WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekly Announcements 4/10- 4/16/20

April 12
“He’s Not Here”
 Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
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When the Marys arrive at Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning they encounter an Angel who announces, “He’s not here.” On this Easter, when churches all over the world will be empty, what would it be like to imagine the empty church as the empty tomb? How might such a notion liberate our understanding of religion?

MUSIC NOTES: Even though this Sunday’s first service won’t be able to take place at Memorial Rock, I still convinced Danny Gotham to take a trip down there and, amidst the birdsong and construction cranes, play two pieces by Loe Kottke and John Fahey that have become an Easter tradition at The Community Church. And although I couldn’t get the choir to convene, we did meet “virtually” to sing a traditional Easter Anthem arranged by Jester Hairston, as well as two hymns that we all hope you join us in singing.
- Glenn Mehrbach, Music Director


Rev. Thom will be naming Joys & Sorrows during the service. If you have a joy or sorrow you would like Thom to share, please email or text him (919)259-2009 with your joy or sorrow by 11:59PM on Saturday, 4/4.

Join us following the service at 11AM for a Virtual Coffee Hour, hosted by Rachel Rose and Rev. Thom. Rev. Thom will offer a few words, and then we will be divided into break-out groups for friendly conversation and checking in.  Here is a tutorial on how to join a Zoom meeting . You do not need to create an account, but you will want to  download either the Zoom desktop or phone app  prior to the meeting.  Here is the link to join the Virtual Coffee Hour.

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  • 8:30AM Children's Worship 

  • 9 & 9:30AM Preschool & Elementary Group 

  • 10AM Virtual Worship service

  • 11AM Community Coffee Hour (see above for how to participate!)

  • 3PM Middle School Youth Group 

  • 7PM High School Youth Group 


​We live our Mission through your generosity!
When you give, you help us:
 - Nurture your spirit
 - Care for one another
 - Change the world with our love


Within These Walls
Thanks to everyone who made the Community Day of Service on March 7 a success!
Our volunteers participated in 18 service projects in the wider community and celebrated the day with St. Patrick's Day-themed refreshments, decorations, and music from Eileen Regan & Tim Smith and the UUkes! The Community Day of Service was the kickoff to our Annual Pledge Drive. We encourage everyone in our congregation to make a generous pledge of financial support for the coming fiscal year. Click here to make your pledge online , find out more about the Annual Pledge Drive, and see MORE NEW pictures from the Community Day of Service. Thanks to everyone who has already pledged!
Thanks for your generous support of our Beloved Community!
Please note: All events are tentative, and the schedule is subject to change.
SCAM ALERT
Several members of the church received email from an address imitating Rev. Thom's. These messages ask people to purchase gift cards to give to people in the hospital. These messages are a scam. If you receive them, please report them and delete them. If you have any concerns, please  contact Rev. Thom directly. Please know that Rev. Thom will never send out email solicitations asking people to purchase gift cards.

  • WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? In April, children (ages 3-13) in Religious Education are studying LIBERATION. This week, children are learning about liberation and Easter from the virtual RE video. We are also meeting in circles by zoom where we can share joys and sorrows. Middle School and High School youth groups will gather virtually on Sunday afternoon and evening. On Saturday families will meet virtually and go on a collaborative scavenger hunt. For more information about our Religious Education Program, please contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.

  • BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS On Sunday, April 19 we will hold a virtual, multigenerational, Blessing of the Animals worship service. As part of the service, we will create a slide show with photos of people in our church with their animal companions. You can be a part of the slide show! CLICK HERE to email your photo to Marion Hirsch.

