Learn More About Us

This is a church web site. We sometimes come up first in search engines when people look for something else, especially a map of Modesto or news of Modesto. This page is for people who want to know more about us. At least ten of our members were in harmony with our beliefs for most of their lives, but didn't know there was a church like us. You may be the eleventh. We are a church:

Where Agnostics, Atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Humanists, Jews, Pagans and Theists can worship together.

Where people who draw religious inspiration from a redwood grove can share a meal with people who draw religious inspiration from the Bible.

Where, as Francis David said, "We need not think alike to love alike."

Our denomination developed from the Unitarians and the Universalists, two denominations with roots in colonial America. They merged in 1961.

Curious? Take a short, free Belief-O-Matic test. (The link opens a new window.) If you come back:

Our Do you Want? page is a list of our strengths and weaknesses, for people who are looking for a church.

Our Sunday Services page will give you an idea of what we talk about on Sunday. Our minister gives the sermon three times a month. The fourth (and fifth, if there is one) Sunday we have other speakers. We've had visiting ministers, business leaders, lawyers, scientists, world travelers, conservationists, community leaders and newspaper columnists.

Our Beliefs page will tell you what we believe. While only two-thirds of us believe in a supreme deity, we all believe people searching for spiritual truth have an easier time of it when they have company.

For more along these lines, we had a service which asked everyone in the audience all to answer the question What Does Being a Unitarian-Universalist Mean to You?

Our Minister's page will tell you about our minister, Rev. Grace Simons. It has a small selection of her sermons.

Our Guest Sermons page will give you an idea of what we talk about when Rev. Simons isn't in the pulpit.

Our Children's page will tell you what we teach our children. It also has a 130-year old mission statement and an editorial comment on mission statements. The editor isn't fond of mission statements, but he admires courage.

Our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page will answer some of your questions if you consider visiting us.

Our Virtual Tour will show you our church buildings.

Our People Tour will show you some of our members at work and play. Be warned - the page titles have some atrocious puns.

Finally, if you are out of the area but interested in learning more, the Unitarian-Universalist Association, our national body, has much more information. Their "Find a Congregation" page will help you find a UU congregation in your area.

You'll notice the navigation bar repeats the links above. We have the bar as a standard on every page. Our web master considers obsessive-compulsive behavior to be a virtue.