Featured Articles Archive
Important Info from Stewardship: Pledge Year Redefined
As you may have heard, we are changing our calendar-year pledge cycle to instead track our church’s fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Having a more accurate picture of income over the course of the whole year – instead of guesstimating for 6 months – will give our leaders and staff better information and higher confidence in budgeting and planning. This confidence, and your support, are critical to our covenantal community and to supporting our mission and ministry.
In addition, we’ve had two Stewardship campaigns over the past 12 months: our winter pledge drive and then the special Sustainability Campaign in March when so many of us made fresh commitments to lift up our collective vision and assure its future.
All this has created a bit of ambiguity in pledging. It’s important that all members know that your current mission-critical annual pledge will be extended – just this once – to cover the 6 months from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019; the gap created by switching from calendar-year to fiscal-year pledging. Again, this is the ONLY time we will have an expectation for an 18-month pledge.
To those who have already fulfilled your 18-month pledge, thank you so much for your support and amazing commitment to making a difference in our church and in the wider world.
To those fulfilling your pledge monthly – whether via monthly bill payments or automated debits – just keep right on. We ask that you continue to pay monthly at your current level until the next pledge year begins July 1, 2019. Thank you for your constancy and devotion to our beloved community.
If you normally make a single payment to fulfill your pledge but haven’t yet made your donation, you may choose to:
- Make one payment for 18 months before December 31, 2018 (which maximizes the tax deduction for this year). For example, if your annual pledge is $2000, you would make a one-time payment of $3000 that would cover the 18 months from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
- Make two payments that total an 18-month pledge. For example, if your annual pledge is $2000, you could make one $2000 pledge payment before December 31, 2018 and then another $1000 payment before June 30, 2019.
Of course, any manner you choose to meet your generous commitment and support our call to a more loving and just society is warmly welcomed, and deeply appreciated throughout our community. Fulfilling your pledge sooner provides the church with a predictable cash flow to cover our ongoing covenants with staff, along with inspiring worship services, community engagement, faith development for young and old, and a myriad of beloved and vibrant programs. It also helps keep our carefully husbanded financial reserves intact and available for the proverbial rainy day.
Feel free to speak with Gretchen Goetz, Kit Shaw, Rev. Greg, Jacki Weber, or Finance Assistant Nancy Thompson to ask questions and discuss options for pledge fulfillment, including monthly giving, raising your pledge in December, and transfers of stock or other assets that might have further tax benefits. We’ve also improved our online giving platform. There’s an app for that!
As we travel together through this truly transformative and inspirational time in our church life, we see new energy and new possibilities. Thank you for investing in UUSM and our important work in the world.
– Stewardship Committee
Co-Chairs Gretchen Goetz and Kit Shaw
On Memory, Growth, and Change as We Come Into Our Covenant
The Seven Principles don’t directly mention it, but memory is an important part of striving to be a justice-based community. The act of remembrance is the building block by which we understand the present and plan for the future. Through memory, we honor our personal truth, our experiences, and those of our shared community. It is how we tell our story.
Congregations, like all communities or families, are not immune from conflict. In recent years, multiple intersecting rifts shook our understanding of who we are, individually and together. In remembering, we feel the tinge of division, how we disconnected from people we love and care for. We wonder, will that feeling subside? Can we forget our differences and get along again?
I believe that an ethical and justice-based community like our own should not strive to forget, but to understand each other through our memory and to embrace that pain of disconnection. We are an interfaith community precisely because we believe we are better when we open ourselves to those who are different, not just through identity or practice, but also to how they think and feel. We strive to honor them exactly for the way they are. We remember to understand where we come from, to find both the places in ourselves that need healing, and the parts of our spiritual or emotional selves we are ready to grow into — for ourselves and for each other.
Our Work Is Changing
The Congregational Covenant of Right Relations manifests the community’s work to live into our shared values of justice and affirmation of all people in the face of division. Right Relation Team’s mission has been to develop more concerted ways to understand each other and live into the Seven Principles through a covenant reflecting our beliefs, our story, our memory.
The Team, in its charge to help us to live into our covenant together, understands that, as individuals and as a community, we are not the same as when we first began this process. Together we do not forget the conflicts, but grow from where they brought change, and so the Team evolves in the ways we aid the community’s growth. We do so not as enforcers of a particular idea of order, but as a group holding space for church members to remember and honor their own development in living into the covenant.
Our work shifts now towards building opportunities for each person to develop an understanding of how conflict is a means for growth. We will continue to support individuals who feel stuck in biases or complex relational dynamics to move from conflict to growth. Yet we remember and honor that through this process many have felt empowered, on their own, to transform situations through understanding and empathy. We plan to provide the community with more forums for listening to one another’s stories, topical dialogue spaces where we share our truths, and workshops in which we embrace those things outside our comfort zones to develop strategies for living into our Covenant in difficult times.
We are grateful for the trust and engagement the community has bestowed on us during these first years of building and living into our Covenant. I am excited to grow with each member of this community, not in spite of our conflicts or differences, but because of them. Together we can honor that growth by remembering not only the pain but the way we haven’t given up on the interdependent web between us.
— Aubrey Sassoon
On behalf of the Right Relations Team: Audrey Lyness, Alicia MacLennan, Vilma Ortiz,
Sue Stoyanoff, Linda vanLigten, and Cassie Winters
Young Adults are Back!
When I first started talking with the Young Adults at church about a meeting, I told them, “I’ll be happy if we get five people at brunch.” They were confident that we could easily get five to show up – even more. I had my doubts.
On Sunday October 14 when the Young Adults (ages 18–35) met at Café Zella for brunch, 12 people showed up! I ate crow, but others enjoyed eggs, sandwiches, fruit, and pancakes. Though we were spread out over three tables, the conversation flowed along with the coffee. We took over the café with youthful energy, and made plans to meet the second Sunday of every month after the 11 am service.
There are so many talented, helpful, energetic, and enthusiastic Young Adults who are interested in our congregation. Part of what surprised me about how many showed up to the café is how few of them I had seen at services before. Many I was meeting for the first time. As the Young Adults grow in cohesiveness and community, they will likely be interested in getting more involved in a church where their thoughts and talents are encouraged and respected.
Please invite Young Adults that you know to join us on Sunday November 11, and in future months. Contact me with questions at internminister@uusm.org. I’m looking forward to watching the church and Young Adults grow together.
– Robin Stillwater
Intern Minister
Pastoral Care: A Core Church Activity
The pastoral care needs at UUSM are too large and too important to leave to just one person. In a community with such a broad range of interests, needs, experiences, theologies, and perspectives, our church community needs an equally diverse system of support.
The Pastoral Care Program supports members in three primary ways:
The Care Ring Team – this fantastic group of about 8–10 people form the comprehensive “front line” of love and care that we extend to members when they join UUSM. Whenever a member experiences a temporary physical struggle or emotional loss, we strive to have a Care Ring Team member reach out and offer attention and care. However, the Care Ring Team is made up of people with big hearts – but they are not telepathic. They need to be informed when someone experiences a setback. You can do that by sending an email to pastoralcare@uusm.org.
The Pastoral Associates – this group works with those members who are experiencing a difficult transition in life that involves some shift in the way we think of ourselves or identify (i.e., divorce, when children leave home, when we retire or lose our job, when we receive a diagnosis of a life-threatening condition, or when someone close to us dies). You can also reach Pastoral Associates through pastoralcare@uusm.org.
The Ministers – Rev. Greg Ward and Robin Stillwater (our intern minister) are available for moments of significant joy or sorrow such as the loss of a loved one or a life-threatening accident or trip to the hospital. Whenever something of this nature happens please send an email right away to the ministers at pastoralcare@uusm.org, or call or text Rev. Greg at 831-601-5197.
The Care Ring Team meets every first Wednesday at 1 PM in Forbes, and is seeking new members. Please send a note to pastoralcare@uusm.org and put “Care Ring” in the subject line, and let Linda van Ligten know you are interested.
If you are interested in joining the Pastoral Associates, this is a fantastic group of five people seeking to deepen self-awareness and compassionate communication. Please fill out an application by clicking PASTORAL ASSOCIATES APPLICATION (or copy and paste this link in your browser: https://www.jotform.com/82645047784163.
Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who add heart to the Pastoral Care program at UUSM.
— The Rev. Greg Ward
Worship Associates Applications Open
The Worship Associates program is a leadership development program that focuses on the task of planning, producing, and presenting worship as a means of teaching leadership.
This is generally a three-year commitment as each team member integrates and executes more leadership (from parts of a service, to leading entire services, to leading the program itself). Along the way, each Worship Associate will learn and master theory, practice, and principles of worship. It is also the intention of the program to convey
how to understand and work with diversity
how to explore and illuminate meaningful ideas
how to organize thoughts, as well as creatively organize contributions from team
the ability to be a non-anxious, differentiated leader
how to plan, present, and participate in well run meetings
These skills are useful in many areas beyond worship.
New Worship Associates are not necessarily chosen by “the most qualified” or those with the most experience in worship or public speaking. A key consideration is how well a volunteer complements the diversity of the team as a whole. All aspects of identity are taken into consideration: gender, age, race, class, professional experiences, culture, language, etc. The goal broad diversity with a high level of curiosity and cooperation among team members.
