SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Watch Virtual Worship Service On Demand!
10am: Live Religious Education Service on Zoom
11am: Live Community Coffee Hour on Zoom
&
7pm: High School & Middle School Youth Group
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2020 FALL AUCTION
Do you wish that you had bid on a few more activities when the auction was open? If so, it is not too late! There are two places ($10 per household) available for Nancy Mayer and Dave Salman's Zoom-based gnocchi cooking lesson (Z7) at 4 pm on Saturday, January 9, 2021. They will give you a shopping list (GF, low carb, and vegan options available) so that you can make gnocchi and tomato sauce. This could be a great family activity! There are also two places ($10 per truffle maker) available for the chocolate truffle-making class (F15) on Saturday, February 13th. Nancy will meet the participants at the church at 10am that morning with the ingredients for their chosen truffles, and then everyone will convene at 3 pm via Zoom for the truffle making lesson. Contact Don and Susan Blanchard here to purchase a place at either or both events.
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ZUULE BALL
IS COMING!
JANUARY 2
6-7:30PM
Come to our 2nd annual Hogwarts themed Yule Ball! It's a "zUUle Ball" because this year it's on Zoom. And the "UUs" are for UUs, of course. The Ball will be fun for all ages! There will be (optional) dancing, and a costume parade for Ball-goers who have opted for wizarding regalia. There will be time to visit the House Common Rooms for conversation, and opportunities to visit Hogwarts Professors, Fortune-Telling, and Games! Chat with the Sorting Hat and find out your Hogwarts House. Proceeds go to the Close the Gap Fund. RSVP and order your ticket here. Questions: Contact Headmistress Selden Holt here.
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WHERE DOES THE
BUILDING PROJECT STAND? 
By the time this newsletter is published, rough-ins for plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems will have been completed with some or all of the related inspections passed. Next is insulation and its inspection, then drywall installation. In the meantime, the roof may well have been shingled, and other exterior finishing (masonry, siding, soffits and trim) nearly completed. You can take a virtual peek at the ongoing work by visiting the Building Project webpages: See December's VIRTUAL TOUR (12-minute video) here, as well as weekly mini-video and Photo Gallery updates. The Building Project Task Force leaders are eager to respond to your questions or expressions of interest - please contact us directly here.
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CHILDREN'S & YOUTH MINISTRY
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 JANUARY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
- Our Soul Matters Theme for January is Imagination. There are lots of ways for families to connect with church. This fall we are offering take home kits for children. On Sunday mornings you can join Family Worship 10-10:30 am on Zoom or watch the Family Worship video with your family anytime. Every Saturday afternoon there is a fun event on Zoom. Sometimes we play Bingo or Magic the Gathering. Sometimes we have a Choose Your Own Adventure. On Sunday evenings at 7:00 there is worship for youth, followed by Middle and High School Youth Group at 7:30.
- Details about the Children's Ministry program are here.
- Details about the Youth Ministry program are here.
- If you would like to be put on the weekly email for Children and Youth Ministry to get the zoom links, please Contact Marion Hirsch here.
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 INTERIM UPDATE ON CLOSING THE GAP
Dateline 12/15/2020. Thanks to generous pledges, donations and fundraisers, the estimated amount needed to close the Gap between Building Project costs and capital funds available by June 2022 is now $235,000, a decrease of $91,000 since September. As voiced in the Board's September letter, we have two goals. First, fulfilling pledges or making other donations to the Capital Fund by April 2021 will decrease the fixed-rate loan we must take for any existing Gap balance, thus decreasing our interest cost. Second, with payments from existing or new pledges or other donations, we will pay off the loan in full by June 2022, thus protecting the church's operating budget from a loan burden going forward.
When you are able, please consider making an increased or new pledge or donation to the Capital Fund. Access the Building Project page here for more information.
