September Board Highlights

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica Board of Directors for 2024-2025 met for the first time on September 10, 2024.

Board members attending the meeting included President Eileen McCormack President, 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, as did congregational member Steve White.

Call to Order, Check-In, and Opening Remarks

Eileen called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. Attendees checked in personally and answered one of two questions inspired by this month’s worship theme: “Invitation.” Eileen provided an opening reading:

“Love is the aspiration, the spirit that moves and inspires this faith we share. Rightly understood, love can nurture our spirits and transform the world. May the flame of this chalice honor and embody the power and the blessing of the love we need, the love we give, the love we are challenged always to remember and to share.”

Cassie, Norm, Barb, and Larry read our Covenant.

Membership Report

After reading new members Thomas Eilson, Julia Poll, and Jacob Boxley into the rolls, Norm reported that our current membership is 253.

Consent Agenda

Audrey moved and Rebecca seconded that the Minutes and the Standing Monthly Reports be accepted as presented. The motion passed unanimously.

Minister’s Report

In his report, Jeremiah said this month’s worship theme, “Invitation” – which follows the related summer themes of Grace and Hospitality – “asks us to imagine what it might be to invite more hope, love, and joy into our lives through greater connection to community and by making a positive impact on our world.”

He said Invitation is deeply related to our values of inclusion and pluralism, and is one of the Eight Characteristics of Highly Effective Congregations (Spirituality, Fellowship, Education, Pastoral Care, Leadership Development, Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression/Social Justice, Invitation, and Stewardship) that we’ve been studying in various ways over the last few years.

“Invitational communities are always extending their reach and broadening their embrace by being engaged with the larger community and being open to new people, ideas, and ways of doing things in the day-to-day activities of congregational life,” said Jeremiah. “Our commitments to anti-racism and countering oppressions and building a diverse and multicultural community can only truly be realized when we engage deeply with this work.”

Jeremiah also reported that…

• “We inaugurated a new congregational worship year this past Sunday with our annual Ingathering and Water Communion Service, and it was delightful, warm, and engaging multigenerational service for all ages. The sanctuary was full and people were in good spirits at this start to the new church year.” Jeremiah said he’s only been back for less than two full weeks and is mostly getting caught up with the many happenings of the summer and planning our work for this autumn. 

• This will be the first congregational year with our new UU Values, with Love at the Center. These UU Values include Interdependence, Pluralism, Generosity, Justice, Equity, and Transformation. 

• Our Summer Worship Services brought many familiar faces from our esteemed local UU clergy to campus and provided opportunities for some members to offer special services to the congregation. Service leaders included Rev. Angeline Jackson, Rev. Kikanza Nuri Robins, Rima Snyder, and Karen Hsu Patterson, Rev. James Ishmael Ford, James Witker, Rev. Liz Murphy, and Chaplain Bronwen Jones. Jeremiah said he is grateful for their offerings and for our extraordinary worship team, because these services take months of planning and preparation.

• It was a joy to welcome the Santa Monica Synagogue to our campus as a renter, neighbor, and friend this summer. Nurit reports that the move-in took about a week and all went smoothly. Jeremiah said he was in communication with Rabbi Shira during the summer to work on some of the logistics of the move. The new partnership was the result of nearly a year of work that included the Boards of the two communities exploring possibilities both together and with the two congregations and Rabbi Laura Geller in the springtime, and providing regular updates to the community through all-congregation emails, Sunday services, and the Annual Meeting. Jeremiah said he met with Rabbi Shira when he returned from his summer break, to formally welcome her to the campus, and then he and Rev. Kikanza joined the Synagogue for its Shabbat Service and Social Hour on Friday and offered our formal welcomes and gratitude to their congregation. Members of the synagogue expressed deep gratitude and elation that we were willing to take them in during their time of need, and excitement about the possibility of our communities working together in the future. We are already beginning to explore the possibilities.

• During the late spring and early summer, annual staff performance evaluations were completed by all staff supervisors. Jeremiah said the evaluations use a model he brought to the community, which involves self-assessments and supervisor-assessments of job description functions, in addition to professional development plans. The evaluations were shared with the Personnel Committee when completed.

• Jessica Place, our Interim DRE, has completed her initial three-month period with the congregation and has agreed to continue on for another three months following a meeting with Jeremiah at that evaluation point. The position description specifies that it’s renewable for three months at the three month juncture, and then any long-term commitments would be explored at 6 months. Jeremiah said, “I found a gift while I was in Ohio, and thank Jessica for being with us in these initial months. We are both very hopeful about the future.”

• Four Religious Education Listening Circles were conducted over the summer, following the four meetings held by invested congregational leaders in the spring. Jeremiah extended a special thank you to Rev. Kikanza, Melissa, Gretchen, Karen, Cheryl, and Denise, and everyone who participated in the opportunities to engage with the community in constructive ways. He said a lot of good information came out of these meetings and he’s been able to meet with Rev. Kikanza to discuss some of the information and explore how it can best inform our processes and congregational life moving forward.

• Jeremiah was planning a UU Animal Ministry (UUAM) Vegan Fundraising Luncheon on Saturday, Sept. 21. He said 25 members signed up for the event, which raised funds for the congregation and promoted the important work of our fledgling UUAM chapter.

• Saunder and Jeremiah are exploring the possibility of offering a Sing for Democracy Choral Event for the larger community, to encourage democratic engagement this fall.

