Sunday, September 6, 2020
"What We Bring to the Movement"
The challenges we face during this election year / pandemic / struggle for racial justice also presents our nation with an unprecedented moment of possibility. Despite our recent experiences of fear and scarcity, we are called to meet this moment in the spirit of abundance, creativity and courage. This Sunday, we’ll discuss how each of us can bring our gifts to the table and help co-create a new vision for our country.
Lisa Garcia-Sampson is the Executive Director of the UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina, and this year leads our state’s UU the Vote campaign. Lisa is in preliminary ministerial fellowship and will soon be ordained by her home congregation, the First Unitarian Church of Providence.
MUSIC NOTES: For this Sunday’s service, Eric Bannan will provide the special music, premiering a brand new song written especially for the occasion. Scott and Jane Provan will lead us on a song by Emma’s Revolution, with another hymn recycled from our ever-growing list of virtual choir music. And, we’ll add at least two more voices to our closing song, “Shalom."
*** NEW DEADLINE FOR JOYS & SORROWS ***
If you wish to have a joy or sorrow named in the service,
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SUNDAY OFFERINGS:
- Watch Virtual Worship Service On Demand
- 10AM - Live Religious Education Service on Zoom
- 11AM - Live Community Coffee Hour on Zoom
- 3PM - Middle School Youth Group
- 7PM - High School Youth Group
We live our Mission through your generosity!
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To the 53 church members that wrote and mailed over 2,000 postcards to North Carolinians on behalf of the NAACP and Reclaim our Vote!
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CONTRIBUTE TO THE MULTIGENERATIONAL WATER SERVICE ON 9/13 We will kick off our new church year with a Multigenerational Water Service of Renewal on 9/13. We need your help. There are two ways you can contribute. 1) Send one word that represents personal renewal. 2) Send a photo of you by a body of water. Please include your name and the body of water in your submission. Both submissions can be emailed to Marion here by Wednesday, 9/9 at 5pm.
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WHAT’S NEW THIS WEEK WITH OUR NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION? In the tenth week following the (yay!) June 19 start date, the installation of structural steel supports has commenced. You can take a virtual peek at the ongoing work here via weekly-updated photos and video. (Please do that in lieu of physically visiting the construction site behind the church, which for safety reasons is off-limits without an authorized escort.)
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WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? This summer, children (ages 3-13) in Religious Education are studying Toolbox of Faith in an interactive Zoom worship followed by family fellowship. This week we will look back at our summer, in a worship led by Kat Good. Middle School and High School youth groups will gather virtually on Sunday afternoon and evening. On Saturday, the Family Event is Story Building. For more information about our Religious Education Program, contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.
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VOTING 101 Q&A WITH LISA AFTER COFFEE HOUR SEPT 6TH After Coffee Hour on Sunday, Sept 6th, a Q&A session about critical voting information will be held by Lisa Garcia Sampson and a representative from You Can Vote. This will be a half-hour interactive conversation about all the ways people can participate in elections. To join, please attend our virtual zoom coffee hour here, and stay until the end.
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Building & Grounds monthly WorkPARTY Please join other members and friends as we change light bulbs, weed gardens and otherwise whittle down our campus maintenance list for September. No fix-it experience required. Pack a lunch, mask up and come on over on Labor Day from 9 AM til after lunch to work on the church, share a physically-distanced lunchtime together, gawk at the construction progress and just get the heck out of the house and visit with some friends! We meet in the Courtyard in front of the church.
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JOIN OUR CHURCH'S 29 DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE SEA in partnership with other ministries is proud to sponsor an important opportunity for our church community. Based on the 21-day Challenge curated by Eddie Moore, we are challenging our community to a daily act (read an article, watch a video, reflect, notice, or act) aimed to help us deepen our understanding of racism and better work for racial equity in the world. We meet Thursdays over the month to reflect together in facilitated small groups. 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8 7-8 PM on Zoom. Register here for the 29-Day Racial Equity Challenge. While we will be assigning specific readings, videos, and actions for the challege, you can view Eddie Moore’s curated collection of materials here.
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WRITE HERE! WRITE NOW!As UUs, we are called to act! Write personal letters to your Senators and urge them to pass the new COVID relief bill to include access to aid for immigrants. Also, urge strengthening oversight of DHS in funding the agency. Letters should be RECEIVED by Tuesday, September 15, emailed to Brenda Rogers here or mailed to Brenda Rogers, 19204 Stone Brook, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. More information here.
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DON'T MISS THE GIFT OF WRITTEN MEMORIES WORKSHOP Recalling and writing our stories helps us reflect on their meaning, and helps our descendants understand our key experiences and values. Participants will write about themes such as career, family, and spiritual development. “The Gift of Written Memories” workshops will be Tuesday evenings, 9/15 to 11/17. Meetings will include lecture and small group sharing of writing. Sponsored by Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA). Sign up here; Registration is required. Learn more here. Please email Carolyn Holt here or email Jody Savage here with questions.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR SEPTEMBER On Saturday, September 19, from 10:30 to 12:00, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The Future of Capitalism: Facing the New Anxieties, by Paul Collier. This meeting will be held via Zoom teleconferencing. Ed Steffes will be leading our discussion. The Readers meet on the third Saturday of each month; new members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact the group to ask questions, or to be placed on the distribution list for meeting information.Contact the group here.
