Most of us walked in the first time not knowing what to expect. Here’s what to expect.
Before you come
- When
- Sundays at 10am, in person and on Zoom; about an hour.
- Where
- 524 Allen Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103
- Parking
- On-site lot, with accessible spaces in the circle by the sanctuary walkway.
- Getting in
- All on one level, no stairs; the left walkway leads to the accessible sanctuary entrance.
- What to wear
- Whatever’s comfortable. Jeans and sneakers fit right in.
- Children
- Welcome in the service; nursery for infants through age 4, 9:45–11:30 am.
- Online
- Live on Zoom at 10; the recording goes up on YouTube later in the week.
- Cost
- Nothing. An offering passes during the service; visitors are welcome to let it go by.
What a Sunday is like
A service opens with welcome and announcements. Visitors are invited to introduce themselves, but you’re never obligated; plenty of people sit and take it in for a few weeks first. You don’t need to know the hymns, the rituals, or the words; just sit and follow along, and let the offering pass if you’d like.
From there a Sunday usually holds the same things: we light the chalice, sing, and offer a lesson for all ages. People share their joys and concerns aloud. There are readings, a sermon, and a few quiet minutes for meditation. We pass an offering, which we share with local charities. The feel is warm and unhurried, not solemn or performed.
Most Sundays from September through June are led by our Developmental Minister, the Rev. Tara Humphries (they/them); about once a month a member of the congregation leads instead. Summer services are smaller and informal, led by members and held in the round. Afterward there’s coffee and conversation; stay if you’d like, or slip out.
Getting here, and getting in
There’s a parking lot, with handicap spaces in the circle by the sanctuary walkway, drop-off points, and paved walkways. Two walkways lead up from the lot: the left one goes to the sanctuary foyer, which is the grade-level, accessible entrance; the right one goes to the religious-education wing.
The whole building is on one level, with no stairs and no elevators. There are ramps to the entryways and an electric door opener at the sanctuary entrance, and there’s an accessible restroom. We keep large-print hymnals and orders of service on hand, along with earphones to help if you’re hard of hearing. Service dogs are welcome.
If there’s something you need in order to feel comfortable coming, call us at (207) 747-3299 and ask. More detail is on the accessibility page.
Coming with kids
Children are welcome in the sanctuary, and the noise that comes with them is welcome too. One member, Emily O’Neill, puts it this way: “A frequent refrain in services is that the noises and wiggles of the youngest members are the sign of a healthy church.”
Up front there’s a spot for young ones called the VIP area, for Very Inquisitive People: a cloud couch, art supplies, books, kaleidoscopes, and dancing scarves. For infants through age 4 there’s a staffed nursery whenever you’d like a break. Most Sundays there are religious-education classes for kids, and two adults are always present with the children, which is our child-safety policy.
Joining online
If you can’t make it in person, or you’d rather watch first from home, the service streams live on Zoom at 10 am. The recording goes up on our YouTube channel later in the week. The Zoom link is posted with each week’s service.
Is this place for you?
We have no creed you’re asked to sign, and no single set of answers. Humanists, theists, agnostics, pagans, Christians, Buddhists, and people still working it out all sit in the same room. What holds us together is a set of shared values rather than a doctrine: that love is at the center, and that how we live with each other and with this planet is what matters most.
We’re a Welcoming Congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Association’s term for a congregation that has done explicit, ongoing work on LGBTQ+ inclusion; the UUA recognized us in 2003.
If you are hungry for a church that honors your questions rather than handing you one set of answers, this might be the place.
Your next step
The simplest way to stay in touch is the Welcome Form. It’s one short form; it also signs you up for the weekly newsletter, so you’ll know what’s coming on Sunday. Fill it out before you visit or after.
Once you’ve been a few times and want to go deeper, see ways to connect at A2U2.
Related topics: directions, parking, accessibility, what to expect, first visit, first time, newcomer, service time, where to park, plan a visit.