Sundays at UUS

During Sunday services you will find diverse sources of wisdom in support of your personal spiritual journey, a call to love more broadly and actively, a joyous sense of community, and vibrant programs for children & youth.

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Every Sunday at 10:00 am

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Past Messages

What to Expect

Weekend Services

You will find in our Sunday services that big questions are addressed, many sources of wisdom are used as guides, and there is no prescribed way to think. Our members have a range of religious perspectives and backgrounds, and they often report a sense of liberation at discovering a community that accepts them for who they are and encourages their growth without dogma or judgement.

Sunday Service

Sundays 10:00 am, in person and online

During Sunday service you will find diverse sources of wisdom in support of your personal spiritual journey, a call to love more broadly and actively, a joyous sense of community, and vibrant programs for children & youth.

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Live Stream

What to Expect

Service Format & Content

At a typical service you will experience a sermon from our minister or a guest speaker, as well as hymns and songs, special music by choir or instrumentalists, readings from the pulpit, a story for all ages, time for quiet meditation or prayer, and an offering for a community partner. If you have attended worship at a protestant church, our service format will likely feel familiar.

The content of our services is very different from those of most other denominations. In particular, you may notice:

  • Our central religious symbol is chalice that we light to begin each service.
  • We do not rely on the Bible or any other single source for inspiration. You may hear a poem or quote from a contemporary book, a reading from Buddhist or Indigenous traditions, or a quote from a Black Lives Matter activist. Our themes are guided instead by our Unitarian Universalist principles and supported by a wide range of sources. Learn more about the Six Sources of our living tradition here.
  • We choose our words carefully in all parts of the service to be inclusive and to speak to each individual’s own spiritual journey. You may even recognize traditional hymns with revised lyrics to speak to a broader audience.
  • When we celebrate traditional Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter, we focus on stories, teachings, and earth-centered rituals rather than on miracles.
  • Our time together is more focused on how we can build a better world in this lifetime than on salvation or an afterlife. As part of this commitment, our Sunday offering is donated each week to a local community organization.
  • Following service, everyone is invited to the Fellowship Hall for an informal social hour for conversation and refreshments. We also offer an online social hour via Zoom for those participating from home.

Families, Children & Youth

Everyone is welcome in our sanctuary regardless of their age and abilities, but we also have other spaces where children and their families can engage with services.

In our nursery, you’ll find that we have the service streaming on a monitor for young children (0-3) and their caregivers who may be more comfortable in that setting.  There is also a speaker in our RE Commons for families who would be more comfortable participating in service from that space.

Many Sundays after our “Time for All Ages,” children and youth are invited to our Religious Education classrooms where we read books, do crafts, and play games to engage with the monthly themes.  Preschoolers and kindergarteners are welcome to begin service in their classroom if a transition during service would be a struggle. During warmer days, we often engage with the various curricula by going outside.

Stop by the RE Welcome Table before service to chat with an RE team member and get a tour of our spaces.

Our family-friendly congregation also boasts:

  • Free childcare during service in our nursery for ages 0-3
  • Classroom activities for elementary aged children during service after the “Time for All Ages” segment
  • Teen youth group following service
  • Creativity kits for use during worship featuring crayons, markers, paper and fidget toys
  • Welcoming Space for children at the front of the Sanctuary featuring floor cushions, soft/quiet toys, activities, books and fidgets with nearby seating for caregivers
  • A table in the Sanctuary with writing and drawing supplies for people who would prefer to engage with service while taking notes or drawing
  • Nursing room for quiet feeding/changing space
  • Natural playscapes, gardens, and trails to explore as a family
  • Lego Table in the Fellowship Hall so all ages can enjoy social time after services

Join the UUS Families Facebook page to stay in the loop about events and activities. Contact our Director of Lifespan Religious Education (education@uusic.org) with questions about Sunday programming and how to participate.

Youth Sunday Programs

Sundays 10:00 Am

At UUS, we understand spirituality is a journey that starts young. Our Religious Education program provides an opportunity for children to ask questions, explore, and encourages connection to nature and others.

Learn More

Service Archive

Past Services

View past Sunday services below.

