CUCC Weekly eNews

I want to remind church members that there is a Congregational Meeting next Sunday, December 6 immediately after the main church service. Please plan to attend.

The Retirees will again this year be collecting and wrapping Christmas gifts for Meals on Wheels recipients. The deadline for contributions is Sunday, December 13.  D rop-off boxes to collect the items are in the narthex and outside the Bradow room. REQUESTED ITEMS: Fleece throws Household products (dish-washing liquids, window cleaners, paper towels, toilet paper etc.) Toiletries (hand lotion, shampoo, soap, tissues, and bathroom hand towels) Food items (hearty cans of soup, instant coffee, hot chocolate, popcorn, crackers, cookies, individual wrapped candy: both holiday and hard candy) Socks Puzzle books (large print) Umbrellas, radios Postage stamps Gift cards of small denomination (gas, Walmart, any of the fast foods)

"60 Minutes" will air a story on conflict minerals in the Congo TONIGHT, 7 PM. The Enough Project is encouraging people to watch the show and to invite friends.  John Prendergast of Enough traveled with the crew to eastern DRC when they filmed.

Be sure to check the excellent organizations at CUCC's Marketplace of Meaningful Gifts as you consider your Christmas gift list.  Community Outreach has vetted these organizations and been impressed at the excellent work they do on our behalf. I enjoy shopping at Marketplace, but occasionally don't find the match I need for someone.  If you find yourself in that predicament, consider  Global Ministries Alternative Gifts  .  You'll find ten ministries from around the world with a description of how your donation would be used (scroll down the page to find the ministries).  You'll find gift ideas from $2.00 to $3000.00.  These could be just the thing for family and friends who enjoy travel or have a connection to one of the countries.

Forum will NOT meet this Sunday, November 29. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Numbers to think about this Thanksgiving (from NC Policy Watch ): Fitzsimon File Monday numbers By Chris Fitzsimon 49,000,000—number of Americans who could not afford food some time during 2008 (USDA, Household Food Insecurity in the United States, 2008) 16,670,000—number of children who went hungry at some point in 2008 (Ibid) 49,056—Number of households in North Carolina who could not afford food in 2008 (Ibid) 12.2—percentage of U.S. households who could not afford food in 2008 (Ibid) 13.7—percentage of North Carolina households who could not afford food in 2008 (Ibid) 3.9—percentage that food insecurity in North Carolina grew from 1996-2008 (Ibid) 1—rank of North Carolina in fastest growing food insecurity from 1996-2008—tied with Maine and Missouri. (Ibid) 24—percentage increase in monthly food stamp participation in North Carolina from August 2009 to August 2009 (State Health Facts, Kaiser Family Fund) 33—percentage of people in North Carolina eligible for food stamps who do not...

By unanimous vote on December 17, 1989, the CUCC Congregational Meeting adopted a Resolution on Being an Open and Affirming Congregation .  Over the years, our life together has been blessed by that decision and by the gifts and friendships it engendered.  On Sunday, December 20, we'll celebrate!  Following 10:30 worship join us for cake and conversation.  With this celebration, we are renewing our commitment "to continue to look for ways to address the needs and advocate the concerns of lesbian, gay and bisexual people."  Let us "[j]oin together as a covenantal community, to celebrate and share our common communion and the reassurance that we are indeed created by God, reconciled by Christ and empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit."

Imagine twinkling lights, holiday greenery, animated conversation with an overlay of laughter.  Enjoying friendships new and long-held.  A break from shopping and Santa, traffic and cooking. Saturday, December 12, 6:00 PM Heavy hors d’oeuvres and entertainment RSVP to the office If you'd like, dress in your Christmas finery, whether a red vest, a wreath sweatshirt, or a taffeta gown.  Contribution for wine requested.  If you would like childcare, please call the office BY DEC. 5.

Program for Sunday, November 22: Tammy Martin, Chair of the Wake County Commission for Women .

You can support the NC Conservation Network and get some early holiday shopping done by bidding on some items on their Holiday Auction . Bidding ends Friday, the 20th.

Many thanks to all of you who have supported Jo and her family during the long illness of Jo's beloved sister Linda Tavernise who passed away at 4:30 AM yesterday morning with Jo by her side. Your thoughts, prayers, hugs, love, and e-mail have nourished Jo throughout this journey. In keeping with my habit of working through my own loss by making a video of the beloved, I've done so for Linda. While this is primarily for the family, please share with us in the celebration of Linda's life if you are so inclined. Quicktime version: http://web.me.com/lavon/videos/linda.mov Flash version: http://web.me.com/lavon/videos/linda/ (In the pictures of the three sisters, Jo is the youngest, Linda is the oldest, and Cindy is the tallest after they get to be 10-12 years old. There are also several pictures of Linda that include their only first cousin Marcella who is 4 years older than Linda and who is also now under hospice care and in her final days.)

