Newsletter for September, 2013
From Our Minister:
Last July, before departing on six weeks of summer leave, I gave you all an invitation from my colleague Tom Owen-Toole, to cast your nets into the depths — the depths of life, and of faith. On the other side of that rewarding time of travel, childcare, reflection, housework, study, visiting other churches, and email, I am still wrestling with his words.
You see, Tom writes about the fear that has kept him so often on the surface of things, and kept him from “delving downward into consciousness and growth.” If you are like me, it’s easy to take his statement literally, and recall your frozen moments lingering on the shores of the ocean, the lake, or the pool, reluctant to finally take the plunge into the water. What is it that keeps us there, considering, waiting, delaying?
And then there is my son. As the waves come into view this summer at the beach, he runs toward them, tiny legs pumping, face aglow with delight. A joy (and a parent’s terror) to behold, it is all I can do to keep a grip on
his sandy tummy as he splashes into the surf, laughing, reaching, wanting more. What is it that allows some of us to dive in, to run toward the waves as if toward some grand new adventure?
As we make our way together into a new church year, I want to know what is calling you forward into the deep. Are you ready to go beyond the surfaces of life, toward growth, understanding, healing, and renewal?
Tom writes (in my adaptation), that it is the voice of our liberal and liberating faith that calls him forward and urges him on in hard times:
Our relentless faith has issued its summons.
It is beckoning and calling to us, saying
Climb down from your elevated perches
Vacate the comfortable surrounds of life’s surface
And together we will enter life’s depths
Where authentic suffering, joy, and meaning await us.
I hope you will cast your nets into the depths with your minister and your spiritual community at 18th and Arizona this fall.
See you in church,
Rev. Rebecca
From Our President:
September signals the end of summer and the start of a new school year. Even if you haven’t been to school in a very long time, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of that old anticipation: dread and excitement and complicated imaginings about the future year. At church, September is also the time of beginnings, when the activity level rises noticeably, beginning its slow crescendo into the holidays. It is the beginning of the fourth year of Rev. Rebecca Bijur’s ministry with us, and your Board has some exciting plans for you. We have been through
three seasons of change, and we are ready to focus some of the wonderful energy we feel at church these days to shape the path we are walking. We are going to hold a series of visioning meetings, and we hope you will all participate. Meetings will be held after church on Sundays and also in the evenings at members’ homes. Watch for announcements and sign-up sheets at the end of this month.
These meetings are a time to celebrate our vibrant community and to spend some time imagining its future. e
will consider our purpose, our mission, and our core values. Speaking these things out loud gives direction and meaning to our actions. We will think about growing our church and our faith and what that might mean. We will think about the ways we wish to walk together and how we can best create lifeaffirming relationships among us. We will acknowledge the remarkable legacy gifts we have received this past year and consider the various ways we might honor them.
You can begin to think about where you want the church to be in 5, 10, and 50 years. If money were not a barrier, what would you do differently? What does the Unitarian Universalist Church of your imagination look like? How is it staffed? How do its members care for one another? How does it support our wider community, our UU faith, life on earth?
As we brainstorm these ideas, we know that we will always have limitations, but we also know that a vision of our purpose and our long-range plan can help us make better decisions about opportunities that arise. Come and share your thoughts and dreams with the other members of our community. Together, we make a difference in one another's lives and in the world around us.
See you at a meeting,
— Cynthia Cottam
Featured Articles:
From Our Treasurer
Overall Comments of Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2013
The fiscal year that ended June 30, 2013 continued a fifth year of planned deficit budgets. The planned deficit for fiscal year July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 was - $27,748. In actuality, the church performed better than expected and the final deficit was only -$2,893. This discrepancy meant that the church performed $24,855 better than expected (with a caveat, see below*). The budget performance can be visualized in the following chart.
