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This Sunday
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October 4 @ 10:30
Worship @ Peace United
Waters of Blessing, Waters of Life
 Have you been collecting waters from the places you've visited this summer? Here's your chance to tell us about all the oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams that have blessed you this season!
Bring your water, bring your stories, and join us for
worship this Sunday as we pray for all the sacred waters of earth, and for the rainy season ahead!
This week and always, we're a community of all ages, celebrating all kinds of gifts...poured out as one body to bless this world that God so loves. Your presence, and your heart, make us whole!
October 4 from 9:00 - 10:00 am
Sacred Conversations: Our Practice of Forgiveness
4 Sundays, beginning 10/4, in the Lounge
 Dave Grishaw-Jones invites one and all to a 4-week study around the practice of forgiveness. Each week, we'll focus on a 20-minute section of Martin Doblemeier's film, "The Power
of Forgiveness."
Doblemeier's movie takes a look at Amish leaders struggling to forgive a murderer, 9/11 survivors trying to live past their anger, Thich Naht Hanh in France, and more. Bring a friend to church! All are welcome for this special series.
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Under the Tent of Abraham
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CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER, CARING FOR THE EARTH
Sunday, October 4, 2 - 5 pm
at Peace United Church of Christ
Abraham, "Friend of Allah" (cf Q4:125) and beloved patriarch for Christians, Muslims and Jews alike, is seen as a leading model of moral and ethical conduct. The biblical tradition illustrates the value of "hospitality" in the story of Abraham at Mamre (Gen. 18:1-33) where Abraham selflessly provides food, shelter and comfort to three unknown travelers in his and his wife Sara's humble tent. Over the centuries, each of these three traditions has developed a unique cultural and theological expression of this value.
Here, in Santa Cruz, this spirit is cultivated every fall at this singular event. All are welcome! This year, we focus on the earth as our shared and home, and we ask what "hospitality" on this planet means for ecological ethics and spiritual life.
Join Muslims, Jews, and Christians for
dialogue, prayer, song, and refreshment.
Families and all faith traditions are warmly invited!
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Coming up @ Peace
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EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
CELEBRATING SUKKOT 
Opportunities for Worship and Fellowship
With Our Friends of Chadeish Yameinu
Once again this fall, our Jewish friends invite us to experience the wonder and peace of
sukkot
, a fall season of tabernacles and reflection in Jewish spiritual practice. Peace Church friends are enthusiastically invited to join CY in the
sukkah constructed between our sanctuary and lounge.
FRIDAY: October 2 -- Shabbat of Sukkot -- 7:30 pm
The service will take the form of simple chants as a way of going deeply into the spirit of evening. Dress warmly (and bring blankets) for this beautiful evening out under the stars and in our magical
sukkah. A potluck oneg (delight of refreshments) follows, so please bring something to share in honor of the holiday. Chag Samayach - a joyous holiday and season to all.
SATURDAY: October 3 -- Drumming in the Sukkah -- 6:30 pm
Led by David Balsam and friends. Remember! This is outdoors - dress warmly! Come for movement and energy, and drumming!
TUESDAY CRAFTERNOONS
From 3:30 to 5:00 in the Lounge
Adults and kids of all ages are invited to bring
any craft or handwork project you enjoy, and join us for a relaxing afternoon of crafting. If you don't have a project to work on, no problem: we'll provide some crafting supplies each week, along with snacks for all. Everyone is welcome, so bring your neighbors and friends!
FALL INTO WORDS
Friday, October 9,
7 pm in the Sanctuary
A spoken word event with poetry, prose, drama and nonfiction.
Have you written something you'd like to share?
Do you have a favorite collection of words (fiction, drama, non-fiction, poetry)?
Bring your words, bring your voice, and we'll provide the stage and the mic. We'll share t
ea and goodies afterwards.
GOSPEL BRUNCH
Saturday, October 24,
10am-noon
in the Fellowship Hall
A key and joyous celebration for the ministries and program of Peace United! Our Chancel Choir is joined by musical friends to offer a morning of lively music, great food and inclusive community! Tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for children under 12 and will be available at Sunday worship and in the church office.
PRINTS DISPLAY FOR THE
43 MISSING AYOTZINAPA MISSING STUDENTS
November 6-22, in the Sanctuary
Special Opening after church on November 8
On September 26, 2014, 43 male students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.
The investigation is ongoing. Hope is alive that these young men will be found and returned to their families.
In March of 2015, local printmakers Stephanie Martin and Melissa West sent out the call to their community to create a collection of prints, one for each missing students. The printmaker would select a student, and based on what information they had at hand, create a piece of art to honor him.
The result is a stirring, thought-provoking, imaginative, and beautiful collection of prints.
The prints will be on display in the Peace United Church of Christ Sanctuary during November.
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Spiritual Life & Christian Growth
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY & CONVERSATION
SACRED CONVERSATIONS:
OUR PRACTICE OF FORGIVENESS
Sunday Mornings in October (beginning 10/4)
9 am to 10 am in the Lounge
Dave Grishaw-Jones invites one and all to a 4-week study around the practice of forgiveness. Each week, we'll focus on a 20-minute section of Martin Doblemeier's film,
MAKING PEACE YOUR HOME
Sunday Afternoons: October 11 and October 25
4 pm to 6 pm in the Library
Yael Lachman and Dave Grishaw-Jones invite friends and seekers to a two-part conversation around our life together at Peace United Church. Who are we and how do our beliefs play out? What kinds of questions are we asking together? What kinds of impact do we make in the wider community? Those who choose to do so will JOIN THE CHURCH at a service in November! But these sessions are intended for any with questions and interest! See Dave or Yael for more.
