Free three-part series at Brea Senior Center, 500 S. Sievers Ave.
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, 11 a.m. – noon: Help with Medicare Rx Costs

Information on premiums, deductibles, co-pays, low-cost options; Medicare Drug Plan Choices, Formulary Review

Part II: Thursday, March 29, 11:00 a.m. – Noon: Practical Tips on Medication Storage, Disposing, & Remembering

Part III: Wednesday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. – Noon “Brown Bag Medication Review” with a pharmacist. Call to register: (714) 990-7750

Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias: What Does the Diagnosis Mean?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. (Refreshments 4:30 – 5:00)

UCI University Club, Irvine

Reservations mandatory: (949) 824-2382, press option 4

Our Year of the Dragon is off to a great start. Thanks to the help of our January volunteers, our children had the fun of putting together a dragon parade for Chinese New Year. Fittingly, this is the Year of the Dragon, so there were dragon stories and poems along with our dragon making activities in the Social Hall. The adults had a surprise when the dragon was waiting for them on the patio after the second service. If there were any evil spirits lurking about the building they should be gone after our parade. We welcomed in the New Year with plenty of noise and good wishes. February brought us our second craft night, with the evening focused on Valentine activities and a pizza dinner. Through the cooperation of several committees, our Spirit Grant money, and a private donation, we were able to replace the television in the Social Hall with a new model. With much clearer picture and sound available, RE will be able to resume family movie nights and to provide up-to-date equipment for trainings and classes.

If our Religious Education classes seem a little small during the months of February and March, it is because we have a large group of youth who are taking Our Whole Lives (OWL) at the UU Church of Long Beach. Our families and events will be back on track at OCUUC in May. OWL provides age appropriate information, in a caring environment with trained facilitators, about the human body, sexual health and positive life choices. OWL classes are scheduled at OCUUC for our 5-6 graders and senior high this spring.

Parents, please let us know asap if your children will be participating in OWL. We will be opening up the sessions to other churches in the area, so spaces will fill fast.  Senior high OWL will meet for two intensives on Friday March 30 6 pm through Saturday March 31, 6 pm and Friday April 20 6 pm through Saturday April 21, 6 pm. 5-6 grade OWL will meet on the following: Sunday April 15, 1-3:30 pm mandatory parent & student session; Sundays April 22, 29; Sundays May 6, 13, 20, 27; and Sunday June 3, 1-2:30 pm. href="dreocuucorg">dreocuucorg

The focus of my sermon will be John Murray born in England on December 10, 1741. In 1770 he emigrated the our country to “lose himself in America.” He preached, as a Universalist minister, his first sermon in Good Luck, (now Lacey Township) , New Jersey.

In 1774 he settled at Gloucester, Massachusetts, and established a congregation there. There he met his second wife, the author Judith Sargent Murray. He was suspected of being a British spy, but in 1775 was appointed chaplain of the Rhode Island Brigade by General George Washington despite petitions for his dismissal by other chaplains over his rejection of belief in hell. On October 23, 1793, he became pastor of the Universalist society of Boston, and faithfully served it until October 19, 1809. He was a man of great courage and eloquence, and in the defense of his views endured much detestation and abuse. He is one of those remarkable persons who contributed to the diverse community of people we today call Unitarian Universalists.

I look forward to see you on Sunday.

We will delve into our Universalist heritage by learning about Rev. John Murray and Judith Sargent Murray.

John Murray and the Winds of Change

You never know what the wind will blow in or which way the wind blows. The wind can change directions and maybe change your life. It happened to John Murray. As a young man, John Murray had excellent fortune blow his way. He had a fine education, a steady job, a loving wife, and a young son. Life was good. Then, suddenly, everything changed. John Murray’s wife and their son became sick and died. John lost his job, lost all his money, and was put in jail because he could not pay his bills.

John was a very religious man, a Universalist, who had even preached about a loving God. Now, he was not so sure what he believed. He felt his life was over. Friends urged him to go someplace where he could start again.  Read more

We have dates, but there are still a few things up in the air.  We could use a leader for the Midsummer ritual.  Also, we’re hoping for a camping adventure at Beltane, which means we don’t currently have anyone to lead our normal Maypole ritual.  If anyone would like to lead a Maypole or other ritual for those who can’t make it out to the mountains, we would be happy to lend our materials (including our beautiful Maypole) to them.  Just let us know.

Obviously, since the location of the church could change over the year, location and times could also change. With that in mind, here is our schedule for the upcoming Wheel of the Year:

Ostara: Sunday March 18, 1:00 pm.  Christine Hernandez and/or her Wicca 101 graduates will host our Spring Equinox ritual.

Beltane: We’re hoping for a Beltane in the woods.  Our current plans are to go camping in the local mountains with our friends from the Coven of the Silver Grove.  Come for a weekend of adult fun with perhaps a touch of debauchery.  This event will require pre-registration.  More details to follow.

Anyone who would like to lead a celebration locally, please let Christine know. We have a great Maypole!

Midsummer: Sunday June 24, 1:00 pm.  Let us know if you’d like to lead this one!

Lammas: Saturday July 28, 6:00 pm.  Christine Hernandez will lead a ritual honoring the sacrifice of the harvest.  Make corn dollies and offer them in expectation of an abundant harvest of gifts in your life.

Mabon: Sunday September 23, 1:00 pm.  Come and celebrate the vine, the wine, and the harvest in honor of Dionysus.  Tim and Brenda Titus will lead a ritual of thanks for the fruits of our labors.

Samhain: Saturday October 27. 7:00 pm (pending confirmation from COSG).  Join us for our popular and introspective ritual honoring our ancestors and the Mighty Dead.  Once again, the Coven of the Silver Grove will lead this beautiful and meaningful ritual of love for our ancestors.  This is a more solemn ritual, open to anyone over age 12. A donation will be requested to pay for our feast and per-registration will be required.  Final details will be posted in early October.

Yule: The Winter Solstice Singing Ritual, our most loved event of the year, will return on December 15 at 8:00 pm, followed by a second ritual during Sunday service on the 16th at 10:30 am.  Our musical descent into the darkness and rise into the light will once again inspire us all to bring our tender lights into the world.

Imbolc: Assuming that the world still exists ;) our Imbolc/Candlemas ritual will be on February 2, 2013 at 7:00 pm.  Brenda and Tim Titus will lead the group in a healing ritual, and we will bless candles to light our way for the upcoming turn of the Wheel.

My sermon title on February 5th is “Linda Barnes: Champion of Change.” Also, this Sunday, we will all share in a communion ritual similar to a Flower Communion. Please bring a packet of seeds, or a locally grown or organic fruit, vegetable or herb to share at the Earth’s Bounty Communion.

Additionally, at February 5th’s service, we will be raising awareness and seeking the support of every person in the congregation to joining the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program. What is the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program? It is a call for 42 men, women and children of OCUUC, beginning March 11th and culminating on Earth Day, April 22, to be committed for a period of 42 days leading up to the 42 nd Earth Day, to taking action of their choice with respect to food ethics. Please see the 42-42-42 web page for more details.

Sunday’s music will include Jason Cook’s husband Lawrence Ingalls playing harp and singing songs by Simon & Garfunkel and Boz Scaggs, and Beth Syverson will also play Simon & Garfunkel tunes on piano.

Update 2/9:  The man has been united with his famiy and is now getting medical care.  His brother came for his things and expressed gratitude for all our help.

At Wednesday’s Board meeting, the Board of Trustees discussed the issue about the homeless gentleman who has been living on our property. For those of you who don’t know, we have a homeless man who has been sleeping on the grounds behind the Boag building and leaving his belongings there during the day.

The board felt that we had three options for handling this situation:

1. Do nothing
2. Call the police and have him removed
3. Assist him in finding a better situation

The board looked at our principles in forming our response. Our first and second principles apply to this situation.

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

The board has, therefore, decided that we will proceed with compassion and assist this man in finding a better situation. He will be asked to store his items away from the children’s areas on the property and to be off the property before 8AM on Sundays.

Rev. Ed will be working with SOS to find assistance and housing for him. While that is being solved, the man still needs help. I am asking the congregation to bring things to help keep him warm, dry, and fed. If you have things that can assist him please talk with me  (presidentocuucorg)  .

Concerns or questions can be sent to Rev Ed or Mary Lundholm

I hope your children will be able to join us for our dragon parade for Chinese New Year this coming Sunday. We will walk our dragon around our coffee area immediately after the adult service. We still need adult helpers for this Sunday’s project, and to assist the children in making their own dragon paper bag puppets. Please let me know if you can assist, there will be too many children for just three of us to work with safely.

RECY has made one policy change for this year for teachers. We are asking that relatives not teach together in the same classroom if there are only two teachers present. This is to keep everyone protected should any questions arise about any situation in a classroom. We are being proactive with this policy so that continue to have safe and happy classes at OCUUC.

Our youth group will be moving the first week in February up to the Tracey Boag Building for a pilot project. We hope to create a great place for the youth to gather near the patio area and playground.

Check out all the details below for fun activities for all ages. The Jason Shelton music event is coming up fast. RE will host a Valentines Craft Night, with pizza dinner on February 4^th. Gabrielle Block will be heading up our Secret Pals program at the end of February, continuing through March for the third year in a row. Thank you, Gabrielle!

Dates will be announced very soon for winter/spring Our Whole Lives for Sr. high and for our 4-6 graders. Our Whole Lives (OWL) provides a safe setting with trained facilitators for children and youth to learn about their bodies. In addition to providing accurate information, OWL encourages the older youth to explore their own sexual identities and ethics, and to critically examine the messages from the larger culture. Please contact me immediately if your sr. high or 4-6 grade students would like to take OWL this spring. dreocuucorg

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

dreocuucorg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Saturday February 4th, 4-7 pm in the Social Hall, Crafts for Valentine’s Day such as cards and decorations. Fun for the entire family, all are welcome! Pizza will be provided, bring a side dish or dessert to share. Helpers needed for set up and clean up, please contact Rayna to RSVP at dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• OCUUC Children’s Choir will be singing in the Jason Shelton concert “Voices in Unity” on February 11 at 7:30pm.

Rehearsal schedule:

Sunday, January 29, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom

Sunday, Febuary 5, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom

Thursday, February 9, 7-8pm, sanctuary

Friday evening, February 10, 6-7pm, sanctuary

Saturday evening, 6pm call time, 7:30pm concert

Jason Shelton wrote some of our favorite UU songs – “Standing on the Side of Love,” “Morning Has Come,” and “Fire of Commitment.”  He’ll be here to conduct and sing a concert of his own compositions about love, unity, and action.    Here is the flyer for the whole Jason Shelton weekend:  http://ocuuc.org/ministries/workshops/

Contact Beth Syverson if your family wants to participate in this special event.  Beth Syverson, 714-376-6666, MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  .

• Renaissance Module at the Los Angeles UU Church, March 22, 2012, 5:30 pm  to March 24, 2012, 12:00 pm. Renaissance Module: UU Identity. This is open to the RE community; Rayna is one of the organizers. The goals of the Unitarian Universalist Identity Module include: creating an understanding of identity as a process; becoming aware of how the process unfolds; identifying ways to foster the process, specifically among Religious Education participants and generally among their congregations. Link: Registration form

• May 5, 2012, save the date. International Day at Soka University, with the OC Dept. of Education and Arts Orange County. We can meet up for music and fun

• Ongoing. Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly (GA) in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  GA is the yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog

Here’s a link to the AHA site which has a brief video of Hands-Only CPR™ http://HandsOnlyCPR.org/  You can also get an app for your iPhone, Android, or Palm Pre to guide you through CPR!

Sudden Cardiac Arrest

This means your heart has completely stopped effective beating; survival depends greatly on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Unfortunately, less than 1/3 of those people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in a public location get that help. Most people are worried that they might do something wrong or make things worse. That’s why things are being made much simpler for non-medical professionals. And the beauty is these techniques can work as well or better than “old-fashioned CPR”!

If you see an adult suddenly collapse, and he or she is not breathing and unresponsive, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. The American Heart Association says, “Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help.”

Heart Attack and Stroke

In a heart attack, a part of the heart can die from lack of blood. In a stroke, part of the brain can die. These are life-and-death emergencies; every second counts. If you see or have any of the following symptoms, immediately call 911. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast! There are new and better treatments every day to stop a heart attack or stroke in its tracks. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after symptoms first appear.

HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS

• Chest Discomfort
  • Most heart attacks cause discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Pain or Discomfort in one or both Arms, Back, Neck, Jaw or Stomach
• Shortness of Breath with or without chest discomfort
• Other Signs may include a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

STROKE WARNING SIGNS

If even one of these signs is present, don’t delay:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of Face, Arm, Leg, especially if one-sided
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Thanks to our partnership with Hoag Hospital’s Health Ministry program, we will be able to offer CPR and or First Aid training through the year! Let’s all be prepared to save lives if we have to.

And don’t forget prevention. Try not to gain weight; try to exercise some every day. Remember, any step you take can be the first of many in the right direction!

Adair Small, nurseocuucorg  (nurseocuucorg)  
Congregation Nurse

The theme for the month of February revolves around Unitarian Universalists who have made an impact on the society and culture of their times. Some are famous, some are not, and some may be completely unknown to the general public, but all have made creative contributions to the society of their time and place. Sunday February 5th we will focus on Linda Barnes, who has been a champion of food diversity and sustainable agriculture. More about this notable biology professor and seminarian may be found here.

Rev. Ed’s sermon title is “Linda Barnes: Champion of Change.” Also, this Sunday, we will all share in a communion ritual similar to a Flower Communion. Please bring a packet of seeds, or a locally grown or organic fruit, vegetable or herb to share at the Earth’s Bounty Communion.

