by Kitty Merrill | Jul 29, 2017 | Justice Actions
I hope you watched General Assembly 2017 at UUA.org. Rev. Dana sent everyone an email July 5 with links to the events of this 5-day historic and powerful gathering of UUs. The following are Benedictions (a short invocation for divine help blessing and guidance given at the end of a worship service) from this year’s General Assembly. Why highlight these Benedictions? Because they inspire us towards the spiritual growth that comes from being a justice seeking people.
Thursday Worship – Benediction – Rev. Barbara Jarrell:
“Nelson Mandela once said, “Fools multiply when the wise are silent,” not unlike Dr. King, who said, “A time comes when silence is a betrayal.” Today circumstances call upon us to raise our voices, to give the world a wakeup call, to let our light shine. This morning, we will not extinguish the light of our chalice, but shall let it burn and shine as we go forward on this day, throughout this week, and whenever we must lift our voices to resist and rejoice.”
Friday Worship – Benediction – Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson:
“We leave you with words attributed to the 14th century Persian poet Hafiz: “Out of a great need we are all holding hands and climbing. Not loving is a letting go. Listen, the terrain around here is far too dangerous for that. We are called to a revolutionary love that demands that we not let go. A love that demands that we draw our circle wider, and wider, and wider still. A love that asks nothing in return. Even After All this time the Sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me.” Look What happens with a love like that, It lights the whole sky.” A love like this—a love like ours—A Revolutionary Love can light up the whole sky. It can heal the world. May your love light up the whole world. May your love heal the world.”
Saturday Worship – Benediction – Sara Green:
“It is a blessing to be carried through this struggle with the wisdom of those before us, the wisdom existing in our bodies and the wisdom present in the water. It is critical that we hold these gems close to our hearts. May we trust our bodies, experience joy as resistance and allow ourselves to be held by the water. Ashe and Amen.”
Sunday Worship – Benediction “Gloria” #534, Singing the Living Tradition (responsive reading)
Gloria: The tenacity of Earth and its creatures. Kyrie eleison: These children who will go on to save what we cannot. Baruch ata Adonai: The ordinary tenacity of plants and of people. Om: The center of the universe which is everywhere, not the least place in the human heart. Alleluia: Love that survives anger, and winter, and despair, and sorrow, and even death. Shalom: Love that persists. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: Calm that is the seed in the dark. Amen: For endings that are beginnings, for beginnings that are endings. Alleluia: For the circle, the spiral, the web, the egg, the orbit, the center, the seed, the flower, the fruit, the opening, the death, the release, the seed. Amen: We are going on. Amen: It is going on. Amen: Blessed be.
Please take the time to visit the UUA.org website and experience the spirit of GA 2017.
Living in Paradise, Bryan Buck, President
by Kitty Merrill | Jul 29, 2017 | Justice Actions
I write to you just before I hunker down at home for some days of Study Leave this summer. It used to be our churches operated on the old academic calendar based on an old agrarian calendar of school being out for the growing and harvesting seasons. By now this rhythm is practically written into our collective DNA. It’s even stronger for me given I have spent 50 of my nearly 60 years as a student, a teacher or a minister. It used to be ministers took off the whole summer. Some churches even closed down for the summer.
All that is changing as the world changes and as UUCV is becoming a year-round church. This summer we welcome two new staff members – Office Administrator, Jennifer Seale began on July 1 and Director of Religious Education, Emily Carroll, begins August 1. So, I am working the first two weeks of July and August, and taking 4-5 weeks of mostly study leave at the end of both months. We’ll see how far I get through the stack of books I want to read. I also plan – at last – to get my will done. As your minister, I will always encourage you to get end-of-life documents in order long before they are needed. I’ve seen the burden on grieving people sorting through their loved-one’s unsettled affairs.
This year I have another impetus to follow my own (sage) advice. The UUA has just launched a program called Wake Now Our Vision. Thanks to a grant from the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, new bequests (i.e. naming UUCV as a beneficiary in your will, trust, IRA, etc.) are eligible for a 10% matching cash gift, up to $10,000 per donor. It’s like those matching grants on public radio pledge drives that bring in extra money when you donate. The program means to encourage UUs to name their church – or another UU institution – in their will to help ensure the long-term future of our faith.
