by Admin | Apr 2, 2018 | Justice Actions
by Beverly Jordan
I value each person who is part of the UUCV congregation.
As humans, we have an inherent need to be seen and to be heard. We offer that validation to each other don’t we? And we are not alone in this need. Seekers are coming each Sunday, hoping for hope, and searching for a loving, inclusive community (which you are!).
To that end we have been working for several months to effectively welcome and accommodate the newcomers and offer opportunities for connection between seasoned members and newer members. One change that is being put into place is the Membership Committee has been transformed into three separate working groups.
The Welcome Team; led by Gudrun Eastham (Chair) and Kathy Swift, is responsible for the welcoming ministry of UUCV. This includes the staffing and training of Welcome Table Volunteers and Greeters.
The Journey Team provides logistic support for the Newcomer Chat, Getting to Know UU workshop and The Journey to Belonging workshop. Volunteers are Jeanne Skinner and Shelley Sussman.
The Connecting Committee (Cassie Tondro, Celia Ortenberg, Peggy Anders & Tony Porter) provides an essential link between the Worship Service to Berg Hall on Sunday mornings at the Connecting Center. The Center offers resources regarding UUCV programming and connections with others; both new and seasoned congregants. Come on by!
Always feel free to contact me with any questions at beverly@uuventura.org
by Kitty Merrill | Apr 2, 2018 | Justice Actions
Amending the Bylaws Two Percent Rule
At the upcoming UUCV Annual Meeting on June 17 (which also happens to be Father’s Day), there will be a proposal to amend Article VIII, Section 2 of the Bylaws. Our Bylaws can only be amended by a vote of the congregation. The information below is a brief summary of the issue and intended to raise the awareness of the congregation on an important topic. Article VIII, Section 2 contains a spending restriction known as the Two Percent Rule. The proposed amendment is to change the rule from two (2) percent, to four (4) percent.
This Bylaw currently reads:
“Article VIII Duties of the Board of Trustees, Section 2. The Board shall be charged with approving policy to govern the conduct of the business of the church during the intervals between Annual or special meetings. The Board may authorize the expenditure of up to a cumulative fiscal year total of two percent above the total annual operating budget approved by the membership at a congregational meeting. Expenditure of more than a cumulative fiscal year total of two percent of the total annual operating budget requires a vote at a special congregational meeting.”
Our Operating Budget for 2017-18 was $451,301.00 of which 2% equals $9,021.00. At 4% that would be $18,042.00. That is not a small amount of money, yet this request reflects the changed reality of our times from when the Bylaws were adopted over 50 years ago.
What are some of the reasons for approving the change?
Timeliness: There are times during the church year when unforseen needs arise. For several years the Board has found itself at or near the maximum 2% when something unexpected would arise. Options: the Board could either wait until the following year’s Budget or hold a congregational meeting. Congregational meetings take time to plan and arrange. For a church that is growing, these options slow down our ability to be responsive and timely.
Flexibility: The cost of goods and services have increased significantly. There have been times when the 2% rule has been too restrictive for our needs. At 4% the Board would have the necessary financial room to meet congregational needs that arise while still maintaining restraint in unanticipated spending.
What are some of the reasons for not approving the change?
1. The 2% rule reminds the Board to be fiscally conservative with church money.
2. Calling a congregational meeting or even multiple meetings to consider unforeseen but needed expenditures may be inconvenient but if the need is great, we can do this.
There will be more information available at our Annual meeting and the opportunity for discussion. When the time comes to vote please consider this amendment as necessary for the Board to be able to act timely on behalf of UUCV in response to circumstances that affect our church. In the meantime if you have questions or comments feel free to contact me.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, President
by Admin | Apr 2, 2018 | Justice Actions
Lift Up Your Voice (LUYV)
by Kathy Powell
Lift Up Your Voice members have been very busy these past months. Many of us have been volunteering at the Winter Warming Shelter, some on-site and others on a crew that shops at Food Share weekly for the breakfast food. We worked with Reverend Dana asking if our congregation could get involved in fundraising to help keep the shelter open until the end of March.
The entire congregation working with Turning Point became involved in purchasing a much needed new “Tiny House Shed” (as Rev Dana has named them) for Riverhaven. (See the wonderful congregation Inreach/Outreach contribution amount below.) Riverhaven was in desperate need of new dwellings but after the recent tragic fire the need was much more urgent.
We have members on so many committees including the Oxnard Homeless Commission, Ventura Social Service Task Force, Homeless Prevention, Family Promise and housing opportunities. Our people are volunteering at One Stop every week.
Today we were blessed by this church’s commitment to our homeless neighbors as we did our park outreach. At this writing a huge storm is rolling in and helicopters are alerting folks in the riverbottom floods are coming. We brought bus passes and information the Red Cross was opening a shelter at the college and we urged people to make their way there. We let them know it is a huge storm and gave them the means to be transported to the other side of town. This church and it’s members keep the people who need us in this community as a huge part of our outreach. It is amazing to behold.
Riverhaven Update
On the fourth Monday of the month UUCV provides dinner for the folks living at Riverhaven. Please sign up to provide a dish at the Social Action Table in Berg Hall. The next couple dinner dates are April 23 and May 28. You can bring your dish to church on the Sunday before. Put it in the refrigerator and label it “Riverhaven.” You can also drop it off at the church on Monday before 3pm. If you have any questions, contact Pam or Jim Waldron at 647-5650.
