News & Announcements Archive
Congregational Business Meeting
February 14, 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary
Purpose: To vote on the Resolutions of the Committee on Money (CO$)
Camp de Benneville Pines
Join us between services on February 28 for a celebration of Camp de Benneville Pines, our own Unitarian Universalist piece of heaven in the San Bernardino mountains. Learn about upcoming camps for all ages and interests. If you'd like to attend camp this year, please fill out our 2016 Camp Registration Form.
Coming Soon! Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) for Young Adults and Adults
From the Adult OWL Training Manual:
“Lifelong, fulfi lling sexual and romantic partnerships are the hope of countless people, the achievement of a happy minority, and the shattered dream of many others.”
“Is spiritual intimacy related to sexual intimacy?”
O.W.L. for Adults and Young Adults is swooping in for its 8th season at UU Santa Monica. Explore relationships, sexuality, communication, values, and spirituality as they relate to one another and to our passages through adulthood (19 to 109).
Previous Adult O.W.L. participants have said, “O.W.L. helped me explore my beliefs about what relationships are and aren’t.” “Talking about these issues with people who have different perspectives on love and sexuality was refreshing and interesting.” “The combination of theory and discussion led me to more textured ideas about communication and relationships.”
This program will take place on five Saturdays, in April through early June, with more to be arranged in the fall. Sign up in Forbes Hall after both services or by calling Beth Rendeiro, OWL coordinator at (310) 391-5909. Enrollment is limited to 18 people. Childcare will be provided with advance reservations.
2016 Dining for Dollars
Sign up for events on February 21 and 28 Forbes Hall, 10 to 11 am and 12 to 1 pm. Dining for Dollars is our annual silent auction; it raises income that is essential to meeting our budget goals. It is a beloved part of our UU Santa Monica social life. Members and friends can bid on dinners, baked goods, gift certifi cates, concerts, and other experiences offered by other members and friends. Everyone is encouraged to participate. Look over the Events List on page 7. There's still time to add one of your own. We love new events and new ideas.
2016 Dining for Dollars Roster of Events (Note: Preliminary Data — Please check bid sheets for final details.)
Sat March 19 5:00 PM Scrabble and Chili Roberta Frye & Sheila Cummins
Sat March 19 7:00 PM Glorious Granada: Menu of Golden Age of Moorish Spain Barbara & Denny Kernochan Sun March 20 7:00 PM Dinner with a Persian Accent Faz & Lucy Elahi
Sat March 26 5:00 PM Movie Night: Mary Poppins Singalong Patrick Meighan & Amy Thiel
Sat April 2 6:30 PM Tapas & Beer Tasting Karl Lisovsky & Alan Brunell
Sat April 9 2:00 PM Beads and Bonbons Bettye Barclay
Sat April 16 2:00 PM Upcycling Art Party for Kids Jonathan Bijur
Sat April 16 5:00 PM Vegetarian Chopped: Cooking Demo and Tastings Beth Brownlie & Bryan Oakes
Sat April 16 5:00 PM Thin Man Cocktail Party with Professional Bartender Abby Arnold
Sat April 23 3:00 PM Bon Appétit! A French Crêpe Party Lucy Hahn & Barbara Powers
Sun April 24 1:30 PM Downtown Santa Monica Historic Walking Tour John Zinner
Sat April 30 12:00 N Picnic and Wildflower Walk Dorothy Steinicke
Sat April 30 7:00 PM Seven-course Celebration of Spring Kikanza Nuri-Robins & Abby Arnold
Sat May 1 1:00 PM Technology for Beginners Tom Peters
Sat May 7 11:00 AM French Picnic + Beach Bike Ride Francois Bar & Alison Kendall
