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Friday Email - 1 NOV 2013

Spring Forward – Fall Back
Adult Forum
Congregational Meeting, Sunday, Nov. 10
Taizé Worship, Tuesday, November 5, 7:00pm
Public Forum: The High Cost of Low Wages
Ever heard a harp guitar?
SNAPcut Challenge
Menu of Compassionate Gifts
NC Interfaith Power & Light Workshop on Climate Reality, Nov. 3
Beer & Hymns – Local Event, Nov. 3
Read Now, Discuss Later:  Talking with People on the “Other Side”
Costume Poetry Slam with Cafe Style Coffee and Dessert
Thanksgiving with CUCC Friends
Method Child Development Center  
Better World Shopping Guides
Volunteer Needed to Serve Wine at Christmas Party
Occupy Raleigh

Spring Forward – Fall Back
Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, November 3.  Don’t forget to set back your clocks 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday evening.

Adult Forum - Sunday, November 3, 9:15am, VFH
The November Forum topic is "Issues in the Natural and Cultural Environment."
November 3 - Hope Taylor, executive director, Clean Water for North Carolina.  Ms. Taylor will address hydrofracking in North Carolina.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The regular fall CUCC congregational meeting will be held after church in the Vaughan Wing on Sunday, November 10th. Presented at the meeting will be a draft budget for the coming year, a draft slate of officers, and a Council update including status of exploration of possible property expansion.

Taizé Worship, Tuesday, November 5, 7:00pm
As your week kicks into high gear, still your mind and wait in the presence of God.  The silence is punctuated by reading of scripture and chanting meditative songs.  No sermon, no offering, no announcements.  Friends are welcome. Tuesday, November 5, 7:00pm, Vaughan Fellowship Hall.  TaizĂ© Worship is also offered Sunday mornings, 9:00am, in the sanctuary.

Public Forum: The High Cost of Low Wages
In order to survive, 1 out of 2 fast food workers' families are forced to use public assistance that costs taxpayers nearly $7 billion nationally.  On Wednesday, November 6, there will be a Public Forum at the NC Justice Center (224 S. Dawson Street, Raleigh) at 6:30pm on fast food workers' efforts to move from poverty wages to livable wages.

Ever heard a harp guitar?
You’ll have the rare opportunity to do so during our 10:30am Worship on Nov. 10th.  Andrew Kasab, one of the few masters of the harp guitar, will be playing a musical meditation and sharing some information about this instrument.  Andrew combines unconventional approaches to the harp guitar, including alternate tunings and percussive picking and fingering techniques, as well as an eclectic mix of American Primitive guitar, contemporary acoustic, folk, classical, blues and world music. Come enjoy this unique musical experience.

SNAPcut Challenge – (submitted by Bill Lamb)
I follow Linda Watson, a speaker and author I was introduced to through the CUCC Forum. Linda is a cook who specializes in low-cost, vegetarian meals. She recently sent a message about a SNAPcut Challenge I think some of us at CUCC might want to take. SNAP benefits (the new acronym for Foodstamps) are being cut by congressional action on November 1st.  The challenge is to eat for one week on the current maximum SNAP benefit and the next week on the cut amount prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

For more information about the SNAPcut Challenge or Linda Watson, go to SNAPcut Challenge. (Submitted by Bill Lamb)

Menu of Compassionate Gifts
Is there someone you plan to give a gift to that doesn't really need yet another gift – a family member, neighbor, friend or coworker?  How about choosing from our Menu of Compassionate Gifts?  Six local charitable organizations have been selected and our menu tells you what your donation might do.  One example is: $25 provides 3 nights of shelter, meals and support services for a woman at the Helen Wright Center.  The menu will be available on November 3 and it will be online too.  You will get cards to give to the recipients of your gifts. So give it some thought; then give gifts that give twice.

North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light Workshop for Congregations on Climate Reality, Nov. 3, 2:00pm
Susannah Tuttle, Director of NC Interfaith Power & Light, will give a presentation from the Climate Reality Project and lead a discussion regarding how local faith communities in this area could bond together to help effect change.  The presentation will be held at United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC, on Sunday afternoon, November 3, beginning at 2:00pm. The presentation will provide an update about how Climate Change is already affecting real people around the globe, and lead into a dialogue about what effective actions we can take individually and as a group. The event is open to the public, and members of faith communities are in particular encouraged to come!    Here is the link to the event: http://www.ncipl.org/event/ucch-climate-reality/. For more information, contact Susannah Tuttle (Phone: 919-828-6501 or email: susannah@ncipl.org).