  • DONATE "VIRTUALLY' TO SHARE THE PLATE! Your generosity for TABLE and HABITAT FOR HUMANITY STPs was overwhelming!! THANK YOU!! Keep it going! On STP Sundays, Rev. Thom announces the organization during the virtual service. TO DONATE: Scroll to the bottom of the service page to the "basket"; choose Share the Plate and submit your donation. OR CLICK HERE for DONATION page! (Checks made out to the church (STP/recipient in memo line) can also be sent to Dana Lundquist at the church, if you prefer.). QUESTIONS? Contact Jane Provan or Jill Baker


  • HELP FEED THE HUNGRY IN OUR COMMUNITY 4/21 During a crisis, the poor and vulnerable are the hardest hit. Hunger is not reduced because of a pandemic - if anything, matters are made much worse . As per Gov. Cooper's mandate, all meals are prepared "to go", and "social distancing" is accommodated in the process. Please CLICK HERE to sign up to help and make an immediate impact in our community. Sign up once, or once a month - many hands make light work!

  • WRITE HERE WRITE NOW (WHWN) will participate in the April letter writing by email. A bi-partisan bill H.R.5544 will reduce harmful greenhouse gases and address the climate crisis while creating new jobs. If you would like to write letters to your Congressman in the next two weeks, please email Brenda Rogers or call 919-968-0833 for the handout and sample letter. Letters should be emailed to Brenda by Sunday, April 12. Your letters will be delivered, when conditions are safe, by the UUSJ Advocacy Corps in Washington, D.C.

  • CLIMATE LETTER TO CONGRESS: ECO is partnering with Side with Love and Write Here Write Now to write to our U.S. Representatives about a bipartisan bill to address the climate crisis by reducing HFCs, a specific type of greenhouse gas. CLICK HERE for Information and a sample letter. Please personalize your letter as you see fit. Please CLICK HERE to email your letter to Brenda Rogers by April 12. Letters will be printed and hand-delivered to Congress when it is safe to do so.

  • NEW! MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS DUE THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH In an effort to reduce confusion and allow consistent, adequate time for the creation of this important material, the deadline for Monthly Newsletter Submissions is now on the 15th of each month. Thank you! May Newsletter submissions are due April 15th. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT ARTICLES

  • NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR APRIL The book discussion scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at 10:30 has been moved to a Zoom teleconference. The book is White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, by Robin DiAngelo. Jan Parker will be leading our discussion. The Readers meet on the third Saturday of each month; new members and drop-ins are welcome. Click here to contact the group, or to receive Zoom meeting information.

  • CELEBRATE EARTH MONTH - April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! We're stuck at home, but here are some things we can all do for Earth anyway: Write a letter to congress, take part in an online debate on climate solutions, sign a petition against the Keystone Pipeline, attend a story hour, and join Earth Day Live -- a 3 day live-stream celebration. CLICK HERE to find out more at ECO's webpage.

  • VOTE FOR THE CONCERT SERIES FOR BEST OF THE TRIANGLE!! PLEASE VOTE FOR US!!! Some happy news amidst the angst: COMMUNITY CHURCH CONCERTS IS A FINALIST once again for the Indy's Best of the Triangle competition!! THANK YOU for your nominations!!! NOW, please CLICK HERE then choose Out and About and scroll down to: BEST PLACE TO HEAR BLUEGRASS and vote for us!!! And tell your friends to vote as well...please share!! THANK YOU! Voting goes until May 3! This rating helps us attract the best artists!! We are so proud!

  • SIDE WITH LOVE! SUPPORT THE CENSUS! Side With Love brings a voice of faith to advocate for justice. Many of us have worked with You Can Vote to ensure voter access and education. You Can Vote needs volunteers to make phone calls from home to remind people to fill our the US Census online. CLICK HERE to sign up...and don't forgot to fill out your own census form!

  • RARE WOMEN - RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE Members of the three Rare Women groups have been contributing resources, e.g. information about COVID-19 and dealing with it, poems, prose, and miscellaneous things that make us laugh. Please CLICK HERE to visit Resources for Rare Women for information, comforting poems, and a laugh or two.
The Community Church in Action
   Community Day of Service 2020
3/7/2020: Service Project at El Centro Hispano
Immigrant Justice Initiative led the way, with many volunteers painting the El Centro Hispano facility in Carrboro - El Centro Hispano is a Latino nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the community, building bridges and advocating for equity and inclusion for Hispanics/Latinos in the Triangle Area of North Carolina.

