Link to the April 1 - May 31, 2022 UUAA COVID Precautions Policy & Procedures

Link to the January 1 - March 31, 2022 UUAA COVID Precautions Policy & Procedures

Self-Screening Health Questionnaire

Outdoor Space Reservation Form

Link to Lay Leader Info including how to reserve Zoom rooms

UUAA's Updated Health & Safety Protocols for January-March 2022

From UUAA's COVID-19 Advisory Team

Dear Members & Friends of the UUAA Community,

Happy New Year! As we enter a new calendar year, and month 22 of the pandemic, our team would first like to express profound appreciation for how deeply committed our UUAA family has been to our collective well-being and care for one another. Thanks to our shared efforts, there continue to be zero known or reported instances of an individual contracting COVID-19 due to participation in any UUAA-related activity, Sunday service, or Spiritual Growth and Development (SGD) programming. For this to be true for our UUAA community - this deep into the pandemic - is nothing short of remarkable. Well done, each and every one of us!

Moving more deeply into our second full winter with COVID-19, UUAA will be shifting towards stricter health and safety protocols. The full text of UUAA's revised pandemic-era operational policies can be accessed here. We would like to highlight some of the important changes in this communication:

• While UUAA has consistently "strongly encouraged" all eligible congregants to get vaccinated and boostered against COVID-19, UUAA will now be expecting all eligible congregants to be fully vaccinated (including booster shots) for in-person participation in UUAA activities, Sunday services, and SGD programming. The exact language of UUAA's new policy is this: "In-person building access will be for individuals who are eligible to be and are fully vaccinated and, as eligible, boostered against COVID-19, with exceptions for those who are not eligible to be vaccinated or boostered or cannot be vaccinated or boostered for health reasons."
  
  
• If you are choosing not to be vaccinated or boostered, for any reason, we ask that for the time being you participate in UUAA's community life through our live-streaming and on-demand options. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this.
  
  
• This policy does not apply to children under 5, who are currently ineligible to be vaccinated; individuals, such as children and youth aged 5-15, who are not yet eligible for a booster; and, other individuals who may have medical needs that preclude the possibility of vaccination or getting a booster.
  
  
• As a community grounded in covenant - grounded in our promises to one another within the context of community - we will be approaching this new health and safety expectation as a covenantal understanding. Our community's new health and safety expectation will be promulgated widely, including through signage on our entryways, pulpit announcements, and via electronic communications. Individuals discovered to be knowingly violating this new policy will be referred to the Living Our Values (LOV) Team and/or, if necessary, the Healthy Congregation Response Team (HCRT). As a practical matter, it is worth noting that, unlike larger organizations, UUAA does not have the financial or staff resources to check/verify the validity of vaccination cards, create a UUAA vaccination database, or undertake other similar measures. UUAA will be relying on a covenantal approach to vaccination/booster status for practical reasons as well as in fidelity with the spirit of Unitarian Universalism.
  
  
• While UUAA has been operating under the assumption of a 50% maximum in-person capacity in the Sanctuary since September 2021, our team has now officially adopted this number (50% of our pre-pandemic in-person maximum capacity) as the maximum allowed number of persons in the Sanctuary as long as pandemic-era health and safety protocols continue. It is worth noting that during most of our Sunday services this congregational year (2021-2022), actual in-person attendance has been significantly below this maximum, typically less than 25% of our pre-pandemic maximum capacity.
  
  
• All other health and safety protocols that UUAA has previously announced remain in place. This includes the following: universal masking remains in place for all while on-site at UUAA; all chancel and music leaders appearing unmasked or singing on a Sunday morning will have had a negative COVID-19 antigen test less than 24 hours before appearing before the community unmasked or singing; the possibility of physical distancing within the sanctuary remains in place; and, finally, UUAA's upgraded HVAC technology (with bacteria and virus killing filtration) continues to completely turn over the air in the sanctuary, and thereby treating it, every 15 minutes.

Collectively, UUAA's revised health and safety protocols represent a comprehensive, science-based approach - one that focuses on vaccination, important behavioral requirements and expectations for being on-site, and significant technological upgrades. With our community's continued goodwill and cooperation, we will continue to keep each other as safe as we possibly can.

Please remember that right now any in-person activity with others entails risk to one's personal health and well-being. Only you and/or your family can decide for yourselves what level of health-related risk is right for you. Please engage in deliberate reflection and conversation to arrive at the answer that makes the most sense for you and/or your family. Whatever your choice, please know that we, your UUAA family, support you in making the decision that is right for you. UUAA will continue to provide in-person, live-streaming, and on-demand engagement options as a way of maximizing the modes by which our community members and friends can stay engaged.

