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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:
Sunday Evening
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January 1, 2023
“Welcoming the New Year”
Bill Rote & Rev. Thom Belote, leading worship
*** ONE SERVICE AT 11:00 ONLY ***
With the turning to a new year, we gather to let go of whatever from 2022 we need to let go of. We turn to the promise and possibility of this new year and commit ourselves to stepping into it with intention. Join us for this service led by Rev. Thom and Worship Ministry chair Bill Rote.
January 8
“Facing Our Hungry Ghosts”
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
From the Buddhist tradition comes the concept of the hungry ghost. These creatures, part demon and part tortured soul, are part of our psychological realm and represent the feeling of being tormented by desire that can never be sated. In this service we’ll look at the concept of the hungry ghost in relation to our culture and our lives.
January 15
Martin Luther King Multigenerational Service
Rev. Thom, Marion Hirsch, and Kat Good, leading worship
Join us for a special multigenerational service as we celebrate the life and ministry of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and rededicate ourselves to working to build a world with racial equity and peace.
January 22
Sarah Clark-Farnell, preaching
January 29
“Microscopes & Telescopes”
Rev. Thom with Michelle Itano and Amy Glazier
Come cultivate your sense of wonder and curiosity as we consider what’s beyond our ordinary perception, both the big picture and the astonishingly small. We’ll be joined by Dr. Michelle Itano of UNC’s Neuroscience Microscopy Core and UNC astrophysics PhD student Amy Glazier. Join us for an amazing service.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS
Congratulations to our new Board of Trustees members, who have been elected for 3-year terms: Mary Beth Powell (Vice President), Ellie Speh, and Kevin Bastian. Thank you to the Nominating Committee and to everyone who participated in the election. Current Board Members whose terms have ended are Heather O'Connor (Past President), Salem Macknee, and Becky Wilkes. Thank you to all who serve the church in this important leadership capacity! Board Meetings are open to all Members and are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM.
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ANNUAL PLEDGE DRIVE 2023-2024!
When you pledge to the church, you help us: Nurture your spirit - Care for one another - Change the world with our love. This year's Annual Pledge Drive will begin on February 1! Throughout February, pledging information will be available after each service at the Board of Trustees table. The Day of Service will be our finale celebration on March 4! Generosity of talent, time, treasure, and trust is how we support to our church, each other, and the wider community. It is your pledges and donations that pay for our wonderful staff, support amazing programming, and keep the lights on and the doors open! Please consider giving generously during the 2023-2024 Annual Pledge Drive.
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UPDATE: ACOUSTIC IMPROVEMENT TO THE GATHERING ROOM Acoustic (soundproofing) treatment for the Gathering Room was deferred during construction in order not to amend our construction loan. The generosity of donors, especially the estate of rev. charlie kast, has allowed us to proceed with acoustic improvements. After consulting Phil Kiester our architect, we retained Stewart Acoustic Consultants and later signed a contract with Acoustic Interiors to install soundproofing. Work will be done in early to mid January. (Your acoustic team: Glenn Davis, Joe Swain, Brad Kosiba, Barbara Chapman)
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2023 DAY OF SERVICE PLANNING HAS BEGUN!
Mark your calendars for the 2023 Day of Service scheduled for March 4. This is one of our church's most important opportunities to collectively contribute volunteer efforts to improve our community. A volunteer team is forming to make this great Community Church tradition a successful event and we need your help! Please contact Leigh Anne King if you are interested in volunteering on the Day of Service Planning Committee. We will also be asking other church committees to start preparing their plans for Day of Service activities. Please keep an eye out for future updates and requests.
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SHARE THE PLATE WITH EL REFUGIO, JAN,8 2023
Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, is notoriously abusive to the immigrants and asylum seekers detained there. And the detainees are extremely isolated. Loved ones and lawyers seeking to support or visit with the detainees will find no hotels or restaurants anywhere nearby.
In 2010 Anton and Charlotte Flores, with the help of many friends, established El Refugio to offer meals and lodging at no cost as well as friendship and support to the loved ones of people detained at SDC. “We believe our most powerful role is simply to be present to the people we visit in detention – to recognize their full humanity, to see them face to face and to hear them.”
Some of us have visited Stewart Detention Center and know firsthand about the good work of El Refugio; we urge you to support their hospitality with your Share the Plate donation. You can find out more about them below and read a report of their recent achievements.
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TABLE FEEDS CHILDREN!
TABLE fills an important gap by providing kids with the food they need when school is out on weekends, holidays and summer vacation. A team of volunteers deliver 750 meals and snacks consisting of 30% fresh fruit and veggies to children in pre-K through middle school making sure none go hungry in our area. By giving to Share The Plate on January 20, you help kids focus on learning, not hungry bellies.
