Oct-06
From Our Minister:
The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition consistsmainly of social service agencies, such asOPCC, Step Up on Second, and the WestsideFood Bank - organizations we support in various ways.From providing volunteer services, such as cookingmeals or sorting food, to our weekly Generous Congregationoffering (25% of our collection), we are activelyinvolved. Our church is one of the few faith-basedorganizations belonging to the Coalition.We pay annual dues and various churchmembers, including Marge Zifferblatt andCharles Haskell, have regularly attendedtheir meetings.
Now we are about to become even moreinvolved. On Sunday, October 29, we will takepart in the annual Westside Food Bank 5KHunger Walk. We'll be gathering at 12:30 p.m.at Santa Monica High School Science Quad,601 Pico Blvd. and we hope to have a goodturnout. The walk itself begins at 1:30 p.m. It's agreat way to spend some time outdoors withyour family and friends. David and I will bethere, and since dogs on leashes are allowed, we'llbring Aki too.
We'll have Hunger Walk registration forms inthe church office and RE classrooms. You can alsoregister online at westsidefoodbankca.org. Besure to list yourself with the UU CommunityChurch of Santa Monica team.
The work of the Coalition is much more than sponsoringevents, however. In response to an invitationfrom the Coalition, I recently attended a meeting of representativesfrom faith-based organizations. There wereonly a few of us present. We decided to reach out to theother religious organizations on the Westside tostrengthen our advocacy and support of the Coalition. Iagreed to work on this initiative.
The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition is committedto ending hunger and homelessness through servicecoordination, public education, and advocacy. I canthink of no better way to serve our larger communitythan to help support their work.
From Our President:
We need to know each other by name if we are tobe a truly welcoming congregation. Wearing ourname tag helps make this possible. Another wayto help us recognize each other by name is by publishinga photo directory of our members. I'm happy to reportthat the Membership and Leadership committee hasdecided to proceed with the production of a photo directoryof the adult members of our church to help us beeven more welcoming to each other.
Over a decade ago, in 1993, Coppinger & AffiliatesChurch Directory Services produced a photo directory ofour members. Subsequently, leaders of Bienvenidos (theformer name of our new member program) took Polaroidphotographs of new members on a fairly regular basis.Over the last year, I have taken photographs of new membersfor our Church Windows database and for thenewsletter. Consequently, we have photographs of nearly90% of our members on file. We plan to use these photographsas the starting point for a new photo directory.
You may say, aren't many of these photos quite oldand out-of-date? Yes, they most certainly are. But theyrepresent a place to start in creating a new and morefunctional source of photographs of our members. Furthermore,we'll make it very easy to update photographsfor all church members who want this done. A schedulefor taking photographs will be posted in the Order ofService in coming months. Also, if you see me in front ofthe church with my camera, come over and let me knowyou're ready for a fresh photo.
You may say, do we have a policy on consent for theuse of photographs of church members? Yes, the Boardof Directors approved the following policy on December13, 2005: "Photographs of adult members or friends ofthe church may be used to support church activitiesand purposes unless prohibited in writing by the individualor individuals involved. Photographs of childrenidentified by name will not be displayed or included inchurch documents or publications without written permissionof the child's parent or guardian."
You may say, why bother to do this when the photoswill just get out-of-date again? My reply is that weintend to make this a dynamic document that getsupdated with new photos added and old photosremoved on the same schedule as the publication of ournormal membership directory.
Stay tuned for this new resource. The Membershipand Leadership Committee hopes you will agree thatthis new photo directory will be both useful and interesting.But be assurred - if you inform us in writingthat you don't want your photograph included in thephoto directory, it will not be published. You can declinepublication by sending e-mailing me or leavinga message in the President's box in the church office.
Featured Articles:
Groundbreaking Crowns Capital Campaign
Groundbreaking for the makeover of the blue housetook place Sunday, September 17, with a brief ceremonyand the long-awaited first shovelful of dirt.
The service itself led up to the event. Two of ourBuilding Committee chairs lit the chalice, Barbara Kernochanin the first service and Alison Kendall in the second.Alison described the process of getting to this pointin terms of the application of our UU values - and let herintonation convey the humor in our having survived somany hurdles laboriously cleared.
Judith, in her sermon, "The Quest for Truth," equatedthe path of our building program to the path to truth, withchanges of direction and new lessons learned.
At the end of the service, Charles Haskell, churchpresident, Carol Kerr, Building Committee chair, and RonCrane, Capital Campaign chair, each spoke briefly.Charles discussed how the life of a building parallels aperson's life, with the same milestones. Carol outlined thesteps that will be taken converting the blue house tooffice space, and Ron, after announcing that Sisyphushad finally reached the top, thanked the many generouscontributors to the capital campaign.
