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Weekly Email - 10 APRIL 2015

From the Interim Pastor
Parents’ Night Out (Childcare for CUCC Children) and Lock-In For Youth – April 10th
April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
Church-Wide Outdoor Event & Camping: April 25-26!
Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm
Save the date!  Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
A Decluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
ART, FUN, FOOD, PICNICS, HIKES, ETC.
Congregations for Social Justice – Faith & Practice Series

From the Interim Pastor
Dear Friends,

    I’m excited to share the good news with you that we have a Transition Team!  They are:
Shaleka Covington-Jones, Frank Gailor, Tim Jensen, Joan McAllister and Suzette Roach.
    Several months ago Geri Bowen and I asked the council members to suggest the names of those who were persons of wisdom, spiritual depth, and love for God’s people.  We also asked them to think in terms of the transition team being a microcosm of the congregation.  I think you will agree that these five individuals fit this well.
    Soon the team will gather for their first meeting and retreat to begin our time together.  I know you are interested in what the plan is for this intentional interim process.
Here is a bit from the letter I sent to them asking them to prayerfully consider serving on the Team:  “Let me share my vision for the Transition Team and what you might expect in commitments of time and energy.  Churches that take advantage of the interim period for intentional focus on issues of identity, mission, and renewal have found that the church is stronger and healthier as a result.  Our goal is to create a trusted and trusting leadership group to facilitate the interim process.  We hope to model for the congregation a team with diverse perspectives who value being with each other (sometimes even having fun!), can share with each other in a trusting and safe environment, and can work together to accomplish tasks that move the interim process forward in the congregation.
You can read more in the link below, but let me share a bit from the United Church of Christ about interim ministry.  “The value of the interim time will be enhanced if the governing board develops clear goals and objectives to be achieved during this transition period. The specific goals your leaders identify can then be incorporated into the traditional developmental work of the transition process. Intentional interim pastors will customarily utilize their specialized training to assist the congregation in addressing five transition challenges:

Developmental Tasks of the Interim Period:

Come to terms with our history…Isaiah 43 and Isaiah 44:21:
uncovering, interpreting and understanding where we have been
knowing and telling our story
discerning how God has been present in the life of our church
connecting interpretation with motivation
Discerning our purpose and identity…I Peter 2:9-10:
stating who we are as the people of God
coming to a sense of self sharing our confession and receiving God’s assurance
accepting how we are like and unlike other congregations
understanding our unique challenges and opportunities

Leadership change and development…Acts 6:
reviewing style and character of past leaders—lay and clergy
examining who has the “power” to make decisions and why
understanding shifts and transitions of leadership and power
identifying and supporting our gifts and strengths
developing new leadership agendas

Reaffirming denominational/community ties…I Cor 16 and Acts 15:
review relationships and responsibilities with and to the UCC
review relationships and responsibilities to local community
promote a greater sense of “connectedness” within the church

Committing to new leadership and new ministry…Romans 12:1-13:
challenge existing assumptions about ministry
express existing but unrealized expectations
struggle with limitations
develop a new vision for the future of our church.

http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unitedchurchofchrist/legacy_url/11305/section-2-transition-time.pdf?1418437263”

    We will share more about the process as we begin.  I think we can expect this process to take nine to twelve months.  When the team has discerned that we have completed these tasks, the pastoral search committee will be formed (separate from the Transition Team) and someone from the UCC Southern Conference will work with that group in seeking your next settled pastor.
    Please feel free to ask any and all questions you have about this process.  I anticipate it will be an adventure for us all.  For now, please join me in thanking these dedicated people and praying for us as we move into this phase of our time together.

Prayers for the journey, Pastor Peg      

Parents Night Out For CUCC Children Ages 3 and up!
Friday, April 10: 6-9PM! Youth are providing child-care and dinner for CUCC children as a fundraiser for summer youth church camp. We are hoping that every youth who wants to go to camp will be able to. Suggested donation is $20 per family.  Please email Santi ASAP at forsanti@aol.com to register. Youth will then stay beyond 9:00 for a LOCK-IN with games, a movie, and an overnight lock-in.                          

April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
The Social Justice Ministry will provide the worship service next Sunday, April 12, for the Cy and Carolyn King Award Day.  Join us as we are reminded how our spiritual focus and our social justice actions go hand in hand.  The recipients of the awards this year are Collins Kilburn and Leo and Judy Occhetti-Klohr. The King Award is named after Cy and Carolyn King who were long time members of the church and avid social activists.  Please plan to join us for this special service.

Church-Wide Outdoor Event And Camping: April 25-26!
Join in the fun! Our only agenda this year is to share good food, sing lots of campfire songs, take a beautiful nature walk, and simply rest and relax together!

We will again be at Camp Lapihio at Umstead Park
Event will run from Saturday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday, April 26 at noon!  

Arrive Saturday afternoon for a hike or some singing and games, or evening for dinner and a camp fire with more songs, and stay the night if you like cabin camping. We’ll also have Sunday breakfast and morning prayers, and you can still make it to church for worship if you’d like!  

