Christmas Eve is coming this Sunday!

With December 24th falling on a Sunday this year, things will be a little different. We will celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent in the morning service at 10:30 a.m. followed by Fellowship Time. Then, we'll have a Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols at 5:30 p.m. (No tamales this year.)

A message from our Pastor and Teacher

December 24 ~ 10:30 a.m. ~ Fourth Sunday of Advent ~ "Joseph's Choice" ~ In the morning service, we'll explore the strong, compassionate love of Joseph, and the tough choice he faced.

December 24 ~ 5:30 p.m."Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols" ~ Then at 5:30 p.m. we will celebrate the Holy Birth with the traditional lessons, carols and candles of Christmas Eve. Come and join us!

Sunday's Scripture:

Psalm 89:1-4; Matthew 1: 18-25

These vacancies at RUCC need to be filled

Redlands United Church of Christ is seeking candidates for the positions of Youth Director and Nursery Care Worker. The job postings are on the RUCC website. If you know someone who would be a good match for either of these positions, please ask them to apply. We hope to have both positions filled by the first of the year. Thanks for helping us with these two important searches.

.......................~~ The Personnel Committee

Racial Justice reflection of the week

The National Black Nurses Association says a racist political and social environment in Florida has driven the group to relocate its annual conference from Florida to California.

“The passage of anti-Black policies and laws, which have taken a destructive position to erase and silence Black history, and restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools, together with the NAACP travel ban, and the recent senseless, racially motivated, hate-fueled murders of three innocent Black Americans in Jacksonville, Florida has created a hostile, dangerous environment in the state.”

The NBNA surveyed its members before deciding to relocate the conference and found that 84 percent said the conference should be moved.

Source: https://www.bet.com/article/2e72f6/national-black-nurses-association-conference-relocate-florida

From the Environmental Justice Team

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to think about recycling, especially recycling wrapping paper. Of course, gift givers could reduce the amount of wrapping paper they use in the first place, for example by using other sorts of paper that are clearly recyclable to wrap presents – think newspaper or old maps, for example. Second, carefully removed wrapping paper could be saved for reuse. Or a gift-giver could use cloth to wrap an item; or give it in a reusable bag. But chances are, many of us will still have wrapping paper to deal with, and, sad to say, not all wrapping paper is recyclable. Paper with non-paper additives, such as plastic, foil, and glitter, is probably not recyclable. If you aren’t sure about that shiny piece of wrapping paper, try tearing it, making a point to try tearing across shiny or metallic patterns. If it tears easily, it’s likely okay to put it in the recycle bin. You can also try scrunching the paper up; if it stays in a scrunched-up ball, that’s a good sign that it can be recycled.

Source: Chiu, Allyson, “How to make holiday gift wrapping less wasteful,” The Washington Post, 12/17/23: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/12/17/how-to-recycle-wrapping-paper/

Spread Holiday Cheer with Caring for Kin

For the month of December, we will continue collecting food items for the holidays, including both staples and special treats. This month, our donations will go to Redlands Family Services. Let's continue to share our holiday blessings with our neighbors in need!

Caring for Kin in January

Start gathering cold-weather clothes for donation in January. Jackets, hats, and gloves are especially needed, and they may be new or used, as long as they are clean and in good repair. Packages of new socks and new underwear are other items you may wish to donate. More information to come.

Updates from your Settled Pastor Search Committee

We are pleased to report that our call for a Settled Pastor now appears on the national UCC Ministry Opportunities website. Profiles are already coming in and we will begin our review and discussion of them shortly after the new year. We’re excited that the process is moving and moving so well.



Members of the Seach Committee include Sophia Beardemphl, Loring Fiske-Phillips, Keith Osajima (Chair), Samantha Sanchez-French, Dee Dee Seek, Diana Steele-Jones, Minori Tsukimoto, John Walsh, and Janet Wilson.

Night Shelters for Men and Women to open January 1: volunteers needed

The men’s shelter will be at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community, 1205 Columbia Street, Redlands. The women’s shelter will be at the Center for Spiritual Living, 602 Church St, Redlands (pictured).

Two volunteers are needed for each shift. The first is from 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The second shift is from 1:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. To volunteer at the men’s shelter, contact Rick Ferguson at 909-362-2819. Volunteers for the women’s shelter should contact Jean Pagdilao at 909-312-9981.

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Christmas Fund

The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross is an annual UCC offering that expresses thanks to retired and active UCC pastors and lay church workers and their families, providing direct assistance to supplement pensions, medical insurance costs, and funds to meet emergency needs.



This year's Christmas Fund theme is "Grace Upon Grace," from John 1:16: "From Christ's fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

You can donate to "The Christmas Fund" by making a note on the comment line of your check or online from the drop-down menu in Realm.

The Rummage Sale is Back!!!! And We Need Volunteers!!!!

We will need volunteers before, during, and after the sale. The actual sale date is February 10, 2024. There are jobs you can do from home, there are jobs where you will mingle with the public, there are jobs that you won’t have to talk to anyone, and there are jobs that will make you tired and/or get you dirty! So, there is something for everyone! Here are some ways you can help:

Before the sale:

• Being on the Rummage Sale Committee
• Advertising—Putting up signs, getting articles on Facebook, etc.
• Contacting organizations that will take our “leftovers”
• Organizing the treasures that come in
• Hanging clothes 
• Providing boxes, bags, and hangers
• Collecting your donations (no furniture, please)

During the sale:

• Walking the floor
• Re-organizing

After the sale:

• Packing up
• Providing a vehicle to take leftover treasures to designated places

If any of these jobs appeals to you, please let us know ASAP. We will start having organizational meetings in January. Thanks so much! Pam Dunn (909) 963-8305 Claudia Tolar (909) 725-1794 Kathie Blakley (909) 213-9469

Holiday Office Hours

The Church Office will be closed December 25 - 26, and January 1.

Pastor Elaine will not be in the office January 1 - 3.

E-Waste Drop-off

Thanks to all who responsibly recycled your various forms of e-waste at RUCC on Saturday, December 2nd. In flat screens alone, you kept over 2400 pounds of e-waste from ending up at the dump or sitting unused in your garage. The church will receive a check for almost $300 as our percentage of the profit from reusable materials. Good job!

If you were unable to participate in December, start preparing now for our next E-Waste Drop-Off on Saturday, February 10, the same day as the Rummage Sale. 

If you have concerns about information stored on your old computer, please talk with Claudia Tolar about how the company we work with handles this issue.

The Youth Group invites younger children to attend a production of Finding Nemo, January 28, 2024

Kids grade 5 and under are invited to join the RUCC Youth Group in an outing to see our own Celeste Ellison perform next month in the Riverside Children’s Theater production of Finding Nemo! (Celeste is coming off her triumphant performance as King Herod in this year’s Christmas Pageant!)

Performance date and time: Sunday January 28, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.

Venue: King High School in Riverside.

The Youth Group will cover the cost for each child plus one parent/guardian per family. You need to reply to admorics@mac.com before 12/26 to reserve your spot! This will be a super-fun outing, please join us!

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• December 24 - 10:30 a.m. - worship service: Fourth Sunday of Advent
• December 24 - 5:30 p.m. - Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols.
• December 25-26 - Church Office closed
• January 1 - Church Office closed. In addition, Pastor Elaine will not be in the Office January 1-3.
• January 7, 2024 - Super Shepherd Sunday
• January 14 - Book Group
• January 21 - Wider Ministries Area organizational meeting
• January 28 - Annual Congregational Meeting
• February 10, 2024 - RUCC Rummage Sale



The church calendar is found at redlandsucc.org

Click on "calendar" in the red banner near the top of the page