Newsletter for May, 2019
From Our Minister:
To the Glory of Life: Curiosity
Dear Friends,
They say that ‘curiosity killed the cat,’ but frankly, that sounds made up. Sort of like the kind of finger-pointing cockamamie story cooked up by a crooked politician. Something in a corrupt communication policy that tells the family of victims some bizarre obfuscation while concealing evidence. It’s what people say who have something to hide.
I would like to slip under the yellow tape and walk around the crime scene for a moment. Snoop about in search of clues. What I’d really like to do is to talk to the cat. Because if there is anyone who, for sure, has the straight poop on what went down in shady town, it’s the cat. But the cat’s dead.
So, of course, what you look for is the next of kin. Those in line for the throne. Whoever was hanging out with the cat around zero-dark-ten and counting. Like; the best friend. Except cats don’t really have best friends. They’re too aloof for sycophants, and no one whose living is made off other people’s tragedy owns a cat. Best friends are associated with dogs; i.e. “man,” (sic) which, as all know, are notoriously unreliable when it comes to giving the low down on high jinx.
So, I don’t think it was curiosity that did the killing. At least, not without some help. But let me confess. Because, truth to tell, I have some bias.
I’ve known Curiosity for a long time. Curiosity is the first born of an unlikely pairing of personalities. A whirlwind romance between Wonder and Worry. She got one parent’s imagination and the other’s darting eyes. When she was four, she got into long discussions with her Uncle Reason, who kept trying to explain the universe so that everything made sense. But each time he came up with a perfect answer, she countered with an even more perfect question. And always the same one: “Why?” Eventually, Curiosity backed Reason into a corner and, out of exasperation said, “Because God said so!! That’s why!!” Surprised even him, and resulted in Reason enrolling in seminary where he eventually become a Unitarian minister.
Curiosity was married numerous times. She couldn’t help it. And each time she married, she had a child. She met Fear when she was young and had a son, Anxiety, who became a detective. She left Fear and met Anger with whom she had a second son, Judgment, who worked in a courtroom. She fell deeply in love with Confusion, but while on their honeymoon, they got separated and never found each other.
After marrying Service, she had a daughter, Justice, who became an activist. And after a liaison with Logic, she had another daughter, Intrigue.
But then she fell head over heels for Love. They had twins: Honor and Reverence.
When the story broke about the cat’s demise, Curiosity was taken into custody. All her children gathered around her. Each swore vehemently that their mother could never kill anything. After all, they said, she deeply resisted the finality of endings.
The trial is coming up. So, it behooves all of us to look back on our affairs with curiosity. Consider the testimony of her children and all who’ve known her. They will tell you that curiosity simply allows one to go deeper and become more of who they are. If you begin with Fear or Anger, Curiosity will find ways to see, find, and validate more of the same. But in situations where Curiosity becomes the companion of Love, the result is Beauty, Appreciation, Generosity, Peace, Gratitude, Excitement, Warmth, and Hope. Cat thrived amidst all these things.
Think hard before you cast Judgment and put Curiosity away. She is one of the most important characters to have in your team. Especially if you are trying to find you way to a place you’ve never been. Or find your way back to someplace you can’t quite remember.
To the Glory of Life.
A Pastoral Letter from Rev. Greg: PASTORAL ANSWERS TO R.E. QUESTIONS
April 19, 2019,
Dear UUSM Friends and Friends of UUSM,
On Monday, you received a message from our Director of Religious Education and our President, Jacki Weber, sharing the news of Kathleen’s resignation as our Director of Lifespan Religious Education. This has felt surprising by some and raised questions by others. And has been the source of some feelings by almost everyone. I wanted to reach out and respond to some of these questions.
Is it true that the proposed budget for next year reduces the time for our Director of Lifespan Religious Education from full time to ¾ time?
Yes, this is true. And speaking for what I know to be true for every board member, this is a source of great disappointment and heartbreak. What is also true is the Board’s efforts to be honest, accountable, and responsible regarding the two realities before them:
1. A $72,000+ deficit in the proposed budget; and
2. Registration for our Children and Youth Religious Education programming that dropped to just 17 families.
These both deserve a little explanation.