If you would like to apply to the program, click on the application link below (or copy and paste the link into your browser). Please direct all your questions to the Rev. Greg Ward at revgreg@uusm.org. He will be collecting applications during the month of October and contacting applicants beginning in November.
Santa Monica, Long Beach, and Anaheim UUs Connect at de Benneville
The annual church weekend in September at Camp de Benneville Pines is a great time to take a walk in the woods. This year’s camp attendees included UUs from Santa Monica, Anaheim, and Long Beach congregations, all sharing in the fun.
This year’s campers included regular attendees, people coming for the first time, as well as previous attendees who had not attended for up to a decade. Nels Hanson and Dayla McDonald, formerly members of the Santa Monica congregation and now attending Long Beach UU, and Margot Page and Ian Dodd (Santa Monica UUs), were examples of people who had not attended the church camp weekend in years. Rima Snyder, a first-time camper said, “It’s very lovely here. All the trees, and so peaceful, being away from the traffic.”
Recent upgrades to the camp, including paved roads, the restored lodge, a new walkway through the camp to the cabins, drew a lot of approving smiles.
Friday evening, Camp Dean, Amy Brunell, opened camp with some “get-to-know-you” icebreakers. This activity gave everyone a chance to find their cohort and get to know their cabin-mates.
Weekend activities included fun workshops (tie dye), personal growth workshops (meditation and yoga), and a sampling of programs (Heart to Heart and A Year to Live), which will be monthly programs offered at the Santa Monica UU church through the coming year. Other activities included archery, which is a perennial activity that many people enjoy each time they go, and go-carts, specially brought up for the kids.
On Sunday morning, under the trees, the Rev. Greg Ward gave a sermon that dived deep into his long personal history at camp (and noting that it was also his birthday). The sermon and surroundings presented an atmosphere for reflection for the congregation.
Socializing with old friends or making new ones, eating delicious food, walking in the woods, playing guitar and singing, and spending some delightfully screen-free time, just breathing in the pine-scented forest – de Benneville Pines is always a place to make some deep connections, whether with others or with oneself.
Applause (and thanks) to the committee that organized this year’s camp: Joyce Holmen, Linda Van Lighten, Kathleen Hogue, Karl Lisovsky, Chela Metzger, and Sunni Pavlovic. The committee was chaired by long time camp alumna, Amy Brunell.
Mark your calendar for next September, or get to any of the other wonderful camps offered at de Benneville Pines throughout the year.
It’s always a good time to take a walk in the woods.
– Judith Martin-Straw
Living Our Covenant: Workshop on Sunday Oct. 14
The Right Relations Team and Support will hold its third Covenant Workshop on Sunday, October 14 from 12:45 to 4 pm at the church. The first Covenant Workshop was held one year ago, when the purpose of a Congregational Covenant was discussed and questions were posed about what commitments were meaningful to members of the congregation. The responses provided that day formed the basis of the Covenant that was approved by congregational vote at the Annual Meeting in May 2018.
A second workshop, offered in March 2018, offered an opportunity for members of the congregation to practice how to self-regulate when angered, how to connect and listen deeply, and how to unearth the unmet needs that may be driving our conflicts.
The October 14 workshop will address how we live out our covenantal commitments, focusing on the first two sections of the Covenant: Caring and Compassion, and Communication. As before, the workshop will be highly interactive and practical. Please sign up at the Right Relations Table after either service or contact us through rightrelations@uusm.org. If you would like to assist in the right relations process by joining our Support Team, please let us know.
Right Relations Team: Sue Stoyanoff & Vilma Ortiz, co-chairs; Cassie Winters, Linda van Ligten, Aubrey Sassoon, Alicia MacLennan, and Audrey Lyness.
Right Relations Support: Steve and Sylvia Young, Patricia Wright, Nalani Santiago, Beth Rendeiro, Margot Page, Alice Koga, and Cindy Kelly.
Welcome to Ministerial Intern Robin Stillwater
Our new ministerial intern, Robin Stillwater, will begin her year of training and service with UUSM on September 1. Robin is a candidate for ordination with the Unitarian Universalist Association. We will be welcoming her during a reception after the service on September 2, and again during Second Sunday Supper on September 9. Please join us both times if you can!
While interns are mentored and supervised by the minister who leads the congregation, it is important to remember that we all are responsible for the training and support of our intern minister. We are a teaching congregation. Our intern will learn much from us and because of us. And we will learn from her.
Our Ministerial Intern Committee consists of Olga Felton, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, Tom Peters, Bev Shoenberger, and Cassie Winters. (In addition, Robin will choose one more committee member in the fall after she gets to know us.)
One of the Committee’s functions is to serve as a bridge between Robin and congregation. To this end, we have in the narthex a beautiful, floral box – a little larger than a shoebox—in which you can place cards and notes. We are inviting people to help her feel at home: take her to dinner, teach her to navigate the freeways, make recommendations for restaurants, cleaners, markets, and anything else you think might be helpful. We will present Robin with this box on September 2.
— Bev Shoenberger
Meet Robin
Robin Stillwater, our 2018-2019 ministerial intern, is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Robin’s academic work at Union concentrated on Ethics and Inter-Religious Engagement (predominantly studying Islamophobia). She worked in pastoral care at Middle Collegiate Church with the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis. Middle Collegiate Church is a progressive church, organized in 1628, and is the oldest continuously active congregation in America.
“I applied for the UUSM internship because I wanted to go to a culture that I was not familiar with, along with the opportunity to work with Rev. Greg,” says Robin, who grew up in Ohio, and has lived in the East, South, and Northwest of the U.S. “I accepted the position for a different set of reasons.”
Chief among those, says Robin, was that “the congregation is thinking carefully about issues, even if they are not sure of the answers.”
During her nine-month commitment to UUSM, Robin hopes to gain experience in congregational administration and worship leadership. She will also facilitate a young adults group at our church. “I really want to hear people’s stories, and learn from them,” she says.
An active hiker, snorkeler, and animal lover, Robin is looking forward to the opportunities provided by our ocean, mountains, and desert. She wants us to know she uses she/her pronouns, and loves popcorn. She is also a nurse with experience in the Emergency Department.
— Abby Arnold
Report from UU General Assembly
Unitarian Universalist General Assembly 2018, which took place from June 20 to 24 in Kansas City, continued the UUA’s focus on dismantling white supremacy. Delegates voted overwhelmingly for Actions of Immediate Witness to end family separations at the border, abolish ICE, and ban for-profit prisons. We also voted to give religious educators delegate status. In a forceful and moving Ware Lecture, activist and educator Brittany Packnett challenged people with privilege to be more responsible for dismantling oppressive systems. As usual, the schedule was intense and featured a wide range of programming and workshops on many topics.
I had the opportunity to connect with friends old and new from around the country and spent some time chatting with writers I admire at the UU Humanist Association booth in the exhibit hall. On the final evening, I attended a long gathering and potluck meal at All Souls UU Church with water protectors and Lakota elders from Standing Rock. Our time there was organized by UU Ministry for Earth and featured songs, stories, and prayers for water, “The First Medicine,” that I will not soon forget.
– James Witker
STEWARDSHIP NEWS: Upcoming Activities to Support Generosity in Congregational Life
Before Rev. Greg left for his summer break, he asked representatives from the Stewardship, Membership and Pastoral Care committees to form a new group he called the “Connectors.”
The three teams currently work separately toward the same goal of a healthy, loving congregation in which people support each other emotionally and financially. The Stewardship team brings the congregation together to support the church financially through annual pledging. The Membership team reaches out to interested visitors and guides them in the membership process. The Pastoral Care team offers care to members in times of both need and joy.
The Connectors are meeting to determine how to “connect” the work of these three teams to encourage the “connection” between meaningful pledging, growth in membership, and ongoing compassion for members. The aim is that this overlap will bring a greater experience of involvement and financial commitment, which will benefit us all individually and as a community.
The current “connectors” are Bettye Barclay from Pastoral Care, Norm Richey from Membership, and Gretchen Goetz, Kit Shaw and John Sussman from Stewardship.
Beginning in September, a separate team consisting of Rev. Greg, Gretchen Goetz, Katie Malich, Sarah Robson, and Kit Shaw will be participating in the Institutionalizing a Ministry of Generosity (IMG) program sponsored by the Pacific Western Region of the UUA. This program is based on the idea that generosity is an attitude and a behavior, which encompasses many areas of congregational life, and that congregations that are intentional about adopting new practices and paying attention to the need for cultural shifts can increase their giving.
The IMG program provides materials and support to shift congregational practices and transform culture in order to promote generosity in all areas of congregational life. The team will engage in preliminary group and individual work, participate in a weekend retreat in February 2019 with other UU congregations from the Pacific Western Region, and create a three-year plan, specific to our congregation. By moving beyond technical fixes and reactionary responses to more intentional and comprehensive approach, we hope to nurture the generosity that lives within us.
– Kit Shaw and Gretchen Goetz
Summer at UUSM
Like many churches, UUSM scales down its program during the summer months. Our minister, the Reverend Greg Ward, is away until September.
- There will be one worship service each Sunday morning at 10 am, led by our Worship Associates team members. To contact them, please write to worshipassociates@uusm.org.
- Religious exploration classes for children will be held during each Sunday service all summer. The theme is “You Can Do It Too!” and will feature adult congregants sharing their skills and hobbies with the children each week.
