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 | April 1, 2021
Dear Beloved Community, The stories and services around Holy Week are a vital part of our Christian journey. It began with Palm Sunday, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. That moment sets up the confrontation that unfolds in the days that follow....
A note from your Pastors | April 8, 2021
Greetings beloved community, and happy Easter! When we read this blog post from clergy and congregation consultant Laura Stephens-Reed, her words resonated with us-- and we wanted to share her perspective with you. Laura's mission is "helping clergy and congregations...
A note from your Pastors | April 24, 2021
The pastoral letter is typically written collaboratively by UCUCC's three pastors. We intend it for everyone in the congregation as a way of lifting up our values and holding us together in covenantal relationship. In light of this week's verdict in the Derek...
Welcome Anna Ly to the virtual Church Office!
We are excited to welcome Anna Ly (she/her) to our church administration team as UCUCC's new Office Assistant and Communications Coordinator! She will be managing essential aspects of our church life through our online calendar, Zoom events, website, Facebook posts,...
A note from your Pastors | May 7, 2021
“Do not be afraid.” --Gen 15:1, Ex 14:13, Num 14:9, Deut 1:17, Josh 1:9, Judges 6:23, 1 Sam 12:20, 2 Kings 1:15, 1 Chron 22:13, 2 Chron 20:15, Isa 10:24, Jer 1:8, Eze 2:6, Dan 10:12, Joel 2:21, Zech 8:13, Matt 1:20, Luke 1:13, John 12:15, Acts 18:9, Rev 1:17 ...and...
A note from your Pastors | May 14, 2021
"When the dove returned in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then those on the ark knew that the water had receded from the earth. They waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return." --Genesis...
A note from your Pastors | May 20, 2021
There is no ethnicity, no status, no gender, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28, paraphrase This is one of those passages that on the surface seems to celebrate a new understanding of being community together as followers of The Way. In a society...
Covid Relief Funds Distribution Team Update
During 2020 the U.S. Federal Government provided financial support to a wide range of companies and organizations across the US to help them weather the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Payroll Protection Program (PPP) was designed to help pay salary expenses to...
A letter from Pastor Catherine
May 18th, 2021 Dear UCUCC Members and Friends, On December 1st, 2001, I began my ministry here with University Congregational United Church of Christ. I have loved being your pastor for over nineteen years. Now I am writing to let you know that I will be retiring on...
Grace, Grief and Grounding: a faithful re-sponse to the climate crisis, cultivating shared wisdom, connection and hope
Saturday, June 12, 2021 9:00 am -1:00 pm PDT / 10:00 am - 2:00 pm MDT A Regional Gathering of the Pacific Northwest, Central Pacific and Montana/Northern Wy-oming Conferences of the United Church of Christ, sponsored by the Wholiness Project, this event is designed to...
Visiting theologian
University Congregational United Church of Christ is excited to welcome Rev. Yolanda Norton as our Visiting Theologian for the next year. Rev. Norton is a Ph.D. candidate in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel and Theology and Practice Fellow at Vanderbilt University. Her...
May Special Offering
Our Strengthen the Church national United Church of Christ offering will help our congregations continue to be church in new ways during this ongoing pandemic. Last year’s STC giving helped Plainfield Congregational Church, just outside Chicago, when it found that its...
Sacred Earth Matters | annual retreat and treaty-reserved fishing rights
Sacred Earth Matters annual planning retreat Please join us on Saturday June 5 for a fun meeting to plan the activities of SEM for the year 2021-2022. This is a time when we brainstorm all of the possibilities for actions that address our mission. If you have ideas,...
Youth Sunday and Confirmation Sunday
Confirmation Sunday: May 23, 2021 Since late January, six youth have been on a Confirmation journey called “Faith By Heart”. Each week we have explored different topics about Jesus, God, the Bible, and more! They are a very thoughtful group with lots of wonderful...
Spring updates from Mwanzo
We have just celebrated Earth Day, reflecting on how our church can live out its commitment to care for God’s creation. The theme for this year is “A new Heaven and a New Earth: Health, Environmental Racism, and Eco-Justice.” According to Cathedral on Fire, the UCC...
Worship and preaching calendar
Our Sunday worship services will continue to be streamed at 10:00 am on Facebook and YouTube. Eastertide: After the Prophet is Gone How did the early followers of Jesus hold on to the vision of The Way (one of the earliest names for what would become Christianity),...
It’s not too late to visit a committee!
I have always found that when I say ‘yes’ to a purpose and walk with others striving to reach a goal, that I am enriched more than I imagined. Faith and good works are so intertwined, so the Engagement Committee extends the invitation to you to “visit a committee”...
Covid-19 Action Team update
In some ways, our transition to online worship and virtual church was simple. It was difficult and overwhelming and heartbreaking, but it was also simple: we had a clarity of purpose and shared sense of urgency. Emergence from the pandemic will be a slower and more...
New Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries!
We are excited to announce that Margaret Swanson is our new Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries! In this role, Margaret will build consistency within the program across all ages. Families with students in different age groups can communicate with her....
