ABOUT US | {Our History | Mission | Seven Basic Principles | Lay Leadership | Social Action | Calendar | Unitarian Universalist Links} |
 | We warmly welcome visitors to our Sunday Services (click link for weekly topics and speakers) and Children’s Religious Education classes (click link for current program), held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Child Care is always available. Refreshments are served after every service, and the first Sunday of each month we share a potluck lunch. CONTACT USAddress: 4451 Dunsmore Avenue in La Crescenta, CA 91214 |
OUR HISTORY
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills is the product of the merger of two separate fellowships, each founded in the late 1950s. Our present church was formed in 1990 and the congregation includes 55 members. Both fellowships began by meeting in members’ homes, and then grew to purchase church buildings and to hire ministers, on a part-time basis.
We select our consulting ministers from those approved by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association. To obtain approval from this committee, ministers must have earned a Masters of Divinity degree from an accredited theological school and met other requirements.
Our congregation is one of more than 1000 congregations worldwide in a liberal religious tradition that is over 200 years old in America and goes back more than 450 years in Europe. We celebrate religious diversity and strive for social justice. We encourage each person to find her or his own answers to the great religious questions of life, in a community of open hearts and inquiring minds.
MISSION
The members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Verdugo Hills, using reason as our guide and freedom as our method, seek to grow in the understanding of ourselves and of our world, and to promote and serve the universal human family.
 | "UUCVH is a growing and welcoming community, offering a diverse spiritual landscape for an informed search for truth and meaning. We promote social justice, affirm the dignity of all people, and respect the interdependent web of all existence." |
SEVEN BASIC PRINCIPLES
Unitarian Universalists share the common values expressed in the following principles:
| Original (from UUA by-laws) | Kid-Friendly (by Carol Holst, UUCVH member) |
| We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: | As Unitarian Universalists, we agree that: |
| The inherent worth and dignity of every person; | Every person is important. |
| Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; | We should be kind in all we do. |
| Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregation; | We’re free to learn together, |
| A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; | And search for what is true. |
| The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; | All people need a voice. |
| The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; | We want to build a fair and peaceful world. |
| Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. | We care for Earth’s lifeboat. |
LAY LEADERSHIP
Our church is self-governing. A Board of Trustees is elected from our membership to oversee the business of the church. The Board, in turn, is guided by our by-laws. Major decisions such as the calling of a minister are decided by vote of the entire membership. An Annual Report from the president, staff and committee chairs is compiled to review programs and goals.
Financially we support our church through the voluntary pledges and gifts of our members and friends. A portion of our income is raised through rent on our building in Burbank, the site of the former Burbank Unitarian Fellowship. There is no set charge for membership. Individual members make annual pledges in accordance with their own conscience and ability to pay.
We receive no regular financial support from the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rather, we contribute about $100 per year per member to the support of the Association and the Pacific Southwest District.
President’s Perspective Ann Miller Rillo, Congregation President
I find personal inspiration in the values of our faith. I know that I have grown morally and spiritually since I've been a member of UUCVH. I try to let the seven principles guide my life. I try!
The following is an excerpt by Peter Morales, UUA President:
Standing on the Side of Love - "Recently I was called to bear witness to my faith's ideals of compassion and the inherent worth and dignity of all people in Phoenix, AZ. Wearing a bright yellow 'Standing on the Side of Love' T-Shirt, I prayed, I walked, and was even arrested with many Unitarian Universalists and other individuals who share our values. They, too, were called and compelled to stand with people of color in Phoenix who are targeted and terrorized by local police every day. Upon my release and return to my faith community, I feel more energized than ever about our 'Standing on the Side of Love' work. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of fellowship, compassion, and connectedness with all who share our values. Our work has just begun and I call on you now to stand with us for justice, equality, and peace...We must be tireless practitioners of hope, knowledge, and love."
As you know, our UUCVH was well represented in Phoenix by our incoming Rev. Betty Stapleford, her husband Tom Stapleford, and our outgoing Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale and her husband, George Dale. How wonderful to know that our ministers live their commitment to UU principles. Our congregation strongly reflects values of peace, hope, and love. We do those things within our lively organization as well as with our varied local, national, and international outreach. We demonstrate 'Standing on the Side of Love' year in and year out.
The following is an abbreviated list of issues UU Justice Action Network supports:
Raise your Voice in Support of Lower Manhattan Mosque
Protect EPA's Authority under the Clean Air Act
Resource: Appalachia Rising, Sept. 25-27 in Washington, D.C.
