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JULY/AUGUST 2019 - In This Issue:
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SUMMER SCHEDULE: SINGLE SERVICE AT 10:30 A.M.
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Return to Two Services August 18: 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
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July 7
In a Universe of Exploding Stars
May Glazier, Preaching Practicum
No matter who we are, we all share the same night sky. As it turns out, this is only the beginning of our shared connection to the Cosmos-and to each other. Fusing insights from her training in Astrophysics with the excitement and accessibility of popular science, Amy will explore what it means that we live in a Universe of exploding stars.
Amy grew up stargazing in rural North Texas, where she went to Collin County Community College and Austin College. She moved to Chapel Hill in 2017 upon beginning her PhD program in Physics & Astronomy at UNC Chapel Hill, where she studies planets in other solar systems beyond our own. She still stargazes from her apartment balcony on clear nights.
July 14
Where Do Our Judgements Come From?
Trey Kennedy, Preaching Practicum
Why do they show up in our lives when they do? How, as Unitarian Universalists, do we understand each other through them? Join Trey for an exploration of how our judgements occur, what they reflect about us, and how to be attentive to ways in which we can change.
Trey Kennedy was born in the Bronx (NY), grew up on Long Island, but claims 32 years of living in and around New Orleans as some of the most significant and life-changing years, including 21 years of law enforcement in patrol division, investigative division, and crime scene division doing evidence collection/reconstruction.
July 21
You Could Be Wrong
Rev. Jordinn Nelson Long
Each of us has probably considered how to offer forgiveness when we have been wronged. This Sunday we will look at another side of that question: what does it mean to know that we might BE wrong? How can we act decisively, say no to oppression and injustice wherever we find it, and answer the call of love . . . in the knowledge that we will make mistakes, and that our best intentions will sometimes lead us astray? Join Rev. Jordinn Nelson Long as we consider the role of humility and repentance in the context of our UU values.
Rev. Jordinn Nelson Long is a
mom of two and lead minister of the UU Society of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Ministry is a second act for her- Rev. Jordinn has been a public school teacher and a homeschooling stay-at-home mom. She also identifies, usually fairly fondly, as a non-practicing lawyer.
July 28
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Topic: To be announced
August 4
Trusting the Call
Rev. Jim Magaw
In our current era, it is easy to lose our way amidst the sometimes overwhelming and painful chaos and confusion in our world. It is important in times like these to remember what we are called to do and the place where the world's needs and our passions intersect.
Rev. Jim Magaw serves the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills in Pittsburgh, PA, where he lives with his wife, Marta, and their 14-year-old daughter, Ella. Jim was an active member of C3HUU for some 12 years before becoming a minister. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago and completed a 2-year Ministerial Internship from 2011-2013 at the Eno River UU Fellowship, where he was ordained in Nov. 2013. He is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
August 11
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Topic: To be announced
August 18
Return to Two Services: 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Topic: To be announced
August 25
Two Services: 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Gathering of the Waters -Multigenerational Service
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
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THE VIEW FROM THE ROOF
by Brad Kosiba, Buildings & Grounds Chair
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Our Jones Building Phase I project : existing room Renovation is now in full swing! Demolition began on Monday 6/24 with removal of remaining wall and ceiling fixtures and hardware. Next we will begin patching and painting to give us a clean new look to our 6 meeting/class rooms and associated spaces. We also plan to do some cleanup in the Jones Hall community room as well.
From guest(s) living in the Manse to beautiful new courtyard gardens to the Jones Phase I Renovation project, we have made so much progress on our beautiful campus. Please plan to be a part of the fun and fellowship: CLICK HERE to join a work group for the Renovation or join us for a Buildings and Grounds regular WorkPARTY on first Mondays each month from 9-noon.
And always... Please remember, YOUR JOB is to email Brad or catch him at church whenever you see something amiss. Early reports save $$$!!!
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JONES BUILDING FIX-UP PROJECT IS HAPPENING!
JULY 1 - AUGUST 31
Many have signed up, but slots are still available. For the camaraderie of working together for the common good, won't you sign up for a two-hour shift? Shifts are scheduled at different times and days throughout the summer. Signups are open in both paper form (during Sunday coffee hours) and on-line via the Building Project webpage, along with further information describing the project.
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On Sunday mornings, August 4 & August 11, we'll be offering a two-part Exploring Membership class before the Service. The class will provide an introduction to Unitarian Universalism and our congregation, cover the meaning of Membership, provide an opportunity for reflecting on our spiritual journeys, and give you chance to meet others who are newer to The Community Church.
