October Board Highlights

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Board members present included President Eileen McCormack, Vice President Vilma Ortiz, Treasurer Rebecca Crawford, Secretary Linda van Ligten, Past President Barbara Kernochan, and Members at Large Larry Weiner, Norm Richey, Audrey Erbes, Trish Brassard, Shanna Shaked, and Cassie Winters. Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae also attended.

Call to Order and Spiritual Grounding

Eileen called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m., and read the UU Shared Value of Interdependence:

“We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.”

Vilma provided an opening reading, and then attendees gave personal check-ins and responded to questions related to our monthly worship theme of Deep Listening: What would the world sound like to you without the noise of worry in your head? What noise gets in your way the most: The noise of self-doubt? Striving? Scarcity? Jealousy? Regret? Something else? or Have you ever heard the ocean or the woods or the sky speak? If so, how might their words still be relevant for you today?

Membership and Standing Monthly Reports

Our current membership is 153, the same as last month. Standing reports were noted but not discussed. Audrey moved and Norm seconded that the minutes and Standing Reports be accepted as presented. The motion passed unanimously.

Minister’s Report

Introducing his report, Rev. Jeremiah said that when we participate in a religious community, we are invited to the spiritual practice of Living Love through Deep Listening – our theme for the month of October. Further, he said:

“We are a shared ministry where all may take responsibility for helping to nurture a welcoming, safe, and grace-filled environment of loving, listening, and growth. In developmental ministry, we are in a period of listening to the needs and hopes of our congregation as it is working to transform itself by learning from patterns of the past and actively shaping the future in mindful, compassionate, and constructive ways. Religious community is a place where we can make mistakes and learn through active and deep listening to strengthen relational bonds and “practice what it means to be human” with all of our frailties, brokenness, beauty, powers, and gifts. Deep listening requires a commitment to growth and calls forth the possibilities of forgiveness, grace, and repair found only in and through relationships.”

Jeremiah also reported that:

• We are making significant progress in our developmental ministry work, and we are beginning to prepare for a settled ministry search. In recent months, he said, we’ve held eight Listening Circles of various configurations to hear from the community and to build bridges, foster healing, and promote greater connectivity between different corners of the congregation. We also learned how our Covenant of Right Relations can be put into practice to guide our congregation through both the good and the difficult times.

• Our Mission and Vision Renewal Team will be working this year to hear how the motivating power behind our mission and the expansiveness of our vision may have evolved from the last time our congregation intentionally reflected together to discern its purpose and hope for the future. In this season of our ancestors, Jeremiah said, “we may also be deeply listening to whispers from the beyond as we share memories and celebrate the presences of those who have gone before us in this life. Also, as the election nears, many of us are hoping and praying and working towards a world where democracy is informed by people’ s willingness to really listen to each other.”

• Our congregational Worship year is off to a strong start with an often comfortably full sanctuary, many congregational activities in full swing, and a generally positive and hopeful atmosphere on Sunday mornings. We’ve offered four Sunday worship services since our last meeting. Jeremiah provided Love at the Center, which deepened our encounter with the new UU Values that were adopted at the last UUA General Assembly and considered these changes in light of Unitarian Universalism’s theological history. Rev. Kikanza presented How Warm Is Your Welcome, which considered hospitality and angels that may sit among us on Sunday mornings. Reimagining Together: UU Climate Justice Revival! was the first multigenerational service designed and led by Interim DRE Jessica Place, and it was a great success; we joined congregations around the nation in a weekend of activities to raise awareness around the devastating impacts of climate change. And finally, our annual Blessing of the Animals Service was enjoyed by all as we gathered with dozens of our furry friends in person and through technology and blessed them for being blessings in our lives.

• Our Worship Associates team met and welcomed Chela Metzger as its new chair. The group reviewed and prepared for upcoming service her two new Worship Associates. They also announced the need for new volunteers, and Jeremiah is exploring possibilities with the membership team. (If you have anyone to recommend, please let Jeremiah know.)

