The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

From Our Minister

April, 2008

I have made the decision to step down as minister of our church and to retire from parish ministry August 31, 2008. I will have served our congregation for 15 years — almost to the day. I come to this point with great appreciation for the time that I have been your minister, and with sadness that this time is now ending.

There are several reasons for this decision. I want to spend these coming years with my husband, David. Though he is doing well, the reality of Parkinson’s disease has given us a sense of urgency to do the things we want to do together, such as travel, sooner rather than later.

I have given myself fully to ministry and have been deeply fulfilled by my work. But change is good — for you as well as for me. New ministerial leadership will bring you fresh ideas and energy. The transition will strengthen you as a community.

In the months ahead we will look back on the time we have spent together, but more importantly, you will look forward. Your church leaders, President Ron Crane and the Board of Directors, are ready to guide you through this process. I will continue to minister to you through these next five and a half months, even as our work together draws to a close.

David and I will be living in Santa Monica for the foreseeable future. Our paths will cross, as I plan to remain active in the larger community.We will always be connected in more ways than we will ever know. And I will always be grateful for the years with you.

-- Judith Meyer

March, 2008

We have been so fortunate this year to have the volunteer services of Marsha Smith, co-chair of the Membership and Leadership Committee. Marsha offered to work eight hours a week to support membership development. Now more than half way into her commitment to us, we’ve learned that 1) Marsha gives us a lot more than eight hours a week; and 2) her effort has created a strong new foundation that will benefit us for years to come.

Using her formidable computer skills, analytical mind, and attention to people as well as detail, Marsha has streamlined our membership information system. She has also taken a close look at how to welcome, enroll, and involve newcomers into our community. We have already begun to implement her ideas.

Marsha has supported popular community-building activities like Courtyard Connections and Friendship Dinners, recruited Greeters and other key volunteers, and generated new and updated material (in print and on our website) about membership and getting involved in church activities. She and Membership and Leadership co-chair Laurel Bleak have taken on the role of hosting our monthly Newcomer Orientation gatherings, succeeding Ofelia Lachtman after her 14 years of dedicated service.

It’s amazing how much Marsha has accomplished already. We are honored to work with someone who has so much to give. I thank her and look forward to a few more months with our outstanding volunteer.

— Judith Meyer

February, 2008

As I prepare for our newsletter deadline, I’m aware that we are likely to have a congregational meeting on our building program February 10. We’ll be asked to make one more momentous decision before we proceed into the next phase. I hope we will be able to move forward quickly and smoothly.

What an experience this building program has been! Here is some of what I’ve learned from it:

• It couldn’t have happened without the talent, dedication, generosity, and good will of nearly everyone in our congregation at one time or another. Many have made real sacrifices to help us get this far.

• The complexities of our project have challenged the imagination and leadership of our church. Our leaders and designers have risen to the challenge. We are all stronger because of our effort to find solutions together.

• The renovated cottage is beautiful and something to celebrate and enjoy. It shows us that sometimes we exceed our expectations!

More lessons to come. Meanwhile, please plan to join us for the February 10 meeting.

-- Judith Meyer

January, 2008

The Committee on Ministry serves our congregation in several ways. They meet with me on a regular basis, offering guidance, insight, and an annual review of my performance. Committee members are Victor Paddock, Karen Payne and Ren Renshaw. They are appointed by the Board of Directors according to guidelines recommended by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The committee also looks at the entire ministry of the church, not just my own role as minister.We’ve sought to understand the needs of older, more isolated members.We’ve asked ourselves what we can do to keep them connected to our community.

I’ve brought my goals and plans to committee, seeking their feedback. I’ve taken their advice more than a couple of times! I’ve gained valuable insights from the annual review and implemented suggestions offered to me through that process.

The Committee on Ministry wants you to know they serve you too. Feel free to speak to Victor, Karen, or Ren about our church and its ministry. They are committed to Unitarian Universalism, our church, and working with me to provide the best ministry we can.

-- Judith Meyer

December, 2007

Nearly every week I receive a thank you note from one of the non-profit organizations we have designated to receive a “Generous Congregation” offering, a percentage of our weekly Sunday service collection. We started this practice in 2002. A couple of church leaders were inspired by the example of other congregations and proposed that we try it here. We started out by giving 15% away; now we give 25%.

Each donation goes out with a letter that reads:

Our church has a practice of donating twenty-five percent of our weekly offering to a local charitable organization. It is our way of affirming our belief that a Unitarian Universalist congregation serves not only our own membership, but also the larger community.We seek to grow in generosity and in service to others.

Your organization was selected recently to receive a contribution from our offering. The enclosed check is our gift to you. It comes with our gratitude to you for the good work you do.

While some weekly offerings are larger than others, the cumulative effects have been huge. We have developed and strengthened our relationships with local non-profits and made new contacts in our community. And every group that receives a donation from us learns that this practice is part of our Unitarian Universalist philosophy.

I am proud of the ways we give back to our larger community. Whether through the “Generous Congregation” offering, the hours of volunteer services we provide to local agencies, or our commitment to learning more about what others need, our generosity is the single most important statement of faith we can make.

-- Judith Meyer

June, 2007

Over the past three years I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a member of the Fund for Unitarian Universalism, a grant-making panel administered in Boston. It’s a nice way to stay in touch with the Unitarian Universalist Association (we meet there) and to learn about what other UU groups are doing. I travel there twice a year.

The Fund for Unitarian Universalism makes grants to strengthen UU institutions and community life. During this funding cycle, I read 18 grant proposals from UU congregations and organizations. When I joined the panel (with four other UUs), we debated the needs and merits of each proposal. In the end we gave away $118,000.

We helped a small congregation in rural Texas that can’t afford a minister of its own but wants to have guest UU ministers travel there from Dallas/Fort Worth (150 miles). We funded a major — and first time — convocation of international Unitarian Universalist women to gather in Houston in 2009. We gave a grant to the UU churches of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine to engage a consultant from Partners for Sacred Places, to restore their historic buildings.

We also gave money to institutions affiliated with the UUA: to Meadville-Lombard Theological School for its archive of African American religious leaders, the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, and DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries), to name a few. There were many more.

In one way or another, these grants represent work on the cutting edge of our UU movement. They give me ideas and inspiration for possibilities here in Santa Monica. I’ve agreed to cochair this panel with Young Kim, a UU lay person from Wisconsin, beginning with the next meeting in November.

-- Judith Meyer

April, 2007

Adult Religious Exploration is back in session with weekly classes, half-day workshops, and other events throughout the spring and summer. Here’s what is coming this month:

• Adult OWL (Our Whole Lives) facilitated by Marv Pulliam, Steve and Sylvia Young, and Cynthia Cottam, begins April 21
• Building Your Own Theology I, facilitated by Deborah Fuller, begins April 25

Later this spring and summer, we are planning to offer three other events:

• Building Your Own Theology III (Ethics), facilitated by Bernie Silvers
• Soul Work reading group with Leon and Nicole Henderson-MacLennan
• Our American Roots: Unitarian Universalism in North America, a half-day workshop with Judith Meyer

The Adult RE Committee is also planning courses in UU parenting, socially and spiritually responsible investing, and a workshop based on Lu Ann Darling’s just-published book, “Discovering Your Mentoring Mosaic: A Guide to Enhanced Mentoring.”

If you are interested in becoming a facilitator of a UU curriculum or have a course idea to propose, please speak with me, Catherine Farmer, or a member of the Adult RE Committee (Emmy Cresciman, Sanna Egan, Joe Engleman, Leon Henderson-MacLennan, Nicole Henderson-MacLennan, Marv Pulliam).

