North Parish of North Andover
Unitarian Universalist

...a welcoming spiritual community
North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
190 Academy Rd, North Andover, Massachusetts,
01845-4022
978-687-7948
office@northparish.org

Adult Spirituality

  For adults at North Parish, religious education and spiritual seeking extend far beyond Sunday services. This takes many forms, including Buddhist mediation, feminist theological discussion and practice, small group ministry, support groups, book discussions, theological classes, and workshops.

 We believe in lifelong learning and its potential for personal and societal transformation. Our mission is "to be a catalyst for spiritual growth, renewal and progressive change within our congregation and the wider community."

We live in a culture that often pulls us away from what really matters. North Parish seeks to be a place that will help you to reconnect:

  • with your Self,
  • with others,
  • with your spiritual path,
  • with religious wisdom from the ages,
  • with the interdependent web of life,
  • and with that greater Mystery to which we belong, called by many names—God, Spirit of Love, Creativity, Universal Energy, Mindfulness, Ruah, Shekinah, Life.

Please join us!

Classes

Exploring Unitarian Universalism

 Are you a newcomer to North Parish, whether new to Unitarian Universalism or just new to this particular congregation? Are you someone who is considering joining the congregation as a member? Are you a long-term member who would like to meet some newer members, reflect on why you are a UU, and get a quick re-grounding in UU history and theology? Join this class! We will cover how we got here (our spiritual/religious journeys or lack thereof), get a whirlwind tour of UU theology/history/philosophy, and learn the "nuts and bolts" of how to become a member and/or get connected at North Parish.

 

Small Groups

 Would you like to know more about Small Groups as a way to connect with members of the congregation? Small Groups are held twice a month for about two hours at a time, in a caring and confidential environment. Groups generally include 8-10 people. This provides enough diversity of perspectives to generate good conversation and learning, while maintaining intimacy and enough time for everyone to be heard.

Affinity Groups

 

Great Pond Sangha

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation at North Parish

We come together to practice Mindfulness, Love and Compassion, Self-Inquiry, Innate Wisdom and Natural Awareness (Dzogchen). As we learn to "see things as they are" and let be, we are able to experience our lives with immense joy and peace. Beginners/Newcomers are welcome. Activities are open to all Merrimack Valley residents. Children of all ages may attend the quarterly Intergenerational Gatherings. You may find more information in the NP Sangha Page, on the Sangha Homepage, or on Facebook, or you may email greatpondsangha .

 

Books/Movies discussion group 

The book and movie group meets the second Thursday of the month at 7:30PM in the parlor for coffee, cookies and conversation.  No RSVP required, new faces always welcome.

 

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Cakes for the Queen of Heaven

 CAKES is an eight to ten session course in women’s spirituality. For nearly twenty years, these all women groups have been forming at North Parish to explore women's religious history and the ancient roots of civilization where the divine was seen as female investigating the influence of mainstream religions on our position in society, and examining the emergence of the women’s spirituality movement. For more information, visit www.cakesforthequeenofheaven.org.

 

Shawl Ministry    

The Shawl Ministry of North Parish is open to all, young and old, male and female, and newcomers can join any time. At the discretion of our minister or members of the Caring Team, shawls are given anonymously to members of the North Parish community to comfort them during a difficulty. A list of materials and the instructions are available at the Shawl Ministry website

 

Lunch Bunch

 

Join Rev. Bluemel and others for a casual brown bag lunch and a chance to share your news, opinions, politics, questions, observations, and your sense of humor. All are welcome. The group meets the third Tuesday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the parlor.

 

Men's Group

 

The Men's Group welcomes all men to join us for the possibility of friendship, food and fun. Please join us for monthly dinners and occasional events such as the Day After Father's Day golf outing, skiing at Mt. Sunapee and summertime cookouts.

 

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Welcoming Congregation

North Parish is a Welcoming Congregation, consistent with the guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Association. We actively welcome lesbian, gay. bisexual, transgender, and intersex people as full participants in the life of the church. For more information, see our Welcoming Congregation page.