About UUCC

About the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County

Our Vision

Several years ago, a retreat consultant from UU Heartland District suggested we enter a process to develop a Constancy of Purpose. We embarked on this process, but stumbled and regrouped at another retreat in January 2010.

At that retreat, we brainstormed what this vision statement would include. We appointed a task force, who designed the process of creating the statement. This process included a survey of the congregation and one-on-one interviews with as many of the congregation members as possible. (We don't have exact figures, but we remember this as being a very thorough and intensive process. All members had numerous opportunities for input.)

That information was given to the task force, who drafted the Constancy of Purpose. In July 2010, the board approved the statement and the congregation voted to approve in November 2010 at the annual meeting.

The Constancy of Purpose is well-known within our congregation and a poster with the full statement is present in our Fellowship Hall, where we have coffee hour. Every congregation member is aware of its content and knows the direction in which the church is heading because of this statement. We make all decisions within the framework and goals set forth in the Constancy of Purpose.

Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County

Constancy of Purpose

Mission Statement

We are a growing community that embraces freedom of thought, where people come together to encourage each other to spiritual growth that makes for peace, ethical living and community service.

Church Values

Love: Love is the spirit of this church. We celebrate each other's joys, help one another through challenging times, and practice compassion in all human relations.

Respect: We honor the inherent worth and dignity of everyone by respecting one's right to be oneself.

Diversity of Belief: We affirm the right to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We encourage the loving expression of the truths we find.

Community Service: We work toward social justice in our communities and around the world. We encourage each other's individual efforts as well as providing opportunities to serve together.

Environmental Responsibility: We are part of the interdependent web of all existence; therefore we are stewards of the earth.

Vision

We covenant to affirm and promote the Seven Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

We are recognized as a positive religious, cultural, and social justice forum in Hendricks County and surrounding communities, setting an example of ethical living, community service, and environmental responsibility.

We are a Welcoming Congregation. Our membership includes people of diverse cultures, races, sexual and gender identities, and religious expression.

We are committed to Lifespan Religious Exploration that focuses on religious, cultural, and social diversity and leads to spiritual growth.

We employ a full time minister and RE Director as well as administrative support and custodial services. We are a congregation of more than 150 members.

We provide diverse and inspiring worship services that are both minister and lay led.

We are in a central Hendricks County facility that accommodates our growth and welcomes newcomers. We have an accessible green sanctuary. We have adequate meeting, office, and classroom space. Our church will have room for outdoor activities, events, and gardening.

We are recognized as an active participant in the Heartland District and the UUA.

We provide a venue for cultural and educational events that are well attended by the larger community.

UUCC Board Approved -- July 8, 2010

Our History

pencil drawing of UUCC
One of our artists, Marti McCoy,
did this drawing of our historic church building

Our church started in May 1995 as 5-7 people meeting in homes. Soon after, we moved to meeting at a local retirement home with about 20 people. Our organizing minister was the Rev. Ed Harris, Minister Emeritus of All Souls Unitarian Church of Indianapolis. Ed presented us with our first "singing bowl" which we still use in worship and meditation today. In August 1996, we learned that a local Presbyterian church had come on the market, the occupants having disbanded that June. The Presbyterians had been the only occupants since 1884. We financed a loan, purchased the building and have been there since August 1996. The Rev. Ed Harris was soon called to be Senior Minister at a UU church in Shelter Rock, NY.

Starting in 1997, our next minister Calvin Knapp, was employed as a contract minister for about 2 years. Also that year, one of our biggest annual philanthropic events, the Christmas Day Dinner was initiated by one of our members. In our early years, we delivered approximately 50 hot meals to people in need on Christmas Day. This endeavor continues to this day resulting in almost 800 dinners on Christmas day in 2012. We are the only source of a free, hot meal on Christmas Day in the county.

Even when lay-led, the church maintained an active part of the community by participating in Holiday on the Square, singing at a local restaurant, and aiding other churches in their community service projects. Our next contracted minister was Rev. Bruce Lakin, who was hired as an advising minister from November 2002 to October 2004.

The Rev. Andy Burnette came to us in 2007 as a contract minister until being called as a settled part-time minister in 2011. Rev. Burnette's influence has been was important in the growth of UUCC. He has guided us through the process of becoming a Welcoming Congregation and led an annual LGBT rally for the last four years. Rev. Burnette was been was a strong influence to people visiting the church along with our RE program under Director Esther Rupert. They have made a great team, leading us well in both ministry and religious education. Rev. Burnette left us in the summer of 2012 to become a full time minister at Valley Unitariarn Universalist Church in Chandler Arizona.

Upon Rev. Burnette's departure, the church decided to bring in an interim minister to continue our transition from a family to a pastoral size congregation, and to support us in our search for a new called minster. Rev Lynda Smith has been a blessing to our church, and continues to offer her wisdom, providing guidance to our efforts to deal with the many activities now in process in the church.

In May of 2014, we unanimously called our second settled minister to the congregation. Rev. Jennifer Gray joins us in her first settled ministry. We look forward to walking with her for many years.

Being committed to community work and social justice, there are many events that we undertake every year such as: Guest at Your Table, a county wide/all-denominational Underwear Drive, the LGBT Rally and the Christmas Day Dinner. In addition, at every service, food is collected for one of the local food banks. We are the largest church-based support for that pantry, outside of the hosting church. Church members help cook a local community lunch at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on the fifth Wednesday of the month. Social justice endeavors within the local community will continue to be a central part of our social justice activities.