When the service ended, Judith was at the front doorof the church to lead the recessional that was to follow,but UUs being an independent lot, most went to thebackyard of the blue house by way of Forbes Hall.
With everyone assembled, including the childrenfrom RE, Judith said a few words of dedication, thendug the first shovelful of soil. After the first service, shewas followed by Charles Haskell, Barbara Kernochan,Heather Thomas, Rosy DePaul, and Sophia Silver. Afterthe second service, Charles Haskell, Alison Kendall,Skye Menzies Langabeer, Ian Postel, Capital Campaignco-chair Ofelia Lachtman, and minister emeritus theRev. Ernie Pipes each took a turn.
After the years of hard work and dedication by somany wonderful people, our vision took its first stepinto reality. Congratulations to all of us!
- Peter van den Beemt
More Groundbreaking Photos
Defining Commitment -- A Moving Target, a Worthy Process
Last fall's very successful pledge drive was inspiredby Peter Henrickson's "Financial Management inthe Church" and his admonishment that throughour giving we support, not the church's budget, but thechurch's mission.
Henrickson talked about the idea that our charitablegiving should be substantial in nature and that as UnitarianUniversalists we should not shy away from the idea ofsupporting the church with 5% of our household income.Indeed, great big commitments are those that will transformour work and transform us, changing the way weinteract with the world individually and institutionally.
Last year we began to ask people to support thechurch at that 5% level, and we received many substantialincreases. My research into local household income levelssuggests, though, that as a congregation we are generallygiving around 2%.
Two percent is not chump change for most us. But Isuggest that when we strive to give to the church at thatlevel it affects the way we go through life, not to mentionthe work our institution can do to support each other andto affect the larger community not just on Sundays, butbetween Sundays.
So 5% of what? The way Henrickson talks about it, it'sdifferent for each of us. A simple definition would be 5%of money after taxes and before fixed expenses like mortgage/rent and tuition. But some of us have extenuatingcircumstances: child support, parental care, or extensivemedical needs, to name a few. Only you can determinewhat your 5% number might be.
For my family, if I look at the money that's depositedinto our bank accounts from our paychecks, we're notgiving 5% of that number. It's closer to 3%. But we aretwo working parents with two small children and we haveto pay for childcare because we don't have family near.And we're paying a Los Angeles mortgage. Factoringthose things in, we are giving 20% of what's left, our "discretionarycash."
So, what we do is go through a process every year atpledge drive time. We look at our "after-tax income" andconsider what 5% of that would be. We look at our "discretionarycash" and consider our current pledge, and wetry to increase our pledge toward that 5% number by asmuch as we reasonably can. And just about every yearsince we've joined the church we've found a way to makean increase. Honestly, it will take us years to get to 5%,but that is our aim. And as long as we aim for it, eachyear we will get closer.
In a few weeks, you'll receive letters in the mail askingyou to make your pledge for the coming year. You'll beasked to fill out a pledge card and participate in CommitmentSunday, November 5th.
I hope you will consider the transformation you seekin your own life: to become more compassionate, to workfor social justice, to provide spiritual grounding for yourchildren, to step back from the day-to-day grind andrevel in the great wonder of this universe. Think abouthow this church facilitates that transformation. Then gothrough the process that we do and join us to celebrateyour commitment on November 5. I look forward to celebratingwith you.
- In faith, Jacki K.Weber
Author, Author
Rev. Judith Meyer celebrates the publication of hernew book, "Leaving Room for Hope: Sermons forUncertain Times" with congregant and editor FelicityNussbaum. The book is available in Forbes Hall afterservices, or via an online order form. Allproceeds benefit the church building fund.
Living Green
Did you know that theCity of Santa Monicavoted a ban on styrofoamplates and cups in alleating venues? Styrofoamnever degrades or disappearsfrom the planet. Using paperplates and cups is more ecofriendly.To act on this, the Green Living Group proposesthat we switch to paper plates and cups for allchurch functions. We hope you will support this changein the church and in your homes.
In our desire to be good neighbors in our city andour world, to decrease the amount of gasoline burnedand pollution emitted from automobiles, we are introducinga Rideshare Program for our Church. As part ofthis program we are organizing carpools to Sunday services.If you wish to share a ride or to provide a ride forsomeone in your neighborhood, contact Robin LowneyLankton. She will put you in touch with a rider or driver.