• Jeremiah consulted with Jessica and Saunder this past month on possible Order of Service Liturgical Revisions to allow more time for programming for children’s and youth religious education. We experimented with the new format this month, and it received positive feedback. Jeremiah said there may be more changes coming as we learn more, but it’s good to have made the change after months of deliberation about how best to adjust the flow of Sunday Services.

• Our Pastoral Care Team met and received pastoral updates from the Worship Associates, and discussed providing care in the context of the escalating wars overseas, the upcoming election, and increased anxiety in general. The group discussed care for the caregiver and encouraged all to help our members and friends think through what a personal plan of care might look like in these times. The team also explored grounded and self-differentiated leadership in times of heightened anxiety and how we can show up as our best selves for others.

• Jeremiah is devoting additional time to Pastoral Care and Spiritual Counseling, as the need remains high given historical congregational dynamics and the state of the world at present. He said he has held multiple meetings and lunches off campus and will continue to do so to help build bridges and enhance trust in the congregation.

• Jeremiah joined our new chapter of the UU Animal Ministry (UUAM) and cooked for the luncheon it provided on September 21. About 25 members participated and raised around $1200 for the congregation. UUAM was really proud of this early success and will be offering a second Vegan Wine and Cheese Tasting event this coming Saturday for those who bid on it as a Dining for Dollars offering. Jeremiah said it’s great that this new chapter is both raising awareness around animal rights and raising funds to support the congregation.

• The Intersectional Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Commission (IARAO) is meeting monthly and its work is ongoing. Our next common read, On Repentance and Repair, is currently being launched. Jeremiah said he serves primarily as a consultant and ex-officio member of the commission.

• Jeremiah continues to meet for weekly, biweekly, and/or monthly ministry, administrative and governance meetings with all of our senior staff, consulting minister, president, executive committee, worship chair, pastoral chair, UUA congregational life staff, and other congregational leaders as requested.

• Jeremiah invited Jessica Place to provide an in-person report later in the meeting, as part of the DRE and Board Meeting Staff Rotations that were recommended by our Listening Circles. He said he will continue to invite a rotation of staff members to future board meetings, to see how it works for relationship-building and the time limitations of our part-time staff members.

• Jeremiah said we continue to have good stability in our religious education program with the leadership of Interim DRE Jessica Place and strong lay support from Shanna, Erik, and others. He said this is a good foundation for growth and he is hopeful about the possibilities this year…though we will need to make the staff position more sustainable to continue to build on the good foundation that’s being created.

• The Board Policies Team is continuing to make incredible success in reviewing, assessing, and renewing our congregational policies. Jeremiah said he serves primarily as a consultant and ex-officio member of the commission.

• Jeremiah reported that Lois Hutchinson has stepped down after chairing the Communications Team for many years, and expressed gratitude for her dedicated service. He said Pam Teplitz has stepped in as Interim Chair of the committee. Eileen and Jeremiah are meeting with Pam, Esther, and Nurit to reformulate the Communications Team to address historical challenges and try to provide a more streamlined way of operating. They are reviewing charters and considering what covenant might need to be in place to support the group’s critical work. Jeremiah also expressed a special thanks to Pam for stepping in to support this work.

• Jeremiah attended the first Women+ meeting of the congregational year to show support for this important ministry. He said he was delighted to also have Rabbi Shira join in for part of the meeting, at which the group explored misogyny and cisgenderism, and how to be a more inclusive space for gender queer people and those outside the gender binary.

• There have been several UUA Western Region staffing changes recently. With the retirement of Rev. Carlton Smith (he/him) as Western Regional Lead of the UUA, Rev. Sunshine Jeremiah Wolfe (they/their, ghe/gher, and zi/hir) has been selected to serve as the new Regional Lead. Two new Congregational Life staff members have also been added to the team, and all congregations in the Los Angeles Area have received new Congregational Life staff assignments due to these additions. Dr. Melissa James will no longer be our primary contact (we will miss her after four years of working together), and she will be replaced by the Rev. Sarah Gibbs Millspaugh (she/her) in that role.  Jeremiah is working to set up regular meetings with Dr. Millspaugh.