In reviewing the numbers for the year, total income (a
combination of pledges, fundraising, investments, facility rentals, and non-pledge contributions) was less than expected (short
by $11,800). However, expenses were also less than expected by
$36,600, based on a budget deficit of $27,748. *The caveat is that the $27,000 deficit included an estimated expense of $7,000 for the Generous Congregation (GC) program (40% of nonidentified contributions collected at Sunday services). Although these funds were contributed (the actual amount donated to the GC program was $9,876 for the fiscal year), non-identified pledges were never counted towards the income calculation because of an error in the way the bookkeeping was set up (this error has been fixed for the 2013 to 2014 fiscal year). This accounting meant that money in and out for GC was not recorded in the master report. For the report to be accurate, the proposed deficit in the budget really should have been -$20,748 (which would have reflected the absence of the $7000 expense for GC). Taking this into account, the church actually performed $17,855 better than planned (budgeted), but the budget is still not balanced, as we spent $2,893 more than we took in.
Where were these savings realized? There were a number of areas where expenses were less than budgeted. Notably, there were savings in administration, RE, and building maintenance where these departments all spent less than anticipated. Under “Administration,” the medical plan for the Finance Assistant was over budgeted; this is a savings which we will not see again since it has been adjusted for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Savings under the “Ministry” line will also not be seen again, since it included the $7000 for GC as explained above. Some of the regular maintenance that would have occurred to the offices was deferred once the congregation approved at the annual meeting the renovation project to the office and bathroom in the foyer. The office and bathroom renovation project will be paid from the Drew Still Building Fund. Also, the July 2012-June 2013 fiscal year was the first full year that the Church Administrator, Nurit Gordon, was able to be involved in the budgeting process from the beginning to the end. Her involvement helped us develop a more accurate budget, and she has been vigilant in watching the bottom line and keeping costs down in the areas that she manages (office costs, utilities, etc.).
Identified pledges for the January to December 2012 calendar year exceeded expectations (about $407,000
pledged versus about $419,000 received). However, pledges collected over the fiscal year (July 2012 to June 2013) fell below expectations (about $380,000 collected versus $397,000 budgeted).
Outlook
Income from facility rentals continues to increase ($40,669 for fiscal year ending June 2013 versus $23,432 from the previous year), as our facility continues to be an attractive location for many rental groups.
However, membership contributions have not increased substantially and continue to fall short of what is needed to fully fund the church’s programs. For the July 2013 to June 2014 fiscal year, the church again will be operating on a deficit budget estimated to be approximately -$25,000.
This past year, the church received two very generous bequests from the estates of Judy Federick and Andrew
Still. From Judy’s estate, the church received $134,443. From Andrew’s estate, the church initially received
$200,000, which was dedicated to a Building Fund. The church has also received $440,000 from Andrew’s retirement fund from his work. Because the majority of Andrew’s money was deposited in July 2013, it does not show up in the balance sheets for 2012 to 2013, which ended June 30, 2013. These bequests put the church in very good financial standing. The board plans to engage the congregation in a visioning process, with these bequests in mind.
General Comments on the 2013-2014 Budget
The congregation approved the Finance Committee’s proposed budget for July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, at
the annual meeting on May 19, 2013. The church again is functioning on a budget deficit, proposed to be approximately -$25,407. For this fiscal year, the Finance Committee decided to include transactions into the budget from dedicated funds. In the past, the fund managers, or committee chairs, who were in charge of the funds, spent this money “off budget” (and any money donated to these funds was allocated off budget as well). In an effort to account for the actual costs to run these church programs, the committee will transfer some of the fund money into the budget income lines. And, over the course of the year, when money is spent from these funds, it will be subtracted from the expense lines accordingly.
— Kit Shaw
Carol Edwards: In Memoriam
In 1968, the church decided to hire for the first time a professional religious educator to run its RE program, and the Religious Education Committee hired Carol Edwards. She had earned credentials as a childhood educator and met church qualifications. She was given an office and desk in one of the south rooms off the sanctuary. She quickly did a great job of organizing the church school, recruiting teachers, ordering supplies, etc. She was married and had a grown son, Kenny Edwards, who played bass guitar in rock bands, including for the singer Linda Ronstadt, and also composed music.