If you are coming for the evening only, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
a copy of Rise Up Singing (if you have one)  

If you are spending the night, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
socks & comfortable shoes for walking/playing
clothes in layers (it may get cool at night)
a sleeping bag  
pillow
bug spray/sunscreen
a flashlight
toiletries and towel (there are showers this year)  
necessary medications
Can't wait to see everyone!

Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh – 2nd Tuesday of every Month Tuesday, 7:00pm, April 14, Tyler’s Tap Room, 18 Seaboard Ave, #150. This is a Dutch treat discussion group.  New people are welcomed enthusiastically - those who come set the topic for the night as we ponder how to connect what we believe to what we do.  Look for our red comma.

Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm - SIS will meet at Edith Sylla's home, 3113 Birnamwood Rd, Raleigh, NC.  We’ll discuss summer reads led by Kathy Widenhouse. Bring a food dish to share and favorite books you might recommend.

Save the date!  Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
After the excitement of successfully bidding for the great items offered at the Family Fun Auction on Saturday night (18th), wouldn’t a relaxing afternoon with friends on the greenway be a perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon?  Write, “Sunday, April 19, 2:00pm, Anderson Point Park small picnic shelter,” on your calendar.  The Solar Celebration kicks off Earth Week.  We'll start with cake and an announcement of our progress raising funds for the solar project.  Choose between walking/running the greenway, enjoying the playground, kicking a ball around the fields, or chatting at the picnic area.  Fun for all ages! - Submitted by the Justice in a Changing Climate Task Force
Link for Anderson Point Park: http://www.raleighnc.gov/parks/content/ParksRec/Articles/Parks/AndersonPoint.html

A Decluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
CUCC has been invited to join the UU Fellowship in sponsoring their ANNUAL BOOK SALE on Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3.  Please bring books that you would like to donate and drop them in the boxes in the hallway by the coat racks.  CUCC will receive the proceeds from any books we sell. Plan to come to the sale which begins Friday morning, May 1st. On Sunday, May 3, all remaining books will be half price. If you would like to help with the book sale or would like more information, contact Peg Hulslander at (919-833-72013) or (peg.hulslander@gmail.com).

ART, FUN, FOOD, PICNICS, HIKES, ETC.
Tuesday, April 14 is the deadline for submitting YOUR offering for our annual auction. A sampling of items already submitted is shown below. Please allow your church friends the opportunity to enjoy the items you offer this year whether they be creations, activities, food, etc. We will have a "Pick and Pay" table set up for very small inexpensive items or plants.  Also we will place some items on the "Silent Auction" table as we have before.
Simply click on REPLY to this email and fill in the simplified form below OR click on auctionform.from-nc.com and fill in the online form. Then, PLAN TO COME TO OUR AUCTION APRIL 18th.

THERE HAVE BEEN REQUESTS FOR SOMEONE TO ENTER:
small group picnic - maybe a movie at NC Museum of Art?, dusk nature walk on greenway, Christmas carols around a fire (not necessarily in December), day at Cedar Cross, casual dinner or brunch for a small group, group painting or collage session with wine & snacks (no talent required of participants)

                              **************************************
Simplified form to use when replying
Name:
Auction item being offered:
Minimum bid:
Quantity:
Date being offered:
Notes:

                              *************************************
Sampling of 2015 catalog:
1.   4 hours of organizing
2.   A dinner for adults on the theme "Wine, Wraps, and Riddles." This is a sequel to last year's dinner "Wine, Wraps, and Web Browsers". The riddles will focus on "what you don't know about CUCC and why you don't know it".
3.   Babysitting for 2-3 hours
4.   Beer and Hymns with Gary and Jane. We'll meet at Tir na Nog restaurant in downtown Raleigh for an evening of singing hymns and Christmas carols. Gary and Jane will provide a beverage of your choice and some bar snacks to share.
5.   Dinner for six served at CUCC or at your home
6.   Family back porch dinner, children welcome. Veggie and chicken wraps to suit a variety of food preferences. Hope to have a good family friendly mix of children and adults of all ages.
7.   Group plant/ecology walk at Swift Creek Bluffs, or possibly another location in the area.
8.   Hand forged iron hooks with leaf tops.
9.  Tickets to a Carolina basketball game next fall with parking pass
10. Four course Tuscan dinner and wine tasting.
11. UCC surprise package.

Congregations for Social Justice – Faith & Practice Series
Highland UMC Housing Raleigh: Faith & Practice Series - from Joe Burton & Marty Babcock.
Wednesdays 6:30-7:45pm, April 8 through May 13
Christ calls his followers to care for others, to help meet their most basic human needs, including shelter. Join us for an exploration of the housing needs in our own community, the policies that affect it and how we can help advocate for a more just system. A wonderful array of guest speakers will help guide our conversations about Christians living in community, local housing policies, and the different ways we can support community efforts to ensure a home for everyone. Submitted by Adrienne Little for SJM