In addition, Laura Eklund is providing would-bebus riders with information on which bus lines to taketo church, including details from your nearest bus stop. This informationis also available on our website, at http://archive.uusm.org/contact/addmapphone.php
Owners of bicycles are encouraged to give riding abike to church a try. Now that the weather is cooling off,enjoy the breeze, the speed, the sights and sounds of thecity as you make your way to 18th and Arizona. Plus,build up your muscles and stamina.
The same goes for walkers who, in addition to theabove, can commune with nature.
So, try something new, have an adventure, meet anew friend, and be kind to the earth all at the sametime. Live green!
For more information contact Sandra Trutt or Leslie Reuter.
News & Announcements:
Mobile Bookstore is Now Open
After taking the summer off, theBook Cart has been reorganizedinto the "Mobile Bookstore."The emphasis is on books forand about Unitarian Universalists,published by the UUA. Wealso ordered six new titles foryoung people.
This month we would like to highlight"Being Liberal in an Illiberal World" by JackMendelsohn. This book explores the roots ofUnitarian Universalism and how it came intobeing. At a time when the religious right is thedominant voice in America, this book providespowerful testimony to the ideals and tradition ofliberal religion.
Stop by and browse the bookstore during coffeehour after each service.
New Covenant Groups
New covenant groups will be formed in mid-October based on ourfacilitators' choiceof times and days of theweek. Judith will trainseveral new facilitators,along withsome of the previousones. Watchchurch bulletins forcalls to join.
We encouragevisitors, new membersand long-time membersto become involved inboth the planning group andthe covenant groups themselves.
- Carol-Jean Teuffel
Camp de Benneville Pines Work Weekend
This is a great opportunity to improvevarious work skills, socialize with otherUnitarians, and get free lodging and foodwhile enjoying the mountain air.
The work weekend will be Friday, October27 to Sunday, October 29. Please call JerryMoore to RSVP and arrangecar pools.
Dining For Dollars Gearing Up
Want to meet new people? Love to entertain and cook? Eager to earn moneyfor the Church? Dining for Dollars might be right up your alley. The D4$ Committeeis now in session, accepting offers of dinners, brunches and other innovativeactivities to be bid on at our Silent Auction on Feb. 19th and 26th. We’llgraciously accept your contributions or provide information where needed.
Would you participate in this fund-raiser if you could team up with anotherperson? You might have space but lack cooking skills, or visa versa. If youlet Dining for Dollars people know, we might help you find your teammate.
This auction generated $26,500 for the church coffers last year. Contact HelenBurns or Sue Moore for more information, or to offerto host a Dining for Dollars event.
Getting Involved Sunday, October 15
On Sunday, October 15, the following groups or committees will be representedat Getting Involved Sunday after both services Plan on who you would like totalk with that day: Books R’ Us (Fiction reading); Book Store (bookcart);Building and Grounds; Capital Campaign and Planned Giving; Caregivers Support;Coffee Hour; Committee on Religious Symbolism (Sanctuary banners); CovenantGroups; CUUPS (Covenant of UU Pagans); deBenneville Pines Weekend (Annual);Dining for Dollars (fundraising dinners); Faith in Action; FUUSION (18-35 yearolds); Greeters; Interweave (BLGT); Lending Library; Lifespan Religious Exploration(adult RE education); Membership & Leadership; Men’s Group; Music;New Building; New Member Dinner (Annual); Newsletter; Office Volunteers; Peace & CivilLiberties; Pipes Lecture Series; Poetry; Pulpit; Religious Exploration (Childrenand Youth); Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion; Stewardship (annual pledging);Sustainable (Green) Living; TAG (The Adventure Group); Ushers; Website; Women’sAlliance; Zen Discussion & Meditation.
Appreciation
We thank the volunteers who led our summerSundays: our pulpit hosts. Their preparation, skill, andsense of worship contributed to the life of our church.Thanks to Sue Bickford, Ernie Pipes, Dan Nannini,Carol Agate, Didi Rea, Rob Briner, Kathy Cook, CharlesHaskell, and Vilma Ortiz for their good work.
Be a Good Neighbor - Use the UCLA Parking Garage
We wanted to let you know that we now have a newManagement Company to provide parking lot attendantsat the UCLA Parking Garage. To those of you who havehad problems in the past, we apologize. This new Companyis very responsible. We have had no problems sincethey started. We encourage all our members and friendsto park at the UCLA Garage at 1311 16th Street. Also, youcan now print out your own parking passes forthe garage.Thanks for helping us be good neighbors.
