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Newsletter for December, 2019

Month: 
Dec 2019
From Our Minister: 

From Our Minister: Warm Holiday Greetings!
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

The miraculous birth of a child, a light that burns unending, the longest night of the year, and seven candles lit in the darkness — these are the cherished stories of the Yuletide season. A time for gathering of family and community, feasts and gifts, caroling and rejoicing. These holy days can stir warm memories of days past and also remind of us of loss or pain. For some, the holidays are the time when loneliness, grief, and depression is particularly intense. Our Pastoral Associates and Care Ring are available if you need company, to talk with someone, or have any practical needs with which our church community might be able to help you. To ring in the winter holidays and New Year, our beloved community will be hosting a series of worship services to commemorate the many traditions of this season, spread cheer and goodwill, and cultivate peace throughout our homes and in the larger world. We hope you will be able to be with us for these many special celebrations.

We have hit the ground running in my first three months serving with you as your developmental minister. We are embarking upon many new initiatives, including a community-wide reflection on the 8 Elements of Effective Congregational Ministries to explore how we are already engaging in shared ministry and to identify ways that we can expand upon our shared responsibility for the wellbeing and vitality of the congregation. It is my hope that each group in the church will dedicate some time in the next three months to consider the ways in which they are engaging in ministry and spiritual leadership and share some of their discoveries with me and the board. We are hoping to gain a greater sense of the breadth of depth of the work of the congregation and identifies ways that we can build integration across the life of the congregation. We believe this process with strengthen the bonds within our community and help to lay the foundation for important mission discernment work down the road.

We are also endeavoring to create our first congregational promotional video and we plan to begin filming soon. We are hoping to capture some of the stories of the good work of the community and highlight our goals for our stewardship campaign. This is probably a good time to thank you for your generous contributions and pledges, and to remind you the end of the tax year is quickly approaching. We are calling our Stewardship Committee the Stewardship Design Team this year as we bringing artistic, social, and administrative dimensions to the work with our congregational video project. If you have skills in videography, directing, producing, or editing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like to be apart of this exciting new project. We hope this too will help us with discernment work in the future as we learn to tell and hear the stories of our beloved community.

Let us all take a collective breath as the winter holidays approach. Let us dwell in the serenity of the season and cultivate more of it for ourselves and our neighbors. Remember to reach out to those who many be isolated or alone. If you are in need of pastoral support or interested in applying to be a Pastoral Associate, please do reach out to pastoralcare@uusm.org.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays!

With love and gratitude,
Rev. Jeremiah

8 Elements of Effective Congregational Ministries
CREATING BELOVED COMMUNITY TOGETHER

 
UUSM’s Board of Directors has adopted a model of effective congregational ministries in our beloved community that empowers everyone in the church to take responsibility for creating a beloved community together.
 
Unitarian Universalists have long held the belief that the work of the church and religious leadership is everyone’s calling in our communities. To that end, we propose the following 8 Elements of Effective Congregational Ministries, which are adapted from All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa — our largest UU congregation.
 
These 8 Elements have been used in church settings to nurture a culture of shared ministry and spiritual leadership, mutual accountability, and the holistic integration of various church programs, committees, groups, and ministries. These 8 Elements invite us to consider our own beloved groups and committees and the ways in which we live out the mission of the congregation and embody the core functions of our congregation. Although our groups may have specific purposes, in many ways, they are microcosms of the church as a whole. As such, they can be opportunities for us to practice what it means to live a UU spiritual life in community.
 
Each committee, program, and group of UUSM is encouraged to include these eight holistic ministry elements in their programs and work together: beginning with self-reflection, incorporating action, sharing learning, and implementing new feedback, to improve our effectiveness as co-creators of beloved community.
 
1 – Spirituality 
Spirituality includes some way to connect to the core values of our lives through spiritual practices such as chalice lightings, readings, meditation, prayer, reflection, or worship. All groups are encouraged to create sacred space for their meetings by opening and closing with chalice lightings, readings, and other meaningful spiritual practices.
 
