About Our Fellowship

Who We Are

The UUFF is a lay led fellowship (we have no minister) founded in 1956 to provide a place to share and explore liberal religious values in Interior Alaska. We are a self-supporting congregation. We govern ourselves on democratic principles and seek consensus on major issues. We currently have over 100 members.

The UUFF is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of North American congregations, and the Pacific Northwest District chapter of the UUA.

Members of the Fellowship voted to become an official Welcoming Congregation in 2007. Welcoming Congregation is a designation of the UUA indicating a congregation that meets certain requirments showing that it is welcoming, open and affirming to all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. Nationally, the UUA has been on record as supporting the rights of bisexual, gay, and lesbian people since 1970. More recently, the denomination has come out in support of the rights of transgender individuals and has taken a lead in advocating the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. The UUFF sanctuary is available for civil union ceremonies.

Sunday Services

The fellowship meets at 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings. Though normally we are a lay-led fellowship, we occasionally have guest ministers from the community, and visiting ministers from other UU fellowships in Alaska, Canada and the lower 48. In 2003, the Rev. J. Frank Schulman joined us for two months as our first Minister in Residence. Read some of the sermons given by guest ministers in the past.

Our worship services are normally diverse, and you can expect to hear many voices speaking on a variety of topics over the course of the year. Our services feature guest speakers, visiting ministers, facilitated discussions on spiritual and social concerns, and dramatic presentations. Music and ritual are always a part of the worship service. Seasonal services include an outdoor Advent garden, the traditional UU flower communion and the Maypole celebration.

Worship services last approximately one hour and are followed by a social gathering with coffee and refreshments. Childcare is available for toddlers and preschoolers, and Religious Exploration classes for older kids during the service. Although we do not currently offer infant care, parents are welcome to bring babies to services where a crying room is available if needed.

Religious Exploration (R.E.)

Our children learn to search for their own truth in the company of other seekers, to seek peace and justice in the world, and to engage their whole selves—mind and body, heart and soul—in creating a meaningful life journey. In addition to teaching children about their UU heritage, our religious education program teaches kids about the beliefs and practices of all the world’s major religious. Children learn about the Bible and our Judeo-Christian heritage, and they learn about living ethically and with compassion. We take advantage of the rich Unitarian Universalist curricula available for preschool through adult, as well as designing our own lessons on occasion.

From Labor Day to Memorial Day, we currently offer two RE classes: one for 1st to 5th graders, and one for 6th to 8th graders. There is no fee for religious education classes, however parents are asked to fill out a registration form. In 2007-08, younger children will be learning about world religions, while the older class will look at the principles of Unitarian Universalism through stories, games, worship and music, and finding ways to incorporate them into their lives. During the summer, there are no R.E. classes, but parents may take turns supervising children on the playground or for indoor activities.

Our YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) group is open to high-school students and young adults. YRUU participants attend and participate in the 10:30 am worship service on Sunday mornings and hold there own meetings after service from noon to 1:30 p.m. For more information on activities for teens and young adults at UUFF, please send an email which will be forwarded to the Youth Group leader. Interested teens can find out more about the national YRUU scene on the web.

Adult religious education classes also meet from time to time during the year. Possible topics include Unitarian Universalist history, Building Your Own Theology, and Living with Conviction. Other topics can be offered if there is interest. Popular courses in past years have been Eastern Philosophy, Deep Ecology and courses in women’s spirituality. Evensong groups, which form throughout the year, are a good way to explore your own spiritual identity while getting to know others in a small group setting.

If you are interested in more information about our religious exploration program please email us.

Childcare on Sundays

Childcare is available for toddlers and preschoolers during the Sunday service. There is also a crying room available at the back of the sanctuary so parents can hear the service without worrying that infants or young toddlers will disturb others.

Social Action

Our Social Action Committee helps put our principles into action in the larger community. The committee meets monthly to discuss actions we can take (both individual and as a group) to promote social justice and in our community and in the world. In 2006, we started a new social action ministry. Once each quarter we take up a special collection to give away to charitable organization whose work furthers our UU principles either locally, nationally or globally.

We also support the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to promote social justice in the U.S. and assist a number of self-help projects in developing countries.

Our Community

Canoe floats, cookouts and potlucks are some of the other ways our diverse community makes and strengthens the ties of love and friendship that bind us. Monthly Family Fun Nights, organized around changing themes, give children and adults a chance to get together and have fun in a more informal setting than Sunday morning worship services.

We also get together in smaller groups to pursue common interests. In addition to Evensong groups, there is an active supper club and book group. The Supper Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at a different restaurant for good food and conversation. The Hungry Book Club II meets in members' homes on the second friday of the month. A Monday-night yoga group, Red Door Yoga, started in 2006. (Both the book and yoga clubs have taken the summer off). In past years, the Fellowship has supported writing and women's spirituality groups. Groups change and new activities are added as new people with new interests get involved.