The theme of the month is "renewing faith" but we are going to start out with a twist. Rather than renewing faith, we are going to experience faith as if it is new. Come marvel at the wonder of child-like faith in this multi-generational service.

Service Leaders: Rev. Julie Brock and Era Capone

Worship Associates: Veronica Jordan

Music: Roger Corman

Cathedrals take hundreds of years to build. The people that started building them knew they would never see them finished. What visions do you have for UUCSR that could make its mission and community building power last long after we are gone?

Service Leader: Rev. Julie Brock

Worship Associate: Cathie Wiese

Music: Roger Corman and Sally Jones

Do you have to believe in something in order to have faith in it? Does faith require a cognitively consistent internal belief system? Ours has been called a faith of heretics. Come let us be faithful believers and non-believers together.

Service Leader: Rev. Julie Brock

Worship Associate: Clare Whitfield

Music: Robin Rogers

Leslie Norinsky is one of our most active members of UUCSR. She is the chair of the HR committee, a faithful member of the diversity project, and will be board chair last year. But there was a time she didn't feel as positive about UUCSR. Come listen as Leslie gives a message about renewed faith, and hope for the future, of UUCSR, and all of us.

Service Leader: Leslie Norinsky

Worship Associate: Eric Fischer

Music: Roger Corman

This month we are talking about renewing faith. I know that faith is a tricky word for some of us. It actually surprises me, because I think Unitarian Universalist requires a lot more faith than a dogmatic religion. Dogma requires you to follow the rules and believe what you’re told. Our seeking, learning, living tradition asks us to have faith that, regardless of what we do or don’t believe, there is goodness and love in the world, and we can find it in one another.

To continue to have untethered fatih like that, after the two years we have just had is… nothing short of miraculous. This month, we are going to ask you to have big faith, field of dreams kind of faith, that putting your resources, time, talent, and treasure into UUCSR will create a kinder, better, more faithful world. The pandemic and departure of a beloved minister have left us in need of money, volunteers, and the creative spark of new ideas and new energy needed to keep a community of faith vital.

This message isn’t for those who are giving as much as they can, in all the ways that they can. If you are already doing that, you are inspiring and we are grateful for you. If, however, you are able to consider making an investment in UUCSR as it rebuilds to face the future, please read the word from your Treasurer.

Friends, we have been through a dark night. It took our attention, our energy, and our time. It took a lot of care and healing. We aren’t through it completely, and echoes of what happened will reverberate for a long time. But just as with a pebble dropped in a still pond, the ripples are smaller and farther apart now.

The Board, some members of the Transitions team and Rev. Julie met in the beginning of February to look at where we are, what we’re ready for and what our next step/s should be. The discussion revealed that we are ready to do the work of interim ministry – ready to create that “UUCSR 4.0”, ready to do the work we need to do to be able to call our next great settled minister. Indeed, when we read the 5 tasks of interim ministry, we realized that we had actually already started some of them! (Barely, but we’ve started…) If you’re like me and have forgotten what those 5 tasks are, here’s a reminder:

You will be hearing a lot in the months and year to come, from both the Transitions Team and the Board, about doing this work. I know, with as much passion for and ownership of this congregation as you all have, that you will be fully engaged in it. I am so excited for us (and me, personally) to dig into these 5 tasks and do the work to prepare us to call a minister to bring us into the future.

Where I’m standing? ANYTHING is possible! And I love to make possibilities reality.

Let’s go!

The Board is continuing to read and discuss Dan Hotchkiss’s book, Governance and Ministry. This month, we read 2 chapters that were very pertinent – the job of the Board and how to have productive board meetings. The chapters were thought-provoking, and we noted many points for us to consider.

One of the things Hotchkiss talks about is that we are all fiduciaries of our Mission (not just the Board, but all of us). A fiduciary is “anyone whose duty is to act in faithfulness to another even at the cost of peril to themselves.” That resonated with us all very deeply, and we felt that we have done that very well, through good times and bad.

