What Abundant LUUv means to me

Abundant LUUv is where I can go to express myself and my progressive values in a supportive and loving community free from the baggage of the types of churches I went to as a child. No one here tells me what I should believe or value, which is good for me, because I (more or less) already know that.

Instead, what Abundant LUUv offers me is a way to reflect in community with others on how I can mold my actions to better reflect my beliefs and values. In other words, it helps me be more mindful about how I can, as the saying goes, be the change that I wish to see in the world.

As we say every Sunday during our welcome, these are extraordinary times we are living in. It is up to each of us to decide how we will respond to challenges that lay ahead. I choose to make those decisions in community with individuals who, I am certain, respect and value the inherent worth of everything and everyone and who are willing to say and do what is required to put those values into practice.

Abundant LUUv isn’t just a congregation—it’s a community asset–for its members, for its neighbors and for UUs far beyond the city of Atlanta.  It’s a spiritual home for folks who don’t always get to have one, a caring community that shows up with food, rides, shoulders, prayers, and laughter. Week after week, we’re offering material support and real companionship to a wide, diverse, gorgeous cross-section of community. This is what faith in action looks like.

I’m proud that our generosity isn’t limited to our own walls. Our ongoing support of the Carrie Steele-Pitts Home is one of the clearest expressions of our commitment to Black children, Black families, and the future of this city. Their steadfast work calls us deeper into who we say we are.

And now we’re making another big commitment—investing in accessibility by building a ramp. This is the kind of decision that tells the truth about our values. We’re not just preaching welcome; we’re funding it. We’re making sure every body can belong here.

I am proud and honored to belong to the Abundant LUUv congregation. It is this community that has been there for me. In seasons when life has felt overwhelming, this congregation and our ministers have held me with tenderness and wisdom. And in moments of joy, you’ve celebrated with me like family. Abundant LUUv has shaped my spirit and strengthened my hope, and I give because I want others to experience that same steadying love.

If this congregation has touched your life—if it’s steadied you, inspired you, or given you a place to land—I hope you’ll make a Giving Tuesday gift today. Whatever amount feels right, your contribution helps sustain the kind of spiritual home Atlanta desperately needs.

With love and deep gratitude,

Nicole Pressley
Director of Organizing Strategy, UUA
Proud Member of Abundant LUUv

I am proud to serve on the board of Abundant LUUv. I have known Rev. Duncan Teague since my early years at the UU Congregation of Atlanta, when Thurman Hamer Ellington UU Congregation (THE) nested in their building. Abundant LUUv has carried on the work that THE began as an intentionally diverse start-up in metro Atlanta some years ago. Unfortunately, they were forced to close their doors due to a number of issues, including insufficient fiscal and human resources.

Abundant LUUv’s presence in the West End represents the face of liberal religion in a community for those looking for a non-creedal faith community that is welcoming and embraces individuals and families regardless of the color of their skin, who they love and what pronouns they use or don’t use. It is not for everybody. It is for those who want to be a part of a community of people who want justice for themselves and others. It is for everyone and particularly for those who have been shunned, ostracized and dismissed in other faith communities. Abundant LUUv is for those who need to hear or be reminded that they are loved and worthy just as they are. It is for those who are loved and worthy and want others to know they are loved and worthy.

Abundant LUUv reminds me why I became Unitarian Universalist thirty-three years ago and why I felt called to ministry eighteen years ago. Abundant LUUv is a light in the midst of the darkness. It is a place to bring your light, and/or to find your light. Join us in sharing and receiving the light of friendship, the light of community, and the light of love and justice every Sunday morning.  Your support is greatly appreciated as we continue to shine the light of Unitarian Universalism in the West End.

Elder Rev. Dr. Qiyamah A. Rahman
Vice President and Chaplain, Abundant Love UU Board of Directors

I’m in a unique position in that I have been attending Abundant LUUv since 2020 as a virtual congregant. The COVID-19 pandemic gave me an opportunity to remotely explore ministries since many of them offered to stream their worship services, and Abundant LUUv is where I have felt the most at home. The pastor and members embraced me immediately, and I was put to work shortly thereafter: reading sacred texts, taking up the offering all the way from Jackson, Mississippi, and even updating the website.

Even though I live in a different time zone, I was never treated as an outsider. The church recognizes my willingness to be involved and respects my spiritual background. Even though I was not brought up as a UU, I share similar beliefs with the church, which include a mutual respect for humankind and the belief that love conquers all.

With the recent expansion of the ministry online, the move to a new facility with new responsibilities such as utilities and maintenance, and the construction of the accessibility ramp, Abundant LUUv is the proverbial little engine that could, but even little engines need fuel to move. For them, that fuel is financial contributions.

I compel you to donate this Giving Tuesday to Abundant LUUv so they can continue the good work of spiritual nourishment with an emphasis on social justice and equality.

Thank you,

Latasha Willis
Webmistress, aluuv.org
Secretary, Abundant Love UU Board of Directors