Sunday, June 13, 2021
Our Nation's Changing Religious Landscape
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, preaching
Over the last several decades, the number of religiously-unaffiliated Americans has risen drastically. People are increasingly seeking spirituality, meaning-making, justice and belonging, outside of organized religion. This Sunday, we will explore and reflect on this trend from the perspective of our UU faith.
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson serves as the Executive Director of Forward Together,
The Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina. In this role, she has the pleasure of working alongside UUs across the state to do justice work spanning racial, economic, immigrant, environmental and electoral justice.
She also proudly serves as The Community Church's affiliated community minister.
If you wish to have a joy or sorrow named in the service,
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Sunday Programming
Watch Virtual Worship Service On Demand!
9am: Live Religious Education Service on Zoom
11am: Live Community Coffee Hour on Zoom
&
7pm: High School & Middle School Youth Group
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ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING VIA ZOOM
THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 11AM
We’ll present Congregational Awards, provide an update on the building project, and take some time to appreciate the resilience, generosity and fellowship of our community over the last year. (This will take the place of our regular Coffee Hour.) Please come! All are welcome. Join us here!
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Thank You!
Selden Holt, Tricia Sullivan, Heather O'Connor, Dave Klibanow, Linda Shipman, Alan Reece, Jena Kaizen, Erin Gottshalk, and Ruth Gibson for hosting the in-person Flower Communion and ROSEing Up Celebration for Graduating Seniors.
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WHAT’S NEW THIS WEEK WITH OUR NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION? In the 50th week, as workers are wrapping up, two significant inspection tours will take place, the first by our Construction Task Force members and the second by our architect. The result will be two cuts at the itemized “punch list” of adjustments still needed and tasks not yet completed. See the 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.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY? In June, children and youth in Religious Education are studying PLAY, live on Zoom. This week, we will play with rainbows for Pride Month. We will continue our time of Family Fellowship on Sunday mornings, where we can share joys and sorrows. For more information about our Religious Education Program, contact Marion Hirsch or Kat Good.
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SIDE WITH LOVE AND FORWARD TOGETHER ACTION OF THE WEEK Tell President Biden to Stop Line 3: This week, Indigenous and First Nations Peoples gathered with thousands of friends from around the nation to Stop Line 3 - a pipeline that is endangering their lands and life ways. Let's add our voices to the movement. Take action here!
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IMMIGRANT JUSTICE INITIATIVE: VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED Gaby and Oscar, the residents in our Manse, need less volunteer support since they have a car, and Oscar will have his driver’s license soon. But Gaby and the children will still need a ride home from her job in Durham at 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday nights, at a time when most of our current volunteers are not available. If you can help, please contact Ruth Gibson here for more information.
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RACIAL EQUITY OFFICE HOURS: ARE YOU AWARE OF BLACK EMOTIONAL LABOR?Office hours are for people to talk about race in a safe space with skilled facilitators. Do you think about the emotional labor black people must do for justice, for white people who are not doing the work, and for themselves? 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!
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MINISTER'S DISCRETIONARY FUND SHARE THE PLATE (STP) We will honor our church’s commitment to “support and care for each other” with the June 13 STP collection for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. This fund helps members or friends who have serious financial needs or needs related to our church’s mission. This STP is an important way in which we can support and care for each other and bring our mission alive. If you would like more information , please contact Barb Chapman, here or Rev. Thom Belote, here.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR JUNE On Saturday, June 19 from 10:30 to 12, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman. The book explores humanity's impact on the planet by envisioning the earth in our absence. Glenn Davis will be leading our discussion. The Readers meet on the third Saturday of each month, currently via Zoom; new members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact the group here to ask questions, or to be placed on the distribution list for meeting information.
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HOUSING OPTIONS AS WE AGE Here, on Wednesday, June 23 at 1:30-3:30 pm, we will have the LAST MEETING of this group. What a journey we have had as we have interacted with speakers and explored options. Join us (even if you have not come before) as we share what we have learned and any decisions that we have made about how/where we will age. The topics we have covered and resources we have gathered are available here.
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UPDATED COVID BUILDING USE POLICY In light of guidance from the CDC and the NC Department of Health, we have updated the church's policies for use of buildings and grounds. The new policy provides guidance for outside meetings and now includes the option for some indoor meetings. All groups using the church need to familiarize themselves with and adhere to these policies. See the Building Use Policy here.
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MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW! 2021 - 2022 Calendar requests Please request your dates & times in the virtual and physical spaces* of our church for the summer & upcoming year. The form is always available here, on the homepage of the church website. Please use this form for all requests, including changes/cancellations; this helps Dana and Rachel track & meet our congregation's needs. Groups are meeting outdoors, and some of our building is open. Here is our Building Use Policy, which we regularly update. *Our New Spaces are not yet available for reservations.
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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.
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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!
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RARE WOMEN As Rare Women, we build relationships in small groups by sharing our lives and the gifts, myths, and challenges of growing older. Three different groups (led by Susan Blanchard, Bonnie Gilliom, and Joann Haggerty) are meeting at least bimonthly in person outside at the church or via Zoom from now through June 24. Newcomers are welcome. Check our webpage, here, for meeting schedules, topics, and Zoom links. Contact us here with questions.
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CHURCH SOFTBALL After a summer of no softball in 2020, the town public fields will be available this year for a church softball league. Games are played at Homestead Park on Sunday afternoons, June through August. Play is open to all genders, 13 years and up. It is a low-key league, with no umpires, no called balls and strikes. It is meant to be fun for all skill levels! If you are interested, or have questions, contact team manager, Nils Brubaker, here.
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BEYOND OUR WALLS
SUGGESTED BY MEMBERS & COMMITTEES
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ECO-CULTURAL TOUR, SAN RAMON, NICARAGUA (FEBUARY 2022) For ~20 years, groups of UUs from NC (and beyond) have gone on an eco-cultural tour sponsored by Sister Communities of San Ramon, Nicaragua (founded by members of Eno River UU Fellowship). Stay at a beautiful, rustic eco-lodge and in homes of local folks; enjoy the beauty of mountains, forests, waterfalls & animals; meet local farmers, artisans, & students; learn about coffee & cacao farming; and see how SCSCRN’s work (rural schools, water/ sanitation, economic development) benefits the lives and welfare of the local community. For more info, email Rev. John L. Saxon here, watch this video, and visit the SCSRN website, here. Submitted by Mary Hulett
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COMMUNITY CHURCH IN ACTION |
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YOUTH MINISTRY: ROSEing Up
On June 6, 2021, the Youth Ministry hosted a (masked, outdoor) Flower Communion and Rising Up celebration of graduating Seniors in the church Courtyard.
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Most BLUE text is clickable! Blue text links to outside websites or to an email address. Example: email c3hfinance@gmail.com for rentals.
Please submit Weekly Announcements contributions HERE.
Announcements are due by noon Wednesday, prior to Friday's issue.
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