2 – Fellowship
Fellowship sustains beloved community and involves sharing fun, food, and friendship as a program, committee, or group. Even committees with defined tasks make time during the year for a party or other social gathering.
 
3 – Education
Everything we do as a congregation is religious education. All groups are encouraged to intentionally offer educational opportunities for their group and the larger community.
 
4 – Pastoral Care
Each committee, program, or group helps care for its members during a crisis or time of need. Group leaders stay in touch with the minister, Pastoral Associates, and Care Ring to keep our leaders informed about pastoral care needs.
 
5 – Leadership Development
One function of each group is to recruit and train the next generation of congregational leaders. Strategic planning, succession planning, and leadership development opportunities ensure groups are sustainable and regenerative.
 
6 – Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression/Social Justice
Each group engages in Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression/Social Justice work on personal, interpersonal, congregational, and societal levels. Each group can also look for ways to give back to the larger community through a service project.
 
7 – Invitation
Each program and group should have some element of inviting others to share in our congregation’s mission. This includes holding programs open to the public and/or inviting friends to attend.
 
8 – Stewardship
Each group participates in some way in raising funds and resources to sustain and expand the efforts of the church.
 
Our hope is that in the next three months, these 8 Elements can be introduced and reflected upon by all of the committees and groups of UUSM. Our further hope is that this can become a regular model for reflection as we think holistically about the many ways we are invited to serve each other and our religious home. The Board welcomes responses from each group in this process so we can better understand the breadth and depth of our work together.
 
Thank you for investing your time, thoughtfulness, and creativity in this developmental ministry process!
 
With faith and love,
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae                 
Developmental Minister
 
Featured Articles: 

Holiday Blues, Snooze or Yahoos: Share Your Apprehensions and Joy in a Facilitated Dialogue
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 AT 6.30 PM IN FORBES HALL

 
 
What do The Holidays mean to you?
 
For some, they herald family reunions, religious exaltation, good food, and festive outings. For many, this time of year amplifies an existing sense of loneliness, alienation from Christian beliefs and rituals, disenchantment with commercialism, and/ or generalized stress. However you feel, you are invited to a facilitated dialogue with the Healthy Congregation Council on Tuesday, December 3, at 6:30 pm in Forbes Hall. In gratitude for the gathered community of caring, we will hold space for each other to voice our thoughts and feelings, and to listen, with reverence, compassion, and humility, to each other’s deep expressions of self.
 
We are pleased to announce that Reverend Jeremiah will provide a pastoral frame for the conversation.  Treats will be provided, and if you wish you are welcome to share some of your own.
 
For further information, please contact rightrelations@uusm.org, or speak to any Council member.
 
Healthy Congregation Council: Vilma Ortiz and Audrey Lyness (co-chairs), Aubrey Sassoon, Linda van Ligten, Cassie Winters
 
News & Announcements: 

Pipes Distinguished Lecture Series: Organist Jeffrey Parola

 
 
We are pleased to announce that on December 15 at 4 pm, the Pipes Distinguished Lecture Series is bringing exceptional organist Jeffrey Parola to UUSM for an organ recital in our sanctuary.
 
Jeffrey Parola is an accomplished organist, conductor, and vocalist, who recently made his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in the World Premiere performance of the David Lang sleeper’s prayer for boy soprano and organ.
 
Our monthly potluck Second Sunday Supper, will be held after the concert in Forbes Hall, on the Third Sunday this month. It will be hosted by the Music Committee, the Choir, and the Pipes Lecture Committee. Everyone is warmly invited to participate.
 
About the Pipes Distinguished Lecture Series
 
The Pipes Lecture Fund was established in 1991 to honor Rev. Ernest D. Pipes upon his retirement after 35 years in the Santa Monica pulpit. The founding members of the committee (Leonard & Elizabeth Adler, Ray & Betty Goodman, Patrick McGuire, and Marguerite Spears) collected monies for an annual free Pipes Distinguished Lecture Series of renowned guest speakers. The series has continued yearly since 1991 with one interruption in 2018.
 
