sunday services in february worship services at 9:15 am ... · rev. julia hamilton...

February 2017 The Monthly Newsletter of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara www.ussb.org

Living with Integrity, Nurturing Wonder, Inspiring Action

Worship Services at 9:15 am and 11:15 am

This month’s theme is IDENTITY

FEBRUARY 5

FEBRUARY 12Special Guest: Rev. Kathleen McTigue, Director of

the UU College of Social Justice

KEEPING IT REAL

SPEAKING JUSTICE IN THE LANGUAGE OF OUR FAITH

Rev. Julia HamiltonFEBRUARY 19

TACT, IDENTITY, AND THE WORDS WE SAY

Rev. Caitlin Cotter

Let down your guard and lift up your spirit this Sunday as we kick off the theme of “Identity” and explore what it means to “keep it real” — to allow ourselves to be our-selves, imperfectly perfect.

We are living in troubled times. Fearfulness and uncertain-ty can make us want to batten down the hatches, or dash from one thing to the next without really making headway. But our faith has something to say in these difficult times: it calls us back to the power and possibilities of kinship.

Join us at 12:30 pm in Parish Hall for lunch and a workshop with Rev. McTigue (see page "Speaking Justice" on page 10 for details).

What does it really mean to be tactless, and why does that matter? Join Rev. Caitlin for a service exploring why it is important to pick our words carefully and think about what we say. We’ll reflect on the ways language shapes our reality, and how the words we use can hurt or heal, cause harm or lead towards liberation.

USSB Chancel Choir will sing

USSB Women's Chorale will sing

Music TBA

SUNDAY SERVICES IN FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 26

ALL SOULS ACCOUNTED FOR: HERITAGE SUNDAY

Rev. Julia Hamilton

“Universalism” is grounded in the idea that the fate of one person is inseparable from the fate of all people — like a flock of birds, we rise and fly together. On this Heritage Sunday, come and celebrate how we are connected, each and every one of us, with all the beautiful souls who have nested here over the years, and how we fly onward and upward with all those still arriving through our doors.

You won’t want to miss this celebration!

USSB Chancel Choir will sing

Afraid that our inner light will be extinguished or our inner darkness exposed, we hide our true identities from each other. In the process, we become separated from our own souls. We end up living divided lives, so far removed from the truth we hold within that we cannot know the “integrity that comes from being what you are.”

~Parker Palmer

Welcome to Our Newest Members!Kyle Stewart12/11/2016I grew up in Elk Grove, CA, near Sacramento. I am the third of four chil-dren and we grew up as semi-regular members of a UCC congregation. We stopped attending when the congregation split over the minister's decision to hold a gay union ceremony in 1996.I began attending UCSB in 2005 and graduated with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering. I worked as an image processing engineer at Toyon Research Corporation. After three years

Justine Sutton 1/8/2017I grew up in the sprawl of suburban Southern California (with no real religious training to speak of) and came to UCSB right after high school. Settled in after graduation and stayed all through my twenties . . . why would you want to leave? Had various jobs, including at the downtown Santa Barbara public library. Then, nearing 30, I felt the pull to the San Francisco Bay Area and moved there, by way of a near-ly three-month trip to study Spanish and travel in Central America, in 1997. I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the cul-tural, artistic, and otherwise life-enriching opportunities I found there, studying and performing various styles of dance as well as storytelling. I also got my TESOL certificate and spent the last two years there teaching English to students from all over the world in San Francisco. This was rewarding in many ways, though "financially" was not one of them.Several factors converged to bring me back to Santa Barba-ra in the spring of 2005 and I have been here happily ever since. For the last nine years, I have been working in devel-opment for Friendship Center, a non-profit adult day care. For over ten years, I wrote reviews and features on dance and theater for many local publications. I continue to write,

as an engineer, I decided to follow my love of teaching and got my teaching credential at UCSB. I am now on staff at the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy as the CAD and Pro-gramming teacher. I find my new job extremely exhausting and rewarding (sound like any teachers you know?).I enjoy the outdoors with my wife Sarah, a third grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary. I love cycling, rock climb-ing, motorcycles, hiking, and SCUBA diving. My wife and I also enjoy modern board games. Nerds! We both enjoy traveling, and have plans to continue both domestic and international travel as time and budgets permit.I first learned of the Unitarian Society while scouting wed-ding venues for friends. I was immediately drawn by the sense of community, rationality, wonder, and purpose that so clearly animates the congregation. I am excited to be-come a member and continue to work, learn, and grow in the company of such a great group of people. Thanks!

