CUCC Weekly eNews

This past week was a crazy and joyful week here at CUCC. We baptized Cyrus William Nicholl, son of Laurel Powell and Richard Nicholl, and brother of Ella and Lola.   We gave Bibles to five young people: Samantha Burki, Anna Ellison Downey,Caroline Nkanda, Sarah Jane Sigmon, Dax Murray Welborn. We marched in Durham's Gay Pride Parade, a first for me. All of these were humbling experiences. Taking an infant from his parents and promising to be part of his village reminds us of obligations we have when people come into our churches.  Giving the children their Bible with their names inscribed on the cover brought tears to my eyes.  It is a powerful moment in their lives and mine, to be honest!  Whether infant or school-age, they come to be part of something special.  And we at CUCC are that something!  We will be able to walk with Cyrus, Sammi, Ellison, Caroline, Sarah Jane and Dax as they grow in faith.  We all come to Community United Church of Chr...

September 27, 2015 Weekly News (PDF) . (The print size of Weekly News online can be adjusted to whatever size you prefer. Check out this  one-minute video  if you don't know how to do that.) The  online calendar  is always available and is always up-to-date. Newsletters from 2013 and 2014 may be found on the News blog.  Older newsletters  are found in the archive.

(submitted by Susan Lane for the Economic Justice Task Force) JOBS FOR LIFE HELP CHANGE A LIFE! Jobs for Life is a training program to help young adults and adults from unemployment to employment.  Students are composed of parents and graduates of children enrolled in Loaves & Fishes.  It teaches the skills they need to find and hold a job and to improve their lives.   Each course has 16 two-hour classes. DATES:   October 13 – December 10 (we will take the whole Thanksgiving week off) DAYS AND TIMES:    Tuesday and Thursday, 8:45 – 11:00 LOCATION:  Classes will be at the Loaves and Fishes site at Milner Church, 1950 New Bern Avenue.  (About ¾ a mile from Wake Med Hospital when going towards downtown ) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR: Mentoring – Work one-on-one with a student to help guide them through the course and help the student. Child Care – Take care of children during the class time. If you can sign up for even one of the dates below, it wo...

Calling all Newcomers!  If you are a newcomer to CUCC or to the UCC (or consider yourself a newcomer), we invite you to a Newcomers' Luncheon in the Hoffmann Room on Sunday, October 18, 2015, at Noon-2.  We will provide lunch, drinks, and conversation and, hopefully, answer your questions about the church or the denomination.  Please RSVP to the church office (office.cucc@gmail.com or 919-809-8850) by Sunday, October 11.   Margaret is willing to provide childcare so let the office know if your young children will want to be with her.

Sunday Mornings 9:30-10:15, Vaughan Fellowship Hall  (NEW TIME!!!) Sunday, October 4   First Intergenerational Sunday School! Come one, come all! We will experience together the many ways that our children and youth are working to alleviate hunger, and we'll learn about how we can support them!  Join us in this continuing effort. This class will be facilitated by Śānti Matthews and led by children and youth who are leading the way to end hunger. Child-care available for infants - 2nd grade on first Sundays. October 11   CROP Walk Maria Mayorga will lead us in information, inspiration, and action toward this year's CROP Walk.  You can walk with CUCC's group or make a donation to support our walkers.  CUCC's CROP Walk team is organized by our Community Outreach Ministry . October 18   Urban Ministries of Wake County Peter Morris, Executive Director of Urban Ministries, comes to share gratitude and inspiration for continued efforts to alleviate hunger in ...

September 20, 2015 Weekly News (PDF) . (The print size of Weekly News online can be adjusted to whatever size you prefer. Check out this  one-minute video  if you don't know how to do that.) The  online calendar  is always available and is always up-to-date. Newsletters from 2013 and 2014 may be found on the News blog.  Older newsletters  are found in the archive.