(from today's Raise Hope for Congo email): Why is this a useful bill?  "Legislation in the US alone will not end the conflict in eastern Congo, but this bill would provide a crucial step toward the creation of a practical and enforceable means to ensure that the trade in Congolese minerals contributes to peace rather than war. This bill would also serve as a useful precedent for other countries to develop legislation for holding to account companies in their jurisdiction who may be fuelling the conflict in eastern Congo." "What will this bill do? This bill demands greater transparency and accountability from those companies whose products contain these mineral ores or their derivatives. The U.S. government would identify those commercial goods that could contain conflict minerals, approve a list of independent monitoring groups qualified to audit the worldwide processing facilities for these minerals, and eventually restrict the importation of minerals to those from ...

Rep. Jim McDermott today introduced a The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 .  This bill would help halt the use of conflict minerals from the DRC, starting a certification system and working to assist the victims of conflict mineral violence.  You can read information from his website. I wrote an email to Representative Brad Miller encouraging him to co-sponsor this bill.   I know Mr. Miller has a deep connection to human rights in the DRC and has shown leadership on human rights in the region, so I hope he will co-sponsor. Would any of you from Rep. Etheridge's or Rep. Price's districts be willing to write to them to encourage them to co-sponsor?  Follow the link to their contact pages. If any of you would be interested in exploring creative ways to encourage passage of this legislation, please let me know. Why support this legislation?  God's creation - the minerals of the Congo - is being abused and God's children are being wounded an...

Because of the death this morning of Jo Perry's sister Linda, movie night for Nov. 20 is cancelled. Lavon and Jo will be spending the next few days with family

We met Sandra Gourdet and her husband when she spoke at Forum on Palm Sunday about the work of Global Ministries in the DRC.  As Africa area executive, she is leading a trip with Susan Sanders, team leader of the UCC One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), Amy Gopp, director of Week of Compassion (WOC) and Eyamba Bokamba WOC board member. They will be visiting projects supported by OGHS and WOC in the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She arrived in Mbandaka on November 14.  You can read about her trip and how our OGHS donations are being spent. 

This winter join us as we try a new format for spiritual growth – an online Bible study using the lectionary readings for the week and “conversing” during the week through a blog. How will we do this online study? This online study is an experiment.  Taking a look at   CUCC Lectionary Study  might be the easiest way to understand what will happen. Here is how we will “meet.” 1) At a time convenient to you during each week, read Rev. Kate Huey's reflection on the United Church of Christ lectionary readings for that week. 2) Ponder prayerfully what you have read. 3) Engage in our conversation by writing an insight, asking a question, suggesting a reference.... Throughout the week, read the comments of others in the study and respond. When will we do this online study? I’m asking you to consider committing to participating for the six weeks from Epiphany (January 6) to Ash Wednesday (February 17). Then mark your calendar for a soup supper before Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17)...

Wade Avenue is being resurfaced at our church's intersection.  Be sure to allow yourself extra time to get to church activities.  Also, you won't be able to turn left across traffic into the Wade Avenue parking lot.

Our turkey dinner supports the ministries of this congregation, so your donation tonight is most welcome.  You can amplify that gift by also bringing a food item for the Urban Ministries Food Pantry.  Bring one of the following: canned beans (not green; yes - kidney, black, pork n beans, baked beans, etc) dried beans canned carrots canned fruit canned tomatoes cereal grits powdered milk peanut butter mac & cheese

As Carolyn and John requested, here are some simple steps to posting on either of CUCC's blogs.  If any of you try them, let me know if they work or if I need to make changes to make them clearer. Thanks for participating in today's "Social Networking & CUCC 101" workshop.  Your questions pushed me to clarify my thinking on how we'll participate in social networks in our ministries.  Looking forward to running into you at Whole Foods or Facebook!

You are invited to join others from CUCC who are carpooling to Durham to hear the excellent Common Woman Chorus .  If you were among those fortunate to hear the Chorus sing at our worship this summer, you know the concert will be amazing.  Our own Joan and Gretchen are singing (Gretchen has a solo in Arabic!). November 21, 8 pm, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Durham, General Admission:  $10.00 Donations will be collected to benefit the  Animal Protection Society and Durham Food Bank. If you would like to carpool, call Carolyn King.  If you are willing to drive (there are a few folks going who don't drive at night), Carolyn will help you connect. 

If you are staying for the Sunday, November 8, after worship "Social Networking & CUCC 101" workshop, remember to bring your lunch!

The next film in our foreign film series, scheduled for November 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall is Zelary , a 2003 film from the Czech Republic. Here's the storyline as provided by Netflix: This gorgeously shot World War II drama tells the story of a clash between two different worlds and two different people. Eliska, a nurse in a city hospital, donates her blood to save the life of injured mountain-dweller Joza, and the two form a strong bond. When the resistance group Eliska belongs to is discovered by the Gestapo, she's forced to seek refuge with Joza, leaving her urban life behind and starting anew in the remote mountains. This film is "R" rated and is (like our first film, The Lives of Others ) a bit gut-wrenching. But this film, like the first, is also a very uplifting film that illustrates how unexpected blessings can arise from apparent tragedy. Last year after John and Joan Little watched this movie at our house, John commented to Joan a few days lat...