150 Years Well Celebrated!
150th Media & Communications Resources
Read Appreciations of UUAAs 150 Years in AA
Read or download Mini-History presentations
View the photos of all events
References for the UUAA History written by Tim Richards
Take a look at: THE ASTOUNDING LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HELPED!
Read our Commission for the future, charged to the congregation on May 17th, 2015.
Review Photos, Videos and Mini-Histories of All 150th Events
Sunday, SEPTEMBER 28th -- VIEW THE PHOTOS of this fun and meaningful event
Kick-off celebration -- We learned about our 1865 founding, took a photo of the whole congregation and ate cake together. We joyfully began a year of celebrations.
Sunday, OCTOBER 12 - VIEW THE PHOTOS of the 2014 Klein Lecture, "Human Rights Challenges of the 21st Century", the very inspiring, standing-ovation lecture from Rev William F. Schulz, President of the UUSC, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Former Executive Director of Amnesty International, President of the UUA in 1990 when he addressed our 125th Anniversary celebration.
October 19th - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Spreading the Word Westward
PROFILES of Charles Henry Brigham, Eliza Sunderland, Florence Kollock Crooker
Early leaders of our congregation helped shape the thinking of the new west. Charles Henry Brigham and Eliza Sunderland were pioneers in spreading liberal religion to university students, "tomorrow's leaders". Eliza Sunderland and Florence Crooker were early pioneers of Womens Rights.
Sunday, OCTOBER 26, - VIEW THE PHOTOS of Mindful Eating's 2014 Harvest Festival, that featured vintage UU recipes from cookbooks of old.
October 26th - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Jabez Sunderland & the Khasi Hills
READ THE MINI HISTORY ON OUR KHASI SPONSOR A STUDENT PROGRAM and REV. EVA CAMERON'S SERMON ON HER TRIP TO THE KHASI HILLS
Jabez Sunderland was our minister from 1878-1898 and along with his wife Eliza solidly established our congregation in Ann Arbor. He also traveled to the Khasi Hills of India and wrote about independence for India. He is still remembered in the Khasi Hills, where our congregation has a "sponsor a student" program. More on our Khasi Hills connection.
Saturday, November 1st, 8:00pm, UUAA Sanctuary – Catie Curtis internationally renowned folk singer performed a benefit concert for Americans United for Separation of Church and State (www.au.org)
Sunday, November 2nd, 9:30 and 11:30 am services – Commitment Sunday with Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (www.au.org). Rev. Lynn delivered the sermon on remaining vigilant about issues that infringe on the democratic principle of keeping church and state separate.
November 16th - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Our Kids Are Our Future
READ the MINI-HISTORY on Religious Education. Throughout our congregation's history we have had a strong focus on children's spiritual growth and development. At this service we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the dedication of our Classroom Wing, originally dedicated on November 14, 2004.
See photos of the 2003/04 construction and Open House photos
Thanksgiving Week, 2014 - Alpha House Hosting Week - In honor of our 150th anniversary our goal is to sign up 150 UU volunteers to provide food and childcare to the Interfaith Hospitality Network's Alpha House.
December 21 - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Evolving UU Theology
This congregation has been at the forefront of some big theological debates over the years, notably playing a large role in the writing and signing of the Humanist Manifesto. We are a faith that continues to morph as knowledge, circumstances and needs change. Services at 9:30 and 11:30 am
Forum/Discussion followed on UU Buddhists, Christians, Humanists
January 18, 2015 - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Sanctuary: Care for the Stranger
We are a social justice church with many examples in our history of reaching out to others. One powerful example was declaring our church a sanctuary for a family from El Salvador in 1988. Members of the Rodriquez family will join us for the services at 9:30 and 11:30 am
Forum/Discussion followed on Sustaining Our Social Justice Work
Read the presentations of our 1980s Sanctuary Ministry.
February 15, 2015 - OUR STORY SUNDAY -Revere the Past, Rev. Kenneth W. Phifer, Minister Emeritus
VIEW THE PHOTOS AND THE SERMON VIDEO -- Our senior minister for 25 years, Ken Phifer joined us to talk about the journey of our congregation from 1946 - 2005, rebuilding after WWII, through the turbulent 60s and 70s to our larger ever more involved community today.
There was a reception in Ken Phifer's honor in the Fahs Chapel following 2nd service. View photosView photos
March 15, 2015 - OUR STORY SUNDAY - Singing for Our Lives, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Director of Music-- A service on the history and power of Music at UUAA.
March 15, 2015, 4:00 pm - The Big Sing! 150 Singers joined voices for 1 hour and 50 minutes in celebration and inspiration!
April 12, 2015 - OUR STORY SUNDAY -Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer's sermon was "The NEXT 150 Years of Reason and Compassion in Action", setting the stage for questions we need to engage as we begin to write the next chapter of Our Story.
READ THE ROUSING SERMON!
Big Questions - Following the service about 50 people took part in a discussion about where our congregation needs to be heading to keep up with the needs of the 21st century. More dialog will be coming in the months ahead. Watch for photos and more information on discussions to come.
April 18, 2015 -- Historic Buildings Tour - 75 people toured the Ann Arbor buildings that were once home to our congregation. The tour began at the church we built in 1882 on State & Huron Streets and then went to the Stone Chalet at 1917 Washtenaw Avenue. Read about our historic buildings.
MAY 14-17 - UUAA 150th Anniversary Grand Finale and Launch
Thursday, May 14, 2015, 7:30 pm - Evening Candlelight Service
On May 14, 1865, 40 Ann Arbor pioneers signed our Articles of Association. We marked the date of our founding by joining Rev Gail Geisenhainer and Becky Hoort in joining our journeys of faith to the journey begun by our founders 150 years ago. Download or view Becky Hoort's sermon "Reflections in Gratitude"
View the photos of the service.
Saturday, May 16, 2015, 2-4:30 pm - The Dawning Future of UU
Cutting edge UU thinkers from around the country joined us to share their innovative ideas for creating and financing congregations for the 21st century.
Rev Tom Schade, Retired UU Minister and Member of UUAA moderated a provocative discussion of ideas. He said, "We have gathered a panel of the some of the most innovative people in the Unitarian Universalist Association: people who have moved UU organizations in a new way, people who seen the wide variety of experiments going around the country, people who developed new ways of financing ministry, people who have used new technology like the Internet and ancient human arts, like the human voice, to create new forms of ministry, people who have witnessed our struggle to wake up to the multicultural world we have always lived in.
Meet our impressive panelists and read what they had to say about the future of UU and UUAA...
Download Rev. Gail R Geisenhainer's sermon from the April 12th "Our Story" service.
Sunday, May 17th - View the video of the service of the service
We held two celebratory services as a grand finale to a grand year.
10:00 am - A Celebratory Service for Children & Adults
4:00 pm - Service of Commissioning for Our Next 150 Years of Reason & Compassion in Action
Keynote speaker Reverend Vanessa Rush Southern, Minister-At-Large, UUA leader, author of "This Piece of Eden" and of the forthcoming 2015 UUA Meditation Manual spoke to us on "What to Pack on the Road to the Dawning Future"
Our visiting clergy commissioned us to dream big, to share our leadership with the larger UU movement, to love each other boldly and to keep moving, to keep singing...
A festive reception followed the service ringing joy throughout the building to begin our next...
-- Terry Madden, Sandy Simon, 150th Co-facilitators, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
View a slideshow of our ministers.