RE News Archive
Online Events in September
CREATING BELOVED COMMUNITY ONLINE
Come, come, whoever you are!
Welcome to an exciting journey of questioning, challenging, and celebrating life’s mysteries and wonders. For generations, Adult Programs at UU Santa Monica has welcomed seekers, exiles, and interfaith families along with those who have grown up in our own Unitarian Universalist tradition. We are a congregation made up of people who believe in God or a higher power, people who do not, those who are content to live with the mystery, and those who are ever searching for answers to the big questions. But most of all, we are enriched by one another’s life journeys, diverse beliefs, shared progressive values and uniting UU Principles as we learn and explore together.
Our Purpose and Our Guide
At its core, the purpose of our educational ministry is to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their spiritual lives, and live with compassion, integrity and joy as we nurture beloved community and work together for peace and justice in this world. Adult Programs offers classes, discussion groups, and special events on an array of topics relevant to the Six Sources and our congregation’s spiritual life. Some of these may include in-depth study of theology and spirituality, discussion of science writing or Humanist ideas, opportunities to explore music, arts and crafts, or chances to connect socially for fellowship and fun. Many programs are made possible through the time and talent of our members and friends.
An Invitation
Do you have an idea for a program or event? We want to hear it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Even as the new church year begins, we continue to hold our events online. Please check out the information and links below for the UUSM online programs that are taking place this month. We look forward to connecting with you!
UU Men’s Group – Thursday, September 2 and 16, 2021, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. We meet on the first and third Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM via Zoom. To request more information or to join us, please ask the church office for information about how to contact Richard Mathias. Topic for the first Thursday: Which of your elementary school teachers was your favorite and why? Which teacher or professor in high school or later made the biggest impact on your future life and why? Topic for the second Thursday: At what time in your life, covering a period of a year or more, were you the happiest? What sparked the beginning of this period and how did it end?
The Gifts of imperfectionBook Study – Gifts of Imperfection -Saturday, September 4, 2021, 8:30 am – 9:45 am, Zoom Meeting. Brene Brown’s doing a 6-week 10th anniversary deep dive into The Gifts of Imperfection and how we can transform the gifts of imperfection into a deeply fulfilling life. Everyone is welcome. Visit https://brenebrown.com/thegifts-hub/ for more info. Hosted by Jacki Weber and Beth Brownlie. This is the last class. Email uusmreassist@uusm.org for the Zoom link and registration.
Green Committee Meeting – Sunday, September 5, 2021, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, Zoom meeting. Please email greenchair@uusm.org for Zoom link. The Green Committee informs others of the simple changes that can be made to decrease their carbon footprint and to implement social action to green our community.
Morning Meditation and Check-In 2-Week Drop-In Group, Monday, September 6, 2021 – Friday, September 10, 2021, 9:00 am – 9:30 am, Zoom Meeting. Join us for a short wisdom class, meditation, and check-in session to encourage connection and accountability around mindful presence and daily action. Please note this class runs for 10 sessions, Monday – Friday. Please email assistant@uusm.org for the Zoom link.
Science Non-fiction Book Group – Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. We will discuss “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” by Isabel Wilkerson. The recent release of 2020 census data makes it clear that we are becoming more diverse as a society. By understanding the roots and pillars of caste, we may better see our common humanity. It is more important than ever. All are welcome. Contact Rebecca Crawford at sci-nonfiction@uusm.org for more information.
Open Meditation Wellsprings – every Wednesday and Friday, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Zoom Meeting. Please email Meditation@UUSM.org for the Zoom link and directions for using Zoom. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. You are welcome to join us when it feels right for you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. These are exceptional times, and we trust each person to use the group in a way that fits their need. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We meet every Wednesday and Friday. 
Come, come, whoever you are!
Welcome to an exciting journey of questioning, challenging, and celebrating life’s mysteries and wonders. For generations, Adult Programs at UU Santa Monica has welcomed seekers, exiles, and interfaith families along with those who have grown up in our own Unitarian Universalist tradition. We are a congregation made up of people who believe in God or a higher power, people who do not, those who are content to live with the mystery, and those who are ever searching for answers to the big questions. But most of all, we are enriched by one another’s life journeys, diverse beliefs, shared progressive values and uniting UU Principles as we learn and explore together.
Our Purpose and Our Guide
At its core, the purpose of our educational ministry is to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their spiritual lives, and live with compassion, integrity and joy as we nurture beloved community and work together for peace and justice in this world. Adult Programs offers classes, discussion groups, and special events on an array of topics relevant to the Six Sources and our congregation’s spiritual life. Some of these may include in-depth study of theology and spirituality, discussion of science writing or Humanist ideas, opportunities to explore music, arts and crafts, or chances to connect socially for fellowship and fun. Many programs are made possible through the time and talent of our members and friends.