First, the deficit is something the Board has been looking at and taking very seriously. When I arrived, we embarked on a plan to address revenue. In formulating the plan we discovered that the congregation has, for some years, been overly dependent on a few very generous families to disproportionately cover the majority of the congregation’s expenses. As this information was discovered and has been shared, a very large number of families have significantly increased their giving. Over the last 2 years, over 100 families have increased their giving – some as much as 10% or more. This is outstanding. In addition, more than 20 families stepped up to create an incentivizing leverage fund (Sustainability Fund) to help bring pledging into a more sustainable range.
Unfortunately, this year also coincided with a couple of our highest pledging families reducing or eliminating their pledges (due primarily to declining health and to family relocation, and not to dissatisfaction). Just three families led to $40K in lost revenue which underscores our over-dependence on too few people.
UUSM has had to draw from reserves (money bequeathed to the congregation by generous members remembering us in their wills) to balance the budget for more than 10 years. The Board recognizes that this is not sustainable and, last year, set a target to get to a balanced budget within four years.
The Board, making some painful but responsible choices made some of the cuts which brought the proposed deficit from approximately $72,000 to approximately $37,500.
The second piece of information that’s important to understand is around the trends in children and youth religious education at UUSM. As you can see from the graph below, Religious Education numbers have gone down each of the last 5 years in a row.
It is known that Religious Education programming in UU congregations has been in decline across the country (4% / yr). That increase has been slightly more rapid in UU Congregations in our district (5% / yr). But the decrease here at UUSM has been at a level far beyond what can be explained by these regional and national trends.
There are currently only 17 children and youth registered and attending our RE program on a regular basis. The high number of professional hours we’d be spending to support so few children and youth is well out of proportion with what other congregations are doing. Reducing professional hours was extremely painful – for the Board making the decision, the RE volunteers, the families receiving the news, and for me sharing it here. And, yet, there’s more that needs to be said.
What’s the impact of this decision?
It’s important and appropriate for us to know that this news has a big impact… for children and youth, families, staff… But the impact for Kathleen is more immediate and personal. After only a brief period of reflection, Kathleen informed us that she would need to resign. Los Angeles is simply too expensive an area to have part-time work as a single parent.
Although disappointed, Kathleen has responded with a high degree of professionalism. She continues to understand and care for UUSM and families and a desire to see what’s best for the program and the church as a whole. Anyone who knows Kathleen would expect or predict no less.
In her letter on Monday, Jacki Weber laid out plans to assemble stakeholders and explore specific ways we can bring in a religious professional that will help us in the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that stimulates and energizes our approach to RE and our ability to constructively respond to this challenge.
Why did this happen?
I’d like to share a couple of other truths worth pondering. The dramatic reduction in families registered in RE is not Kathleen’s fault. Nor can responsibility be attached to the other staff in RE… or the volunteers who teach and serve on the RE committees… or the families… and certainly not the children and youth.
You can look at the graph and note that the numbers began to drop in 2015 – two years before Kathleen arrived. Some of what we are struggling with now is the delayed impact of a conflict that began back then.
I don’t believe that what’s happening now for RE is the end of Sunday School. But it certainly requires our attention. And our willingness to work together.
How is this an opportunity and what can we all do?
What we have in front of us is an opportunity to be really honest and explore some important truths. Some of which include:
Accepting that the world has changed a great deal and we probably need to look closely at what we need to do to change our approach as a congregation doing outreach in order to capture the attention and imagination of our most relevant stakeholders: children and youth and their families.
We’re going to need to reach out and engage these stakeholders and this is not the work that will be successful if we place the onus of responsibility on one person – or even a small cadre. If there’s one lesson we’ve learned from the financial side of the congregation it is that being overly dependent on too few people leaves us less resilient and less successful than we deserve to be. We were successful in raising pledges. We can be successful in raising children and youth. Because, even though we can’t change the fact that we’re growing old, we can certainly respond with a commitment to grow young.
Finally, this is a time for stepping forward and building a broad coalition to move in a common direction. It’s not time to divide into opinion camps. When I came here, that’s what I witnessed: division and intractability. We’ve worked too hard and learned too much to go back to that strategy.
Let’s use our energy constructively. Thoughtfully. Carefully. This is an amazing opportunity. Kathleen has been unbelievably understanding, compassionate and supportive of the program so that the volunteers, teachers, staff – and most of all – the families with children and youth – can be successful, even in her departure. It’s the least we can do for her, for ourselves, and for our future to give our very best.