but am now working on a novel and a memoir, as well as learning the craft of playwriting and lov-ing taking part in public readings of plays. I have a quirky, charming cat named Archie.I am a pagan and en-joy ritual with a small group of circle-sisters to celebrate the sacred days. But, in addition, I wanted a more regular spiritual experience and fellowship. With both my parents gone and single with no children, I wanted to find a like-minded community I could be a part of. I am so glad to belong to USSB and it feels very natural. It helps that I spent many, many Friday nights in the 90s dancing my heart out in Parish Hall, at Danceaway, my regular worship at the time. So coming back into this space feels comforting and familiar, and my deeper self feels at home. I also love the emphasis on civil rights and social justice, especially in this trying time.

Bullying is not a new challenge faced by our society, but — given the behavior of our political leaders — an ever

more pressing one. In a world with such amazing role mod-els, it is truly a shame that the figures our children are pre-sented with time and again are often negative and unhealthy. To rise up against this, CRE celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by committing to Stand Up to Bullying!

See Something? Say Something!Our CRE Kids Commit to Standing Up to Bullying

By Jena FosterDirector of Children's Religious Education

We brainstormed assertive ways to respond to bullying. Preschoolers even got involved with some puppet play.

We learned how to spot different types of bullying on the playground and made a plan for each.

Stand Up to Bullying!Want to find out more? Peggy Moss suggests these websites: www.partnersagainsthate.orgwww.cdc.gov/ncbddd/kidsOther sites include:www.stopbullying.govhttp://www.pacer.org/bullying/

The Movie:SongcatcherThis drama, set in 1907 in the mountains of western North Carolina, tells the story of musicologist Dr. Lily Penleric (Janet McTeer). It is loosely based on the work of Olive Dame Campbell who founded the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.When Lily is denied a promotion at the university where she teaches, she decides to visit her sister, Eleanor, who runs a struggling rural school in Appalachia, with another dedicated woman.Once there, Lily is astonished to discover a treasure trove of Scots Irish ballads which have been passed down by the mountain people since the 1600s and 1700s.Lily ventures into isolated areas of the mountains to collect the songs, transcribe the ballads, and make phonographic recordings. She falls in love with Tom Bledso (Aidan Quinn), a ruggedly handsome musician, and she learns to love and admire the local people as they struggle with harsh conditions.A tragedy occurs but you will be moved not only by the story but also by the music. Some of the artists on the soundtrack are Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Maria McKee, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, and more.

The Book:Strangers in their Own Landby Arlie Russell HochschildWith the rise of Trump, a number of books join in the national fascination with this new demographic group — lower-income, poorly-educated, not-very-elite white Americans. One of the latest books is Strangers in Their

Library CornerYour library committee is looking for a dedicated

volunteer to help us on one-to-two Sunday mornings per month. Please come to our table to learn more.If you have a copy of either the movie or the book Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming and are willing to share it with the congregation, we would love to have it. That goes for the book Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir by J. D. Vance.Here are our reviews:

Review by Ellie Tuazon

Our Newcomers Series is a program for those who want to learn more about our congregation and Unitarian-

ism. It is offered during Middle Hour (between services) on Sunday mornings down in the Courtyard Room on lower campus. There is no need for folks to attend every session. 2/5 Worship and Liturgy2/12 Unitarian Universalist History2/19 Campus Tour2/26 Questions and Answers with Rev. Caitlin3/5 Justice and Community3/12 Membership 1013/19 Questions and Answers with Rev. Julia3/26 Campus Tour*Schedule is subject to change if the church calendar changes

