January 7, 2018 Congregational Meeting

What's Up with the Building Project?

Many of you have come by the display/table, taken mini-tours, participated in treasure hunts or weekly discussion opportunities, and/or visited our webpages over the past four months. Now what? The Building Task Force is analyzing all of your comments having potential design implications and working with the architect to produce some further-refined conceptual plans. We will unveil the new conceptual drawings, which incorporate some of your suggestions, at the January 7 congregational meeting. This meeting will be an exciting step toward realization of the vision for renovation and new construction in the Jones Building, providing accessibility and more available spaces for adult meetings throughout the week and for Sunday religious education. Please plan to attend!

 

End-of-Year Giving

Building on our Legacy: Donating Stock or Securities

 

The 2017 tax year is quickly drawing to a close. As you think about your annual charitable giving, please consider making an early gift to the upcoming Capital Campaign. Cash is always welcome, but d onations of stock or other securities are also encouraged. To make a transfer to the church's Capital Fund, you need to find out from your institution what form or letter is required and to provide The Community Church of Chapel Hill account information to them: Charles Schwab & Company, account #2451-9267. You also need to notify Andrea Sordean-Mintzer ( c3hfinance@gmail.com or 919-942-2050) if you transfer stock or securities so she can be looking for the transaction. Ivy Brezina 415-663-8703, Paige Smith 919-618-1748, or Cathy Cole 919-967-3422 will be happy to discuss your gift with you or to provide further assistance.

Mark your calendars for the biggest all-church, all-ages event of the year. On Saturday, December 2 starting at 4:30 p.m. we'll begin decorating the Sanctuary and Commons. We'll hang garlands, trim trees and jazz up wreaths with ribbons and sparkling ornaments. Meanwhile, there will be lots of crafts to engage the kids.  

 

During this time we'll also make gift baskets for IFC's "Homestart" shelter. Promptly at 5:30, we'll gather for the traditional chili, cornbread and salad supper. Then we'll round off the evening with a sing-a-long of holiday tunes.

 

*Four options for homemade gifts to make - choose one or all

* Gift wrap those gifts

* Snack and lunch provided

* Play inside or outside

* Watch a short holiday movie

* Lots of supervision

Get to know a child in our church!  Be a Special bUUddy!

The annual  Special bUUddy  Breakfast is coming up! The Breakfast is a great way for adults in the church to get to  know a child in the church and make a new friend. This is an inter-generational event for children (ages 5-11) and adults in the church.  

The  Special  bUUddy  Breakfast is a Valentine tradition at the Community Church in which a child and an adult get to know each other. First, adults receive the name of a child in January. They contact the parents of the child first, and then they call and correspond with their new young friend for several weeks in a structured and easy way. Then they meet that child for a festive group breakfast at church for conversation and games. 

The Breakfast is Sunday, February 11th at 10:15 am, between the services in the Community Building. The deadline for adults to sign up for the Special bUUddy Program is Sunday January 21th, 2018. If you have a child aged 5-11 (K-5th grade) who would like to participate in the Breakfast, the deadline for children signing up is 1/14/18. There will be sign ups after the services in January.  You also can sign up by contacting Marion Hirsch  at  hirsch.marion@gmail.com .

 

A New Ministry: Spouse Loss Grief Support

 

Every year, several members and friends of our congregation suffer the devastating loss of a spouse.  Local hospice organizations offer grief support groups that meet for a short period of time.  The Caring Ministry, with Rev. Thom's support, has decided to sponsor a Spouse Loss Grief Support Group for members and friends of Community Church. Our hope is that this new ministry will offer newly bereaved spouses an opportunity to deepen connections with others in our church which will help to sustain them over time.  

 

Our group will meet on ten Tuesdays, from 2:00-4:00, beginning on January 16.  The group will be facilitated by Carolyn Holt, using materials developed by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.  Our workshop text, and an accompanying journal, will be handed out at the first meeting.  Together they provide a most useful guide to the complex journey through grief.  Both Rev. Thom and the head of our Caring Ministry, Mary George, will be at our January 16 meeting to provide support and answer questions.  

