Social Connections
Unitarian Universalist Women's Group in Santa Barbara
Women's Circle
The Women's Circle Mission Statement: As members and friends of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Santa Barbara and Goleta, we dedicate ourselves to exploring concerns that pertain to us as women. We aim to create a welcoming and supportive space for all who feel a connection with women’s issues. We foster meaningful conversations, learning, and connection within our community.
While our aim is to meet monthly, the frequency of our gatherings depends on the will of the group and volunteers to initiate, plan, and calendar events. We enjoyed a Women's Retreat (May 2025) in Camp Ocean Pines, Cambria. We held our inaugural Women's Circle luncheon at Live Oak on October 25, 2025.
We take our inspiration from a variety of resources, including Live Oak members past and present. The Unitarian Universalist Association provides inspiration too: https://www.uua.org/spiritual-theme/women. The Unitarian Universalist Women and Religion organization also provides resources. Many of our Women's Circle group also belong to our Earth-Centered. Ministry. For more information, go to Live Oak Social Connections.
CONTACT: womens.circle@liveoakgoleta.org
Book Group
The Live Oak Book Group has been meeting once a month in the evening for over 25 years usually with 8-12 people. Books are usually chosen for the next month by one person who leads that discussion, which is free-flowing after each is given a chance to give their general feeling or statement about the book. Books are fiction or non-fiction, hopefully readily and inexpensively available (library, paperback, borrowed and shared).
While the group is not closed, the small size facilitates good inclusive discussion. If we get too many, a new group could always be started with a different time frame, specific topic, or style. We would be glad to help.
Hookers & Needlers
We meet weekly on Friday mornings from 10-12. We do all sorts of needlework and fabric crafts while we chat and solve the worlds problems (as well as our own). We welcome newcomers and are happy to share our skills and patterns with everyone.
Men's Connection
Each man can speak from a deep place without concern that they will be interrupted, criticized, or judged. Thus, each man can be more truthful, vulnerable, and less self-conscious. The listener listens with an open heart. There are no rebuttals or position themselves to appear witty or critical. The dialogue is not an interactive process but an intra-active one; where the work is to hear and share one’s feelings and connections with others’ experiences and comments. All men are welcome who are interested to connect with other men, explore personal issues and offer mutual support.
CONTACT: mens.connection@liveoakgoleta.org