Please share the warmth of community or the fire of commitment of your Community Church group in action! Email your photo to  Rachel Rose in the church office  and  COMPLETE THIS FORM . Photos will be featured on the church website homepage and/or the Weekly Announcements and Monthly Newsletter when possible and in the order received. Thanks for helping us live our mission!
OFFICE NEWS

  • 127 (!) PEOPLE HAVE OPTED IN FOR TEXT ALERTS IN CASE OF CHURCH DELAYS AND/OR CLOSURES Would you like to receive a text in case of weather-related or other church closures and/or delays, too?  If so, please fill out this form: we need to have your current cell phone number and carrier. Please note: these texts cannot receive replies.
Ongoing Events
  • ART IN THE SANCTUARY Grace Li Wang's art exhibit "Radiance in Nature" includes expressionistic and impressionistic works in oil acrylic, pastel, and mixed media. It will be shown from March 7 through April 26 in the sanctuary. Click here for the artist's website.

  • FRIENDLY REMINDER: COMMONS ETIQUETTE We are so fortunate to have so much going on in our church! However, please remember that the Commons is a place where folks who cannot join in Service (Those who need a comfy place to breastfeed! One with a persistent cough! Someone who needs a place to weep!) can still hear the Service. Please, keep quiet in the Commons during Services. Outside of Service times, it's a wonderful meeting space - please be aware that meetings may be in progress and use other doors, whenever possible. Thank you!

  • LOST & FOUND The Lost & Found is in the Admin Lobby. Where's the Admin Lobby? The doors farthest to the right on the face of our church buildings - it's also accessible through the Community Room (where Coffee Hours take place). Please look for lost things - that's where forlorn potluck dishes go, abandoned raincoats and neglected coffee mugs, as well. These bins are emptied seasonally, so give them gander and see if your "lost" has been "found"!

  • REMINDER ABOUT WEEKDAY PARKING Thanks for participating in the life of our church! We love to see you here. If you come to church during the week, there are some guidelines. Please do not park in the big lot; the church rents those spaces M-F, 6am to 7pm. The income from these rentals is a significant part of our operating budget, and we want to treat these renters equitably. You are welcome to park in the lot near the office, or in the "pine lot" at the top of the driveway, or in the small lot in the back (with its own driveway). Questions? Please contact Rachel Rose.

  • Help make Sunday mornings happen - Become a Greeter! Our church is busier than ever, and we need folks to help welcome people in to our church on Sunday morning and we have many Greeter spaces open over the next few weeks! Please take a moment to sign up to be a Greeter, and help new people see what our community is really like. Please join us when you can for this simple, but important work. Thanks so much - your help is appreciated!

  • WELCOMING CHILDREN IN THE SANCTUARY Children are a wonderful gift to this community. Children are always welcome to worship in the Sanctuary. To support little ones during the service, we will now offer Busy Bags (pouches with fun activities) and Busy Boards (coloring and writing activities) as well as soft toys for our youngest worshipers. Stop by the new Children's Welcome Table in the Sanctuary (across from the Art Table near the Sound Room).

  • LECTIO (SACRED READING) MEDITATION GROUP meets at noon every Friday in the Commons. We use readings from poetry and the wisdom traditions of the world's religions as prompts for reflection and sharing. No need to sign up ahead of time. Please join us.
INFORMATION
Most orange text is clickable! Orange text links to outside websites or to an email address. Example: email
c3hoffice@gmail.com  for calendar reservations and
c3hfinance@gmail.com   for rentals.  
 
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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.
106 Purefoy Road, ​Chapel Hill, NC 27514 | (919) 942-2050 | Contact Us | Donate Now