About Us

Starr King Unitarian Universalist Church is a welcoming congregation that strives to foster respect and compassion for all people and a reverence for nature. We support one another in our search for spiritual and religious meaning and are committed to working for justice in the larger community.

Our service is held from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM each Sunday and includes a story for all ages, music, lighting the chalice, sharing of joys and sorrows, and a sermon.

After the story for all ages, youth and children are invited to participant in age appropriate classes in the Fellowship Hall.  Childcare is available for infants and toddlers. Our sound system is also set-up so that parents with small children can enjoy the service in a comfortable living room setting in the Fellowship Hall.

Our History

The Starr King Unitarian Universalist (SKUU) church of Hayward was founded in the 1950s. Our founding members left their previous church because they were opposed to churches signing McCarthy era act of loyalty statements. We continue in this tradition of activism and liberalism.

Katie Kandarian-Morris, our parish minister since 1999, describes our congregational convictions simply,  “In this living tradition we are encouraged to be the arbiter of our own beliefs. We include liberal Christians, neo-pagans, natural theists, atheists, agnostics and others. We are a welcoming congregation.”

We are named for Thomas Starr King, a Universalist and Unitarian minister, who played a pivotal role in keeping California a part of the Union during the Civil War. Starr King described the difference between Unitarians and Universalists this way – “Universalists believe that God is too good to damn people, and the Unitarians believe that people are too good to be damned by God.”

Our Five-Year Vision

Adopted in March 2007, our Five-Year Vision Statement puts forward how we envisage our congregational responsibilities and mission, in our community, in our time:

A vibrant, dynamic community where meaningful transformative spiritual practice flourishes in an intergenerational environment. A congregation that:

• Celebrates our unity in common worship and nurtures each individual’s search for truth

• Provides adults and children with a rich array of opportunities for personal and spiritual growth and service to others

• Embraces visitors and welcomes them into our spiritual community

• Actively addresses critical social justice issues, making a real difference in people’s lives through moral, spiritual and material support

• Cultivates an aesthetically pleasing environment that enriches our community and spiritual life