Vol. 18 No. 1 January 2008 Monthly
Jan. 6: Standing On Their Shoulders Rev. Kathleen A. Green
First in a 3-part sermon series entitled: “Heroes”. This first sermon will focus on the early Unitarians and Universalists, upon whose shoulders we stand today. Ed Henry will provide music.
Jan. 13: Yours For The Good Cause Rev. Kathleen A. Green
Second in the series, this sermon will focus on the women in our movement’s history. Elaine Harper and Richard Wilkie will provide music.
Jan. 20: Heroes Have Dreams Rev. Kathleen A. Green
The last in the series, this sermon will focus on contemporary heroes who have impacted our lives and religious community today. Our choir, Summit Singers, will provide music.
Jan. 27: Sharing of our Hearts and Minds: “Walking the Talk”
This Sunday’s service is presented by Summit’s Social Action Committee. Our speakers, Tyra Myles, Rene’ Schad, and Viraj Ward, will share what motivates them to help others. Music provided by Sandy Bernstein and Stacey Sasaki. Our Empty Bowls “lunch” will follow in the Salon. (See Social Action article, page 9, for more information.)
Summit’s Office Information
Minister: Rev. Kathleen A. Green: 619-562-0833, ex. 203 / summitrev@cox.net
Office Schedule: Monday - Day off
Tues. - 10:00 to 4:30, call for appointments
Wed./ Thurs. - 1:00 to 4:30, call for appointments
Fri. - Minister’s Study day
DRE: Connie Henry: 619-562-0833, ex. 204 / conniehenry@cox.net
Office Admin./Editor: Linda Peck: 619-562-0833, ex. 202 / summitunitarian@sbcglobal.net
President: Debbie Wingard: dwingard@ucsd.edu
The Scene at Summit’s February 2008 edition deadline will be Monday, January 21st & the Mailing Party will be Thursday, January 24.
Meet the Minister on the
2nd Sunday of the month.
Visitors and new members are welcome to join Rev. Kathleen after the worship service on the 2nd Sunday of the month, Jan. 13, from 11:30-noon. We will meet in the reception area of the office for informal discussion in order to get to know one another and give you an opportunity to ask the minister questions regarding Unitarian Universalism and the Summit community.
Outdoor Heaters Needed
The afternoon of January 20th will be Rev. Kathleen's installation ceremony followed by a celebration. We are in need of outdoor heaters for the celebration. If you have a heater we could borrow, please contact Gwen Baldwin at 619-697-3485 or gwenbaldwin @gmail.com.
Rev. Kathleen A. Green From the Minister’s Mailbox
Dear Ones,
The calendar year has ended and with it come more changes: endings and beginnings. So it is with Summit. As several committee chairs and leaders step down from their posts, new people are needed to fill those spots. You can read elsewhere in this newsletter about opportunities to give your time and talent to Summit. I am hopeful that some of you will feel inspired and compelled to serve through one or more of the trainings and opportunities available. Sharing the ministry of Summit with all of you is both a joy and a privilege.
I want to affirm the fact that with change there is often discomfort and concern. This is natural. Please know that my door is open, and I encourage you to speak with me about concerns you might have. Also, remember that our Committee on Ministry is a group of lay leaders dedicated to the ministries of Summit and is happy to speak with you as well. The Committee members are: Toni Rogers, Pat Bryning, Mark Wheeler, and Gwen Baldwin. I firmly believe that the more transparent we can be with one another the stronger our community will be as a whole and the better we will be able to serve our mission and vision. As your minister, it is important for me to know how you are feeling about Summit and your place in our community. We are in this together!
