In the Spirit
Address: 1259 Victoria St., Costa MesaTelephone: (949)
646-4652Denomination: A member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist
Assn.Year Church Established: 1953
Service Times: Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Religious education for preschool
through high school meets concurrently.
Pastor: Karen StoyanoffChurch Staff: Betty Skwarek, director of religious
education; Ryan Heller, choir director; Sarah Jones, office manager.
Size of Congregation: 200 adults
Makeup of Congregation: A broad range of ages, professions and cultural
backgrounds are represented. Members reside primarily in Costa Mesa,
Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, but some come from throughout Orange
and Los Angeles counties.
Child Care: Nursery care is provided for most activities, unless the
event includes children. Older children attend religious education
activities.
Type of Worship: Services are a time for members to come together to
celebrate life. The celebration integrates music and the spoken word,
including readings from spiritual texts and/or other literature and a
message.
Type of Sermon: Most messages are focused on issues of how to live in
community.
Recent Topics: Last Sunday, Stoyanoff spoke on “How Do We Know What We
Know: Metaphorical Theology.” She explored various ways by which we
understand the great mystery of finding meaning in life. She examined the
use of story, myth and metaphor in our attempts to understand the
unknown. She looked at how these stories enrich our lives and help us
understand great questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” “What
is good and what is evil?” and “Is there a God?”
Upcoming Topics: The Sunday service will center on the obligation to
participate in the democratic process by voting and speaking out on
issues that relate to Unitarian Universalist principles. Unitarian
Universalists have a principle that states, “We affirm and support the
rights of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our
congregations and in society at large.” On March 12, the service will
feature a speaker from the Orangewood Children’s Home, and on March 19,
Stoyanoff will speak on “Responsible Consumption,” a national initiative
for Unitarian Universalists.
Welcome Wagon: Newcomers are greeted before the Sunday-morning service
and are encouraged to join others during the coffee hour that follows.
Members enthusiastically participate in this time of community. Members
warmly welcome anyone to join them “without regard to race, color, sex,
disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin
and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of
religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.”
Outreach Programs: The congregation has a Social Justice Outreach
Committee. Two of its major projects are the AIDS Team Ministry Project
and Circulo de Amigas. The AIDS team provides microwaveable meals to
homebound people with AIDS who live in Orange County. Meals are cooked,
packaged, frozen and delivered weekly by members of the congregation.
Circulo de Amigas sends direct support to people in Nicaragua and also
provides assistance to at-risk children in Orange County schools. Last
Christmas, the congregation also “adopted” and provided food and gifts
for 21 families through the outreach of S.O.S. in Costa Mesa.
Dress: Casual
Church Design: Large and contemporary, with a beautiful location and view
overlooking Huntington Beach from the Costa Mesa bluffs.
Mission Statement: The purpose of the Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist
Church is to create and nurture a place in Orange County that welcomes
all persons into a diverse, empowering and caring spiritual community
that exemplifies and promotes our Unitarian Universalist values. We do
this by: offering programs for worship, religious education and
fellowship for all ages; providing opportunities for spiritual,
intellectual and leadership growth; by supporting and participating in
the wider Unitarian Universalist community. We covenant to act among
ourselves and in the larger community in a way that affirms Unitarian
Universalist principles.
Interesting Note: The church just completed a weekend workshop, “Creating
a Jubilee World,” which focused on anti-racism. The church is planning
further work to promote anti-racism within the community in the coming
months. The church conducts a weekly 9 a.m. Sunday seminar/discussion
group that considers various social issues. It is open to anyone who is
interested. Topics are chosen by the participants. For more information
on any of these events, call the church office.-- Compiled by Michele M.
Marr
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