Finally, as the Omicron variant's impact on our local environment still unfolds, please know that our team is actively following daily developments and assessing whether further adjustments to UUAA's policies and practices may be needed. To that end, if local circumstances warrant it, UUAA may shift to one Sunday service (instead of two services) or return to virtual-only services for some duration of time, as needed. If such unfolds, our community members and friends will be advised accordingly. For the time being, please continue to closely monitor UUAA's weekly email communications for any important adjustments to our scheduling and/or programming.

May we all have a healthy, safe, and meaningful 2022! Thank you for being an important part of our UUAA family.

The members of UUAA's COVID-19 Advisory Team are Jim Lee, Jim Marks, Tom Reischl, Laura Bauman, QuianaDenae Perkins, Cassandra Hartley, and Manish Mishra-Marzetti.

COVID-19 Information Resources

The UUAA COVID-19 Advisory Team recommends the following resources/information for your careful consideration.  This represents a sampling of some of the guidance and information that the Team is holding as they consider the collective needs of our UUAA community: 

• Guidance from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President regarding gathering – UUA Guidance Regarding Gathering
  
  
• News report on a congregation in Calgary that attempted holding a group event, with proper social distancing, and contributed to the spread of the coronavirus:  Calgary Church Hopes Others Learn from Their Tragic COVID-19 Experience
  
  
• CDC Report on the spread of coronavirus in a church choir:  CDC -- SARS-CoV-2 Exposure at a Choir Practice
  

• Chorus America’s in depth information/guidance on choral music and the spread of coronavirus: Chorus America - Reopening Singing Safely
  
  
• A shorter summary of the Chorus America content, on the Barbershop Society website: Barbershop Society COVID-19 Webinar Summary
  
  
• The CDC’s guidance on organizational re-openings: CDC Guidance for Communities of Faith
  
  
• Governor Whitmer’s guidance on organizational re-openings:  MI Safe Start:  A Plan to Re-engage Michigan's Economy
  
  
• The White House’s guidance on organizational re-openings: White House Guidance - Opening Up America Again
  
  
• NY Times article on the history of pandemics:  NY Times - Plague Pandemic History 

 If you have not already viewed the video message from Senior Minister Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Congregation President Erik Stalhandske, please watch this as for the context of the COVID-19 resources and survey.

Thank You and Be Well,

The UUAA COVID-19 Advisory Team:  Laura Bauman, Jim Lee, Jim Marks, Tom Reischl, Quiana Perkins, Cassandra Hartley, Lindasusan Ulrich, and Manish Mishra-Marzetti

Staff Organization-- Fall 2021

Senior Minister – Spiritual head of our community, and functionally our institutional Chief Executive and Head of Staff. This is a called position, held by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti.

Executive Minister – This position takes over the role of Head of Operations. Lead in the development and review of all operational policy and procedural questions. Provides for oversight, coordination, and alignment across all congregational programs and activities with the vision and priorities that the community sets. In addition, this minister supports worship, pastoral care, and rites of passage. A Senior Staff position, directly reporting to the Senior Minister. Position is held by Rev. Cassandra Hartley.

Director of Music – Oversight and leadership of all UUAA music programs. The Acting Director is Carter Smith.

Interim Music Consultant-  Contract position. A temporary position (September 2021-June 2022) to assess and support UUAA’s music ministries’ transitions. This position reports to the Senior Minister and is held by Bailey Whiteman.

Administrator (Interim) – Currently unfunded. This position is being reorganized to hold all Finance (including stewardship) and Building Management (including rental operation) functions. Functionally, this position will include all Head of Finance-type roles and responsibilities. This reorganization consolidates significant additional responsibilities into this portfolio, making it even more critical that UUAA be able to move toward professionally staffing this position. A Senior Staff position, directly reporting to the Senior Minister. This position is held by Ed Lynn.

Director of Spiritual Growth and Development – This position oversees all educational, enrichment, and childcare programs and activities within our community, across the lifespan. The Acting Director of SGD is Stella Anderson.

Coordinator of Welcoming Ministries & Membership – Works with and supports various lay groups in the development of programs that support: ushering, greeting, new member orientation and classes, and membership outreach activities, among others. This position reports to the Executive Minister. Position is held by Hannah Hotchkiss.

Coordinator of Congregational Life – Works with and supports all lay-led affinity and justice-oriented groups, programs, and activities. Fosters and encourages awareness of, and alignment with, the congregation’s vision and priorities among these groups. This position reports to the Executive Minister. Position is held by Quiana Perkins.

