CUCC Weekly eNews

Joy Alford and the Sunday Morning Bible Study are teaming up to offer the same dvd discussion series at two different times and locations this summer (June to August). This will be a condensed summer version of a spiritual formation group loosely based upon a practical dvd study used inter-denominationally. It is used to bring together, equip, and re-educate thinking Christians.  People know that at its core, Christianity has something good to offer the human race.  At the same time, many have a sense that they are alone or the minority in being "thinking" Christians and often think that "salvaging" Christianity is a hopeless task. What is needed is a safe environment where people have permission to ask the questions they've always wanted to ask but have been afraid to voice for fear of being thought a heretic. This small discussion group will explore beyond the traditions and rote theologies in which so many people and local churches seem to be stuck.  Ideal ...

Marge Eckels Food Bags Church Workday Robert Out of Town Guest Preacher Sunday No Church School this Sunday ONA Task Force Meeting this Sunday CUCC Adult Forum Breaking News from Adult Forum – Moral Mondays Taizé Service Graduation Celebration Sunday Fun at the Lion’s Park Playground & Cookout Mission 4/1 Earth Marge Eckels Marge Eckels is home from a recent hospital stay and is under Hospice care.  Her two daughters are taking care of her right now.  They ask that you please limit your calls and visits as they try to get everything arranged right now.  If you have any questions, please contact the church office at 919-787-6422 or Bill Lamb at 919-834-4280. Food Bags Food Bags are due Sunday, June 2.  Thank you for your continued support of this vital mission.  Marge Eckels served as our delivery person for many years.  Let’s see if we can make our goal of 30 bags this Sunday in honor of all she has done for this program.  Please include the follo...

We welcome CUCC friend Steve Hickle to the pulpit this Sunday while Steve Halsted continues his pastoral sabbatical. Rev. Hickle is currently the  Faith Outreach Director of Stop Hunger Now where he has been serving for a year.  Before that he was the senior pastor at our neighbor congregation, Fairmont United Methodist Church.

Sunday June 2, 9:15 in the Vaughan Wing.                   By one count there were eleven CUCC members who participated in “Moral Monday” this past week, supporting those who were engaging in civil disobedience and facing arrest by entering the Legislative building to protest the injustices of current legislative activity. Standing across the street in support is something that families, including young people, may consider. On future Mondays, some adults in the congregation may choose to take the next step and risk arrest, but wonder if it is the right thing for them to do. The next Moral Monday will be June 3 (the Legislature will not be in session on Memorial Day).   If you are considering taking part and want to know more what it is all about, please come to a meeting in the Vaughan Wing before church on June 2 (starting at 9:15, the regular Forum time) to exchange ideas and information and plan w...

Durham Bulls Baseball Dr. Hans Christian Linnartz to Preach this Sunday Forum SIS (Sisters in Spirit) Economic Justice Task Force Tea Party & Doll Show CHURCH WORKDAY Moral Mondays ONA Task Force Church School This Sunday and Through the Summer Graduates in the House? Summer Choir - Less Rehearsal, Lots of Joy PLM Families - Keeping Homeless Families Together Hand bulbs/batteries to the Smiths Pastor Steve’s Sabbatical Solar Panels for CUCC? Durham Bulls Baseball Who’s going to the Durham Bulls game on Friday, June 14? Are you? Sign up by calling the church office (919-787-6422) by the end of the day (Friday) and leaving a message.  Put your check in the offering plate with “Durham Bulls” in the memo line or send it to the church office.  Don’t miss out on the fun.  Carpooling is available.  Come join us as we watch the Bulls “play ball!” Dr. Hans Christian Linnartz to Preach this Sunday We welcome Dr. Hans Christian Linnartz to the pulpit this Sunday, May 26, at...

We welcome Dr. Linnartz to the pulpit this Sunday, May 26, at 10:30 worship.  Dr. Linnartz is one of our guest preachers while Pastor Steve Halsted is on sabbatical this summer. From his Duke University bio : Hans Christian Linnartz teaches Immigration Law. He also directs the Summer Institute on Law, Language and Culture. He is a certified specialist in Immigration Law, practicing as a consultant with emphasis on immigration consequences of criminal cases. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A.), Duke Law School (J.D.), and Columbia Biblical Seminary (M.Div.). He was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1980 and is a member of various federal court bars. In addition to his law career, he has, at times, been a reporter for the Associated Press, a pastor, a professor of Old Testament in Indonesia, and a singer with Triangle Opera, the Durham Savoyards, the Choral Society of Durham and North Carolina Master Chorale. He brews his own beer and can also ride a unicycle,...

An informal group of CUCCers plans to participate in today's Moral Monday witness at the NC General Assembly. To learn about (or train for) nonviolent civil disobedience Meet in the Dixie Trail parking lot to carpool  2:15 To be a legal witness on the Bicentennial Mall Meet in the Dixie Trail parking lot to carpool 4:55 (leaving 5:00 sharp) For more information about Moral Mondays  .   Dress for rain and lots of standing. - posted by Jane Smith for the informal group

If you aren't able to attend weeknight choir practices, the summer is the perfect time to sing with the choir at CUCC.  The choir sings first and third Sundays, gathering to practice at 9:30am immediately after Taize' in the sanctuary.  No weeknight rehearsals, no choir robes!  You can sing as many weeks as you like.  Youth are welcome; friends are welcome. If  you have any questions, talk to Anne Moorman-Smith or any member of the choir.

