The Good News FEBRUARY Mission Trip to Cuba, Jan. 5-14, by Ron Ury

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1 FEBRUARY 2011 Mission Trip to Cuba, Jan. 5-14, 2011 Seaside Community Church United Church of Christ Ocean Ave., Torrance, CA (310) by Ron Ury There are many thoughts and memories for Rev. Gail and me regarding our adventure in going to Cuba, a place that we thought we would not see in our lifetimes. Our group included a total of 19 members of DOC and UCC churches and clergy. First of all, the trip was lots of fun. Just driving through Old Town Havana and seeing the colonial style architecture, much of it from the 19th century, and seeing the many beautiful CHURCH LEADERS Moderator Marsha Bannon Past Moderator Genevieve Kiser Secretary Sara Morrison Finance Scott Bannon Christian Education Bryn Turner Worship Ulla Costa Fellowship Mila Linke Outreach Karen Ury Maintenance Kevin Siegfried Stewards Cynthia Snell Rev. Bob Dye Fred Birkner 1950 s vintage cars was fun. We also enjoyed our occasional evenings spent in cafés listening to the excellent Cuban musical groups. We certainly enjoyed attending the Cuban church services, especially the Pentecostal churches. Their enthusiasm, energy, music, and display of faith were very moving. We couldn t help but feel that these people, living on the economic margins in a small country, near the edge of a powerful nation, were the kind of people that Jesus was talking to 2,000 years ago. The fact that his teachings are so integral to the lives of people half a world away and two millennia later is a miracle that sometimes brings us to tears. On a more thoughtful note, the sight of the 1950 s vintage cars on the road tells us something about Cuban ingenuity in being able to keep the old cars running and also something about the economy, in that few Cubans can afford recent model cars. The sight of hundreds of people walking the streets (where in a similar neighborhood in California there might be a dozen walkers) tells us something about the general economic wellbeing of the people and makes us wonder about the effects of so much nonproductive time on the nation s economy. Regarding the U.S. economic blockade and its effects on Cuba, documented opinions tend to include a lot of spin, depending on the viewpoint of the author. That is, Cuba s problems are caused by the evil, imperialist U.S. or Cuba s problems are caused by the totalitarian/communist Castro regime. One article stated that the blockade is counterproductive, to the point of being dumb, for those wanting to end the Castro regime. This is because Castro can simply blame Cuba s economic problems on the evil U.S. This writer thought that ending the blockade would probably result in erosion of Castro s control and, over time, the Cuban economy and government would evolve towards that of other more open systems of the 21st century. cont. on page 2

2 2 FEBRUARY 2011 The question for our group is what can we do to help improve the lives and living conditions of the people of Cuba, or anywhere else in Latin America for that matter? Our group spent several days in discussions with Cuban church officials. Answers to questions about how we can become involved will have to evolve with time. Sometimes, words from other s prayers can help us get our thoughts in order. Here are words from a Franciscan Blessing, a Blessing as you go home.. And may God bless you with FOOLISHNESS! Enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. And, for those of us that feel that whatever we do is inadequate, the thoughts from a prayer attributed to Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero (assassinated in El Salvador in 1980) might help.... It helps now and then to step back and take the long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the enterprise that is God's work. We cannot do everything, it may be incomplete, but it is a beginning. An opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest... And a final thought. Sometimes we Norte Americanos take a lot of our blessings for granted. In Latin America, a colloquialism, a little saying that doesn t quite translate literally, but that is probably appropriate is, gracias a Dios, a thank you God, for the simple things of life. Examples: gracias a Dios - I have shoes, one pair for work, one pair for church; gracias a Dios - the family has hot food tonight and we have a roof over our heads when we sleep. Perhaps for our Cuba trip group, we can say, gracias a Dios - for each other, and for our time together on our trip to Cuba. And.to the people of Cuba, Gracias a Dios, for our time with you. - by Ron Ury Seaside Biography The Costa Family by Ulla Costa You re stuck with us, I didn t get to contact anyone else for this month. Sorry!! The Costa Family moved to Torrance in about 1955 and our neighbor, Marion Terry, introduced us to Seaside at that time. We had been Lutheran but really found much love and acceptance