No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here at University Congregational United Church of Christ. Young, old, sure of your path, or still searching --- we invite you to join us in imagining love and justice - as Jesus did - in acting to change the world.
Our in-person worship service starts at 10 am and includes hymns, prayers, scripture reading and a sermon. It usually lasts about an hour. During the 10 am service we also offer live-streaming to a nearby room that offers those with compromised immune systems to be more isolated. We also offer a separate space for children, with supervised play and crafts during the 10 am service. Sections of the 10 am service are programed into the 5 pm digital service, which is offered as a "vespers."
We are an inter-generational church and strive to be family-friendly, with an active ministry for children and youth. All ages are welcome in worship. We also offer nursery and child-care, Younger children begin the 10 am service with us and usually leave after about 15 minutes. Older children have the option of leaving for a special sermon time. Junior high and high school youth meet at 9 am and then often sit together in worship. Give us a call at 206-524-2322 for more specifics.
Wheelchair Access: The front entry is wheelchair accessible as are the rest rooms. Please don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
July 10-15, 2022
Theme: Community-Centered Spirituality: Using the arts and skills of local organizing to transform the world
We begin our time by looking at what it means to be a community that is spiritually centered, place-based, and explicit in working toward justice. With a weaving of scripture and story, we will learn how these lenses have shaped other communities and the gifts they bring to UCUCC.
We are invited to discover our “why” – why do we care about the things that we value, where does this passion line up with others in our congregation and our community. We will be given tools to learn about the passions of others. We will look for ways to cultivate relationships that are unlikely and uncommon.
We will examine the way things get done in the world and how to make sure our voices and values shape the decisions that impact our community. We will reflect on this within our church and throughout the neighborhood and city.
We will introduce an action-reflection praxis rooted in the faith-based community organizing model. The components of the framework move participants from reflection personally and interpersonally with others to individual actions that join communal actions.
Practical tools include learning how to have relational one-to-one conversations, follow the sacred spiral of organizing, have theology inform practices and practices inform theology, use evaluative tools to assess the impact of racial and economic justice intentions, and see each member of our community – including ourselves – as essential to building the beloved community.
We are called to the holy work of participating in God’s transformative power. This leads us to the spiritual journeys:
from fear to hope
from isolation to relationship
from inertia to action
from self-denigration to self-love
About our Speaker
Kelly Marciales (she/they) serves as Community Organizing Program Coordinator for the ELCA and Director of Organizing For Mission Network (OFMN). OFMN is an ecumenical network of individuals, congregations, synods, non-profit organizations, and community organizers who convene trainings and build cohorts across the United States which support local and statewide grassroots organizing efforts.
Their previous appointment was as Executive Director of Valley Interfaith Action (VIA), a faith-based community organization in Alaska. Serving as VIA’s director and lead community organizer for 5 years, they built ecumenical partnerships that addressed statewide issues of affordable housing, senior healthcare, and equitable access to transportation.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Polytechnic University Pomona, a Master of Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and earned a certificate in Design Thinking from Cornell University. Kelly lives in Palmer, Alaska with their partner and four children. Kelly enjoys science-fiction and fantasy novels, making the perfect karaage, and is currently learning American Sign Language.