Vol. 35 No. 7
February 2005
Homeless Interfaith Program
The homeless families in this interfaith program will be at UUSS during the nights of March 13 through March 20. Leon Bynum, a trainer from the national Family Promise organization in Gastonia, N.C., will meet with volunteers in our congregation on February 16 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. All Family Promise volunteers are invited and encouraged to attend this important meeting. We want to be prepared when our guests arrive on March 13.
Opening the Gender Box; Honoring our True Selves
This year, we explicitly welcome all who identify as women as well as all who have XX chromosomes. Join a caring circle in a time away from the everyday world. Take a pause for reflection and connection. How are we boxed in by gender? What does society do to us? What do we do to ourselves? How can we open the boxes and break free?
What is our resistance? As always, we will have workshops led by those attending the retreat, as well as lots of time (but never enough!) for silence, solitude, meditation, speaking our truths, listening to one another, laughing, crying, singing, dancing, drumming, and walking in the redwoods, with old friends and new.
For further information contact Marnie Singer at (408) 246-5250 (home), (408) 605-3225 (cell) and (650) 859-2640 (work) or via e-mail at marniesinger@sbcglobal.net .
Special Notice:
We are currently recruiting for the Business Administrator position at UUSS.
For more information see the website at http://www.uuss.org/busmgrhire.html.
Month of Sundays
Services 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. and Forum at 1:15 p.m.
February 6 "The Month I Gave Up Buying Things" - Eileen Karpeles
"You did WHAT?" "Gave up buying things. You know—like giving up candy for lent." This experiment inexorably led me to the whole area of values clarification: the importance of being aware, not just of what you think or say you value, but of what your ACTIONS say you truly value. (Eileen was our interim minister in 1989-90.)
February 13 "All Kinds of Families" - Chris Craethnenn
All Kinds of Families...We will worship as one community in this Intergenerational Service in which we celebrate the many ways that family love is expressed. Come and speak out a radical message of defiance and powerful praise of the rights of all people to live and love as they please.
February 20 "Loving What Is: Beliefs" - Doug Kraft
Unitarian Universalism offers a great deal of freedom of belief but no really critical way
to examine our own beliefs other than earnest
thinking. This morning I'd like to offer a
discipline that looks not just at the content of our beliefs
but how they affect us and define us and how to
free ourselves from hidden beliefs.
February 27 "Fear and Poetry" - Lyn Cox
Poetry is a form of communication that celebrates what is most vital, leaving the safety of unnecessary words behind. Out on the edge of language, new frontiers await.
Forum: "Fair Elections and Civil Rights: What Should We Know?" - Peter Phillips
Professor Peter Phillips, Director of Project Censored, and three Sonoma State University students will talk about the recent election and news stories not covered by the mainstream media. The presentation and discussion will occur at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento Public Forum, February 27, 1:15 p.m., 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento.
World Café Reminder for January
The lively, all-congregation World Cafe-style discussion at UUSS on January 29 is from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. We will be inquiring into the link between our inclination to be generous with our time, talents and support, and how connected and appreciated we feel.
Our Website's New Look
Have you looked at the UUSS web site lately? Terry Throop has done a great job of revising and maintaining the website. You can look at the current monthly and weekly calendars, announcements, current and past UNIGRAMS, member's directory, recent sermons, our church constitution and more. This is a terrific resource. Check it out at http://www.uuss.org.
Thanks Terry!
At the Moment . . .
UUSS was a ship with a slow leak that had been taking on brine for years. Only rather than taking on water, we were leaking money. We were at risk of going under. A few years ago we fixed that with our "living within our means" plan, a lot of work and a lot of help from a lot of people. We stopped the leak and patched the hull. Today we are not at risk of sinking. But we are still sitting low in the water. We'd like to move from "living within our means" to "thriving within our means." There is a lot of vibrancy in our congregation. But in church parlance, we are "staffed for decline": we have the staff size of a church that wants to shrink. To maintain our size or grow, we need one or two more program staff. Lyn and I are stretched pretty thin trying to keep up with an energetic congregation. Our average pledge is the lowest among UU congregations our size.