Beer and Hymns – (A personal item – not sponsored by any CUCC official group).  Sing along in this centuries-old tradition on Sunday, Nov. 3, 7pm at Tir na Nog (218 S Blount St, Raleigh).  Folks gather, buy the beverage of their choice, and sing old hymns.  Expect lots of gusto, full harmony, and all the verses!  I first experienced Beer and Hymns at the Wild Goose Festival and it quickly became one of my favorite events (and I don't even drink beer!).  The tradition reaches back to the dinner table of Martin and Katharina von Bora Luther when Martin's students would gather to sing and drink. Who knows?  Maybe "A Mighty Fortress" made its debut at Beer and Hymns at the Luthers'.  http://m.facebook.com/events/677910372220527?_ft
(The Raleigh organizer, Hollie Woodruff Duncan, was one of our guest preachers this summer.) – (Invitation extended by Jane Smith)

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:  Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs-Christians Debate .  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 November 10, 6:30-8pm, Bradow Room.  RSVP to Jane Smith or the Church Office (919-787-6422) or cucc@nc.rr.com as soon as possible.

Costume Poetry Slam with Cafe Style Coffee and Dessert
November 16, 7:00pm, in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall. (This is our NovemberFest celebration):  Select a favorite poem or literary piece or song lyrics to read (or better yet write something of your own!). It should be short, lasting 1-2 minutes. Then wear something that relates to or enhances the reading. Coffee and dessert will be served cafe style by our youth wait staff. We'll give mock prizes and have some fun with this new idea!

Thanksgiving with CUCC Friends
So where are you going to be on Thanksgiving Day?  Want to spend a little time with CUCC friends and enjoy a good meal?  We would like to start up an old CUCC tradition we haven't done in a while and have a Thanksgiving Day meal at church.  For those who can't spend time with family, why not come together at CUCC and enjoy the season with others in your church?  If you want to participate, please contact the church office at 919-787-6422 or cucc@nc.rr.com.  We'll figure out the logistics when we get an idea of who might be interested.  The Lambs will provide the turkey; pot luck for the rest.

Method Child Development Center  
Method Child Development Center was started by Community United Church of Christ of Raleigh and four other churches in Raleigh.  It was the city's first integrated daycare.  It is a nonprofit daycare that offers financial assistance to families based on need and is an organization that could use some community support.  The center hasn't been painted since it moved from Pullen Baptist church to its current location at 900 Trailwood Drive, off Avent Ferry Road, more than seven years ago. We're having a painting work day at 9:00am, Nov. 9, and are looking for volunteers willing to come out and paint for 3 hours or so. If you can help out, please email Andrea Weigl at aweigl@earthlink.net so the parents’ group can make sure it has enough painting supplies for all the volunteers.

Better World Shopping Guides
Last call for purchase of the "Better World Shopping Guides" during
the Fellowship Hour following Worship on Sunday, Nov. 3.  The guide ranks 2000 businesses in terms of human rights, environmental impacts, social justice, and animal and human treatment.  Made available by the Economic Justice Task Force for $10.50 (on consignment from 10,000 Villages).

Volunteer Needed to Serve Wine at the Christmas Party
Robert Parrish is looking for someone to volunteer to serve wine during the social hour at CUCC’s annual Christmas party.  The party will take place on Saturday, December 14th.  This person will replace Lavon Page who is letting go of this job.  If you are interested in this opportunity to “give us the spirit”, I mean, serve the wine, please call Robert at 919-616-1606.  You can also e-mail him at rcp7@bellsouth.net.

Occupy Raleigh
Although there hasn’t been much in the news lately about Occupy Raleigh, the movement is still alive and well here in the area.  The website is listed below.  They have a newsletter that you can view and subscribe to if you would like to receive updates about this movement.  Please check out the website and the newsletter… http://www.occupyraleigh.org/.  For a direct link to the newsletter, go to http://www.occupyraleigh.org/newslettersubscribe/ (submitted by McCray Harris)