To the Glory of Life,
Rev. Greg
Featured Articles:
Generosity in All Things: Lessons Learned at the Start of IMG: Pledge Results and More
Spirit of Water flickr/Dhilung KiratLast year, UUSM began participating in the UUA Pacific Western Region’s (PWR) Institutionalizing a Ministry of Generosity (IMG) program. The program helps promote generosity in all areas of congregational life by planning and implementing a unique roadmap specific to each church. Such areas of congregational life could include, for example, family faith formation, pastoral care, and worship, as well as pledging and stewardship.
To apply to the program, the UUSM Stewardship Committee submitted three questionnaires, which were completed by leaders in our congregation (a former treasurer, a past board president, and a current board member). The questionnaire was designed to assess whether UUSM could improve in areas of trust and generosity and whether UUSM was open and ready to transform internal culture in order to promote generosity. Happily, UUSM was accepted into the program, and the Rev. Greg Ward, Olga Felton, Gretchen Goetz, Sarah Robson, and Kit Shaw were recruited as representatives of UUSM to the IMG program.
On February 15–17, representatives traveled to Arizona for a retreat with nine other UU congregations from the PWR. The retreat was held at The Franciscan Renewal Center (a.k.a. The Casa), a former dude ranch in Scottsdale, purchased and run by the Franciscan friars as a place for wellness, worship, and healing. The venue allowed for a peaceful and contemplative weekend. Other UU congregations participating in the retreat were from California (Fresno, Davis, Palomar, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo) and Colorado (Boulder, Golden, Lafayette) and encompassed congregations of 90 to 800 members. One of the best things about the retreat was meeting and connecting with members from other UU congregations and sharing notes about congregational life.
Think differently
The program was organized and facilitated by the Rev. Jan Christian and the Rev. Tandi Rogers, who are Congregational Life staff from the PWR. Over the course of the weekend, attendees worked together to learn and understand our current cultures and norms (which may not be serving us well), and to think differently about ways our culture could be changed to promote generosity. For example, some of the characteristics that could be used to describe our current Western-world culture are perfectionism, individualism, and scarcity. We explored ideas and thought about alternate narratives to shift away from perfectionism to wholeness: for example, from individualism to togetherness; from scarcity to sufficiency. As more specific example, isn’t it a form of generosity to turn to wonder (wholeness) in a situation of disagreement, rather than to immediately assume (perfectionism) that the other view is wrong?
Another important lesson learned in the retreat is that generosity is a two-way street. The metaphor that was offered by the Rev. Russ Menk (UU Fellowship of Santa Cruz County) was imagine that giving is like exhaling. One can give (exhale), give (exhale), and give (exhale), but this does us no good if we don’t also receive (inhale). Therefore, we need to be mindful of receiving generosity when it is offered to us, as well as giving generosity ourselves.
At the closing of the retreat, we all participated in worship in the small chapel on the premises. Stories of generosity were read, we participated in a hand-washing ceremony, and we exchanged small gifts of personal meaning, which we were asked to bring from home. We had learned from each other over the course of the weekend and become friends; the ceremony was pure, humbling, and full of grace. It was more poignant because Rev. Jan was retiring; developing the IMG program was her final project. Tears were shed as her colleagues bid her farewell.
Liftoff
Developing the 3-year IMG plan and launching the UUSM spring pledge drive began in February with recruiting and training 35 “Connectors.” These Connectors ventured out and contacted, one-on-one, 140 UUSM pledging households. Church finances were a topic, of course, but the purpose was to come together to share stories of heartbreak and hope in today’s world. In addition to building community, these conversations explored mission and vision and the ways in which our church could bring our values to today’s world and today’s needs. The “Connectees” were also asked to think about someone in their lives who they felt was especially generous, whether in giving of their time, attention, money, or something else. The purpose of these conversations was to begin exploring the theme of generosity, as we launch into our 3-year IMG plan.
Our pledge goal for the “This is What Generosity Looks Like” campaign was $400,000, and pledges that were turned in accounted for $271,890 (68% of goal, as of 4/5/19) from 144 pledging units (57% of total pledging units). Accounting for pledging rollovers (households that did not turn in a pledge card, but have consistently made a financial contribution to UUSM in the past), expected pledge income stands at $356,012.
An impressive 85 pledgers increased their annual commitment. Recall that there was a matching program for people who increased their pledges. When they’re fulfilled, this year’s eligible pledges will earn more than $27,000 in matching funds from the Sustainability Fund. Adding those funds in, total pledges stands at $383,292: $16,708 short of our pledge goal. This is the number used to develop the 2019–20 budget to be presented to the congregation at the May Annual Meeting.What’s next for IMG?