here. I only left for a short period of time in all those years but none could measure up to what we have here. I was born in the heart of Los Angeles at home and weighed about three pounds (what a difference now.) I grew up in West Los Angeles (Sawtelle) and attended every school in the area including Emerson Jr. High and University High, as we rented and moved about every two years. However, I graduated from San Jacinto High due to my dad s poor health as he had to be at the hot springs up there. My goal had been to become a doctor, but at that point, it was not possible. So, after I graduated and met Ted Costa, who was born in Hawaii, we got married in Santa Monica in 1942 and produced three kids, Allen, Carleen and Clark. Ted passed away in 2001 after almost 58 years of marriage after a whirlwind courtship of about two months. What a surprise to all that it lasted. Ted worked at Douglas Aircraft and later Northrop and then retired. He was also in the Army for a short period in I kept my home, raised kids and had day care for others for many years. I did work at Broadway for a few months when it opened, but when Little Company of Mary opened, I worked there as a Nurses Aide. When El Camino opened its nursing program in about 1962, I took all the AA and RN courses, and graduated in My first granddaughter attended the event. I have been an RN ever since. I worked at Little Company, Bay Harbor, Visiting Nurses and Torrance Memorial Hospital and retired from there about 19 years ago. Over the years, the kids grew up, married, divorced and blessed me with eight wonderful grandkids, and since then, there are nine great grandkids and three great, great grandkids. Some of these were by marriage. (Too long to explain.) Seaside has been very important to us over the years. We have had four weddings, four confirmations and several baptisms. I taught Sunday school for 15 years, seven and a half years for kindergarten and seven and a half years for fifth and sixth grades. And I loved every minute of it. Choir and the various positions first on the Diaconate and now on our Council have been a real joy for me. Seaside Community Church UCC is very dear to my heart and I hope to be here the rest of my life. So I m afraid that you really are stuck with me. God Bless You One and All Ulla Costa

3 3 5 FEBRUARY 2011 Seaside s Outreach for 2010 Karen Ury, Outreach Coordinator Seaside Church makes a difference in many lives through our gifts and our relationships. This past year, once again, our congregation extended support to many Outreach agencies and individuals: Bertha Hartley Fund $49.65 Coins Bread for the World $ Other Outreach Chapman University $150 as a Partner Church Church World Service $285 Alternative Market Community s Child $52.25 Coins CROP Walk (CWS) $2,207 donated or raised by Seaside participants Dept. of Child & Family Services $75.00 Birthday Gifts Other Outreach Emmanuel Orphanage $ Sponsorships Fish Emergency Center $75 Cash and Canned Food Habitat for Humanity $435 Alternative Market (Gift to be matched) Heifer International $520 Alternative Market plus $50 Rwanda (Gift to be matched) Hopi Day School/Hopi Holidays Provided Christmas gifts for 65 children (estimated value $1,625), gift to school from Korean Congregation $310, 99 additional gifts from Home Depot, United Church of the Valley UCC, and Manhattan Beach Community Church UCC Hopi Holiday s Trip $ Designated Gift House Building/Nicaragua $1,580 (and the labor of Ron Ury) plus $100 designated gift Kiwanis Marathon $50 Other Outreach Koinonia $46 Bertha Hartley Interest Love, INC $ ($20 loose coins) Designated Gifts at Thanksgiving plus 36 Backpacks (estimated $435) and school supplies ($120) in August. Other Outreach $51.21 Flowers for shut-ins (donated) Peppermint Ridge $ Other Outreach Pilgrim Pines $100 Annual Support Process & Faith/Claremont Theology $50 Annual Support Retirement Housing Foundation $150 Guest Minister Dr. Joseph Laverne 1736 Family Services $76 Bertha Hartley Interest and Coins South Coast Interfaith Council $100 Annual Support Southern CA Ecumenical Council $65 Coins Third World Hand-arts $ Other Outreach UNICEF $100 Halloween Youth Collection Southern California-Nevada Conference/United Church of Christ: - $5,680 Neighbors in Need Offering * $492 ($25 Coins) One Great Hour of Sharing * $720 ($117 Coins for Haitian Disaster Relief) Our Church s Wider Mission * $2,705 ($15 Coins) and $46 Bertha Hartley Interest Per Capita Contributions $1,160 (83 $14) Strengthen the Church * $317 ($30 Coins) Veterans of the Cross Offering * $240 ($37 Coins) * These are the Five for Five annual mission offerings of the United Church of Christ through which Seaside supports the Conference, National and International dimension of God s mission. TOTAL Outreach gifts through Seaside in 2010 over $16,768! What a wonderful reflection of the generosity of our congregation! Thank you to everyone for your caring outreach.

