Adult Religious Exploration

The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara’s Adult Religious Exploration (ARE) gives adults the chance to go deeper — intellectually, socially, ethically, and spiritually. ARE supports personal spiritual journeys by providing opportunities to expand our knowledge, explore ideas and feelings, and grow emotionally and spiritually in a supportive community. From discussion groups, to lectures, to meditation, to community services and more, ARE has much to offer adults beyond our Sunday services. 

Opportunities for adult classes and affinity groups are always opening and evolving. Do you have a class or group you might want to offer? We’d love to hear your ideas. Contact Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration Charla Bregante at charla@ussb.org for an up-to-date list of offerings or visit the events calendar to find out what’s going on this week. All community members are welcome to join us!

Our current ARE offerings:

New Dream Circle Coming Soon! 

Dreamwork is the practice of exploring our dreams as meaningful reflections of our inner life. Join Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and USSB member, Jamie Tate, for a six session Dream Circle to explore your dreams, not as puzzles to be solved, but as symbols and stories to reflect on with care.

Childcare available by advance request. Contact charla@ussb.org for more information. 

Lunch & Learn Fall Series
All are welcome to join us for our Lunch & Learn workshops! Childcare is available with advance notice. For more information or to sign up contact Director of Religious Exploration Charla Bregante at charla@ussb.org. 

USSB Journaling Group
Stay tuned for the next Journaling Group! If you have topic for a Journaling Group, please contact Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration Charla Bregante at charla@ussb.org. 

Young Adults Group
For adults in their 20s and 30s to engage in spiritual reflection while building friendship and community. To be added to Young Adult email list, please contact the Outreach & Membership Manager at outreach@ussb.org. No need to be a member–all community members between the ages of 21-39 are welcome!

UU 101

Designed for newcomers to Unitarian Universalism (UU) and/or USSB, this class provides an exploration of UU history and theology and an introduction to congregational life at USSB. For more information and upcoming dates contact the Outreach & Membership Manager at outreach@ussb.org.

Contemporary Issues Forum –Stay tuned for 2025-2026 season!

Contemporary Issues Forum (CIF) is a monthly lecture series designed to promote understanding, enlightenment, and engagement on complex contemporary issues that shape our world. CIF runs October through May and is the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00-9:00 PM in Parish Hall. Be sure to visit our events calendar for the Contemporary Issues Forum.

Connection Circles

Sessions offered twice per year*. Contact Carol Schwyzer (carolschwyzer@gmail.com) or Becky Blake (buckyblack@aol.com) for more information about joining a Connection Circle group. 

These small groups create meaningful connections with other folks in our congregation. Together groups reflect on a different theme each month, using a practice of deep and respectful sharing and listening, which creates a safe, confidential, and welcoming space. Each group is guided by a facilitator and meets twice monthly. In person or online – we have two ways to gather! Join us for our next session, meeting twice a month. Each meeting is an hour and a half long. Sign up here or on Sundays during coffee hour at a Connection Circles table.

Earth Advocates Film Series 

A series of films addressing environmental and climate issues, co-hosted by the USSB Earth Advocates and the Community Environmental Council (CEC). Screenings take place at CEC’s Environmental Hub in Santa Barbara. For more details visit our events calendar.