Chalice News and Notes 3.23.26
Chalice Admin
We Nurture Spiritually Courageous People
Who Transform the World through
Justice and Compassion
Explore our website to learn more about everything we are doing.
Upcoming Events
March 15 - Diggin’ Donuts & Coffee - after service
Sign up here if you can bring donuts:
👉 Yes, I'll Bring Donuts - Sign-Up Here
March 15 - UU the Vote postcards - after service upstairs room 1
March 15 - Starting Point Meeting 1 - 12-2:00 pm the Nest
March 15 - Open Mic Night - 6:00 pm in the Lounge
March 15 - Deadline to contact Anthony for Hollywood Bowl Interest. Please email him: musicd...@chaliceuu.org
March 22 - Sweet Solidarity Celebration & Potluck - after service
Please sign up to bring a dish to share if you’re able.
👉 SANDWICHES, SALADS, CHIPS & DESSERTS SIGN-UP 👈
March 22 - Grateful Gathering Drop In Meeting - 12:30- 2:00 pm the Nest
March 22 - Chalice Climate Action Team (CCAT) Meeting - 12:30 on Zoom
March 29 - Pride Squad - noon (location Chalice tbd)
SUNDAY SERVICE
Onsite & Online ~ 10 am
Michael Eselun & Jill Schlaus
The Thread
Popular guest speaker and UCLA oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun will reflect and explore the idea of a single thread that may run through our entire lives - what it takes to find it, what is our relationship to it, and how it just might help us make sense of the whole journey thus far.
The registration link below will allow you to register for the service with your preferred email address. A service link will then be sent to that email. This service link will be active 5 minutes prior to the service. As an added benefit, you’ll be sent a recording of the service after it is done streaming!
Registration Link for the StreamYard Meeting:
You can also view our Livestream on FB: https://www.facebook.com/ChaliceUUF
Chalice Lighting
To start your day, a meeting, or before a meal
William Blake reminds us that “under every grief and pine runs
a joy with silken twine.” In a way our faith community here is
that silken twine, weaving each of our individual threads into a
cloth that just might keep us warm enough to find our way.
So, we light the chalice to symbolize that warmth, and the guidance that can come from that sacred cloth.
UUTHEVOTE after Service
Congratulations! Thanks to our stamping frenzy last Sunday, we were able to mail over 1500 postcards! And there was even time afterwards to head downstairs and catch a bit of spirit at the Sing-Along.
We are continuing to collect the WI and VA cards and will meet in Room 1 after the service on March 15 for stamping and camaraderie. The final due date for WI is March 22 and VA is 4/5.
We are now distributing Environmental Voter’s Project (EVP) postcards. The packets all have a slip of paper in them with the message to write. A lot less writing on these. These cards must be mailed on April 15, so we need them back for stamping by April 12. They are available to pick up at Pamela’s and Jill’s homes, and at Chalice on Sunday.
Our non-partisan postcards will have a short hiatus. We will be writing more starting in May. Stay tuned for other opportunities to get involved.
Thanks for your continued support of UUTHEVOTE.
In Unity and Community,
Pamela Lopez and Jill Lewis
Diggin’ Donuts & Coffee
March 15 after service
One of the best parts of Chalice is the time we spend together after the service—lingering, laughing, and connecting. On March 15, we’re making that time a little sweeter with Diggin’ Donuts & Coffee.
Please help make this time together sweet by bringing donuts to share.
Sign up here if you can bring donuts:
👉 Yes, I'll Bring Donuts - Sign-Up Here
A quick sign-up helps us plan so there’s enough for everyone.
Thank you for helping create the warmth and hospitality that make this community feel like home.
Last Chance to Submit Interest!
No Later than Sunday
Hollywood Bowl Concerts, Picnic & Fellowship
The most magical time of year is here, and no I don’t mean Christmas…it’s summer under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl! Join your UU friends and family from Chalice, Emerson and Studio City for a picnic, fellowship and world class concerts in the iconic Hollywood Bowl amphitheater. The deadline to submit interest is 3/15/26. For more information, email Anthony Concepcion at musicd...@chaliceuu.org.
Starting Point Sessions Begin on March 15th!
Do you want to explore Unitarian Universalism
and your Spiritual Path more deeply?
Starting Point is a three session series, designed to deepen your spiritual understanding of Unitarian Universalism and to connect newcomers with members, creating a web of interconnection at Chalice. Additionally, newer people will experience Chalice’s small group culture, thereby deepening your spiritual engagement with our community.