What could we do with more money? To help programming, we'd make the student intern slot permanent, hire a part-time Religious Education Assistant and hire a part-time Membership Coordinator. These are cost effective ways to integrate new members into the congregation before they drift away, strengthen education and intergenerational programming, free the ministers to be more effective voices in the larger community, launch congregational programs on diversity and social justice, provide more in-depth spiritual exploration, give the ministers more time to be with people and more. To better steward our property we'd like to add a $25,000 capital replacement line to our annual budget. Then we could replace the patches on the ship's hull with permanent repairs and maybe even add a little paint. Deferred maintenance is catching up with us. A capital improvement fund would allow us to start on a list of projects that range from energy efficiency improvements to parking lot repairs, from an outdoor labyrinth to a wood floor for the sanctuary, from new lighting and wiring in the RE wing to non-buzzing lights in the sanctuary.
Fundamentalists and conservatives pour money into think tanks and churches to project their values into the world. We'd like to project a more life embracing vision. To do this we need a strong institutional presence that lives and breathes and articulates deeper moral values. We have the values: the goodness in everyone, the power of inclusive love, the independence of all life. These define who we are at UUSS. This is who we have been. This is who we aspire to be. One essential ingredient we are hampered by is lack of money.
Our annual fund drive is coming up in March. I ask you to consider all that we have been, all that we are and all that we can be. I ask you to pledge generously.
Finding Doug . . .
My office hours will remain sporadic as I continue to heal from my concussion. If you would like to reach me about anything, please give me a call (483-9283 x 201) or send me a note (doug@uuss.org). I will be on retreat from February 4th through the 12th.
President's Letter
Imagine Board presidents from UU congregations throughout the Pacific Central District gathering together to dialogue. Ministers, Religious Education Directors and Office Administrators do it. But lay leaders never have—until last month. About 20 board presidents from congregations as small as the new group in Petaluma to San Francisco's 460-member congregation, met at the UU Church in Livermore, in one of their new buildings, with Cilla Raughley, the District Executive, and shared histories and ideas.
Many of us were frantically jotting down suggestions on how to run more efficient and productive board meetings, how to communicate better with the congregation, and scores of other ideas. Here are my notes.
The first list I created as I heard presidents lament over various topics. I am thankful that we don't have some of the problems other congregations experience. The second list is my wish list. I am jealous of the 300-member Monterey peninsula congregation that has two called ministers.
I'm thankful for:
| member volunteers who take initiative | |
| paid staff | |
| our intern minister | |
| an Assistant Minister of Education | |
| an exciting and growing music program | |
| founding members who are open to change | |
| a senior minister who is musician, a deep thinker, and thoughtful preacher | |
| the Program Council | |
| relatively short board meetings | |
| Ministry Circles | |
| A beautiful campus | |
| good minister/board relations. |
I wish for:
| an Associate Minister | |
| more opportunities to become connected | |
| opportunities for spiritual practices another intern minister | |
| a Campus Ministry | |
| Membership Coordinator | |
| an RE Assistant | |
| better communication one to two social justice goals shared by the entire congregation | |
| large Endowment and Capital Replacement funds | |
| fair share compensation for our present staff |
What are your dreams for UUSS? What do you need to feel more connected? How can
you make these dreams come to fruition?
As we approach our annual Stewardship/Canvass Drive, let's share our dreams that will help UUSS become a haven for people seeking a spiritual home and a force in both the community and denomination.
Get on Board
The UUSS Board of Trustees accepted and signed a new Confidentiality Agreement at the December meeting.
The Board discussed two major items. The first was about additions and emphasis for a "Wish List" for programs, plans, people and miscellaneous issues to help for budget and program planning. The second item was discussion on long-range goals to promote intergenerational activity, fair compensation for staff, diversity, model financial and environment stewardship and fostering a culture of generosity. It was agreed that both are multi-years goals and that "fostering a culture of generosity" was the key. This would be measured through an increase in total average pledges, community generosity, size of the endowment, the number of volunteer hours, and the spirit of generosity as measured in a survey.
A master re-keying plan and an inventory of furniture will be done in early January. These will help with plans to allow custodians two days off per week.
Tiffany Urness, Canvass Committee Chair, reviewed plans and progress toward the 2005-06 canvass and shared the UUSS Fair Share Giving Guide.
