In the Fall of 1989, my wife, Joan, and I, along with our young sons, attended our first service at FUSF. We were familiar with the UU faith, but didn’t really know what to expect. We found a small but fast-growing community (much like Franklin at the time) consisting of both older members as well as young families, with a growing religious education program. We both soon found our way into the community, Joan as … Continue reading Wayne Toye

My love affair with FUSF began in 1993, when my neighbor invited me and my kids to come to church with her family. We both were blessed with our children coming to us through adoption. That Sunday, the children’s Religious Education program was about a mother bear adopting a baby bear.  Growing up Catholic, it was very interesting to have a woman minister who spoke about issues that felt relevant to me. During that first … Continue reading Susan Dubinsky

I’d like to tell you a little bit about why I donate my time, talent, and treasure to FUSF. I’d rather not talk about me, though—let me tell you about my children. When my oldest, precocious child was 3, she began asking some very big questions: what is God? What happens when you die? Where do babies come from? I decided we needed a place to explore answers to these questions. As she has grown … Continue reading Caitlin MacDonald

When I come to FUSF on Sundays, in many ways it is like a little vacation. I am brought into a very special sacred space with the beautiful chalice quilt, the wall of art to contemplate, and the view of creation splendidly revealed through our glass wall. I am invited to be still and calm. I am treated to the thoughtful, lovely stories and lessons, presented to our children by our director of religious education, … Continue reading Celeste Falcone

I am a UU “lifer”—I’ve been a UU since I was 4-years old, attending five UU congregations in my lifetime. My earliest UU memory was of the fellowship at the Dartmouth College chapel, where I remember scissors, glue, and reading a book about the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Then there were more years of scissors and glue in the RE program of the Birmingham Unitarian Church in Birmingham, Michigan. I stepped away from active participation during … Continue reading Rand Barthel