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JAN. 29 SHARE THE PLATE: "WE ARE"
(WORKING TO EXTEND ANTI-RACIST EDUCATION)
On January 29, Share the Plate will support "we are" (working to extend anti-racist education), a Durham-based organization whose mission is "to collaborate with children, families and educators to dismantle systemic racism in schools and beyond.” To further this mission, we are offers anti-racism summer camps for elementary-aged children, professional development for educators, and workshops for parents and other caregivers. Additionally, they award microgrants to educators to support the creation of racial equity teams as well as projects that disrupt racial disparities in school discipline. They award similar grants to middle and high schoolers to create anti-racism initiatives within their schools. we are also offers numerous workshops, consultations, and presentations to community groups and other organizations seeking assistance with their anti-racism efforts. Donations support all of these efforts, which are spearheaded by a small staff of four.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY |
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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - HELP NEEDED!
Help bring our neighbors home by continuing a meaningful tradition! Since 1994, our church has built 23 single family homes, a duplex, and 2 townhouse blocks with Habitat for Humanity. Starting this month, we need a new co-chair to help continue this fine tradition. You need to be an organizer, not necessarily a hammerer. Co-Chair duties:
1. Communicate with experienced Co-Chair Dave Morgan, who organizes onsite builders.
2. Be responsible for 2 annual Share the Plate Sundays to fund our church's share of the cost.
3. Meet once per year with Habitat staff, Dave, and our other church partners to plan the build schedule.
The retiring Co-Chair has publicity aids to share and is available to answer questions. Contact Rick Szymanski if you would like to help our church continue to build Habitat homes.
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HABITAT - BUILDING HOPE PARTNERSHIP
As in past years, our church has partnered with others to support construction of a Habitat for Humanity home in Orange County. Thanks to our Saturday volunteers and others as well as generous financial contributions, the current home at 200 Odie Street is almost dried in. If you are interested in volunteering on a Saturday or volunteering regularly during the week, please get on the email list for more information.
On Saturday, January 28 at 12 PM, we will have a dedication for last year’s Building Hope partner family – Chrit Hae and Collage Paw and their two children. I hope you can join us for celebration, fellowship, and lunch at the Odie Street Car Port near their home at 222 Odie Street.
For more information or to be added to the email list, contact Dave Morgan.
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MEDEA BENJAMIN TO SPEAK AT BALANCE AND ACCURACY PROGRAM
Prominent peace and economic justice advocate and co-founder of Code Pink, Medea Benjamin will speak about her new book, WAR IN UKRAINE: MAKING SENSE OF A SENSELESS CONFLICT, in the Community Church’s Sanctuary on January 16, 2023, at 7:30 PM. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation. If it will be possible to also zoom the presentation, the link will be in Announcements the week before January 16. Questions: Contact Jerry Markatos
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SIDE WITH LOVE SCREENING DOCUMENTARY ON REV. ROBERT SEYMOUR, LUNCH PROVIDED
Please join the Side with Love Ministry for a screening of a documentary on the life of Rev. Robert Seymour; Sunday Jan. 15 at 1 PM in the Gathering Room. Lunch will be provided so that it will be convenient to stay after service for the screening. Rev. Seymour was a contemporary and ally of Rev. Charles Jones and the pastor at Binkley Baptist Church. He helped admit the first African American to an NC Baptist College; inspired Coach Dean Smith to recruit UNC’s first African American basketball player; was a guide to local leaders including Congressman David Price and Senator Howard Lee and was instrumental in the founding of IFC. The Seymour Senior Center is named for him and his wife. Please contact Dorothy Hammett for more information.
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REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE--NEXT STEPS
After the Supreme Court’s anti-abortion decision, many of us on Side With Love felt the need to take a stand. We know that acting in true solidarity with the broader community (including those most directly impacted by oppression), calls us to know clearly who we are as a congregation, and what we have to offer. We believe that listening to one another lets us be more effective in our efforts.
There’s a wide range of possible actions, some easy, some more difficult, some involving a level of risk. So your Reproductive Justice team is taking the time to engage in discernment before we act. We believe this will enable us to respond realistically to future requests, and reliably follow through with our commitments. Please look for opportunities in January to participate in our Reproductive Justice Response Assessment. If you have questions about what we are doing, or would like to join us, contact the Side With Love ministry team.
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SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS |
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OUR EVOLVING PURPOSES, PRINCIPLES, AND VALUES LED BY REV. THOM
Thursdays, January 26, February 2, 9, and 16
7 to 8:30 PM
Over four sessions we will explore the evolution of attempts in the Unitarian Universalist Association’s bylaws to articulate and express our faith. We’ll begin with the initial statement of 6 Purposes (1961), move on to the 7 Principles & 6 Sources (1985), and consider the current proposal to replace this with a Values and a Covenant statement. Questions: Contact Rev. Thom
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THEOLOGY CAFE PART 2: OUR EVOLVING PURPOSES, PRINCIPLES, AND VALUES Led by Rev. Thom Belote
Wednesdays (January 4, 11, and 25 and February 1) from 12-1:30 PM in the Commons.
Participants are invited to bring lunch.
