Your Starting Point With UU Santa Fe

The "UU Path"

Come, Come Whoever You Are
Come, come whoever you are,
Wonderer, wanderer, lover of leaving,
Ours is no caravan of despair,
Come yet again come.―Rumi
We offer Starting Point twice a year on a Sunday in a single afternoon session.
The idea of “the UU path” is central to Starting Point. Inspired by the classic UU slogan, “deeds not creeds,” we present Unitarian Universalism as a particular way of journeying through the world rather than a set of beliefs to which one assents. Today, people are not so much looking for an organization to join as they are searching for companions to walk with. Their question is not so much “Do these people think and believe like I do?” but “Will this place provide me with tools and partners for my journey?” We hope so.

This emphasis on journey shapes Starting Point’s content and structure. We discuss four topics. The first focuses on your personal spiritual journey and how it led you to Unitarian Universalism. The second shifts to the historical journey of Unitarian Universalism and UU Santa Fe history. From there, the third moves into the shared journey of how you and our community will walk together. This “common journey” is organized into four core experiences of Unitarian Universalism:
  1. The experience of Becoming by listening to our deepest self
  2. The experience of Belonging by loving our neighbors
  3. The experience of Engaging by serving needs greater than our own
  4. The experience of Being by opening to life’s gifts
The program ends by helping you discern which of the many “journey groups” in our community will be your next "step."​ There is a Starting Point resource packet for you to take with you after the session that will make your Starting Point experience more meaningful.

We hope these journey groups invite you to go deeper—beyond words and ideas about Unitarian Universalism—to actual practice and experience so that eventually you will realize, as Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “...that our life is the path, and we no longer rely merely on the forms of practice.”

Next session Sunday, August 6, 12 - 2:30 pm

​Starting Point is led by Ministry, Lifelong Learning and Community Life teams.

​Registration required; check at the Welcome Table for more information register here.
Topics
  • Your Journey―Sharing Our Stories and Spiritual Roadmaps
  • The Unitarian Universalist Journey and The Journey of Our Community
  • Our Journey Together―four core experiences of Unitarian Universalism as practiced by UU Santa Fe
  • Finding Your UU Santa Fe Journey Groups. Representatives from many of our small groups will be with us to share information. Our hope is that by the time you leave the session, you will have found at least one place to connect with others in a small group experience.

Starting Point will leave you with:
  • An understanding of Unitarian Universalism’s distinctive approach toward religion and covenantal spiritual community
  • An understanding of UU history and the history of UU Santa Fe
  • A connection to your fellow newcomers
  • An appreciation of the interconnectedness of our five "core experiences"
  • Help identifying “your starting point” at UU Santa Fe. Finding your “journey groups” is our recommended “first step” on your newcomer journey. You will be encouraged to explore our various small group, ministry, learning or justice team(s) at UU Santa Fe. Starting Point content and UU Santa Fe folks will help you discern which ones are right for you