[UUAA news] UUAA Weekly News | March 31 - April 6 , 2022

[First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor]

All you need to know about UUAA this week.  This Week at UUAA March 31 - April 6 , 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 April 7 - April 13 is Tuesday, April 5 at 5:00pm Eastern through this form. The deadline for the May Monthly Newsletter is Thursday, April 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 “Living into Radical Welcome”  Sunday, April 3, 9:30am & 11:30am In person and online at uuaa.org/service UUAA has identified “Radical Welcome” as one of our community’s major priorities. How might we understand this important commitment? What might it include, and how might we live into it? Join us this Sunday as UUAA hosts special guest Alex Kapitan, alongside members of our Radical Welcome Priority Area team, who will help us explore this topic. Sharing the Collection Sunday, April 3   Today’s collection benefits IHN/Alpha House. The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) at Alpha House provides stability for parents and children living in the shelter and guides them through a plan to secure and maintain stable housing.    You may mail your check to UUAA (UUAA, Att: Ed Lynn, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103). Please write “Sharing the Collection/Alpha House” in the memo line. You can also contribute to Sharing the Collection/ Alpha House online.    Please contact sharecollection at uuaa.org with any questions or suggestions. After Sunday Services    Social Hour is back. After each service (10:30am and 12:30pm), refreshments will be served in the Social Hall. You may now remove your mask while eating or drinking in the Social Hall. Please watch or read our updated Covid protocols below. There will be a limited number of group display tables to browse, also.    Please note the UUAA’s updated Covid Precautions Policy and Protocols: Anyone entering the UUAA building for activities/business is expected to be fully vaccinated and boostered, as eligible, and must remain properly masked when not eating in the Social Hall or speaking from the chancel. A video of our updated policy is available here. Upcoming Events & Announcements For a full list of events, visit the UUAA Calendar. Radical Welcome’s Gathering Table - This Sunday! Sunday, April 3, 2:00pm - 3:30pm Register here anytime before the event    Join the RADICAL WELCOME interactive workshop with Zr. Alex Kapitan this Sunday!   We will be getting to 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. Please bring your energy, ideas, and spirit. Bonus: We are honored to have Alex with us for worship this Sunday as well.    Questions? Email RadicalWelcome at UUAA.org. See you there! Staffing-Related Update from UUAA's Personnel Working Group The Personnel Working Group wanted to share a brief update related to staffing and personnel matters at UUAA. Our community, alongside many other institutions, has needed to simultaneously navigate: multiple staffing transitions and departures; fiscally driven staff team restructuring; and the need to fill critical, ongoing staff positions that have been vacated or are becoming vacant. As these intersecting dynamics are likely to continue playing out for some time still, we will share with our community periodic updates related to new or upcoming staffing developments. This message contains several such updates. Click here to read more.  Updated Congregational Health and Safety Policy   In order to more fully live into our congregation’s covenant “to dwell together in peace, to search for truth in love,” the leadership of UUAA recently updated our Congregational Health and Safety Policy. These updates further clarify the role of the Healthy Congregation Response Team, the definitions of disruptive or dangerous behaviors, and the potential responses to disruptive behavior. For more information, please read the policy in its entirety here.  UUAA Fiber Arts Group Saturday, April 2, 11:00am - 1:00pm, UUAA Young Room Wednesday, April 20, 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 on the first Saturday of the month in person, 11:00am - 1:00pm, and the third Wednesday of the month on Zoom, 7:00pm - 9:00pm. For a Zoom link or questions, email us at crafters at uuaa.org. Memory Loss Support Group for Caregivers Wednesday, April 6, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, via Zoom   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. Restorative Justice Webinar Thursday, April 7, 7:00pm - 8:30pm   Restorative Justice is co-sponsoring a webinar 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. Humanist Discussions Thursday, April 7, 2:00pm Monday, April 11, 7:00pm   Topics for Thursday: Chapter 11 of The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism; “Walking with a Modern-Day Moses”; “America Has a Free Speech Problem”; and more. Topics for Monday: TBA.   