An Invitation
Do you have an idea for a program or event? We want to hear it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offering for June 2021
Challenges of Parenting: Building Resilience Wednesdays, June 16, 23, 30
Parenting can be a challenging experience for all of us. It requires us to be patient, empathetic, and resilient, especially when conflicts arise. Join us in a discussion about these challenges in a safe and supportive space. We will share tools and strategies for dealing with the inevitable conflicts that arise in parenting. The group will be carefully facilitated and guided by a highly experienced clinical social worker who, herself, has dealt with many of these challenges. Resa Foreman has been a psychotherapist with Kaiser Permanente for 40 years. This group will meet from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and Zoom link: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling: “Pebbles, Rocks, Dirt, and Sand” – Sunday, June 20
This will be our first foray into observing and journaling about objects that are not living. Yet, even though rocks are not alive, they are dynamic and changing. We will use drawing and writing to help us observe sand, soil and pebbles. All are welcome. We observe what we observe in the ways that work best for us. No previous knowledge or skills are required. Curiosity is the best tool. For this session participants are asked to come with a tablespoon full of sand, a tablespoon full of soil, three pebbles that look and feel different from each other, scotch tape and a magnifying glass, as well as journaling materials; something to write/draw with; and something to write/draw on. If you have difficulty obtaining sand or soil, let Dorothy know and she will send you some. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Dorothy has more than twenty years experience encouraging people to a love for the natural world. She leads hikes for children and adults in Topanga Canyon, Ballona Wetlands and Dockweiler State Beach. The class will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke, through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS (Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, Secularists) Freethinkers Forum Sunday, June 27
AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) is an open group that meets for a lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion, and philosophy. We are a home base for non-believers and questioners, but everyone is welcome. For many, atheism/agnosticism is a first step; Humanism is the thousand steps that come after. We meet from 12:00-1:30 pm. For Zoom information, contact: James Witker at aahs@uusm.org
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday, June 15
We will discuss “Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures,” by Merlin Sheldrake. We think of fungi as mushrooms, but those are only the fruiting bodies of massive networks of diverse organisms. What better example of the web of all existence, of which we are a part. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, June 3, 17
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. For June 3rd, “How to provide needed assistance and care for the elderly is an important concern for families and society. Have you been involved in decisions about and care for an aged parent? How do you anticipate that your needs will be addressed when you are no longer able to completely care for yourself? Have you had any family discussions about this?” For June 17th, “Automobiles have played a major role in American culture and identity. Acknowledging that this hasn’t been an entirely good thing, what was your favorite car of all that you have owned and why? What do you think you will buy the next time you need a new car?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Meditation:
Open Meditation Mondays, June 14, 28
We gather and listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. This is a non-guided, quiet meditation that may be deeply nourishing. A time to simply “be” amidst all the “doing,” calling off the struggle to become other than we are. We meet every 2nd, 4th, and if possible 5th Monday evenings, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Contact Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact Bev Shoenberger through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
The Challenges of Parenting: Building Resilience, With Resa Foreman
JUNE 16, 23, AND 30
Parenting can be a joyous experience, allowing us to love another in a most profound way. It can also be exhausting. Good parenting requires patience, empathy, and attunement to the particular needs of your child. This past year presented additional challenges brought on by COVID-19, causing families to spend long stretches of time together with no breaks and little opportunity to rejuvenate. Alone time and self- care are essential tools for building resilience as parents. By nurturing ourselves through exercise, reading, meditation, friendships, hobbies, we can center ourselves, regulate our emotions, take a breath, and better face the challenges of parenting our beautiful and unique children.
RESA FOREMAN was a therapist for Kaiser Permanente for 40 years and has recently retired. “It has been a privilege to help and support thousands of clients both individually and in groups. It was very rewarding to encourage my clients to be their authentic selves and succeed in whatever path they chose.” Resa ran a Couples Communication Class for 38 years and has led many other groups. Her specialties include Adult ADHD, parenting special needs children (depressed, learning disabled, ADHD, ASD, oppositional), and Couples Therapy.
Resa is also the parent of a Special Needs Adult and she reports that her journey has been challenging.
“My goal in leading this class is to empower parents by building resilience in the face of challenging situations. Topics discussed might be self-care, improved communication strategies, self regulation, and acceptance of your child with their unique personalities. Participants are invited to share their stories, their triumphs, and their challenges. Hope you can join us.”
