ABOUT US
We are a growing community where we celebrate life's joys, explore and honor life's mysteries and face life's challenges together so that we may grow spiritually and work for greater peace and justice in our community and in the world.We provide avenues for each person, young and old, to develop their own religious beliefs. We use the world's great religions as our source material, including the Judeo Christian tradition we sprang from. To that end, we have ongoing adult religious exploration courses, such as "Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography" and "Building Your Own Theology." We also study religions and myths from around the world.
We want our children to grow up in a world that does not build walls between people but shows them that all people have value. Our religious education programs helps children learn that all families have value. We teach them to develop their own beliefs and value their own opinions. By the end of their Sunday school years, they are able to write and deliver a personal belief statement to the congregation.
We believe that how we live life in the present is more important than what happens or doesn't happen in the afterlife. To that end, we believe in actively confronting problems in our neighborhood, country and world. (click here to read more about Social Action) We have a multigenerational all church project called "Just Neighbors", in which we are of service to homeless families, as well as educating ourselves about the causes of homelessness and advocating for a living wage for low wage workers.
Many of us participate in an ongoing weekly social witness against the war in Iraq outside our building on Lincoln Drive. We also provide tutoring and other help to the Lingelbach Elementary School, which we have adopted.
We have been active for women's reproductive rights and the rights of all persons to live and marry as they choose. Our congregation has blessed same sex unions since 1988.
We are proud of our congregation's history of activism in Northwest Philadelphia for the past 141 years. Our beautiful building on Lincoln Drive was erected in 1928. Members of our congregation were active in forming West Mt. Airy Neighbors, which fought for housing integration in the 1960s. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached from our pulpit in 1960. We are founding members of the Northwest Interfaith Movement and continue to be a strong advocate for interfaith action and dialogue. Like all UU congregations, we are independent and self-governing. We have a Board of Trustees and an assortment of councils and committees. We also have a wonderful minister, Kent Matthies, and a staff of which we are all very proud.