Getting Involved Sunday
On Sunday, October 15, the following groups orcommittees will have representatives availableto talk with you at Getting Involved Sunday afterboth services: Books R' Us (fiction reading), Bookstore(book cart), Building and Grounds, Capital Campaignand Planned Giving, Caregivers Support,Coffee Hour, Committee on Religious Symbolism(sanctuary banners), CovenantGroups, CUUPS (Covenant of UU Pagans),de Benneville Pines Weekend (annual Junetradition), Dining for Dollars (fundraisingevents), Faith in Action, FUUSION (18- to35-year- olds), Greeters, Interweave (BLGT),Lending Library, Lifespan Religious Exploration(adult RE education), Membership &Leadership, Men's Group, Music, New Building,New Member Dinner (annual), Newsletter,Office Volunteers, Peace and Civil Liberties,Pipes Lecture Series, Poetry, Pulpit,Religious Exploration (children and youth),Science Non-Fiction Book Discussion, Stewardship(annual pledging), Sustainable (green) Living, TAG (TheAdventure Group), Ushers, Website, Women's Alliance,and Zen Discussion and Meditation.
Pilgrims Feast
Mark your calendars for the church Pilgrims Feast.It will be held on Saturday night, November 18.Lyn and George Armando will be assistingwith registration starting in mid-October.Participants will bring food for the potluckand will also have a job to do such assetup, cleanup or a speaking part in theservice. When you sign up, you will begiven further instructions about food tobring and given an opportunity to chooseyour volunteer activity. Space is limited, sodon't procrastinate when you see theregistration table.
- Kathy Cook
From the Archives:
We're Blessed with a Beautiful Sanctuary Organ and Piano
This fall marks the 25th and 15th anniversaries,respectively, of our sanctuary organ and piano. Theorgan was custom made for us in 1981, following a twoyearplanning and fundraising drive led by DeanVoegtlen. It cost just under $50,000-and 233 individualsor households, groups (including the Women'sAlliance), and anonymous donors paid for it in full. TheSteinway was purchased as a refurbished piano in 1991,using $26,800 from the bequest of Myra Bauer. Thepiano was built by the Steinway Company in New Yorkin 1917-making it 90 years old next year. Both instruments,and how they're played by Louis Durra, SteveWight and guest musicians, add immeasurably to ourservices.
- Rob Briner, historian/archivist
Splinters from the Board:
The board approved the motion to name WarrenMathews as head of the Finance Committee inkeeping with the new definition of the responsibilitiesof the Treasurer.
The board also approved the creation of a sustainabilitycommittee to be chaired by Sandra Trutt andLeslie Reuter. The purpose is to educate church staffand members about practical ways to "live green" inpersonal, church, and community contexts. The committeewill function within the Faith in Action program.
Melinda Ewen, Church Administrator, reported thatthe resignation of Murray Greenburg and Kirk Silsbeeand the addition of new member William Dimpfl bringstotal membership to 460.
Melinda also reported that, early in the budget year,both income and expenditures balance within theapproved budget.
The Rev. Judith Meyer is working with the ReligiousSymbolism Committee to develop ideas to preserve thesymbols in the absence of the disintegrating banners inthe sanctuary. She will be training facilitators for thecovenant groups to be announced at the "GettingInvolved Sunday" event. She is working with the Rev.Anne Hines of Canoga Park and Veterans for Peace topresent a UU service at "Arlington West" at the beach onVeteran's Day Sunday, November 12. The service willremember and honor those who have lost their livesin Iraq.
Music Director Steve Wight and the Music Committeewith new chair Bronwyn Jones are working todevelop a wealth of new musical events as well as continuingthe Stevenings and the Louis Durra concerts. Inaddition there will be many new soloists for Sunday services,and performances will be extended within thesecond service.
Director of Religious Education Catherine Farmerreported that she has completed volunteer training.Early registration for students in the program has beensuccessful and registration is continuing. Youth activitiesfor Coming of Age classes and Young Religious UUs(YRUU) are planned. Also completed are facilitatortraining and class schedules for adults.
- Geralyn Lambson
Other UU News & Events:
Come to the 22nd Annual Latin American Encuentro sponsored by UUSC. Thisyear’s event will feature Professor Raul Molina of New York Universityand of the Guatemalan Network for Peace and Development speaking on Immigrationand Globalization. Blase Bonpane will speak on democracy in Latin America. Blase Bonpane was called “the most underrated humanist of thepast decade” by the Los Angeles Weekly, and has campaigned tirelesslyto end unjust US intervention in Latin America . Nora Preciado of theACLU on Women and Immigration, and radio station KPFK’s Carlos Escorciawill be speaking on the situation in Nicaragua . The Encuentro will beheld at the UU Church of Long Beach, 5450 Atherton Street , in Long Beach onSaturday, October 14 from 10 am to 4pm.