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EXCITING FALL CLASES FOR ADULTS WITH SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS (SEA) We are excited to offer The Active Soul: Poetry as Survival (Learn to write the personal lyric) led by poet Cheryl Wilder on Saturdays 10-11:30 AM, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10.10/17. The classic Building Your Own Theology is coming in October and November.For more information and registration check out the SEA webpage here.
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PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO SEND FAVORITE RECIPE(S) SOON! The clock is ticking, don’t wait for the last minute! The Community Church Cookbook wants your favorite recipe(s) to help make this a churchwide treasure. Proceeds will help close the Gap for the Building Project. The deadline for recipes is SEPTEMBER 30. More details here. Questions? Please email us here. The more who participate, the more we will all love this cookbook!
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PROMOTE THE VOTE: KNOW IT AND SHOW IT Do you know voting deadlines? Voter Registration must be submitted by Oct 9th or at Early Voting locations Oct 15-30th. Help us share this and other critical information (here) with voters of color at risk of being purged from the voting records by joining our UU the Vote zoom phone banking sessions for the NC NAACP in September. Sign up here. If we have over 60 hours of calls made Marion will dye her hair the color of our choice! Questions? Contact Dana here.
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2020 FALL AUCTION It is hard to believe, but this year’s Fall Auction, Community Church’s largest fundraising event, is only 7 weeks from now! This year’s auction will be held online to keep us safe. We definitely need many, many more donations – and we need them soon so that everyone can browse the auction catalog here before bidding starts. What can you offer? A special food? An online event? A safe get-together? Contact Don and Susan Blanchard here with questions.
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RARE WOMEN We are elder women who meet via Zoom (to be “safer at home”) and discuss the gifts, myths, and challenges of growing older. All groups are open and newcomers are welcome! On September 7th (2-4pm), Helen Lancaster will lead the Monday group (here) in a new meditation. On September 10th (10am-noon), Bonnie Gilliom’s group (here) will begin discussing Mary Pipher’s book, Women Rowing North. Discussion questions are HERE. Group C (here) will share thoughts/feelings (1:30-3:30pm, Thursday, 9/10).
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THE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN ACTION
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8/8/2020
Youth Ministry Team: Hogwarts on the Hill
On August 8, over 70 adults, youth & children of The Community Church held a magical, community building event: the first hybrid (online and socially-distanced in-person) Hogwarts on the Hill!
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Habitat Build 2020 We are now building a home for Lay Da / Naw Gay who live with their 2-year old son and the mother's mother. They are eager to have a new home since the rent on their 2 bedroom apartment has increased dramatically. There will be a wall raising on September 12. For more info on this and other opportunities, contact Dave Morgan here to be added to the email list. AND please remember and contribute generously to the September 13 Share the Plate for Habitat of Orange County.
Our church’s Habitat for Humanity mission builds safe, affordable homes for local families who are cost-burdened and may live in substandard or overcrowded housing. The Sept. 13 STP collection will support a Habitat-built house in Hillsborough, partnering with our Building Hope partners (St. Thomas More, United Church, Trinity Lutheran, Chapel of the Cross). Please make your donation online or by checks payable to Community Church of Chapel Hill UU. (Put “Habitat” in the memo line.) Thank you. For more information, please contact Kathy Farinola here.
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WHAT’S IT REALLY LIKE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD? Could you be a prospective candidate for the Board? To find out what it’s really like, check out this surprisingly pulse-pounding teaser video which also gives access to full testimonials from current and former board members. We are seeking a VP candidate and 2 board members, all of whom serve 3-year terms. Deadline to apply is Oct 1. For more information, please contact Laura Gilliom, George Thompson, Joelle Bourjolly or Krista Westervelt. |
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ART IN THE SANCTUARY The art team is pleased to announce that new art has been hung on the wall in the sanctuary that's visible during virtual services. The paintings are by James Keul. Thanks to Bonnie Gilliom for arranging this exhibit. And thanks to Thom for making a video of the paintings which is now viewable on the "Art in the Sanctuary" page of the church website here.
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BEYOND OUR WALLS
EVENTS SUGGESTED BY MEMBERS & GROUPS
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INTERFAITH COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICE Requests for help at the IFC Food Pantry remain very high. Any standard non-perishable foods you can contribute will help. Mt. Carmel Baptist Church will accept from 9-11 any Saturday. Binkley Baptist Church will accept the first Monday of the month from 10-11. In Sept. that is changed to 9/14 because of Labor Day. Each place takes bags from the back of your car and delivers to the Pantry promptly.For questions, contact Sue Brewer here.
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INFORMATION
Most orange text is clickable! Orange text links to outside websites or to an email address. Example: email c3hfinance@gmail.com for rentals.
Please submit Weekly Announcements contributions HERE.
Announcements are due by noon Wednesday, prior to Friday's issue.
Event submissions may be run up to two times.
Please include contact information.
The Community Church Board wants to hear from you!
Click here to share with us your thoughts, comments, concerns, and questions. Click here to learn more about the Board, including viewing the Board and Congregational Meeting minutes.
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