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SUNDAY WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP
WATCH LIVE ON SUNDAYS, OR SEE PAST SERVICES HERE!
Sunday Programming
TWO SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:30AM & 11:15AM
9AM:
  • Live Religious Education Service on Zoom
9:30AM:
10:30AM:
  • In-Person Sunday Social
11:15AM:
12:15PM:
  • In-Person Sunday Social
1PM:
Sunday Evening
  • Youth Programs

Contact Marion Hirsch for more information about Children's & Youth programming
UPCOMING SERVICES

PLEASE JOIN US FOR LIVESTREAMED AND IN-PERSON SERVICES

SUNDAYS: 9:30 & 11:15AM

 

May 7, 2023

“Coming of Age”

Coming of Age youth with Marion Hirsch and Rev. Thom Belote

Join us for our annual Coming of Age service as we celebrate the youth in the Coming of Age program and hear them share their Credos.

 

May 14, 2023

“WWJD? What Would Julia Do?”

Rev. Thom Belote, preaching

On Mother’s Day, Rev. Thom will preach about the extraordinary life of Julia Ward Howe, one of the “founding mothers” of Unitarian Universalism. The service this morning will include a reading of Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Peace Proclamation.

 

May 21, 2023

“Bridging Service”

Bridging Youth with Rev. Thom Belote

Our graduating seniors this year were freshmen in high school when the pandemic struck in 2020. This class missed out on the chance to share their “Credos” from the pulpit on a Sunday morning in front of the entire congregation. This service will include mini-homilies from our high school seniors.

 

May 28, 2023

“Speaking in Tongues”

Rev. Thom Belote, preaching

Pentecost is probably one of the most ignored and misunderstood Christian holidays. However, Rev. Thom believes it is the most Unitarian Universalist. Join us for a service as we explore and reimagine Pentecost.

Please note: we will return to the single summer service at 10:30AM on Sunday, May 28. 

JUSTICE & SERVICE

BUILDINGS & GROUNDS

THE VIEW FROM THE ROOF - BUILDINGS & GROUNDS UPDATE



Spring is a busy time for B&G. We are weeding the gardens, cleaning tree flowers and needles out of roof drains, lubricating locks, changing furnace filters and doing so many other tasks. With the parking lot paving behind us (yay!), we are now scoping out interior repairs and painting needed in the Sancturary and Jones buildings. Stay tuned for more info as we get further along in the planning process.


Please consider joining our monthly first Monday morning WorkPARTY: 9-noon with a bag lunch after. No special skills needed, and we have plenty of tools as well. Come help us maintain our buildings and grounds and make some new friends!


See something amiss? Please leave a note in the B&G mailbox, email Brad below or just catch Brad or another committee member after church and share what needs attention!

CONTACT BRAD KOSIBA

SHARE THE PLATE

MAY 7 SHARE THE PLATE: JOE & LUCY STRALEY FUND



The Joe and Lucy Straley Fund for Youth Travel was established to fund youth from the Community Church to travel for peace, justice, and service. It has supported over 50 youth trips from our church in the last decade, to the General Assembly, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Workshops, Ecuador, New Orleans and Nicaragua. Church support means that youth of modest means can take these trips which would otherwise be cost prohibitive, and it conveys to our youth our values and commitment to their future. The fund honors Joe and Lucy Straley–founding and stalwart members of the Community Church and prominent activists for civil rights, peace, and justice here in North Carolina and around the world.


Contact Marion Hirsch for more information. You can donate now online, send a donation to the church (checks payable to The Community Church; put STP- Straley Fund in the memo), or give at church on May 7.

DONATE ONLINE NOW

SHARE THE PLATE MAY 21 - ORANGE COUNTY RAPE CRISIS CENTER



This is a crucial time to support the Orange County Rape Crisis Center (OCRCC) through Share the Plate on Sunday, May 21. The OCRCC has been instrumental in navigating the challenges of the pandemic and its aftermath regarding sexual abuse and sexual violence. The Center is meeting the challenges through their work in education and outreach, their support for survivors, their advocacy in the community. 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. A representative of the Center will be at the Side With Love Table after both services on Sunday, May 21, to share information and answer questions about their services. Please donate generously on Sunday, May 21, and stop by the Side With Love table after either service. For more information, contact Diane Williams.

CONTACT DIANE FOR MORE INFO

LEARNING & FELLOWSHIP

SPECIAL EVENT

YOU ARE JOYFULLY INVITED TO CARTER SMITH'S ORDINATION


On May 28 at 3PM, The Community Church of Chapel Hill will ordain Carter Smith to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. In Unitarian Universalist tradition, it is the congregation that ordains ministers, so your participation is very important. The ordination will be followed by a reception at church.

PLEASE RSVP

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS

MIND-BODY MEDICINE GROUP STARTING IN MAY


Join Sarah Clark-Farnell for an eight-week Mind-Body Medicine group! Practice a variety of techniques to reduce stress and develop your capacity for self-care. Techniques include art, movement, meditation, and yoga. These skills can also be used as spiritual practices. This group will meet from 11:00-12:30 for eight weeks on the following Wednesdays: 5/3, 5/10, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5. You may miss up to two classes, and must be present for the first two classes to participate. Contact Sarah Clark-Farnell for more information.

