About Rochdale Unitarians
Our ethos
We aim to be a faith community which supports individuals in taking ownership of and responsibility for personal beliefs and actions.
We offer a supporting environment in which to embrace life and its challenging questions.
Our worship
Worship is the central focus for the congregation. Our theology covers a spectrum of belief and religious understanding from the traditional Abrahamic faiths, eastern philosophy, Humanism and secular thinking..
Services are held at 10.30 am every Sunday. We use the green (Hymns for Living) and purple (Sing Your Faith) hymn books, together with a supplement collated locally. Musical accompaniment is usually on the piano, with occasional organ music. The current service format tends towards a traditional 'hymn sandwich', including hymns, prayers, silent meditation, music, readings and an address. The first Sunday of the month offers All Age Inclusive Worship, and we are open to exploring alternative formats.
Our community
In addition to the spiritual aspect, Rochdale has always enjoyed a good range of social fellowship activities. We have a number of engagement groups. There are also weekly keep fit and badminton sessions, and fortnightly Saturday modern sequence dances, which are enjoyed by townspeople as well as some members of the congregation.
Members of church have been involved with the local Stroke Club since the early1970s. This includes organisation of an annual concert to raise funds for the Club, which meets in the church building.
Rochdale Unitarians have been actively involved with, and have occasionally hosted gatherings of, the Rochdale Borough Multi-Faith Partnership since its re-inception around 2010. Our previous Minister acted as Vice-Chair during her final year of ministry with us.
Six to eight three-course Saturday lunches are held each year to raise funds for both church and local and national charities. We have good regular support from both friends and the community. The catering is undertaken by members of the congregation.
The church is well-known within Rochdale as, for most afternoons and evenings, its rooms are hired by a variety of Rochdale interest groups. The income from this forms an important portion of total church revenue.
Our faith
Members of Rochdale Unitarian Church explain why they became Unitarians.