Join the movement afoot to strengthen our community in ways we've always hoped.

"Stewardship begins when a first-time visitor arrives at church, becomes amember and extends throughout the life of the congregation, including estateplanning and bequest options. Stewardship is an essential ministry of the church,an integral part of congregational life . . ." writes Michael Durall, author,"The Almost Church."

The Stewardship Committee is interested in using stewardship's tools-service,community and charitable giving to transform lives. Inspired (and in some cases,agitated) by Michael Durall's book, the committee and friends who joined usfor a book discussion on May 11 came up with a number of initiatives to undertakein coming months.

Interested in finding out more? Join a new Yahoo Group and keep abreast ofwhat's happening. No need to join a committee. No need to make a commitment.(Unless you want.)

It's easy to join. Simply visit the stewardship website at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uusm_stewardshipand click on "Join this group" in the upper right-hand corner. There you canregister for Yahoo Groups (if you haven't already) and then sign up for uusm_stewardship.You can receive posts as they are sent, or in daily digests (when there aremultiple posts in a day, you'll receive them all at once), or never. Then whenyou visit the page, you can see the conversations that have taken place anda calendar of upcoming stewardshiprelated activities.

If you don't have e-mail, but you're interested in stewardship's work, pleasecall me.

- Jacki Weber

Small Group Ministry -- View from the Inside:
How did the program come into being at UUCCSM?

It all began when Intern Minister Stefanie Etzbach- Dale got the green lightfrom the Rev. Judith Meyer to explore interest among the congregation. Stefanie'sintensive research ensured that we would have a solid foundation for the program,and Small Group Ministry (SGM) has become one of the important legacies of hertenure at our church.

After assembling the pieces from her research efforts, Stefanie started witha small group of church members, explaining the vision, purposes, and structureof SGM as it is followed throughout the UU community. Those interested membersbecame the core group to finally launch SGM at UUCCSM.

Covenant Groups, per se, are the tip of the SGM iceberg and they are the operatingunits and the raison d'etre. However they would be unable to function effectivelyif it weren't for the preparation and ongoing work done by the Covenant GroupImplementation Team (CGIT), the core group started to launch SGM and the committeethat now sustains it.

The CGIT, after a month of "learning" meetings and armed with a stack of paperwork,met as a task force to shape and define covenant groups for UUCCSM and givethem form and life. The CGIT took the blueprint and began planning, trying newideas, learning, and fleshing out our program.

The rest is history. Two new Covenant Groups are underway and the initial twoare still meeting. More new groups will form in September. The program is aliveand well, and the CGIT is the invisible hand at work behind the scenes to ensurethe continuing success of SGM at our church.

For example, the CGIT has developed and/or assembled the following items:

Don't Park on Street; You Could Win a Raffle Ticket

The Building Committee met with neighbors of our church on March 13 to answerany questions about our building project. We blanketed the neighborhood withinvitations, and had six neighbors attend, all of them residents of 17th, 18thor 19th Streets. We soon learned that they had three issues on their minds:parking, parking and parking.

The neighbors acknowledged that much of the problem in the neighborhood comesfrom employees at the car dealerships and visitors to the nearby hospital andmedical offices who park on the street rather than pay high parking prices.In addition, many housing units in the neighborhood lack onsite parking forresidents. Our church contributes to the lack of street parking at our busiesttimes, especially Sundays and Monday evenings when a large group rents ForbesHall. We can help to reduce our impact on an already difficult situation bycarpooling with others to events at the church.

We have a long-standing agreement with UCLA that provides us with access totheir garage at the corner of Arizona and 16th Street from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m. every Sunday. These hours can be lengthened with advance notice to accommodateour occasional Sunday afternoon events. All you need to do is pick up a lightblue parking permit from the front office, place it on your dash, and have theattendant let you in. We are distributing copies of the parking pass at servicesto make sure everyone has a copy.

