From Our Minister Archive
Apr 2008
I have made the decision tostep down as minister of ourchurch and to retire from parishministry August 31, 2008. I willhave served our congregation for15 years - almost to the day. Icome to this point with greatappreciation for the time that I have been yourminister, and with sadness that this time is nowending.
There are several reasons for this decision. Iwant to spend these coming years with my husband,David. Though he is doing well, the reality ofParkinson's disease has given us a sense of urgencyto do the things we want to do together, such astravel, sooner rather than later.
I have given myself fully to ministry and havebeen deeply fulfilled by my work. But change isgood - for you as well as for me. New ministerialleadership will bring you fresh ideas and energy.The transition will strengthen you as a community.
In the months ahead we will look back on thetime we have spent together, but more importantly,you will look forward. Your church leaders,President Ron Crane and the Board of Directors,are ready to guide you through this process. I willcontinue to minister to you through these next fiveand a half months, even as our work togetherdraws to a close.
David and I will be living in Santa Monica forthe foreseeable future. Our paths will cross, as Iplan to remain active in the larger community.Wewill always be connected in more ways than wewill ever know. And I will always be grateful for theyears with you.
-- Judith Meyer
Mar 2008
We have been so fortunate this year to havethe volunteer services of Marsha Smith,co-chair of the Membership and LeadershipCommittee. Marsha offered to work eighthours a week to support membership development.Now more than half way into her commitmentto us, we've learned that 1) Marsha gives us alot more than eight hours a week; and 2) her efforthas created a strong new foundation that will benefitus for years to come.
Using her formidable computer skills, analyticalmind, and attention to people as well as detail,Marsha has streamlined our membership informationsystem. She has also taken a close look at howto welcome, enroll, and involve newcomers intoour community. We have already begun to implementher ideas.
Marsha has supported popular community-buildingactivities like Courtyard Connections andFriendship Dinners, recruited Greeters and otherkey volunteers, and generated new and updatedmaterial (in print and on our website) about membershipand getting involved in church activities.She and Membership and Leadership co-chair LaurelBleak have taken on the role of hosting ourmonthly Newcomer Orientation gatherings, succeedingOfelia Lachtman after her 14 years of dedicatedservice.
It's amazing how much Marsha has accomplishedalready. We are honored to work withsomeone who has so much to give. I thank her andlook forward to a few more months with our outstandingvolunteer.
- Judith Meyer
Feb 2008
As I prepare for our newsletter deadline, I'm awarethat we are likely to have a congregational meetingon our building program February 10. We'll beasked to make one more momentous decision before weproceed into the next phase. I hope we will be able tomove forward quickly and smoothly.
What an experience this building program has been!Here is some of what I've learned from it:
Jan 2008
The Committee on Ministryserves our congregation inseveral ways. They meet with me on a regularbasis, offering guidance, insight, and anannual review of my performance. Committeemembers are Victor Paddock, Karen Payneand Ren Renshaw. They are appointed by theBoard of Directors according to guidelinesrecommended by the Unitarian UniversalistAssociation.
The committee also looks at the entire ministryof the church, not just my own role asminister.We've sought to understand theneeds of older, more isolated members.We'veasked ourselves what we can do to keep themconnected to our community.
I've brought my goals and plans to committee,seeking their feedback. I've taken theiradvice more than a couple of times! I'vegained valuable insights from the annualreview and implemented suggestions offeredto me through that process.
The Committee on Ministry wants you toknow they serve you too. Feel free to speak toVictor, Karen, or Ren about our church and itsministry. They are committed to UnitarianUniversalism, our church, and working withme to provide the best ministry we can.
-- Judith Meyer
Dec 2007
Nearly every week I receive a thank you note fromone of the non-profit organizations we havedesignated to receive a "Generous Congregation"offering, a percentage of our weekly Sunday servicecollection. We started this practice in 2002. A coupleof church leaders were inspired by the example of othercongregations and proposed that we try it here. Westarted out by giving 15% away; now we give 25%.
Each donation goes out with a letter that reads:
Our church has a practice of donating twenty-fivepercent of our weekly offering to a local charitableorganization. It is our way of affirming our belief that aUnitarian Universalist congregation serves not only ourown membership, but also the larger community.Weseek to grow in generosity and in service to others.
Your organization was selected recently to receive acontribution from our offering. The enclosed check isour gift to you. It comes with our gratitude to you for thegood work you do.
While some weekly offerings are larger than others,the cumulative effects have been huge. We have developedand strengthened our relationships with localnon-profits and made new contacts in our community.And every group that receives a donation from uslearns that this practice is part of our Unitarian Universalistphilosophy.
I am proud of the ways we give back to our largercommunity. Whether through the "Generous Congregation"offering, the hours of volunteer services we provideto local agencies, or our commitment to learningmore about what others need, our generosity is the singlemost important statement of faith we can make.
-- Judith Meyer
Jun 2007
Over the past three yearsI've had the opportunityto serve as a member of the Fundfor Unitarian Universalism, a grant-makingpanel administered in Boston. It's a nice way tostay in touch with the Unitarian UniversalistAssociation (we meet there) and to learn aboutwhat other UU groups are doing. I travel theretwice a year.
The Fund for Unitarian Universalism makesgrants to strengthen UU institutions and communitylife. During this funding cycle, I read 18grant proposals from UU congregations andorganizations. When I joined the panel (withfour other UUs), we debated the needs andmerits of each proposal. In the end we gaveaway $118,000.