The series began with William Schultz, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and has included luminaries such as Ramona Ripston, Patt Morrison, Arianna Huffington, Michael Dukakis, George Takei, Father Gregory Boyle, and Reza Aslan. It resumes this year with an organ recital — something Ernie has always desired because our organ was hand picked in Italy by the Goodmans to complement the acoustics of our Sanctuary. The committee has also been able to provide money to repair our ailing organ.
 
Contributions to the Pipes Lecture Fund are welcome to support the tradition of a free, wide-ranging, public lecture series including the topics of public service, government, social justice, religion and ethics, environmentalism, and the media. Please contact the church office to make a contribution. office@uusm.org; (310) 829-5436. Anyone who wishes to become a member of the Pipes Lecture Committee or has a suggestion of someone they’d like to hear speak should contact Patrick McGuire.

Showcase Sunday: January 12, 2020
EXPLORE CHURCH ACTIVITIES ON SHOWCASE SUNDAY

 
 
Organized by the Nominating and Membership Committees, Showcase Sunday will be a fun event designed to answer your questions about the church’s many committees and how you can become involved.
 
Tables will be set up in Forbes Hall and the Courtyard after the service on Sunday, January 12, 2020, from 11 am to 1 pm.  Each of the church’s committees will have a spot at one of the tables, and one or two of its members stationed there and available to discuss the purpose and activities of the committee and the volunteer opportunities they offer.
 
Longtime members, new members, and friends — we hope to see you there!
 
For more photos of the 2018 event, see http://news.uusm.org/showcase-sunday-january-12-2020/
 
-- Sheila Cummins

December UUSM Generous Congregation Supports the Downtown Women’s Center
December 3, 2019 Newsletter Staff Faith In Action, Stewardship

 
 
Homelessness is a societal problem that is especially hard on women. Unhoused cisgender and transgender women are targets of misogyny and sexual violence on the streets, exacerbated by intersections of mental health, racism, underemployment, and domestic violence. The number of shelters and services available for women in Los Angeles is inadequate to meet the rising need.
 
Homelessness is not inevitable. Only through the collaboration of committed communities and allies like UUSM, can we change inequitable systems and individual lives.
 
The Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is the only organization in greater Los Angeles focused exclusively on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women. They envision a Los Angeles where every woman is housed, well, and on a path to personal stability. Visit the DWC website for more information on their housing, health, and advocacy efforts.
 
Generous Congregation
Our practice here at UUSM is to dedicate half of our non-pledge Sunday offerings to organizations doing work in the world that advances our Unitarian Universalist principles; the other 50% of the offering is used to support the life of our church.
 
UUSM’s Generous Congregation supports our church community. And together, we uplift the reach and impact of vital organizations doing work we could not do on our own. This month, half of our Sunday offerings will go to the life-changing work of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) .
 
Please consider supporting the mission of our church, and the DWC. To give right now, text “$10 GCC” to 844-982-0209. (One-time-only credit card registration required.)
 
 
 

 

Splinters from the Board: 

Board Highlights for November 2019: Finding Alignment with UUSM Goals and Values
COMMITTEE AND TASK FORCE REPORTS

 
2019-2020 UUSM Board of Directors: Beth Brownie, VP; Barbara Andres, Member at Large; Abby Arnold, Member at Large; Vilma Ortiz, Treasurer; Norm Richey, Secretary; Eileen McCormack, Member at Large; Ron Crane, Past President; Nina Emerson, Member at Large (resigned); Jacki Weber, President.
 
Nina Emerson has resigned from the Board for health reasons. We send her our caring thoughts.
 
A new UUSM member was read into the minutes: Boo Domesmuth. Please greet her when you see her.
 
