WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please plan to join us for our first-ever Pledge-A-Thon!


The Pledge-A-Thon will feature a blend of the humorous and the heartfelt. The night's program will include an original "Wonder Box" presentation from Marion Hirsch and Kat Good, storytelling by Donna Washington, and songs and poems from many of our Ministries and Groups. The evening will also feature appearances from special guests, the first-ever Community Church Superlatives Awards, and a "Pets of Zoom" Pageant!

We will be opening our online pledge form this Saturday; please, make your pledge either during the Pledge-A-Thon, or in the following week, before March 28. Take a look at our Annual Pledge Drive page for more information.

Thank you for your generosity, and see you on Saturday!
March 21, 2021
"Comfort and Challenge"
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching

One school of thought says we grow and develop best in a safe environment. Another school of thought says we grow as a result of provocation that takes us outside our comfort zones. No pain, no gain. Thom's service will consider spiritual growth and development, and how it is that we grow.

MUSIC NOTES: Our special musical guests this week will be Linda Thompson, Marya Ilgen-Lieth and Ivy Brezina, AKA “Luminescence,” sharing songs by Kim Baryluk and MaMuse in their signature three-part harmony, a cappella style. Hymns will be drawn from the virtual archives, which now spans a full year.

If you wish to have a joy or sorrow named in the service,
please send your joy or sorrow to Rev. Thom here by 9AM on Saturday.



Sunday Programming


Watch Virtual Worship Service On Demand!

10am: Live Religious Education Service on Zoom

11am: Live Community Coffee Hour on Zoom

&

7pm: High School & Middle School Youth Group
WITHIN THESE WALLS
Thanks to Ellie Speh & Carol Genovese of the Welcoming Ministry for creating and delivering Welcoming Gifts to our new Members to recognize and welcome them into our congregation.
HOT COCOA & WHEELS SOCIAL: March 21, 2PM We hope you can join us! We will meet in socially-distanced assigned (& rotating!) spots in the parking lot at church for a fun (and tasty!) social event, including hot cocoa, fun & fellowship. For kids, we have "wheels-distancing". Kids can bring their wheels - bikes, trikes, scooters, and skateboards and ride in adjacent area of the lot. For safety, there is a strict guest limit, and registration is required. Please complete this form to RSVP.
  • WHAT’S NEW THIS WEEK WITH OUR NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION? In the 38th week, the land contours behind the building are taking final shape, as graders have moved lots of dirt and created a slope toward the mandated, environmentally sensitive bio-retention pond adjacent to, but fenced from, the lower playground. Inside, wall-painting has begun! Take a virtual peek at ongoing work via the Building Project webpage, here, featuring weekly-updated photos and a current mini-video, along with information galore. Contact us here if you have any questions.

  • WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? In March, children and youth in Religious Education are studying COMMITMENT. This week, we are looking at talking about the transformative power of helping hands. We will continue our time of Family Fellowship on Sunday mornings where we can share joys and sorrows. Middle School and High School youth groups will gather virtually on Sunday evening. On Saturday, the Family Fun event is Friendship Filming! For more information about our Religious Education Program, contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.

  • RACIAL EQUITY OFFICE HOURS: WHERE DO YOU SEE BLACK JOY? Office hours are for people to talk about race in a safe space with skilled facilitators. Black people have faced adversity for generations, but that isn't their identity. Think about where you see celebrations of joy alongside adversity. Drop into office hours to talk more about this question, general questions you have, or any discourse about race that’s been on your mind. This is a casual setting, so drop in or drop out any time! Office hours are every week - here, on Sunday at 5PM. See you there!

  • FRESH EGGS Cathy Cole’s hens are laying again! If you want to buy eggs—$5/carton and all proceeds go to the Capital Fund—call her at 919-967-3422. You will need to pick them up at her house or at the church.

  • OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS: March 20, 10AM Outdoor Connections walk on Pump Station Trail. Join Outdoor Connections for the Pump Station Trail in Eno River State Park. The Pump Station Trail is known as the best spring wildflower trail in the park. Length is about 1.5 miles. Meet at 10AM at the first trailhead on Rivermont, when coming from Cole Mill Road. If you park at the second entrance, walk back 1000 feet to the first one. Our walk will end at the second entrance. RSVP HERE. RSVP to receive notices of reschedule or cancel in case of rain.

  • Study of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) March 23, 30 and April 6 (on Zoom: 7-8:30): Kari Andrade will lead this study this primary text of Daoism (Taoism) written 2500 years ago; it is the second most translated book in the world after the Bible. Together we’ll study 6 of the 81 chapters focusing on the 3 treasures of Daoism: compassion, moderation and humility. We will read several translations and discuss their meaning and how these ancient ideas still apply to our lives. Each chapter is similar in length and complexity to a poem. Contact Kari Andrade here with questions.