RE News:
From Our DRE
Here we are, starting another church yeartogether. And what a year it will be. With constructionon our building project finally beginning,this will be a year of obvious change and transition,but our building isn't the only thing that's changingand growing. Religious Exploration has new programs,new activities, new ways of bringing our vision ofbeloved community ever more fully to life, and I can'ttell you how excited I am about what this year willbring.
But I've also been noticing lately how prone I am tooveractivity, and I know I'm not alone. People seem tobe even more busy, more stressed, more tired than ever,and it's important to remember to find a balancebetween action and reflection, in the life of our churchas well as in our personal lives. I've been noticing latelythat it's been harder and harder for me to step backfrom all of the activity and take some time to reflect onwhat it means to be UU (not just what it means to "do"UU) in my everyday life. And if being UU always meansbeing busy, busy, busy, we run the risk of wearing ourselvesout. I suspect that this is even more true for familieswho must juggle multiple people's schedules. Butwe aren't Unitarian Universalists only on Sundays, andwhile taking action in the world is a central part of ourfaith, so too is our own inner journey, and our childrenand youth (and, let's face it, we adults too) need to hearthat message reinforced at home.
To this end, we're going to be offering lots of newresources this year to support our families in this effort,and I'd like to share a few of them with you. By the timethis newsletter is published, RE parents will alreadyhave received the first several of our new weekly "REUpdates" e-mail bulletins, which will include "HomeLinks" ideas and reflections for bringing UU home, aswell as lots of additional information about what's happeningin RE. All who are interested in receiving thebulletin can sign up by e-mailing me atCatherine@uusm.org.We're also in the early stages of cataloging our REdepartment library through an online service that willgive all church members access to our books, which willbe tagged by subject as well as location, and will beavailable for loan from the RE department. Take a lookat http://www.librarything.com/profile/UUCCSM-RE.What else could we be doing to support your family?I'd love to hear more of your great ideas, and lookforward to spending this year putting them intopractice.
-In faith,
Catherine Farmer
RE Shining Star: Karl Lisovsky
This month's RE Shining Star is Karl Lisovsky, nominatedby fellow Coming of Age (COA) teachersJennifer Westbay and Cindee Hallinan.They wrote: "From teaching 5thgrade RE, to recording REspecial events, buildingand striking RE installations,and being a constantinformed andenthusiastic voicesupporting ourchurch's youngergeneration, Karl hasbeen a model REteacher. He's been achurch member longerthan either of us, andwe've had the pleasure ofseeing up close - and learningfrom - his experience as wellas his enthusiasm in Coming of Age this year. From ourfirst meeting as the COA team, Karl had a wonderfulknack for leading us while keeping our team democratic.His lessons were invariably appropriate for the COA year:both serious and engaging. . . . When in May he learnedhe had to miss Coming of Age Sunday, he said that,though he was sad not to see the students' service, it wasmore important to him to have been present for theprocess as the young people grew toward that importantmoment. Jennifer and Cindee urged us to honor Karl withthe RE Star that he so richly deserves, and we couldn'tagree more - three cheers for Karl!
Walk to Fight Hunger
All are invited to join us for the WestsideFood Bank's Annual 5K Hunger Walk.
When: Sunday, October 29, 2006, at12:30 p.m. / Walk begins at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Santa Monica High School (ScienceQuad), 601 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. The course runs along the beautiful streetsand beaches of Santa Monica.
Why: To help fight hunger in our community.Every dollar raised provides sevenmeals for our most economically fragileneighbors - half of whom are children.
UUCCSM's involvement is sponsored bythe RE program. This walk-a-thon is a funway to spend the afternoon with friendsfrom our church while helping our less fortunateneighbors right here in our own community.There will be food, drink, entertainment,games, a "moonbounce" for the kidsand fabulous raffle prizes. All ages are welcome,including stroller parents and dogs onleashes. Registration forms will be availableat church, or you can sign up online atwestsidefoodbankca.org. A sandwichlunch will be offered for walkers at thechurch following the 2nd service, so we canthen head out together to join the walk.Parking will be available in the school lot,accessible from the alley between SeventhSt. and Lincoln Blvd.
If you can't walk with us, you can stillsupport our effort by sponsoring a walker.You can do so during coffee hour on Sundaysthis month, or by visiting our churchteam's online donation page athttp://www.active.com/donate/westsidefoodbank/uuccsm.
-Catherine Farmer