The Board made two budget decisions:
• In 2004-2005 a new capital outlay replacement budget line is to be funded with anticipated increased pledge income and the first expense will be to fix the RE roof. There are leaks in Rooms 6 and 12. <• $14,000 will be included in the next budget for an intern minister.
All-Church Campout
Save the dates of June 17 to 19 for the all-church campout this summer. It will be held at "Camp Norge," the Sons of Norway Recreation Center in Alta, CA. Located just off Interstate 80, the entire facility has been reserved for the UUSS campout. There are facilities for RVs, tents, two dormitories with 10 bedrooms, and 3 public bathrooms with showers. The facility also consists of a large kitchen and adjoining dining area, solar heated swimming pool, horseshoe pits, and a safe meadow for children. The RVs and tents surround the area. Call Thelma White at 488-8867 or Joan Rubenson at 363-2415 for further information or if you wish to volunteer.
Canvass Gets In Gear
You CAN make a difference. It's time to truly live our values. We've heard
about moral values a lot this year, and now we have an opportunity to show that we
UUs are also a powerful force and have what it takes to manifest our values. We
have wonderful goals for our congregation that have been discussed and fine tuned.
After our World Café last year we decided
to
increase intergenerational activities, reach out to the community, enhance our
facilities, and take good care of our staff. The
only thing that's limiting us is money!! Why should other churches be able to raise
so much money and have such political clout when we have not? Why are we at
UUSS operating on a low budget compared to other UU churches our size? This year `s
Canvass will offer us an opportunity to address
those issues and to demonstrate our healthy relationship with our church by "Sharing
our abundance and meeting our needs."
One of the first activities in the Canvass process this year is the World Café on January 29. We will participate in clarifying what we can do individually and collectively to meet our financial needs. Stewardship Representatives and the Canvass leadership have been meeting in January. They are making a commitment to meet with every church member individually in February and March. We will all come together to celebrate our abundance and generosity at the Fellowship dinner on March 5th.
We are so lucky to have such a vibrant and growing church that is a beacon for liberal religion in the Sacramento area. We each can make a difference to the success of our programs and the survival of our values by generously participating in the '05 Canvass.
Linda Klein
Communications Chair
UUSS Canvass Committee
On Being a Unitarian Universalist Board Member
The UUSS Nominating Committee is continuing its work in seeking candidates for the seven positions on the UUSS Board of Trustees, which will be open June 2005. However, having asked for your assistance with this work, let us touch on a couple of "benefits" which accrue from serving on a Unitarian Universalist Board, as reported by former Board members and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Board service can deepen your spiritual quest.
As members of a religious society that affirms and encourages the individual search for truth, and encourages us to keep open minds — believing that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion—we are staunchly self-governing congregations.
Our tradition of congregational self-governance comes from the Reformation, and the movement of people from Europe to the colonies in America for religious freedom. Our current practices reflect that tradition. Each UU congregation owns its own property, selects its own leadership, controls its own finances, and sets its own criteria for membership. Our democratically elected leadership, our Board of Trustees, actively engage in an ongoing process of balancing institutional life with our religious life.
Board service can be personally satisfying.
In addition to the joyous social camaraderie of serving, moments can range from the humorous to those deeply moving and emotional. Congregational life brings issues that vary from Awe-inspiring to Zany. It is not unusual to enjoy an unexpected benefit—professional or personal—from serving.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the board or wish to recommend another member for consideration, please contact any member of the Nominating Committee:
Maxine Cornwell, Cathy George, Lisa Karkoski, Fran Kennedy, Nancy Lust, Joan Osborn, Ron Selge.
Written correspondence may be directed to the Nominating Committee's mailbox in the UUSS office.
Lyn's Column
BEEP. Whirr. Whirr. BEEP. Whine, whine, whine.
Silence.
BEEP. Whirr. Whirr. BEEP. Whine, whine, whine.
Silence.
My computer attempted to start up, didn't quite make the leap, and tried again. Over and over. I pushed the power button. No effect. Ralph pronounced the computer dead at the scene. It seems that the outdated surge protector in my office wasn't enough to shield the brave little PC from a lightning storm. As I write this, a new CPU and monitor are on their way from the factory. Meanwhile, the change in equipment is leading me to heightened awareness about the ways I communicate.