Additionally, in Sunday’s service, we will be raising awareness and seeking the support of every person in the congregation to joining the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program. What is the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program? It is a call for 42 men, women and children of OCUUC, beginning March 11th and culminating on Earth Day, April 22, to be committed for a period of 42 days leading up to the 42nd Earth Day, to taking action of their choice with respect to food ethics. Please see our website for more details.

Within OCUUC, AIDS Team Ministry can use a few new drivers.  Contact Mary Lundholm   (presidentocuucorg)  to volunteer.  Our program continues to meet the needs of the neediest here in Orange County living with AIDS.

Also, the 42-42-42 program, which will begin March 11th and culminate on Earth Day, April 22, involves the following:

Getting 42 or more people at OCUUC to commit, for a period of 42 days leading up to the 42nd Earth Day, to taking action of their choice with respect to food ethics.

Please contact Maureen McConaghy if you would like to participate.

Outside of OCUUC, we need your help on a number of items:

#1:

Our church voted to support SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act.

The bill has now passed out of an important State Senate committee and may come to a vote in the full State Senate as early as Wednesday the 25th.  Some State Senators, including Lou Correa of Santa Ana, are key Senators who’s support we need in order to pass SB 810. Their names and numbers are listed below. Please call on Monday or Tuesday to let them know you support this bill.  These are direct numbers to their offices in Sacramento.

Senator Lou Correa (Orange County/Santa Ana area)
Phone: (916) 651-4034

Senator Ed Hernandez (Los Angeles/West Covina area)
Phone: (916) 651-4024

Senator Michael Rubio (Fresno/Bakersfield area)
Phone: (916) 651-4016

Senator Juan Vargas (San Diego area)
Phone: (916) 651-4040

Senator Ron Calderon (Los Angeles/Montebello area)
Phone: (916) 651-4030

#2:

The SAFE California Act

is a ballot initiative that replaces California’s death penalty with life without the possibility of parole. In order to qualify for the November 2012 ballot, we need to gather signatures.  Click here to sign the petition to get this on the ballot.  We will also have petitions on the Faith In Action table for the next three weeks.

#3:On January 15, more than 20 people from four UU congregations in the Orange County, CA area attended a workshop and training withGrassroots Leadership.

UUs from Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach, and Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church in Costa Mesa joined those from Tapestry, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Mission Viejo, CA.

Donna Red Wing, Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership, and Bob Libal, senior organizer, guided attendees in developing a plan to implement a visitation program at James A. Musick immigration detention center in Irvine, CA — the first of its kind in southern California.  Participants also heard from Jose de Jesus Penaflor, an ex-detainee who talked about his life before, during, and after detention. He was bonded out by a fund created at First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles.

If you are interested in this issue, please contact Birdie Reed immediately.  Over the next 6 weeks, plans will be in the works to organize efforts throughout all UU Congregations in Orange County.  A meeting will be held on February 26 at a site to be determined.  We will keep you posted on the location of that meeting as the date gets closer.

#4:

On January 19th, AB 1148

passed the CA Assembly Appropriations Committee with a 12 – 5 vote in favor.  The California Clean Money Campaign needs help making phone calls to mobilize their constituents to ask for them to support AB 1148.  PLEASE COME HELP make phone calls into strategic assembly districts.  Click here to register and to get details on their next phone banking event.

#5:

We all enjoy eating out.  Unfortunately, the workers

who cook, prepare, and serve our food suffer from poverty wages, no benefits like paid sick days, and little or no chance to move up to better positions. When the people who serve us food can’t afford to pay the rent or take a day off when they’re sick, our dining experience suffers.  The newly released Restaurant Opportunities Center’s National Diners’ Guide 2012 provides information on the wage, benefits, and promotion practices of the 150 most popular restaurants in America. The Guide lists responsible restaurants where you can eat knowing that your server can afford to pay the rent and your cook isn’t working while sick.

Click here to download a copy of this year’s guide.

For the latest information on these issues, visit us at the Faith In Action Table after both services.

How do you help others?  How can OCUUC help you help others?  We can help by working together! 

Our special guest artist will be Roy Zimmerman, known for his to-the-moment political satire, especially “Defenders of Marriage,” which he’ll sing for us on Sunday at both services.

We’re gearing up for the Jason Shelton Worship Weekend “With Hands and Hearts and Voices” on February 10-12. Please pre-register if you plan to attend the workshop and/or the concert on Saturday, February 11. And contact Beth if you’d like to participate in any of these ways:

• Sing in mass choir finale
• Children’s choir
• Volunteer at workshop (comp ticket)
• Volunteer at concert (comp ticket)
• Housing for choir members and ministers Friday and/or Saturday (February 10 and 11)

And please spread the word to folks you know at other nearby churches who might like to attend or sing in the mass choir. A pdf of the sheet music is free and Beth  (musicdirectorocuucorg)   can email the file to the singer right away.

The concert on Saturday, February 11 is our big choir concert for the year. (We usually have it in June.) The choir would sure appreciate a full house! The music for the concert is all written or arranged by Jason Shelton — a real testament to Unitarian Univ ersalism. You will leave inspired and filled up with UU spirit!

The February service theme is UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS – MAKING A DIFFERENCE, and each week we will profile an ordinary individual (or a couple in one case) who let their UU principles guide their lives in an extraordinary way. The people we will be focusing on will be:

• Linda Barnes (food diversity and sustainability)
• Jason Shelton (UU composer and Minister of Music)
• John Murray and Judith Sargent Murray (Universalist pioneers)
• Emrys Staton (undocumented immigrant justice)

Come hear their stories and let them inspire you to act on your UU principles in your own way.

February 11th will be here before you know it!

Mark your calendar for the concert Voices in Unity February 11th at 7:30 pm, featuring music composed by Rev. Jason Shelton, performed by choir members from OCUUC, a combined choir piece, and the Children’s Choir.

OCUUC Children’s Choir will be singing in the Jason Shelton concert “Voices in Unity” on February 11 at 7:30pm.

• Rehearsal schedule:
• Sunday, January 29, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom
• Sunday, Febuary 5, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom
• Thursday, February 9, 7-8pm, sanctuary
• Friday evening, February 10, 6-7pm, sanctuary
• Saturday evening, 6pm call time, 7:30pm concert

January is traditionally a month when people think about change – perhaps in the form of New Year’s resolutions or perhaps because a year has “ended” and a new year has “begun.” Additionally, OCUUC, as a church and an institution, is in a time of huge transition: a long and successful ministry has ended and not so long from now a new settled ministry will begin. The time in between – the time of an interim ministry – is a time of experimentation and exploration.  So it is fitting that January’s “theme of the month” be about change. I will explore this theme from a variety of perspectives in a series of three sermons this month January 15th, 22nd and 29th.

With combined RE funds, youth recycling money, a donation to RE and Spirit Grant matching, we have been able to purchase a new television for the Social Hall. We look forward to resuming movie nights with a much sharper audio and video output for the new year! We will need someone with a pick up truck to assist with moving the old TV for recycling on January 13 or 14, transporting to a temporary recycling center at Huntington Beach Public Library. Please let me know if you could help us out with a truck dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

We are in the process of setting up dates for winter/spring Our Whole Lives for Sr. high and possibly for our 4-6 graders. Our Whole Lives (OWL) provides a safe setting with trained facilitators for children and youth learn about their bodies. In addition to providing accurate information, OWL encourages the older youth to explore their own sexual identities and ethics, and to critically examine the messages from the larger culture. Please contact me immediately if your sr. high or 4-6 grade student would like to take OWL this spring:  dreocuucorg

dreocuucorg

• February 4, 4-7 pm in the Social Hall. By popular demand, Crafts with Judi for Valentine’s Day designs!! Cards and crafts, fun for the entire family, all are welcome! Pizza will be provided, bring a side dish or dessert to share. Helpers needed for set up and clean up, please contact Judi or Rayna at dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• OCUUC Children’s Choir will be singing in the Jason Shelton concert “Voices in Unity” on February 11 at 7:30pm.
• Rehearsal schedule:
• Sunday, January 29, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom
• Sunday, Febuary 5, 1-2pm, Gillan 3 classroom
• Thursday, February 9, 7-8pm, sanctuary
• Friday evening, February 10, 6-7pm, sanctuary
• Saturday evening, 6pm call time, 7:30pm concert

 Jason Shelton wrote some of our favorite UU songs – “Standing on the Side of Love,” “Morning Has Come,” and “Fire of Commitment.”  He’ll be here to conduct and sing a concert of his own compositions about love, unity, and action.    Here is the flyer for the whole Jason Shelton weekend:  http://ocuuc.org/ministries/workshops/  Contact Beth Syverson if your family wants to participate in this special event.  Beth Syverson, MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  .

• Renaissance Module at the Los Angeles UU Church, March 22, 2012, 5:30 pm  to March 24, 2012, 12:00 pm. Renaissance Module: UU Identity. This is open to the RE community, Rayna is one of the organizers. The goals of the Unitarian Universalist Identity module include: creating an understanding of identity as a process; becoming aware of how the process unfolds; identifying ways to foster the process, specifically among Religious Education participants and generally among their congregations. Link: Registration form

• Ongoing. Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.

• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly (GA) in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  GA is the yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

Also, of great importance to the congregation, Rev. Wienecke, as part of her remarks, will outline the search process recommended by the UUA for securing the best minister for the next chapter in the life of Orange Coast UU Church. She will also be available to answer questions after the service.

Rev. Bets Wienecke is the Pacific Southwest District Ministerial Settlement Representative who advises and consults with this district’s UU congregations in the southern half of California, Nevada and Arizona about the ministerial search process.

In keeping with the January theme of change, Rev. Wienecke will speak on the subject of “Holding Tight and Letting Go.” Rev. Wienecke comments: “Transitions in life offer challenges and choices:  Do we cling to what we know or do we venture forth into uncharted territory?”  Also, of great importance to the congregation, Rev. Wienecke, as part of her remarks, will outline the search process recommended by the UUA for securing the best minister for the next chapter in the life of Orange Coast UU Church. She will also be available to answer questions after the service.

More about Rev. Bets Wienecke: she was honored as Minister Emerita of the Live Oak UU Congregation in Goleta after serving there for eighteen years. She has served on the UU Ministers Association Executive Committee, on the Board of Trustees of Meadville/Lombard Theological School, President of the PSWD UU Ministers Association chapter, and President of the Santa Barbara Clergy Association.   She was awarded the Pacific Southwest District’s Distinguished Service Award in 1988. Bets’ spouse is Peter Haslund, who taught political science at Santa Barbara City College for 41 years and is now serving as President of their Board of Trustees. They proudly share four adult children and five “above average” (of course)  grandchildren.

Together we are creating a new surge of energy to invigorate the congregation. Look for more Adult Education classes to get started in January 2012. The board hopes that you will find offerings that appeal to you and create a sense of spiritual depth to your connection with OCUUC.

This chart is just amazing to me. Look at that jump in attendance.

This chart shows that our goal for a 5% increase was an average Sunday attendance of 117 people. We reached an average of 136 people.

Of all of the eight sabbats, Imbolc (also known as Candlemas) may be the most difficult for modern people to understand.  Why do we celebrate the return of spring smack in the middle of winter?

Translating to “ewe’s milk,” Imbolc is the celebration of the very first signs of spring.  When ancient farmers noticed that their pregnant sheep were lactating, it was a sure sign that the birth of the new lambs was just around the corner.  The sun stays in the sky noticeably longer than it did back at the Winter Solstice, another sure sign of the coming Spring.  In a time when families began to starve as the winter cold strangled the production of food, the signs of its icy grip loosening were a very welcome sight.

The themes of Imbolc are the same themes that these ancient agricultural people would have used.  At Imbolc we celebrate the returning light, awaken the Goddess that has slept within ourselves and the Earth since Samhain, cleanse ourselves for the coming spring, and seek inspiration for the coming turn of the Wheel.  All of this is represented by the day’s most common symbol: candles.  Fire lights the way; fire purifies; fire provides the light of inspiration (any UU knows that!).

Fire is also sacred to the Celtic goddess Brigid, the goddess most associated with Imbolc.  Brigid rules over inspiration, smithcraft, and all manner of the arts.

Come and light a fire for the sleeping Brigid as she lights a fire to guide your way for the coming year!  Our celebration of Imbolc will be early this year: January 21, 2012.  The ritual will be a bit more formal than our past few.  We will cast a formal circle along with all the other more traditional elements of ritual.  Those of you interested in the more witchy side of paganism won’t want to miss this one.

DETAILS:

What: CUUPs Imbolc ritual

When: Saturday January 21 at 7:00 pm (Please arrive at 6:30)

Where: OCUUC Sanctuary

Bring: Something to drink from, a potluck dish to share, and a place setting for the feast.  Our potluck will be New Year’s themed: bring something traditionally eaten at the New Year for luck and prosperity (or just bring something tasty).

Wear: Light colors, especially white and lavender.

RSVP: by commenting on this post or join the Orange Coast CUUPs Facebook page.

New Year Service Schedule:

Schedule for January:  One service: Sunday, January 1st at 10:00 am  Two services: Sunday, January 8th at 9:45 am and 11:15 am  Two services: Sunday, January 15th at 9:45 am and 11:15 am  Two services: Sunday, January 22nd at 9:45 am and 11:15 am  Two services: Sunday, January 29th at 9:45 am and 11:15 am

• 6:30 pm – Social hour with a special appearance by Santa!
• 7:30 pm – Christmas Eve family service-  ”Would You Like to Hold the Baby?“ pageant, with children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story with lots of music.

