Happy Midweek Church!

      What a week it has already been. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for our staff and volunteer ministry partners. Last Sunday morning was eventful, to say the least. The grace that I received was found in my inner ability to let go of my preconceived perceptions and give the worship service, wholly to God … well … and Pastor Debbie and Andy. Having an early morning call that your mother is ill and needs to be hospitalized is a jolt to the system. Once I made connections with Debbie and Andy, knowing that our technical crew, choir, and musicians were already prepping for the day, I was at peace. You must know that has not always been the case with me. What a blessing to have such incredible staff and ministry partners, Together, everyone did what they do. Worship happened, people were touched and God was glorified. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Mama is doing well back at home, healing and making some adjustments to her everyday routine. God is good, especially when we let God do God’s “thang.”  

           This coming Sunday we will celebrate Reformation Sunday in the church. Without the heart, mind, and courage of Martin Luther, I fear we would not be here, as a church or denomination. Luther, although not attempting to start a new church, listened to his heart, listened to the Holy Spirit, and brought about some of the sweeping changes to the ways we understand God and understand our part in God’s work as the church. The color for the day is red, a symbol of celebration. I hope you and your family will make every attempt to be with us as we celebrate God in Christ in new and different ways. 

           Last call for Trunk-or-Treat. Sunday afternoon, we will offer our wider community a chance to get a glimpse of who we are at The Community Church of Poway. We still could use some more trunks decorated. As of this writing, we have about 9 cars confirmed. Let’s see if we can make it 15 by Sunday. You do not have to sign up to bring your vehicle. Just have your car here and decorated by 2:30 pm. San Diego Christian Church will be joining us in this outreach activity. We will have a great time putting smiles on many faces. Hope to see you there. I love being your pastor.

Holding you close and lifting you high!

Pastor Greg

“A Mighty Fortress is our God” arr. by Tommy Walker

https://youtu.be/ZBlU07rCQS0

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God” was written by Martin Luther in 1527. It is based on Psalm 46 which reads:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Though it’s waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

The holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

He lifts His voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

The desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

He burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Martin Luther is known as the father of the reformation. As we celebrate Reformation Sunday, this song was an immediate choice.

“The Church’s One Foundation” by Samuel J. Stone

https://youtu.be/k9yNSTt1aXU

“The Church’s One Foundation” was written by Samuel Stone after there was a schism within the Church of South Africa. This rift was caused by John William Colenso, the first Bishop of Natal. He was removed from office for his teachings, and then he appealed that decision to the church authorities in England. Samuel Stone was involved when things reached this level. He wrote a set of hymns entitled Lyra Fidelum; Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles’ Creed. “The Church’s One Foundation” was included under the ninth article. 

We will use some newer lyrics to this older hymn, and I think they will really speak to us today. The melody will be the same as we’ve been accustomed to. 

“They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” by Peter Scholtes

https://youtu.be/LZg8Ho-lNqk

Peter Scholtes was a Catholic priest in the South Side of Chicago in 1966. He wrote, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” for a youth choir to sing during a series of ecumenical and interracial events. The melody and lyrics were composed in a vernacular-folk style so that the song would be more accessible. The hymn was used to connect worship with discipleship. This piece also becomes a commitment to the believer’s responsibility and participation in the work of God. 

Prayers to cease the war in Ukraine

Malia Noelle, (Kristi), surgery on Oct 20 was a success!

Jim Siltanen – in hospice.

Ann Davis

Sue Ryan

Sue, friend of Kristi

Poulin Family-Kathy’s dad died on September 25th, memorial will be November 20th

Stan Melad and Family- Stan’s dad, Pete, died September 23^rd

Tina, friend of Rosemary (We tied a prayer quilt on Oct. 16^th)

Mike, brother of Susan

Fred, (Freddie’s Dad) and family.

Joshua, friend of Rosemary

Rocelle Melone

Joanne Jonas

Elaine Lemon

Nina Melad

Felicia and Nellie-Felicia’s Sister

Trunk or Treat will be held on Sunday, October 30th from 3-5pm. This wonderful community event will have many fun TRUNKS to get TREATS from! Invite your family and friends to come enjoy this night! Lots of candy, lots of fun, and lots of costumes will be worn! Make Halloween special this year by stopping by to see what creative trunks were designed! 

Reformation Sunday

Sunday, October 30^th, the Community Church of Poway will celebrate Reformation Sunday. Without the courage, the heart and the tenacity of Martin Luther, I fear we would never be where we are today. The color for the day is RED, so search your closets and find that red outfit that you haven’t worn in a while. This would be a great day to invite a new friend or family member to attend worship with you. God, give us the heart and power of Martin Luther. 