Usually, large portions of my office hours are devoted to answering e-mail. When I'm on the phone, I often look through my e-mail or on the Internet for an answer to whatever question we're discussing. With the church database, I can find answers to questions about addresses, Religious Education registration, and birthdays. During this period of limited e-mail access, I am using voice-to-voice and in-person communication more often. The pace of my day has slowed. I notice myself paying more attention to the communication I receive by phone or U.S. Post. I definitely find myself relying on others as I ask around for copies of documents that were stored on my old hard drive.
February's spiritual practice of the month is "Communication." It's the last in our Winter Quarter series on "Giving and Receiving." Communication as a spiritual practice involves a broad approach, building communication skills and cultivating generous attitudes for giving and receiving information. In Religious Education, we'll try poetry and calligraphy as spiritual practices. We'll also explore the power of storytelling in religion.
May all of our communication practices this month be fruitful, and may you be shielded from the storms.
Finding Lyn
I'm generally in the office in the middle of the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please drop me a line if you would like to talk about membership, religious education, or anything else that's on your mind: (916) 483-9283, ext. 203.
Religious Education Calendar
February 5: Noon until Sunday morning Coming of Age Retreat.
This is the second in a three-part series for 8th- through 10th-graders and will feature a low ropes course and theological reflection.
February 6: 11:00 - Curriculum Sunday: Telling Stories
Children and youth will gather in age-focused groups to explore the power of storytelling in religious communities.
February 13: 9:00 and 11:00
Intergenerational Worship:
All Kinds of Families.
Our Valentines' Day worship will celebrate the many different shapes and sizes of families in our midst.
February 13: 12:30 - Special Friends Party.
Participants in the Special Friends Festival will meet at a party. This month-long event pairs tall people and small people in a note-exchanging intergenerational mystery.
February 20: 11:00 - Community Service
Sunday: Senior Visit.
Children and youth will go on a field trip to visit senior citizens.
February 27: 11:00 - Curriculum Sunday:
Words
Children and youth will gather in age-focused groups to practice using words and calligraphy in religious ways.
Mystery Unitarian Universalist of the Month
Each month during the school year, we publish clues about a famous UU. Read the following facts and see if you can guess this month's mystery person:
• He was born on February 3, 1811, in Amherst, New Hampshire.
• Throughout his career as a journalist, he wrote and edited articles about liberal ideas such as women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
• In 1841, he established the New York Tribune.
• He helped form the Republican party in 1856.
• In 1872, he ran against Ulysses S. Grant for president. He won 40 percent of the popular vote, but died a few weeks after the election.
• His most famous advice was, "Go
west, young man, and grow with the country."
The Mystery Unitarian Universalist's identity will be revealed during a Sunday morning worship in February.
January's religious educator was Sophia Lyon Fahs. Congratulations to all the
correct guessers!
The Intern-al Plane
Christopher Craethnenn, Intern Minister
The song on the radio sang, "Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage." Sinatra's silken baritone floated through my head, and I realized that I was entering into my second Valentine season as a married person.
Love.
Marriage.
Right now across the world and in this country in particular, powerful forces are desperately trying to strangle the freedom of all people to publicly and legally profess and commit themselves to their loving.
People fear a slippery slope.
People fear that the sanctity of marriage (the sanctity of the 50 percent divorce rate) may be in danger.
People fear.
This time of Valentines and candy, I am of the mind that love is for lovers, and that marriage is for lovers who want their love to be known, held, and supported by community.
Unitarian Universalists were at the heart of the recent radical legislation passed in Massachusetts. Here in California our own Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry (UULM) is hard at work with legislators and lawmakers to help effect similar change here in our home.
We can have a prophetic voice in the future of marriage, in the future of the moral landscape of this country.
On February 13th, we will be celebrating an Intergenerational Worship Service on All Kinds of Families, honoring and lifting up the many ways of loving and being loved in today's world.
There is good work afoot.
Please join in this historic struggle.
Seek out our UULM representatives. Come on the 13th.
We can have a prophetic voice.
If we but speak.