4 4 FEBRUARY And Some of Seaside s Outreach Missions for 2011 Karen Ury, Outreach Coordinator Other Scheduled Special Outreach Events: Red Cross Good Friday Blood Drive April 22 CROP Walk May 14 or 21 Backpack Collection - Aug. 21 Hopi Holidays Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 (sign ups) Thanksgiving Collection - Nov. 20 Alternative Gift Market Dec. 4 Change for a Change 2011 The following have been designated to receive our loose coin offerings in 2011: January Haitian Relief July Veterans of the Cross February Dept. of Child & Family Services August Our Church s Wider Mission (OCWM) March One Great Hour of Sharing September Community s Child April 1736 Family Services October Neighbors in Need May CROP/Church World Service November Love, INC June Strengthen the Church December The Bertha Hartley Memorial Fund Change for a Change In December, our loose coin offering for The Bertha Hartley Memorial Fund totaled $ In January, the recipient of our loose coins is for Haitian Relief. In February, our loose coins will go to the Dept. of Child & Family Services (DCFS) Children and Youth for their ongoing need for New Underwear. When they are removed from their homes to Foster Care, there is often little time to pack personal belongings and they essentially leave with the clothes on their backs. A Note From Your Moderator... Sock Sunday February 27, 2011 The Dept. of Child & Family Services Children and Youth have an ongoing need for new socks. We would like to designate Feb. 27 th as Sock Sunday. We encourage you to bring any size new socks to help these youngsters. Marsha Bannon, Moderator Two thousand eleven is starting off in a great way, don t you think? Rev. Gail has done an outstanding job with our Worship and Music Committees to offer meaningful and wonderful services on Sunday. It seems like almost every Sunday there is something new to look forward to in the service. Do you have your Star Word with you to reflect on during your day? Our Fellowship Committee is powerful with the Welcome Table before the service and the Coffee Hour in the Church House and Prayer Garden. Sometimes, we just need to look at things differently. In the past, I was on several strategic planning committees at the church in which we discussed how to make visitors feel welcome. We tried to develop a welcoming committee but it never really worked well, and we tried several other ideas. I think the Welcome Table in front of the church does a wonderful job of welcoming! There is always a smiling face out there, written information and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Who wouldn t feel welcome? In addition to Fellowship, we are working on updating some of our indoor and outdoor facilities. We have two new heaters in Miller Hall! They are more powerful than the old ones, so we are trying the first two to see if that will be enough heat, and if not, we can install another one. In this process, a few of the rental groups have donated money to our church to help us. And, CAMDA (the performing arts group which has rented from us for years) is putting on a benefit concert on Feb. 12 th to help raise funds for the heaters. I hope you all will support this look for the flyer in this newsletter. And, as Fellowship is becoming more active, the Bannons decided that Miller Hall needed a stove that can actually hold a full-size pan, so they bought a new stove for Miller Hall. Let s see how the next brunch works! Now, we just need a garbage disposal in Miller Hall! We are also working to build better relationships and a partnership with our rental groups. Just as in our church congregation, communication plays a big part with our renters. They are being supportive as they realize our needs and goals for the church as a whole and as a wider mission. Our 2011 Budget is almost finished thanks to all of you who have pledged, and our Finance Committee. We definitely have had to trim, but hopefully, this will be a temporary problem. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Congregational Meeting on February 13 th to vote on the budget and have an update from the Transition Team!

