New and Updated Histories : Minnesota
Excelsior
Lake Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
An update of the original Lake history published in Part 2
Lake Fellowship of UUs has been an active lay-led congregation since 1960. The membership of the group has always been relatively small, fluctuating between 20 to 30 households. Attendance averages 25 adults on most Sunday mornings.
Our congregation is more of an extended family than is the average church. This is a source of comfort when tragedy strikes, as it did so unexpectedly in 2006 when our former Chair and guiding light, Nancy Everson, was murdered. We will grieve her loss for years to come.
The lake from which the Fellowship takes its name is Lake Minnetonka, located a few miles west of Minneapolis. Early on, our members met in typical rental places: schools, lodge rooms, and the town hall. Good fortune smiled on us in 1968, when the gas company exhibited and auctioned off an all-gas home at the Minnesota State Fair. One of our members had the winning bid, which came with the condition that the building be moved from the fairgrounds within two weeks. We quickly raised the $16,000 needed to buy and move the building, purchase our property, and build a basement.
When the loan became due in 1979, the members again rallied. In one day, enough members accepted debentures and paid off the original loan. These debentures have since been paid off and now we are proudly debt-free. We have also added a large deck overlooking our woods, updated our kitchen, and taken care of maintenance matters both large and small. This has all been funded entirely by the generosity and hard work of our members.
Our simple A-frame building, our spiritual home, is nestled in the woods amidst the wildlife that dwelled there long before we came. We are forever grateful to those who had the vision and worked so hard to provide us with this sanctuary. They continue to serve us as role models as we strive to maintain and improve this special place so that it may be a UU gathering place for years to come.
Our community meets each Sunday between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Sunday mornings consist of sharing joys and concerns, opening music, a reading, and a presentation followed by open discussion.
Volunteers from the membership present programs about half of the time, while outside speakers and performing artists are engaged on other Sundays. These programs are informative, generally philosophical or issue-oriented in nature, and usually thought provoking. We strongly encourage congregational participation in these programs and appreciate the value of disagreement without being disagreeable. A sense of humor is essential.
Since the 1960's we have lost many active and vibrant members. Who would have thought we could carry on this wonderful legacy without them? However, almost miraculously, wonderful new people always seem to find us. They bring with them new perspectives, energy, and leadership. Thus our Lake Fellowship, although always evolving, continues to meet the needs of our UU community in its own unique way. All indications are that it will continue to be a vibrant and important part of the lives of all those who belong.