Pizza with the Pastor this Sunday, October 8

Are you a recent worshiper at RUCC? Have you been wondering what all the talk about “Covenanting” is, or how to become a “Covenanting Member”?

Or maybe you are just curious about who we are at RUCC, how we became who we are, or more about our denomination, the United Church of Christ?

Let’s talk over pizza, this coming Sunday, October 8, after worship! 

Please RSVP to Pastor Elaine in the office, or her cell 562-396-8039, or Michael Dewey at 909-213-1979. Let us know if you have particular food needs or preferences.

A message from our Pastor and Teacher

Sunday, October 8 - Access Sunday ~ "All People, Wonderfully Made"

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the United States live with some form of disability, and almost everyone else will develop one at some point in their life. As such, disability and accessibility are vitally important topics for us all, and for the church.



In the UCC calendar, the second Sunday in October is designated as Access Sunday, an annual celebration of the gifts which people with disabilities bring to the church community. Access Sunday is a good time to remember and repent of the harm done to disabled people in religious spaces and to call upon the whole church to recommit itself to access as a justice issue.

This Access Sunday, let’s honor and celebrate disability wisdom, creativity, and brilliance. Let’s expand our notions of God and call each other into accessible community and greater access for all.

Sunday's Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12: 12 - 27

From the Environmental Justice Team

Trees are critical to plans for mitigation of the urban effects of climate change. They clean the air and contribute to stormwater capture and groundwater replenishment. And they provide shade, which helps to cool the local environment, protecting human health and reducing energy consumption for air conditioning. So, we need more urban trees, and one might think that palm trees would be a great choice for Southern California, given their ubiquity in the area, but they are falling out of favor with many involved in urban forestry. Why? Arborist Ryan Allen explains: “All those environmental benefits and services that we need from our trees, palms do on a very marginal scale in comparison [to other species] and we only have so much space.” There are good reasons for using palms sometimes, but as Allen says, “[I]f you have the option of a palm or a shade tree, we’re missing opportunities if we’re planting palms.”

Source: “SoCal cities desperately need more shade. Is it time to finally ditch palm trees?” Pineda, Dorany, Los Angeles Times, 10/2/23: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-10-02/socal-cities-need-shade-is-it-time-to-ditch-the-palm-tree

Racial Justice reflection of the week

In 1971, soul singer Marvin Gaye released a plaintive, riveting song called “What’s Going On” on an album of the same name.

The album was unlike any Gaye had ever recorded. The title song made a plea for love and understanding as it rebuked the nation’s leaders for the deep problems still plaguing the U.S. nearly two decades after the Civil Rights Movement began.

Institutional racism, disenfranchisement and police violence against people of color remained entrenched, and tens of thousands of Americans were dying in the Vietnam War, catalyzing widespread social unrest. “What’s Going On” captured progressive Americans’ frustration and weariness with the racial oppression and brutality of the times.

By the time Gaye recorded the song, the Civil Rights Movement had already energized artists across the creative spectrum and produced an extraordinarily fertile collaboration between them and civil rights organizations. Visual and musical artists, actors, filmmakers, poets and writers – working both independently and in collaboration – played a major role in advancing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Source: “Artist Collaborations with Social Justice Organizations Propel Change” by Rhonda Sonnenberg writing for Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/news/2023/09/29/artist-collaborations-social-justice

Recognize and protect yourself from phishing

You may have seen an email or text message recently from someone pretending to be Pastor Elaine and trying to get you to do something like provide gift cards. These messages are fake and should be ignored or reported as “phishing” to Gmail or wherever they came from.

Phishing is the most common cybersecurity problem these days. There are many approaches, but in all cases the bad actor is trying to trick you into giving up something of value. It could be straightforward like the gift card example, or it could be more sophisticated, like getting you to open a link or attachment that installs a bit of software (malware) to steal information off your machine.

Phishing emails usually come from an email address other than the real one used by the purported sender – when you get a message that seems questionable look not only at the sender’s name, but also at the email address it came from. Elaine and the rest of our church staff do not use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or any other consumer email platform for church-related communications. If the email address is from one of these platforms it is probably fake.

As a matter of course, if ANYONE asks you for money or gift cards, don't do it until you talk it through with a trusted friend or family member.

ART, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! IS NEXT WEEKEND!!!   OCTOBER 13, 14, & 15

CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?

THIS MAY BE YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP TO HELP TO MAKE THIS OUR BEST ART SHOW EVER!

