I often answer the question about how I came to stay at FUSF with a joke about my son’s love of the treats during fellowship hour. And while the treats are very good, that wasn’t what kept us coming back for the last five years. It was just slightly deeper than that.

My husband and I both grew up in the Catholic faith and then attended a Christian reform church while dating and through the early years of our marriage. We were happy and had community, and we loved and followed the teachings of Jesus. But I felt something shifting for a while. For a couple years, I felt discontented—my understanding of God was changing.

I was studying to be a social worker, and as I read the Bible, I began to feel that my sense of Jesus and his teachings, and my mission, and my spiritual journey were no longer in alignment with our current church. It was uncomfortable. There was grief in all forms, but I decided that I was going to start looking around for a new spiritual home. 

I had some friends who I highly respected who were members at FUSF, and I decided to come check it out. I brought my kids, and I thought they were going to hate it. There was a lot of sitting, but as they wiggled and squirmed and took movement breaks, and made noise, I felt they were welcome here. We were welcomed here. And after hearing the message, and later when I went online to read the UU principles, something clicked. 

All the things that I felt Jesus stood for, and that I stood for as a social worker, this place was doing it, as best they knew how. And they were working to continue learning and growing as a community. So, I came back the next week. The Director of RE brought my kids outside in the trees and taught them about gratitude and social justice and loving people and stewardship of the earth, and I knew we were home. 

I choose to contribute financially to FUSF so that the beautiful work being done here, creating spiritual homes and welcoming and honoring all who come here, will continue.