CUCC Weekly eNews

We welcome Rev. Dr. Donna Battle to our pulpit for the 10:30am worship service this Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Sunday, March 31, 9:15-10:15 a.m., Fellowship Hall Adrienne Little and the Economic Justice Task Force bring us this wise and compassionate community leader with experience in reforming bail bond systems. Cultivate justice by learning from David Bland about how we can better advocate for bail bond reform in N.C. David was born in Pittsboro, NC, is a graduate of a Charlotte high school, has degrees from Wake Forest University, Southeastern Theological Seminary, and NC State University. He has a unique perspective on bail bonds: he was commissioner of prisons and jails in Kentucky, and as special assistant to the Governor of Kentucky, he helped eliminate bail bonds in that state.  His career also includes community college president, VP of development for an international corporation, published author, advisor to two successful Kentucky campaigns for Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor, and director of a successful registration effort in DuPage County, Illinois.  

Who took 1990-1999 annual reports from the office?  Please let Jane Smith know so she can sleep at night.  Thank you.

Is this flooding in the US or southern Africa? We are one in a changing climate. The United Church of Christ recommends donations be sent as follows to assist those caught in recent climate disasters. Cyclone Idai - Mozambique and Zimbabwe One Great Hour of Sharing  online giving  or write a check to "CUCC" with "OGHS" on memo line Global Ministries partners in Mozambique and Zimbabwe Most recent update from Global Ministries Flooding - Central US Emergency USA Fund Most recent update from UCC's Disaster Ministries CUCC's annual OGHS collection March 31, 2019 Our neighbors downeast are still rebuilding.  If you want to give closest to home... Hurricanes Michael and Florenc e - eastern NC 2018 Hurricane Response USA Most recent update from UCC's Disaster Ministries On average, of every dollar given to One Great Hour of Sharing, 95 cents is used directly for mission programming; and 5 cents for interpretation materials. Admini

We surround the Kiel family with love at this time of remembrance and gratitude.  Judy's mother,  Betty Byler, passed away March 19.  Read about her life here  

CUCC Movie Fellowship - Spring 2019 "Whale Rider" March 22, 7 pm Come early for snacking and chatting   Whale Rider presents a myth within a myth. While the story line in the film itself presents a powerful myth, the myth within the myth is the Maori legend that forms the framework for the story line. The legend has it that the original leader of the Maori people in New Zealand arrived in New Zealand by riding on the back of a whale (thus the title). The royal line has passed down through the centuries and culminates in the film in the person of a young girl (Paikea) who thinks she is born to lead her people out of darkness. (Think Joan of Arc.) The problem is that her grandfather thinks that the notion of a female leader is heresy.

  LETTING GO | THIRD WEEK OF LENT   If the trees can do it, then so can I, At least that’s what I tell myself. For if year after year the trees can let go Of their brightest leaves and that warm autumn glow, Then maybe in time, like trees with their leaves, I can release That which keeps me from you. Maybe in time, I can let go Of my need for certainty And my need to look good, My need for busyness, And my need to numb pain; The trivial ways I measure my self-worth, Or the hurtful ways I measure yours. For if year after year the trees let go, Then maybe, in time, I can too. Maybe, In time, My heart will know spring. By Sarah Are

Lectionary for the Week of March 24, 2019 Third Sunday of Lent - Violet Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 Amistad Sunday

Sunday 03/24       9:00am  Nursery provided   9:00am   Taizé Worship – Sanctuary   9:30am   Choir Practice - Sanctuary   9:30am  L enten Animate Series - Hoffmann Room 1 0:30am   Worship Service - Sanctuary 10:45am Children’s Sunday School - Sunday School Rooms 10:45am Youth Sunday School - Youth Room 11:45am Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall 12:00pm Religious Education Ministry Meeting - Hoffmann Room 12:00pm Social Justice Ministry Meeting - Bradow Room 12:00pm Stewardship Ministry Meeting - Library   4:30pm Everything Happens Book Discussion - Hoffmann Room   4:00pm Origami Lesson and Workshop - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   Monday 03/25   12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room   Tuesday 03/26      9:30am Tai Chi – Vaughan Fellowship Hall 10:00am Office Staff Meeting - Pilgrim House Thursday 03/28      1:00pm Pastor’s Podcast - Hoffmann Room   Sunday 03/31      9:00am Nurs

