Membership
We welcome everyone with an interest in the Fellowship. Many people will attend and participate in the activities of LUF as friends, without becoming members. For other, membership offers a way to become more deeply connected and involved in the life of this liberal religious community
Unitarian Universalism is a faith that aspires to promote a compassionate, just, sustainable and loving community. In Unitarian Universalism you will be able to explore a variety of spiritual and religious paths, in company with diverse and iconoclastic seekers of truth and meaning. The ideas we hold are not so much revealed to us as experienced by us. We periodically hold sessions where we’ll talk about the origins and history of Unitarian Universalism, our local history and current programs of Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship. Please contact the LUF office (344-5980 or lufship@tbaytel.net) for information.
The Meaning Of Membership
Membership in the Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship has two aspects:
The formal aspect includes signing a membership application card, having it affirmed by the Board of Directors, being officially welcomed into the congregation and signing the membership book.
The informal aspect is a personal commitment to sharing one’s talents, resources, energy, and religious convictions with others within this religious community. It implies also that one is in fundamental sympathy with the denomination’s purposes and principles. Our hope is that both the new members’ and the Fellowship’s spirits will be nourished by this new relationship.
What is considered when someone expresses an interest in membership:
Some newcomers declare “This is the place that I have been looking for” and want to join immediately, and others may take years before becoming formal members. The Membership Committee suggests that newcomers make this decision after a minimum three month period of attendance/exposure. This will enable prospective members to test their comfort level with the beliefs and spirituality as expressed in this particular UU community. It is also highly recommended that a potential new member attend an orientation meeting before being formally accepted into the Fellowship. It is hoped that this procedure will not dampen the new member’s first flush of enthusiasm. Instead it is intended to enable the newcomer to make a well-informed decision.
Expectations and Privileges of Membership:
A member can speak and vote on matters of church business, and a right to seek membership on all committees including the Board of Directors. A member may also chair a committee.
Our bylaws require that to remain a member a person must make a contribution of record in any given year. Since the annual dues paid to denominational organizations amount to about $100, this sum is suggested as a possible minimum contribution. Of course, if a member is under financial restraints this minimum is only a suggestion. There is also an annual financial canvass, in which members and friends are encouraged to pledge a certain financial contribution for the coming year. The Fellowship’s survival and growth depends on a pattern of regular giving to the best of one’s ability.
Membership provides opportunity for personal growth through involvement in the vibrant life of Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship. Since this is a voluntary organization we count on the talents and energy of members.
Membership implies a commitment to deepen and widen one’s knowledge of the Basic Beliefs and the Purposes and Principles of this denomination. “Our religious way of life is not so much an arriving as a becoming – an ongoing process of thought and life experience”. (based on UUA pamphlet written by Polly Laughland Guild).
