CUCC Weekly eNews

Pastors Tony and Carol are away with their families this weekend. We share our joy with Tony and Justin as they celebrate 8 years of marriage! And we wish a smooth move to Charlotte for Carol's daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.   We are grateful for the gifts of Michael Lester, our preacher this morning. 

CUCC is happy to welcome our friend, the Rev. Michael Lester, to preach this Sunday, September 1, at 10:30 worship.  Michael has visited CUCC over the years and is a member at our sister congregation, Umstead Park UCC.  He provided us with this biography.  Thank you for preaching this Sunday, Michael! As a child I dreamed of being an artist. I studied art and became an art teacher in a Christian school in rural Michigan. I married while there and assisted my father-in-law with his ministry. I was his youth and children’s pastor as I attended a local Bible college studying theology. In the fall of 1978 I took a position as a supply pastor in a very rural community in northern Michigan where they could not get a pastor. After two years we moved to Oklahoma where I studied theology at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. While there I was invited to serve as college and singles pastor at the University Church. After graduation we moved to Kansas where I was ordained after two years servi

Sunday   09/01       9:00am   Taizé Worship – Sanctuary     9:30am   Band Practice - Sanctuary 1 0:30am   Worship Service with Communion - Sanctuary                     Guest Preacher - Rev. Michael Lester 10:45am   Children’s Sunday School - Sunday School Room 11:45am Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   4:00pm Covenant Community - Bradow Room   Monday 09/02     Church Office Closed - Labor Day 12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room Tuesday 09/03   10 :00am Office Staff Meeting - Pilgrim House   6:30pm Life and Faith in Raleigh -   Wilson’s Eatery - 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Rd, Ral.   Wednesday 09/04     9:00am Tai Chi - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   6:00pm Bible Study - Pilgrim House   Thursday 09/05     7:00pm Deacons’ Meeting - Hoffmann Room Saturday 09/07     8:00am CUCC Church-wide Workday   Sunday 09/08      9:00am Taizé Worship – Sanctuary   9:30am Choir Practi

RSVP for Wednesday Night Dinners by emailing   cuccfellowship@gmail.com By at least the Monday morning before each scheduled meal, let us know your name and number in your party as well as any dietary requests. We love to make dishes you love to eat, be they vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or extra bacon. Please specify! Cathy in the office and Susan Atkinson will receive your RSVP and meal request. Join your Community friends at 6pm on the second Wednesday of Sept, Oct, and Nov. (We will skip Dec and resume in January) No charge for the meal, but a love offering basket will be made available in Sept and Oct. Proceeds go to covering the meal and then to the W&F budget. Sept 11 - Lasagnapalooza with salad and garlic bread Oct 9 - Smoked Pulled Pork and lots of sides Nov 13 - Turkey and Gratitude with your Pot Luck Sides (When you RSVP for the Nov 13 meal, please name the side dish you will bring. Wed Supper Team will provide turkey, gravy and rice.) Programming on Wedne

On this Labor Day, let our prayers surround those who are struggling on the economic margins. We pray for workers     who do not have jobs     whose inadequate pay does not allow them to live the full life intended for them.     who are not valued and respected by their employers,     who clean houses but cannot afford to buy them,     who grow food but cannot eat their fill,     who serve and care for others but are not served and cared for themselves,     who are unjustly employed, working hard and yet living in poverty,     who are working in the shadow of a broken and unjust immigration system We pray for our elected leaders that they will place workers on the margins in the center of their deliberations. Help us to see our own complicity in systems that sustain some of us but forsake others, And help us to create a faithful economy where everyone has enough and all people live lives of dignity. (Adapted from UCC/Economic Justice) - submitted by Shirley Birt, c

Life & Faith is a monthly, anyone-can-drop-in gathering for people interested in comparing notes as we each figure out how our faith interacts with day-to-day life.  Our September 3 "where and when" are at the bottom of this description of our proposed topic for conversation. Proposed topic At our August gathering,  table 1 said they wanted to talk more about this question: “If Jesus were here tonight, what would he say to you?” Table 2 wanted to talk more about this question: “How do I balance anger and love?” I propose this “for instance” from the Bloomington, Indiana, farmer’s market to get our conversation started (sometimes a concrete example helps conversation). Sarah Dye, an organic farmer who has sold at the market for many years, has been identified by some as being Volkmom, a person who has posted comments on a white identitarian (Identity Evropa) website.  Volkmom expresses concern that whites are discriminated against, but she never encourages viole

