Welcome Home! We are a community that celebrates diversity in Braintree, MA - Imagine the Freedom - More Spirituality, Less Religiousity

We accept you as you are...

It's no accident that you are here.

We are so happy you're visiting our website! We update it frequently, so be sure to drop by often. And please let us know if there's anything you'd like to add.

As a happily diverse community, we attempt to remain engaged with each other's differing views. Thus, we learn while sharing, remaining open to rational argument or spiritual enlightenment.

This allows us to minimize doctrine, ideology, dogma, creed, or any kind of fundamentalist, authoritative ideas that are not to be disputed or doubted. Those things can lead to suffering.

The glue that binds us together is the love of our community and an affirmation to promote the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism. (See the left side bar)

Many of us feel our spiritual lives are grounded in a sense of the fullness and connectedness of all things.

You can comfortably be spiritual without being religious in this community of seekers if you choose. (a choice not offered everywhere)

Gourmet Chocolate Night and Purely Vocals

Join us at All Souls on Saturday, February 11th at 7 PM for a Valentine's Day Treat! Learn more here!

Our Services - September through June

During the regular church year, mid-September through mid-June, services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. During the summer months, mid-June through mid-September, abbreviated services are held at 9:30 a.m.

During the regular church year, children begin in the sanctuary with adults before going to their religious education classes. Child care is available for nursery and preschoolers.

Please check the Newcomers link at the top of this page for additional information you may find helpful.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Upcoming Sunday Services - 10:30 AM

February 5 - What Would Buddha Do On Letterman - Rev. Steve Wilson
WWJD "What Would Jesus Do?" is a popular acronym. It is also oddly a very Unitarian Christian question to rise up from the fundamentalist church. Today we ask what would happen if we switched gurus and refined the question. Today we ask, "What Would Buddha Do?" if he was invited onto a late night talk show?

Potential New Members and any interested parties are invited to meet with Rev. Steve Wilson after the service for a general discussion about Unitarian Universalism.

February 12 - "Dukkha, Impermanence - Rev. Steve Wilson
Is the world and all matter a good thing or not? How do we negotiate in a modern way the "temptations and pleasures of earthly life?" Can the transience of things be, in an odd way, a gift that lifts us up? How do we, in real time, love and not crave?

February 19 - Activism as a Spiritual Practice - UU Mass Action Director, Jessie Jaeger Long time UU activist and new Executive Director of UU Mass Action will be present to share with us his take on just how justice seeking is a deeply spiritual action. For those wondering what UU's are doing up at the State House, this is a must Sunday.

February 26 - "Common Cents Pledge, Canvass, or Stewardship Sunday - Rev. Steve Wilson
The song "What's He Building in There" , a paranoid neighbor stirs with fantasies of what the sounds are coming from under his neighbors door, what the packages in the mail are all for. On this Pledge, Canvass, Stewardship Sunday all the subliminal, high pressure tactics are on display. Come, and if you are not completely satisfied....

March 4 - Grace - Rev. Steve Wilson
To have grace, be graceful, say grace. This spiritual attribute and word that came to connote fluid elegant action is both beautiful and a touch enigmatic. Today we have a meditation and examination on Grace.

All Souls Church, Unitarian Universalist

Our Vision is to be an open-minded spiritual community that celebrates diversity and lives successfully with both its gifts and challenges. We seek to understand and appreciate the great diversity of people and ideas in the world.

With our vision in mind, Our Mission, as All Souls Church, is to come together in community, to create opportunities for spiritual expression and exploration, to learn with and from each other, and to make a difference in the world.
.
.
.

What Do We Love?

We love a Sense of Belonging, Celebration of Life, Fellowship, Spiritual Growth, Freedom, Ecology, Diversity, Justice, Earth, Same-sex Marriage, Humanity, Democracy, Nature, Music, Love, Liberty, Community, Sustainability, Sharing, Truth, Celebrating Common Values, Creativity, Honesty, Learning, Ethics, Interfaith Weddings, Compassion, The Braintree Farmers Market, Equality, Joy, Our 7 Principles... (See the left sidebar for The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism.)