In 1979 it was abundantly clear that we had a very valuable treasure in Carol and the congregation ordained her as Minister of Education. As Ernie's colleague, she functioned in many ways as a co-minister, sharing ministerial duties, including weddings. Because Ernie avoided weddings at sea, (sea-sickness!) the phrase became known “Ernie by land; Carol by sea.”
Carol was widowed by the death of her first husband and in a few years married Robert Stern, who was a member of the congregation, and after a few years was widowed again. After nearly 20 years of service to the congregation in every possible ministerial function she retired and in 1988 moved to Santa Barbara, where she was again called as Minister of Religious Education. Later, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Starr King School for the Ministry.
Carol eventually retired altogether and moved to a place of communal living in Virginia. She was under hospice care when she died in August at the age of 88. Carol was a warm, caring person who was without prejudice and who was a model of an intelligent, mature professional woman.
The Rev. Ernie Pipes, Jr.
Minister Emeritus
Fellowship
Fellowship Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for September. Daily thoughts are published in the weekly email announcements.
Week one. Remember and help America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important than the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society. Marian Wright Edelman
Week two. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. Albert Camus
Week three. To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with. Mark Twain
Week four. One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them. Virginia Woolf
Week five. … sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people. Nicholas Sparks
News & Announcements:
Ralphs' Scrip Program to Resume
The new Scrip program by Ralph’s begins in September. UUCCSM is still active in the program, but participating members need to register for the new term after September 1. Participants are required to register for the new term at www.ralphs.com or by using a bar scan at a cash register. Even if you registered as recently as June, July, or August, you are required to register again beginning September 1.
For your convenience, step-by-step website registration instructions can be found at www.ralphs.com,
click on Community, then click on community Contributions, and then on “For participants questions, click here.”
If you want a customized bar scan as an alternative to registration, please email your request to community.programs@ralphs.com Copies of the scan letter are also on file in the office.
— Nurit Gordon
Faith in Action News:
Textbook Fund for Incarcerated Students
In April, UUCCSM received a letter from Jacob Reed, an inmate at Avenal prison (near Fresno) and a member of the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship, who was taking courses at Avenal through a community college distance learning program. As he pointed out, inmates may take courses for free, but must pay for textbooks, which very few can afford. He has been in contact with the Church of the Larger Fellowship on the subject, and has written to every UU church in California to ask for help in raising funds to purchase textbooks for incarcerated students.
Several churches have responded to this request, including UUCCSM, where Faith in Action is administering the program. Most of us are in contact with each other and with the college through the Associate Dean of Distance Learning and Professional Education who coordinates the prison education program. As he informed us, the college provides courses for approximately 2,000 inmates throughout the California prison system; last fall these students were enrolled in some 3,600 courses. But the cost of textbooks is a problem for many students; textbooks cost $15 to $300 each, and average about $150 per course. He is very enthusiastic about the idea of a textbook fund, pointing out that prisoners who participate in education programs in prison have much lower recidivism rates than others who are incarcerated, a fact demonstrated by numerous studies. Many of the incarcerated students complete their AA and/or transfer to a four-year college.
The college foundation has set up a fund to collect donations for textbooks and provide scholarships of $150 for incarcerated students throughout the California prison system. Students who receive scholarships use the funds to pay for the books and, once they are finished with them, pass them on to other students or contribute them to the prison library. Individual members of congregations who wish to donate would contribute the funds to their respective churches, indicating that they are for the “Incarcerated Students Textbook Fund.”
The churches will collect the donations and send a check for the full amount to the College Foundation fund. Here at Santa Monica we will begin collecting funds in September. Information will be available at the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall, as well as on the UUCCSM website.