- Heart and Soul worship services will be held the second Sunday of each month at 5 pm in the sanctuary.
- The choir will be on vacation through the summer, with Director of Music Zanaida Robles leading most services, with accompanist Ryan Humphrey. We will feature guest musicians from among our members and friends.
- We will continue to hold Second Sunday Suppers in July and August. Please join us for fellowship at these communal meals.
- If you are in need of pastoral care, please contact (pastoralcare@uusm.org). This will go to a team of people who work with the Pastoral Associates, the Care Ring Team, and the Board. They will arrange for a minister if a for rite of passage is needed.
- To reach the church community, contact our Church Administrator, Nurit Gordon (admin@uusm.org). She will consult with our Communications Team as appropriate. She will also determine how, when, where, and if an announcement can be made on one of UUSM’s communication vehicles (newsletter, website, e-blast, flyer, bulletin board, or worship announcement).The church office will be closed on Mondays, and it closes each Friday at 1 pm.
For many years, UUSM’s pledge commitments were made for a calendar year, from January to December. Meanwhile, our budget was prepared for a fiscal year, July to through June of the following year. As a result, our pledge income for six months of each year was an estimate, as we did not have actual pledge commitments for that time period. This resulted in involved and inexact budget planning.
At the May Board meeting (in consultation with Rev. Greg, the Treasurer, and Stewardship Team), the Board voted in favor of making the shift and aligning our pledging with the fiscal year of July to through June of the following year, like most UU churches.
How does this affect us all and our pledging?
• Any increases made to your 2018 calendar pledge year to 2018-2019 fiscal year pledge will start on July 2018 and last until through June 2019. We thank everyone who made increases or paid their 2018-19 pledge in full.
• If you pay your pledge on a monthly, weekly, or quarterly schedule (and you pay by check or with automatic credit card or checking account deduction) your increase will take effect July 2018. If you already scheduled the change to start earlier, many thanks for that!
• If you pay your pledge annually, once a year, you will need to fulfill your pledge by June 2019. When we used the calendar year basis, you could pay your pledge by the end of December each year. With this change, you will need to pay it by June of each year.
Happy new fiscal year and thank you for helping make UUSM’s financial planning more dependable and successful for us all! If you have any questions about the payment of your pledge, please contact Nurit Gordon at admin@uusm.org 310-829-5436 (310) 829-5436 ext. 100. For questions regarding the change in pledging, please contact Kit Shaw
Can you help our church prosper and grow?
The Stewardship Team is looking for new members! Join us to create upcoming pledge campaigns – and work to help members become more connected and committed to UUSM.
We would love to talk to anyone who is interested or has questions.
Thank you,
The Stewardship Team
Kit Shaw
Gretchen Goetz
Cindy Kelly
Kim Miller
Katie Malich
John Sussman, new Stewardship Team member
and Rev. Greg
Deep gratitude to members and friends who have made contributions to the recent (and ongoing) “Take a Step in the Right Direction” Sustainability Drive (as of June 12, 2018)
Thank you for increasing your 2018-19 pledge:
Tom Ahern
Marjorie Anderson
Barbara and Kim Andres
Bettye Barclay
Deidre Beckett
Sandra Beebe
Harvey and Sheila Bjornlie
Cedar Boschan
Ed Brand and Leslie Beauvais
Helen Brown
Joanne Brownlie
Beth Brownlie and Bryan Oakes
Bryan and Lisa Cahill
Melissa Campbell
Judy Carr and Max Epstein
Jennifer and Peter Chen
Cassandra Christensen
Cynthia Cottam and Tom Early
Rebecca Crawford
Lois D’Asaro
Jason and Jessica De Vita
Janine Venable deZarn
Deidre Dietel
Ian Dodd and Margot Page
Elizabeth and Soren Eilerston
Michael Eselun
Melinda Ewen
Olga Felton
Dwight Flowers
Resa Foreman
Liz Fuller and Dan Kegel
Stephen Gabroski
Wendi Gladstone
Pat Gomez
Elaine Gordon
Alice Hall
Christine and Joseph Hardin
Denise Helton
Leon Henderson and Nicole MacLennan
Emily Hero
Lois and Brad Hutchinson
Tom Kafka and Anne Hanson
Kim Kalmanson
Cindy Kelly
Carl and Ann Levken
Ellen Levy and Bob Dietz
Katie Malich
Richard and Patricia Mathias
Sabina Mayo-Smith
Kim Miller
Diane Monteith
Francine and Stu Moore
Sherman Neusom
Susana Nierlich
Kikanza Nuri-Robins
Colleen O’Mara Diamond
Christine Ong
Vilma Ortiz
Hayley Paddock
Karen Patch and Allee Harati
Rev. Ernie Pipes
John and Deanna Rengstorff
Norm Richey and Beverly Shoenberger
Carol Ring
Sarah Robson
Scott Roewe
Gerald Saldo
Robbert Schalenkamp and Jay Roberts
Jodi and Jim Shannahan
Cheryl Sims and Mark Berlin
Rima Snyder and Norb Gallery
Diana Spears
Dorothy Steinicke
Pam and Rick Teplitz
Francis Tibbits
Rev. Greg Ward
Jacki Weber and Lorenzo Pelayo
Steve White and Sue Stoyanoff
Cassandra Winters
Joanna Woods-Marsden
Patricia and Ned Wright
Michael Young
Stephen and Sylvia Young
With appreciation for your commitment to contributions to the new Sustainability Fund:
Farrokh and Garland Allen
Bettye Barclay
Steven DePaul and Beth Rendeiro
Nina Emerson
Barbara Gibbs
Gretchen and David Goetz
Robert and Cynthia Kelly
Robert and Phyllis Kory
Eileen and Michael McCormack
Kim Miller
Kit Shaw
John Sussman
Kay Ward
Rev. Greg Ward
Jacki Weber
James Witker
John Zinner
If you have not increased your pledge or contributed to the Sustainability Fund and would like to, please visit: https://archive.uusm.org/make-a-donation.
Gratefully,
The UUSM Board and the Stewardship Team
2018–19 Board of Directors: 100% Fresh
Following a heartwarming Religious Exploration service on May 20, the UUSM Annual Congregational Meeting showed appreciation for leadership and movement toward a more unified and energized future. Developmental Minister Rev. Greg Ward set the tone with a comical video and distributing “Cat Herding” awards to outgoing members of the board and Nominating Committee. The congregation laughed and showed their appreciation with enthusiastic applause for “retiring” leaders. Rev. Greg called for us to “lift each other up” in the face of challenges, and he expressed his “privilege” to serve as our leader.
Ron Crane, outgoing board president, praised the Right Relations process and the improvement in board meetings and congregational life. He emphasized compassion – heaving weathered personal storms during his tenure – and received a standing ovation in thanks for his years of service to our community.
Kim Miller and Vilma Ortiz presented the treasurer’s report and the operational budget for 2018-19. Kim described a large potential deficit in operational budget that – with the help of a supplemental pledge drive spearheaded by the board and a small group of major donors – was whittled down to about $20,000. The church remains on a solid financial footing with zero debt and about $880,000 in the bank. Kim expressed her appreciation of Church Administrator Nurit Gordon for her help throughout the year, supporting the budget process and tracking responsible spending.
Detailed discussion of the deficit became heated, but only for moments. A few members criticized the use of financial reserves to cover 2018-19 spending and the continuance of the Deficit Reserve Fund “indefinitely.” Others had questions on rentals and the board’s use of $20,000 from the Minister Equity Sharing Reserve fund to serve as seed money for the supplemental pledge drive’s Sustainability Fund (used to match pledges). Ortiz emphasized the importance of pledging and, especially, pledge fulfillment – the key to financial stability.
Outgoing Nominating Committee Cochair Bob Dietz introduced the slate of nominees for the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. He noted that none of the board nominees will continue in the same position, and five have never previously served on the board. None of the nominees faced opposition. After the votes were tallied, Dietz led the congregation’s installation of the new board: promises of mutual faith and support were exchanged.
The meeting adjourned at under two hours, the shortest and most amicable Annual Meeting in recent memory.
— Lois Hutchinson
2018-19 Board of Directors
President: Jacki Weber
Vice President: Beth Brownlie
Secretary: Norm Richey
Treasurer: Kim Andres
Members at Large:
Nina Emerson
Eileen McCormack
Ed Brand
Margot Page
New members of the Nominating Committee:
Patricia Gomez
Kikanza Nuri-Robins
Using Right Relations Tools in Our Daily Lives
The Covenant of Right Relations has been adopted by our congregation. Thanks to everyone for all the hard work drafting the covenant, providing feedback, and beginning to learn and practice the skills that are necessary to live into it. It has been a two-year process of coming together, telling our stories of personal meaning, developing our values as a congregation, learning about covenants, and thinking about what we really need in order to be in right relationship with one another. We truly appreciate the time and care that our congregation has put into this necessary work.
We are joining a growing number of Unitarian Universalist congregations that have adopted covenants of right relations. A faith community is a logical place to focus on what it means to be in right relationships with one another and what this looks like in practice. This work fits right in with our Second Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations. It is work we can bring in to all areas of our lives; the more we practice it, the more natural it becomes. With that in mind, it is useful to think about how we can use this covenant in our daily lives in ways that will challenge us to grow. Some of your Right Relations Team members have been thinking about this, and have these ideas to offer:
“I find that I am most likely to communicate outside of the skills our covenant suggests when in disagreement with my spouse and children . . . I guess because I know they will love me no matter what. But it is precisely with those whom we have the closest relationships that cultivating compassionate communication is necessary, in order to nurture those relationships. So I will try to consciously regulate more when I’m feeling frustrated around them and listen and speak from a perspective of needs.”
