by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | Justice Actions
In looking for signs of an early Spring, like a Groundhog shadow or a Valentine’s Day card, I hope everyone has noticed the outside of our building was recently painted. There is a freshness to the church exterior that reflects the care and attention given to it by our Buildings and Grounds Team (B & G). The most physical work we have is maintaining our facilities. Helping on a Church Work Day is a great way to show support and appreciate what B & G does for the UUCV. We don’t have the funds to fix everything right now. That means we have some deferred maintenance. Large projects like repaving the parking lot may need a capital campaign to fund the work. If we are willing to wait until the Major Maintenance Fund is replenished, it may be a couple of years before the parking lot is repaved, slurry coated and re-striped for spaces. Maintenance issues are an example of making difficult choices with limited financial resources. We know repairs need to be made and yet due to the large costs involved, we must learn to wait. Our church budget-making process can be looked at in the same way. We know that we want something for a committee, or that we are struggling in some area due to a lack of staffing, but because the resources are limited, we may have to wait or make a difficult choice. This dynamic of balancing priorities often reminds me of the phrase; “It’s a good idea whose time has not yet come.” It’s that question of: What do we want, versus what do we need?
As we begin drafting the budget for 2019-2020, we are like
the month of February with its promise and potential. We hope to plant seeds
that will grow into something beautiful. The early thinking is that we are in
an improved situation due to no longer having a Membership Manager. We also
have the benefit of an increase in pledging revenue because of new folks
joining the UUCV. Yet, just because it looks like we may be on the right path
in resolving our deficit and right sizing the church, it does not mean that we
can breathe a sigh of relief. There is a lot that goes into the making of our
budget. Financial statements make for unexciting reading. At best they are a
combination of reality and imagination.
Ours is an expression of dreams. We see it as a “moral”
document that supports our values and mission. If we want to do more at the UUCV,
do more in our community, and do more in the world, we will need to continue to
learn what it means to grow our generosity. To grow in the giving of time,
talent, and treasure. We know, when we have numbers, a larger membership, we
can spread out the financial support of the UUCV. On March 17 we will have a
Stewardship event called Celebration Sunday. On that day we ask everyone to
reaffirm their pledge and if possible, to increase your financial giving to the
church.
We ring the bell three times. Once for those who came
before; once for those who are here now; and once for those who are yet to
come. I hope you will commit to that legacy by reaching, stretching in your
pledge, giving what you can, even if it is not what you are longing to give.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 7, 2019 | Justice Actions
I love the image of the Hindu god Indra’s net, stretching out in all directions,
weaving the universe in place. At each intersection where the
strands cross each other sits a glittering jewel, and each jewel reflects the
light of every other jewel. So what happens to one jewel, happens to all.
A net or web is a good metaphor for a congregation the size we have
become. There is no longer a center around which everything revolves.
We remain as connected as ever, though it can feel a bit disconcerting
because no one knows everything or everything that is going on. Not
even – perhaps especially not even – the minister.
The many cross currents and groups and new initiatives in the church
these days are varied and exciting. We have even found that our financial
situation, while still a concern, is nowhere near as serious as we thought
last fall. A combination of staffing changes, new members and growing
generosity is helping.
Our commitment to our homeless neighbors and to environmental justice
remains strong.
The newest Action Team for Immigrant Rights has lit a fire in many hearts
about the treatment of migrants at our borders.
And meanwhile our Five For Five Force – the five-year vision task force
made up of five dedicated souls – has been hard at work. At this phase
much of that work has been a bit in the background. We’ve been compiling
input from three congregational gatherings – two led by the Board of
Trustees in September and January, and one led by 545 Force in October.
With all that input, we have come up with a very draft-y, working vision
statement.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura gathers to:
• Invite connections and diversity
• Spark and nurture free journeys of spiritual growth
• Reach out to create a more just and loving community, in harmony
with nature.
We do not intend this to be a final statement, just a guide for our visioning
work, a framework around which we can build our vision for the next
five years.
These days are a fascinating time to be doing visioning work. We are as
a congregation still living into the bold visions of the last decade. All
the work we do – gathering together in worship, small groups, religious
education classes and more, reaching out to heal the world beyond our
walls – all of it is adding to the sum total of love and justice in the world.
We are being the church in profound ways, and the world needs us now
more than ever.
Let us remember, too, the words of Howard Thurman. “Don’t ask what
the world needs. Ask what brings you alive, and go do that, because what
the world needs is people who have come alive.”Let us think big, dream together, and come alive. For as we do, our aliveness will reflect in everyone else’s in Indra’s net and together we will bring forth more life and love.