Newcomers Series

Review by Tom Moore

Own Land by sociologist Arlie Hochschild. She is an outgoing, progressive woman from Berkeley who travels to the heart of Tea Party-red America of small-town Louisiana in a good-hearted effort to understand the attraction of right-wing ideology for people living in the poorest and most polluted parts of the country — people who would stand to gain the most from the social programs and environmental monitoring they so fiercely oppose. She calls it the great paradox. She genuinely befriends and respects these folks. She enters the echo chambers of their churches and barbecues and attempts to climb the “empathy wall,” to truly listen and understand why they believe and feel the way they do. Ultimately (I believe) she fails, for regardless of how sweet and hospitable and understandable her subjects are, they remain . . . well . . . wrong. The book is a five-year project based on good research and real relationships. I think it’s insightful and important, and the prose is tops. But its purpose is to help the liberal reader understand the opposition. It is not entirely an escape from our own echo chamber.

Last night, as I sat in the monthly meeting of our Stewardship Visionary Team, I was struck once

again by how much I love my job. We were discuss-ing the annual pledge campaign, and I left the meeting feeling fired up. Note: The Annual Campaign is not usually what most min-isters love about our jobs. But this year, we are trying something new, and I am excited! The Stewardship Team is excited. The Board of Trustees is excited. So what’s going on?Just about every minister will tell you that the annual “Pledge Cam-paign” is one of the things that causes the most stress in our year. There is a lot of pressure to give the perfect sermon that will get people ready to give. There are lay leaders who have been working hard behind the scenes for weeks getting everything ready to launch. There is the budget planning team that is waiting to figure out just what our resources for the next year are going to look like. There is hope, caution, anxiety, excitement, and hours and hours of work by con-gregants, staff and leadership, all rolled up into about six weeks every spring. And then there are weeks of follow-up calls, spreadsheets, and emails to finish up the campaign. We wrap it up just as the new year (July 1) starts, heaving a big sigh of relief (or not, depending upon how the cam-paign went that year).And then we do it again the next year.But lately, we’ve been sensing the need for a change. So a little over a year ago, our Stewardship team began looking around for a new model and has landed on the concept of Year-Round Stewardship.Over the past year, they have talked with other congrega-tions using this model. They dived into our own congre-gation’s history of giving. They considered what “Stew-ardship” really means — a sustaining commitment to the health and vitality of this community, financially as well as otherwise. And the more we looked at making this change, the more excited we became about the possibilities it presents.So what is year-round stewardship? Instead of one big push to get hundreds of people to respond with their pledges all at once, year-round stewardship means just that — it spreads out the work over the course of the year. It starts

Snapshots : Rethinking the “Annual Campaign”by placing every member of the congregation into a “Stew-ardship Circle,” a small group of people who are assigned one month out of the year as their Stewardship month. For example, the leader of the April Stewardship Circle will contact their group during the month of April to talk with them about pledging, check in with them about any ques-tions they might have, and connect with them about their hopes and dreams for our community. From time to time during the year, the Leader might connect with their circle members about other stewardship events (like the annu-al Auction), and they are always around as a resource for questions about pledges or giving. Year-round Stewardship will also help us cultivate an ongo-ing culture of generosity, rather than relying on a once-a- year springtime push. And most importantly, it will create relationships that give members a more personalized way to engage with generosity and giving.There are a lot of details to this plan and of course it will take more than just one year to work through the change-over. As with any experiment, there are sure to be some adjustments along the way. But with your support, we are ready to take this step and move to a year-round model!This is just the beginning — the Stewardship Visionary Team will be sharing lots more information over the com-

ing months, and we will be launching this new system this spring! There will be opportunities to have all your ques-tions answered, and trainings for new Stewardship Circle Leaders happening soon.So, in summary: This year, there will be no springtime An-nual Campaign! Instead, you will be hearing about Stew-ardship Circles and a new model of giving that will support our work of living with integrity, nurturing wonder, and inspiring action — year round!If you are interested in learning more, contact Susie Du-pont, chair of the Stewardship Visionary Team, or any of its members: Gary Welterlen, Gun Dukes, Craig Bennett, Tammy Shorb, Eileen Bunning, or Keith Strohmaier.And many thanks to all our members, past and present, who have worked hard on stewardship campaigns of all kinds, people who have laid the solid foundation upon which we now stand. Your gifts live on, and inspire gener-osity in all of us.