We heard from Linda Balabanian, our Treasurer, about where we are this year (which I’m sure she’ll tell you about in her article). She and Judy, our bookkeeper, are starting to put next year’s budget together. There is still a lot of work to be done and decisions to be made on it. In addition, we discussed several fundraising ideas, and it was noted that to make any of them happen, we need not just your money; we need your “sweat equity”! Please consider helping with a fundraiser when you hear about it.

Jan Hess, the Chair of the Glaser Center Committee, educated us on why we have the Glaser Center, the history of it and of the committee, and how they operate.

Our next Board meeting will be on Thursday, March 17th, at 6:30 in the Board Room or on Zoom. You are always welcome and encouraged to attend. See you then!

Natalie

In the past we haven’t been as thorough in keeping track of our membership as we could have, and lots of assumptions have been made. For example, we have about 230 members right now. But for years you heard that we had 350 members. Did we lose 100 members just like that? Well no, we didn’t. We have unfortunately lost some members for a variety of reasons: relocation, changes in priorities, Covid-related restrictions, or mad about Rev. Chris’s departure (very few). By far the biggest decrease in members not contributing to UUCSR was in 2020 when Covid-related restrictions forced us to move to all online services.

How could we be so off on our numbers? In the past, our member rolls were not updated as they should have been, when members left or even died, leading us to maintain a membership database that was inflated. We haven’t done a member certification in several years. We haven’t performed a one-on-one pledge drive in several years. Remember that since July 2020, we’ve had 5 administrators, 4 bookkeepers, no pledge secretary, a new minister, and some hardworking volunteers trying to hold things together.

We never really had 350 members. In fact, when we look at the number of members who have made financial contributions (of any amount) to UUCSR over the past years, we see a steady decline from 2016 (see chart). The good news is that we are starting to turn that around! Some members have been resuming their giving after a hiatus, the Sustaining Pledge Team has been contacting people, a Member Certification effort is being planned, the Membership Team had 11 attendees at the last New Member class. We’re working hard to get accurate numbers so we can do effective planning and budgeting in the future.

To my beloved congregation,

At the Congregational Meeting January 30, my message to the congregation included a review of our revised budget for the remainder of this fiscal year, as well as some additional information that indicated our pledge and other revenue could miss the mark by almost $120,000. The reduced revenue was only minimally offset by a reduction in expenses of less than $15,000 leaving us with a deficit of about $105,000. This was the result of an overly ambitious budget, the departure of a beloved minister and the ravishes of Covid-19. Wow!

This message was tough to deliver and to hear but it needed to be said because this is your congregation and you need to know. I know that we were talking about large numbers, larger than most of us deal with most of the time. Some of you may feel overwhelmed by what seems like an insurmountable deficit. I admit, it has given me pause – it’s kinda scary. But from this position of honesty and openness, small miracles can happen, and we can move forward with open eyes and hearts. Remember, we’ve been here before after the departure of a previous beloved minister and not only survived but thrived in time.

As I have witnessed so many times over my almost 40 years around this congregation, we are resilient, we care about our congregational home and we love each other. At least 25 of us have heeded the call and increased our pledge, some by very large percentages. Thank you for your generosity and commitment! Some of you have made very large one-time donations to help pull us out of the hole we’re in this fiscal year. Thank you for your gifts and your kindness! Some jumped on making plans for large fundraisers to bring in more cash in the next (equally difficult) fiscal years. Thank you for giving your time and efforts to all of us! That is exactly what will get us through this financially difficult time and back to an even keel. We have also had word that the IRS is starting to address the Employee Retention Credits we applied for so there is hope that payments may arrive in the not-too-distant future to help us weather our shortfall in the short-term.

As we move into the budgeting process for next year, the Board will be taking a serious look at our expenses, and what we can adjust to get closer to balancing our budget but there is not much there to be cut. We are all in this together and we will survive this as we have all the previous difficulties in our history. What can you do to help us all get there sooner? Please look at your pledge right now and determine whether you can increase it. If you can increase it right now, no matter how large or small an amount, please send an email to Aphrodite, our Administrator at administrator@uusantarosa.org and she can make that change in Realm. Or contact me at treasurer@uusantarosa.org and I can do it. If you can increase your pledge, please do it now. And if you have already raised your pledge, thank you so very much.

