NOTE: This newsletter might be cut short by your email program.
Select "view entire message" at the bottom of this email to see the entire Newsletter!
|
|
SUNDAY WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP |
|
FALL AUCTION BIDDING HAS BEGUN!
Thanks to our generous donors, we have an amazing assortment of dinners, parties, events, services, and items for you to bid on during the Fall Auction. Bidding is 100% online. Log on, peruse the catalog and
|
|
Sunday Programming
TWO SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:30AM & 11:15AM
9AM:
- Live Religious Education Service on Zoom
9:30AM:
10:30AM:
11:15AM:
12:15PM:
1PM:
- Online Sunday Small Group Social
Sunday Evening
|
|
|
October 2, 2022
“Forgiveness and Wholeness”
Multigenerational Worship Service led by Marion Hirsch and Rev. Thom Belote
Join us for a Multigenerational worship service inspired by the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur. We will explore together how we can move towards healing and wholeness in our lives.
October 9, 2022
“Changes”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
It’s been said that change is the only constant in life. It’s been said that change is a sign of life. As Unitarian Universalists, we say that ours is a living tradition and that we are a part of a living, growing, changing faith. This is all true, but it is also true that change can be challenging. Join us for a service exploring change!
October 16, 2022
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, preaching
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson serves as the Executive Director of UU Justice NC, the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina. In her ministry she has the pleasure of organizing UU congregations across the state to powerfully contribute to the movement for justice through spiritual grounding, joy, imagination and partnership. Her work spans racial, economic, immigrant, environmental, LGBTQ, electoral justice and more.
October 23, 2022
“Hiding our Horns”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
What is a spiritual life supposed to look like? Perhaps, not what you think. This morning’s service will begin with a surprising quote from a great religious leader, and then will explore its meaning and relevance for us today.
October 30, 2022
“Day of Remembrance”
Multigenerational Service led by Marion Hirsch, Kat Good, and Rev. Thom
Join us on the Sunday closest to All Souls Day for a worship service in which we remember our loved ones and those we’ve lost. This Multigenerational service will combine story and ritual with remembrance. You’re invited to bring a photo (or small object) related to someone whose memory you are honoring.
|
|
SHARE THE PLATE OCTOBER 9 - BIG NEWS! Laing, Interim Executive Director of the Orange Country Rape Crisis Center (OCRCC) will join us on Sunday morning, October 9 for SHARE THE PLATE! Stop by the Side With Love Table after the 11:15 am service to meet Laing and learn more about the OCRCC. October 9, is designated as a Share the Plate for contributions to the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. The OCRCC is a non-profit agency offering advocacy and therapy services for survivors of sexual violence in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and surrounding areas. It also delivers a range of community educational programs. In January 2022, members of our C3 experienced a Zoom hack where pornography and child sexual abuse were displayed. Under the auspices of the Side With Love Ministry, we formed The Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force with the goal of reducing sexual violence through education and advocacy. The OCRRC will also offer training to our community on October 15. Thanks for your donation.
|
|
SHARE THE PLATE: CFSA WILLIAM W. DOW SCHOLARSHIP For rural farmers trying to make an environmental difference in our food system, opportunities to meet with like-minded farmers and receive technical and social support are scarce. The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference in November is uniquely valuable for farmers just starting and for experienced farmers transitioning to sustainable practices.
CFSA’s Dow Scholarship Fund offers beginning and disadvantaged farmers assistance to attend the conference where they will receive peer support and education in sustainable farming and a year of expert technical assistance from our farm services team. Fifty percent of the available scholarships are committed to Black, Indigenous, and farmers of color, regardless of farming tenure. Your Share the Plate donations on October 30th have the power to transform the working life of farmers by offering them support, education, and mentoring at the conference and beyond. Please give generously.
|
|
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SHARE THE PLATE For more than a quarter century, our church has worked with Habitat for Humanity/Orange County to build safe, affordable homes for our neighbors in need. We contribute funds and work on construction with homeowners, who share costs and work along with us. The Oct. 16 Share the Plate will continue this long-standing church mission, which has resulted in 24 single-family homes, a duplex and four townhouse blocks. We have the chance to build another Habitat house for another family this year, in Hillsborough. If you can’t be at the Oct. 16 service, please send a donation to the church office, checks payable to Community Church of Chapel Hill UU; put Habitat STP in the memo line. Thank you.