I am naming both UUCV and Starr King School for the Ministry. Both institutions will receive a 10% match now, and a bequest (hopefully) decades later. I want both of these fine UU institutions to continue being strong voices of love and justice for a long, long time.
The Stewardship Team is calling this the “Legacy Challenge.” New bequests made between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2020 will qualify for this match program, yet the matching money is first come-first served, and may run out sooner. So I encourage you to get this done now, this very summer. For more information and to download a form, visit http://wakenowourvision.org. Questions? Call Maura Raffensperger, Stewardship Chair at 805/616-2466. May your summer be filled with sun, refreshment of the physical and spiritual varieties, and time to take care of a few of those tasks you have been meaning to get to….
With Love, Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | Jul 10, 2017 | Justice Actions
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy”- Gershwin
I hope everyone has plans to enjoy the summer months with family and friends. These are the long sweet days before the harvest. Summer also marks the beginning of a new church year starting July 1. There is so much to look forward to. We are now fully staffed in a changeover of personnel that has taken us through several years. The time and work involved was all part of a natural and intentional process that has brought to us a great staff.
Our new Director of Religious Education, Emily Carroll, will be starting in August. All of us should be looking forward to getting acquainted with Emily and helping to begin revitalizing our RE program. Our young families and their children have been patiently waiting for a new, permanent, DRE. That day has arrived.
There are many volunteer opportunities available that need to be filled in support of our children. That’s right, Our Children! They are the future and paraphrasing Bob Dylan, I would much rather lend them a hand then get out of the way. Remember, it takes a village. Helping this vital program needs all of us. So, don’t be shy, please ask how you can help. Be a part of the solution and the success. This is how we change lives and make a difference in the world.
Jennifer Seale is our new Office Administrator. She began training with Becky Burnham in June. Some of you may already have met Jennifer and have been able to introduce yourselves. Jennifer will be our first impression, our ambassador, to anyone calling or visiting our church on weekdays. It will take some time for her to get settled in, so please be welcoming and encouraging.
Thank you to all who attended our Annual Meeting last month. The approving of the budget, the Open Sanctuary project, the amendment to the by-laws, and the slate of candidates, sets the stage for much of what we will do together this year.
As I write this column, General Assembly is about to begin in New Orleans, Louisiana. UUCV Representatives are Rev. Dana, Jim and Kitty Merrill, and Tanner Linden. My hope is that they bring back new insights and inspired vision for what is possible and challenging for our congregation to explore in living out our values.
With that in mind the Board will soon begin in earnest a process of visioning. With all the changes that have taken place these last few years, it is time to again look at who we are as a congregation.
In these troubled times our country and world need the message of Unitarian Universalism. What then calls to us? How shall we respond with love? These questions and more will be considered and shared as we begin our 2017-18 journey together.
I welcome hearing from you what your dreams and aspirations are for the UUCV. Unitarian Universalism is a faith that asks you to explore questions about what is meaningful and true for you. This is a place that “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” Please email me your thoughts, your vision of what we can aspire to be. (bryanabuck@hotmail.com)
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, President
by Kitty Merrill | Jul 10, 2017 | Justice Actions
I write just a few days after our Annual Meeting where we approved the Outdoor Sanctuary Project, made a bylaw change, approved a budget and voted in new officers. A lot accomplished in an hour and a half!
I wanted to clarify one thing about our finances. More than once at the meeting people said church finances are healthy. This is true both in the immediate and long term. Yet it is also true that in the next 2-3 years we will have some decisions to make.
Long-term financial health comes from both operating reserves and the legacy funds. While our policy is to have 3 months operating expenses in reserve, due to careful stewardship by the Finance Committee, we presently have nearly 5. The Legacy Fund has been well cared for and still has well over $200,000. Indeed, I have never served a church with such healthy reserves, so well-stewarded for the long term.
The immediate financial health is funded by 3-year “bridge pledges” made last year. These have allowed us to continue “staffing for growth.” The bridge pledges give us about another $40,000 for two more years (including 2017-2018). Coming to the end of that bridge, we arrive at the crossroads. The vast majority of the budget is made up of staff salaries, and we may well have some staffing decisions to make.
