I was raised a Presbyterian, by conservative parents, in Dubuque, Iowa, where I spent my teen years. Going to church was required. My 4 siblings and I would have much rather stayed home to watch TV, play outside, or go cow tipping. But that was not to be. What was the one thing we truly looked forward to on Sundays? The jelly-filled donuts that we picked up for breakfast on the way home from church. … Continue reading Lea MacNider

FUSF is a large, supportive community filled with bright, creative, and generous individuals with a united purpose, to make the world a better place. Click “play” below to watch my video!

I started coming to FUSF in the mid 90’s and signed the Membership Book in 1997. I’m a long-time member, but I didn’t come easy at first. I grew up Catholic and went to St Bonaventure University, a Franciscan Catholic University where I had a great experience. But something was always off for me from a religious and spiritual perspective. As I aged, I plodded on with my Catholic traditions; it was what I knew. … Continue reading Tom DiGioia

“We pledge to walk together”—to me, these words that start our unison affirmation say so much about this special community that we have here. When we first walked into FUSF over 27 years ago, we had 2 young sons, who were 2 and 4 years old at the time. Though my husband Michael and I were raised in different faiths, we had similar spiritual beliefs and mostly wanted to find a religious foundation for our … Continue reading Julie Sutherland

My name is Jen Neville. My pronouns are she/her. I joined FUSF somewhere around 2018. I first came here to find a place where I could bring my daughters and have them grow up in some sort of spiritual tradition, but I certainly did not want their upbringing to be like mine: full of guilt and fear. At the very first service I attended, Michele shared a song she had written, and I left in … Continue reading Jennifer Neville