CUCC Weekly eNews

Pastor Joy Alford is planning the following free to adults in and around the Wake Forest Area: 1)   Short DVDs created to enhance small group discussions.   This series is known as NOOMA and is produced by Flannel, a company promoting spiritual reflections on individual life experiences.  I have facilitated discussions using these videos in the past and it has always been a stimulating starter. The name NOOMA comes from a phonetic spelling of the Greek word πνευμα, meaning "wind", "spirit", or “breath”— Come join us to see where the Spirit of the Living God takes us in our spiritual growth journey.  There is no charge and you do not have to be a member to join us for this series. This study will be held on Wednesday nights at 7:30pm at Hatch . This series goes for 8 weeks from Feb 15-April 5, but you may feel free to attend one or all. 2.   Tai Chi for stretches and meditation in movement begins Wed.  Jan 11, 2017. This will start at 7am and be held weekly. The

This Monday, we will be listening to music and readings from The Christmas Revels, now an annual event around the time of winter solstice in a few major cities although it began in Boston in the early 1980's. The theme for The Revels this particular year in Washington, D.C. is 'Wassail! Wassail! Early American Christmas Music' so there is a lot of shape-note music. Also attached is the last set of poems for Christmastide , the Twelve Days of Christmas, up to Epiphany on January 6. These are ones I have selected. If you have one to share, please bring it on Monday. - from Ann Retzer

Church Council has scheduled the January congregational meeting to be held Sunday, January 29, 2017 at noon. This meeting is required by the CUCC bylaws .  Actions at the meeting will include opening prayer determination of the presence of a quorum approval of the minutes of the Nov. 20, 2016 congregational meeting questions about the 2016  yearly reports  of our ministries and task forces election of officers and ministry chairs for 2017 passage of the church budget for 2017 approval of the pastor's housing allowance other business as raised by members of the congregation closing prayer adjournment. Please  read the yearly reports  prior to the meeting. -->

Rev. Jenny Shultz-Thomas sends this letter in anticipation of being with us for our Christmas Eve Service. Her first full Sunday with us will be on January 15. This letter is her advent greeting to us. Letter from Rev. Jenny Shultz-Thomas

Gather with others for a time of prayer as our country inaugurates a new president.  Expect silence, reading from the Bible, and an opportunity for you to speak a prayer from your heart.  This time of worship will last about 30 minutes.  While planned from the Christian tradition, anyone in the community who would like to gather for prayer is welcome. Some people may choose to linger for quiet conversation after the time of prayer has concluded. Friday, January 20, 5:30PM, fellowship hall Sunday, January 22, noon, Hoffmann Room This pair of opportunities to gather in prayer is sponsored by the 6 justice groups of Community UCC.  For more information, contact Jane Smith.

The Christmas Pageant was presented on December 11. Suzette Roach took photos. Click the collage below to view the photo album.

Monday Lunch Group continues their Advent focus on using poetry in meditation. On Dec. 26 we will take a break from our series for our Christmas party. Bring a salad if you haven't signed up for anything. We have room at the table for everyone. For details call Sue Cottle. We will have a short video after lunch. If you can't join us we will miss you. - Sue Cottle ________ A note from Ann Retzer:  Since our December  Monday programs vary from one week to the next and I may not always be there, I have attached  ' An Advent Poetry Companion: Poems for Prayer and Pondering ' so there will be a new poem for meditation every day. *  Use these however it works for you. In the past two weeks, I have used three or four of their poems along with other selections from different sources. More poems later. * When I thought about MLG doing poetry for Advent, I found 'An Advent Poetry Companion: Poems for Prayer and Pondering' while googling around. It's from The Education

Join us at 6:30PM for the annual CUCC Adult Christmas Party.  It is a chance to get to know your fellow CUCCers in a festive atmosphere.  Hot hors d'oeuvres, scrumptious dessert table, spiral ham, vegetarian and vegan appetizers, and wine will be available.  A special soloist will provide musical entertainment and lead us in caroling.  Please come!  (No fee, but we welcome a small donation to defray the cost of the food and beverages.)

This opportunity for justice action come from Adrienne Little, CUCC's Social Justice Ministry representative at Congregations for Social Justice. 1 -  Urgent Call to Action! from Joe Rappl All CSJ members and friends are invited to support the Partnership to End Homelessness' collaboration on the permanent multi-service center as they work with the city to secure the funding and contracting with the county needed to move forward.     Raleigh City Council - Tues, Dec 6 - 1:00 PM Click HERE to see Hugh Hollowell's plea Will Raleigh Keep Its Promises To The Homeless and Hungry? Who: everyone with a vision for more equal treatment of all people in the City and County What: attend the December 6, 2016 City Council Meeting - wearing GREEN Where: 222 West Hargett Street Second Floor council chamber When: Tuesday December 6, 2016, 1:00 p.m. meeting Why: This is a very large commitment by the city - over $3 million in funding for the purchase and rehabilitation of the multi-service

An equipment malfunction prevented filming of much of the Christmas story presentation given during the worship service on Sunday, December 4. But the portion related to the coming of the magi provides an illustration of the way the Christmas story was interpreted in the context of exile. Julia Robertson, Marty Lamb, and Doug Barrick appear in this excerpt. The audio recording of the entire program is available below and features Marty Lamb, Julia Robertson, Joanna Woodrum, Sam Woodrum, Todd Lipman, and Doug Barrick