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 worship service starts at 10 am and includes hymns, prayers, scripture reading and a sermon. It usually lasts about an hour. Right now we are worshiping online and will adjust this message once we are able to meet together in our sanctuary once again. 
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 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.
A note from your Pastors | September 3, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, We began writing these pastoral letters eighteen months ago as a way of staying connected week to week, naming our concerns, and offering pastoral support through this unprecedented pandemic. Now we are entering September, and our need for this...
Intercultural Development Inventory open for registration
Over the past few months, you may have heard us talk about the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) that we are excited to offer to church staff and lay leaders. The IDI is a cross-cultural assessment tool, and is an important opportunity to engage in the work of...
A note from your Pastors | August 26, 2021
“Rejoice in the Savior always! I say it again: Rejoice! Let everyone see your forbearing spirit. Our Savior is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds; instead, present your needs to God through prayer and petition, giving thanks for all circumstances. Then God’s...
Fall 2021 Worship and Music updates
Singing in-person Because we know singing in person adds an additional element to living in Covidtide, we will not be having congregational singing or choir singing. For the next few months, musical leadership for Sunday morning sanctuary worship will be with...
What we know about the Delta variant
Beloved community, these are complicated times! A month ago your church was ready to offer mask-optional gatherings for those who are vaccinated, and to say “yes” to small groups sharing food indoors. Now, King County is back to a mask mandate for indoor gatherings,...
Results of the Covid-19 Emergence Survey
~Kyna Shilling, on behalf of the Emergence Team When your emergence team created this survey last month, we were curious how people were feeling about regathering in-person. We wanted to know if folks were vaccinated. We wondered what would help people feel more...
Emergence Update
As we take these next steps on our emergence journey, each of us will need to make our own best choices about how much risk we are willing to undertake. Based on the best available science and by the data from the emergence survey, we think we can move forward with...
September worship theme: We Are
Worship in September spans 3 themes: Seasons of Love, Hope-coming, and our fall series “We Are.” We also continue our time of emergence, returning to the building for watch parties, then worship in the sanctuary, other spaces, and a digital service later in the day....
A note from your Pastors | August 22, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, With the news pouring out of Afghanistan, with the continued appalling lack of unified response to Covid-19 and climate change the pandemic of racism, not since 9/11 have we felt our nation immersed in such collective trauma....
A note from your Pastors | August 13, 2021
Beloved Community, Earlier this spring Council approved an Emergence Team to work with the Leadership Team to advise, reflect, and guide the work of emerging from the pandemic restrictions. While the Covid-19 Action Team is set up to advise us on whether and under...
A note from your Pastors | July 31, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, Yes, this is another another pastoral letter about patience. Another letter about our hopes, our expectations, and our values. Another letter about emerging from pandemic time to “whatever comes next.” We know that waiting is hard. We know that...
Save the date for Beyoncé Mass
September 24, 7:00 pm Beyoncé Mass is a womanist worship service that uses the music and personal life of Beyoncé as a tool to foster an empowering conversation about Black women—their lives, their bodies, and their voices. Curated by Rev. Yolanda Norton, the H....
Adult Education events
Adult Education Summit Sunday, August 15, 1:00-3:00 pm There are lots of opportunities for adults to participate in Christian Formation at UCUCC. From book clubs, Christian Formation and Worship and Music forums, The Lecture Series, to regular Bible studies and small...
Important UCUCC Leadership Update
At the June 2021 Church Council Meeting, council voted to appoint a Search Committee to recommend a Bridge Minister of Care and Outreach to serve our congregation after Rev. Dr. Catherine Foote’s retirement, beginning in late 2021 for at least six months. The Bridge...
Love & Justice gifts to native peoples
One of the ways we are engaging in racial and indigenous justice is by sharing our resources and assets. Acknowledging that these resources are “ours” because of generations of indigenous stewardship and Black enslavement, we are blessed to offer some restitution. The...
An update on the Interim Music Director position
When the Worship and Music Committee created the interim music director position one year ago, in the midst of Covid-19, they were anticipating a 12-18 month transition in that role to support the specific needs of our choir and music program during the pandemic. The...
Emergence Survey
The Emergence Team has created a survey for members and friends. Hearing from you is really important-- all our plans and guidelines for the fall are being regularly evaluated based on unfolding scientific data as well as feedback from the congregation. We are...
A note from your Pastors | July 22, 2021
Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. -The Bible (lots of places) In case we forget, church is counter-cultural. In the PNW, we are really outliers, as the 2020 Census of American Religion points out (religiously...
Mwanzo | International Antiracism in Action
Our Mission: To cultivate opportunities through education and community-driven development in Rabuor Village, Kenya, and neighboring communities. Our Vision: A vibrant, restored Rabuor and her neighboring communities offering new beginnings for generations to come....
Gathering Ground | Fall events
We’re continuing our theme of THRESHOLDS, recognizing this time of transition and transformation: racial, environmental, economic, cultural, spiritual. How to leave behind old ways and enter into new ones? How to be with the uncomfortable space of not-yet, the messy...
