What Is First Unitarian Church of Chicago's Website?

Updated

firstuchicago.org is the official website of First Unitarian Church of Chicago (often called "First U Chicago"). It functions as the congregation's online hub for worship information, community events, visitor guidance, and member involvement. The site is most useful if you are considering a visit, looking for a Sunday service, or trying to connect with a small group or affinity group.

What the Site Covers

The homepage presents the church as an active, all-ages community. Based on the site's own content, its main sections and offerings include:

  • Upcoming Sunday services — current service information plus a service archive for past services
  • Events calendar — a running list of services, small group meetings, and other gatherings
  • Visitor's page — an invitation to get to know the church, with a visitor's form to fill out
  • Small Group Ministry — ongoing small-group participation
  • Affinity groups — ways to connect with others around shared identities or interests
  • Community meals and game nights — with childcare available
  • Monthly hikes — led by the Green Sanctuary Committee on the last Saturday of each month in Cook County
  • OWL registration — a values-based sexuality education program for young people
  • Giving and campaigns — including a 2026–2027 campaign described as sustaining the church's growth and impact

Who It's For

The site addresses three overlapping audiences:

  1. First-time visitors — the visitor's page and "First Time Visitor?" links are aimed at people exploring the church.
  2. Members and friends — event listings, small groups, and volunteer activities like writing love notes to absent members support ongoing participation.
  3. Community participants — public-facing events such as the Faithful Defiance of Authoritarianism gatherings at Nichols Park and the Samhain Community Dinner are open to broader involvement.

Practical Notes

  • The site states that all ages are welcome.
  • Some recurring events have set schedules — for example, the Green Sanctuary hikes are listed as the last Saturday of each month, and Faithful Defiance gatherings are listed as Sundays at 1:00pm at Nichols Park.
  • If you want current details, check the events calendar and the upcoming Sunday service information directly, since listings change over time.

If your goal is simply to understand what the organization is, the homepage and visitor's page give you that answer. If your goal is to attend or join something, start with the events calendar and the visitor's form.