Sat May 14 4:30 PM Lorenzo’s Famous Louisiana Crawfish Boil Jacki Weber & Lorenzo Pelayo
Sat May 14 6:30 PM Gourmet Pizza & Beatles Music Karl & Janet Lisovsky
Sat May 21 6:00 PM An Evening of Astronomy and Chili (meat & vegan) Edward & Patricia Wright
Sun May 22 4:00 PM “Mother.-Father.” Dance-Theater Premiere & Reception Christine Suarez
Sat June 4 6:00 PM Casual Barbecue Vicky Foxworth & Jeff Pressman
Sun June 5 5:30 PM Ladies Night at the Heated Pool, 20th Anniversary Julie Nyquist
Sat June 11 10:45 AM Santa Monica Pier Secrets and Penthouse Lunch Kay Ward & Natalie Kahn
Sat June 11 7:00 PM Raising the Standards (Jazz) DeReau Farrar & UUCCSM Choir
Sun June 12 2:00 PM Kids Yoga Charley & Eala Duckamn
Sat June 25 4:00 PM Middle Eastern Feast & Canal Walk Haygo Salibian & Bill Blake
Sat July 16 12:30 PM Jonathan Beach Club 4-course Champagne Brunch Marjorie & Bill Anderson
Sat July 16 7:00 PM Delightful Japanese Dinner on the Patio Resa Foreman
Sun July 17 2:00 PM Dinner and Movie at the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood Bonnie Brae
Sat Sept 3 12:00 N Pig Roast Mike Monte
Sat Sept 10 6:30 PM Gourmet Greek/Mediterranean - With Food Chemistry Rebecca Crawford
Sun Sept 11 5:00 PM 12th Annual Scrabble Tournament & Alphabet Soup Liz Fuller & Daniel Kegel
Sat Sept 17 3:33 PM Low Tide “Supper on the Beach” Dorothy Steinicke
Sat Sept 17 5:30 PM Zapotec Cooking Class & Fiesta Cynthia Cottam & Tom Early
Sun Sept 25 5:00 PM Charades & Supper Steven DePaul & Beth Rendeiro
Sun Oct 1 2:00 PM Accessibility Software for Everyone Tom Peters
Sat Oct 1 7:00 PM 2 Hot Tamales! Haute Cuisine of Mexico & Latin America Beth Brownlie & Bryan Oakes Sat
Oct 8 6:30 PM Vegan Feast with Wonderful Palate of Spices Kenneth & Crystal Alexander
Sat Oct 29 7:00 PM Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Beverly Alison & Linda Van Lighten
Very Special Goods & Services
One pair hand knit socks Helen Brown
Two $100 DeBenneville Pines gift certificates Janet James
Green Remodel Consultation Alison Kendall
Hand-knit item of your choice Karen Patch
Quick bread Bi-monthly During 2016 Sylvia Young & Peggy Rhoads
Computer consulting for Windows Mark Warkentin
Local/Organic Vermicompost & Red wiggler worms Jack Webber
THE FINE PRINT: This is a preliminary list only. Please check final dates and descriptions for events as printed on the bid sheets in Forbes Hall February 21 and 28 after both services. Bidding will close at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday February 28. Children pay at adult rates except where noted. Child’s name is to be placed on separate line on bid sheet. Money donated (paid) for winning bids is non refundable. No email or mailed-in bids will be accepted. Questions may be directed to D4$ Chair, Farrokh Allen .
The Quest for Truth: invitation and questions for further exploration
What is something that you once thought was true, but you don’t think is true anymore? Was there a time when you heard someone say something that isn’t true? What did you do, or what do you wish you had done? What is one thing you know is true? If you would like to share your reflections on these questions or other aspects of truth in your spiritual journey, please email Rev. Rebecca at minister@ uusm.org. If you would like your reflection to be included in worship service in our series on truth, please email her by January 18.
Quotes About Truth
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of quotes about our ministerial theme for January. Daily quotes also appear in the weekly electronic announcements.