• The Leadership Development and Nominating Committee and the Ministerial Search Congregational Life Staff will provide an orientation to launching our ministerial search. We are in the process of organizing a collaborative meeting of the groups, but were delayed slightly by the UUA regional staffing changes.

• At the time of the board meeting, the Santa Monica Synagogue was in the midst of the High Holy Days – the busiest and most stressful time for the year for many synagogues. Rabbi Shira was given a key to our building following some access code issues. Jeremiah has also met with her once since the last board meeting to strengthen our relationship with the SMS and to collegially explore issues affecting our communities.

• Eileen and Jeremiah met and explored funding strategies for the Spirit Level Matching Grant. Jeremiah said they heart/brainstormed a few approaches, which they will share with the relevant parties to support the grant.

• Jeremiah said he continues to publish monthly newsletter articles in the UUSM News Magazine and other publications, to support theme-based ministry, build community cohesion, and deepen spiritual reflection.

• Jeremiah continues to meet monthly with the Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council and the Leadership Team, where he also serves as Vice President.

• Jeremiah has resumed meeting with the UCLA Medical Center’s Ethics Committee on a monthly basis (sometimes more often if special clinical consultations are requested), as they explore ethical issues affecting members of the larger community and healthcare more generally in our local community.

With the escalating violence and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the unpreceded instability of this election season and whatever follows it, Jeremiah concluded his report by asking that we “root down deep into our liberal religious values and connection to great spirit or that which is greater than ourselves, and continue to build trust within, among, and beyond our congregation to center ourselves and our beloved community in these challenging times. Let us practice living love through deep listening and showing up in non-anxious and self-differentiated ways that foster inner fortitude, resilience, regenerativity, and spaciousness of heart and being.”

Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)

In her report, Jessica said, “September 2024 was a great start to the programming year for Children & Youth RE, with a return to our Soul Matters curriculum during Sunday morning RE, successful multigenerational services and programs for kids and families, and the expansion of the CYRE committee’s work through volunteer recruitment, training, bridge-building with other UUSM ministries, and continued dedication to the well-being of the individual children in our community’s care.”

At the same time, though, she said, “We also experienced some challenges, like the cancellation of our planned trip to Camp de Benneville Pines due to the dangerous fires in the area, and running into capacity limitations in trying to launch new programs for middle and high school kids. But we are proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last month, and optimistic about continuing to grow the program.”

Jessica reported that the kids in Sunday morning RE have been very responsive to the return of the Soul Matters curriculum, which provides both lesson structure and predictability, and room for creativity. Also, she said Cynthia Littleton continues to be a great help, volunteering in RE most Sundays. To take some of the burden off of our most reliable volunteers and build infrastructure for the expansion of CYRE, though, we have also been recruiting new volunteers through one-on-one outreach by committee members and through social media. Six new volunteers have signed up, in addition to parents and committee members who are already actively engaged.

Jessica said two of her favorite events this month were our multigenerational services — the Water Communion Ingathering on September 8th, and the Climate Justice Revival on September 29. She said we had good attendance from young families, and both services offered different ways for kids to participate actively. In particular, Jessica said it was “a big privilege and a wonderful learning opportunity” to lead the Climate Justice Revival service, which allowed her to integrate elements of things the kids learned in their climate activities the previous day. While only five kids participated on Saturday, she said, the event was still a “big success, engaging new volunteers, incorporating activities for kids of different ages and abilities, and allowing them to express their feelings and ideas about climate change and climate justice in a truly meaningful way.”

Jessica said another wonderful event that both she and Shanna Shaked (co-chair of the CYRE committee) attended in September was OWL Facilitator Training for grades 7-12, held at UU Studio City over a full weekend, September 13-15. The training was excellent, Jessica said, equipping us to lead Our Whole Lives (OWL) when we have the next opportunity to gather a cohort of students. She said it was also a wonderful opportunity to meet other RE leaders in the Los Angeles area and beyond, to talk about important issues, learn from their experiences, and practice facilitation skills together. She said she made connections there that could definitely lead to continued partnerships in the future.