— Emily Linnemeier
“It can be hard not to ascribe nefarious intent and motives to unfriendly, wounding conduct. I run mental scripts, based on my upbringing and experiences, about what it means if someone is angry or distant. Although habit urges a judgment that the angry person is a jerk, the covenant encourages me instead to wonder whether they suffer from some unmet need, and to consider if the distant person might be shy, not arrogant. Unless behavior is patently vicious, I try to remember to assume good faith, and if the (nonabusive) conduct continues, to be curious and sympathetic rather than to label and dismiss the person.”
— Audrey Lyness
“Working with Right Relations has helped me: learn to be a better listener, notice my emotions when confronted with conflict, understand the role of anxiety in a system and yet, when it comes to applying and integrating this knowledge I fall short. I notice myself feeling judgmental or defensive, not taking the time to focus on the conversation and not always using the lens of compassion as the foundation of my communication. So I am looking forward to practicing these skills with my UU community, who I hope will be forgiving, understanding, and stay connected despite the inevitable errors we are all likely to make. Thank you in advance for that.”
— Beth Rendeiro
— The Right Relations Team
Second Sunday Suppers will Continue for another Year – Come Eat, Drink, and Converse With New and Old Friends
A new team, headed by Beth Rendeiro, will be organizing Second Sunday Supper (SSS) through May, 2019. Our SSS has grown and evolved from a simple potluck of about five to ten people in 2008, to a monthly “social supper” that usually has between 50 and 100 guests. The original goal, from Ron Crane and John Fels, and supported by Sue Bickford, Alan and Amy Brunell, Kate Schlesinger, Melinda Ewen, Barbara Gibbs, and others over the years, was to make sure every member of our community had access to a warm, nutritious meal at least once per month. While that remains a focus and goal for SSS, it has become a fun social gathering scheduled on the Second Sunday of each month from 5:45 (pre-dinner drinks) until 7:30 pm.
This is a church evening with no agendas. We talk with each other, and welcome new members or friends, in an informal and congenial atmosphere. Sometimes people from the community make their way in, and we welcome all who are seeking a convivial place to converse and eat. Sometimes there is a performance, movie, or speaker after the dinner, which means we can have a full evening of friendship, food, and interesting presentations. All ages are welcome and encouraged to come. Childcare can be arranged with a pre-reservation.
We will still ask rotating groups at Church to sponsor and host one or two suppers per year. Expect to hear from a team member regarding the month we are asking your committee/group to host. This could include setting a theme if you wish (Italian, Vegetarian, Comfort Foods, etc.) The sponsoring group is responsible for ensuring that there are enough entrees for 80 folks. All other food is provided by guests, which include side dishes, salads, desserts and/or drinks/wine. Guests can certainly bring a main dish as well. Whatever you bring, please bring enough for eight people. We ask everyone to bring something; whatever is manageable for you.
In recent years the success and the attendance of this supper has grown, but it became increasingly challenging for the sponsoring group to do all the necessary work, including the cleanup. We began a separate, donations-only fund to pay for one or two members per month to be paid as cleanup support. So far we have about $800 in this fund, donated by generous members. Any donation you can make to this fund will be most appreciated and used only for the cleanup portion of SSS. Please send your donation to the office and put “Second Sunday Supper” in the memo line. We need at least $100 per month, or $1,200 per year, to pay for adequate help.
With this new team, consisting of Alan Brunell, Karl Lisovsky, Kim Miller, Beth Rendeiro, and Linda van Ligten, we have restarted the SSS and now ask for the whole community to participate by:
• Sponsoring at least one Sunday per year;
• Attending the ones you don’t sponsor and bringing enough of “something” to share with eight other diners (if it’s not a hardship to do so);
• Emphasizing our green, no-waste practices by bringing your own plates, utensils and glasses and taking them home to wash;
• Donating anything you can to the Second Sunday Supper Fund;
• If you bring a serving dish, please bring a bag so you can take your own dish home to wash; Help clear the tables, move chairs, work in the kitchen as you are able as “many hands make light work.”
This convivial, warm, inclusive evening can only continue with your active participation. We’re very much looking forward to seeing you in Forbes, every second Sunday at 6 pm.
— Your new Second Sunday Supper Team: Beth Rendeiro, Karl Lisovsky, Alan Brunell, Linda van Ligten and Kim Miller. (if you want to join our team please let one of us know!)
SECOND SUNDAY SUPPER IN JUNE
Sunday, June 10, 6 pm to 8 pm, Forbes Hall. Join us to share in conversation, fellowship, and good food.
On June 10, the Camp de Benneville Pines Organizing Committee will host this monthly event. We will encourage your participation in our September 14-16 retreat — as well as provide several pots of chili, vegetarian and meat-based. Please bring a side dish, a salad, or a dessert. A slideshow of camp activities will accompany dinner. ALL ARE WELCOME
STEWARDSHIP CORNER
New Sustainability Fund Generates Increased Donations: Some FAQs
What is the Sustainability Fund?
The Sustainability Fund is the restricted fund established by the Board to create an incentive for generosity in our
congregation by matching increases in pledges. The fund is designed to encourage congregational financial responsibility by encouraging members to pledge at levels that are expected for a church of our size and cost of living area (or geo-index).
How does the Sustainability Fund work?
There are four ways in which an increased pledge may be matched.
1. If you are pledging below the pledge median ($700), any increase to your pledge will be matched by the fund. For example, if you are currently pledging $500 per year, and you increase your pledge to $600 per year, the fund will match the $100 increase. Based on your increase and the match from the fund, the church will
receive an additional $200 to its operational budget.
2. If you are pledging above the pledge median ($700) and you increase your pledge by ≥ 20% or $200, your
increase will be matched by the fund. For example, if you are currently pledging $800 per year, and you increase your pledge to $960 per year (20% increase), the fund will match the $160 increase. Based on your increase and the match from the fund, the church will receive an additional $320 to its operational budget.
3. If you are pledging below the pledge median (< $700) and you increase your pledge by 20% or $200, your
increase will be double-matched by the fund. For example, if you are currently pledging $600 per year and you increase your pledge to $800 per year, the fund will match your increase with $400. Based on your increase and the double-match from the fund, the church will receive an additional $600 to its operational budget.
4. If you are a new member and/or have never made a pledge before and if your new pledge meets or exceeds
the ideal pledge average ($1600), the fund will contribute $400. For example, you make a new pledge of $1600; the fund will contribute $400. Based on your new pledge and the contribution from the fund, the church will receive a new donation of $2000 to its operational budget.
Are there other conditions of using the Sustainability Fund that I should be aware of?
Yes. Each new pledge or increase in pledge is made with the intent to maintain the pledge at that level for the next three years. In addition, each person who wishes to qualify for a match needs to have paid their previous year’s pledge.
Will the fund continue to match my new pledge or pledge increase for the next three years?
The fund will match your pledge increase (based on the rules previously described) one time only. The following
year, you will be expected to maintain your current pledge level without a match.
What if I additionally raise my pledge next year? Will the matching program still be in effect?
Yes, anytime you raise your pledge! The aim of the Sustainability Fund is to continue to match pledge increases and higher entry level pledges so that in the long term, we are moving in the right direction toward pledge levels that will help us attract the strongest minister possible, when we are ready.
Where does the money in the Sustainability Fund come from?
The Sustainability Fund is funded by generous members of the congregation who would like to see the congregation move towards financial health and sustainability. Anyone who desires can be a Sustainability Fund contributor. The minimum donation is $100.
How much money needs to be in the Sustainability Fund to fulfill all of the matches?
To date, the Sustainability Fund has received more than $46,315 in cash and pledges (plus an additional $20,000 from the Minister Equity Sharing Fund). Of that, approximately $34,538 (and growing) will be paid out to match 2018 pledges increases and new pledges. The Board estimates that it will take between $80,000 to $90,000 over three to four years to support a matching pledge incentive program to move UUSM to a place of financial health. Therefore, the board will continue to use Sustainability Fund support to help move us in the right direction.
Can the money in the Sustainability Fund be used for anything else?
No, it is a restricted fund to be used for matching pledges only.
It’s not too late to increase your pledge and/or contribute to the Sustainability Fund and help us move in the right direction towards financial health and sustainability!
— Gretchen Goetz and Kit Shaw, co-chairs
Stewardship Committee
Right Relations - Where Do We Go from Here?
In Santa Monica, May brings lavender jacaranda blossoms to our tree-lined streets and the Annual Meeting to our church. On May 20th, church members will have the opportunity to exercise your voting rights, not least in deciding whether to adopt the Congregational Covenant of Right Relations. Your good work with Listening Circles, the Core Values Statement, Covenant Workshops and Dialogue Circles led to the creation of a covenant embodying the practices you value. Now it’s time to vote to adopt this covenant.