Congregational Chaplain- This position works with our lay Pastoral Care Team and provide direct, in-person pastoral care support to community members in need. This position reports to the Senior Minister. This position is held by theresa rohlck.

Director of the Chalice Bells –  This position serves as Director of our bell choir, and provides administrative support for the worship and music programs. This position reports to the Director of Music.This position is held by theresa rohlck.

Building and Grounds Manager – This position supports all of the physical maintenance needs for our building and grounds. This position reports to the Administrator. Position is held by Don Hackney.

Technological Consultant – Contract position. A temporary position established in April 2020 to support UUAA’s rapid shift into virtual and digitally-oriented operations. It is evident that some version of this kind of work and support will be needed by UUAA in an ongoing manner. This position reports to the Senior Minister. Position is held by Mike Halerz.

Pianist-in-Residence – Contract position. A permanent position that reports to the Director of Music. This position is held by Allison Halerz.

Photos of Candidating Week April 29th - May 6th

(Photos taken by Dave Hall)

On May 6th at a Special Congregational Meeting, the membership of UUAA voted unanimously to call Reverend Manish Mishra-Marzetti as the thirteenth senior minister in our 153 year history.

April 29th service Led by Rev Manish, Rev Lindasusan and Rev Cassi

Rev Manish greeting congregants after the April 29th service

A Q&A session for congregants to get to know Rev Manish, April 30th.

A second Q&A session was held on May 5th.

Past UUAA presidents lit the chalice to begin the meeting to vote on the call.

Paper ballots were collected from all voting members present.

President Erik Stalhandske and Search Team Chair Ken Clein announced the results-- 293 Yes votes and zero No votes.

Jacen, Jeff and Manish Mishra-Marzetti returned to UUAA after the vote, escorted by Search Team member Vilma Mesa.

Rev Manish accepting the call to serve as our next Senior Minister.

Meet Our Senior Minister, Reverend Manish Mishra-Marzetti

The Reverend Manish Mishra-Marzetti has warm and engaging preaching style that appeals to both heart and head. He is a lifelong learner, scholar and author, a loving husband and parent of young children, a UU leader committed to community involvement and outspoken public ministry. He is a deeply thoughtful person who draws inspiration from UUism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Humanism, Christianity and Lakota spirituality.

Prior to entering the ministry, Rev. Manish was a U.S. diplomat during the Clinton Administration. He has served as Senior Minister of congregations in Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

He enjoys boxing, hiking in the desert and science fiction.

He brings us a broad world view.

Rev. Manish was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the eldest son of immigrants from India. He says “Growing up, I was raised Hindu, in a Jewish neighborhood, in a predominantly Christian country: religious pluralism and cultural bridge-building were, and continue to be, inherent to who I am. My father instilled in me a deep respect for education and hard work, while my mother passed on to me a pragmatic and flexible worldview, one that respected “truth,” wisdom, and good works, wherever they may be found.” 

He is passionate about UUism and serves in UU leadership.

He has served extensively in UU leadership, including as president of the Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM, our national UU people of color organization) He has served as a trustee on the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees.  

He shares UUAA’s passion for social justice.

Rev. Manish says “For me, bringing our Unitarian Universalist values alive in the world, in partnership with interfaith neighbors and local community organizers, is central to my vision of ministry.” With his Florida congregation, he helped build and lead a regional interfaith coalition in support of employment equality for transgender individuals; His New Jersey congregation built a solar field on the church’s property; congregants also engaged in an experiential learning opportunity with African-American leaders in neighboring Camden, NJ to explore how the intersection of environmental degradation and poverty affects them. In 2016, he led a group of congregants from Massachusetts to the Arizona borderlands, fostering dialogue and relationship with local Latino communities.

He is skilled in church administration.

Rev. Manish over 15 years of experience as a Senior Minister in three different congregations. He is very comfortable with matters of finance and has developed and worked under shared leadership governance. He has fostered significant gains in membership and pledging in his previous congregations.

Meet Rev. Manish's Family

Rev. Manish's husband Jeff and his children Mina and Jacen joined the UUAA community in August, 2018. Jeff is an artist and currently a stay-at-home dad. He grew up outside of Detroit.

Education

Master of Divinity, Harvard University, 2005.

Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, Georgetown University, 1993.

Some Selected Writings, Honors and Awards

Conversations with the Sacred, Skinner House Books, May 2020.

Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and the Environment, co-edited with Jennifer Nordstrom, Skinner House Books, March 2018.

*LISTEN TO a discussion of Justice on Earth on the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) website by following this link.

