CUCC Weekly eNews

At Welcoming Sunday last year the Welcome, Fellowship, and Growth Ministry invited members and friends of the church to say a few words "on camera" about what they like about the church or what draws them to CUCC. During the fall of 2013 these clips were rotated on the church website as a way of presenting a human face to our Internet presence. (We are a church of people, not of buildings.) This year we invite you again to take part in this videographic event which paints a picture of who we are. As incentive, we invite you to take a look at the archived clips from last year. Altogether, it makes quite a collage! Enjoy a quick look at who we were last year! People clips from 2013 ... This year the camera will be set up in the Bradow Room during the entire Welcoming Sunday festivities following 10:30 worship. Since these festivities (before and after lunch) will last for an hour or more, taking a minute or two to "have your say" on camera won't detract from your

Please pray regularly for those who are searching for an interim pastor to serve at CUCC after Steve Halsted's retirement (end of December 2014). Jeanne Ledbetter Susan Maleszweski Suzette Roach Mike Schafale Gary Smith At their commissioning on Sunday, August 24, we agreed to "trust their leadership in this matter, and [to] give them full support in all the ways that [we] are able."

On August 23, 2014, Śānti Matthews and church youth organized a dog walk which included a blessing of the animals. This event took place at Lake Johnson in Raleigh, and the dog walk explored the western half of the Lake Johnson loop, a scenic part of the trail about 2 miles in length. The blessing of the animals was held about half way through that 2-mile loop.

Some photos provided by Śānti Matthews from the dog walk and blessing of the animals on August 23, 2014. The location was Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh.   Click any photo to view large versions of all photos  

Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together Upcoming August Youth Events Gardening Therapy at CUCC Earth Sabbath Celebration – Tuesday, August 26th, 7:00pm Pray at the Legislature “Welcoming Tonto” – Tuesday, August 26, 7:00pm No Sunday School or Youth Church School on Sunday, August 31 Save the Date!  Welcoming Sunday is Sunday, September 7 Volunteers Needed for Wake Federation of the Blind Calendar and Bubble Wrap Thanks Invitation to Caregiver Academy – Fall 2014 Part-time Facilitator Position – Loaves and Fishes Ministry, Inc. Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together During the month of August, the Community Outreach Ministry will be collecting school supplies for children supported through PLM Families Together.  Starting August 3, backpacks will be placed in the Narthex and the Vaughan Fellowship Hall.  Please use the school supply list below to help fill the backpacks!  Donations will be taken to PLM Families on August 24, 2014.  Item

Free Durham Bulls Baseball Tickets! Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together Search Committee for Interim Pastor Upcoming August Youth Events Pray at the Legislature Wednesday Evening Bible Study PFLAG Save the Date!  Welcoming Sunday is Sunday, September 7 “Welcoming Tonto” – Tuesday, August 26, 7:00pm No Sunday School or Youth Church School on Sunday, August 31 Volunteers Needed for Wake Federation of the Blind NEWSLETTER DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 Free Durham Bulls Baseball Tickets! Keith Stolarick has 10 tickets for the Durham Bulls Baseball game on Tuesday, August 19, 2014.  If you would like one or more of these tickets, please contact Bev or Keith at bstolarick@att.net or 919-859-3851. Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together During the month of August, the Community Outreach Ministry will be collecting school supplies for children supported through PLM Families Together.  Starting August 3, backpacks will be placed in the Na

Bev Stolarick is trying to help someone locate a 1 bedroom apartment.  They have a Section 8 voucher but have been unable to locate an apartment willing to accept a Section 8 voucher.  She is wondering if there was possibly someone in our church that had rental property--has to be a 1 bedroom.  Contact Bev with leads.

Saturday, August 23: Love Our Animals! (Please come whether you have a dog or not!) Bring your dog/s, if you have one and want to, (or bring a photo of a pet or animal you especially like), to the entrance of Lake Johnson (4601 Avent Ferry Road, Raleigh 27606). We'll meet at 10:30am and all go for a nice long walk around the unpaved side of the lake and play with and appreciate our four legged friends. RSVP to Śānti Matthews by Friday, August 22.    Also, please consider bringing donations for Saving Grace (a local animal shelter).   Saving Grace is always in need of the following: Monetary donations - medical expenses are by far their greatest expense Gas cards (they drive many miles each week to rescue dogs and take dogs to vets) High quality dog food (the shelter dogs consume 1,500 lbs of dog food a month) Large, heavy duty trash bags Stamps Copy paper (letter size) Paper towels Dog crates (both plastic and wire) High Efficiency ("HE") type liquid laundry detergent Us

We hope you can join us for a little gardening therapy!   Bring your favorite gardening gloves and tools.   Our therapy includes weeding, as well as picking up pine cones and sticks.   The best part is we make the church grounds lovely while sharing time with our CUCC friends.  Please join us on the 2 nd & 4 th Tuesday of each summer month.   Our next therapy sessions are August 12 th and August 26 th from 9:00am – Noon.

Godspell, Jr – Tonight and Saturday, 7:00pm – FREE! Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together We Welcome Monica Jones to Our Worship Service This Sunday Search Committee for Interim Pastor Gardening Therapy at CUCC Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh – August 12th Upcoming August Youth Events Save the Date!  Welcoming Sunday is Sunday, September 7 Godspell, Jr – Tonight and Saturday, 7:00pm – FREE! Erin Moorman Wenger and North Raleigh School of Music are putting on Stephen Schwartz’s beloved musical Godspell, Jr. in the CUCC sanctuary on August 8th and 9th at 7:00pm.  It is free and open to everyone.  There will be singing, dancing, and a lot of clowning around.  Come and support the arts! Help Community Outreach Fill the Packs for PLM Families Together During the month of August, the Community Outreach Ministry will be collecting school supplies for children supported through PLM Families Together.  Starting August 3, backpacks will be placed in the Narthex an

Our friends at Pullen asked me to extend this invitation to everyone at CUCC. Bringing Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit Together Please join us for a service of contemplative prayer at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1800 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, on Monday, September 29 at 7:00 pm. The service will include music in the spirit of Taize, prayers, reflections, movement meditations and silence.  All are welcome. Contemplation: “A simple definition of contemplation is "loving presence to what is." In a Christian context, because we "live and move and have our being" in God, being present to things as they are involves encountering the Christ who "fills the whole creation" (Eph. 1:23). Christian contemplation means finding God in all things and all things in God. Because people use "contemplation" to describe especially profound qualities of prayer, we often associate it with silence and stillness. Classically, however, it means immediate open presence i

On August 2, the Raleigh News & Observer featured an op-ed piece by Pastor Steve Halsted on clean energy. We are making important progress in the transition from dirty energy to clean, renewable energy sources. And our faith traditions can help provide the leadership necessary to stay the course and remain true to our moral obligation to care for and protect our children and future generations. Faith doesn’t stop at the church door. It’s infused into the fabric of our lives, and there’s no reason that should not also carry over into the choices we make about our energy sources.