The UUSM IMG team has already met several times to brainstorm a 3-year plan specific to our congregation. As the minister is required to be part of the IMG team, the new (to be named) developmental minister will take Rev. Greg’s place. We are identifying areas of congregational life of focus, then we will develop plans and programs to support and promote generosity in those areas. Our 3-year plan is due to the PWR in May with a followup report due 1 year later. As we continue on this mission, we will continue to exchange ideas and receive support from the other participating UU congregations.
-- Kit Shaw
Nominating Committee Announces Slate for 2019-20
The Nominating Committee has fulfilled its responsibility to provide a candidate for each board position and to put forth the names of new members for their committee. The names have been posted on the church office door and are available here.
| POSITION | TERM | TERM / YEAR | NAME |
| President | 1 year | 2nd term | Jacki Weber Vote Needed |
| Vice President | 1 year | 2nd term | Beth Brownlie Vote Needed |
| Secretary | 1 year | 2nd term | Norm Richie Vote Needed |
| Treasurer | 1 year | 1st term | Vilma Ortiz Vote Needed |
| Past President | Not elected | 2nd term | Ron Crane No Vote Needed |
| Member-At- Large | 2 years | 2nd year | Eileen McCormack No Vote Needed |
| Member-At-Large | 2 years | 2nd year | Nina Emerson No Vote Needed |
| Member-At- Large | 2 years | 1st year | Abby Arnold Vote Needed |
| Member-At- Large | 2 years | 1st year | Barbara Andres Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 2nd year | Pat Gomez No Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 2nd year | Kikanza Nuri-Robins No Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 3rd year | Linda van Ligten No Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 3rd year | Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson No Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 1st year | Alison Kendall Vote Needed |
| Nominating Committee | 3 years | 1st year | Barbara Kernochan Vote Needed |
The committee has dedicated themselves to spending more time getting to know a broad assortment of members this year, with the larger goals of developing leadership within the congregation and getting as many people involved as possible. This can be a difficult responsibility, and one that we appreciate – as we appreciate all our members who serve in leadership in our community.We will have a large amount of continuity as we enter a year of extensive change. There will be only three changes: Vilma Ortiz is proposed as treasurer, and Barbara Andres and Abby Arnold have generously offered to serve as members-at-large.
Members may vote in person, by proxy, or by absentee ballot. A quorum is needed, so please come to the meeting on May 19 and vote in person. Your presence, your voice, and your enthusiasm for our beloved community is warmly welcomed.
Make Your Special Event Totally Extra
The Communications Team has been working with UUSM staff to streamline how special events at church and off site are organized and promoted. The goal is to make sure event organizers have everything they need to hold a great, well attended special event – with no surprises. Let’s say that we want the only surprise to be how well everything went!
Together we’ve developed an online form (for members only) that starts with the room reservation and all the contact info. If it’s a public or congregational event we ask for a short, short description for the Thursday Announcements and the Sunday Order of Service; then there’s room for lots of text and links and graphics to appear on the website event page. The options for your event cover everything from parking, set-up, and custodial services to kitchen access, social media advertising, and the credit card swiper.
Now this is not for your regular, monthly meetings, discussion groups, or choir rehearsals. It’s for special events like concerts, receptions, social justice events, and the like.
Please note that completing the reservation does NOT result in a Newsletter story being posted. (Though Adult RE programs sponsored by the Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults Committee will be included in their monthly listing.) If you would like your big event covered in a story here, please submit details or a story draft (with photos!) to the Newsletter Committee at newsletter@uusm.org.
We ask that you help staff and help to keep the congregation informed about your lecture, party, or community action. It’s good form to use the form!
OR VISIT
Camp de Benneville Pines Weekend 2019
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13-15, 2019
Each year, UUSM members and friends flock to Camp deBenneville Pines, an idyllic rustic paradise two hours east of Santa Monica (if you leave at the right time on Friday) for our all-church retreat, this year Friday-Sunday, September 13-15, 2019. Join us for a weekend of reveling in nature, ping pong tournaments, dam building, s’mores, tie-dying and sing-along versions of every ‘60s song you know (or don’t).
Singles, couples and families young and old enjoy clean mountain air, lots of activities, great camp food and fellowship. Rustic heated cabins are clean and comfortable, with indoor plumbing and hot showers, for “roughing it, gently.”