We helped a small congregation in ruralTexas that can't afford a minister of its own butwants to have guest UU ministers travel therefrom Dallas/Fort Worth (150 miles). We fundeda major - and first time - convocation ofinternational Unitarian Universalist women togather in Houston in 2009. We gave a grant tothe UU churches of New Hampshire, Vermont,and Maine to engage a consultant from Partnersfor Sacred Places, to restore their historicbuildings.
We also gave money to institutions affiliatedwith the UUA: to Meadville-Lombard TheologicalSchool for its archive of African Americanreligious leaders, the Unitarian UniversalistMinisters Association, and DRUUMM (Diverse& Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist MulticulturalMinistries), to name a few. There weremany more.
In one way or another, these grants representwork on the cutting edge of our UU movement.They give me ideas and inspiration for possibilitieshere in Santa Monica. I've agreed to cochairthis panel with Young Kim, a UU lay personfrom Wisconsin, beginning with the nextmeeting in November.
-- Judith Meyer
Apr 2007
Adult Religious Exploration is back in session withweekly classes, half-day workshops, and otherevents throughout the spring and summer.Here's what is coming this month:
Dec 2006
The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry ofCalifornia needs your support. This statewidejustice ministry "serves to empower the moralvoice of Unitarian Universalist values in the publicarena," according to the UULM mission statement. Itaffirms that "Unitarian Universalism is a faith with aspiritual center and a civic circumference."
Our Faith in Action program includes the UULMand actively supports it. Cathie Gentile, FIA chair,attended the Leadership Summit in Sacramento. TheRev. Silvio Nardoni, our affiliate minister, serves on theUULM Board of Trustees as treasurer. I participated ina UULM legislative lobby day for marriage equalityand regularly look to the UULM for information andguidance about California social justice issues.
UULM Executive Director, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden,works tirelessly to establish this young organizationin Sacramento and to stay connected to our localcongregations. She does a great job. But she and theUULM network need funding to continue their work.Please consider becoming a UULM member andsupporter.
To learn more about the UU Legislative Ministry ofCalifornia, go to their web site, www.uulm.org, or askme for a pamphlet. To make a donation, please send acheck to Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry,717 K Street Suite 514, Sacramento, CA 95814.
- Judith Meyer
We have a new Committee on Ministry: VictorPaddock, Karen Payne, and Ren Renshaw. Their roleis to serve as a communication channel betweenmembers and minister, conducting an annual performancereview of the minister, and advising andguiding the minister about issues that may arise.They are just getting started but are eager for you toknow who they are. Please feel free to speak with anyof them if you have questions or if there is anythingyou want them to know.
- JM
Nov 2006
Over the last few years,our congregation hasdevoted considerable time and energy toplanning our building program. Now that we'vebroken ground (and work has begun), we're onour way at long last. The project will take timeand leadership and additional financial support,but now we can also turn our attention tothe future of our church life and programs.
We have embarked on a planning process.The Long Range Planning Committee (PatriciaWright, chair; Rebecca Crawford, John Raiford,Jacki Weber) and the church staff have beenstudying what our church will look like in threeto five years. Planning for the future is an excitingtask - both visionary and practical.
We want to have strong administrative supportin the office - a goal we are well on ourway to accomplishing. But we also want tostrengthen our programs. We've discussed campusministry, youth and young adult ministry,pastoral care, and parish nurse. We've studied afully staffed lifespan religious exploration program;a full-time sexton; a director of congregationallife: someone to attend to volunteercoordination, community-building activitiessuch as social and adult programs, and outreach;babysitter services for parents attendingchurch activities; a ministerial intern everyyear; additional section leaders for our choir;and a children's musical specialist.
These are some of the ideas we've discussedin the Long Range Planning Committee. Withproper planning and budgeting, we can affordthem, too. It just takes a long view and a commitmentto our future.
The Long Range Planning Committee hopesto have a report to present to the congregationby January, in time to plan the budget for thenext fiscal year. We'll keep you informed andinvite you to a Town Hall Meeting for yourfeedback as the time gets closer. If you'd like tolearn more about our work or add your inputand ideas now, please speak to a member ofthe committee, or to any of our church staff.
- Judith Meyer
Oct 2006
The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition consistsmainly of social service agencies, such asOPCC, Step Up on Second, and the WestsideFood Bank - organizations we support in various ways.From providing volunteer services, such as cookingmeals or sorting food, to our weekly Generous Congregationoffering (25% of our collection), we are activelyinvolved. Our church is one of the few faith-basedorganizations belonging to the Coalition.We pay annual dues and various churchmembers, including Marge Zifferblatt andCharles Haskell, have regularly attendedtheir meetings.
Now we are about to become even moreinvolved. On Sunday, October 29, we will takepart in the annual Westside Food Bank 5KHunger Walk. We'll be gathering at 12:30 p.m.at Santa Monica High School Science Quad,601 Pico Blvd. and we hope to have a goodturnout. The walk itself begins at 1:30 p.m. It's agreat way to spend some time outdoors withyour family and friends. David and I will bethere, and since dogs on leashes are allowed, we'llbring Aki too.
We'll have Hunger Walk registration forms inthe church office and RE classrooms. You can alsoregister online at westsidefoodbankca.org. Besure to list yourself with the UU CommunityChurch of Santa Monica team.
The work of the Coalition is much more than sponsoringevents, however. In response to an invitationfrom the Coalition, I recently attended a meeting of representativesfrom faith-based organizations. There wereonly a few of us present. We decided to reach out to theother religious organizations on the Westside tostrengthen our advocacy and support of the Coalition. Iagreed to work on this initiative.
The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition is committedto ending hunger and homelessness through servicecoordination, public education, and advocacy. I canthink of no better way to serve our larger communitythan to help support their work.