Unitarian Universalists of Sterling

Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
As a spiritual person, I have always believed in the transcendent truth underlying the beneficial spiritual practice of all religions, and have believed in the spiritual and moral teachings of great prophets of all cultural backgrounds. As a scientist, I have always believed in the power of the human mind to grasp that which is within the reach of reason, to recognize that which is best left to faith, and to know the difference between the two. Unitarian Universalism is unique in its ability to grasp the collective wisdom of human religious thought and to bring that wisdom into harmony with human science and philosophy - as such it is an ideal fit for me.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
I had been a member of Horizon UU church in Carrollton Texas, met my wife Nikki there, and was married in the church. When we relocated to Northern Virginia with plans to start a family, we were looking for a vibrant congregation with friendly, outgoing members and friends, an energetic ministry, a solid Religious Education program, and a strong moral presence in the local community. UUS was and is just such a congregation.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
In my professional life I have developed skills in leadership and accomplishing goals with teams of my peers. As a UU, I have developed skills in listening to and respecting diverse views and in identifying the unifying wisdom underlying those views. As a member of the UUS Board, I hope to combine these skills to work with the Board and the congregation as a whole to move UUS forward into a positive and rewarding future. My ultimate goal as a church leader is to help UUS realize its long term goals to build and maintain a healthy church community, embrace a spiritually profound ministry, and increase our moral and spiritual presence in the larger community.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy music (both listening and playing), spending time with my family, and socializing with friends.

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Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
I think I have always been a Unitarian Universalist, even when I didn’t know there was such a thing. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, but I always had a hard time accepting things that didn’t make sense on “faith.” I eventually determined that the problem was them, not me. I knew I had found the religion for me when Susan and I started attending the Unitarian Society of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Religious and philosophical discussions were expected and encouraged, not discouraged.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
Susan and I had been living in Northern Virginia for a while but had not found a Unitarian Universalist home. At the urging of our neighbor, Judy Gruner, we visited Unitarian Universalists of Sterling. We found UUS to be such a welcoming, enthusiastic, and spiritually engaging congregation, that we knew we had found our UU home.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
The simple answer is that I was asked. I agreed to serve, I think, because I came to the realization that to get more out of UUS I needed to do more to try to support UUS. I hope I can help support the growth and life of UUS.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
In my spare time, I enjoy reading, photography, and tinkering with computers. As time permits, Susan and I hope to do more traveling to see more of the world.

Send me a message. 

Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
My wife, Celinda showed me something new and yet it had been there all along.  The decision to attend a UU church was a compromise: I wanted to go to church on Sunday and she picked the churches we would try (all of them UU churches).  Along the way I had plenty of “Aha!” moments (times when I realized that I was “filling in the gaps”, “putting together puzzle pieces” with respect to religion and spirituality).  I had not even heard of UU before Celinda and yet I was one.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
We liked the people and Rev. Roberta presented thought-provoking sermons.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
They (Dave Scher of the Nominating Committee) seemed desperate to find someone.  I wanted to contribute more to the operations of the church.  I hope to leave more wood in the pile (Cowboy courtesy: when you stop for the night at a shared camp, you always leave more wood than you had when you got there).  Everyone should rotate around all functions of the church to share the load and not burn out those before.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Running, biking, swimming, playing with my kids and wife (not necessarily in prioritized order, but I am a better person if I’ve had my workout first).

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Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
I was born and raised a Roman Catholic in Boston but became "un-churched" in my teens.  When my wife and children moved to Virginia we began looking for a church that would provide some religious education for our children and spiritual nourishment for us without all the baggage of our previous churches.  At the same time I happened to read Emerson's essays on Self-Reliance, and Address to Divinity Students.  Agreeing with everything he said I noticed he was Unitarian so we tried the Reston UU Church.  We have been UUs since 1990.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
I was one of the original founders of UUS in 1994.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
I said yes to being co-treasurer because as a CFO I have budgeting and financial planning skills which I once again have the time to put to use for the church. I hope to help the Board and Finance Committees do short and long term financial planning, to husband our resources to ensure a financially healthy church, but also to encourage some risk-taking.  Once before we grew dramatically to over 100 members.  I think we will do this again when Anya comes on Board.  I want to be there to help.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy music, genealogy, and sports.

