CUCC Weekly eNews

Join Sisters-in-Spirit at the home of Kathy Clift for an autumn bountiful potluck ( Example: recipes with apples or other fall items from farmer's markets) and sharing of what we did with our summers. Contact Kathy at 919-829-7242 for additional information and for directions to her home.

Pastor Carol Gone this Weekend, September 28-29. Pastor Carol is gone this weekend visiting family.   She will be back in the office Tuesday.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Green Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 and Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 or Amos 6:1a, 4-7 and Psalm 146 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31 American Indian Ministry Sunday United Samoan Ministries Stewardship Sunday

  Sunday 09/29              9:00am  Taizé Worship – Sanctuary     9:30am   Band Practice - Sanctuary 10:00am   Pop Up Gathering - Narthex 1 0:30am   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   4:00pm Covenant Community - Bradow Room       Monday 09/30   12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room     Tuesday 10/01   10 :00am Office Staff Meeting—Pilgrim House   Wed. 10/02     9:00am Tai Chi - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   5:30pm CUCC Staff Meeting - Library   6:30pm Bible Study - Pilgrim House   7:00pm Chancel Choir Practice - Sanctuary Thursday 10/03     7:00pm Deacons’ Ministry Meeti...

Youth Fall Beach Retreat Coming So Soon! October 4-6! October 4: 5:30PM Pizza Dinner and Orientation - Vaughan Fellowship Hall                      6:30PM Departure. October 6: 3:30PM Return  How Exciting! Thanks to Bill and Marty Lamb, a beautiful house right on the ocean will be ours for a weekend spiritual retreat filled with fun in the surf and sand, spiritual refection, and time for enriching our friendships and strengthening our connections.    If you are already signed up, consider bringing a friend, just let Śānti know ASAP! If you are not already signed up and want to attend please contact Śānti ASAP! Chances are, this will be the highlight of your fall! 

Join us each Sunday morning before worship from 10am - 10:20 in the narthex. Get a coffee and donut and follow a pastor and/or lay leader as we pop up in a different spot around our church building. We’ll get to know various aspects of what makes CUCC CUCC. New friends and long time members will learn what’s going on with our ministries, committees, and task forces, share some history, and do a little visioning for the future. Show up a bit early, connect with your Community, learn and share! Our first pop up will be this Sunday, September 29th . Pastor Tony and Susan Hasbrouck will be hosting the first gathering, entitled What is a Narthex Anyway? It will be a time to get to know some fun facts about the church space itself, and to learn about worship arts, including where the communion bread and flowers come from and the meaning of the different colors associated with the various church seasons. Join us!

Come Join the Choir! The CUCC choir is resuming it’s Wednesday evening choir practices. The choir sings on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month.   We practice the Wednesday evening before the Sunday we sing. Visitors are welcome to come and give the choir a try!  We’re a fun, informal group who make beautiful music together.  Questions? Contact choir director Anne Moorman-Smith at (919) 612-2594 or moorsmit@aol.com

From the UCC Concerning Hurricane Dorian Disaster Relief ... During a storm -- moments of watching and waiting -- Dorian Submitted by Rev. Martha Jacobs (D.Min.); Senior Minister, First Congregational Church in Chappaqua, N.Y. (Rev. Jacobs was co-facilitator at four SOC retreats in July, 2019; along with Ken Skalitzky, Disaster Recovery Specialist, UCC Disaster Ministries] addressing the issue: Trauma: How It Can Affect You and Your Faith Community I have been watching the path of Dorian and the most recent news...that it may hit North Carolina, has my heart aching for all of you. Please know that you are in my prayers and I am hoping that the path takes it away from any landfall.... Blessings and peace and may God keep you all safe from harm and give you the courage and stamina you need to deal with whatever may come your way. A New Disaster Preparedness Manual for Churches available "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit." -- Luke 12:35 Re...

Doug Barrick, Autumn Cobeland, Lena Gallitano, Susan Hasbrouck, Mac Hulslander, Merrilee and Ken Jacobson, Roger Manus, Jane and Gary Smith, and Skip Stoddard along with about 1500 other people experienced a spectacular event in Raleigh on Friday (Sept 20)! We participated in the Climate Strike . Youth and young adults led the strike, spoke out and called to the rest of us to get on board.  For example, 17-year-old Hallie Turner, who has been speaking on climate change since she was 8, said, "I don’t care how my leaders feel about climate change. … I care that my generation gets to live on a habitable planet."  Hallie and other young people out-numbered those of us with gray hair, and gave us hope.  It was inspiring to be with them. Now, we all have to get on board with them.  We, too, need to speak out; vote for representatives who care about climate change; dramatically decrease our fossil fuel use at home, at church, at work and traveling; eat a more plant-...

