Are you open for worship?
Yes! However, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Andover is in a period of transition. In February, our members voted to implement the closure of our Congregation as a self-sustaining, independent house of worship. While we are currently discussing various options for the future, we expect to close our doors by June 2024. Until that time, we remain a Welcoming Congregation and will continue to welcome visitors and guests who enjoy worshipping in a warm, friendly, and open-minded environment. However, if you are seeking a long-term place of worship, please do consider exploring other Unitarian Universalist and other neighboring worship opportunities in the Merrimack Valley.
If you have any questions or concerns about the UUCiA and its future, please send us a message at office@uuandover.org. We’d like to hear from you!
Are you offering in-person or virtual services?
Both! Currently, we offer a hybrid worship service. We will hold COVID-safe worship services in our Locke Street sanctuary that will also be live-streamed via Zoom.
What are your COVID-related policies?
In order to make keep our Congregants and Guests as safe as possible, COVID-19 vaccination is required of all attendees. Sorry, no exceptions! As COVID has reached the endemic stage, we have lifted our mask requirements. Masks are now optional. (We have extra masks!)
Can I attend your services on-line?
Yes! We will continue to make all worship services available on Zoom. (Point your camera to the QR code at right to join us.) We’d like you to join us in person or online, however you feel most comfortable. You can find more information about accessing our online events here.
When and where are your services?
From the Sunday after Labor Day to the third Sunday in June, our worship services are held every Sunday morning at 10:30am at Six Locke Street in downtown Andover and usually last about one hour.
What about summer services?
During July and August, informal summer services are held most Sunday mornings at 9:30am. Religious Education is not offered during the summer.
To confirm if a summer service is being held on a particular Sunday, please check our calendar on the right side of this page for a schedule of upcoming services and other events. Or view the full calendar here.
Here are directions, parking information, and a map.
What do adults wear to services?
Dress is casual. You are welcome just as you are!
Are you wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Handicap parking is available and the worship place and restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
What do children do during the service?
Currently, we are not providing childcare or religious education classes during Sunday worship service. However, children are welcome to remain with their families in ou sanctuary for the duration of our time together.
May our child stay with us during the service?
Yes, but only if your child is vaccinated.
How large is your congregation?
Average Sunday attendance ranges from 10 – 25 people. We encourage visitors!
What can I expect to see and do when I arrive?
- In addition to on-street parking along Locke Street, there’s more on-street parking right around the corner on School Street and Main Street.
- As you enter the building, there’s a restroom to your right and downstairs, to your left.
- Our greeters will be at the front door to welcome you. Before you are shown to your seat, a greeter will ask your COVID-19 vaccination status. They also will ask you to sign in, because contact tracing is another way we’re working to keep our congregants and guests as safe as possible. We’ll provide you with mask if you want one
- Starting at 10:25am, we close the doors to the worship space and observe five minutes of quiet meditation before the service begins.
What goes on during the worship services?
- Service begins with an opening piece of music and the sounding of our singing bowl.
- While the format can vary considerably, a typical service will include readings, singing, quiet meditation, an opportunity to share joys and sorrows, a sermon by the minister or a guest speaker, the morning’s offering, and announcements.
- At the close of the service, there is an opportunity for announcements.
- Then, folding chairs are put away, and coffee and refreshments are made available, as we transform our sanctuary from worship space to fellowship space.
Will I be welcome?
Yes! Female, male, non-binary, young, middle-aged, old, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, straight, or cis gender, you are welcome here. Whether temporarily abled or disabled; whatever your skin color, cultural background or nation of origin; whatever your political persuasion or day-to-day occupation, you are welcome here. Yes – theist, atheist or agnostic; pantheist, Pagan, Jewish, Humanist, Christian or Buddhist, whatever ways you name sacred things, you are welcome here, just as you are.
Can I meet the minister?
Of course! Rev. Kali Fyre has office hours by appointment. Please call or email Kali. She would be happy to meet you at a time and place that works for you.
What do Unitarian Universalists believe?
A more detailed answer can be found here. Our Congregational Covenant:
We covenant with one another to create and sustain a community that supports people of all ages in their spiritual journeys, shines as a beacon of hope, inspires our actions for a just world, and encourages us to demonstrate our Unitarian Universalist principles in our daily lives. Our communal strength comes from caring for each other in times of joy and sorrow, respecting each other during agreement and disagreement, welcoming and affirming diversity, and giving freely of ourselves from all our personal resources.
How do I become a member?
There are no prerequisites to becoming a member of our congregation. All that is formally required is a signature in our membership book. Of course, signing one’s name to say “I belong” can mean different things to different people. The reasons for joining and the meanings of membership are as varied as the people in our congregation. If you are willing to commit to being a part of our congregation family, we want you to be a part.
Where can I park?
There can be limited parking on Locke Street. Drive half a block down Locke Street and turn right onto School Street. You’ll find plenty of parking spaces along School Street, just a one minute walk from our building. See map below:
View Larger Map
What if I don’t see my question answered here?
Please email us at questions@uuandover.org.
