AT UUS, YOU WILL FIND

A welcoming home for diverse beliefs

We honor your individual search for truth and meaning, and provide community to support you on your journey.

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  • The Great Climate Change March

Join us in person or here on YouTube Live

Every Sunday at 10:00 am

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Coming Up At UUS

Our active community has programming throughout the week. From our all ages RE programs, to spiritual groups, to volunteer and social justice opportunities, UUS provides community for members to connect in many ways.

Upcoming Events

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Our UUS Mission

We are a welcoming spiritually diverse home. We act on our values:
Honor the Earth;
Advocate for racial and social justice;
Nurture deep connections;
Embrace the ongoing quest for meaning.

Recent Blog Posts

  • US Surgeon General Warns Us about Parental Well-Being
    Heeding the Sugeon General’s warning that parents and caregivers need more support, here at UUS we are looking ahead to what we can do. Read this short post from director of lifespan religious education and parent, Nic Kaplan to find out more.
  • Covid, Colds, and Flu! Oh, my!
    Post AuthorRev. Diana Smith We are well into cold, flu, and Covid season. Please care for yourself and others by following our Cold/Flu/Covid Season Guidelines:…
  • A New Social Justice Initiative: Equitable Local (micro)Lending Initiative
    Post AuthorAndy Douglas An exciting new social justice initiative is happening at UUS. This is our new ELLI ministry: the Equitable Local (micro)Lending Initiative. Microlending…
  • UUMystics Monthly Gathering
    UUMystics will gather on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm (the first Wednesday of each month unless otherwise notified) in the conference room to continue our deep sharing and exploration of “Spiritual Awakening” and related topics.
  • UUS focuses on Immigration during December Lunch and Learn
    Post AuthorSally Hartman and Deb Schoelerman, Social Justice Team Lunch and Learn Lunch and Learn on Sunday, December 8, focuses on Immigration.  This topic will…

Find more posts on the UUS News page

We prioritize social justice and action.

We are a congregation based in love and service, that elevates unheard voices and does the work to improve ourselves and our community to create a more equitable world.You are welcome here.

Social Justice Initiatives
“

Rev. Diana Smith

UUS Minister

A message from our minister

Wherever you are on your personal journey toward truth and meaning, you will find acceptance and support among our community of fellow seekers and learners. We are a Welcoming Congregation, and no matter who you choose to love or how you express your identity, your presence is valued here. We side with love for marginalized people of all types and are especially focused on dismantling white supremacy culture at all levels, beginning within ourselves.

WE LIVE OUR VALUES

With no formal doctrine, we unite through our shared values with service as our prayer.

Honor the Earth

Our 8 acre campus features nature trails, a meditation labyrinth, natural playscape, memorial and community gardens and sustainability measures such as solar panels, bio retention cells and native plantings.

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Social Justice & Sustainability

At our core, we believe in fighting for social justice and sustainability. We are action oriented. We stand up to injustice. We are antiracist. We are a welcoming congregation. We do the work to learn and make lasting change.

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Search for Truth & Meaning

Spiritual journeys are individual, but you do not have to go it alone. We believe in the power and healing of community, and welcome you to our congregation no matter what beliefs you hold.

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Families and Youth

Our open faith community is an ideal congregation for families yearning for a church community, without the doctrine found in more traditional church settings. We acknowledge the personal nature in the search for truth and meaning, but provide a community so you don’t have to go on your search alone. We extend that same inclusivity and connection to children and teens. Our facilities are designed to be family-friendly, with worship spaces meant to include children and a religious education program that fosters questions and discussions around faith, love, and what it means to be a part of our collective world.

Sunday Services Religious Education UUS Nature Preschool

With inclusivity in mind, our building is designed to work well for families attending our services and programs.