Week 1. Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. — Buddha
Week 2. Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it. — Andre Gide
Week 3. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. — Mark Twain
Week 4. A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it. — Oscar Wilde
Week 5. The most common form of despair is not being who you are. — Soren Kierkegaard
Dining For Dollars Is Coming In February!
Dining for Dollars is an annual silent auction that raises income essential to meeting our UU Santa Monica budget goals. Members and friends can bid on events and services such as dinners, tours, baked goods, gift certificates, and concerts offered by other members and friends. Whether you’re new to the church, or a regular, Dining for Dollars is a fun way to get to know the people at UU Santa Monica. The bid sign-up sheets will be in Forbes Hall after both services on February 21 and 28 this year. Everyone is encouraged to participate, both as a donor of dinners or services and as a bidder. But NOW is the time to sign up to offer an event or service. Thank you for your contributions to the church! Contact Farrokh Allen, Barbara Gibbs or Sue Moore for more information.
Town Hall Meeting - January 17, 2015 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary after the second service
PURPOSE: To review and discuss the recommendations from the Board of Directors about the Resolutions of the Committee on Money
Congregational Meeting February 14, 2015 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary after the second service
PURPOSE: To vote on the recommendations about our financial future from the Committee on Money and the Board of Directors
Board Sponsored Town Hall Meetings on our Finances
December 6 and January 17 in the Sanctuary after the second service.
Purpose on December 6, 2015: to review and discuss the recommendations of the Committee on Money
Purpose on January 17, 2016: to review and discuss alternative recommendations
There will also be a Congregational Business Meeting on February 14, 2016 to vote on the recommendations of the Committee on Money.
Just Around the Corner...Dining for Dollars!
2015 was a most successful Dining for Dollars year, thanks to you for your generous contributions and wholehearted participation.
The D4$ committee is excited to begin planning for our February auction days. Soon we’ll begin to reach out to those of you who hosted an event and those who have never done so. Please start thinking about your event for 2016 and be innovative and imaginative. Some very popular and exciting events this year were hosted by first-timers, so experience is not required!
— The Dining for Dollars Committee:
Farrokh Allen, Nancy Howell, Barbara Gibbs, Sue Moore, Sheila Cummins, Emily Hero, and Melinda Ewen
Here’s how YOU can help your Pledge Team give its entire $2,000 budget to the Westside Food Bank to feed 8,000 hungry people this winter!
The Pledge Team will donate:
$5 for every pledge card turned in by December 20
$10 for a 3% increase in your pledge
$15 for a 5% increase
$20 for a 10% or more increase
Our 2015/16 pledge drive continues, all pledge letters have been sent out!
Please take time now to make a financial commitment to our beloved community at a level that is deeply significant for you.
And many thanks to all who attended house parties!
With gratitude from your Pledge Team:
Beth Brownlie, Barbara Gibbs, Gretchen Goetz, Kit Shaw, Kim Miller, Jackie Weber, Patricia Wright,
Advisors: Abby Arnold, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, and Rev. Tera Little
Second Sunday Supper
Join the choir on December 13 for a very special Second Sunday Supper featuring holiday music and a sing-a-long!
Warm up your vocal chords and bring your favorite holiday dish as we celebrate the season with food, friends, and timely music from the UU Santa Monica choir — you are encouraged to sing along too! We always have a great time at this seasonal supper, so don’t miss out! And don’t forget to bring some holiday cheer and a hearty appetite! Followed by Second Sunday Spotlight. In order to ease the stress of the hosting group, you are invited to bring your own dinner set-up (plates/flatware/beverage container) and wash the dishes once you arrive back home. Contact Kim Miller for more information.