You will notice a special invitation in this newsletter. All Summitarian members and friends are invited to be a part of my installation service on January 20th, and I do hope that you will make every effort to attend. In our tradition, congregations choose for themselves their minister, and this special ceremony will commemorate your calling of me as your settled minister. My internship supervisor and dear friend, the Reverend Barbara Pescan, will be here from the Unitarian Church of Evanston, Illinois, to deliver the sermon. Many other clergy will be participating and my family will be here as well to rejoice with all of us in this momentous occasion. I know that many of you are helping with the extensive preparations and I look forward to celebrating together. We have much to celebrate as the first six months of my tenure comes to a close, and we have much work to do as the upcoming years of our ministry together unfold. Happy new year!
Yours for the good cause,
Rev. Kathleen
P.S. I will be taking a week of vacation immediately after the installation (Jan. 21-26) and will be available by cell phone (773-343-8311) for emergencies only.
A Memorial Service for Robert Tjepkema, former member of Summit, on Wed., Jan. 9th, at 11am, at Summit. Some of you may have known Bob from the early years of Summit. Bob’s family invites you to join them in this service to celebrate and honor Bob’s life.
? Past member, Linda Clark, called to let Summitarian friends know that her husband, Lloyd, passed away on Christmas Eve after a long illness. Please remember Linda and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Summit Needs a Gardening Committee!
The weather has cooled so let’s revive the monthly Saturday morning gardening on the Summit grounds! The weeds are taking over and the bushes are in mutiny!
Any amount of time you have would be greatly appreciated. If you have equipment, please bring it as we have limited tools at the Fellowship.
For info contact LaMar Rogers at 619-713-2730 or Al Mork at 619-659-8386.
Happiness is like a butterfly, which, when you pursue it is always beyond your grasp, but which, when you sit down, may alight upon you.
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Membership Committee
The autumn has been busy for the Membership Committee. Of those who attended the 2 Summit Orientation classes, Trish Luna-de Alva, Al Daum, Tom Biggart, Jennifer White, and Clarice Jackson decided to become members. They were welcomed at the New Member Ceremony on Dec. 2. Also included in the ceremony were several of our youth members, Julia Shu, Marissa Henry and Alissa Davis.
On Dec. 17, committee members gathered together to thank Joan Chan for her years of excellent leadership as a Member and Chairperson of the Membership Committee. We will miss her and her dedication.
In January, Rev. Kathleen will be leading 2 training sessions for Greeters; on Jan. 27 at 9:00 am and Feb. 3 at 11:30 am. The next Membership Committee meeting will be Jan. 16, at 4:30.
Elaine Harper, Chair
Summit Opportunities for You!
As the new year begins, and we shift our schedules and lives a bit with resolutions, or perhaps new goals, consider putting Summit at the top of your list. We have a number of opportunities for volunteers and would greatly appreciate your time and talent. With each of these opportunities we are asking for only a 6-month commitment – just to the end of the church year (June)!
Hospitality Crew: Join Summit’s hostess with the mostest, Janet Dixon, prepare our coffee and refreshment table for social time after the service on Sundays. With just 5 crew members, each person would only have to take care of preparations once a month! Janet will provide training. If you enjoy our social time on Sunday, and think this is an important part of what Summit offers to our community and guests each week, please contact Janet 619-465-1160, and let her know you want to be part of the Hospitality Crew. This opportunity does not require any committee meetings!
Office Volunteer: Summit’s office volunteers are an integral part of our day-to-day operations. Administrator, Linda Peck, is looking for additional help on Thursday & Fridays afternoons. If you enjoy speaking on the phone, greeting people, and helping with light clerical work, you will be right at home in our office. Please contact Linda, 619-562-0833, for more info. This opportunity does not require any committee meetings!
Sunday Set-Up Team: If you are more of a behind-the-scenes type of person, and can get to Summit at 9:30 on Sunday mornings, you are just who we’re looking for to serve on a Sunday Set-Up Team! Both our Membership Committee and Sunday Services Committee can use some help in seeing that our greeting room and sanctuary are ready on Sunday mornings. A team of 4 or 5 will ensure that no one person is responsible more than once a month. This opportunity simply requires a willingness to set up chairs if necessary, make sure that hymnals are in place, etc. Again, no committee meetings! Please contact Rev. Kathleen 619-562-0833 and let her know you’re in!
