The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Featured Articles - March, 2004

Here's How to Be a Part of GA and Not Have to Pay Registration

As you know, there has been a series of articles under the heading “Countdown to GA,” telling you all the wonderful things to expect with the UUA General Assembly right here in Long Beach June 24-28. The question people have asked most often is, “How do I volunteer?”

General Assembly needs about 200 volunteers. They are the people who provide the personal touch at GA. They welcome arriving UUs and answer their questions about the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. They hand out program materials, count votes, and answer questions. They take care of children, and handle the myriad administrative tasks that make GA run smoothly.

Most volunteer jobs are for 24 hours, but those who work in children’s programs spend 16 hours. (Those numbers are 14 and 10 for youth.) Compensation is a waiver of the $295 registration fee (or reimbursement if you already signed up as an “early bird”) and you get a specially designed T-shirt to wear at work and keep as a souvenir.

Hours vary, depending on the assignment and your preferences. The nature of the work may determine the work schedule. Some jobs can be condensed into the first few days of GA, leaving you free the rest of the time. Others are spaced evenly between June 24 and 28, Thursday to Monday.

Among the assignments are: accessibility services (assist people with disabilities), ambiance (decorate the spaces, hang banners), children’s programs (in three age groupings), local information, greeter, registration, service project (staff the booth to collect donations), usher (count plenary votes, maintain order, distribute materials, check badges), and volunteer office (handle volunteer check-in and do short-term, last minute assignments).

Volunteers may also be delegates, unless they are ushers. Volunteer applications are available as of March 1 on the UUA web site. The application period ends March 31.

-- Carol Agate

Good in Math? Try This Problem...

How does the current estimate of $1.8 million for our new church annex and other construction/renovation compare with historical expenditures for building projects? Who’s keen on statistics and can adjust for inflation over long periods? Our original church building in 1930 cost $11,000, and Forbes Hall in 1960 cost $65,000. If you can calculate those adjustments (“$11,000 in 1930 would be how much in current dollars; and $65,000 in 1960 would be how much in current dollars?”), email your figures to Rob Briner and the information will be included in a future newsletter.

The 2004-2005 Budget, Stewardship and You

As Carol Kerr mentions in her column, the expense budget presented for 2003-2004 was based on expected pledge revenue of $351,000. Recent downward revisions have now placed estimated pledge revenue for the year at $325,000— a $26,000 difference.

What’s going on here? How will we budget as a result, and how can we move forward in a positive rather than a punitive manner? These are all really important questions, all at the heart of this year’s stewardship and finance efforts. Their answers cannot be expressed clearly in a 300-word column at this point.

There are some things, though, that I can express now. First, beginning this month, you’re going to see systems put in place so that we can get a more accurate handle on pledging and fulfillment of pledges, new member pledges, and continuing pledges. These systems will then help us predict more accurately pledge revenue in the future.

Second, because of our current situation (expenses exceeding projected revenue), it is imperative that as many members of the congregation as possible become fully informed about church finances—and that this education process take place before our annual meeting in May.

This will allow each of us to begin to explore (1) whether we want to approve a deficit budget for 2004-2005, (2) whether we might explore increasing our individual commitments to the church significantly in this fall’s pledge season, and/or (3) whether we would actually rather cut the church budget to meet lower pledge revenue expectations. As you receive this newsletter, a small group is brainstorming ways to make this exploration as inclusive a process as possible. By the end of March, you should be hearing more. If you want to be a part of the brainstorming, please give me a call. I would love to hear from you.

Finally, for me, the big question is how we can move forward in a positive manner. I think part of the answer lies in the idea that stewardship— the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care—is everyone’s responsibility.

My sense is that as a community, we’ve been very good at what our dedicated members have focused on: making ourselves a truly welcoming congregation, one that puts our faith into action, and one that cares deeply about educating our children.

But we’ve been content to leave the thinking about money to someone else, perhaps because there hasn’t seemed to be an urgent need to take on that job ourselves. This is the year that situation changes, not simply because of this pledge revenue reality check, but because we all make our church the healthy (or not-so-healthy) community it is by making the commitments we do, and then following through on those commitments.

May we all embrace this as a spiritual and practical process.

--Jacki K. Weber, Chair, Stewardship Committee

Computer Committee Formed to Upgrade Office Computers

In January, all the church’s office computers were on the fritz at once, so the Computer Committee spent five Saturdays fixing the machines, one by one. Left to right, Dan Kegel, the mastermind multi-tasker, able to both direct correct computer procedures and amuse his six-month-old son, Alex (who is especially helpful at keeping morale high); Greg Wood, wondering why there is a picture of an hourglass on the monitor; and Bob Dietz, reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling essential software programs. The Computer Committee was formed in order to upgrade the church’s aging computer network, which was crashing constantly.

Include Your Church in Your Will

Whether you are writing your first will or updating an existing one, we hope that you’ll include a gift to the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica Endowment Fund.

There are various types of bequests: General Bequest: You give your entire estate to the UUCCSM.

Specific Bequest: You give a specific amount, percentage of your estate, a specific asset, or collection of assets to the church.

Residuary Bequest: Your will can stipulate that charitable gifts be made using all or a percentage of what remains of your estate after all specific bequests have been satisfied and debts and expenses have been paid.

Contingent Bequest: You give all or portions of your estate to the UUCCSM in the event that other named beneficiaries predecease you or disclaim your bequest. This type of bequest can avoid litigation or prevent property from reverting to the state.

Testamentary Charitable Remainder Trust: A trust document is created during your lifetime, with a “pour-over” will to designate which assets are to be placed in a trust with the income paid to specific individuals for their lifetimes. Upon the death of the last income recipient, or after a term of a specified number of years, the trust terminates and assets are transferred to UUCCSM according to your instructions.

Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates, Ford, and (your name here)—are all philanthropists. For further information contact Ron Crane or call the church office at (310) 829-5436.

--Ron Crane, chair, Planned Giving Committee

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