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Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA) & Living Our Covenant with Intention (LOCI)
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 RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE CONTINUES: LET'S KEEP GOING
This program is aimed to help us deepen our understanding of racism and better work for racial equity in the world. If you missed the Challenge in the Fall or if you participated in the Challenge in the fall and want to continue the work, we have a new Challenge: Let's Keep Going. It is similar to Fall Challenge and includes readings, videos, activities and small group discussions to reflect on our learning. We will meet every other week for an hour on Zoom in facilitated small groups (limited to 6 participants each) Thursdays 7-8 PM. This is powerful work and more powerful when we work together so come join the Challenge. The Challenge meets:
- January 14
- January 28
- February 11
- February 25
- March 11
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29-DAY RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE REPORT
In September and October, 65 members of the congregation participated in a 29-Day Racial Equity Challenge. The 5-session event challenged our community to a daily act (read an article, watch a video, reflect, notice, or act) aimed at helping us, individually and collectively, deepen our understanding of racism and white supremacy. The Challenge was sponsored jointly by the Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA) and Living Our Covenant with Intention (LOCI) Ministry Teams.
Each week, participants engaged individually in common learnings, and then gathered over Zoom in facilitated small groups to discuss and share their own experiences and insights.
During our last session, participants shared their ideas for next steps we could take individually and collectively. Here is the report which summarizes ideas for next steps and shares a set of actions that are being taken by SEA and LOCI ministry teams.
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WORSHIP MINISTRY SERVICE PROJECT
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 WORSHIP MINISTRY HOLIDAY SERVICE PROJECT
Thanks once again to our congregation's generosity, 14 single women residents will receive Christmas gifts this year! Kathy Putnam, Alison Mercer-Smith and Joy Mermin are pictured here, admiring the quilted bags prior to their delivery to the director of HomeStart. The Worship Ministry, with contributions from the QUUilters, Community Clickers and others, provide PJs, bags, handmade scarves, masks and gloves, socks and a Santa chocolate bar. I think, like last year, the women will appreciate the uniquely-designed quilted bags and their contents, including a PJ set with its own pattern and color. Gratitude to the busy hands and generous hearts in our community for sharing gifts and warmth with our neighbors.
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SHARE THE PLATE FOR CHATHAM COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING
Older adults have been among those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, from the health impacts to the impacts of isolation while sheltering in place at home. Throughout the pandemic the CHATHAM COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING (COA) has been dedicated to supporting older adults and their families. The COA offers a variety of programs including those to safely combat social isolation, including virtual classes, friendly calls, phone and online groups and safely-distanced home visits; home-delivered meals to combat hunger; in-home aide to help lengthen safe aging in place; transportation to medical care to ensure continuity of care for those without transportation, caregiver respite to support family and informal caregivers, and much more.
Please join us in supporting the Council's ongoing work for older adults and their families through the Community Church's SHARE THE PLATE on Sunday, January 10, 2021. For more information on the COA, visit their website here.
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 HABITAT HOME SHARE THE PLATE THANKS
Thanks to the generosity of Community Church members in our last two Share the Plates, we are able to continue our work with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and our Building Hope partner churches to build a new home for a local family in need. Matt Bridges of Habitat recognized our church's recent $4,000 contribution, "There are now walls, floors, trusses and a roof for a family in Hillsborough. This neighborhood will be supporting the historic Fairview Neighborhood with new families that will be permanent members of the community and might carry on the organizing and leadership already at work preserving this great neighborhood...Thanks to Community Church for working hard on behalf of these families and these communities in Orange County."
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CHAI SOCIAL(-DISTANCING): 1/17/21, 2-3PM
We hope you can join us! Weather-permitting, we will meet in socially-distanced assigned (& rotating!) spots in the large parking lot at church for a fun (and tasty!) social event, including hot cocoa, fun and fellowship. For safety and Phase 3 compliance, there is a strict guest number limit, and registration is required. Please complete this form to RSVP. Thank you!
