Community UCC eNews
December 19, 2019
Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian Church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.

Sunday Sermon  

Sunday, Dec. 22, the fourth Sunday of Advent , Pastor Ara will deliver a sermon titled "Gift of Peace," based on Luke 1:46-56.

Worship Service Each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
NOTE: We broadcast our Sunday Worship service on Facebook Live beginning at 10:30 a.m. We want to make service accessible to members or friends who can't be with us on Sunday mornings. The camera captures the front of the Sanctuary and the first couple of rows of seats.
There will be NO eNews next week, on Dec. 26. The next eNews deadline is 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, for publication on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Finding Community: By Chad Hayden

If you missed Chad's powerful testimony last Sunday about how he came to find Community in our congregation, you can read it on our website.
Please join us for Carols, Cookies and Cocoa at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in the Sanctuary! This event is a congregational sing-along featuring our best-loved Christmas carols, as well as a few special solo performances, special musical guests and our own Community UCC choir.

No admission fee — just bring your singing voice! Join us as we sing our way into Christmas! Child care will be available.
Final chance to get tickets for this jigsaw puzzle basket raffle! 

J ust in time for Christmas, Lisa Boyles has put together this jigsaw puzzle fun basket with puzzles for all ages, and yummy snacks and refreshments!

If you win this basket, you can plan a fun family evening (or several), use the basket contents as Christmas gifts, or save it to offer later to create a hosted event people can bid for our next big fundraiser/silent auction!

Tickets will be on sale in the breezeway after worship, with the drawing to be held Dec. 22 . Tickets are $5 each or five for $20.
Advent Projects
Each year the Missions and Social Justice Team plans Advent projects for the four Sundays in Advent, beginning this year on Sunday, Dec. 1. The committee picks four organizations that will benefit, and the congregation can bring requested items for each week’s project.

Here is the remaining project:
Christmas Eve Service

Join us at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 , for our Christmas Eve worship service. Come celebrate the birth of Jesus at our Christmas Eve worship service as we sing, pray and enjoy a short play together. All are welcome! (There will be no Christmas Day service.)

Poinsettias decorating the Sanctuary have been given in honor/memory by:
  • Lisa Boyles and Randy Bell, in memory of Sean Dorman, Norene Bitler, Krissy Black and Grace Grundy
  • John R. Donaldson, in memory of Shirley Donaldson, Ruth Reynolds and Vy Nutter
  • Sarah Fey, in memory of Russell and Patricia Fey
  • Becky Garth-Nelson and Jim Nelson, in memory of Thomas Gates Garth, son; Patrick James Garth, son; our parents and Jim’s brother
  • EJ Hinojosa, in memory of Alexander Horton
  • Jing Family, in memory of our parents, Art & Phyllis Jing
  • Susan and Spence Hipp, in honor of our children and grandchildren; in honor of James Burke and in memory of Margaret Burke; in memory of Walter and Jessie Hipp
  • Carol Kilburn, in memory of Art and Bobbie Drolette, and in memory of Ceil and John Speirs
  • Joe Mack, in memory of Susan Liberty; and in appreciation of Ara, Eileen, Annie, Bobbie, Joanne, Nancy, Carol, Meg and Roger, the 10 who helped me out paying off the affect of the scam I was the victim of.
  • Nanete Maki-Dearsan, in memory of Susan Liberty and in honor of Haley Maki-Dearsan and Pastor Ara and her baptism here
  • Parks Family, in memory of Steve Parks, Betty Parks, Neil Parks and Joe Neary
  • Thomas Russell and Elizabeth Davis-Russell, in memory of Pryde Jefferson Davis and in honor of my guys, Allison and Danny
  • Anne Simone, in memory of Dorothy and Charles Thomas
  • Pearl Supersad, in memory of Dr. Jankie Supersad; and in honor of my children and grandchildren
  • Roger and Victoria Wall, in memory of Edith Thomas, and Ruth Wall-Custer
  • Sib and Eileen White, in memory of Sibley and Anna White, Carl, Elsie and Dennis Schwabenland
2019 Advent Devotional is Here!

Once again, Community United Church of Christ and The Big Red Church have collaborated on the 2019 Advent and Christmas Devotional and Journal , written by members and clergy of Big Red Church and  Community UCC ! Click here to download a copy of the 2019 Advent Devotional and Journal! There will also a limited number of hard copies available at church.
From Phil Fullerton: It is with great sadness that I must report the death of longtime church member Phyllis Jing on Dec. 14, 2019. She was a resident of San Joaquin Gardens.

Phyllis had a long and illustrious history with our church. She joined while we were still worshipping on Shaw Avenue. I can so recall her getting up in the meeting when we were approached by the Fashion Fair Mall promoters to say we should demand more money! We did and succeeded in doing so. In many ways, Phyllis is instrumental in the very existence of our church on North Fresno Street.