Big Blessings,
Chris
Women's Alliance
Maxine Barish, M.D., internist with Sutter Medical Group, will speak on "Women's Wellness: Body, Mind, and Soul," on Thursday, February 10. Dr. Barish is well known for her interest in complementary medicine and in the capacity of the human body, psyche, and spirit to heal. She has been a presenter in past Women's Day events in Sacramento and has made numerous appearances on television and radio in Northern California. She has an intense interest in the impact of lifestyle choices on health and wellness. There will be ample opportunity for questions and answers in this program. The Alliance meeting times are as follows: early-bird coffee and muffins at 10:15, announcements at 10:30, and the program 11:00. Members are urged to come at 10:30 prior to the beginning of the program. Nonmembers are encouraged to attend (men included). Bring a bag lunch for after the program; dessert, coffee, and tea are provided.
Banner Notecards: Sales of the notecards with photos of the 17 banners have been brisk. We will continue to have the cards at Alliance meetings and sometimes at Sunday service. You may contact vadunstan@aol.com if you wish cards in between times.
Coming soon: A poster of the banner photos is in the works!
Save the Date for the Women's Alliance Annual Brunch Spring Gala—on Saturday, April 9th. We'll enjoy fantastic food, raffle, and premier production of "The Last Luncheon" by Helene Graham. Tickets on sale in March. Watch for more details!
Also Save the Date for the PCD Women & Religion Spring Retreat on March 11 to 13, 2005 at Enchanted Hills Camp, Napa, CA.
Church Community Garden
Calling all gardeners young and old, singles and families. Do you need a plot of land to putter on? Do you want to commune with your fellow UUs and the earth? Do you love to garden, but do not have the place to do it anymore? Here is your golden opportunity. We are going to start a UUSS Community Garden in late May or early March (depending on when the last frost is). We will till the soil for you. Let me or the office know if you and yours are interested. Call me at 363-0400 or talk to me at church.
Glenda Smaage
Convo-By-The-Bay!
The First Unitarian Church of Oakland, in cooperation with other Bay Area UU Churches, Fellowships and Societies, will host the 2005 Annual Interweave Convocation (Convo) on February 25 to 27. Convo is an opportunity for bisexual, gay, intersex, lesbian, and transgender (BGILT) activists and our heterosexual allies from around North America to come together for community, information sharing, networking, learning, playing, and worshipping. Registration is $150 for Interweave members, $175 for non-members. Registration forms are available at the interweaveconvo website below.
UUSS member Joy Fisher plans to attend this convention and is willing to coordinate with other interested UUSS members. Contact her at jfisher979@aol.com, or call 567-1045. For more info, check out these websites:
http://interweaveconvo2005.org
www.uuoakland.org
www.uusf.org
www.uucb.org
or Interweave, Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street, Oakland CA 94612, phone
(510) 893-6129
Women's Ritual Group
This month's meeting is Sunday, February 20, at 5:00 p.m. in the Fahs Room. March's meeting is the quarterly open public celebration, this season of the Vernal Equinox, on Sunday, March 20: Labyrinth at 4:00 p.m., potluck at 5:00 p.m., celebration at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium. If you are interested, please call Laurie Jones at 743-0469.
Labyrinth Planning Meeting
This month's meeting is Sunday, February 27 at 1:00 in the Fahs Room. So far, the members of this team are Ministerial Intern Chris Craethnenn, Tiffany Urness, Laurie Jones and Jerry Houseman. Our goal is for a low-cost, low maintenance, accessible labyrinth, possibly in a chalice shape. Anyone interested, please call Laurie Jones at 743-0469.
Welcoming Congregation II
UUSS will be starting the Welcoming Congregation II curriculum on March 6th from 1 to 3 p.m. at the church. This course is designed to help us understand how we learned our reactions to homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people and how we can replace old attitudes with new ones. If you are interested in serving on the Welcoming Congregation Committee or teaching a session in the future, please leave your name and phone number with the office.
Spam Kills UUSS e-Unigram
Due to spam blockers many of our Unigrams sent by email are not getting through. There is probably a solution but we haven't found one yet. Until then all Unigrams will be sent by mail. It will still be available online at www.uuss.org.
Clay Nelson
Guidelines for Unigram Articles
The Unigram Committee has developed a set of guidelines to be followed when
submitting any articles for publication. The guidelines can be found on the UUSS
Web at
http://www.uuss.org/unigramguidelines.shtml.
If you do not
have internet access, call the UUSS office at (916) 483-9283 to request a copy. If you have any questions about the
guidelines, e-mail the Unigram Committee at or call the UUSS office to leave a message.