Facilities Leader: Who do you contact when you notice a light bulb is burned out or a faucet is leaking at Summit? We have a group of handy members willing to help and a budget for professional repairs if extra expertise is needed, but we need someone to be the point of contact and to coordinate the efforts. Please contact Debbie Wingard at 619-287-6960 and let her know if you are the one!
Grounds Leader: Have a green thumb? Enjoy working outside? Want to help Summit look it’s best? Join Al Mork as co-leader of a team of volunteers who augment the efforts of our weekly gardener. We plan to increase the gardener’s hours in 2008, and Joe Braunwarth is leading an effort to create a landscape master plan, so should be a great time for gardening at Summit! Please contact Debbie Wingard 619-287-6960 for more info or to volunteer.
Greeter Training: Our new members will be serving as greeters during their first year of membership and we invite you to consider joining them. Welcoming people on Sunday mornings, as they enter our campus is an important task and we need people of all ages and abilities to serve as greeters. If you can give of yourself once a quarter, or more, please contact Patti Robison-Heyer 619-569-4955, and attend one of our training sessions: 9am on Sun. 1/27 or 11:30am on Sun. 2/3 both sessions held in the office conference room.
Committee/Program
Spotlight This month’s spotlight shines on our Covenant Groups.
Covenant groups are a vital part of congregational life and health. As a form of small group ministry, covenant groups are designed to provide connections with, and a deeper understanding of, each other. These groups do not aim to offer advice, guidance or direction, or to resolve personal problems. The idea is to share significant events in our lives, nurture personal and spiritual growth, and engage in service to the congregation and the larger community. Groups are open to adult members and friends of Summit. Each group meets monthly and has a facilitator. The current facilitators are: Karen Cleland, Pat Bryning, Ed Davis, Ferne Gaarder, Teresa Palombo, and Lynne Slaughter. Facilitators gather with the minister once a month for a meeting of their own. We are currently looking for additional facilitators! If you are a Summit member and would consider facilitating a covenant group, please attend our Facilitator Training on Sat., Jan. 12, 9:30-noon. This will be a great opportunity to find out more about covenant groups and see if the facilitator role is right for you.
Please contact Karen Cleland 619-445-4539 or Rev. Kathleen 6109-562-0833 for information about joining a covenant group or about the facilitator training.
Debbie Wingard From the President’s Desktop
I am feeling very blessed at the beginning of this new year.
Blessed with a loving family.
Blessed with many wonderful friends.
And blessed to be a member of this caring community.
Wishing everyone peace and joy in the New Year! Debbie
Religious Exploration for Children and Youth
EMPTY BOWLS: Summit’s Social Action Committee will sponsor Empty Bowls on Sunday, January 27. Following the service, participants will have the chance to buy handmade pottery bowls ($12 for adults and $5 for children), have them filled with homemade soup, eat the soup, take the bowl home, and the proceeds will benefit a hunger organization. Early in November, with wonderful guidance from Neal and Tom Biggart and many other adult helpers, Summit kids constructed bowls. In mid-December, Neal and Tom brought the fired bowls back to Summit, and the kids got to glaze them. They will be fired again, then will reappear to be filled with soup. Please mark your calendars and be a part of Empty Bowls Day, a magnificent intergenerational Summit project.
CALLING ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, INVENTORS AND CRAFTSPERSONS: We are doing some revamping of the Sunday morning experience for our kids and would like to incorporate more hands-on experience of many kinds. If you have a special skill you would be willing to share, either at a single session or an ongoing project, please let me know.
MANY THANKS to our December R.E. teachers, pageant and pottery volunteers: Alan McQuaide, Suzanne McQuaide, Jim Weed, Patti Quint, Mark Wheeler, Rhonda Anderson, Doris Wascher, Norma Pizarro, Michelle Beauchamp, Diane Slagle, Jack Slagle, Pat Summers, Stacey Sasaki, Chris Steussy, Teresa Palombo, Neal Biggart, Tom Biggart, Ed Henry, Sally Geroche, MC Patton and Mark Weedman.