We are holding facilitators’ training with Beth Rendeiro on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. All potential Adult RE facilitators are encouraged to take this training session. It’s a great opportunity to learn leadership skills. Please sign up with me.

Adult Religious Exploration is part of our lifespan approach to religious education. We never stop learning or growing, especially if we get together with others in small groups. These experiences give us new insights about ourselves and deepen our connection with the congregation and our UU tradition. It’s also a great way to make friends. Registration takes place after services in Forbes Hall a few weeks before the start of the class. Please be sure to check your order of service announcements each week for new listings.

-- Judith Meyer

December, 2006

The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California needs your support. This statewide justice ministry “serves to empower the moral voice of Unitarian Universalist values in the public arena,” according to the UULM mission statement. It affirms that “Unitarian Universalism is a faith with a spiritual center and a civic circumference.”

Our Faith in Action program includes the UULM and actively supports it. Cathie Gentile, FIA chair, attended the Leadership Summit in Sacramento. The Rev. Silvio Nardoni, our affiliate minister, serves on the UULM Board of Trustees as treasurer. I participated in a UULM legislative lobby day for marriage equality and regularly look to the UULM for information and guidance about California social justice issues.

UULM Executive Director, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, works tirelessly to establish this young organization in Sacramento and to stay connected to our local congregations. She does a great job. But she and the UULM network need funding to continue their work. Please consider becoming a UULM member and supporter.

To learn more about the UU Legislative Ministry of California, go to their web site, www.uulm.org, or ask me for a pamphlet. To make a donation, please send a check to Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, 717 K Street Suite 514, Sacramento, CA 95814.

— Judith Meyer

We have a new Committee on Ministry: Victor Paddock, Karen Payne, and Ren Renshaw. Their role is to serve as a communication channel between members and minister, conducting an annual performance review of the minister, and advising and guiding the minister about issues that may arise. They are just getting started but are eager for you to know who they are. Please feel free to speak with any of them if you have questions or if there is anything you want them to know.

— JM

November, 2006

Over the last few years, our congregation has devoted considerable time and energy to planning our building program. Now that we’ve broken ground (and work has begun), we’re on our way at long last. The project will take time and leadership and additional financial support, but now we can also turn our attention to the future of our church life and programs.

We have embarked on a planning process. The Long Range Planning Committee (Patricia Wright, chair; Rebecca Crawford, John Raiford, Jacki Weber) and the church staff have been studying what our church will look like in three to five years. Planning for the future is an exciting task — both visionary and practical.

We want to have strong administrative support in the office — a goal we are well on our way to accomplishing. But we also want to strengthen our programs. We’ve discussed campus ministry, youth and young adult ministry, pastoral care, and parish nurse. We’ve studied a fully staffed lifespan religious exploration program; a full-time sexton; a director of congregational life: someone to attend to volunteer coordination, community-building activities such as social and adult programs, and outreach; babysitter services for parents attending church activities; a ministerial intern every year; additional section leaders for our choir; and a children’s musical specialist.

These are some of the ideas we’ve discussed in the Long Range Planning Committee. With proper planning and budgeting, we can afford them, too. It just takes a long view and a commitment to our future.

The Long Range Planning Committee hopes to have a report to present to the congregation by January, in time to plan the budget for the next fiscal year. We’ll keep you informed and invite you to a Town Hall Meeting for your feedback as the time gets closer. If you’d like to learn more about our work or add your input and ideas now, please speak to a member of the committee, or to any of our church staff.

— Judith Meyer

October, 2006

The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition consists mainly of social service agencies, such as OPCC, Step Up on Second, and the Westside Food Bank — organizations we support in various ways. From providing volunteer services, such as cooking meals or sorting food, to our weekly Generous Congregation offering (25% of our collection), we are actively involved. Our church is one of the few faith-based organizations belonging to the Coalition. We pay annual dues and various church members, including Marge Zifferblatt and Charles Haskell, have regularly attended their meetings.

Now we are about to become even more involved. On Sunday, October 29, we will take part in the annual Westside Food Bank 5K Hunger Walk. We’ll be gathering at 12:30 p.m. at Santa Monica High School Science Quad, 601 Pico Blvd. and we hope to have a good turnout. The walk itself begins at 1:30 p.m. It’s a great way to spend some time outdoors with your family and friends. David and I will be there, and since dogs on leashes are allowed, we’ll bring Aki too.

We’ll have Hunger Walk registration forms in the church office and RE classrooms. You can also register online at westsidefoodbankca.org. Be sure to list yourself with the UU Community Church of Santa Monica team.

The work of the Coalition is much more than sponsoring events, however. In response to an invitation from the Coalition, I recently attended a meeting of representatives from faith-based organizations. There were only a few of us present. We decided to reach out to the other religious organizations on the Westside to strengthen our advocacy and support of the Coalition. I agreed to work on this initiative.

The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition is committed to ending hunger and homelessness through service coordination, public education, and advocacy. I can think of no better way to serve our larger community than to help support their work.

September, 2006

Our new program, Lifespan Religious Exploration for Adults, begins this month. After nearly a year of shaping our mission, gathering a committee, recruiting leaders, and reviewing curricula, we have our first offerings for you. Here are some highlights of courses to begin in late September and into the fall:

• “Building Your Own Theology I”—an updated version of the popular curriculum that enables participants to reflect on their spiritual history and to articulate their personal credos.

• "Choices We Make: Where Developmental Psychology and Ethics Intersect"—a participative workshop in four parts led by Ernie Pipes, Minister Emeritus.

• “Principled Commitment: a UU Couples Enrichment Program”—a field test of a brand new UUA curriculum on commitment and intimacy in relationships.

• “Our American Roots”—a UU history curriculum with video produced by All Souls Unitarian Church (Tulsa, OK) and discussions led by Judith Meyer.

• “Lessons of Loss”—a curriculum for children, youth, and adults on death, dying, and loss.

• We will also present weekly Zen meditation with Bernie Silvers, former Buddhist monk, Adult OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality education), and another round of workshops with Sustainable Works. Other classes and workshops will be offered as leaders and interests continue to emerge.

I thank our Religious Education Director, Catherine Farmer, who has worked closely with me to develop Lifespan RE for Adults, and our committee: Emmy Cresciman, Sanna Egan, Joe Engleman, Leon Henderson-MacLennan, Nicole Henderson-MacLennan, Judith Martin-Straw, Margot Page, Marv Pulliam, and Bernie Silvers.

Sign-ups will begin in mid-September. Look for the table in Forbes Hall after services, or speak with any member of the committee.

I look forward to seeing you at Ingathering Sunday, September 10.

— Judith Meyer

June, 2006

We’ve had a year of transitions, with changes in our office staff, a substitute minister for four months during my sabbatical, and now some significant changes in our Board of Directors. Throughout this time the congregation has held steady and strong. Much credit should go to our outgoing leadership for all they have contributed.

Carol Kerr has concluded three years of service as president. She has done an extraordinary job, leading us through the purchase of the house next door, the sale of the 17th Street property, and receiving the large estate gift from Earl Morgan — tasks that might have overwhelmed anybody other than a brilliant business lawyer, but luckily for us, that’s what Carol is. With her legal experience and willingness to give us hours of her time, we sailed through these transactions. Carol has led the board and our congregation with her sharp mind, her good heart, and her keen sense of humor. I’m looking forward to her ongoing contribution as past president.

