The Spirit of Belonging

Finding Community in Third Spaces

During a period of government-imposed inequality, this faith community, guided by Unitarian Universalist principles, welcomes all.

When the average person bumps into Neal Anderson, a senior church minister would be the last thing on their mind.

With his sleeve of tattoos, hot pink shoelaces and Canadian flag hanging out of his breast pocket, Anderson is not your typical minister.

However, his church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing, is not your typical church. Every Sunday morning, members are greeted with smiling faces, pride flags and a sign saying “all are welcome.” And this “all” is literal.

Unitarian Universalists accept everyone no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation. But beyond that, they accept everyone no matter their faith, belief in god, or spiritual upbringing.

Reporter
Rachel Lewis

Photo
Hannah Jacobowitz
Rachel Lewis

Video
Brianna Schmidt

Editor
Sydney Stephens

Web Design
Emily Martin

The welcome committee sits at the front door of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing On Feb. 23, 2025. Unitarian Universalists are a non denominational religious group who promote inclusion and religious diversity.

Many members of Unitarian Universalism found their way to it later in life and come from all different religious backgrounds. The one thing they all have in common is the desire for a religious community that is inclusive and accepting to everyone.

"I have found that folks who grew up in religious traditions other than [Unitarian Universalism] and have felt that they were excluded from those traditions have found their way here."

Neal Anderson

Senior Minister at Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing for the past 6 years

Aaralyn Huhn and her fiance Danny Soliel stand together at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing after the worship service on March 30, 2025. The couple are new members of the church, and were celebrating officially getting their name tags.

For 20 year old Aaralyn Huhn and her newly engaged fiance, finding Unitarian Universalism felt like “a secondary home.”

“We came for our first service a few days ago and it was the closest we felt to home. It really is meeting you where you're at, wherever you want,” she said.

Huhn recently moved to Lansing from the Ann Arbor area to be with her partner. As young 20 year olds who are not in college, finding a community to belong to was their main priority.

Huhn said they explored a few different religious communities before finding UU. She grew up in the Catholic Church, but never felt fully accepted.

“I would go to church but I would have this inside bubble of what I actually believed, then there was what the outside congregation believed.” she said. Often, these two bubbles didn’t “mesh.”

After attending some Unitarian Universalists services and joining their young adults group, Huhn finally felt like she found a community that not only accepted her, but that she wanted to be a part of.

“You know going in that they are good people,” she said. “I think that's why I keep coming.”

Fostering this community is one of Anderson’s main roles as Senior Minister. Without a bible to follow or a theistic god to pray to, his worship services take on a different approach. Each month, he explores different themes to speak on. In March, he focused on the idea of inclusion.

“It’s kind of interesting in this moment of time where the current U.S. administration wants to make inclusion a dirty word,” Anderson said.

He explained how he has seen a growing number of people looking to connect with each other in accepting spaces since Trump's presidency.

“There are people that are longing to connect in a community that feels like their values are shared, and also that their humanity is celebrated,” Anderson said. “Particularly those who might have been members of historically marginalized communities.”

John-Marc Ormechea

Anderson ended the month of inclusion themed services by honoring the Transgender Day of Visibility. This included a special sermon from John-Marc Ormechea, a member of a non-profit organization that serves and advocates for LGBTQ+ persons’ acceptance within religious and spiritual communities. Their sermon strongly resonated with many members of the church.

“We are having a hard time with inclusion because of anti trans movements across the whole country,” said Nick Rowse.

Rowse, 71, recently moved to East Lansing to help out his daughter with her new baby. This past worship service was especially important to him because his daughter's spouse is transgender.

“Our country is kind of taking a little back-step here and we have to change that and continue to be welcoming and accepting,” he said.

For Anderson, creating a welcoming and accepting community is the driving force behind his work at the church.

“For me love is a verb - an action word,” he said. “We gather around the promises that we make to each other. We don't have to think alike to love alike. We can agree to a covenant that puts love at the center of all that we do.”

Finding Community

Church members drop touch stones into a column of water during a worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing before a worship service on March 30, 2025. Touch stones are a way for people to symbolize both their joys and sorrows to share with the community.

Rev. Neal Anderson sits in his office at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on February 21, 2025.

A selection of the books that fill Rev. Neal Anderson's office at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on February 21, 2025.

Members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing gather for a worship service on Feb. 23, 2025. Unitarian Universalists are a non denominational religious group who promote inclusion and religious diversity.

Rev. Neal Anderson listens to a new congregation member tell their story during the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing’s New Members Meeting on March 11th, 2025.

A pianist plays as people gather in the sanctuary before a worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing before a worship service on March 30, 2025. This service focused on gender identity acceptance in honor of the Transgender Day of Visibility.

Three congregants come together in conversation during a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on March 30, 2025

L. Harrison Brown, the church’s director of music and worship arts, leads the congregation in song during a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on February 23, 2025.

Mieken VanderWaerden, one of the church’s sign language interpreters, performs an ASL rendition of the song True Trans Soul Rebel by Laura Jane Grace Gabel during a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on March 30, 2025.

A member of the congregation lights a ceremonial candle at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing’s New Members Meeting on March 11th, 2025.

A lit candle rests inside a chalice in the middle of the room during the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing’s New Members Meeting on March 11th, 2025.

Annescia Dillard, one of the church’s sign language interpreters, translates a sermon for Rev. Neal Anderson during a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on February 23, 2025.

L. Harrison Brown, the church’s director of music and worship arts, leads the congregation in a moment of silence during a service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing on February 23, 2025.

A container of touch stones at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing On Feb. 23, 2025. Every worship service, members have the opportunity to drop a touch stone into a column of water, representing their joys and sorrows.

Neal Anderson leads a worship service, translated into ASL by Annescia Dillard, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing On Feb. 23, 2025.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Sharing stories of care,
inspiration, and community.

WHERE WE MEET is a multimedia project researched, pitched, produced, and distributed by the JRN 410: Advanced Photojournalism class at Michigan State University (MSU)—School of Journalism. After narrowing their story topic to third places, our visual journalists decided to document where the Lansing community builds safe spaces for people to discover common ground away from home.