An important letter from the church council was sent to the congregation this past week. If you have not received a copy, contact the church office at 919-809-8850 or office.cucc@gmail.com and one will be mailed to you.

Lectionary for Sunday, September 22, 2019 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Green Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 and Psalm 79:1-9 or  Amos 8:4-7 and Psalm 113 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13

Sunday  09/22            9:00am  Taizé Worship – Sanctuary    9:30am   Choir Practice - Sanctuary 1 0:30am  Worship Service – Sanctuary 10:45am   Children’s Sunday School - Sunday School Room 10:45am Youth Sunday School - Bradow Room 11:45am Youth Choir Practice - Hoffmann Room 11:45am Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall 12:00pm Stewardship Ministry Meeting - Library 12:00pm Do Justice Ministry Meeting - Bradow Room 12:30pm  Youth Middle School Movie Night - Meet at CUCC       4:00pm Covenant Community - Bradow Room      Monday 09/23   12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room     Tuesday 09/24   10 :00am Office Staff Meeting—Pilgrim House   Wed. 09/24     9:00am Tai Chi - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   Saturday 09/28   11:00am PRIDE - Duke...

Dear Friends, In my sermon September 8 th , I said that over the next few weeks and months we would look at some of the practices that can help us to join our hearts more fully with the heart of the Holy One, following the way of Jesus. Episcopal priest, Cynthia Bourgeault, in her book The Wisdom Jesus , describes five such practices: Centering Prayer Meditation, Lectio Divina , Chanting & Psalmody, Welcoming, and Eucharist. In this letter, I’ll focus on Chanting & Psalmody, because we already have a regular opportunity for engaging this practice as a community in our Taizé service each Sunday morning at 9am. Bourgeault reminds us that chanting is at the heart of all scared tradition worldwide because “it is fundamentally a deep-immersion experience in the creative power of the universe itself.” To chant, or make any kind of music, three elements are required: breath (“Every breath you take is the breath of God.” Father Theophane), tone or vibration , (the sound you ma...

CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE WEEK PRAYER VIGIL FOR NON-VIOLENCE DATE/TIME:  Thursday, September 19, 7 p.m. LOCATION:  Community United Church of Christ, 814 Dixie Trail NC PEACE ACTION’S PEACEMAKER FUNDRAISING DESSERT SOCIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Kathy Kelly , peace activist, founding member of Voices in the Wilderness & co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. $25 donation suggested. No one will be turned away. DATE/TIME: Friday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: Highland Methodist Church, 1901 Ridge Road www.facebook.com/CampaignNC

CUCC Youth Program Year Has Begun Youth meet every Sunday for SUNDAY SCHOOL in the Bradow Room at 10:45 (after the Children’s Message)  except the 1st Sunday of the month  when youth are encouraged to join their families for communion worship. A new FAITH FORMATION (CONFIRMATON CLASS) will begin on November 3. YOUTH CHOIR meets 3rd and 4th Sundays at noon in the Hoffmann Room. Upcoming Events for Youth   September 19, 7PM : Youth Choir Performs at CUCC Non-Violence Vigil September 22:          10:45AM Sunday School          12PM: Youth Choir Rehearsal          12PM Middle School Lunch and Movie Outing (Movie TBD)  September 29, 6PM : Oaxaca Team Meeting – Next Steps (Santi’s House) October 4-6: Youth & Families Kick-Off Pizza and Fall Beach Retreat October 9, 6PM: Church-Wide Wednesday Night Supper (FH) October 19, 7-10PM: Youth Ofrenda Building and Games (CUC...

"Caramel"  -  Sept. 20 All movies begin at 7 PM. 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. Caramel is a 180 degree turn from the enigmatic film Silent Light we saw in August. This is another delightful film from Nadine Labaki (creator and star of the Lebanese film "Where Do We Go Now?" that we saw back in April). This one is set in a beauty shop in Beirut, and you'll love the 4 delightful women who work in the shop. A first rate chick flick. See more info about this movie, photos, and movie trailer

September 20: Global Climate Strike Gathering in Raleigh at Halifax Mall at 12:30 PM. Join us and other CUCC members and friends as people all over the world join the youth who have been holding climate strikes all year.     (The strike was started by young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.) Meet at the mural 12:30 PM Friday, Sep. 20 Folks from CUCC will meet on the Halifax Mall in front of the Education Building at 12:30 People all over the world and here in NC are suffering from the heat extremes and strong storms that go along with it.  Around the world, in the US and in NC, we have to decrease and reverse this Climate Change by moving from the fossil fuel use that causing it.  We have to tell our leaders that real action is needed on this now. “This September, millions of us will walk out of our workplaces and homes to join young climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.   Our house is on fire ...

