• WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? In January children (ages 3-13) in Religious Education have been studying INTEGRITY. This week we will worship together in a Multigenerational Service where we explore Beloved Community and learn how to ask beautiful questions. Special bUUddies kicks of this week as another way for children and adults to get to know each other. High School Youth Group will having a conversation about memes.  For more information about our Religious Education Program, please contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.

• WRITE HERE WRITE NOW (WHWN), a project to write personal letters to elected officials on social justice issues, will have a table during coffee hours on the first Sunday of most months, starting February 2. Please bring your extra stationery and envelopes to the Love Table on 1/19. We need volunteers to assist with setting up and staffing the tables.  CLICK HERE to volunteer, or contact Brenda Rogers. 

• SIDE WITH LOVE team is organizing carpools & bus transportation (thru CH-Carrboro NAACP) for Forward Together at the 14th annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKon J) on Feb 8, 2020 Moral March on Raleigh & the People's Assembly convened by NC NAACP. After the march, those interested can join UUs from across NC for a networking lunch & discussions of working together more effectively.  Volunteer drivers are needed. Stop by Side With Love table on 1/19 for more info about the event & sign-up. CLICK HERE for the NAACP bus sign-up. For more info, contact Joy Blevins or Ruth Gibson.

• ORANGE COUNTY BAIL REFORM Right now, people are being held in Orange County jail because they can't afford bail. Even though they have not yet been convicted of a crime, they can stay in jail for months awaiting trial, separated from children, families, jobs, and medical care. At our 1/19/20 MLK Day service we will Share the Plate with the Orange County Bail Fund, which provides bail so that defendants can await trial at home. Please share a portion of your bounty this MLK Day so that more can be freed through bail. Email Catherine Grodensky for more information about the Bail Fund.

• WOMEN CIRCLE MAKE SOME TRUFFLES on February1, 2:00 pm at Nancy Mayer's (3441 Sheridan Drive, Durham, NC) You will learn how to make delicious truffles and take home a boxful to enjoy, and if you are really sweet, to share. Please make a reservation (email Nancy or call 919-491-9296) in advance, by January 19. The truffle mixture has to be made ahead of time and we want to be sure we have enough.

• POP-UP MART SCHEDULE - JANUARY 19 Because of the open Q&A sessions with Building Task Force leaders on January 19, the Pop-Up Mart will not operate this Sunday. The Pop-Up Mart and all the other Gap-closing initiatives got off to a fantastic start in 2019, thanks to participation by so many. Do come to one of the open sessions, in the Sanctuary directly following each Service, for a first-hand discussion of the Building Project's progress and prospects as of right now! 

• HELP THE COMMUNITY CHURCH LIVE OUT ITS MISSION -  FEED THE HUNGRY 1/21/20 WITH IFC Sign up HERE. Sign up once, or sign up every month to serve with The Inter-Faith Council for Social Services (IFC), of which The Community Church is a founding church. We need help preparing the meals and serving them - do one job or both! Questions? Text (919)428-4440.

• FALL AUCTION If you are eligible for AARP, you should be thinking about your future living options. Did you know that the typical wait time to move into a Triangle Continuous Care Retirement Community is 10 years? Come learn about the different types, some common terminology and acronyms, and some costs and floor plan options. Contact the Blanchards to sign up for S16 CCRC Primer for Those 50 and Older ($25) from 1-2:30 on Saturday, February 1st. 
  

• MARK YOUR CALENDAR! COMMUNITY DAY OF SERVICE 2020 - MARCH 7! We're almost there! Our church's 2nd Community Day of Service is really coming together. NEW: online signups available! COMING SOON: a church-wide email with details. There will be something for everyone, regardless of age, interest, or skill. Let's show the community outside of our walls what love is all about. The theme this year is St. Patrick's Day, complete with Irish music, a pot of gold and maybe a leprechaun! Let the shenanigans begin! Questions? Email Mary Beth Powell or Bill Rote.

• SOUNDROOM OPERATORS NEEDED The Music Team is looking for people to help in the soundroom during Sunday Services. No musical or technical experience necessary. There is a 10-15 minute training period, and plenty of resources available online and on-site to make the job as simple as possible. Working in the Soundroom is a small commitment, but one that reaps great benefits for the church. Contact Music Director Glenn Mehrbach for more information.