Registration for Chalice Camp is officially here! From August 1st-5th, UUCSR will be hosting this day camp for UU and non-UU kids entering 1st-9th grade.

Chalice Camp highlights kernels of our religious heritage and theological turning points in our history that make us who we are today. Campers explore and experience UU identity, history, and values through energetic worship, games, drama, art, and community building.

The camp goes from 9:00am - 5:00pm every day, with projects, discussions, and games planned throughout. Campers are asked to stay the entire day so that they can experience the camp and its curriculum fully.

Chalice Camp costs -

For any questions regarding Chalice Camp, donations, or volunteering, please contact me at dre@uusantarosa.org or at (707)-494-8799.

"Life is like a compost heap: If we wait long enough, even the stinkiest pile will bear good and worthwhile things." This Sunday, the PreK-1st grade kids will be learning all about decomposition as they learn (and play with) the plants and animals that do this important job. Meanwhile, the 2nd-5th graders will explore the ways the bonds of relationships are crucial in times of self-doubt. They'll examine how to be a source of support to loved ones, as well as the challenges of being a supporter

This Sunday, the PreK-1st graders will be introduced to the abundance and diversity of plants through story, games, and by planting their own seedlings! The 2nd-5th graders will be taking a look occupations which are difficult to do, yet crucial to a stable society. As they do, they'll reflect on how those who do the public service jobs in our society deserve our acknowledgement and gratitude

Sunday, March 27th - Creativity in Nature/Privilege Is A Blessing We Give Away To Be In Community

For the final Sunday in March, the PreK-1st grade kids will be looking at the creativity in the web of life, exploring the idea that humans are not the only creatures that exhibit an urge to create. The 2nd-5th graders will be looking the ways in which we are all privileged. They'll learn that privileges, like other gifts, are best used and most valuable when we share them with others.

"If you don't know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he's just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. It's one world, pal. We're all neighbors." - Sinatra.

That's one of the favorite quotes of Gage Purdy. Who's Gage Purdy? He is our new Music Director! Yay! I've been waiting to make this announcement regarding the hiring a Music Director for a long time. The day has finally come!

Gage was born and raised in Sonoma Country and is currently also the director of the California Redwood Choral and the Occidental Community Choir. Besides conducting three choirs, he sings baritone, plays instruments and teaches music. He lives in Santa Rosa, is married and has two sons. We choir members and Music Coordinators are thrilled to welcome Gage Purdy to our UUCSR family.

If you'd like to become a part of the music ministry at UUCSR, as a soloist, in a small group, a member of the choir, or an instrumentalist, send an email to musicdirector@uusantarosa.org. And as always, rejoice and keep singing.

UUs tend to be a stoic lot. One could have just gone through a major health scare, had a beloved pet die, lost a home to flood, and been downsized at work, but still will answer the “How are you?” question with, “I’m good. How about you?” The Lay Chaplains are good listeners, and we here for you when you’re tired of being stoic and just need a compassionate ear. If you would like to talk to one of us, just ask.

Our joys can become sweeter and our sorrowful burdens eased a bit when we share them with our beloved community. Add yours to the Milestones Book (on the stand just outside the sanctuary door) to share during the service (when we have in-person services). When we meet online, send your milestones to laychaplains@uusantarosa.org by Saturday morning so they can be included in the Sunday service.

Your Lay Chaplains are here for you. Contact us at laychaplains@uusantarosa.org, or call us: Lucia Milburn, Barbara Kezur, Bruce Hope, Mary Lee Lill, Gayle Shirley, Judy Ervice, Paula Hammett (chair)

On Sunday, March 20th at 8:22am Pacific Time we reach Night time and Day light equilibrium. Yay! This vernal equinox is celebrated as Ostara, the spring fertility festival that honors Eostre, goddess of the dawn. This is the visible awakening to Spring and the newly emerging life after the long winter. It’s the time to plant seeds and watch the fertility of nature revive us and prepare to feed us for the rest of the year. The CUUPs group will have an Ostara celebration at our regular 4th Tuesday meeting on March 22nd. As of this writing it is not know if it will be zoom or in person. Either way, join us as we welcome this time of lengthening daylight. In the meantime enjoy this excerpt from the Library of Congress’s archives. The full text can be found here.

