[UUAA news] UUAA Weekly News | March 10 - 16, 2022

[First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor]

All you need to know about UUAA this week.  This Week at UUAA March 10 - 16, 2022 If you are unable to view this entire email, scroll down to the bottom and click "view entire message." The email ends with a "contact us" button and our address. The Weekly News is distributed each Thursday. Deadlines for submissions are Tuesdays at 5:00pm. The deadline for the Weekly News March 17 - March 23 is Tuesday, March 15 at 5:00pm Eastern through this form. The deadline for the April Monthly Newsletter is Monday, March 21 at 5pm Eastern through this form. Questions? Watch this video on how to submit to the Weekly News, or email Hannah at communications at uuaa.org.  Support the ministries of UUAA: Make an online offering. Click here to download and read this week's Pastoral Care News.  Spring Forward Sunday, March 13 Don't forget to set your clock ahead an hour before you go to bed on Saturday night! Sunday Worship “Faith in Action: Our Shared Journey During the Pandemic” Sunday, March 13, 9:30am & 11:30am Two years into our shared experience of the pandemic, we have experienced many lows, highs, anxieties, and accomplishments. How have we moved through this time, individually and collectively? In navigating pandemic experiences of grief, loss, and sacrifice, what has sustained us, supported us, and held us through this time, and how might those strengths continue to hold and guide us? After the Sunday Service There will be a limited number of tables set up in the Social Hall for social justice and fund-raising activities after both services. Stop by to visit the tables to see what is being offered.    Grab-and-go doughnuts will be available at the main entrance for you to take with you as you leave the building.   Please note our Covid Safety Policies: Anyone entering the UUAA building for activities/business is expected to be fully vaccinated and boostered, as eligible, and must remain properly masked at all times. A video of our updated policy is available here.   *Exception to the mask requirement: Members of the worship team who are actively speaking may remove their masks. All unmasked speakers on the chancel have tested negative in the preceding 24 hours.  Upcoming Events & Announcements For a full list of events, visit the UUAA Calendar. UUA Supporting Those Impacted by the Crisis in Ukraine In response to the outpouring of concern, the UUA shares the most up to date information on how UUs in this country and around the world are responding and amplify the ways that we can all help. Read more here. Consider Supporting the Klein Fund  For those who got to participate in UUAA's programming with Mark Nepo this weekend, or will be participating ”on demand,” please know that UUAA is able to bring dynamic and meaningful speakers such as Nepo to our community thanks to the Klein Fund. The Klein Fund is a fund that supports such programming, and as it is not an endowed fund, it exists through the ongoing generous financial support of our members and friends. Please consider giving to the Klein Fund. Go to Giving and select “Klein Fund” to support our community's ability to continue bringing high caliber and impactful speakers/guests to UUAA and Ann Arbor. As a bonus, the first 25 individuals donating $50 or more will receive a complimentary copy of one of Mark Nepo's books! Thank you, in advance! Capital Campaign Information Session  Sunday, March 13, 2:00pm - 3:00pm   Remember! This Sunday, there will be a Zoom meeting at 2:00pm to answer your questions about the upcoming capital campaign.    To view the Capital Campaign letter, click here.  To view the FAQs, click here.  To register for a Zoom link to the Sunday meeting, click here.    Questions? Email ed at uuaa.org.   Rev. Manish's Latest “Modern Widow” Podcast Spot   Rev. Manish's latest podcast appearance, with the “Modern Widows,” entitled "New Year, New Spiritual You," is now available. Click here to check it out! Access to the Recording of the Mark Nepo Workshop  For our UUAA members who may have missed Mark Nepo’s workshop with the UUAA and broader Ann Arbor community on February 19, the on-demand ability to watch the Saturday workshop is now available. Please email hannah at uuaa.org to receive a link to the recording. This link is available to friends and members of the congregation.  Mindful Aging Saturday, March 12, 1:00pm - 2:30pm   You are welcome to join fellow UUs to discuss Mindful Aging Saturday, March 12 at 1:00pm via Zoom. The topic is “Health Disparities: How does unfair and unequal healthcare hurt everyone, especially the older adult?” The link for the first recorded session about this topic is here. For the discussion Zoom link and questions, email Sandy Breck at sbreck at umich.edu. UUAA Veterans for Peace (VFP) Meeting Sunday, March 13, 10:30am - 11:30am in the Brown Room and via Zoom   Some time back, Mike Muha and Tim Richards proposed that the UUAA VFP subgroup develop a way for us, in conjunction with our parent group, Veterans for Peace Chapter 93, to provide support and assistance to formerly incarcerated veterans here in Washtenaw County.   With the apparent decline in COVID-19 incidence, we propose that we convene in person at the UUAA building in the Brown Room and via Zoom between services on Sunday, March 13. The purpose of this initial meeting will be to:   define the problem we think we want to address, identify resources available, identify strategies to explore, and  begin to develop an action plan.    Please join us. To receive the Zoom link or get questions answered, email vets4peace at uuaa.org.  