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.
Rekindling Connections
By Ellen Naden, Chair of Parish Care and Jan von Lehe, Chair of Calling, Engagement & Community In this time of change we are listening to what is on your mind and heart. After hearing of feelings of loss and separation as the church emerged from the pandemic...
Pastor Search Committee Update
The UCUCC Minister of Worship and Care position was posted to the national UCC website at the end of May. Since then, 18 minister profiles have been received and the committee has actively reviewed profiles and interviewed candidates whose relevant experience,...
2022 Senior Retreat Oct 3-4
The 2022 Senior Retreat will be held on October 3rd and 4th at Rainbow Lodge in North Bend. It begins on Monday morning and ends after lunch on Tuesday. The retreat is designed for adults 55 and older. It provides an opportunity for those attending to learn and...
Sacred Earth Matters: Electric Vehicle Tradeoffs & Opportunities
Greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced as we transition to electric vehicles. That’s exciting. But EVs require lithium-ion batteries, and the US alone needs more lithium than is produced worldwide. Open pit mines in North Carolina provided most of the world’s...
UCUCC Financial Update
Beloved community, let me start with the good news: the church is in excellent financial health. The summer is a good time to reflect on the first half of the year and evaluate how we’re doing, and when I look at the June financial statements, I see reasons for...
A note from your Pastors *Content Warning: Racial Slurs at University Congregational UCC*
Dear Beloved Community, We want to share information about something that happened at our church. We begin with a content warning, knowing that for Black folks and People of Color, this information about racialized harm has the potential of compounding hurt and...
While your moderators are away…
Who imagined four years ago (long before either of us thought we would be in the UCUCC Moderator and Assistant Moderator positions we hold today), when each of us put a down payment toward the Iona pilgrimage with Pastor Catherine, that the trip would be two years...
August Special Offering: Green Buildings Now
Please support this month’s special offering for Green Buildings Now, a grassroots initiative promoting social justice and climate resilience. Green Buildings Now’s mission is to work for a just transition to a fossil-free Seattle by: Partnering with leaders of...
Save the date: Hopecoming 2022 Sept 11
Sunday, September 11 is Hope-coming Sunday! Gather after worship for a block party celebrating the end of summer and hello fall. We will close 16th Ave in front of the church. Join in a joyful outdoor celebration of our UCUCC community and to share HOPE with each...
UCUCC to host Tent City 3
Parking Lot C, September 8 - December 17, 2022 As approved by Church Council, UCUCC will be hosting Tent City 3 (TC3) in Parking Lot C from September 8th through December 17th. TC3 provides a safe, secure, and caring community for people experiencing homelessness....
Intercultural Development Inventory cohorts Sept and Oct
We are excited to offer a second round of Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) cohorts to church staff and lay leaders. No matter where you are on your personal anti-racism journey, this is a powerful opportunity to work together with others from UCUCC and delve...
Death in our Community
Virginia Wilson Born: April 3, 1936 Died: June 3, 2022 Virginia Wilson died peacefully on Friday, June 3rd. Virginia had been a part of the UCUCC family for over 40 years through attending Seabeck church camp with her three children. Virginia and John married in 2003...
What to expect while Pastor Amy is on sabbatical
Pastor Amy’s last Sunday preaching will be August 28th and her “Sending Sunday” will be September 4th. Thanks to the support of the Swanson Endowment, she will be able to visit our Mwanzo friends in Rabuor, Kenya for a few weeks to strengthen and better understand our...
I Am Because We Are: a Journey Towards Belonging
Pastor Amy Roon The pan-African philosophy of Ubuntu is deeply rooted in a question of identity, of belonging. My life is a woven tapestry of many identities: biracial, transracial, adoptee/adoptive, conscientiously single mother, person of faith, pastor, musician,...
Gathering Ground Event: Summer Saunter through Ravenna Park August 20
Gathering Ground Event: Summer Saunter through Ravenna Park (Alternative to Loud Boats) RESCHEDULED: Saturday, August 20, 10 am - 12 pm, 5849 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115. This summer we are hosting Summer Saunters through places of transition. On Seafair weekend,...
August Worship Series: Journey Stories
August at University Congregational has travelers' energy. In addition to many folks going on vacation, the youth group will travel to Holden Village and the Iona group will depart on pilgrimage. In many ways, Pastor Amy's sabbatical time in Africa, which begins in...
Seabeck Book Club and Sacred Earth Matters Reading The Seed Keeper
Seabeck Book Club and Sacred Earth Matters invite folks to join a book discussion of Diane Wilson’s The Seed Keeper. There will be two discussion groups beginning mid -September. The book is available in paperback and is at the Seattle Library. We are exploring a...
Afghan Immigrant Initiative August Update
It is a joy, a relief, and a strong sense of satisfaction to be able to report that the Hamidi family has made significant strides toward independence and self-efficacy. They moved into their permanent home over the Memorial Day weekend with help from many of our...
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries – August 2022
Margaret's Maternity Leave & Coverage—April to July/August Let’s welcome back Margaret after her family leave! We want to share a big thank you to Sarah Marshall for her leadership these past few months, and to Anna Van Pelt for her work with Seabeck. Margaret and...
Bell Choir returns!
We are looking for people interested in joining the UCUCC Fellowship of the Ringers Bell Choir this fall. Our director, Laura Jean Wilcox, will be returning to lead us. There are no requirements to join. Rehearsals would be in person, at UCUCC, on Wednesdays at 5:30...
