About Dakota UU: Our Beliefs

WE THE MEMBER CONGREGATIONS OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION, COVENANT TO AFFIRM AND PROMOTE:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

THE LIVING TRADITION WE SHARE DRAWS FROM MANY SOURCES:

Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic men and women which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world's religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which call to us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit; Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism that enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

Our History

Church to stop its wandering
By Lonny Goldsmith
Sun Newspapers
(Created 2/6/03 10:19:00 AM)

After 14 years of a nomadic existence, a church will call Burnsville its permanent home.

At the Burnsville City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Dakota Unitarian Universalist Church received unanimous approval to move to the city. The church will be at 13001 County Road 5.

"We have members chomping at the bit to get in," said Alan Ray, a past president of the church. "We've struggled for 14 years and it's just super that we have a place to call home."

The site had originally been a convenience store that is why it wasn't zoned as a residential location.

The church will have office space, religious education classrooms and room in the sanctuary for 49 people. The Burnsville Planning Commission had approved those parameters at its Jan. 27 meeting.

The lone question from the City Council came from Council member Charlie Crichton, who questioned how long the church would stay if it were built for so few people.

Ray said that the church has 30 members and has stayed at that number for a long time.

Grant Pylkas, a charter member of the church, told the Planning Commission that attendance at a typical service is 10 to 15 people. He added that it took 12 years to grow from two people to where they are now.

The church has paid $50,000 so far for the space, and put a total of $300,000 into the building.

"We are very frugal and we tried to save as much as we could," Ray said. He said that there isn't any major gutting planned in the building.

"The room that the sanctuary will be in will have an open air feel," said Ray. "It's pretty much open but for one display fixture that needs to be taken out."

The church, which claims to be one of the oldest religions in the United States, serves a community that predominantly lives south of the Minnesota River.

Dakota Unitarian Universalist Church, 2007

Burnsville, MN