The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Featured Articles - January, 2006

Make Your Pledge Now to Ring in the New Year

“When we accentuate the possibility in terms of financial commitment, one of the first possibilities is what Jack Kornfield calls ‘compassionate generosity,’ which he relates to ‘letting go.’ He says, ‘an act of generosity opens our body, heart, and spirit and brings us closer to freedom.’ Generosity has to do with an attitude of abundance, not scarcity.” “An attitude of scarcity will say, ‘you mean you want me to give 5% of my after-tax income to the church?!’ By contrast, an attitude of thankful abundance will say, ‘Wow! I can use 95% of my after-tax income for myself!’ ” “Generosity is a noble concept. To be generous is to be ‘big hearted.’ One author wrote, ‘a spontaneous act of generosity performed with unselfish grace is an example of moral beauty.’ ” — From Rev. James Grant's Commitment Sunday Sermon on 11/13/05

If you missed Jim Grant's Commitment Sunday sermon, it was a great one. So was the brunch. And so was the response by community members in church that day.

Thank you to all who have engaged in “compassionate generosity” with your 2006 pledges.

We are still looking for roughly 160 community members to join this esteemed group. We’ve been hitting our message pretty hard this pledge drive. We’re looking to raise $400,000 in stated pledges for 2006. We’re going to use the money for Sunday services, religious education, pastoral care, and member communication, and, with our goal met, to increase the impact of our UU faith on the larger community. If you have not yet stated your support for 2006, please do it now. Budgeting begins in just a few weeks, and with you on board we have the strength to carry our message of tolerance, understanding, economic justice, and environmental sensitivity to the larger community in a larger way.

Please take a moment to call the office at (310) 829- 5436 x100 and leave a voicemail, or e-mail Christine Haskell (who’s updating all pledges in our church accounting system) fax the office (310) 998-9181 with your pledge of support.

In faith,

— Jacki K.Weber, Stewardship Committee Chair

Covenant Groups are a Way to Connect Closely with Others

It is widely accepted that if a person comes to any church and is unable to develop at least one meaningful relationship with a member of the church within a couple of months, the person will drift away.

Covenant Groups are a means to connect with others in our church in a short time. The small groups meet for two hours at least twice a month. Members share their personal views and feelings on topics of importance in their lives. One person speaks at a time and others listen actively. The meeting offers a safe environment for sharing experiences. Soon, a bond of trust among the members develops, and each participant gets to know the others in a special way.

Topics, usually with a spiritual component, are selected by each group’s members and include items where a personal point of view or personal experience is important. Groups are formed and members are included according to time of meeting, thus assuring that members will probably meet someone who they don’t already know as a personal friend. They will almost certainly develop new relationships of value with others in their group.

If you are interested in joining a group, drop by the Small Group Ministry Table in Forbes Hall on Sunday after each service to explore how to get connected.

— Marv Pulliam

Living Green Takes Organization; Recycling is a Place to Start

You have to be organized to live green. The first step for most people who are environmentally conscious is to recycle aluminum cans, glass, plastic and paper. Those of you who live where there is weekly pickup of recycled items are lucky because it is so easy to sort directly into your bins. Others need to have a simple system set up to do this.

You need containers (bags, boxes, trash cans) to hold recyclables and a place to put them (under the sink, outside, in the laundry room or garage).

When your containers are full, make a trip to the recycling center. Try to visit the center on a regular basis such as the first or last day of the month. This is part of your system. I don’t have that much to recycle, but for me it’s convenient to stop by the Santa Monica Recycling Center every Sunday on my way to church. I leave 10 minutes early as part of my routine.

How did you start recycling? What is your system? Let us know. Ask about joining other church members in the Living Green discussion group.

— Sandra Trutt, Living Green

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