The Half Moon Bay Library has suggested two opportunities by which we can assist our local community. First, the School Backpack program for the Coastside is underway and the Friends of the Library have requested volunteers to assemble and distribute backpacks, beginning August 4. Click here if you can assist with these efforts. Second, the San Mateo County Library system will offer Mental Health First Aid classes beginning in August. This in-person training will teach participants how to identify, understand, and respond to someone in a mental health crisis and provide initial help and support. The trainings will be held at the Millbrae, Belmont, Half Moon Bay, and San Carlos libraries. You can sign up here to register. |
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UUCC First Sunday In-Person Service, August 6th |
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The Touchstones Theme for August is Activism. We warmly welcome back Ron Ahnen to the UUCC pulpit on August 6th with a sermon entitled “Activating Our Imagination with Faith.”
As people of faith, we hold dearly to our Unitarian Universalist values as we strive to live out our ideal of the beloved community in this broken world. Ron Ahnen explores how our UU faith informs our imagination and encourages us to realize our dreams for humanity as we engage in social activism. In the face of both small and large questions of social justice, our faith nourishes us and helps us avoid the traps of helplessness and apparent powerlessness.
Ron Ahnen is a 4th-year part-time student at Starr King School for the Ministry, pursing a Masters in Divinity degree with a strong interest in UU history and especially the development of religious natural humanism. He is also a Professor of Politics at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA where he teaches courses on Human Rights, Just War Theory, and the Politics of Imprisonment, among others. In a few years, Ron is looking forward to retiring from college teaching to take up pastoral work in a UU Congregational setting.
This live in-person service takes place at Odd Fellows Hall, 526 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA, 94019. Mask wearing is no longer mandatory but we encourage the added protection as a courtesy to some of our elders. Odd Fellows Hall is quite spacious for social distancing and includes a new high-circulation air ventilation system. On this day, UUCC celebrates its 8th Anniversary (and rumor has it there will be treats to enjoy after the service).
or Meeting ID: 661 775 5196 Password: 416762
Please join us at 11:00 am Pacific, 2pm Eastern
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UUCC's 8th Anniversary, August 6, 2023 |
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Nearly 8 years ago, August 2, 2015, eight people gathered at the Half Moon Bay Coffee Company to discuss the formation of a Unitarian Universalist group on the Coast. Present were Nancy Palmer, Laurel Frishman, Marty Cody, Jane Hansen, Dave and Joanne Rokosky, Tina Johnston, and Noreen Cooper Heavlin. Shortly thereafter, we were joined by Sandra Adams, Storm Russell, and Sandy Calman. UUCC continues to thrive here on the Coast because of the participation of key members past and present, who we will honor at our 8th Anniversary celebration this Sunday, August 6th.
UUCC warmly welcomes congregants from UU San Mateo and UU Fellowship of Redwood City to join us in person that day and special treats will be served after the service as a celebration of our shared cooperation and continued success. If you'd like to help bring tea, coffee, sparkling waters, etc, please contact Noreen at uucoastside@gmail.com.
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UUCC Gallery View Zoom Sunday, August 20th, 11am |
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On Sunday, August 20th, we warmly welcome back Joanne Rokosky, who continues exploring the August Touchstones theme of Activism with a sermon entitled"Becoming an Activist by Learning How to Follow." Joanne will introduce us to faith-based community organizing and Faith in Action Bay Area. What is faith-based community organizing? How is this work different from that of traditional service organizations? How does it align with our Unitarian Universalist principles? How has she engaged in and how might you consider engaging in this type of activism?
Joanne Rokosky retired after a long and varied nursing career as an educator, clinical nurse specialist, and federal surveyor. She and her husband Dave moved to El Granada from Seattle in 2015 after the birth of their older granddaughter. As new Coastsiders, Joanne and Dave attended the very first meeting of UUCC in August of 2015 and have been active ever since. She enjoys time spent with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters as well as tutoring and a variety of other volunteer activities, particularly with Faith in Action Bay Area.
Following the Gallery View Third Sunday format, this is a Zoom-only service.