• 2020 PHOTO DIRECTORY COMING SOON! Didn't get your photo taken? Your contact info can still be included! Photo or no, please contact the office with updated information if any of these things have changed in the past few years: Name / Address / Home phone / Cell phone / Email.... Thanks!

• 103 (!) PEOPLE HAVE OPTED IN FOR TEXT ALERTS IN CASE OF CHURCH DELAYS AND/OR CLOSURES Would you like to receive a text in case of weather-related or other church closures and/or delays, too?  If so, please fill out this form: we need to have your current cell phone number and carrier. Please note: these texts cannot receive replies.

• OFFICE CLOSURES: The office will be closed 1/20 & 1/21/20.

• MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. DAY COMMEMORATION  Mon Jan 20th. 9am Rally at Peace & Justice Plaza (129 E. Franklin St, CH 27514) with Speaker Tai Huynh (UNC student activist & CH Town Council member) followed by march (.6 miles) to First Baptist Church (106 N. Roberson St, CH 27516) for a 10 am Coffee & Conversations. 11 am Community Interfaith Service with keynote speaker Gene Nichol. Members of the CC choir will participate in the service. Registration not required. For more info see below.  CLICK HERE or more info about event. Submitted by Joy Blevins

• NEIGHBORS ON CALL NoC is sponsoring a discussion, "Denied and Abridged: the Struggle for Voting Rights in NC," with Anna Richards, President CH-Carrboro NAACP & Irving Joyner, Professor of Law, NC Central University, to discuss voter suppression, its toll on our state & and the ongoing fight to make all voices heard. Event at CH Public Library on Thu Jan 23 from 6:30-8:00 pm. Event free but should RSVP HERE. Submitted by Joy Blevins

 

Please share the warmth of community or the fire of commitment of your Community Church group in action! Email your photo to Rachel Rose in the church office and COMPLETE THIS FORM. Photos will be featured on the church website homepage and/or the Weekly Announcements and Monthly Newsletter when possible and in the order received. Thanks for helping us live our mission!

• Art in the Sanctuary From January 3 through March 1 the art in the Sanctuary will be paintings by Raleigh artist Abie Harris. Harris' works are abstract visual representations of JS Bach's Goldberg Variations created in conjunction with live performances of the Raleigh-based classical string trio Quercus and the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Each work explores the intricate nature of the music pieces through dynamic use of color and geometric structure. Click here to contact Abie Harris.

• FRIENDLY REMINDER: COMMONS ETIQUETTE We are so fortunate to have so much going on in our church! However, please remember that the Commons is a place where folks who cannot join in Service (Those who need a comfy place to breastfeed! One with a persistent cough! Someone who needs a place to weep!) can still hear the Service. Please, keep quiet in the Commons during Services. Outside of Service times, it's a wonderful meeting space - please be aware that meetings may be in progress and use other doors, whenever possible. Thank you!

• LOST & FOUND The Lost & Found is in the Admin Lobby. Where's the Admin Lobby? The doors farthest to the right on the face of our church buildings - it's also accessible through the Community Room (where Coffee Hours take place). Please look for lost things  - that's where forlorn potluck dishes go, abandoned raincoats and neglected coffee mugs, as well. These bins are emptied seasonally, so give them gander and see if your "lost" has been "found"!

• REMINDER ABOUT WEEKDAY PARKING Thanks for participating in the life of our church! We love to see you here. If you come to church during the week, there are some guidelines. Please do not park in the big lot; the church rents those spaces M-F, 6am to 7pm. The income from these rentals is a significant part of our operating budget, and we want to treat these renters equitably. You are welcome to park in the lot near the office, or in the "pine lot" at the top of the driveway, or in the small lot in the back (with its own driveway). Questions? Please contact Rachel Rose.

• Help make Sunday mornings happen - Become a Greeter! Our church is busier than ever, and we need folks to help welcome people in to our church on Sunday morning and we have many Greeter spaces open over the next few weeks! Please take a moment to sign up to be a Greeter, 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!