|
|
SHARE THE PLATE APPLICATIONS FOR SUNDAYS JAN-JUNE '23 DEADLINE: OCT. 30! The Share the Plate (STP) Steering Committee is accepting applications for STP Sundays for Jan-June 2023. Our mission is to support the outreach ministry of our UU congregation by developing and coordinating Share the Plate Collections: designated Sunday morning collections that support specific causes or organizations, which reflect the passions of the congregation. Deadline: Sunday, Oct. 30! Applicants MUST use appropriate and current application forms and submit to the committee as directed below. Questions? Click HERE for Jill Baker; or HERE for Jane Provan.
|
|
COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY |
|
Inter-Faith Council (IFC ) COMMUNITY MARKET As we begin this fall with a more familiar church schedule, it would be a good time to return to our habit of bringing non-perishable groceries for the IFC Community Market. The list of most wanted items is only a suggestion. Truly, they can use any kind of easy-to-prepare food that will keep a long time without refrigeration. They also need soap, razors, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. just as we do. Children who go the store with their parents might choose a few cans of soup , canned fruit, or SpaghettiOs. Then, they can bring those to church to the blue bins in The Commons, encouraging a lifelong habit of thinking of others' needs. Many small donations from church families will help fill the blue bins. and then the shelves of the Community Market.
|
|
WALK THE WALK: STAGVILLE PLANTATION -- SAT. OCT 8, 10-12 NOON - In 2022-2023, our racial justice learning will be local and in person. This year, we will be visiting sites together and learning about racial justice and injustice here at home. Our first visit this fall is a guided tour of the Stagville Plantation Historic Site in Durham. Walk the Walk is cosponsored by Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA), Side with Love, and Living Our Covenant with Intention. Questions: Contact Lisa Lackmann
|
|
ECO MOVIE NIGHT OCTOBER 14, 2022, 7PM; ECO’S NEW WEB PAGE Join the Church's environmental group, ECO, in the Community Church's Living Room in the new building to watch the 50 minute PBS film "Earth Emergency" followed by discussion at 7 - 8:30 PM on Friday, October 14. Earth Emergency is a recent award winning film narrated by Richard Gere that examines how human activity sets off feedback loops that escalate warming and what needs to be done. This riveting film includes a conversation between the Dalai Lama and youth activist Greta Thunberg. Stay after to discuss the problems, actions, and reasons for hope in dealing with the climate crisis. ECO members will help lead the discussion. ECO’s new web page lists the upcoming movie night and will list future events, as well as lots of new information about the climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, and ideas for living more sustainably.
|
|
SIDE WITH LOVE Child Sexual Abuse Training Orange County Rape Crisis Center is offering Stewards of Children® virtual training on Saturday, October 15, from 10 am – noon. Stewards of Children® is an evidence-informed, award-winning two-hour training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Through interviews with child sexual abuse survivors, experts, and treatment providers, this training teaches adults practical actions they can take to reduce instances of child sexual abuse in their organizations, families, and communities. Side With Love is offering this training in response to a Zoom attack experienced by people from our congregation where pornography and child sexual abuse was displayed. Suggested donation is $10. Please make checks payable to: Community Church of Chapel Hill UU and put SWL-SAP in the memo line. To register, visit Side With Love table after services or sign up at:
|
|
SIDE WITH LOVE LAUNCHES A REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE TEAM Last summer, several members of the Side With Love ministry attended training to lead Reproductive Justice work in our congregation, in partnership with the UUA UU Justice NC and a coalition of reproductive justice organizations.
The Reproductive Justice movement seeks to ensure access as well as choice in decisions about personal bodily autonomy, whether and when to have children, and parenting the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.