All Saint Sunday

Sunday, November 6^th, we will observe, All Saint Sunday in our church. All Saints is a day where we pay tribute to those who have left us through death, those whose lives made a beautiful mark on our lives. We will be adding to our All Saints video, so If you have a picture and name you would like included, please email it to Pastor Greg as soon as possible. Those of you who have experienced this day with us in the past, know how special it is to be a part of it. 

pastorgregccpucc@gmail.com

Strike a Pose and Say Cheese! 

The Church will be updating our member photo board! Starting November 6th, Julie Hume will be in charge of capturing a terrific photo of you and your family after Church on Sundays. We have so many great smiles in our congregation, let us make them shine!

   It is that time of year again … Congregational Meeting time. On Sunday, November 20th, 2022 we will be having our annual congregational meeting to elect and celebrate our new church leadership for the coming year, 2023 following the worship service in the Fellowship Hall.



   The slate of nominees will be presented to fill any vacancies on the Council and Boards. This meeting requires your vote.  We need a quorum in attendance. I know you will make every effort to be in person for this important meeting. Please note … at this time, absentee voting will not be recognized. Looking forward to a great new year.

Susan Gurriell, Moderator

CONFIRM NOT CONFORM

Every Thursday starting at

6pm-7:30pm

 One of the best things about our church is the diversity of experience and belief. We gather on Sundays, celebrating all God is doing, sometimes we get so caught up in our “Sunday experience,” that we forget that the call to discipleship is on our lives every day of the week. 

  Confirm-Not-Conform (CnC) is a program we will be using to ignite our passion for daily construction of who we are and what we hold dear. Folks have asked, “What exactly is CnC?” For lack of a better explanation, it is a confirmation

program for the entire church. CnC is designed for us each, to individually construct what it is we do believe, realizing that our beliefs can grow and change as we put our faith into practice.

A big thank you to you all for your continued support for our Basket Sundays and Mission Offerings. You are awesome. Last month you filled our basket with food for Interfaith Community Services. And, so many of you stayed after church to put that food to use, making sandwiches and packing 160 sack lunches. Many, many thanks to you all!

    For October, we are taking a month off from our Basket Sunday as we gear up for our Thanksgiving and Christmas giving. But we have a special mission offering to support three UCC mission offerings:

·     Neighbors in Need

·     Strengthen the Church, and

·     Our Church’s Wider Mission

    Neighbors in Need supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third supports the Council for American Indian Ministry and two-thirds are used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to support justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. 

    Strengthen the Church supports leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations.

    Our Church’s Wider Mission provides funding to Wider Church Ministries, Local Church Ministries, and Justice and Witness Ministries (as I just noted for Neighbors in Need). Also, General Ministries and Pension Boards. Uses for these funds include assisting domestic and international missionaries. theological education and disaster relief.

    Your support of the October Mission Offering will be divided among these three worthwhile UCC programs and will complete our 2022 participation in the 5 UCC Mission Offerings. 

    If you wish to support the October Mission Offering, there are envelopes on the table by the offering plates, or you can note October Mission Offering when you give online. 

Thank you for your support! 

The Outreach Ministry

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. 

This week's recipe is a Baked Pasta Dish!

Sent in by Rocelle M, thank you! 

Click Here for a Baked Pasta Dish!

Trunk or Treat 

Save the date for 

October 30^th 

from 3:00 to 5:00. 

We will have our “Trunk or Treat”. Get your thinking caps on about how you will decorate your trunk so you can give out treats to kids in our community!

 On Sunday,

November 20th,

CCPUCC Thanksgiving Worship and Pie Celebration".

Details are still being discussed, but after worship on that Sunday, we will gather for a homemade Pie Celebration. Hopefully, this will become a new tradition in our church community.

 Christmas Eve Worship 2022

It is never too early to mark your calendars for Christmas Eve Worship. 

This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday. CCPUCC will offer ONE worship service on December 24th, at 4:00 p.m. Make your plans now to be with us on this amazing day. 

NOTE: There will NOT be a Sunday morning worship service on Christmas Day.

Books & More

  On October 25th we'll begin the discussion of Eternal by Lisa Scottoline.  Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up in Rome as the best of friends despite their differences. But in the autumn of 1937, everything changed as Mussolini asserts his power. Their connection to one another is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

Books & More meets Tuesdays at 10:00 am in the Fireside room and on Zoom:

All are welcome to join us.

https://zoom.us/j/98440622539?pwd=aG1mRjlXVDVoRHhWTWpBaHA3QXZkUT09  

Centering Prayer:

Tuesdays at 6:30 Contact Colleen Clementson

at powclem@yahoo.com or on

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

Adult Scripture Review:

Sunday’s following online worship

Email Susan Gurriell

at sgurriell@gmail.com or

call her at (619)993-4952 for a 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 :)

I found two great jokes!

Happy Early Halloween! And do not forget, Trunk or Treat this Sunday 3-5pm at the Church! 

Jokes of the Week:

J: Why don’t mummies take vacations? 

A: They’re afraid they’ll relax and unwind...

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J: What room does a ghost not need in a house?

A: A living room...

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