Welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stillwater

We invite you to look around and get a feel for our church. We are a Welcoming Congregation. You will not be pressured into conversation or membership. We welcome you just as you are. Our members, friends, and guests include Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, humanists, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, seekers, singles, couples, families, heterosexuals, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people, of different races, ethnic backgrounds, national origins and socio-economic circumstances.

If you're not currently a member of our church - we'd like to take this opportunity to invite you to one of our weekly services and/or covenant groups. 

Sunday Service 

Sunday services begin at 10:30 and generally conclude before noon. Services are followed by socializing and a smorgasbord of different foods, arranged with minimal planning. If you prefer to watch the service online, we share it by Facebook Live at  https://www.facebook.com/uuchstillwater . From Facebook, you will not be able to see the Trail Markers portion of the service or interact with others, but everything else is the same.

Sunday, May 5 - "How We Love Alike - The Congregational Way" - Rev. Mark Christian

On this Sunday when we hold our annual church meeting, it might be useful to look at some of the ways that we are bound together in covenant and our congregational polity. 

Reverend Christian is a third generation Unitarian Universalist and speaks to us on the fourth Sundays and alternate first Sundays. He has served congregations in OKC and in Las Cruces NM, prior to moving to Stillwater. Before his career in ministry he had a career in radio broadcasting. 

Sunday, May 12 - "My Barn Having Burned to the Ground I Now Can See the Moon" - Rev. Catherine Shearer

Quote from Mizuta Masahide, 17th century Japanese poet & samurai.

Reverend Shearer is an ordained Disciples of Christ minister and a psychotherapist in Oklahoma City. She speaks in our pulpit on the second Sunday of each month. 

Sunday, May 19 - "When You Don't Have a Prayer" - Rev. Susan Ross

At the end of April, Mark talked to us about prayer and his understanding of it. I want to add my two cents --not in disagreement or in challenge, but more in continuation. . . Is there a difference between "thoughts" and "prayers"? If so, what is it? 

Reverend Ross, ordained as a United Methodist minister, is our pastoral care minister and speaks on the third and fifth Sundays of the month. She also works for the Stillwater Public Library. 

Sunday, May 26 - "Faith of a Non-Theist" - Rev. Mark Christian

Many people associate the lack of belief in a god as being a lack of all belief. The truth is that many non-theists have a strong series of beliefs and live by them accordingly. 

Reverend Christian is a third generation Unitarian Universalist and speaks to us on the fourth Sundays and alternate first Sundays. He has served congregations in OKC and in Las Cruces NM, prior to moving to Stillwater. Before his career in ministry he had a career in radio broadcasting. 

Announcements

New Member Reception - May 3, 2024

Please join us at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stillwater, 320 S. Stallard St., on Friday, May 3rd from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm for a New Member/Church Community Reception. 

Rev. Mark Christian, who is one of our regular rotating Sunday morning speakers and is also chair of our membership committee, will present a brief talk he is calling, “UU and You.”  While this evening is aimed toward newer members, it is open to our whole church community, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Annual Congregational Meeting - May 5, 2024

Our annual business meeting will be Sunday, May 5, after the service. We will elect officers and approve the budget for 2024-2025. To make a nomination, contact Doug Williams, Tana Del Prete or Rebecca Brienen.  

Upcoming Covenant Groups

Information about each of our covenant groups can be found in "Our Gatherings" section.

Pastoral Care

Struggling? Need help? Or maybe you know someone who does? No question about it--it's a difficult time right now. Our Care Committee and Rev. Susan Ross, our Pastoral Care Minister, are still available to help you with whatever difficulties you're facing. We're only a phone call away! And if you are having trouble attending the Zoom services or Zoom meetings, we can try to help you get connected. Please contact us: Rev. Susan Ross: or 405-714-0064 or Susan Bullard (co-chair with Mia Owens): or 405-742-6529.

There are times when people aren’t sure if it is appropriate to contact the Pastoral Minister, or they are concerned that they may be interrupting something. Please know that the needs and concerns of the members and friends of this congregation are important to me. That is what the Pastoral Care Minister’s work is all about! The following is a list of occasions when it might be appropriate to contact me:

1) When you don’t know her but would like to.

2) When you have problems you’d like to discuss, job, children, marriage or anything else where a sympathetic ear might be of help.

3) When you are going into the hospital, or when someone close to you is going in, or when you know of someone else in the church going in.

4) When someone close to you has died or is critically ill.

5) When you are planning on getting married.

6) When you would like to have your child or children dedicated.

7) When you would like to know more about Unitarian Universalism.

8) When you are considering joining the church.

9) When you would like to help in committee work or join a covenant group.

10) When it is the middle of the night, and you are in some sort of trouble and you don’t know who else to call.”

Some of these are a little different for me (like numbers 7 & 8), since my background and training is United Methodist rather than UU. But I know who to ask about those, or who to refer you to! And, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how I am able to respond to the other concerns. I do, however, still want to respond: we could talk on the phone, Facetime, communicate by email, or do a Zoom talk. And there are needs that will no doubt come up at this time that aren't on this list: when you are needing a break from only talking to yourself or your pets, or a break from talking to your family; when you are struggling with fears or doubts about the situation we are in, when you need help with something, when you know of needs that the Pastor's Emergency Fund might help meet.

Also, if you are interested in trying to be a part of, or at least listen to, the services we are now trying to make happen on Sunday mornings, and can't figure out how to do that, let me know and I will do my best to help. You can be a part of that service, or listen to it, by phone (audio only), by smart phone with audio and visual, by computer, and by tablet. And I think we are trying to have a recorded version of it available afterwards as well.