East Shore Unitarian Church - Bellevue (WA)

5 /5 Ian Highsmith: Absolutely beautiful church grounds. We walked up there to look at a Lego display they had in the sanctuary. I was expecting it to be a house or a flat-top building like a lot of the unitarian churches I used to go to in the South-east. But I was wrong. Its a stunning campus with old-growth trees, gardens, trails, artwork, beautifully designed buildings, and stained glass. Im extremely impressed, and Ive never been to sermon there, nor am I a religious person. 2024 update: I am now a member of this church. I am still not a religious person, but that is not a requirement for Unitarians, it seems. My children love it here, and there is a sense of community there that is lacking in other aspects of our lives. The programs they have for kids are fantastic, and the Family group that meets once a month has really helped my wife and I connect and feel less alone with the hardships of parenting.

5 /5 Catherine R: I found a home here with people like me who dont think they have all the answers. Who think that the world can be a confusing place and that we should listen to ideas from sages of all faiths and none, and decide for ourselves individually whose ideas make the most sense to us. We share in the search for meaning in life. We work to make the world a better place, both locally and globally. Life gives us many challenges, and we support each other thru good times and bad to be the best people we can be.

4 /5 Chris Spurlock: I was actually just here for a community meeting, so I have no idea what the church itself is actually like, but the grounds are very nice and the buildings are clean. Theres some auxiliary parking I didnt know about because there is minimal parking in the drive, but you can also park on the street.

2 /5 Carla Ross: I was a member of this church 5-6 years ago and came back after moving back into the area. The parishioners are still welcoming, kind and non judgemental and the campus is still absolutely breathtaking. The new pastor however needs to be elsewhere. He was not engaging, his sermons shared no insight or lesson, he seemed disinterested and like he wasnt knowledgeable enough about the UU religion. He didnt make any effort to welcome new people at all like previous pastors. As a result the congregation appears to have greatly dwindled from the previous congregation sizes. I wanted to give the church the benefit of the doubt so I attended 2 weeks in a row and both services to see if there was any difference in the number of people who attended or the quality of the sermon...from my perspective there was little difference except that the second week was worse. I am grieving the church I used to attend and am looking for an alternative but I am finding that difficult.

5 /5 w collins: Reverend Elaine Peresluha has come to East Shore bringing love, laughter, stability, common sense, spiritual insight, and a toolbox of everyday wisdom. She is friendly and accessible on Sunday morning after the sermon, and during office hours. There is a casual accessibility to her and a no-nonsense, lets get it done reality in her approach to ministering. East Shore is lucky to have her.