With Love, Rev. Dana
by Admin | Jan 1, 2019 | Justice Actions
“Good endings make for good beginnings”
A phrase that I first heard at the UUCV and that I have
found to be true. With all of the troubles that 2018 brought, I hope that there
was also sunshine in your life and, no
matter what your current situation, that you are looking forward to the promise of a fresh start with
2019.
Unlike the Calendar year our Church year runs from July 1 to
June 30. That means we are at the mid-year point and due for some reflection in
keeping with the season. The UUCV turned 60 last November and I doubt that our founders
would recognize our church today given their humble beginnings.
Evidence of those early days can be found in the photos in
Berg Hall back in the corner by the piano. The folks who started this
congregation didn’t have very much. They didn’t own a building to call their
own, they hardly had any money, the minister was the only paid staff. What did
they have?
They had each other and a Vision of liberal religion. That
still holds true for us today. Clearly, we have exceeded anything that could
have been imagined by our founders. When I think about the UUCV (which is
often) my thoughts are about the growth of the congregation spiritually, our
Social Action ministries, our Religious Education programming, our Worship
experiences, and how these activities help us live into our values.
We are a growing, vibrant congregation that is actively
engaged in several lay ministries that include aiding the homeless, protecting
our environment, human rights, immigration, and economic justice. We show up at
City and County meetings, at rallies, vigils, marches, and a host of meetings
attended by our partners in the community. These are some of the many ways that
Members and Friends of the UUCV walk the talk of our 7 Principles.
Our Children’s Religious Education program is amazing! The
energy of the volunteer teachers, the engagement of the kids, and the
enthusiasm of the parents reflect the hard work of our DRE Emily Carroll and
all who volunteer and help with this ministry.
We are engaged in a new 5-year planning process to discern
who we are and where we want to go, creating a new vision and updating our
mission with the help of the 5-4-5 Team. This important work involves all of us
and turns out best when you include your voice in the processes that are
planned to be able to hear your input for our future.
Our financial picture is a source of concern but is seen as
manageable with more information to be discussed at our Congregational
Conversation on the 27th. The
meeting will provide information that will help the Finance Budget Team in the
development of our next budget for 2019-20. This will be a big step in charting
a course to “right sizing” our congregation.
These are
just some of the reasons why we are a healthy congregation. We have much to
offer each other, our local community, and the world. That’s a really great
place to begin as we start our journey into the possibilities of 2019.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
by Kitty Merrill | Jan 1, 2019 | Justice Actions
With the New Year I offer this refresher on my schedule, how
best to reach me, and other (hopefully) useful info.
My workweek is Saturday through Thursday. Friday is my day
off, Saturday is my writing day, and Sunday is, well, Sunday. After church
comes my standing date with Barzillai the Cat. I lie on the couch and he lies
on me. I scratch his ears; he purrs; I can even nap – a good arrangement.
I’m essentially on call 24 hours and 7 days a week.
It’s daunting, and I want y’all to know I also take
advantage of a flexible schedule. If I’ve got a meeting at night, I often won’t
come in till noon or later. I work 6 days a week, though if it’s ten hours one
day, it may be four the next.
I usually work about 45-50 hours a week. It’s been 60 or
more, though that is pretty rare. After a particularly long week, I’ll ease off
a bit the next.
I attend some, though not all, church events on Fridays.
When I do, I’ll make up for it another day.
The best way to reach me is email: rev.dana.worsnop@uuventura.org,
or on my cell phone (which is in the directory). If you need me quickly,
texting is best. In general, please don’t call or text on Fridays. And if you
email me late-ish on Thursday or a Friday, you make not get a reply until
Monday.
I also prefer not to be called or texted before 9am or after
9pm.
I trust you to figure out if your issue is urgent enough to
reach out on those days and other hours.
If you have an emergency, do not hesitate. If you cannot
decide if you have an urgency or an emergency, also do not hesitate.
I don’t hold specific office hours, though I usually can
make appointments within 2-3 days. The best days are Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday.
We hold staff meetings on Tuesdays. Because we work on the
orders of service then, it’s best if you can have information in to Jennifer by
Monday afternoon.
A final note about Sundays – and this is true for all Sunday
staff. Sunday is our biggest day of the week. We know it’s a good time for you
to be in touch with us, though we can be tired and scattered. We may not be
able to answer your questions or even remember them on Monday. And we just
can’t get with everyone. So your patience is much appreciated.
