A big welcome to congregants from UUCiA. UUCiA as an independent church, is in the process of closing and we warmly welcome UUCiA members and friends who are attending or considering attending North Parish. Their congregation goes back to 1956 to the combining of 2 separate churches (both originating in 1847), one Unitarian and the other Universalist, in Lawrence. In 1964 they moved to Andover.
UUCiA became a “Welcoming Congregation” in 1994, making it among the earliest of the congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to intentionally welcome and affirm LGBTQ persons. In 2015, the congregation became one of the early members of the UUA to display a Black Lives Matter flag (UUCiA website).
We will have a special welcoming at our ingathering for those UUCiA people who have begun attending.
We appreciate the gifting or loaning of some of their sacred objects to North Parish: a loan of the beautiful summer quilt evoking the beach hanging in the Chapel, 4 other UU posters and flags, 3 boxes of hymnals, choral music and a music stand, along with a podium for our Worship Assistants. We will be looking for ways to celebrate the UUCiA congregation and incorporate some of their traditions into our church year activities. Please take a moment to introduce yourself so everyone can get to know each other better.