Finally, Jessica closed by highlighting “the wonderful work of the CYRE committee, our dedicated parents of young children, and the many wonderful people in the UUSM community who make working here such a privilege.”

“This month I had the opportunity to meet with the Membership Committee,” she said, “to help out with our Soulful Sundown event, to collaborate with everyone organizing the Climate Justice Revival, to plan a service in collaboration with several members and staff, and receive personal encouragement from so many individuals that have a great wealth of wisdom, experience, and kindness to share. While it can be easy to focus on challenges and obstacles, I hope this community is aware of how much we have and how much we are doing! I look forward to continuing our work of growing and improving, but there is truly so much about UUSM to be proud of already. Thank you to the many, many people who helped CYRE achieve everything we did in the past month!”

Treasurer’s Report

In her report, Rebecca said that based on September 2024, activity, a “potentially serious shortfall in pledges” is beginning to appear. Our total budgeted pledges for the fiscal year are $362,000, and of this amount we expected (based on previous years) that $30,000 would be paid early. But this year, we’ve collected only $6,619 so far, down $24,000 from expectations.

Rebecca said this is not in itself a problem, but it does mean we need to boost our monthly pledge income by about $2,000 per month…to about $29,000 per month. That would have given us pledge receipts of $87,000 by the end of September, when our year-to-date pledge receipts were only $80,000. She said the shortfall appeared almost entirely in the month of September, when pledge receipts were expected to be $29,000, but came in at only $20,300. In addition, she said, our total expected pledge receipts ($362K) are based on numbers that came in before some people cut their pledges because of the RE situation. She said one pledge was decreased by $4,700, and another went down by $2,300. 

If October is similarly behind, Rebecca said, it could be dismaying. But some people pay their whole pledge in December (sometimes accounted for in January), so it is impossible to track it exactly right now. At the same time, though, she also noted that we need to gather the matching funds for the DRE Spirit Level grant by the end of the calendar year…and so far, we have only $325 of the $15,000 we budgeted. Which means we seriously need to prioritize gathering the matching funds for the DRE — or we are potentially down nearly $30,000. Plus, she said, we may be down between $10-20K (and potentially more) for lowered pledges.

But the news was better regarding expenses. Rebecca said expenses right now are generally predictable. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened so far this year, and since the stock market has been doing well lately, our current endowment value is $409,000.

Board Liaison Update at November Board Meeting

Cassie volunteered to assist in contacting committees to update their membership information.

Communications Committee

Eileen announced that Pam Teplitz has agreed to chair the Communications Committee on an interim basis.

Policies Task Force

Barbara reported that the Policies Task Force continues to draft and review Board policies and has prepared three new final drafts, which will be sent to all Board members for review. Once the policies are in final form, they will be brought to the Board for approval. The task force is also preparing a chart to track the status of all Board policies undertaken by the task force.

Adult RE

Larry reported that our UUA/UUSM Common Read for 2024-2025 will be On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World, by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. The Common Read Discussion Group starts October 12 at 10:30 a.m., and is sponsored by our Adult Programs Committee, Faith In Action (FIA), and the Intersectional Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Commission (IARAO).

Board Retreat

Board members discussed possible Board Retreat topics and decided that suggestions should be emailed to Eileen, Cassie, and Linda.

Executive Session and Adjournment

The board moved into executive session from 9:00 pm to 9:21 pm to discuss a personnel issue.  After the executive session, Larry moved and Trish seconded that the board authorize Eileen to sign the document related to the personnel matter that was discussed in the executive session. The motion passed unanimously…and the meeting was adjourned at 9:23 p.m.

Draft minutes used to create this report were provided by Linda van Ligten, Board Secretary. Documents distributed and reviewed at the meeting can be found here.