With Carol serving for three years, Jerry Gates has been our longest-tenured past president. We have all marveled as he has navigated not only many freeways but also many airports to come to our meetings, fitting board service into his busy schedule.

Somehow church work cannot be quite as compelling as saving the world from AIDS, but Jerry has always made important contributions to our community in many ways. I have valued his common sense, his independent thinking, and his loyalty to our church.

We also say goodbye to board members Carol Agate and Daniel Teplitz. Carol is stepping down to take up other church activities — and we know she’ll find them, fortunately for us. Daniel Teplitz is leaving for college. Daniel’s Tuesday nights with the board must have been late ones, as he juggled homework, college applications, and music with his church commitments.

We now have an excellent new president, Charles Haskell, new board members Bronwen Jones, Phyllis Kory, Dayla McDonald, and Pat Parkerton returning for service, with many challenges and opportunities ahead of us. As we go forward, we will continue to benefit from the generous contributions of our past leaders.

Be sure to thank them when you see them at church.

— Judith Meyer

May, 2006

Some of you may have noticed that there are some small changes in our service Sunday mornings. We now hear announcements and introductions after the children leave. Choral introits sometimes are choral closings instead. These changes are an attempt to shorten the amount of time the children stay in the sanctuary until they leave for religious exploration.

I hope these small changes will help children who are too young or too restless to be able to sit still for very long. They cannot enjoy the sanctuary experience if they are uncomfortable. Shortening the length of time in the sanctuary will also allow teachers to have more time with their classes.

At the same time, I want to keep the simple rituals we practice together: ringing the bowl, music and hymns, opening words, greetings, chalice lighting, and story for all ages — not to mention the very important offering of food for the Westside Food Bank, a big favorite for the children. Appreciating community and the rituals we share are part of what I want our children to learn when they are at church. I value the time they are with us in the service and hope that they will, too. Paying attention to their needs is one way of showing how much we value the presence of our children.

Now — what can we do to encourage more people of all ages to attend our early service?

— Judith Meyer

April, 2006

Thanks to the thirty people who attended the visioning meeting on Lifespan Religious Exploration for adults. We generated many ideas and identified some potential leaders and facilitators. We also learned that there are diverse needs for adult programming in our congregation, not all of which may be part of Lifespan RE, but which we should make sure we offer one way or another.

Lifespan RE covers the area of faith development, UU history and values, spiritual practices, and education about other religions as well as our own. Finding ways to cover these topics in gatherings that are easy to attend is one priority we took from the meeting. There were others as well.

We heard that there is a need to create programming for new members, to introduce them thoroughly to our UU history, values, and institutions. The need is not simply to educate newcomers, but to provide them with welcoming experiences to become part of our community. Happily, our new Membership and Leadership Committee is looking at this need as well, so I am confident we will address it soon.

And people expressed a desire for social programs, not necessarily ones having to do with faith development, but with fun and intellectual activity. Trips to arts events, current events discussions, and cooking classes were all mentioned during our brainstorming session. It seems to me that we need a group to step forward and take on this gap in our programming as well.

Our church serves many needs: some of them for religious exploration, others for service, community building, and friendship. They are all connected, of course. But each deserves focused and committed leadership. What can you do to help?

-- Judith Meyer

March, 2006

While a federal judge listened to arguments about the constitutionality of death by lethal injection in San Jose, a group of religious leaders gathered on the steps of St. Monica’s Catholic church for a press conference. Nearly a dozen Roman Catholic nuns, two rabbis, a Methodist minister, an Episcopal priest, and four Unitarian Universalist ministers (Ernie Pipes, Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, Paul Sawyer, and me) gathered to speak out against the death penalty. We chose St. Monica’s for our location because it is the church that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger attends.

The testimony was instructive and moving. Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Beth Shir Sholom gave an erudite interpretation of Jewish tradition and the death penalty, emphasizing how rarely — if ever — it was intended to be carried out. One of the strongest voices was that of a 94-year-old nun.

As always, I came away from the interfaith gathering inspired and uplifted. There was only one problem with it. No press came. The entire event, which had been carefully planned and coordinated by a professional with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was preempted by a “breaking news” story downtown and nobody made it out to Santa Monica to hear us.

One good thing did happen. We may have had nothing to do with it, but the federal judge did order that the next execution, scheduled for February 21, be carried out in the presence of a medical professional, so that the prisoner, Michael Morales, would not suffer from pain. It’s a small step forward but it gives me hope. And I will keep speaking out against the death penalty, even if no one is there to listen.

— Judith Meyer

On Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14) our service will look at the experience of adoption and celebrate what makes a family. If you have an adopted child — or are an adult who was adopted — and would like to take part in the service, please speak with me.

— J.M.

January, 2006

You’ll be hearing about my sabbatical adventures from the pulpit, so I won’t take up this space recounting each of them. I spent the time on travel, family, work, and rest. I walked the dog a lot. I took time to grieve the death of my mother and to work with my brothers as we divided our parents’ belongings and estate.

My book of sermons is coming along nicely. I have completed the manuscript. Ernie Pipes has written a wonderful foreword. David Denton has produced a drawing for the cover. Felicity Nussbaum is hard at work editing. Production should be under way soon.

I shall always be grateful to you and to our church leadership for making it possible for me to take my sabbatical when I did. Many volunteers, especially our president, Carol Kerr, assumed additional responsibility in my absence. Vilma Ortiz, Pulpit Committee chair, worked closely with the Rev. Jim Grant on Sunday mornings. Jim and the staff kept programs running smoothly.

I come back to my ministry so appreciative of our congregational life — the people, the good works, the creativity and vision and passion for our faith — and I am happy to be back with you. Even better, as a result of the Santa Monica City Council’s decision December 13, we have a building program to begin. The timing is perfect. I can’t wait to get started again.

-- Judith Meyer

December, 2005

Thank You! This will be the final material I prepare for the newsletter. My weekend ministry concludes at the end of December. Thank you for welcoming Betty and me into your congregation, into your lives, into your homes. A special “Thank You!" to colleagues on the church staff; ministry shared is enriching for the minister and the congregation. A special word of appreciation to Rev. Judith Meyer for inviting me to be your minister while she has been on sabbatical leave. You are a great congregation. Thank you for our time together.

Christmas Eve Services (Volunteers needed) Following the usual pattern of this congregation we will have two services on Christmas Eve: The family service will be at 6 p.m. and the candlelight service at 8 p.m. I understand members of the congregation frequently share in the leadership of the Christmas Eve services by doing readings. Please volunteer! I don’t know who you are.

Christmas comes on Sunday this year. There will be only one service on Christmas Day, at 10 a.m.

I stand corrected: In the sermon on November 13 I said that Mormons are required to tithe. Since the service I have learned I was wrong. The only requirement for tithing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is for those Mormons who wish to become temple members; participants in local LDS congregations are not required to tithe.

— Jim Grant

November, 2005

The National Storytelling Festival

Betty and I missed being with you the weekend of October 9 because we were attending the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. We were two of about 3,000 participants. There were five large tents seating 500 to 800 people each, plus several smaller venues with 90-minute storytelling sessions in each from 10 a.m. until midnight.

Here are some things I learned or re-learned at the Storytelling Festival:

Stories, whether funny or serious, are community builders. I’m inclined to believe that people who laugh or cry or sigh or smile together, stay together. You’ll be hearing more about this in some sermons. For example, hearing once again the true story of the forced removal of the Cherokee people was a reminder that political power can be evil, even when the majority of voters approve.

