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

Commitment Sunday a Resounding Success -- Still More Work to Do

I am pleased to report that on Commitment Sunday we received more than $100,000 in pledges from nearly 100 people. Our totals (as of 11/16/06) stand at $225,544 in stated pledges from 150+ people. We’re well on our way to reaching our goal of 100% participation in the drive.

A couple of numbers for you: More than 40% of those making their pledges have increased their support of the church for the coming year, with the median increase being 20%. It’s truly a testament to the vibrancy of our community and it portends important changes in the work we can consider in the coming year.

Thanks to all of you who stepped up to the plate to state your commitment for 2007. You make this church’s work possible.

Now comes the challenge of confirming the remaining 190 pledges from 2006. Through the month of November, Sanjeev Jain diligently staffed the pledge table in the church courtyard and Forbes Hall. It’d be nice to think he caught up with everyone, but I’m sure he didn’t. So here’s what’s going to happen in December.

We’ll continue to ask for 2007 pledges through the month of December, via order of service announcements, e-mail, and any other means we can devise. We’ll confirm what we can by the end of December, and then send out letters to any remaining unpledged members in January. We hope this will get us to our $400,000 goal in stated pledges for the year.

With pledges in hand, our church’s budgeting process will begin and we’ll determine our priorities for the coming fiscal year. May they express our desire to play a more integral part in the lives of our members and our larger community.

— Jacki K.Weber, Stewardship Committee Chair

Thanks to...

Very heartfelt thanks to those who have worked to make this year’s Commitment Sunday a success: our stewardship committee of Phil Bonacich, Sanjeev Jain, Ofelia Lachtman, and Patricia Wright; fantastic volunteers Carol Kerr, Bronwen Jones, Dayla McDonald, Marv Pulliam, Ed Field and John Fels on brunch; and Toshi Nakajima, Smitha Chandrabose and Satyavan Kepper at the pledge table.

Thanks as well to those who worked behind the scenes on the drive: John Fels, Anne MacQueen, Charles and Christine Haskell, Melinda Ewen, Holly Nguyen and Mark Dwyer. And finally to our Reverend Judith Meyer, who is steadfastly encouraging us to just imagine the possibilities.

— JW

Veterans Day at Arlington West

Rev. Judith Meyer and the UUCCSM choir participated in last month's Veterans Day Sunday UU memorial service at Arlington West.

New Talent Shines at Saturday Spotlight

The Loungebillies kicked off last month’s Saturday Spotlight program with their own brand of ironic Texas blues-rock, composed by church member Kyle Bergersen. Then vocalist Katie Gross, 16, who grew up in our church, demonstrated her ability to present mature and haunting emotion with her clear and powerful soprano voice. We look forward to watching her musical career.

Greg Wood modestly informed the audience that he hasn’t written many songs, then launched into his composition about the vicissitudes of modern love, expertly accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica.

Judith Martin-Straw read “Early Girl,” one of her short stories, graphically expressing the thoughts, feelings and sensations of a young mother barefoot and alone in her garden at dawn.

Karl Lisovsky performed “The saddest song I’ve ever heard,” his own composition about an elevenyear- old friend who lost both his parents. Tom Ahern sang “God Bless the Child” in his rich bass voice, accompanied by Jeff Greenman on guitar. Jeff, representing the Poetry Group, then put to music an American classic poem, “The Highwayman.” It was a story beautifully sung.

Comic relief was provided by husband-and-wife team Lauri Semarne and Lisle Leete. One hilarious skit was based on the premise, “What if there are real people living the life depicted in those story-problems from high-school math class?”

DWP (Dayla McDonald, Wally Giffen, Peter van den Beemt) performed “Crying in the Rain” (Peter), “Big Yellow Taxi” (Dayla), and “’Til Kingdom Come” (Wally). Intricate medieval part-songs were performed a cappella by Music Director Steve Wight, Michael Lamb, Rima Snyder, and Kim Miller, eliciting vigorous applause.

New church attendee Daniel Nahmod closed the program with thanks and a love song that embraced UU philosophy.

Musicians Jeff Greenman (guitar), Wally Giffen (bass), and Steve Wight (piano), accompanied several of the performers, while Norb Gallery provided musical and technical expertise in running the soundboard.

Kudos to Bronwen Jones for spearheading the event, to comedian Kathy O’Keefe, who emceed the show, and to Melissa Parkerton for organizing the champagne reception that followed.

— Sherman Neusom

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