You may ask: So, then will we be done with Right Relations? Well, no. On March 8 and April 26, Right Relations Team and Support offered Communications Skills workshops, with more to come this month and in June. The workshops will cover Non-Violent Communication techniques and understandings, the empathetic practice of RASA (Receive, Appreciate, Summarize and Ask), more in-depth work in identifying needs that underlie conflict, ways to transform the inevitability of conflict and to prevent our limbic system from controlling our responses.
In addition to offering skills-building opportunities, the Right Relations Team will continue to provide consultation, coaching and facilitation of interpersonal dialogues. The Team can also assist church committees to develop their own covenants, communication guidelines and charters, to implement process observation, and to learn techniques to offer feedback that can be heard without offense or defense. These tools may help church groups to meet their goals, bring efficiency to meetings and promote inclusion within the groups, as well as support inter-committee communication and connection.
Our Developmental Minister Greg Ward cautions the congregation not to view Right Relations as a “fix-it” system but rather as a process by which individuals and groups may develop clarity about their common needs and goals to help membership align with each other. What tools do they need to meet their goals? How do they to connect with other church programs? How does their group fit in with the church as a whole? In addition to more clearly defining its purpose, a church group may want help in identifying the roles and responsibilities of its members, how decisions are made, who holds authority and what that means.
Upon the adoption of the Congregational Covenant of Right Relations, we enter an exciting new phase of collective work. Right Relations Team and Support look forward to working closely with our minister Greg to learn how best to support our membership and church programs in accomplishing their important objectives.
Right Relations Team: Vilma Ortiz and Sue Stoyanoff (co-chairs), Emily Linnemeier, Audrey Lyness, Beth Rendeiro, Cassie Winters, and James Witker
Right Relations Support: Cindy Kelly, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Linda van Ligten, Patricia Wright, and Steve and Sylvia Young
— The Right Relations Team
Stewardship Corner: A Step in the Right Direction
Last month, we talked about the importance of building a stable financial base within the church for sustainable financial health. During his March 11 sermon, Rev. Greg presented graphs, which showed that the majority of pledges were below what would be expected for a church of our size and cost-of-living area. In an effort to raise the pledge base, a Spring Pledge Campaign was launched, running from March 11 to April 9, which was supported by a newly formed Sustainability Fund.
We wish to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and participation, especially those who were able to increase their pledge (73 pledging units)! We are happy to report that, as a result of this campaign, our average pledge increased from $1406 to $1485 and the median pledge (equal number of pledges on either side of the middle that are lower and higher) increased from $700 to $900. Base pledging (defined as pledges minus the top 4% of donors (who are few in number but contribute 26% of our budget) increased from $600 to $840.
Although this is all good news, we still have more to learn and more work to do. Our overall average pledge goal is
$1600 and our median pledge goal is $1200. So, while we’ve taken “a step in the right direction,” we aren’t there yet!
There are many more exciting things we can accomplish with a solid budget, including (but not limited to):
• Get up to “fair share” in our UUA dues
• Get out of deficit spending, which causes anxiety in the congregation
• Repay and increase the Ministerial Equity Fund All of these factors are important for attracting the right
settled minister.
— Gretchen Goetz and Kit Shaw,
co-chairs Stewardship Committee
co-chairs Stewardship Committee
Annual Meeting Will Bring Fresh Vision to UUSM
A Town Hall meeting on the 2018-2019 church budget will be held on SUNDAY, APRIL 15 at 12:30 pm in the
sanctuary. All members are encouraged to attend.
At the 2018 Annual Congressional Meeting, May 20, we will see significant changes in our leadership. Come, make your vote count!
The Nominating Committee will present its slate of nominees for the open seats on the board and Nominating Committee at the April 10 meeting of the Board of Directors. Any members who choose to run for these positions by petition will also appear on the ballot. We will also be voting on a forward-thinking church budget, the Covenant of Right Relations, and other important issues.
Board of Directors
Our President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer serve one-year terms, so those positions appear on the ballot every year. These officers can be nominated to the same position for three consecutive terms. After two consecutive terms as President, Ron Crane has chosen not to run for President again and will become the Past President, replacing current Past President Patricia Wright. Vice President Jacki Weber and Secretary Beth Brownlie are eligible to serve third consecutive terms. After three years, our hard-working Treasurer, Kim Miller, has termed-out of that position.
Although Members-at-Large Jerry Gates and Kikanza Nuri-Robbins are eligible to run for another two-year term, both have decided not to seek office again, in order to make room for new members. After almost five years, Emily Hero has decided to resign from her Member-at-Large position; a replacement for her will be elected to serve out the second year of that position. The fourth member at-large, Norm Richey, has another year on his current term. The Nominating Committee continues to consider possible candidates for all open board positions and won’t publicize its nominees until the April 10 board meeting.
Nominating Committee
Two seats on the Nominating Committee – currently held by Bob Dietz and James Witker – will appear on the ballot for three-year terms. Barbara Gibbs, Liza Cranis, and Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson will continue their current terms.
Once the Nominating Committee’s slate is presented to the board, any member of the church who has been a voting member for at least a year may run for any open seat on the Board of Directors or Nominating Committee. Just submit your petition, signed by 10 or more voting members, to the church office. All submitted petitions and signatures must be reviewed by the Secretary of the board, Beth Brownlie, for validation by April 30.
The final ballot for the May 20 elections will be part of a church mailing sent out on or before May 5. New and renewing members read into the rolls at the April 10 board meeting will become voting members after 40 days, and thus will be eligible to vote. Voting members have the options to vote in person, by proxy, or by absentee ballot. Please, share your presence (we need a quorum!) and your enthusiasm as we build our community’s future.
– Bob Dietz and Lois Hutchinson
Right Relations News
Forty of us gathered in the sanctuary after services on March 4 to learn a little more about covenants, and specifically covenants of right relations -- and even more specifically the UUSM Covenant of Right Relations that we will be voting on adopting at our upcoming annual meeting. Participants shared which parts of the UUSM Covenant of Right Relations they are already skilled at, as well as which parts will most challenge them and what needs to be learned in order to live into the covenant.
We also had a chance to recognize our fearless consultant, Nancy Edmundson, as she has ended her time working with us on establishing a commitment to right relations at our church. As shared by Right Relations Team co-chair Sue Stoyanoff, “She is serious, respectful, joyful, playful. She honored our differences and our broken hearts. Through her gentle, persistent modelling she showed us how to not only tolerate but appreciate conflict and ambiguity. She talked about being willing to wander in the wilderness – and it felt that way sometimes.
“She showed us how to slow down. …
“She was willing to wait while we figured things out. And she was certain that we’d figure things out. When we had trouble, she gently suggested a way forward, or a thoughtful analysis of our process.
“She helped us remember that we value the inherent worth and dignity of every person.…
“And we are here at this moment of our lives together, moving forward into right relations with one another, because of the great gift of Nancy’s shared leadership, wisdom, presence.“”
During a short break, participants moved into Forbes Hall to begin practicing some skills that will help us live into our covenant. We explored the importance of developing tools, such as deep breathing, to help us regulate our emotions when we start taking things personally or become triggered in some way. We then practiced “I-messages,” stating how we are feeling about challenges we are facing with others, as well as listening skills to help us take in what others have to say and validate their feelings even if we disagree with their words. These communication skills can help us refrain from forming and acting on assumptions. Finally, we started learning how to “turn to wonder” when in the midst of challenging situations with each other, through looking at conflicts we have with one another through the perspective of underlying human needs.
The Right Relations Team would like to thank the Right Relations Support Group members who helped as part of the program and through facilitating small groups. We’d also like to thank all the participants for giving their time and energy to the day, and for now being part of our team of right relations ambassadors.
Participants had this to say about the day:
• “The exercises and workshop in Forbes [were] excellent. The quality of sharing was better than usual for church discussions.”
• “All was wonderful. The reciting of the covenant, understanding the value and intentions of the church. Sharing in pairs and groups in the church and also then the deeper sharing at the tables. . . .”
• “It was meaningful as I saw how members like to improve their communication and be effective members.”
• “Really grateful to be here. Enjoyment is fantastic and the gentle humor moving to me.”
The Team also received some great ideas about further skills we can work on in future workshops, to include how to stay engaged when we are in conflict with others, practicing direct communication, offering appreciation, listening and responding to criticism, speaking one’s own truth, and giving empathy. Please let us know if you have any other ideas by visiting the Right Relations table in Forbes Hall after services or emailing rightrelations@uusm.org.
As always, you can find out more about the work of right relations and opportunities to participate by stopping at the table after services. You can also reach out to the Right Relations Team for help navigating any conflicts you may face at church through the Request for Right Relations (formerly the Note to Right Relations), which is available at the table as well as on the Right Relations Team page in the For Members section of this website.
Right Relations Team: Vilma Ortiz and Sue Stoyanoff (co-chairs), Emily Linnemeier, Audrey Lyness, Beth Rendeiro, Cassie Winters, and James Witker
Right Relations Support: Kim Kalmanson, Cindy Kelly, Margot Page, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Linda van Ligten, Patricia Wright, and Steve and Sylvia Young
– The Right Relations Team
Take a Step in the Right Direction
Our UUSM leaders are working to educate the congregation about the financial health of our church. This education began with Rev. Greg’s sermon on March 11 and was followed with a packet you should have received in the mail. Essentially, we have been depending on a small number of large donors for far too long, which is not
a sustainable model for financial health. We all need to contribute to creating stable financial support.
