We are on a journey of transformation. Our history has been one of more rational thought, and we know that we need both the heart and the head for holistic beloved community. We are leaning in to practice acknowledging and honoring the many gifts of diverse perspectives as we grapple with life’s biggest questions.

Our church buildings are located on the occupied land of the Mohawk people, though many prefer to be known by the traditional name of Kanien’kehá:ka or “People of the Flint.” The Kenien’kehá:ka are part of the Haudenosaunee, also known by the colonized name of the Iroquois. We are starting to learn what this means and are beginning to wonder how we might engage with this truth more fully.

Our members and visitors have diverse religious backgrounds. About 10-15% of us are lifelong Unitarian Universalists. About 60% were once associated with one (or more) of many different Protestant groups and about 20% come from a Roman Catholic background. The remaining 10% or so have been or are connected to Greek Orthodox, Quaker, Muslim, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Pagan, or have no prior religious affiliation before coming to UUSS.

Members of the congregation range widely in professional paths, educational experience, and family formation.

Nearly half of the members have belonged to the congregation for more than 25 years and nearly 10% more than 50 years, but we have a strong group of new members (about 25%) who have joined us in the last five years. Consistent with this picture, roughly half our members are more than 60 years old. Our congregation is striving to remove the barriers that consciously and unconsciously may be preventing us from being as diverse in class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender expression as we hope to be. Though our membership does not yet reflect the population diversity of the City of Schenectady, we are doing important spiritual work and internal reflection on how to change this so that our aspirations are more fully represented in reality.

Our religious education program for children and youth is intentionally crafted from curricula that inspire open minds, loving hearts, and welcoming hands. Our volunteer teachers give our kids a space to ask questions and figure out what they believe and how they want to live. Supporting parents is also an important part of this program. You can learn more here.

Religious education is also offered as part of Adult Faith Development. We offer classes, programs, and discussions to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and world religions as they pertain to UUism — as well as programs to explore your core beliefs and how to practice them, and covenant circles to discuss topics that are meaningful, and more. You can learn more here.

We value a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We have folks who lean towards being theists as well as atheists. We are curious about humanism, pantheism, mysticism. We bring our religious heritage, if we have one, and consider what we know to be true now, and what questions continue. Most of us are agnostic — that is, believing that we can’t know all there is to know of divinity. We are on a path towards understanding through exploration and experience. Because our religious tradition draws from many sources, we are also mindful of avoiding cultural appropriation. We don’t want to borrow or take what isn’t ours. We strive to know more about context and seek permission before using or adapting practices from other traditions. This is an ongoing and challenging journey.

As a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we are interdependent. We rely on the UUA for a wide array of religious resources and we rely on our members, friends, and supporters for financial support. Our UUSS Board of Trustees, in partnership with our Co-Ministers, makes decisions on behalf of the congregation in service of our Mission and Vision. You can learn more about our governance here.

We most often gather together, either online or when it is safe enough to gather again in person, for Sunday morning worship. In our religious tradition, we value the leadership, care, and spiritual nourishment of our clergy and also welcome the lay perspective in crafting the message on a Sunday. You can learn more about our worship life here.