Our Values

The mission of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Shenandoah Valley, Inc. is to build a community based on and committed to self-development, compassion, open communication, and action.

What is UU?

• UU is an abbreviation of Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism is the modern progressive version of the second oldest Protestant tradition in the United States. 
• We come from the Puritans, but we are fully progressive community of spiritual seekers.
• We are the non-Christian extension of Congregationalists; we welcome all faith expressions and those with no faith.
• Unitarian Universalism is primarily in the United States and England, but it is a global movement of progressive faith.

In Unitarian Universalism, you can bring your whole self: your full identity, your questioning mind, your expansive heart. We have more than one way of experiencing the world and understanding the sacred. 

We are building an action-oriented community, bridging races, religions, and creeds with a shared desire to make faith, religion, and spirituality verbs.

Shared Values

Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition that has changed in many ways from the original Christian roots of its Universalist and Unitarian heritages, and it continues to evolve today. Most recently, this evolution has taken the form of adopting new language to describe who we are as UUs. At General Assembly in June 2024, UUs voted to replace existing Seven Principles and Six Sources language in our bylaws with language describing Unitarian Universalism through these shared values:

• Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
• Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
• Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
• Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
• Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
• Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.

We arrived at this description of Unitarian Universalism after a multi-year process of discernment and discussion, writing and revision, and eventually a final democratic vote. The process of review and revision is mandated by UUA bylaws to happen every 15 years, and the language describing Unitarian Universalist faith has changed multiple times over the course of our history. We encourage you to review the final adopted language of Article II (PDF, 3 pages), which includes our Shared Values.

Source: UUA - Shared Values