BISMARCK-MANDAN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP

WHO WE ARE

We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, and people of many beliefs. We are brave, curious and compassionate thinkers and doers. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world.

Unitarian Universalism draws from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. We covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries.

Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. The values we share include all the following, which we hold as inseparable and deeply interconnected:

Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.

Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.

Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.

Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.

Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.

Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.

SHARED VALUES

DIVERSITY OF BELIEFS

Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive.  While we share no creed, our shared covenant is expressed through the      inseparable and deeply held shared    values of interdependence, pluralism, justice, transformation, generosity, and equity – all centered around Love.

Although Unitarianism and Universalism both have origins as liberal Christian traditions, today we embrace diverse teachings from many different global religions and philosophies.

We have more than one way of experiencing the   world and understanding the sacred. What we call   our “Living Tradition” draws from six sources of inspiration from scripture to poetry to modern-day heroes. 

Unitarian Universalists believe more than one thing. We think for ourselves and reflect together about important topics like the following:

• The existence of a Higher Power

• Life and Death

• Sacred Texts

• Prayer and Spiritual Practices

 A WELCOMING CONGREGATION

As a Welcoming Congregation we pledge to:

• honor the lives of all people and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation

• celebrate diversity by using inclusive language and content in worship

• incorporate an understanding of the experience of LGBTQIA+ persons throughout all of our programs, including religious education

• affirm and celebrate LGBTQIA+ issues and history

• affirm marriage equality and conduct same-sex weddings

• advocate for LGBTQIA+ people, promoting justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when their rights and dignity are at stake

Aware that the work is never done, we work to annually renew our commitment to uphold the practices of a Welcoming Congregation including sponsoring and supporting Capital Pride and the ND LBGTQIA2S+ Summit.