UUSM is a “cooperative and shared community.” We are the owners; there is no parent denomination that gives
us money. As owners, we are all responsible for the well-being of the church; in other words, we are all stewards of the church. The dictionary defines a steward as “a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something.” Therefore, a financial steward is someone who takes care of something financially.
It is important to know that a full 70% of our income comes from our pledges, while the remaining 30% comes
from room rentals, Dining for Dollars, and other fundraising. Based on data collected by the church office, if we graph our pledges by the number of pledges from lowest to highest, our congregational pledging skews to the left. This means there are more people giving less – and fewer people giving more.
The distribution doesn’t fall into a bell-shaped curve, or in more scientific terms, demonstrate a normal distribution
where the average pledge falls in the middle of the spread. Consider that it costs roughly $167 per member per
year just to have the church physically exist – property taxes and insurance paid, grounds kept, lights and electricity on, and water running. This doesn’t include the cost of a Minister, Director of Religious Education, office staff, music program – or other things we enjoy at church.
Each of us has different financial resources. As we are a cooperative and shared community, we all share in the
financial responsibility. Those of us who are able contribute more on behalf of those with lesser means, so that we all may enjoy community.
Where do you fall in the graph? Are you a responsible financial steward? If not, what steps can you take in the right direction to move the graph in the right direction?
– Gretchen Goetz and Kit Shaw, co-chairs
And a Hush Fell Over the Lodge. A Hush!
I remember my first de Benneville Pines experience. It was UUSM family camp in 1998. I was new to the church, newly divorced, needing a fresh start. I don’t know if I was yet attuned to de Benneville’s aura and its abundance of gifts that waited for me — all I can remember from that weekend was bunking with a roommate who snored, and that I needed a new sleeping bag.
Subsequent de Benneville trips involved our church’s young adult group (YAG) and deep sharing on the back steps of cabin 1, which should not accommodate seven adults. Twice we created elaborate ghost stories, with actors in elaborate costumes, one about “the real story behind George de Benneville.” One YAGster was dressed as an alien; why I can’t remember, but it spooked some kids more than expected. Later trips as a youth advisor I chaperoned our high school group’s cabin and helmed seed spitting contests.
Each subsequent year, de Benneville allowed me to open myself to human connections and reflections and life revelations unfolding amongst the tall pines and mountain air. For those who haven’t been, I could explain its material beauty, though essentially if you’ve been anywhere above 6,000 feet in Southern California, you get the idea. I could call the lodge and cabins “rustic” but I’ve been to other UU camps that would better resemble that overused word. It’s the setting, you see, that creates the connection with the people.
For years, my experience has been about interacting with fellow UUSM members in a relaxed setting, making friends of acquaintances, deepening bonds, finding that person at church with whom you’ve had little communication and coming down the hill with a new relationship.
And then I found Silvia, my wife, and we created two kids, and my de Benneville experience entered new chapters. I’ve seen how my kids get excited for de Benneville and I see it in new ways through the eyes of a six- and three-year old. After UUSM family camp in September we came back for Thanksgiving, which opened us to new friends from other churches in the district. And I just returned from my son Nico’s first elementary school camp. And Silvia will be attending the women’s retreat in May.
I now realize the abundance of gifts de Benneville is bestowing on my wife and sons, and so de Benneville has become that much more meaningful as a family. For kids de Benneville is — I hope this comes out right — a constructive, nurturing, community-building, friendship-forming Lord of the Flies experience. This is an experience I hope my kids take advantage of. Isn’t that what “camp” is all about?
A HUSH! Ask me about that if you don’t know, and I’ll tell you more.
— Chris Brown
Summer Camps for Youth and Families at Camp de Benneville Pines
Registration opens Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 12:01 am Early Birds save $75 on registration.
PSWD Elementary Camp (for campers completing grades 2-5)
Sunday, July 8 through Saturday, July 14 $595
PSWD Junior High Camp (for campers completing grades 6-8)
Sunday, July 15 through Saturday, July 21 $595
PSWD Senior High Summer Camp (for campers completing grades 9-12)
Sunday, July 22 through Saturday, July 28 $595
Kids spend a week with kindred spirits making friends from across the PSWD and memories that last a lifetime.
More information and registration at uucamp.org
Sign up early for UUSM Family Camp! Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 16, $95 to $235 per person, includes all food and activities.
See de Benneville Pines table in Forbes Hall on Sunday, March 25, or contact Jacki Weber.
Join Our Larger Faith at UU General Assembly June 20-24 in Kansas City
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Members of our congregation who have attended General Assembly find it educational, inspiring, and a way to broaden our faith. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the UUA through a democratic process. It’s a place to meet Unitarian Universalists from around the country, and around the world, and connect with people who are doing the work of our faith in ways and in places far beyond our reach. Anyone may attend; congregations must certify annually to send voting delegates. The 2018 General Assembly will be Wednesday, June 20 through Sunday, June 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Most GA events will be held in the Kansas City Convention Center.
The two GAs I attended mark significant high points in my life. At the Portland GA in 2015, I learned about how the Dallas church deepens membership through a multi-year continuum of religious education courses for adult members of the congregation. The US Supreme Court announced its decision on marriage equality that Friday morning, and more than 3,000 UUs, many in yellow t-shirts, gathered immediately to celebrate that decision as a faith in the forefront of the movement, with a worship service featuring the many LGBT clergy and lay leaders who urged the world to choose love. GA 2017, in New Orleans, featured an inspirational lecture by Bryan Stevenson, who is leading efforts to heal our nation from the shame of slavery, along with large worship services with music led by UU “rock stars” including DeReau Farrar, who began his career in UU music in the sanctuary at UUSM.
Kansas City is likely to be just as exciting and inspiring. The theme of this year’s GA is “All Are Called.” Join us in Kansas City as we dive deeply into questions of mission for our UUA, for our congregations and communities, and for each of us as individuals. Please consider attending this year.
Registration and Housing Open March 1
The GA Registration and the GA Housing Reservation System open on March 1 at 9 am CST at www.uua.org/ ga/travel. There are scholarships available for those with financial need, along with opportunities to trade work for registration fees. The UUA is committed to the goal of making GA accessible to as many attendees as possible. Visit uua.org/ ga during the month of March to learn about scholarships to support delegates - particularly those from marginalized groups - and volunteer opportunities (work in exchange for registration).
Excellent Programming
GA will offer more than 175 programming selections over the course of five days. Major worships this year will be led by UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray and Rev. Sofia Betancourt. More programming details are available at www.uua.org/ga. You may also host a networking session, or present a poster on an inspiring story, best practice or a resource of interest to other GA attendees. The deadline to apply to present programming is March 15.
If you have questions or want more encouragement to attend GA this year, contact me or one of the many other people who have attended GA over the years. You’ll be glad you went!
— Abby Arnold
Right Relations
Greetings from the Right Relations Team! Yes, we have a new name. Our previous name, Right Relations Task Force, reflected our initial short-term and task-oriented mandate. We are now a Team working with you to move the Right Relations process forward, and church members who help with our Right Relations work are called Right Relations Support.
We offered two Dialogue Circles in February to invite conversation about what it means to live into our Congregational Covenant of Right Relations. The congregants who attended the February 4 and February 22 Circles reflected and shared their responses to questions exploring the application of the Covenant of Right Relations to their lives.
On Sunday, March 4, from 1 to 4:30 pm, the Right Relations Team and Support will host a Congregational Workshop, similar to the Covenant Workshop held in October. As before, we will start with an informational session in the Sanctuary, then move to Forbes Hall to work in small breakout groups. This event is open to all, and will offer an opportunity to more deeply contemplate our Congregational Covenant of Right Relations. You are invited to share your thoughts, feelings, and hopes on how we will live out, and into, the promises contained in our Congregational Covenant of Right Relations. See you then!
Don’t forget that we will vote on adoption of the Congregational Covenant of Right Relations at our annual business meeting in May.
Finally, we are seeking to add up to four new members to the Right Relations Team. Church members may nominate other members or themselves. The deadline for applications is Sunday, April 1, and new members will start their tenure on Thursday, May 17. If you are interested in serving on the Right Relations Team, write to us about your qualifications for the team, why you are interested in joining, what personal satisfaction you expect from the work, and what contribution you would like to make to the Right Relations process. This can be submitted at the Right Relations Table or via email at rightrelations@ uusm.org. Please contact any team member or come by the table if you have questions.