The textbook fund can be seen as part of an ongoing emphasis at UUCCSM and other UU churches on issues of mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex. Many of us have read Michelle Alexander’s book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in an Age of Color-Blindness” (which was the featured book of the UUA in 2012) and/or heard Alexander speak. The Peace and Social Justice Committee has sponsored three discussion series about the book, as well as films and speakers on these issues. The textbook fund represents a wonderful opportunity to “put our faith in action” and to provide help to the incarcerated that can make a real difference in their lives.
— Nora Hamilton
Visitation Program for Immigrant Detainees Suspended
On July 24, ICE (Immigration Control and Enforcement) abruptly suspended immigrant visitation programs at three facilities in Southern California: Adelanto, James Musick, and Santa Ana. The programs are coordinated by CIVIC (Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrant Detainees), a national program with 28 affiliated groups throughout the country dedicated to ending the isolation of immigrant detainees, many of them in facilities far
removed from their families, through letter writing campaigns and visitation programs. Several members of
UUCCSM, as well as other UUs, have been working with CIVIC, touring detention facilities and visiting immigrant detainees.
The rationale for the ICE suspension was an article in the Huffington Post by Christina Fialho, an attorney and
Co-Director of CIVIC, criticizing conditions at ICE facilities such as lack of oversight, insufficient training of officials, and inadequate medical care; comments on Facebook by visitation volunteers have also described conditions in immigrant detention facilities. In addition, Christina, an attorney, was blocked from visiting a client in detention at the Adelanto Detention Center. These actions are contrary to a stated ICE policy recognizing the right of detainees, the media, and community members to speak freely and forbidding facilities to deny access to anyone due to their political or editorial opinion.
CIVIC and the ACLU of Southern California have written to ICE asking for a public explanation for the uspension and the reinstatement of the visitation programs.
The case has been publicized in the media, including an AP article which was also carried in several newspapers, and in interviews with CNN Español and Telemundo. Some of the media coverage, as well as more information about CIVIC and its visitation programs, can be found at www.endisolation.org
— Nora Hamilton
Picnic Thanks
Dear Friends,
The Interweave / Women's Alliance Picnic was another great success, thanks to all of your help!
Attendees donated $566 and we had expenses of $69.07 (beef franks, chicken franks, vegan dogs, buns, condiments), so we have left $496.93, half of which will stay in the Interweave account for expenses such as the Coming Out Day speaker, a movie series, and fees for the June Gay Pride Parade. The other half will be donated to Common Ground, the Westside HIV community center.
Thank you again for the great food, decorations, and music, and for your help in setting up, serving, and cleaning up! As always, this picnic provided a great mid-summer opportunity for fellowship for our church community.
CareNet is UUCCSM’s caring network
We offer rides, meals, and thoughtful cards to those in need. If you have a need or know someone who might, please email carenet@uusm.org
— Kris Langabeer
From the Archives:
As most of us have noticed, our church at 18th and Arizona is in the same neighborhood as three other churches, Pilgrim Lutheran at 18th and Wilshire, Seventh Day Adventist at Arizona and 19th, and the Little Chapel of the Dawn at Arizona and 20th. The Little Chapel of the Dawn has never been affiliated with any denomination; rather, it was dedicated almost eighty years ago as part of the Gates, Kingsley and Gates Funeral Home (GK&G). (Dr. E.F. Gates, Virgil B. Kingsley and Mark T. Gates were business partners, who sold the property to Service Corporation International in 1998.) I’ve long been curious about the Little Chapel of the Dawn, in part because it’s on a pedestrian-friendly corner lot, the international news covered the activities of GK&G after the death of President Reagan in 2004, and my parents were married there in 1952 by Stephen Fritchman of First UU Church. Thankfully the UUCCSM Archives have a copy of the Service of edicationprogram for our sanctuary, on April 6, 1930. When was the Little Chapel of the Dawn built, and are there any records of
that? Seeking that information, last year I stopped by the GK&G office and asked. At first someone said there were no records, but several months later a longtime GK&G employee emailed me and said he had forgotten a crudely framed original proclamation nailed to the wall behind a door of an interior office. It took over six months to arrange to borrow it to copy and scan, but that finally happened this last January. It's an old-fashioned calligraphy proclamation, boldly dated, incorporates flowery and religious language of
the time, and is a genuine historical document. The Little Chapel of the Dawn was dedicated only three years after our sanctuary, and both churches have been used for 80 years in the spirit of “universal reverence for every
creed.” Of course the GK&G property has always been run as a business and the Unitarian Church and its successor entities have never been for economic profit, but both are equally part of the fabric and history of the neighborhood, city, and region.
