Your First Visit

What Time Does the Service Start? Our services are held in the Sanctuary, and during the fall of 2007 the service begins at 10:30 a.m.

How do I get there? Please visit our location & map page to help you find us. We are on Hilliard Blvd in Rocky River, just four blocks down and on the left from the I-90 westbound exit ramp to Hilliard Blvd.

Parking and Entering the Building. Our main parking lot off Hilliard Blvd. and is readily visible from the street. You may enter the building from the East Entrance (under the sign that says "One Church, Many Paths) or use the Sanctuary doors located in the front of the church.

What do I do with my children? During the church year (Sept – May), children are encouraged to attend our Lifespan Faith Development program, except on Sundays when we have our monthly intergenerational services. On those days, everyone four years old and above comes to church service. Otherwise, when you arrive with your children, a greeter will spot you and direct you to our Director of Lifespan Faith Development and/or the appropriate classroom. Some families prefer to keep their child or children with them on a first visit. You are welcome to bring your children into the sanctuary with you and worship as a family. We offer activity boxes to help occupy fidgety children, available in the foyer outside the sanctuary. We also have a “crying room” found in the Rotunda Lounge, just off the main Rotunda, with video & audio feed. The services can also be heard through speakers near the lounge area in the Rotunda near the courtyard entrance or in the Fireside Room if you need to remove a crying child from the sanctuary.

The Visitor Center is located in the hallway directly across from the church office. It is staffed by church volunteers and members of the Membership Committee. If you’d like to receive information about the church, please sign our guest book, take a name tag and let us help orient you to the building and/or the service.  You may also fill out one of the cards located in the pew rack.  Just leave it in the offering plate as it comes by.

Is the building handicapped accessible? With the exception of the choir loft, all spaces in the renovated building are fully accessible. Hearing assist devices are available at the church office upon request; large-print orders of service and hymnals are available. Wheelchairs and a walker are available in the coat room foyer for Sunday morning use.  Ask an usher for assistance.

   For those with chemical sensitivities, we generally purchase fragrant free cleaning products.  We ask all church members and visitors to consider the possible impact of the use of perfume, aftershave, hairsprays, etc. on others.

What’s the feel of the service? People dress in many different ways for church, accrding to their habit and taste. Most dress informally. It is not uncommon for jeans and T-shirts to worship next to suits and dresses!

You will be greeted by an usher, and offered an order of service, which will help you follow the service, and which includes some information about upcoming events. During the summer months, you’ll see fewer families with children than in the fall season. Child care is available for infants to 4 years of age.

What happens in the service? You’ll recognize many familiar elements from Protestant worship. Most of our services are led by our Parish Co-Ministers.

We sing hymns as well as folk and popular songs. Click here for more information about our Music Program and Choir. We always light a “Flaming Chalice,” a commonly used symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith, representing the light of truth and the warmth of community. We have a time for prayer and/or meditation. We have a digital projector in the sanctuary and use it often for photographs, videos, and song words that augment the services. We have stories accessible to the intergenerational community attending, and we have a sermon. At an early point in the service, we usually welcome visitors and sometimes ask people if they are comfortable doing so to raise their hands so people nearby realize they are a guest. Sometimes we invite people to greet those nearby they may not know. We do take up an offering every Sunday. If you’re a first time guest, feel free to let the plate pass you by, or to make a contribution, whichever feels right for you.

The two main instruments in the sanctuary are a 3-manual Holtkamp organ and Steinway piano. Other instruments and instrumentalists are used throughout the course of the year. Half to three quarters of the services feature the organ and our thirty voice choir, directed by David Blazer.

So, what’s different about our services? You may notice immediately that the content of all our liturgical elements does not rely on the Bible, but draws from a wide variety of sacred and secular wisdom and liturgical sources. We have the freedom to use ancient and modern texts, which may include poetry, novels, stories, or scholarly or scientific writings. We encourage people to attend more than one service, as they do vary in style and approach.

What happens after church? The services are usually one hour or less, and people stay afterwards to visit during our Coffee Hour. Tours of the church and an opportunity to connect with a lay member for some orientation to our church is always available through the Welcome Table in the hallway near the office. Often there is an after-church forum or discussion group on a topic of social or spiritual concern. On the Second Sunday of each month in the fall of 2007, a lunch is available for sale in Baker Hall to eat at café style tables. We hope you will sign in at the Guest Registry if you want us to send or e-mail you our newsletter. You may be contacted by a church volunteer one time to see how you felt about your visit and to ask if there’s any questions we can answer, but that won’t happen more than once. Since each service is different, we encourage you to attend a few times to get a full picture of the West Shore’s worship life.

About West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church

How large is your congregation?
West Shore Unitarian Universalist has approximately 576 members, and 130 children and youth are enrolled in the religious education classes that meet during our 10:30 a.m. worship service.

How can I learn more about West Shore Church?
Please visit our pamphlet racks outside the main office for recent sermons, newsletters, and more information about West Shore. There is a brochure entitled "Welcome to West Shore" in the pamphlet rack that serves as a good introduction to the church. We're glad that you've found your way to West Shore.

Please note that West Shore offers Newcomer Orientation classes. Sponsored by the Membership Committee, these classes provide a helpful introduction to Unitarian Universalism as well as West Shore Church, in general. For more information visit our Newcomer's Events page in the Newcomers section of this site.

I would like to get to know the people of West Shore. What activities are available to participate in?
The best way to find out about the activities of the church is to read this website regularly and ask to receive a copy of “Shorelines,” our church newsletter. A third way is to ask to speak with one of the ministers, or a member of the West Shore staff about the many opportunities here for involvement, connection and community.

If I have other questions, how do I reach you?
E-mail us at mail@wsuuc.org or call the church office at 440-333-2255. A comprehensive listing of numbers can be found in our Contact Us section of the website.