With Gratitude, Rev. Julia

Year-round Stewardship will help us cultivate an ongoing culture of generosity

Kanta MacDermott: “I loved the camara-

derie of the March, I am so glad that I

participated. A great experience!”

Catherine Callahan: “There were so many of us under blue skies and blue Planned Parent-hood banners that we filled State Street from the ocean to De La Guerra Plaza. My march was filled with smiles, kindness, singing, shout-out, and signs. Not since the anti-Vietnam war protests in which I marched, including in D.C., did I get the sense of solidarity, of shared purpose and indomitable spirit. Finally, I thought. Finally.”

USSB Members Join the Women's March in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Jody Thomas: “My daughters and friends took the train down on Saturday morning. By Oxnard, the train was standing room only. At Union Station, marchers were pouring out onto the street, all smiles, signs, and convictions. It felt so good to be with people who wanted to take a public stand. Everyone was kind and joyful. There were lots of

children and people of all ages. It really was the anti-inauguration, as it was called in the New York Times. I felt less helpless, seeing so many who shared my values."

Melinda Staveley: “I found my-self joyful, inspired, and encour-aged. To be with dear friends among new friends of all differ-ences — 750,000 strong — with nary a frown or unpleasant word, despite the jostle of crowds, was AWESOME. WE, the inclusive we of the interconnected web, will be the world we would like to see and move us forward, one kind word, one warm hug, and one strong action at a time."

Judy Fontana: "I got home, hugged my husband, and burst into tears. What a day, and I was so grateful to be a part of it."

Movies can inspire and inform, move us emotionally, and spark

ideas and opinions. We’ve all had the experience of coming away from a film filled to the brim with things you want to talk about, or emotions you aren’t ready to put into words quite yet, or just feeling extra thoughtful. Watching movies together can be a powerful (and useful!) experience. There’s also a number of movies out there that are great springboards to talking about the histo-ry of Unitarian Universalism!So with all of that in mind, I am excited to experiment with having a monthly movie evening here at the Unitar-ian Society. On the first Sunday of the month, starting February 5, we’ll gather at 4:00 pm in Parish Hall to watch a film and talk about how it reflects our Unitarian Universalist legacy. The first film will be a screening of the Ken Burns docu-mentary Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War (about a cou-ple who worked with the Unitarian Service Committee to

rescue folk in Europe during World War II), and we’ll re-flect both on the film and on what we heard from the Refu-gee Response Team the week before. The second film, on March 5, will be the major motion pic-ture Selma, and we’ll talk about Unitarian Universalists and the Civil Rights Movement. The third film, on April 2, will be the documentary Wilder-ness Journey, an oral history of the so-called Black Empow-erment Controversy which almost destroyed the fledgling

Unitarian Universalist Association in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After watching that we’ll talk about some of the ways we as Unitarian Universalists deal with the times we have missed the mark. This movie series is a part of our curated Adult Religious Education program, so if you have a movie you’d like us to see, do please let me or another member of our Adult Religious Education Ministry Team know!

Contemplations

Watching movies together can be a powerful (and useful!) experience.

Rev. Caitlin Cotter

The Great Decisions Foreign Policy Program will have events on February 1, 15, and 19. More than 60 mem-

bers and friends have enrolled in the program, which is built around small discussion groups where eight foreign policy topics are discussed. Anyone wishing to participate should first order the book from the Foreign Policy Asso-ciation at www.greatdecisions.org. Discussions are held in Parish Hall on the first and third Wednesdays, February through May, at 7:00 pm.We begin on February 1 with “The Future of Europe: Cop-ing with Crisis.” Member Dick Jensen is the program leader for this fascinating subject! On February 15 the subject will be “The Truth About Trade, Jobs and Politics.” This session will be led by a new mem-ber, Larry Williams, Ph.D. Given the attention this subject has received by Trump, this will be a lively discussion! Be sure to download the Glossary of Terms from greatdeci-sions.org to understand the economic language that is cen-tral to the subject. In addition to the eight foreign policy discussions the pro-gram includes a new Sunday afternoon lecture series em-phasizing climate change. On Sunday, February 19 at 2:00