Save The Date: Finding Our Path — 2016 Spiritual Retreat
Saturday, January 9, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Temescal Canyon Gateway Park
Come spend the day in beautiful Temescal Canyon. Wander, wonder, commune, reflect. On this day-long retreat we will welcome the new year by considering anew how we might “find our path” in calling us to wholeness, meaning, and purpose. Sometimes what we call “retreats” wind up being forums, workshops, or meetings. This will be an honest-to-goodness retreat. Our unstructured, self-directed day together will include time and space for reflection, silence, meditation, movement, prayer, journaling, and other practices of the heart. Because of our location, this year we are offering a guided, gentle, silent morning hike in the park, and an afternoon guided meditation.
A fee of $25 covers parking, lunch, and the room rental in beautiful Temescal Canyon in Pacific Palisades. If this fee creates a barrier to your participation, please contact Rev. Rebecca (minister@uusm.org). Sign up at the LifeSpan RE table in Forbes Hall between services, or contact Rhonda (uurhonda@gmail.com) by January 3.
— Rhonda Peacock
Heart and Soul Service
The next Heart and Soul Service is scheduled for Sunday, January 10 at 5 pm in the sanctuary. Save the date and plan to join us for this quiet service with candles and sharing.
The 2015 Pipes Lecture was a Smash Hit
Our annual Pipes Lecture was held in the Sanctuary on October 10. It was a 60 minute presentation by an Al Gore trained Climate Reality Project facilitator, James Dusenberry. In addition, we had three guests who spoke after James had answered a number of questions. These were James Witker, who spoke about a carbon tax, as proposed by the Citizens Climate Lobby. George Shea, author of the one man performance by Mike Farrell entitled “Doctor Keeling ‘s Curve,” about a man who made the connection between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. And, Alison Kendall, who spoke about our own Green Committee. We had about 85 in attendance and received $129 in donations. The evening was a resounding success.
— Diana Spears
Finding Our Path - 2016 Spiritual Retreat
9 January 2016
9:30am - 5pm
Temescal Canyon Gateway Park
Come spend the day in beautiful Temescal Canyon. Wander, wonder, commune, reflect. More information and registration coming in December.
Board Sponsored Town Hall Meetings
Save the Dates:
November 1, 2015
December 6, 2015
January 17, 2016
In the Sanctuary after the Second Service. Purpose: To review and discuss the Recommendations of the Committee on Money
New Meditation Series
Light To Live By, a meditation series, starts November 5, 7 pm. We will meet twice a month, on the first and third Thursday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 pm. November 5 and 19, December 3 and 17, January 7 and 21. Using the guided meditations developed by Rex Ambler, an English Quaker, our meditation time each week will consist of six periods of guided suggestions, with each one followed by 5 or 6 minutes of silence. This offers an opportunity for new awareness and an opening to our own evolving consciousness. Questions? Contact Bettye Barclay. Sign up at the Adult RE table.
24TH ANNUAL ERNEST D. PIPES DISTINGUISHED LECTURE
James Dusenberry: Climate Chante! Global Warming! CO2 Emissions!
Saturday, October 10, 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary
What is the human relationship to these phenomena? How close is the tipping point? What can we do? How urgent is it? Nothing affects us more as individuals or as a planet than the weather. James Dusenberry, from Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, will answer someof these critical questions.
Don’t miss this opportunity to refresh your understanding of climate change and its potential as a life altering phenomenon.
7:30 pm, Saturday, October 10
ALSO:
Join us for the second Sunday Cinema screening of the antifracking film "Groundswell Rising." In the Sanctuary, October 11, 7:30pm.
Donate a brick engraved with your loved one's name
Members can donate $500 or more in memory of a loved one, family member, or former church member and have that person's name, date of birth, and date of death engraved in a brick that will become part of the Garden of Eternity project. Contact Nurit Gordon at admin@uusm.org for the order form, or go to the church website to complete the order form and make your donation at http://archive.uusm.org/make-a-donation
Donations received before November 1, 2015 will be included in the Garden of Eternity project as it is installed.
Holiday Craft Fair Collection
Beverly’s Treasure Table will be at the Holiday Craft Fair on November 15 — she is collecting NOW — cherished, prized, valued, precious jewels — does one of your treasures seek a new home? Gracious loving new owners await at the church Craft Fair. Call Beverly for pick up.
