About Our Fellowship

• Introduction
• Mission Statement
• Fellowship Activities
• Religious Education Program for Children
• Frequently Asked Questions
• UUFP Bylaws

Introduction

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris serves Unitarian Universalists and friends living in and around Paris, France. The UUFP is a member of both the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the European Unitarian Universalists (EUU). The EUU is itself a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU). (ICUU is often pronounced as "I see you two".)

Mission Statement

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris is committed to providing its members and friends with an open and cohesive community in which they can satisfy their needs for intellectual kinship, social connection, and emotional support. We believe that developing a feeling of belonging in these essential ways supports each member and friend in his/her personal, spiritual, and intellectual growth. To further this mission, we are committed to providing programs, religious education, and social activities — all designed to engage as much Fellowship involvement as possible. Through the growth of our varied individual participants of all ages, our community remains a strong and evolving spiritual whole.

Fellowship Activities

• Monthly Sunday Services & Religious Education
• Monthly Workshops
• Ongoing Discussion Groups (Small Group Ministry, Young Adults, Book Discussion Group, Dream Group, "Wisdom Traditions")
• Young Adults Social Group
• Social Action Group
• Spiritual Practice Circle
• "UU Basics" class
• Annual Thanksgiving Celebration
• Seasonal Dinners and Picnics
• European Unitarian Universalists (EUU) bi-annual Retreats

Religious Education Program for Children

For Unitarian Universalists, religious education includes all of the ways that children, teens and adults grow toward their potential as compassionate, ethical and fulfilled human beings. We know that studying spiritual questions is a life-long quest and so we believe, in order to have a good start on the road of reflection, our youth program should be creative, passionate and openly respectful of all beliefs.

We can play a key role in the spiritual development of youth within a nurturing, caring environment and we can enable children and teens to develop a positive sense of self, as well as a spirit of independence and responsibility. We know that the relationship between young people and their elders must be one of mutual respect.

Our UUFP children’s and teen’s RE classes explore UU principles* and history, holidays of the world's religions, and character development issues using age appropriate curriculum and crafts. Examples of past classes include:

• Water ecology & conservation, illustrating the 7^th UU principle, "Respect for the interdependent web of existence"
• "What's in a Name?" – exploration of the multitude of names we humans use for the "Great Mysterious"
• Making Eid Il-Fitr cards, from the Islamic tradition
• Hope and rebirth, from Greek myth and Christian traditions
• Participation in the vote for the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child

Children's RE Classes take place during our monthly services. Babysitting is also available.

* Here are the UU Principles in children's language: Each person is important. — Be kind in all you do. — We're free to learn together — And search for what is true. — All people need a voice. — Build a fair and peaceful world. — We care for Earth's lifeboat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before contacting us, check out the Commonly Asked Questions below to see if your question has already been answered. If not, send your questions to UUFP via our contact form.
Also, if you find any links that are broken, please do let us know, so that we can fix them. You are encouraged to link this web page to your own. (Paris-based individuals and groups are especially encouraged to do so)

What should I (and my children) wear to this church?
Our members do not all wear formal clothes (in fact it's more often the opposite), however, it is up to you in the end. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in!

If my child doesn't separate well, can she or he stay with me in the service?
Yes, of course! But we do think that your child would find religious education more interesting :-).

We would like to get married in Paris by a Unitarian Universalist minister. Is this possible?
Unfortunately, there is no permanent Unitarian Universalist minister available locally, so we can't deal directly with such requests. If you're nevertheless determined to have a Unitarian Universalist wedding in Paris, you may wish to contact the Reverend Jopie Boeke, who is a Unitarian minister based in England. In the past, she has sometimes been available to perform weddings in Paris. (If you write to her, please explain clearly why you are doing so. Don't assume she knows that you're writing about getting married in response to seeing this on the web - she won't know that unless you tell her.)

Are there any Unitarian bed and breakfasts available in Paris?
To the best of our knowledge, no, there are none.

Where can I find a good hotel, tourist information, etc.?
As a volunteer-run religious community, we don't have the resources to answer these kinds of questions. Perhaps, however, you might like to check out the Paris-Anglophone web site, where they may be able to help you.

What is a UU retreat?
The European Unitarian Universalists organisation (EUU) sponsors two retreats each year in Spring and Fall, where up to 150 Universalists and Unitarians from throughout Europe gather to reinforce the spritual and emotional bonds that link us together.

Each retreat is organised around a theme, and lasts from a Friday evening in-gathering ceremony through a Sunday morning service and lunch. There is a keynote speaker as well as workshops, cultural/historical trips, family events and a religious education program for children and teenagers. All meals and lodging are included in the retreat registration fee.

The location for each retreat rotates through the major countries of northwestern Europe -- the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany -- each site providing a unique geographic and spiritual perspective.

The official language of the retreats is English, although occasionally joint activities are conducted with local groups in their national language.

For more information, see http://www.euu.uua.org/.