I knew stories were sometimes enriched with guitars or Celtic harps or banjos, but I had a delightful 90 minutes hearing stories with a chamber music trio as background. Fantastic! Explanation: “Storytelling and music naturally go together, like laughing and talking.”

Here are some more aphorisms that I noted:

“You grow with every risk you take!”

“The more you know, the more you need common sense!”

“We can all learn from the dachshund, who has the most can-do attitude in the most can’t-do body.”

“It’s somebody else’s fault, can’t you see? In the present atmosphere it’s absolutely clear that the buck stops miles from here!” (Dedicated to “Brownie.”)

Finally, I was moved to tears by a storyteller/musician named John McCutcheon whose program “Mightier Than the Sword” was a marvelous blend of music and the words of contemporary authors. His CD by the same name is a priceless commentary on today’s political and social situation.

On another topic, please note your opportunity to suggest a topic for the sermon on November 27. I will attempt to respond to any question or topic given to me in writing no later than November 15. If I get no questions or topics, I’ll probably do a sermon about Edward O. Wilson’s idea of a “consilience” of religion and science.

— Jim Grant

October, 2005

Why consider the sources?

I ’m writing this two days after the first session of the Adult Religious Education study group. Twenty-six (26!) people joined me to consider the little book "A Chosen Faith," which deals with the "Sources of our (UU) Living Tradition." Why bother?

The first reason I’m leading this group is that I’ve discovered that people who are fairly new to Unitarian Universalism have found discussion of this book to be a great introduction. More than that, people who have been Unitarian Universalists for decades have also said how much they have learned.

Of the 26 people at the first session, some had been related to our congregation less than a month; others, for many years.We had a very lively discussion, which, I believe, enriched everyone.

The second reason I lead this group is that I believe this is a marvelous way for UUs to learn how we may talk with others about our liberal religious understandings. We are the "best kept secret in town." Part of that has to do with the reality that there are no simplistic (creedal) answers to what UUs believe. However, there are some wide (very wide) parameters, which, while not a consensus, do provide some understandings of our movement.

Well, there is one other reason. I can think of no better way for you to get to know me. When I share my insights about the sources, I'm hoping you are learning something about who I am so that I may become not only your weekend sabbatical minister, but your friend, and, hopefully, your pastor for these four months.

Thank you for sharing your time, your ideas and most of all, yourself, with me.

— Jim Grant

September, 2005

I am on sabbatical from September 1 to December 31.

I’ll miss seeing you at our ingathering Sunday but know that you will be in good hands with the Rev. Jim Grant.

I’ll be working with Felicity Nussbaum on my book of sermons and traveling to France and Morocco with David.

I am grateful for the timing of this sabbatical. My mother died July 30. I need to grieve and take care of family business. I plan to return to my ministry refreshed, rested, and ready for the next phase of our church life together.

— Judith Meyer

From Our Sabbatical Minister

Betty and I thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we were here in August.We are looking forward to our time with you. We will be in Santa Monica from Saturday early afternoon through Monday early afternoon. Please do not hesitate to call on me if I can be of service. I think the best way to be in touch with me will be through Marie Kashmer- Stiebing, church administrator.

As I thought about the first few Sunday service themes, well aware that I will begin as your “weekend sabbatical minister" on September 11(!), I decided on that day to invite your attention to how religious “Mystery and Wonder" may be relevant in a world of terrorism. So, that will be the service theme my first Sunday with you.

That decision led to another, which is to think with you about the Sources of our UU faith for following Sundays. As you see from the Sunday services listed on the first page, these sources will be service themes.

That decision led to another, namely to invite adults to join me in a discussion of these six Sources, using the little book, “A Chosen Faith" by John Buehrens and Forrest Church. This adult religious education discussion group will meet Sunday evenings, time to be announced.

If you would like to participate, please call Marie at the church Office to register. That will help us know how many books to order. Thank you.

— Jim Grant

August, 2005

You will have the opportunity to attend a workshop, “The Importance of an Advance Healthcare Directive,” Sunday, August 28, after the worship service. The workshop is presented by the Center for Humane and Ethical Medical Care, a program of the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, just down the street from the church. Leaders are Poonam Bhatla, Executive Director of CHEC, and Laura Larsen, author of "Facing the Final Mystery."

We scheduled this workshop after the intense media coverage of the death of Terri Schiavo. Among the many painful lessons to take from this widely publicized case is the need for each of us to have an advance directive for our healthcare. End of life decisions are simply too personal and too profound to leave to chance.

It is not difficult to create an advance healthcare directive. What is difficult, however, is to overcome the denial, fear, and procrastination that often get in the way of doing it. No one wants to contemplate death, let alone end-of-life scenarios as grim as what Terri Schiavo endured.

An advance healthcare directive helps us to maintain some control and to exert some determination over how we spend our last days. It can’t take care of every eventuality, but it can go a long way to easing suffering and dying with our dignity intact. That is something all of us want.

I encourage you to attend this workshop. It will be easier to learn about advance healthcare directives if we do it in the comfort of our community. You’ll have good company. You’ll also have peace of mind once you take care of this important personal responsibility.

-- Judith Meyer

[Note: The Rev. Judith Meyer will be on sabbatical from September 1 to January 1. Look for reports on her activities in this space throughout the fall. And don’t miss Sundays with the Rev. Jim Grant, sabbatical weekend minister.]

July, 2005

The Rev. Judith Meyer is on vacation during July. Her column will resume in August.

June, 2005

Here are excerpts from my annual report, delivered at our congregational meeting May 15:

This year, I note with appreciation how many members of our congregation have helped to create an environment of shared ministry, which has made our church a more caring and vital community. This year we have launched two new programs, the Small Group Ministry Program and the Telephone Outreach Program. These initiatives confirm what we already know: that the ministry of our church is truly a collaborative effort.

I enjoy the challenges and opportunities of my ministry with all of you. I spend most of my time preparing Sunday services, providing pastoral care to our congregation, creating rites of passage, and supporting church leadership, staff, and programs. The professional work of ministry takes my time as well. When the Rev. Kathleen Owens, the new assistant minister at Neighborhood Church, asked me to be her mentor, I readily agreed. The UU credentialing body, the Fellowship Committee, requires a formal mentoring relationship for those in their first three years of ministerial fellowship. After that, we’re on our own. It’s a good reason to have a Committee on Ministry—Judy Federick, Anne Gustafson, and Shawn Kerr—who keep me focused on my goals and suggest corrections as needed.

I also serve on a UUA funding panel, the Fund for Unitarian Universalism, which makes grants to congregational programs. Locally I am involved in the faithbased initiatives supporting low-wage workers and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California.

Next year will be a different experience for all of us. I will be taking a four-month sabbatical and you will have the Rev. Jim Grant as your weekend minister. A church provides both leadership and financial resources to allow a minister to take sabbatical time and I thank each and every one of you for this opportunity. Most of all, I thank Carol Kerr for being willing to serve as president for a third term, which should help to minimize any disruption my absence may cause.

I read now the names of members of our church who have died in the past year. With each name is a lifetime of remembrances and gratitude for the time they were among us. Will you please now rise in their honor:

Elizabeth Hoag
Esther Kalver
Diana Keller
Karen Raiford
Lois Thorne
Dean Voegtlen

May the spirit of these companions live on in us, as we carry forward our common commitment to a Unitarian Universalist way of life faithful to the words of our covenant: "Love is the doctrine of this church."

-- Judith Meyer

May, 2005

I am making plans for a four month sabbatical, which will take place from September through December of this year. A ministerial sabbatical, the usual practice in churches, is earned leave time: one month for every year of service to the church. It is time to rest, study, write, reflect, travel — and to bring new experiences and perspectives back to the congregation as a result.

