Happy Thursday Dear Church!

I trust that this BUZZ finds you content and living your best life. Sunday morning was very special. It always gives me an extra boost when we have first time guests in worship. I also love watching you making them feel welcome and embraced. Today, I especially want to lift up our pianist Michael Pritchard. Michael’s prelude Sunday morning, a global hymn in three different styles was the perfect beginning to our time together. Thank you, Michael for being part of this beloved community. You bring us smiles and joy every week.

I wonder if you remember what I spoke to you as you came through the communion line. “The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven … Remember WHOSE you are. Sometimes in progressive leaning churches, the emphasis can be on what people do for each other and for the community. This is, indeed, one focus that we have. But if we do not remember WHOSE we are while doing things for others, we are missing out on an extra dose of grace. I want to encourage you to affirm every morning, WHOSE you are. As we connect with our source of all love, I sense that our work together will show greater results in people’s lives. As we let God do what God is going to do through us, our spirit’s will be made fuller than ever before.

Sunday morning, we are continuing our series on, “What it Means to Follow Jesus.” As a kid, I was taught never to question my folks when they asked me to do something. If I answered, “Why?” The response I received was … “Because I said so.” Throughout the New Testament, there are times when Jesus would be very clear about what he wanted others to do. And for the most part, these commands were heeded. I wonder, what does that say about how we are called to answer? Come Sunday morning and we’ll discuss it together.

Until Sunday, rejoice in “whose” you are. Bask in and be embraced by God’s loving presence. I love being your pastor.

Holding you close and lifting you high!

Pastor Greg

Wordless singing

One question or comment I commonly get concerning some of the music we sing in worship is about songs that have ooh, aah, and oh parts in them. Why do we sing such infantile lyrics? Why don’t we sing something more theological? Is this just some pop style entering into the church? There are two reasons why I’m very comfortable singing oohs and aahs in our musical worship I wanted to share with you. Of course, you don’t have to agree with me 😊.

First, there is a history of wordless singing in music including choral music and sacred music. The Christian church has a history of chants that include repeating the same word or line to meditate on that line and even include wordless sounds. Such singing goes back to Greek choirs of the 4th and 5th century BCE. Some of the reasons I’ve heard given for such singing include simply the beauty of the human voice as an instrument that is better displayed through open sounds than continually cutting off that sound with words. Another is the emotion that wordless sounds often invoke; they create better crescendos as well as better gentleness. I think for instance of one of my favorite Christmas songs, Silent Night all done with oohs. I actually like it better without the words that are a bit problematic theologically! I enter into a sacred space when I hear that song.

My second reason is theological, but interconnected. There is an idea in scripture that when there are no words to say, groanings, tongues and unintelligible words are still enough (see 1 Sam 1:13; Romans 8:26; or 1 Cor 14:4). Often these oohs and aahs, come at the apex of the song. I take this as a vocal picture of our worship becoming so grand, so overwhelming, that words can no longer express our worship. I think of the song we’ve been singing “Follow You Anywhere.” We’ve been singing of why it’s good to follow Jesus, how it should be a central focus of our life, and the end of the chorus declares multiple times “I’ll follow you anywhere, oh, oh, oh, oh.” I see these ohs as extending the idea of “anywhere.” Anywhere you can think of, even places you’ve not though of such as in to sickness, death, difficult times, it’s worth following Jesus there as well. We may also see these “ohs” as saying I don’t even know fully what it means to follow you, I can’t express it, but I’m still leaning into it. So, I encourage you next time you hear some oohs or aahs, or ohs, lean into them and the mystery of relationship with the divine.

Susan Gurriell and family. Her brother passed last week.

John Savage, organizer of Ladle Fellowship

Carl Erickson and family – Carl’s dad passed.

Jim Siltanen

Larell, friend of Rosemary

Jessica, cousin of Rebecca, Elma’s daughter

Ivana, daughter of Anne Wallace

Dianne Florio

Joanne Jonas

Nina Melad

Our Church

Our Nation

Our World

🌶️ Get ready to savor the sizzle! 🌶️

Mark your calendars for October 14th, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, because our Chili Cook Off is back and hotter than ever! 🔥

What's your go-to chili recipe? Whether you're a seasoned chef or a canned chili connoisseur, this is your chance to shine. Sign up now to showcase your culinary skills!

If chili isn't your forte, we're also looking for cornbread bakers, dessert creators, and condiment connoisseurs. The more, the merrier!

Don't forget to invite your friends for an evening filled with deliciousness. Let's make this Chili Cook Off a flavorful feast to remember! 🍲🎉

🎃Join Us for a Spooktacular Trunk or Treat at Community Church of Poway!

Halloween is creeping around the corner, and we've got the perfect event to get you in the spooky spirit! The Community Church of Poway is thrilled to invite you to our trunk or treat extravaganza on Sunday, October 29th. This family-friendly event promises to be a spine-tingling, candy-filled adventure for all ages.

What to Expect:

- 🍭Trick or Treating Galore: Kids, prepare your treat bags because we'll have trunk after trunk brimming with delicious goodies. It's a safe and fun way to satisfy that sweet tooth!

- 🧙‍♀️🧌Costume Extravaganza: We encourage everyone to come dressed in their most creative, creepy, or cute costumes. The more ghoulish, the better!

- 🚗Themed Car Trunks: Get ready to be amazed by our car trunks creatively decked out in various themes. From spooky haunted houses to enchanting fairy tales, our trunk decorators have gone all out to make this event truly special.

