Big changes are in store for Genesis this coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Find out what’s happening while getting together with old and new friends in our community. Temple Beth Emeth and St. Clare’s Church congregants are invited to gather for the first annual Genesis Picnic, followed by the 2026 Genesis Annual Meeting. The First Annual Genesis Picnic You won’t want to miss the debut of what’s sure to become a new tradition! Organized by the newly re-established Gen

Genesis has received two notable recognitions from the Washtenaw 2030 District for our ongoing efforts to reduce energy use, conserve water, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. In the District’s 2025 Impact Report, Genesis is featured along with 3 other houses of worship as a best practice case study in making significant progress toward carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability. Genesis was also named to the Washtenaw 2030 District Honor Roll, which recognizes build

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Spring Awakening and Plant-Forward Potluck a couple of weeks ago. The event got us off to a terrific start maintaining and improving our grounds for the season. It was a spectacular, fragrant spring day. Each breath was a tonic. uppotting Among the things we accomplished: uppotting hundreds of plants for our Native Michigan Plant Garden and uprooting bags and bags of Sticky Willy. Sticky Willy is an invasive, tangled weed that clings t

Spring is in the air. New shoots are pushing up through the earth. Let’s get together to get our grounds back in shape for the season while we enjoy another plant‑forward spring potluck. A few hours of work pruning, clearing, and planting will make a big difference in making our gardens beds and grounds look their best and set all our plants up to thrive. We’ll gather on Sunday, April 26 from 12:30–4pm for the potluck and Spring Awakening. We’ll break bread first and then br

After a long time coming, our building now sports a brand new, state of the art, fire alarm system. Over the past few years, Genesis has been taking an especially sober look at what’s holding up and what’s wearing out in our aging building. At our next Tri-Board meeting in June, we expect our congregations to formally approve the Reserve Investment Plan we’ve developed and to finalize its level and mechanism of funding. But before the RIP plan is sealed and delivered, a coupl

Late last fall, the ovens in the Social Hall kitchen stopped working. All four of them, almost at once. The stovetop range and a warming oven continued to limp along, but those alone were hardly going to cut it to host events around the holidays. (At least one of which was ultimately rescued by staff using residential ovens elsewhere in the building and schlepping food to the Social Hall.) The failure was not unexpected. Most of the commercial kitchen equipment dates to 1994.

Genesis board member and past president James Downward here shares his personal reflection on Bob Creal's leadership leading to the founding of Genesis.

Whether your celebrations involve latkes and brachas or Christmas cookies and carols (or both), may they bring comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging in the community we continue to build together. May this season bring you hope, rest, and moments of quiet renewal.

As Ann Arbor gets whiter with snow, Genesis keeps getting greener as we progress toward our goal of carbon neutrality – and our efforts are getting noticed.

Genesis filled the Social Hall to capacity last Sunday night, for the 2025 Erev Thanksgiving celebration.

On Erev Thanksgiving this year, we'll take a new approach to an enduring tradition. On Sunday, November 23 at 7 p.m. , members of our two congregations will gather in the Social Hall for an evening of music, desserts, and conversation. For fifty years now, the Erev Thanksgiving gathering has provided an opportunity to take a moment to pause together in gratitude before we each celebrate the holiday in our own ways with our families and loved ones. Over the years, the evenin

There’s still time to make your mark on Genesis’s 50th Anniversary year — with a paintbrush and a touch of passion. Everyone in our two congregations is invited to contribute to the Genesis 50th Celebration Community Art Project, a collaborative work of art that will soon become a permanent installation in the hallway just outside the Social Hall. Each participant is invited to paint a their own heart on a wooden tile, which together will form two large mosaic-style panels ce

As soon as the sukkah went up, our long-anticipated, comfy new chairs went out, fulfilling a wish older than Genesis itself. From the earnest shehecheyanus recited by TBE congregants to the steadfast lounging by the church youth, the momentousness of the occasion is being met with fervent enthusiasm.

The earth has spun a full cycle and it's already time again to put our gardens to bed for the winter. It's always a joy to get together and pitch in the crisp autumn air, but this year we have the added incentive of good food as well as good company. The grounds committee invites you to join families from TBE, STC, and Blue Ocean for a “savory soups and harvest” themed potluck meal. While you're welcome to bring any type of dish and not only vegetarian, we encourage plant-fo

The High Holy Days are a time of reflection and introspection. Both the sanctuary and the parking lots are filled to capacity. These are times when Genesis’s shared spirit truly shines. Volunteers from St. Clare’s and Blue Ocean churches turn out to help stand watch so Temple Beth Emeth worshippers can gather to pray undisturbed. Their vigilance outside is felt deeply inside as an expression of care, friendship, and solidarity.

On Sunday, September 21 , Genesis of Ann Arbor will join faith-based communities across Washtenaw County to mark SUN DAY , a Multifaith...

Last Thursday evening, September 4, Genesis of Ann Arbor welcomed about fifty gardening enthusiasts from across Washtenaw County for a...

New resources for hybrid meetings are available, including an Owl. The children's library has been expanded.

On Thursday evening, September 4, Genesis will host a guided walking tour of the gardens on our grounds sponsored by the Washtenaw County...

Our new sanctuary chairs are on the way! For those of us who have warmed many a seat in our old sanctuary chairs—which have been in our...