The downloadable registration form is available HERE, or contact Karl Lisovsky or Consuela Metzger at debenneville@uusm.org to receive one. You can also pay online at the “MAKE A DONATION” link in the upper right-hand corner of any uusm.org page. If you’d like more information, contact Karl Lisovsky or Chela Metzger.
2019 prices start at $155/person for adults, $90/person for kids and $115 for teens, which includes all food and activities for the weekend! (Discounts are generally provided for early registration, during the month of May.)
We also offer a limited number of financial aid “camperships” for those who need it. If that’s your situation, your camp fee is just half-price (down to a slight $80 per adult), and FREE for kids/teens. Or alternately, if you’re flush with cash, you could contribute to the campership pot, which’d help even more campers make it to deBenneville in September. A full camp is a happy camp and we aim to be very happy.
For more information on any aspect of our church camp, please contact debenneville@uusm.org.
******PLEASE NOTE*********
Fully and properly registering for camp, as described above, is a TWO STEP PROCESS, and both steps must be completed:
Download and complete the PDF registration form…and return it to the church office or Karl Lisovsky via any of the methods described at the bottom of the form.
Make your payment via the church office, or online through our “Make a Donation” link in the upper right-hand corner of any uusm.org page. (Please note that the donation link takes you off-site to our Vanco.com donation processing partner, where you will have to create a separate login, or use a Vanco login you previously created.)
Please note that filling out the online payment form DOES NOT substitute for completing the separate camp registration form. BOTH steps must be completed to complete your camp registration.
News & Announcements:
PLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS REMINDER
The Pledge Year now runs in parallel with the Fiscal (budget) year. As the fiscal year ends on the last day of June, and in order for finances to stay on track with the 2018-2019 approved budget, all 2018-19 pledges should be paid in full by the end of June.
If you pay your pledge on an annual, one-time contribution, and you have not made your contribution for the 2018-19 fiscal year, please make your payment by Friday, June 28.
If you pay your pledge on a monthly, quarterly or other staggered payment, and you have not yet fulfilled your pledge commitment for the 2018-19 fiscal year, please fulfill your pledge by Friday, June 28.
You can mail your contribution to the office or contact Cyndee Hayes to make other payment arrangements at assistant@uusm.org or call her at 310-829-5436 ext 102.
Thank you for your continued support of UUSM.
Summer Schedule, Sunday Meetings: May 19, 2019 to September 15, 2019
If your recurring Sunday meeting time is changing due to the summer schedule changes, please contact Cyndee Hayes at assistant@uusm.org and Diego Andres at oos@uusm.org and provide them with your summer meeting start and end time. The office does not automatically change the Sunday meetings scheduled during the summer since some meetings are kept at the same time.
UU Santa Monica Book Group Discussion on May 13: "How to Be Less Stupid about Race"
Explore an essential new book in three weekly two-hour sessions starting Monday, May 13, at 7:00 pm, in Forbes Hall, by registering either at the RE table or by email.
How to Be Less Stupid About Race is an essential guide to breaking through the half-truths, and ridiculous misconceptions that have thoroughly corrupted the representation of race in the classroom, pop culture, media, and politics.
Combining no-holds-barred social critique, humorous personal anecdotes, and analysis of the latest interdisciplinary scholarship on systemic racism, sociologist Crystal M. Fleming provides a fresh, accessible, and irreverent take on everything that’s wrong with our national conversation about race.
We’ll discuss how the ideas speak to us (if at all), what the ideas might mean in practical application, and how they are or are not useful in our fight against racism.
Everyone is welcome to audit the discussion; if you’d like to participate, please be sure to have read the Introduction and the first two chapters for the first session.
Please also register for this series either at the RE table or by emailing Audrey Lyness or Laura Matthews.
Copies of the book are available online or for $17 at the RE table after the Sunday church services.
The purpose of this book discussion is to be informative, positive, and practical, by learning from the book and the perspective of others.
"Have you ever wondered how people lived with slavery, Jim Crow, and lynching but looked the other way? Look around right now. This is how they did it." ~ Crystal M. Fleming
Faith in Action News:
Faith In Action Teams Up with Sunrise Movement
A NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF STUDENTS FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE
It was exciting — and inspiring — to have more than 40 energetic, committed young people in their late teens and twenties fill our UUSM sanctuary and campus on Saturday, April 13th, for a full day of connecting and training to organize for climate justice.
