Unitarian Church (Sandy Springs: income, retirement, donate)

[staywarm2]

Has anyone been to the Northwest Unitarian Church in Sandy Springs? What's it like? We're trying to meet some people who are more progressive thinkers than the usual conservative types in north ATL. We're not interested in liberal politics, but are looking for middle-of-the-road people. And also of retirement age.

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

Has anyone been to the Northwest Unitarian Church in Sandy Springs? What's it like? We're trying to meet some people who are more progressive thinkers than the usual conservative types in north ATL. We're not interested in liberal politics, but are looking for middle-of-the-road people. And also of retirement age.

I have not been to this particular church, but have been to others, as my mother is unitarian.

Overall, I have personally found unitarians to be very caring, compassionate, accepting and non-judgemental. The congregations are very diverse in terms of race, sexual orientation, etc. My own mother's church is very active in the both the local community and with national and international outreach programs.

I can say without a doubt you will be welcomed.

[jazzcat22]

I was a member for 10 years---about 10 years ago, so don't have anything current to tell you. I know that they are between ministers (have an interim one now). Everyone was progressive, at least in terms of social issues. A few were conservative, politically---rare for a UU church. I quit due to a problem with the minister (our financial situation changed and the minister wasn't at all sympathetic---just told us that we needed to keep up with the monthly dues we had pledged! )

I have no doubt that you will be warmly welcomed into the church. There is always someone assigned to greet visitors. It's a smallish church, intimate and in the woods---don't expect a mega-church with all the glitz!

There are a variety of religious/spiritual beliefs, ranging from ardent atheists to Christians and Jews. There are even pagans. Most are humanist. Some like eastern religions.

I would say that the majority of people who join are those with families, who want their children to have some sort of community and be grounded in ethics if not actual religion. But there are some middle-aged and older people who join on their own, much like you---to meet others of a similar ilk, more so than seeking a religious/spiritual experience.

The congregation, like all UU congregations, welcome diversity and are especially welcoming to gays. Although we wanted to be diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, that never happened. The congregation was almost 100% Caucasian, due to its location and the fact that many African-Americans are not attracted to the UU churches (they can feel kind of cold). The real lack of diversity was in the socioeconomic status---UU's tend to be wealthier and more educated than at other churches. I did not feel comfortable in this regard since I was just earning a mediocre income and most were very high earners. I felt bad when doing my yearly pledge and when it came time to donate to the yearly auction---some people were donating flights in their private planes! Then there was the yearly water communion where people had to bring back water they collected during the summer and pour it into one communal container. Nice in theory---but got to be almost a competition, with people bragging about where they had traveled. Couldn't keep up!

Ultimately, due to my disillusionment with the minister as well as getting burnt out from serving on committees to help run the church, I decided that I could get more of a spiritual uplift from a walk in the park or practicing yoga. I now meet people through Meetup, where there is a group for any interest---and don't have to worry about monthly pledges or being in church at 10 every Sunday!

If you are going to try it out, be sure you go before the summer. The church holds services during the summer, but attendance is thin and it's much more vibrant during the year.