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SUNDAY WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP |
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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
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November 6
“What I Learned from Growing Up UU… and What I Missed”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Join us this morning as Rev. Thom reflects on what he learned from having grown up as a Unitarian Universalist as well as what he did not learn from growing up UU.
November 13
“How to Understand Our Divisions”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Following the midterm elections – win, lose, or draw – one thing remains certain: We’ll still feel like the Divided States of America more than the United States. Inspired by Barbara Walter’s stunning book, How Civil Wars Start, and How to Stop Them, we’ll consider different ways of thinking about our divisions.
November 20
“A Theology of Abundance”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
The cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is a symbol often associated with Thanksgiving. Might it also be a symbol of liberal religion? This morning we’ll consider liberal religious thinkers who see God and the world as abundant, generous, munificent, and lavish. As is our tradition, following both services we will enjoy pumpkin pie right out of the oven.
November 27
“Ties to Our Ancestors”
Rev. Alison Wilbur Eskildsen, preaching
In traditional African religions the ancestors continue to influence the living, for good or ill. As we gather for the winter holidays with friends and family, how might we be influenced by those who came before us?
The Rev. Alison Wilbur Eskildsen, Minister Emerita of the UU Fellowship of Athens, GA, retired from full-time ministry in 2020. She joined The Community Church of Chapel Hill with her husband, Paul, after moving here to be near their older son and his family.
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACTION –
CHAIRS FOR ANNUAL PLEDGE DRIVE & DAY OF SERVICE
At its October 11 meeting, your Board of Trustees appointed Bonnie Crotty Nelson as Chair of the 2023 Annual Pledge Drive and confirmed that Rae Dawson will be returning as Chair for the Day of Service event! We’re changing things up this year. Pledging will occur during the month of February, and the Day of Service will be the culminating celebration. We’re living our Mission: nurturing spiritual growth, supporting and caring for each other, and effecting change through our love for the world. Mark your calendars for the Day of Service on Saturday, March 4. More details are forthcoming. Questions? Contact Board President Barb Chapman for more information.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACTION – PAVING THE PARKING LOT In further action at the October 11 meeting, the Board approved a contract for $165,000 to repave the parking lot. Why so much? The parking lot has deteriorated to the point that we can’t just pave over what’s already there; we have to take up and restore the base. A few years ago, the bid was $65,000, but we had to delay maintenance, and the cost of materials and labor has increased. How can we afford this? Past Boards wisely established a maintenance reserve. We’ll be using funds from those reserves plus a gift that you’ll hear more about later. What’s the good news? We have the money to do this. We’re using an ecologically sound process. We have members who’ve used and validate this paving process. Staff and the Building Maintenance folks are working out a schedule that will make this major project as unintrusive as possible. Questions? Contact Board President Barb Chapman for more information.
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THE VIEW FROM THE ROOF - B&G UPDATE November finds us preparing to repave the parking lots. This will be a short-term inconvenience but a long-term pleasure with smooth pavement and a commercial paint job. We are hoping to accomplish it this year, but with the possibility of waiting until spring. Stay tuned!
Come join us for our November WorkPARTY! 9 AM - Noon with BYO lunch afterwards on the first Monday (of each month) – 11/7/22 And always… Please remember, YOUR JOB is to email Buildings & Grounds, drop a note in the B&G box or catch one of us at church whenever you see something amiss. Early reports save $$$!!!
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2023 DAY OF SERVICE Did you enjoy our 2022 Day of Service event? Do you remember the joy of fellowship and service? Well, it’s time to start planning for the 2023 event. Would you like to be a part of planning and hosting it? Need something to keep you busy during the dark days of winter? Join the 2023 Day of Service Steering Committee and help make next year’s event even better than the 2022 event! Contact Rae Dawson for more information.
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NOVEMBER 20 SHARE THE PLATE: HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN It is time for the annual Holiday Gifts for Foster Children Share the Plate. Foster children are children in our community who are in the midst of the devastating crisis of having lost their families for now and maybe forever. And they are often fostered by families who don’t have many resources. The holiday gift program allows the wider community to help bring some holiday cheer to children. Our congregation has been a stalwart contributor to the Orange County Holiday Program for over 25 years and to the Chatham County Holiday Program for more than a decade. Funds go to the Departments of Social Service in each county. Let us pass our love and abundance beyond our walls to our neighbors who need our support. Contact Marion Hirsch for more information. You can donate now online, send a donation to the church (checks payable to The Community Church; put STP- Foster Kids in the memo), or give at church on November 20.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY Many thanks to all who contributed to the Share the Plate for Charles House. A total of $1,980 was raised, which will increase the funds available for some less-affluent people to attend and also add worthwhile things to the daily programs. Our church members understood what a valuable contribution Charles House provides to our community. THANKS AGAIN!
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CFF XTREME HIKE STP FOR GAVIN'S GROUPIES
Gavin and Gavin’s Groupies express our gratitude for the support shown to us for the Share The Plate donation on 9/25. Thank you for helping to change the lives of those like Gavin. For those that came up after the services to speak to us and share your connections-thank you. As you have seen-Gavin is a pretty typical 12-year-old: full of sass and spunk! The CFF helps people with CF throughout all stages of life and the disease to help them have an improved quality of life .
