WELCOME TO FRAMLINGHAM UNITARIANS
We welcome all those willing to make time to live more deeply – exploring faith or spirituality with an open mind, in a spirit of freedom, reason and tolerance.
WHO WE ARE
We are not a new group. You may never heard of us but some of Britain’s greatest historical figures like Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Blackwell (first woman doctor) and Charles Darwin had strong Unitarian connections or sympathies. In our contemporary age, World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee is a Unitarian. All of these people have offered a major contribution to making the world a better place – turning original thought into action. Though we cannot all be world-changers, Unitarians see absolutely everyone as having innate worth and dignity.
Our congregation has existed in Framlingham for over three hundred years. Yet we believe that the best kind of tradition is one that is open to evolution and change, reflecting new understandings, so as to better meet people’s needs and nurture people’s hopes in the world as we experience it today.
We do not strive for uniform beliefs among our Meeting House community. In fact, we view creeds as unhelpful – binding us to beliefs that may no longer make much sense to us.
Instead all are encouraged, and supported, to develop their own spiritual understanding as an aid to daily living. We do this through regular Sunday gatherings, study groups and other activities.
We have a beautiful historic space which has been a place of quiet reflection and celebration for centuries and we want to make it welcoming for as many as people as possible.
OUR ETHOS
Drawing strength from liberal Christian roots and philosophies ancient and modern, our community is open to insight from the widest range of sources – including science, humanism, non-Christian faiths and, not least, our own personal life experience. In this spirit, we seek to develop and grow as a supportive community of inclusive faith – working to extend our vision of hope beyond the Meeting House walls in service to our neighbours and our wider world.
Weddings, Naming Ceremonies & Funerals
We perform personalised wedding ceremonies, including for same-sex couples, naming ceremonies and funerals.
Our Unitarian Meeting House | Chapel
We welcome you to enjoy this beautiful historic space which has been a place of quiet reflection and celebration for centuries.
Join us at our Sunday Gatherings
Our services are currently held twice a month (on the second and fourth Sundays) at 4pm. We understand ‘worship’ according to the verb’s original Old English meaning – to recognise worth.
Activities within our community
As well as our programme of services, our community enjoys a variety of activities including coffee mornings, special group meetings, classes for well being and social events.
Meet our Minister, Rev. Matthew Smith
The Rev. Matthew Smith became our Minister in October 2014 having previously worked as Information Officer at Unitarian Headquarters in London for fourteen years before a stint in local government.
Hire our meeting house for your special events
We want to make our Meeting House welcoming for as many people as possible so our Meeting House is available for hire for regular activities or one-off events.
UNITARIANISM EXPLAINED
A different approach to religion explained in this video by Rev. Matthew Smith
“A Faith Worth Thinking About”
THE LATEST NEWS
The Frambridge Chronicle April 2016
The Eastern Union, our District Association linking Unitarian congregations in East Anglia, has been suspended from 1st April 2016 for a period of two years
read more
The Frambridge Chronicle March 2016
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, And the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
read more
Mindfulness Course – COMING SOON
Barbara Winfield will be launching a new mindfulness course
read moreFRIENDS OF THE MEETING HOUSE
We are currently seeking to develop a Friends of the Meeting House scheme.
If you would like further information, please contact the current minister, Rev. Matthew Smith
Unitarian Site Links
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
The National Unitarian Fellowship
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth
Unitarian Church in Hungary’s Links Page (hundreds of links)
100 Questions that Non-Members Ask About Universal Unitarianism
The Send A Child To Hucklow Fund
Other Links
To sample some other ‘religious’ and ‘non-religious’ movements, too – try these:
Christian Sites:
The World Community for Christian Meditation
The Progressive Christianity Network for Britain & Ireland
Sea of Faith Network
The ecumenical community of Taizé
Radical Faith
Retreat Communities:
The Iona Community
Findhorn Foundation
Haughland House Retreat Centre
Othona Community at Burton Bradstock
Buddhist Sites:
Community of Interbeing
Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship
Pantheist Sites:
World Pantheism Movement
Taoist Sites:
Taoism Initiation Page
Sufi Sites:
The Sufi Way
Religious Freedom:
International Association for Religious Freedom
Green Spirituality:
GreenSpirit
Other Sites of Interest:
Dances of Universal Peace
INNER BOOKSHOP
The Faith Column – New Statesman website
Inspirational DVD by Neale Donald Walsch
Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House
Bridge Street, Framlingham, Suffolk IP13 9AJ