Sep-07
Faith in Action News:
The current UUA 2007 Actions of Immediate Witness approved at General Assembly in June 2007 were handed out for discussion:
• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection.
Committee Reports:
Green Sanctuary: Leslie Reuter presented the Action Plan that lists the 12 actions our congregation must take to become a certified Green Sanctuary church. The plan includes actions on Environmental Justice, Sustainable Living, Worship celebrations and Religious Education. The Action Plan was unanimously approved. Leslie also demonstrated an LED lamp that the Green Sanctuary Group would like to sell at church.
Hunger Task Force: Members of the congregation present at the Issues Election affirmed continuing our volunteer relationship with Step Up On Second coordinated by Janet Goodwin and Daybreak Shelter coordinated by Denise Helton. FIA chair presented the challenges of securing funding for these activities on a monthly basis. A request has been made to the Long Range Planning Committee to allocate funds to support this work in the future. We need a new volunteer coordinator for Turning Point Transitional Housing. The chair would like to thank the many congregation members who have donated so generously in the past.
The suggestion was made to add the film “Sicko” to our list of programs. This request will be directed to the Peace & Civil Liberties Committee.
The Multi-Racial Development Group presented their plans to focus on immigration as they relate to labor struggles:
- Plans to address car wash owners’ failure to provide a living wage to their workers
- The new Sanctuary Movement along with CLUE, Clergy & Laity United for Economic justice
- Bond-out families in detention as part of the UUA’s Action of Immediate Witness, Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
MRDC will provide a liaison, Nora Hamilton, to the FIAC meetings and the FIAC chair will participate in the MRDC meetings to foster a close working relationship.
UU Legislative Ministry items:
- Carol Agate, Kris Langabeer, and Jacki Paddock all agreed to participate and report on the UULM’s Marriage Equality work group
- Joan Verdon and Cathie Gentile will participate and report on the Health Care Reform work group.
25,000 Petition for Peace
Phyllis Gabriel and Joan Verdon circulated the Rev. William Sinkford’s petition that calls for an end to the Iraq war. Rev. Sinkford will take the petitions to Capitol Hill on October 10.
Minutes taken by Judy Federick and transcribed by Cathie Gentile
• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection
Actions of Immediate Witness are adopted to address pressing policy concerns in a timely manner. Individual Unitarian Universalists, congregations, districts, and departments of the UUA and UU affiliate organizations are urged to act on it also.
Other UU News & Events:
Why don't we grow? We're so welcoming!
A Workshop on Growth for UU congregationsin the LA/Valley Cluster
Saturday morning, September 29 (9:30 to 12:30)
UU Church of Studio City,12355 Moorpark Street
Coffee, tea, juice and an assortment of tasty breakfast items will be served!
The Rev. Peter Morales, senior minister of one of our fastest growing UU congregations, will be the keynote speaker at a presentation and workshop on the theme “Why don't we grow? We're so welcoming!” Peter Morales is perhaps best known for his succinct distillation of the key to membership growth:
“Repel fewer visitors.”
See for yourself what his congregation has accomplished at www.jeffersonunitarian.org
Congregational leaders and members of the Membership Committees from UU congregations in the LA/Valley cluster are especially invited, although all who are interested in exploring deeply the impediments we place in the way of congregational growth, and how we can overcome them, are cordially invited.
The meeting will focus not only on suggestions for individual congregational growth, but also on how neighboring churches in the cluster can help each other strengthen their congregations by working together. Participants in this workshop will have an opportunity to share what has worked for them and to learn the same from other congregations. Come and obtain a sense of how much vitality and diversity new members can bring to a congregation. Learn of the joy which new members feel in having found a safe, truly welcoming church where they may enhance their spiritual journeys. Hear of the deep satisfaction that Membership Committee volunteers can experience.
We all have warmed ourselves at fires we did not kindle and we have drunk from wells we did not dig. Join fellow UUs in learning how to kindle fires and dig wells so that others can receive what we ourselves have been given.