Community UCC eNews
May 13, 2021
Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian Church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.


COVID Status: Virtual worship. Limited office hours.
See below.

SO MUCH GOOD NEWS! — If it says "[Message clipped]" at the bottom of your eNews, that means you're not seeing everything. Click the link next to that to view the entire newsletter.
Sunday worship — Zoom and YouTube (bit.ly/cuccyoutube)

Join us for worship on Sunday, May 16, when Pastor Julia Penner-Zook will deliver a sermon titled "Farewell Address" inspired by John 17: 6-19.

Julia writes: "We can learn a lot about someone – their priorities and their concerns for the future of those they have led – by listening to their farewell remarks. Sunday’s sermon will look at what’s on Jesus’ mind as he prepares to leave his followers behind on the earth."

See below for how we "do church" now.
Sunday worship onYouTube begins at 10:30 a.m.
Instructions for Zoom worship

We will provide the Zoom worship live on our YouTube channel (bit.ly/cuccyoutube) on Sundays at 10:35 a.m. Doors "open" around 10:15-10:20 for a few minutes of fellowship before worship begins.

Links to the Zoom worship services go out each Wednesday in a separate email just to church members. Look for "Zoom links" in that email subject line. If you would like to receive the Zoom links to participate in the Sunday service in a more interactive way, please contact the church office or let Lisa know.
Thursday evening worship

Evening worship has resumed at 7 p.m. Thursdays on Zoom. If you have questions or would like a Zoom link, contact Robin at faithgrowth@communityucc.com.
Important: Survey on Reopening

Leadership is working hard to find the best way to safely resume some in-person gatherings. Please complete a survey assessing what you need to have in place for this to become a live option for YOU. You can access the survey here to provide your input
Picture this: Win a painting of our church

We have a new and creative fundraising raffle for May!

Inspired by Roger Wall's photo, Lisa Bell has painted a stunning picture of our church and is donating it for this raffle. This watercolor painting is 10.5 inches by 13.5 inches and will fit in a matte with an 11-by-14 opening.

If the raffle winner prefers, Lisa has offered a commissioned watercolor piece up to the same size. Samples of some of Lisa's other artwork can be seen here. If the winner chooses this second option, Lisa will donate the church painting to Community UCC.

Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The drawing will be held at the worship service on May 30. You can purchase tickets by sending a check to the church or going online at Givelify. In either case, please designate the money is for the May painting raffle.
Learn about UCC work in this part of California

The Sequoia Association of the Northern California Nevada Conference will hold its annual meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 16, via Zoom.

If you’re interested in hearing about the work of our association, please contact Felicia Rocha at flearocha82@gmail.com. She will forward you a link.
Pittman and Tidyman scholarships: apply now

CUCC annually offers two scholarships: the Martha and Paul Pitman Scholarship and the Phyllis A. Tidyman Scholarship.

The Pitman Scholarship Fund – established in 1998 – supports the theological education of students preparing for ordained ministry and “in care” of the church. Graduate students or re-entry students returning to school after a two-year absence are eligible if a seminary student doesn’t apply.

The Tidyman Scholarship Fund – established in 1999 by the Tidyman family – provides scholarships for church members.

The Pitmans and Mrs. Tidyman were longtime church members. Completed applications are due in the church office by June 30. Please contact Alex Madrid at amadrid345@gmail.com if you have questions about how to apply. 
All-Church Family Camp scheduled for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5

Annie and Jack Van Patten express their enthusiasm for – and love of – Family Camp in the video below. Annie can be reached at 209.902.2033 or teechrannie@comcast.net.
Caught Off Guard
by Pastor Julia Penner-Zook
Remember those experiences when, quite unexpectedly, something triggers a response in you that you didn’t see coming? You may hear a song or someone’s voice, even a scent can be the catalyst to release emotions which are sometimes accompanied with tears or a sudden chuckle.

That happened to me a few days ago when I clicked a YouTube link and heard a piece of music I’ve known and loved for almost as long as I can remember. What I wasn’t prepared for was the immediate flood of emotion. 

As I stopped to think about where this was coming from, I nailed it down to two things: a reminder of dreams I had as a young person, and a part of the world I called home for some time. 

Those two things aren’t surprising in and of themselves; what the reaction revealed, however, was that there is a lot of feeling attached to these memories —feeling I likely had never given adequate space.  

