Newcomers

All are invited to attend services at First Parish every Sunday starting at 10 a.m.

Newcomer Frequently Asked Questions

Is First Parish like other Unitarian Universalist Churches?
That is a great question because one of the most exciting and sometimes confusing things about Unitarian Universalist churches (or Meetings, Fellowships or Societies which they are sometimes called) is that there is much variety between them. Because each church is self sustaining and self governing, yet in “fellowship” with the rest of the churches in the association, you will find similarities in worship, programs, and congregational style between us all but also much diversity. So, we invite you to visit and see first hand. We are a community church, right in the heart of Northfield, historic in our building and in some of our worship style but we are also open to change, vibrant in our relationships, intergenerational and most of all loving, service oriented and fun! One new member described the tan Victorian color of our church as “warm coffee with cream; warm like the warmth of the fellowship!”


Does your church have a creed
We do not ascribe to a theological creed and do not require members to pledge to a certain understanding of theological or spiritual questions but we gladly do this searching and growing in depth together. While Unitarian Universalism is rooted in a liberal Christian tradition, the association has consistently showed respect for and great interest in the spiritual teachings of the World Religions, Humanism, Earth Centered Religions and other sources of inspiration. Unitarian Universalism (and First Parish in particular) is an association of free churches united in mutual support between the churches and in affirmation and promotion of the following set of Principles. As members of the Unitarian Universalist Association, First Parish accepts the following principles agreed to by its member churches:

  1. Every person is a person of inherent worth and dignity.
  2. Human relations should be based on justice, equity, and compassion.
  3. Spiritual growth should be encouraged in our congregation but we should accept one another without regard to judgments about our spiritual growth.
  4. The search for truth and meaning should be free and responsible.
  5. Within our congregation and society at large the rights of conscience should be respected and a democratic process followed.
  6. We should work for the goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
  7. We should respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

When are your church services held and where in the building?
 We hold worship services every Sunday at 10AM (with a children’s program concurrent with our worship.)  We take a “summer break” like many but not all Unitarian Universalist churches do, at the end of June. This is when our minister takes time for study, preparation for our next year and vacation!  We all come back for Sunday services after Labor Day. We do have social gatherings in the summer and the committees meet sporadically. When we return for services we often have a “water communion” service where we bring a bit of water from whatever has nourished us over the summer to share with the congregation.
During the winter months we hold our services in our cozy Webster Room in order to save on fuel costs. Otherwise we hold services in our beautiful historic Sanctuary.

Do you baptize in your church?
We do not hold baptisms at First Parish but we do joyfully celebrate child dedications or naming ceremonies. These ceremonies are usually incorporated as part of the Sunday services but can be held at private homes or at other times if desired. The intention of the ceremony is to welcome the infant, child or youth into the family of the church and to support the family and their friends in their dedication to caring spiritually for the children.  The family is invited to work with the minister in designing a dedication ceremony that reflects the spirituality of the family (choosing readings, music perhaps.)

Do you conduct weddings for same gender couples as well as heterosexual ones?
Our minister is delighted to officiate at all weddings; both between same sex and heterosexual couples. You do not have to be a member to be married in our church. Our lovely Sanctuary and social room is available to rent for weddings, memorials and child dedications as well as other functions. Our minister will work with you to design a ceremony that is meaningful for you and your family.

Do children participate in a Sunday school?
The children of First Parish are vital to our church life. We love them and do everything we can to create a religious home for them. To this end the children participate in our Sunday services for the first part; including some singing, lighting candles of Joys and Concerns, and listening to a Story for All Ages. They then leave the worship for their own religious education program that is designed to be appropriate to their ages and stages. During the church year we also hold some intergenerational services with the children taking an active part (such as Christmas Eve and Children’s Sunday.) The Religious Education program is presently run by church members with support from the minister and the rest of the congregation.

How do I become a member of First Parish?
First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian is a church in the congregational polity tradition. That means that it is the members who fund and govern the church with the support and guidance of their minister. To become a member of First Parish gives you the right to vote in the Annual Meeting or special meetings and more importantly to be a dedicated participant in this caring church body.  The best way to become a member is to first get to know the church, the minister, and the members.  Participate in our worship service and other activities and learn about our history (the history of the beginning of First Parish is on this website.)  As mentioned above, there is no creed that members must agree on to join First Parish but most Unitarian Universalist churches, including First Parish do affirm and promote the Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association. You do not have to contribute a certain amount (financially or physically) to the church to become a member but the church is funded exclusively by contributions from the members (including a small endowment from our ancestors) and we encourage members to contribute with an annual pledge and through involvement in the life of the church. To become a member you are asked to “sign the book” with 2 witnesses. Sometimes we have a “Membership Sunday” in which new members are acknowledged as they sign the membership book but you can also speak to the minister or a member of the Parish Committee if you wish to join at another time. We hope that you consider becoming a member of First Parish!

Additional Information

For more information on becoming a Unitarian, see the section for newcomers from the UUA




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