 Today we're exploring elevator speeches about our church and about Unitarian Universalism. I remember the first time someone told me about Unitarian Universalism. I have to say right off the bat that it was an elevator speech that didn't work. One day a fellow student said to me, you should try the Unitarians, they'll take anybody. Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church is people who come together to value what each of us has to offer the world in spirit and effort. We are here in a loving, supportive community and we have wings that allow us to fly and explore our own spirituality to become the people we truly most want to be. I was looking for a church that would accept me for who I am and who would accept my beliefs but would have other people that had different beliefs that I could learn from and that there was no pressure to believe a specific creed. It just feels like it's an invitation to be who you are. That's what the UU Church is about. Unitarian Universalism is an opportunity to engage two great challenges. To find out what matters most to you in response to life's deepest questions and then to act on those answers. There's no reason to do that alone. It's so much more fun with us. This community is all about peace and love and caring about other people. Up here on the wall there's a statement about what this church believes and it says that we celebrate diversity, encourage spiritual growth and promote social responsibility and that's really why I'm here. The message of Unitarian Universalism also concerns equality and freedom. The dignity of every human being. All of these things which can sound like cliches and platitudes they really have some meaning in this church. Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist congregation is warm and caring and welcome is all. We are open to diverse thoughts and questions as we continue our own personal spiritual journeys. If you are seeking ways to add meaning to your life, find a group of people who are on a similar quest for answers to life's really big questions and put into practice their ideals in simple practical daily examples. Unitarian Universalism may provide you with a community of people on a similar search. I wanted a community of thoughtful people and especially people who were interested in community service and I found it here in Spades. I came here like many other people have come here looking for a community of like-minded people. In the absence I hoped of a lot of the religious dogma that drove me away from the church of my youth. This week I was wondering what my fellow student might have said that would have drawn me in. Why don't you check out the Unitarian Universalists? We're ideal for people who have felt excluded from dogmatic churches because you can't agree to the creeds or because your very identity has been rejected. You use our community of people who are on a spiritual journey together. We welcome searchers and mystics, activists and agnostics and even pagans and atheists. We come together united by some core values like compassion and justice and equality for everyone. Women are included at all levels and so are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. This is why I'm here and we say it in a slightly more succinct manner on the wall of our sanctuary and I look at that every Sunday when I come in. I want to read you part of that quote. It says, we are growing a community that transforms lives through the power of love. We celebrate diversity, encourage personal growth and promote social responsibility as we walk with care on this earth.