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General Assembly Satellite Site at Montclair, NJ

An Invitation from UU Montclair in New Jersey

If a vibrant warm welcome is your jam, you will find a great sp/gaace at UU Montclair to experience this year’s General Assembly. We want you to know that our home is your home, and we want you to feel that Unitarian Universalism is a faith that makes us all come alive.

We will have Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism represented at our site, as well as Allies for Racial Equity, and a welcome from LGBTQIA Team members. Seminarians from our congregation will be excited to engage with others pursuing or considering ministerial service. Our music life is banging and we can’t wait for you to bring your voice, energy, and presence to our collective experience of lament, wonder and praise.

When you need to rest from the crowd, there will be a meditation space available, or you can step outside our doors and be in one of the most progressive and inviting towns in New Jersey. There are well over 100 restaurants in Montclair, many Black and LGBTQIA owned, and many right in the neighborhood of our congregation. There is also an Art Museum and a bevy of galleries, the oldest historic home in the region previously owned by an African American and former slave, and some funky retail and thrift stores. (We’ll provide you with a curated list of sites, or explore on your own!)

Our congregation will be providing home hospitality, there are a ton of local Air BnB’s, and the spacious MC Hotel is just around the corner. Coffee and snacks will be provided, as well as the opportunity to gather for shared meals. Our space is accessible, with a chair lift and an elevator, ramps to enter, inclusive restrooms and signage, sensory toys, and hearing assisted devices.

An exterior photo of the UU Montclair building, with blue sky, green grass, and flowering trees. The building is is a historic, structure known for its traditional, Colonial Revival aesthetic. It features classic, symmetrical design elements, including a distinctive steeple, multi-paned windows, and a prominent front entrance

About the Space

Our space includes a historic arts and crafts sanctuary and fellowship hall as well as a transformed office and meeting room wing that was originally a Carnegie library. We have ample space but the artistic elements make the space feel warm and nourishing. The seating areas include padded sanctuary chairs, tables and chairs in the breakout spaces, and two lounge areas for meditation and connection.

The empty sanctuary space holds rows of padded chairs lit by a warm, glowing light from opaque windows with diamond patterned leading.

What’s Included Onsite

We will gather together to listen to and share songs of faith, community and resistance, will collectively engage in livestream viewing, and will share in facilitated conversations and meals to help us integrate our virtual experience in a community setting. Here are some highlights:

  • Arrive on Friday by 4pm and join us for a facilitated tour of the James Howe House, the first and only remaining home in Montclair New Jersey once owned by an African American and Freed Slave. Learn about James Howe and the honest history of slavery and freedom in New Jersey to ground your time in this region.
  • An Art show will greet you in Unity Gallery — pieces from local artists who are themselves working to “Meet the Moment.”
  • Rise early on Saturday and join our Hiking Group for an early morning spiritual practice hike on Eagle Rock Reservation, a space that both overlooks New York City, and allows wooded respite from the New Jersey hustle.
  • Our community loves to offer hospitality so meals that meet a variety of nutritional needs will be provided. We will have breakfasts available on Saturday and Sunday, a community lunch following the Sunday service, and a Happy Hour of Appetizers so that we have the space to continue the conversation after the Meet the Moment break-outs on Saturday. (Donations to help defray the costs of these meals will gladly be received but not required.) For other meals, we will provide a curated list of local restaurants, including those that are Black and LGBTQIA owned, many within a few blocks of our congregation. Tables will be provided both inside and outside on our lawn for anyone bringing their own.
  • On Sunday, following the service our Legislative Ministry, UU Faith Action NJ, will host a Community Partner focused gathering on the justice theme of Immigration. This will be an opportunity to deepen our collaborative relationships, learn from impacted communities, and strengthen our resilience and resolve to engage in the struggle for immigration justice. Lunch will be provided.
  • Coffee, Tea and snacks will be available throughout our time together.
A meeting space is set with nine or more round tables and folding chairs. The floor is hardwood and the walls are wood paneled. There is a curtain on one end draped with string lights, and four banners hang with the words "grow", "serve", "worship", and "connect."

Parking and Transportation

We have limited handicap spaces. Other parking is onstreet with three local garages within two blocks of the congregation. Onstreet parking is both free and paid, with free spaces within a two block walk. On Sunday most local parking is free. Public transportation is available locally on New Jersey Trainsit busses and trains, and the Pine Street train station (10 min walk to the congregation) is a half hour ride from Penn Station in New York city.

Accessibility

Our space is accessible, with a chair lift and an elevator, and ramps to enter. We have some accessible restrooms. When you need to rest from the crowd, there will be a meditation space available, or you can step outside our doors and be in one of the most progressive and inviting towns in New Jersey.

Contact

Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael — revanya@uumontclair.org

Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael — revscott@uumontclair.org

Rev. Charles Loflin — revcharles@uumontclair.org (specifically for questions about the Sunday UU Faith Action gathering.)

Registration

General Assembly Registration is required. Site admission to UU Montclair for the June 19-21 weekend can be added to any full adult GA registration for $25.