Board of Trustees Meeting  Tuesday, March 15, 6:30pm - 8:30pm [note the new time]   Please note that the March 15 Board of Trustees meeting will begin at 6:30pm instead of its usual 7:00pm time. The 6:30pm start time will be in effect for at least the March and April meetings. The Board meets via Zoom each month on the third Tuesday. Observers are welcome. Click here to register and receive a link.  UUAA Fiber Arts Group Wednesday, March 16, 7:00pm - 9:00pm (via Zoom)   Come knit, crochet, embroider, or engage in some form of fiber arts together. UUAA Fiber Arts Group meets on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of the month for fellowship and sharing of knowledge and ideas. If you are a beginner looking for support or an experienced crafter, all are welcome. We also have quilters that have joined us.   If you would like to make comfort shawls or baby blankets for Pastoral Care, arrangements can be made to supply you with the yarn and pattern.    We meet the first Saturday of the month, 11:00am -1:00pm in person at the UUAA Young Room, and the third Wednesday of the month, 7:00pm - 9:00pm on Zoom.     For the Zoom link or questions, send us an email at crafters at uuaa.org. Climate Work Data Dive for All Interested Wednesday, March 16, 7:00pm - 8:30pm   Join us for a dive into the data collected for UUAA’s Climate Work Planning from the 2021 Congregational Climate Survey, Gathering Table breakouts, and meeting discussions related to:    mitigating the climate crisis; adapting and building resilience to impacts of the crisis; securing justice by collaborating with marginalized communities; and transforming our congregation for climate justice mobilization.     Discussion materials will be sent for review before the meeting. To get the Zoom link and materials for the meeting and/or to be put on the Climate Action mailing list, please contact climate at uuaa.org or go to Our UUAA Community Facebook page.  Kaleidoscope Movie Night Friday, March 18, 7:00pm - 9:00pm   Kaleidoscope (UUAA’s queer/LGBTQIA+ identity group) is hosting a movie night for ages 18+. We will be watching Bound, a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller written and directed by the Wachowskis in their feature film directorial debut. It has been hailed as “a masterpiece of lesbian cinema.”   We will be streaming the film on Zoom and offering in-person viewing at UUAA. Please RSVP here to receive location and Zoom information.   Save the date for our queer/LGBTQIA+ book discussion on Saturday, April 23 at 2:00pm. Read any book you consider to be queer or in the LGBTQIA+ rainbow to participate.   Questions? Want to join our mailing list? Please contact KaleidoscopeInfo at uuaa.org. Winter Work Day on UUAA Land Saturday, March 19, noon - 6:00pm   The Men's Council is sponsoring a work day on the UUAA property March 19, noon - 6:00pm (rain date March 26) open to all adults. We will be clearing brush, repairing the septic field road, removing fences, and other tasks vetted by the church administration. (More details will be sent after you sign up.) Sign up here.   Because we are renting a “Bobcat” and chipper, we strongly recommend that children not participate in this workday.   At 5:00pm, we will celebrate our efforts around a campfire with anyone who wants to join us (including kids). Please bring your own refreshments and food. We will have a grill and provide burgers. Questions? Email Tom at tchettleburgh at gmail.com.  Newcomer Chalice Circle | Covenant  Saturday, March 19, 1:00pm - 3:00pm Register by Sunday, March 13   Are you new to UUAA? Would you like to get to know others who are also new, while exploring a basic tenet of Unitarian Universalism? Join us for a Zoom discussion of covenantal religion. How does this differ from credal religion? What inspiration or challenges are presented with a covenant? You will receive short reflections and questions in advance, and we will practice a deep-listening format during the discussion. We ask that when you sign up, you commit to attending and to logging into the Zoom room by the start time. All information shared during Chalice Circles is confidential. Register by March 13. Questions? Email Welcome Ministries Coordinator Hannah Hotchkiss at Hannah at uuaa.org.  Community of Writers Zoom Meeting Sunday, March 20, 1:00pm - 3:00pm   “What’s in a Name” is the prompt that member Lori Reece suggests for the Community of Writers March meeting. A sample of questions from Lori: What does your name mean?  Does it seem to fit? Have you ever had a nickname? Did you like it? Some people change their names as adults. Have you? As always, you may write and read on the suggested topic or read any of your original writing.    If you want more of Lori’s questions, the Zoom link, or information, contact Kathy Friedrichs at Kamf at umich.edu or Sandy at Kunkle at gmail.com. From Rev. Manish: Feedback Sessions Regarding UUAA’s Acting Directors – Your Input Is Needed Wednesday, March 23, 7:00pm - 8:00pm (regarding our Acting Director of Spiritual Growth and Development)   Two of UUAA’s current staff members—Stella Anderson and Carter Smith—each hold the title of “Acting Director” of the Spiritual Growth and Development Program and of Music Ministries, respectively. As has been previously shared with our community, UUAA has many options before us, which include possibilities such as making either or both of our Acting Directors the hired Director for their respective programs, extending the “Acting” positions for a second year, and/or entering intentional search processes, among other options. While all staffing decisions ultimately lie with the senior minister, UUAA’s Personnel Working Group is helping gather intentional feedback from our community members to help better inform how we will