She served in many capacities in the church including moderator and on ministerial search committees. She was always a voice of supreme wisdom wherever she went.

As a young girl she lived on Oahu in Hawaii near Pearl Harbor. She heard the crashing of the bombs and like so many at first little knew what it was!

She is preceded in death by her husband, Art Jing. MD. Phyllis was a huge help to Art in establishing his practice and later in maintaining it. Art was also active in the church and another voice of wisdom.

Phyllis and Art raised their family in the church. She is survived by their three children. Here is a picture of the family outside the church on Shaw Ave.

No services have been announced yet. Our thoughts and prayers are with this family so critical in the life of our church.
Dear Congregation,

The Search Team is receiving ministerial profiles and prayerfully considering them. As many of you know, this is a long process and we are continuing our discernment process. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy!
In grace and gratitude,
Linda Baird, Sean Carlson, Bonita Earl , Chad Hayden,
Amy Kilburn, Nancy Pressley, Aravis Rocha, Vicky Wall
The Women's book for January will be "Holy Envy, Finding God in the Faith of Others" by Barbara Brown Taylor. We will begin our study at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan 14 , in the Conference Room. If you would like to order a book they are $19. Please let Robin or Marilyn know. 

Reading assignments:
Jan. 14 - Intro and Ch. 1
Jan. 21 - Ch. 2 and 3
Jan. 28 - Ch. 4 and 5
Feb. 4 - Ch. 6 and 7
Feb. 11 - Ch. 8 and 9
Feb. 18 - Ch. 10 and 11
Feb. 25 - Ch. 12 and Epilogue
 
Living the Questions 2.0
Below are the upcoming calendars (subject to change) and themes for November and December.

Theme: INVITATION TO JOURNEY 

Dec. 22 — A Passion for Christ: Paul the Apostle
Dec. 29 — No LTQ
Jan. 5- No LTQ
Jan. 12-Out into the World: Challenges Facing Progressive Christians
Saturday Morning Breakfast Group
Saturday, Jan. 4 , Conference Room
Breakfast at 8:45 a.m., talk begins at 9 a.m.

On Jan. 4, Elizabeth Davis-Russell will discuss "What does it mean to be a progressive Christian Church?" This presentation will explore what CUCC is doing, and poses the question, "What else can CUCC do to confront some of the challenges of today's world?” Lee and Virginia Virag will provide breakfast in January. 

Phil Fullerton will present on Feb. 1, speaking on "Eight Years in Provence."
In each week's eNews, we include a news article from our larger denomination, United Church of Christ , to show the faithful work being done in other places.
Christmas cookie 'magic' helps fund Illinois church's summer mission trips

For years, cookies have been appearing in Advent, like magic, to help fund summer mission trips for the young people of  First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ , in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Ill.

Or, anyway, it feels like magic to the church's Pilgrim Fellowship and its leader, Matt Cameron, youth ministries coordinator. "We as a group bake a lot of them," Cameron said. "Parents work with their kids beforehand to have some ready as well. But we get a good number of donations from church members that magically appear on the Friday before the Saturday sale, as the youth group is setting up and baking." Continue reading at the UCC.com website .
Happy Birthday and Anniversary to all who are celebrating this month!

December Birthdays
2 – Steve Edwards
3 – Miles Barrett
7 – Jessica Swan
8 – Curtis Richardson
10 – Janina Smith-Schulz
16 – Matt Horton, Amy Kilburn
17 – Barbara Kilburn, Pearl Supersad, Kyle Carlson
18 – Ed Sanchez
26 – Julia Penner-Zook, Tim Tidyman-Jones
28 – Seth Tilley
31 – Allen Church, Noah Ruffin

December Anniversaries
10 – Marilyn and David Wall
26 – Rod Zook and Julia Penner-Zook

Did we overlook someone's birthday or anniversary for this month? Please let Marilyn ( office@communityucc.com ) and Lisa ( lisamboyles12@gmail.com ) know so we can get you in next week. We never intend to leave anyone out.

Upcoming Church Events

  • Thursday Evening Worship - weekly at 7 p.m., we hold a weekly contemplative, interactive, spirit-filled worship service in the Sanctuary
  • Dec. 20 - Christmas Concert, 7 p.m., Sanctuary
  • Sundays at 9 a.m. - Adult Education in the Conference Room
  • Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve service, 5:30 p.m.
  • Jan. 4 - Saturday Morning Breakfast Group, 8:45 a.m., Conference Room (see article above)
  • Jan. 5 - Recycling Sunday, first Sunday of the month

Keep up to date with our Church's online calendar!
There will be NO eNews next week, on Dec. 26

Next eNews deadline is 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31

CUCC eNews is a weekly publication distributed every Thursday. Deadline for submitting announcements is 10 a.m. Wednesdays (and earlier is appreciated). Please send your announcements to Marilyn at office@communityucc.com .
Phone: 559.435.2690 
Email: office@communityucc.com