Welcome to UUCLB!  Event Zoom links are on our calendar.

We all were new, at one time, and we remember what it’s like. So we’ve provided the information below, knowing that it’s easier to venture into a new place when you know what to expect.

About UUCLB (Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach)

We are religious liberals. We are women, men, transgender, gender non-binary, families, single people, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, from young to old, from many religious backgrounds and of different races and ethnicities. We are welcoming people with different beliefs, united by shared values, not by creed or dogma.

We are currently holding our worship services at the Church and on Zoom at 10:00 am.

Sunday on Campus: Morning Services and Coffee Hour

Campus usage is currently restricted in accordance with the Campus Re-Opening Task Force’s recommendations. The information below pertains to on-campus events.

Sunday Mornings

You will find from 75 to 175 people attending services on Sunday mornings. We have one service at 10:00 am.

Religious Education for our children and youth is offered during the service. In the summer program, children attend religious education classes as always. Children start at the service with the congregation and are invited to participate in the “Time for All Ages” portion of the service, then led by their teachers out to their programs.

Parking—We have designated parking for visitors in our parking lots. Our parking lots are East and far West of the church building located on Atherton Street. If you visit and the parking lots are full, parking is also available on Atherton Street.

Some of us bike, walk and take the bus.

Greeting—When you arrive at the gate from the parking lots or from Atherton before the service, someone will greet you. If you are coming for the first time, you may be guided to the welcome table for a name tag and to have a member answer any questions you may have.

If you enter from the Atherton Street side gate, go around to the main church entrance to meet someone from our welcoming table. The friendly people at the welcome table may be able to answer some of your questions. They will give you a name tag. If you have children, a volunteer will help you and your child become familiar with the Sunday morning routine.

What Do Adults Wear?—Some of us dress casually in blue jeans and t-shirts, some more formally. Some people wear dress shirts (rarely a tie); some prefer skirts and heels. Wear what makes you feel comfortable.

Our Minister is in the pulpit two Sundays out of three. Guest ministers and speakers lead the other Sunday worship services. In the summer, our minister has an extended period off to reinvigorate and inform their ministry. Our worship committee and guest ministers lead all of the Sunday worship services during this period.

During the Service—The service lasts about 1 hour with singing, music, readings and a sermon. When you enter, you will be handed a hymnal with an Order of Service tucked inside. The Order of Service will have the information you need for you to fully participate in the Worship Service. Other announcements are provided during the service and a printed version is available at the back of the church as you enter or leave.

We often stand for hymns and some responsive readings. The minister or service leader will likely ask the congregation to stand and to be seated and with sensitivity that some of us may not be able to or choose not to stand. You don’t have to worry about knowing when to stand or sit. We don’t genuflect. We don’t kneel to pray.

At the beginning of worship, we may ask for visitors to introduce themselves. If you are comfortable, you may choose to introduce yourself and say where you are from.

Accessibility – We are wheel chair accessible, and we make available hearing assistance devices and large-print Orders of Service and hymnals on request.

After the Service—You are invited to have coffee or tea on the West patio outside of church. Come to the welcome table to meet some of our members. They can give you more information and answer any questions.

We hope you find this information helpful, and that you will visit soon and when you do, you find your church experience welcoming and meaningful.  Check our Calendar for additional programs after the service.

Sunday on Zoom: Morning Services and Coffee Hour

About 25-75 people attend our 10:00 a.m. Sunday service on Zoom. The “Time for All Ages” portion of the service is geared toward children. Additionally, Religious Education for children and youth is now being offered only on Campus.

Wear what makes you comfortable. The service is usually set up as a Zoom webinar, which means you are in private — you cannot be seen or heard — however, some services may be Zoom meetings, which means that if you are attending with a computer, phone, or other device that has a camera and microphone, you can be seen and heard. Depending on your computer/device, you may be able to use a Zoom virtual background if that feels more comfortable, or you can turn off or cover the camera and mute the microphone.

Accessibility: We use closed captioning during the service to make it more accessible.

After the service, many people in the congregation stay online for an unstructured social visit which we call coffee hour. During this time, everyone can be seen and heard. You can just stay in the same Zoom room to join the big coffee hour conversation.

What to expect this week: Like the program at a concert, our Sunday services have a program which we call the Order of Service. Some of us like to keep it open during the service so that we know what’s going to happen next or find out the name of a song that was just sung.