If you need to drop off food, young children, or older or disabled people whohave difficulty with the walk from the garage, please use the spaces along Arizona.We have asked the City to allow one of the spaces on Arizona near Forbes Hallto be designated a yellow "drop off zone," but until the curb is painted, wewill need to try to keep this area free for dropping off on Sundays.

Another great way to get here without parking hassles is on the Big Blue Bus,Santa Monica's award winning bus system. Our church is located right betweenline 2 on Wilshire Boulevard and lines 1 and 10 on Santa Monica Boulevard. Wehave posted the bus map and schedule in the lobby of Forbes Hall, along witha supply of schedules for these lines. The fare is 75 cents and is only 25 centsif you are at least 62 years old. Check bigbluebus.comfor further information.

My favorite way to arrive at church is on foot or on a bike. If you've beenlooking for an excuse to take a walk or a bike route, what better time thanSunday morning? Walking to church gives you a chance to relax and enjoy thegardens, stop in for brunch, and do your errands. We have a bike rack in theback yard of 1248 and are looking into installing one in Anderson Courtyardto provide a convenient place to lock your bike. Don't forget to wear a helmet.Bike route information is posted with the bus schedules in Forbes Hall.

For the next few months we will be offering special incentives for using ourremote parking, carpooling, walking, biking or taking the bus to church. Asyou arrive at the church, tell us your "good neighbor" effort and you will geta raffle ticket good for prizes at the end of the month. You'll also be helpingus document our good neighbor travel behavior for our follow-up meeting withthe neighbors and our public hearing with the Planning Commission later in thespring. So let's not forget to "walk the walk" on our way to church, as wellas within.

-Alison Kendall, Building Chair

Our Own Weekend Retreat Beckons Us June 17 to 19

Did you ever want to own a cabin in the mountains - a place where you can retreaton weekends; a place to walk in the forest and hear the sounds of the wild -the birds, a babbling brook, the chatter of a squirrel; a place so quiet youcan hear an acorn or a leaf hit the ground; a place where you can wonder atthe nighttime sky and smell the pines?

Well, you do own justsuch a place.

"Everyone who is a member of any UU church in southern California owns Campde Benneville Pines," says John Schaibly, president, Camp deBenneville Pinesboard of directors.

Our church will occupy the entire camp again for the Father's Day weekend thisyear. The dates are June 17 to 19. A full agenda of activities for all agesis planned, so there is always plenty to do. Or, you can simply relax, enjoythe good food and get to know people from church in a very different setting.

We expect to have a full house again this year, so be sure to register aftereither of the services on Sunday, April 17. If Craig's Cabin is overbooked,we will have a random drawing to select the lucky ones.

Don't miss this special event. The record rainy season will guarantee a mostenjoyable summer solstice environment.

Building Committee Prepares Applications for City Agencies

The Building Committee has been hard at work preparing the plans and applicationmaterials for submission to the City of Santa Monica. The application materialsinclude a request for Development Review and a Conditional Use Permit to remodelour existing facilities at 1260 18th Street, adding a new religious educationwing to Forbes Hall at the back of the new property at 1248 18th Street, andmoving the house forward and remodeling it for use as office space. We are alsorequesting a variance for a reduction in on-site parking and use of off-siteparking facilities very similar to the request approved by the Planning Commissionlast year. Alison Kendall, chair of the Building Committee, is completing thenecessary application materials with our architect, Ralph Mechur, and our pro-bonoland use attorney, Chris Harding.

With plenty of committee input on the design, the architect is finalizing allthe drawings required by the city, and we hope to submit the application inearly February. We will be holding a community meeting sometime in March todescribe our proposal and offer discussion about concerns that our neighborsmight have.

We hope to have a Planning Commission hearing in the spring. Remember, however,that our previous application (about the 17th Street property) had been deemedcomplete in October 2003, yet the hearing about that application was not helduntil early March 2004, so we are likely to encounter delays this time aroundas well. After Planning Commission approval we will need to go through ArchitecturalReview Board approval, and then prepare and submit construction drawings forbuilding permits. We hope to expedite the house relocation and remodeling togive us usable space before remodeling Forbes Hall and building the new wing.Expansion of the sanctuary will be the final phase.