— Rob Briner
Splinters from the Board:
dent Cynthia Cottam lit the chalice as Rev. Rebecca was on vacation. Cynthia led a meditation for the check-in,
perhaps inspired by the recent Board Retreat facilitated by Rev. Jim Grant. The President's Report shared that Debbie Menzies and Sheila Cummins are chairing the new Hospitality Committee.
As of this month’s meeting the church has 373 members. Kevin Squire and Jill Doughtie have joined us.
The Generous Congregation Contribution in July was $786. It was donated to Step Up On Second.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that our net income is higher than expected this month due to
decreased expenses and increased rental income. The church's lobby bathroom will be renovated next. The Facility Development Committee (FDC) has applied for a new permit to replace the one approved by the Architectural Review Board back in 2010. The FDC wants to have windows that are more historically accurate.
Nurit tallied our total membership for 2012 to 2013 as follows:
25 new members
7 resigned
1 transferred
12 lapsed
3 deceased
1 re-instated
Acting DRE Emmalinda MacLean reported that the youth's trip to New Orleans gathered many wonderful stories and it had a significant impact on the lives of our teens. She also said there has been great enthusiasm for James Witker's “Understanding the Bible” course.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Financial Report and year-end reports.
Board discussion followed regarding the visioning process with the congregation. Cynthia suggested that we follow a model similar to that used by the minister selection process, having a series of cottage meetings at the
church and in member's homes during the months of October and November. About an hour was devoted to brainstorming on this subject, much of it focused on how to gather the point of view of the congregation and how that will interface with the vision of our minister.
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m. The next board meeting will be on September 10.
— Bronwen Jones
Other UU News & Events:
Los Angeles Interfaith Trip to Israel/Palestine 2014
Our church has been invited by Beth Shir Shalom to join an interfaith journey to the Holy Land - Eretz HaKodesh - Al-Ard AlMuqaddasah, April 21 to April 30, 2014. Rev. Bijur will help lead the trip, along with Rabbi Comess-Daniels and Jihad Turk, a Muslim leader previously affiliated with the Islamic Center of Southern California, as we listen to the modern voices and explore the ancient traditions of this region alongside L.A.neighbors of other faiths. Cost is approx. $4,050 per person (includes hotel and airfare from L.A. to Israel), $500 deposit due October 15. Please email the church office at admin@uusm.org for the full itinerary and to join the trip!
RE News:
From Our DRE:
As I write this month’s column, I am just back from my maternity leave. I’ll admit, part of me is sad to reach the end of this special family time, but I’m also so excited to come back to work and see what the new church year will bring for our UUCCSM community. It’s good to be back. I am so grateful to all of you for your care and support, and for the opportunity to take some time away to focus solely on getting to know our little guy. I’m only three months in, but already I can see that being Evan’s mama is making me a better person, and will make me a better DRE too.
During my leave I thought a lot about the purpose of religious community, and the heart of it all for me is that church is for giving people of all ages the support and tools needed so they can go out into the everyday world and live with integrity, compassion, and a sense that we’re all in this together. Church isn’t just a nice place to come to on Sunday morning; it’s a place to come for a weekly reminder about all the hard and good work we can do during the rest of the week to live in a way that aligns with our most deeply held
values. The seven UU principles are one articulation of some of those values which we Unitarian Universalists hold in common.
