CUCC Weekly eNews

New opportunities keep popping up every day, so keep checking the CUCC Online Calendar .   December 31, 2020 edition Friday, January 1 New Year’s Day Café Saturday, January 2 Deadline to submit Children We Love Sunday, January 3 Taizé worship , then fellowship Sunday Morning Adult Bible study Worship with communion , then fellowship  Caring Committee Monday, January 4 Monday Lunch Group Path Forward Task Force Tuesday, January 5 Farm to Church CSA Life & Faith Wednesday, January 6 2020 yearly reports due Compost bin emptied Tai Chi Lectionary Lunch with Lacey Thursday, January 7 Growing Together Pilot deadline Deacons Ministry Friday, January 8 CUCC Café Other important news in this edition Bring bread and wine* for communion at 10:30 worship Children We Love deadline – January 2   What types of prayer are indigenous to you?  - January 5 Decision time:  join a CSA that makes a difference  - January 5 Lectionary Lunches for Epiphany season CUCC Cafe open on Christmas and New Year&

At Community UCC we practice an "open table," meaning that you do not have to be a member of our church to participate. You don't have to be baptized or have gone through a confirmation process. People of all ages are welcome, even our young children! The only pre-requisite is an open heart. We believe that all people of faith are invited to join Christ at Christ's table for the sacrament of Communion. Just as many grains of wheat are gathered to make one loaf of bread and many grapes are gathered to make one cup of wine, we, the many people of God, are made one in the body of Christ, the church. On January 3, at 10:30 worship, we will celebrate communion.  Bring wine and bread* - whether orange juice or Merlot, a slice of whole-grain or a gluten-free cracker - to worship services.  We will join in Christ's meal together. Email the office to get the Zoom meeting information for worship. office.cucc@gmail.com.

Fill out form , then email photo Each year CUCC celebrates the new children who have come into our lives by birth, adoption and marriage.  Whether the new child/teen is your child, sibling, grandchild, cousin, niece/nephew or godchild, we want to thank God for the new person in your family. The 2020 "Children We Love" celebration will be held January 10 during 10:30 Zoom worship when we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.   To include your 2020 children/teens in the celebration, fill out this form AND submit a photo to Amanda Jost.  Deadline is January 2.   Because this year we are worshiping on Zoom and not in the sanctuary, we are asking you to confirm with the child's parents that sharing the photo and information during worship is okay with them.  We do not record the services to share them later online.   You are welcome to invite the entire family to join you for worship January 10; let me know if you have invited anyone so I recognize them in the Zoom Waiting Room. -

When Life & Faith gathers on Zoom, libations in hand, on January 5, 7-8PM, our backup question will be:  What types of prayer are indigenous* to you? The previous two times we met we wondered together, "Are there limits on what we can pray for? How do we know a prayer is answered?"  Let's continue that conversation about prayer to learn about one another's default prayer practices.  How did we stumble across them?  Are they solitary or with others?  Are there tools that assist us, or sensory stimuli that enrich our prayer?  Do we turn to different types of prayer depending on the situation? About Life & Faith Life & Faith gathers on first Tuesdays, currently 7-8PM on Zoom, but hopefully one month soon in person at a local pub.  Whoever shows up is welcome, so bring a friend.  Jane Smith prepares a backup question (see above), but we start by inviting those attending to raise a question of the intersection of their life and their faith that has been nagging

It's time to sign up for the new Farm to Church CSA which connects black farmers to congregations. Farmers of color in the United States endure systemic racism causing social, economic, and political harm. We are attempting to address this by forming a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) here in Wake County between farmers of color and Wake County churches.   Our goals are to 1. Create relationships between farmers of color and local church congregations,   2. Create economically-equitable, mutually-beneficial and sustainable food-based partnerships.  We believe that this will  1. Create income for the farmers, 2. Increase understanding between farmers of color and faith communities,   3. Provide congregations with increased access to fresh, healthy foods. About 10 congregations are interested in this first opportunity.   The CSA is starting this spring with an 8 week (April and May) offering from Elke and Steve McCalla at Rocky Ridge Farm .  We are coming to know Steve