We especially need more volunteers to

• Set up the show (Thursday October 12 and Friday October 13)--Setting up pop-up canopies, helping with lighting and decorating, assisting artists in setting up their booths.
•  Make cookies and appetizers for Friday night.
• Serve cookies, appetizers, and punch Friday night.
• Provide Show Support anytime during the weekend by providing brief breaks for artists during the show, monitoring doors, eating area or cashier line, checking the bathrooms for supplies, being a runner to pick up purchased art from the artists’ booths.
• Take-down when the show is over at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Sign-ups will be available before and after church in the Narthex and Covenant Hall or contact Pam Dunn, [email protected] or 909-963-8305.

You can still help us advertise the Art Show. QR codes and posters are available at the sign-up table and in the church office and Narthex for you to notify your colleagues and friends. 

Also, please “like” us on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/artforheavenssake

Every time you “like,” comment on and/or “share” the Art Show posts, potential guests and community members are introduced to our annual art festival.

Even if you can’t help out, be sure to see what the talented fine artists, crafters, and musicians have in store for you. You don’t want to miss it! 

Art Show Hours

Friday, Oct. 13, 6 – 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 – 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Please note: There will be no Seekers, Kids Zone, Nursery care or Sunday School on October 15, due to the Art Show. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we will resume normal operations the following week on the 22nd.

Worship Leader training this Sunday

This Sunday, in the Sanctuary, soon after church we will offer training for worship leaders. If you've ever considered, wondered about, or felt a nudge to "give it a go," you are who the training is for. If you have led worship several times, or never have, you are welcome and wanted to be at the training. We'll go through ideas about worship, about the different parts of worship and what the responsibilities and available resources are for those who might want to lead. There will also be time to test the mics and if you want, to sign up for a Sunday in the near future!

All of this shouldn't require more than 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how many of us there are!

The Pastor ponders.... Covenants at RUCC

The Covenant booklet has three parts. Your Spiritual Covenant, your Volunteerism Covenant, and your Financial Covenant.

Spiritual Covenant

You might use your Spiritual Covenant to represent many things: how God might be calling you to use your talents and passions in your life and at RUCC this year, or perhaps it might be a reflection on your life’s path over the last year, and how this affected your spiritual journey. Or you might focus on your goals. There are no limits on this portion of the Covenant Booklet.

Only the Pastor reads the Spiritual Covenants. Your thoughts are considered sacred and confidential.

Volunteerism Covenant

We want to do more than just fill spaces on committees and the board, here at RUCC. We want our church family to feel committed, excited, and able to serve joyfully in ways that really utilize and appreciate the gifts we have been given.

The Volunteerism Covenant section encourages you to thoughtfully examine the listing of Ministry Areas in the life of this congregation, and all the many ways folks can use their gifts and interests to enhance the life and mission of Redlands United Church of Christ.

Financial Covenant

The Stewards use the pledges made in the Covenants to plan the budget for the coming year. That is why in the Financial Covenant you have the opportunity to prayerfully commit to making a financial pledge to help support the ministries and operations of this church. Some folks fear a pledge because they worry about breaking their pledge should their finances change. Never Fear. A pledge is an estimate of what you plan to give. If you need to change the amount of your pledge just let the financial secretary know.

An annual three-fold Covenant rather than the more conventional “annual pledge” is fairly unique to RUCC. The process encourages you to think more deeply how you can make RUCC your spiritual home and it is just one of the many things that I admire about this congregation.

SACRED SATURDAY - October 7

Please join us this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. for a time of contemplation, prayer, and meditation. We come together to share a common desire to give our souls what they need, and a chance for God to provide for those needs. For those who are weary, there is time for silence, rest, and rejuvenation. For those who yearn for a sense of wonder and possibility, the sacred space of the sanctuary and the grounds, along with the others who are present, may help you on your way. And, for those who seek prayer, discernment and meditation, there are art supplies, books, and the labyrinth as tools for you to use. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey and whatever your soul needs, you are welcome to join in on Sacred Saturday. 

Outside maintenance scheduled

All of RUCC's outside concrete will be getting a nice power washing on Friday October 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• October 6 - 8 - Fall Fun at Pilgrim Pines
• October 7 - Sacred Saturday
• October 13-15 - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
• October 28 - "Trunk or Treat" at RUCC
• November 11 - Mentone UCC Gospel Concert



The church calendars are found at uccredlands.org

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