“The Ping-Pong Effect: Radical Social Change Through Cultural Diffusion, lecture presented at the Gandhi Memorial Seminar honoring the spiritual connections between Transcendentalism, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Sponsored by the India Discovery Center of Greater Boston, October 2017.

“Life-Altering Grace,” in Testimony: The Transformative Power of Unitarian Universalism, Skinner House Books, fall 2017.

“A Thousand Ways to Pray,” in Quest for Meaning, Church of the Larger Fellowship, November 2016.

In recognition of its strong growth trajectory, the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill was named a Threshold Congregation by the Central East Regional Group (CERG) of the UUA, spring 2012.

Watermark Magazine’s Award for Variety and Excellence (WAVE), “One of Tampa Bay’s Favorite Local Spiritual Leaders,” fall 2008 and 2007. 

“Rethinking High School World Religions: Pedagogical Options for Addressing Ethical and Cultural Relativism,” Gateways to Spirituality, Peter Lang Publishers, summer 2005.

Recipient of the U.S. State Department's Superior Honor Award for work as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights and other human rights cooperation/advocacy, summer 2000.

On Sundays, Oct 8th and 15th, UUAA congregants were invited to stop by a video booth and "Say one thing you love about UUAA". Almost 100 people of all ages did stop by and the word cloud below will give you an idea of what they had to say!

Thank you to everyone who was willing to be on camera, and special thank you to Ministerial Search Team member Mike Halerz for setting up the studio and shooting the video.

The Search Team will share the finished video with the congregation when we complete the materials for the ministerial search (probably January).

Smile!! And tell the camera one thing you love about UUAA.

Welcome! Let us introduce ourselves. The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation has been an active liberal religious voice in the Ann Arbor community since our founding on May 14, 1865.

We are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Our congregation is in the UUA's MidAmerica Region.

We are an intentionally inclusive and supportive religious community of about 650 extremely active members who worship together, work for justice together, laugh together and nurture our children with a UU perspective of our World.

Visitors to UUAA can immediately tell a bit about us from the outward symbols that speak to who we are. The rainbow flag of welcome to people of all gender identities flies from our entryway; Some people refer to our 90 foot tall wind turbine as our steeple; A rotating solar panel stands in the prairie grass in front of the church, collecting renewable solar energy;  In back of the church there are walking trails, a colorful children's playground and a memorial garden.

We have a long, rich and rather bold history, starting with our founders who included at least one conductor for the Underground Railroad, through early leaders in women’s rights, to providing a printing press to the very beginnings of labor unions, to playing a key role in the Humanist movement, providing comfort to Japanese citizens during WWII,working to end segregated housing in Ann Arbor in the 60s, providing sanctuary to a family from El Salvador in the 80s, supporting the LGBT community in the 90s, and more recently showing our commitment to clean energy, climate action, racial justice, outreach to immigrants in our community...much more can be learned in the Social Justice section of our web site.

 From September of 2014 to May 17th, 2015 we proudly marked our 150th anniversary with a wide variety of activities through the year to celebrate and learn from our "150 Years of Reason and Compassion in Action", "revering our past", but also looking to our dawning future.

For eighty years from 1865-1945 we served as a missionary church to the University of Michigan. In 1865 it was thought that this congregation could "mold the minds of the future leaders of the west". While we no longer have connections to the universities in the area, we enjoy the benefits of the many activities available through the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University in neighboring Ypsilanti.

1882 Unitarian Church on State Street

We have been builders, constructing church buildings in 1882 and 1999 and adding a wing to our Washtenaw Avenue church in 1956. Two of our churches are designated historic buildings. We have called 11 male and one female Senior Minister. While our membership numbers have waxed and waned, we have kept a caring committed liberal religious community together for over 150 years.

 This congregation is extremely proud of two of our very active programs, our wonderful Music Ministries and our cradle to grave Spiritual Growth and Development (religious education) programs.

Our children's programming has enthusiastic attendance and committed volunteer staff. Each year our YRUU high school group conducts a Sunday service and in the summer they take a service trip together. Our adult SGD programming has been expanding over the last few years.

Before March of 2020, our Sunday services always included energetic singing and sometimes guest artists or performances by our large Chalice Singer Choir or our Chalice Sparks children's choir. Each Spring, except for 2020 and 2021, we have hosted "The Big Sing" bringing together over 150 voices in a community choir performance.

 Explore our website. Sign up for our newsletter. Come to an online Sunday service. Find a welcome in our UUAA community.

Learn more about QuianaDenae Perkins role as UUAA Congregational Life Coordinator