- 👻Family-Oriented Fun: This event is all about bringing our community together for a memorable evening of laughter, games, and, of course, candy. It's the perfect way to celebrate the fall season with your loved ones.

So mark your calendars for October 29th, grab your costumes, and head on over to the Community Church of Poway. The fun begins at 3-5pm, and we promise a fang-tastic 🧛‍♀️time for everyone. Join us for an unforgettable Halloween celebration!

See you there, and be ready for a howling good time!

Be a Hero on October 28th! Give Blood at CCP! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️

Mark your calendars for October 28th 8am-2pm, because your chance to be a real-life hero is here!

💪 Join us at CCP for a blood drive that promises to warm your heart as you save lives.

Limited space is available, so don't wait! Grab your spot and find your perfect time to shine with this link.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time

When you donate blood, you're not just giving a part of yourself; you're giving the gift of life.

Imagine the feeling of knowing your simple act can make a world of difference to someone in need. It's a heroic deed that will fill you with pride and joy. Come on, October 28th is your day to be a lifesaver!

Book your appointment now, and get ready to experience the incredible satisfaction of making a positive impact. We can't wait to see you there! 🩸💫

Where: In Fellowship Hall at Community Church of Poway

When: Saturday, October 28th 8am-2pm

Notes: Sponsor Code is “Poway”

Building Projects Update

We wanted to share the latest news on our building projects, as well as give a summary of the discussion at the September 3rd Congregational Meeting. Many members attended the Congregational Meeting last month, but for those who were unable to attend, here is a quick recap.

After the usual business of establishing a quorum, approving minutes and presenting the treasurer’s report, Pat Whitacre, Chair of Board of Trustees, presented a list of building repairs and maintenance projects with estimated costs, organized with high priority, mid-range priority (1 to 3 years) and low priority (5 to 8 years). The estimated cost of the high priority projects is $275,000, with the greatest amount for a new roof for our main building. A motion was approved for a contract with All Surface Roofing and Waterproofing Inc. The base contract is for $126,542, plus $25,300 related to removal and proper reinstallation of HVAC units and $2,300 for rain gutters, plus additional charges for dry rot or termite damaged wood, which won’t be know until the roof is peeled back. We estimated $95,000 for additional work for a total of $250,000.

Jim Euphrat, Moderator, and Linda England, Treasurer, explained how we plan to pay for these improvements with a special short-term funding request for contributions to a building fund, plus the possible use of the endowment fund. Two tax smart funding options were explained. First, for those at least age 70.5, consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution from an Individual Retirement Account. Second, consider a charitable gift of appreciated marketable securities, which the church would sell and the gain would not be taxed. A motion to allow use of up to $150,000 from the endowment fund to pay for needed repairs was approved.

For the update on our building projects and the funding. The good news is that our roofing contractor is going to start on October 9th! While they are working, the north entrance to our parking lot will be closed. We should use the South entrance off of Hilleary Place, near the chapel.

And more good news. About $200,000 has been pledged to fund this roofing project. Plus, additional pledges were made for the next 4 years towards long term building projects. It is not too late to make a pledge or a contribution towards our building fund. So far, $24,000 of that $200,000 has been received. We ask that those who made pledges, please try to get those amounts to us this month as we are starting to make payments to the contractor.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda England at treasurer@ccpucc.org.

September & October Mission Offering

Greetings from the Outreach Ministry,

We had not planned to do a Basket of Hope for the month of October, but the needs of the Asylum Seekers are great, and we are supporting Interfaith Community Services in their response.

For October, we are collecting:

• Phone chargers – Apple and Android

• Burner phones

• Slip on shoes (all sizes)

• Adult socks

• Men’s drawstring pants (all sizes)

• Lightweight jackets (all sizes)

• Target and Walmart gift cards

Included below, is the latest flyer from Interfaith Community Services. If you wish to volunteer or donate online, the links are on the flyer. We will keep you updated as this situation is evolving.

No gift is too small or too large.

Thank you in advance for your amazing support.

Blessings from the Outreach Ministry

ASYLUM SEEKERS FLYER

The JOY of FOOD!

Each week there will be a “Recipe of the Week” for the Buzz!

There will be a red basket in the Narthex where you can drop off your favorite recipes or please email them to julie@ccpucc.org. It can be any recipe from family favorites to ones recently discovered! We will be encouraging you to share your thoughts after you made the dish too. 

No New recipes this week, so the yummy cookies will stay up for another week!

This weeks recipe is a delicious Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars Recipe sent in by Lynn A. And let me tell you, they are my new favorite cookie!!!!

Thank you, Lynn!

Click Here for Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bar Recipe!

Adult Scripture Review:

Sunday’s following worship in the fireside room!

Email Susan Gurriell

at sgurriell@gmail.com

Books & More

On Sept. 19 Books and More will begin our discussion of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, set out to solve a series of crimes.

Books & More meets on Tuesdays at 10:30 am in the Fireside Room.

All are welcome to join us.  

**Books & More will be meeting off-site on Tuesday, October 10. **

Centering Prayer:

Tuesdays at 6:30pm

Contact Colleen Clementson at powclem@yahoo.com or on

her cell at 858-663-6584, for the ZOOM invite

Thank you for checking out our BUZZ! Here is what you were waiting for! If you have a favorite joke or any tips to make the BUZZ even better, please send emails to julie@ccpucc.org :)

Joke of the Week:

How do you compliment a pumpkin in October?

You say, “You look GOURD-geous”...

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