Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County

Frequently Asked Questions

We have three FAQ pages. Start with the one that fits you best:
General questions about Unitarian Universalism;
Specific questions about visiting our church;
A page for people who found us by accident. (Our most common accidental visitors want a map of Modesto or news of Modesto.)

We copied our most popular* questions here:

• When do you meet?
• Where do you meet?
• What do adults wear?
• Will I be pressured to join or to be saved?
• Does your congregation have diverse beliefs?
• How can an agnostic go to church?
• Did you ordain Carson Kressley, star of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"?

When do you meet?
Sunday mornings; the exact time varies with the season:
One service, at 10:00, starting May 19, 2013.
Two services, at 9:30 and 11:00 am, starting September 8, 2013.

Where do you meet?
2172 Kiernan Avenue, in Modesto, California. We're about 3 miles east of Highway 99. Kiernan Avenue is exit 233 from Highway 99 and the signs say"Riverbank" and "Salida". Our Map and directions page has complete details.

What do adults wear?
You are welcome to come in whatever makes you comfortable. If you are a gentleman who feels most comfortable when he looks like the rest of the guys, then navy blue Dockers and a dress shirt (no tie) will put you right in the middle of the crowd. Most, not all, of our ladies wear a dress or dressy pants and a nice blouse. On any given Sunday at least six men and women will be in jeans and two men will be in a coat and tie.

Will I be pressured to join or to be saved?
No. In fact, people sometimes think we are being aloof because we don't approach our visitors as if we were selling used cars. We'll welcome you at the door. We'll send you our newsletter for a while, if you ask for it. We'd be happy to have you join us, but we won't try to push ourselves onto you. We'll never pressure you to be saved, either. We don't believe in salvation by grace. That is where the "Universalist" part of "Unitarian-Universalists" comes in. You can read more about our beliefs or a personal anecdote about pressure.

Does your congregation have diverse beliefs?
We have some mild differences of opinion. Most of us started out as Jewish, Catholic or Protestant. Some of us are still Christian or Jewish. Some of us are agnostics or atheists. Some of us believe in an earth-based spirituality. Some of us are Buddhists. We all believe in the search for truth and a deeper meaning in life. We asked our members to answer the question "What do you believe?" in 30 words or less. You can see the responses on our Beliefs page.
You may also enjoy The Morality of Atheism, by one of our atheists; Zen, UU and Me, by one of our Buddhists, or Sacred Ground, our earth-based spirituality group.

How can an agnostic go to church?
By private automobile, bicycle or on foot.

Seriously, this is one of the things about us that puzzles people. Why would an agnostic (atheist, humanist...) go to church? We give people a place to explore and grow spiritually. We teach their children to respect all religions. We give people a chance to work for social justice in a group. An agnostic working alone would have a hard time feeding 120 homeless people. We have a team of two dozen who do it in 8 hours, once a month. Finally, there is the social aspect. Even agnostics like potlucks.

Did you ordain Carson Kressley, star of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"?
No. He meant the Universal Life Church. Read more.

* Popularity measured by how many visits they trigger, how important they are or how many other UU web sites have used them.