A message from our Pastor and Teacher

Sunday, September 24 - Fourth Sunday of Creation Season - "Pondering the Heavens - What is Next?" 

Have you ever gazed up at the night sky, watching for falling stars to streak by? Or have you stretched out on a grassy hillside, staring at the craters in the face of the full moon? Or have you looked through a telescope, and counted the rings of Saturn or the moons of Jupiter? What a blessing to be able to appreciate the wonders of God’s heavens. 

It makes me ponder what mysteries God has made, that we simply haven’t noticed yet. We celebrate all that we have discovered, and we believe that we have learned everything there is to know – and yet, the mysteries of God’s creation continue to unfold before us. 

Sunday's Scripture:

Genesis 1: 1 - 19

September 20 -

Fourth Sunday of Creation Season

The Sunday Bulletin was not available Wednesday.

It will be sent to each subscriber to The View as soon as possible.

LGBTQA+ gathering Sunday, September 24

Wendy Birchard will host this month’s LGBTQA+ all inclusive social gathering at the Orange Grove Mobile Estate's Clubhouse, 626 Dearborn St., Redlands, 92374.

There will be good food and fun activities.

Social hour: 2 to 3 p.m.

Dinner: 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Dessert: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Socialize, clean up, and say good byes 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

This event is for all ages. Attendees are asked to bring a bottle of of their favorite fruit cider.

All are welcome to join us and are strongly encouraged to RSVP to Samantha, Sarah, or Wendy.

October 1 - Neighbors in Need Special Offering

The Neighbors in Need offering, which we will receive on October 1, supports the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.

Through our national Justice and Local Church Ministries office, https://tinyurl.com/2bfytatb, you can find resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues. Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice.

Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S.

A message from Susi: Unexpected riches?

I opened a bag that had been living in my closet undisturbed for a *very long time* and found, to my surprise, an envelope with foreign money from different countries, none of which I have visited. I would like this to go to its rightful home; it is clearly for keepsake purposes, not investments.

Please call Susi Jacobsen to ID the contents of the envelope and thereby take possession of it as the rightful owner.

From the Environmental Justice Team

September 4, 2023, saw the opening of the first Africa Climate Summit. Although the people of Africa contribute less to climate change than the populations of other continents, Africa is the continent most impacted by the problems resulting from global warming. Rich countries have pledged $100 billion annually in climate assistance, but even if this goal is achieved, more support is needed. Opportunities for renewable power development abound, but the need for energy is high – 600 million Africans, out of a population of 1.3 billion, lack access to electricity. Mohamed Adow, of Power Shift Africa, describes the environmental and justice challenges in a nutshell: “We have an abundance of clean, renewable energy and it’s vital that we use this to power our future prosperity. But to unlock it, Africa needs funding from countries that have gotten rich off our suffering.” 

Source: “The first Africa Climate Summit opens as hard-hit continent demands more say and financing,” Cara Anna and Evelyne Musambi, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, 9/4/23: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-09-04/first-africa-climate-summit-opens

Reflection of the week from the Racial Justice Team

Literacy tests were used to keep people of color -- and, sometimes, poor whites -- from voting, and they were administered at the discretion of the officials in charge of voter registration. If the official wanted a person to pass, he could ask the easiest question on the test -- for example, "Who is the president of the United States?" The same official might require a black person to answer every single question correctly, in an unrealistic amount of time, in order to pass.

Try the test here: https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/jimcrow/voting_literacy.html

Your financial pledge is important to RUCC. It is a key building block in creating and meeting our annual budget. If you’d like to see your progress toward your 2023 pledge(s), simply go to https://onrealm.org/RUCC/ and sign in, then click the “giving" button. If you have any trouble, contact the church office.

Caring for Kin continues with supplies for unsheltered neighbors

In the month of September, we will be collecting supplies for kits for our unsheltered neighbors. Donated items should fit in a gallon-size ziploc bag, for example, toothbrush and toothpaste, travel-size soap and shampoo, hand sanitizer, band-aids, chapstick, nail clippers, socks, and granola bars. We will then come together on September 24 to assemble the kits together so we can take them with us to give to unsheltered individuals. For questions, please contact Diana Steele or Sue Hammond.

Bible Sunday: September 24

Next Sunday the 24th we will be celebrating Bible Sunday during Children’s Circle.

Kids entering Kindergarten receive a Storybook Bible and kids entering 3rd Grade receive a full-size Bible.

This year’s recipients include Luca Tsukimoto, Salem Vera, Charlie Mineo-Wells, Daniella Kirchner-Rose, and Ariana Lewis.

Youth Group news

The RUCC Youth Group is open to kids in 6th through 12th Grade. 

Youth Group is resuming this Fall with a significant change in its schedule: Instead of a weekly after-church meetings, there will be a new Youth Sunday School Class.

This Sunday Rev. Erin Beardemphl will be leading the class in a Bible study centered on covenants. The class will meet during Sunday School time (after the Children’s Circle) in the Youth Room.

ART, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! OCTOBER 13, 14, AND 15, 2023

                   IT’S COMING UP FAST!!!

AND WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS. During the next 3 weeks the art show committee is recruiting members and friends to help with the show.

You can volunteer 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 for Friday night.
• Serve cookies, appetizers, and punch Friday night.
• Provide show support 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 artist's booth, etc.
• Take-down when the show is over at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Sign-ups are available before church in the Narthex and after church in Covenant hall, or you may contact Pam Dunn, pamdunn23@gmail.com or (909) 963-8305.

You may also help us advertise the Art Show: QR codes and posters are available at the sign up table and in the church office 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.

Or you can sign up to be a sponsor to our show. Look for the form at the AFHS table.

Art Show Hours

Friday, Oct. 13, 6 -- 9 pm

Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 – 7 pm

Sunday, Oct. 15, 11:30 – 5 pm.

Social Justice Shepherd Group to meet October 1

The Social Justice Shepherd Group will meet Sunday, October 1, at 12:30 p.m. at Dianne Landeros' home. Bring your own lunch. Discussion of social justice issues will begin around 1 p.m.

Music Director search

We are grateful to Zoë Petersen who has stepped in to lead the choir for an interim period and to our Associate Music Director Sophia Ohanian who has stepped up to take on music selection and other duties normally performed by the Music Director. Zoë and Sophia will continue to lead the choir together until we fill the Music Director position. Personnel chair Carole Beswick and Worship Area leader Patty Little will jointly lead the search.

The job posting is on the RUCC website. We will be advertising the position on appropriate search sites. If you know of someone who might be interested in the position, please refer them to the website posting.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• September 24 - LGBTQA+ all inclusive social gathering (see article above)
• September 27 - Lunch making for Youth Hope
• October 1 - Book Group will discuss Wrong Time, Wrong Place by Gillian McAllister
• October 1 - Social Justice Shepherd Group will meet after church at Dianne Landeros' home.
• October 13-15 - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
• November 11 - Mentone UCC Gospel Concert



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