The sale of our 17th Street parcel netted over $1 million, a major start toour new capital fund, which was depleted by the purchase of the lot at 124818th Street. A new capital campaign is expected to start soon to close the gapbetween our current funds and the anticipated total amount needed for all threephases of construction. We are starting to work with our architect and the contractorwe had selected for the 17th Street project to refine our original planninglevel estimate of $1.8 million.

The Building Committee meets every other Monday at 6:30 p.m. This month's meetingsare scheduled for Monday, February 14, and Monday, February 28. Please contactAlison Kendall or Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator, to confirm meetingdates.

-Alison Kendall

UNICEF Donations Total Over $4,000; More Will Be Given for Tsunami Victims

Our congregation has raised $4,323.46 for UNICEF, an international agencyproviding humanitarian relief to children and their families affected by thetsunami disaster in southeast Asia.

In announcing at the January 2 services that UNICEF would receive the non-pledgecollection, the Rev. Judith Meyer said, "UNICEF is already active in all thecoastal areas affected by the tsunami. One of the many sad realities about thedestruction from the tsunami is that so many children have suffered and died;those who remain alive face drastically altered lives from the aftermath oftrauma and the threat of disease.

"There are many worthy organizations stepping up to the challenge of providingrelief, and Unitarian Universalist organizations are doing their part," Judithadded. "The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee will be collaborating withthe Unitarian Universalist Association to work with grassroots organizationsin India."

As part of our "generous congregation" program, our church will also collectmoney for the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and for Global Health Access Program,a local humanitarian relief agency that has sent Los Angeles doctor Larry Stockto Sri Lanka.

"Even if you think you don't have much to give," Judith commented, "it is worthmore than you may think. And if it is difficult to give right now, there willbe many opportunities later. Once the media attention has waned, the publichealth crisis will continue. The support we give in a couple of weeks or evenmonths will be just as badly needed as it is now."

-Paula Bernstein

Dining for Dollars Events

Bidding Dates: Sunday, February 20, and Sunday, February 27, 2005. (10:00 –11:00am; 12:00 – 1:15pm)

Meet the New Capital Campaign Leader:
Ron Crane Has Extraordinary Background

Ron Crane, a psychotherapist active in the life of our church since he joinedfour years ago, is the chair for our 2005 capital campaign.

"The serendipity, magic, or mystery of life has given us the last-minute opportunityto own the property next door," Ron believes. "Now our children will be in asafe space going to class, and now there can be room for all of our studentswithout some of them having to go a block away to reach their RE class. Nowthe Anderson Courtyard can expand and the garden can be a place where we canwalk as well as sit. Now our crumbling building can have a new face."

Ron brings plenty of experience to his new job raising money for our expansionand remodeling. "I've chaired two capital campaigns with goals of over $1 million(Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center in 1994 and Youth Shelters and Family Servicesin 1995), and I've been involved in fundraising at numerous non-profit organizations(Ocean Park Women's Shelter, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Council for SecularHumanism, The Newbridge School, Lifering Secular Recovery Organization, YouthShelters, Family Services, and others," he says. "I've done everything fromselling raffle tickets at the mall (Big Brothers) to organizing a Hispanic MusicFestival in Santa Fe (1992)."

Raising money didn't come naturally, though. "About 15 years ago," Ron says,"I completed the UCLA certification program for fundraising and non-profit development.I took that series because I had such difficulty asking people to donate money."

