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Friday Email - 4 OCT 2013

World Communion Sunday
Adult Forum
ONA Task Force Meeting this Sunday
Food Bags for Urban Ministries due this Sunday
An Evening of Blue Grass
Date Change for “Life & Faith”
Neighbors in Need (NIN)
Walk for Hope
Retiree’s Fellowship
Church-Wide Campfire and Sing-along
Church Council Ministry Fair
Crop Walk
Read Now, Discuss Later:  Talking with People on the “Other Side”
Keeping Homeless Families Together
Mystery Flag
RSVP for Spirit, Mind and Body group to begin in October

World Communion Sunday
As we prepare to celebrate “World Communion Sunday” this Sunday, October 6, we invite you to bring something to church that morning that connects you to people in faraway places, perhaps some little trinket or piece of artistic work from your travels to other parts of the world. Pastor Steve plans to bring either a small wooden cross of St. Francis from Italy or a piece of pottery from New Mexico. See what you have that would connect us to others around the globe on World Communion Sunday and we will share our objects at the beginning of worship on this special day.

Adult Forum
Sunday, October 6, Vaughan Fellowship Hall, 9:15am – 10:15am.  What is Obamacare and what's going on right now? Nicole Dozier and Adam Linker from the NC Justice Center will lead a discussion about the major elements and reforms included in the Affordable Care Act. Nicole is the Assistant Project Director for the Health Access Coalition. She currently travels the state engaging communities in NC about the Affordable Care Act and uses individuals' stories to push for policy changes. Adam is a policy analyst with the Health Access Coalition responsible for analyzing state and federal health care legislation and regulations and represents consumers on several state task forces studying how to implement health reform in North Carolina.

ONA Task Force Meeting this Sunday
The ONA Task Force will meet Today at Noon in the Hoffmann Room.  All are invited to attend.

Food Bags for Urban Ministries due this Sunday                              
The Food Pantry at Urban Ministries will provide one week’s worth of groceries for more than 8,000 families in need, including 9,000 children. Our contributions may seem small, but they are vital and greatly appreciated.  Please double-bag your items, and if you sort your bag into two bags, please tie them together or label them so that we know they go together, and drop them off in the VFH.  A food bag costs about $20 to fill.  If that’s a little steep for your budget, get together with a buddy and split the cost.  Our goal is 30 bags – we can do it!  Thank you for your faithfulness.  Food bags are collected the first Sunday of every month.  The items to include in a food bag are:

  • 1 lb. grits                               
  • 1 lb. rice                         
  • 1 lb. dried beans
  • 1 can carrots
  • 2 cans tomatoes                 
  • 2 cans applesauce   
  • 2 cans navy, pinto or pork ‘n beans
  • 1 jar peanut butter              
  • 2 macaroni & cheese        
  • 2 1-qt pkgs dry milk  

An Evening of Blue Grass
The Wake Federation of the Blind invites you to enjoy an evening of Blue Grass Music with musical artists India Cain and Allen Keith.  The event will be held on Saturday, October 12 at 7:00pm at Community United Church of Christ.  Tickets are $10.00 each and will aid blind and visually impaired people to become more independent citizens in society.  For more information contact Robert Parrish at 919-616-1606.  Come and help us change what it means to be blind.

Date Change for “Life & Faith”
Are you always busy on second Tuesdays and wish you could be part of the monthly gatherings for discussion of how life and faith are intersecting in our lives? October 15 (a 3rd Tuesday) is your opportunity to check out the Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh discussions.  We’re avoiding Election Day.  Mark your calendar now.

Neighbors in Need (NIN)
Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a mission of the UCC that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the U.S.  One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM).  Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.  If you wish to donate to this important ministry, please place your donation in the envelope provided in today’s bulletin and drop it in the offering plate.  Thank you for supporting Neighbors in Need.

Walk for Hope
Sunday, October 13, 2012 - Join the CUCC Youth Group, families, and friends as we participate in the Walk for Hope, a group “promoting research to discover the causes and potential cures for mental illness, raising community awareness, and supporting effective treatment programs.” The youth will be manning a collection table in the narthex today after Worship. If you would like to participate, or have any questions, please contact Śānti Matthews at forsanti@aol.com.

Retirees’ Fellowship
Lena Gallitano, former President of the Raleigh Audubon Society who recently received the national Audubon Society's William Dutcher Award, will speak and show slides of her recent bird-watching trip to Honduras at the October meeting of the Retirees Fellowship.  The Fellowship will meet at 10:30am in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall on Monday, October 14th.  Everyone is invited to attend.  Bring a box lunch.  Dessert and drinks will be provided.