REGISTER

WOMENCIRCLE

WomenCircle Potluck Picnic, Saturday, May 20 at the NC Botanical Gardens


There is a perfect picnic spot among the trees between the Garden’s parking lots. Two years ago, we took a tour and then each of us brought our own picnic lunch. This year we are starting with a shared Potluck Lunch at 11:30 spread out on one of the picnic tables. After lunch, you are invited to wander on any (or all) of the welcoming paths in the Botanical Gardens. They suggest a $5 donation if you are not already a member. Bring your own liquid drink, plate, utensils, and napkin. Please email Marni Goldshlag if you have any questions. No RSVP necessary.

CONTACT MARNI WITH QUESTIONS

WELCOMING MINISTRY

WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH

(OR, JUST LEARN MORE)?

5/4 & 5/11, 7 PM - or 5/7, 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 took the class! That's why it's called "Exploring Membership!"

Join Rev. Thom & Rachel Rose: 5/4 AND 5/11, 7 - 8:15PM OR - 5/7 2:30 - 5 PM

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

RSVP TO JOIN REV. THOM & RACHEL ROSE


SUNDAY SMALL GROUP SOCIAL CONTINUES IN MAY!

Join Rachel Rose for this important time of connection. We will continue meeting on Sundays in April. We have an icebreaker, join in random groups (it's fun!) and have a time of sharing and fellowship, followed by a closing reading. We hope to see you there!

JOIN US AT 1PM ON SUNDAYS
HELP MAKE SUNDAY MORNINGS HAPPEN - SERVE AS A GREETER! Our church is busy, and we need folks to help welcome people - both newcomers and longtime members - into our church on Sunday morning... and we have some Greeter spaces open over the next few weeks! Please take a moment to sign up below, 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!
SIGN UP TO BE A GREETER!

AUCTION UPDATE

CHURCH AUCTION FUN

CHURCH AUCTION FUNFrom Turkish dinners and cowboy singalongs to homemade treasures and antiques, the church auction is the fun place to find it all. While we won’t post auction items until July, please be thinking about auction items you can donate and special activities and gatherings you can host. The excitement will accelerate in September, when bidding begins. Bidding will end at noon on Oct. 14. Last year, the auction raised over $26,000, but the fun and feelings of community that resulted from bidding and sharing auction items and social events were immeasurable. Plan to be part of the fun and help the church raise needed funds!

For more information, contact Joan O’Brien or Kathleen Farinola.

CONTACT KATHLEEN FARINOLA FOR MORE INFORMATION

NONFICTION READERS

NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR MAY

On Saturday, May 20, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The Unbanking of America: How the New Middle Class Survives, by Lisa Servon. The author, a Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania, goes undercover and begins working in the check-cashing and payday lending industry. Servon peels back the cover on those businesses, along with lending clubs, while indicting the traditional banking industry. With their high fees, overdraft charges and poor customer service, traditional banks have basically abandoned most of America, half of which live paycheck to paycheck. Ed Steffes will be leading our discussion, which will be held in the Living Room of the Jones Building. New members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact Ed to ask questions or to be placed on the group’s email list.

CONTACT ED STEFFES

QUUILTERS

QUUILTERS

We meet on Saturday, May 6th, 9 - 11:30 am, in The Gathering Room. We are working on Pocket Picnic Placemat sets and totebags for the HomeStart Women's Shelter residents, and lap quilts for refugees, our Habitat for Humanity family, Hospice patients, and more. Some kits and fabric bundles are available and you may choose from our awesome stash. You may bring your machine if you want to begin work on a project and/or take it home to finish. Please wear your facemask, and please bring your recent or current projects to share with us - we love seeing what everyone is working on.

JOIN THE QUUILTERS EMAIL LIST

OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS

OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: WHITE PINES NATURE PRESERVE, SAT. MAY 13, 10 AM

White Pines Nature Preserve is a 300-acre Triangle Land Conservancy site at the confluence of the Deep and Rocky Rivers. It protects several stands of the White Pines more typical of mountain forests, along with another gift of the last ice age, Mountain Laurel, which we hope to find in full bloom. Our walk will be led by Frank McKeever, a professional forester, whose informative talks have been a popular favorite with our group. Outdoor lunch to follow at The Mod in Pittsboro. Meet at the trailhead at 10:00 AM. The location of the preserve is available on Google Maps.

RSVP

ART COMMITTEE

ART IN THE SANCTUARY



During May & June, Susan Brubaker Knapp’s fiber art will be hanging in the Sanctuary in her show titled “For the Beauty of the Earth”.

Susan is a fiber artist, author, photographer, teacher, and host of “Quilting Arts TV,” which airs on many public TV stations across the U.S. Susan creates art to celebrate and document the deep mysteries of the world that are to be experienced only by close inspection of the miraculous details of nature.

About this show Susan says: Gratitude is something I strive to actively practice each day. When walking in my neighborhood or on my travels, I take photos that often end up inspiring my art quilts. I look closely at the details; that’s where I find the most miracles. The show's title references one of my favorite hymns; it reminds us to be thankful. My artwork is my “hymn of grateful praise.”


There will be a reception and time to meet Susan on May 21 from 2-4pm in the Commons. All are invited.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSAN

JUNE/JULY NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY MAY 15

PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES HERE

The Community Church of Chapel Hill Board of Trustees wants to hear from you!

Share your thoughts, comments, concerns, and questions here.

Learn more about the Board here.


If you would like to learn more about The Community Church of Chapel Hill,

please contact Rachel Rose, our Director of Membership & Communications:

(919)289-9694,or email Rachel.


Whether you are new, or a longtime attendee, and whatever your beliefs or background,

we welcome you to our community of friendship and ideals.

106 Purefoy Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-942-2050