  • CHURCH CANCER SUPPORT GROUP If you have ever received a cancer diagnosis, you are welcome to be part of this supportive community, whether for one meeting or more. Meetings are lay-led, focus on a topic, reading, or song and accommodate both new and current members. We usually gather in the morning of the fourth Thursday each month. The next time is Thursday, March 25, 10-11:30 am, via Zoom. If you have questions, would be interested if timing were different or would like to participate, please contact Cecilia here.

  • WOMEN CIRCLE TRANSYLVANIAN EGG DYEING In Transylvania, birthplace of Unitarianism, ancient spring fertility rituals are centered on "red eggs." All women of our church are invited to join on Zoom on Thursday, March 25 from 7 - 8:30PM, to learn how to decorate lovely eggs in traditional styles, and then hear more about the colorful Transylvanian holiday festivities before we share our creations. You will need dry onion skins, an old nylon stocking or sock, and a couple of eggs. Register here.

  • BUILD YOUR OWN THEOLOGY (BYOT) A personal spiritual quest can be characterized by five questions: Who am I? How do I know what I know? Who or what is in charge? What is my purpose in life? What does my death mean? This is a wonderful class of exploration and discussion. By the end of the course each participant will have written her/his personal creed. Led by Steve Warshaw and Kristen Dunivant, held on Thursdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, on Zoom from 7-9pm. Questions? Contact Kristen Dunivant here. Register here.

  • PREACHING PRACTICUM 2021 IS COMING IN APRIL For the seventh year in a row at Community Church, Rev. Thom will lead this class on homiletics for laypeople. Those in the class will receive an introduction to preaching, write their sermons in a workshop format with other class participants, and deliver their sermon in a worship service during the summer. Only four slots are available for this year’s Preaching Practicum. Thursday, April 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 6, 7PM on Zoom. To inquire or apply for the class, please contact Rev. Thom here.

  • EXTRAORDINARY GIFT ANNOUNCED A member has given the church $200,000, specifying $50,000 for the Endowment Fund and $150,000 for the Building Project. On top of all the generous contributions and ongoing pledges to the Capital Fund since 2017, this extraordinary gift will enable the Building Project to completely close the Gap as of June 2022!!! If you did not see the congregational letter on March 10, with further details and perspectives, please find it posted on the Building Project webpage, here.
OFFICE NEWS
  • NEED A CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT FOR 2020? On January 25, Contribution Statements for 2020 were emailed out to all households (and mailed to several who requested it). This statement has the subject link, "Contribution Statement Prepared by The Community Church of Chapel Hill UU". If you don't believe you received this statement, please feel free to email Dana Lundquist here so she can send a copy to you. Thank you!

  • WE'VE ADDED A SECOND CHURCH ZOOM ACCOUNT! We've added a second Zoom account so more church groups can meet. Moving forward, we have "Zoom 1" or "Zoom 2". You can check to see if either is available for a specific time by looking at our Calendar and reserve one of the Zoom accounts by filling out this form. Regardless of whether you use our church or your personal Zoom account, please remember to fill out the reservation form so we can add all events to our calendar, here, and make all our offerings visible and accessible to our community!

  • SCAM ALERT Several members of the church received email from an address imitating Rev. Thom's, or those of other staff members. These messages ask people to purchase gift cards to give to people in the hospital, or something similar. These messages are a scam. If you receive them, please report them and delete them. If you have any concerns, please email Rev. Thom here. Please know that Rev. Thom and the staff of The Community Church will never send out email solicitations asking people to purchase gift cards.
ONGOING EVENTS
  • RACIAL EQUITY OFFICE HOURS The Community Church of Chapel Hill is working on building open and safe spaces to have discussions about racial issues. Racial Equity Office Hours are a space where people are encouraged to tackle challenging questions and reflect on their own interactions with race throughout their lives. There will be experienced facilitators present to provide topics and guide the discussions in general. We meet via Zoom Sundays at 5PM, here.

  • LECTIO MEDITATION GROUP We meet at 12 noon every Friday on Zoom. Using readings from poetry and the sacred traditions of world religions, we practice meditation through deep listening. If you’re interested in joining or would like more information, contact Barb Chapman here. (Please put LECTIO in the subject line of your email.) All are welcome!


  • ARTWORK ON THE WALL DURING VIRTUAL SERVICES Showing Artwork on the wall for Virtual Services Steevie Jane Parks will be showing several of her recent paintings during virtual services from March 30 through the end of April. Email Steevie here or call her at 919-918-1014.
BEYOND OUR WALLS
suggested by Members & Committees
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106 Purefoy Road, ​Chapel Hill, NC 27514 | (919) 942-2050 | Contact Us | Donate Now