It is important to be sensitive to those who may find this a stressful period, and if you are one of these folks, to know that you are not alone.

All losses and potential losses count. How can you be full of cheer if jobless and in fear of worse? Events that happen from time to time in all our lives make celebration tougher: illness, death of a loved one, perhaps a separation or divorce.

The holidays accentuate these feelings of loss or loneliness because of ours and others’ expectations, and anxiety about the future. I think the “other’s expectations” part is key. You should be able to share your feelings of loss with those who are close to you and scale down the festivities to something you are comfortable with. This is a time when being with family and friends can be an enormous help, as long as they are sensitive to your feelings.

One way through all this is to try to look for the joy in the present moment and to be with people who lift you up rather than drag you down. The OCUUC community is one where I have always found the love, caring and support to be very special. You already know who the folks are who make you feel good just when you see them or hear their voice. Try to be in their company. Think about the places that have always made you feel good or at peace and seek them out. I find there is nothing like a walk on the beach or at the marsh to make me feel better. Don’t forget that activity is a wonderful antidepressant and anti-anxiety tool!

It is important to be able to separate holiday blues from clinical depression. If you have been feeling an overall disinterest with your life prior to this holiday season, then you should be evaluated by a mental health professional. Call the NAMI WARMLINE, 1-877-910-WARM (9276) or 714- 544-8488, 8 a.m. to midnight daily.

If you already suffer from depression, keep supportive family and friends close during the holiday season. This can be a tough time and you should lean on all the people you can, to get you through it. I have some Tips for Handling the Holiday Blues available at the Caring Table, or I would be happy to send them to you.

I take this opportunity to wish you the brightest 2012,

Adair Small, Congregation Nurse
nurseocuucorg  (nurseocuucorg)  

Blessings of the season to all!

Please stop by the Social Hall after the potluck on Sunday 12/18 to hear a presentation on Ethical Eating. OCUUC would like to have more involvement in this important movement to assist the planet and all that make up the interdependent web.

The day is rapidly approaching for our Christmas Eve pageant! We still need some help behind the scenes for the presentation Would You Like to Hold the Baby? This will be a wonderful evening of family and church bonding and holiday fun. Please bring a treat or snack to share for the social hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m. that night. Beth Syverson will be leading the choir, and I am coordinating the acting roles. Rehearsal for the actors is this Thursday December 22^nd.  Pizza dinner for the rehearsal diner, 6:00 p.m. for pizza, rehearsal begins at 6:30.

We will be moving ahead to create a pilot program for a full RE program at our first service time on Sundays. Please send any thoughts, ideas or comments to me, we need to hear from you. The target date for beginning is February 5. We will need teachers and participants. We are very excited and hope to expand our vibrant RE program to a wider community. We will need your assistance and talents for this pilot. Please contact Rayna if you can assist or have any questions or suggestions.

We are in the process of setting up dates for winter/spring Our Whole Lives for Sr. high and for our 4-6 graders. Our Whole Lives (OWL) provides a safe setting with trained facilitators for children and youth learn about their bodies. In addition to providing accurate information, OWL encourages the older youth to explore their own sexual identities and ethics, and to critically examine the messages from the larger culture.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

dreocuucorg

_______________________________

• Rehearsal for the Christmas Eve children’s choir and pageant actors.  All children are invited to participate:

• Rehearsal for all actors and choir members is Dec. 22. Actors can wear bathrobes if they play people, animals will wear the color of their animal, any style of clothing. If you have an earth color or plain head scarf for the people roles, please bring it. I will have some on hand for actors to borrow.
• The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7:30pm.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)   or dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

Backstage pageant help is needed:

• Costume & mask helpers (night of the performance), staging coordinators, prop assistants, clean up and set break down(at least 4 helpers needed)    dreocuucorg

• Registration is ongoing for winter camps at de Benneville Pines. Sr. registration goes fast, sign up asap http://www.uucamp.org/
• Ongoing. Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly (GA) in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  GA is the yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

February 10-12, 2012 – Worship Weekend with Jason Shelton – “With Hearts and Hands and Voices”

I am very excited to bring out my friend and colleague Jason Shelton to lead not only OCUUC but all the local UU congregations in a weekend-long exploration of worship.  He will be presenting a workshop about how our worship can be more aligned with our values.  Plus we’re producing a big concert with Jason, our choir, a mass choir, and special guests.  And Jason will lead worship at OCUUC on the Sunday morning.

Jason Shelton is one of the shining stars in the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network.  He went to seminary to become a Minister of Music and he serves the big UU church in Nashville (where Beth and Tom Winnett go now).  He is a wonderful composer with a huge heart for Unitarian Universalism.  We are lucky to have several of his songs in our hymnals and in our choir’s files as well.  In 2009, our choir traveled to sing in a mass choir at the Arizona district assembly, where we performed Shelton’s Sources: A Unitarian Universalist Cantata.  His church has produced a CD of UU songs that I highly recommend.

I hope many of you will become involved in this exciting event.  You can participate by attending the workshop, singing in the mass choir, volunteering to help, attending the Saturday concert and Sunday worship, or by inviting your friends to come along.

Attention Singers & Instrumentalists — As soon as the calendar turns over to 2012, we will hit our concert repertoire hard to prepare for our big Jason Shelton weekend concert on February 11.  It’s the perfect time to join the choir so you can participate in this very special event.  The choir is open to all singers who can match pitch and follow directions.  We meet on Thursday nights at 7:30pm in the sanctuary.  Plus the choir is having a special retreat on Saturday, January 14th in Long Beach to further prepare for the concert.   Contact Beth  (musicdirectorocuucorg)   if you’d like to get on board with the choir, or if you’d like to participate in the concert as an instrumentalist.   

February 25, 2012 – Orange Coast Concerts – Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe

Another big event happening in February is our one-and-only Orange Coast Concerts event this year — Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe will be performing again at our church.  I believe this will be their fourth appearance.  Larisa is another friend and colleague of mine who I respect and admire very much.  She travels around the world with her band, performing in concerts and rituals, plus serving others through a prison ministry.  Her music is a combination of rock and world sacred music – a vibrant, energetic, loving musical experience based on Hindu mantras.  You can dance, meditate, sing along, or just enjoy the music like a “regular” concert.  Tickets are already on sale online and they will be sold on Sunday mornings after the first of the year.  I hope you will also be able to participate in this event as an audience member or volunteer.  This is an excellent opportunity to bring a friend who’s never been to OCUUC before.   Since this is our only Orange Coast Concerts outing this year, we are hoping for great support from OCUUC so we can continue offering concerts next year.

Thank you for supporting the many ways that music intersects with worship and spiritual growth at OCUUC.  I am at your service — let me know how I can best meet your musical wishes.

Beth Syverson
Director of Music Ministries
musicdirectorocuucorg  (musicdirectorocuucorg)  
714-376-6666

Beautiful music, a meaningful story, and the inspiring message of spreading light to the world.

This unique ritual is different from everything else we do.  Celebrating the darkest day of the year and the beginning of light’s return to the world, we tell the myth of  Persephone’s descent into the underworld through narration, poetry, and song.

The service is powerful, meditative, and joyful.  Come and celebrate the return of light and life to our world!

A note from Rev. Ed:

This Sunday we will have the annual Pagan service at one service at 10 a.m.  Thus we will ‘round out’ our tour of three major world religions for this month, Buddhism, Christianity and Paganism.  For those interested, there will be follow up Adult Education courses for persons further interested in examining Buddhism and Christianity.  The series on early Christianity  (Genesis, A Living Conversation) will take place on Wednesdays beginning  Jan. 18th and will be led by our own Ken Small.  The series on Buddhism will take place in January and please keep your eye on the Adult Education web page for further details.  There was quite a bit of interest in both classes and we look forward to these interesting explorations.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Our December 2011 worship theme at OCUUC is world religions. Here is my Time For All Ages presentation that compares Unitarian Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol and the Buddhist Four Noble Truths. Dickensians around the globe will celebrate his 200th birthday in February 2012.

Happy Holidays to All!

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

Once upon a time there was a man named Ebenezer Scrooge. He has become famous, many of the grown ups know his story. He loved money more than anything. His business partner dies, and his partner comes back as a ghost on Christmas Eve. I always want to say Bob Marley, but it was Jacob Marley. He warns Ebenezer that he will be visited by three ghosts before the night is over, the Spirit of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.

The Spirits do come and visit Ebenezer, and give him a good scare. The Spirit of Christmas Past shows him the person he used to be, that he used to be able to have fun and was in love with a girl, but his love of money became more important. The Spirit of Christmas Present takes him to his nephew’s, where hears how the others see him, that he is mean and only thinks of himself and his money.

The last Spirit, who shows him the future that might be, takes him to see the family of the man who works for him, Bob Cratchit. He has a little boy named Tiny Tim, who will die because his family is poor and not able to take care of him. Ebenezer sees his own death which really scares him.

After he wakes up in the morning he is very different. He realizes that we should be good to each other, that to take care of each other and to be kind is the most important thing. He tries to make all of his family and those who work for him happy. He learned an important lesson.

Rev. Ed has talked about a religion from Asia, it is called Buddhism. I saw some of the important things in Buddhism in this story. The Buddha told everyone what are called the Four Noble Truths. Charles Dickens lived at a time when many people suffered, and that is the first noble truth, that everyone suffers. Rich people, poor people, everyone suffers.

The second noble truth is that the cause of everyone’s suffering can be known and understood. Good news for all of us, and Ebenezer was able to find out what was caused his suffering in the story. He was greedy, he only loved money, he tried to keep everything he had for himself, and he never shared anything.

The third noble truth talks about greed, that is the way that all of us try to hold on to the good things in our lives, and worry if we will not be able to do that. It makes us unhappy that everything changes, that things never stay the same, and we worry about that and try to hold on to things and people. It can make us mean and crabby with ourselves and with others.

The fourth noble truth tells us how to live to have a happy life. We need to do what Ebenezer did, share what we have and expect things to change all the time. We can be happy if we accept that things are always changing and don’t expect them to stay the same, if we can let things change.  We have to see that all the things we own can go away and even our feelings or other people’s feelings can change, and that all the changes are okay. We shouldn’t expect to keep everything forever. If we see that, it sets us free, and we can open up our hearts and stop worrying. Then we are free to love ourselves and each other.

Do you have the Worship Weekend with Jason Shelton on your calendar?  On February 10-12, 2012, OCUUC will be hosting a Worship Weekend with Rev. Jason Shelton (Music Minister at the Nashville UU church, and composer of “Standing on the Side of Love,” “Morning Has Come,” and many more).  A worship workshop led by Jason Shelton will occur all day Saturday February 11 — it’s open to anyone who is interested in creating worship.  There will be a concert featuring Jason Shelton, our own Orange Coast Choir, plus a mass choir and special guests on Saturday night, February 11th.  And Jason Shelton will be presenting the service on Sunday morning, February 12th.   We are looking for volunteers to help with the planning and execution of this big event. Contact Beth Syverson  (musicdirectorocuucorg)   if you’d like to volunteer to help out.

Christmas Eve Children’s Choir

The children’s choir which will perform at the Christmas Eve service.

• December 22nd – Dress rehearsal for all Christmas Eve participants, 6:30 pm*
• December 24th – Christmas Eve

Winter Solstice Singing Ritual

 •Wednesday February 22nd: Genesis

Video and Discussion Group based on the Bill Moyers PBS program:  ”Genesis: A Living Conversation” with Ken and Adair Small. Final Wednesday at 7:15-9:00 pm in the Social Hall:  February 22nd. “Genesis” is a Video/Discussion Series based on the PBS Video, “Genesis: A Living Conversation.” Bill Moyers gathers thoughtful and engaging individuals…to discover what the Genesis stories say to us today.

•Tuesday March 13th: Class “Early Christianity” with Keith Jenkins and Lynn Jackman.

6 Tuesdays from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Social Hall:

• March 13th
• March 20th
• March 27th
• April 3rd
• April 10th
• April 17th

Look for more information on this webpage. Register by email  (adulteducationocuucorg)  

•Tuesday March 13th: Taizé Singing as a Spiritual Practice  

With Amy Tompkins and Ted Lundholm, meets the second Tuesday of each month, 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Gillan 3.

Taizé Singing originated in Taizé, France. Simple rounds and chants are sung over and over as the participants improvise as the spirit moves them; each person sings louder or softer, faster or slower, harmonizes or not as they become immersed in the experience. Eventually, the song ends naturally and the group moves on to a new song. Those new to Taizé Singing are invited to join the group as we deepen our spiritual experience through the beauty of the music we create.  Register by email  (adulteducationocuucorg)  

•Sunday March 25th: “Journaling and Memoir Writing” with Marcia Hackett

Exploratory meeting of those interested in a group to deepen your spiritual practice on Sunday March 25th at 1:00 pm in Boag 3; may lead to an ongoing group.  For more information, please check with Marcia.  Register by email  (adulteducationocuucorg)  

•Reading /Discussion Group: “Living Our Principles” 

with Karen Anderson  (adulteducationocuucorg)  

Meets alternate Fridays of each month at 10 am-12 pm starting in March.  We will meet at a nearby restaurant for breakfast and discussion.

We will read an excerpt from a meaningful book together and work to apply the principles from the book in our lives.  This will be a support group where we will share the journey of life and struggles as we work together to apply what we were learning to our own lives.  For dates, location, and book title, please contact Karen Anderson  (adulteducationocuucorg)  . Books we are considering: The Cathedral of the World  and  Love & Death: My Journey through the Valley of the Shadow  by Forrest Church;  Our Chosen Faith  by John Buehrens and Forrest Church; and Love is Letting Go of Fear by Jerry Jampolsky.