CUCC’s Annual Auction —  Saturday, May 4 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm The most fun you can have supporting CUCC! Join Chuck Porterhouse and Blip Scuppernong for another rockin’ show. Children’s program also in the works. Rocks, rides, hikes, hula lessons, delicious meals, an evening of games, teeth whitening, genealogy charts, artwork, lake trips, custom socks — what can YOU add to our auction offerings? Time to get creative and make a connection with your Community at the auction! This year's auction will make the leap to automated notifications sent to bidders!  Other enhancements are also in the works. Don’t miss the fun as we rocket into the 21st century. CUCC 2019 DONATION FORM “Better Than Average” Auction Use the above link to submit your auction donation.  Last day to donate is April 29. Questions to Carol Clark ( cdeb@msn.com )

Imagine yourself on a preweatherization crew Since 2011, a group of people from churches all of over Wake and Durham counties have been helping the US DOE and NC Weatherization Assistance Program ensure that the homes of low income families can be weatherized, saving the families money and energy consumption.  Many CUCC members and friends have been involved. We accomplish this by the simple act of cleaning out their attics and crawl spaces or doing small home repairs.  This in turn enables professional weatherizers to weatherize the homes and improve the energy efficiency. 29 homes preweatherized so far To date we have prepared 29 homes to be weatherized that otherwise would not have been.  Our hope in this “preweatherization” work is to help families save money and decrease CO2 production from their homes. Weatherizations decrease home fuel consumption by about 10 – 20 %.  Since the typical household spends about $2000 on heating and cooling, the weatherizations save

On March 16, sixteen CUCCers filled eighty-six bags of groceries at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and delivered them to elders living at Capital Towers. We enjoyed the process and celebrate that we kept produce from ending up in the landfill and helped provide healthy food options to people who may be food insecure or transportation challenged. We also especially enjoyed just being together and meeting new people on a beautiful Saturday. The CUCC group bagged and delivered 688 meals for 86 seniors.

Drawing down greenhouse gases at CUCC We need to be sure that everything we put in the compost bin is compostable.  Before you bring in your first batch , please take a few minutes for training.  Talk to any of these people after worship to learn the few simple but important rules:  Jane Smith, Gary Smith, Maria Mayorga, or Jason Myers. If you attended the workshop with Jason and Maria on Sunday, you are fully trained and ready to compost at CUCC! Thank you! Thank you to our dozen donors who, together, are funding CUCC's compost project for a year.

Read stories and see artwork shared by members of the congregation for the Lenten Season.  Click on the link to view the Lenten Devotional for Lent 2019. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EB16LMfeHXxuVC1n2yv6l9LuT8o0AaeU/view?usp=sharing

Hi friends! All ages  are welcome to keep from wasting some perfectly good produce and to help some local elders have healthy food choices?  Please respond to  education.cucc@gmail.com  to be part of a service project THIS Saturday, March 16, from 11:30AM-1:30PM at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle,  1001 Blair Drive, Raleigh . (The earlier 8:30AM service project has now been combined with this 11:30AM project.)    It's gonna be SO FUN! The Mayorga-Myers family and the Sawhney-Flynn family will be there, but we'd love to share this Lenten Service Project with a few more of you! What a great way to help with sustainable agriculture and food justice! We will bag produce that would otherwise end up in landfills and deliver the bags to elders that are living on a fixed income or can't get to grocery stores easily. We also need drivers - we'll be bagging produce (bucket brigade style) and then delivering it.  THANKS!

Pastor’s Letter CULTIVATE | SECOND WEEK OF LENT I wish I could cultivate my days Like my mother’s favorite recipe, Blending together the sweetest things— Hope and love, you and me, Justice and peace, Music and dreams— Like spices pulled from the shelf on the wall. I’d add one cup of family, And one cup of grace. A dash of starry nights, A pinch of snow. One tablespoon of hope, and like oats, they would grow. A tablespoon of music and the hymns that I know. A cup for friends that feel more like family, A teaspoon of vanilla, for life’s sheer beauty. Three teaspoons of summer, and one tablespoon of dreams. Plus half a cup for the church that raised me, And half a cup for the moon that serenades me. The instructions would read: Melt your love and whisk with justice until it expands beyond the pan. Gently stir in all that you hope for. Cover, and let rise. Drizzle with a sweet glaze of mercy. Please be sure to leave heartache a