Skip to main content

New Member Stories: Emily Miller and Jim Burakiewicz

By

"We wanted to be part of what made the Church a place we were drawn to."


 This week's post is an interview with Emily Miller and Jim Burakiewicz about their experiences as new members of the First Unitarian community.

Before you began attending First Unitarian, had you been attending another church or other faith community?
No, not since childhood. Emily had explored Unitarianism before, but had not found a place that fit. Jim had been brought up Catholic and had not attended church for years.

How did you hear about First Unitarian and what made you decide to visit?
Emily had initially found First Unitarian and was interested in its history. We were both looking for a deeper community here in Worcester and decided that First Unitarian was a place to look for it.

Why did you decide to become active participants in the church community?
We found that everyone was so welcoming and friendly that we wanted to become contributing members of the church. As a path of our spiritual growth, we wanted to be part of what made the church a place we were drawn to. While the two of us have differing levels of belief in a higher power, First Unitarian satisfies both of us. For us, "spirituality" is about connecting to something bigger than ourselves, guidance in becoming our best selves and a way to heal life's bumps and bruises. Sarah provides words that encourage both of us in our growth: for Emily that means reaching outside herself and for Jim that means looking inward. We also really like how multi-generational the congregation is. We enjoy talking to everyone,. It's great having so many different perspectives and life experiences to learn from. First Unitarian feels like a family united not by blood but by shared faith and goals.

Was there anything about First Unitarian that you didn't expect or surprised you?
Jim was surprised at how little First Unitarian felt like the Catholic Churches he grew up with. We enjoy the services and fellowship hour feel more like a friendly discussion on how to better ourselves in the world.

In making the decision about whether to become members of the church, are there any particular considerations that you're thinking about as you make your decision?
First Unitarian makes us feel more passionate about our spirituality, makes us feel challenged and gives us the motivation to improve ourselves.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hearing the Call: Rudy Cepko, YRU2 Mentor and Advisor

By
“I believed that my day job as an RN in the Pediatric ICU at UMass would make it easy for me to handle a bunch of teenagers.  However, I was surprised to encounter teens willing to gain more knowledge in their spiritual quest and to learn how to use this in their everyday lives.”   Rudy Cepko   For many years I had not stepped into a church except for weddings and funerals.  In the mid-1990s, my wife, Alesia, started attending church to sing with UU choir.  She was impressed by the message that she heard from Barbara Merritt and suggested that I try the church.  I felt I was in a place that spoke to me, and our son Stefan was enrolled in the Sunday school programs. I had some involvement with church stewardship as a volunteer in the Garden committee.  Mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, planting and laying yards of mulch were part of my contribution to the church. Then when my son, Stefan, was in YRU2, he asked if I would be interested in be...
2 comments
Read more

A Message from Lee Reid of the UU Sisterhood

By
We see ourselves in the faces of our sisters; we hear our stories accepted , we hold each other in our hearts. We have found the meaning of community. What does it mean to enter a room where you are immediately welcomed and appreciated? What does it mean when others are genuinely interested in your well-being? It means you are valued. It means you are a part of a wholesome community. It means you are a part of something larger than yourself that feeds your spirit in a most fundamental way. These are the enriching threads that weave the UUSisterhood together. We see ourselves in the faces of our sisters; we hear our stories accepted , we hold each other in our hearts. We have found the meaning of community in this church. In my earlier years, I found meaning teaching Sunday school, working with the youth and working on numerous committees. It was work that helped support the values we share as a faith community. It enriched my life and kept me returning to fin...
1 comment
Read more

Hearing the Call: Your Stewardship Committee

By
The UUA handbook defines Stewardship as fundamentally spiritual.  The act of giving, whether time, talent or treasure, is, in itself, a form of worship.  Those of us on the Stewardship committee have been fortunate to be inspired by the many stories of those who have responded to the call of service in the programs which make up the life of our community.  You know many of these people, for they are present week after week, year upon year, mentoring our youth, singing in the choir, providing pastoral care, and doing all the small but essential things which enrich our Sunday worship experience. In the next few weeks we want to share some of these stories with you, that you might also be inspired when you understand the deeper meaning which results from all acts of giving.  And we also hope that in being inspired, you might find yourself hearing the call for a deeper commitment to our community, and that in responding to that call you are both a gracious giver and re...
Post a Comment
Read more