All are welcome to this class by prior registration. We request, to the best of your ability, a commitment to all three sessions.
Session 1 will explore our personal spiritual journeys.
Session 2 will examine UU and Chalice’s history.
Session 3 will look at our UU Theological journey.
For more information, or to register, you can email SPi...@chaliceuu.org
Why Interfaith?
March 17 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
$15
Image Attribution: “University of Rochester, Interfaith Chapel 1” by RLHyde is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
On Tuesday, March 17th at 7PM, the Ventura County Interfaith Community will try to answer the question of why we do interfaith dialogue. It will do so by suggesting that interfaith dialogue is a pathway both to peace and to personal growth.
Responding to this question will be Dr. Tim Helton, Rabbi Michael Lotker and Imam Muhammed Shoayb Mehtar.
The event will take place as part of the Catholic University Series at Padre Serra Perish (5205 Upland Road, Camarillo, CA 93012). The organizers of the University Series charge a nominal $15 per class (or $10 prior to February 16th if you register at www.theuniversityseries.org) with an accompanying friend attending free.
All are welcome to attend whether Catholic or not, so please consider sharing this information with friends and family!
March is Pledge Month at Chalice
What we love, we sustain. What we sustain, sustains us.
Each spring, we come together to support the community that supports us. Our financial commitments allow Chalice to plan responsibly for the year ahead and to remain a place where all can belong.
We invite you to make your pledge and join others in sustaining the community that sustains us.
▶ Scan the QR code below to submit your pledge.
If you’ve ever wondered what a pledge actually is or how it works, watch this short video that explains it clearly.
You can also read our simple guide to pledging here:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PLEDGING
This Sunday, Add Your Light to Our Chalice
Each Sunday in March, we light our Pledge Chalice. Week by week, the light grows—each candle a reminder that this community is built by all of us, together.
Submit your pledge by Saturday to be included in Sunday’s lighting ritual. If you’re not able to attend, we will gladly call your name and place a candle for you.
Join us—and be part of the light that grows.
Submit your pledge here:
On March 22, stay after service for our Sweet Solidarity Celebration, an end-of-pledge-drive potluck honoring the generosity, commitment, and shared spirit that sustain Chalice.
A table filled with food. A courtyard filled with laughter. Celebrating a community built with love.
Bring a dish to share if you’re able.
👉 SANDWICHES, SALADS, CHIPS & DESSERTS SIGN-UP 👈
There is always a place for you at the Chalice table.
Grateful Gathering Drop in Circle - All Are Welcome!
March 22nd - 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
in the Nest
Join this month’s Grateful Living Circle. This drop in group will offer the warm bond of small groups we are all familiar with, while bringing fresh new material from Grateful Living. Together, we will be in awe of the beauty around us, hold one another gently in the tender moments, and be open to all the wondrous things waiting just around the corner as we explore what it means to live a life of gratitude.
This gathering is open to anyone who would like to participate.
We hope to see you there!
Chalice Climate Action Team Meeting
Meets 4th Sunday of the Month
next meeting Sunday, March 22 at 12:30 p.m.
Join us for a discussion on action items to help tackle the climate crisis.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/873183426?pwd=K3FiL1VrYVJDM25zdjdTdHZXb0E4QT09
Or by smart phone - One tap mobile+16699009128,,873183426#
Or dial in: +1 669 900 9128
Meeting ID: 873 183 426
Password: 715302
CCAT: Respecting the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part, the Chalice Climate Action Team educates ourselves and connects with others to advocate for a just and sustainable future for life on Earth.
California Lutheran University -
Courageous Conversations Summit
Monday, March 23rd 6 pm - 8:45 pm
Samuelson Chapel
with
Loretta J. Ross and Jennifer Linde
Join Buen Vecino and Cal Lutheran for an evening of learning how to bridge differences and move from conflict to conversation.
You’re invited to the Courageous Conversations Summit on March 23 for an evening of learning and skill-building with Jennifer Linde and Loretta Ross at California Lutheran University.
Wondering how to navigate tough conversations in your relationships, classroom or community? Join one or both sessions to gain insights and tools for engaging dialogue across differences.
Linde will lead a Civil Dialogue® workshop at 6 p.m., in which volunteers will model civil, productive conversation, which then will be extended to the entire audience.