•Sunday March 18th: All Church Potluck & Ethical Eating Discussion

All Church Potluck and Ethical Eating discussion. Join us after second service March 18th for shared meal followed by a presentation/discussion in the Social Hall at 1:00 pm.

We need 2-3 volunteers for set-up and 2-3 for clean up each time we do a potluck; to volunteer, please email Karen  (adulteducationocuucorg)  . Every participant is asked to wash their own dishes; this makes clean-up easier for the volunteers.

This is an opportunity to build community by sharing our food together.  This is intended to be a potluck of healthy food; please use your own definition of healthy food.  If your contribution is vegan, low fat, sugar free, or unique in some other way, we can put a label on it identifying this.  If you can bring something to share, that is wonderful.  You may also share in the lunch by making a donation of $4 if you didn’t bring food.  However, remember that we are dependent upon having enough people bringing food to feed us all.

We will also have a way to share recipes of food brought to the potluck.  This recipe exchange is part of the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action Program; please let Karen know  (adulteducationocuucorg)   if you have recipes you want to share.

All Church Potluck and discussion of Ethical Eating Film Fest, held the weekend of Earth Week (4-20/4-21) with ten possible movies to choose from:

1. Diet for New America
2. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
3. Food Fight
4. Food Inc.
5. Food Matters
6. Forks over Knives
7. Fresh
8. Killer at Large
9. King Corn (PBS Documentary)
10. Supersize Me

The All Church Potluck will be on the 3^rd Sunday after the second service each month. 

Someone asked me “What is the difference between an Interim Minister and a Settled Minister?”  In the following remarks, I will try to answer this question.

A settled minister has a long term relationship with a congregation. Their role includes preaching, pastoral care, administrative leadership, and teaching.  An interim minister acts as a “settled minister” to a certain extent, in that the interim minister performs the ordinary tasks of a settled minister, such as preaching, pastoral care, administrative leadership, and teaching.  But the more significant and important role of the interim minister is to prepare a congregation for its next settled minister. One might define this as a “consulting” role vis-à-vis their “ministerial” role.

One way of describing this “consulting” role is that the interim minister looks at several dimensions of church life to get a sense of its readiness to move on toward its next stage – the introduction of its next settled minister into the life of the congregation.  In a broader sense, this “consulting” role of the interim minister engages the congregation in the opportunity to look at the long term goals and needs of the congregation and the community.

An interim minister seeks to engage church leaders about the long term goals and aspirations of the church.  This is often a substantial change from the habit of a congregation’s leaders being immersed in the details of day to day management of the church and not looking beyond that.   Some, but not all of the “dimensions” of church life examined by the interim minister are the following:

1.      Does the congregation have a mission statement that is in alignment with where the congregation actually wants to go and is able to go? Does the congregation have a mission statement that is exciting to a majority of the congregation?  This is a very important issue for a number of reasons. In the process of trying to match the congregation with a settled minster the people of the congregation need to carefully define what it wants and therefore what it needs in a settled minister.  Prospective ministers will want to “hear” that a congregation has a clear sense of direction. Ministers will want to match themselves with congregations with compatible goals. Furthermore, a clear, compelling mission statement provides all church leaders – minister, DRE, staff, and lay leaders- with a clear sense of direction. Without this, everyone makes up their own “mission.”    In a very fundamental sense, for UU congregations, a mission statement provides the “authority” and legitimacy for all that ministers, staff, and lay leaders do; without it, a congregation is rudderless.

2.      Do the policies, procedures, by-laws, and other governing documents reflect where the church wants to go institutionally?  Are these documents outdated? Do they reflect prevailing wisdom in UU congregations regarding best practices? Do they reflect where the congregation wishes to go, and specifically, what the congregation’s mission requires? In healthy congregations, the policies support the mission. This too, is very important because it is imperative that the Board, Minister, staff, committee chairs, and anyone else involved in leadership in a church are reading from the same playbook.  If there is not a common set of rules, then everyone makes up their own. That is not a situation the church will want to be in as it seeks a new settled minister.

3.      Are a congregation’s finances healthy?   More specifically, a congregation needs to analyze if they will be able to absorb the costs of a new settled minister, while maintaining the financial obligations they are already committed to.  A point will come in which the church will commit itself to a specific salary package for the new settled minister. This figure is very likely to be higher than what it has been in the past. It is important that a congregation be certain they can sustain the level of financial commitment it will be making. Some of the areas to look at are: the annual canvass, special fund raisers, and whether or not there is an effective endowment development program in place.  There is another issue at play. Prospective ministers will be looking at OCUUC and asking the question “What is the church’s level of commitment as reflected in its level of giving?” and what the answer is will be important to ministers making a decision about where to engage in ministry.

4.      Are there programs to support the mission of the church?  The most important aspect of this issue is does the church have a covenant group or small group ministry in place to support the growth and development of the church. In a broader sense, a church’s mission determines what programming goals will be most important for the church.

5.      Are there programs for leadership training adequate to the needs of the church? Being a leader in a UU church is very challenging and deserves and requires adequate training.  One of the roles of an interim minister is to engage in leadership training, and to bring in persons from the district or national level who can provide needed leadership training.  Most importantly, it is imperative to make sure the church leadership will have training in the future adequate to its needs.

It is important to address the tasks described above while a congregation is in its interim ministry period because a congregation will want its settled minister to focus on the basic tasks of ministry, i.e., preaching, worship, pastoral care, teaching, etc. and be less associated with administrative and organizational changes.  Change and experimentation are natural aspects of the processes mentioned above, and change can be stressful. A congregation does not want its settled minister to be entangled in the discomfort that change evokes; however, an interim minister, who will be with a congregation for a specifically defined period of time, can be more easily associated with the opprobrium of change without creating problems for the church.

I hope these comments are helpful. If you have any questions about my comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

The Winter Blood Drive will be on Sunday, December 11 from 8:30 – 2:30 in the OCUUC parking lot. This is a particularly tough time of year on the nation’s blood supply. We have members of our own congregation needing frequent transfusions. Please donate if you can. Appointments are very helpful, but walk-ins are always welcome! Sign Up at the Caring Table or online.

Blood Pressure Screening

December 11 will also be an opportunity for you to have your BP checked whether or not you are donating blood! During the Arts and Crafts Fair, Sally Cowan, RN, will be providing this service at the Caring Table, where Adair’s Heart Healthy Holiday Trail Mix will also be on sale!

Whooping Cough Vaccine

Pertussis, better known as Whooping Cough, has seen a dramatic resurgence in recent years. Although it is rarely life threatening to adults, it is not a minor illness. We are susceptible since our childhood immunity has worn off long ago and when adults do get it, they can pass it to babies and unimmunized children where it is a very serious illness. Now there is an effective new killed vaccine with no mercury preservative. Side effects are very unlikely, except for some tenderness at the injection site. The vaccine is a three-in-one: tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

You can get this from your health care provider or, if you have no insurance, the health department. Call them at 1-800-564-8448 for an appointment for: children, women of childbearing age (pregnant or not), any adult who cares for children or comes into contact with them regularly, and all over 64.

The Winter Solstice Singing Ritual has become a much-anticipated annual event at OCUUC for good reasons: beautiful music, a meaningful story, and the inspiring message of spreading light to the world.

This unique ritual is truly different from everything else we do.  Celebrating the darkest day of the year and the beginning of light’s return to the world, we tell the myth of  Persephone’s descent into the underworld through narration, poetry, and- most of all- song.

The service is powerful, meditative, and joyful.

• Join us in the sanctuary for a special evening performance
  on Saturday, December 17th at 8:00 pm.
• We also will perform the ritual on Sunday, December 18th at 10:00 am
  as the church’s Sunday service.

Come and celebrate the return of light and life to our world!

Religious Education is currently looking at adding a full RE program to our first service time on Sundays. Please send any thought, ideas or comments to me, we want to hear from you. The target date for beginning this pilot program is February 5 2012.

Note the link to sign up for Camp de Benneville Pines winter camps below. The camps fill quickly, particularly Sr. High Camp, so get your registration money in soon. Some scholarship money is available through OCUUC, contact Rayna for more information.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

dreocuucorg

• Rehearsal for the Christmas Eve children’s choir.  All children are invited to participate:

Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4 (in the Sanctuary); December 11; December 18

The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)   or dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Non-speaking, December 24th pageant parts available. Please contact Rayna or sign up at the RE Table on Sunday:

Mary, Joseph, Donkey, Innkeeper & Wife, Stable girl, Shepherds, 3 Wise People, Dove, sheep, cow, cats, horse & barnyard animals

• Backstage help needed:

Costume & mask helpers (night of the performance), staging coordinators, prop assistants, clean up and set break down(at least 4 helpers needed)          dreocuucorg

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  See attached, and info flyers will be available at the RE Table with the dates dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Registration is ongoing for winter camps at de Benneville Pines. Sr. registration goes fast, sign up asap http://www.uucamp.org/
• Ongoing. Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• Share Our Selves (SOS) adopt-a-family. Information on the patio for adopting a family for the winter holiday
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly (GA) in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  GA is the yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to-believe son named Daniel.

  Online registration is available by following this link.

Link: Who may donate?

Craft, Cider and Stories Night with Judi & Rayna on Sat. 11/19, tonight! In the Social Hall, light dinner provided, 4-7 p.m.

Jr. High parents, attached is the information about upcoming Jr. High OWL in Long Beach. We need to get reservations in to Cheryl Kessler for our youth if they are attending. Registration will be held the first day, but we need to reserve spots for our youth.  The information is on the attached info sheet. Please contact me with any questions.

Note the link to sign up for Camp de Benneville Pines winter camps below. The camps fill quickly, particularly Sr. High Camp, so get your registration money in soon. Some scholarship money is available through OCUUC, contact Rayna for more information dre@ocuuc

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Family Night of Crafts, Cider and Stories, Saturday November 19th, 4-7 p.m. Come for a cozy evening of crafts with Judi and stories with Rayna. Warm cider and fall snacks, too. All who are young at heart are most welcome! Please RSVP to Rayna  (dreocuucorg)   so we can plan supplies and food. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Saturday November 19th from 9am to 1pm at the Orangethorpe Methodist Church to hand out food to the needy. Call or text Merrie Lee.
• All children and youth are invited to sing in the Christmas Eve children’s choir.  There are animal parts and parts for hand percussion also. All children are invited to participate:

• Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4; December 11; December 18
• The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)   or dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  See attached, and info flyers will be available at the RE Table with the dates dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Registration is ongoing for winter camps at de Benneville Pines. Sr. registration goes fast, sign up asap http://www.uucamp.org/
• Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

Craft, Cider and stories night with Judi & Rayna on Sat. 11/19 RSVP requested so we can plan supplies and food. This event will be cancelled if we do not receive your RSVPs by Wed. Nov. 16, so let us know if you can make it for this evening of family fun!

Special thanks this week to Ariana Kenney and Karen-Magoon Pearson for their assistance on November First Sunday, and to Merrie Lee and Heather McCoy for putting together our youth Halloween party.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Family Night of Crafts, Cider and Stories, Saturday November 19th, 4-7 p.m. Come for a cozy evening of crafts with Judi and stories with Rayna. Warm cider and fall snacks, too. All who are young at heart are most welcome! Please RSVP to Rayna  (dreocuucorg)   so we can plan supplies and food. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Saturday November 19th from 9am to 1pm at the Orangethorpe Methodist Church to hand out food to the needy. Call or text Merrie Lee.
• All children and youth are invited to sing in the Christmas Eve children’s choir.  There are animal parts and parts for hand percussion also. All children are invited to participate:

1. Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4; December 11; December 18
2. The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)   or dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  Info flyers will be available at the RE Table with the dates dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS) little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

A big thanks to Merrie Lee, Heather, Vera Viana-Asper, Frankie Seigfried, Jade & Jeremiah, Gabrielle Block, and Birdie Reed for assistance with our special activities on Halloween Sunday. Our regular volunteer teachers jumped right in, too. Adults and young people had a fun day. We had a learning activity centered around our reverse trick-or-treat packets that were put together by the children and were sent home for each family.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Family Night of Crafts, Cider and Stories, Saturday November 19th, 4-7 p.m. Come for a cozy evening of crafts with Judi and stories with Rayna. Warm cider and fall snacks, too. All who are young at heart are most welcome! Please RSVP to Rayna  (dreocuucorg)   so we can plan supplies and food. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• All children and youth are invited to sing in the Christmas Eve children’s choir.   I will also have parts for hand percussion if they would rather play than sing:

1. Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4; December 11; December 18
2. The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  Info flyers will be available at the RE Table.dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Saturday, November 5^th Assist with our building and grounds clean up and maintenance.
  9:00 am Work Party, OCUUC grounds
• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making last month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Families are invited to bring non-perishable foods and toiletry items for the Share Our Selves (SOS)  little green shopping cart on the patio. Goods will be dropped at SOS each week.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

An important part of this document indicates that we will “honor established process of resolving conflict where differences become chronic.”  The Board of Trustees has established new procedures to implement this Covenant. You can find those procedures in our “Peacemaking Policy” and our procedures for correcting a “Serious Breach of Covenant.”

Beginning the first Sunday in November, the first religious service will begin at 9:45 a.m., rather than 9:30.

And, don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night November 5th for Daylight Savings.

I look forward to seeing you in church.

In the month of November I will explore the theme of gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness. Rather than just talk about gratitude, I would like to invite every member and friend of the church to experiment with the practice of appreciation- by engaging in an effort to express gratitude in their daily lives. This could take the form of expressing gratitude to family and friends. I will be talking further about this in my sermons this month.

