Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church

We are not members… yet. We may never be. But we are getting married here.
The grounds are beautiful. The buildings have clean, fresh and open feeling about them. Leslie and Shawn have been wonderful to work with. The fees are reasonable and allow our tight budget to have our special day at a very special place.
Having had the wedding and reception now, I can say that without a doubt if it weren’t for Shaun Smith and Leslie Takahashi, it would not have gone so smoothly.
Shaun had a couple of guys to help us set up. Thank goodness, because I brought one friend (was suppose to have two, but one called in sick) to help with Everything. That means we had 1 ½ hour to set up the Sanctuary and the reception hall! Well, we did it! The wedding was only a couple of minutes off schedule. Not bad for do it yourself-​ers!
Our only complication was the office staff. Communication was not the best, if not spotty. You may have to go in person to get your business taken care of. If you’re going to sign a contract (we did), be very, VERY sure to check your wedding date. We assumed that it would be correct and found out a week before our wedding that it was wrong and needed to be amended. Not a big deal, right? Well, the phone call we received was «We have you down for getting married last week. Did you still want to do that?» WHAT? The call was handled improperly, probably from inexperience. It was my fault for not proof reading, but if they were worried about a wedding not happening, I think they would have called before hand, not after.
Non the less, our wedding day was perfect and everything was just like we wanted it to be. Shaun was a gem to work with and we were able to spend a little more time with Leslie at the reception getting to know her for the wonderful person that she is. She made sure our ceremony was a memorable one and a fun one!

My husband Peter and I have been members of this church since 2004, after more than 20 years of feeling like we did not need any Church. The people are wonderful and welcome all. In this community, you are free to participate in a variety of spiritual journeys. There is no One-​Way, there is support to explore Your-​Way. And the youth programs are amazing! I wish I had known about this place when I was raising our kids.

I’ve been coming for a year and love it, this community is very welcoming to new-​comers and doesn’t try to convert you. There are lots of different ways to participate, if you want a sermon sunday morning or you want to hang out and talk to like minded people, or something in between, MDUUC has got you covered.
I don’t know exactly what the young adult community was like in the past, but now there is a young adult group that meets periodically, for events like potluck, board games and hiking. The group is made up mostly of people who also joined in the last year or two.
This church has changed my life: I used to sleep in on Sundays and wish I had more friends, now I jump on my bike nearly every week so I can get there on time for choir practice and am friends with so many awesome folks. Not nirvana or anything, but it’s just what I needed.
Warning: the word ‘G/​god’ is occasionally used, but atheists like me are welcome.

Marilyn and I have been a part of the MDUUC community for 20 years and we are always amazed by the people, the thought provoking sermons, the Friday night coffee house with wonderful entertainers, but it is really the people that make the MDUUC community. Every church is different, even churches of the same denomination. There is a wonderful feeling about MDDUC, the church on the hill in Walnut Creek, that sets it apart from anywhere else. Rev. David Sammons, the minister emeritus summed it up in his reflections on ¹⁄₂₇. You can see his comments at:
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If you come to MDUUC one Sunday soon, please find Marilyn or myself during the coffee social between services, we’d love to meet you.

I really had a great time at the service here today. I think that this is a good place to drop by if you are not sure about it, and they have a lovely place of worship. The Pastor is amazing and gave a great service. I will be going back.

Been coming here for 6 years… my husband and I love it! Great community! Love their ministers! Love the social justice work! Highly recommend!

This is a church like no other I’ve found. (I «found» it May 22, 2011.) The ministers, a husband and wife team, are rising stars in the denomination. Their sermons are full of interest, humor, and wisdom. They don’t give answers but invite you to think about things that really matter. The congregation, a lively group of all sorts of people, learn from each other and have an open-​minded approach to truth. They appear to be spiritual without being «religious.» There are no doctrines or required beliefs, just a commitment to personal growth and community outreach. There are classes for all ages on Sunday and through the week, plus opportunities to work on a variety of concerns from peace to immigration reform.
The campus is a little hard to find but worth the effort. Handsome buildings under tall trees give a feeling of being out in nature instead of the city. The church is large but the congregation is growing so fast there are now two Sunday services, at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Dress is informal and everyone is friendly and welcoming.
Oh, I almost forgot, good coffee and lively conversation after the service.