I look forward to our new year ahead – with the whole
congregation and our wonderful staff team.
Happiest of New Years.
Love,
Rev. Dana
by Admin | Dec 6, 2018 | Justice Actions
December is upon us, and with it the holidays that we love and we dread and we do our best to get into the spirit of. And this year, with December comes the first anniversary of the Thomas Fire and all those memories. Yet so much has happened since then, for me the memories are already fading. It’s all a part of a new normal or, as our soon-to-be twice ex-governor has called it, “the new abnormal.”
Part of this new reality is a deep reminder that we are in this together. After the shootings and the Woolsey Fire, it was so heartening to see how people stepped up to offer help and hospitality. We can’t know what’s next, though we can know that there will be people offering help and comfort, support and celebration as each is called for.
The theme for December is Mystery, which is my favorite part of this season. Lights twinkling in the darkness, the turning of the year, a spirit that can still catch us unawares. Even as these are holidays that can make us feel even more lonely, with them can also come reminders that
We are not alone.
You are not alone.
So I offer you one of my favorite poems for this time of year by Rebecca Parker. May it carry you into and through all that this December brings you.
Perhaps
for a moment
the typewriters will stop clicking,
the wheels stop rolling
the computers desist from computing,
and a hush will fall over the city.
For an instant, in the stillness,
the chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard
as earth hangs poised
in the crystalline darkness,
and then
gracefully
tilts.
Let there be a season
when holiness is heard, and
the splendor of living is revealed.
Stunned to stillness by beauty
we remember who we are and why we are here.
There are inexplicable mysteries.
We are not alone.
In the universe there moves a Wild One
whose gestures alter earth’s axis
toward love.
In the immense darkness
everything spins with joy.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
cradled in a swaying embrace,
rocked by the holy night,
babes of the universe.
Let this be the time
we wake to life,
like spring wakes, in the moment
of winter solstice.
Happy Hannukah! Blessed Solstice!
Merry Christmas! Happy and Hopeful Holidays!
With love, Rev. Dana
by Admin | Dec 4, 2018 | Justice Actions
As I write this month’s column the November election results are known to us all. My own level of anxiousness concerning politics has been somewhat reduced. Time once again to move forward even though there will be continued drama in Washington. At least this time around I have a sense of Hope that the moral arc of the universe is again bending towards justice. Hope for a better, more peaceful world is what I believe the promise of the holiday season is about.
At the UUCV we save lives. We do that every day of the year with our Lift Up Your Voice Advocacy, with our Safe Sleep overnight parking, and with our Inreach Outreach sharing of the Sunday Plate to other non-profits. Unitarian Universalism offers Hope to people through the ministry of liberal religion. Holding up as our first principal that we “affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” That is a message for all seasons.
And then the county experienced the shooting in Thousand Oaks followed by terrible fires. Memories of last December are still fresh in my mind when fires swept through our county only to be followed by devasting flooding in Santa Barbara. So much suffering has happened in twelve months. Yet I still hold onto hope. The “audacity” of hope, as stated by Barack Obama. It is reflected in the stories of the bright star in the eastern sky, of the burning flame for the
Maccabees, and in the little light that shines within each of us. A metaphor for UU’s is the Lighthouse shining its beacon of light on darkness, giving aid to those in most need. Amen.
Following up on the September Congregational Conversation we discerned a list of 26 questions. Paraphrased, and in no particular order, they consolidated into six specific questions.
- How can I learn more about our deficit and the projected budget?
- Do we need to hire another staff person or can volunteers do the work?
- What can we do to be a more diverse congregation?
- Instead of giving away the Sunday Plate, can some of it be used to help the congregation?
- What are money making activities?
- How can I help more?
The first question is easy to answer. Attend the next Congregational Conversation on January 27. You can also read the Newsletter for information from the Finance Committee, attend a Finance Committee meeting, or talk to David Smith who is the Chair of the committee. The rest of the questions require deeper thought and conversation. Please take time to reflect upon them.
Finally, on behalf of the Board of Trustee’s, Happy Holidays to Everyone! Thank you especially to our Staff, to Rev. Dana Worsnop, Office Administrator Jennifer Luce, Music Director Carolyn Bjerke, A/V Technician Brian Fortune, DRE Emily Carroll, and all of the RE Aides for all that you do in support of the UUCV. We have much for which to be grateful. May peace and joy be yours this season.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
