Are you thinking about becoming a member of this congregation?

Take the first steps

Try us out. Come to several Sunday services and after the service grab a red newcomer’s mug and stay for coffee hour; attend a smaller group event; or have a conversation with our minister. Get to know someone!

Make contact. Attend a Newcomer Circle, which is held once a month right after Sunday services. Newcomer Circles feature a relaxed conversation about Unitarian Universalism and the UU Congregation of Charlottesville. They begin at 12:15 on a Sunday and last for 30 minutes. No advanced registration or sign-up is required. Simply get a refreshment from the Social Hall after the Sunday service and join us!

Attend a New Friends & Members class, which is offered about four times per year. This will give you even more information about the history of our congregation and the opportunities for spiritual growth and community engagement.

Get involved.  Our activities are open to everyone.  You can come to an Adult Faith Development class, volunteer, or participate in one of our many discussion groups.

Join us, become a member!  At a certain point in their relationship with the congregation, many people feel the desire to increase the expression of their commitment. They find that they have moved from thinking that “this is the congregation I go to,” to feeling that it is “this is my congregation.” This is the time to formalize your membership.

Sign our membership book

You become a member by signing the historic Membership Book that is kept in our Sanctuary.  It contains the signatures of every person who has claimed this as their faith community. One of our ministers or someone from the Membership Committee will witness your signature.

When you’re ready to take this step, please email membership@uucharlottesville.org and ministers@uucharlottesville.org.

Stay in Touch

Keep your contact information up to date in the congregation directory, Breeze. You can also see your membership status there.

What You Can Expect as a Member

Support and Comfort. When you’re in need, you can call on your community and we will be here for you.

Acceptance and Affirmation.  Each week we say, “whoever you are, whomever you love, however you express your identity … you have a place here.” We mean it.

Opportunities for Growth. You can expect opportunities to deepen your spirit, expand your mind, and engage the world.

Religious Exploration for Children; Empowerment for Youth. Within our commitment to providing opportunities for religious education and faith formation across the lifespan, you can expect special attention to the growth and nurture of our children and youth.

Becoming Part of an Evolving Community. Our congregation continues to change and grow as each new member brings their gifts. You can expect to be part of that on-going evolution.

What We Expect of Our Members

Regular Attendance at Weekly Worship in the Sanctuary.  Regular Sunday attendance will help you feel connected to the spiritual heart of our community. Your attendance is important to the gathered community – we all are essential.

Regular Participation by Children and Youth in our Sunday Religious Education Program. It is as important for our children and youth to gather together regularly as it is for our adults. Together we are building a community, and that takes showing up.

Working on your own Spiritual Development. Growth is one of the signs that being part of the community is working.

Pledging at a Stewardship Level. We ask members to contribute at least 2.5% of their income to the congregation. We recognize that not everyone will be able to do this – and that some will be able to do far more. Feel free to talk to a minister if your financial situation precludes giving financial support.

Serving the Congregation. What does it mean to commit to a community and, then, not support it? Our congregation needs financial resources, and it needs you to offer your time and your talents. There are many ways – large and small – for you to give of yourself to this religious “home.” [This service might also include attendance at the annual congregational meeting in the Spring at which we do the work of the congregation.]

Serving Others.  Unitarian Universalists are committed not only to making their own congregational communities strong, but also working to build a wider Beloved Community in the world. It is not just our institution that is involved in the work of justice; we expect our members to find ways to engage as well.

Deepening your Unitarian Universalist Identity. There are local, regional, and national events that bring together people from the more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country. This is not the only manifestation of our larger Association.

Privileges of Membership

Everyone is welcome to participate in church life, but a few things are only available to church members:

Resignation

If you want to resign your membership at this church, you can do so by letting a minister, staff member or membership committee member know. You do not have to submit a formal letter of resignation. When you resign, you may no longer vote in congregational meetings, chair committees or hold an elected office. If you want to rejoin, just let us know and you can become an active member again. You will have to wait 30 days after re-activating your membership before you may vote in a congregational meeting.