Mingling of the Waters

At the beginning of each program year in September, we gather in a single service for all ages and share a much-appreciated ritual that honors the diversity of experiences we have enjoyed in the preceding summer months. We always leave this service with joy and gratitude for the beloved community that is ours.

Winter Solstice

Annually we celebrate the darkness and the promise of the Winter Solstice. Included in this service is time for silence as well as time for joyful noise

Christmas Eve: December 24

We offer three different services on Christmas Eve.

Our family-friendly service celebrates the story of Jesus’ birth in a fun, interactive way. Next, our second service offers a more non-religious Christmas Eve service celebrating the meaning and metaphor of the season. Finally, our late service includes traditional elements from the nativity story, poetry, and communion in the style of our Christian Unitarian siblings in Transylvania. All services include carols, and candle-lighting.

Turning of the Year

At the first weekend of the New Year, it is our tradition to celebrate the major life-changing events of the previous year by lighting candles and naming those who experienced one of these major life transitions:

• Births/adoptions/foster children entering the home
• Death of a loved one
• Marriages/Unions/Commitment Ceremonies
• Other significant transitions

Flower Communion

We hold an annual Flower Communion service each spring. This celebration was originated in 1923 by Dr. Norbert Capek, founder of the modern Unitarian movement in Czechoslovakia. As they did in Prague, we participate in this colorful ritual by exchanging flowers with one another, giving concrete expression to the humanity-affirming principles of our liberal faith.

We are also hallowing the memory of one of the martyrs of our faith. When the Nazis took control of Prague in 1940, they found Dr. Capek’s gospel of the inherent worth and beauty of every human person to be-as Nazi court records show– “…too dangerous to the Reich [for him] to be allowed to live.” Dr. Capek was sent to Dachau, where he was killed the next year during a Nazi “medical experiment.” This gentle man suffered a cruel death, but his message of human hope and decency lives on through his Flower Communion, which is widely celebrated among Unitarian Universalists today. It is a noble and meaning-filled ritual, which helps us remember the principles and dreams for which he died.

Rites of Passage 

Baby/Child Dedications

There is no joy quite like that of celebrating a child’s entrance into a family.  Many families choose to participate in a public ritual where the Fellowship community officially welcomes the child and where the naming of the child is uplifted.  Most often, these Dedication ceremonies are conducted during our regular weekend services with sponsors and extended family present.

Weddings and Ceremonies of Union

We celebrate the love and commitment of any people who wish to unite their lives in marriage or union. We honor the marriages of people regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Our clergy are legally allowed to sign marriage licenses and will offer this important ceremony after meeting with the couple one or two times. They also require that couples undertake at least two sessions of premarital counseling before their wedding. 

Memorial Services and Funerals

Memorial Services and funerals are an important way to say goodbye to loved ones. These are planned by the family members and officiant to honor the memory of the deceased person. Please contact the office if you would like to learn more. 

Click HERE for the Fellowship Memorial Planning Form

Contact the office if you would like a paper copy of the form.