I am very grateful to the church for providing this sabbatical, which is one of the many benefits of ministry. I have already taken two short leaves of two months each in 2000 and 2002. Now plans are falling into place for the next one.

The main project for my sabbatical is to prepare a book of my sermons. Felicity Nussbaum, a member of our congregation and a professor of English at UCLA, generously offered to serve as my editor and publisher. I would never have considered undertaking this project without Felicity’s encouragement and expertise. We have been working together this past year to identify themes and begin selecting sermons for the book.

From September through December, the Rev. Jim Grant will serve as your Weekend Sabbatical Minister. Jim is a semi-retired Unitarian Universalist (and American Baptist) minister who lives in San Diego. He has preached at our church, and has been well received. I think very highly of him. Jim and his wife, Betty (an accomplished storyteller), will be in Santa Monica from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon. Jim will conduct Sunday services and be available for pastoral care, rites of passage, and other ministerial duties as needed.

With our capable board, led by Carol Kerr; our dedicated staff, our generous minister emeritus, Ernie Pipes; and Jim Grant, I know you will be in good hands while I am gone.

I am grateful to them and to all of you for supporting my sabbatical program.

(Note: Jim and Betty Grant will need a place to stay Saturday and Sunday nights during the sabbatical period. If you can offer them a place to stay, perhaps a guesthouse or apartment, please let me know.)

— Judith Meyer

April, 2005

Our congregational vote March 6 to ordain Stefanie Etzbach-Dale to the Unitarian Universalist ministry is an important event not only for Stefanie but also for our church. Stefanie has worked hard to arrive at this point in her training for ministry. She has met with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, the credentialing body of the Unitarian Universalist Association; she has completed her internship, and she will graduate from Meadville- Lombard Theological School this May. It is time for her to be recognized as a Unitarian Universalist minister.

Ordination, however, is not just an event in the life of a minister. According to Unitarian Universalist tradition, only a local congregation can vote and enact an ordination. As with most important congregational decisions, only a proper congregational meeting and vote can lead to ordination.

Our vote March 6 belongs to a 350-year-old tradition of congregations ordaining and calling our ministers. It is rooted in our democratic self-governance, which recognizes the authority of the congregation in all church matters, including religious leadership. Schools may confer degrees and our Association may grant professional credentials, but only a congregation can elect a minister.

Stefanie’s experience with our congregation as an intern minister led her to ask us to ordain her. She has acknowledged the role we played in her formation as a minister. Now we have the happy task of affirming the culmination of her years of preparation. Please mark the evening of June 19 on your calendars for Stefanie’s ordination service and plan to join us for this historic event.

-- Judith Meyer

P.S. As some of you already know, my husband, David, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This is not good news, but we have been greatly reassured that his condition is mild. He does not have any complications and has responded well to a new medication. We want you to know that we do not expect this development to affect David’s work or my ministry. Thanks to all of you for the caring and concern you have expressed to both of us. — J.M.

March, 2005

By now most of you have received our new church directory. It is mailed to everyone who participates in our church community. If you look at each entry, you will see that everyone has a “status code”: member, partner of member, non-member, friend, guest religious education parent. There is a lot of variety.

Our community welcomes all levels of participation. We recognize that people affiliate with the church in different ways. We encourage people to take their time before joining. People report that they feel a deeper level of commitment to the church after taking that step.

Sometimes people don’t know whether they are members or not. Some folks have been attending the church for years, raising their children in the religious education program, giving financial support, and they assume that all this makes them members. Other people move here from other Unitarian Universalist congregations and assume that their membership travels with them. But these assumptions are mistaken.

We don’t make any assumptions about your level of commitment – we are grateful for your participation, whatever it is. But only you can decide to be a member of our church. You might take a moment to check your directory listing and see if your “status code” is what you think it is. If you’re not listed as a member, I invite you to become one. Just speak to the volunteer at the membership center in Forbes Hall on Sunday morning, come to our Newcomer Orientation gathering the first Sunday of the month, or speak to any member of our church staff to start the process.

When you become a member of our church, you deepen your commitment to our faith tradition and the people who share it. That’s a positive benefit for you and your family. But there are other benefits as well. We need you. Our Unitarian Universalist community needs the strength that comes from people who will stand up and be counted. The world needs more Unitarian Universalists. It needs people who are willing to be known by our faith. It needs each and every one of you. If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to join us.

-- Judith Meyer

February, 2005

Whenever a member of our congregation dies, we are all affected. Whether the person was a close friend or simply a friendly face, we feel a sense of loss. The community changes with each death. Most recently we experienced that loss and change with the death of Dean Voegtlen, who contributed so much to our church over many years.

I have been a minister long enough to know well what it is like to lose someone from the church. I have sat with grieving family members and friends, led memorial services, and done what I could to help with healing and adjusting after loss. It is part of the rhythm of community—loss, change, adaptation.

The church is a place where we come into contact with the wider cycle of life. Younger members and children, however, may have never experienced the death of a loved one or the grieving process. Their first loss is often that of another church member. I remember vividly from my own childhood the death of my younger brother’s Sunday school teacher. I didn’t even know him. But his death touched me anyway.

When we join a community we are agreeing to be affected by the wider cycle of life together. This connection makes us more vulnerable than we may realize. The death of another member resonates throughout the entire church. Absence is real. We are changed.

It is another kind of memorial—the one that takes place within each of us—and one more indication of just how powerful the bond of community can be.

—Judith Meyer

January, 2005

Every Sunday I offer appreciation to an individual or group in the church whose volunteer work has made a difference to our community. This custom began nearly 10 years ago. The Administration Committee chair at the time, Helen Brown, brought the idea to me. She and her committee thought it would be a good way to thank all the people who did so much work, often unrecognized, for the church. Since then I’ve never had trouble finding people to acknowledge each week. Sometimes the acknowledgement is predictable. After a big church event, we always have people to thank. Sometimes I learn about a quiet good deed and have the pleasure of making it known to others. Other times the staff members and committee chairs send me tips. Do you know someone who is doing something for the church? Someone who hasn’t been recognized? If so, please let me know about it. If you have someone you want to thank publicly, we can arrange for you to offer the appreciation yourself. I would enjoy hearing your words of gratitude to each other. I think everybody would. It would add a new dimension to participation in the service too. Offering public appreciation is a simple gesture. It is easy to do, but it builds community because it reminds us of how much we value individual contributions. While I’m at it, let me thank Helen Brown. As Administration Committee chair, she not only found ways to nurture our volunteers, she researched and oversaw the installation of our first security system, and supported the staff with her wisdom and skill.

-- Judith Meyer

December, 2004

The holiday season involves travel for most of us. Whether we actually leave home or not doesn’t always matter. It’s a change of our usual routine, which has advantages we do not always recognize.

As I write this message, I am on the East Coast, where I have been attending a meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters in Boston. I serve on a grant-making panel, the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. The panel reads proposals for innovative programs and awards $250,000 a year. The work is interesting and gives me ideas for projects we might consider in Santa Monica.

Whenever I get ready to leave home, however, I hesitate. I always feel a little anxious, leaving David and Aki and all of you behind. But as soon as I’m on my way, I realize that these short separations are a chance to stand back and appreciate how much all of you mean to me.

I also step out of my regular routine. That generates new ideas and a fresh perspective on a problem or project. I read on the plane books that I wouldn’t have taken the time to read at home (this trip it is “What I Loved” by Siri Hustvedt), I talk to people who don’t live in California, and I come back just slightly altered from where I started out. I return happy to be home and grateful for my life.

