The Mission Of The Universalist Unitarian Church Of Santa Paula:
To Practice Inclusiveness, Seek Justice, And Foster Spirituality.
COVID-19 Response Updates
The church building Is now open to those fully masked and who are willing to socially distance. Services are also available on Zoom.
Welcome to Our Church
We are a warm and friendly congregation. We welcome all who seek to find meaning in our busy lives, make connections with others and search for answers to life's big questions.
Upcoming Events
Service: Helping Youth Find Their Voice with Lynn Edmonds and Ruth Ricards
Day and Time
Sunday Dec 8, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDetails
Lynn Edmonds along with three young adults who attended One Step a la Vez as high schoolers will share their stories on how they learned to empower themselves.
BIO - Lynn Edmonds moved to Fillmore in 1984 to be the principal at Piru Elementary School. Later she was promoted to be principal at Fillmore Middle School. Lynn left Fillmore Unified School District in 2000 to take a position at Moorpark School District as principal. She started One Step a la Vez in 2008 and was awarded a $200,000 grant for 3 years. After she retired from One Step, she was elected to the Fillmore City Council in 2016 for a four year term.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Twilight Gathering
Day and Time
Tuesday Dec 10, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PMDetails
Join us for joyous music and prose at this special Holiday themed Gathering at 7pm on December 10th with our own Vincent Sorisio who will share some seasonal music with poetry curated by Kate English and Atul Ranchaud. This is our final Gathering of the year where we share silence, poetry and music in a centering practice. We hope to see you there!
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Jim Cole
Day and Time
Wednesday Dec 11, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Jim Cole. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Blue Christmas
Day and Time
Thursday Dec 12, 4:00 PM - Sunday Dec 29, 5:00 PMDetails
The Caring Committee invites you to a Blue Christmas gathering in the Sanctuary on Thursday, December 12 at 4:00 PM. This season brings forth many feelings—all is not bright lights, presents and the bustle of family and friends for some of us. Blue Christmas is a time when we can reflect together on those blue feelings and bring light to them by sharing them. Join members of the Caring Committee in a reflective time with music, readings and sharing, if you wish, of your difficult stories of this time of year and the losses you hold.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Santa Paula Cinema Society – Hugo
Day and Time
Friday Dec 13, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PMDetails
Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz in Marting Scorcese's HUGO
Hugo is an orphan boy living in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. He learned to fix clocks and other gadgets from his father and uncle, which he puts to use keeping the train station clocks running. The only thing that he has left that connects him to his dead father is a mechanical man that doesn't work. Hugo needs to unlock the secret he believes it contains. On his adventures, he meets a shopkeeper who works in the train station and his adventure-seeking goddaughter Isabelle. Hugo and Isabelle try to unlock the old man's memories.
Free Enter side door
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Service: The Three Marks of Existence in Buddhism with Rev. Kusala Bhikshu and Rev. Dr. Betty Stapleford
Day and Time
Sunday Dec 15, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDetails
These three marks are core beliefs of Buddhists, along with the Four Noble Truths and the Noble
Eightfold Path. The Three marks – Impermanence, Dissatisfaction and Not-Self.
BIO - Kusala Bhikshu is an American born monk ordained in the Zen Buddhist Tradition of Vietnam, he lives and works at the International Buddhist Meditation Center in the Korea town section of Los Angeles. Rev. Kusala is a member of the Buddhist-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Los Angeles and 'MID' Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, a Benedictine Confederation to promote and support dialogue between Christian monastic men and women and followers of other religions. He has been active as a community volunteer for two decades, with volunteer work at the California State Prison for Men, the Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall, the Garden Grove Police Department, and as Buddhist Chaplain for the University Religious Conference at U.C.L.A. In 2005 Kusala Bhikshu was awarded the 'Los Angeles Mayor's Certificate of Appreciation' for his interfaith and inter-religious community service. In July of 2024 his book was published – “Urban Dharma – 20 years of Buddhist stories from an LA City Monk.” – www.urbandharma.info
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Thomas Weisbecker
Day and Time
Wednesday Dec 18, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Thomas Weisbecker. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Service: Winter Solstice: In the Heart of Darkness, Light Awakens with Kate English and Ellen Deeb
Day and Time
Sunday Dec 22, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDetails
As the longest night of the year cradles us in its embrace, join us for a service celebrating the Winter Solstice—a time when darkness is not an absence, but a fertile ground for reflection, renewal, and the seeds of transformation. Together, we will honor the natural turning of the seasons, our deep interconnection with the earth, and the gifts that emerge from the quiet, generative spaces of life. Through poetry, music, and shared ritual, we’ll celebrate the beauty of this sacred season and the balance of darkness and light.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Service: Christmas Eve – More Than Just a Star with Lisa Popeil and Ruth Ricards
Day and Time
Tuesday Dec 24, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PMDetails
We gather on Christmas Eve to hear the story, More Than Just a Star. The story is about a young shepherd boy named Micha who asks his father, “How will I know what to watch for?” That night and throughout the next day, Micah’s father shares signs of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, along with a symbol that the boy places in his shepherd’s bag to help him watch for that wondrous birth. The congregation will sing Christmas carols throughout the play. The service will be filled with special music performed by Lisa Popeil, Bill Montei, Thomas Weisbecker and Ruth Ricards. We will end with the traditional candlelit Silent Night as well as a new Christmas carol for all to sing. Come join in the spirit of Christmas Eve!
