Many of mentioned to us about a program that many UU churches have called Chalice Lighters, the idea being that these people would pledge money to help build and spread the wonderful liberal and open religious tradition that is UU. This page of our site is dedicated to all those people that help spread UUism. Most UU congregations have a page where members are given the opportunity to participate in the local program. This is not a page for that. It is our hope that someday the Enid UU will be able to make this page for that reason, though.
It is important to note that Enid UU does not receive money from any Chalice Lighter program and as of yet we have not received materials or money from any UU congregation, district, or person. It is not that we do not welcome such help, it is that thus far many do not know what we need and how they can help and we are unsure as well since we are new to the very idea of forming of a church. None of us have ever been a part of that experience and many of us aren't aware of the inner workings of how a church functions or works......although we're definitely learning!!
Thus far everyone that is engaged in the process of making the Enid UU a reality, not in the sense of us gathering together since we can do that without any formal name and all, but in the sense of being a part of the larger UUA and firmly establishing the Enid UU as a strong, permanent UU presence in Enid, OK. We truly think that a UU presence in Enid is a great way to spread UUism as well as to reach out to people that are need if this tradition and yet aren't even aware it exists (ask those who have never lived outside of Enid and never had any exposure to UUism until now and you'll understand).
Enid, OK is the largest city in northwest Oklahoma. It is home to two universities: Northern Oklahoma College-Enid campus and Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid campus. It also has a branch "campus" of Oklahoma State University (which utilizes a few buildings throughout town to offer a few classes to locals). It also has the Autry Technology Center, a technical school. There are definitely educated people here. Enid is also home to Vance Air Base and people from all over the US often find themselves here in Enid, either because of the base or because of the universities, family, or other related jobs (energy industry, agricultural industry, railroad industry, etc). Some of the people who are familiar with UUism are people who came to Enid from places that had UU congregations and then moved here and were shocked that a city like Enid doesn't have a UU congregation.
Then consider the people that have been joining the Enid UU. These are people who have been spiritual hurt by other churches in the area and when they arrive at our group they find warmth and acceptance and a chance to explore for themselves what it is they believe without any pressure to adhere to a creed or being judged for how they look, live, or love. In a city like Enid where there are so many people who are under represented...nonChristians, liberal and progressive Christians, GLBT people, the Enid UU offers them a place that is welcoming. Many of our current members are nonChristians and GLBT. They practice religions like Buddhism, Wicca, Hinduism, or they are Agnostic or Atheist and yet here have a found a place where they are accepted...a place unlike anywhere else in Enid. And the Enid UU is lucky enough to have CrossWalk United Church, a new church start of the United Church of Christ, where the UCC minister offers pastoral care to UU members and comes to speak and participate actively at the UU just as some of us at the UU also go to the UCC. And members in both churches find such joy knowing that both are welcoming congregations of GLBT people and that both want to reach out towards social justice. The major difference between us, other than the fact that the UCC proclaims Jesus as the head of their church and the UU claims no religious leader as its head, is that most of the UCC members are much older and belong to other churches in the community whereas the UU members do not have spiritual homes outside of the UU here in Enid and are young. The vast majority of UCC members are retired people whereas the vast majority of UU members are in their late teens and early twenties. As another oddity of the Enid UU, most of our members come from low-income homes and most do not have college degrees of any kind. We've been told that this is somewhat unusual for UU congregations.
Enid is the gateway to northwest Oklahoma, the shining start of this part of our State. People from all over northwest Oklahoma come to Enid and Enid serves many of the needs of the people in this part of the State. We have the major medical centers for this part of the State, as an example. Most people in places in northwest Oklahoma when they say they are going to "the city" they mean Enid (coincidently when people in Enid say they are going to "the city" they mean Oklahoma City).
We'd love to have your support in our endeavors. Whether it is something as simple as donating hymnals or small group ministry books, guides, etc or whether it is through giving money so we can purchase these things or rent space so that we do not have to meet at members' homes. It could be as simple as helping with one of the charitable things we are attempting to do, with what little all of us have we still want to help others in our community, or whether it is through coming up and speaking with us about any range of topics. We'd love to have your support in whatever way you can offer it. It means the world to us when people give us guidance, help us learn what it is we need to do, help us help others, share with us, or help us in getting needed supplies and materials. We know that you may know far better than we do what it is we need and so we leave that to you to determine. And we look forward to the day when this page can be a page where we ask our members, members of a congregation that is firmly establish, to be Chalice Lighters for another new, emerging UU congregation elsewhere.