Worship for believers, seekers, and doubters

Join us for worship

Worship is the place where our connection with the divine brings us into relationship with one another. It is filled with music, prayers, and inspiring preaching. In worship you will hear the laughter of children, the wisdom of elders, and the shared values of our congregation’s covenant.

We offer worship at our University District campus in Seattle and livestreamed on Zoom on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am.

We have a digital worship service that airs on Facebook and YouTube at 5:00 pm on Sunday evenings and remains available for viewing online. The 5:00 pm online service is a combination of pieces from the morning service and other pieces created just for the online community. Our digital services are designed to be interactive and beautiful. Folks gather throughout Sunday evening and the week to worship at a time that works for their schedule.

On Mondays at 7:00pm, all are invited to a weekly gathering for spiritual practice in the contemplative tradition. Rooted in the Christian disciplines of silent prayer, meditation, and personal reflection, Practicing the Presence of God is an exploration of God and Spirit not as abstract ideas, but as living realities to be encountered through direct experience. These gatherings are designed for beginners and long-time practitioners alike, and each session will include a mix of instruction, dialogue as well as the practice.

Current Covid & Health Practices (2023)

We have options to connect both online and at our Seattle campus. The sanctuary has a filtration system with five total air exchanges in an hour. The main floor of the sanctuary is now masks-encouraged, while the balcony is a masks-required space. The scent-free area in our sanctuary is on the main floor, on the left side. There are signs posted.

We also have a closed-circuit feed from the Sanctuary into the Scheyer Library. The library is designed to be our most restrictive space with masking, no singing, and social distancing.

What is our worship like?

Our worship is both contemporary and traditional. It is reflective and lively. It is musical and visual and kinesthetic.
We follow patterns of sermon series that speak to the lives of our community and the direction of our congregation. These themes inspire our preaching, our musical choices, the visual art in the sanctuary, and other parts of the worship (liturgy in church-y language).

We celebrate communion – the ritual of bread and cup – on the first Sunday of the month. We baptize people into the faith – babies, children, teens, and adults.

Our worship is intergenerational, and children are always welcome in church. Toward the beginning of the service we have a “Song with our Children,” with a song specifically chosen to connect the worship themes to our youngest folks. We pray the Lord’s Prayer and then 5th grade and younger can choose to go to Christian formation (a.k.a. Sunday School) gatherings or stay with their grown ups. On the first Sunday of each month this summer, we have Family worship, where children stay with their families the whole service. on that Sunday, we set up a “prayer ground” with activities for smaller children.

Music

UCUCC has a vibrant musical tradition and it fills our worship. Most songs are led with organ or piano, but we also incorporate other instruments – guitar, strings, brass, and ukuleles. Our large choir adds to the celebrations with anthems and leading congregational singing.
Our music spans many traditions—from European classical music to gospel to contemporary. In addition to our Chancel Choir and organ, we will hear periodically from our children’s choir, our orchestra (Joyful Noise Players), hand bell choir, recorder ensemble and frequent guest musicians. Learn more about our music program here.

Arts and Worship

We believe that engaging all our senses can bring us closer to God. We worship with our eyes and ears and voices. We incorporate the arts into worship as much as possible. We seek to nurture inter-generational, community, and liturgical engagement through visual arts (banners, sculptures, stoles and other fabric arts), music and dance. The Creativity Council for the Liturgical Arts envisions ways to enliven worship with the arts, are always interested in new members, and welcome your participation. Learn more about our Liturgical Arts Program here.