BIO - Lisa Popeil, has an MFA in Voice and has taught singing and speech beautification professionally for 50 years. Lisa is the creator of the Voiceworks® Method, and brings her passion for singing and music to vocal enthusiasts around the world. As a singer-songwriter, her self-titled album was a Billboard Top Album Pick in 1984. She has performed and recorded with Frank Zappa and her voice has appeared on many “Weird Al” Yanovic albums, on his latest film “Weird” and toured the US and Canada with Weird Al in 2019. Her vocal work spans classical, pop, R&B, jazz, country, and musical theater and she currently is focusing on teacher-training courses and voice research with universities, including UCLA.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Service: On Becoming a Troublesome Priest with Rev. James Ishmael Ford and Ken Stock
Day and Time
Sunday Dec 29, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AMDetails
As it happens, Thomas Becket, onetime archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in his cathedral on this day in 1170. It feels like a perfect day to consider this past year, the year to come, and what it might mean to bear witness as religious liberals in tumultuous times.
BIO - The Reverend James Ishmael Ford served as a parish minister for twenty-five years and is minister emeritus at the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island. Today he is a community minister affiliated with Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena. James is also a long time Zen practitioner and teacher, and is the author of six books on aspects of spiritual life. His most recent book, the Intimate Way of Zen: Effort, Surrender, on the Spiritual Journey was published by Shambhala Publications this past summer. He also has a substack page, Unanswered Question. He and his spouse Jan currently live in Tujunga, where they care for Jan's 97 year old mother.
UUs of Our Past with Leslie Nichols
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Jim Cole
Day and Time
Wednesday Jan 8, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Jim Cole. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Thomas Weisbecker
Day and Time
Wednesday Jan 15, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Thomas Weisbecker. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Jim Cole
Day and Time
Wednesday Jan 22, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Jim Cole. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Meditation with Thomas Weisbecker
Day and Time
Wednesday Jan 29, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMDetails
NOTE: THIS IS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AND FACEBOOK. The community is invited to a meditation practice group of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, this Wednesday with leader, Thomas Weisbecker. This group celebrates the diversity of Buddhist, mindfulness, and other meditative orientations and welcomes participants from all contemplative traditions to attend. The group is open to everyone regardless of funds; there is a free will offering ($5 suggested with checks made to UUCSP with Meditation in the memo line, mailed to UUCSP, 740 E Main Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060). The meeting will begin with a reading and short discussion, with a guided meditation leading us into a time of silence. There is power in meditating together. We would love to have you join us. For more information call the office at 805-525-4647 or email office@uucsp.org.
Parking is available on the street in front of the church. In addition, there are a limited number of parking spaces behind the church in the alley-way. A handicap accessible entrance with an electric lift is available on the east side of the building next to the side entrance.
Our Congregation
Are you looking for a friendly home where you can explore the larger questions of life with those who bring many perspectives? Are you looking for a faith community that looks outward to the larger community to make a difference in the world? Are you looking for a place that you can share your gifts as well as your concerns and your interests? Would you like to find a place that has a Spiritual Growth Center so we can grow together in spirit and health? Would you like to be able to laugh and cry together, sing together and share our lives? We would love to welcome you to our small but mighty faith home.
About Unitarian Universalism
We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, and people of many beliefs. We are brave, curious and compassionate thinkers and doers. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world.