Dates, Time, Location and Contact:
Wednesdays, June 16, 23, and 30
from 6:00-7:30 pmOn Zoom
from 6:00-7:30 pmOn Zoom
For Zoom link, please contact our DRE Assistant Teri Lucas at uusmREassist@uusm.org
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, May 2021
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our May activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offering for May:
Leadership Training with Kikanza Nuri-Robins Tuesday May 4, Wednesday May 12
Great leadership is like playing jazz—you adapt your response to the theme (your vision) to the people who are playing with you, and to your audience. In this workshop series, you will learn to respond to the people you are leading by using your skills, gifts and talents in new ways. Each 90-minute session will focus on a different set of leadership tools. We will cover our thinking styles, our temperaments and our listening attitudes. As a result, participants may feel more ready and qualified to take on leadership in a variety of settings including UUCCSM. The group will meet between 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Contact: Kikanza Nuri-Robins.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling – Sunday, May 16
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing, or writing. Spring has arrived and flowers are everywhere. The Sunflower Family is big and (relatively) new evolved and differs from other flowers in many ways. Last month we examined the structure of more typical flowers. This month we will look at the more complicated structure of members of the sunflower family that includes dandelions, thistles, daisies and many, many more species. You don’t need any botanical skill or knowledge to participate. Just come with a flower from this massive family, pencil and paper (colored pencils are helpful) and a magnifying glass and we will explore the complex workings together. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Exploration of Ideas:
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday, May 18
We will discuss “Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past,” by David Reich. Now that geneticists are getting so much better at extracting DNA from ancient bones, it is much more possible to trace human migrations through the ages. This, along with anthropology, has allowed us to better understand our connections. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, May 6, 20
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, May 6 is: “Are you approaching a crossroads or a fork in the road in your life’s journey? If not, then keeping with the ‘road’ analogy, are you approaching a change in the pavement or the speed limit?” The topic for Thursday, May 20 is: “Great joke tellers are prized but seem to be few and far between. Have you known one or two especially talented ones? Do you have one or two good jokes that you can tell and do you remember where you heard them?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays, May 10, 24, 31
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
A Skateboarding Ministry for UUSM Youth
NEWS FROM CHILDREN & YOUTH RE
Children and Youth RE has exciting news to share. Our DRE, Cleo Anderson, has secured a grant from UUA to provide an innovative skateboard ministry.
Last year, the pandemic completely restricted the usual in-person events and occasions we cherish that bring our community together. C&Y RE has worked hard to offer our children and families creative and educational alternatives through Zoom and other platforms.
An exciting new Skateboard Project will bring together the long history of our area (Venice Beach and Santa Monica) as the birthplace of extreme skateboarding and our beliefs as Unitarian Universalists. Still known as “Dogtown” to locals, the West LA beach area become the focal point of West Coast Skateboard Culture beginning in the 1970s. “In this place”, it has been said, “a ragtag group of young surfers overcame all odds and rose to stardom, changing skateboarding culture forever.” We are proud of this history and see it as a pathway for opening discussion with our youth.
Using skateboarding as our “vehicle”, we will learn about how the cultures of skateboarding and religion compare, contrast, and intersect. We will also discuss how to discover and express individuality, and how to “make a culture your own” through the creation of actual skateboards and the choosing of the decoration of the deck or board.
We expect that this project will stimulate discussion with our youth about how people grow and change and how that can be reflected in both the decoration of our skateboards and our religious practice as Unitarian Universalists.
More details will be coming soon.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, April 2021
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our April activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offering for April:
Parenting your Challenging Child/Teen: Building Resilience Wednesdays April 7, 14, 21
Parenting can be a challenging experience for all of us. It requires us to be patient, empathetic, and resilient, especially when conflicts arise. Join us in a discussion about these challenges in a safe and supportive space. We will share tools and strategies for dealing with the inevitable conflicts that arise in parenting. The group will be carefully facilitated and guided by a highly experienced clinical social worker who, herself, has dealt with many of these challenges. Resa has been a psychotherapist with Kaiser Permanente for 40 years. This group will meet from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Contact Resa Foreman.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling – Sunday, April 18
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing, or writing. Spring has arrived and flowers are everywhere. We will spend this session learning about, thinking about, and observing flowers. Flowers have tremendous diversity and are fascinating to look at closely. We will do a little botany, some drawing, and some writing. You are very welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of flowers, drawing, or writing. The nature journaling group has been meeting monthly to contemplate, write about, and draw various aspects of nature. It is a way to slow down and come to a deeper appreciation of the world around us. No knowledge, skill, or experience is necessary and new participants are always welcome. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Ukulele Strum and Sing Along Saturday, April 24
Come and play ukulele with us or join with another strumming instrument. We recommend a familiarity with the ukulele for this online format but all levels are welcome (beginner to advanced). Bring a ukulele to our Zoom meeting and chords and lyrics will be provided in advance with a few folks prepared to lead some songs. We will share tips and support each other, pulling from a wide range of music. We will need your email contact information by April 23rd, so that we can send you the music ahead of time. This event is for ages 15 and up, or 10 and up if accompanied by a guardian. We will gather from 9:30 – 10:45 am. Contact: Kim Kalmanson.
