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.

We would love to welcome you at our in-person service each Sunday at 10 am. A digital service is also offered on line on Sunday evening at 5 pm. Our service is streamed on YouTube and Facebook. You will find the links just below this section on our home page. The weekly 5 pm service is  available on line after it is initially presented on Sundays..

We strive to walk in the path of Jesus, and to offer an authentic welcome to everyone who walks through our door or joins us online. If you are new to us, we would love to get to know you and answer your questions about our church, even if we cannot greet you in person. A member of our Welcome Committee, or a pastor, would be happy to correspond on email or talk with you on the phone. Click here to arrange for a meeting.

Our in-person worship service starts at 10 am and includes hymns, prayers, scripture reading and a sermon. It usually lasts about an hour and fifteen minute.. 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."

Children are an important part of our community, and are welcome for all or part or the service.

UCUCC Parking Map

View for detailed Google Map.

Parking can be a challenge in the University District! Persistence, patience and an early start are keys to success.

UW has free parking on Sundays. Enter the main campus gate at NE 45th and 17th Ave NE and turn left past the toll booth. It's about a three-block walk to the church. The UW Meany Garage at 15th Ave. NE and NE 41st St. is a five-block walk.

The church also owns three parking lots - Lot A is across the street from the church on 16th Ave. E. Lot B is beneath Sortun Court, just north of the church on the east side of 16th Ave. E. (It closes at 2 p.m.) Lot C (for those with difficulty walking, young children and visitors) is at the corner of 15th NE and NE 45th St., next to the church.

If you need to be assured of a close parking spot, you can call the church office before noon on Friday to reserve one: 206-524-2322.

From time time we host lunches for people who are interested in learning more about our church and/or possibly becoming a member.  We are also happy to meet with you over coffee or at the church to explore and explain a range of topics about our church, from history, to theology, to membership. Click here to arrange a meeting with a Welcome Committee Volunteer or pastor or to set up a meeting and/or to learn when the next Welcome Lunch is planned.

Thank you for your interest in our church community.

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 or email Margaret Swanson, our Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries..

Our programs for children and youth continue during this pandemic. Sign up at the bottom of the home page to receive our Children's Ministries and/or Youth Ministries newsletter.

Hearing Impaired: Our sanctuary has an induction loop system that uses the T-Coil mode of your hearing aids. You can get the necessary equipment just before entering the Sanctuary on the right or ask any usher.

Visually Impaired: We offer each Sunday's program in large print for easier readability.

Wheelchair Access: The front entry is wheelchair accessible as are the rest rooms. Please don't hesitate to ask for assistance.

New Here?

Connecting to the Divine through the arts

A four-year old looks up to see stars dancing within softly projected light. Their heart fills with wonder. A 75-year old feels the Spirit within as he watches bodies moving nearby, gracefully turning, arms swirling, to an insistent drumbeat.

The arts have the power to reach into our souls and move us in ways that logic and discourse alone cannot.

We are fortunate to have a group of parishioners – the Creativity Council for the Liturgical Arts – focused on ways to enhance our experience of the Divine by filling our spaces and our worship itself with Liturgical Art. They are led by Nadine Santo Pietro, a retired teacher who has spent most of her career as the Integrated Arts specialist (Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Dance) in an elementary school, helping people learn about the Arts and learn through the Arts. In addition to Nadine, Creativity Council members include Debra Jarvis (Writer-in-Residence), Pamela Bezona, Kris Garratt, and Lori VanderBilt.

Liturgical arts projects often involve participation by members of the congregation in creating banners, collages, stained glass panels or other artwork.

Through the efforts of the Creativity Council for the Liturgical Arts, several guest artists have joined us for special projects including drama, dance and mask-making.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth

Liturgical arts are essential to our spiritual growth, and have their roots in creation itself. Creating, participating in or appreciating art is to be transformed by it, and so to be transformed by God. Art breathes life into prayer, worship, theological reflection and the work of justice. It is a gateway to imagination, opening our souls to the mystery of creation in all its varied expression. Whether we are moved by wonder at an image, or stimulated to reflect more deeply as we participate in creating a new project, the liturgical arts have the power to deepen our faith and bring us closer to God.

Artistic expression in many forms

The visual arts (photography, painting, sculpture, fiber arts, collage), movement and dance, and the written or spoken word are some of the other ways that we express, explore and experience our faith. The images below show liturgical arts projects that have graced our church over the last several years. Click on any image below to enlarge it.

 

Are you interested in assisting with a Liturgical Arts project?
Contact the Creativity Council by email, or call the church office.

The Liturgical Arts Endowment

A fund to support on-going liturgical arts projects was established in 2018. It purpose is to support the continued existence and the future growth of artistic expression through visual arts, movement and dance, and the written and spoken word. Before the establishment of this fund, there was no dedicated source of income for these artistic expressions. (Ongoing support of music is supported by dedicated funds in the annual budget and from other endowments. Learn more about our music program here.)

To contribute in support of this work, send a check to the church office with “Liturgical Arts Endowment” in the memo line, give via your MyUCUCC account, or make a secure online gift here by selecting the Liturgical Arts Endowment from the drop-down menu.

To include the Liturgical Arts Endowment in your estate planning, please contact Kyna Shilling, Director of Finance and Operations by email at kshilling@universityucc.org or call the church office.

Using the beauty and mystery of the Divine to nourish, transform and inspire…

News about Liturgical Arts