We have so much to look forward to this year! I return to work mindful that this is a good time to assess my
relationship with the congregation as your Director of Religious Education; three months away has given me an opportunity to reflect on the strengths as well as the growing edges of my work with you. And I’m sure that your time with Emmalinda as your Acting DRE has given all of you a chance to think about what you want from your religious educator, too.
I’m back, but I can’t promise that everything will be the same as it was before Evan’s arrival. But I think that’s a good thing. I come back to you renewed — if not rested — and I can promise to come to work each day with profound gratitude for the gift of doing the work that my heart calls me to do, to bring passion and eagerness to the work that I do with you, and to keep the big picture in sight — perhaps the biggest picture of all — that every one of us has the power to make the world better, and that the world needs the message of hope and worth
that our faith has to offer. And that, ultimately, my job is to help the congregation bring that message to all of its children, youth, and adults.
I can’t do it alone; we have programs to offer to our community because members give their time and passion to make them happen. As our congregation works this year on its vision for the future, I’d like for you to think about what you want from our religious exploration program, for yourself and for others of all ages, and think about what you’d feel good about doing to help your vision become a reality. We have lots of opportunities to get involved, and we need you. Will you help?
— Catherine Farmer Loya
From Our Interim DRE
you all for such a wonderful summer! It has been a great privilege to be a part of your faith community for these three months. I have been deeply moved by the generous spirits of so many church members who have given their time and talents so cheerfully to this congregation’s children; without your gifts, none of this summer’s wonderful activities would have been possible. So many people these days view church through a consumer-lens: “what do I get out of it?” But church is made rich through people like you, who ask “how can I give to this?” And while financial support of the church is vital to its well-being, your donations of energy, enthusiasm, patience, preparation, and follow-through are the lifeblood of this Religious Education program and a priceless gift to the children and youth in it.
This sense of community shone radiantly in our Summer Chalice Camp talent show, after service on August 4.
Thank you to everyone who stayed and cheered for all our performers; your enthusiastic reception is what made this event such an empowering experience for the participants.
The children who signed up to perform varied in readiness, from well-rehearsed and excited to nervous and on the verge of backing out, but our leaders encouraged everyone, and our social-hour audience helped everyone feel supported and affirmed. To me this is exactly what a church community should feel like to a child — a place where they will be celebrated and cherished for taking risks and letting their unique gifts shine, without fear of teasing or rejection.
I can tell that these performers, and all the children and youth in this congregation, have had many role models
for courage, enthusiasm, and generosity of spirit over the years. So to all of you who have volunteered as their teachers as they’ve grown up in this church, thank you. I sincerely hope you will consider giving from the heart again in the coming year, as the Lifespan RE committee looks to fill the teaching schedule for the 2013-14 Sunday morning classes — and if you’ve never taught in RE before, it’s a wonderful time to start. Having spent only a brief window of time with Santa Monica’s children, I can say that they are a brilliant, exciting, thoughtful, funny, and compassionate group who will be deeply blessed by your sharing of your gifts with them.
Thank you once again for sharing your faith community and its wonderful young people with me; I am blessed by the time we have spent together, and I wish you all deep peace and great joy.
— Emmalinda MacLean
What's in Store for Children & Youth in the New Church Year
On Ingathering Sunday, September 8, we’ll celebrate the beginning of a new church year together as one
community of all ages — all will attend the service in the sanctuary. Then on September 15, all children and youth who attend will take part in a special Social Justice project, while many of our church families are enjoying the church camp weekend at Camp de Benneville Pines. RE Classes will begin on Sunday, September 22. No matter the age of your child, we have something exciting in store this year:
Preschool to Kindergarten: “Celebrating Me & My World” celebrates the wondrous qualities of the children themselves and expands outward to the things and people around them. This program provides preschoolers with experiences and opportunities to grow in their sense of trust and caring and to develop their self-identity and their sense of connectedness with all of life.