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ECO: BIO-DIVERSITY CRISIS
ECO will present the issues involved with the Biodiversity Crisis and what you can do about it at our Table on October 30. Much of what you can do is joyful and often less effort than what you may be expanding right now. Talk to us at the table or email ECO.
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SIDE WITH LOVE LAUNCHES A REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE TEAM Last summer, members of the Side With Love ministry attended training to lead Reproductive Justice work in our congregation, in partnership with UU Justice NC and a coalition of reproductive justice organizations. Our Reproductive Justice Task Force now has 10 members, and an ever-growing list of willing volunteers.
The Reproductive Justice movement seeks to ensure access as well as choice in decisions about personal bodily autonomy. For example, while North Carolina is one of the few southern states that allows abortion, access to Medicaid has been denied to 600,000 people. Without Medicaid, women have no access to medical care or paid birth control.
Recognizing that the coming election could lead to more restrictions to reproductive health care and less access, 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.
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SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS |
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LABYRINTH WALK, SUNDAY 12/11 AT 12:45 PM
LED BY PAIGE SMITH & KATHY HODGES
The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool that has many applications in various settings. It reduces stress, quiets the mine, and opens the heart. There are many ways to describe a labyrinth: walking mediation; path of prayer; crucible of change; a vessel for the spirit and a mirror of the soul; a never-ending circle; or an enlightened path to the Divine within each of us. It can symbolize a rebirth, a life journey and pilgrimage with all its twists and turns, or a temple whose center reconfirms our relationship with the cosmos and Divine spirit.
Join us for a discussion, labyrinth walk, and reflection on December 11, after 2nd service. We will meet at the church and go from there to the labyrinth at UNC Hospitals. Sponsored by Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA). Contact Paige Smith or Kathy Hodges
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NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTION: KATHLEEN WIGET CORRAO Kathleen was introduced to The Community Church by Member Ruth Gibson. Kathleen came to North Carolina from Vermont, but grew up in southwestern Ohio. Kathleen knew that our church was the right place for her when she "heard all the music and saw all the children involved." She adds, "I would like to participate in more activities in person as soon as we can!" Kathleen feels that "Voting issues and climate change are so important! Of course, as a grandmother and former elementary teacher, I am concerned about education!" Welcome, Kathleen!
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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. . 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? Let Rachel Rose know if you can participate on January 5 & 12.
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SUNDAY SMALL GROUP SOCIAL CONTINUES IN NOVEMBER! Please join Rachel Rose for this important time of connection. We will continue meeting on Sundays in November. 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!
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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!
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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.
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QUUILTERS We meet on Saturday, November 5, 9 - 11:30 AM in The Gathering Room. We'll be working on quilted placemats for Meals on Wheels participants, so bring your sewing machine and supplies, if you wish, or plan to help pull, iron and cut fabrics. Fabric bundles will be available to start on and/or take home to work on. Please wear your facemask and bring your current projects to show us.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR NOVEMBER On Saturday, November 19 from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The Walker: On Finding and Losing Yourself in the Modern City, by Matthew Beaumont. Moving around the modern city is not a way of getting from A to B, but of understanding who and where we are. This is not a book about the health benefits of walking, but an exploration and meditation on walking through the writings of many authors. Beaumont discusses relevant works by Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Virginia Woolf and others in this interesting intellectual ramble. Glenn Davis 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.
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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 meets 2-4 PM on the 1st and 3rd Mondays; Bonnie Gilliom’s group meets 10-11:30 AM on every Thursday; and Susan Blanchard’s group meets 1:30-3:30 PM on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. We are discussing selected chapters from My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. 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.
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WOMEN CIRCLE WRITING HAIKU Join Mariana Fiorentino and Ivy Brezina for an afternoon of writing haiku, sipping Japanese tea, and listening to Japanese music on Sunday, November 13, 2-4PM. Haiku, often called a one breath poem, can depict a moment in time, visual images in nature or homage to the senses. Note: We will coach you on writing Haiku. Based on participants’ preference, we will either meet in person, masked, or on Zoom. RSVP with your preference to Ivy Brezina.
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WOMEN CIRCLE PLANNING MEETING Come join us for the WomenCircle annual planning meeting on Friday, December 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. As we have done with a lot of the indoor activities, we vacillate between an in-person meeting and one on Zoom – so that will be announced later. We were able to spend 2021 both virtually and in person. All events helped develop community and friendships. We will again be thinking about Zoom and in-person activities for 2022. We are inviting active, occasional or WomenCircle “wanna be’s” to bring their ideas to the meeting or email them to Joann Haggerty. Also, if you plan to attend, please RSVP to Sindy Barker so if it is necessary to meet on Zoom, we will have your email address.
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COMMUNITY CHURCH CONCERTS |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE KRUGER BROTHERS! Community Church Concerts brings back the fabulous Kruger Brothers Saturday, Dec. 10 at 8 PM. Mark your calendars and GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! We ALWAYS sell out!!! And we now have over 120 SEASON PASS HOLDERS, so seating will be limited!
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DECEMBER NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY NOVEMBER 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.
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106 Purefoy Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-942-2050
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