What is reflected in the scripture readings for the Sundays during Epiphany season? Lectionary Lunches with Lacey Wednesdays, January 6 through February 10 1-2PM, on Zoom This ever-changing gathering for discussion is open to the community.  Bring a friend.   What happens at Lectionary Lunches with Lacey? Those gathered choose which of the lectionary readings to consider for the discussion.  No homework is required, though you may want to read the brief passages in advance.  You are welcome to bring your lunch to eat while we talk. Click here for the lectionary readings for Epiphany season.    If you are curious about how the lectionary readings were chosen, read here . To get the Zoom meeting information, contact office.cucc@gmail.com a few days before the group gathers.  The Zoom information is also in the Saturday Zoom email. If you would like to receive the weekly reminder on Wednesday morning, contact Pastor Lacey at lacey.cucc@gmail.com. Thank you to photographer carulmare for Sc

Join us for casual conversation on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day at the CUCC Cafe, 1-2PM, on Zoom. Bill Lamb will open the Zoom room at 1PM and, if no one has arrived, will close it at 1:15. The Zoom meeting information will be in the Saturday Zoom email.  If you would like to receive that email, contact office.cucc@gmail.com.

Sometimes called the Retirees’ Café because many of the regulars are in that age group, the CUCC Café is for anyone who happens to be free between 1-2PM on Fridays. There is no agenda – just time to catch up on what is happening in each other’s lives.  During these long months of stay-at-home orders, having a regular time to anticipate see other smiling faces is a good way to begin your weekend.  Friends are welcome! Bill Lamb and Merrilee Jacobson co-host. For the Zoom information, check your Saturday Zoom email or contact the office at office.cucc@gmail.com. 

You are invited to sign up for the Creation Care Growing Together Pilot , a new community opportunity through CUCC's Justice in a Changing Climate. The Growing Together Program connects the dots between faith, science and creation care.   The pilot, a project of the Creation Care Collective, consists of five monthly one hour Zoom to be held form January through May 2021. Sessions are on second Thursdays at 7PM. Pilot topics include:   Introduction: Faith, Science and Creation Care Eating: Theology of Food Purchasing: Living Simply and Justly Recycling: Soil and Compost Growing: Pulling it Together   The Growing Together Pilot provides an excellent opportunity for the CUCC community to learn and collaborate as we seek to do our part to promote Justice and Creation Care.  Register here before January 7, 2021  and contact Greg Eades to let him know you are participating as part of CUCC's group (wgeades@att.net).

Choosing to become a member of CUCC is like saying, "Okay. This is my spiritual home. These are my people. This is where I want to anchor my journey." As a part of the United Church of Christ, we are a non-creedal church. That means we view creeds and statements of faith as "testimonies not tests." We do not require you to believe any particular set of doctrinal statements but instead emphasize that membership is a covenantal commitment between the individual, the wider church, and God. Are you ready to join or do you have questions about the denomination and want to learn more? Please reach out to Pastor Lacey for a more in-depth conversation. lacey.cucc@gmail.com

On a chilly Sunday evening, members of the CUCC choir and band gathered in the church parking lot to celebrate the Advent season with “leaded” egg nog and wassail and individually packaged treats.  After being fully fortified, the group surrounded a blazing portable fire pit to sing carols – masked and standing a safe distance apart.  It was a wonderful pre-Christmas gift for all involved!

Pastor Lacey will take time off from Christmas to New Year's Day. She plans to be back in Raleigh on January 2 and will lead the worship service on January 3rd.  If you should have a pastoral care need, please reach out to Paul Atkinson, Chair of Deacons,(paulatkinson@mac.com) or Śānti Matthews, Youth and Adult Education Coordinator (education.cucc@gmail.com).