We always have opportunities for involvement in our program. Please contact me if you might like to:
help with special projects.
help at Activity Time (games, music, arts, crafts…) while adults are in the Circle Discussion. Bring your own ideas or join in with what’s already available.
Join one of the teaching teams (pre-school & kindergarten, 1st - 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade, or 6th grade) and meet with that group once every 4 to 6 weeks. Plans and supplies are provided in advance.
Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, ideas or to talk about ways you can become involved.
Connie Henry, D.R.E. conniehenry@cox.net / (619) 460-4794
Directory Bandaid
Please update your directory with the following information. This will cut down on calls to the office.
Gary Baldwin: garybaldwin25@gmail.com
Joanna Jones: 619-640-0780/
jnajones@nethere.com
Chris Smith: 619-873-4813
Barbara Sorensen: blsorensen@cox.net
Pam Williams: 619-303-6934
(c) 619-867-9120
SUMMIT KNITTING MINISTRY BEGINS!
If you are interested in finding out what the Summit Knitting Ministry is all about please join Rev. Kathleen on Thurs. Jan. 10 from 3-4 pm in the Salon, or from 7-8 pm in the office lobby. No experience necessary and all women, men, youth, and mature children are invited to attend. You are welcome to bring some handiwork with you or just come for the info and fellowship. Contact Rev. Kathleen with questions 619-562-0833.
Freethinkers
Except in January We meet twice a month; one meeting will continue to be held at 7 PM on the first Tuesday of each month, and the second meeting will be during the daytime, both in the Greeting Room/lobby.
Jan. 9, 10:00 am- Ed Davis and Eleanor Simmonds - We will have a review and discussion of the book, Shock Doctrine, by Naomi Klein. This book presents an analysis of America’s complicity in the spread of neo-liberal economics around the world from the liberal progressive view point.
Flowers for Sunday Services
The flowers at our Sunday services always add a soft spirit to the room. If you would be interested in commemorating a personal special occasion or honoring a loved one by providing a flower arrangement for a particular Sunday, contact Barbara Jania-Smith at 619-461-7039. You and your occasion will be mentioned in that Sunday’s order of service. Thank you!
MONEY MATTERS
We are staying within or close to our budgeted (expected) amounts for both income and expense.
Income includes $10,143 proceeds from our Service Auction with approximately another $7,000 due (as of Nov. 30, 2007).
Budgeted (Expected) July thru Nov. Actual July 1 through Nov. 30
Pledges $72,065 $75,417
Total Income (includes Pledges) $93,531 $95,209
Expenses $88,673 $91,233
Social Action Corner Service Is Our Prayer
Helping Others In East CountyAdopt-A-Family – Thank you for your support of Summit’s adopted Crisis House family for the holidays. “Our family” is sure to have a special Christmas due to your efforts and gifts. Thanks, too, to our ornament makers, Gary Baldwin, Deena Tuttle, Rene Schad, Jennifer and Vic White, and Claudette Toland and Avery Wear. A special big thanks goes to the event coordinator, Rene` Schad.
How Can You Help In Summit Social Action Efforts?
Financial:
UUSC Guest at Your Table boxes will be collected on Sunday, January 20th. Thank you for aiding those beyond our borders. Questions? Contact Vic White at 619-543-9890.
