Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, Indiana

A few years back, I attended an "Americana concert" here. The concert was great, featuring some of the talented church members. Looking around afterwards, I noticed the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Seven Principles on the wall and thought, “Wow, why had I never heard of this place?” So I attended a few services and was pleasantly surprised. The UU church seems to embody what I want to see in our world. A place of spiritual richness that has its arms open wide. There is no "I'm right and you're wrong" here. This is a place where we can discuss and accept and even celebrate our differences. A place of "spiritual seekers" trying to make sense of this world without pushing an agenda or creed. A place of mutual acceptance and respect for each other that I am proud to be a part of.

I came to UUCCI after prior experience at other Unitarian Universalist churches. While living in California I went church-shopping, and the UU church seemed to suit my needs best. Later, moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, I felt sure that the UU church would be the only place I would feel comfortable. I stay because it’s great to be part of a community that wants to make the world a better place. In some ways it’s similar to the Catholic Church I grew up in, but more welcoming and inclusive, and especially more fair to women. I was always a feminist, even before I knew what the word meant.

After being invited to visit several times over the years, we finally attended a service. I remember a display of paintings by Gretchen Marks, and a duet sung by artist Bob Pulley and his wife, poet Nancy Pulley. Being very visually oriented, these things in combination with the beautiful building had great appeal for me. We were not unhappy at our previous church, but UUCCI has become a very important part of life for us and our grandsons.

We ended up at UUCCI because of proximity. After driving by the building on Goeller Road whenever we went anywhere, we started asking questions from neighbors who attended here. We were members of another church and were not unhappy there, but this gave us what we were looking for in a church. I stayed and became involved because this church helps me crystallize what is important to me about trying to change things little by little in the world. This was the springboard for me to get involved in a number of non-profit organizations where I now volunteer.