pm in Parish Hall, USSB Member Bjorn Birnir, Ph.D., a Professor of Mathematics and Director of Center for Com-plex and Non-Linear Science at UCSB, will discuss his work computing the rate of global climate change through the study of the migration history of a species of fish called Capelin. This will be a great opportunity to hear about Bjorn’s scientific work and use of mathematical models and predict changes in ocean temperatures. These temperature changes lie at the heart of the climate change controversy. On March 12, member Kyle Meng, Ph.D., Professor at the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Manage-ment, will present an overview of his work on the costs and benefits of leading strategies to combat climate change. On April 23, Karl Hutterer, Ph.D., former Executive Director of the Museum of Natural History, will discuss what we can do as individuals to both understand and combat climate change. Lastly, on May 21, member Ted Anagnoson, Ph.D., and professor of political science, will discuss the first one hundred days of the Trump administration, its successes, perhaps its chaos, and its global warming policies, if any! Have questions? Contact the program coordinator, John Warnock, at [email protected].

The Great Decision Series Offers Three Events in February

John Warnock

February Outreach Offering:Alliance for Living and Dying Well

The Alliance for Living and Dying Well is a unique collaboration of local Santa Barbara entities involved

in end-of-life issues and preparedness, including Cot-tage Health, Sansum Clinic, hospice agencies, retirement homes, physicians, faith leaders, and local foundations. PURPOSE OF THE ALLIANCEThe Alliance was formed with three purposes in mind:1. Develop and provide opportunities to foster conversa-

tion about living and dying well that are safe and sup-portive,

2. Cultivate a dialogue that reduces the stress of loved ones when difficult end-of-life decisions must be made, and

3. Enhance the quality and coordination of end-of-life care services in Santa Barbara County.

WHAT THE ALLIANCE DOESThe Alliance accomplishes their purposes through com-munity-wide awareness and education events and free

The Nominating Committee is a vital part of our Unitar-ian Universalist tradition. The Committee is charged

with submitting a slate of candidates for participation on our UU Board of Trustees and as members of the Nominat-ing Committee as vacancies arise and prior to our Annual Meeting which will be held on June 4, 2017. This respon-sibility is assigned to the Nominating Committee in our congregation’s bylaws. The Nominating Committee meets throughout the year to share their knowledge of the interests and talents of our

Nominating Committee Looking for Your Input

public workshops where people receive materials and help to prepare their own Advance Healthcare Directives. Recent examples of community events include:• “Living Fully through the End of Life,” with Dr. Ira By-

ock, author and physician on the front lines of hospi-tal-based palliative care.

• “Get it Done Today!” a day-long, all-out effort to help people complete their Advance Healthcare Directives in one sitting. The Alliance provides materials, facili-tators, copy machines, and even a notary public – all free of charge and all in the interest of serving as many Santa Barbara County residents as possible in one day.

• “The Film Series,” featuring films that provide informa-tion or inspiration on aspects of death and dying.

HELP WITH ADVANCE HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVES Each month, the Alliance for Living and Dying Well pro-vides free Advance Care Directive workshops at five loca-tions throughout the city. Everyone is invited to attend a workshop for as many times as they wish to help them through the process. The Alliance trains volunteers to pro-vide expert facilitation at the workshops, and supplies all documents and explanatory materials free of charge. The Alliance for Living and Dying Well is helping to ensure that people in Santa Barbara County have the end-of-life care they desire and families have greater peace of mind.

Learn more about the Alliance at allianceforlivinganddyingwell.org.

congregants and the needs of the Board. After thoughtful consideration and much deliberation, it presents to the Board of Trustees a body of candidates to be considered as members of the Board and for the vote of the congregation. The vote in June will be for three new Board members and three new Nominating Committee members. We welcome your input as we carry out this important process.

