Chester, Vermont
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Here in the historic Old Stone Church (Unitarian Universalist) we begin our Sunday service with the following affirmation:
"The First Universalist Parish of Chester is a spiritual home for religious liberals. We celebrate those human values which promote growth, creativity and social responsibility in all people."
Our church does not adhere to any particular creed. Every Sunday the congregation includes people with a wide range of beliefs — Christians, Jews, atheists, mystics, secular humanists and other seekers for truth. A common assumption is in the importance of an evolving spiritual search. We attempt to create an atmosphere of support, compassion, and tolerance.
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions with roots in New England Puritanism. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was formed in 1961 through merging two traditions, the Universalist Church of America, organized in 1793, whose members believed in universal salvation, that a loving God would not condemn anyone to hell; and the American Unitarian Association, organized in 1825, whose members believed that God is a unity, not a trinity. Today the UUA is a religious family of more than 1400 congregations and 400,000 members.
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A Brief History of Our Church
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The First Universalist Parish of Chester was organized in 1798 as the First Restoration Society of Chester, sharing a meetinghouse with the Congregationalists. When that building was destroyed by fire in 1841, the Society arranged to rebuild on the present site, in 1845, in the architectural style of Chester's Stone Village. The Stone Village is listed in The National Register of Historic Places.
In 1871, The name — The First Universalist Parish of Chester — was adopted.
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The mission of the First Universalist Parish of Chester is
- to create an open and welcoming home for spiritual seekers
- to travel together on our life-long paths of learning, with the freedom to explore our own beliefs
- to strengthen the Unitarian Universalist global family, and
to advocate for social justice, serving our communities and the broader world in a spirit of love
Through worship, religious education, pastoral care, community outreach, and social action, we grow as individuals, nurture one another, care for our earth, and live our Unitarian Universalist Principles.
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