The Sunday Morning Bible Study group of Community UCC invites you to be a part of an interfaith opportunity. The Triangle Interfaith Alliance (TIA)  is made up of people from various faith traditions.  As this group has serious but lively discussions on an array of topics, enhancement of one's own faith is gained while much is learned from other faith communities.  In a compassionate and nonjudgmental environment, the commonalities are clearly revealed and differences accepted.   The group meets every third Tuesday via Zoom from 10:30 until noon.  If you would like to engage with TIA please email Judy Jacobs at judyejacobs@gmail.com. Your faith walk will be blessed. - submitted by Robert Parrish for the Sunday Morning Bible Study  robertcparrish7@gmail.com

New opportunities keep popping up every day, so keep checking the CUCC Online Calendar .   December 23, 2020 edition Thursday, December 24 Christmas Eve Worship Friday, December 25 Christ is Born! Christmas Day Café Sunday, December 27 Taizé worship , then fellowship Sunday Morning Adult Bible study –  Acting on Faith Worship , then fellowship  Monday, December 28 Monday Lunch Group Tuesday, December 29 Christmas Tuesday:  Read me a book Wednesday, December 30 Compost emptied Tai Chi No lectionary lunch today Friday, January 1 New Year’s Day Café Other important news in this edition Join us for Christmas Eve worship  - December 24 CUCC Cafe open on Christmas and New Year's days Mandy England Cole Guest Preaching - December 27 Personal calls to action at Sunday Morning Bible Study – December 27 Christmas Tuesday this week is ... Read me a book  - December 29 Pastor Lacey taking Christmas week off Decision time:  join a CSA that makes a difference With gratitude… #12 A devotional f

Come, all ye faithful! Joyful and triumphant! It is the season to sing praises to God! Our Christmas Eve worship will take place on December 24 at 5:00pm on Zoom. We will read lessons from both Matthew and Luke and sing our traditional carols.  Bring your Christ candle to welcome the newborn. Printable order of worship    standard print      large print We encourage you to invite your neighbors and friends to join us online. All are welcome! Please contact the office for the Zoom information, office.cucc@gmail.com

Pastor Lacey is taking some time off after Christmas and will be in Florida visiting family on Sunday, December 27. We are excited to welcome back Rev. Mandy England Cole who will be guest preaching on December 27 at 10:30AM worship. Bio: Rev. Mandy lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and their three sons.  She enjoys baking, being outdoors, and playing ukulele.  Professionally, she spends energy writing educational resources for Shine (a Mennonite publication), and, serving as a guest preacher and teacher.  She served as Senior Pastor of Ginter Park Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia from 2013 through 2018.  Those years were challenging and meaningful as she led them through significant transitions including the sale of their property and the relocation of the church.  Before this, she served as one of the pastors of Sardis Baptist Church in Charlotte and as seminarian at Grace Baptist Church, Richmond.  She is a graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and of M

The Sunday Morning Bible Study has been discussing Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism and Hope Across Religions , edited by Diane Faires Beadle and Jamie Lynn Haskins.  On Sunday, December 27, they will continue their discussion on their personal calls to action and the influence of faith on those calls. The group will be deciding via email what their next study will be for the new year.  If you would like to be part of the decision making process or have a book to suggest to anchor their Biblical study, contact Bill Lamb at william.e.lamb@gmail.com.

Read me a book A sweet holiday moment for kids of all ages Tuesday, December 29 5-6PM, on Zoom Zoom information will be in your Saturday Zoom email or contact the office (M-TH) at office.cucc@gmail.com. Read more about Advent Tuesdays here

Show and tell:  which ornament do you love and why? December 22, 5-6PM All ages (definitely) Zoom information will be in your Saturday Zoom email or contact the office (M-TH) at office.cucc@gmail.com. Read more about Advent Tuesdays here

The Meditation and Conversation series has ended. We hope to resume during Lent. We’re grateful to all who participated and all who hosted our meetings. We are especially grateful to Daniel Day for his leadership and training. We appreciate the healing and helpful effects of his teachings and we look forward to the reverberations and benefits that the spiritual practice of meditation offers.  Until Lent comes and we resume, please consider meditating regularly on your own. Keep as centered in love as you can, and please try to tend to and seek inner peace. May you spread some small measure of peace to a world that is desperately seeking wholeness, wellness, and peace.  In hope, appreciation and Advent Love,  Śānti Matthews, Youth and Adult Education Coordinator, education.cucc@gmail.com