Right Relations Team: Vilma Ortiz and Sue Stoyanoff (co-chairs), Emily Linnemeier, Audrey Lyness, Linda Marten, Beth Rendeiro, Cassie Winters, and James Witker
Right Relations Support: Kim Kalmanson, Cindy Kelly, Margot Page, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Linda van Ligten, Patricia Wright, and Steve and Sylvia Young
— The Right Relations Team
And Service is Its Prayer
Read what your fellow members are saying about which part of the church covenant that we recite together every Sunday is most meaningful to them. In this issue, we discuss: "And Service Is Its Prayer"
“The covenant resonates for me, and I like that it starts with ‘love’ because love is important. I chose this church because it has a strong commitment to doing service in the world, caring for its people and the earth. The stereotype of UUs is that we are intellectual and analytical - living in our heads - but to me this is not as important as living through our hearts: being caring, respectful, and esteeming others and our world. Where will we end up if we don’t have that?” — Katie Malich
“I originally came to the church for the R.E. program, but once my daughter grew up, I continued attending in order to go out and help in the community on behalf of the church. Both Judith Meyer and Maggie Pipes encouraged my involvement in the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition, through which we collected food for the Westside Food Bank, and served meals at Turning Point. Through Faith in Action now, we walk our walk and talk our talk.” — Cathie Gentile
“I like ‘service is its prayer,’ ‘the quest for truth,’ and ‘seeking knowledge in freedom.’ I joined the church to be part of a community that cares about justice and service, and that invites an open mind to new ways of looking at the world.” — Sarah Mae Harper
“I think our covenant could be enlivened by a reference to environmental and social justice. ‘Service is its prayer’ - the core of our mission and vision is how to help the broken world. People feel enlivened by helping others, and serving together helps us to set aside our differences.” — Beth Brownlie
“We express the best of our faith by doing good in the world. I have always helped those who were on the ropes or at the fringes of society, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve and advocate for the homeless community, and for those with mental health needs, through church programs.” — Sarah Robson
“The parts of the covenant that are most meaningful to me are ‘the quest for truth is our sacrament’ and ‘service is its prayer.’ I like that the church does not require a particular belief system, but rather encourages me to learn how to be a better person and to make a difference. It is important to me to participate in church activities, such as the choir and the Peace and Social Justice Committee, which help the world by sharing love and support.” — Barbara Andres
If you would like to share your thoughts about our church covenant, please contact Audrey Lyness.
-- Audrey Lyness
Troubleshooting the UUSM Website
Are you a church member who has been having trouble logging into the website, or accessing certain site areas or features? If so, we can help! Here are a couple of issues we’ve heard people have been having lately, along with some simple fixes:
My browser says I’m logged in, but the website still won’t let me access the For Members area...or the browser says I’m not logged in, but I can ignore the warning and still access the For Members area.
If your browser and/or the website seem to be confused about whether or not you’re logged in, please try clearing your browser cache and/or cookies (for more information on how to do that, see https://kb.iu.edu/d/ahic), and then log into the site again with your user name and password. This should solve the problem. Also, to keep it from happening again, you can also try logging out of the site when you leave (rather than just moving to another site or tab). This may help prevent the browser/site log-in confusion when you return for your next visit.
I no longer see the audio player under sermon listings where audio files are available for listening.
Our current audio player uses a tool called Flash, which has been deprecated (less supported) in recent versions of Chrome (and possibly other browsers). If you don’t see the audio player graphic under a sermon for which there is audio available, or if – when trying to play sermon audio – you’re getting a message that you need to either install Flash or update your Flash player...please note that you probably don’t need to do either, especially if you’ve been able to listen to the sermons on our website in the recent past. Instead:
1. Look at the URL address bar near the top of your browser. Find the little icon at the left-hand end of the bar – it should be either a circled “i” (which says “Website Information” when you mouse over it), or a little padlock with the word “Secure” next to it. Click the icon.
2. At the bottom of the small pop-up window that opens, click “Site Settings.”
3. In the Settings page that opens, scroll down to “Flash,” and at the right-hand side of the page, click the little down-pointing arrow to open the drop-down menu. It is probably set to “Ask.” Change the setting to “Allow.”
4. Return to the church site, re-load the page, and the Flash player for the sermon audio should now be showing...and it should remain available whenever you return to the site using Chrome on that particular computer.
I am a former church member and can no longer access the For Members area of the website. How can I keep reading the PDF newsletter?
If you are no longer a UUSM church member, we may have recently downgraded your website account (if you still have one), from «member» to «friend» status, so you will no longer be able to access the PDF version of the newsletter (or other content) in the For Members area of the site. We do understand, though, that for many former members – especially those who have moved away from Los Angeles – the monthly newsletter is a vital means of staying in touch with much-loved church friends and activities...and we would like to maintain your access to this special document. So if you no longer have member-level access to our website, but would still like to receive the color PDF version of the newsletter each month, please contact webmaster@uusm.org, and we will put you on a special direct e-mail list for former members. You don’t have to lose your newsletters!
Finally, if you have a different question about the website, or are having trouble with any aspect of the site, please check the Website Help page (the link is always in the upper right-hand corner of every page)...or contact webmaster@uusm.org - we’ll be happy to help.
-- Elizabeth Fuller
Building a Lifelong Commitment to UUSM
The Stewardship Team works to bring the congregation together to support the church financially through community building and annual pledging. This is the first of a series in which team members share their stories. My name is Cynthia Kelly, and I am a member of the Stewardship Committee. I would like to share some of the reasons why I support this Church with my pledge each year.
To give you a little history about me: I grew up in this church. My parents joined the church not long after they moved here from Wisconsin in 1948. My family and my extended family – uncles, aunts, and cousins – have all been members of this church. It has been the church home for all of us for all these years.
I was involved in the RE program from the time I was a little girl until I graduated from high school. It is my opinion that the Religious Education Program I experienced in this church informs a lot of who I am and the principles I follow today. It was here that I learned about respect and tolerance for others, no matter their culture, religion, or ethnicity. Also, how to wonder about everything – from the stars to how to plant a seed then watch the roots grow down and the stems grow up.
As I grew up in RE, I learned how to participate in social justice, nonviolently, and how to love, and be loving of others, despite my differences with anyone. Also, how to think and question everything, including ecology and politics and the unanswerable questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” One of the reasons I support the church is to give back to the RE program that gave me so much a long time ago.
I am also thankful for all the friends I have made over the years; I am still in correspondence with my childhood friend in the church whose mother was my RE teacher. She lives in New Zealand now, but we still have a strong bond of friendship that we created those many years ago.
Another reason that I am grateful for this church is that it has always been here for me in times of joy, as well as times of sorrow. We say that every Sunday, but it becomes personal when the church and your minister are where you go to help you with the passing of the older members of your family, or when you have a tragic and unexpected loss, like when I lost my son. Or when the minister calls, as he did recently, to find out how you are doing when your husband has surgery.
Lastly, I am appreciative of the music program in this church in which I participate and which has brought me great joy and has helped expand my participation in music in other places. I joined the choir 16 years ago after my son died and that act, which was suggested by the Rev. Judith Meyer, was a life saver for me. It made me want to live again, and it made me want to find joy in my life.
So, when you think about what you can offer to our church, please consider your connection and what the church means to you, and give what you can to keep the Unitarian Universalist Church here on 18th and Arizona, the one that I have loved for so many years, viable. I believe UUSM is an important institution, a meaningful, welcoming place, and one that I want to exist for a long time.
— Cynthia Kelly
HOW DO YOU GET INFO ABOUT UUSM?
In August and September of last year, the Communications Team undertook a survey of members. We were looking to find out how members get information about what’s going on at church, but also, what makes them feel connected to church when they’re not there. UUSM staff and volunteers currently expend a great deal of time and money on the various communications efforts. By gathering information about the relative successes of different channels, and members’ preferences, we hope to make better decisions on how we allocate resources in the future. And maybe try some new things.
Eight members of the Comm Team conducted interviews with 74 (mostly) randomly assigned congregation members. The Comm Team members conducted the interviews themselves. Most interviews were conducted over the phone, but a few people connected in person. One respondent preferred email. The survey included both multiple-choice (e.g., Do you have a church directory?) and free-response (e.g., Do you want to comment on the newsletter and its value to you?) questions. The responses were entered onto a Google Survey form.
The decision to conduct interviews person-to-person provided excellent opportunities to connect with fellow congregants and build community. We thank all the members who took the time to speak with us frankly and openly.
The pool of respondents did lack diversity. Only a couple of respondents could be called “young people,” and other than some elderly persons, no persons with disabilities participated. While we may have gotten a pretty good picture of what our current, older congregation experiences, different methodologies would better capture the needs of the future.
Highlights
• 70% of respondents get the Thursday Announcements by email and find them useful.
• 60% of respondents offered a comment on the newsletter that was favorable or very favorable.
• A quarter reported that they have trouble with the members-only section of UUSM.org.
• Another quarter said they do not access the website at all.
• Half of respondents are not on social media.
• Though it was not included as a survey question, 28% mentioned church services, the Order of Service, and talking to friends as primary ways they get info about the church. Of course!
• More than half of respondents expressed a disappointment in or disconnection with the church and/or communications. (Some have been referred for pastoral care.)
Showcase Sunday Spurs Involvement
On Sunday, January 28, the Board of Directors, 16 committees, 12 special interest groups, and five Sunday volunteer groups set up spaces at tables in Forbes Hall and welcomed the members and friends of our congregation to engage in conversations. People learned how committees work, what it would feel like to be on the committees, and some joined a committee. It created good energy in the room. Many people suggested we do it again.
A few things we learned for next time: we’ll spread out more to improve circulation, enlarge the names of the groups on the posters, and add a few more activities. In order to organize the Showcase we needed to collect information from all the committees. As a result, you can go to UUSM.org->Getting Involved->Committees->Nominating Committee to see links to Posters from the Showcase which give a good overview of each committee and to see a list of all committees and their members. This committee membership list is an editable Google Doc; we trust you to update it. This Showcase Sunday was a joint effort of the Nominating and Membership committees.
