NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

OCTOBER 8, 2023

HYMNS

"This is the Day"

"Take My Gifts"

"In the Midst of New Dimensions"

"Andante Cantabile"

"Because He Lives"

October 6, 2023

Dear Congregation,

October greetings! I hope all is well with you. This coming Sunday has

been designated as Access Sunday leading into Disabilities Awareness

Week. I think that sometimes we don’t pay much attention to Special

Sunday designations unless they are personally important to us or are

some of the BIG ONES like Christmas or Easter. But did you realize that

the statistics about how many of us will have a disability in our lifetime

are really quite concerning. Here are a few:

1. One in three working Americans will become disabled for 90 days

or more before age 65.

2. About 1 in 4 of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before

they retire.

3. Over 37 million Americans are classified as disabled, about 12% of

the total population.

4. Almost all disabilities (90%) are caused by illness or accident.

And so, it is very important that churches that truly want their worship, programs, and special events to be open to all, assess their buildings,

and indeed all aspects of their property, for their accessibility. The

UCC’s tool for doing this is the “Church Building and Program Accessibility Audit” found on the UCCDM website. Their advice is to first of all “Go through the checklist and the audit to look at your campus, to look at your programs, to look at your sanctuary and your worship services, and decide what it is you can do that costs little or no money.”

We are blessed at CCC to be accessible in many ways—we have handicap accessible parking spaces in several places near the Sanctuary and Kelsey Hall. There is an accessible restroom in Kelsey. We offer large print worship bulletins. I print my sermons for anyone who is visually impaired and requests them. Entrances to the Sanctuary and Kelsey are on one level, and more.

But there is room for improvement, as some of us have found out. The

Chancel area where we lead worship and where the choir sits is not wheelchair or even walker accessible. The pulpit is not accessible without stepping up on the surrounding platform. There are no side railings on the couple of steps leading up to the Chancel. Our sound system and our live-streaming set-up (which will soon be updated) have not offered the best means of hearing and seeing during worship.

Let us think about committing ourselves as a church to do that Accessibility Audit and then to follow through with necessary changes so everyone may both attend worship and be fully involved in worship leadership in the future. We never know when it might be each of us who is grateful that we did!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy

CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL!

Bianca's You Better Bee-lieve It Corner

Fall Harvest Picnic:

Our Fall Harvest Picnic is just around the corner, and we need your help to make it a fantastic day for our community. We welcome volunteers of all talents and interests, from event planning to grilling, and everything in between. To join in the fun and lend a hand, please fill out our quick volunteer form. Let us know what you're good at and what you'd like to do – it's that simple! We can't wait to see you all come together to create lasting memories. Let's make this event unforgettable together!

To sign up as a volunteer follow this link OR fill out the physical form provided at Kelsey Hall: https://forms.gle/cSxVAozHCennQn2J6 

Voter Registration:

Hey there, fellow civic superheroes!  Have you checked under your virtual couch cushions lately to make sure you're registered to vote? It's time to dust off your voter registration and be the hero your democracy deserves!  If you're not registered, don't fret – I've got your back! Just let me know I will help you get registered or verify your current status. 

But that's not all! Starting this Sunday at Zoo Miami, There will be a Vote-by-Mail Enrollment Drive for at least the next four Sundays!  Whether you need assistance enrolling for mail-in voting or want to become a voting champion by volunteering to help others, they've got capes for everyone!  Let's make democracy roar like a lion at the zoo!"  #VoteForChange #DemocracyHeroes

Follow the link to register to volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/581686/

Virtual Backgrounds:

As the crisp (okay, slightly less hot) autumn season sets in, why not add a touch of fall charm to your virtual meetings? We're excited to introduce two delightful fall-themed backgrounds that will instantly transform your virtual backdrop into a cozy, autumnal setting. We hope these backgrounds will help you embrace the spirit of fall during your virtual gatherings. So, go ahead and swap out your usual background for one of these seasonal gems to add a warm and inviting atmosphere to your Zoom and Teams meetings and help represent our church. It's an easy way to bring a bit of Christ Congregational with you to your virtual world and spread some seasonal cheer!

ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT CCC OR ABOUT THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST?