The holidays offer all of us the same opportunity: to stand back, step out, and remember what makes us happy and grateful. Whether we travel across the country or simply take the time out to acquire a fresh perspective, it’s an opportunity we should take each and every time it is offered to us. That time has just arrived. Don’t miss it this year.

-- Judith Meyer

November, 2004

Every fall I set goals for the coming year. The purpose of establishing goals is to focus my attention, to enlist the support and cooperation of church leadership, and to provide measurable achievements for evaluation. I like to share my goals with members and friends of the congregation, to convey my priorities and to invite your assistance.

My ongoing work – leading Sunday services and rites of passage; providing pastoral care, staff supervision, and being a presence in our larger community; and working with you on ongoing programs such as Religious Exploration and Faith in Action – will still take most of my time and attention. Goals are always part of a larger vision and related to ongoing commitments. I keep in mind the mission of our church and our shared ministry as I set specific tasks for myself. Here are the goals and some of the work I hope to do this year.

Provide leadership and support to new church programs, especially Small Group Ministry. For me this includes co-leading the facilitator training sessions and convening the facilitators in a monthly covenant group of their own. I will also work closely with Small Group Ministry leadership in developing the program.

Plan for the future. In the coming year our board and congregation will need to do some planning, not only to move forward on our building program, but also to look ahead to the time when that work is finished. My goals include participating in a long-range planning process and researching growth strategies for our church. I will also support our Stewardship Committee and its ongoing work to educate the congregation and encourage our generosity.

Broaden our ministry. There is always a lot to do. This year I have selected three areas for the focus of my attention: find new ways for older members to share their lives with the congregation; face the challenges in our church presented by mental illness; strengthen the young adult (21 to 35) presence and program.

I ask for your help in strengthening my ministry and the shared ministry of our church.

--Judith Meyer

October, 2004

I invite you to come hear longtime member Dean Voegtlen talk about his life on Friday evening, October 29. Dean has served our congregation in many leadership capacities, including president. He has guided our music program and performed as a soloist. He has chaired pledge drives, the Personnel Committee, and the Committee on Ministry. He has led a popular intergenerational dam-building activity at Camp de Benneville Pines for many years. And this is only the short list of his contributions.

I asked Dean if he would be willing to share some of his life stories and wisdom with us and he agreed to do so. As many of you know, Dean has written up some of his memoirs. He has some great stories to tell.

I hope you will plan to join us as we honor Dean and thank him for his service to our community. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. and conclude with a reception at 9 p.m. Childcare will be provided.

The gathering for Dean will kick off a series of reflections from our octogenarian church members. Last year several of our younger church members told us that they wanted more opportunities to learn from the wisdom and example of our older people. Many members of our congregation live far from their own parents and mentors. Their children do not get to know their own grandparents. These families look to the church to provide the intergenerational experiences they would not have otherwise.

If you’re over 80 and would like to offer a pulpit message during a Sunday service, please let me know. We’d like to hear how your Unitarian Universalist faith has helped you live your life. We’d like to know what hopes you have for our church. We want to hear from you.

--Judith Meyer

September, 2004

You will notice some changes in our Sunday services when we return for Ingathering Sunday, September 12. The changes are intended to improve the quality of our worship experience, but it takes time for a large group to adapt to change. I ask for your patience and your cooperation as we enter our new year together.

One change is in the sharing of joys and sorrows during our service. Few people are comfortable sharing personal news in front of a large group. People who are shy or overwhelmed by a crisis find it difficult to speak. Many of us have trouble hearing.

Our congregation is too large for individual sharing since time allows only a few to speak. I have been asking myself for a long time how to make the sharing of joys and sorrows more accessible to everyone and have made a decision about what to do.

In the coming year, joys and sorrows will be shared with the congregation through written announcements in the order of service and from the pulpit during the welcome and the meditation. If you wish to have a joy or sorrow mentioned in the Sunday service, please call me (or anyone on the church staff) with your news. I will render the news into a written or spoken communication to be shared with everyone on Sunday.

This approach offers several advantages. Both the 9:00 and the 11:00 congregations will hear the same news. I will have a chance to hear directly from you about what is going on in your lives. We will also free up time in the service for deeper reflection in the meditation, reading, and sermon, which many of you have requested.

Your participation in the service, through chalice lighting and pulpit messages, will increase. I’d like to hear a series of pulpit messages in which church members share how their Unitarian Universalist faith has influenced the way they live their lives — at work, at home, in relationships, and daily life. If you have a message you think others might like to hear, please let me know.

Another change is to heighten the contrast between the 9:00 and 11:00 services. The 9:00 service has always been quieter and more contemplative. This year we will strengthen this quality by asking people to refrain from applause during the early service.

This change addresses the reality that our congregation is evenly divided about worship and applause. About half of you love to applaud and do so enthusiastically. The other half feels that applause undermines the worship experience and the sense of reverence you seek in church. Now you will be able to choose which worship style you prefer. The 11:00 service will remain as expressive and lively as always.

It will take time to become accustomed to these changes. If something doesn’t work, we can always change again. Our worship life reflects the message of our faith: that we grow and change throughout our lives. This year we will practice that message together in many ways.

Thank you for your trust in me as your minister. I am excited to begin another year with you. I look forward to seeing you at Ingathering Sunday, September 12.

-- Judith Meyer

June, 2004

Here are excerpts from my annual report, delivered May 16:

This year brought us dramatic events, some long-awaited and others sudden. The Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting went better than we could have hoped, a friend of the church left us a generous bequest, and we bought the house next door. Though I can take no credit for any of these windfalls of good will and opportunity, they have absorbed my share of attention.

They have also deepened my appreciation for the good leadership that has guided us through these eventful times. Barbara Kernochan, Building Committee chair, and Carol Kerr, president, deserve our gratitude and praise. And, without our capital campaign team, including Jim Cadwell, chair, Ofelia Lachtman, many volunteers, and all of you donors, none of these happy developments could have ever taken place.

It has helped, during transition times, that our staff has grown so strong. The arrival of our full-time Director of Religious Education, Catherine Farmer, has brought a new dimension of skill and collegiality to our team. Finally our RE program is getting the guidance it deserves.

Our experience of ministry grew this year, as Intern Minister Stefanie Etzbach-Dale came to work with us for nine months. Stefanie has contributed greatly to the life of our church. She has brought to us her spirituality, her pastoral sensitivity, and her enthusiasm for Unitarian Universalism, as well as her experience in covenant groups, among her many gifts.

This year I made a few additions to my practice of ministry. I began meeting individually with our new members (51 of you), time well spent. I held several community dialogues to invite discussion about spirituality. I accepted an opportunity to serve our larger community as a member of the Fund for Unitarian Universalism, a grant-making panel that meets twice a year in Boston.

Here are the names of members and friends of our church who have died in the past year. With each name is a lifetime of remembrances and gratitude for the time they were among us:

George Kashmer, Member

Susan Benne, Earl Morgan, and William Passera, Friends

May the spirit of these companions live on in us, as we carry forward our common commitment to a Unitarian Universalist way of life, faithful to the words of our covenant: love is the doctrine of this church.

-- Judith Meyer

May, 2004

Each year our annual meeting covers the business of our congregation: hearing reports, approving the budget, making bylaws changes, electing officers and speaking on issues. The quorum needed to conduct business (78 people) is usually present, but we rarely have a large turnout for this event. It’s hard to give up a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon to tend to church governance.