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 EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP 1/14 & 21, 7PM Are you considering Membership? Interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism, or our church community? On Thursday evenings, January 14 & 21, we'll offer a two-part Exploring Membership class, via Zoom. The class will provide an introduction to Unitarian Universalism and our congregation, the meaning of Membership, provide an opportunity for reflecting on our spiritual journeys, and give you a chance to meet others who are newer to The Community Church. Classes will be held from 7:00PM to 8:15PM via Zoom. Please RSVP by sending an email to Rachel Rose here. |
RARE WOMEN
As Rare Women, we build relationships in small groups by sharing our lives and the gifts, myths, and challenges of growing older. Newcomers of any age are welcome and are encouraged to join any of the three existing groups. All groups meet at least twice a month via Zoom and are currently discussing specific chapters from Women Rowing North - Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing as We Age by Mary Pipher. On Monday, January 4th, Joann Haggerty's group, here (2-4pm) will discuss Chapters 14-15. On Thursday, January 7th, Susan Blanchard's group, here (1:30-3:30pm) will discuss those same chapters. Bonnie Gilliom's group, here (10am-noon) will also meet on January 7th for an open discussion. See the Rare Women's webpage, here for suggested discussion questions as well as the list of topics and meeting dates and times for each of the three groups through June 2021. Join our email list here.
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OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: SAT. JAN 9, 10 AM, PARKER PRESERVE
Parker Preserve is a recent 127-acre addition to Mason Farm that provides a new 2-mile loop through oak-hickory forest - and access to the Farm when the low water bridge is flooded. The land itself has naturally been there for a long time and in a wild enough state to get a forester friend of mine lost. I will confess, in Dan'l Boone's words, to being a little "beflummoxed" there myself. Now there is a path over what I'd rate as moderate terrain. We'll take it easy, but walking sticks and hiking boots are a good idea. - Stephen Chandler RSVP here.
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 WOMEN CIRCLE CALENDAR
WomenCircle planners have scheduled events for 2021 either by Zoom or outdoor activities. We will post them each month in the weekly announcements and the monthly newsletter. If you are not on the list and would like to receive an event announcement by email, please contact Joann Haggerty here. During the first half of the year, we have planned six events. We have indicated whether it is by Zoom or in person.
- January/Exercise in Motion (Zoom)\
- February/Games (Zoom)
- March/Transylvania Egg Dyeing (Zoom)
- NC Botanical Gardens
- NC Museum of Art with a possible picnic
- and Book Discussion (Zoom).
Hopefully, by the summer we will be able to paint, swim, retreat, and swap soup in person. Stay tuned.
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As of January 6, the wall in the sanctuary which is visible during online services will have new art. The artist is Peg Gignoux, whose fiber art will hang for at least a couple of months. Peg's website is here and her email address is here. See art in the Sanctuary on the church website for more information about Peg and her art.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR JANUARY
On Saturday, January 16 from 10:30 to 12:00, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. This discussion will be held via Zoom teleconferencing. The author proposes that American history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, more powerful and more explanatory than the racism we usually focus on. The story is told through linking and contrasting the "caste" systems in America with those of India and Nazi Germany. She explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations such as divine will, bloodlines and stigma. Glenn Davis 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 here to ask questions, or to be placed on the distribution list for meeting information.
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 SIGN UP FOR PAPER ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT
In mid-January, The Community Church of Chapel Hill will be emailing contribution statements showing households' contributions for the annual year from January 1, 2020 - December 31st, 2020. We will be sending these statements using the email address we have on file for you.
If you are interested in receiving a paper copy of your contribution statement in the mail, please complete this form by January 25th, 2020
If you have questions, email Dana here or call 919-229-9452.
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 THERE WILL BE NO WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS 1/1/21. Happy New Year! DELAYS IN MAIL - HARD-COPY PHOTO DIRECTORIES ARE ON THEIR WAY! All pre-paid Photo Directories were shipped promptly, but - as with many organizations these days - USPS is facing challenges. Sadly, that means that some Directories are taking longer than expected to arrive. If you paid for a hard-copy Photo Directory and it hasn't yet arrived, please let Rachel Rose know. |
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STAY CONNECTED 
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