Beginning the first Sunday in November, the first religious service will begin at 9:45 a.m., rather than 9:30.

And, don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night for Daylight Savings.

I look forward to seeing you in church.

Our first group of highlighted UUs includes Margaret Fuller, Hans Deutsch and Rev. Charles Joy, and George de Benneville. Margaret Fuller was a 19^th century intellectual, mystic, war correspondent and early champion of women’s rights. Hans Deutsch and Rev. Joy designed the flaming chalice during the resistance movement of World War II. This symbol eventually became the symbol of our shared Unitarian and Universalist faith. George de Benneville championed our Universalist heritage in the 18^th century, and preached that all people are loved and saved by God. He risked of his life to say these words in both Lutheran and Catholic Europe, and many of his friends were killed for these activities. His life was important, important enough for our UU Camp de Benneville Pines in the San Bernardino Mountains to be named after him.

One paragraph cannot do justice to the lives of these amazing and complex individuals. Below are UUA resources if you would like to explore further:

http://www25-temp.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/margaretfuller.html

http://www.uua.org/publications/pamphlets/introductions/151248.shtml

http://www25-temp.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/georgedebenneville.html

I am honored to share these brave and inspired lives with our children and youth. I hold an MA in history, so this is a true passion of mine. Presenting age-appropriate information and activities with enthusiasm can bring people from the past alive to young people. History shouldn’t be boring!

Of course 1^st Sundays are only one week out of our month. Our regular curriculum Sundays are taught by a wonderful group of volunteers. As always, I am so grateful for our RE community! Thanks to all those who help teach and support our young people on Sundays and beyond.

I look forward to a year of learning and fun with our OCUUC children and youth!

In Gratitude~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

Craft night with Judi on Sat. 11/19 rsvp requested; Talents and Services Auction Sunday 11/6; we need a few more adults to help out with RE this Sunday for our fun & informative Halloween RE time. Kids are invited to wear their costumes. Face painting between services, reverse trick-or-treating packets and more. More information below.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Date change for crafts with Judi, Saturday November 19.  Come and have fun, snacks and make some winter craft items to take home and to sell at our our Dec. crafts fair as a RE fundraiser. Plenty of crafts for the entire family, don’t miss this night! Save baby food or other small jars WITH lids, cleaned and label, free please, for snow globes. You can drop them off at the RE table on Sundays. Please rsvp so we can purchase supplies and get ready for the fun.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• All children and youth are invited to sing in the Christmas Eve children’s choir.   I will also have parts for hand percussion if they would rather play than sing.

1. Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4; December 11; December 18
2. The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucor  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  g
3. We will be looking for a few good actors to participate in the pageant. No speaking parts except for  a bit of mooing, neighing or baaaing.

• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making last month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

Within OCUUC: 
AIDS Team Ministry update – Clients are switching back to us because our food tastes better!  We have three freezers full of food and an active list of clients, but can use more help with logistics.  Contact Ted Lundholm  (atmocuucorg)   to help.

Join us at the Program Fair on Sunday, November 13th between services where we will ask you “What Do You Do For Others?”  Perhaps there are issues of social justice that you have in common with fellow OCUUCers!

Other UU Organizations Outside of OCUUC:
The 28th Annual UU Service Committee Latin American Encuentro was held yesterday at First Church Los Angeles.  It was the kickoff of the Social Justice GA that will be held June 20-24, 2012 in Phoenix.  As you may know, General Assembly 2012 will be a gathering with multiple ways of engaging in justice work for people of all ages. Joining with the people of Arizona, we will worship, witness, learn and work together.

The regional coordinator is Emrys Staton.  You can also learn more online by following these important

• General Assembly Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

UU Legislative Ministry of California’s annual Leadership Summit will be held at Camp deBenneville Pines November 18-20. This will be an in depth training opportunity for justice leaders. Our Young Leaders SALT (Spiritual Activist Leadership Training) participants will also be engaged in this.

Organizations Recognized by OCUUC:

The California Alliance for Retired Americans held their 2011 Annual Convention last week in Long Beach.  8 resolutions passed:

1.) Eliminate the Death Penalty
2.)Protect Workers Rights
3.)Disclose Political Supporters
4.) Gay Pride Month Senior Centers
5.) Pedestrian Safety
6.)Protect CA from Dangers of Nuclear Power Plants
7.)Support an Immigration Policy based on Labor and Human Rights
8.) Outlaw Hiring Discrimination against the Unemployed

Consider joining this organization if these issues appeal to you (and you don’t have to be a retiree!)  See Eva Lu Goodwin Noriega for details.

CARA Town Hall on Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal will be held on Wednesday, November 16, from 2pm – 4pm.  It will be held at the Dayle McIntosh Center, 13272 Garden Grove Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92843 (map).  The town hall meeting regards the federal budget negotiations in the Supercommittee, and how they will effect Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal. If you or your loved ones are effected, this is an important opportunity to make your voice heard. Contact Eva Lu Goodwin Noriega for details.

ACLU Southern California is taking a stand against the death penalty in 2012.  The SAFE California Campaign is working to give voters a chance to replace the death penalty on the November 2012 ballot.  But the work begins now.  Contact Birdie Reed if interested in this issue.

This past Friday, the Student/Farmworker Alliance marched against Trader Joe’s.  One of the local organizers was Natasha Noriega-Goodwin.  Click here to read more about this very interesting, but seldom heard about event.

Faith In Action meets monthly, usually on the third Sunday of the month.  You are always welcome to attend, organize, and get people interested about a social justice issue important to you.  

Sincerely,
Charlie and Birdie Reed, Eva Lu Goodwin Noriega, Pat McCully, Ken Arnold, Dan Noel, Earl Hardenbrook, and Mike Harmanos, Chair 

dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

Look for a new service project on the patio. OCUUC will begin an ongoing collection for Share Our Selves, canned goods and toiletry items.

RE teachers, please note this Sunday is the last opportunity to attend teacher training. We will gather immediately after the service to review changes and updates in our RE program.

Beth Syverson, our Director of Music Ministries, is getting ready for our Christmas Eve Service. Note the dates for the children’s choir practice below. Your child’s participation is most welcome for this year’s pageant! Contact Beth at

MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• All children and youth are invited to sing in the Christmas Eve children’s choir.   There will be parts for hand percussion if your child would rather play than sing:

• • Rehearsals will be Sundays from 1:00-1:45pm in the Gillan 3 classroom on these dates: November 27; December 4; December 11; December 18
  • The children’s choir will sing at the Christmas Eve service which will be on Saturday, December 24 at 7pm.  There will be a rehearsal around 6pm that night. The Christmas Eve service this year will be the “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” pageant, which involves children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story.  Children can participate in BOTH the pageant and the children’s choir if they wish.   MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  

• Teacher training will be held after the second service, on Sunday October 23^rd at 12:45.  All RE teachers are requested to attend if you did not go to last week’s training. It will not take too long and will fun & informative ;)   dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  Info flyers will be available at the RE Table.dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• October 24, Social Justice Leadership Webinar. The UUA is presenting a series of webinars this fall, this is the first http://ocuuc.org/socialjustice/2011/10/social-justice-leadership-webinar-monday-october-24/
• October 29^th, 9am-1 pm, CPR and defibrillation training. Just a few spots are left, priority for RE teachers. Contact Rayna at dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• October 30, Sunday, Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits for your families. Let neighbors, friend and family know about earth-friendly options for chocolate purchases. Kits will be ready for pick-up in the Social Hall. We will hold our annual morning of face-painting, too! If you would like to help out with face-painting contact Rayna or an RE Committee member dreOCUUCorg  (dreOCUUCorg)  
• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making last month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Sat. Nov. 12, crafts with Judi! Come and have fun, snacks and make some winter craft items to take home and to sell at our our Dec. crafts fair as a RE fundraiser. Plenty of crafts for the entire family, don’t miss this night! Save baby food or other small jars WITH lids, cleaned and label, free please, for snow globes. You can drop them off at the RE table on Sundays. Please rsvp so we can purchase supplies .  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

Service times have changed to 9:45am and 11:15 am.  Also, please remember Daylight Savings asks you to FALL BACK on Saturday night before you go to sleep.

__________________________________________________________

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OCUUC Fall 2011 Events, Goods & Services Auction on Sunday, November 6th from 10:30 am-2:00 pm

View the Auction Catalog here.

Get ready for different kind of Goods and Services Auction!

Silent Auction

• Bidding will be available between services for early birds, and we will provide a “Buy it Now” price in case you can’t stay. Our fabulous Auction volunteers will be on hand to assist you in bidding, should you need it.
• Bidding will be open between 10:30 am and 11:15 for early attendees. Bidding will close during second service but will reopen at 12:30 pm.

Afternoon Event

• Lunch will be available for $4.00 starting at 12:30 pm. Beer and wine bar open.
• Live music by rock/blues band “About Time” starts at 1:00 pm for your enjoyment.
• At 1:45, the Silent auction ends (pencils down!) and winners are determined.
• Members, recent visitors, friends, and friends of friends are invited and welcomed.
• We will have age-appropriate activities for children.  The nursery will be open for the youngest.  In order to help us plan a great time for your children, please let us know if they’re coming.  RSVP to Mary  (presidentocuucorg)  .

If you’d like to offer an event, goods, or services, you may use the online form to submit your information or you may print out this form, fill in your information, and turn it in at the Auction Table. Submit your items by Sunday October 30th and be entered to win $150 in scrip!

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Join us for our Annual Programs Fair on Sunday, November 13th, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on the patio.

What is the Programs Fair? It is one way that Committees, Groups and Recognized Organizations can present themselves to the OCUUC community. The goal is to provide volunteer opportunities that motivate people to get involved with the good work you do.  For more information, email Mike Scott  (programsocuucorg)  .

There are side effects to vaccines, it is true, but except in rare cases they are insignificant compared to the illness. I am old enough to have had two cousins contract polio before the vaccine was developed.

Influenza: There are now many vaccine options, although we will only have the standard killed virus inoculation at OCUUC. The Center for Disease Control advises everyone from 6 months and up to be vaccinated yearly. Children under 9 years old need 2 shots the first time, so we will only vaccinate those who have had vaccine in previous years. Our vaccine does contain the preservative thimerosal, a mercury based preservative which some people prefer to avoid in children and pregnancy.

It is important to note that fears related to autism and thimerosal exposure from vaccines is completely unfounded. No routine vaccines for children under 6 years of age have contained thimerosal (except flu vaccine) during the past 6 years, and yet rates of autism have not changed. I do recommend that all pregnant women seek the thimerosal-free vaccine from their health care provider since it is unknown what effect thimerosal may have on the fetus. There is good evidence that influenza immunity does pass to the fetus and protects the newborn from infection and hospitalization.

The new quadruple strength vaccine is for those over 65 when one’s natural immune response begins to decrease. Medicare covers that or the regular strength vaccine if you prefer.

The intradermal flu vaccine is injected into the skin instead of the muscle. It uses a much smaller needle than the regular flu shot, and it requires a lower dose to be as effective as the regular flu shot. It is available for those aged 18 through 64. It has no thimerosal.

The nasal-spray flu vaccine is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses. The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine do not cause the flu. It is approved for use in healthy people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) has been in the news a lot lately. I suspect that it is only controversial because it is associated with sexual activity. Most first sexual encounters now occur in the seventh grade and HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. There are over 100 types of HPV virus that affect humans; two of them cause cervical, oral, throat, anal, and penile cancer. The virus is transmitted by skin to skin or bodily fluid contact. There are two other types that cause genital warts. All four strains are combined in the Gardasil vaccine which is only effective if used before exposure. Three shots over 6 months are needed for immunity; it is recommended for males and females age 9-26. Why not over 26? Statistically almost all those older than 26 already have been exposed to HPV.

Shingles (Herpes zoster) is caused by the chicken pox virus. Once you have had chicken pox (even if so mildly that you never knew it), the virus stays in your system. It tends to manifest years later as shingles with sometimes disastrous results. The vaccine can be given to anyone over age 50. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop shingles. You can get it more than once. Medicare does not cover this, but many supplemental insurances do.

Pneumonia can be bacterial or viral. There is a vaccine for the bacterial type only. This should be given once to those 65 and older. Medicare covers it. Bacterial pneumonia is opportunistic; that is it generally infects someone already sick with something else. When young children and seniors get a very bad case of the flu, it is pneumonia that often kills them.

Important upcoming dates:

Flu Clinic is Nov. 13th
Bloodmobile on Dec. 11th

A hot topic on the UU Musicians Network list-serve has been the licensing (or lack thereof) of “homemade” videos that folks are posting on YouTube, facebook, and elsewhere.  So I thought this would be a good time to remind and educate everyone about copyright guidelines and intellectual property rights of composers, authors, and presenters.

It’s become so easy to create videos nowadays, and we are all enjoying the ease of producing our own “live” videos of everything from our dog’s silly tricks to important ceremonies and milestones.  It’s fine and dandy to do so, but when there is copyrighted content, then we just need to stop and think before pushing the POST or UPLOAD button.

Sometimes it’s hard to know if something is copyrighted material. On a given Sunday, for instance, there might be some songs that are copyrighted, and some songs that are in the Public Domain (free to copy and distribute however you want). Here are some Public Domain songs that we have sung recently:

• When the Spirit Says Do
• Tis a Gift to be Simple
• For the Beauty of the Earth
• There is More Love Somewhere
• This Little Light of Mine

Notice that these Public Domain songs are old Spirituals, hymns or folk songs.   The composer, if they were ever identified, are long gone now.  Copyright extends for the life of the copyright holder plus 70 years (if not renewed by their estate, etc.).  So older songs, poems, etc. are typically Public Domain.  That’s why, by the way, classical music is sometimes used in movie previews, TV shows, or commercials — because it’s FREE.

