Services will be in person and live streamed on Zoom for the foreseeable future
About Us
UU voices
New to Tri-UU?
We are the Tri-County Unitarian Universalists (Tri-UU) in Summerfield, Fla. Unitarian Universalism is a centuries-old movement that truly welcomes all people, no matter who they are or what religious or nonreligious beliefs they hold. We are brave, curious, compassionate, and a bit feisty, too. Most important in the Unitarian Universalist philosophy is the free and responsible search for individual meaning.
Tri-UUers have diverse backgrounds, including traditional Christian, Jewish, Eastern, Humanist, Pagan, agnostic, atheist, and other philosophies that make the world so interesting. And as an LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation, Tri-UU offers all people a comfortable, supportive home.
Committed to “deeds, not creeds,” Tri-UU has a rich history of social justice activism and offers activities and classes to meet the many interests of our members.
Sound intriguing? Browse through our website, then consider a visit to our congregation in Summerfield, Fla.
Come visit with an open or a skeptical mind, with a bruised or a joyful heart, because you will indeed be welcomed. Your adventure starts here!
Who We Are
The Tri-County Unitarian Universalists congregation (Tri-UU) was formed in 1982. Ever since, our vibrant, open-minded, and diverse group of people continually strives to support and love each other in the pursuit of spiritual growth and social justice.
The current and growing membership of around 100. Many others who choose to participate without formal membership, and both full-time and seasonal Florida residents are well represented. Because we are located in the center of one of the most highly concentrated retirement areas in the country, however people of all ages are most welcome.
We are diverse in background and belief. Many have come from traditional Judeo-Christian backgrounds and from other world beliefs and non-beliefs. Whatever you believe – or don’t believe – about God, you will find yourself among others like you. Unitarian Universalism encourages each of us to search for individual spiritual meaning that both comforts and challenges each of us to become our best self. We are guided by our Values and Covenant, and keep Love at the Center. We draw inspiration from history, nature, science, and our family of congregants.
We put our individual and shared values into action. Issues such as marriage equality, environmental change, immigration, the sanctity of nature, and the worth of all races and people are addressed by a vigorous social justice team that conducts and assists in community programs and action.
We also support individual spiritual growth and the value of social interaction through classes, small groups, social events, potlucks, forums and shared church projects. Sunday services are conducted by the minister, a worship team, the choir, and the active participation of the church community. It’s important to note that the Unitarian Universalist Association empowers each local congregation to be autonomous in the establishment of organization, rules, and action.
The Tri-UU Mission
“We unite in religious community to seek spiritual growth, live with integrity, and serve with compassion.”
Our Vision
“We will be an influential voice for progressive religious values in a diverse community."
How We're Different
Each UU congregation independently sets up its own rules for how it runs itself. Doing this work of creating the documents we govern ourselves by is both a spiritual duty and a challenge. We work together to create our very own rules to follow.
We are progressive and inclusive.
Guided by covenantal principles such as "the worth and dignity of all," we draw inspiration from science, history, and all world religions.
We put our values into action.
On issues like immigration reform, marriage equality, and environmental change, LGTBQIA+ Rights we live out our values every day.
We are diverse in background and belief.
Whatever you believe about God, or don't, you will be welcomed here—and challenged to become your best self.
We seek our own spiritual path.
Our fellowship encourages freedom of belief and the search for advancing truth, and tries to provide a warm, open, supportive community for people who believe that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion.
Values and Covenant
As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.
Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.
Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
Shared Unitarian Universalist Values
Interdependence
We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it.
We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
Pluralism
We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
Justice
We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive.
We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
Transformation
We adapt to the changing world.
We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Generosity
We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
Equity
We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness.
We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
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Inpiration
Direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder are primary sources of Unitarian Universalist inspiration. These experiences open our hearts, renew our spirits, and transform our lives. We draw upon, and are inspired by, sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. We respect the histories, contexts, and cultures in which these sources were created and are currently practiced. Grateful for the experiences that move us, aware of the religious ancestries we inherit, and enlivened by the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom
Inclusion:
Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an Association of congregations that truly welcome all persons who share our values. We commit to being an Association of congregations that empowers and enhances everyone’s participation, especially those with historically marginalized identities.
Freedom of Belief:
Congregational freedom and the individual’s right of conscience are central to our Unitarian Universalist heritage.
Congregations may establish statements of purpose, covenants, and bonds of union so long as they do not require that members adhere to a particular creed.
What We Do
"Deeds, not creeds" is one of our favorite mottos. It’s what we do that counts.
There are many types of activities in the Tri-UU congregation, and on this website you can begin to explore some of them. But of course, nothing beats first-hand experience, and you need not be a member of Tri-UU to participate in any activities.
So come visit us soon. You are most welcome to try us out!
Choir
You needn’t be a trained singer to participate in our Choir. A desire to celebrate through song is the only prerequisite. (OK . . . being able to carry a tune helps, too.) Other musicians would be very welcome, as well.
Special Interest
Activities
As you might expect of a congregation as diverse as ours, there are plenty of additional activities available, from a book club to potluck dinners. Check out some of the options here.
Worship Services
We hold services every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m, The service is followed by refreshments and friendly conversation. More information is here.
Social Justice
Programs & Activities
From marching in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade to providing comfort to the homeless, Social Justice actions are the essence of Unitarian Universalism. The activities are many and varied.
Chalice Circle
In the personal quest to discover and develop one’s own spirituality, many members find that participation in one of our Chalice Circle stimulates fresh ideas.
Lifespan Education
Programs
Many central Florida residents are entering or are well into their retirement years, and this brings new challenges and opportunities. Our Lifespan Education activities can help.
Founding Fathers & Scientific Followers
Many of the founders of our nation were either Unitarians or Universalists. The list includes John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Paul Revere.
Scientific followers were
Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin,
Elizabeth Blackwell, Samuel Morse, Sir Isaac Newton, Linus Pauling, Albert Schweitzer, and Alfred North Whitehead.
UU History
UU History
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition formed from the consolidation of two Christian denominations (Unitarianism and Universalism), both of which began in Europe many centuries ago. In the United States, the Universalist Church of America was founded in 1793 (its first congregation, in Gloucester, MA, still worships in its 1805 meetinghouse), and the American Unitarian Association was founded in 1825. Over 200 congregations were founded before the Civil War began.
After consolidating in 1961, these faiths became the new religion of Unitarian Universalism through the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). We currently number just over 1000 congregations across the US and also have congregations and gatherings around the world.
The long histories of both denominations have contributed important theological concepts that remain central to Unitarian Universalism. Our living tradition is nurtured by our Unitarian and Universalist heritages to provide a strong voice for social justice and liberal religion.
While we come from two Christian denominations, we have grown beyond Christianity to include people from many other faith and no faith backgrounds, from Judaism to Buddhism, atheism to Hinduism, Paganism to Islam, and others. As a covenantal faith rather than a creedal one, members do not need to give up their faith to join our congregations. Instead, for those who wish to, we encourage them to hold what they love of their faith and share it with our congregations to help us all learn and grow.
More contemporary members or friends are Morris Dees, Stanley Ann Dunham (Barack Obama's mother), Paul Newman, Keith Olbermann, Melissa Harris Perry, Christopher Reeve, Pete Seeger, Rod Sterling, Joanne Woodward, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Famous Authors
Louisa May Alcott, Ray Bradbury,
e. e. cummings, Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, T. S. Eliot, Herman Melville, May Sarton, and Kurt Vonnegut.
Other Unitarian Universalists were John Dewey, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Juliet Ward Howe, Arthur Schlesinger, Adlai Stevenson, William Howard Taft, and Daniel Webster.