Continuing our work of collaborating with community partners who overlap with our mission, FIA had teamed up with the LA chapter of Sunrise Movement, a newer grassroots organization that is diverse, intersectional, youth and young adult-led, and quickly changing the national conversation about climate change. Together, we provided a welcoming space for activists to learn and get more deeply involved in working for a livable future. A few others from UUSM participated or provided support, including Sarah Robson, Jila Tayefehnowrooz, and Linda Van Ligten.
As a national organization, Sunrise grew out of the student movement to get universities to divest from fossil fuels. I think it represents a new phase of climate justice advocacy — its leaders are ethnically diverse, unwilling to accept the status quo, and they “get” the urgency and reality of the climate crisis in a visceral way that perhaps older generations do not. They are scared for their future and see peaceful direct action and civil disobedience as primary ways to engage. They are driven by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most recent dire report, which warns that we have less than twelve years to make drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emission in order to avert disaster.
Sunrise Movement activists at UUSMThe day’s activities included multimedia presentations on the history of environmental justice movements, the analogies between the original New Deal and what a “Green New Deal” political coalition could look like, and the effects of environmental racism and neglect on frontline communities, those most likely to be impacted by climate change. There were many breakout sessions and opportunities for individual sharing. There was a lively interactive exercise on how to build coalitions and bring more allies to our side. At one point, a young woman in her teens told her story to the assembled group about growing up next to an oil drilling site in South LA and the health effects she is still grappling with. And several others shared emotional stories about coming out as queer and trans, seeing their own journeys as a deeply-connected part of a larger movement to make a better world.
I was struck by the anti-racist, intersectional, locally-conscious approach of the Sunrise Movement because it is precisely the kind of vision lifted up by the contributors to “Justice on Earth,” this year’s UUA common read that some of us have been studying and discussing.
Most of the training’s participants did not have prior experience with Unitarian Universalist congregations, but were excited to hear about UUSM’s distinguished history of supporting social justice movements and intrigued to learn more about us. “I didn’t know places like this existed,” said one.
-- James Witker
Photos by James Witker.
Splinters from the Board:
Board Highlights for April 2019: A New Endowment and Budget Decision-Making
BOARD TACKLES 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET
The UUSM Board of Directors met April 10, with a 16 congregants in the gallery. After check-in, the board got right to business.
There is one new member this month: Suzanne Rainey. Please welcome her, as you greet unfamiliar faces. The $6,000 Website Team funding, from last month’s discussion, will come from the Capital Building Reserve.
The Rev. Greg Ward’s Developmental Minister’s Report covered, most notably, his decision to resign from ministry at UUSM. His last Sunday will be June 23. He had great praise for the cochairs of the Stewardship Committee, Kit Shaw and Gretchen Goetz, for their highly organized pledge campaign – and for the wonderful Connectors, who were critical to the success of the pledge drive. Kit and Gretchen hosted a “thank you” dinner for the Connectors to show appreciation for the many volunteers who stepped up. There were a significant number of people who increased their pledges this year, and these increases were matched based on an eligibility formula. This is great, but as a result, the Sustainability Fund is being used faster than expected. Currently, there are enough funds to make all of the anticipated matches, but more money will need to be raised to supplement the fund for future campaigns.
The charter for the Ray & Betty Goodman Ministerial Continuing Education Restricted Fund was approved: a restricted fund of $30,000. As specified in the bequest, interest generated from this fund will go towards continuing educational development of fellowshipped ministers associated with UUSM. The funds will likely be invested in the UUA Common Endowment Fund.
Our intern minister, Robin Stillwater, plans on more Me Too classes, because interest remains strong. She encourages people who have already taken her class to speak to those who might be interested. The Young Adults plan to have a retreat on May 4. She reminded board meeting attendees who are interested in being GA delegates to contact Church Administrator Nurit Gordon.
The Investment Committee brought a number of suggestions in investment strategy, which became motions that were collectively approved by the board. These motions included staggering CD maturity and transferring some funds to the UUA Common Endowment Fund. Consideration was given to the management of expenses from different brokerage firms where UUSM funds are held. Ultimately, it was decided that Merrill Lynch would remain our brokerage firm. Anyone who is interested in obtaining the full investment document may contact Steve White.
The majority of the meeting was devoted to examining the budget for 2019–20 church year.