Now of the remaining works that have copyrights still attached to them, there are a few different categories to consider:

• Works that the copyright holder has given blanket permission to use — such as “Spirit of Life,” which is OK to broadcast, copy, and distribute for any UU church service or event.
• Works that the copyright holder has given one-time permission to broadcast, copy, or distribute, by granting a license, sometimes with a fee but sometimes without charge.
• Works that the copyright holder does NOT grant permission to broacast, copy, or distribute.  Some artists do NOT want their work performed but by themselves or their choice of performer.

Now that you know there are copyright issues regarding any broadcasting of any copyrighted material – which includes on your Facebook page, on YouTube, on your website, or on physical CDs or videos – you have a responsibility to protect the intellectual property rights of the copyright holder by simply asking permission to broadcast their work.  I’m happy to help with this process, but it’s really quite simple. Just find the copyright holder (at the bottom of the printed work), Google them, and email them a short note asking their permission to post it.  They might say yes or no, and they might respond within a day or 2 months.  But it’s important to respect their control of the dissemination of the work, andthey get to decide.

The UUA has put together Copyright Guidelines after consulting several legal experts.  This is a murky topic, and if you ask 3 copyright lawyers, you’ll probably get 3 different answers.  But I think the best idea is to go along with the UUA guidelines since they’ve already done the work for us and have found a middle road that is workable for churches.

By the way, it IS possible to get the “copyright police” to come after you.  A Mormon church was fined $20,000 for refusing to desist using illegally copied songbooks in their worship services.  And a copyright holder can find your YouTube video and ask you to remove it because it wasn’t licensed.

Please talk to me if you have any questions or concerns about posting any creative works on the Internet, or making physical copies of music, written words, or videos.  I’m here to help guide the congregation to the most responsible use of our creative resources.

Also:

I would also like to announce that we are forming a Children’s Choir for the Christmas Eve service.  Please let me know if you are interested in participating!

and

We are gathering a group of tech-minded volunteers who would like to be trained to run the sound system. The trained volunteers would run occasional Sunday morning services and special events (i.e., the auction, memorial services). Please contact Beth to volunteer.

Your Director of Music Ministries
Beth Syverson
714-376-6666
MusicDirectorocuucorg  (MusicDirectorocuucorg)  

This week-end I will be at my home in Washington State celebrating my oldest daughter’s tenth birthday. In my absence, Rev. David Owen-O’Quill will give the sermon. The title of his sermon is “Change and Other Dangerous Church Activities.” David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to -believe son named Daniel.

As you know, the focus of this month is the concept and practice of a covenant of healthy relations. At the end of this month, on the last Sunday of the month, the congregation will engage in a vote to affirm a covenant for the church. Thus far there have been four meetings in which people have given their input about the covenant. The response has been overwhelming positive, but there have been three specific wording changes that persons in the congregation wished to make. The covenant below reflects these changes:

A Covenant of Healthy Relations

We, the members, friends, staff, and ministers of Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, acknowledge and commit ourselves to the work of sustaining our beloved community, welcoming all in good faith, ministering to each other and adhering to the following standards:

• Be direct, honest, and respectful toward one another in a spirit of compassion.
• make our church a safe place to express our deepest fears and our greatest joys.
• forgive ourselves and others when we fall short of expectations, willing to call ourselves back into covenant and allow humor and the optimism to move us forward
• express gratitude and appreciation toward one another
• honor established process of resolving conflict where differences become chronic
• support our church with generous gifts of time, talent, and money in gratitude for the fellowship, joy, and inspiration we receive, in accord with our ability.
• Make decisions guided by the congregation’s mission, supported by our values, grounded in the common good.
• model Unitarian Universalist principles within our community and beyond, seeking engagement with the larger communities around us and the larger world that our light might shine broadly

Thus do we covenant with one another.

Your thoughts, suggestions, and comments are very welcomed as we continue on this process.

Rev. Ed

RE teachers, please note the dates for teacher training below and plan to attend one of the sessions. These will be very short sessions to provide updates, notebooks for new teachers, and ongoing and changes in important RE policies.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date! Our movie for this quarter is Up! The older youth group movie nights have been discontinued through fall 2011. The youth will re-group after the holidays for movies. Contact Christine Soriano for more information. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Teacher training will be held after the second service, on Sunday October 16th and 23^rd at 12:45.  All RE teachers are requested to attend one of the sessions. They will not take too long and will fun & informative ;)   dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  Info flyers will be available at the RE Table.dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• October 24, Social Justice Leadership Webinar. The UUA is presenting a series of webinars this fall, this is the first http://ocuuc.org/socialjustice/2011/10/social-justice-leadership-webinar-monday-october-24/
• October 29^th, 9am-1 pm, CPR and defibrillation training. Just a few spots are left, priority for RE teachers. Contact Rayna at dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• October 30, Sunday, Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits for your families. Let neighbors, friend and family know about earth-friendly options for chocolate purchases. Kits will be ready for pick-up in the Social Hall. We will hold our annual morning of face-painting, too! If you would like to help out with face-painting contact Rayna or an RE Committee member. Children and adults are invited to wear costumes, we will have a costume parade during our second service. Children will remain in the service to help with the celebration of the season.  href="dreOCUUCorg">dreOCUUCorg
• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making last month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  
• Sat. date in Nov.TBA, crafts with Judi. Come and have fun, snacks and make some winter craft items to take home and to sell at our our Dec. crafts fair as a RE fundraiser. Plenty of crafts for the entire family, don’t miss this night! Save baby food or other small jars WITH lids, cleaned and label, free please, for snow globes. You can drop them off at the RE table on Sundays.
• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

As mentioned in the sermon on Sunday October 2nd, below is a draft of a covenant of healthy relations to be considered by the congregation. This covenant was written by taking some of the best of the best statements from covenants of UU congregations from across the country. It was then discussed with dozens of people in the congregation before taking the form that you read below. I hope you can read it carefully and share your thoughts with me about it via e-mail  (ministerocuucorg)   or in direct conversation. During the week of October 17th-20th, there will be several meetings to discuss it. On Sunday, October 30th, the congregation will vote on making whatever is the result of this process the covenant of healthy relationships for this congregation. I sincerely hope each of you can be participants in this process.

A Covenant of Healthy Relations (Draft)

We, the members, friends, staff, and ministers of Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, acknowledge and commit ourselves to the work of sustaining our beloved community, welcoming all in good faith, ministering to each other and adhering to the following standards:

• Be direct, honest, and respectful toward one another in a spirit of compassion
• make our church a safe place to express our deepest fears and our greatest joys
• forgive ourselves and others when we fall short of expectations, willing to call  ourselves back into covenant and allow humor and the optimism to move us forward
• express gratitude and appreciation toward one another
• honor established process of resolving conflict where differences become chronic
• support our church with generous gifts of time, talent, and money in gratitude for the fellowship, joy, and inspiration we receive, in accord with our ability
• Make decisions guided by the congregation’s vision, supported by our values, grounded in the common good
• model Unitarian Universalist principles within our community and beyond, seeking engagement with the larger communities around us and the larger world that our light might shine broadly

Thus do we covenant with one another.

Rev. Ed Brock

RE teachers, please note the dates for teacher training below and plan to attend one of the sessions. These will be very short sessions to provide updates, notebooks for new teachers, and ongoing and changes in important RE policies.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Teacher training will be held after the second service, on Sunday October 16th and 23^rd at 12:45.  All RE teachers are requested to attend one of the sessions. They will not take too long and will fun & informative ;) Childcare will be provided.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date! Our movie for this quarter is Up! The older youth group movie nights have been discontinued through fall 2011. The youth will re-group after the holidays for movies. Contact Christine Soriano for more information. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• October 24, Social Justice Leadership Webinar. The UUA is presenting a series of webinars this fall, this is the first http://ocuuc.org/socialjustice/2011/10/social-justice-leadership-webinar-monday-october-24/

• October 29^th, 9am-1 pm, CPR and defibrillation training. Just a few spots are left, priority for RE teachers. Contact Rayna at dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

•  October 30, Sunday, Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits for your families. Let neighbors, friend and family know about earth-friendly options for chocolate purchases. Kits will be ready for pick-up in the Social Hall. We will hold our annual morning of face-painting, too! If you would like to help out with face-painting contact Rayna or an RE Committee member dreOCUUCorg

• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making last month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Date in Nov.TBA, crafts with Judi. Come and have fun, snacks and make some winter craft items to take home and to sell at our our Dec. crafts fair as a RE fundraiser. Plenty of crafts for the entire family, don’t miss this night! Save baby food or other small jars WITH lids, cleaned and label, free please, for snow globes. You can drop them off at the RE table on Sundays.

• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA. Here is is a link to the new UU Justice GA blog http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/

This year’s theme is The Immigration Crisis: Humane Responses. It promises to be an excellent primer to the Justice General Assembly held next June in Phoenix.

Topics Include:

• “Immigration Situation Unchanged – Stop Deportations Now!” with Caitlin Williams, Esperanza Immigrant Program Director.
• Current Legislation with Dan Straka of UURISE
• General Assembly 2012 – Justice GA in Phoenix with Emrys Staton, Organizer
• First UU Church of Los Angeles Outreach Efforts with Rev. Rick Hoyt, Paul Kratzer, Rochelle McAdam, and Community Members
• “MIA in Guatemala” with OCUUC’s dear friend Lucia Muñoz
• A visit to the Francis Avenue Garden and conversation with neighbors in the community.

Register with Ted Shapin, Director of the UUSC Unit of Southern California. It is best to call Ted directly at this point at (714) 567-0188 to register. More information can be found on this flyer.

Consider taking Metrolink to this event via Union Station and then the Red Line to Vermont Avenue.

presidentocuucorg

In addition to having ample time for sharing and discussion, we will be able to hear from Erik Mohn, the Young Adult Spirituality and Service Consultant at the UUA and employee of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee on projects he is working on that might enrich our own programming.

YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR. For more information on the webinar and how to register, please refer to this link: http://www.facebook.com/notes/campus-uus/best-practices-in-campus-ministry-iv-service-and-social-justice/270996599589177 (you do not need facebook to view this page).

There are many ways people create walls to put between one another. Awareness of our basic human needs is one way to dissolve those walls. One of the greatest ways of developing deeper bonds of community is by keeping the universal human needs –such as our needs for respect, dignity, and compassion – at the forefront of minds in our relationships with others.  It is a very simple notion with far reaching results. Sunday I will share some experiences that helped to make me aware of the wisdom of letting our words and deeds be guided by understanding that our own deepest needs are shared by all we encounter in our daily lives.

Read more about SB 48 FAIR Education Act.

Bill Number: SB 48

The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act would amend the Education Code to include social sciences instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This bill would also prohibit discriminatory instruction and discriminatory materials from being adopted by the State Board of Education.

Status: Introduced on December 13, 2010. Passed by the Senate Education Committee on March 23, 2011 on a 6-3 vote. Passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2011 on a 3-2 vote. Passed by the California Senate 23-14 on April 14, 2011. Passed by the Assembly Committee on Education on June 28, 2011, on a 6-2 vote, and by the full Assembly on July 6, 2011 on a 49-25 vote. Signed by the Governor on July 14, 2011.

The Wheel now turns to the dark time of the year, and we begin to look inward.  As the green of summer’s fields turn brown and the warmth slowly fades, we remember that all things die.  It is time to search within ourselves, to connect with our lost loved ones, and to honor those who have gone before us.

Samhain is our time to stop and acknowledge the dying land and pay tribute to the dead who walked the land before we did.  On October 29, CUUPs will celebrate this revered Pagan tradition with love and respect.  Once again, we will be joined by our friends from the Coven of the Silver Grove in a ritual that honors our ancestors and turns our gazes inward, then celebrates the Witch’s New Year with dancing, feasting, merriment, and song.

This evening will be quite different from our other events.  It is a solemn ritual, and everyone who attends will be expected to participate.  Preregistration is required as we will be serving dinner after the ritual.  A $20.00 donation is requested to cover the cost of your meal, ritual tokens, and supplies, but no one will be turned away if they can’t afford to attend.  We can only accept attendees age 13 and over.

This event sells out every year, so please register now.

Come and join us for a solemn but joyful evening and celebrate the most powerful night of the year!

When: Saturday October 29; arrive at 6:00 p.m. for a 6:30 start.

Where: OCUUC Sanctuary

Pre-registration: Required.  Space is limited. Please send and Email to Christine Hernandez at kitchenwitch2cscom.

Cost: A $20.00 donation is requested to cover the cost of your meal, ritual tokens, and wine.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Wear: Black.  All sorts of black ritual finery is encouraged: robes, capes, etc.

Bring: Your own place setting for dinner and, if you wish, a picture of a deceased loved one for the ancestor altar.

We have had a wonderful changes in the past year in our program. We have steadily increased our registration for church school thanks to hard work and planning by our volunteers and staff. Close to 30 children and youth attend our Sunday program on a regular basis. It is a thrill to see their enthusiasm and excitement as they participate. We have a team of dedicated volunteer teachers and coordinators who make it all happen. Our Religious Education for Children and Youth Committee (RECY) plans with the Director of Religious Education for our classroom activities and programs, with support from our minister, church administrator, Worship Committee and Director of Music ministries. Our parents and church members volunteer to make it all happen, and bring their suggestions and ideas to the community along with their caring and creativity.