Side With Love now has a Reproductive Justice Task Force of 10 members, and an ever-growing list of willing workers and volunteers. Recognizing that North Carolina in one of the few southern states with access to abortion, and that we may very well lose that in the coming election, our first priority is working with UU the Vote. After the election, you will hear more from us as we assess the needs and resources in our community and the ways in which our congregation may rise to serve.
|
|
GET OUT THE VOTE - It's Raining Postcards Partnering with UU congregations in NC, and led by Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson of UU Justice NC, our church has committed to mailing out 2000 handwritten postcards. The recipients are voters of color who do not usually vote in off-presidential elections. The response from our church was so overwhelmingly positive, that we have now ordered an additional 1500 postcards. Please join us in this vital effort during these strategic times. Stop by the Side With Love table in the Kast Courtyard after services to help. To add to our effort, the over 1000 member UU church in Portland, Oregon, has agreed to work with us here in NC. They have already sent out 3000 handwritten letters and have committed to 7000 more. They are also going to do eight nights of phone banking. All of our efforts are aimed at one county that has been identified as having key importance in this next election. In a recent Zoom voter launch meeting with our Portland UU sisters and brothers, Aimy Steele of the New NC Project presented. Stop by the Side With Love table
|
|
SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS |
|
THEOLOGY CAFE w/ Rev. Thom Belote
Thursdays -- October 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 12 to 1:30pm
Join Rev. Thom at the church for a lunchtime gathering discussing the evolving theology of Unitarian Universalism.
October 6: Unitarian and Universalist Christianity
October 13: Transcendentalism
October 20: Humanism
October 27: Postmodernism
|
|
NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTION: BONNIE FAVORITE (she/her) has been a Unitarian Universalist for about 30 years. She was looking for a local faith community in which she could find friends, experience the joy of fellowship, and be of service to the community. She grew up in eastern NC, but has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Belgium and now lives in Mebane. Bonnie says that she knew the The Community Church was the right fit for her when she "read online about the various opportunities for fellowship and service through The Community Church and when I attended the Exploring Membership classes. Your work with refugees and your openness to individuals with disabilities both resonate strongly with me. Your mission encompasses respect for diverse religious traditions, ethical engagement in the world, and mutual support both within and beyond this church community. All of these are consistent with my personal mission in life, which is to make the world a more just and compassionate place." WELCOME, BONNIE!
|
|
JOIN REV. THOM & RACHEL ROSE FOR EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP CLASSES: 11/3 & 11/10, 7PM
Are you considering Membership? Interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism, or our church community?
On Thursday evenings, 11/3 & 11/10, at 7PM, Rev. Thom & Rachel Rose will offer a two-part Exploring Membership class. The class will provide an introduction to Unitarian Universalism and our congregation, the meaning of Membership, provide an opportunity for reflecting on our spiritual journeys, and give you a chance to meet others who are newer to The Community Church. Classes will be held from 7PM to 8:30PM in person, in the Commons at church. Please RSVP by sending an email to Rachel Rose. Please let Rachel Rose know if you need childcare to attend - childcare will gladly be provided. If you have already taken the Exploring Membership class and feel ready to join, you can sign the Membership Book in person with Rachel Rose on any Sunday morning, or with Rev. Thom by appointment. Can't make it this time? New classes will be announced in the coming months.
|
|
SUNDAY SMALL GROUP SOCIAL CONTINUES IN OCTOBER! Please join Rachel Rose for this important time of connection. We will continue meeting on Sundays in October (PLEASE NOTE: We will not meet on October 9. 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!
|
|
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!
|
|
2022 PHOTO DIRECTORY: Get your photos taken after services! Members and Associates are invited to have their photo taken for our 2022 Photo Directory - Please schedule an appointment with Rachel Rose if you'd like to be included. It takes fewer than five minutes, and it helps us connect as a community! Already had your photo taken, but you'd like a new picture? No problem! Rachel Rose would be happy to give you another session.
|
|
20s AND 30S GAME NIGHT: 20s and 30s are hosting a "fancy" pizza and game night at church on Friday, October 7th at 6:00 PM. We are ordering fancy pizza from Amate and we will have salad and drinks. We will eat outside weather permitting. We are asking $5 for the pizza. Games begin at 7:00ish and we will go to 8:30/9:00. Partners and friends are welcome!
|
|
NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR OCTOBER On Saturday, October 15 from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict, by Nina Jankowicz. The author studied information warfare while advising Eastern European governments on how to fight Russia’s disinformation campaign. She discusses what efforts were made and why they failed, as well as her efforts to get the U.S. Congress to do something. Judy Lechner will be leading our discussion, which will be held via Zoom. New members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact the group to ask questions or to be placed on the distribution list for meeting information.