That’s how life is: we experience so many things that our minds and feelings don’t keep up. Inevitably these experiences will come knocking when we least expect them, and sometimes they will boldly invite us to dig more deeply. 

Writing in a journal about these kinds of experiences often brings
insight into what’s going on
Photo Credit via unsplash.com (open source)

beneath the surface.

I prefer “writing in a journal” to “journaling,” because the latter implies this exercise is or should be regular. It can be, but doesn’t need to be.

Sometimes the journaling trail will lead somewhere quite unexpected. It may show us more about who we are, what the next step in a decision could be, or simply be a valve to let off steam that may otherwise be directed inward (read: ulcers or hypertension!) or toward others. It’s a tool to assist in maintaining mental health. 

As was the case for me, this experience was an invitation to acknowledge areas of my life that I had not fully folded into who I am today. If we engage these experiences thoughtfully rather than brush them aside as unwelcome interruptions, we open the door to become healthier and more integrated people. 
Women's Book Discussion Group continues with 'Blessed Are the Crazy'

The women's group continues its discussion at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, on Zoom. The book: "Blessed Are the Crazy" by Sarah Griffith Lund.

If you have questions or need a Zoom link, please contact Robin at faithgrowth@communityucc.com.
Adult Education meets Mondays

Adult Education meets from 9-10 a.m. Mondays.

The group is continuing a six-week video discussion, exploring "How the Bible Actually Works" by Peter Enns.

A Zoom link will be made available. Contact Robin at faithgrowth@communityucc.com if you're interested.
On May 9, Pastor Julia delivered a sermon titled "Draw The Circle Wide" inspired by 1 John 5: 1-5. Click on the triangle above to watch and hear the sermon.
Marilyn's office hours at church

Marilyn is in the office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Please be sure to call ahead (559.435.2690) and remember to wear a mask if you need to come to the office.
Contacting Pastor Julia at church

Pastor Julia will be in the office Thursday mornings and can be reached by phone, text, e-mail or Facetime other days of the week as well. E-mail her at j.penner.zook@gmail.com
If you have a prayer (of joy, for healing, gratitude, love) for someone or someplace that you would like lifted up during worship on Sunday mornings, please send it to Pastor Julia at  j.penner.zook@gmail.com. You can also submit prayer requests via our web page at communityucc-fresno.org/worship/prayer-requests/.
Youth camps at Camp Tam 2021

Here are dates for youth camps at Camp Tam this summer:
  • July 18-24 – Junior Camp (children entering fourth to sixth grades)
  • July 25-31 – Junior High Camp (youth entering seventh to ninth grades)
  • August 1-7 – Senior High Camp (youth entering 10th grade through 2021 high school graduates)

Click here for registration details.
In each week's eNews, we include a news article from our larger denomination, the United Church of Christ, to show the faithful work being done in other places.
Gifts will help 3 hospitals fight COVID surge in India

Two U.S. churches are seeking donations to help partners in India fight a surge in COVID-19.

The appeal will raise funds for three hospitals facing the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak. They are:


Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating this month

May Birthdays
1 Wendy Thompson
3 Sarah Fey and Thomas Russell
6 Benjamin Kloos
7 Louise Andrews and Bill Dailey
8  Adriana Wall
11 Gail McDougle
15  Marty Mulvihill
17 Vicky Wall and Lynn Samuelian
19 Marilyn Wall
21 Tom Carroll and Pam Mahtab
22 Robin Carlson and Karri Jones
24  Sib White
25  Spence Hipp
29 Maria Contreras
31 Donna Wright

Did we overlook someone's birthday or anniversary for this month? Please let Marilyn (office@communityucc.com) and Lisa (lisamboyles12@gmail.com) know so we can get you in next week. We never intend to leave anyone out.
eNews deadline is 10 a.m. Wednesdays

CUCC eNews is a weekly publication distributed every Thursday. Deadline for submitting announcements is 10 a.m. Wednesdays (and earlier is appreciated). Send your announcements to both Lisa Boyles Bell and Doug Hoagland. Doug is now the primary newsletter designer, but Doug and Lisa collaborate on its production. Emails: lisamboyles12@gmail.com and doughoagland@att.net.
Our Joyful Giving page reflects the many ways members can help support our Church's missions and operations, especially needed in these critical and uncertain times.

Due to COVID-19, worship will remain virtual for now. Limited office hours have resumed.

Phone: 559.435.2690
Email: office@communityucc.com  
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