If your household still needs a box, or if you want to learn more about what the UUSC accomplishes around the world, please visit the Social Action table the second Sunday in January. This year, gifts of $100 or more from a family or individual will be matched dollar for dollar through a matching grant. Consider becoming a supporting member of the UUSC by including a check in your GAYT box (made out to "SUUF" or “UUSC”). Please see your GAYT box for membership options. Detail on what the UUSC accomplishes around the world is also available at http://www.uusc.org
Empty Bowls Sunday will follow service on January 27 in the Salon. Empty Bowls Sunday is part of a nationwide project to help organizations fight hunger and to raise awareness about the issues of hunger and food security. This year's event, sponsored by the Social Action Committee, will benefit Crisis House's food programs. For the suggested donation of $12 ($5 for children), you can choose a custom-made pottery bowl and enjoy a serving of homemade soup. For questions, contact Rene` Schad, 619-448-8131, rschad2@cox.net. To find out more about the Empty Bowls organization, visit http://www.emptybowls.net/.
Fair Trade Coffee will be on sale after service, January 13. The table will be located on the veranda directly across from the table where you pick up your coffee or tea. Questions? Contact Lynne Slaughter at 619-463-7371.
People Power:
Amnesty International: Group 672 (our East County Charter) held Amnesty's Annual Global Write-a-thon at Borders Bookstore on December 10th and generated over 50 letters of support for prisoners of conscience. Thanks to everyone who attended the event and devoted their time and literacy skills to advocate for human rights. Our next meeting is Monday, January 28th at 7:00pm in the conference room. We hope you can join us . Questions? Contact Viraj Ward (619) 971-0029.
Please join us for the next Social Action Committee meeting in Conference Room #1 at 8:30 am on Sunday, January 13th. Newcomers welcome! Questions? Contact Gary Baldwin.
You are cordially invited to honor and celebrate the installation of
The Rev. Kathleen A. Green
Sunday, January 20, 2008, 3:30 in the afternoon at 8778 Cottonwood Ave., Santee, CA
Reception immediately following the service
R.S.V.P. summitunitarian@sbcglobal.net or (619) 562-0833
Adult Religious
Exploration
"Authentic Spirituality: Finding Your Path to Peace and Purpose in a Hurting World," a 12 week course led by Rev. Frank T. Willley, Ph.D. This class will meet Sunday mornings 9:00-9:50 am, Jan.6-Mar 30(except Feb. 24). Special arrangements for child care can be made by contacting Connie Henry.
Friday, January 18, 7:00 pm, "We are Stewards of the Earth;" Norm Dessel, facilitator. This presentation is a good and natural sequence to the Gore film, "An Inconvient Truth" that he facilitated in the fall. Norm plans on spending much of the time in Q&A and group discussion.
A Monthly Drumming Group: Mark and Pat Bryning will facilitate a drumming circle at Summit the last Sunday of the month beginning Jan. 27 from 5:30-6:30 pm. This will be open to anyone 16 or older. Pat and Mark will have extra drums and percussion instruments, but if you have your own, please bring them.
January 25, 7:00 pm, "We are Co-Participants in Leadership," Roberta Osuyos, facilitator. This evening will provide some creative ideas and exercises on how to balance out leading and being led in a variety of situations (i.e. work, committees, relationships) to provide fuller and more productive results for all.
PLEASE NOTE: Trish Luna-deAlva will be offering yoga classes. These classes are not part of ARE, however she has offered 5 weeks of free classes to Summit members to try them out. For more information on schedules you can call her at (619) 871-1617.
THANK YOU to Our Wonderful
Members and Staff!
The Board of Directors would like to thank the following for their generous support of our fellowship. We appreciate all you do to make Summit a wonderful place to be!
MC Patton for directing the wonderful children’s musical pageant in December.
Alix Hart for creating beautiful Summit logo pendants and donating her efforts.
Lois Santalo for contributions from her book signing, sponsored by the "Writers Group.”
Bob & Mary Dryden for a generous donation to our landscaping/gardening budget.
Pierre Vaughn for the legal consultation he provides Summit.
Suzanne McQuaide for all the behind-the-scenes work she does on behalf of the Aesthetics Committee.
All the singers and musicians who enrich our Sunday services throughout the year, as well as the beautiful Christmas Eve service.