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Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
I was raised in a fundamentalist protestant church, but by the time I hit my teens, I could no longer buy into the idea that only we were right and the rest of the world had gotten everything wrong.  I was the kid in Sunday School asking the difficult questions:  So all those poor children in Africa are really going to Hell when they die unless they accept Jesus (who they've never heard of) as their personal savior?  How could all those animals possibly have fit into Noah's ark?  Anyway, it turned out that my roommate in college was raised as a Unitarian.  We had many late night discussions about religion and the meaning of life, and I realized that I was basically a Unitarian already and didn't know it.  It wasn't until I had children of my own that I sought out a Unitarian church to attend, and was happy to find UUS.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
I have attended since 2003, but only recently became an official member.  I wanted to be part of what I hope will be a very exciting time of change and growth for us as Anya comes on board as our minister.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
Again, I want to support our new minister and the church during this time of transition.  Serving as co-treasurer seemed to be the best fit for me.  I've spent the last 4 years on the Finance Committee, and my work experience before having children was in corporate finance.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
With 3 children under 6, I have almost no free time!  I do enjoy music, reading, hiking and spending time with my family.

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Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
I was brought up by African parents who taught me that helping our fellow humans and otherwise treating them with care was more important than adhering to a particular faith.  They also believed that God is unknowable with certainty, but acts and may be reached, if at all, through all its creations, including human beings.  Unitarian Universalism is the religion that most closely reflects the spiritual values of my upbringing.  That is why I am a Unitarian Universalist.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
All the churches I had ever been to were built by others, all of them before I was even born.  So when I had the opportunity to join others in building a new Unitarian Universalist church in Sterling more than 14 years ago, I did not hesitate, because it was a chance to do something very few of us rarely have a chance to do, build for the sake of others in the future.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
I agreed to serve because I was asked.  It is my view that when people you respect think enough of you to ask you to serve on the Board of a church, it is an honor to be declined only under extraordinary circumstances.  I hope that I can use my unique understanding of how to help people work in harmony to foster a climate of understanding on the Board that will help it achieve maximum efficiency.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
There are two things I enjoy doing most when I am really free: thinking about why the world is, in all its aspects, the way it is and cooking food for people I truly care about.

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Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
After a long time of living overseas with no affiliation with a church, a neighbor invited me to Fairfax Unitarian Church in the mid seventies. It wasnít long before I realized that this was where I was meant to be. Since I have always been a skeptic re: the Christian point of view, UU principals of acceptance, community, good works and making a difference in the here and now fit with what I believed.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
After many years at UU of Fairfax, serving on many committees, in the choir, and on the Board , I felt a need for a change. It was difficult leaving the support of my friends and the comfort and familiarity of that beautiful place. I am still in an on-going personal growth support group with members of UUCF. I found at UUS the change I was looking for that being a smaller church, friendly faces, and an appreciation for some of my talents.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
I knew that eventually I would volunteer to be a board member having served at UUCF and recently feeling that I was ready to "take my turn". I am happy to contribute whatever talents for organization and leadership that I possess. I love this church and am willing any way I can to assist in our continued growth and prosperity.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I sing with Mosaic Harmony, a diverse gospel choir (which I consider my second church), paint in water colors, hang out at the Reston Dog Park with my dog, Bear (I am on that board too), go to the beach and spend time with my friends and family (3 grandchildren).

Why did you become a Unitarian Universalist?
I'm a "devout agnostic of Jewish extraction". Where else would I fit in? Being a UU allows me space for spirituality without having to pretend to have beliefs I don't share.

Why did you become a member of Unitarian Universalists of Sterling?
It was my first stop when I decided to visit a UU church, and I didn't have to make a second stop. I love the Congregation. Everyone is warm and accepting and fun! And small as we are, we have a wonderful music program and lots of really talented people. This is really important to me as music is my main spiritual connection.

Why did you become a member of the Board? What do you hope to accomplish?
I was asked to serve, and I wanted to give something back to the Congregation. I hope to make a contribution to what is probably going to be a very pivotal time, deciding on a new minister and redetermining our space needs and capabilities.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Spare time...what's that? I seem to be spending more and more time on exercise routines to keep from falling apart. I follow DC United and the Redskins, plus several television dramas. I am also interested in 3rd party politics and have done substantial work on ballot access issues in the past. And of course there's the UUS Choir!

When I first became a member of the Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, I gave a sermon which gave some of the stories and reasons behind my decision. Please check it out: Thoughts on Becoming a Member / I Love this Church.

Since then, I’ve continued to pursue the various activities which persuaded me to join in the first place, and I’ve found that they’ve all developed and blossomed as I’ve stuck with them.

I definitely believe that spiritual growth is best done with others, where everyone can benefit from each others perspectives and beliefs. The Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, in my opinion, offers this kind of environment better than any other local church.