The Sunday Assembly Madison, a new secular congregation focused on community, opened its doors to the public Sunday and held its first monthly meeting on the city’s southwest side.

Sunday Assembly describes itself as a godless congregation dedicated to celebrating life by living better, helping often and wondering more.

Naomi Kroth, the president of Sunday Assembly Madison, said her goal is to make Sunday Assembly a place for atheists and non-atheists alike.

“I don’t want this to be a pulpit,” Kroth said. “We’re not here to tell you what to think or believe. We’re here to build community, to be a place to springboard from and to do good.”

Kroth said the use of the phrase “atheist church” by those in the community and the media when describing the assembly is used to get attention more than anything else.

A more accurate description of the group, she said, is a “secular congregation.”

“Church really does imply religion,” Kroth said, “but the word church also has the sense of community and togetherness that we want to imply.”

In many ways, Sunday Assembly is very similar to a traditional church service. There is still singing, but instead of traditional religious hymns, they sing songs like The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and Pete Seger’s “Inch by Inch.” The talks, given by members of the community, are also secular.

One of the talks during the assembly was from Scott McAndrew, a Dane County Circuit Court commissioner and a certified secular celebrant who performs secular weddings.

“Any wedding that doesn’t involve a church could be classified as a secular wedding,” McAndrew said. “Any wedding performed by a judge or a commissioner would generally be a secular wedding.”

The idea for the group began in London in 2013, and today, has spread worldwide with more than 150 Sunday Assemblies across the world, 67 of which are in the U.S.

The Madison Sunday Assembly is one of 36 new assemblies that launched Sunday. Other assemblies opened in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Seattle, Toronto, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.

When she addressed the congregation, Kroth said hearing different voices and different opinions is of the utmost importance.

“As long as we make sure I’m not the only one every month giving you my thoughts, but other people get a chance to share their thoughts as well, we’ll have managed the risk,” Kroth said.