Remember the caution of Paul Tillich and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that we not separate love from power. Why? Because love without power is sentimental and anemic, and power without love is reckless and abusive.

What Are Our Demographics?

______________________________
Here in Braintree, Massachusetts, on the south shore of Boston, our members and friends are happily all colors, all races, married, single, men, women, adults, youth, children, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, in, out, all sizes, all ages, all different abilities, etc...

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Our Backgrounds and Beliefs

Our members and friends backgrounds/beliefs include - Unitarian Universalism, Humanism, Buddhism, Theological Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, Neo-Paganism, Hinduism, Shinto, Islam, Native American Spirituality, Spiritualism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Pantheism, Creatheism, Environmentalism, etc. with more coming in.

Most resonate with more than one of the above.
.
.
"Don't look to us for your answers. Our way is not The Way. Look into your own heart, and come as close to the voice of your own heart as you can so you can hear the voice of your own heritage. You must figure it out, and see through which tradition it will speak. You must find your own way." - Manuel Hoyongowa, Hopi
.
.
"Therefore, Ananda, be a lamp unto yourself, be a refuge to yourself. Take yourself to no external refuge. Hold fast to the Truth as a lamp; hold fast to the Truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone beside yourself. And those, Ananda, who either now or after I am dead shall be a lamp unto themselves, who take themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding fast to the Truth as their refuge, shall not look for refuge to anyone beside themselves, it is they who shall reach the highest goal." - Mahaparinibbana Sutta
.
.

We've Got Small Groups!

A sampling of some of our intentional small groups - Chalice Circles, Monthly Book Group, Singing Meditation, Buddhist Reflections, Gay Men's Discussion Group, Women's Lesbian Support Group, Peace & Pizza, Coffee & Conversation, Yoga, Choir, Drummimg, Developing a Deeper Relationship with God etc. For more detailed information on our Small Groups, click on the Get Involved tab at the top of this page.

Rev. Steve Wilson

Rev. Steve Wilson was installed as the settled minister at All Souls Church in 2009. He has served family-sized Unitarian Universalist congregations in Rutland, Vermont, Northfield, MA, and Bernardston, MA. He came to Braintree after a six-month tenure at a growing church in Sydney, Australia.

A truly authentic worship leader, Rev. Wilson officiates at All Souls' Sunday services, which provide a time for reflection and meditation, music, and connection with others. Rev. Wilson brings to his ministry a rich background of experience in social justice and environmental activism. This experience enhances the ministry of All Souls Church, which has a long history of promoting social justice as well as environmental awareness. It has earned the Unitarian Universalist designation of "Welcoming Congregation", indicating a church community that embraces all individuals whether they are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. It has also earned the designation "Green Sanctuary", indicating its commitment to environmental responsibility. As he began his tenure at All Souls, Rev. Wilson remarked, "I am excited to be here in a religious community that serves as a magnet for progressive thought and social action. For those who actively yearn for justice, love questions as much as answers, and want to live out their religious lives in a welcoming community, my brief time here has already convinced me that this is a great place."

Rev. Wilson has been working with the church's cooperative religious education committee to develop its engaging Sunday morning Young Explorers Program for children and youth. The program is in session on Sundays from 10:30 am to 11:45 am. It provides a variety of experiences, activities and fun time together to provide young people with the opportunity to nurture new friendships, support their individual journeys and be part of a caring community.

Summer Worship Services

Summer services can be really unusual, interesting or just plain fun. The image used to the right is not an actual summer service.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A Past Service On George's Island

We had Native American flute and African hand drums for this service.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

350.org - International Day of Climate Action

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Braintree took part in the most widespread day of environmental action in history -- over 5,200 events in 181 countries -- to call for a clear solution to the climate crisis: reducing the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere below 350 parts per million.

.
.
.

Support our church with your Amazon.com purchases by clicking on this link