Aug-04
Featured Articles:
Church Work Parties Begin August 21
Opportunities abound for each of us to contribute love and labor to enhanceand maintain our church campus and facilities. Please help as we begin our monthlychurch work parties from 8 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, August 21. You'llbe able to select a job that matches your skills and interests.
Weekday sexton Kevin Roller, Sunday sexton Jose Ruvalcaba, or a member of theAdministration Committee or one of its ad hoc committees will meet you at ForbesHall and assist you in selecting a task and someone to work with you if thetask requires more than one person. Tools and materials to complete tasks willalso be provided.
If you can't make it on August 21, come another month. We'll hold these partiesevery month on the third Saturday. You are invited to make a difference in ourbuildings and grounds.
Here are some of many tasks: check pews and cushions for needed repairs; washwindows; clean closets and take unneeded items to Goodwill or the SalvationArmy; install doorbells; wash window blinds; hang, repair, and paint doors;wash, replaster, and paint walls; weed flower beds and trim plants; wash thecourtyard; install locks; replace missing window panes and install window openers;measure cabinets so that your administrator can order new counter tops; installshelves and paint or varnish; spruce up the children's play yard; make curtainsfor the house at 1248 18th Street.
If you know of a need that isn't listed, call the office. We'll add the taskto our list and provide tools and materials. And if you don't think you havea relevant skill or interest, stop by anyway. You may find that cheering theworkers or lending a hand is more helpful and important than you thought.
Come early to assure that you get the job you want. When you arrive, therewill be a continental breakfast, and when you finish working, there will bea light lunch. On August 21 the church will provide these meals. On subsequentSaturdays, we will be asking for volunteers to set up and prepare the meals.These volunteers may submit expenses to the office and be reimbursed.
As you can see, the opportunities are limitless. See you on Saturday, August21.
-Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator
From Our Affiliate Minister: "The Quest for Truth"
Our church covenant reads, in part, that our community is committed to a "questfor truth." Two films I have seen this summer, "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "ControlRoom," offer highly contrasting approaches to this quest. The first film isfar more well known and seemingly more relevant to our country as we preparefor presidential elections in the fall. The second is equally deserving of ourattention, and may in fact be more useful in helping us to discern truth.
Both are documentaries, but the differences are so great that it makes no senseto group them in the same genre. Maybe "Fahrenheit 9/11" should be called a"docu-polemic," "agit-prop," or even "public service announcement," dependingon your politics. The film speaks the "truth" as seen through the eyes of MichaelMoore, and whether or not you subscribe to his point of view, the film carriesan emotional, even visceral, impact.
"Control Room" is far subtler. It portrays Al-Jazeera, the Arabic satellitenews channel, as it reported on the first months of the armed conflict in Iraq.For those who have regarded Al-Jazeera with some skepticism, if not outrightdisdain, the movie shatters that image. Instead, it contains thoughtful, articulateand even funny comments from producers, translators and other personnel. Weappreciate the difficulty of their task: to deliver news to viewers unaccustomedto programming that is tainted neither by the dominance of western media andculture nor by the sometimes delusional pronouncements made by public representativesof governments in the Arab world. (I have in mind here the minister of publicaffairs in Iraq who continued to describe the "victory" of the Iraqi army asUSled forces inexorably made their way into Baghdad.)
"Control Room" includes two important elements. First, we see a sympatheticportrayal of a Marine captain who was a press liaison. He is shown not as amouthpiece for the American propaganda machine but as a human being engagedin his own sort of quest for truth, trying to reconcile military press conferenceswith the reaction of Muslims throughout the Middle East. Second, we see thesenior producer berate a subordinate for bringing in an "analyst" who couldnot offer a "balanced" interpretation of those who differ, an interpretationthat took into account both the supporters and opponents of the war.
In the end, we seek an equally elusive "balance" in our religious quest fortruth - one that combines the passion of personal belief and commitment withthe ability to account for and recognize the humanity of those who differ.
-Silvio Nardoni
Reflections on General Assembly
General Assembly is an annual June event of the Unitarian Universalist Association.This year, GA was held in Long Beach, and 47 people from our church attended.Some of their impressions follow.
OPENING CEREMONY
Pat Parkerton: GA felt like a migrationof energy fueled by music - ballads from the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles,banner processional from our own Jai Salsa (Scott Rowe and Louis Durra), hymnssung with thousands.
Rob Briner: As a not-so-young new UU and first timeGA attendee, I was expecting the opening ceremony march of congregation bannersto be a little hokey. But shortly after the banners started marching by andthey kept coming and coming - and the design of each was uniquely representativeof hundreds of fellow congregations - I realized that this denomination is trulywidespread and deeply rooted.
PLENARY SESSIONS
Daniel Teplitz: GA was a great experience, especiallywhen I spoke in front of all the delegates on behalf of YRUU during a plenarysession. Bonnie Brae: Every plenary is special with Gini Courter as moderator,but Saturday was extra special when the Rev. G. Weldon Geddy, Director of theInterfaith Alliance (a coalition of people of faith organized to counter thereligious right), gave a rousing speech urging us to register voters.
