Related topics – Unitarian Universalism • Beliefs • Visitor Information • Visitor Connection Card

If you have found that the UUCC community feels like a spiritual home in which you wish to grow and engage, and you would like to join as a member, we welcome you wholeheartedly. Our bylaws include a few steps toward that commitment:

• The prospective new member must be at least 16 years old.
• The person has learned about the teachings of our faith and agrees that they resonate in their heart and mind. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared Unitarian Universalist values. Those values include all the following, which are inseparable and deeply connected: interdependence, equity, transformation, pluralism, generosity, and justice.
• Last, because the only way our congregation is supported in its work of expanding love and justice in the world is by the generosity of our members and friends – that is to say, we have no outside grants or financial assistance from beyond our walls – all members are asked to participate financially to the extent feasible for them. If that is not possible in your circumstances, you can request a waiver from our minister.

Before joining, prospective new members are invited to learn more about the history of Unitarian Universalism and about the rich story of our own Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, Missouri. We offer a “Getting to Know UU: A Newcomers Retreat and Dinner” three times each year. (Note: If a virtual option is needed, please email our minister or the Membership Team so that accommodations can be arranged.)

Before making the commitment to become a member, prospective new members are also encouraged to investigate and explore more about our faith by speaking with our minister or any of the Sunday greeters, reading the brochures found in the lobby, and researching our church’s website as well as the website of the Unitarian Universalist Association. As one example of the wide array of information available, we believe this video well encapsulates the UU faith:

Video Copyright © Unitarian Universalist Association

Our next in-person educational opportunity, “Getting to Know UU: A Newcomers Retreat and Dinner,” will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 at the church. Please register here.

After the retreat, if you decide to join, you will be invited to participate in one of our New Member Ingathering ceremonies during a worship service. In this ceremony, new members sign the Membership Book and are introduced to the congregation, followed by a brief ritual in which we read aloud our shared covenants and celebrate the growth of our community of faith. The next Ingathering service will be held on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.

If you want to join but are unable to attend the retreat in January, watch this page for more information about our next scheduled retreats, which are tentatively planned on June 8, 2025 and Oct. 19, 2025.

As you will learn at the retreat, Unitarian Universalist churches are governed under a “Congregational Polity” framework, which means the members vote on all major decisions. New members become eligible to vote on issues decided by the congregation 60 days after officially joining.