Dear fellow CUCC'ers:   This email is a continuation of deacon outreach efforts in this time of COVID-19. Contained within this email is another devotional for our collective reflection from Marty Lamb.   Please remember if you are in need of support or assistance, then please don’t hesitate to call or reach out to one of us. We are happy to receive your prayer requests. We are also able to contact pastors or church staff on your behalf, should you require their support. We will strive to help any way we can.  You can find contact information for the deacons in Breeze; look at the tag for Deacons.   Thank you for being in community with us. May we remain unified, loving, passionate and compassionate during this difficult time. Peace be with you! Paul Atkinson Chair of Deacons Ministry   ****************************************************   It’s coming. Lacey hinted at it in her message last Sunday. Will  you feel it? Will you sense it? Will you see it, hear it, touch it, sniff it,

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books every month to children from birth until age five. No matter their family's income.    Check it out and sign up your child up on the website.   You can also make a donation to the Imagination Library here, too.   There's information specifically for parents  about reading to your pre-schooler under 'News and Resources.’ Share the info with others you know who have pre-schoolers. The Imagination Library also has a Facebook page featuring children, books, stories and and more. She has a Spotify playlist where she sings some songs for children.   One of the largest children’s literacy programs in the world, every month the Imagination Library ships more than 1.3 million books. The one hundredth-million book was given to the Library of Congress. — from CUCC's Assistant Librarian, Ann Retzer

We hope you will join us for worship during the season after Christmas when we remember the early stories of Jesus and his family. Community United Church of Christ is a casual and friendly place where you are welcome whether this is your first time at church or your 50th. Currently we worship on Zoom on Sunday mornings. At 9-9:30 AM an intimate service of meditation in the style of the Taizé community in France is offered. From 10:30-11:30 AM we gather, all ages together, for singing, prayer, scripture and learning. Read about the schedule below. After both worship services we linger for conversation in small groups. This is a good time to get to know people and ask questions. To receive the Zoom information, contact Pastor Lacey at lacey.cucc@gmail.com. Provide your name, phone number and email address and we will get back in touch with you. Season of Christmas Worship Schedule First Sunday after Christmas December 27 We welcome the Rev. Mandy England Cole to the pulpit this morning.

New opportunities keep popping up every day, so keep checking the CUCC Online Calendar .   December 17, 2020 edition Thursday, December 17 Advent Book Study Friday, December 18 Retirees’ Café & Christmas Luncheon Sunday, December 20 Taizé worship & communion , then fellowship Sunday Morning Adult Bible study –  Acting on Faith 10:30 Worship , then fellowship  Choir practice Youth prepare Wright Center meal Monday, December 21 Monday Lunch Group Hand and Foot Winter Solstice Poetry Night Moderating Team Tuesday, December 22 Advent Tuesday:  Share an ornament  Wednesday, December 23 Compost emptied Tai Chi No lectionary lunch today Choir practice Thursday, December 24 Christmas Eve Worship Friday, December 25 Christ is Born! Christmas Café    Other important news in this edition This week’s Advent gift recommendation is… Special Offering:  UCC Christmas Fund – December 20 Bring communion elements for Taize’   - December 20 Winter Solstice Poetry Night – December 21 Advent Tues

For Advent Week 4 (Love) we invite you to donate to Loaves and Fishes . For more information, talk to Charles Coble or Dawn Koonce who co-chair CUCC's Community Outreach Ministry, outreach.cucc@gmail.com.

The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees.  Over the past nine months, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency financial needs of many who serve the church have increased dramatically. Learn about the impact of The Christmas Fund. In such a time as this, the need for the Christmas Fund is more urgent than ever. United Church of Christ congregations and members have blessed the Christmas Fund with their generosity for many years. This year, your care and compassion will be especially appreciated by those servants of the church who are facing a time of need. CUCC will take up a special offering on Sunday, December 20. You may give in 3 ways: Text "Christmas" to 919-888-4541. Select "Christmas (UCC)" in the

On Sunday, December 20, at  9:00am Taizé worship, we will celebrate communion.  Bring wine and bread - whether orange juice or Merlot, a slice of whole-grain bread or a tortilla - to worship services.  We will join in Christ's meal together. At Community UCC we practice an "open table," meaning that you do not have to be a member of our church to participate. You don't have to be baptized or have gone through a confirmation process. People of all ages are welcome, even our young children! The only pre-requisite is an open heart. We believe that all people of faith are invited to join Christ at Christ's table for the sacrament of Communion. Just as many grains of wheat are gathered to make one loaf of bread and many grapes are gathered to make one cup of wine, we, the many people of God, are made one in the body of Christ, the church. Email the office to get the Zoom meeting information for worship. office.cucc@gmail.com.

