Finding a church and spiritual home that fits you is an important part of life. We all need to find a space that is welcoming, authentic, and where we feel loved.
There are so many options out there!
First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee (or First Church), is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) church where we affirm Seven Principles of the UU faith. Click here to learn these principles and UU history.
We’d love to share a little more about us and why you should consider making us your spiritual home.
Here are the top seven reasons to check out First Church.
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We offer quality sermons from our loving ministers.
Our ministers take time to craft meaningful sermon messages each week that provide encouragement for you to connect to your own spiritual journey and create authentic connection with the church and others. They welcome you to explore and interpret their sermons to fit your life’s path.
The Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom, Senior Minister, and The Rev. Dena McPhetres, Associate Minister, share our mission each week: We gather together to:
Nurture the Spirit. Engage the Mind. Inspire Action.
Our ministers can’t wait to meet you and travel with you on life’s journey of faith and doubt, joy and sorrow, frustration and beauty, brokenness and healing, awareness and justice-making.
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We welcome people of all genders, sexualities, ages, races, ethnicities, histories, and bodies in this Unitarian Universalist congregation.
This welcome is important to all staff and lay leaders. We strive to build our values from the inside out and create a space of wonder, love, authentic connection, and justice.
We welcome you,
- Whether you are searching for a place to raise your children to discover their own truths or seeking spiritual growth for yourself.
- Whether you were raised in a religious tradition or are someone who never before affiliated with religion.
- Whether you know what you believe about life and death, suffering and healing, humanity and the spirit, or are seeking a way to find your beliefs.
We welcome you to come home to your own heart and soul, and engage with others as we practice bringing our beliefs and actions into harmony.
At First Church, we connect and care, learn and grow, explore questions, and join with others to make a difference in the world.
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Our worship services are created to inspire and connect.
Each week, our worship service centers around our UU monthly theme. While our ministers most often lead worship services, we also present guest ministers’ sermons from all over the country and even from our church members. Our worship services are filled with a wide range of music, poetry, inspirational stories from our Worship Associates, stories for all ages, children’s programming, and so much more.
The services are available in-person (COVID re-opening procedure here) and online to adapt to the new needs of everyone. We welcome you to experience our worship service to discover for yourself!
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We are located in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee.
Our building is located in the Lower East Side of Milwaukee. We are accessible from multiple Milwaukee County Transit bus lines and The Hop downtown streetcar. The church is a beautiful English Gothic-style building constructed in 1892 for our religiously progressive congregation. Over the years, we have added more spaces to accommodate the needs of our growing congregation.
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Minister-led religious education programs for all ages to help your children grow.
We offer a variety of religious education programming for all ages and it’s led by The Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson and her team. We follow Unitarian Universalists principles, sources, and relationships with each other to create our religious education offerings. We strive to teach folks a range of ways that children, teens, and adults need to grow towards their potential as compassionate, ethical, and fulfilled human beings.
Children’s Religious Education is about much more than learning. It’s about growing and the wonder of being alive! First Church provides an environment where the spirit of each child will grow and they can confidently explore life’s most puzzling questions. Above all, we’re committed to providing a program that encourages young people to learn and respect what is religious about their own lives.
Your family is invited to join in the exploration and celebration.
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You probably know someone who has been to First Church.
Our roots run deep in Milwaukee and we can guess that you might know someone who is a member, past member, attended an event, or another life shaping activity in our building.
We welcome you to ask your friends and family about us and to join us for Sunday Service online or in person!
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Volunteers and leaders are the heart of First Church.
First Church members are dedicated and love to get involved! We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to reach out and learn more about opportunities available. Leadership roles are also available. We have many ways you can get engaged.
We offer a variety of groups that include: social justice, anti-racism, book clubs, Buddhist study group, reflect and connect, sanctuary reflections, and so much more.
Check out our website to learn more about First Church here and visit us today!
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