Leadership in Today’s Church - Through the Lens of Collaboration Three CUCCers are attending a leadership conference  in Asheville this week, Sept.19 - 21,  hosted by Land of the Sky UCC in concert with the Southern Conference. Susan Atkinson, Robert Parrish, and Santi Matthews are gathering with others to bear witness, engage in conversations and dialogue, and imagine future collaborations. We will surely return with ideas and energy out of our learning and connections.

The Community Outreach Ministry invites you to attend the Interfaith Pride Service, September 22, 3PM, at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. - Submitted by Joan McAllister, Community Outreach Ministry

Pastor Tony talked about the art of taking a breath (נָחַם). When we take a breath, we put a little space between how we feel and what we want to do about it. In this way, we are more likely to take the risk of kindness. How will you take the risk of kindness this week? Read the sermon here . Sermon+ is an occasional series in which our preachers pose a follow-up question to their sermon 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. Look for the sermon text and the question mid-week on the sermons page of our website , on Facebook, or @RaleighCUCC on Twitter.

Save the Date! CROP Walk October 27 People who wish to walk should register online at www.crophungerwalk.org/trianglenc/ Account and join the Community UCC team.   If you wish to sponsor a walker or our team as a whole, you can do so at this web site, or see individual walkers.  

Sign up for this new project at CUCC The Deacon’s think it would be wise for our church to have a severe weather response team to help members out after severe weather.  I can imagine that it could run the gamut: helping people pick up twigs in their yards   using loppers and pruning shears to repair damaged bushes and shrubs those of us with chain saws using them to cut small trees and branches using our trucks to haul debris to the landfill delivering water, batteries, food to folks who are homebound offering warm showers or a bed with heating/air conditioning etcetera If you are interested in being included on the team, please email Dorothy at weather.cucc@gmail.com. In the event of need, we will contact volunteers with a list of people needing help, and the type of help needed. - submitted by Jim Smith for the Deacons Ministry

Well, probably not the dog, but something made Jim Smith's email disappear. If you already volunteered to serve on the Emergency Weather Response Team, please email Dorothy at weather.cucc@gmail.com.  Sadly, we've lost your earlier offer to help. Do over: email weather.cucc@gmail.com Not sure what this new project is?  Here's the earlier email from Jim Smith: The Deacon’s think it would be wise for our church to have a severe weather response team to help members out after severe weather.  I can imagine that it could run the gamut: helping people pick up twigs in their yards   using loppers and pruning shears to repair damaged bushes and shrubs those of us with chain saws using them to cut small trees and branches using our trucks to haul debris to the landfill delivering water, batteries, food to folks who are homebound offering warm showers or a bed with heating/air conditioning etcetera If you are interested in being included on the te...

Congregations for Social Justice , of which CUCC is a part, has produced an Affordable Housing Voter’s Guide for the upcoming Raleigh elections. The answers from mayoral, at-large, and district candidates show the thoughtfulness and serious commitment of the candidates to address the issues raised in the questions.  We have posted the Voter's Guide  on our website and hope you will use them to inform your votes. “Congregations for Social Justice” meets monthly to learn about and collaborate on issues of Justice.  You are invited to participate and can learn more about them and their meetings at their Facebook page .  Merrilee Jacobson is our most informed CUCC member; she can also tell you more about them. From Social Justice and Economic Justice – Now merged to be “Do Justice”

Lectionary for the Week of September 15, 2019 - Green Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 and Psalm 14 or Exodus 32:7-14 and Psalm 51:1-10 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

Sunday   09/15         9: 00am  Taizé Worship – Sanctuary     9:30am   Band Practice - Sanctuary   1 0:30am   Worship Service – Sanctuary   10:45am    Children’s Sunday School - Sunday School Room  1 1:45am   F ellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall  12:00pm  Youth Choir – Hoffmann Room     4:00pm    Covenant Community - Bradow Room     5:30pm  Youth Parent Wine and Cheese Gathering – Fellowship Hall   Monday 09/16   12:15pm Monday Lunch Group - Hoffmann Room   6:00pm Wake County Remembrance Coalition - Fellowship Hall   Tuesday 09/17   10 :00am Office Staff Meeting—Pilgrim House   Wed. 09/18     9:00am Tai Chi - Vaughan Fellowship Hall   6:30pm Bible Study - Pilgrim House   7:30pm PFLAG - Vaughan Fellowship Hall Thurs...