Bev Shoenberger presented the latest efforts on behalf of Adult Religious Exploration (ARE). ARE is the umbrella committee for all adult opportunities and they are working to increase awareness of the many possibilities at UUSM. To that end, they are developing a marvelous booklet that sorts opportunities to help people more easily find church activities in which they are interested. The booklet will also clarify how each activity is in line with UUSM values. The Board voted to encourage ARE in its restructuring of activities and publicity efforts. Eileen McCormack agreed to be Board liaison to the ARE committee.
 
In his minister’s report, Rev. Jeremiah stated his desire to have each church group and committee give thought to how they are in line with the fundamental goals of our church (for example, regarding spirituality or social justice). This goal relates to The 8 Elements of Effective Congregational Ministries explained in a separate article. How do our committees reflect these congregational goals and how might we come closer to them? The hope is that each group will have a chance to consider its relationship to the 8 Elements by mid-February.
 
If you are interested in having Rev. Jeremiah attend your committee meeting, he is willing. Please contact him by email or in person after a service.
 
Rev. Jeremiah mentioned that he has been receiving feedback on our current single service at 10:00 am. A non-scientific assessment suggests that having a single service is a good idea, but a few people have commented that the service is too early in the morning.  Vilma Ortiz has put together a short survey and has been sending it to the congregation. If you have not already done so, please answer it online. The survey provides an opportunity to state your feelings, beyond the simple questionnaire.
 
The Board approved a request by Audrey Lyness to support a program offered on Martin Luther King Day entitled “Confronting Structural Racism within Traditionally White Spaces: A Facilitated Dialogue.”
 
As treasurer, Vilma Ortiz updated the Board on the new Generous Congregation appropriation. Half of non-pledge donations on Sunday will now go to the specified organization for that week (or month). This is an increase from the previous 40%. Our income and expenses are both down from what was budgeted, with the effect that the deficit is about as much as budgeted. Efforts to increase revenue from other sources, e.g., weddings of non-members, are underway.
 
President Jacki Weber reported that the Stewardship book-study group has regularly had ten attendees. In that group, three have agreed to be part of the Stewardship Committee. The committee is in the process of putting together a timeline for a February pledge drive. The working theme is “Igniting Our Faith.” During December, various congregants will be interviewed for a video. How do we nurture our beloved community? How do we engage multiple generations and display a culture of abundance? These questions are the framework for the video.
 
The membership of the ad hoc Health and Safety Implementation Task Force is almost complete. This is an important effort. Please speak with Eileen McCormack if you are interested in joining the Task Force.
 
The Membership Committee’s new program, Faith Forward, has been quite popular. The most recent session was a Q&A with Rev. Jeremiah.
 
Each month, before a Board meeting, documents that will be referenced are put online and made accessible through a link in Thursday announcements. Sometimes last minute changes are made to these documents that will be available to the Board, but not the guests. If you plan to attend the Board meeting and would like the updated documents, please email Norm Richey before the meeting and he will supply you with the latest information. He will send these automatically to the regular visitors.
 
RE News: 

Personal and Spiritual Exploration for Adults, December 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.
 
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.
 

Spotlight:

 
Join AAHS and friends for an evening with Dr. Christopher Cameron, whose new book, “Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism,” argues that, contrary to historical and popular depictions of African Americans as naturally religious, freethought (encompassing atheism/agnosticism/humanism and other non-traditional orientations) has been central to black political and intellectual life from the nineteenth century to the present. We will meet from 7-9 pm in the Sanctuary. Contact: James Witker.
 

Community Building Through Personal Development:

 
Collage Group with Stan Bemis Saturday, December 14
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 by creating art. The goal of this group is to help foster personal worth and empowerment, entering that holy place within and having sacred fun. We encourage you to bring your old magazines to work with as well. We will meet from 10 am-12 noon in the NE Cottage. Contacts: Stan Bemis or Sarah Robson.
 
They say that dancing is combining fun with exercise and friends. Learn international folk dancing with instructors Sandy Helperin and Teri Hoffman. Folk dancing is for anyone who loves to move to traditional music. New dancers are welcome – there are no partners required. Donations accepted. We are meeting from 7-8:30 pm in Forbes Hall. Enter through the Arizona entrance. Contact: Ellen Levy.