|
|
COMMUNITY CHURCH CONCERTS |
|
COMMUNITY CHURCH CONCERTS OPENS WITH DARIN AND BROOKE ALDRIDGE OCT 29! Get your SEASON PASS!! Community Church Concerts launches our '22-'23 concert season with Darin and Brooke Aldridge Sat., Oct. 29, 8 p.m.! Armed with the talents of the proverbial triple-threat of uniquely distinctive singing, commanding instrumental skills, and accomplished songwriting, Darin and Brooke continue to ascend to new heights in the industry while maintaining their easy-going, down-to-earth connection with audiences everywhere. Brooke is a four-time consecutive winner for Female Vocalist of the Year for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Once a six-year member of The Country Gentlemen with the late Charlie Waller, Darin is a former IBMA Mentor of the Year and a truly gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist. Together with their band – Billy Gee on bass, Samantha Snyder on fiddle, and Jacob Metz on banjo and resonator guitar – Darin and Brooke were recognized with the IBMA’s nomination for 2021 Vocal Group of the Year. Volunteer here.
|
|
RARE WOMEN We are women (mostly retired) who ARE OLDER, WISER, AND RARE and meet on Zoom in three different groups. Joann Haggerty’s group (1st and 3rd Mondays) will meet on October 3rd; Susan Blanchard’s (1st and 3rd Thursdays) on October 6th; and Bonnie Gilliom’s (2nd and 4th Thursdays) on October 13. We will discuss selected chapters from My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. Used books are available online for as little as $4. Discussion questions can be found here. Discussions in Rare Women are intended to prompt us to share thoughts, feelings, values, courageous examples, friendships, and life experiences with group members. However, what is said in Rare Women, stays in Rare Women. NEW MEMBERS are welcome to join any of our three groups. The meeting schedule and discussion topic for each group are posted on the Rare Women webpage.
|
|
WOMENCIRCLE OCTOBER SOUP SWAP Join us via Zoom on October 9 at 3:00 p.m. Tell us about the favorite soup you plan to make for the Second Annual Soup Swap. Participants will each make a quart of their favorite soup (either vegetarian or “other pot”) and will also indicate which type of soup they want. On the Zoom call, coordinators will randomly pick a soup for you to receive in one of those two categories. On October 23 at 3 PM, soup chefs will come to the Kast Courtyard at the church to exchange soups and to enjoy each other’s company in person. Everyone will leave with a quart of someone else’s delicious specialty. Recipes will be sent out following the Soup Swap. RSVP to Gail McKinley by sending your preferred email address so you can be invited to the Zoom call. Deadline is October 8.
|
|
OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: (LATE) FALL TRIP, NOV. 4-6, PEAKS OF OTTER AREA, VA
Falling Leaves, Falling Water; Outdoor Connections, Nov. 4-6
Life is too short not to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway each fall. We’ll be sharing meals in a private home, which guarantees good food and great company. The drive is about 2 1/2 hours to the Peaks of Otter area; we’ll share rides as feasible. Hikes will be easy/moderate, waterfalls readily accessible, beauty immersive.
|
|
OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: Fall Foliage at Occoneechee Mountain Trail, Sat. Oct. 22, 9 AM;
Enjoy the fall foliage on the highest views in the area on the bluffs of Occoneechee Mountain, in Hillsborough after just a short (steep) hike through an old oak forest on the Overlook trail. We will add some distance to our hike and take the Mountain Loop Trail along the Eno River (just over two miles in distance). Feel free to attend if you prefer to hike only one of these trails as we will modify the order to adjust to everyone's preferences. After the walk, we’ll head over to the Nomad at the Osbunn for an outdoor lunch. RSVP here.
|
|
Frans Verhagen, a new member, invites you to become a founding member of this challenging UU working group with the objective of having the UU General Assembly adopt a Statement of Conscience on monetary injustices particularly in respect to the unjust, unsustainable, and therefore, unstable international monetary system. Frans C. Verhagen, M.Div., M.I.A., PhD. Columbia University-educated sustainability sociologist of international development who developed the TTRIMS framework of which monetary justice is an essential component is interested in starting this group.
|
|
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 15
The Community Church of Chapel Hill Board of Trustees wants to hear from you!
If you would like to learn more about The Community Church of Chapel Hill,
please contact Rachel Rose, our Director of Membership & Communications:
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