Exploration of Ideas:
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday, April 20
We will discuss “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams,” by Matthew Walker. The important role of sleep is increasingly seen to ward off Alzheimer’s and COVID-19. What happens when we sleep? That is becoming more possible to determine as technology advances. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, April 1 and 15
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, April 1 is: “Try to sum up in a few sentences what it was like for you growing up as a boy (i.e., the years preceding high school). What is one fond and one negative memory that especially stands out in your mind? In what ways has your recollection of your boyhood shaped your adult life?” The topic for Thursday, April 15 is: “An old philosophy of education was summed up by the phrase ‘a sound mind in a sound body.’ Did anything you learned about physical education in high school or college lead you to an exercise regimen and goals for your physical conditioning as an adult?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays, April 12, 26
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
UU Santa Monica Youth RE Family Movie Night (Middle School Edition)
Holding online activities can be a bit of a challenge, but the RE Movie night on Saturday, February 27, was a blast! Between delicious pizza, a great movie, and talking to friends, the event was a complete mood lifter and a great time.
A big thanks to the RE parents for hosting and to UU Santa Monica for providing food for the event, as well as creating a fun and positive environment! This is the second movie night RE has done for the Middle Schoolers! The first one was in January.
One of the best parts would probably be talking to friends because everyone is so nice and enjoying the movie along with you. The live group watch has a chat feature that allows you to make fun comments or reactions. This makes things so much more fun because it makes it feel like a group thing and you can make jokes and socialize. It was so awesome too because when I joined it seemed like everyone was so happy to see me. I loved spending time with everyone.
Another great part of it was the food because, well, for one thing, it made it feel more normal, like I went to the movies with my friends or that I was in a real-life movie night, and for another, food just makes everything better! It was a great addition to the event and a very delicious addition as well!
Lastly, watching the movie was definitely one of the best parts. ParaNorman is a very exciting, somewhat spooky, lighthearted film. It was one of the best choices for a family movie night. It was funny, which kept the reactions in chat alive and had a good storyline, which kept me pretty interested.
I am very grateful to have been able to participate in this awesome and entertaining event, and I am super excited for the next one!!
— Delaney Hutchinson
Leadership Training with Kikanza Nuri-Robins
APRIL 28, MAY 4, AND/OR MAY 12
We cordially invite you to cultivate and refine what you already naturally have – the qualities of leadership.
The jazz ensemble takes the stage, acknowledging each other as talented equals in their musical endeavor. With a sequenced finger snap, they burst into the theme together, working from a book of famous standards. Riding along with the collective energy, each soloist then takes turns leading with their improvised interpretation of the melody, all with respect to the dance of set chord changes in a carefully measured number of bars. It’s a part of the plan to have no artistic planning. Everyone supports each other’s fresh interpretation, keeping the pulsing rhythm. Improvisation is both a risk and a thrill, as each musician hopes to inspire and delight both their band mates and their audience. Finally they all flow back into the melodic theme together for a rousing and impressive finish. There isn’t just one star of the show in jazz. It’s a star team.
What is true of jazz, is often true for the leadership of a modern organization. We do not desire or require a top down hierarchy. We cannot abide by imposed rules, micromanagement, and the tragic crimp on creativity that had masqueraded as leadership. Today’s leaders are masters of trusting collaboration, brilliant improvisation, shared leadership, and personal humility.
It’s about relationships.
We joyously announce that Kikanza Nuri-Robins will be offering “Leadership Training,” a set of three classes starting on Wednesday, April 28 that will help the participants develop their natural innate skills at leadership. The three classes will be stand-alone, so you may attend all groups or just a couple. Even if you feel inadequate, remember that many great leaders had their quirky and awkward starts. This will be far more than just an academic learning experience. Rather, it will be a self-discovery and understanding of one’s own qualities and perspectives when working with teams.
If no one is following, you are not leading.
There are many qualities we can cultivate to become brilliant leaders. But we are not alone in any leadership endeavor. We become stronger leaders when we work together, knowing that the outcome of our collective efforts far outweighs the sum of what we can do alone. And most important, we need one another, sharing special insights, talents, and unique gifts. A leadership role is an enriching invitation to collaborate with others who will teach, inspire, and delight.
Communicate your vision in language that people will understand.
Our world is full of surprises and challenges, many of which are pressing. Sometimes we feel compelled to take a stand and address them, and sometimes we are thrown headlong into a leadership role, ready or not. Leadership training helps us to get in touch with who we are in relationship with others whom we work with, in order to affect positive changes. Together we can make a more impactful difference, changing our world according to the group’s agreed upon and shared vision.
If you feel ready to meet the lively challenge, contact Teri Lucas at UUSMREAssist@gmail.com, and she will add you to the participant list. The Zoom link will be forwarded to you a few days before the meeting.