— Bob Dietz
Worship Is the Way Our Concepts Become Real
With the inauguration of the new Worship Associates program, the Rev. Greg Ward is creating an infrastructure for Sunday worship services based on an understanding of worship as transformative, comforting, and inspirational. A 10-member Worship Associates team is responsible for working with Rev. Greg to design and present Sunday worship each week, working with the minister and Director of Music Dr. Zanaida Robles to offer a sacred and transformative experience.
“The Worship Associates program is a leadership development program,” says Rev. Greg, who has established similar programs in other Unitarian Universalist churches. “The goal of the program is that participants gain grounding and clarity about who they are in relation to other people, how to create a sacred opportunity and invite others to share it, and how to transform the world around us.”
The initial group of worship associates is divided into three classes. Cassie Winters, Catie Grasso, and Dorothy Steinicke will serve for three years. Leon Henderson-MacLennan, James Witker, and Rima Snyder hold two-year terms. Margot Page, Jacki Weber, and Abby Arnold will serve for one year; and, together with ongoing team member the Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, comprise the executive committee.
Three new worship associates will be added to the group each year, as three people in the previous group cycle off the team. The current team was selected from those who expressed interest by filling out an application in November. At an all-day retreat in December, the team learned about the goals and structure of worship, and began to map out Sunday worship services for 2018.
The new worship associates were introduced at the January 7 service, where the program was described, and their covenant was read and affirmed by the congregation. “More than a committee, Worship Associates is a leadership development program where we are learning how to facilitate transformation with worship as the tool,” explained Jacki Weber. “We’re learning hard skills: how worship can be used as a tool for transformation, what makes for effective worship, how to use technology, what it looks like to work with music and the board and the minister and different church programs and committees, etc.
“But we are also developing soft skills, like how to work together in service of a higher purpose in a way that is healing: for ourselves, within our congregation, and beyond our walls. With better communication, facilitation, organizational and technical skills, we become more capable in helping to develop leaders throughout our UUSM community so that UUSM is more vital and can be more effective in its work for love and justice in the world.”
Abby Arnold described the intentional diversity of UUSM’s worship program this way: “People come to church to find comfort and belonging with each other, along with their own highest truth. Our Sunday worship connects people to our faith as it reflects their life experience, their beliefs, and their questions. The conscious diversity we practice reinforces our UU principles of the inherent worth and dignity of each person, acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth, and a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We want each of you to find yourself reflected in the faces, words, stories, and spirit of our Worship Associates, while opening your heart and your mind to perspectives that are different or expanded from your own. At its best, worship helps us to honor and accept one another in the full flower of our differences, and in our common humanity.”
– Abby Arnold
Covenant of the UUSM Worship Associates
As a worship associate, I promise to —- Love each person present and the congregation as a whole;
- Put away any axes I may have to grind – worship is not a place to bring my personal agendas;
- Always endeavor to operate from Love, and to move beyond my own ego;
- Approach my role with humility, as a curious learner;
- Acknowledge any mistakes I may make, learn, forgive and move on;
- Listen to understand and accept the diverse array of perspectives and preferences;
- Speak only what is true, only when it is needed, and only in a way it can be understood;
- Endeavor to look through an anti-racial, anti-oppression, multicultural lens; and
- Accept that my role is to encourage the congregation’s understanding and wisdom, and that their role is to encourage mine.
Appreciation to the Cast and Crew who brought you FIVE Christmas Eve Services
• Wendi Gladstone, the rock star, who came at 10 am and didn’t leave until after 10 pm. Wendy helped by setting up the tables, serving drinks, refilling cookie plates, serving wine, and cleaning up.
• Kit Shaw, who brought cookies, ushered at the 4 pm service, and then helped with the reception.
• Jimmie Hogue, our thanks to you for serving after the 4 pm service, and providing childcare during the 6 and 8 pm services.
• Alice Hall, for serving after the 6 pm service.
• Barbara Gibbs, for serving after the 8 pm service, and cleaning up until after 10 pm.
• Carol Ring, for taking pictures, helping at the reception, and cleaning up until after 10 pm.
• Our gratitude for the abundance of cookies from Lois Hutchinson, Peggy Kharraz, Kim and Barbara Andres (even though they couldn’t attend due to illness), Barbara Gibbs, Linda Marten, Fabiola Quintero-Rivera, and others.
• Thanks to Kim Miller for sending sandwiches (delivered by husband Mike Reivitis) for the choir, staff and volunteers, who had a full church day.
• We also appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our staff, the Rev. Greg Ward, Kathleen Hogue, Dr. Zanaida Robles (and the choir), and Tom Ahern (the last one to leave the building!).
– Linda van Ligten
Knowing and Practicing our Covenant of Right Relations
Now that the UUSM Board has approved, and recommended that the congregation adopt, the Covenant of Right Relations, your Right Relations Task Force is excited to report that church members will have the opportunity to put ideas into action. Over the course of the next few months, we will offer educational sessions for you to familiarize yourselves with, and practice using, the Covenant with each other.
At a future congregational meeting, church members will vote to adopt the Covenant of Right Relations. The Right Relations Task Force hopes you will enthusiastically adopt this Covenant. In the meantime, the Task Force and Team will facilitate Dialogue Circles during which members will work through the Covenant and understand what it means in practice. Participants will listen to each other and respond by sharing thoughts about which commitments are most useful to the congregation and which may be the hardest to live into.
We will also provide a skills workshop on the second and third sections of the Covenant: “We commit to practice direct and honest communication,” and, “We commit to address the harmful impact of our words or deeds.” We will consider the following questions: What do active listening skills look and sound like in practice? How do we share our concerns in ways that others can hear and understand them? How do we employ empathy and refrain from defensive reaction to disagreement? We hope these experiences will allow us to develop a shared understanding of the Covenant of Right Relations and how it will benefit our congregation.
The Covenant of Right Relations is a tool for the congregation to build strong, lasting relationships with one another. It can be used as an example for covenants in other church groups. Has your committee developed a covenant for how you want to interact through the work you do together? The Right Relations Task Force uses an internal covenant to guide us and keep us accountable to each other with promises such as: “We will take risks, make mistakes, and learn from our experience. We will raise issues early and directly and communicate compassionately with one another. We will ask for and extend forgiveness when necessary.” These commitments help us to be effective in our work by supporting our building healthy and deep relationships with one another. We use them as the basis for process ob servations to help us work in an authentic and loving manner toward the group’s ideals for engaging in relationship with each other. If any committee would like to have Right Relations Task Force members help in the development of a Covenant, please let us know in person or by email: rightrelations@uusm.org.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Please check the weekly Announcements and Orders of Service to find out more information about these opportunities and when they will be taking place. And stop by the Right Relations table in Forbes Hall after Sunday Services and on Showcase Sunday to find out more about the Covenant of Right Relations and other Right Relations Task Force work.
Right Relations Task Force: Vilma Ortiz and Sue Stoyanoff (co-chairs), Emily Linnemeier, Audrey Lyness, Linda Marten, Beth Rendeiro, Cassandra Winters, and James Witker
Right Relations Team: Liza Cranis, Vicky Foxworth, Cindy Kelly, Margot Page, Kim Kalmanson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Rima Snyder, Joe Straw, Linda van Ligten, Patricia Wright, Steve Young, and Sylvia Young
– Emily Linnemeier
Read what your fellow members are saying about which part of the church covenant that we recite together every Sunday is most meaningful to them. If you would like to share your thoughts, please contact Audrey Lyness. In this issue, we discuss:
Love is the doctrine of this church
“This statement is definitive of, and synthesizes, everything that we are!” – Leslie Beauvais
“I like our first covenant because I think what we do for each other, and how we treat each other, is much more important than any intellectual belief that we may have.” – Tom Ahern
“‘Love is the doctrine’ is so important, but I am not sure we are living it. I don’t always feel accepted for my beliefs.” – Anonymous
“I used to recite the covenant without thinking, but once we started talking about covenanting with each other, I paid closer attention to it. ‘Love is the doctrine’ means everything to me, because I don’t really believe in anything other than love.” – Anonymous
“I like the first three lines of the covenant because they are concrete – I use them all the time to explain to others that we are a serious faith that means something. They are a good substitute for a creed and say what our church stands for.” – Abby Arnold
“‘Love is the doctrine’ sums it up because if you deal with love as unconditional, accepting and giving, with trust and honesty, this covers ‘truth’ and ‘service’ and all the other elements.” – Ed Brand
“I like ‘love is the doctrine’ because, really, love is all you need! We have very high expectations and it is good to be aspirational.” – Anonymous
– Audrey Lyness
2018 Dining for Dollars Events and Bidding Info
It's Dining for Dollars bidding time!
The fine print: This is a preliminary list only. Please check final dates and descriptions for events as printed on the bid sheets in Forbes Hall February 18 and 25 after both services. Bidding will close at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday February 25. Children pay at adult rates except where noted. Child’s name is to be placed on separate line on bid sheet. Money donated (paid) for winning bids is non-refundable. No email or mailed-in bids will be accepted. Questions may be directed to D4$ Chair, Farrokh Allen.
SPECIAL GOODS AND SERVICES
Helen Brown - One pair of hand knit socks
Kikanza Nuri-Robins - Personal Counseling -- Value $500
Chris Jones - $50 gift certificate: Back on the Beach restaurant
Karen Patch - Knitted item of your choice.
Greg Ward - Sermon topic of your choice