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Recent UUCC YouTube Channel Uploads |
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On July 23, Our own Bill Heavlin spoke at the UU Fellowship of Santa Cruz County located in Aptos. He delivered a wonderful sermon entitled "Sorrow and The Other Deepest Thing." In pondering the post-Pandemic transitions that many UU congregations are experiencing, Bill pointed out 3½ sources of new hope—all within core UU capabilities. This was one of Bill's best sermons and you'll not want to miss it.
And please don't forget to Like and Subscribe to UUCC's YouTube Channel. Likes and comments play well to the YouTube's distribution algorithm and enable more people to discover UUCC's excellent service programming.
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Summer Social Get-Togethers on the Coast |
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Inspired by our recent service on Play, we're looking for volunteers to head up one of their favorite social opportunities below. UUCC services are outstanding but a community needs more glue than only two meetings a month. Nancy Palmer, UUCC's principal founder, loves UUCC's services but feels it's important we gather and participate in some outside activities to get to know each other better and share other interests. As we enter in our 8th year the first week in August, let's make 2023-24 the "Year of Beloved UU Coastside Community Building."
We polled our community in 2022 to learn which outside activities would be of interest. The timing was't ideal for getting together in person back then. But the tides have changed and many of us are yearning now to be more social. What we need are volunteers to take on one of the options below and we will take care of publicizing the activity.
Here are a few possibilities:
- Reserve the big round table at the back of Cafe Society, to have
coffee or lunch together after our in-person service.
- Meet for lunch or coffee on a different day in a different venue.
- Meet for a beach clean-up.
- Meet somewhere to sing some hymns or other songs, any way
we can.
- Meet on the first Thursdays of the month to read poems at Speaker's Space from 5pm to 6:30pm at MacDutra Park.
- Meet to discuss and maybe lend or trade books we liked.
- Meet to play and/or learn bridge, chess, or other games.
- A meeting for computer enthusiasts to share their interests.
- Meet to watch a social action movie at someone's home and discuss afterward
- Meet to work on a project that someone needs help with.
- Meet for a group hike on the Coast.
- Meet for a potluck at someone's home.
- And something else....
Nancy Palmer has offered to keep track of who is sponsoring the different activities. You can email her at np2074@gmail.com or call her at (510) 326-6646.
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Peninsula Bay Area Shared UU Services |
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Since 2020, UUCC has enjoyed hosting the congregations of UUFRC and UUSM during the summer. Although Zoom-only services have become a thing of the past, we are continuing the tradition. Our Shared Summer Service Program for 2023 will be:
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August 6th: UUCC hosts and UUSM and UUFRC are invited to attend. (Ron Ahnen speaks on Activism.)
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August 13th: UUFRC hosts and UUSM and UUCC are invited to attend. (Michael Eselun, a hospice chaplain, speaks.)
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Volunteer Jobs Needed for In-Person Services |
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Now that we are meeting in person on First Sundays, we need help in different ways. Can you commit to helping out in any of the following ways?
- Photograph our August 6th Service
- Bring flowers!
- Greet people as they come in
- Set up chairs before, and/or put them away after, the Service
- Help unload and load video equipment for hybrid service
- Assist with setting up video equipment for hybrid service
- Pass out the orders of service and distribute hymnals
- Clean up of the hall before closing
To tell us how you can help our Beloved Community come together again, please contact us at uucoastside@gmail.com. And thanks to all who have or continue to volunteer!
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Compassionate Caring Committee: |
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The UUCC Compassionate Caring Committee volunteers are often able to support our members during life events such as post-operative, illness, or being homebound. Do you need food delivery or an errand run? Are you feeling loneliness, loss, or grief that a call might help?
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We Appreciate Your Support: |
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For supporting UUCC financially, we have two options: |
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If you prefer to donate by check, please make your check payable to UU San Mateo, and write UUCC on the memo line. Please mail your check to:
Nancy Palmer
506 Willow Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-1648
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Unitarian Universalist Coastside Community
Half Moon Bay, California
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Bill Heavlin, UUCC Planning Committee
Dave Rokosky, UUCC Planning Committee
Noreen Cooper Heavlin, UUCC Planning Committee
Bruce Rafnel, UUCC Technical Director
Nancy Palmer, UUCC Treasurer
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