A draft budget, as it was first presented to the congregation at a meeting on Sunday, April 7, showed a deficit of about $58,000. The consensus of the board that this amount of deficit would be unacceptable to the congregation. The board proceeded to review both income and expense line items to bring the deficit down. Concerning income, the board voted to impose a 4% contingency for unpaid pledges (an anticipated decrease of income of approximately $14,000) and to decrease projected Dining for Dollars fundraising income to $30,000, to be more in line with current expectations. Both of these amendments increased the bottom-line deficit.
On the expenses side, it was decided that the allotment for staff raises would be held to no more than $7,500, instead of the originally proposed $15,000 in merit raises and cost-of-living adjustments. Additional expense items, such as funding for guest speakers and minister support (for a professional membership/leadership consultant) were also reduced.
There was a very extensive discussion within the Board and comments from the guests present, regarding a proposal – first introduced at the April 7 meeting – to decrease the director of Religious Exploration position by 25%; essentially reducing the full-time position to three-quarter time. The was extensive discussion, at times emotional, concerning children and youth RE attendance, and the high demands on this position and RE volunteers. Ultimately, this decrease was approved by the board. This decision was based on the fact that, currently, UUSM does not have many children attending the RE program and that our level of staffing is not in line with other UU churches with similar RE attendance. Although the congregation will make the ultimate decision about the RE program at the May Annual Meeting, in light of the current proposed budget deficit, this cut seems a responsible approach.
The combined total of these changes brought the deficit in the proposed budget to approximately, $42,000; this was approved by the Board and will be presented to the congregation.
The meeting ran long and included several difficult decisions, as is typically the case when the budget is discussed.
-- Rebecca Crawford
RE News:
From Our DRE:
Thank you: A FAREWELL MESSAGE
Curiosity. A strong desire to know or to learn something, an unusual or interesting object or fact – Oxford Dictionary
Curiosity. Something that kills cats – Urban Dictionary
As my final days at UUSM approach, I want to say thank you. Thank you all for sharing your lives with me. Thank you for sharing your children and families with me. Thank you for welcoming and nurturing me as your Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration. Writing my letter of resignation was difficult. It is never easy to say goodbye. It is never easy to face the unknown and the what ifs. The best way we can do this is with a spirit of curiosity and wonder. So after all the feelings, whatever they may be, it is my hope that you will all come together to a place of wholeness through curiosity and wonder to continue the work of the church.
You may be curious or wonder:
- What will RE look like going forward?
- What does this mean for my family?
- What does this mean for the work I do here?
- What can I do to help?
UUSM Board of Directors President Jacki Weber wrote, “The board voted last week to put together a task force of concerned board members, RE leaders and parents and youth. Thanks to Board VP Beth Brownlie for leading that effort. The task force will be responsible for conducting an evaluation, reporting back on what is working well in RE and what needs attention, and recommending how to make the most of our resources. We’re also interested in broadening into a shared ownership of the ministry for our children. We all need to understand that we need to grow young, not old.” If you are curious or wondering what is going to happen, if you wonder what you can do to help, please contact Jacki or Beth.
Keep working toward our mission. The mission of UUSM is to build a congregational home that supports our vision, that provides opportunities for spiritual and personal growth in an interactive and intergenerational community, that is welcoming and inclusive and that assumes an active responsibility for our community and world.
This community has grown stronger through our shared work and love for one another. It is my deepest hope that this congregation continues to work together to create more love, more justice, and more hope in the world. I am here to help until the time of my departure with whatever I can do to support you.
I leave you with the following lyrics from a song found in our hymnal. It is a sung expression of the Buddhist prayer known as the metta sutta. Metta means loving kindness, and the prayer is an expression, a visualization, and an openness to loving kindness toward ourselves, toward another, and toward us all.
“May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be whole.”
Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, May 2019
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 our upcoming activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
Community Building:
Collage Group with Stan Bemis Saturday, May 11
Do you wish to express yourself creatively in art, and yet may feel inadequate or untrained? Do you yearn to make an artistic statement, yet not sure how? Do you have too many catalogs, magazines, and advertisements, and haven’t a clue what to do with them? We welcome you to create your own collages with Stan Bemis! Stan works to bring joy and peace into people’s lives through creating art. He has taught many who didn’t realize they had creative talent, from all across the world – from California to Palestine/Israel. He welcomes any age, from youths to older adults. The goal of this group is to help foster personal worth and empowerment, entering that holy place within and having sacred fun. The objectives are: 1. to create works of art; and 2. to possibly create cards for events or celebrations. We encourage you to bring your old magazines to work with as well. We meet from 10:00-12:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contacts: Stan Bemis or Sarah Robson.
