Dear Ones,
September is here and with it comes our Soul Matters theme of Beginnings. And what a time of beginnings this is!
It is such a joy to with you all! I have been enjoying beginning to get to know some of you during the slower month of August. I’m excited I’ll get to know many more of you in September as the school year gets going, more folks return from summer adventures, and we kick off the congregational year with our Ingathering Water Communion worship service and Opportunities Fair.
In addition, I’ll be starting a pilot of community hours. These will be times when I’m hanging out at different locations around West LA for informal conversation and community building. I’ll be trying this out through November 2026, after which I’ll decide whether to continue the experiment or switch things up. During my community hours no appointment is necessary – just stop by to say hi, to talk about what’s on your heart and mind, or to get to know each other. Here’s where I’ll be and when:
- First Wednesdays (e.g., September 2) in Culver City at Village Well Coffee and Books, 4:30 – 6 pm.
- Second Wednesdays (e.g., September 9) at UUSM in the front courtyard from 5 – 6 pm.
- Third Wednesdays (e.g., September 16) in Sawtelle at GoodPeople from 4:30 – 6 pm.
- Fourth Wednesdays (e.g., September 23) Queer Coffee and Tea at UUSM in the front courtyard from 4:30 – 6 pm.
I’m setting up 1:1 meetings with formal and informal leaders to get to know you better as individuals and as a congregation. I’ll be continuing this for the next several months since I can only do a few each week. If you’d like to set up a private 1:1 meeting with me sooner, please email minister@uusm.org.
I’m also looking forward to teaching a workshop on Articulating (Y)Our UU Faith after the worship service on September 20 from 1 – 3. This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on what Unitarian Universalism is and to practice developing your elevator speeches and coffee hour chats about UU in a supportive setting. I always love learning about folks’ experiences of UU during this workshop, so I hope you’ll join me. This workshop is designed for folks in middle school and older. Please email me at minister@uusm.org if you’d like childcare so you can attend.
Finally, I’m excited about our next new member ceremony on September 27, as well as the many other opportunities we’ll have to celebrate beginnings this month.
Love and Blessings,
Rev. Diana