A Personal Note from Jennifer
Dear Church Family, We have been on a wild journey together for a year or so now. When I was first asked to consider this interim position, I never could have imagined what it would be like. I’ve been with you as your Interim Director of Children’s Ministry for a...
Returning to Our Future Sanctuary
Sanctuary Study Group The Sanctuary Study Group has been meeting to discuss our past, recent, and future uses and configuration of the sanctuary space. Members have met with some ministry committees, leadership, and have also held two conversation forums via Zoom with...
Wisdom for Each of Us
Wisdom for Each of Us ~ Carol Scott-Kassner As we journey through life, we are often struck by the wisdom of people who are ahead of us on our journey. Enjoy the wisdom from elders contained in these statements. - Don’t listen to what people say. Watch what they do. -...
A death in our community
Joel Godston Born: July 4, 1934 Died: March 30, 2021 Joel passed away surrounded in love from his family and community. Our church has been blessed by his presence and his wife Annemarie’s for the past 8 years. They joined UCUCC in October 2012 after moving to Seattle...
StoryTime & StoryTime Live book list, 2020-21
We thought some folks might like a list of the books Jennifer shared with us on Storytime Live. This list will be updated as we continue to compile all the titles from the last year. The livestreams will continue to be on our Facebook page for those who missed them...
Covid-19 Action Team update
With Washington State moving into Phase 3, the UCUCC Covid-19 Action Team met to discuss how the church will navigate this next chapter together. All our conversations are guided by our values: we will be inclusive and thoughtful about access to participation by those...
Celebrating Jennifer Butner!
This month we honor and celebrate Rev. Jennifer Butner as she completes her work as our Interim Director of Children’s Ministry. Over the past year she has gifted our children, their families, and the whole church with opportunities to grow in faith, learn through...
Sacred Earth Matters
Oh, When Will They Ever Learn? A story in the New York Times in February said, “The global scientific consensus is clear: Emissions of planet-warning gases must be cut by nearly half by 2030 if the world is going to have a good shot at averting the worst climate...
For all of us– since we cannot physically attend church
Spiritual balancing at the one year mark I've been exploring ways to use spiritually-based techniques to stay healthy during this time of our lives. Here are some of my favorites. I hope they are helpful for you. ~Carol Scott-Kassner Pray or meditate - Being silent...
Shifts in our Worship process!
Spring has arrived and now Pastor Steve is settling into his role as minister of worship. With that, there are a few shifts we can see in the preparation of services. Every Sunday morning service is a reflection of hours of preparation and participation. This has...
A death in our community
Carol McRoberts Born: December 28, 1942 Died: March 9, 2021 Carol died peacefully after living with lung cancer for a while. She will be remembered for her justice work and for her care for others. Carol joined UCUCC in February 2011 and became a committee member of...
Lent 2021 – Beloved Community
Often when we talk about Lent, we focus on the Gospel stories that tell of Jesus spending 40 days fasting in the wilderness. This focus can lead us on an inward journey focusing on our own individual faith. But this is a modern, post-humanist understanding of religion...
Tent City 3 coming in March
Tent City 3 has confirmed their move-in date of March 17 for our 3-month hosting of them in Lot C, across the alley from our church building. This will be UCUCC's seventh encampment hosting. The camp closely follows Covid-19 protocols developed for them by Public...
Farming, food and climate change
Other than the fact that most of our food comes from farms, be they farms for animals, nuts, vegetables, fruits or grains, what do farming and food really have to do with climate change? How does what we eat affect our personal carbon footprint? How does excess food...
Help us use your donations efficiently!
We are so lucky in this church to have generous donors to do our work in the world! And—there are always ways to be more efficient in our spending… One of those niggling expenditures that adds up over time is credit card and other bank fees. We recently looked at the...
A new phase for racial justice
Racial justice at UCUCC has entered a new phase. Accordingly, this seemed a good moment to describe the phase and how we got here. As I worked on that description my efforts were grabbed by a metaphor that refused to let go. Resistance was futile but be warned:...
A Long Winter in Kenya (Part 1)
This past week, partly to escape the negative cloud of current news, I re-watched the film version of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I was struck by the parallel between Narnia’s 100 years of bitter, relentless winter and our recent years,...
Update from Bellwether Housing
In 2019 the University Congregational Housing Association (UCHA) made the tough decision to sunset their operation and gift their properties to organizations who could continue active management of them. One year ago, UCHA donated their final two houses, Sortun Court...
Land Acknowledgement and an opportunity to learn about the Duwamish People
We gather as guests of the Duwamish People on their traditional, unceded land that touches the shared waters of other Coast Salish tribes. We understand that their identity and richness of culture are deeply connected with the mountains, valleys, waterways and...
Save the date for Seabeck – July 11-16, 2021
Seabeck Family Camp 2021 will be held virtually again this summer, July 11-16. We learned a lot this past year, and an engaging online program will be offered for all ages. In addition to adult, children, and youth programs, many of your favorite activities will be...
Church Council Meeting Summary, January 2021
The Council of the University Congregational United Church of Christ met on January 20, 2021 via Zoom. A quorum was noted at 7:06 pm and the meeting was called to order by Terry Moore. After a prayer and a grounding exercise, we shared gifts and memories from Todd...