DeReau Farrar, Director of Music, will help launch Ingathering Sunday with the choir singing at both the 9 and 11 am services. Photo by Charles Haskell.
On Sunday, August 23, we bid farewell to our intern and summer minister, The Rev. Nica Eaton-Guinn, and celebrated the beginning of her exciting new adventure as a fully ordained UU minister. Photo by Carol Ring.
Conversations About Death: How to Die
In the series for August, “How To Die,” the Rev. Carrie Lauer and Cassandra Christenson will draw upon their experiences of being with the dying, the wisdom of ancient traditions, and the knowledge of those who have had profound experiences when death seemed to be upon them. Please join us on these two special evenings this August. Questions? Contact Cassandra.
How to Die: Tuesday, August 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Forbes 1 upstairs. Death will happen and generally it is not known when or where. We may be alone by choice or by accident. It is good to know how to help one's own self through this unknown time that we may be without fear. Rev. Lauer and Cassandra Christenson will co-lead the evening.
Conversations About Death: Tuesday, August 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Forbes Hall. Open discussion. We will share our worries and experiences. We will gain from one another in an intimate, safe setting as we learn about this major event of our lives. Led by Cassandra Christenson, retired R.N., whose life's work has been with end-of-life concerns.
Persons with Disabilities Discussion and Support Group
The Persons with Disabilities Discussion and Support Group held their first meeting on July 12. After sharing what they wanted to get out of the group, their greatest frustrations and greatest successes, it was clear that all wanted to help one another and all were invested in making the group work. Mark Christiansen, a UU Santa Monica member since November 2013, facilitated the group, which went “swimmingly.” He attributed the formation of the group to the love, encouragement, and support he has received from the congregation. Mark has been a person with speech and mobility disabilities for 40 years, since a motorcycle accident when he was 17. He has subsequently been married twice, raised two kids, and earned a Master’s degree. For the last 20 years he has been a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, specializing in rehabilitation. He is on the counseling staff at Santa Monica College and loves to play golf, using one arm to drive and chip. The group welcomes everyone with any type of disability — temporary or long-term, acute or chronic, mild or severe. He emphasized that this includes persons of all ages, including older persons with limited mobility. The Persons with Disabilities Group will meet two times each month after services in the Cottage North-East Room. Give it a try! Be generous with your appreciation and support of this exceptional leader, who often says, “I did it for the parking!”
— Steve White
Warren Mathews Conference Room Celebration
Charles and Christine Haskell, Ron Crane, and John Fels invite church members and friends attending the Sunday Service on August 2, to join them at 11:30 a.m. for a reception in the Cottage honoring long-time member Warren Mathews. After a long delay a plaque will be placed in the Warren Mathews Conference Room in recognition of naming that room at the annual meeting of the congregation in May 2007. Lunch catered by Charles Craig will be provided. Please come and help us celebrate this happy occasion.
Save the date:
The Board and the Committee on Ministry invite you to attend a workshop on “Connecting our Community through Listening and Talking Compassionately with One Another” on Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Forbes Hall. The workshop will be led by Mary Mackenzie, an expert in compassionate communication. We will have the opportunity to explore our feelings about this community that we love and support and to learn how to value, respect, and be open to the feelings and needs of everyone in our beloved spiritual community.
Come join us for Food, Fun, Fellowship…and Bubbles!
...at the Annual All-Church Interweave* & Women’s Alliance Picnic Sunday, July 19, 11 a.m. (just after the 10 a.m. service) Church Courtyard
We’ll be serving grilled hot dogs (vegan & meat), salads, desserts, lemonade, and iced tea. Donations will be welcome but, technically, it’s free!
Proceeds from the picnic will be donated to The Trevor Project, a leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people.
If you have questions or would like to provide a dish for the picnic or help on the day of the picnic, please contact Kris Langabeer.
