We are on stolen, unceded land of the Piscataway Conoy Nation, which was worked by Africans who were kidnapped and enslaved at Hampton Plantation. We humbly offer our respects to the elders, past and present. We remember and honor the indigenous ancestors and stewards of the land we live and work on. This acknowledgment does not take the place of authentic relationships with indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the land we occupy as an act of resistance against the erasure of their histories. We acknowledge just how deeply the roots of colonialism, racism, sexism, and inequality run in this country.
Towson Unitarian Universalist Church is forever young, instinctively challenging, a constant surprise and inspiration, even to those of us who think we know it best. It welcomes those who take joy in fellowship, in questioning, in individually choosing to define what is of value for self, for family, for community, for all humankind.
Welcome, Visitors and Newcomers!!
Whether you are contemplating a visit for the first time or have already visited a time or two, we are sure you will find this information helpful.
Prospective Members Workshops and Information Sessions
TUUC regularly offers information sessions and extended workshops or classes on being a Unitarian Universalist and a member at TUUC. Workshops and classes are virtual during the pandemic and will resume our regular schedule afterwards.
During normal times, at least every other month during the regular church year, TUUC offers one hour membership information sessions after the second service. A light lunch is generally served. The Membership Information Sessions will be announced upon return to the regular church schedule.
For those wanting a more in-depth exploration of these topics a 5-session UU class is generally held in October. This program gives newcomers, new members and long-timers alike the opportunity to learn more about our faith tradition and how it is practiced at TUUC. During the program, we explore the topics of theology and worship, our Unitarian Universalist roots, our philosophies of religious education and social justice, how we govern ourselves, and membership. Because of the amount of group interaction and sharing, the end result is not only an increase in knowledge and insight about our faith but also the formation of new relationships.
Details for these events will appear on the TUUC Events Calendar and in the Weekly Threshold Newsletter at least two weeks before the workshop or first class session.
If you need more information on the information sessions or the New UU Classes or would like to attend any of these sessions, please email membership@towsonuuc.org.
What time are your services?
We offer virtual and in-person services, beginning at 10:30 AM.
What do you offer for children?
Children from four years of age through middle school start their Sunday morning by sitting with their family members or friends for the start of the main worship service. After a story, song or presentation specifically geared toward them, they then leave to go downstairs for their age/grade-appropriate classes. TUUC provides a comprehensive youth religious exploration (YRE) program for ages four through senior high. Members of the high school age group (YRUU) also select a service once a month to attend with the adult congregation.
Please feel free to talk with or email Kara Tyler (tuucdre@towsonuuc.org), the Director of Religious Education (DRE), if you have any questions. You can also visit the YRE website for more details on classes, curricula, and photos. Please make sure to fill out a visitor form if your child is in a class and register your child after 2-3 visits.
TUUC also provides nursery care with both paid and volunteer providers for children under four years of age. If your young child/toddler/infant stays with you during the service and perhaps becomes disruptive, for the sake of those around you, we invite you to sit in the lobby area, where you can still hear the service broadcast over a speaker system.
What are your services like?
Most services follow the basic structure used by many other faith traditions with which you may already be familiar. Typically, there is a main sermon prepared and delivered by Rev. Clare Petersberger or one of our “Lay Worship Associates” (Rev. Clare delivers the sermon three of the four Sundays per month, from September to June). Preceding and following the sermon are selected readings which complement the theme of the service. Music is part of every service…sung by the congregation, the choir, or vocal soloists or groups; or performed by instrumental soloists or groups.
Themes for services are drawn from the joys, struggles and celebrations of our daily existence, and frequently touch on the search for answers to life’s great questions… “What is my life’s purpose?” “How do I deal with grief and life’s transitions?” “What is the essence of our humanity?”
The substance of presentations embraces spiritual traditions from around the world and borrows widely from the vast body of philosophical and intellectual material available, from ancient to modern times. A single service may draw from the poetry, stories and teachings of Jean-Paul Sartre, Voltaire, Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi, a thoughtful and thought-provoking mingling of profound and deep insights with humorous and light ones.
During the summer months, services may follow a somewhat less formal, conventional format. An annual summer tradition, for example, features members and friends reading selections from their own fictional and non-fictional writings; and another focuses on the reading of poems selected, and in some cases written, by congregation members and friends.
Where are you located?
We are conveniently located at 1710 Dulaney Valley Road in Lutherville, Maryland. (See Directions)
What is your dress code?
Whatever is most comfortable for you! It can be your Sunday best or jeans and sneakers. Either way, you’ll fit right in and be welcome.
What do I do when I get there?
Stop by the Welcome Table, just inside and to the right of the front entrance, to speak to a Greeter. They will give you a nametag and ask if you’d like to fill out a Visitor Form. By completing the form, we will have your email address so that you can begin receiving weekly and monthly church communications by email. The Visitor Form also invites you to tell us about any particular programs or activities about which you might want more information. Greeters are able to answer any questions you may have about all that is going on at TUUC and can direct you to the appropriate contact person for a particular activity, program or area of interest.
How do I become a Member?
There are no prerequisites to becoming a member of TUUC other than your desire to become an active, committed member of this church community. By signing the TUUC Membership Book* in the presence of Rev. Clare or the Membership Committee Chairperson, you agree to participate as part of our religious community by sharing your gifts, talents, and time, as you are able. Membership also permits you to vote at congregational meetings and to receive a membership discount for the rental of church space.
* We have designated the first Sunday of every month as Membership Book Signing Sunday. Please call the church office the last week of the month or speak to a Greeter prior to the service you attend if you wish to sign the book after the first or second service. They can alert Rev. Clare or the Membership Committee Chair of your desire to meet with them after the service.
If you have any additional questions about membership, please speak to Rev. Clare or the Membership Committee Chairperson, or please call or email the church office and they will be sure to have someone contact you.
Any questions? Just call or email the church office or speak with a Greeter when you next visit TUUC.