And yet the right to hold a congregational meeting is a core value of our faith tradition. Our predecessors in Puritan New England created the autonomous, selfgoverning church because they wanted to be free from religious hierarchy, which they associated with corruption and excess. Authority is vested in the congregation.

Conducting church business is not the primary reason most people join our congregation. But the right to govern ourselves is precious, as is the freedom to think for ourselves and determine our own spiritual path. Congregational self-governance is what gives us that freedom.

This year’s annual meeting will cover the usual business. We also will thank our intern minister, Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, for her service to the church. And as is our custom, we will remember the members of the congregation who have died in the past year. Please join us as we practice our free faith together.

-- Judith Meyer

April, 2004

After years of slow, deliberate planning, our building program was finally on its way to approval. Then shortly before the longawaited March 3 meeting with the Santa Monica Planning Commission, the house next door went up for sale. Our board held an emergency meeting, consulted with as many members of the congregation as possible, and submitted an offer. The planning commission voted their approval of our building program. The house offer was accepted hours later. And in just a few short days, everything had changed.

You can find the details of the transaction elsewhere on this website. What strikes me as worth reporting is how well everyone worked together to act quickly and decisively on the opportunity. Knowing that we had precious little time, Board president Carol Kerr sought out the help of realtors in our congregation, and Pat McGuire worked closely with her to structure the bid. The Building Committee, which had invested years in creating a design to maximize the potential of our 17th Street lot, quickly embraced the change of plan and supported it enthusiastically. Our congregation responded to the news with joy and appreciation.

This fortuitous turn of events could not have happened if it were not for the skill of our leaders and the time they gave to bring about this happy result. Thanks go to Carol and Pat for their hard work. Thanks also go to Barbara Kernochan, Building Committee chair, and all the members of the Building Committee, for demonstrating flexibility and vision. All the wisdom they have gained from years of planning can now be applied to this new challenge.

It will take time to understand what our options are now. But we can be confident that we know how to plan, design and secure approval for whatever we choose. That confidence comes from the strength of our leadership and the breadth of our vision. Let’s be thankful for both.

-- Judith Meyer

March, 2004

Every winter, the Personnel Committee receives performance evaluations of all our church staff. It’s a rigorous process, but well worth the time and effort. The reviews help each of us to grow and develop our skills. This year I am particularly aware of what a competent staff we have and how grateful I am for all the work they do.

The Committee on Ministry conducts an evaluation of my performance. This year the committee produced a seven-page report, based on interviews with nearly ten percent of the congregation. The committee gathered responses to questions about my involvement with religious education, my sermons, pastoral care, community outreach, work with committees, staff and volunteers, my approachability, work with new members, and leadership abilities. Other opinions were solicited as well.

A member of the Committee on Ministry conveys the report to the Personnel Committee, the Board of Directors, and me. The report is a good tool for my development. It notices my strengths. It identifies areas that need attention. Sometimes there are issues that need better communication, or organizational problems that need leadership. The report also helps me to see the positive impact my ministry and our church have on people’s lives, and that is always gratifying to read.

Members of the Committee on Ministry are Audrey Lyness, Felicity Nussbaum, and Karen Raiford, with help from past president Jerry Gates. We meet regularly throughout the year. Audrey and Felicity’s three-year terms expire this spring, so the board will be adding new members to the committee soon. I am grateful to the committee for their conscientious, sensitive, and thorough work, and for their willingness to engage with me about the quality and direction of my ministry.

-- Judith Meyer

February, 2004

One Sunday morning in January, I met with our Coming of Age group, young people (13 to 14 years old) in our congregation who are learning about what it means to be Unitarian Universalist. It’s a time when religious identity and independence merge and they begin to claim our tradition for their own.

There are 10 participants in the program this year. They are a bright, thoughtful, and creative group. One of them chose the program and our church entirely on her own. She is the only member of her family who is a Unitarian Universalist!

During the time I spent with the group, we talked about how we became Unitarian Universalists. I asked them, “What is your story about how you came to our church?” And I told them my story.

As I listened to them, I realized how formative this Coming of Age year is. This is the time when the meaning of belonging, of being accepted, of forming opinions and values, all comes together. For me, it was a time when I began to understand how much the Unitarian Universalist community meant to me. A lifelong sense of loyalty was grounded in my experience.

Who can say what will come of the experience our Coming of Age group has this year? Perhaps one of them will become a minister. More important, each of them will become aware of the values that shape their lives and community. If they learn how to enter fully into both, the program will have achieved its goal.

-- Judith Meyer

January, 2004

The Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association has asked me to serve on a UUA funding panel, the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. I accepted their invitation and will serve a two-year term, beginning this month.

The Fund for Unitarian Universalism is one of four panels that award funds provided by the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, a generous UU benefactor. It makes grants to strengthen UU institutions and community life. It distributes about $300,000 a year.

I am looking forward to reading proposals and learning what projects other Unitarian Universalist congregations and groups are undertaking. The panel meets in Boston twice a year and does some business at General Assembly, so I will also be doing my part to strengthen our ties to our larger community. I am honored to serve the larger UUA in this way and expect that we will all benefit from my appointment.

-- Judith Meyer

December, 2003

By now most of you have met our intern minister, the Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale. Her presence on our church staff this year brings added skills and perspectives to our ministry. It is also an opportunity to participate in the formation of a new minister. An intern minister agrees to serve as well as learn, and Stefanie is eager to do both during her time with us.

To determine how Stefanie could best serve our congregation, we looked for areas in which she could make a contribution right from the start. Her introduction of “Covenant Groups,” small groups that meet for spiritual exploration, is one way in which she is serving us. Stefanie is also working with the Caring Network (see her column this month for more on that topic) and the Adult Religious Growth and Learning Committee.

Stefanie is learning about leading worship and preaching, religious education, church governance and organization, and what life in a Unitarian Universalist church is all about.

Stefanie and I meet each week for two hours of supervision and communicate frequently throughout the week. We debrief on her activities, review her goals, and reflect on what it means to be a parish minister.

What I have discovered in the first three months of her nine-month internship is that this is a learning experience for me as well as for Stefanie. It’s good to have someone ask me what it means to be a parish minister and why I do what I do. The process allows me to revisit those questions, grow in my own vocation, and perhaps even make some changes in the way I work.

I didn’t expect that my own ministry would change and grow as a result of supervising an intern, but I can see now that it has and will continue to do so throughout the year. For example, I have learned that the addition of “Covenant Groups” to our church program will allow us all to extend ministry to one another. I’ve had a chance to share with another minister what my experience of ministry is and why it matters so much to me. I’ve looked at my leadership style and thought of ways to be more intentional and focused in what I do from day to day.

I’m happy for this opportunity to teach and to reflect and to have a part in the shaping of a new minister. I’m also happy for the opportunity to learn. As it turns out, the internship experience is for all of us.

-- Judith Meyer

November, 2003

In the service each Sunday, I offer a few words of appreciation for our volunteers. This custom dates back several years now, when Helen Brown, as chair of the Administration Committee, suggested that we institute regular volunteer recognition into our church life. I always appreciate tips from you about people who deserve recognition, so let me know if you have a suggestion.

Our staff deserve recognition from time to time as well. Peggy Butler, who served the church for more than a decade as church administrator, and assisted our current church administrator, Marie Kashmer- Stiebing, for a couple more years, has retired from our staff. It is time to thank her for her service to our church and to honor her in her retirement.

