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Friday Email - 14 FEB 2014

Congratulations to Bill and Annette Bingham
Parents' Night Out!
Forum, Sunday, February 16, 9:15am - VFH
Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth Ministry
Church Council
Social Justice Ministry
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
PFLAG
Chili Potluck
Youth-Led Love Party for Young CUCC Couples!
Sisters in Spirit (SIS): Night at the Theater!
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) Beach Retreat
Brown Headed Nuthatch Boxes
A different Lenten study:  Victory and Peace or Justice and Peace?
Aldo Leopold Study Group – A Lenten Program

Congratulation to Bill and Annette Bingham
Congratulations to Bill and Annette Bingham who received the Social Justice Award from Congregations for Social Justice at their annual dinner on February 3.  Thank you for your leadership and inspiration!

Parents' Night Out!
Saturday, February 15, 6:30pm - 9:30pm, the Youth will provide childcare, pizza, games, and crafts for CUCC children while parents enjoy a night out. Please RSVP and/or direct questions to Śānti Matthews.

Forum, Sunday, February 16, 9:15am - VFH
Two-part series organized by CUCC's Community Outreach Ministry (COM) featuring organizations supported by COM. Kylene Dibble, Community Engagement Coordinator with PLM Families Together, will talk about the issues surrounding family homelessness, how they impact the families and the children, what PLM FT does to help those families, and the best ways organizations like CUCC can help.  http://plmft.org/.  Organized by Gray Woodard.

Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth Ministry
WFG will meet after worship this Sunday at Noon in the Hoffmann Room.

Church Council
Church Council will meet Monday, February 17, 6:30pm, in the Bradow Room.

Social Justice Ministry
Social Justice Ministry will meet Thursday, February 20, 5:30pm, in the Pilgrim House.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study, 1st & 3rd Wednesdays
After eating a brown bag supper, the group studies the Bible (at times the lectionary passages, at other times a book in the Bible), then discusses the Bible passages and things that come up in relation to these. All are welcome to "just show up" and need not come to every session – no need to read anything in advance. People drop in and out as life dictates and the membership keeps changing.  6:30pm, February 12th, Pilgrim House.

PFLAG
PFLAG Support Meeting is Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 7:30pm, VFH.  All meetings are confidential. All are welcome. Allies are always welcome! PFLAG is the United States' largest organization for parents, families, friends, and straight allies united with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). The mission of PFLAG Triangle is: Support by working to foster loving relationships, by helping families and friends understand and affirm their gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender loved ones; education by working with educators, faith groups, businesses, media, and the larger community; and advocacy by calling for equal human and civil rights.  PFLAG strives to create a world where LGBT loved ones are judged on the content of their character, not by their sexual orientation or gender identity.  (ONA)

Chili Potluck
Welcoming, Fellowship and Growth Ministry (WFG) is sponsoring a chili potluck on Sunday, February 23rd, after the morning worship service.  You are invited to bring your favorite chili recipe, vegetarian or meat, and share with everyone your written recipe for your item.  Come join us for delicious chili, uplifting fellowship, games and fun activities featuring the varied, spicy, and sometimes controversial dish known as chili.  For some interesting reading on the history of chili, check out the following website:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_con_carne

Youth-Led Love Party for Young CUCC Couples!
Sunday, February 23, 6:00pm - 8:00pm, Vaughan Fellowship Hall.  All young couples (couples with elementary aged kids, young couples with no kids, young couples married and those not married) are invited to a party! We want a chance to celebrate Sam and Joanna's engagement, and to honor other young couples in our midst.  Please RSVP and/or direct questions to Śānti Matthews at forsanti@aol.com.
                                                               
Sisters in Spirit (SIS): Night at the Theater!
SIS will meet Saturday, February 22nd. Bring a potluck dish to Marty Lamb's at 6:30pm; we’ll carpool to Raleigh Little Theater at 7:30 for an 8:00pm production of Caroline, or Change.  This Tony-nominated musical centers on Caroline Thibodeaux, a divorced African-American maid and Noah Gellman, the eight-year-old son of the Jewish family for whom she works.  Set in 1963 Louisiana against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, Kennedy’s assassination, and the Vietnam War; blues, gospel, and traditional Jewish melodies blend together to create a breathtaking medium for Kushner’s provocative and personal story of political change, social change, and pocket change. (The N&O)

If you have Raleigh Little Theater season tickets, please call the theater and switch your night to Saturday, Feb. 22nd to seats near G10 and 11 or seats number C12 or 13 and join us. If you do not have tickets, you can reserve them by calling the Raleigh Little Theater box office at 919-821-3111.  Tickets are $22.00 each. We may wish to chat about the play afterwards at the Lamb’s house.  All women of the church are invited.

Sisters in Spirit (SIS) Beach Retreat
The "spring" SIS beach retreat is scheduled for Friday, March 7th – Sunday, March 9th, with the theme "March Meditation - Making Mindfulness."  For more information and to RSVP, contact Marty Lamb.

Brown Headed Nuthatch Boxes
Three Brown-headed Nuthatch boxes have been installed around the CUCC rounds.  Can you find them?  The boxes were donated by Joan McAllister, Vivian Hunter, and Lena Gallitano.  David Ledbetter and Tim Jensen graciously did the installation work.  The boxes are part of Audubon NC's Bird Friendly Community program and we will be monitoring them for nesting beginning in March.  The goal is to install 10,000 nest boxes statewide so homeowners are encouraged to add them to their gardens.  Baffles to prevent predators would ensure greater nesting success but we have not installed them on the CUCC nest boxes.  If you're interested in donating a baffle or purchasing a nest box, contact Lena Gallitano.

A different Lenten study:  Victory and Peace or Justice and Peace?
Joy Alford will be hosting a six week Lenten group at her home in Rolesville - 5 miles north of Raleigh's I-540. The group will meet on Wednesday evenings, beginning with Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 5th, and going through April 16th (not holding group on March 26).  The first session will be held at 5:00pm, March 5th, at the Church.  This will be done in hopes all members will attend the 7:00pm Ash Wednesday worship service. Thereafter, the group will be held north of Raleigh at Joy's home.  This DVD-based study featuring John Dominic Crossan, "explores the juxtaposition of Roman Imperial Theology and the Kingdom of God."  The short DVDs will spark theological discussion which will help us journey together in preparation for Easter.

Content for the study includes:
Justice & the World: What is the Character of Your God?
History & Jesus: What is the Content of Your Faith?
Worship & Violence: What is the Purpose of Your Prayer?
Resurrection & Community: What is the Function of Your Church?
Please contact Joy (919-605-4336) or (w.joy.alford43@gmail.com) for directions or if you are interested in attending.

Aldo Leopold Study Group – A Lenten Program
March 4 – April 15, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, VFH.
Join a group of people for a seven week series to explore your spiritual landscape and everyday life. The work of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, along with other resources, will be used as metaphors for reflection about your spiritual journey and its connections to your daily life. Participants will be invited to engage in reflection and thought sharing in small and large groups. People of all faith traditions are invited to participate in this series. Since the sessions are interrelated, we ask when registering, that you plan to attend all seven evenings.  To register and for additional information, contact Rev. Steve Halsted.  Sponsored by: CUCC and North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light.