Refreshments will be served during the break between sessions.
Ross will deliver a keynote address at 7:15 p.m. on her Calling In framework, created to help people stay in community in ways rooted in love, compassion, and joy, followed by a moderated conversation and audience Q&A.
Agenda:
6 - 6:45 Civil Dialogue with Jennifer Linde
7 - 7:15 Reception
7:15 - 8:45 Calling In with Loretta Ross
More information and register here
Pride Squad Meeting
March 29th at noon
Journaling Group
Coming this April!
Upcoming UU Assembly Opportunities!
Our Pacific Western Region is gathering, both online and in-person in Sacramento, for a time of interconnection, worship, learning, and fun: our bi-annual Regional Assembly, April 10-12.
Rising Resilient Regional Assembly: Register here!
PSW Assembly April 24-26th information here: https://www.pswassembly.org
Register Here: Register for PSW Assembly
And…
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. Anyone can attend! Members interested in being delegates may communicate interest to: pres...@chaliceuu.org
Learn more here: https://www.uua.org/ga
Register Here: https://www.uua.org/ga/registration
Sabbatical FAQ’s
Reverend Nica’s sabbatical started on December 26, 2025. We have provided some answers to most frequently asked questions about her time away on our website (follow the link at the bottom of this post). Please note that in her absence, you can contact pastoral care at pastor...@chaliceuu.org; Ana Johnson our administrator at ad...@chaliceuu.org; Annie Barker, our president at Pres...@chaliceuu.org and the board at bo...@chaliceuu.org
Committee on Shared Ministry at CO...@chaliceuu.org Other contact information and answers to questions are available at the link below:
https://www.chaliceuu.org/blog/minister-sabbatical/
Democracy In Action
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the political climate and unsure of how to take action, you're not alone. To help sift through all of the information, the Democracy in Action Team is sending out details each week on what actionable items you can take to fight political division and its threats to equal rights, our values, and democracy. It lists upcoming in-person, local events, as well as important calls you can make to your representatives. If you'd like to receive these emails, please email Kelly Niebergall at kellyni...@gmail.com. Let's resist together.
Love In Action Link
Looking for ways to put your love into action? Check out these opportunities!
https://bit.ly/LoveInActionOpportunities
Chalice has many Social Action groups
to engage with on a monthly basis!
Racial & Cultural Justice Team: 1st Wednesday Zoom meetings at 5:30pm each month.
The Citizens Climate Lobby Meeting: 2nd Saturday of the month - 9 am
Chalice Climate Action Team Meeting: 4th Sunday of the Month @ 12:30 Community Forum Team Meeting: 3rd Mondays at 7:00 p.m.
Pride Squad Meeting (LGBTQ+ and allies): 2nd Sunday of the month - noon
Contact Justicecom...@chaliceuu.org for more information
Consider joining the Chalice Social Justice Facebook group. To learn about latest events supporting Black Lives Matter, Climate Justice, and other concerns, click on:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1260868657268458/
Put this on your Calendar!
Joys & Sorrows
Please email any joys and sorrows prior to service by 8 am on Sunday mornings to this address: j...@chaliceuu.org.
You may still fill out cards if you are attending in person.
Visiting or New to Chalice?
If you would like to connect and share more about yourself, take this survey: Let's Get Connected
Stay informed as a Chalice Member
Leadership Documents can be accessed from our website, click on the Members pull-down, then Members Resources to reach our Google Members Shared Drive. Members Shared Drive
Get more involved, connected and learn more about Chalice structure & Governance as a member: view links here: Making Connections 2026
We hope this is helpful. Please feel free to reach out if you need assistance or have questions: Pres...@chaliceuu.org, and Trea...@chaliceuu.org for Financial questions.
If you have special news to share with the congregation in Sunday services please write to j...@chaliceuu.org.
Or reach out to us here:
Chalice Office # (805) 498-9548 - Messages will be checked regularly.
Rev. Nica Eaton, our Minister, is currently on sabbatical, in her absence you can reach our congregation president, Annie Barker, at pres...@chaliceuu.org
Anthony Concepcion, Music Director: musicd...@chaliceuu.org
Samantha Dickerson, Director of Wisdom Exploration: d...@chaliceuu.org
Ana Krista Johnson, Office Administrator: ad...@chaliceuu.org or Bookkeeper, bookk...@chaliceuu.org
Explore our website to learn more about everything we are doing.