MDUUC is an amazing, welcoming community that works to promote free thinking, social justice and personal spiritual growth. It does so with thought provoking sermons, excellent religious education classes for all ages as well as community events like haunted houses, coffee house, apple pie night, community dinners, vespers services, meditation. My wife and I are so glad we found this church seven years ago and it just keeps getting better.

I have attended this church for 14 years and it has gone through a lot of changes in that time. A new sanctuary was opened in 2000, a new social hall was added last year, and it seems to me that the level of enthusiasm, energy and participation has gone up a lot since the new (co-​) ministers came two years ago. The social hall has also added space to have a lot more social events like dances and coffee house and other live music performances, which have been a lot of fun. The coffee is better now, too, and the bagels are still popular.
I remember when the youth group went through a difficult time, as one of the reviewers said below. That was a temporary issue, though, and I’ve not heard of any problems within the last 10 years. I don’t have a child in the youth group, myself, but I only hear good things about it these days from people who do or from the teens who are part of it. The children’s program is so popular that they are running out of space for it. In fact, that’s one of the reasons the church is switching back to two services starting in September.
I always find the services very interesting and engaging these days, and really like the music. I would definitely recommend this church to anyone who is looking for a liberal religious community in the area.

We have great new ministers and the sanctuary and reception hall are beautiful. This church is great for people who want to integrate their intellect and their hearts. Garrison Keller jokes that the Unitarian symbol is a question mark not the cross, but the principles the church community works from are healthy and inclusive. If you want a healthy place to give children an understanding of the values of religion, without forcing a specific dogma, or want to meet people who care about their community and the world without a righteous judgment of
your beliefs, come to visit on a Sunday morning at 10:30. Summer services are often led by key members, but the music year around is great and services are seldom boring.

I used to go to church.
No really.
Stop laughing.
I am a former member of their youth group, YRUU. Don’t ask me what it stands for because I can’t remember. I was 19, it was a long time ago.
I also went to Sunday service. But to be entirely truthful, 99% of the time it was for the bagels.
My affair with the church youth group is a long arduous story with lots of pit falls and scenes of intrigue. But suffice it to say I no longer go.
The problem with the Youth group is that the people who run it have the best intentions for it to be a safe haven for teenagers. They mean it to be a group to come to once a week, to get away from family, socialize and talk about yourself and your week.
However it ended (I say ended because I haven’t been in awhile) up more like a scene from Lord of the Flies. Where kids lord over each other, fights erupt, and the huge age discrepancy of having 13 years olds with 19 and 20 year olds becomes a basis for angst.
While I was there we tried vainly to get a group between UUYAN, which is (or was I don’t know if it’s still there) the adult group… ie 30 year olds and YRUU, for the late teens and twenties. But to no avail.
So though the youth group is a great idea in theory, the church doesn’t pull it off.
But hey, feel free to go for the bagels.

I am an athiest, and it is hard to find a faith community consistent with my beliefs. Fortunately, Unitarian Universalism doesn’t take a position on God, but rather recognizes the inherent spiritual worth of every living being. That’s really neat, because I can hang out with kindred spirits who share a basic belief system that is based on what I find to be true.
First thing you’ll notice about MDUUC is that the sanctuary has a beautiful view out over the hills and the town of Walnut Creek. Yet, this rarely distracts from the service. The next thing you’ll notice is that the congregation has a lot of grey hair, and people under 40 are somewhat novel. This has been attributed to the fact that most people don’t become spiritual seekers until the latter part of their life, but I think the congregation also reflects the local demographic reality that the cool young people aren’t staying in Contra Costa.
That said, there is a Sunday School for the kids who have not yet escaped to college. The kids get to hear a children’s story in front of the congregation each Sunday before being shuffled off to their weekly activity.
The services are hit-​or-​miss. Some can be deeply moving, others, maybe a bit cerebral. UUs are not known for hellfire and damnation. The long-​time minister, Dave Sammons, has retired this year. There will be an interim ministry for two years before selecting a new minister. So, it should be an interesting time of transition for the congregation.
Newcomers can drop in on the Sunday service at 10:30AM. You’ll be greeted, fill out a name tag, and after the service you’ll get a complimentary cup of not-​very-​good coffee in a red mug so that folks will know to approach you and help you feel welcome. I am no longer attending this church as I have moved out of the area.