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Stock markets imploding, banks failing or being bailed out, factories closing, terrorists bombing, arctic ice melting ... All day, every day we are barraged with bad news, dire predictions and negative chatter.

There is no question but that we are in a difficult moment in human history. Whatever the causes of this daily turmoil, and there are many, we know that those who came before us have experienced worse times with fewer resources at hand than those of us lucky enough to live in a developed nation have available to help us cope. But that knowledge alone is not enough to bring us cheer.

When the predictions of an impending world depression became more frequent, my initial reaction was "my life has gone full circle." After all, I was born as the nation was slowly recovering from the Great Depression of the 30's and spent my early childhood glued to the radio for news of the war and learning to read from the pages of newspapers and magazines filled with stories and photos of the violence of war.

We overcame the economic troubles of the 1930s and by and large have enjoyed prosperity in America ever since. We even have had some intervening years of relative peace, during which times America's youth were not being killed on foreign soil. That may be why today's economic reversals and two wars seemingly without end have filled the air with impending gloom.

How did our parents and grandparents make it through the challenges they faced? I suspect that my family's experience was typical. They turned to family and community for support and strength. The extended family provided shelter and food while dad looked for work. Our church provided the supportive community, a place for hope and peaceful reflection.

It does not matter which of the multitude of faiths the church adheres to. What matters is that each church provides a safe place for its members and friends to laugh, to cry, to be brave, to be scared. It has been said that when times are tough, what we need most is one another. In our churches, we gather with others who share our values and our hopes and dreams for this life and, in most belief systems, an afterlife. It is a place where trust, respect, and love can drown out, if only for an hour or a day, the bombardment of negative news and give us hope for a better tomorrow.

Our churches also provide an important source of secular aid for those in need. Many local churches operate food banks or soup kitchens. Others have special collections to provide needed funds to local charities. Members volunteer to cook at the Glory Hole or provide labor for many other community needs. In short, our churches become more important than ever when times are tough.

It is the importance of my chosen church to its community of individuals and the potential of its importance to the larger community that has motivated us to take the risk of owning our own building and develop plans to make that building a resource for both of those communities. So even in these difficult and uncertain economic times, we hope to invest in a resource that is sorely needed.

When Unitarian Universalists gather to worship, most begin the service by lighting a chalice, accompanied by opening words. Rev. Dr. Lindsay Bates, of the Geneva, Ill., Unitarian Universalist church, has written the following, which describes well the role the church plays in difficult times:

To face the world's shadows, a chalice of light.

To face the world's coldness, a chalice of warmth,

To face the world's terrors, a chalice of courage.

To face the world's turmoil, a chalice of peace.

May its glow fill our spirits, our hearts, and our lives.

At the end of each service in our local congregation, we join hands and sing a song in praise of our community:

From you I receive, to you I give.

Together we share and from this we live.

So whatever your religious beliefs, whatever your church affiliation, this is the time to recognize and support your church. It is never more important.

• Dave Dierdorff is board chairman of the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.