Have you ever honored, celebrated, or made note of the Winter Solstice, the longest night? Waiting in the dark can feel difficult and yet it can also be a time of deep blessing. Some treasures can only be found in the season of Yuletide. Let’s wait in the dark together, sharing poetry, scripture, and story.  You are invited to find a favorite reading about darkness, turn off your lights, light a candle, and join us on Zoom from 5-6PM on Monday, December 21.  A link to our meeting will be in your Saturday Zoom email that week and in another email that day.  In the bleak mid-winter                            Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter Long ago. -Christina Rossetti For more information, contact Śānti Matthews, Youth and Adult Education Coordinator, education.cucc@gmail.com.  Members of the community who would like to attend can contact lacey.cucc@gmail.com for the Zoom informatio

Share an ornament Show and tell:  which ornament do you love and why? December 22, 5-6PM All ages (definitely) Zoom information will be in your Saturday Zoom email or contact the office (M-TH) at office.cucc@gmail.com. Read more about Advent Tuesdays here

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school. No matter their family's income.  Check it out .  Under the 'News and Resources' header, are specific resources and info for parents , too.   Share the info with others too. Submitted by CUCC's Assistant Librarian,  Ann Retzer.  Contact Ann if you have questions about this project.

New opportunities keep popping up every day, so keep checking the CUCC Online Calendar .   December 10, 2020 edition Thursday, December 10 Farm to Church CSA Advent Book Study Friday, December 11 Final day to drop off a blanket Retirees’ Café Saturday, December 12 Conversation and Meditation Sunday, December 13 Taizé worship , then fellowship Sunday Morning Adult Bible study –  Acting on Faith Christmas Pageant in Worship , then fellowship – wear a costume (opt.) Arts in Worship Committee Monday, December 14 Monday Lunch Group Tuesday, December 15 Advent Tuesday:  Caroling in your Christmas sweater or  PJs   Wednesday, December 16 Compost emptied Tai chi Lectionary Lunch with Lacey Thursday, December 17 Advent Book Study Friday, December 18 Retirees’ Café Other important news in this edition This week’s Advent gift recommendation is… Advent Tuesday this week is…caroling! Wear a costume for the Christmas Pageant December 13 Winter Solstice Poetry Night – December 21 Creation Care Col

For Advent Week 3 (Joy) we invite you to donate to Method Child Development Center . For more information, talk to Charles Coble or Dawn Koonce who co-chair CUCC's Community Outreach Ministry, outreach.cucc@gmail.com.

Caroling in your best sweater or PJs It's caroling time, the virtual way! December 15, 5-6PM All ages (definitely) Everyone tune in to Zoom if you want to hear and sing your favorite carols.  We'll be doing it the safe way this year, of course, but will have a big blowout caroling event next year to help celebrate the holidays.  All you have to do is pick out a few favorites, enter them in the chat box, and I will play and sing them for you.  Hopefully, you'll be singing along heartily, as well.  We'll be brave and try doing it unmuted but if there's too much feedback, we may have to mute.  We know there will be a time delay but that's part of the fun!  We have several special presenters lined up to lead some of the carols, as well. Let me know if you'd like to lead one. So, wear your warm jammies, robes, or comfortable clothes, prepare a nice, warm (or cool) beverage and tune in to this fun musical event!  It's the next best thing to singing together in

Guess what? A series of miracles happened and we still get to enjoy our treasured tradition of a CUCC Christmas pageant this year, but in a special new way! And YOU get to join in the fun! Come to worship on December 13, ready to enjoy a new version of the Christmas Story Everyone is invited to wear a costume (come as one of the Holy Family, an angel,  innkeeper, shepherd, sheep, cow, camel, sloth, owl, wise person, or lobster) and be ready to introduce yourself and your character during our Children’s Message. Then as the video recording of the youth led pageant rolls, join in from home in whatever way you want.  Contact Śānti Matthews with any questions you have at education.cucc@gmail.com.     A big giant thank you goes out especially to Josephine Thomas, Chelsea Huber, Carson Roach-Howell, Heather Burkhardt, and the 17 youth who made our pageant filming day a miraculous success! Another extra thank you goes out to Chelsea for all the post production and editing work she did on the

