[UUAA news] UUAA Weekly News | March 17 - 23, 2022

[First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor]

All you need to know about UUAA this week.  This Week at UUAA March 17 - 23, 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 24 - March 30 is Tuesday, March 22 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.  Sunday Worship “Faith as Story: The Narratives That Inspire Us” Sunday, March 20, 9:30am & 11:30am In person and online at uuaa.org/service Join us this Sunday as special guest, UUAA congregant Barbara Lynn, shares with us how her experience of and relationship with faith informs and guides her as a Unitarian Universalist. How might stories, narratives, and/or scriptures enrich our experience as Unitarian Universalists?   After the Sunday Service    There will be a limited number of tables set up in the Social Hall for social justice and fundraising 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 Updated Health and Safety Protocols: 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.   *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. Capital Campaign Information Sessions  Tuesday, March 22, 7:00pm Sunday, March 27, 2:00pm   This capital campaign addresses our 2050 Climate Priorityand is based on recommendations of the University of Michigan Graham Institute study: install solar panels, repair the building envelope, and install more environmentally sensitive landscaping. It is also based on an engineering study UUAA commissioned to address the future of the SGD HVAC system, as well as our need to increase our operational funding by retiring our mortgage.    Join us for one of these Capital Campaign information Zoom meetings to answer your questions.    To view the Capital Campaign letter, click here.  To view the FAQ, click here.  To register for a Zoom link to the Sunday meeting, click here. To view the last information session, 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! GA 2022 June 22 - June 26, 2022   General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. This year GA will be in Portland, OR and can be attended in person or online. Housing and registration are now open.   This year’s theme: Meet the Moment: Reimagining Radical Faith Community Dates: June 22 - 26, 2022 Learn more and register: Go to uua.org/ga.   If you have questions or are interested in being a delegate to represent UUAA, email denomination at uuaa.org.  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 members and friends of the congregation.  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.   Also, 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.  “Promised Land” Exhibit on Display at UUAA Sunday, March 20, during Social Hour Tuesday, March 22, 10:00am – 3:00pm   As part of our community’s learning about Israel and Palestine, UUJME is inviting you to view a special exhibit called “Promised Land,” on loan from the Jewish Museum of the Palestinian Experience. This traveling exhibit was on display at the UUA General Assembly in 2016 and is now on loan to UUAA to share with our community.   The exhibit provides a perspective on Israel/Palestine rooted in Jewish values: to treat our neighbor as we would want to be treated. We hope the historical documents displayed in the exhibit will provide a perspective that leads to greater understanding and a path to peace.   Click here for a video intro to the exhibit. Click here for the online exhibit.   Questions? Contact Mark Jagner at mjagner at yahoo.com. Restorative Justice Sundays, March 20 & 27, during Social Hour  Thursday, April 7, 7:00pm - 8:30pm   Please come to the Restorative Justice Table on Sunday during Social Hour. Learn more about the April 7 event, plus we will have petitions for the initiative to offer “Good Time Credits” for those incarcerated. Michigan is one of only six states that do not offer Good Time Credits to provide a way for incarcerated citizens to earn sentence reduction based on their behavior.   Then, on April 7 at 7:00pm, UUAA Restorative Justice is co-sponsoring a Zoom event with Friends of Restorative Justice and the Dispute Resolution Center. The guest speaker is Seema Gajwani, Special Counsel for Juvenile Justice Reform and Chief of the Restorative Justice Program Section at the DC Office of the Attorney General.    Click here to register. 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. Memory Loss Support Group for Caregivers Zoom Meeting Wednesday, April 6, 3:00pm - 4:30pm   If you are caring for a parent, spouse, partner, or friend who is experiencing memory loss, this support group welcomes you to their monthly Zoom meeting. In this safe and confidential space, you can share your concerns and questions and find others who are on similar journeys.The group is co-sponsored by the UUAA Pastoral Care Team and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Association. For information and/or the Zoom link, contact Joan Burleigh at jburleigh at aol.com or Sandy Kunkle at sandykunkle at gmail.com. Mindful Aging Saturday, April 9, 1:00pm - 2:30pm   Join other UUs for a Zoom discussion of the UM Healthy Aging lectures given March 4, 11, 18, and 25. Topics include financial concerns in retirement and being prepared for health emergencies. To view the live lectures, register here. For the Zoom link to UUAA’s discussion on April 9, email Sandy Breck at sbreck at umich.edu. Alpha House April Host Week Monday, April 11 - Sunday, April 17   Alpha House is an emergency shelter for families temporarily experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County. Our next host week is April 11 - 17 including Easter Sunday. Sign up online to help financially, donate a dish (curbside or in-person), heat meals (in-person), or oversee activity time (outdoor option if weather allows). Everyone at Alpha House wears a mask and washes hands frequently, regardless of vaccination status. Find links for volunteer guidelines in our signup. Questions? Contact AlphaHouse at uuaa.org. Khasi Hills Sponsorship Reminder Thank you to those who attended the February Zoom kickoff for student sponsorships in the Khasi Hills. Videos of the students and school showed how sponsorships make a real difference in students’ lives. Special thanks to Colleen Crawley, long-time sponsor, who told of her rewarding relationship with the student she sponsored who is now a teacher at the school.  We’re gathering sponsorship checks now. Choose one of three ways to get involved:   Email khasihills at uuaa.org to get the donation form; then mail it and your check to UUAA, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103,  Donate through Realm, or  Go to uuaa.org donate online    Questions? Email khasihills 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:  Breaking News about Plastics   In an historic move, 175 nations agreed to write a binding treaty regulating plastic. Check the New York Times (NYT) article link below.   Sad facts: Only 9% of plastic gets recycled. Most plastic ends up in landfills, in the ocean, or on roadsides.    Three objectives of the proposed treaty:  Improve recycling.   Clean up plastic pollution.   Ban single-use plastic.    Your role?   Use purchasing power—buy food/products with the least (or no) plastic packaging—juice in glass or frozen reconstituted juice.  Tell manufacturers why.  Tell legislators to ban single-use plastic bags and allocate more money for recycling.   Read the NYT article here.  UUCivs Community Liaisons Needed  UUCivs is part of the Voting Access for All Coalition, a group that needs additional people power to reach out to community organizations in Ypsilanti/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. Links Reserve a Zoom room | View past services Log in to Realm | Make your pledge ‌ ‌ ‌ UUA.org | MidAmericaUUA.org Side with Love | UUCSJ | DRUUMM | BLUU Contact Us First Unitarian Universalist Congregation Of Ann Arbor  4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-665-6158 communications at uuaa.org First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor | 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Unsubscribe news3 at uuaa.org Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by communications at uuaa.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!
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