5 5 FEBRUARY 2011 Council Comments by Ulla Costa Time moves on, we are already into February It is going to be an interesting year. Scott and Sara tell us that we are continuing to function in the black, so many Thanks to everyone for all the support. Let s keep it up. We sincerely hope that you will all attend our Congregational meeting on February 13 th. It will mainly be to present and vote on our budget for 2011, however, there will be other items discussed. Thanks to Mila and Mori and their faithful crew, we will enjoy another brunch in Miller Hall after our church service. There will also be Leadership Council Planning meetings on February 1 st and 2 nd for the purpose of yearly calendaring of events this year. These will start at 6 pm as that was the best time for those attending. This will help us to coordinate our plans for our church. Our Transition Team will also meet on February 9 th so we may have more information for all of you at the meeting on Feb. 13 th. Our Sunday services have been going along pretty well and while Rev. Gail had to be away, we were blessed with David Sigmund and Rev. Dr. Loletta Barrett, presenting excellent sermons that were very stimulating. Thanks to all who have assisted as Readers, Ushers and Greeters with all it takes to keep everything running smoothly. And especially to Genevieve Kiser for pulling it together. We were very sorry to bid Randy Schwalbe farewell on January 16 th but we celebrated with a Music Sunday with Randy presenting the glories of having music in our worship as well as several wonderful anthems with the congregation singing along too. It was actually a Concert and was truly enjoyed. The day was completed with a marvelous brunch afterwards with a lovely decorated cake and a clever novelty farewell song to Randy sung by the choir. It seemed to be enjoyed by all. We will look forward to David Boyer directing our choir between now and Easter. Thank you David for graciously taking over. We enjoyed another Fellowship Brunch on January 30 th to honor Rev. Felix Villanueva, Conference Minister of the SCNC who visited us. Once again, Mila and her crew made it nice and we had an old fashioned Pot Luck meal. It was lovely. CAMDA is planning a recital with Debbie s students on February 12 th. There will be an offering asked of $5.00 per person and I understand it will be to raise money for a donation to us. Please try to attend and see how these young people can perform from their training. It is for our benefit, so let us support them. We were so pleased that we were able to install two new heaters in Miller Hall as the others were very old and not working. We also want to thank some of our renters for so graciously contributing toward some of the cost. These are better heaters so we were told that we only need two instead of the original four. We were very pleased to have Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier, the owners of La Primera Preschool, visit our council meeting. This gave us a chance to build a closer and friendlier relationship with them. Thank you for joining us, you run an outstanding school. Rev. Gail mentioned that she would like to have a New Member class in the near future, so if anyone is not already an official member, feel free to join. You are all welcome to Seaside Community Church, UCC. That seems to be about all the news I have for now. I encourage you to help us all work together for the benefit of Seaside. There are groups you can get involved in to help us plan for the future joy of our Seaside family and there is much to be done. It is about time to start to develop the Church Profile, which is a step toward the calling of a new permanent minister. So if that task appeals to you, let us know. Until next time -- God Bless Us -- Everyone. Your Worship Coordinator, Ulla Costa Leadership Council 2011 Planning Meeting The Leadership Council 2011 Planning Meeting is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, February 1 st and 2 nd from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm in the Church House. We hope to plan, de-conflict, and grow our Seaside activities. If you have ideas you re not sure have been passed along, let any Council member know. Pilgrim Pines Upcoming Events High school Camp (grades 9-12) Feb Confirmation Camp (ages 13-17) March Seaside UCC has some funds available to help offset the registration costs - contact Bryn Turner, , for more information.

