by Kitty Merrill | Jan 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
Exciting Learning In RE Classes
Pre K-1st: In February we will be continuing with our “Treasure Hunting” theme as we explore the treasures of our church and our religion. Lesson titles include, “Ideas of God,” “What is Religion?” and “Seeing With Our Hearts.”
Teaching Team: Laurie Lemson, Cheryl Gilbert, Katie Hutchins, Irma Sixby, Gerri Woodson
2nd-5th: Bibleodeon Themes: “Courage”, “Wisdom”, “Obedience.” We will explore the Hebrew Bible stories of David and Solomon and also look at the women of the Hebrew Bible and also revisit and revise our class covenant to reflect the covenant between teachers and children – what we promise to each other.
Teaching Team: Lauren Copus, David Smith, MaryKay Lambert, Jeff Steves, Phoebe Higgins
6th-8th: This month we delve into Islam, one of the ‘Big 3’ with over 1.6 billion followers worldwide. We will discuss important aspects and concepts of the religion to deepen students understanding of the Islamic faith and learn about the prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam.
Children will also begin to think more deeply about how their own faith could be expressed in small and great ways, in every part of their lives, and throughout life.
February goals:
- Introduce core aspects of Islam
- Acquaint us with the life of Muhammad, founder of Islam
ª Encourage thought about how their own religion is manifest in their lives.
Teaching Team: Chris C De Baca, Michael Pezzuto, Marge Lorraine, Gina Norstedt, Mina Nichols, Ray Vargas
by Kitty Merrill | Jan 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
Hello friends and thanks again for participating in our Social Action priorities’ setting meeting last November.
The Social Action Coordinating Committee invites you to attend meetings on the fourth Monday in order to get better connected and begin planning actions and activities around the issues you are most passionate about. We normally have a simple potluck at 6pm and then our meeting at 6:30pm.
Other meetings you are invited to are the Lift Up Your Voice Steering committee on the fourth Wednesday at 12:30pm in the conference room. We plan things like the Homeless Persons Memorial Service, Take a Hungry Person to Lunch, and advocating for local government to set policies that make it easier for our service providers to get people out of homelessness.
Our environmental action group, 7PEAT (7th Principle Environmental Action Team), meets on the first Sunday 11:45 pm in the conference room.
I saw lots of UUCV members at the Ventura County Reproductive Rights Network’s annual Roe V. Wade program at Temple Beth Torah.
I know many of you voted for Women’s Rights and Women’s issues as an area you would like to work on. SACC has been supportive of this group and Planned Parenthood, but certainly an Action Group in this area could do much more. Along with women’s rights, many of you also mentioned human rights in general, immigrant rights in particular, and racial justice as areas of interest for you.
With only a half dozen or fewer active SACC members we really need more direct participation just to keep up with what we are already doing, much less adding more areas to our work.
Please consider adding your voice by joining SACC. If you are unavailable to come to SACC meetings but would like to take the lead on a particular issue, contact the chair Lety Ball (ball.edith@ gmail) or another SACC member.
by Kent Brinkmeyer
by Kitty Merrill | Jan 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
History and Vision
I was asked by Beverly Jordan, to speak at a New Member Orientation on the history
and vision of UUCV. The following are some of my comments:
The complete history of UUCV is on our website and I encourage everyone to be
familiar with our beginnings and how far we have traveled since 1958. If there were
a UUCV history book, I think it would have three chapters with a fourth in the
works.
Chapter one – How it all began. Fifty-nine years ago, a small group from the
Universalist Church of Santa Paula formed a Fellowship in Ventura. There are photos
in Berg Hall of the homes and rented spaces where those first meetings were held. In
1962 the name of the church officially became the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Ventura. Bobbie Schoenherr, a founding member, is still involved in church events.
That early church was much like ours today, with parents seeking a more vital religious
environment within which to raise their children and grandchildren.
Chapter two – The Terry House, a Ventura Historic Landmark. It was a bold move
to come together and commit to a mortgage. That takes trust. Frank Peterson, who
continues to be an active member, was instrumental in raising the down payment.
From 1969 to 2004 the Terry House was our home. It was peaceful and the view
was stunning. You can still see our Chalice on the parking lot gate near Foothill
and Day Roads. Social Justice work was at the forefront of our presence in Ventura.
Chapter three – The move to Ralston and the promise of this new facility was another
bold move to accommodate growth and be more accessible to the community of
Ventura. We have vitality and potential in this location. Our building does not look
much like a church; it was designed as an office building. The best features are the
large parking lot and the 14,000 sq.ft. of space. This is a busy and happening place.
Our calendar is scheduled everyday with activities and events. The lesson learned
is that a church is not its’ building, rather it is the community of people gathered
and what they do together.