With this dynamism and growth does come change. As planners for this religious community, it is our job to find, to listen for, and to evaluate and implement new ideas. It is then our responsibility to make these changes. This can mean streamlining some procedures or trying a new idea. Change can be a challenge, but it also can be exciting and dynamic. As one browses through our curricula dating back over 50 years, it is clear that change is vital! And young or old, change will find us. Embracing the new can bring vitality and energy to our lives.

I was able to attend one transitional event this month, a big change for one person and our Pacific Southwest District, that made me so proud to be a Unitarian Universalist. It was Rev. Tera Little’s ordination at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles. The religious educators and the ministers, along with all guests and visitors, processed around the block of 8^th Street, singing and waving celebratory wands. It was wonderful and invigorating. It was a true gift to see our Rev. Tera’s hard work and dedication rewarded at this loving event. A big congratulations to you, Rev. Tera

In Gratitude~~

Rayna Hamre, OCUUC Director of Religious Education

Our Religious Education program is humming with activity in these first days of fall. Our youth group, for grades 7-12, has grown over the summer. What a wonderful group of young people we have at OCUUC! Many thanks to Merrie Lee Wooten for her guidance and care of this crucial program. We have 10-13 youth each week gathering for discussion and activities in Gillan 3.

We will begin our first Sunday gatherings for all of our children and youth together on Oct. 2. We feel it is important for all our young people to gather together once a month for joint worship. The topic for this year’s first Sunday Series is famous UUs. I will be be highlighting a famous UU, alternating women and men, each month. I am very excited to be sharing our UU history and heritage with our young people!

The RE committee has camp scholarship money. Please talk to Rayna if your family would like some assistance with our upcoming camp weekend at de Benneville Pines October 7-9. We would love to help your family go to camp this year! If you are going up to camp, have a wonderful and safe weekend. DBP is magic!

For those few families who have not yet registered for 2011-12, please take a minute to fill out the form now. You can also stop by the RE table on Sunday. We have almost completed registration. Thanks to all who have turned them in already. This information is important for the care of our children and our OCUUC records:

http://ocuuc.org/wp-content/uploads/RE-OCUUC-form-2011.pdf

RE Teachers, please note the dates for teacher training below and plan to attend one of the sessions. These will be very short sessions to provide updates, notebooks for new teachers, and ongoing and changes in important RE policies.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre
OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Tomorrow, Oct. 1, Global Village in Irvine. Contact Merrie Lee at  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• October 7-9, OCUUC family camp at de Benneville Pines. Contact Rayna for information about scholarship money for camp. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Teacher training will be held after the second service, on Sunday October 16th and 23^rd at 12:45.  All RE teachers are requested to attend one of the sessions. They will not take too long and will fun & informative ;) Childcare will be provided.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Winter Jr. High OWL. The UU Fellowship of Long Beach will be hosting  Jr. High Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 8-9 (grade 7 on a case-by-case basis). This class will be held from late January to early March 2012. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their bodies and sexual choices. Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee if you are interested and would like more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date! The older youth group movie nights have been discontinued through fall 2011. The youth will re-group after the holidays for movies. Contact Christine Soriano for more information. dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• November 6th will be our all-church Goods and Services auction. I have been to some wonderful events over the years, including pizza making this month. Plan to offer an event and come for the fun! Contact Rayna or Merrie Lee for more information.  dreocuucorg  (dreocuucorg)  

• Saturday Nov. 12, crafts with Judi. Come have fun, snacks and make some winter craft items to take home and to sell at our our Dec. crafts fair as a RE fundraiser. Plenty of crafts for the entire family, don’t miss this night! Save baby food or other small jars WITH lids, cleaned and label, free please, for snow globes. You can drop them off at the RE table on Sundays.

• June 20-24 2012, UU Justice General Assembly in Phoenix http://www.uua.org/ga/  This is our yearly general conference for the entire UU denomination. This year it is being held in Phoenix, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our families and youth to attend. We hope to have some fund raisers this year to help send our youth to Justice GA.

From your Interim Minister, Rev. Brock:

This Sunday there will be a few minor changes to the order of service. Among these will be that the joys and concerns will be handled in the first service as they have been in the second service; so if you have a joy or concern you wish to share with the congregation during the service, please contact our Worship Associate,  Katherine Martin  (kateloumgmailcom)  .

My sermon this week will be about the importance of covenants for church communities. Soon I will be sharing a draft of a “Covenant of Healthy Relationships” with the congregation that will be discussed by members and friends of the congregation and, hopefully at some point – perhaps the last Sunday of this month – be voted on and approved by the congregation. During the month of October, I will, in a variety of ways, be discussing the meaning, uses, and significance of congregations having common principles, widely and deeply affirmed by all, to guide our behavior, words, and deeds.

I look forward to walking with you on your journey of creating your future.

We were blessed to have an abundance of both old and new friends at our Mabon ritual last Sunday.  One of our largest public gatherings yet, the ritual was led by OCUUC First Couple,  Mary and Ted Lundholm.

Mabon is a festival of abundance and thanksgiving, and our ritual focused on giving a little back for all of the blessings we have received this year.  Each of us blessed an apple, a symbol of the Goddess, and placed the consecrated fruit into a basket.  The basket of consecrated apples was then delivered to the local homeless shelter.

What a great way to tie UU principles into our Pagan faiths!

We were joined by many new friends, including some of the Young Adults.  A picnic followed the ritual, and all of the leftovers went with the apples to the homeless shelter. 

As the Autumn descends upon us, let us not forget the blessings of life that abound in this world, and give a little back to those in need.

Blessed be!

What am I talking about? An Automatic External Defibrillator. Learning how to use one enables you to shout “Clear!” like they do on TV, and, of course in real hospitals and ambulances. We all hope we never have to perform CPR or actually use an AED, but lives are saved everyday with this technology. OCUUC’s AED comes courtesy of our association with Hoag and their Health Ministry program. Hoag is both paying for the AED and for any necessary maintenance.

Let me give you a little background. CPR can save lives, but twice as many victims of sudden cardiac arrest are saved with use of CPR in combination with an AED within a 3 minute time frame. Simply, when someone sustains a heart attack, the electrical rhythm of the heart usually changes from effective pumping to ventricular fibrillation. This is a quivering heart unable to pump blood. CPR attempts to create effective pumping by external compression; it rarely converts the heart to a normal rhythm. That is what a defibrillator does. An AED is a computer which analyzes the heart rhythm and speaks out loud to the rescuer about the steps to take to send a shock to the heart in an attempt to establish normal rhythm. You have probably all seen AED’s without realizing it. All airports, fitness centers, convention halls have them now. More and more churches have been getting them as well.

Alan Block will be our site coordinator for the AED. It is not enough to have an AED on the wall; it must be checked monthly and a report sent via computer to the company. Alan will be doing this with Sally Cowan, RN, as back up. It will also do us no good to have an AED unless a significant number of us are trained in its use!

We are going to prioritize church leadership for training registration for our first class. As soon as they have the opportunity to sign up, we will open to the rest of the congregation. Our first training is Saturday, October 29 from 9 to 1:30. It will be limited to 16 people. We plan to have another training in the spring to get as many folks certified as possible. You will be certified in AED and CPR for adult, child and infant.

On another note: FLU VACCINE is coming. We will have our free clinic, Sunday, November 13. However, I do recommend that those of you who can, get vaccinated as soon as possible. Physicians and pharmacies have supplies now and Medicare covers it. Children and pregnant women should also be vaccinated.

Adair Small, Congregation Nurse

Dear OCUUC Parents-

Our regular, curriculum driven classroom sessions have started up! It is so great to see an enthusiastic group of teachers and students attending RE classes at OCUUC this fall. Please take a minute to read through this newsletter, there is important information that will assist our church community in getting off to a good start for 2011-12.

The RE committee has camp scholarship money. Please talk to Rayna if your family would like some assistance with our upcoming camp weekend at de Benneville Pines October 7-9. We would love to help your family go to camp this year!

A huge THANK YOU to all who assisted in our classroom clean up over Labor Day weekend: the Kilchoer family; Maria Goode and Ella and Jackson Huang; Bob Coomes; the Lundholm family; Mike Scott; Keith Jenkins; and especially Merrie Lee Wooten for coordinating what will now be a twice-a-year event.

About 1/3 of our families have registered for 2011-12, please take a minute to fill out the form now if you have not done so, or stop by the RE table on Sunday. We are aiming for 100% registration by the end of September. Thanks to all who have turned them in already. This information is important for the care of our children and our OCUUC records:

http://ocuuc.org/wp-content/uploads/RE-OCUUC-form-2011.pdf

RE Teachers, please note the dates for teacher training below and plan to attend one of the sessions. These will be very short sessions to provide updates, notebooks for new teachers, and ongoing and changes in important RE policies.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre
OCUUC Director of Religious Education
dreocuucorg

• Join us for our Coastal Clean up Day event, TOMORROW, September 17 from 9 am to noon at the Newport Beach Back Bay. RSVP to Merrie Lee Wooten at dreocuucorg

• OCUUC Family Camp at Camp de  Benneville Pines weekend October 7-9. Contact Rayna Hamre for information about scholarship money for camp. dreocuucorg

• Teacher training will be held after the second service, on Sunday October 16th and 23^rd at 12:45.  All RE teachers are requested to attend one of the sessions. They will not take too long and will fun & informative ;) Childcare will be provided.

• UU Church of Long Beach will be hosting Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 5 & 6 this fall. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their sexual choices. Planning for OCUUC Sr. High OWL and Jr. High OWL is in the works.   Long Beach contact info: http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, 4-7 pm, save the date! The youth group movie nights have been discontinued through fall 2011. The youth will re-group after the holidays for movies.

Dear OCUUC Parents-

I hope everyone was able to attend our Going Green! Fair last Sunday. We had posters, displays and green items available for donation. I picked up some one-of-a-kind reusable bags decorated by our creative children. Our children and youth got out the message, reduce, renew, recycle! BIG thanks to Merrie Lee Wooten for putting together our Going Green! curriculum for the summer program. It was a big effort and we so appreciate her time and talents. Thanks to all who taught and assisted in our active RE program over the summer!

Once again, we need  to have FULL participation in RE registration this fall. This is crucial for your children’s safety and our records. Please take a minute to fill out the RE form:

http://ocuuc.org/wp-content/uploads/RE-OCUUC-form-2011.pdf

We do need everyone’s time and talents to keep our program diverse and vital. Please sign up to help out during the year either for the classroom or special events.

Thanks for all you do~~

Rayna Hamre   dreocuucorg

OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Fall RE classes begin this Sunday, 9/11!! We look forward to seeing our families at our chruch home. This year’s curricula are listed below. Join us for another fun year exploring our UU values together!

• One more chance to help out with classroom clean-up and organization. Tomorrow, Sat. 9/10 in the RE classrooms, from 11 am – 1 pm. We really need your assistance!

• Join us for our Coastal Clean up Day event, September 17 from 9 am to noon at the Newport Beach Back Bay. http://www.backbaysciencecenter.org/coastalcleanup.html. To RSVP contact Merrie Lee at dreocuucorg

• UU Church of Long Beach will be hosting Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 5 & 6. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their sexual choices.       http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/

• Navigators meeting September 11 from 4-7 pm at OCUUC, Gillan 2 and 3. Contact Michelle Catlett for more information.  dreocuucorg

• All-church camp at de Benneville Pines October 7-9. Scholarship  money is available for families, children and youth. Please contact Rayna for more information dreocuucorg

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date! 4-7 p.m.

• CPR and AED (defibrillator) class on Saturday October 29 from 9 am – 2 pm. All RE teachers are strongly encouraged to attend. OCUUC is having an AED donated, but we want as many people as possible to be trained it its use. Contact Rayna for sign up dreocuucorg

RE Reminders:

•  Children need to WALK when out on the playground or church grounds. Someone smaller or more unsteady could be nearby or around a corner.
•  Teachers, please return any curricula you have at home to the RE table on Sunday. Help us keep costs down by keeping our collection of curricula intact.

Our curricula and grade levels for the coming year 2011-12 are the following:

• Grades PreSchool, Love Will Guide Us, Spring 2012 Faithful Journeys:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/lovewill/index.shtml
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/faithfuljourneys/index.shtml
• Grades 4-6, Amazing Grace: Exploring Right and Wrong, possibly with added myths from around the world:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/amazinggrace/index.shtml
• Grades 7-12, A Place of Wholeness:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/aplace/index.shtml

Dear OCUUC Parents-

Labor Day weekend, barbecues and back-to-school are here. We are wrapping up our summer program and welcoming our new interim minister, Rev. Ed. Brock this Sunday 9/4. Our children have created a Going Green! Fair and they invite you to come to the Social Hall after the Sunday service and see what we have been up to in RE all summer. Reduce, renew, recycle! CLEAN UP our classrooms day this coming Monday, 9/5 between 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Please help give our classrooms a good cleaning and going over to get us started for the year. Snack provided. We will whistle while we work and have some  fun, too! We will be scheduling this as a twice a year event to help keep our RE classrooms in good shape.

We need  to have full participation in RE registration this fall. This is crucial for your children’s safety and our records. Please take a minute to fill out the RE form.

Again, a reminder that we need everyone’s time and talents to keep our program diverse and vital. Please sign up to help out during the year either for the classroom or special events. Contact Rayna Hamre to sign up.

Thanks for all you do~~
Rayna Hamre
OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Sunday September 4th RE will have a Going Green! Fair on the patio after the service to show the congregation what we have learned this summer and to better inform the adults about green options. Parents are encouraged to attend and assist!

