Who We Are
First Universalist is one of Maine's oldest and hardiest community churches. It originally drew its membership entirely from Rockland, a bustling port town with many industries and small businesses, but in the nineteenth century it was common to have a Universalist church in every other village. When the Depression came, and Rockland's population tide began to ebb, First Universalist became the county seat of liberal religion, and people began commuting to church from surrounding communities. This pattern has continued, with most attenders now coming from the towns north and west of the city. Rockland UU is a tri-county parish, with members in over a dozen towns. And since the area's population is becoming more diverse, ethnically and culturally, the church now presents a very different face in the 21st century.
Who comes to church? People who value community, above all. Newcomers to the area, whether they were drawn by jobs or retirement, come looking for connection and affirmation. Older members, some with family in the area, some on their own, want to know that they are preserving an institution that treasures the gifts of the individual, and celebrates continuity and creative change. Young families often bounce off the prevailing cultural consensus of the area, which still promotes Christianity as the norm, and heterosexual nuclear families as the core of "family values". Questioners of all ages and conditions of life appear at our door, for community forums and social concerns programs, and some will return for other church events when they find they are part of the UU network of friends. It may be something like the annual Plant Sale, or an interesting sermon title, or word on the street about our music program. We are always surprised at how many people find their way to our informal summer worship services in August, and how many "check in" two or three times a year, according to some calendar of seasonal change and yearning.
What keeps people coming to church? Our members' lives are studded with commitments to ongoing volunteer efforts and causes, but often it is the church which provides the framework of ethical values which helps it all hang together. At church, we are larger than our causes, and we expand the context of our efforts, with new understanding and fresh perspectives. We know we can't do it all, but at church we know people who are doing some of the things we can't get to, and we share in the burdens and successes of all. We celebrate the web of being, of connection, and we sing.
Please choose one of the following to find out more about the people who make up the First Universalist Church In Rockland: