History of LCUUC

A relatively recent addition to the family of Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations in southeastern Wisconsin, ours was founded by a group of UUs residing in the Lake Country area. Our vision was that this region, with its rapid population growth, could only be fully reached with a local UU congregation of its 

​We began holding weekly services in September 1997, and were accepted for affiliation with the worldwide Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). For several years, we rented and held services on Sunday evenings at Delafield Presbyterian Church. In November 2000, we outgrew that building and moved to Jerusalem Presbyterian Church in Wales, where we continued to rent and hold services on Sunday evenings. In March 2006 we outgrew that building as well. We were finally able to purchase our own building in Hartland, WI, and change to a morning meeting time.

Charter Sunday - September 1997

When we opened our doors in Hartland in March 2006, we had 60 members.

In May of 2013, our congregation voted to call our first full-time minister, Reverend Amy Shaw. We continued to build a strong community for six years, but Rev. Amy decided to take another ministerial position with a larger UU church in Iowa. She finished her tenure with LCUUC on July 31, 2019.

Starting in December 2017, we organized a successful three-year capital campaign leading to major changes in the internal and external facilities. Larger improvements included a new heating and ventilation system, new exterior siding, and new windows. And in August 2021, we updated our carpeting, finishing the last of the major improvements. Thanks to the amazing group of people that helped make that happen - including those active in the planning and those that gave financial support!

LCUUC closed down the facilities due to COVID-19 in March 2020. We were still without a minister, so the LCUUC leaders took on the challenge of keeping members friends connected. There was a steep learning curve while the congregation quickly learned how to us Zoom to be able to keep offering services.

In August of 2020, LCUUC hired a three-quarter time minister, Reverend Carin Bringelson. Rev. Carin stepped into the position during the COVID-19 pandemic and also after a year of LCUUC being without a minister. Under such a daunting scenario, she joyfully and courageously built up this place of loving community - especially while we transitioned into a congregation with multi-platform services and activities and many pastoral needs. In November 2021 we stopped using Zoom for services and signed a four-year contract to offer live-streamed services instead. After quite a few members contracting COVID-19 (including some long-term cases), risk levels began to lower, and we returned to the building for services and meetings in February 2022. After a final gift to LCUUC of running a successful fundraiser to support the LCUUC Endowment Fund, Rev. Carin left LCUUC in June 2023 to minister to a different congregation in Iowa.

In August of 2023, Reverend Matt Aspin became LCUUC's full-time, developmental minister. We look forward to this next adventure for the LCUUC community!