As we begin Chapter four, the future is not yet written, we are writing it together.
We are on a journey. So far, the story of the UUCV is about the history of our times
and the building up of a people. My hope is we will carry forward the themes of
Boldness and Prophetic voice found in the first three chapters.
You may think differently, which would be typically UU, but I believe that our vision
for the future includes helping people change their lives, and the lives of others for
the better, fulfilling the meaning of being a justice-seeking people and making a
difference in the world by standing on the side of love.
How we do that work is up to us, democratically, while observing the 7 Principles
and our Covenant of Right Relations. The relationship we have with each other and
the world can be a place of tension. It is where we comfort the afflicted and afflict the
comfortable. To me, it is the heart of Unitarian Universalism to be in relationship
together, supporting one another in our individual search for truth and meaning.
So, what I want to know from everyone reading my column is this: How has the
UUCV changed your life? Please, write your UU Story and email it to me, bryanabuck@hotmail.com. I hope to share some of them in our newsletter.”
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, President
by Kitty Merrill | Jan 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
Dear Ones,
My Installation is in less than three weeks!
No, we’re not hanging me on the wall like an art installation. Nor will I be installed like a dishwasher. On the evening of Feb. 19, I will be installed as the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura’s 7th settled senior minister. The service is an affirmation of the covenantal relationship between the minister and the congregation.
I’ve been talking a lot lately – to our newest members and to the latest covenant groups – about what it means to be a covenantal rather than a creedal faith. We do not gather around a set of shared beliefs. We gather around a set of promises we make to one another: promises about how we will live by our values, promises about what it means to journey together in faith, even as we believe many different things.
It is a powerful spiritual path when we do it well.
It sometimes surprises people when they find that the Puritans and Pilgrims of 17th century New England are our religious forbears. Indeed, the Pilgrims’ congregation in Plymouth, Massachusetts is a Unitarian Universalist church. Our direct lineage to them comes in two ways. They were both covenantal and non-creedal as we are today. They required no statement of belief to be a member of the community. They simply agreed to walk together.
One of the earliest covenants was a promise to “walk together in the ways of the Lord, known and to be made known.” Our religious forebears knew that revelation is an on-going process, that what is good and holy is constantly revealed more fully in our lives. Their beliefs were rather different than most of ours today. Yet after nearly 400 years, being covenantal not creedal made room for evolution of faith. And here we are.
So that lineage is handed down to us, today. We will move – together – a little farther down the path.
The covenant between a minister and congregation is particularly powerful in our tradition. We promise mutual support. I promise to minister with authenticity and integrity, from my understanding of what is good and holy. The congregation promises to live, learn and grow in spirit and to support the church. We promise together to be partners in this ministry.
I am anticipating a joyful and powerful service on Feb. 19. I hope to see you there!
With love,
Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | Jan 27, 2017 | Minister
Dear Ones,
My Installation is in less than three weeks!
No, we’re not hanging me on the wall like an art installation. Nor will I be installed like a dishwasher. On the evening of Feb. 19, I will be installed as the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura’s 7th settled senior minister. The service is an affirmation of the covenantal relationship between the minister and the congregation.
I’ve been talking a lot lately – to our newest members and to the latest covenant groups – about what it means to be a covenantal rather than a creedal faith. We do not gather around a set of shared beliefs. We gather around a set of promises we make to one another: promises about how we will live by our values, promises about what it means to journey together in faith, even as we believe many different things.
It is a powerful spiritual path when we do it well.
It sometimes surprises people when they find that the Puritans and Pilgrims of 17th century New England are our religious forbears. Indeed, the Pilgrims’ congregation in Plymouth, Massachusetts is a Unitarian Universalist church. Our direct lineage to them comes in two ways. They were both covenantal and non-creedal as we are today. They required no statement of belief to be a member of the community. They simply agreed to walk together.
One of the earliest covenants was a promise to “walk together in the ways of the Lord, known and to be made known.” Our religious forebears knew that revelation is an on-going process, that what is good and holy is constantly revealed more fully in our lives. Their beliefs were rather different than most of ours today. Yet after nearly 400 years, being covenantal not creedal made room for evolution of faith. And here we are.
So that lineage is handed down to us, today. We will move – together – a little farther down the path.
The covenant between a minister and congregation is particularly powerful in our tradition. We promise mutual support. I promise to minister with authenticity and integrity, from my understanding of what is good and holy. The congregation promises to live, learn and grow in spirit and to support the church. We promise together to be partners in this ministry.
I am anticipating a joyful and powerful service on Feb. 19. I hope to see you there!
With love,
Rev. Dana