Come Dance with Us – on indefinite hold.
Please contact Ellen Levy for information, support, and updates.
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday, May 26
AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) is an open group that meets for lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion, and philosophy. We also host occasional guest speakers, films, and outings. 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’ll meet 1:00–2:30 pm in the sanctuary. Contact: aahs@uusm.org.
How to be Less Stupid about Race Monday, May 13, 20
From the UUA website: “How to Be Less Stupid About Race” is your essential guide to breaking through the half-truths and ridiculous misconceptions that have thoroughly corrupted the way race is represented in the classroom, pop culture, media, and politics. Combining no-holds-barred social critique, humorous personal anecdotes, and analysis of the latest interdisciplinary scholarship on systemic racism, sociologist Crystal M. Fleming provides a fresh, accessible, and irreverent take on everything that’s wrong with our national conversation about race.” We’ll discuss how the ideas speak to us (if at all), what the ideas might mean in practical application, and how they are or are not useful in our fight against racism. Everyone is welcome to audit the discussion; if you’d like to participate, please be sure to have read the Introduction and the first two chapters for the first session. Copies of the book will be available at cost for those who are interested; please reserve a copy by May 1 with Audrey or Laura. Our hope is that the discussion will be informative, positive, and practical, with all of us learning from the book and from the perspective of others. Come explore this important new book with Audrey Lyness and Laura Matthews in three weekly 2-hour sessions at 7:00pm, in Forbes Classroom 4, The Mural Room.
Interest Groups:
Discussion and Support for Persons with Disabilities Sunday, May 26
The Disability Support Group will be promoting a dialogue on a selected topic at each of its meetings throughout this church year. There is a different theme for each month. All church members interested in the topic are invited to attend. For May, we will be discussing Self-Empowerment. We meet the fourth Sunday of each month from 12:30–2:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Michael Young.
UU Men’s Group Thursday, May 2, 16
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 May 2 is: Many of us benefit from having a skill or hobby that is very different from their work. What is yours, if you have one, or if not, what have you wished that you had the time or skill to pursue? The topic for May 16 is: What 1 or 2 person or persons whom you have lost touch with (due to time, geography, death or other) do you most wish you could be in touch with now? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month. We meet from 7:30-9:00 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Richard Mathias.
Meditations:
An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are Monday, May 6, 20
This ongoing class helps participants master specific meditation skills. We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (essence or true nature). This class will include meditations that explore participants’ spiritual goals. The monthly group meetings also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants will develop and enjoy a regular meditation practice. This group meets on the first and third Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Classroom 3. Contact: Bill Blake.
Open Meditation Monday, May 13, 27
We sit quietly for 20 minutes, walk with gentle awareness for 7 minutes, and explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through journaling, readings, and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We meet on the second, fourth, (and fifth) Mondays from 7:30-9:00 pm in Classroom 3. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Personal Development:
Conversations and Connections – on hiatus for May
Contact Sue Stoyanoff or Bettye Barclay for information and updates.
Highlights of additional interest groups meeting in May:
- Knitters and Friends On hiatus after May 12 until September 22, 2019 when we return to two services. Contact: Linda Van Ligten.
- Body-Mind Tune Up for Seniors This group is for seniors, superseniors, and people with physical difficulties. All Fridays 10:00–11:00 am in Forbes Hall. Contact: Bruno Lacombe. Note: Free for church members, $10 suggested donation for nonmembers.
- Fiction Reading Book Club We shall read Exit West, a story embedded in the refugee crisis, by Mohsin Hamidmeet. Monday, May 20, 7:00–8:30 pm in Classroom 1. Contact: Lucy Hahn or Melinda Ewen.
- Science Non-Fiction Book Group We will discuss “What It’s Like to Be a Dog: And Other Adventures in Animal Neuroscience,” by Gregory Berns. You can learn a lot about a dog if you can train him/her to sit quietly in an MRI. If you have a pet, you know they have emotions. With modern methods we can learn about what they are thinking. All are welcome. We meet Tuesday May 21, from 7:30–9:00 pm in Forbes. Contact: Rebecca Crawford.