The next   Resources and Rituals for Teaching Faith at Home family potluck will be at Fawn, Grady, Ruth Ann and Bronwen’s house* on Sunday, June 23, 4:30-6:30pm.  We’ll cookout in the Pattison/McCallie backyard, then head to Lion’s Park to enjoy the playground.   Fawn and Grady are providing chicken veggie burgers for the grill (you can bring a different protein if you prefer).   Bring a side dish to share.  Families with children 5th grade and younger are welcome to come; please RSVP to Fawn or Grady so they know how much protein to prepare .   *If it rains, we'll hold the event at CUCC.     A Gathering of Friends event   - submitted for the RRTFH group

How diverse were the 'monsters' to creativity we developed at SIS meeting in April! A bird with its mouth taped shut; a drawing featuring '666' on a heart; and a colorful three dimensional drawing with actual hills on it to represent the ups and downs of life were among the varied offerings. Women of the church are invited to SIS to participate in a discussion of our favorite books we’ve read, led by Kathy Widenhouse on Tuesday, May 28th , at our new time: 6:30pm for potluck and sharing in the Hoffmann Room. You just may find some inspiration for good summer reading. A Gathering of Friends event  - submitted by SIS (Sisters in Spirit)

The NC NAACP has been coordinating weekly Monday protests at the NC General Assembly.  Some CUCC members are planning to join this Monday's event as a legal witness, while others are discerning whether to risk arrest.  If you would be interested in going as part of a CUCC group (carpooling, standing together outside, assisting those risking arrest, being arrested), stay after this Sunday's congregational meeting for a short logistics discussion.   Read about Moral Mondays ,   The NC NAACP will be updating the information for May 20 this weekend. - submitted by Jane Smith for an informal CUCC group considering participating

The Community Outreach Ministry invites you to help pack and deliver bags of produce for seniors at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle on Saturday, June 1, at 10:30.  The outing takes about two hours.  The group from CUCC which did this last summer found it to be a fun and rewarding experience.  You can learn more at http://www.foodshuttle.org/ .  To sign up or get more information contact Suzette Roach. - posted for Community Outreach Ministry

  The Saturday Book Group will be reading Niebuhr and His Age , by Charles C. Brown. This non-fiction group now is open to women and men. It meets every Saturday at 9:30am in the Library. Each book is chosen by consensus and is read by all members over a period of 6-12 consecutive weeks for each book, one or two chapters a week. There is no leader. All members participate in the discussion. This arrangement has worked well since 2002. For any questions contact Ed Klemmer.

The May gathering of  Rituals and Resources for Teaching Faith at Home will be for parents only as we compare notes on "Raising Our Children in a 'Disney' World."  Bring a dessert or appetizer to share at this tea-time gathering of parents of children 5th grade and younger.  Call Amy and Chase Beisel, our hosts, to let them know you plan to attend.  This is an open group, so come meet other parents and join the conversation.  Sunday, May 19, 4:30-6:30pm at the Beisels' home. A Gathering of Friends event - submitted by Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth

We will have a Spring Congregational Meeting to consider adding a phrase in the by-laws to bring them in line with the present technological age indicating the Communication and Public Relations Committee shall:   " (4) Supervise the operation and maintenance of the church online communication. "   Please plan to attend this meeting.   The by-laws currently read:   "Section 4. The Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth Ministry shall have this Committee:   (A) Communication and Public Relations.   Members shall: (1) Promote communication of information concerning all church programs and activities to the members of the church and to the community. (2) Supervise the regular publication of the church newsletter. (3) Arrange for appropriate publicity about church activities in the public news media. The responsibilities for the other activities of this Ministry will be handled by the Ministry as a whole."   - submitted by Marty...

The Saturday Book Group will be reading Niebuhr and His Age , by Charles C. Brown. This non-fiction group now is open to women and men. It meets every Saturday at 9:30am in the Library. Each book is chosen by consensus and is read by all members over a period of 6-12 consecutive weeks for each book, one or two chapters a week. There is no leader. All members participate in the discussion. This arrangement has worked well since 2002. - submitted by Ed Klemmer

Monday, May 13 at 10:30am - Vaughan Fellowship Hall.   Aurora Gregory will present a program about Daguerreotypes. The Daguerreotype was the first photographic process, invented in 1837 in France, by Louis-Jaques-Mande Daguerre. Aurora will show her collection of Daguerreotypes and talk about this process that preceded photography. Bring a box lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided. A Gathering of Friends event   - Submitted by I. T. Littleton

Sunday, May 5: Sacred Food Scapes - Led by Carl Sigel , Chair, Steering Committee, Interfaith Power & Light. Continuation of Forum Series on Justice in a Changing Climate: Climate Change – Some Things We Can Do.   Sunday, May 12:   Rosenwald Schools - These schools were an effort in the 1920s and ‘30s to replace schools for black children which were dilapidated, run-down, supplied with inadequate worn out desks and hand-me-down books from the white schools. Between 1920 and 1936, over 817 new schools were built in North Carolina thanks to a fund established by Julius Rosenwald , President of Sears and Roebuck . There was a Rosenwald school within three miles of CUCC. Gary Moore , professor of Agricultural Extension Education at NCSU, will describe the requirements and stipulations for receiving funding to build the schools, discuss the unique school design, and look at the curriculum that was taught in these schools. What might we learn from this history with releva...