Have we lost that loving feeling that comes with a sense of belonging?

Have we lost the meaning of what it is to be a church?

When the people walk away -- there is a need for contemplation.

Prayer and meditation -- show us the way.

I attend a UU church although I have not yet joined as that has issues of it's own for me. I see my church as doing many of the things that you all are talking about. There are circle groups, a great music program and RE program, a committed caring minister, a real call and work for social justice incluidng feeding at a soup kitchen, sheltering people at our church on a rotating basis, a strong meditation and universal dance groups. A lifelines ministry that reaches out to the hurt and overwhelmed. Donations to the local food pantry. Great speakers and events. A great recovery programs based on the 7 principles.Welcoming church to newcomers.

So what do I see that would help us grow? First, it would help I think if we were not 99 % white and middle to upper class and had a little more diversity. Second, where are the young people? Our re program is great but there seems to be a real void of teens to late twenties. i suppose that's true of many churches but mine especially seems to have an aging community. Wonderful people who have commited much to the UU church but what do we do when they are gone? Who will carry on.

I also wish my church were more proactive in promoting events. I had to seek the church out on my own, never saw any information about it in the community. For instance we just had the Buddha Relic exhibit at our church and I never saw any inforamtion about it outside church communication.

I too wish God was more accesable there. it does not have to be the God of my understanding, jist the idea of a universal higher power. I dont care if you call "God  it, her, him or God or Goddess, Universal Power, greater Power, wanka Tanka , whatever. That said I realize why it is not so. I also dislike the anti-Christian bias I often hear. I am not a Chrisitan, and do not accept that Jesus Christ was anything more than a prophet. However, that said, I believe a truly welcoming church can not say "we welcome all" but exclude those who profess Christ as savior. I have actually heard negative comments from speakers (though not our pastor.)

With respect, IMHO.

DotnotinOZ, I understand what your talking about with not being able to talk about what you (I) do believe.This seems to be a problems both in church and out of the UU church for me. It seems to me that at the UU church people are so busy trying to be open that they don;t want to have discusssions about belieft. This is sad for me as Discussion is one of the ways I learn and grow. It is okay for someone to challange me and what I believe as it then forces me to defend and be clear about what and why I believe certian thigs. Outside of the church it is even harder. With a couple of excpetions, most of the people I encounter in my life claim to be CHristians ( I saw claim as I believe professing by not undrestanidng or practicing is not actually being somehting) and as soon as I talk about not believing all the CHristian dogma, they become angry, offended or both. I had one friend I was able to have these discussions with and our mutual CHristian friend would walk out of the room. Turns out he did not know enough about his own religion to defend it.  Most people do not seem to be able to find things we do agree about ( I believe like CHristians there is one God for instance) but rather how I am going to hell for my false "new age" beliefs.

Alhtough I could never return to the Christian church, I do miss some things. Worship for one.I still listen to Christian worship cd's (minus the Jesus songs) as part of my worhsip of God. I miss that often when I left church I felt challanged in either my thinking and behavior, even once I had started to doubt my childhood beliefs.

I miss a strong cohesive community. I had women ( and some men) in my life who were there for me in some many ways during some sad tims in my life. I have yet to find that at the UU, though I am still open to it.

Honeslty, and this is for some reason hard for me to write, the UU church is not "the place' for me either. I can no longer agree to Christian dogma, but I find myself unsettled in a place where nothing seems to be believed. Where I don't feel challanged in any way. Where I don't feel a sense of true community.

It saddens me that I can not find a true place to worship, educate myself along with others, and grow.

Sometimes the speaker, especially when is our pastor, is engaging and interesting. Howver, sometimes I am very disappointed. The last week i was able to attend, the speaker had a masters in folklore. She spoke on the stories of Moses as folklore. Okay, I can agree with that. However, I already knew the stories, already saw them as sacred fables and never really felt the least moved or inspired. I don't see how any of it fit into the secen principles.

PLEASE if you are a UU speaker, challange me, even maybe make me a little bit upset at what your saying, make me think, make me examine long held beliefs and ideas, bring me closer to the church, the the oppressed, educate me, challange me to action, teach me how to live the principles, something anything that makes me a better person.

IS there anything besides the UU church? I so long for fellowship and worship, open and sometimes heated if respectful discission and a group that works together for change.