More Than a Sunday Church: Celebrating 10 Years on South Penn
by Ed Busch, UU Lansing church archivist
At a recent Sunday service, interim minister Rev. Roger reflected on the vitality of our church home, sharing an observation that caught many of our ears:
“I have never worked in a church where on a Tuesday morning I can pull in and have a hard time finding a parking space... where there were literally hundreds of people in the building through the week besides Sunday morning.”
Rev. Roger's words struck a chord. That weekday buzz isn't a happy accident—it is the direct continuation of an intentional choice our congregation made when we dedicated our new South Pennsylvania Avenue building on October 3, 2016, exactly ten years ago.
Looking back in the archives, October 2017—just one year after moving in—stands out as a key turning point when our new space truly opened its doors to become a regional community hub.
Welcoming New Neighbors
In the late summer of 2017, our Board of Trustees finalized a partnership with the Refugee Development Center (RDC). With local programs closing and needs growing, the RDC needed space for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and their popular Sewing Circles.
While sharing space comes with practical logistics, our congregation enthusiastically welcomed the RDC into our classrooms. By October 2017, weekly church updates were regularly reminding members that our classrooms were alive with students and new neighbors throughout the week.
As our minister at the time, the late Rev. John Marsh (1955–2021), noted in his October 2017 newsletter musings on the theme of Community and Diversity:
“Becoming one nation or one congregation does not mean that we are going to eat the same food or wear the same clothes, but it does mean we are going to allow for new possibilities.”
Rev. John Marsh (1955-2021). (Originally from https://johnnmarsh.com/)
A Snapshot of October 2017
Opening our building to community partners didn't diminish our internal life—it energized it. A glance through the October 2017 announcements reveals a congregation bustling with warmth, music, and activism:
· Cider Making & Fall Fellowship: Congregants gathered outdoors with an antique cider press, bushels of apples, and jug containers for a classic autumn work day and potluck organized by Barb Barton.
· Art & Activism Beyond Our Walls: · Our Social Hall featured artwork by REACH Studio youth, setting the stage for the Refuge Lansing exhibit, a Niagara Peace Exhibit, a Citizens for Prison Reform film screening co-hosted by our Committee to End the New Jim Crow, and a Guatemala education fundraiser.
· CommUUnity Celebration & Show: Congregants came together for a two-part celebration of fellowship and talent: a CommUUnity Celebration on October 1, followed by a CommUUnity Show on October 22 featuring music, poetry, and comedy in the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the Chalice Choir, Women’s Chorus, Jazz Combo, Folk Band, and monthly jam sessions were all in full swing.
· Welcoming New Leadership: We welcomed ministerial intern theresa rohlck, who fondly recalled the simple, powerful act of finding her name tagged on our office magnetic board and receiving warm greetings after her first service.
CommUUnity Celebration, October 1, 2016.
UU Lansing Archives table, CommUUnity Celebration, October 1, 2016.
Judy Olsen and Rob Mack at the right, CommUUnity Celebration, October 1, 2016.
A Building That Became Part of the Ministry
As Rev. Roger reminded us, having a building filled mid-week with people learning, gathering, and connecting is rare. Ten years after dedicating South Penn, those 2017 records confirm something essential: our building is more than just a place where UU Lansing gathers on Sunday morning—it is one of the primary ways we take part in the wider community.
Do you have memories or photos from October 2017 and the early days of sharing our building with the RDCWe’d love to feature them in the archives! Reach out to the Archives at uucgl.archives@gmail.com.
Acknowledgment
This post was researched and written by Ed Busch. An initial draft was developed with ChatGPT, and Claude (Anthropic) was then used to review and revise it against the primary sources. The research, archival work and interpretive judgments are the author’s own.
About the Author
Ed is a retired Electronic Records Archivist from the Michigan State University Archives, with a background in digital preservation. He volunteers as archivist for UU Lansing, maintains this archives blog, serves on the Stewardship Team, and helps with Building and Grounds projects.
Sources
UU Lansing Board of Trustees Minutes, July 26, 2017
UU Lansing Board of Trustees Minutes, August 23, 2017 (approved).
UU Lansing Board of Trustees packet for July 26, 2017: agenda; Refugee Development Center lease proposal and draft lease agreement; Building Use update of July 18, 2017; draft Board minutes of June 28, 2017.
UU Lansing Finance Committee Minutes, July 11, 2017.
UU Lansing Program Council Minutes, July 12, 2017 (draft).
UU Lansing Newsletter, October 2017.
UU Lansing weekly email, October 9, 2017, “Cider Making, CommUUnity Show, and More at UU Lansing.”
Rev. Roger Bertschausen, “Simply Say What’s True, Compassionately,” sermon, October 4, 2026 (video transcript, approx. 59:30–1:01:12).