Plan a Visit
What to Expect When You Visit Follen Church
COVID-19 Policy Update: Masks are no longer required in order to attend in-person service. However, to protect the most vulnerable church members and visitors, please join us virtually for worship if you are experiencing a persistent cough or other symptoms of COVID-19. Our priority is to keep everyone in our community safe.
When you join us for the first few times on Sunday morning for a worship service, you might feel a variety of emotions – excitement, anticipation, nervousness, curiosity, and more. That is understandable entering a new community, and we want to do our part to help you feel comfortable and confident. First, you belong here and we are very happy for you to join us. Our services on Sundays are a time to come together in a safe space to worship together, weaving together thoughts, experiences, traditions and stories with music, poetry, and words that both comfort our hearts and challenge our minds.
Elements you might see on a “typical” Sunday worship service:
- Words of welcome
- Lighting a flaming chalice, the symbol of our faith
- A ‘Time for All Ages’ at the beginning of each service where our children share in the worship service with the rest of the community before traveling downstairs for Religious Education.
- Music, both instrumental and vocal, sacred and secular, in a variety of styles
- A time for lifting up the joys and sorrows of the congregation
- A meditation or prayer
- Inspiring readings, ancient or contemporary, that support the theme of the service
- A sermon given by our minister, a guest speaker or a congregation member
- An offering collecting donations for the congregation or for justice work
Welcoming Congregation
Follen Church is proud to be a Welcoming Congregation, recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association. What does that mean to us? What does it mean for your visit?
Frequently Asked Questions of Newcomers:
What should I wear? We want you to feel comfortable when you come to worship with us, so please feel free to dress casually. Often members wear jeans, khakis, sundresses, sweaters, sneakers, sandals, etc. We are much more concerned with what is in your heart and mind vs. what you are wearing on your body. In the winter, we suggest dressing in warm layers, as we continue to crack our sanctuary windows to support our excellent ventilation system and avoid the circulation of Covid-19.
Where should I park? Follen Church has a small parking lot directly across the street you are welcome to use. In addition, there is street parking in front of the church and in the horseshoe on the right side of our campus.
What door should I use? Follen Church has three entryways to our building, two of which are fully accessible. Based on your needs, you can use our accessible Community Center entrance off the driveway which has a ramp and two doors to enter the main building. From there you can make your way to the stairs or elevator up to the first floor. You can also use our accessible Patio entrance that is visible from the front of the church. This entrance has a ramp with one door to enter the main building. Entering through this door you are on the same level of the Sanctuary and can enter through the side door next to the elevator. Lastly, you are welcome to enter through the Sanctuary entrance at the front of the church. This entrance has stairs with railings both outside the building and inside the vestibule.
What can I expect prior to the service? During the church year you will find our Membership Director, Meagan Cox, or a friendly Greeter in the Sanctuary vestibule. We are here to answer any questions, provide guidance, and to help make your time with us a welcoming experience. As you enter the Sanctuary, we have orders of service, and you are welcome to sit anywhere that you would like. Occasionally we have pews reserved for the choir, special guests, or unique scenarios, but those will always be marked with signage. Ushers can provide you with a hearing device and/or a large print hymnal if needed.
What do you offer on Sundays for children? We offer Sunday morning Religious Education for infants through grade 8, and Sunday evening programming for youth in grades 9-12. Children are welcome to visit up to three times before they will need to register. We begin our Sunday worship service with our children in the Sanctuary (the littlest ones are welcome to settle in the nursery before the service) and early in the service there is ‘traveling music’ to send them off to RE classes.
Is there time to connect with individuals after the service? Yes. After our Sunday worship services, we host Coffee Hour downstairs in our Community Center. You can go through the door to the left of our flaming chalice and head down the stairs or take the elevator to the basement floor. Our Community Center is on the left at the bottom of the stairs, or around the corner to the right if you take the elevator.
Do you include music in your worship services? Music is a very important component to our worship services, and our community at Follen Church. We have a talented music staff led by our Music Director, Chris Eastburn, and we are proud to offer a Children’s, Youth, and Adult Choirs. We welcome anyone who has an interest or passion for music to join our choir program!
What holidays does Follen Church celebrate? As Unitarian Universalists, our congregation respects and celebrates holidays and traditions from a wide range of faiths. We have some holidays that are uniquely ours, such as our beautiful Flower Communion. We also celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, Easter, and other familiar holidays. We often celebrate less frequently observed occasions such as the summer and winter solstices and Earth Day, as well. You can find more information about Unitarian Universalist holiday traditions here.
Who can I connect with if I have other questions or thoughts? We would invite you to connect with our Membership Director, Meagan Cox, at membership@follen.org.