SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

HYMNS

“God Is Truly with Us"

"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy"

"Amazing Grace"

"The Simple Story"

"Down By the Shore"

September 22, 2023

Dear Congregation,

Thank you so much for remembering my birthday in such a lovely way

last Sunday during our Fellowship time after worship! The cake was

amazing and unique, divided into four flavors no less! The flowers are

beautiful still. The balloons cheerful and affirming. The cards and their

messages heartwarming! I also had “Happy Birthday” sung to me three

times!

How fortunate I feel to be part of this congregation and to have come

through another year of life with its challenges and joys. I look forward to this next year with you and all we are planning to do together as Christ’s church.

God Bless You!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy

Bianca's You Better Bee-lieve It Corner

FALL PICNIC

Christ Congregational UCC is reaching out to our exceptional volunteers, and we're eager for you to join us in shaping our upcoming fall festival. This is your last call to seize the opportunity for bragging rights this fall! The THEME will be FALL PICNIC, so be sure to enter your name suggestions! Whether you have a passion for event planning or simply wish to contribute your talents, your participation in our fall festival committee is highly valued. Act now and get in touch with me today – this is your final chance to be part of the planning experience!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Furthermore, we extend a special invitation to our congregation members to express your love for our church in a distinctive manner—by submitting videos. Join us in amplifying the message of our vibrant community across platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Your voices and personal narratives have the potential to inspire others and establish a compelling online representation for Christ Congregational UCC. Let's come together in celebration and radiate the warmth and essence of our church to the world! 

UPCOMING DRUM CIRCLE

Coming up on Sept 27th, meet the rhythmic heartbeat behind our drum circle, the talented Sean Dibble!  Get ready to embark on a musical journey with Sean, who brings his passion and expertise to create unforgettable drumming experiences. Let's drum, connect, and groove together! 

Sean mentions in his blog that the benefits of hand drumming are energizing and therapeutic for all ages and that hand drumming is proven to …

• Promote healing and support the immune system
• Build focus and enhance listening skills
• Create feelings of well-being and connection
• Relieve hand cramps, arthritis, and carpal-tunnel pain
• Help address symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

You can read more about Sean Dibble and why music and drumming is good for you on his website: https://drumming4fun.wordpress.com/blog/ 

Just in case we missed you...

Here are the altar flower dedications for the month of September:

9/10 Joan Campagna in memory of Grandma Margaret.

9/17 Joan Chandler in memory of Dolly Bryan.

9/24 Bianca Montenegro in honor of her mom coming back.



ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT CCC OR ABOUT THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST?

Pastor Candy would be happy to meet with you to talk about our Christian faith, your spiritual journey, and to discuss what church membership means. Please let her know if you're interested!



CALENDAR

Sun. Sept. 24 | 10:30 am

Worship in the Sanctuary & Facebook Live

Sun. Sept. 24 | 12:00 pm

Social Justice Luncheon

Mon. Sept. 25 | 6:30 pm

ZOOM Bible Study

Meeting ID: 691 735 4836

Wed. Sept. 27 | 7 pm

Moonlight Drum Circle

in the Garden Chapel

Thurs. Sept. 28 | 7:00 pm

ZOOM Council Meeting

Find Us, Like us, Follow Us, and Share Us

on Social Media!

Facebook: Christ Congregational United Church of Christ

Twitter/X: @CCC_UCC

TikTok: @CCC_UCC

YouTube: ChristCongregational-UCC

Instagram: @ christcongregationalucc

REMEMBERED IN OUR CONTINUING PRAYERS

Joan Hansen, Maggie McDowell, Carol McCreary, Mary Ellen Prather, Mary and Frank Tirb, Bradley Everhardt, Julio Balcells, Jessica Nodarse, Mark, Julie Henkel, Merly Alonso, Bianca and Nina Sarmento and the friends and family of J.J Newby Ketzle and Sarah Wiley, Stone Coram and the family and friends of Brenda Best, Aberas Jober and Leslie Perichak, Palul LeGrand and Cathryn Tagmeyer and Briane Garrison.



For Pastoral Care Needs, please call Pastor Candy directly at 925-640-9289 or you may call and leave a message with the Church Office, 305-235-9381.

*** Voter's Registration***

Voter registration has started on September 17th. Please be sure to verify your registration and if you are not registered please get registered.

Registration and Verification can be done by clicking the image below:

On December 12, the Miami Dade County Board of County Commissioners (MDC BCC) will be voting on whether to extend the lease agreement for a 67-acre theme park, hotel and retail development misleadingly dubbed “Miami Wilds.” The development site is located adjacent to and on Zoo Miami property — land that is considered vital to endangered species and the largest and most biodiverse fragment of critically endangered Pine Rocklands outside of Everglades National Park. 

ATTEND the MDC BCC meeting on December 12 and voice your opposition to the proposed Miami Wilds development! The meeting begins at 9:30am at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center (address: 111 NW 1st St, Miami, FL 33132, 2nd floor Commission Chambers). We recommend that you arrive no later than 8:45am and bring your ID for check-in. 

Global Ministries offers a weekly prayer for one of our global mission partners. This week's prayer is with Germany. To read their mission moment, please click the Global Ministries IMAGE. Below is this week's prayer, united we pray.

Our God, although being in the middle of the often-rainy Germany, the experiences and the grumbling of the people of Israel are portraying our situation: We are grumbling against you. We have questions, hesitations, and unending sorrows and fear.

The unexpected happened: War is back in the middle of Europe, though over decades, churches and other actors in civil society have been engaged in creating a peaceful, interlinked, interactive Europe. We need your Manna to face the situation, to be strengthened in all the diaconical and social and spiritual work. 

God, we cry to you for wisdom and for your guidance of all those who have the power to change situations. God, in our despair and with the example of Jesus’ ministry for justice and peace, we ask you for a way out of the desert of war and armed conflicts – everywhere.

God, you know that many of our ecumenical partners are expressing the challenge that other conflicts in the world aren’t more in focus, but in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Sahara Desert, and so many other places, people are trying to make their way to Europe, often without bread and meat and sometimes even without water. 

Open the eyes of political leaders to see why people are escaping and what needs to be changed so that every country can offer peaceful opportunities for life and that manna can be shared. We call on you to open the world for implementing migration efforts and policies. 

God, guide us wherever we are, let your mission and your call be strong, and help us to see the manna on the way. 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.