What We Believe...
Welcome to First Unitarian Church of Omaha. We affirm people from all religious backgrounds. We also welcome people from every ethnicity. As a church we promote rationality, spirituality, and the search for justice in our approach to the fundamental questions of human existence.
Our congregation is part of the free-association of Unitarian Universalist churches, nationally known as the Unitarian Universalist Association. This membership means that while our congregation is free to discuss any theology, we affirm and promote seven principles:
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The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
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Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
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Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
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A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
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The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
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The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
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Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The living tradition we share draws from many sources:
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Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life
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Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront the powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love
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Wisdom from the world's religion which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life
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Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
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Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us again idolatries of the mind and spirit
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Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Mission
Fostering the Whole Person, Compassion, and Justice
Vision
An inclusive Community that Listens, Engages, Inspires, and Acts
Covenant
We covenant to:
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Listen to understand and grow
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Seek and value all voices
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Model respect and kindness
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Assume good intentions
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Resolve conflicts directly and compassionately
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Contribute time, talent, treasure
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Respect people’s time
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Celebrate, support, appreciate
Annual Vision of Ministry for 2020-2021 Church Year (AVOM)
We have three vision areas for this year:
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Connection: Overcoming social and spiritual isolation is a defining feature of religious community in any age. In this time of uncertainty, anxiety, and heightened divisions, nurturing connections – among people, and with all of Life – is both essential and revolutionary. We will provide pandemic-adapted opportunities for our members to connect with each other and with that “transcending mystery and wonder” which renews and sustains them. We will also lovingly sustain connections between our church and other groups, including our sister church (Clair Memorial) and other Unitarian Universalists.
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Transformation: We will take purposeful action, in our local area, to rectify inequity, to build the Beloved Community, and to support the self-determination and flourishing of all people through the democratic process. Recognizing that we are at the center of our locus of control, our church will also work to “be the change we wish to see in the world.” Thus we will educate ourselves about systems of oppression and the ways we ourselves are inevitably caught up in them; take tangible steps to practice radical hospitality, grow our multicultural skills, and dismantle -isms within our own church culture; and continue to nurture church leaders of diverse identities and gifts.
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Future: The high-minded, great-hearted tradition we inherit inspires us to live and to love at least as boldly in our own time as the religious liberals before us did in theirs. Mindful of the tradition on which we build, with our new called minister we will look to the horizon and prepare to set a fresh course. This year we will focus on discerning what type of process might effectively engage the congregation and result in a unifying statement of our mission, vision, and goals, with the intent to then carry out such a process in the subsequent church year.
See what's coming up on Sunday mornings here.