Ubuntu – I am because we are
Ubuntu is the Pan-African concept of interconnectedness defined in the phrase I am because we are. Ubuntu is a significant theme in the Lily Endowment Grant for Pastor Amy’s sabbatical. Ubuntu is the framework for the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship’s Vital...
Racial Justice Check-in
By Ginger Warfield, Racial Justice Steering Committee We have reached the third anniversary of our resolution to be a racial justice church, which means it is time for a check-in. Where are we? How are we? What have we been doing? Only one of those is easy to answer,...
Save the Date: Senior Retreat Oct 3-4
The senior retreat has been a tradition at University UCC for over 20 years. It is an opportunity for adults over 55 to gather for an overnight retreat featuring a program and providing time to mingle with other adults. This year the retreat is again at Rainbow Lodge...
Mwanzo – Mwanzo Energetic Proud Farmers (Women’s Groups) in Rabuor
Submitted by Lily Lahiri – Mwanzo Board Member Today I bring you excerpts from the July Report of Janet Andar, Chair of MEPF One of the major projects run by the MEPF is their Table Banking (microfinancing) program. Your donations have helped to fund the principal for...
UCUCC Night at the Mariners August 26
August 26, 2022, 7:10 pm A UCUCC tradition continues when the Mariners play the Cleveland Guardians and 60 or more UCUCCers are in the stands to cheer them on. Bring your family and friends to enjoy a fun night at the ballpark with fireworks and Ichiro Mariner’s Hall...
July Special Offering – North Helpline Food Bank and Emergency Feeding Program
Our July special offering supports the North Helpline Food Bank and the Emergency Feeding Program. In King County, one in six children faces a summer of hunger. Food prices are surging, and the government has withdrawn the $200 monthly pandemic allowance for food....
Love and Justice at work: Some staff members to receive mid-year pay raises
In May 2022 our Church Council established the Asset Enhancement Task Force and charged it with studying how our church might enhance the many assets we have, including employees, buildings and land, and relationships. Clearly, our valued staff members are an...
Solidarity and Song June 29
June 29, 2022, 7:00-8:30pm, at University UCC Campus University Congregational United Church of Christ welcomes all who wish to sing through, sing out their pain, outrage, confusion, despair, and resolution in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision. Join Heidi...
Worship and Celebration of the Visiting Theologian Program July 24
J Sunday, July 24, 5:00 pm at the Seattle campus and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube Join us for a special worship service as we mark the end of the 2021-2022 visiting theologian program with Rev. Yolanda Norton. This service will have musicians from Global Arts...
April – July UCUCC Red Wall Celebrating 10 Years! Rabuor, UCUCC and Mwanzo – a Journey of HOPE!
Have you seen the April-July UCUCC Red Wall display? Did you, your child, or grandchild respond to the invitation to make a “paper person” representation of yourself or a Kenyan individual? Our congregation is interwoven with Mwanzo’s story, symbolized by the dolls...
Choosing a Life of Service by Gabriella Rivera – UW Graduate Student
Over the past year, I have worked with the Mwanzo Board of Directors and the Executive Director, Loyce Ong’udi. Their tireless efforts to promote the mission of Mwanzo and bring hope to the Rabuor community have reminded me that a career in giving back is where I see...
Elect Legislators Who Will Support Net-Zero Buildings
Yes, the climate crisis updates are discouraging. And yes, the upswings in air travel and gasoline usage are, too. So, why aren’t we reducing our use of fossil fuels? Have we stopped caring? Buildings account for 23% of Washington’s carbon emissions. And energy use in...
“Where’s Pastor Steve?”
This summer I have the awesome opportunity to share in some of our congregational traditions that happen off-site: summer trips with the middle school and high school youth, and all-church camp at Seabeck. I’ll also be providing spiritual guidance for the pilgrimage...
Pastor Search Committee News
If you’ve been wondering what the committee has been up to lately, we have good news. Our Church Profile has been completed, the position opening has been posted, and candidates are submitting their profiles for us to review and consider. As we read the profiles, each...
Worship Series July 2022: Seeds
“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” This quote comes from the Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos (1931-2020), ostracized by the literary community because he was gay. Recently, resistors in Mexico used these words to protest corruption, murder, and...
UCUCC hiring Video Editor
Job Opening: Video Editor University Congregational United Church of Christ is a dynamic, progressive church in the University district of Seattle, WA. We are seeking a video editor to assist with digital worship and communications. Position Type: Part Time (15...
Plan Ahead for Share the Harvest
Hello Gardeners! As you plant your flowers and vegetables for summer, please add a row or several plants for the Share the Harvest Table, which will be open on Sundays, from July 17th through August 28th. Your green thumbs will bring freshly grown items to our...
Watch + Talk: Dr. Cornel West & WA Poor People’s Campaign
Monday, June 13th, 6:00 - 8:00pm, UCUCC Join your neighbors as we tune in for a talk with Dr. Cornel West on King's Philosophy of Nonviolence hosted by The Well, the Seattle Regional and Washington State Poor People's Campaigns! First we will watch and hear what Dr....
Take action against gun violence – March and prayer vigil on Thurs. June 2 at 6:30 pm
Join fellow church activists on Thursday, June 2 for an Interfaith Prayer Vigil and March Against Gun Violence on behalf of the victims of the massacre in Uvalde. Participants will gather at 6:30 pm at Temple de Hirsch Sinai (1511 E. Pike St.) and then march together...
Summary of Church Council actions in April
From the meeting on April 20, 2022 We received a Covid Update. As a church, we are moving slowly and monitoring the situation. The church strives to have options for people who want to remain more cautious, especially as we unmask. We also reviewed the financial...