*Interweave is our church’s group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals and their friends and allies.
Last Conversations: Sunday, July 12, 11:30 a.m., in Forbes Hall
Learn how to be there when someone you love is going through the very end of life. You will be able to comfort, hold, and reassure and be a guide through the fear and unknown. You will not give up when someone says, “You might as well go home — there is nothing left to do.”
This is all about tender caring, reassurance, and honoring life while saying goodbye, giving a sense of the beautiful life they lived. Life’s ending is an extraordinarily difficult time, and it is precious.
Last Conversations will help you to make it one of the most profound experiences of life for you and the one you are with. As a registered nurse over the years, working in hospitals, in the home, and with patients during the AIDS crisis, I (CC) have learned what is needed for a gentle and loving death.
There will be several people from our congregation sharing how they were able to create a “good death” for someone they deeply loved. As we come to the bedside, the person dying can feel good about their lives as we tell the good things they accomplished. Relationships can be healed. And we can begin to heal the way we all die.
— Cassandra Christenson and Beth Rendeiro
Save the Date! Annual All-Church Interweave & Women’s Alliance Picnic
Sunday, July 19, 11 a.m. Church Courtyard *Interweave is our church’s group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and our friends and allies.
Big Hair + Big Voices Celebrate Motown @D4$ Choir Concert
Motown is, without a doubt, the greatest record label in American history. The instantly recognizable, vivacious, flirty and endlessly romantic Motown Sound is back in a big way with a record-breaking smash hit musical in Hollywood and a not-to-bemissed D4$ choir concert in Santa Monica.
Join us on Saturday, June 13 at 7 p.m., when the sanctuary and Forbes Hall transform into a swank music club as the choir presents classic tunes such as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” and “Under the Boardwalk.” Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives, and made us all move to the same beat.
Dress up for fun in your favorite fashion and mod-glam hairstyles of the 60s and 70s to feel the vibe just like Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, and other hipsters of the time. With inspiration from The Daily Melange blog, here are a few tips:
Huge earrings: The Supremes adored long sparkly earrings to match their brightly designed outfits.
Pale lipstick: Diana Ross loved wearing white and silver lip shades, but most girls were rockin’ nudes or very pale pinks.
Bright colors and bold shapes: It didn’t matter if you were a hippie or a mod, either way your clothes were blinding — and that’s just fabulous. Mini-skirts, Go-Go boots, headbands and skinny ties are always a good bet.
Advance tickets are still available for only $15; tickets at the door are $17. All are welcome. Bring friends! A dessert reception and dance party will follow. Free parking is nearby in the structure on 16th just south of Arizona Avenue. Childcare is available; please let us know by June 5. Questions? Contact Teri Bond for more information.
— Teri Bond
Attention Church Artists
July is the month of our annual exhibit. If you have work you wish to exhibit on the Art Wall contact Diana Spears by June 15.
Call for Craft Artisans, Purveyors of Edibles, and providers of other saleable goods...
...for the Faith in Action Commission fundraiser the first Sunday in July. Artisans can retain a goodly percentage of their sales. Contact Diana Spears by June 15 to be included.
Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Sunday, May 17
11:30 a.m.
After the Coming of Age celebration in the Sanctuary Vote for new members of the Board and Nominating Committee. Vote for the 2015-2016 Budget. Hear the Report from the Committee on Money.
New Member Recognition: Sunday, May 3, after both services. Forbes Hall.
Every year we join together as a congregation to celebrate and welcome the members who have joined in the
past year. On May 3, please join the Membership Committee in welcoming our new members during both services and at the special receptions afterward in Forbes Hall. Contact: Steve White for more information.
New Member Photos, May 3, between 10 and 11 a.m. in Forbes Hall South.
Smile! It’s time for new member photos, for inclusion in our UU Santa Monica directory. For further information contact Charles Haskell for more information.