Let's celebrate climate justice, all that calls us to this work, and the wonderful connections that working for climate justice can bring to our lives. Rev. Diana Smith preaching. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 November offerings support CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank. CommUnity is a volunteer-driven organization that provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food or financial crisis. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “CommUnity” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "Climate Justice" November 17, 2024
For over 60 years, Unitarian Universalists have advocated for reproductive justice and bodily autonomy. Come explore the theological underpinnings that make abortion a blessing. Our pulpit guest, Rev. Carin Bringelson, is a 2020 graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School and has been serving our UU congregation in Cedar Rapids – Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist – since August of 2023. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 November offerings support CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank. CommUnity is a volunteer-driven organization that provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food or financial crisis. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “CommUnity” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "Reproductive Justice and Bodily Autonomy" November 10, 2024
The Fat Liberation movement is a small, but growing social justice movement. This service will help us reflect on how deeply anti-fat bias permeates our culture and how we can advocate for a world where all bodies are welcomed, celebrated, and treated with reverence. Ministerial Intern Bridget Laflin preaching. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 November offerings support CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank. CommUnity is a volunteer-driven organization that provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food or financial crisis. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “CommUnity” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" November 24, 2024
Together, we will pause and reflect to honor our ancestors' stories, insights, and teachings. We will explore how their experiences can guide us in our present lives. Through music, meditation, poems and stories, we will cultivate a deeper connection to our roots and to one another. (This is a vespers-style service.) If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 October offerings support the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP). DVIP serves victims and survivors “of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking.” According to the DVIP website, they "provide comprehensive support and advocacy services to victim/survivors, focusing on immediate and long-term safety, empowerment, dignity, and hope.” Learn more about DVIP at www.dvipiowa.org. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “DVIP” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "Lessons of Our Ancestors" October 27, 2024
How can we deepen and expand our listening skills? What would we learn and who might we learn from as we deeply listen? Led by Rev. Diana Smith. During the service, the children will collect books for the little free libraries in book deserts, so please bring a book or two if you’re able. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 October offerings support the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP). DVIP serves victims and survivors “of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking.” According to the DVIP website, they "provide comprehensive support and advocacy services to victim/survivors, focusing on immediate and long-term safety, empowerment, dignity, and hope.” Learn more about DVIP at www.dvipiowa.org. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “DVIP” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "How We Listen" October 20, 2024
What are the “holy no”s in our lives? We’ll explore our inner, interpersonal, community, and justice-oriented “holy no”s. Rev. Diana Smith preaching. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 October offerings support the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP). DVIP serves victims and survivors “of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking.” According to the DVIP website, they "provide comprehensive support and advocacy services to victim/survivors, focusing on immediate and long-term safety, empowerment, dignity, and hope.” Learn more about DVIP at www.dvipiowa.org. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “DVIP” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "Holy No" October 13, 2024
What helps us figure out what’s important about community to each of us and how we’re called to support our communities? Join us as we engage with practices that help us listen to our hearts and minds. We’ll hear from our children, as well as members Phil Beck and Jim Olson about how they’re committed to caring for our congregation. Rev. Diana Smith preaching. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 October offerings support the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP). DVIP serves victims and survivors “of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking.” According to the DVIP website, they "provide comprehensive support and advocacy services to victim/survivors, focusing on immediate and long-term safety, empowerment, dignity, and hope.” Learn more about DVIP at www.dvipiowa.org. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “DVIP” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office.
UUS Sunday Service: "The Practice of Deep Listening" October 6, 2024
Staff, Stewardship Committee Members, and UUS volunteers came together to create a video that captured the joy of UUS and our liberal religious tradition. This video was created for the launch of the 2025 Stewardship Campaign. Our theme for this year's campaign is Commited to Caring.
Committed to Caring: UUS 2025 Stewardship Campaign
Join us for the kickoff of our annual stewardship campaign. Rev. Diana Smith preaching and special music from UU musician Peter Mayer. If you are a visitor, and would like to let us know you have participated in our service today, you are invited to fill out a UUS Visitor form: https://forms.gle/4tefFpSCjEXiSPnj9 September Sunday Offerings benefit Shelter House, a nonprofit organization that provides safe shelter and helps people improve the quality of their lives as they move beyond homelessness. As stated on the Shelter House website, Shelter House “...operates a 70-bed emergency shelter in addition to four homes and an apartment building through which we provide over 60 permanent supportive housing units. We focus on programs and support services including housing, employment, and mental health recovery in the community.” Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. Checks should be made out to UUS and have “Shelter House” on the memo line. You can also donate online at bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office. • • • • • • • • • • 5th Sunday Special Offering: Our UU Society partnered with the UU Service Committee's CAPAS program to sponsor a Cuban couple. We were matched with Yoel and Carmen, who arrived here at the end of April. Previously they stayed in a shelter in Texas temporarily after an arduous trip to the border. Seeking a path to citizenship, both are on track to apply for their Green Cards in January. Yoel is currently employed as a cook at Oaknoll. However, they are completely starting over and will soon be living in their own apartment. In time, they may need a car, and other expenses are anticipated. Cash and check donations are collected during the Sunday service offering. You may donate with a check, putting “Sponsorship” in the memo line, or donate through Realm by scrolling to the Fifth Sunday donation line. Donate online at https://bit.ly/UUSPartner, text “GivetoUUSIC Partner” to 73256, or mail a check to the UUS office. Thank you for contributing to a cause that is close to many UUS hearts!
UUS Sunday Service: "Committed to Caring" September 29, 2024
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Service on Sundays at 10; Mon-Thurs 9-4 By Appointment

2355 Oakdale Rd, Coralville, IA 52241

(123) 456-7891​