In service, The USSB Nominating Committee: Tracy Freeman, John Hartman, Colin Jones,

Marisa Pasquini, Carol Schwyzer, and Joya Sexton

Upcoming Events

Exploring Gender with SBTAN!Tuesday, February 7 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm we will gather in Jefferson Hall with representatives from Santa Barbara’s Trans Advocacy Network (SBTAN) to expand our under-standing of gender and gender identity. If you have ques-tions about what it means to be trans, about pronouns or what we mean when we say “gender identity” versus “gen-der expression”, than this event is for you! This is import-ant education for everyone who considers themselves an LGBTQ ally or who wants to start being an LGBT ally.

“Speaking Justice”A Workshop with the Rev. Kathleen McTigue, Director of the UU College of Social Justice. Sunday, February 12 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm in Parish Hall. A light lunch will be served.In these times, figuring out what to say and how to say it can be difficult. How do we articulate our values to our friends, family members, and in the public square? How do we advocate for justice grounded in our Unitarian Univer-salist faith? Join us at this workshop to practice speaking our truth powerfully and compassionately. Please RSVP for lunch: http://tinyurl.com/speakingjusticeAbout our guest speaker: Rev. Kathleen McTigue served for 21 years as senior minister to the Unitarian Society of New Haven, CT. A core part of her ministries has been public advocacy and faith-based organizing for marriage equality, immigrant rights, economic justice, and peace, multiple roles with Witness for Peace, and a yearlong eco-nomic study in Tanzania. McTigue earned a master of di-vinity degree from Starr King School for Ministry and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.

The Alliance PresentsFriday, February 3 at 2:00 PM in Parish HallThe Alliance presents Owen Bailey and Linda Krop from the Environmental Defense Center (EDC). The EDC cele-brates its 40th anniversary protecting our local environment through education, advocacy, and legal action as the only nonprofit, public interest environmental law firm between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Executive Director Owen Bailey comes to us with extensive background in commu-nity and media outreach and grassroots organizing with the Sierra Club. Linda Krop, Chief Counsel, specializes in fight-ing offshore oil and gas development, protecting natural re-sources, and preserving open space lands. Bring your friends to hear these outstanding Santa Barbara community leaders and how they have worked to preserve our environment.

Friday, March 3 at 2:00 PM in Parish HallAlliance Celebrates Women's History MonthJoin us for congregant Ann Taves's presentation on the history of women religious leaders in the nineteenth and twentieth century. As a professor of religious studies, Ann did research on women and religion in the context of “first wave feminism” in the nineteenth century. She began her teaching career at a liberal Protestant theological school at the height of the second wave of the feminist movement, as women were flooding into seminary and feminist theolo-gians were questioning whether the churches were so patri-archal they couldn’t be reformed. We will journey through time and place with women and their stories from these two different eras. Stay for the tea following Ann's presen-tation. Please bring a snack to share. All are welcome.

Transcending the Times to Live Our Values"A Curated Series of Embodied Spiritual Practices" Wednesday February 8 is the launch of our new spiritual practices drop in series. We’ll meet at 7:00 pm in Parish Hall for a time of creative rejuvenation. Stop by our table during Middle Hour on Sunday for more details!

Women’s Ordination in Catholicism and MormonismWith Gary Macy and Kathleen Flake, Friday, February 10 at 7:00 pm in Parish Hall. This dialogue, facilitated by Pro-fessor Ann Taves, will focus on the meaning of ordination, priesthood, and gender in the history of the Roman Catho-lic and Latter-day Saints traditions and the implications of this history for those looking to expand the role of women. Rev. Jeannette Love and Rev. Denise Leichter will give brief responses, followed by discussion with the audience.

“This Is Us!” A community outreach concert/potluck presented by USSB Music Ministry, Sunday, March 19 at 4:00 pm, fol-lowed by a community potluck in Parish Hall. The music will be songs from services over the past three years, and the music will continue during the potluck. This is a huge undertaking for both the music and membership minis-tries, and as much help as possible with food and service would be greatly appreciated. For further information, please contact [email protected] for concert issues or [email protected] for potluck questions. This is a free event, but love offerings will be split between the USSB Music Ministry and the USSB General Fund.

