I have to admit that I feel a little funny reviewing a church. After all, most of the people I know go to the denomination or religion that they were born into. But then my wife reminded me that many people when they move to a new town do "church shopping." That simply means that they'll go to different churches in the area in order to find one that suits them. Needless to say, there is no single church that is right for everyone, yet there may very well be a single church that is right for you. So now I feel OK doing a review. The first thing that you should know is that FUSF belongs to the Unitarian Universalist Association. UU's (as they call themselves) do not all believe the same thing. They instead meet with each other to form a community of people who are pursuing their own spiritual journeys. Since most other religions generally have a set of beliefs that all in that faith share, this may be foreign to many people. On the other hand, it also means that you can have a Christian and a Buddhist in the same congregation, very often learning from each other. But really, what make any church a good church is the people. The congregation and the ministers at FUSF are really wonderful. They are accepting of people who have different beliefs, and come from many different faiths. UU's take in people who may not fit in in other places. FUSF has a vibrant BGLTQ community within the community, for example. We have people who have a faith based on nature, and others are questioning whether there even is a God or an afterlife. But they are all welcome. This is a great place for children. Religious education is far broader than it is at other churches, for the simple reason that the range of beliefs within the congregation is broader. Kids in the program learn about their church, but also about other faiths. The emphasis is on being a good person, and encountering different ideas about God and man. The important thing is on learning about how to explore one's faith, rather than being taught what to believe. As you may have guessed, I'm a congregant, and have been for many years. If you are looking for a church, please come by for a service on Sunday. And then come again the next week and see how different it is! You can keep your beliefs, or change them as suits you. Just know that you will be greeted by a community that only cares about who you are, not what you believe. read more

Well, to start with, loved the earlier reviews! Our family was active at FUSF in the early 90's. We came from a non-religious Congregational/Presbyterian background. We moved to Florida from the Franklin, MA area in 1995 and to show you how important FUSF continues to be in our life, I will tell you that we continue to make a yearly pledge and I am an avid reader of the Yahoo group emails. What's great about FUSF! Oh so many things. In addition to those mentioned above I will share a special memory. Early on we became a "Welcoming Congregation" back when it was not a politically correct thing to do. To prepare the congregation for the vote, Reverend Carol provided small group opportunities so church folks could find out exactly what it meant to be a "welcoming congregation". GBLT members made themselves available for questions and provided honest answers. During that learning period, at a Sunday service, one of the several young men and women in the congregation who assisted the Senior Youth Group leader, asked to talk to the congregation. His parents were in the audience. He explained that he was bisexual and his parents were hearing this for the first time. He said he was speaking with great fear as he was not sure that he would be welcome to work with the youth group now that people knew of his sexual orientation. John, the youth group leader, quickly spoke up and said "Makes no difference to me". And the congregation broke into loud applause and weeping. I was so proud of us all, for this automatic and wonderful response. We have a very successful lay minister program - congregants who have received training in helping to "minister" to the congregation. People freely share joys and concerns thereby allowing the giving and receiving of comfort, congratulations or good wishes. This is a timeless group, whether you're in the giving years or the receiving years - and all is done with joy. Even though it's been nearly 20 years since we have actually attended services, we remain connected by love. I keep up to date with the Yahoo group emails, Facebook, and personal emails. Something I have noticed...there are so many of the same people who were active in the 90's and who are still active. Way to Go FUSF - keeper of the flame. read more

My husband and I joined FUSF as an interfaith couple (Jewish & Catholic) and found FUSF to be a terrific spiritual home for both of us to explore what it means to be "religious" without giving up who we are. I've been fascinated by how much I've learned about my Jewish faith and the world's spiritual leaders - men and women - from our minister, Rev. Carol Rosine. It is amazing to see such diverse, wonderful people from all faiths and backgrounds coming together to talk about what's important to all of us: love, respect, justice, faith, grace... and what's going on in the world today and how we can all make a difference. The children not only are taught about these principles in their Sun. AM religious ed classes, but they are nurtured by our FUSF community and taught that their voices DO count, and are included in intergenerational activities and even lead services. I consider my Sunday mornings at FUSF a chance to be with smart, funny, caring people, and give myself an hour to breathe, reflect and push my "reset button" for the week. I'm glad I gave it a try 15 years ago, in time for my kids to benefit from this type of warm, spiritual grounding about what's really important, rather than choosing to do "nothing/neither" - the choice for so many interfaith couples who don't know about this option. Check out uua.org for more information about Unitarian Universalism principles. read more

FUSF was my home away from home until the town of Franklin truly became my home. What I mean is that as a new mom who was suddenly in what was then a pretty small town, full-time, after treating Franklin as pretty much just a place to come home and sleep after work, I really needed a way into where I lived, and a community, and some local friends. And I found all of that and more. I, too, come from a mixed-religion background, and I wanted my kids to know a little about the religions of their grandparents, in a way that would relate to their own lives, and maybe eventually their own religious beliefs. A lot of thoughtful people asking important questions, helping each other through hard times, and trying to do good things in the community. Also: good music! read more

27th year here. Growth, development, change and steadfastness in ministry are notable features. Musicality marks: high. Sociai justice initiatives:by and large, individualized. Caring, casual and courageous are characteristics of FUSF congregants. Welcoming congregation? No doubt about it. Beautiful facility. Spiritual development of parishioners is evident. Strong community that just needs to talk itself up more. Great concert series- LiveARTs and COF. Good luck with your upcoming season! read more

I love the diversity, the thought-provoking sermons, the music, the people, the warmth, the caring, the friendships and most of all a collective spiritual community who care deeply about one another. read more