RSVP, please Join us, Wednesday, September 11 at 6PM for a church-wide lasagna dinner, and remain after as the Oaxaca Team shares gratitude, stories and photos of their trip with the church. To reserve a spot, email  cuccfellowship@gmail.com or call 919-322-9921. Thirteen youth and adults from our church traveled to Oaxaca Mexico from June 15-25 this summer with Witness for Peace. They made many personal connections and friendships and experienced intense learning during their 10 day mission trip. They studied firsthand such issues as immigration, sustainable agriculture, and fair trade. They came to know some of the injustices suffered by our Mexican brothers and sisters. Our team arrives in Oaxaca Come learn about the trip so we can continue the journey together with hope and determination, praying for peace, facilitating change, and insisting on justice for our Mexican neighbors. For more information about the Oaxaca appreciation portion of the evening, contact Śānti

Eagle Scout candidate Daniel Wasserman completed three projects at CUCC this summer, adding a cross and handrail to the fire pit area, improving the storage capacity for one of the sanctuary closets and re-staining a portion of the children’s playground equipment to protect the wood from damage.  “Before” and “after” photos show the improvements to the church. Daniel is the third Eagle Scout candidate to complete projects at the church, which include a new enclosure and storage container for the children’s garden and a new split rail fence along the southern property line.

At the University of Chicago business school, there is a neon sign that reads, "Why are you here rather than somewhere else?" It is a startling question--but a good one. Why are you at Community rather than somewhere else? Read the text of Pastor Tony's August 25 sermon, "Why Are We Here?" Sermon + is an occasional series that poses a follow-up question for your consideration.  You can join in community conversation via our Facebook page, Community United Church of Christ .  Or you can ponder on your own.

Through our Community Outreach Ministry budget, CUCC has provided financial support to Families Together , a nonprofit that assists homeless families as they move into permanent housing.  CUCC member Merrilee Jacobson also serves on their board of directors.  If you have questions about this program or the request for homes to rent or sell, talk to Merrilee. In response to the increasing need for affordable housing in our community, Families Together, a local non-profit dedicated to ending family homelessness, has launched a new Affordable Housing Project and we need the help of local owners/managers of rental property.  Our near-term goals are to purchase a small apartment building with 4-8 units and to lease a block of up to 10 units.  We also want to build our network of landlords and property owners who will give us first right of refusal for rental properties as they become available. The need for this project is urgent. Last school year, Wake County schools reported 929 stu

How about a relaxing Friday night with friends watching an intriguing movie? Silent Light  Friday, August 23, 7PM CUCC's Fellowship Hall Free Lavon recommends that you read his description of this movie because it is unlike most movies you have seen. Feel free to bring your dinner with you if you don't have time to eat at home. And bring snacks to share if you are so inclined. If you're bringing food or snacks you may wish to arrive a bit early to partake or to share your snacks. Contact Lavon Page if you have questions.

Lectionary for the Week of September 1, 2019 - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - Green Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 71:1-6 or Isaiah 58:9b-14 and Psalm 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17

Sunday 08/25       9:00am  Taizé Worship – Sanctuary    9:30am   Choir Practice - Sanctuary 10:30am   Worship Service   - Sanctuary 10:45am   Children’s Sunday School - Sunday School Room 10:45am Youth Sunday School - Bradow Room 11:45am Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall 12:00pm Adult Faith Formation Meeting—Hoffmann Room 12:00pm Social Justice Ministry Meeting—Bradow Room 12:00pm Stewardship Ministry Meeting—Library   4:00pm Covenant Community - Bradow Room   Monday 08/26   12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room Tuesday 08/27   10 :00am Office Staff Meeting—Pilgrim House   7:00pm Advocacy Team Meeting—Hoffmann Room   Wednesday 08/28      9:00am Tai Chi (Note the new time!) - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   6:00pm Bible Study—Pilgrim House   7:30pm PFLAG—Vaughan Fellowship Hall   Thursday 08/29       9:00am Campaign for Non-Violence Meeting—Bradow Room   Sunday 09/0