Carol Agate: It was exciting to have the resolutionI introduced voted on by the delegates. It was passed overwhelmingly, and shouldensure that future meetings and reports of the UUA are open to the public.
WORKSHOPS
Pat Parkerton: The energy created by GA carried methrough the beauty and horror of "Rosewood," a movie written by Greg Poirer.
Carol Kerr: The forum for board presidents was aninteresting opportunity for more than 300 board presidents to begin interactingwith each other. I think there will be exciting developments from the UUA asthe association fosters the development of individual churches by creating furthernetworking opportunities.
Liza Cranis: I got to see State Senator Sheila Kuehl(her name should be Sheila Cool).
Diana Spears: I was proud to have my boss, SheilaKuehl, see and be seen by UUs. I liked Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now," RobertReich on "Liberals Winning the Battle for America," and speakers on the internationalcriminal court and "The Interdependent Web and Responsible Consumption."
Dorothy Steinicke: I was thrilled to be able to attendseveral workshops offered by the 7th Principle Project, a group that is workingto integrate reverence for the natural world into UU worship and practice. Icame away with lots of materials that I hope will enrich my capacities as anRE teacher.
VOLUNTEERING
Judith Meyer: "The best thing about GA was to seeso many people from our church there - ushering at the plenary, joining in youthcaucus, serving at the information tables, directing the children's programs,even giving workshops. I was so proud of our involvement and of how much wehave to give to our larger community.
Kris Langabeer: I was honored to be selected forthe local committee in the position of children's programs coordinator. Sincelast fall I have been working with the GA professional staff and volunteer committee.Their support, patience, calmness, skills, and humbleness I cannot praise enough.
Pam Teplitz: I volunteered to work in the local socialaction project booth, which was a wonderful, fulfilling experience. It was gratifyingto see the generosity of the people attending GA. Our booth collected almost$6,000 in donations over the five days. With the Sunday Service collection anda large donation from the Long Beach church, we raised $70,000 as seed moneyfor a homeless shelter and services center in Long Beach.
Joyce Holmen: It was my privilege to volunteer withthe team covering GA to post online many event reports, photos, and video. It'sa way of broadening accessibility to UUism, to the denomination, and to manyorganizations and leaders. Visit www.uua.org,and click on the link for complete coverage of GA.
IMPRESSIONS
Kris Langabeer: While many other denominational conventionshave been fraught with divisive arguments over whether to marry or ordain lesbiansor gay men, our denomination put up a large banner above the entryway to theLong Beach Convention Center stating "Civil Marriage is a Civil Right." I amso proud to be a UU.
Karen Patch:I was struck by the excitement of it all. I always saw us as a small voice inthe world, but now I see that together we might be able to bend the universetoward justice.
Liza Cranis: It was so great to meet UUs from allover the country. That interaction reinforced the reason I joined this churchin the first place: UUs are fun people. Overall, it was an outstanding experience.Here's to Fort Worth in 2005.
Patrick Barbush: The cost to attend GA is about $2000,if you fly in for the event, and you need three days off work - at least. Thateliminates poor people. I found the atmosphere, in that concrete cavern, efficientand sterile. I was immersed in a sea of thousands of people who said and meantnothing to me. I was lonely. I went to visit my lady friend to connect withsomeone, and I brought her to GA on Saturday. My friend is black, and she askedme if I registered at the table to welcome "people of color"
News & Announcements:
Better Hymn Singing in Three Easy Lessons
In August, Steve Wight, our director of music, will offer a three-part serieson improving hymn singing. The free sessions will be held in the sanctuary from11:15 until about 11:45 a.m. on three Sundays, August 8, 22, and 29. All whoare interested in imrpoving their singing are encouraged to attend.
Farewell from Our Chef
After 10 years of serving as your chef in all of Bienvenidos' Courtyard Connections(more than 40 total), I am retiring. I am pleased that my final Courtyard Connectionon August 15 is my personal favorite, the Cowboy Cookout.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have helped throughthe years. It has been a team effort, with the participation of my family (Jerry,Nathan, Stephanie, David, Eric, and Jason), the junior high Coming of Age studentsand teachers over the years, and many individuals, all of whom have made feedingyou a fun, community-building activity.
To celebrate, I invite all past helpers to come and share the joy of the kitchenone last time on August 15. My tenure as chef has been a great joy but is nowat an end, so it is time for someone new to step forward and create CourtyardConnections: The Next Generation. Thank you all for allowing me to serve youfor these many years.
-Julie Nyquist
Building News:
Our New Building Committee Leader Wants Us to "Sustain the Momentum"
"In planning jargon," says Alison Kendall, "I'm a Green New Urbanist, someonewho tries to bring different uses together and encourages walking and humanaction. My design philosophy involves exploring both community and individualneeds, integrating nature and environmental concerns, and expressing the uniquehistory and culture of the place."