  • Free childcare during service in our nursery for ages 0-3
  • Teen youth group following service
  • Elementary aged students are invited to our Religious education wing following the all ages story during service for classroom activities
  • Creativity kits for use during worship featuring crayons, markers, paper and fidget toys
  • Welcoming Space for children at the front of the Sanctuary featuring floor cushions, soft/quiet toys, activities, books and fidgets with nearby seating for caregivers
  • A table in the Sanctuary with writing and drawing supplies for people who would prefer to engage with service while taking notes or drawing
  • Accessible play area in the RE wing that allows caregivers to still observe worship service
  • Nursing room for quiet feeding/changing space
  • Changing stations in men and women’s restrooms
  • All gender restroom
  • Natural playscapes, gardens, and trails to explore as a family
  • Lego Table in Fellowship Hall so all ages can enjoy social time after services
  • Religious Education classes for school aged children that encourage deeper understanding of our place in the world, fostering a safe space for questioning and being free to be yourself
  • Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) sexual education classes that are age appropriate and sexuality and gender inclusive
  • New in 2023: Summer Camp! Camps are nature based and one camp will be musical theatre themed featuring an end-of-camp production
  • UUS Nature Preschool will launch in August 2023 for members and nonmembers looking for a nature-based preschool option for students age 3-5

Frequently Asked Questions

We are so happy that you have found our spiritually and socially inclusive community. Below are some common questions we hear.

If you are new here, we welcome you!

Sunday services are at 10:00 here in our Sanctuary and streamed online. You can find the links to our Youtube channel here.

Our staff is typically available Mon-Thurs from 9-4 by appointment.

Nope! While we hope you eventually feel called to join our congregation officially, you are welcome to attend programs, classes, and services without becoming a member. Our congregation depends on having people who consider this enough their own community that they support it with their time, talents, and financial resources, so we hope that eventually you do choose to join!

Absolutely! We welcome families to our congregation and strive to provide a robust program for all ages to be involved in their spiritual development. Our facilities include gender inclusive bathrooms, a nursing room, quiet activity kits for kids to use during service and designated kid spaces to utilize during services to help keep your young ones occupied. Learn more about our family-friendly community here.

Through our Religious Education program, we have free childcare available for ages 0-3 in our nursery during Sunday service and classroom activities for school age children. In addition to our Religious Education programming, we also offer family events throughout the week on Wednesday evenings and two Fridays per month. View our event calendar to learn more!

Yes! Unitarian Universalist Society is a designated “Welcoming Congregation” which means our inclusivity is a pinnacle of our congregation. We know that religious spaces haven’t always been welcoming places for all people, especially when it comes to gender and sexuality. We are out to change that. At UUS, you will find members of all backgrounds happy to have YOU here. We offer gender inclusive facilities and are mindful in all of our communications to be a space where all feel welcome here. You are welcome here.

Absolutely! We offer all sorts of small groups with a wide range of interests so you are sure to find people that you connect with. We know spirituality is a personal endeavor, but we believe you don’t have to journey alone. Many of our groups are for growing mind and spirit, but we also offer lots of groups that have nothing to do with spirituality at all! We also love to encourage our members to share their strengths to help our congregation and Sunday services to run more smoothly, whether that be your love of music, friendly demeanor or knack for tech stuff. Click here to discover more about our small groups.

If you are considering becoming a member, we have a series of orientations for you to attend as well as a “Preparing to Become a Member” class to more fully understand our UU principles and mission. Click here to find more in depth information about the membership process.

While the building itself is generally locked when not in use for Sunday services or events throughout the week, our outdoor areas are available for use. We purposely built our new location with access to nature so that we can utilize the gifts of the natural world. You will find groomed trails in our woods, community gardens to enjoy, and our meditation labyrinth that you are welcome to use.

Generally, staff is in the building Mon-Thurs 9-4, but we encourage you to make an appointment if you need to get into the building.

Our residential neighborhood is bustling on Sundays and during events, but we intentionally reserve space in our main parking lot for visitors, and you can typically find a spot there. We have several handicap spots and a drop-off area directly in front of the building. You may also join our members in parking along Oakdale Road (be sure to avoid areas marked as “no parking”), or in the auxiliary lot to the south at Old Hospital Road, connected to our campus by a walking path.

Yes! We encourage rentals of our facilities, as it helps us to continue our UUS mission. We welcome the use of our facilities for weddings, memorials, business retreats, trainings, charity functions, musical performances, public speakers and more! Click here to find out more information about our rental offerings.

Can’t find the answer?
Ask us!

Service on Sundays at 10; Office Open Mon-Thurs 9-4 By Appointment

2355 Oakdale Rd, Coralville, IA 52241

(319) 337-3443​