• Monday September 5th RE will have a clean up day for the classrooms. We need to do some sorting, cleaning, to spiff up of our classrooms for our fall sessions. Please stop by OCUUC from 10 am – 1 pm on Labor Day Monday, 9/5.

• Join us for our Coastal Clean up Day event, September 17 from 9 am to noon at the Newport Beach Back Bay. They are requesting an RSVP, so follow the link to sign up and we will all meet at the event.

• Navigators meeting Sunday, September 11 from 4-7 pm at OCUUC, Gillan 2 and 3. Contact Michelle Catlett  (michellecatlettgmailcom)   for more information.

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date!

RE Reminders:

• Children need to walk when out on the playground or church grounds. Someone smaller or more unsteady could be nearby or around a corner.
• Teachers, please return any curricula you have at home to the RE table on Sunday. Help us keep costs down by keeping our collection of curricula intact.

Our curricula and grade levels for the coming year 2011-12 are the following:

• Grades PreSchool, Love Will Guide Us, Spring 2012 Faithful Journeys:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/lovewill/index.shtml
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/faithfuljourneys/index.shtml
• Grades 4-6, Amazing Grace: Exploring Right and Wrong, possibly with added myths from around the world:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/amazinggrace/index.shtml
• Grades 7-12, A Place of Wholeness:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/aplace/index.shtml

Rayna Hamre

The balance of dark and light once again approaches.  This time, as we descend into the dark time of the year, we give thanks for the blessings in our lives.  Come and celebrate Mabon, a time of balance and a time of thanks!

When: Sunday September 25.

Arrive at 1:00 for a 1:30 start

Where: Victoria Vista Park, across the street from OCUUC (which is at 1259 Victoria St.) in Costa Mesa

Wear: Festive Fall colors

Bring: Chairs for sitting out side, a chalice or cup, a picnic lunch, and a dessert to share.

RSVP: By commenting on this post.  This helps us know how many participants to prepare for.

Blessed Mabon!

All Church Potluck and Ethical Eating discussion

The December All Church Potluck will be on December 18th.  Since we will have only one service that Sunday, the Potluck will be a Brunch* at approx. 11:15 am.  Join us for shared meal followed by a presentation/discussion that starts at about noon.

We need 2-3 volunteers for set-up and 2-3 for clean up each time we do a potluck; to volunteer, please email Karen  (adulteducationocuucorg)  . Every participant is asked to wash their own dishes; this makes clean-up easier for the volunteers.

Ethical Eating Discussion –  the Ethical Eating Discussion will start at about 12:00 pm.

The UU General Assembly selected “Ethical Eating” as a Congregational Study/Action Issue. Hunger is both a community problem and an international problem; this is part of the “interdependent web of which we are all a part” from our 7^th UU principle.  Through this series, we are exploring different facets of this issue.  Many people in our community and even in our congregation are struggling to get food to eat that is both economical and healthy.  In December, we will have an informal discussion of how OCUUC members can contribute to the solution.  Please come with your ideas and energy.  We will plan one or more actions that everyone at OCCUC may help with. If you have an idea you would like to present at this gathering, please email Karen  (AdultEducationocuucorg)  .

We hope you will want to join in to make this a great institution of our church.  To do so, we will need people to bring their contributions and also volunteers to help with the set up and clean up.  We need 2-3 volunteers for set-up and 2-3 for clean up each time we do a Lunch; to sign up, please email Karen  (AdultEducationocuucorg)  .

If there is sufficient interest, we will continue Sunday Pot Luck Lunch/Brunch on a monthly basis.

*Basic Brunch Menu Ideas

By: Alice Langholt

Brunch is a comforting kind of meal, a lazily late breakfast or early lunch (however you see it), and so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of choosing a menu. Many people like to include a bit of both kinds of foods – breakfast foods and light lunch foods – in the brunch menu. Here are some ideas for foods that work separately, or in any combination for a basic brunch. The idea here is to avoid strong flavors while enjoying choices from a range of items from each food group. Choose according to your tastes, budget, and the formality of the occasion.

Breakfast foods:

• Breads: bagels, rolls, breakfast pastry, muffins, croissants. Note: that these can be combined with lunch foods such as spreads so the breads are a good cross-over item).
• Fruits: bananas, fruit salad, oranges, seasonal, warm fruit compote
• Warm items: omelets, frittata or quiche, blintzes (crepes), pancakes, waffles, French toast

Lunch foods:

• Soups
• Light salads, such as tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, or chopped salad
• Veggie tray
• Cheeses and luncheon meats
• Yogurt
• Smoked or poached salmon
• Cold chicken salad
• Mini sandwiches (tea sandwiches)
• Carved roast beef

The UU General Assembly selected “Ethical Eating” as a Congregational Study/Action Issue. Hunger is both a community problem and an international problem; this is part of the “interdependent web of which we are all a part” from our 7^th UU principle.  Through this series, we will explore different facets of this issue.

Many people in our community and even in our congregation are struggling to get food to eat that is both economical and healthy.  We will explore ways to feed yourself and your family for possibly as little as $25 per week for a family.

Changing for Good

A course presented through a Monthly Blog sharing the secrets of effective and successful change programs.

Most of us have resolved to make changes in ourselves only to fail miserably.  And undoubtedly you know someone who is addicted, should make changes for health reasons, or struggling with other changes – but finding it hard to accomplish the goal.  You will learn about amazing discoveries about how people successfully make changes.  Also, we will have an opportunity to discuss this process through the blog.  We will look at a remarkable model of change that understands both why people fail and helps us understand what to do differently to succeed.  Look for new posts each month on the Adult Education pages of the OCUUC website.

“Successful self-changing individuals follow a powerful and, perhaps most important, controllable and predictable course.  Along this course are various stages, each calling for particular and different approaches to change.  The action stage is simple one of six stages – following precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation and preceding maintenance and termination.”(p15)

From Prochaska, J., et al. (1995) Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward.  NY, NY:  Avon Books.

Dear OCUUC Parents-

Religious Education is going green for the next two Sundays! Our children will be preparing for the Going Green Fair on Sunday September 4. We invite you to come to the Social Hall after the Sunday service on 9/4 and see what we have been up to in RE all summer. Reduce, renew, recycle!

Also we need  to have full participation in RE registration this fall. This is crucial for your children’s safety and our records. Please take a minute to fill out the RE form: http://ocuuc.org/wp-content/uploads/RE-OCUUC-form-2011.pdf

A reminder that we need everyone’s time and talents to keep our program diverse and vital. Please sign up to help out during the year either for the classroom or special events. Contact Rayna Hamre to sign up.

Thanks for all you do~~
Rayna Hamre
OCUUC Director of Religious Education

• Sunday September 4th RE will have a Going Green! Fair on the patio after the service to show the congregation what we have learned this summer and to better inform the adults about green options. Parents are encouraged to attend and assist!

• After the Going Green Fair there will be a visit to the Discovery Museum’s Ecochallenge for those who are interested. More information below, and at the RE Table on Sunday 8/28 & 9/4.

• Monday September 5th RE will have a clean up day for the classrooms. We need to do some sorting, cleaning, to spiff up of our classrooms for our fall sessions. Please stop by OCUUC from 10 am – 1 pm on Labor Day Monday, 9/5.

• Join us for our Coastal Clean up Day event, September 17 from 9 am to noon at the Newport Beach Back Bay. They are requesting an RSVP, so follow the link to sign up and we will all meet at the event: http://www.backbaysciencecenter.org/coastalcleanup.html

• UU Church of Long Beach will be hosting Our Whole Lives (OWL) for grades 5 & 6. OWL training teaches young people to be responsible and become knowledgeable about their sexual choices.       http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/

• Navigators meeting September 11 from 4-7 pm at OCUUC, Gillan 2 and 3. Contact Michelle Catlett for more information @ dreocuucorg

• October 15, Family Movie Night at OCUUC, save the date!

• Grades PreSchool, Love Will Guide Us, Spring 2012 Faithful Journeys:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/lovewill/index.shtml
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/faithfuljourneys/index.shtml
• Grades 4-6, Amazing Grace: Exploring Right and Wrong, possibly with added myths from around the world:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/amazinggrace/index.shtml
• Grades 7-12, A Place of Wholeness:
  • http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/aplace/index.shtml

Meet at Merrie Lee’s house in East Side Costa Mesa at 8am for carpooling (there’s a car lot across the street).  Leave by 8:20am.

OR you can join us at the preserve located at 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 in the parking log at the Interpretive Center on Irvine Avenue & University Drive. 

What to bring:   Bring filled reusable water bottle, sunscreen, closed toed shoes, hat and comfortable clothes. Volunteers are encouraged to reduce the environmental footprint of the Cleanup. Please join our efforts this year by participating in the “Bring Your Own” philosophy and bringing your own grocery/retail plastic bags (for reuse), bucket and/or reusable water bottle to make this event as ZERO WASTE as possible.

They are requesting an RSVP, so follow the link to sign up and we will all meet at the event.

Cause: Genetics are definitely involved, but not determinative. In other words everyone with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has certain genetic indicators, but not everyone with the indicators gets AD. (It is important to note here that there are other causes of dementia such as blood supply changes to the brain caused by atherosclerosis or strokes, and certain other conditions.)

Head Injury: Incidence of AD is higher in boxers, ice hockey and football players

Diagnosis: It is no longer true that AD is only diagnosed on autopsy. MRI and PET scans can identify AD changes before symptoms are evident.  Tests on blood and spinal fluid are also being used now in some centers when AD is suspected by clinical exam. Clinical exam refers to the assessment made by the patient’s report of symptoms and the results of written and oral memory and neurological testing.

Some Early signals to look out for that aren’t obvious:

• Sensory changes manifested in such things as falls or reaching for something and missing it
• Not bothering to balance your checkbook
• Depression can sometimes mimic Alzheimer’s, but it can also be a symptom.
• Increased irritability

The symptoms most folks recognize easily are severe short term memory problems, getting lost in familiar places, increased confusion, inability to plan, poor judgment. The Alzheimer’s Association has a wonderful list of these and how to tell the difference from normal aging. We have these at the Caring Table and they are online at http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp

Why is early diagnosis so important? The new medications that have been developed really do slow the progress of the disease. Starting them early can really maximize quality of life! Also it is never too late to make lifestyle changes to improve brain function.

Prevention that Works:

Use it or lose it, the more the better: Learn new skills constantly – dance, sing, learn a foreign language, play all kinds of games.

Avoid head trauma!

All juices (eating whole fruits is better overall for your health)

Lower stress and increase sleep time

Brain Health is Heart Health – Mediterranean Diet including Omega-3s (oily fish three times a week), walnuts; exercise (whatever feels good to you), stress reduction)

Social Engagement (keep on coming to church!)

Your Nurse is Traveling Again! Even though you may not see me at church, I am still on duty throughout the fall. Contact me via email or cell phone. And save the dates for CPR on Oct. 29 and Flu Clinic Nov. 13!

Adair Small, Congregation Nurse

nurseocuucorg

From the desk of Rev. Craig C. Roshaven, Witness Ministries Director, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations…

Walking the Walk-Stop the Tar Sands Pipeline

Dear friends,

We want to invite you to join us in an effort to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE), All Souls Unitarian in Washington, DC and other national and local UU groups are joining with interfaith leaders from Jewish, Catholic, Christian, and Buddhist communities on August 28th and 29th to protest the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (the proposed pipeline to transport Tar Sands to the US for refinement).

The Keystone XL Pipeline will be built from the Tar Sands in Canada, across the US, down to Texas refineries. First Nations communities in Canada and Native American tribes along the pipeline route in the U.S. have demanded the destruction of their sacred lands cease. People impacted by the construction and the “state of the art technology” predicted to leak every seven years don’t want to see it built. People of color and the poor are at a significantly greater risk of health impacts from dirty fossil fuels, and are amongst the first to suffer from the impacts of climate change. Concerns about the Tar Sands Pipeline include the risky extraction methods, the dangers of the pipeline itself, and the long-term climate change consequences.

The Tar Sands Action rolling wave of civil disobedience (or “divine obedience”) is shaping up to be the longest civil disobedience on climate change in U.S. history. The Obama Administration has the sole authority in deciding whether or not the pipeline will be built which is why folks across faith communities are participating in a rolling series of demonstrations, including risking arrest, from August 20th – September 3rd.

More than a dozen UU’s from around the country are coming to DC to participate. We invite you and members of your congregation to participate if you feel called in one or more of the following ways:

• Join the religious contingent (including UUs) and risk arrest at the rally on Monday, August 29th. A required nonviolence civil disobedience training and legal briefing for our witness will take place on Sunday, August 28th from 4-9 p.m.
• Attend the rally at Lafayette Park on Monday, August 29th to show support for those risking arrest. The legal witness in Lafayette Park will begin mid-morning, probably around 10 a.m. Look for the Green Sanctuary Banner in Lafayette Park to stand in solidarity with other UUs.
• Sign the Stop the Tar Sands Petition. Those who can’t join the rally can join the movement to stop the Keystone XL pipeline by signing the petition that will be delivered to President Obama during the Tar Sands Action.
• Write an op-ed (or letter to your local news editor).
• Join the UUMFE. Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth is a non-profit organization whose supporters envision a world in which reverence, gratitude, and care for the living Earth is central to the lives of all people. As a 501(c)3 organization, contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
• Please contact Robin Nelson, Environmental Stewardship Manager for the UUA, if you or people from your congregation will be attending the rally, especially if you are intending to risk arrest (Rnelsonuuaorg  (Rnelsonuuaorg)  , 617.948.4251). Robin will be providing a support role and organizing UUs. Watch for more timely information on the UUMFE Facebook page.