For many people, the faith of their childhoods is simply unappealing. They have been turned off by religious traditions that are steeped in dogma, fueled by guilt, and intolerant of dissent - religions that seem to believe that they have all the answers - and woe unto those who dare to question. Or they may have simply fallen away from affiliation with a church as they matured and moved away from their families. Yet another possibility is that they may have grown up without any introduction to or affiliation with a religious community. If you are one of those people or if you have a different story, we welcome you at the Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. This congregation, founded in 1962, was once a small group of friends. But we have grown rapidly in recent years to a midsize church of almost 200 people from Moorpark to the Simi Valley, Camarillo to the Conejo Valley and beyond. And we are glad that you have found us.

Unitarians and Universalists have been around in the United States since the days of its founders and have inspired some of this country's greatest minds - people such as Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Susan B. Anthony, Henry David Thoreau, Clara Barton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Adlai Stevenson, Linus Pauling, Elliott Richardson and many others. Unitarian Universalists reject dogma and unchanging creeds. We don't tell anyone what to believe. To UUs, a person's spiritual path is very much an individual matter. In congregations, we unite in a quest for spiritual insights and ethical values. We affirm the "inherent worth and dignity of every person" regardless of his or her race, nationality, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We cherish the "interdependent web" of life that links all living things. We hold that religious wisdom is ever-changing and that the questions are as important as the answers.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous essayist and Unitarian minister, wrote: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. . . . Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today." Today, as in the past, Unitarian Universalists are not afraid that a new insight or a new inspiration may lead them to change their "hard words" of today.

You might ask, "What goes on at a Unitarian Universalist service?" Honestly, that will vary from church to church. At the Conejo Valley UU Fellowship, our Sunday services ordinarily start with everybody, including our children, present as we light the candle in our chalice and read our statement of purpose. Then, we typically continue with a song and a children's story. Next, the children go to Religious Education classes or child care. The sermon is usually given by our minister but is sometimes presented by guest speakers or members of the congregation. And we also have a variety of other service formats throughout the year. Our minister, the Reverend Betty Stapleford, was ordained in June of 1998 at the First Unitarian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, where she had been a member for over thirty years; and she has been serving our congregation for the last five years. In addition to our Sunday service for adults, we are committed to religious education for our children, of whom we now have over one hundred and fifteen registered. Toward that end, we have a Director of Religious Education to guide our program which leads children in critical thinking about religion and ethical values. We believe that it is more important for our children to learn to deal with life and each other than to memorize dogma and rules of behavior. And we have adult education too on a wide variety of topics.

We also strive to live up to the UU motto of "deeds, not creeds." We have a long-standing relationship with Manna, the Conejo Valley food bank. And we contribute to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, our denomination's social action arm, and to many other worthy groups with our time, our talents and our treasure. As we grow, so does our commitment to our community and the world.

If these ideas appeal to you, we invite you to check us out this Sunday or call us at (805)492-8751 for more information, including details about the many other activities of this dynamic group.

Unitarian Universalists - we're not for everyone - which is why we may be right for you.

Blessings,
Rev. Betty Stapleford