Church-Wide Campfire and Sing-along
Come join the fall fun and be a part of a Church-Wide Campfire, Sing-along and Smores night!  Saturday, October 19, 7:00pm -9:00pm…On the church grounds!  Bring a camp chair and a copy of Rise Up Singing (if you have one, and don't worry if you don't).  We all had so much fun singing at our church-wide camping trip last spring; we didn't want to have to wait until next spring to gather around a fire again.  If you have questions, contact Śānti Matthews, Mike Schafale, or anyone in the CUCC Youth Group.

Church Council Ministry Fair 
Do you find yourself wondering about what’s going on at CUCC?  Would you like to be better connected and more involved?  Even if you have been with Community UCC for a while, would like to know more about some of the ministries and task forces that serve our church? The answers to your questions are at hand.  The Church Council, in conjunction with the Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth Ministry, is sponsoring a Ministry Fair.  At this event you will have the opportunity to talk with some of the leaders and members of our various Church organizations and gain insights about their activities.  The fair will also provide you with an opportunity to connect with your gifts and strengths.  The Ministry Fair will take place on Sunday, October 20th from 11:45am until 1:00pm in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall.  Come and have a refreshing drink and a snack as you explore how the Creator might use you in the life of Community United Church of Christ.

Crop Walk
CUCC will participate in this year's CROP WALK...and we want YOU!  This year's CROP Walk will be held Sunday, October 27, 3:00pm, in downtown Raleigh.  This is a fun, family-friendly event that raises money for food organizations in our community.  We would love to have a big CUCC presence this year!  If you would like to join the team (and we hope that you will!) and/or sponsor a walker from our church, please email Laurel Powell (laurel.powell@gmail.com).  We hope to see you there!

Read Now, Discuss Later: Talking with People on the “Other Side”
Do you ever find yourself talking with someone whose viewpoint is different from and hostile to yours?  I do.  I want to be clear about what I believe about the issue while also being loving and building the relationship.  Justice and love.  Love and justice.  I’m just not very good at this.  If this sounds like your struggle, too, let’s discuss Justin Lee’s book Torn.  What do his suggestions - geared to the Christian disagreement on welcoming LGBT people - say to us on all kinds of issues of faith in the public square?  Read the whole book before we meet in early November.  RSVP to Jane Smith or the Church Office (919-787-6422) or cucc@nc.rr.com  as soon as possible so we know if we have enough people to make a good conversation.  If you need child care, let us know.

Keeping Homeless Families Together
Please continue to help families be able to live together as they transition from homelessness to temporary housing to permanent housing by contributing household items.  Take a post-it or two from the bright poster in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall, purchase the item(s) written on the post-it(s) and then return the item(s) to the basket under the poster.

Mystery flag
A 48-star American flag was discovered during a recent cleaning of the Bryan Building.  It is ripped and stained and needs to be retired and destroyed in accordance with flag protocol.  However, one part of the retirement ceremony involves reflecting on the history of the particular flag and where it was flown.  So far, efforts to find out where the flag came from and how it was used have been fruitless!  If you know where the flag came from, or where it was used, please contact Joan McAllister or the Church Office so it will not have an undignified burial.  Thank you.

RSVP for Spirit, Mind and Body group to begin in October
I really appreciated what Gary Smith shared recently at worship in regards to Matthew 22:36-39:  "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.   And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"  We have the wonderful vision of a holistic ministry here at CUCC but sometimes we forget to minister to our whole selves so that we may truly grow to love ourselves. The holiday season, in particular, can be quite challenging to me in regards to physical health and I don't think I am alone in this.  For that reason, I will be facilitating a covenantal small group to support each other in uniting our spirit, mind and body by eating right, living well and loving God. This will be loosely based on the book Your Whole Life: The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God by Carol Showalter. The group will commit to reading themed devotionals with a 3D plan (diet, discipline and discipleship) and will discuss these together each week. Copies of devotionals will be provided for those who do not wish to buy the book. This will be a six week challenge and will meet weekly on Wednesdays or Sundays at 6:00pm from Oct 16th through Nov 20th.  We will be empowered for self-control at Thanksgiving!  If you are interested in this small group, please call the church office with your interest and preferred date/time.  The church is the tentative meeting location.  I look forward to continuing the journey toward health and wholeness with you.   Submitted by Joy Alford