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Upcoming Online Services
April 11: Becoming, Rev. Joan Montagnes A reflective service. Meditations on becoming whole from within. Self-realization and the inner life. Click here for login information to use Zoom Webinar. Click HERE for past services on our church Youtube channel! 
We are a compassionate, thoughtful, and diverse religious community who nurture and challenge each other to deeper understanding, meaning and purpose in our lives. We use our hearts and our heads (and a good deal of humor) to make a difference not only in our lives, but the lives of those beyond our doors. Learn more about our beliefs, our services, and our history in the About Us tab.
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April Minister’s Column:
What does it mean to be a People of Becoming 
We’ve been working on a Relational Covenant for our congregation for months. We have wondered about what promises we can make to one another. We’ve asked questions about accountability and restorative practice. We’ve thought about who we are today and who we wish to become.
The first Draft Relational Covenant was built by a bunch of ministry teams and committees. I explored the draft through Sunday services. You further discussed the draft in Covenant Groups, other small groups, and Restorative Practice Circles. Some of you read the draft at home on your own. I received lots of wonderful, helpful feedback. Thank you. I’ve learned a lot. This business of creating a meaningful covenant is not just a journey of discovery, it is also transformative. As we’ve wondered, questioned, and thought about who we are as a congregation, we have blossomed into a different kind of congregation. We are becoming a community that wants to care for each other in ever-deeper, ever more meaningful ways. We have discovered that we also want to be accountable to ourselves, to each other and to our highest values. We are getting real about our expectations about our relationships. The feedback on our first draft of the Relational Covenant will continue to flow in during the month of April. By late May, we will have a second draft available for your perusal. The plan is to have a Saturday morning, whole church, y’all-come zoomie extravaganza to collect feedback on this second draft. And hopefully we will have a final draft for your acceptance at the Fall Congregational Meeting. We are becoming. That is a truism; and through open, authentic conversations about who we are and who we want to be in relationship, we are much more aware of just how becoming we are. Yours in faith and affection, Rev. Joan Montagnes |
Our Vision
We will gather in loving community, creating a shared vision of compassion and dignity for all,
to radically transform the world in which we live.
We will gather in loving community, creating a shared vision of compassion and dignity for all,
to radically transform the world in which we live.
April Share-the-Plate: Re-Tree WNY
Re-Tree WNY was begun after the “surprise” snowstorm that blanketed the Greater Buffalo on October 12, 2006. The heavy snow burdened the still-leafy trees and pulled down many power lines. The biggest damage was to the heritage trees that lined the byways and graced the parks within the 18 municipalities of our area. The towns and public entities determined that 57,000 trees were permanently damaged. Re-Tree was formed and included a volunteer army of planters to replace what was lost. 30,000 trees (matched by the same number by the municipalities) that were funded and planted manually by volunteers was the goal. The effort actually took thirteen years and was celebrated in 2019. The City of Buffalo still needs many trees planted along the byways and in our iconic parks. We now only concentrate our efforts within the city. We are a program of the 501 (c) 3 Buffalo Green Fund.