Grades 1 to 2: “Spirit Seekers” shares with children core stories of our faith, which connect with our monthly all-church ministry themes, as children make meaning of their lives, grow a strong UU identity, and, together, create a spiritual community that honors multiple learning styles and celebrates beauty in diversity.
Grades 3 to 5: “Sing to the Power” affirms our Unitarian Universalist heritage of confronting "powers and
structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love." Participants experience their own power, and understand how it can help them to be leaders. Sing to the Power uses a metaphor of the four elements — earth, air, fire, and water — as a framework to explore different forms of power. The program begins with a unit on earth and kinds of power associated with it: Connection, Roots, Growth, and Place. The second unit features kinds of power associated with air: Stillness, Presence, Silence, and Listening. The third unit centers on the powers of fire: Shine, Passion, Action, Reaching Out. The program concludes with three powers of water: Flexibility, Persistence, and Gathering. The final session honors all of the elements' power to transform.
Grades 6 to 7: “You the Creator” gives participants an opportunity to unleash and appreciate their creative
energies. According to the author Richard S. Kimball, “You are, can be, and should be one of the creative forces in the world — for its sake and for yours.” The curriculum is packed with FUN, and focuses on a new experience of spirituality and an understanding of the creative forces in all of us. Four E’s inform the program: Exploring, Experiencing, Expanding, and Expressing. And ten themes run through it: Religion and Creativity, Religion and Creative Arts, Arts and Creativity, Creativity and Self, Practical Creativity, Universal Creative Force, Creative Spirituality, Creating Community, Yes You Can, and Creativity for All. Imagine how individual lives and even the world might change if our youth understood the positive power of the creative forces within!
Grade 8: “Coming of Age” provides opportunities for youth to learn who they are and where they are on their spiritual journey, bond with other teens, celebrate their gifts, learn about the church and how it works, and articulate their own personal beliefs within the context of our UU faith. The year culminates on Coming of Age Sunday, May 18, when the youth will present religious credo statements before the congregation in a worship
service of their own design.
Grades 9 to 12: “Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU)” empowers teens, with the guidance of adult
advisors, to create their own vision and mission for their program. YRUU youth will explore what it means to be young and UU, how our UU principles inform how we live our lives, and what power young UUs have to change the world. YRUU also takes part in social justice projects, organizes social gatherings, and will plan and lead a Sunday worship service for the congregation.
Adult Programs Coming Up
On Sunday, September 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., join James Witker for a discussion of “The Jefferson Bible,” probably the shortest version ever written and certainly one of the most controversial among mainstream Christians.
In October we look forward to the beginning of a monthly series of discussions on Joseph Campbell’s powerful book and TV series on the power of myth. On the first Sunday of each month we will meet in the Cottage from 1 to 3 p.m. to watch and talk about one episode.
Also in October, Leon Henderson-MacLennan will be reprising his four-part workshop, “Lessons of Loss.” If you haven’t experienced this powerful series before, you owe it to yourself to sign up this year.
Keep an eye on the weekly announcements and Order of Service for information about continuing activity groups like The Empty Nesters, The Wednesday Night Writers, Knitters & Friends, and those Crazy Quilters.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Visit the Lifespan Table in Forbes Hall regularly for new information, sign-ups,
and to make suggestions about what you would like to see happen at UUCCSM this year.
O.W.L. (Our Whole Lives)
O.W.L. (Our Whole Lives) is swooping in this fall for all young adults and adults. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 108 is welcome to sign up for this nine-session program, which begins in early October. O.W.L. is the lifespan human sexuality program developed by and utilized in many UU communities in North America. Join us for an exploration of values, culture, practices and perspectives on human sexuality. More to follow at the Lifespan RE table beginning in September. In the meantime, please feel free to contact Beth Rendeiro with questions.
Theme Discussion
with Leon Henderson-MacLennan
@ 10:10 a.m. on the Patio
September 22, 2013 on
“Fellowship”