Join us Saturday, September 26, as we show our support and care for the LGBT Community.  CUCC will have an outreach table and will march in the PRIDE parade located on the Duke East Campus  We need volunteers to help set up and be at the CUCC table; and we especially would love to have as many as area able to march with us!  Festival opens at 10AM and the Parade begins at 1PM.  Marchers begin to line up at around 12:30.  Contact the church office at 919-809-8850 for more information or go to NC PRIDE .

It's not too late to contribute to Neighbors in Need.   While CUCC collected the annual Neighbors in Need offering during the regular Sunday service on October 4, you can still submit your contribution to the office or put it in the offering plate October 11 (with "NIN" on the memo line). Neighbors in Need supports the UCC's ministries of justice and compassion throughout the US. One third of the offering supports the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two thirds of the funds are used by UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries. The UCC has published touching stories of how the NIN offering is used . To help provide a fuller picture, they give this background information about CAIM, which receives one third of the offering. The Council for American Indian Ministry is the voice for American Indian people in the UCC. CAIM provides Christian ministry and witness to American Indians and to the wider church. Justice issues that affect American Indian life are com...

(The favorite service project of many CUCC Youth and families!) Don’t miss it! Sunday, October 11: WALK FOR HOPE    - Walk to benefit quality care and research for those with mental illness. This walk takes place during worship and is the way our youth will worship and share God's love on this special day every year. If you can't come to the walk, remember that there will be no Church School on Sunday, October 11!  How do I register? If you want to participate in the Walk for Hope on Sunday, October 1 1, please register ASAP. Register at   www.walkforhope.com  ; or by calling 919-781-9255. Once on the website, select the blue box that says  Sign Up ,   then   select the blue box that says  Join a Team . Community UCC  is our team name. Repeat if there are more of you to register. Each individual has to be entered separately. If you choose to, you can make donations at this point as well. We will collect...

You can!  Helping people gain and keep meaningful work aids not only the worker, but his/her entire family, and the community. Jobs for Life is a training program to help young adults and adults from unemployment to employment. Students are composed of parents and graduates of children enrolled in Loaves & Fishes. It teaches the skills they need to find and hold a job and to improve their lives. Each course has 16 two-hour classes. DATES: October 13 – December 10 (we will take the whole Thanksgiving week off) DAYS AND TIMES: Tuesday and Thursday 8:45 – 11:00 LOCATION: Classes will be at the Loaves and Fishes site at Milner Church, 1950 New Bern Avenue. (About ¾ a mile from Wake Med Hospital towards downtown ) During 8 weeks and 16 sessions, we will cover such topics as understanding my value, identifying and overcoming roadblocks, perseverance and positive attitude, conflict resolution, effective communications skills, excelling on the job. We alr...

Thursday, Sept. 24 Arrive at 9AM, speech begins at 9:20AM  Home of Jane and Gary Smith (inside beltline in Raleigh) Please email Jane if you are interested.  She needs a headcount for bagels, coffee and tea. Friends are welcome. - submitted by Justice in a Changing Climate Task Force

Youth will meet for fellowship, service projects, spiritual growth and education on Tuesday evenings this fall.  We will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall or youth room.  We will move to Wednesdays in the spring to accommodate youth schedules.  Adults and parents who are interested in joining in or providing assistance, please contact  Śānti  at education.cucc@gmail.com.  Also parents who are interested are free Life and Faith in Downtown Raleigh at Tyler's Tap Room on first Tuesdays and  Taizé Worship Service in the sanctuary on third Tuesdays.  Who knows what you might plan for second and fourth Tuesdays! - submitted by  Śānti  Matthews, Youth and Adult Education Coordinator

September 13, 2015 Weekly News (PDF) . (The print size of Weekly News online can be adjusted to whatever size you prefer. Check out this  one-minute video  if you don't know how to do that.) The  online calendar  is always available and is always up-to-date. Newsletters from 2013 and 2014 may be found on the News blog.  Older newsletters  are found in the archive.