Ron joined UUCCSM in 2001 with John Fels, his partner for over 20 years. Sincethen, Ron has served the church as a member of the Long-Range Planning Committee,president of Interweave, chair of the Welcoming Congregation Committee, memberof the Faith in Action Commission, member of the Stewardship Committee, chairfor Planned Giving, secretary of the Board of Directors, and instructor forthe senior high school OWL program. He came to our church after over 25 yearsof awareness of UU philosophy, primarily through work with humanist and existentialorganizations, including the Council for Secular Humanism, American HumanistAssociation, Humanist Psychology Association, and Society of Humanistic ExistentialPsychology.

"The reasons people attend our church are as individual as the individualsattending," he says. "There are as many reasons for refurbishing and buildingour church as there are members. After 75 years we now have the opportunityto clean up, beautify, and expand

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, "long-range planning" and"strategic planning" differ in what we can assume about the environment surroundingour plans. Long-range planning generally means the development of a plan foraccomplishing goals over a period of several years. It assumes that currentknowledge about future conditions is sufficiently reliable to ensure the reliabilityof the plan itself over the duration of implementation.

On the other hand, strategic planning assumes that we must be responsive toa dynamic, changing environment. It stresses the importance of making decisionsthat will ensure our ability to successfully respond to changes in the environment.Fundamental to this process is thinking that asks, "Are we doing the right thing?"

In either case, planning for our future is determined by goals, objectives,roles and responsibilities, timelines, etc., in the context of our UUCCSM vision,mission, and values.

At its spring retreat, the board authorized the formation of a long-range planningcommittee made up of board and non-board church members. In November, the boardratified this decision. There is work to be done and it's time to get going.If you would like to be part of this effort, please call me.

-Pat Wright

On Friday evening, October 29, approximately 75 members of the congregation,friends, and family members of Dean and Lee Voegtlen gathered in the sanctuaryto hear Dean talk about his life and a select few pay tribute to his nearly40 years of service to our congregation.

In attendance were two of Dean and Lee's sons, Alan and Brian; Brian's wife,Christy; and Dean and Lee's grandson, Miles Dean. Speaking in tribute were WarrenMathews, John Raiford, Charles Haskell, Ernie Pipes, and Karl Lisovsky. Themaster of ceremonies was the Rev Judith Meyer.

Warren reminded everyone that Dean has not only participated in and chairedalmost every standing committee of the church, including the Board of Directors,but in some cases has done so multiple times (Dean was president in 1977-78and 1993-94). John thanked Dean and Lee for offering solace and support in timesof crisis. Ernie highlighted Dean's calm leadership in stormy seas (figurativelyand literally, noting Dean's sailing skills). And Karl and Charles spoke ofDean's love of tennis and how the game may be seen as a metaphor for life.

Dean described his childhood growing up in New Jersey and summers in upstateNew York, his truncated academic career at the University of Michigan, followedby serendipitous success at the Hughes Company and elsewhere.

Dean's analytical knowledge in the fields of statistical quality control andvalue engineering has been much valued in business and industry. And we allknow Dean's musical abilities. There is so much more-the sum reaches RenaissanceMan status. Dean's reaction to the evening: "I had a lot of fun, and I hopeothers did so too." The audience's reaction: "Dean, you're the best."

-Rob Briner

If you have looked at our mural room in Forbes Hall you know it starts wheremodern UUism starts, with Frances David in Transylvania.

Transylvania is a geographic region of Romania directly east of Hungary. Underthe Ottoman Turkish occupation of Hungary during the 16th and 17th centuries,Transylvania was a semi-independent principality ruled by Hungarian princes,who were able to maintain a precarious independence from the Ottoman Empire.The country of Romania was formed relatively recently, in 1861, with the unificationof the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia.

It is ironic that Transylvania, which today is a hotbed of ethnic discord,was a model of enlightenment and religious tolerance during the 16th century,when most of Europe was embroiled in religious wars. In 1568, Prince John Sigismundpromulgated the Edict of Religious Toleration at the Diet of Torda (an assemblyof nobles and landed gentry), which enabled the Unitarian religion to prosperamong competing faiths.

The Unitarian faith is a product of the Reformation and was introduced intoTransylvania by Francis David (D