This year we had a very successful Celebration Sunday and pledge drive. We increased pledging by about 5 percent, which is to be applauded. You are a very generous congregation. Yet you can see that we’ll need to grow our resources significantly more in the next couple of years.
Often people think of growing in numbers of members, yet there are many ways to grow a church. We grow in spirit, in generosity, in commitment, in engagement, and in numbers. We are looking for growth in all these qualities.
We have many resources, yet there may be some hard choices ahead. I’m reminding you of this now, not to induce panic. We will not be falling off a cliff in two years. I just want to paint the fuller picture so that we are all holding it.
Ultimately the questions we need to ask are about the mission of this church and how we sustain it for the future. If we continue to grow in depth and clarity of mission, we will be the church we are called to be. That’s the very best we can do.
In faith and in community,
Rev. Dana
by Kitty Merrill | May 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
Ventura County Home Share
Ventura County manages a home share program linking people with an extra room in their house to people needing housing.
Simply put, HomeSharing is an arrangement where two or more unrelated people share a dwelling, each having her or his private space and sharing certain common areas.
Both the provider and seeker of housing are screened by the Agency. Empty nesters widowers, widows, or folks with extra rooms may be interested in co-housing.
The housing seekers could be college students, recently relocated professionals, newly divorced people, people needing low-income housing, etc.
Some providers charge rent and other providers arrange for housing in exchange for pet/house sitting, maintenance chores, help with utility costs, after school care, etc. Some situations may even allow companion animals.
This program is not intended to provide housing in lieu of medical assistance.
Sign up for the program at Ventura County Home Share at http://www.ventura.org/vcaaa/homeshare or 805/477-7324
Monthly Dinner for Riverhaven
Thank you to all who have contributed to the monthly dinner UUCV provides for Riverhaven residents. Pam and Jim Waldron have offered to oversee this program. Sign up at the Social Action table. Contact Pam or Jim at pimandjam@roadrunner.com or 805/647-5650.
July 2nd Mindful Eating Potluck Barbeque
Are you planning a 4th of July barbeque and would like to offer sustainable, earth and health friendly vegetarian or vegan dishes? Now is your chance to find out how. The 7th Principle Environmental Action Team will be hosting a Mindful Eating Potluck Barbeque on Sunday July 2nd right after church. More info in July newsletter.
by Kitty Merrill | May 27, 2017 | Justice Actions
It’s hard to believe that we’re coming on a year together. There has been so much goodness and many things accomplished. A new ministry is full of changes. It’s a time of transition, which has its challenges.
We are on the brink of one of the biggest changes of all – our beloved Becky Burnham will be retiring in a month. She has been the beating heart of this congregation for more than a decade. She knows every nook and cranny in the church. She knows where things go, where to find things when they’re not where they’re supposed to be. She keeps track of stacks of numbers. It sometimes feels like she gets tasks done five minutes before I even ask.
Becky is a bright spirit who brings much humor and even playfulness to the world. Though I grumble about it sometimes, she almost always has something sweet to offer – a bowl of candy at her desk, a clear Christmas ornament filled with candy. I treasure the sea glass necklaces she makes, and find myself trolling the beaches for tempest-tossed glass to keep her supplies fully stocked.
By the time you are reading this we will have a new person hired and Becky will be training her or him. This is simply the kind of dedication and thoroughness she has always brought to her work at UUCV. I wish there were a way to download her institutional memory directly into the mind of our new administrator.
We will miss her greatly, and we’ll even feel a bit lost at first. We will find our way, in part because Becky has set up clear and efficient processes and procedures.
As we will be welcoming two new staff people – our new administrator on July 1 and our new DRE on August 1 – we have some big thank you’s to express. So be sure to come to church on June 4 when we will formally thank and acknowledge Becky and Acting DRE Joyce Faber for their service to the church. Neither of them wants any particular fuss made – of course – but I’ve explained that we need to fuss over them at least a bit. We need to offer them our heart-felt thanks as much (or more) than they need to be thanked.
It will truly be a new era in the history of the church. Both of their memories and their gifts will be a part of any success we have going forward. I wouldn’t have made it through my first year here in Ventura without Becky’s and Joyce’s hard work and unwavering support.
So much love to you both,
Rev. Dana