 

Exploration of Ideas:

 
We will discuss “Whatever Happened to the Metric System? How America Kept Its Feet,” by John B. Marciano. The metric system was developed and considered for adoption nearly as far back as the Revolutionary War. How does it happen that we still use feet? There is lots of history here. We meet from 7:30-9 pm in Forbes Hall. Contact: Rebecca Crawford.
 
AAHS Freethinker Forum Sunday, December 22
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 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 one hour after the service in the Warren Mathews Conference Room. Contact: James Witker.
 

Interest Groups:

 
The Disability Support Group will be promoting a dialogue on the topic, Seasonal Affective Disorders. We meet on the fourth Sunday of each month a half hour after the service in the SE Cottage. Contact: Michael Young.
 
Parents’ Group Sunday, December 15
Come join to discuss the joys and challenges of parenting in a group setting! Childcare will be provided. We meet from 11:30-1 pm in the SE Cottage. Contact: Chris Brown.
 
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, December 5, 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 with provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. The topic for Dec. 5 is: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” (George Bernard Shaw.)  Is there a higher or lower proportion of such “unreasonable” people in our society now than in years past? Is this good or bad and why?  The topic for Dec. 19 is:  Which of the cities, towns or neighborhoods you have lived in is your favorite, and why? We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month from 7:30-9 pm in the NE Cottage. For more information contact Richard Mathias.
 

Meditations:

 
Bill Blake will present an enjoyable dive into the “who and what” we are. This on-going, twice a month class on the 1st and 3rd Monday is presented to help 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 will also focus on insights gained throughout the month. It is expected that participants will develop and enjoy a regular meditation practice. The class meets in Forbes Classroom 3 from 7:30-9 pm. Contact: Bill Blake.
 
Open Meditation Mondays, December 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 in Forbes Hall, from 7:30-9:15 pm. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
 

Highlights of additional interest groups meeting in December:

 
Knitters and Friends NOTE: on hiatus until further notice. If interested, contact: Linda Van Ligten.
 
Body-Mind Tune Up for Seniors This group is for seniors, superseniors, and people with physical difficulties. Each Saturday from 12:30-1:30 pm in Forbes Hall. Contact: Bruno Lacombe. Note: Free for church members, $10 suggested donation for nonmembers.

An Evening with Dr. Christopher Cameron and “Black Freethinkers”
READING AND DISCUSSION

 
Join us on Friday, December 20  at 7:00 pm for an evening with Dr. Christopher Cameron, professor at UNC Charlotte and author of the new book, Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism. UUSM’s AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists group is hosting the discussion in the Sanctuary, and signed books will be available.
 
Cameron is an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is the founder of the African American Intellectual History Society, the author of To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans in Massachusetts and The Making of the Antislavery Movement, and a coeditor of New Perspectives on the Black Intellectual Tradition. In Black Freethinkers, he argues that, contrary to historical and popular depictions of African Americans as naturally religious, freethought has been central to black political and intellectual life from the nineteenth century to the present. Freethought encompasses many different schools of thought, including atheism, agnosticism, and nontraditional orientations such as deism and paganism.
 
Cameron suggests an alternative origin of non-belief and religious skepticism in America, namely the brutality of the institution of slavery. He also traces the growth of atheism and agnosticism among African Americans in two major political and intellectual movements of the 1920s: the New Negro Renaissance and the growth of black socialism and communism. In a final chapter, he explores the critical importance of freethought among participants in the civil rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
 
Examining a wealth of sources—including slave narratives, travel accounts, novels, poetry, memoirs, newspapers, and archival sources such as church records, sermons, and letters—the book follows the lives and contributions of well-known figures, including Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker, as well as lesser-known thinkers such as Louise Thompson Patterson, Sarah Webster Fabio, and David Cincore.
 
Contact aahs@uusm.org for more info.