First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

  605 Morewood Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2999
  412-621-8008

OUR PRINCIPLES

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions. We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places. We believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. In the end religious authority lies not in a book, person, or institution, but in ourselves. We put religious insights to the test of our hearts and minds. We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. Ours is a free faith.”

From We are Unitarian Universalists by Marta Flanagan

Unitarian Universalist Covenant

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The Six Sources

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.

• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

Mission Statement: The First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh provides an intentional, supportive, and inclusive community where individuals of all ages and diverse beliefs, sustained by the seven Unitarian Universalist principles, seek personal growth and strive to promote social justice within the congregation and in the world beyond.

Vision Statement: The goals of the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh are to (1) Build Community: Strengthen and broaden our local Unitarian Universalist community; (2) Nurture Souls: Offer diversity in worship and religious education opportunities; and (3) Cultivate Justice: Expand our collective, visible effective acts on social justice issues.

Global Ends Statement: The First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh exists so that people who share Unitarian Universalist values can gather in a liberal religious community for spiritual and intellectual growth and social transformation, with resources comparable to other thriving religious communities.

Long Range Planning Vision Statement: The First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh will be the most vibrant expression of Unitarian Universalism that it can be through effective engagement with its members, friends, and the larger community.

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