Pastor Candy would be happy to meet with you to talk about our Christian faith, your spiritual journey, and to discuss what church membership means. Please let her know if you're interested!

CALENDAR

Sun. Oct. 8 | 10:30 am

Worship in the Sanctuary & Facebook Live

Sun. Oct. 8 | 12:00 pm

Assembling Comfort boxes in Kelsey Hall



Sun. Oct. 8 | 12:00 pm

Fall Picnic Committee Meeting

Mon. Oct. 9 | 6:30 pm

ZOOM Bible Study

Meeting ID: 691 735 4836

Sun. Oct. 15 | 10:30 am

Worship in the Sanctuary & Facebook Live

Wed. Oct. 18 | 7:00 pm

Community Choir practice begins.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

COMMUNITY CHOIR OPEN TO ALL!

Practice begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 18, 2023

and will be weekly. The choir will present a free Christmas concert on

Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 2 p.m. at the church.

A Thank you from SOS

Dear All,

We would like to thank you all for the continued contribution that you have made to us.

Your support does make a difference. A special thanks to Lorrie, Isabel and Cindy for coming to make the diaper delivery.

Sincerely,

SOS

Find Us, Like us, Follow Us, and Share Us

on Social Media!

Facebook: Christ Congregational United Church of Christ

Twitter/X: @CCC_UCC

TikTok: @CCC_UCC

YouTube: ChristCongregational-UCC

Instagram: @ christcongregationalucc

REMEMBERED IN OUR CONTINUING PRAYERS

Joan Hansen, Maggie McDowell, Carol McCreary, the family and friends of Mary Ellen Prather, Mary and Frank Tirb, Bradley Everhardt, Julio Balcells, Jessica Nodarse, Mark, Julie Henkel, Merly Alonso, Bianca and Nina Sarmento and the friends and family of J.J Newby Ketzle and Sarah Wiley, Stone Coram and the family and friends of Brenda Best, Aberas Jober and Leslie Perichak, Paul LeGrand and Cathryn Tagmeyer, Briane Garrison and Theresa Grambell, Vincent Andrews and family, Rodger and Esther and Carol and sons.



For Pastoral Care Needs, please call Pastor Candy directly at 925-640-9289 or you may call and leave a message with the Church Office, 305-235-9381.

*** Voter's Registration***

Voter registration has started on September 17th. Please be sure to verify your registration and if you are not registered please get registered.

Registration and Verification can be done by clicking the image below:

On December 12, the Miami Dade County Board of County Commissioners (MDC BCC) will be voting on whether to extend the lease agreement for a 67-acre theme park, hotel and retail development misleadingly dubbed “Miami Wilds.” The development site is located adjacent to and on Zoo Miami property — land that is considered vital to endangered species and the largest and most biodiverse fragment of critically endangered Pine Rocklands outside of Everglades National Park. 

ATTEND the MDC BCC meeting on December 12 and voice your opposition to the proposed Miami Wilds development! The meeting begins at 9:30am at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center (address: 111 NW 1st St, Miami, FL 33132, 2nd floor Commission Chambers). We recommend that you arrive no later than 8:45am and bring your ID for check-in. 

Global Ministries offers a weekly prayer for one of our global mission partners. This week's prayer is with Nepal. To read their mission moment, please click the Global Ministries IMAGE. Below is this week's prayer, united we pray.

Gracious God, our father and mother, we come before you and do lift our brothers and sisters in Nepal. We give thanks to you for its beauty and resources. We are grateful to you for the quest for democracy and the strengthening of democratic institutions that are being pursued by significant sections of Nepalese society. Bless all organized efforts that seek the reduction of inequalities within Nepal and worldwide, and for ensuring all people live with dignity, peace, and equal opportunities. As we meditate upon the hardening of hearts of the ruling classes and castes, and the plagues they cause to rain upon peoples, we pray that wisdom and compassion be instilled in all those in leadership positions, so that they may pursue what is good and right for the wellbeing and blossoming of persons and communities. We commend the people of Nepal, and all of us, especially those groups and organizations that strive and struggle for justice and peace, to thy presence and guidance, so that all of us be renewed each day and pursue our causes without value judgments, malice, pride, or hardening of hearts. We ask all this in the name of our Lord, Savior, and liberator, Jesus Christ. Amen.