General church news
At our core, we Unitarian Universalists believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and that includes honoring every form of love people bring to our community. Whether you identify as queer, polyamorous, straight, romantic, platonic, or anywhere in between—or whether you just want to celebrate some self-love—we welcome you this Valentine’s Day … Continue reading Love is Love Dinner Date 2025
2024 has been an exciting year here at First Unitarian Church. Together we’ve gone through many big changes and had many wonderful adventures together. Here are a few of the highlights from this year: January This month we had an all-congregational meeting. Traditionally we have just one of these per year, but due to many … Continue reading A Year of Community and Connection: First Unitarian Church 2024 Highlights
Join us in celebrating the seven new members who recently joined First Unitarian Church of South Bend! We welcomed them with introductions, signing the book, and our annual Cookie Walk fundraiser. We’re excited to grow together with Gen XMZ and all members, looking forward to many joyous moments ahead!
Celebrate the success of our Friendsgiving-themed UU Service Auction! From raising over $12,000 to enjoying Thanksgiving-inspired food and hilarious jokes from Justine Backus, our community came together for a night of generosity and joy. Read the full recap and see how you can still participate!
First Unitarian Church’s annual Activity Fair introduces new community members to its 25 groups, predominantly committees crucial for church operations, such as Marketing and Peace & Social Justice. Special interest groups like Gen XMZ also participated. Attendees could win concert tickets by engaging with at least 10 groups. The fair aims to spark interest and raise awareness.
On Sunday, September 22, 2024, we had a Dialogue service, led by Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff, talking about the Ten Commandments. Here are notes on what was talked about. No consensus was reached, nor did we come up with a modified list of Commandments. We weren’t trying to do that. We merely asked folks to comment … Continue reading Discussion of Ten Commandments
The Gen XMZ group, comprising Generation X, Millennials, and adult Gen Z members, recently attended Downtown South Bend’s Fusion Fest, continuing a tradition linked to their church’s history with the event. The group enjoyed live music, diverse foods, and activities like zip lining, fostering community and honoring their congregation’s legacy.
Our 47th Annual Auction is Sat. Nov. 2 Each year our congregation hosts a giant laugh filled party all centered on enjoying each other’s company and talents for the upcoming year. This is our annual service auction. The theme this year is ‘Friendsgiving’- for friends building community and giving! This party includes music, decorations, good … Continue reading Annual Service Auction November 2nd!
The Unitarian Universalists’ Gen XMZ group launched an adult Dungeons and Dragons campaign to build community through creative play, following the success of their children’s program. They kicked off with a demo, held character-building sessions, and now meet every Thursday evening. With high interest, they’ve split into two campaigns and welcome newcomers. Contact Dr. Louise for more information.
The Art Beat festival in August 2024, saw the First Unitarian Church participate for the first time. They engaged the community with a collaborative art project and discussions on their “God Optional Church” concept. Volunteers bonded, promoted the church, and collected contact information from interested individuals for their newsletter.