move forward. This is your chance to participate, and your participation matters! If you LOVE how our Acting Directors are leading their respective programs, please do not assume that each of them are going to be the permanent hire. (Either/both may not be.) If you have questions or reservations about either/both Acting Directors, please do not assume that it will all get worked out in some larger search process. (There might not be one.) Community members are strongly encouraged to participate in this intentional feedback and assessment process—what we hear from the community, collectively, will directly support how UUAA proceeds with permanent staffing. Read more here. TrUU Hope Movie Night Youth Group Friday, March 25, 7:30pm - 9:30pm   Join the TrUU Hope movie watch party to view “Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt).” Allies are welcome at movie night.   TrUU Hope is a UUAA group for LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and similarly identified) youth. We aim to grow community and to provide social, support, educational, and activist programs and opportunities for our youth to explore their identities and interests.   Questions? Want to be added to our email list? Send an email to TrUUHopeInfo at uuaa.org. SunDay FunDay Spring Celebration Sunday, March 27, 12:30pm - 1:45pm   Join us for a SunDay FunDay spring celebration after the second service! We will jump into spring with hopscotch and summer games, decorate plant pots and plant sunflowers seeds, and serve a light meal of hummus rolls, fruit, and lemonade. Food will be served in the courtyard outside the Social Hall, and games and crafts will be outside, weather permitting—otherwise they will be held in the Social Hall. We are looking forward to seeing congregants of all ages! Questions? Email Hannah at hannah at uuaa.org. To help with this event, sign up here.  Beyond Hospitality and Inclusion: Becoming a Radically Welcoming Congregation Sunday, April 3, 2:00pm - 3:30pm   Join in UUAA's Radical Welcome journey by coming to our virtual Gathering Table.    Zr. Alex Kapitan will join the Radical Welcome team to guide participants through a workshop about Radical Welcome, going beyond friendliness and hospitality and getting at the heart of what it means to be a community that actively invites the voices, presence, and power of people of all identities, beliefs, and backgrounds. It will be an interactive workshop, so come with an open heart! The registration for the Zoom link will be published in upcoming editions of the Weekly News.    Want to volunteer? Questions? Email RadicalWelcome at UUAA.org. The Scrip Table Is Back in Business Sundays, after each service, in the Social Hall   The intentional use of scrip (gift cards) purchased from UUAA is an easy way to support the congregation. You purchase a gift card (which the Scrip Program buys at a discount) and get full value for the purchase. The program offers cards from 16 retailers in our inventory, as well as cards from over 700 merchants that can be ordered. To start, choose three places where you shop or eat. If you chose Whole Foods, Speedway, and CVS, the rebates given to the church would be 3%, 4%, and 6%, respectively, for each card purchased. Questions? Stop by the table on Sunday or contact Carolyn at cmbarber at umich.edu. Support Fair Trade Farmers, UUAA, and UUSC Stop by the Fair Trade Coffee Table during Social Hour and support small farm cooperatives globally while also helping to fundraise for UUSC social justice programs and our UUAA congregation. Choose from fair trade organic chocolates, coffee, teas, nuts, dried fruits, and Palestinian olive oils. Questions? Contact Ilene Beninson at ilene.beninson at gmail.com. Green Corner:  What's So Great About Compost?   Gardeners know that compost makes great fertilizer, but did you know composting also fights climate change? Yes, kitchen scraps and plant waste that are composted give off a little CO₂, but in the landfill these same scraps break down slowly in anaerobic conditions and give off methane, a greenhouse gas that is 20 times worse than CO₂ for global warming.   Composting can be as easy as piling organic waste in a corner of your yard or putting it in a bin for curbside pickup.   For more info:  Ann Arbor Recycle Compost Guide  Earth Easy Guide to Composting Gardeners: How to Compost The Art of Lazy Composting UUCivs Community Liaisons Needed UUCivs is part of the Voting Access for All Coalition, a group which needs additional people power to reach out to community organizations in Ypsi/Washtenaw County and provide them with voting information and resources.    The time commitment is only two to four hours, and instructions and materials will be supplied.    Please consider volunteering for this effort—we did this work in 2020 and it was impactful!   Interested? Email uucivs at uuaa.org and we'll connect you! Other VAAC volunteer opportunities are listed here.  Family Resettlement Support    UUAA is officially approved to be a co-sponsor with Jewish Family Services (JFS) to help resettle a refugee family. Initially it was likely that we would be matched with an Afghan family; however they have all already been resettled! JFS remains over capacity and will match us with a family from elsewhere potentially by early March. Thank you to all who have supported this effort. Check out our new Sign Up Genius to contribute to household items. Questions? Contact resettlement at uuaa.org. Community Partner:  Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ)   Join the Community Conversation: After the Citizens for Racial Equity Washtenaw (CREW) Report. Click here for the ICPJ Community updates.  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