SHARE YOUR SKILLS! JOIN THE BOARD.

Looking for deeper involvement and a way to share your leadership skills with our church? Join the Board! The Board of Trustees will welcome three new members for terms beginning in January 2024. Board members serve 3-year terms. Two candidates will serve at large, and one candidate will serve as vice president in 2024 and as president in 2025. To learn more about what’s involved in serving on the Board, contact any member of the Nominating Committee: Bronwen Blass, Laurie McDonald, Linda Thompson, or Jenny Warnasch. . Deadline for application: September 15.

SHARE THE PLATE: SECU FAMILY HOUSE LUNG TRANSPLANT FUNDSHARE THE PLATE: SECU FAMILY HOUSE LUNG TRANSPLANT FUND will be on August 13. Please support these patients. Lung transplant offers the chance of a longer and better-quality life to patients with end-stage lung disease. The surgery and recovery are difficult, and recipients are at risk for serious complications, like infections, in the weeks following their transplant. The medical team at UNC Hospitals requires that patients stay within 45 minutes of Chapel Hill for at least 3 months after hospital discharge, with a 24-hour/day caregiver. The Lung Transplant Fund helps financially-strapped patients afford a $72/night suite at SECU Family House. This hospitality house offers a safe, nurturing home away from home for patients who don’t live nearby. Your donation will be deeply appreciated.

SHARE THE PLATE AUGUST 27 - HARBOR CAMPS: SAVING TRANS KIDS' LIVES

Harbor Camps, founded in 2009, now serves 900+ campers in New Hampshire – the 1st summer camp for transgender & non-binary/gender-nonconforming youth. Their mission? To build confidence, resilience & community for these kids through camp experiences. They have ~140 campers & 20 Counselors-in-Training per session. Harbor Camp is not a therapeutic camp; it’s purposely “just camp”, where kids can be themselves, enjoy each other & activities in a safe, supportive environment: 

• Living communally in a bunk with others
• Having face-to-face relationships (no electronics) 
• Participating in fun, challenging outdoor activities in a noncompetitive atmosphere
• Learning that they are strong & have unlimited possibilities as trans/gender-nonconforming people 
• Learning to be independent & to step outside their comfort zone 
• Making lifelong friendships 

Campers feel more confident in themselves & more part of a community after camp.

Harbor Camps’ goal is to never turn away a child who may not be able to attend for financial reasons. Each summer, they give out $210k+ in assistance from donors. Please consider being one of those donors by making possible this life-saving, life-changing experience that should be a safe, fun experience accessible to all kids.

THANKS FOR DONATIONS TO ORANGE COUNTY RAPE CRISIS CENTER SHARE THE PLATE

The Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force of Side With Love thanks you for your generous donations ($1059) to Share the Plate on May 21. These funds will be used for general operations of this important community service. Because of the nature of the issues that OCRCC deals with, it is a challenge to stay aware of the growing needs of their operation. The Center is meeting their challenges through their work in education and outreach, their support for survivors, their advocacy in the community. Plans are underway to engage the OCRCC in early fall to train our community on protecting children from sexual abuse.

Join the email interest list to hear about future training. Join the email list. Learn more.

heart2heartnc Thank you for your generous donations that totaled $665 on June 18th, 2023. These funds support the mission of heart2heart which provides services to helping individuals, families, and communities navigate the living path of dying time - to death - and to those who are living the grief journey. This generous collection will go specifically to helping an individual who is experiencing continued grief over the loss of her 20-year-old son. Learn more.

AUGUST FUNDRAISER AT TANDEM

Ready for a delicious cocktail and food at Tandem Restaurant in August? For all of August, Tandem is partnering with us to raise funds for the Immigrant Justice Initiative.

Side bonus, Oscar, one of people who we continue to work with, but now lives independently, has worked at Tandem for some time, so they have firsthand knowledge of this important work.  During the month of August, just ask your server for a "Give Back" cocktail. At the end of the month Tandem will send us $5 per drink. It can also be ordered alcohol-free. Just ask, mocktails are very popular right now.   Hope to see you there!

Tandem is located in Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro. 200 N Greensboro St #1a, Carrboro, NC 27510

(919) 240-7937    Closed Mondays Hours: Tuesday – Saturday / Lunch – 11am – 2:30pm / Light Fare – 2:30pm – 5pm / Dinner – 5pm – Close

ECO’S AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2023 PLANS

ECO will return to our regular monthly meetings on October 1, 2023 at 1:15PM. All are invited, especially Friends of ECO.

Members of ECO will decide at our August 6 planning meeting via Zoom, and at our September 9 retreat, whether to meet in person starting October 1. For questions, contact ECO.

OUR CHURCH'S 70-30 ANNIVERSARY!

Our church was founded in 1953 and joined the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1993! Let’s celebrate our remarkable history together with a special lunch after church on Sunday, August 27. Mark your calendars and look for more information, as well as a form to RSVP and share dietary preferences, in early August!