All of the office volunteers for their tireless (and perennial!) efforts to help Linda keep the office rolling!
Lunch Bunch
All Summitarians who would like more fellowship and food after Sunday services are welcome to gather with the lunch bunch.
Let’s start on Jan. 6th at Coco’s, 1025 Fletcher Parkway, in El Cajon. On Jan. 13 we will dine at Michael’s Grill, 9621 Mission Gorge Rd., Santee. Next, on the 20th, at Mimi’s, 9812 Mission Gorge Rd., also in Santee. On Jan. 27, Summit will hold its Empty Bowls lunch. (See page 9 for details) We hope you will join us for this worthy cause.
If you intend to join us, please print your name on the hanging sign-up sheet in the lobby during the coffee time so we can phone ahead at 11:30 for reservations. See you there!
Pacific Southwest
District Assembly
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Do you like meeting people? Do you like playing host/hostess? Do you want to show off our wonderful San Diego Cluster? Then you would be perfect as part of the Registration/Hopitality Team at the PSWD Assembly in April 25-27. We will gather once the week before the event to put together the registration packets, then man the tables on Friday afternoon as UUs from around the District arrive at the Marriot Hotel in Del Mar.
Volunteers are needed to man the tables throughout the weekend, as well as to direct visitors to various workshops, meals and other events. Be a part of this year’s Assembly, and show off our great Cluster! If interested, please contact Joan Kanter, jkanter@ucsd.edu.
Cluster Corner
Martin Luther King, Jr. The San Diego Cluster will be seated together at the All People’s Breakfast on Monday, January 21, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Golden Hall in the San Diego Community Concourse. Congregations/members interested in attending should contact Jackie Statman of First Church at jackiestat@earthlink.net or (619) 298-4610, who's coordinating reservations.
District Assembly 2008: A San Diego Cluster Committee is helping coordinate District Assembly which will be held on April 25-27 in San Diego County. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact chair Rev. Jim Grant at jimgrant@att.net.
For more information, please contact mkruming@aol.com or (619) 233-5114.
Board of Director Meetings
The Summit Board usually meets on the third Thursday of every month. Visitors are welcome to come and observe, and the agenda will be posted on the web-based calendar by Monday the week of the meeting for your convenience. If you have a topic you would like to present to the Board, please contact Debbie Wingard, President, by Monday, the second week of the month, in order to be considered for the agenda.
Electrical System
Norm Dessel has donated his time and expertise to design and contract for a solar energy system. There remains a short time to qualify for state rebates. Although we are hopeful that we can raise the $30,000 needed, we can cancel the contract should we fall short. Several members have approached me wishing to, in addition to their pledges, donate funds toward the solar energy system. We are happy to answer any questions. ~ John McQuaide, Treasurer
From the Caring Committee…
Summit’s Caring Committee is responsible for providing transportation for those members who are unable to drive and need help getting to our Sunday service, meetings or medical appointments. If you are willing and able to help occasionally, please let us know. We’ll try very hard to make it convenient for you. Please contact Rod Orth at 619-583-3405.
Thanks to Summiteer Recyclers!
We really appreciate everyone bringing bottles and cans each week. We have a request: Could you give a quick rinse to bottles and cans that had something other than water in them? It would make our job a lot easier (and smell better).
Attention all email users: If you are not currently receiving our eNews each Monday and Friday, and you would like to, please contact Wendell Rawlins at wrawlins@cox.net. The Summit website, www.summitarian.org, has a calendar with the latest schedule of events, our newsletters, and a special members only section (call the office for the password).
Church of the Larger Fellowship:
Looking to explore your own spirituality? The Church of the Larger Fellowship offers online classes and email discussions. Go to www.clfuu.org (click on Resources), or call 617-948-6166.
CLF brings Unitarian Universalism to religious liberals throughout the world!
Sunday Morning Meditation
We will have a meditation/prayer session from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. each Sunday morning before the service begins.
And Wednesday Mornings At 8:30