Karen Withem has been an active friend of CUCC and participant in our Taizé services for the past several years. She has also provided help with a couple of our amateur video projects. Last fall I had the pleasure of observing Karen as she directed the production of a short "real" movie which is debuting this month at the NC Museum of History. Here's a link to the announcement of this showing from Canyon Diamond Media (Karen's company). The announcement includes a trailer (only 36 seconds long) for this short film. It's definitely worth a look just to see what sort of film talent we now have within the church. -- Lavon Page A Rude Awakening film viewing - Sept. 19

The blessing of the animals will take place in the courtyard at 5 pm on October 4th. (In case of rain we will be in the fellowship hall.) Bring your special friends to receive a blessing from Pastor Peg. Dogs should be on leads. Cats should be on leads or in safe carriers. All other animals are welcome and should be safely attended by their owners. We hope to see many of you with your special friend. This event is being sponsored by the Children's Sunday School.

Tuesday, November 24, we will have a Community Thanksgiving Service with Fairmont Methodist, Holy Trinity Lutheran, West Raleigh Presbyterian, and Community United Church of Christ. The Service will be at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church , 2723 Clark Ave, Raleigh, NC 27607. The combined choir practice will begin at 6:00pm. The service will begin at 7:00pm. Please save the date and join in this ecumenical service.

CUCC will have an outreach table and will march in Pride NC Parade , Sat., Sep. 26 in Durham.  If you haven’t been to Pride, you’ve missed out on a wonderfully affirming and family friendly event. We need volunteers to help set up and be at our table (2 hour shifts); and we especially would love to have as many as are able to march with us! The event is located on the Duke East Campus. Set up begins at 9:00am. Festival grounds open at 10:00am and the Parade begins at 1:00pm. Marchers begin to line up around 12:30. Contact the church office at 919-809-8850 or Joan McAllister for more information.

The Economic Justice Task Force will meet on Wednesday, September 8, at 10:30am, in the Bradow Room. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on issues which impact our economic lives. - submitted by the Economic Justice Task Force

You are invited to a tea to design the next Community UCC t-shirt! If you are interested in joining in the creative design process, please come to the Vaughan Fellowship Hall from 7:00pm - 8:00pm, Wednesday, September 9. We will serve pound cake, fruit, and tea (hot and cold). Contact Śānti Matthews with more questions: 919-961-8814.

"You are cordially invited to a "memorial" for Slater Newman to be held on Tuesday, September 15 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the NCSU University Club on Hillsborough Street.  There will be speakers, singing, and hors d'oeuvres.  The Rev Collins Kilburn will be the master of ceremonies.  Additional remarks about Slater will be welcomed.  Hope to see you there." The invitation was extended by Clay Stalnaker and Slater's wife, Pat Newman. Slater Newman was a long-time friend of CUCC and an inspiration to many of our members.  He was one of the recipients of the 2014 Carolyn & Cy King Peace and Justice Award given by CUCC.   Learn about Slater and hear his response to the award  (minute 9:50). - submitted by Edith Sylla

September 6, 2015 Weekly News (PDF) . (The print size of Weekly News online can be adjusted to whatever size you prefer. Check out this  one-minute video  if you don't know how to do that.) The  online calendar  is always available and is always up-to-date. Newsletters from 2013 and 2014 may be found on the News blog.  Older newsletters  are found in the archive.

The America's Journey for Justice walkers will be walking from Shaw University to the Bicentennial Mall on Thursday, September 3.  We can join them - either walking with them or greeting them at the Mall - to show our support for voting rights. America's Journey for Justice  walkers began in Selma and are walking to Washington DC, stopping along the way in communities at gatherings supporting voting rights.  People from Community UCC will accompany them this Thursday on the Raleigh leg of their walk.  This is an event where crowd size matters, so come.  Appropriate for all ages. Options for participation: Shaw University (118 East South Street) - Walk is to start at 4PM.  Look for the vertical CUCC banner.  The walk is about 1 mile long. Bicentennial Mall - The walkers are due to arrive at the Mall 5-ish, which is when a rally should begin.  It is planned to last about 45 minutes.  If you want to join the CUCC crowd, look for the vertical ban...