Who We Are

Welcome

Welcome to First Unitarian Church, a historic Unitarian Universalist church in the heart of Worcester. We are a vibrant and welcoming congregation committed to living out our mission to honor the sacred, connect with one another, and serve justice within our community and our world.

Whether you are looking for the next step on your spiritual journey, our programs for children and youth, the beauty of our music, or adult faith development classes, we are sure to have something to offer you and a way for you to share your gifts with the world. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What to Expect When You Visit

Services are held at 10:30 a.m. in our sanctuary every Sunday except the day before Labor Day. You can enter the sanctuary through the front doors of the church, facing Main Street, or the lower State Street entrance next to the church garden. You'll be greeted and offered a paper bulletin with details of that morning's worship service.

You can sit anywhere you like in the sanctuary. There are even seats on our balcony, reachable by spiral staircases in the entryway or at the front of the sanctuary. We only ask that you not sit right next to the organ, which we reserve for the choir. Two pews on each side of the ground floor seating have cut-outs for wheelchair users.

Children are always welcome to worship with their families. There is a large pew in the back of the sanctuary with a play space for babies and toddlers. Families can also take babies and toddlers downstairs to our nursery, which is open from September through June. Children ages 4 through 13 are welcome to join our faith development classes. After the story early in the service, children are invited to leave through the door at the front left of the sanctuary, to join our faith development staff and volunteers for those classes. Parents can pick their children up downstairs following the service.

Should you need a restroom during the service, those can also be found downstairs. You can reach them through stairs through the doors at the back of the sanctuary. There is an accessible restroom, or an elevator to reach the lower level, through the door at the front right of the sanctuary.

Services include a story for all ages, singing, prayers, readings from the Bible and/or other ancient and contemporary texts, and a sermon. Services are usually led by our minister, the Rev. Sarah Stewart.

Location and Parking

We are located at 90 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608. Parking for the church is on State Street in either lot, in any numbered spot. Note that the lot at the very top of State Street, at the corner of Harvard Street, is not church parking. On-street parking is also available on Main Street, State Street and Harvard Street.

Accessible parking is available in the lower State Street lot, to the left of the entrance. There is additional parking, including accessible spaces, on Court Street, against the north side of the church and behind the building. The lower State Street entrance of the building is wheelchair accessible, as is a secondary entrance off of Court Street.

Our building is accessible via elevator, and accessible restrooms are on the first floor. There are assistive listening devices available for services in the sanctuary.

Our Covenant

In the love of truth
And in the spirit of Jesus
We unite for the worship of God
And the service of all.

The Covenant is the agreement among the members that creates and defines the First Unitarian Church of Worcester. The Covenant was adopted by the congregation on December 18, 1898. At every worship service, we renew our covenant by repeating it together.

OUR MISSION

In loving fellowship we strive to

Honor the sacred

We worship together in the sacred space of our sanctuary through the spoken word and music. We are committed to nurturing the spiritual lives of our children.

Connect with each other

We choose to live in community. We are called to be present to one another in suffering, to risk being uncomfortable, and to celebrate the holy in each other and in the world around us.

Serve justice

We are committed to standing on the side of love and justice for our fellow human beings and all the earth. We are committed to caring for the global environment and future generations.

(Adopted January 31, 2016)

OUR history

Since 1785, First Unitarian Church (Second Parish in the Town of Worcester) has been a home for liberal religion in Worcester. We have worshiped in a meetinghouse on Court Hill since 1823. Members of this church were among the commonwealth's earliest leaders, including Isaiah Thomas and Levi Lincoln. From the insistence on promoting the moral responsibility of humankind in the 18th century, through support for women's rights and abolitionism in the 19th, to the commitment to ethical progress in the 20th, and full inclusion of all people and identities today, First Unitarian Church has always been a home for liberal religious thought. You can read more about the history of our building here, or check out The Fruits of Our Labors: The Bicentennial History of the First Unitarian Church of Worcester, 1785-1985 by former minister Walter Donald Kring from our church library.

Bangs Library

First Unitarian Church maintains a small library of books related to Unitarianism/Universalism, liberal religion, works of other religions, social justice, personal and spiritual growth, local history, and local authors. These books are available to browse and read at the church on Sundays and during business hours. You can browse the online catalog to search for a book.

Books are located in the shelves lining the Bancroft Room. To visit during the week, please call the church prior to visiting the library at 508-757-2708.

See you soon!

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