If you know a prayer request that needs to be updated, or of any new prayer requests, please send an email to Pastor Lacey at lacey.cucc@gmail.com, with PRAYER CONCERN in the subject line. Likewise, if you have, or know others who have specific needs for food, supplies, a phone call, or a word of encouragement, please alert the Caring Committee by emailing Robert Parrish robertcparrish7@gmail.com. What happens to my prayer request? The second half of our Saturday email includes the prayer requests from the previous week’s Prayers of the People in worship, as well as additional requests that come to the office or Pastor Lacey.  The Saturday email which includes the Community Prayers is sent only to active people at CUCC.  Those who meet 'virtually' for Monday Lunch Group offer prayers using the Community Prayers list as well. Your church staff and deacons want to provide continuing pastoral care, even if we may not be able to see you in person. 

Dear fellow CUCC'ers:   This is a continuation of deacon outreach efforts in this time of COVID-19. Below is a devotional for our collective reflection from Marty Lamb.   Please remember if you are in need of support or assistance, then please don’t hesitate to call or reach out to one of us. We are happy to receive your prayer requests. We are also able to contact pastors or church staff on your behalf, should you require their support. We will strive to help any way we can.  You can find the contact information for all deacons in Breeze; look for the Deacons "tag."   Thank you for being in community with us. May we remain unified, loving, passionate and compassionate during this difficult time. Peace be with you! Paul Atkinson Chair, Deacons Ministry _________________ A devotional from Marty Lamb It would be hard to sit down to compose a devotion in December without thinking of the purity of oneness that comes with the birth of a child, especially after the recent, char

 Enjoy photos of some of the homes on show at Advent Tuesday's Gingerbread Home Tour. View here Congratulations to CUCC's imaginative architects and builders!

We wait together for the coming and coming again of the Christ. Printable version of calendar of events for Advent here   Printable version of Advent event descriptions here Printable version of Advent candle liturgy here

We hope you will join us for worship in December as we remember the birth of Jesus and welcome the Christ in our lives today.  Advent (the four weeks prior to Christmas Day) is a season of celebrating and beautiful ritual.  Community UCC is a casual and friendly place where you are welcome whether this is your first Christmas at church or your 50th. Currently we worship on Zoom on Sunday mornings.  At 9-9:30 AM an intimate service of meditation in the style of the Taizé community in France is offered.  From 10:30-11:30 AM we gather, all ages together, for singing, prayer, scripture and learning.  Read about the schedule below.  After both worship services we linger for conversation in small groups.  This is a good time to get to know people and ask questions. To receive the Zoom information, contact the church office (office.cucc@gmail.com).  Provide your name, phone number and email address and we will get back in touch with you. A printable order of worship for each service is uploa

New opportunities keep popping up every day, so keep checking the CUCC Online Calendar .   December 6, 2020 edition Thursday, December 3 Website Team Deacons Ministry Advent Book Study Friday, December 4 Retirees’ Café Saturday, December 5 Conversation and Meditation Sunday, December 6 Taizé worship , then fellowship Sunday Morning Adult Bible study –  Acting on Faith 10:30 Worship with communion , then fellowship Caring Committee Monday, December 7 Monday Lunch Group Tuesday, December 8 Advent Tuesday:  Gingerbread Open House Wednesday, December 9 Compost emptied Tai Chi Lectionary Lunch with Lacey Choir Thursday, December10 Farm to Church CSA Advent Book Study Friday, December 11 Retirees’ Café    Other important news in this edition Bring bread and wine for Advent 2 (Peace) - December 6, 10:30 worship This week’s Advent gift recommendation is… Advent Tuesday this week is… What does it mean to explore the Bible in community? Come to farm to church CSA next steps    December 10 Wear