Our Fellowship Programs
At the Durham Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, our Sunday morning programs are a cornerstone of our community, reflecting our commitment to diverse perspectives and meaningful engagement. Join us each Sunday from 10 – 11:00 AM near downtown Durham, as we explore a rich tapestry of insights and connections.
If you are searching for greater meaning, and connection to community, please join us Sundays from 10 – 11:00 AM, followed by a coffee hour with conversation and refreshments. We meet the first Sunday after Labor Day through the last Sunday in May, and hold our annual picnic during May.
What to expect?
During the first hour enjoy music, the sharing of joys and concerns, and unique, community-based programs with local speakers, artists, musicians, civic and spiritual leaders. All programs include time set aside for participant comments, questions and discussion. The program is followed by an opportunity to collaborate and socialize over coffee and snacks.
Exploring Diverse Perspectives
As a lay-led congregation, our Sunday services are a dynamic fusion of voices. From clergy representing various faiths to speakers from academic, civic, environmental, and social justice backgrounds, our programs embrace a wide spectrum of perspectives. This diversity enhances our understanding of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism, guiding us in the pursuit of wisdom, spirituality, and impactful daily actions.
A Haven for Friendship and Connection
Our fellowship goes beyond spiritual exploration; it’s a haven for friendship, connection, and shared values inspired by Unitarian principles. Experience a safe and inclusive environment that encourages genuine connections, community events, and a profound sense of belonging. Despite our modest exterior, our interior boasts a beautiful sanctuary, gifted by the Marjorie Milne Estate.
Our Gallery
Enriching Families and Children
One of our primary goals is to enrich individuals and families with young children. We provide a space where children can learn from their elders, explore spiritual topics, and understand the importance of inclusivity, equity, and justice.
Welcoming All Voices
We seek to be a place where each person’s unique worth and beliefs are acknowledged and respected, and where each person’s voice may be heard. Committed to providing a welcoming and safe space for all, we recognize the valuable perspectives of our LGBTQIA+ communities and allies.
Community Engagement
Beyond the sanctuary, our fellowship is a hub for community involvement. We prioritize sustainability within our sanctuary, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all. Guided by the principle of “respect for the interdependent web of all existence,” we actively participate in local charitable efforts. From fundraising and volunteering to providing community support, we extend our principles into tangible actions.
Upcoming Services
April 7 – Bright Sunday (Holy Humor Sunday) – Rev. Maren Tirabassi
Her sermon will reflect on how humor is healing, how human beings choose between humor that is embracing and that which is demeaning, and the physical blessing of laughter and the stories that invite it. You are invited to bring a joke or funny story to share with another person.
Maren C. Tirabassi is a poet who moonlights as a cozy mystery author and a United Church of Christ pastor. She is author of twenty-three books – including the recently released Death in the Woods, second in “The Rev and Rye Cozy Mystery series,” and a soon-to-be-published translation into Swahili and Luganda of the earlier Transgendering Faith. She is the recipient of the NH Humanities Council “Lifetime Achievement Award” for 2023. After 42 happy years of ordained ministry, she loves being a supply preacher and visiting an amazing assortment of communities of faith.
April 14 – Transitions, Liminal Space, and Beginner’s Mind – Sylvia Foster and Chris Chance
We find time in this service to reflect on how we may direct ourselves from “busy-ness” and distractions to reach for “reset” and focus. We’ll explore ways to call in our capacities for peace and joy and be invited to experience a brief practice called “Beginner’s Mind”.
Sylvia grew up in the Universalist Church in Bangor, Maine, and has been a member of the UU church of Exeter, New Hampshire, for thirty years where she’s been a member of social justice and green sanctuary committees and the choir. Sylvia is retired as an administrator of educational programs for the UNH President’s Commissions on equity and inclusion and is vice president of the Governing Board of Racial Unity Team of New Hampshire. She also serves on the Board of 350NH Action for renewable energy.
Chris is a mother, singer, dancer, lover of the expressive arts, compassion warrior, and curious spirit. She is drawn toward activities that allow and support opening of the heart, spontaneity, and deep play within community. Over the years she has enjoyed participating in various UU settings in roles ranging from Adult RE coordinating to Children’s Choir and directing to multigenerational YogaDance instigating. She is also a practicing local clinical psychologist, with long-term interest in how we explore authentic identity and transform despair into wisdom.
April 21 – A View from the Perspective of Native People – Paul W. and Denise Pouliot
There is a growing effort to bring history back into focus and to correct many misconceptions about the relationship of Native People and the founding of the United States. We were not all killed off by disease or warfare and did not disappear with the colonization of this country. Many of us became the individual fibers of the weave that made the cloth of the United States and Canada. We are among you, working beside you in all walks of life. Unless we told you who we were, you would probably never know us.
Paul is the Chief and President of the Cowasuck band of the Pennacook-Abenaki tribe in New Hampshire; Denise is the Treasurer.
April 28 – Whose Life Is It Anyway? (Am I the Master of My Fate?) – Raelene Shippee-Rice
The NH legislature has been considering HB 1283 Death with Dignity. It has passed the House and is now awaiting action by the Senate. Raelene’s talk will focus on this important issue.
Raelene is an Associate Professor Emerita in the Nursing Department at UNH and a long-time member of our Fellowship. She and her late husband Dale Rice were active in the broader UU community, including trainers of the trainers for AYS (About Your Sexuality), the precursor to our current OWL (Our Whole Lives) curricula.