Sacred Earth Matters | Celebrating Some Environmental Justice Victories
This summer’s record-breaking temperatures and the smoke from fires burning our scorched forests underscore the reality of climate “change.” It’s imperative that we: 1) stop the fires and deforestation practices which release into the atmosphere the carbon stored in...
Special Offering | August 2021
Many members of our church have learned, acted and been inspired through Common Power and preceding related organizations. We traveled on Civil Rights Pilgrimages, attended lectures by David Domke and history forums with AJ Musewe, and called prospective voters. The...
Children, Youth and Family ministry news and events
Children & Youth Program at Seabeck—a reflection Thank you so much to our children, youth and families for participating in this year’s Seabeck Camp. It was amazing to have 30 children and youth participating! I so enjoyed seeing each little and their parents wave...
Welcome Our New Artist-in-Residence
It may not have been readily apparent, but the two of us have been collaborating on visual art installations in the church sanctuary for some time now. Shortly following her retirement six years ago, Kris was designated as the church’s first volunteer...
A death in our community
John Stoppels Born: June 8, 1954 Died: July 11, 2021 John had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away quietly on a Sunday morning. He was a kind person who cared deeply for this church community. John was involved in many ways at UCUCC. Some...
August worship theme: Seasons of Love
Seasons of Love The rhythm of life is a rhythm of seasons. Scripture acknowledges this truth in profound ways, naming within its stories of beginning a rhythm of work (creation) and rest (sabbath) and continuing to name throughout our faith stories other seasonal...
Emerging from the Pandemic
Opening slowly but surely On a normal Sunday morning, 1/4 of our congregation is unable to be vaccinated or has a health condition that makes the vaccine less effective. Our commitment to being inclusive reflects this reality. For large all-church and...
A note from your Pastors | July 16, 2021
Beloved Community, Being a part of a congregation and community would be so much easier if we could just get this whole communications thing down pat. But every organization wonders about and works on how communication can be improved. Improving how we communicate and...
Racial Justice at UCUCC since August 2020
August 2021 marks two years since the energies of our youth group propelled the congregation into adopting a resolution to become a Racial Justice Church. To mark this anniversary we are taking a look at the work of Racial Justice that has happened in the past year....
A note from your Pastors | July 9, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, As we in this congregation are experiencing this season of emergence from the lock downs and distancing of the pandemic we are also experiencing a shift in how we experience digital ministry. We’ve been doing things online since before Covid-19...
New Children’s Ministry Coordinator
The Children's & Youth Ministry Committees, Rev. Steve Jerbi and I are excited to share with you that we have hired Rev. Bruce Wilson Jr. as our Children's Ministry Coordinator! Bruce is an ordained minister, board-certified chaplain, licensed mental health...
A note from your Pastors | July 2, 2021
Beloved Community, On Sunday, July 4th, our nation will celebrate Independence Day. In recognition, our church office will be closed on July 5th. How a church recognizes, honors, or celebrates a national holiday is not a simple matter. This is certainly true for July...
Meet our Video Editor James Krick!
When did you start at UCUCC? June, 2020 When you aren’t working, how do you spend your time? I love spending time with my two cats and my girlfriend, hiking in the PNW, and playing games with friends and family. What’s the most interesting or favorite place you’ve...
Bequest Thank You
Bequest Thank You We are honored and blessed to receive a gift from the estate of JoAnne Conard. At the June council meeting, members voted to receive her bequest and shared memories and appreciations about JoAnne: her activism, her engagement, and her mentorship. “I...
Emerging from Covid-19
“Like a tree in the forest, we will know we are not alone, but part of a web, a network of life, healing, helping, nurturing each other… as it should always have been.” –Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee, Sufi mystic As we walk forward in our journey out of the pandemic, there...
Mwanzo | Developing Young Leaders
~Submitted by Lily Lahiri When I first started attending UCUCC, I was delighted to learn of our church’s support for Rabuor Village. When Loyce Ong’udi returned from Rabuor, she shared the story of finding her mother caring for Natasha and other young children in her...
Gathering Ground | July events
We're continuing our theme of THRESHOLDS, recognizing this time of transition and transformation: racial, environmental, economic, cultural, spiritual. How to leave behind old ways and enter into new ones? How to be with the uncomfortable space of not-yet, the messy...
United Churches Emergency Fund to PREVENT becoming homeless
One of the ways we support organizations is by providing space in our building—United Churches Emergency Fund (UCEF) is one of these organizations. We also donate money from L&J funds toward direct support. UCEF’s aim is homelessness prevention, and provide money...
Sacred Earth Matters | Recompose: A new alternative to burial and cremation
At our recent Sacred Earth Matters retreat, the topic of Recompose was suggested with the thought of sharing this brand new concept with our congregation through a presentation, hopefully this fall. Until that can happen, here is some information to begin to educate...
A note from your Pastors | June 25, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, As we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and our legacy as an Open and Affirming Congregation, it is a good time for us to reflect on the ways we live out our values as a community. We recognize that there is a difference between saying “All are...