Our mission is to provide the congregation with educational and informative classes on a wide variety of subjects. The Adult Education Committee recruits presenters and helps to organize, develop and publicize classes. Subject matter can include spiritual growth and practices, social justice issues, scientific discussion, book discussions, literature/movies, and the arts. Current members of the Committee are Nadene Carroll, Carol Daeley, Helga Lemke (Co-Chair), Kathy Stayton, Steve Sweaney (Co-Chair), and Clare Whitfield. The committee is actively planning new classes in addition to the one listed below. We encourage members of the congregation to submit proposals based on their experience, expertise, and knowledge, and we could certainly use another committee member or two if you have an interest in this important part of our congregational program. Classes have typically ranged from one to eight sessions. If you would like to offer a class, please contact one of the committee members. We also welcome suggestions for classes congregation members would like to see offered but do not feel able to offer themselves.

The Origin of Our Discontents

By Isabel Wilkerson

What: A discussion of Wilkerson’s groundbreaking analysis of American racism as a system of social stratification based on concepts of hierarchy, purity, and what she calls the human pathogens of hatred and tribalism. She draws comparisons with India’s caste system and Nazi Germany and looks in detail at the conquering of indigenous peoples.

When: Three Zoom sessions on Tuesdays April 19 and 26 and May 3, 6:30-8:00 PM

Discussion Leaders: Carol Daeley, Kathy Stayton, Clare Whitfield

As you may have noticed, the administrator has been sending out a weekly blast to update you about upcoming events in the congregation. This blast every includes information about events, upcoming services, and things that are timely in nature. There will still be a newsletter each month that will contain all messages from the board, the minister, and all the other unusual suspects we’ve come to know and love, and a calendar of all known events for the month coming up. Articles submitted to the administrator (administrator@uusantarosa.org) before the 25th of the month will be sent out in the monthly newsletter. Information submitted to the administrator by noon on Wednesday will be included in the weekly blast. No official congregational communication will be sent out on the focus list, so if you are not signed up for the constant contact newsletter, please contact the administrator. We will try this for a while, get feedback, and see how it is working.

In the meantime, neither our monthly newsletter or our weekly blast has a name, and we need something other than “constant contact,” which is the mailing software we use, to refer to them. So, your UUCSR office staff would like to announce a competition to name both the monthly newsletter and the weekly blast. Names can be submitted to the administrator, and the winner will be chosen and announced in next month's newsletter. Let’s get those creative juices flowing!

UUCSR is a member organization of NBOP. You can be part of putting our UU values to work in our communities through NBOP activities. For current meetings, check out the NBOP Public Calendar. You can also visit the NBOP Website for the latest updates on events, and sign up for the NBOP Newsletter.

We, members of the Diversity Project, invite all members of our congregation to consider adopting the 8th Principle. To that end we propose a thorough, thoughtful, conversation to ready us all for a vote. There is much information to be taken in, questions of social justice to be answered. We have no timeline, rather a plan to move forward toward the appropriate time for the question to be called.

In this month's newsletter:

In this month's newsletter:

Want to connect more with other people and enjoy an opportunity for spiritual growth? Watch for emails listing the available times and locations (Zoom and in person) for the groups. 

Not familiar with Soul Matters? It's about exploration, connection, support, and transformation,  Each month all of us receive an email with a *Soul Matters packet* filled with rich resources to help us explore a particular theme. For March, we will be exploring the theme "Renewing Faith." Inside the packet are poems, inspirational quotes, questions for reflection, and links to videos and films. It also contains spiritual exercises to deepen our experience and help us embody our UU principles in a deep and meaningful way.

For more information or to sign up for a group, please email Katie Trieller or Jan Ogren.