The West Shore Unitarian Universalist Congregation, or People's Church as we are more commonly known, has been a home for liberal religion in the Ludington area for over 20 years.

We have grown to over 100 members and friends representing women and men of all ages and all walks of life in our community. As the only UU church between Traverse City and Muskegon, our members and friends come from surrounding communities and counties including Manistee and Free Soil to the North and Pentwater and Shelby to the south.

What is a liberal religion and what does it mean to be a UU? We get these questions a lot. Admittedly, these aren't always easy questions to answer simply, especially since we UU's love to talk at length about questions of life and religion. Marta Flanagan, a writer, who also happens to be a UU, does a pretty good job, so we'll borrow her words to answer the basic questions of who we are:

"We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a noncreedal religion. Ours is a free faith."

People's Church has members and friends who come from different religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism. The rituals and beliefs of these and other religious traditions are rich and have shaped our lives. We honor them all, even as we approach them differently. What we share is a commitment to the UU principles of valuing and have compassion for every person; fighting for justice, equity, peace, and liberty; and adhering to the democratic process.

UU's have a rich history of leading vital and useful lives. Did you know that John Adams, Clara Barton, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Susan B. Anthony were all Unitarians or Universalists (the two religions consolidated in 1961