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In the Wider Community
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COPA FALL LEADERS RETREAT
Sunday, October 4, 2 pm-7 pm
Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Rd., Aptos.
COPA will have training on core team building and institutional organizing, updates on current COPA initiatives and a strategy session on power-building for 2016. For more information and to RSVP
[email protected] or the COPA office 831-728-3210.
RESOURCE CENTER FOR NONVIOLENCE DINNER
Friday, October 9, @ 5 pm
Peace United Church of Christ
Part of their 2015 Annual Dinner, the RCNV will host Pietro Ameglio (activist, teacher & Gandhian organizer from Mexico) speaking on "Nonviolent Struggle in a Mexico at War." He'll offer perspectives from victims of political and drug-war violence in Mexico and from the movement for peace with justice and dignity. For more information visit
rcnv.org or call 423-1626.
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Social Justice and Christian Witness
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TWO CHURCH-WIDE CONVERSATIONS
 SACRED CONVERSATION ON HOMELESSNESS & POVERTY:
Sunday, October 11,
After Worship in the Hall
Dave Grishaw-Jones and Jim Weller host an important conversation around our congregation's response to poverty and homelessness in our community. Three critical issues make this church-wide discussion urgent:
1. The reduction in services, due to federal funding cuts, at the Homeless Services Center in Santa Cruz.
2. The stress a once-a-week shelter puts on our own aging facility: and our need to assess whether and how we continue as a host site.
3. The real possibility that heavy winter rains will impact the homeless and most vulnerable among us -- even more as the winter rolls in.
Join us for a free-ranging and creative conversation about our options and responsibilities as a beloved community. What can we do? What must we do? What will make a difference?
STRATEGIC CONVERSATION ON
JUVENILE JUSTICE AND SUPPORT FOR
THE JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMISSION
Sunday, October 18
After Worship in the Sanctuary
Led by Peace United leader Beverly Brook, the Juvenile Justice Commission is presenting findings and recommendations to the County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, October 20. Learn about the work of the JJC and how we--as Peace United members and friends--can support that work on the 20th.
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A Contemplative Sabbath
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A DAY OF SILENCE AND QUIET
Campus-Wide at Peace United
Saturday, November 7
9 am to 7:30 pm
 Members and friends are invited to a full-day retreat, right here on our quiet Peace United campus: A CONTEMPLATIVE SABBATH on Saturday, November 7!
You can meditate in a quiet sanctuary, walk a labyrinth there, share in a yoga class with Sarah Joy Zell, or follow Dave Grishaw-Jones on a silent walk in the Pogonip. Lunch and dinner are prepared for you, and shared in silence and meditative spirit.
Need a day of prayer? Looking for a contemplative community? A donation of $5 is optional; RSVP by calling the office at 426-2010 or emailing
Dave here.
MEDITATION CIRCLE
Tuesday and Thursday Mornings
8:20 to 8:50 am in the Sanctuary
If you're looking for contemplative community week to week, you're welcome to drop in for a simple half-hour of 'centering prayer' Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Dave Grishaw-Jones is our host for 30 minutes of silence and contemplative prayer, a quiet and prayerful way to begin your day. All are welcome! Drop in, when you can.
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Have You Visited Us?
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If you have, your visit matters to us. It's often strange to visit a church for the first time: to see new faces, hear old words spoken in new ways. We appreciate your trust, and we eagerly await the chance to see you again.
When you return, there will likely be a name-tag with your name on it, a chance for us to greet you more personally. Always, your questions and your curiosity thrill us. Return with these, return with your whole selves...
And know that you are God's blessing.
Every day.
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Who We Are...
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We're an
congregation of the United Church of Christ--which means we take diversity seriously and we welcome all God's children as full and beloved members of our community.
We're part of
COPA (which stands for Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action)--and in that way we work in solidarity with peoples of many traditions, bringing justice and decency to public life on the Central Coast.
We're decidedly
CHRISTIAN, and in the most inclusive, generous way possible. We believe that--at its core--the gospel is a call to compassion. And that's what we try to be about every day, every week.
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Contact Us
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Peace United Church of Christ
900 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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Children, Youth & Families E-News
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Join The Prayer Team
You're invited to join the circle of prayer and compassion that prays weekly for participants in the church's jail and juvenile hall ministries. Maybe this is your gift, your calling: to hold teens in prayer, to hold incarcerated friends in your heart, to pray for their families. Click the link above to receive the weekly prayer list...and to join this ministry of compassion and justice!
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Pray for One Another
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We invite one another to hold our friends and many others in prayer, inviting God's light to shine upon those in need...
Prayers of healing and care for...
Kelly, at Dominican Hospital, as he recovers from pneumonia; and his circle of support, especially Micha;
Frances Adamson, as she recovers from illness;
Linda Appleton and her son, Derek, in his continuing recovery;
Chuck Larsen, as he recovers from a broken leg;
Kerry and Bill Skyles, as Bill recovers from a fall;
Nancy Walker;
Helen Aylsworth.
Prayers of loving support and strength for... Heidi Simonson and her family, as they mourn the death of Heidi's mother, Margaret.
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