Thank you for supporting our friends at Riverhaven!
by Admin | Apr 2, 2018 | Justice Actions
Dear UUCV Community,
Butterflies are among my very favorite things on Earth due to their beauty, grace, ease, but mostly for their reminder about transformation! It fascinates me that the portly caterpillar emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Katie Covey from Soul Matters writes on our theme this month, “Being a people of emergence involves doing all we can, trusting the process and keeping an eye out for unexpected opportunities to emerge.”
Sometimes after the cocoon state of transitions I may see something so far from a butterfly that it’s 20 years before I understand what the lesson was. Often, however, I look back at a circumstance I didn’t like or appreciate at the time but because of what I learned from it I was able to help others and/or become much more resilient – a butterfly afterall! I would never say everything happens for a reason, but I do believe that God or the Universe can use every experience for something beautiful or loving to result.
We hope you enjoyed our Green Easter – which was kind, fun, delicious, and good for the Earth and our bodies! We didn’t hide plastic eggs filled with candy but rather cans of food labeled with a particular spring shape. All children and youth hunted for cans with their team’s label and were all rewarded with a potted flower and special treat! Thanks for bringing your donations in! We donated 172 pounds of food to Project Understanding after the hunt.
“Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers ‘Grow, grow.’” ~The Talmud
Emily Carrol, Director of Religious Education
April Events
Sunday, April 1 Easter Canned Food Hunt
Saturday, April 14 • 4pm- 7pm Childcare Co-Op
Saturday, April 21 • 9am- 1pm RE Summit
Sunday, April 22 Earth Day All Generations Service
Sunday, April 29 Children’s Chapel and Quidditch Match
by Kitty Merrill | Feb 27, 2018 | Justice Actions
We Are Building a New Way is our theme for our stewardship campaign for 2018-2019 is based on the hymn from Singing the Journey.
We are entering a critical time in the financial life of the church. By several measures, UUCV is the most financially stable church I have ever been a part of. Experts recommend that churches carry operating reserves of two months of expenses. UUCV is the first church I’ve ever seen that actually has that (and a little bit more). In addition we have even more in other reserve funds, most of it in the Legacy Fund. There is a rub, of course. Most of that money – particularly the Legacy Fund – is not intended for operating expenses.
For several years now this church has been living boldly, “staffing for growth.” Which means we have staffing levels to serve a larger church in order keep our doors open to all who seek a new way. We have been able to do this – while also calling a new minister – in large part due to generous members who contributed to a 3-year bridge fund which comes to something over $40,000 a year. We’re halfway through the bridge. We have one more fiscal year – 2018-2019 – before those funds go away.
And now the growth we have been staffing for is actually happening – and then some. The number of children and youth in our RE program has more than doubled. Our adult membership is growing between 15 and 20 percent. Wow. Just wow. The vision created over the last 5-10 years is coming to fruition.
A new life and energy is nearly palpable throughout the church, and the good news is that it is manifesting in a growth in giving – of every kind. We’re on our way to being able to “cover” the bridge pledges.
Our new challenge is that this growth may already be outstripping our staffing capacities. Don’t you wish life would just happening in a straight predictable line?
All this makes the next two years critical.
We have a fabulous staff who want to do even more to help UUCV come alive. We have a chance to grow in depth, in vision, in transforming lives and in transforming the community we serve.
As it should be, our reach still exceeds our grasp.
Our financial resources are one of many ways we are generous. This is an abundant community. We have so much to share. Now is the time, if you are able, to increase your annual pledge.
There is so much more that we can bring into the world. So many new things to build in our hearts and beyond.
With love and gratitude,
Rev. Dana
by Admin | Feb 27, 2018 | Justice Actions
The Beginning of Making Plans
“Want what you have.
Be who you are.
Do what you love.” – Rev. Dr. F. Forrester Church
The Rev. Dr. F. Forrester Church (1948-2009) served the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City as senior minister and as minister of public theology. He died September 24, 2009. A frequent contributor to UU World, he is the author of many books including A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism (with John Buehrens). His writings are worth exploring and can be found in our Bookstore.
This quote from Forrest Church resonates deeply with me. The simplicity of “Want what you have.” seems so reasonable and sensible. “Be who you are.” is probably the most difficult. And “Do what you love.” strikes me as a healthy act of self-discovery. Taken together the words of Forrest Church seem like a good plan for living fully. Yet making a good plan is not easy to do.
On Sunday March 18 the Board invites everyone to a Congregational Conversation following the Service and Coffee. We are going to talk about our 2013 Five-Year Plan that ends in June. This conversation is just one part of our process to develop a new Plan with goals that express the aspirations of the UUCV. It is important to review what the congregation was thinking in 2013 when the current plan was created and approved. Since then we have changed as a church. We have a new minister, all new staff, and many new members. This meeting marks the beginning of a process that will take 12-18 months to complete.
The 2013 Five-Year Plan is on our website www.uuventura.org. Type or paste the following link into your browser: http://www.uuventura.org/download/board-policies/2013_5_year_plan-v4kp_final.pdf. That will open the document and you can see the 2013 Plan to review.
You will find there is much that has been accomplished. We want to hold these achievements up and celebrate them. There are some ideas that are works in progress, and there are others that were put on hold that we want to be aware of. The idea of having a conversation with each other is not to go into every detail of the current Plan but to reflect on how it has helped our congregation be bold in living out our values.
The Board has authorized forming a Team to help the congregation develop a new Five-Year Plan to be approved in 2019. Rev. Dana and a Board Trustee, along with several others yet to be determined, will form the Team that will guide the process. This work is about our hopes and dreams. It is about articulating what we want to do, and who we want to be, as Unitarian Universalists. Please contact me if this opportunity speaks to you.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, President