Details:
Three unique, stand-alone Zoom classes from 7-8:30 pm:
- Wednesday: April 28
- Tuesday: May 4
- Wednesday: May 12
Facilitator: Kikanza Nuri-Robins
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, March 2021
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our March activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offerings, continuing March 2021:
New Year Resolution Workshop Wednesday, March 3 – Last day for participants
To remind our participants, this is a continuation of the full and closed group: “Increase your ability to follow-through and achieve success with New Year Resolutions in our New Year Resolution Workshop, a 3-session workshop on Zoom. The New Year is the time we typically set out our list of things we want to do, change, see, and accomplish. If you’ve had problems keeping those resolutions in the past, this workshop is where you want to start. Over the course of three sessions, Norm Richey, MSW, and Certified Life Coach will introduce you to new skills that will help you achieve your resolution and goals for 2021.” The final class will be on March 3, from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling – Sunday, March 14
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing, or writing. The subject we will be focusing on will be birds. The nature journaling group has been meeting monthly to contemplate, write about, and draw various aspects of nature. It is a way to slow down and come to a deeper appreciation of the world around us. No knowledge, skill, or experience is necessary and new participants are always welcome. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Spiritual Grounding and Productivity Drop-In Weekday Mornings
Join us for a weekday morning short meditation and check-in session to encourage connection and accountability around mindful presence and daily action. We will meditate for 10-15 minutes and share priorities, victories, and stumbling blocks in our work-at-home/family life in this unprecedented time. We meet weekdays, from 9:00 – 9:30 am. Contact: Jacki Weber for the March schedule.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday, March 28
The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and respected. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday, March 16
We will discuss “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,” by Margot Lee Shetterly. During the labor shortages of WWII, a group of black math teachers from the South were recruited into the space program. These human computers played a big role in getting us into space. A Keck Communications Award winner. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, March 4 and 18
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, March 4 is: “What were the hardest truths you eventually came to learn about the world and/or about yourself? Did life become better for you as a result or did this knowledge prove dispiriting?” The topic for Thursday, March 18 is: “If time travel were possible, what era and place would you want to visit for a day or longer, and why?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays, March 8 and 22
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, February 2021
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our February activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offerings, continuing February 2021:
“How to Be an Antiracist” Study Group - Wednesday, February 3
How to be an AntiracistThis winter, the Faith In Action: Peace & Social Justice Committee offers another opportunity to read and discuss Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” Last year’s acclaimed New York Times #1 Bestseller was our guide for several sessions of provocative, important learning and dialogue in early 2020. In the time since, our country has been roiled by more violence, protests, and a renewed call to confront systemic racism. And this instructive volume has solidified its place as something of a “common read” to understand both racism and anti-racism today. Kendi, a professor of history and international relations and founder of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, argues that a redefinition of terms — focusing on policies rather than attitudes and feelings — is in order if we are to properly confront the historical legacy and enduring oppressive systems of racism. The Peace & Social Justice Committee undertakes study groups such as this to help us grow in knowledge and understanding, which helps us to bear witness and work for change as part of our congregation’s commitment to UU Principles. Facilitated by James Witker, Faith In Action Co-Chair. Contact justice@uusm.org for dates and Zoom link.
New Year Resolution Workshop - Wednesday, February 3
To remind our participants, this is a continuation of the full and closed group: “Increase your ability to follow-through and achieve success with New Year Resolutions in our New Year Resolution Workshop, a 3-session workshop on Zoom. The New Year is the time we typically set out our list of things we want to do, change, see, and accomplish. If you’ve had problems keeping those resolutions in the past, this workshop is where you want to start. Over the course of three sessions, Norm Richey, MSW, and Certified Life Coach will introduce you to new skills that will help you achieve your resolution and goals for 2021.” The class will continue on February 3, from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling – Birds - Sunday, February 28
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing, or writing. In our upcoming nature journaling session we will investigate birds. We will work from photographs and reflect on their place in our lives and our world. The nature journaling group has been meeting monthly to contemplate, write about, and draw various aspects of nature. It is a way to slow down and come to a deeper appreciation of the world around us. No knowledge, skill, or experience is necessary and new participants are always welcome. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Spiritual Grounding and Productivity Drop-In - Weekday Mornings
Join us for a weekday morning short meditation and check-in session to encourage connection and accountability around mindful presence and daily action. We will meditate for 10-15 minutes and share priorities, victories, and stumbling blocks in our work-at-home/family life in this unprecedented time. We meet weekdays, from 9:00 – 9:30 am. Contact: Jacki Weber for the February schedule.