Alison, our new Building Committee chair, joined our church and its BuildingCommittee last fall, shortly after she, her husband, Francois Bar, a professorof communication at USC's Annenberg School, and their children, Nick, 14, andJessie, 10, moved here from Palo Alto. Nick just completed our Coming of Ageprogram and starts ninth grade at Samohi this September. Jessie will be a fifthgrader at Franklin Elementary School.
Alison, who has graduate degrees in architecture and planning from Berkeley,owns a planning and design business in Santa Monica, offering services to citiesand private landowners. "I've had my own business since 1996. Most of my workto date has been in the San Francisco Bay area, where I prepared a plan fora 20-block area south of downtown Palo Alto, including a park, childcare center,historic buildings, single family housing, condo housing and affordable familyhousing, and other uses. I managed planning for converting Treasure Island NavalStation into residential and recreational use and was San Francisco's coordinatorfor converting the Army base at the Presidio of San Francisco into a nationalpark."
She has also worked on plans for San Diego and Sacramento, helped landownerswith master planning for their properties and planning approvals, and managedthe eight-person development review staff for the City of Mountain View in SiliconValley. She's renovated three houses and worked on historic preservation andrenovation plans for many more as a building designer in St. Louis and in Italy.
Born in Canada of Australian parents, Alison grew up in Pennsylvania "and movedto California as soon as I could, at 18 to go to Berkeley," she says. "I enjoytravel and new experiences and unconventional people. I've been a UnitarianUniversalist since age 14." The Kendall-Bar family likes living in Santa Monica."We've met lots of creative and friendly people here through the church andthe schools. I'm impressed at the generosity and commitment to social justicewe've found here."
As a member of the UUCCSM Building Committee, Alison helped get Santa MonicaPlanning Commission approval for the 17th St. project. "Although it is disappointingthat we are now further away from starting construction, I'm excited about thenew options we have with the house next door on 18th St. We can now providemore spacious classroom space, improve the social hall, enlarge the sanctuary,and link all these uses with beautiful, usable outdoor space.
"We are studying options for moving and renovating the old house, which haslots of great detailing and craftsmanship," Alison continues. "The toughestchallenge is our shortage of money. We need to be realistic and to make toughdecisions in order to see this project through to completion.
"There are many, many people who have given a great deal of time and moneyto get us to this point in our building process. Our space needs are criticaland despite the vitality and progressive nature of the church's programs, ourfacilities are dilapidated and inadequate.
"I hope we can sustain the momentum we have established so that we can beginto improve our facilities within a year," says Alison. "We need to make criticaldecisions over the next few months about reusing or moving the old house, sellingthe 17th St. lot, and raising over $1 million to move ahead."
-Paula Bernstein
Faith in Action News:
Lessons Learned at General Assembly
I'm pleased to report that our Faith in Action program was part of a workshopon social action at GA entitled "Outreach Times Three." The workshop was moderatedby the Rev. Karen Stoyanoff of Orange Coast Church in Costa Mesa, with presentationsby Deena Tuttle of San Diego, Marilyn Giss of Costa Mesa, and me (see photograph).
I was particularly impressed by the innovative social action program describedby Marilyn Giss. She described a model developed in Costa Mesa to commemoratethe 50th anniversary of the founding of their church. The congregation was challengedto increase involvement in social action. They called their program the "50-50-50program" because it called for congregants to commit to volunteering 50 hoursof community service and 50 additional dollars to charity for that commemorativeyear, with the dollar contribution to be matched by the church. Their goal wasto coax 50 of their 240 congregants to participate. The program was so successfulthat 70 congregants volunteered, and the church hired a part-time paid staffmember to manage the volunteer effort. To cover the cost of the paid staff member,the church also competed successfully for $6,000 of financial assistance fromthe UU Social Responsibility Fund.
The lessonfrom the Costa Mesa presentation is that UU congregations may be very generousif you provide appropriate opportunities and the right incentives. Our experiencein Santa Monica with our Generous Congregation Program strongly supports thisconclusion. Since we started donating 15% of each Sunday collection to charity,the net collection for our church, after deducting the 15%, has actually increased.
On September 26 we'll have our fourth annual FIA issues election. We'll reviewthe overall status of our Faith in Action program and will vote to prioritizepotential issues for the future. Personally, I'm hopeful we can develop supportfor our own version of a "50- 50-50" program. Wouldn't it be wonderful becomingeven more deeply involved in our community through more volunteer service andmore charitable giving?
-Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission
From the Archives:
JoyceHolmen's interview of Greg Poirier, following his presentation at GA, is currentlyon the UUA website at http://www.uua.org/ga/ga04/5021.html.Do read it. His presentation of the movie "Rosewood" was one of the high pointsof GA, attracting a large crowd and including many members of our church.
An interesting observation in the interview: Greg and Jana Poirier attend churchwith his mother (Gloria Keeling) and grandmother (Olive Karony) in additionto their children (William, 7, and Joseph, 4). That makes them the only four-generationfamily in the congregation.
- Rob Briner