News from Children’s Religious Education – August 2016

by Kitty Merrill | Aug 1, 2016 | Justice Actions

Our study of the Channel Islands continues this month with Mark and Krista Mendelsohn teaching about the National Park Service and their amazing programs to recover the life and habitat of our ocean. Then we’ll view the National Marine Sanctuary: the kelp forests, marine preserves and their essential role in the life of the ocean, including learning about how litter and trash destroy the life in the ocean and lead to weakening and disappearance of vital areas within our ocean. We will also be learning life sustaining ways to take care of our trash and litter.

We are thrilled with your response to our Teacher Recruitment Town Hall. Please save Saturday, August 27 for Teacher training that morning. We feel very fortunate that our newly arrived minister, Rev Dana will join us to lead our training along with experienced teachers and members of the RE Committee.

Please consider your volunteer teaching as an integral part of your spiritual work. Teaching Religious Education to our children can be as deepening for our spiritual life as attending our Worship service. In fact they both complement each other for most teachers. Our workable compromise is to provide for continuity with our children and at the same time to give our teachers two Sundays to attend the worship service – the best of “both worlds.” Our goal is to have two teaching teams for each class; each teaching two weeks per month. A substitute teacher will be a regular part of the team when needed.

In addition, our RE team has support for you: just give us a list of your materials, books, posters, music, charts, letters home, two weeks before you teach and we will have it all in your room before you arrive Sunday morning. We are ready to assist you in any detail of planning you need, questions you have about teaching children, using the curriculum, teaching songs, doing followup activities, dealing with special needs of children.

We welcome all your questions and will give you tours to acquaint you with our rooms, play yard, equipment, teachers library and children’s library. The sign up logs are on the table outside the RE Director’s office in Berg Hall. For more information please see Joyce Faber, Acting DRE

OWL Our Whole Lives Classes will begin in the fall for 3rd and 4th grade and Sr HS. See Vel Akseven, Coordinator, for info.

Children’s, Choir, led by Carolyn Howard, returns in the fall.

With Love and Faith,  Joyce Faber, dre@uuventura.org

Notes from the President’s Desk – August 2016

by Kitty Merrill | Aug 1, 2016 | Justice Actions

May the Love that overcomes all differences,[spacer height=”-10px”]

that heals all wounds,[spacer height=”-10px”]

that puts to flight all fears,[spacer height=”-10px”]

that reconciles all who are separated,[spacer height=”-10px”]

Be in us and among us now and always.[spacer height=”-10px”]

Amen.

— Frederick E. Gillis

I first heard these words last June when our own Chuck Samonsky used them to open the Worship service featuring members of our congregation telling their stories about participating in Religious Education. Telling our stories, sharing our views, our feelings with each other in the sacred space of our relationships is how we get close and gain understanding. The entire service moved me but my attention was caught by the power of love expressed in the opening words. How does one maintain an open heart in a world where there is so much in conflict?
In last month’s column I described how I think UU live in the gray. That is a place of tension and it is not an easy place to reside. I do not think Unitarian Universalism is an easy religion. You have to find your own answers. No one gives them to you. You have to put effort into your personal theology. No one tells you what you must believe. In our case we ask only that you be in sympathy with our 7 Principles and even then you don’t have to agree with them, much less interpret them the same as someone else. You don’t have to think alike in order to love alike.
By the time this column comes out your Board will have had its first meeting of the church year. The Board members are: Chuck Samonsky(Vice-President), Vel Linden-Akseven (Secretary), Jim Waldron (Treasurer), Kassy Erickson, Mark Gale and Kim Prieto (Trustees at Large). Our Minister, Rev. Dana, will be joining the Board this month and I am certain she will be offering all manner of advice and counsel as she gets acquainted with us and the life that is the UUCV.
At the July Board meeting we spent our time doing ordinary things like getting organized for future meetings. We began scheduling the calendar, and we took a look at a list of the likely issues we will need to address for the year. Among those issues are the proposed remodeling of the playground, the policy on major maintenance, our minister’s installation, the search for a Director of Religious Education, the upcoming auction and fundraising in general, the need for a Personnel Committee, the potential of a Cluster Gathering and cooperative work with the Conejo and Santa Paula congregations, and the upcoming Task Group work.
Expect we will aim high, boldly, as is the style of this congregation. We will look to reach to that which is beyond our grasp. And should we end up somewhere short of our goals we will still have been successful because we will have built upon our relationships with each other. That is true for the Board, for our Committees and for each of us individually as we all work together to support our church. I believe building relationships of mutual understanding and caring with each other is the most important work we can do together. It is a process that takes time.
Living in Paradise, Bryan Buck, President

Sacred Community – August 2016

by Kitty Merrill | Aug 1, 2016 | Justice Actions

Learnings, Musings, Observations of General Assembly by Beverly Jordan, Membership Manager
I embarked on my first General Assembly experience in June full of anticipation mixed with a little intimidation. It was awesome to be gathered in Columbus, Ohio with 3,800 UUs celebrating this tradition through worship, learning together in workshops, and dialoguing over important issues. Thank you UUCV for making it possible for me to experience this expansive and broadening event.
It was great to share this experience with UUCV members: Vel Akseven, Tanner Akseven, and Jim and Kitty Merrill. I have a notebook full of ideas, thoughts and hopes. The subjects range from Membership to Sabbath. I am just beginning to let these nuggets unfold.
So, for now, I share with you a few random gleanings:

• Some people research (mostly on-line) Unitarian Universalism and local churches up to 6 months or a year, before making their first visit to a church. (Membership Professional Day workshop)
• The truths from our past religious experiences may no longer hold true. When not healed these become like heavy baggage that weighs us down.
• “UU World” special edition – fresh off the press – is for seekers and is an introduction to Unitarian Universalism. The editor solicited specific feedback from the membership professionals.
• When resolving conflict, search for and disclose hidden assumptions. (Conflict Resolution workshop)
• Debate is about being right, it is combative, it is the defending of assumptions and one listens only to defend position.
• Dialogue is collaborative, the goal is to find common ground, assumptions are brought up for observation and one listens to understand.
• Sabbath is about stepping outside of social and economic systems to gain independence from those systems and connect with our higher power, deepest self, community and family. (Sabbath workshop)
• Stewardship previously meant “to save and protect.” Now it must be about investing spending that brings about impact. (Interfaith Perspectives on Stewardship workshop)
• The reason people contribute to non-profits: Belief in the mission, trust in the leadership and fiscal responsibility.
• “Voices of Humanism” edited by Gary Bauslaugh released in Fall 2016. This is a collection of writings that demonstrates humanistic thinking — independent, compassionate, rational and constructive explorations of various matters of human importance. (Humanism workshop)
• Mind truth as best we can, and let it be the compass for the way we walk through change. (Krista Tippett, “On Being” host)
• Our lives are raw material for wisdom if we are honest.

—- and so much more.
One highlight for me was the Membership Professional Day attended by 30 membership professionals. The networking was invaluable and my resource cache has multiplied. I have a deeper appreciation of the way we do church at UUCV, and the commitment level of our Membership Committee. There is much to live into.
Committed to Growth, Beverly