Ukulele Strum and Sing-Along - Saturday, February 13
Come and play ukulele with us or join with another strumming instrument. We recommend a familiarity with the ukulele for this online format but all levels are welcome (beginner to advanced). Bring a ukulele to our Zoom meeting and chords and lyrics will be provided in advance with a few folks prepared to lead some songs. We will share tips and support each other, pulling from a wide range of music. We will need your email contact information by February 10, so that we can send you the music ahead of time. This event is for ages 15 and up, or 10 and up if accompanied by a guardian. We will gather from 9:30 – 10:45 am. Contact: Kim Kalmanson.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum - Sunday, February 28
The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and respected. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion - Tuesday, February 16
We will discuss “Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures,” by Nick Pyenson. It is easy to be awed by whales, but studying them in their habitat isn’t easy. Pyenson has been doing just that – and looking at the fossil record as well. Grey whales have been stranding along our coast in unusual numbers recently. To receive the link to join the discussion, you will want to be on the group email list. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group - Thursdays, February 4 and 18
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, February 4 is: What were the hardest truths you came to learn about the world and about yourself? Did life become better for you as a result or have you remained somewhat disappointed? The topic for Thursday, February 18 is: What books have you read or movies and/or TV have you seen in the past few months that you can recommend? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
Open Meditation - Mondays, February 8 and 22
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings - All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, January 2021
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our January activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offerings, beginning in January 2021:
“How to Be an Antiracist,” Study Group - Saturdays, January 23 and 30, and Wednesday, February 3
How to be an AntiracistThis winter, the Faith In Action: Peace & Social Justice Committee offers another opportunity to read and discuss Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” Last year’s acclaimed New York Times #1 Bestseller was our guide for several sessions of provocative, important learning and dialogue in early 2020. In the time since, our country has been roiled by more violence, protests, and a renewed call to confront systemic racism. And this instructive volume has solidified its place as something of a “common read” to understand both racism and anti-racism today. Kendi, a professor of history and international relations and founder of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, argues that a redefinition of terms — focusing on policies rather than attitudes and feelings — is in order if we are to properly confront the historical legacy and enduring oppressive systems of racism. The Peace & Social Justice Committee undertakes study groups such as this to help us grow in knowledge and understanding, which helps us to bear witness and work for change as part of our congregation’s commitment to UU Principles. Facilitated by James Witker, Faith In Action Co-Chair. Contact justice@uusm.org for dates and Zoom link.
New Year Resolution Workshop - Wednesdays, January 6, February 3, and March 3
Increase your ability to follow-through and achieve success with New Year Resolutions in our New Year Resolution Workshop, a 3-session workshop on Zoom. The New Year is the time we typically set out our list of things we want to do, change, see, and accomplish. If you’ve had problems keeping those resolutions in the past, this workshop is where you want to start. Over the course of three sessions, Norm Richey, MSW, and Certified Life Coach will introduce you to new skills that will help you achieve your resolution and goals for 2021. The class will meet on the first Wednesday of the month — January 6, February 3, and March 3 — from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Please email Teri Lucas at uusmreassist@uusm.org to reserve your spot. Only 12 spots available.
Community Building Through Personal Development: Natural Journaling – Insects - Sunday, January 17
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing or writing. In our upcoming nature journaling session we will investigate insects. These are underappreciated and vital members of the animal kingdom. You won’t be asked to collect any (although you can if you want). We will work from photographs as we take a closer look at insects and reflect on their places in our lives and our world. The nature journaling group has been meeting monthly to contemplate, write about and draw various aspects of nature. It is a way to slow down and come to a deeper appreciation of the world around us. No knowledge, skill or experience are necessary and new participants are always welcome. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Spiritual Grounding and Productivity Drop-In - Every weekday beginning Monday, January 11
Join us for a weekday morning short meditation and check-in session to encourage connection and accountability around mindful presence and daily action. We will meditate for 10-15 minutes and share priorities, victories, and stumbling blocks in our work-at-home/family life in this unprecedented time. We will meet every weekday, from 9:00-9:30 am, starting Monday January 11. Contact: Jacki Weber.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum - Sunday, January 24
The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and respected. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion - Tuesday, January 19
We will discuss “How Google Works,” by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg. Written by one current and one former executive at the company, the book describes some of the unconventional and novel business approaches that have made Google so successful – and all-pervading. To receive the link to join the discussion, you will want to be on the group email list. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group - Thursdays, January 7 and 21
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 is: Time magazine’s cover for Dec. 14 was “2020,” with an X marked across it, and “The Worst Year Ever” (by Stephanie Zacharek). Discuss why that either was or was not true for you. The topic for Thursday Jan. 21, 2021 is: Many see the defeat of Trump as a huge relief for the future of America. Still, Trump received 72 million votes (Biden 81 million) and many see a possible dire future, not just from Trump and his unprecedented support from Republicans in Congress, but by millions of Americans who still accept the Trump line that Biden/Harris/Democrats stole the election, right wing nationalism is on the rise world wide and there have been various threats/acts of violence from the right. What is your best prediction of what will happen in the years ahead? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
Open Meditation - Mondays, January 11 and 25
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings - All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.Reimagining the Children and Youth Religious Exploration Program
Rev. Jeremiah, Director of Religious Exploration (DRE) Cleo Anderson, RE staff Teri Lucas, and Board and community members met in Zoom on December 6 with Pacific Western Regional (PWR) Congregational Life field staff, Rev. Dr. Melissa James. Discussion among the twelve participants was facilitated by Rev. Melissa, who served at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego as the Director of Family and Lifespan Ministry. Rev. Melissa provided good insight into the topic.
