A couple of years ago, I considered going to an UUC (Universal Unitarian Church). I attended for a short time, but I failed to connect with anyone and the drive was rather long, I soon stopped going. I now live in a different town and am considering trying another UUC. My old reservations are returning, and they reminded me of a conversation I had with my cousins. When I told them I was thinking of joining an UUC, I repeated all of the good I had heard about UUC and carefully wove in my own apprehensions. The conversation eased none of those apprehensions, to say the least, but it did raise an interesting question. What defines a church?
Despite facilitating religious discussion and various forms of worship, my cousins argued that the description of the UUC sounded more like a community/learning center than an actual "church". We talked about the social gap I experienced when I left the Christian faith, and we speculated if the UUC would be the answer for that problem.
During our discussion, I thought back to all of the churches I had attended as a Christian and the way those churches evolved over time. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church from my childhood added a community center. The Baptist church from my childhood built a new gym. The interdenominational church I attended was enormous. It had a theatre, gym, large sanctuary. It was unlike anything I ever experienced before. In all honesty, the UUC reminded me of a more liberal interdenominational church.
I think the difference in my cousins' opinion reflected in their speculation of unity. They viewed churches as a unified vision under one God. The UUC was a collective gathering.
How do you define a church from a community center? Do facilities play a role in your view?
Despite facilitating religious discussion and various forms of worship, my cousins argued that the description of the UUC sounded more like a community/learning center than an actual "church". We talked about the social gap I experienced when I left the Christian faith, and we speculated if the UUC would be the answer for that problem.
During our discussion, I thought back to all of the churches I had attended as a Christian and the way those churches evolved over time. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church from my childhood added a community center. The Baptist church from my childhood built a new gym. The interdenominational church I attended was enormous. It had a theatre, gym, large sanctuary. It was unlike anything I ever experienced before. In all honesty, the UUC reminded me of a more liberal interdenominational church.
I think the difference in my cousins' opinion reflected in their speculation of unity. They viewed churches as a unified vision under one God. The UUC was a collective gathering.
How do you define a church from a community center? Do facilities play a role in your view?