• Rabbi Shira and Jeremiah are exploring collaborating on some elements of our High Holy Days service this year. This would be the first opportunity for our communities to work together since the move. Jeremiah said Rabbi Shira might join us for our service, and we will build a Sukkah together in the courtyard for our two communities to enjoy. The Sukkah is a structure built by Jewish communities each year in commemoration of the years of living in the wilderness, and it is a reminder of the impermanence of life. We will need the help of our young people to decorate the space, which is considered a festive and joyous place for all.

• We will need to be mindful about not biting off more Developmental Ministry Projects than we can chew this congregational year, with many projects ongoing, others on hold or about to recommence, and others new this year. Jeremiah said he is grateful for the expanded board to help us make progress in the final stage of developmental ministry, and as we learn from the triumphs and struggles of the past years to inform our process moving forward. He said we also need to make sure we are not stretched too thin and that we prioritize items on a sustainable timeline. The activity includes ongoing developmental ministry-related projects such as our Worship Associates Program, Pastoral Care Team, Intersectional Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Commission (IARAO), Children’s and Youth Religious Education Development, Listening Circles & Healing Work, Board Policies Refresh Team, Leadership Developmental and Nominating Committee, Membership Committee, Institutionalizing Stewardship, and Theme-Based Ministry. There are also several Developmental Ministry-related projects on hold or recommencing, including the Mission and Vision Renewal Taskforce, the Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM), and Healthy Congregations/Right Relations. And new Developmental Ministry-related projects for 2025-2026 include the Ministerial Search Committee, Communications Team Development, a new Santa Monica Synagogue Village Committee, and a new Planned Giving Program.

• Jeremiah met with the Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council Leadership Team this month and will meet with the Council later this week. He is continuing his term as a Vice President of the Council, and said his involvement has not only contributed to organizational development for the Council and stronger linkages in the larger community, but was also the basis for finding our new Interim DRE and renting space to the Santa Monica Synagogue in the past year.

• Jeremiah said he did not meet with the UCLA Medical Center Ethics Committee over the summer because they also took a summer break, and he was still away when that group resumed meeting. He will begin meeting with the Committee again this month to explore ethical issues affecting members of the larger community and healthcare more generally in our local community.

In conclusion, Jeremiah welcomed everyone back and said he hopes “the summer brought some relaxation and renewal to everyone’s hearts, minds, and spirits, and we can better enter this new congregational year centering hope, love, and joy!”

Treasurer’s Report for the Board

Rebecca reported that we ended the last fiscal year with a deficit of about $6,300 instead of our budgeted surplus of $550. This was partially due to our paying the MRE above the original budgeted rate. The money to cover the overage came from the deficit reserve fund.

Rebecca also reported that 2024-25 pledges total $362,000. As of the end of August, the expected pledge income is 2/12 of the total, or $60,300. Our actual pledge receipts are $59,444, which is very close to the budgeted amount.

Other sources of income, including Identified Contributions and rentals, are in good shape – thanks in large part to the Santa Monica Synagogue, which is renting an additional room in the cottage beyond its original contract.

Finally, Rebecca said expenses are generally predictable, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened so far this year. Also, since the stock market has been doing well lately, our current endowment value is $402,000. 

Board Retreat

Board members decided to use an emailed Doodle Poll to decide the date for the Annual Board Retreat. There were also requests to have Retreat earlier rather than later in this Church year.

Art Wall

Eileen announced that Beverly Alison has stepped back from curating the Art Wall. Bettye Barclay, Gretchen Goetz, Roy Patience, Tom Peters, Sheila Cummins, and Bob Dietz have stepped in to continue the tradition.

UUA Retirement Plan

Every 10 years the Board needs to update the UUA Retirement Plan. Larry moved and Audrey seconded that the Board adopt the UUA 2025 Restatement of the Unitarian Universalist Organization Retirement Plan, implementation date January 1, 2025, and commit to complying with all the provisions of the plan and the elections made by UUSM in the 2025 Employer Participation Agreement that we submit to the UUA Retirement Plan Committee, and that they acknowledge receipt and approve via counter signature of same. The motion passed unanimously.

Policy Updates

Barbara reported that eleven policies have already been approved by the Board. Eight are in revised draft form and will be sent out to all Board members, three or four at a time, for Board comment. The Policies Refresh Task Force requests that members review the policies on their own and send questions and comments directly to the task force at boardpoliciesrefresh@uusm.org. The task force will review the Board comments and bring final drafts for approval votes at the next Board meeting.

Children and Youth Religious Exploration (CYRE)

Shanna reported that the CYRE Committee has met twice, and its next meeting was scheduled for later in September. She requested suggestions from Board on recruiting volunteers, and Jessica said they had limited success after the Ice Cream Social. Others said we should continue to request volunteers at every opportunity, including committee meetings and social events. We could also reach out to former RE volunteers, whose children are older now, to see if they’d like to return to the RE classroom. The office can help facilitate the background checks required for RE volunteers.

Faith in Action and Adult RE 

Larry reported that 65 people attended the August 4 screening and discussion of “Five Broken Cameras,” the award-winning documentary by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers that was shown after the service…and 20 of the attendees were congregants. Also, the next Common Read will be On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World. And finally, Adult RE is also seeking more volunteers to lead classes like Build Your Own Theology.

Stewardship

Eileen and Jeremiah said they are planning a possible retreat.

Mission and Vision Updates

Jeremiah said he will meet with Kikanza and Julie Nyquist to plan for the coming church year.

Executive Session and Adjournment

The Board moved into Executive Session from 9:30 to 9:50 pm, and the meeting was adjourned at 9:51 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.