Upcoming Events

Announcing the Pacific Southwest District Assembly for 2017: March 31-April 2Last year, USSB hosted our annual Assembly for the Pa-cific Southwest District. Many of you got a taste of what it means to gather with Unitarian Universalists from across Southern California and Arizona to get to know one anoth-er better, learn from each other, and celebrate this wonder-ful faith tradition that we share. This year, a whole new concept for our District Assembly is happening, and I invite all of you to consider making the trip!Where? Sonoran Arizona! Why? For a District Assembly like no other — a justice-focused, interactive, multi-site, immersive learning experience hosted by the “Baja Four” — four UU congregations in southern Arizona.The unique geography of our District and the fact that we share a border with Mexico allows us to gather together with local partners to dive into the issue of migration and human rights. The Baja Four have been planning a range of workshops, experiences, and trips out into the desert and along the border that will open our eyes, hearts, and minds together. All ages, all abilities, all families and individuals are welcome.Registration is open now: justiceda2017.weebly.com.Here is the invitation from the website:

“The Unitarian Universalist congregations in Southern Arizona, the Baja Four, invite you to join us for a different kind of district assembly. Join us this spring in the Sonoran Desert as thirty partner organizations offer interactive immersion experi-ences designed to connect you to the social, environ-mental and spiritual facets of immigration justice. Then, gather with over 300 Unitarian Universalists for worship at the border wall as the transformative capstone of our gathering. We invite you to join us as we learn, connect, and transform our hearts, minds, and spirits together.”

Japanese Student Exchange OpportunityEvery summer, four students ages 13 to 15 are selected to participate in an exchange program with students in our sister city, Toba, Japan. Over 24 years of the program, elev-en have been USSB youth. If your family is interested in hosting a student from Japan during Fiesta week and then sending your son or daughter to Toba the following week to stay with the same family, please contact Sally Hamilton at [email protected]. If you know of a youth outside our community who would be a good student ambassador, please contact Sally. Arigato!

Girlfriends! The Fashion Fling is April 8-9 Join the women of our congregation to exchange cloth-ing, eat goodies, and share the joy of Girlfriend Fun on Saturday, April 8, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Go through your closet and make a pile of the clothing, jewelry, hats, purs-es, and shoes that don’t give you pleasure anymore. Store them in bags and bring them to the Fling, where you will find lots of new-to-you replacements. If you want to join the set-up team (and get first choice of the clothing) con-tact Sally Hamilton [email protected]. The Fling will be extended and opened to the public the next morn-ing, Sunday April 9, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. By the way, we do NOT accept advance donations; bring everything with you to the Fling.

The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara

1535 Santa Barbara StreetSanta Barbara, CA 93101Office: (805) 965-4583Fax: (805) 965-6273

e-mail: [email protected]

Rev. Julia Hamilton, Lead MinisterRev. Caitlin Cotter, Assistant MinisterErin Wilson, Director of AdministrationKen Ryals, Choral DirectorJena Foster, Director of Children’s Religious EducationTiffany Jolie, Religious Education CoordinatorMegan Moyer, Membership CoordinatorGreg Otero, Facilities Use CoordinatorEden Kennedy, Office ManagerRob Brown, Building ManagerJon Diaz, Sexton Heather Levin, AccompanistMahlon Balderston, Organist EmeritusRev. Kenneth Collier, Minister Emeritus

Sunday Worship Services at 9:15 and 11:15 am Nursery & Children’s Care: Sunday 9:00 am to 12:30 pm in Starr KingNEW OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Next deadline: Monday, FEBRUARY 20for material covering MARCH 2017

E-mail: [email protected]

Kaleidoscope StaffEditor: Nancy Van AntwerpCopyeditor: Birdie NewbornProofreading: Paul NayDesign: Eden KennedyMailing: Mary Grimm

Upcoming Alliance MeetingsFriday, February 3 at 2:00 PM in Parish Hall

The Alliance presents Owen Bailey and Linda Krop from the Environmental Defence Center (EDC).

Friday, March 3 at 2:00 PM in Parish HallThe Alliance presents Professor Ann Taves on the history of women

religious leaders in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Turn to "The Alliance Presents" on page 10 for details.

sunday services in february worship services at 9:15 am ... · rev. julia hamilton...

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