Becoming a Member

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers is a membership congregation. The right and responsibilities of member belong to those who have chosen to walk together in faith, seeking the truth as we may best understand it, supporting one another through life's joys and trials, and joining hands and hearts to make our world one of love and justice, truth and peace.

Membership is open to all persons 18 years and older without subscription to a creedal test. Member applicants are asked to complete a brief profile of their church experience, acknowledge their willingness to support the congregation's ministries with their presence, time, talent, and treasure. New members are formally received into membership in a Sunday worship following acceptance by the Board of Trustees. Voting membership becomes active 30 days after Board confirmation of your membership.

Important Considerations:

As we have no creedal test nor process for swearing allegiance to a set of words, membership is a matter of the heart. You decide whether you are at home within Unitarian Universalism as a faith expression and UUCFM as your church community. Some questions to consider:

• Do I find myself at ease and in some agreement with the general tenure of Unitarian Universalist Principles?
• Have I informed myself of the more than 400 year-old heritage of both the Unitarian and Universalist traditions?
• Can I explain Unitarian Universalism with confidence to others? (Can you do so without using the phrase "Well, we don't believe...."?)
• Are these people I find here the kind of people I could care for and lend a hand to?
• Are these people ones that I could turn to for help in an hour of need?
• Am I willing to be present to church events - including those that are of immediate interest to others but perhaps not to me?
• Am I willing to give of my time and talent to advance the work of the church?
• Am I willing to give generously of my financial resources to nurture and sustain the ministries of the congregation?

To the extent you can answer “yes” to these questions, you may be ready to become a member.

Meet With Our Minister

To enter a faith community, whether as a convert or a transfer, is a challenging exercise of patience, steadfastness, and a willingness to risk opening yourself up to new ideas and practices. We encourage you to meet with our Minister to discuss your faith journey. Rev. Sutherland can answer most of your spiritual and organizational questions. He can also guide you as you seek to find your way into the most complex set of relationships that is found in any congregation.

In Unitarian Universalist heritage, the Minister is the spiritual leader of the congregation. Well schooled and experience in matters of faith, life-growth, and how churches work, he can guide you to a more successful entry into our congregation. Meeting with the Minister allows him also to have a better understanding of your spiritual growing edge. Call the church office to set up a private appointment at your convenience.

The Covenant of Membership at UUCFM:

Our Promise as Members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers:

Dedicated to freedom, equality, and human dignity, we covenant together and commit ourselves:

• to accept our diversities and
• to seek harmony where there is discord,
• to support one another and
• to nourish healthy, loving, just, and equitable relationships.

We further agree to share in the continuing work of articulating our beliefs and values, and to devote our time, talent, and resources to whatever the tasks require.

We seek to develop the trust and love that will enrich and strengthen us all as members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers and members of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Membership Applications are available at the Guest Table on Sundays or from the Church Office during office hours.

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