Vision

Don Heights is a resilient, welcoming community of diverse individuals, promoting love, reason and freedom in religion, fostering lifelong spiritual growth and acting for social justice and the environment.*

(*Approved at the Congregational Meeting of October 4, 2009 and re-confirmed on Congregational Day Away, October 18, 2014)

Our Motto is: Freedom in religion; Justice in action.

Can UUs Believe Anything?

 

The Future of Liberal Religion is Multifaith

Mission

(Our Mission grows out of our Vision statement describing our purpose; our job in the world.)
Through open dialogue and exchange of ideas, Don Heights creates a safe, supportive religious community which celebrates and nurtures individuals on their diverse journeys. We respect the interdependence of all existence and demonstrate our Unitarian principles in the wider community by working for peace, justice and equality for all.

“Resilient, Welcoming Community”
We exist to maintain a community of conscientious Unitarians working in shared ministry to create a welcoming atmosphere, and to work for the human rights of all people who are oppressed or left out.

“Diverse Individuals”
We exist to honour and appreciate human differences in all aspects, and in particular differences of age, culture, race, socio-economic levels, sexual orientation and ability.

“Promoting Love”
We exist to understand and promote all forms of love, agape, empathy, non-cliquish, unconditional, compassionate, non-judgmental, touching the heart.

“Promoting Reason”
We exist for the exchange of ideas, to provide opportunities for exploration, to promote open-mindedness, dialogue, life-long learning, engaging the intellect, and questioning.

“Promoting Freedom of Religion”
We exist to promote understanding for differing theological orientations, to encourage interfaith respect, alliances and advocacy, to be open to spiritual mysteries in whatever forms.

“Fostering Life-long Spiritual Growth”
We exist to support the freedom of individuals to change their spiritual perspectives, searching for meaning, ethical awareness, and purpose-filled life.

“Acting for Social Justice and the Environment”
We exist to walk our talk, fighting for equality, using our resources to reflect our social justice values and to advocate for positive change.

Eight Principles

As Unitarian Universalists we are guided to live by our eight Principles. We covenant to affirm and promote:

  1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person.
  2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.
  4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
  5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.
  6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.
  7. Respect for the inter-dependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
  8. Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions.

Six Sources

As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support. The living tradition we share draws from many sources:

  1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.
  2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transcending power of love.
  3. Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.
  4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbours as ourselves.
  5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
  6. Spiritual teaching of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with rhythms of nature.