Lively groups of Humanists have been meeting for over 20 years at UUAA, gathering on the second and fourth Monday evenings and/or first and third Thursday afternoons to discuss topics relating to Humanist philosophy, theology, morals, ethics, reasoning, science, and more. All are welcome. All meetings are still virtual. To get on our email list, get the login information, or get answers to any other questions, send a query to humanistgroupinfo at uuaa.org. Mindful Aging Saturday, April 9, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, via Zoom   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 disasters and emergencies. To view the recorded lectures, click here. For the Zoom link for UUAA’s discussion on April 9, email Sandy Breck at sbreck at umich.edu. TrUU Hope Meetups (with snacks!) Sunday, April 10, 1:00pm - 3:00pm (What should our group be?) Friday, April 22, 7:00pm -9:00pm (Earth Day!) Friday, May 13, 7:00pm -9:00pm (Friday the 13th!)   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. Israel/Palestine Learning Opportunity:  Documentary “Of Land and Bread” Watch online until April 10  Discussion on Sunday, April 10, 3:00pm   This month’s Voices from the Holy Land film, “Of Land and Bread”, reveals the impact of Israeli military occupation on the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank. The film was produced by the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem and is comprised entirely of video captured by B’Tselem staff and volunteers documenting human rights abuses by soldiers, police, and Israeli settlers.   UUs for Justice in the Middle East recommends the film and discussion hosted by Voices from the Holy Land to deepen our understanding of the issues as we consider actions our congregation might take to promote peace in Israel/Palestine. Watch the film online for free at your convenience and join the Zoom discussion on April 10.    Click here to register and here to watch the trailer.   Panelists include: Roy Yellin – Director of Public Advocacy, B’Tselem, Israel Dr. Ruthie Ginsburg – Faculty, HaMidrasha School of Art, Beit Berl Academic College, Israel Jamal Najjab (Moderator) – Photojournalist and human rights advocate 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. Newcomer Chalice Circle | UU Principles Saturday, April 16, 1:00pm - 3:00pm   If you are new to UUAA and would like to get to know others who are new, join us to explore the tenets of Unitarian Universalism and discuss the UU Seven Principles. What do they mean to you? Which ones resonate strongly? How do they inspire you?    You will receive the principles and reflection questions in advance, and we will practice a deep listening format during the discussion. This session will be held via Zoom. Register by Sunday, April 10 using this link or email Welcome Ministries Coordinator Hannah Hotchkiss at Hannah at uuaa.org.  GA 2022 June 22 - June 26, 2022 UUAA Delegate Deadline, April 30 (see below)   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. We need delegates to represent UUAA at GA. If you’re interested in being a delegate or have questions, email denomination at uuaa.org by April 30. UUAA Social Hour Needs Your Support The return of Social Hour at UUAA is an exciting development. Many have longed for the time to gather with refreshments and socialize with fellow congregants. To make this a success, we need your help on two fronts. First, please contribute to the best of your ability to funding Social Hour. The suggested donation is $1 per item, for example, a cup of coffee and donut = $2. UUAA spends well over $400 a month on donuts alone, and we make every effort to use sustainably sourced Equal Exchange coffee. You can leave cash or checks in the Social Hour donation baskets in the Social Hall or donate online. (Scroll to Social Hour). Second, be a Social Hour volunteer. Make the coffee once a month before first service, or help clean up after second service Social Hour, or reset between services. In order to avoid using individual serving containers, we especially need hosts to serve the bagels with cream cheese. Bagel servers will reduce UUAA’s landfill/recycling waste substantially. To learn more about the Social Hour volunteer opportunities, email Welcome Ministries Coordinator Hannah at uuaa.org.   Landscaping Ideas Wanted   We are about to launch the landscaping segment of our site carbon neutrality plan recommended by the Graham Institute Study. If you are interested in participating in a session to discuss possibilities and ideas that could then be gathered into a session for congregational input, please contact Ruth Vail at ruthvail43 at gmail.com to indicate your interest. We are targeting a session in late April for this initial discussion. Thank you. 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 has bought 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. Green Corner:  Washing Dishes the Green Way   Did you know...only 3% of the planet's water is fresh water and 68% of that is bound in glaciers or inaccessible ground water? Fresh water is a limited resource: water treatment is costly and has a high carbon footprint. So every time you turn on the tap, resolve to conserve. Newer dishwashers wash crusty dishes clean, so don’t rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape them and let the dishwasher do its job. Old dishwashing habits are hard to break—break them for the good of the planet. 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