I was raised in a Missouri Synod Lutheran church and school, attending from age 6 and being Confirmed at age 13.  After that, I felt that I needed a breather to “recover from brainwashing,” so I needed to clear my head.  I had been taught to despise hypocrisy, and so felt I did not really belong there anymore.

I then went to a public high school, in the East Bay Area. In college at UC Santa Cruz, I mostly avoided the invitations to join the student religious groups.  As an adult, I didn’t regularly attend any church, but I missed the Christmas pageantry and singing of hymns learned during my childhood, so I would occasionally visit a nearby Presbyterian church during the holidays, with husband and kids in tow. It was enough for me at the time.  

Part of me regretted not having gotten my kids more involved, so I would try to teach them the basic Bible stories at home, with the help of a little book given to us by my father-in-law.  I felt the kids needed to know who Noah was, for example, as well as all of the Bible stories about Jesus…culturally, in order to fit in with other students.

After I retired and moved to the Livermore area, I looked for a non-denominational church where I could enjoy a more philosophical approach to religion: relaxed beliefs and camaraderie with intelligent people with similar feelings.  I visited a Sunday Service at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Livermore, and immediately felt that I would fit in there. The congregation was very friendly and welcoming. I began by joining the choir, and afterward committed to becoming a Member.

Several years have now passed, and I enjoy participating in activities with other Members, such as the movie club.  I volunteered as Treasurer with the Executive Board, where I felt that my strong business background could be of use to the congregation, and help with the legal issues (employment law) that come with employing people and arranging contract work with licensed and insured outside vendors.  I have really enjoyed my time with UUCiL. —Kathy Miller

I recently retired and was looking for ways to spend my time. I tried volunteering with different organizations, but none of them really seemed to fit. Then my wife started getting involved in the local UU church, and I went with her a few times. The people were very friendly, and I liked the Church’s belief in respecting everyone, no matter their background. Later on, I heard that they needed help on the Building and Grounds Committee, which was perfect for me, so I volunteered, and I have been attending every Sunday Service since then! –Jeff Miller

How fortunate I was to grow up in the Fellowship! My family became members before I can remember and I was involved with the congregation until leaving for college in 1990. I still enjoy coming back for special events. The values the UU community instilled in me of fostering tolerance, understanding and justice and seeking the oneness of peoples everywhere are still core to my beliefs. Now, when asked what religion I am, I still identify as UU, although it has been years since I’ve been a member of a congregation. That said, I live in San Francisco, which has a wonderful UU church, and am about to have a baby girl—that’s been making me think it may be time to join the SF congregation! —Johanna Hartwig

I didn’t really grow up with any religion, but when I turned 13, I started to explore my identity on my own and part of that was religion. I had a good friend who was Mormon, and I went to a Sunday service with her once. Everyone was nice and wholesome, but the Bible just didn’t make sense to me, so I decided not to join a church at that age.

As a young adult who had recently graduated from college, I had a hard time making adult friends, so I went to the young-adult meetings at a big Bay Area church. Again, I liked the people, but the more meetings I went to, the more it rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t relate with others as they talked about when they first found Jesus, and I disagreed with them about LGBTQIA+ issues. Once again my enthusiasm for religion greatly waned.

As a middle-aged adult, I wanted to be connected to my community, and I couldn’t find a community service group that suited me. I remember seeing somewhere in my travels that women could be ministers for this one religion that I had never heard of before–Unitarian Universalism–which was refreshing and progressive. The more I found out about UU, the more I learned that the members actually accept everyone. And I’m not talking about, “We love everyone…except for the following people because that’s against the Bible.” No lip service. They accept absolutely everyone, and that’s pretty nice! —Heather M.

I left my small community at Spiritual Truth Center in Stockton in the Spring of 2010 to join UU in Livermore as I wanted a more active community.  I already believed in all the values of UU with at the top, the worth and dignity of all human beings.  I would add the worth of all beings be they plant or animal.  UU tries to make a difference for the betterment of people and our planet.  I’m proud to be an active part of this and the national UU community. —Carolina Dickinson

I was raised Catholic, but I eventually didn’t agree with their policies and rhetoric. I didn’t attend church at all until my children reached an age that I thought they might benefit from church, so I chose Asbury United Methodist church in Livermore – a big improvement over Catholicism. However, I didn’t like the rote prayers, which I couldn’t agree with some parts of them. I decided not to recite them, which was a noticeable act to those around me.  Mary Bunch invited me to UUCiL, and I knew from day one that it was the church for me and joined that very day.  I have been happy there ever since. —Gabe Meeker

When I came to UUCIL I was about a year out of a long abusive marriage to a narcissist.  I share these two things to provide some sort of baseline for my state I was in when I showed up here.

Basically I had few friends, did not feel worthy or that I could ever learn to like, much less love myself.  I also believed that once you reached adulthood with those kinds of beliefs the dye was cast – one could never change that. But you guys didn’t care, you loved me anyways.

I was in a lot of pain the first time I walked through the door.  But, Alyce made sure I felt welcome the moment I crossed the threshold.  I cried through the whole service thinking these people know and care about each other (and I wasn’t offended by anything, I didn’t know that could happen in church.)  After the service Janice invited me to join a group of friends for lunch.  (Little did she know that she would still have to be lunching with me more than 15 years later.)

And then there’s that first principle. If I really believe that all living things are inherently worthy, doesn’t that include me?  Whoa, that one took some discernment.  It was a challenge and it continues to be a work in progress.

I remember the day Rev. Lucas said to me, “Karen, that compassion you give to others, give it to yourself.”  And once again, I was in tears, not that that’s a high bar. 

Through UUCiL’s love, belief, support, listening, patience and, dare I say, enjoyment of me, I have come to believe myself worthy.  (Saying I love myself still feels weird.)  What a transformation – how do you measure such a thing?

The work is never ending.  There are days where I have to actively work against the thoughts and overwhelming feelings.  But what I have here, the affection, joy, and everything that we are is what I draw strength from on those days.  Again how do you measure such a thing?  I know that I am deeply grateful.–Karen Lincoln

I didn’t come to UUCiL looking for a replacement for anything. I came looking for people.

When I was a teenager, I wrote for my high school newspaper. What mattered most to me wasn’t reporting on pep rallies or cafeteria drama, it was curating a small quote section I hoped might make someone feel seen, or pause, or think a little differently. I was drawn to writers who asked big questions about humanity, responsibility, and our connection to one another. Those words mattered to me then, and they still do now.

Like many people, I carry questions with me, about the future, about justice, about what kind of world my children are inheriting. Those questions felt urgent when I was young, and they feel just as urgent today. What’s changed is that I’ve found a community that doesn’t just sit with those questions, we respond to them.

What drew me to UUCiL was not simply what people believed, but what they did. This is a congregation that puts action behind its values. People don’t just gather once a week to acknowledge that the world is hurting, they organize. They protest. They write letters to legislators. They show up for LGBTQ+ communities. They practice care, accountability, and hope in tangible ways.

Being part of UUCiL feels like coming full circle. The ideas of honoring humanity, recognizing our interconnectedness, believing our choices matter that steadied me as a teenager are alive here, not as abstract ideals, but as daily practice.

This community reminds me that uncertainty doesn’t mean paralysis. It can mean engagement. It can mean showing up together.

And that’s why this place feels like home.

—Angela Ringlein, she/her