Welcome to First Unitarian! If you’ve been searching for a different kind of church— one that is accepting, relevant to your life, active in the world, and grounded in love and justice—you’ve found the right place.
First Unitarian is a church that celebrates diversity, both human and theological. Our congregation is non-creedal, meaning we won’t ask you to accept a certain set of beliefs. Our church’s liberal faith reaches beyond its Judeo-Christian heritage, drawing on scriptures, literature, and poetry from many of the world’s traditions and from across the generations. We invite you to explore and deepen spiritually in ways that resonate with your heart and mind. And we invite you to join us in putting love to work in the world through acts of compassion and justice.
You can learn more about the church, including what our Sunday service is like, on this website or by calling the church office (505-884-1801). But the best way to see what it’s all about is to join us for our worship or vespers services.
Whether you come seeking comfort, community, or spiritual growth and meaning, we hope you’ll find yourself at home at First Unitarian. Wherever you are on your spiritual path, we welcome you.
Attending services for the first time?
We have two worship services every week. On Sundays, we have an in-person service at 10:30 am, with a livestream over Zoom. We offer a virtual Vespers service every 1st and 3rd Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm.
- Sanctuary Worship every Sunday at 10:30 am. This service, led by our ministers and a lay leader, are intergenerational and include live music and a homily.
- Livestream on Zoom every Sunday at 10:30 am Mountain Time. If you are unable to join us live on Sunday, you can watch our services later here; or listen to them as a podcast here.
- Virtual Vespers every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm Mountain Time. These short (25-minute) services offer a midweek respite with readings, music, meditation, and prayer. Small-group conversations are also offered after each service.
How to Join Us
Streaming – We are using Zoom for our online gatherings and meetings. We stay updated with the latest security releases of Zoom and take all steps necessary to ensure a safe experience for all with no disruptions. If you’re new to Zoom get started here. You are welcome to join anytime and from anywhere!
In-Person – We are located at 3701 Carlisle Blvd NE, at the corner of Carlisle and Comanche. Map & Directions
- Parking –Our campus has two parking areas, one off Comanche on the north edge of the campus (which extends into the business park to the west) and the other off Carlisle on the south side. Our accessible parking is in the lot off Comanche. The south lot is larger and a short walk to the Sanctuary and other buildings.
What to Expect
In-Person – As you approach the sanctuary, you will see our Greeters on the front steps. They will direct you to our Welcome Table inside, where you can pick up a name tag and grab a visitor card to fill out during or after the service. Ushers will show you into the sanctuary and offer you an Order of Service that includes information about the church and our activities and groups for the upcoming week.
Our service generally consists of music, readings, meditation, an offering, and a sermon. One of our two ministers is usually in the pulpit, but on occasional Sundays, we have a guest speaker or a lay-led service. We enjoy a wide variety of musical styles and guest musicians every week.
Streaming – Once you join the Zoom meeting you will be in a “waiting room” until one of our virtual ushers lets you in to the meeting. Everyone is muted during the service except for those speaking or performing. If you can, turn on your video so we can see your face. To make it easier for ushers to keep our meetings safe, please rename yourself with your full name and, if you’re comfortable doing so, your pronouns. The ushers and technical team will use the chat feature on Zoom to give instructions about how to change your name or get technical assistance.
Accessibility
We are committed to making our facilities and programs fully accessible for all.
- Our virtual services use real-time closed captioning and have a live transcript available, as well.
- There are fully accessible restrooms available in our sanctuary building and meeting rooms.
- We have a T-Coil loop installed to use with your own hearing assistance devices, or you can borrow a device at the Welcome Table.
- We have large-print copies of our hymnals and printed versions of our sermons available at the Welcome Table.
- There are cut-outs for wheelchairs in the Sanctuary seating area.
- All of our buildings are accessible via ramps, and our Sanctuary has automatic doors available.
- The church is located on the ABQ Ride Bus System. The #5 bus comes north from downtown. Click here for Sunday bus schedules.
What to Wear
Streaming – Pajamas, if you like.
In-Person – Our dress style is varied, but in general more casual than formal, with an emphasis on comfort – although pajamas might be awkward.
Attending with Kids?
- Our in-person service is intergenerational. We don’t mind the noises children might make during the service. If you’d like to keep your children with you in the Sanctuary, please do. We have a children’s activity table located in the back corner of the Sanctuary with room for caregivers to sit nearby. Up front, right by the piano, is our “Prayground,” with the best seats in the house! It offers a soft play area with age-appropriate toys for babies and toddlers. We also offer a Family Room off the sanctuary foyer with toys, comfortable chairs, and a livestream of the worship service if your family needs more room to move around.
- Elementary Religious Education begins in the Sanctuary at 10:30. Children join the congregation every week to experience our service including music, stories, prayer and meditation. Our staff then escorts children to our RE building for crafts, music, and fun. Supervised playground time – and a nursery for our youngest UUs – is available at 10:30 am for anyone who chooses not to join their grown-ups in the worship service. Visiting children are always welcome and their caregivers are welcome to stay and observe as much as they like.
- We have an All-YoUUth (middle school and high school) group meeting with lunch after worship each week in the RE Building.
After the Service
In-Person – After the service, pick up a cup of coffee or tea in the social hall and visit our Connections Table where you can visit with a volunteer and pick up information about the church, Unitarian Universalism, and the different groups and programs at First Unitarian. Or, stop by our Chat Tables to have a lively discussion about that day’s worship service with other visitors and members.
Streaming – A breakout room is available after the service for informal conversation. We hope you will stick around and introduce yourself. Even if you don’t stay to chat, we encourage you to fill out our online visitor form, where you can request more information and sign up for our email list. The link to the form is provided in the Zoom chat window during the service.