I look forward to the Ingathering Service. It will surely be a time to renew our commitment to our congregation and to our wider community.
In solidarity to our principles,
Ann Miller Rillo
SOCIAL ACTION
Members of the Social Action Circle attempt to address several of our Unitarian Universalist principles by researching and proposing humanitarian projects which individuals in the congregation may become involved in. Those principles include the promotion of justice, equity and compassion in human relations; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence.
PROJECTS
Ongoing:
- Collecting and donating food, clothing and personal care items to the Burbank Temporary Aid Center (BTAC), a vital “aid station” for those in need.
- Contributing financially to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, a voluntary, nonsectarian organization working to advance justice throughout the world.
- Participating in the Alliance for the Care of Abused Children (ACAC) program, whereby we provide individualized holiday and birthday gifts for specific children who may have little or no family contacts. We also take part in the “Feel Like a Princess” event, which helps young women with few financial resources prepare for their proms.
- Knitting Circle, in which several members make sweaters for needy children around the world.
Occasional:
- Cooking/serving dinner and dining with the people in a local homeless transitional program; serving dinner, providing new clothing/blankets for people at the Glendale Armory Winter Shelter.
- Educating the congregation on legislative actions/ballot measures that specifically relate to UU principles; writing letters to add to our congregation’s voice about issues that affect us.
- Supporting children’s education, such as Reading to Kids.
Jerry Buchanan, Chairperson, Social Action Circle
The end of summer is upon us. I hope your summer adventures were memorable. During these months, the Social Action Circle had its usual flurry of activity. If you read Board President Ann Miller Rillo's article in last month's Outlook and if you've been around for a while, you know what a difference we make as a church through the projects promoted by the SAC. We cover many of the principles that make us Unitarian Universalists, chiefly being stewards of the interdependent web of the world.
Over the last few months, you donated $524 to Potters for Peace for the manufacture of water filters in areas of the world where potable water is not available. It costs approximately $6 to make each filter, which lasts a family six months. We have made it possible for over 87 families to have clean water for half a year. Congratulations.
MOVE IN BASKETS! Now that I have your attention, you probably know what to do. If you've forgotten, here's the scoop. You will soon see some empty clothes baskets in the Fellowship Hall with a list of suggested items that you can purchase to make moving in a little easier for homeless families making a transition to their own apartment. PATH Achieve Glendale, the largest homeless organization in the Glendale area, serves several hundred people every year. Some of those qualify for transitional housing to get them on the road to self-sufficiency.
They are given very little else to start their new lives, so we provide them with dishes, silverware, pots and pans, cleaning materials, towels, toilet paper, etc. so they can start taking care of the basics right away. Over and over again, we hear of how much these items mean to the families. We invite you to take one of these baskets, fill it with these necessities, and bring it back to church. It will then by taken to PATH and given to some deserving family. Maybe you would like to pair up with another member to fill a basket, or perhaps, make it a project for another service organization you belong to.
We will be saving one basket for those of you who would rather donate just a single item or two to the cause. You will see a special display telling you how to do that. Also, if you have any gently used furniture you would like to donate for the same families, see me, and it can probably be picked up for use by them.
We are continuing to collect used medicine bottles for the pharmacy of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Vickie Guagliardo sees to it that all labels are removed to protect identities. She then mails them (she has already sent 70 of them to the Nation), and the pharmacy sterilizes them and uses them for medicines for the people they serve. This will be an ongoing project, so continue to bring in those pill bottles and put them in the designated bucket in the Fellowship Hall.
—Jerry Buchanan
A friend asked me recently why, with the beliefs that I have, do I need to belong to a church. One big reason is the opportunity to participate in these works that make a difference in others' lives.
National
,UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST LINKS
The Unitarian Universalist Association
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
District (Southern California, Arizona, Las Vegas)
The Pacific Southwest District, District e-mail: pswd@aol.com
DeBenneville Pines UU Camp
Other Unitarian Universalist Churches near UUVerdugo:
Emerson UU Church, Canoga Park
Neighborhood Church, Pasadena
Sepulveda UU Society (The Onion), North Hills
The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, Santa Monica
First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City, Studio City
Unitarian Universalists of the Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Clarita
Contact
Us | By Laws
| FAQs | ©
2005 The Unitarian Universalist Church of Verdugo Hills