 

Register to take part in our Spouse Loss Grief Support Group by contacting Carolyn Holt: carolynholt@mac.com

In December permanent signs will designate the front circle and back lot for handicapped (HC) and limited mobility parking for Sundays and events.

First Sunday Recyclables December 3: (at the ECO table during coffee hour) Recycle your holiday lights (working or not). Also batteries (AAA-D, button, rechargeable), natural and synthetic corks, tiny bits of metal (paper clips, nails, screws, etc.).

 

Show your love for Mother Earth over the holidays. Check out the ECO tips for a greener holiday here.

 

The Race between the Solar-Battery Breakthrough and Climate Chaos is the topic of NC WARN's Annual Meeting on Saturday, December 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eno River UU Fellowship , 4907 Garrett Rd, Durham . Join NC WARN for a hopeful discussion on NC Clean Path 2025 , a strategy to replace fossil fuels with solar energy and battery storage and slow the climate crisis. Lunch and refreshments provided. Please RSVP by December 6: 919-416-5077 ncwarn@ncwarn.org . For information on NC Clean Path 2025, visit the ECO table on Dec. 3.

CHURCH MEMBERS URGED TO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT NC COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON TORTURE   

 

The public is invited to attend two-day Hearings of the North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, November 30 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, December 1, Raleigh Convention Center, 500 South Salisbury Street.  

For more than 35 years, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic has served the residents of Orange and Durham Counties with compassionate, nonjudgmental health care and programs including preventive services like birth control, cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and sexual health education for both youth and their caregivers.

 

Planned Parenthood is one of the largest providers of contraceptives and reproductive health care in our communities and this is what the December 17 Share the Plate will help support. In the face of threatened and probable cuts in the federal funding that provides reimbursement for services to patients who cannot afford to pay, your gift will ensure that patients receive the care that they need and deserve-no matter what.

 

Our church continues to partner with Habitat for Humanity and other churches to ensure that all individuals and families can afford to live in our high-cost community.  Church partners provide half the construction costs; Habitat the other half.  Families repay the Habitat share in mortgage payments which are then put towards constructing more homes.  Church members work alongside family members in constructing each house.   

 

Please share generously on Christmas Eve and support affordable housing in our community. Unable to make it to church? Please send your contribution to the church office.  Make checks payable to The Community Church of Chapel Hill UU.  Put "Habitat for Humanity" in the memo line.

Community Clickers use needles, hooks, and yarn to create comfort and warmth for our community. During December, some of us will be knitting or crocheting red hats for babies born in February as part of the Little Hats, Big Hearts™ project. We will also deliver a lap blanket (pictured) to Meals on Wheels in Durham and will provide scarves for the women at Homestart who are the recipients of this year's greening service project. Our ongoing project is to create shawls for UNC Hospice. These are made with 7" x 9" knitted and crocheted blocks of washable acrylic, #4 worsted weight yarn, and donated blocks are greatly appreciated! Join us on Wednesday December 6th from 2-4 p.m. in the Commons Area. Can't knit or crochet? Come learn or help sew! The next meeting of the Clickers will be from 7-9 p.m. on January 15th. Contact clickers@c3huu.org for more information.

Skills Workshops for Talking Across the Political Divide

On Nov. 20 and 21, the Sanctuary for Dialogue team held workshops to help participants prepare for conversations with family and friends over the holidays.   It goes without saying that when there are large political differences in opinion, these conversations can be difficult and not very satisfying - if they happen at all.   We had a "full house" (limited by space constraints) of 14 participants plus instructors and observers each night.   Participants learned about and practiced listening and speaking skills such as paraphrasing, asking questions for understanding, using "I" statements and more.   We look forward to hearing how those conversations went after the Thanksgiving holidays.   Many people wanted to participate but couldn't, so we hope to schedule more workshops before the winter holidays. You can learn more about Sanctuary for Dialogue at http://www.c3huu.org/sanctuary-for-dialogue.html.