6 6 FEBRUARY 2011 February Readers, Greeters & Ushers February Birthdays Feb 6 Reader: Marilyn James Greeter: Richard Sherman Usher: Connie Sherman Feb 13 Reader: TBD Greeter: Yolanda DeAngelini Usher: Ron Ury Feb 20 Reader: Cynthia Snell Greeter: Mable Pochedly Usher: Bryn Turner Feb 27 Reader: Karen Ury Greeter: Donna Bell & Xander Usher: Ron Ury NOTE: If you can provide refreshments for our Coffee Hour one Sunday, please sign up during Coffee Fellowship. UCC Women s Week February 6 12, 2011 A copy of The Common Lot is available as a resource. SEASIDE READING GROUP Tuesday, February 8 th, 7:30 pm in the Church House Discussing: The Horsewhisperer by Nicholas Evans Next month: Netherland by Joseph O Neill For more Information call: (310) The Genevieve Kiser Seaside Seniors Club The group will meet in the Church House on Thursday, February 24 th at 2:00 pm. All men and women over 60 are invited to come and share in some great conversation and coffee. Ulla Costa Courtney Gill Rev. Bob Dye JoAnn Wood Ron Ury Mila Linke Mori West 5 th 13 th 18 th 19 th 24 th 27 th 27 th Did we forget your birthday? Please call Natalie at the church office ( ) to make sure we have information for your special day! Sisters in Spirit Women s Group (Formerly Wine, Cheese & Chat) Friday, Feb. 18 th 6:30 PM Topic: The Images of God The group will watch a film that depicts diverse images of God. Created by feminist theologian, Nelle Morton, this film shows how archaic images, frozen in the cultural unconscious, influenced contemporary societies perception of God. To quote Nelle, This first to be said about imaging is that it is something one experiences, consciously or out of personal or collective unconscious. Because of the dominance of men in society, culture has confused the full human experience with male experience. Making it difficult for women s experience to be known. All thoughts, comments, and ideas are listened to and treated with respect. Women enjoy an atmosphere of love and support while they share their views and experiences on the evening s topic. We invite all women to join this lively discussion group! No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here. God is still speaking

7 Seaside Community Church United Church of Christ FEBRUARY Ocean Ave., Torrance, CA (310) Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat pm Leadership Council Planning Meeting Day pm Leadership Council Planning Meeting Day 2 3 8:30 am Holy Grounds Coffee Hour 6:00 pm Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal :30 am Worship Service and Sunday School UCC Women s Week 7 8 7:30 pm Seaside Reading Group (in the Church House) 9 6:00 pm Transition Team Meeting 10 8:30 am Holy Grounds Coffee Hour 6:00 pm Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal pm Warming Hearts Benefit Concert for Seaside (in the Sanctuary) 13 9:30 am Worship Service and Sunday School 10:45 am Congregational Meeting & Brunch with Transition Team Appreciative Inquiry Presentation :00 pm Leadership Council Meeting 17 8:30 am Holy Grounds Coffee Hour 6:00 pm Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal 18 6:30 pm Sisters In Spirit Women s Group :30 am Worship Service and Sunday School :30 am Holy Grounds Coffee Hour 2:00 pm Seaside Seniors 6:00pm Bible Study 7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal :30 am Worship Service & Sunday School Sock Sunday - bring any size, new socks for the Children & Youth of DCFS 28 Loose Change Offering this month will go to: Dept. of Child & Family Services Children and Youth New Underwear Project

8 is published monthly by Seaside Community Church, United Church of Christ. The church is located at the corner of 230th and Ocean Avenue in Torrance. Phone: (310) Interim Minister: Rev. Gail Benson Seaside Community Church, UCC Ocean Ave. Torrance, CA Assistant Minister: Rev. Robert Dye Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 12:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Publisher: Natalie Taylor Editor: Susan Sutherland Deadline for February News articles: Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 Everyone is invited to join us for Worship on Sundays at 9:30 am Sunday School and Child Care are available ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL WARM HEARTS FUNDRAISING CONCERT At Seaside Community Church, UCC (in the Sanctuary) To raise funds to support the replacement of the heaters in Miller Hall Saturday, February 12, :00 pm 5:00 pm Suggested Donation: $5 The performers of Arts Alive will present songs and scenes about love! CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Sunday, February 13, 2011 (in Miller Hall) Agenda: To approve the 2011 Budget, along with a final experiential process from the Appreciative Process led by the Transition Team. Brunch will be provided.