The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Featured Articles - December, 2006

Congregational Conversation on Youth Ministry December 10

A congregation-wide, intergenerational conversation on youth ministry will be held on Sunday, December 10, 1 to 3:30 p.m. in Forbes Hall, facilitated by church members Jordan Paddock and Karen Patch.

This is an exciting time for our congregation. From four youth who completed Coming of Age five years ago, we now have a pool of over 40 youth in our program. Are we serving them well? Do they see our church as their spiritual home? Do they feel welcomed, especially youth of color and all sexual orientations? Do they see themselves part of the adult community? Will we support them as young adults? What does it say about our future as a religious community that our youth often leave after high school and don’t return? Can we do more? Just imagine what could be, here in Santa Monica.

Because this conversation concerns the life and vitality of our congregation as a whole, everyone is encouraged to attend and participate: youth (grade 8 and above), parents, staff, church leaders and members of all ages. You are all invited to come explore together:

• Strengths and weaknesses of our current youth ministry

• Ways to strengthen this ministry and empower our youth leaders

• Youth ministry in the larger context of the full life of our congregation

For more information or questions, please contact DRE Catherine Farmer, Karen Patch or Jordan Paddock. Childcare will be available. Please let us know ahead of time so we can be fully staffed. Lunch will be for sale after the service. This meeting is part of an inclusive, transformational process that is being lead by the UUA Task Force on Ministry To and With Youth. The goal is to revitalize and strengthen youth ministry through a two-year process on all levels. For more information, please visit http://www.uua.org/TRUS/youth.

Join the Women's Alliance

In 1927 our church and our Women’s Alliance were founded. The Alliance, as an affiliated organization, has provided ordinary and extraordinary opportunities for leadership training, interesting programs, fundraising, worship, good food, community outreach, personal growth, and getting to know some amazing women. Our twin-circles logo acknowledges the many gifts received from our Unitarian and Universalist foremothers, and we tend the flame that they tended for us.

In 2007 we’ll celebrate our 80th birthday. We will gather quarterly on Sundays, nurturing friendships on January 14, April 29, July 29, and October 21. Nonmembers are always welcome. Dues allow us to maintain our membership in the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation (uuwf.org), which has an exciting new grants program that “advances equity and justice for women and girls by funding bold, innovative projects that effect positive social change.” If you’re interested in being an Alliance member, please join by December 18 since we want to forward our dues to Boston on time. Checks for $25 payable to “UUCCSM” and marked “Women's Alliance” in the corner can be mailed to the church or dropped in with the offertory.

Any questions? Please contact us because we’ve loved being in the Alliance for many years and want to share the experience with you. Contact Joyce Holmen, President or Sue Moore, Treasurer.

Michael Eselun Recognized

Church member Michael Eselun was given an award by the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative. This is the wording of the statement the organization made in honoring Michael:

"Michael Eselun serves as a chaplain supporting the UCLA Santa Monica Palliative Care Program and the Transplant Oncology Program. Michael supports patients with life threatening diseases and their families. Michael’s work provides major support to patients with some of the most life-threatening diseases undergoing aggressive therapy with major side effects causing pain. Michael’s kind nature and peaceful presence allows patients to endure their treatments with less anxiety and also helps alleviate the spiritual and psychosocial pain related to treatment. It is our pleasure to give this much deserved award to Michael Eselun."

News from New Orleans

I spent the last days of October visiting my daughter, Emily, who is a freshman at Loyola New Orleans. While I was there we attended a service with the congregation of First Unitarian Universalist Church. The church buildings of both of the New Orleans UU congregations were severely damaged in the flooding that occurred with Hurricane Katrina. For almost a year the two congregations met together in a suburban Presbyterian Church. Now they have both been able to return to their neighborhoods. First UU meets in the second floor auditorium of another Presbyterian Church that is across the street from their damaged building.

We attended a lay-led service that celebrated All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a big deal in New Orleans. Schools and city offices close and people go to the cemeteries to clean up and whitewash the tombs. The congregation was small, perhaps 35 people. Everyone was invited to come forward and speak about an ancestor, genetic or spiritual. Everyone did, many at length, and the service went on for almost two hours. I didn’t get the least bit bored. Everyone had wonderful stories.

I was struck by how comfortable and familiar the service seemed, even in a borrowed room of a neighboring church. They sang “Spirit of Life” and “Go Now in Peace” after the children’s story. Instead of an “Ask Me” volunteer they have a Designated Extrovert.

New Orleans is a long way from being recovered. Many parts of the city are still largely uninhabited. Many people are living in trailers. But people told me that they see progress every day. A traffic light begins to work again, a neighborhood business reopens, a neighbor starts to gut their house. They are determined to rebuild their city and hope that the rest of us do not forget them.

— Dorothy Steinicke

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