The group discussed the difficulty of doing Youth RE during the pandemic lockdown. Our DRE, Cleo, talked about the different activities – about eight programs, from art classes to dance classes to book clubs – that she had planned and set up as online Zoom meetings. Unfortunately, attendance was minimal.
The participants brainstormed as a team about how to reach out to UUSM’s kids in these difficult times. Discussion turned to the gifts the UUSM community has to offer and how these gifts could be matched up with our kids’ and parents’ needs. It was recognized that Religious Exploration may need to focus more on relationships and pastoral care, and less on programming right now.
Children and Youth RE will continue to reach out to the children and families of UUSM. Non-denominational winter festivities packages are being sent to all UUSM children in celebration of the holiday season. An exciting Skateboard Ministry is coming up in the new year.
In the coming weeks, we will reach out to our community members to solicit ideas and suggestions as we move into 2021. If you have ideas, please send them to dre@uusm.org or president@uusm.org.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, December 2020
November 30, 2020 Adult Programs Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, Programs
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our December activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling with Dorothy Steinicke Sunday December 13
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing or writing. In fact you are encouraged to join if this is the case. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Ukulele Strum Along Saturday December 12
Come and play ukulele with us or join with another strumming instrument. We recommend a familiarity with the ukulele for this online format but all levels are welcome (beginner to advanced). Bring a ukulele to our Zoom meeting and chords and lyrics will be provided in advance with a few folks prepared to lead some songs. We will share tips and support each other, pulling from a wide range of music. This event is for ages 15 and up, or 10 and up if accompanied by a guardian. We will need your email contact information by December 10, so that we can send you the music ahead of time. We will gather from 9:30 – 10:30 am. Contact: Kim Kalmanson.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday December 27
The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and respected. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday December 15
We will discuss “The Poison Squad: One Chemist’s Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century,” by Deborah Blum. Toward the end of the 19th century, food was dangerous – even lethal. For example, milk was diluted with formaldehyde. When Dr. Harvey Wiley became chief chemist at the Department of Agriculture, the agency began investigating food and drink fraud. “The Poison Squad” was a group of young men who volunteered to be guinea pigs. To receive the link to join the discussion, you will want to be on the group email list. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursday December 3
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, December 3, is: Ideally, as we get older, at some point we become at peace with all the decisions we made in our past. However, do you have a particular regret and wish that you could have had a do-over? How might your life be changed as a result? How might it have actually turned out worse? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays December 14, 28
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, November 2020
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below for our November activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Nature Journaling with Dorothy Steinicke Sunday November 15
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending some time outdoors or not stepping out your front door at all, you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing or writing. In fact you are encouraged to join if this is the case. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday November 22
The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where a diversity of viewpoints are encouraged and respected. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion Tuesday November 17
We will discuss “Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies,” by Geoffrey West. The author is a fellow of the Santa Fe Institute, which examines the power laws governing the points in the title. Power laws in biology have been well understood for years, but predictability in more global ways is fairly new. All are welcome. To receive the link, you will want to be on the group email list. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org. All are welcome.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays November 5 and 19
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, Nov. 5 is: “Men generally do not like to admit to fear, but was there a time in your life when you were immobilized or driven by fear?” The topic for Thursday, Nov. 19 is: “Is your life’s path very different from what you envisioned at the age of 21? If so, how do you imagine that everything would have turned out for you had you taken that path?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
Open Meditation Mondays November 9, 23, 30
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, October 2020
Learning and exploration are about the transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See below our October activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
To contact the facilitator in regard to any offering, you may email AdultRE@UUSM.org with the title of the group in the subject line. Your email will be forwarded. Please note that currently, all offerings are facilitated through Zoom. Contact Teri Lucas for more information and the link to the Zoom meeting.
Do you have a passion or an expertise? Are you a chef or a gardener, a historian or an actor? Would you like to offer some help, support, or some frivolity to our UU community via Zoom? We’re seeking programming that is fun, informative, and engaging. Please let us know if there’s something you’d like to offer and the Adult RE Committee will help you to do it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Community Building Through Personal Development:
Come and join us in observing, learning about, and enjoying nature. Whether you are spending your days mostly outdoors or not stepping out your front door you can still enjoy and appreciate nature. This session will focus on seedpods and fruits, the containers of life and the future. We’ll do a little botany and we’ll do some drawing and writing. You are welcome to join even if you have no knowledge of nature, botany, drawing or writing, in fact you are encouraged to join. People who attend these groups remark that they are reminded of times in childhood when they had the time to get lost in wonder at the natural world. As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Dorothy Steinicke has more than twenty years experience encouraging people to a love of the natural world. She leads hikes for children and for adults in Topanga Canyon, Ballona Wetlands, and Dockweiller State Beach. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke.
