• HELP THE COMMUNITY CHURCH LIVE OUT ITS MISSION -  FEED THE HUNGRY 1/3 & 1/21/20 WITH IFC Sign up HERE. Sign up once, or sign up every month to serve with The Inter-Faith Council for Social Services (IFC), of which The Community Church is a founding church. We need help preparing the meals and serving them - do one job or both! Questions? Text (919)428-4440.

• WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? To begin the New Year children (ages 3-13) are examining the theme: INTEGRITY. C.S. Lewis calls integrity "Doing the right thing when no one is watching." All month, children will explore the adventure of integrity in Religious Education on Sunday morning and by doing integrity bingo at home. K/1 and 8th grade OWL beings this week. High School Youth Group is conversing about abortion.  For more information about our Religious Education Program, please contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.

• LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF H.R.763 Feeling climate anxiety? Come to ECO's table during coffee hour on January 5 to write a letter to congress in support of bipartisan legislation to address the climate crisis (H.R. 763). This policy is revenue-neutral and good for the economy as well as the environment. We will provide supplies, talking points, and sample letters. Contact

• RARE WOMEN On January 6th (2-4 pm), Carolyn Holt's group will discuss "Wisdom" and "Dreams." On January 9th, Bonnie Gilliom's group will discuss those topics and "Outreach" from 10am-noon. Come join them at their new, earlier start time! For more information about Rare Women (a discussion group for women interested in the myths, gifts, and challenges of aging) and its future meetings and topics, check out our webpage. Email us to get added to our mailing list.

• OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: Jan 10-12 New Years at the Beach                                                Coming and going
  Arising and subsiding
  Each wave is the sea
  Cheap rooms, deserted Nags Head beaches, thousands of migrating swans, snow geese, ducks and lots of stuff you can learn to recognize with the help of your expert guides - or just enjoy them. We'll visit the world class birding at Pea Island and hope for bears as well as birds at Alligator River Refuge. Scouting will determine other stops. RSVP HERE.

• WomenCircle members will meet for a Vision Board Collage Workshop on Saturday, 1/18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Jones Building. Jody Savage and Steevie Parks will be leading us as we meditate about what we hope to accomplish and experience in the year ahead. We will close with a discussion of our creations. RSVP to Steevie Parks by January 13 so that materials can be purchased for the workshop. 

• TUNE IN JANUARY 19 FOR BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE! The Building Task Force is reviewing bid details and will present the results soon to the Board for approval so final contract negotiations can proceed. The results will be shared with the congregation on Sunday, January 19. There will be open meetings after each service for further discussion with Task Force leaders, who will also be available during subsequent Sundays' coffee hours. See the church website for more information on the Building Project.

• MINDFUL SELF COMPASSION CLASS Respond to difficult moments in your life with gentle compassion. Join us for an 8-week class on Mindful Self Compassion on Thursday evenings, starting Jan. 30, 2020; Discount for church members. Taught by Dr. Janel D. Sexton and DeeDee Laurilliard, LCSW; Email Janel Sexton for more info or to sign up. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CLASS FLYER.
  

• SOUTHEAST DISTRICT CHOIR FESTIVAL NEEDS HOSTS Our church is hosting the Southeast District Choir Festival on February 28th - March 1. Would you be willing to offer a bed for Friday and/or Saturday nights to other UUs who are participating in this year's festival? All meals will be at the church, so there is no need to feed your guests. For more information or to host, please email Ivy Brezina or call 415-663-8703

• SIDE WITH LOVE CONCERTS PRESENTS HOLLY NEAR!! Mark your calendars and buy your tickets today!! Highly acclaimed Holly Near will grace our sanctuary stage Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., sponsored by Side with Love Concerts! Holly will focus on getting out the vote! Musician Crys Matthews will open; Jan Martinelli and Tammy Hall will join Holly. Yummy desserts at intermission! For more about Holly, CLICK HERE. Click HERE for TICKETS!! To volunteer, CLICK HERE. This concert promises to be a sell-out; don't delay!!! Join us!

• 97 (!) 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.

• OFFICE CLOSURES: The office will be closed 1/20 & 1/21/20.

 

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!

• 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!