Over 4 sessions we will explore the evolution of attempts in the Unitarian Universalist Association’s bylaws to articulate and express our faith. We’ll begin with the initial statement of 6 Purposes (1961), move on to the 7 Principles & 6 Sources (1985), and consider the current proposal to replace this with a Values and Covenant statement. Questions: Contact Rev. Thom
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TAI CHI AT CHURCH-- THURSDAYS 7-8 PM STARTING JAN 14
Led by Joe Swain in the Gathering Room
Thursdays, 7:00-8 PM, January 14-June 8
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese system that has been called "meditation in motion." Whether you have years of practice, or no previous experience, join us on Thursdays for a peaceful interlude in the week. Masks are optional. The leader will not be masked. Questions: Contact Joe Swain
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HISTORICAL JESUS -- PART 2 --WEDNESDAYS 7-9 PM ON ZOOM 1/11-2/15
We'll be viewing and discussing Part 2 of Bart Ehrman's Historical Jesus lectures over Zoom, two lectures each Wednesday evening at 7 PM. These lectures draw from the Bible and a few other sources written at about the time Jesus lived, applying principles of historical research to determining which information is likely true. After Feb 15, we may watch and discuss two documentaries about the same subject, that aired on PBS. They add archaeological evidence about Jewish life in and around Nazareth during Jesus' time, and what is known about Jewish and Roman practices of the time. Everyone who participated in Part 1 is already enrolled; Part 2 is quite understandable to anyone who'd like to participate, who's missed Part One. The discussion will be facilitated by Mike Goodyear.
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NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTION: PATTY AHALT (SHE/HER)
Patty had an interest in Unitarian Universalism while living in Ohio. Her children attended preschool at a UU church there, and she liked the welcoming attitude. She moved from Columbus, Ohio to Chapel Hill in 2009, but she grew up in Virginia. Patty says, "I recently began hearing about The Community Church from my nearest neighbors and began following the services and activities a few months ago online. Once I attended the Exploring Membership classes, my decision to join was clear. What I am learning resonates with me, especially spiritual thoughts that are open. I look forward to participating as my time and skills allow. I enjoy quilting, reading, and family and community life. My values of respecting and appreciating diversity and including all people are reflected in Unitarian Universalism. I especially appreciate that all are welcomed." Welcome, Patty! Email Patty.
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JOIN REV. THOM & RACHEL ROSE FOR EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP CLASSES: 1/5 & 1/12/23, 7PM
Are you considering Membership? Interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism, or our church community?
On Thursday evenings, 1/5 & 1/12/23, 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 THE NEW YEAR!
Beginning January 8, join Rachel Rose for this important time of connection. We will continue meeting on Sundays in December. 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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2023 PHOTO DIRECTORY
PICTURE DAYS AT CHURCH!
FEBRUARY 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 & 28
MARCH 3, 7, 10,14 & 17
2023 PHOTO DIRECTORY: Get your photos taken after services, or on a “Picture Day!” Members and Associates are invited to have their photo taken for our 2023 Photo Directory - Please schedule an appointment with Rachel Rose if you'd like to be included. It takes fewer than ten 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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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR JANUARY
On Saturday, January 21 from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature Is Thriving in the Age of Extinction, by Chris D. Thomas. Thomas does not excuse or minimize what we humans have done to the planet, but he shows us the fascinating ways nature is adapting and evolving, as it has for eons. He urges that we acknowledge and work with this change rather than trying to freeze our current world in time. The author is a professor of conservation biology in England, but his light style suggests that he does not take himself or other scientists too seriously. A refreshingly optimistic book in an age of environmental pessimism. Mary Hulett 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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QUUILTERS
We meet on Saturday morning, January 7, 9 - 11:30, in The Gathering Room. We continue to work on making as many quilted placemats as we can in advance of our Church-wide Community Day of Service in March. The placemats are for Meals on Wheels participants in Orange and Durham Counties. Sew-Ready kits and fabric bundles are available to work on at the meeting or to take home. Bring any finished placemats as well as any personal projects to show us during check-in time. Please wear your face mask. Bring machine or cutting tools.
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JOYFUL LIVING AFTER SIXTY WORKSHOP
The first WomenCircle event for 2023 is scheduled for Saturday, January 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM via Zoom. Steevie Jane Parks and Jody Savage will lead writing exercises to spur a discussion of women’s creativity, spirituality, physicality, and new roles after sixty. If you are approaching sixty, or if sixty is in your rearview mirror, please join us for this exploration of joyful living. RSVP to Steevie by January 10 so that we can send you a Zoom invitation.
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PETER AITKEN PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
January 8 through February 25, "The Beauty of Trees," a show of church member Peter Aitken's photography. Peter is an amateur photographer who studied with Ansel Adams and has won many awards. He loves photography because it is a way to share beauty with others and because of the creativity it requires in presenting his unique interpretations of trees.
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FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY JANUARY 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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