From the announcement email sent on Thursday, March 19.
Join us online again this Sunday as we co-create beloved community together in the midst of a global pandemic. We are suspending congregational worship gatherings until further notice to protect vulnerable members of our congregation and the larger community. You can watch our special live-streamed service on the church’s Facebook page at 10 am on Sunday morning, March 22. Help us spread the word about these changes. We look forward to being with you virtually and in spirit on Sunday morning. If you need help getting online, please contact board member Eileen McCormack for assistance.
“Giving Ourselves Away” (A Special Online Worship Service)
The generosity of heart, spirit, and resources is fundamental to the spiritual path. This is taught by all of the great religions of the world. This Sunday, we celebrate the formal launch of our annual stewardship campaign and explore the meaning of giving to our lives, our beloved community, and the world. We will get to hear the many transformative stories of why so many support this congregation with our first congregational video.
Church Facilities are Closed
Please note that church buildings and offices are now closed for business and services until further notice, and church staff members are working remotely. See above for online Sunday service information.
Scheduling Meetings
Although our current in-person meetings and events have been canceled/postponed, we are working on offering online gatherings and other ways of maintaining our community spirit. Please stay tuned as we work out the details.
In the meantime, if you need to schedule a church business group or committee meeting via zoom, please contact Cyndee Hayes at assistant@uusm.org 310-829-5436 ext. 102.
Please provide the following details at least three days prior to the meeting. If you would like the meeting to be posted in the Weekly Email Announcements, please email Sibylla Nash at OOS@uusm.org by Wednesday evenings.
- Title of meeting
- Meeting’s host information
- Start time and end time
- Participants’ email addresses for an Invite.
Individuals can attend the meeting by phone if they do not have an email address.
Adult Programming
During this time of social distancing and uncertainty, the Adult Programs Committee is working hard to transition many of our groups and programs for personal and spiritual exploration to an online format, mainly via Zoom (but other platforms are a possibility). The plan is to get much of our regular programming up and running within the next ten days. We’ll also be providing assistance to those unfamiliar with how to use Zoom – just let us know you’d like help by emailing AdultRE@UUSM.org at least a few days before the program you’d like to take part in. Look for more information and links for programs on Zoom soon. We look forward to connecting with you!
Upcoming Events
CANCELED>> D&D – Living in UUville, Sunday, March 22, 2020, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Cottage NW. Contact Cleo Anderson for more information at DRE@uusm.org.
CANCELED>> Visitor Meetup, Sunday, March 22, 2020, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Cottage NE. Visitors and prospective members are encouraged to attend this informal get-together held on each Sunday of the month.
CANCELED>> Faith Forward – Inquirers Group, Sunday, March 22, 2020, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Forbes Classroom 1. Session 5: Faith Development for Children & Youth with Cleo Anderson, Director of Religious Education. Our Whole Lives (OWL) and Program Coordinator, Beth Rendeiro. You can find the full schedule here.
CANCELED>> Discussion and Support Group for Persons with Disabilities, Sunday, March 22, 2020, 11:30 pm – 1:30 pm, Cottage SE. Come and join us as we share stories, inspirations, and find community with each other. This group offers a forum in which members can feel the benefit of its mutual support. Contact Michael Young for more information.
CANCELED>> AAHS Freethinker Forum, Sunday, March 22, 2020, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Warren Mathews Conference Room. The Freethinker Forum is a monthly interactive meeting sponsored by AAHS: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists & Secularists of UU Santa Monica. All are welcome to join in a lively discussion where diversity of viewpoints is encouraged and respected. Contact James Witker at aahs@uusm.org for more information.
CANCELED>> Coalition for Police Reform, Monday, March 23, 2020, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Forbes Classroom 1. Contact Audrey Lyness for more information.
ONLINE WITH ZOOM>> Open Meditation, Monday, March 23, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:15 pm, Forbes Hall. We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. Contact Bev Schoenberger or email AdultRE@uusm.org for more information and the Zoom link.
CANCELED>> Facility Meeting, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, Forbes Classroom 1. For more information contact John Zinner or Brad Hutchinson.
CANCELED>> C&Y/RE – Book Group Discussion and Dinner, Friday, March 27, 2020, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Sanctuary. Brilliant, bold, and energetic, Mona Eltahawy’s “The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls,” is a manifesto for all feminists in the fight against patriarchy. Join us on Friday nights March 27 – May 15 (no meeting April 10) to discuss one chapter per meeting. Dinner will be served. All are welcome. Contact Cleo Anderson, DRE to register and purchase a book at dre@uusm.org.
CANCELED>> Adult Programs – Body-Mind Tune-Up with Bruno, Saturday, March 28, 2020, 11:45 am – 12:45 pm, Offsite. Bruno Lacombe is conducting exercise classes for UUSM members who are seniors, super-seniors, and people with physical difficulties. Contact Bruno Lacombe at (310) 666-7387.
CANCELED>> D&D – Living in UUville, Sunday, March 29, 2020, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Cottage NW. Contact Cleo Anderson for more information at DRE@uusm.org.
CANCELED>> Town Hall Meeting, Sunday, March 29, 2020, 11:45 am – 1:00 pm, Sanctuary. Review of 2020-2021 budget and current church finances.
MOVING ONLINE>> Lessons of Loss with Leon Henderson, Sunday, March 29, 2020, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, Forbes Hall. The Lessons of Loss is a Life-Span Curriculum developed by Unitarian Universalist Carol Galginaitis. We shall explore participants’ experiences to losses large and small including those associated with death. Reflecting on experiences, we shall also explore the consequences of both sharing and ignoring feelings of loss as well as relevant, related Unitarian Universalist theses from theologians and laypeople alike. Information about meeting online coming soon.
MOVING ONLINE>> Open Meditation, Monday, March 30, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:15 pm, Forbes Hall. We gather twice a month to sit together quietly for 20 minutes, to walk with gentle awareness for seven minutes, and to explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. Contact Bev Schoenberger or email AdultRE@uusm.org for more information and the Zoom link.
MOVING ONLINE>> UU Men’s Group, Thursday, April 2, 2020, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Cottage NE. The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. Information about meeting online coming soon.
CANCELED>> Adult Programs – Body-Mind Tune-Up with Bruno, Saturday, April 4, 2020, 11:45 am – 12:45 pm, Offsite. Bruno Lacombe is conducting exercise classes for UUSM members who are seniors, super-seniors, and people with physical difficulties. Contact Bruno Lacombe at (310) 666-7387.