IF YOU POST IT, THEY WILL BID!

The website for the church's annual online auction is open for posting your donated items or activities! Not sure what to contribute? Social events such as a dinner, game night or musical entertainment at your home are very popular and build community as well as raising money for the church. Other ideas include: tickets to a sporting event or entertainment, a craft class, handmade treasures, food, vacation destinations, art, pottery, antiques, books, garden items, professional services, home maintenance help, etc. The excitement will accelerate Sept. 23, when bidding begins. Bidding ends at noon on Oct. 14. Plan to be part of the fun and help the church raise needed funds! Look for the Auction page on the church website. That page has links to the auction login page and instructions for donating.Need additional help/information? Email the Auction.

COMMUNITY CHURCH CONCERTS NEW SEASON ON SALE!

Community Church Concerts is proud to announce a fantastic line-up of artists for the 2023-24 season! Cup O' Joe, The Kruger Brothers, The Barefoot Movement, and Stillhouse Junkies will grace our stage beginning Oct. 13! Season Passes ($114) and single tickets now available! We also welcome volunteers to help with parking, ticket check-in/purchases, set-up/tear down and dessert/beverage concession.

To volunteer, contact Terry Baker.

Questions? Contact Jane Provan.

TAIJI (ALSO KNOWN AS TAI CHI) SAT. AUG. 26, 1-2:30 ON ZOOM

Taiji (or Tai Chi) is a form of moving meditation that is helpful for the mind and the body. It can be done seated or standing. Judy Lechner will teach us both kinds, starting with a discussion of their basic principles.

She’ll focus on a version that is helpful for arthritis.

WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH

(OR, JUST LEARN MORE)?

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2:30 PM

Join Rev. Thom & Rachel Rose to "Explore Membership"! To become a Member of The Community Church, one must:

• Take a Class (it's fun, easy, and worthwhile even for the retired UU ministers who've attended!)
• Sign the Membership Book
• Make a Pledge

Want to join us? The class is a great way to get to know others who are new to our community, and to learn more about our church in particular...and no one "has" to become a Member, just because they take the class! That's why it's called "Exploring Membership!"

Join Rev. Thom & Rachel Rose: SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2:30 - 5 PM

Can't make it this time? Let Rachel Rose know, so she can let you know about upcoming opportunities.

NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR AUGUST

On Saturday, August 19 from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss Your Friend Forever,

A. Lincoln: The Enduring Friendship of Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed, by Charles Strozier. The author is an established biographer of Abraham Lincoln's inner life. His writing relies solely on often ignored archival materials and other primary sources. Strozier’s work is described as an inspired, highly original historical account. It illuminates Lincoln’s and Speed's deep admiration and love for each other, and provides us with insight into the nature of male bonding in 19th century America. Strozier shows how this friendship impacted the 16th president’s mental health, his political aspirations, and even the outcome of the Civil War. Maureen Magner will lead our discussion, which will be held in the Gathering Room of the Jones Building. New members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact Ed Steffes to ask questions or to be placed on the group’s email list.

QUUILTERS

We meet on Saturday morning, August 5, 9AM - 11:30AM, in the Gathering Room. We continue work on our Community Service Projects of totebags, placemats and lap quilts. The recipients of these colorful quilted items include participants in the HomeStart Women's Shelter, the Refugee Support Center, UNC Hospice center, and our UU Caring Committee. Instructions, fabric and some sew-ready kits are available. You may bring your machine/sewing supplies to get started and/or take supplies home to work on. Bring current/recent projects to share during check-in time.

OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: YOU TUBE THE TAR, AUGUST 12, 10 AM - 1 PM

Have fun. Get wet. Stay cool. We’ll do an easy, Class I (no rapids), float on the Tar for a few hours, followed by a shared picnic lunch. Tubes and shuttle courtesy of Tar River Life for $24 apiece. The upper Tar River follows an astonishingly pristine course through 1 1/2 miles of woodlands with just enough flow to keep the scenery fresh. It will make you smile! The drive to the Tar River is just over an hour each way, so let me know when you RSVP if you want to carpool, and if so, if you want other passengers to test before going and/or mask on the drive.

ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC

Saturday, September 9th, 2022

New Hope Camp & Conference Center

4805 N. Carolina 86 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

~Rain or Shine~

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for an evening of fun and fellowship! RSVP form coming soon!

The venue is a lovely wooded setting with covered eating space, nearby bathrooms, and plenty of parking -- all of which is wheelchair accessible. After our shared dinner, we will have group games and a campfire!

SOFTBALL PLAYERS NEEDED!

Although the Church Softball League is no more, a few of us diehards still gather every week or so to throw, pitch, bat and field. And, as they say, the more the merrier. All ages, genders and experience levels welcome. We provide the softballs, bats and a couple of extra gloves. Late afternoons/early evenings mid-week usually works best, but exact days and times can be adjusted to adapt to personal schedules. To join us for a little exercise and a lot of fun, contact Nils Brubaker.