Come and play ukulele with us or join with another strumming instrument. We recommend a familiarity with the ukulele for this online format but all levels are welcome (beginner to advanced). Bring a ukulele to our Zoom meeting and chords and lyrics will be provided in advance with a few folks prepared to lead some songs. We will share tips and support each other, pulling from a wide range of music. This event is for ages 15 and up, or 10 and up if accompanied by a guardian. We will need your email contact information by October 22, so that we can send you the music ahead of time. We will gather from 9:30 – 10:30 am. Contact: Kim Kalmanson.
Exploration of Ideas:
Join AAHS (Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists) for a conversation about the legacy of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — feminist icon of the Supreme Court, transformative intellect for human, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights in modern history, champion of church/sate separation, and a pop culture phenomenon unto herself. We will reference recent commentary from feminist and Humanist sources, and consider what a paradigm shift to the right for the highest court could mean for Ginsburg’s legacy and for the endangered progressive values that we cherish. For many, atheism/agnosticism is a first step; Humanism is the thousand steps that come after. We’ll meet from 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm via Zoom. Contact: James Witker.
We will discuss Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond. Although this book was published some time ago, it contains some very interesting ideas as to why some cultures have so much “cargo,” and why only certain animals, from limited locations, have been domesticated – and much more. All are welcome. To receive the link, you will want to be on the group email list. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org All are welcome.
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Thursday, Oct. 1 is: How do you define peace of mind? Do you have it? If so how did you find it? What are things that bring you peace of mind? Have you been able to bring peace of mind to others? The two topics for Thursday, Oct. 15 are: If you could send a message back to yourself as a kid, what would you say, and what’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave to you? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We have found that this time of quiet meditation and shared exploration can be deeply nourishing – a time of simply “being” amidst all the “doing” of our lives. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact: Bev Shoenberger.
Join us for a weekday morning short meditation and check-in session to encourage connection and accountability around mindful presence and daily action. We will meditate for 10-15 minutes and share priorities, victories, and stumbling blocks in our work-at-home life in this unprecedented time. We meet from 9:00 – 9:30 am. Contact: Jacki Weber.
Fall News for Children and Youth RE
GROWING ANTI-RACIST UUS
Elementary School programming begins in November
We’ll be using a curriculum created by UU Charlottesville called Growing Anti-Racist UUs. It’s geared for ages 4-11.
Pre-School (3-4 y/o) lessons will take place from 11:15 am-12:00 pm for five weeks each Sunday. The lessons are approximately 30 minutes long but I’m sure Zoom will add time to it, so we’re padding the end time. We also may find the kiddos are a tich too young to do Sunday school online. If so, we’ll pivot and find something they can participate in and have fun.
Grades K-2 will have 12 lessons for 12 weeks each Sunday from 12:45 pm-1:30 pm. Again, the time is padded because Zoom is finicky.
Grades 3-5 will have 12 lessons for 12 weeks each Sunday from 1:45 pm-2:30 pm.
It is imperative that you REGISTER your kids for Sunday school (click the button); this is how we keep track of attendance.
Middle School
This church year we will be doing a deep dive into anti-racism, what it looks like when you’re a tween and how being anti-racist ties into the 7 Principles. We’ll be using the book “When They Call You a Terrorist” YA Edition by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele.
PLEASE NOTE: The book club will initially be limited to the first 12 kids ages 11-14 (roughly grades 5-9 depending on birth date) who can commit to meeting every other Friday evening beginning on October 16th. After that we will start a waiting list and evaluate starting a second group.
Each student who can commit to the Friday evening meetings will be given a copy of the book to keep. We’ll ship it directly to your home.
High School
This church year we will be doing a deep dive into anti-racism, how it feels to live in a world that’s on fire, and how being anti-racist ties into the 7 Principles. We’ll be using the book “When They Call You a Terrorist” by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele.
PLEASE NOTE: The book club will initially be limited to the first 12 high school students who can commit to meeting every other Saturday starting October 17th. After that we will start a waiting list and evaluate starting a second group.
Each student who can commit to the Friday evening meetings will be given a copy of the book to keep. We’ll ship it directly to your home.
Emerging Adults
In a world where the greatest athlete (Serena Williams) is a woman, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and the #Squad are running Capitol Hill and female led movies like The Spy Who Dumped Me and Crazy Rich Asians are box office hits, it seems like feminism is finally diversifying itself. In her book “Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That the Movement Forgot”, author Mikki Kendall invites us to look around and see not just who doesn’t have a seat at the table, but who wasn’t even deemed worthy of an invite.
PLEASE NOTE: The first 12 Young Adults (18-21 for our purposes) who commit to meeting every other Saturday starting October 17th will receive a copy of the book to keep. We will ship it to your house.