Feel/Community at River Road Unitarian Universalist, Cedar Lane UU, and Washington Ethical Society

[Anonymous]

Husband and I are different religions (Catholic/Jewish). We have two kids and are looking for a congregation/community group with a sense of community and a religious education program that explores spirituality and helps its members, especially young children, start to contemplate/explore/understand values. (yes we do this at home, but there is something about doing it and belonging to a larger and global community).
Can anyone offer a sense of the culture at the two Unitarian Universalist congregations near Bethesda (we live close to either River Road and Cedar Lane, which we understand has a new minister). What about the Washington Ethical Society?
Thank you. (I have seen previous posts, but little detail on the culture of these congregations. And, I heard there is a new minister at Cedar Lane changes anything)

[Anonymous]

It's a little farther than you are looking for, but All Souls Unitarian at 16th and Harvard in DC is amazing. I've heard good things as well about both River Road and WES - both more suburban (ie less diverse) than ASC, but great communities.

[Anonymous]

River Road has an amazing sunday school program and a terrific religious education director. DC loves going and asks to go each week.

But it is a hard community to find your niche in and even after a few years I don't really feel like I've found my tribe.

Washingto Ethical Society has had recent leadership turmoil and the Sunday School is tired and the leadership is stagnant within religious education. But the community embraces newcomers. (Treats long term members and leaders badly but loves newcomers!)

I have not visited Cedar Lane but have heard good things about their new minister.

[Anonymous]

All souls is more Christian with talk of God. River road and Wes are humanist

[Anonymous]

bump.

[Anonymous]

Cedar Lane has a new podcast! You can listen for yourself and see if it is for you.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cedar-lane-unitarian-universalist/id906003814?mt=2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:River Road has an amazing sunday school program and a terrific religious education director. DC loves going and asks to go each week.

But it is a hard community to find your niche in and even after a few years I don't really feel like I've found my tribe.

Washingto Ethical Society has had recent leadership turmoil and the Sunday School is tired and the leadership is stagnant within religious education. But the community embraces newcomers. (Treats long term members and leaders badly but loves newcomers!)

I have not visited Cedar Lane but have heard good things about their new minister.

Can you say more about the WES leadership turmoil? Have been considering checking it out but this gives me pause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:River Road has an amazing sunday school program and a terrific religious education director. DC loves going and asks to go each week.

But it is a hard community to find your niche in and even after a few years I don't really feel like I've found my tribe.

Washingto Ethical Society has had recent leadership turmoil and the Sunday School is tired and the leadership is stagnant within religious education. But the community embraces newcomers. (Treats long term members and leaders badly but loves newcomers!)

I have not visited Cedar Lane but have heard good things about their new minister.

Can you say more about the WES leadership turmoil? Have been considering checking it out but this gives me pause.

I suggest you check out WES personally and don't worry yourself over the leadership turmoil, and/or ask someone once you're there to get a first hand account. I'm not a member of WES, but know some people who are and the "turmoil" ended several months ago and the group is chugging along just fine now.

[Anonymous]

We tried River Road, All Souls and the UU in Arlington. Agree with poster who said it's difficult to find your niche at River Road, possibly because the crowd skews older and more conservative. Agree with poster who said All Souls is Christian-y, and crowded but the music there is wonderful. Arlington seemed more child-friendly but possibly too far toward the Jewish end of the UU spectrum. In the end we opted out altogether. Sadly, none of them could compete with our UU church up north, which we sorely miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We tried River Road, All Souls and the UU in Arlington. Agree with poster who said it's difficult to find your niche at River Road, possibly because the crowd skews older and more conservative. Agree with poster who said All Souls is Christian-y, and crowded but the music there is wonderful. Arlington seemed more child-friendly but possibly too far toward the Jewish end of the UU spectrum. In the end we opted out altogether. Sadly, none of them could compete with our UU church up north, which we sorely miss.

What about Cedar Lane?

[Anonymous]

Cedar Lane is in a really dynamic time right now. Lots of new, impressive leadership, lots of really involved families with young children. There's a little bit of something for everyone, IMO. Active diversity initiatives (multiculturalism and LGBTQ), lots of social justice projects, new community minister who will be helping us connect into more urban areas.

[Anonymous]

Op, they are flaky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, they are flaky.

Who is flaky?

[Anonymous]

OK, what about a Friends Meeting. There are Jewish Quakers, Catholic Quakers, Agnostic Quakers, and Atheist Quakers. Maybe that is a congregation to fit into. I thought Friends Meeting of Washington was more Christian (but that was years ago, so it may have changed).

http://www.quaker.org/langleyhill/findingworship.html

Each meeting will have its own flavor. You probably want one that belongs to Friends General Conference (the liberal Quakers).