The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Featured Articles - October, 2008

Applications Sought for Settled Minister Search Committee

You are encouraged to help shape the future of our church by applying for membership on the Settled Minister Search Committee (SMSC). The Nominating Committee (NomCom), which has the responsibility of nominating a nine-member slate for the SMSC, is seeking applications for that committee through the month of October. It is Nom- Com’s intention to present a slate to the board at its regular meeting on December 9, at which point the board will call for a special business meeting of the entire congregation in mid- to late January 2009. At that meeting all voting members can accept, reject, or modify NomCom’s slate, and anyone not included on the slate can run independently if he or she submits a petition signed by at least ten voting members to the church office on or before December 30 (which is “at least twenty days before the Church business meeting at which the election is to be held …” as specified in the bylaws).

Following SMSC’s confirmation in January, that committee will work on its own throughout 2009 and in the first half of 2010, following UUA guidelines, to poll and seek input from the membership, evaluate standardized applications posted on a confidential UUA website, decide on finalists, hear all finalists speak at nearby congregations, and finally, recommend a single individual to be our settled minister. That person will be introduced to the congregation before the summer of 2010. A special business meeting will be held at least 30 days later, when the entire congregation will vote on whether to call the recommended candidate as our next settled minister. The new minister will start September 1, 2010.

As the life of a church is significantly determined by the relationship between minister and congregation, this is the most important decision a congregation can make. SMSC will have a special responsibility and opportunity to focus on and refine that decision. It is estimated that members of SMSC will spend as much as 20 hours per month, during some but not all of the twelve months of 2009 and the first six months of 2010, on their duties, both as individuals and within the committee. Members of SMSC cannot concurrently serve on the board, chair major committees, or otherwise be committed to a significant number of other church activities. To keep the committee’s focus on our long-term future rather than the interim period, members of SMSC cannot have served on the interim search committee or the interim task force. Since SMSC will be meeting monthly or bi-monthly in 2009 and the first half of 2010, members should be generally available throughout that period and not committed to absences of more than 30 days. Regular access to e-mail and the internet is highly recommended.

But don’t be daunted! We need nine people who will enthusiastically perform this service on behalf of the entire congregation. We need people who are senior and junior, men and women, intellectual and emotional, experienced in evaluating applications and “fresh eyes.” NomCom’s job is to nominate a slate that will bring the greatest possible perspective to this task. We encourage as many applications as possible and will be recruiting throughout the congregation.

The deadline for applications is October 31. If you want to be considered, the simple one-page form is available in the church office and online at at http://www.uusm.org/nomcomapp.pdf

More information about the search process can be found at the UUA website: http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/transitions/20679.shtml. You can also email questions and comments to the Nominating Committee at NomCom@uusm.org or leave a message in the office.

Clearly, the next couple of years will be an exciting transition for our community. We will be laying a foundation for decades to come.

— Rob Briner Chair, Nominating Committee

Brother [and Sister] Can You Spare a Dime?

Once I built a tower,
up to the sun brick and rivet and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it’s done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?

We’re in the money, we’re in the money;
We’ve got a lot of what it takes to get along!
We’re in the money, the sky is sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through.
You done us wrong.

These evocative Depression-era songs (1931 and 1933 respectively), the first serious and the second ironic, seem weirdly appropriate today, as we all find our homes declining in value, jobs threatened, and prices rising faster than incomes. Our church, as well as the society, is entering unpredictable economic shoals whose easy navigation may be impossible. Erratic income changes for our members translate into uncertainties about what we can afford.

At the same time, as our personal situations become more perilous, members may need more from the church in terms of programs and support. Why is the church especially important in perilous economic times?

1. The church offers cheap and fun activities, like reading groups, concerts, choir participation, and the new friendship dinners. How often can you spend $200 on a pair of theater tickets?

2. The church provides groups for those with common interests and values, from Interweave and the Multiracial Development Committee to the Caregivers’ Support Group and the Men’s Group and lots more.

3. The church provides opportunities for networking, particularly desirable at a time when members are losing and finding jobs.

4. The church provides a supportive community in a stressful period in which economic, social, and personal dislocations are more prevalent while the social support fabric is deteriorating. This includes the greater importance of the RE program while our schools are failing, and attention to frail seniors when government support is weakening.

Moreover, in a time of increasing economic, political and cultural polarization, the church provides a welcoming community for all those with a humanistic liberal orientation.

We are also faced with the immensely important task of selecting and being chosen by a new settled minister who may well be with us for decades. The better off our finances, the more we can pay in salary and benefits, and the more resources we will have for any new programs the new minister may wish to initiate.

Much like public broadcasting, the church is a “public good”: we do not exclude those who do not pay their fair share. While there are good reasons for this policy it also means that individuals can ride free. The purpose of the pledge drive is to remind us of the essential benefits we receive from the church and to ask us to commit to supporting them.

As befitting the economic times, we will be conducting a stripped-down pledge drive this year. Look for announcements in the newsletter of the date for “Commitment Sunday” in November.

— Phillip Bonacich, Chair, Stewardship Committee

Help Make History! Help Defeat Prop. 8

Millions of fair-minded people around the world are counting on California to advance the cause of equality by defeating Proposition 8, which, if passed, will eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in our state.

Unitarian Universalists across California are in the forefront of this good fight. Already at least 40 Santa Monica UUs have phone banked, recruited volunteers, fed volunteers, and donated money — but we need more activists and we now have fewer than 30 days before the November 4 election.

Many supporters of Prop. 8 believe they are literally fighting the devil, so they are motivated.

We need to be as motivated. We are fighting for equality and justice for all. We are fighting for the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As church member Glen Howell says, “As the father of a gay daughter, I believe her right to marry in California should not be taken away. In fact, my Unitarian faith calls for equality of all people. So I am voting NO on Proposition 8.”

The San Diego UU Church is activating more than 50% of their congregation to fight Prop. 8. Are we going to let them outshine us?

Wednesday Evening Phone Banks at UUCCSM 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The most important thing we can do is phone bank. We need to talk to the 12% of voters who are in the “moveable middle” and convince them of the righteousness of our cause, and we need to make sure our supporters know to “Vote No on Prop. 8” and supportour campaign in any way they can.

If phone banking is out of your comfort zone, believe me, we understand. We and other UUs will support you, as we have supported each other. You will be trained, and you will be fed. Bring a friend.

Ten or twenty years from now, you will be able to proudly say you helped make history.

If phone banking at our church isn’t convenient for you or you’re busy Wednesday evenings, there are other Los Angeles phonebanks throughout the week that will welcome you.

Besides phone banking, we really need you to:

• Donate or seek donations from others. (The other side is spending millions on TV ads. We need to do the same.)
• Help feed phone bank volunteers.
• Post a “No on Prop. 8” yard sign, window sign, or bumper sticker.
• Wear a “No on Prop. 8” button, T-shirt, or hat (see http://www.noonprop8store.com).
• Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers about Prop. 8 (see us for talking points).
• Write a letter to the editor. Tell the world why Prop. 8 is harmful to you and those you love. America should never have second-class citizens.

For more information, see the “No on Prop. 8” table in Forbes Hall after services, contact Kris Langabeer or Bronwen Jones, or visit http://www.NoOnProp8.com, http://www.uulmcaaction.org, http://www.eqca.org, or http://www.letcaliforniaring.org

— Kris Langabeer and Bronwen Jones
Marriage Equality Team Co-leaders

Back to Features Index