During Peggy’s time on the staff, she touched so many people in various ways. She worked closely with a cadre of volunteers and the staff, but her influence extended far beyond that small group. She greeted the many people who come to our church each day, some of them church members, some not, looking for help of every imaginable kind.

It was Peggy’s friendly voice that answered the phone, explained Unitarian Universalism to countless seekers, and gave the first response to every query.

More often than not, Peggy was the one who told the ministers about an important need or crisis in a church member’s life. Her sensitivity and discretion were always impeccable.

Since we are fortunate enough to see Peggy at church on Sunday, we still have the benefit of her warm and caring presence among us. But that is not sufficient acknowledgment of the transition that has taken place, or of the place Peggy has occupied in our church lives and in our hearts. To mark this occasion matters not only to Peggy, but also to those of us who know her.

I invite you to a tea in honor of Peggy Butler on Friday, November 14, at 4 p.m., in Forbes Hall. There will be refreshments and some words for the occasion from some of us who have worked with Peggy as staff and as volunteers. Ernie and Maggie Pipes will join us. I hope you will, too. Please plan to attend our celebration and tell Peggy how much her service and friendship have meant to our church.

-- Judith Meyer

October, 2003

The Adult Religious Growth and Learning (ARGL) committee has always encouraged me to offer classes. Over the years I have responded by leading study groups in Transcendentalism, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, important components of our Unitarian Universalist history and spiritual tradition. Many of you have attended these sessions, reading primary texts and attending our group meetings. ARGL member Ren Renshaw joined me last year in co-leading the discussions, and the collaboration improved the class enormously.

Last spring, another member of ARGL, Jean Allgeyer, approached me with a new idea. She suggested that I open a dialogue with the congregation and hold a series of discussions about my personal beliefs. I liked her idea and gave some thought to the best way to plan such a program.

What I decided to do is to hold six to eight meetings over the course of the year, with the discussion based on the Sunday sermon for that week. The topics will address various aspects of personal faith and spirituality. In the sermon, I can offer some of my personal views. In the discussion, participants can respond and offer their own views as well.

The first meeting takes place Wednesday, October 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. We’ll meet in Forbes Hall. I will present the topic in my sermon Sunday, September 28, “On Being a Person of Faith.” I look forward to the opportunity to explore our faith and our spirituality together. We will get to know each other better as well! I hope that the result will be a stronger sense of our common faith and a stronger feeling of community.

-- Judith Meyer

September, 2003

When I arrived in California 10 years ago, I had no idea how long I would stay. It was such a big change for me, leaving my friends and family in the northeast and taking up ministry in Santa Monica. I didn’t tend to have long ministries: two years at one church, four at another, and six years at the Unitarian Universalist Association — the longest I ever remained in one job.

I was always looking for a new challenge, and the Santa Monica church was it. The first year was eventful: the January 1994 Northridge earthquake took place the morning after the installation service. Our building suffered serious damage and everyone’s lives were disrupted. I had to wonder whether moving here was such a good idea.

Ministry is unpredictable, I realized, and as I set about picking up the pieces after the quake, I also realized that bonds form during times of distress. And they did. Before long, I felt like a real Angeleno, flying down the 10 freeway with my friend Wanda the first day after it reopened.

Little did I know back then, however, how much my life would change or how long I would stay. We never know what the future will bring! I often wondered what it would be like to have a long ministry (10 years is long by most standards). More than once I have turned to Ernie Pipes, our minister emeritus, who served our church for 35 years, for advice. He taught me that a congregation is constantly changing, that you do not need to move somewhere else to renew your ministry or find new challenges.

I also learned that a long ministry is good for churches, which benefit from the stability and continuity a committed leader provides. One of the reasons our church is so strong is because of Ernie’s integrity and the depth of his ministry, tested over many years. Now I appreciate for myself the value of putting down roots and serving people for a long time.

These 10 years have been good ones for me. We have much to look forward to. And though no one can predict the future, it is certain to pose new challenges, interesting changes, and probably another earthquake sooner or later.

-- Judith Meyer

August, 2003

The summer has brought change once again to our congregation and larger Unitarian Universalist community. We look forward to greeting a new director of religious education, hopefully by the fall. And in September an intern minister, the Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, will be joining us for the church year. Look for her column in September.

Here in Santa Monica, change will bring us new personalities, skills and energies for our ministry and community. The year promises to be a good one. We will gain much from the addition of new leaders.

Change has taken place in our larger UU community too. At Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, the senior minister, the Rev. Lee Barker, has resigned to become president of Meadville-Lombard Theological School in Chicago. Many of you know Lee from our annual pulpit exchanges. His new position will draw on his strengths not only as a parish minister but also as an alumnus of Meadville, an advocate for theological education, and a transformational leader. It’s a great change for him.

Neighborhood Church has given Lee a warm send-off and prepares to welcome interim ministers to lead them through a transitional year or two. The transition, however, affects more than Lee’s former congregation. It also affects me. I will no longer have one of my closest colleagues in the ministry just a couple of freeways away, sharing the unique challenges of ministry in Los Angeles.

Lee and I will stay in touch, of course, but his departure will be a significant change for me. I say goodbye to him and his family knowing that the move will bring them new opportunities and advantages, which they deserve. And though the change is a loss for me, I know that it will bring growth. It always does.

What other changes the summer and new church year have in store for us, I cannot say.

What I can say is that change is constant and that good can come from what begins as loss. All we need to do is keep growing.

-- Judith Meyer

July, 2003

The Rev. Judith Meyer is on vacation this month.

June, 2003

Excerpt from the annual report of the minister to the congregation

It was a year in which we came together to study and witness for justice and peace; a year in which our church demanded – and received – exceptional volunteer commitments; a year in which we found real comfort in the warmth of our community. It was also a year in which our country went to war; and that was not the only harsh reality, for lost jobs and shrunken incomes have affected both church and household budgets. The departure of a key staff person, our director of religious education, left many of us unsettled, but brought out the best in our teachers, parents, and leaders. And in our ministry, we have said goodbye to too many beloved members. This year I performed more memorial services than weddings.
These are challenging times for us. Yet they bring out our strengths. The mission of our church – to practice love, seek truth and knowledge, dwell together in peace, serve humankind – is never diminished by challenges. Its hope and its purpose are more relevant than ever.

I have been your minister now for ten years. Long enough to feel deeply attached to the people; long enough to know when to step back and take the long view; long enough to appreciate the forward rush of time, of generational change, and of aging together.

But the best time is the present. Especially with all the energy that is going into religious education, faith in action, the stewardship initiative, and the emergence of new and inspired young leaders. What a joy it will be to work with Carol Kerr, our new president, in the coming year.

Change is always part of church life. Some of it comes naturally, but some of it must be planned.

Our church membership has grown over the years. We are vibrant and active. But our size is awkward: too large for our staff and our building, too small to have everything we want. The building program will take care of our space needs, but the need for more staff remains.

A long-range planning group, convened by president Jerry Gates, has been working on the problem this year. There is more work to be done, but Jerry has given us an excellent beginning. I hope that continued long range planning will be the legacy of his presidency.

For my part, I have been busy. This year I officiated at 6 weddings and 11 memorials. I have performed one child dedication ceremony — not nearly enough of those around here! –– and one ceremony for the renewal of marriage vows. I do as much pastoral work as I can. It is what I enjoy the most.

I am thankful to you, the congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, for giving me the best ten years of my life. I am thankful to Ernie Pipes and Silvio Nardoni, the best colleagues I could ever dream of having. And I am thankful to our common faith, which brings us together and guides us on our way.

-- Judith Meyer