Classes will be held from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. Please RSVP by sending an email to Rachel Rose. Childcare is available upon request.
Please let Rachel know ASAP if you need childcare to be able to attend.
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SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
- 7/4,5: Office Closed
- 7/18,19: Office Closed
- 7/22-24: Office Closed
- 7/30-8/1: Office Closed
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At the June Congregational Meeting,
the 2019 Congregational Awards were announced.
The winners are:
- Joe and Lucy Straley Beyond These Walls Award:
The Sanctuary for Dialogue Team
- Al and Ann Sawyer Within These Walls Award:
Dorothy Wright and Marni Goldshlag
- Gertrude Willis Lifetime Religious Education Award:
Alan Reece
Jami Alexander |
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ECO'S ENVIRONMENTAL CORNER
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- First Sunday Recyclables at the ECO table - July 7 and August 4 at Coffee Hour: Batteries (AAA - D, button, rechargeable), corks (natural and synthetic), and tiny bits of metal (paper clips, nails, screws, etc.).
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COMMUNITY SERVICES MINISTRY
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HABITAT TOWN HOMES DEDICATION
All Community Church members are invited and encouraged to join the celebration of a wonderful church-sponsored Habitat for Humanity project: the dedication of the 8 Crescent Magnolia townhouses our church has been working on this year. The dedication will be Sat., July 13 at 10 a.m. at 131 Skip Rock Rd., Hillsborough. Seven new senior citizen townhouse owners will be there and our QUUilters group has made quilts to present to each of them. Crescent Magnolia townhouses are located off of College Park Road in Hillsborough, between The Little School preschool and Ashton Woods' Waterstone development. For more information on Crescent Magnolia, CLICK HERE.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES PROJECT STP JULY 21
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Wonder how many K-12 kids in Chatham and Orange Counties live below the poverty line? 2017 estimate is 2939 kids. Backpacks and school supplies are often not top budget priorities. Your donations to the July 21 Share the Plate will allow us to purchase backpacks, and fill them with requested supplies. Last year we filled 180 backpacks, split between Chatham and Orange county schools. Thanks to bulk purchasing we can purchase and fill backpacks for $12-15. Contact Teri Brooks for questions or to volunteer to fill the packs.
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STP - AUGUST 25
SISTER COMMUNITIES OF SAN RAMON
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SUPPORT RURAL SCHOOLS IN NICARAGUA Share the Plate on Aug. 25 will be for 2 schools in the remote mountains of Nicaragua. Through the Rural School Partnership, a program of the Sister Communities of San Ramon, we are paired with 2 schools for 3 years. We commit to raising at least $500/year for each school which the parents in the schools decide how to use. Over the previous 3 years the funds have gone for basic school supplies, used musical instruments for a small band, to pave a play yard, and to help bring running water to the village and the school. We have now agreed to another 3 year commitment and will be paired with 2 new schools that have not been previously paired. Our gifts can make a huge difference for these schools. Give generously!
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 On behalf of Club Nova, we would like to thank The Community Church for "sharing the plate" on Sunday, 6/16, resulting in a gift of $652.00.We appreciate your support for mental health services in our community. These funds will be used towards our Capital Campaign to build a new clubhouse to serve persons with persistent and severe mental health difficulties with a larger and more functional facility.
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SIDE WITH LOVE Mike Wiley productions has scheduled a civil rights-focused experiential travel excursion (departing from Durham) to Montgomery & Selma AL from Thu-Mon, Aug 8-12, 2019. As of 6/19/19 there were still 12 seats available on the 56 seat motor coach. For trip highlights & online registration info, CLICK HERE.
A Side With Love Task Force has been gathering info about a more economical CC trip to Montgomery in late 2019 or early 2020 to visit the National Museum for Peace and Justice, the Legacy Museum and other civil rights memorials and will be providing information about this in the coming months.
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CHILDREN'S & YOUTH MINISTRY
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THANK YOU, GRACIAS, MERCI, TAKK, ARIGATO TO...
- Many thanks to Leigh Hall for volunteering in the Religious Education office in April and May. She's an organizing genius!
- Thanks to Tai Verbiest for 20 hours of community service including clearing the path to Memorial Rock for the Easter Service and so much weeding.
- Thanks to Valerie Vickers for organizing garden projects for the Children's Ministry.
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Where in the world is Marion Hirsch?
Marion is on study leave this Summer from June 10-August 17th, working to become a Credentialed Religious Educator, a program sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association. More about the Credentialed Religious Educator Program is here. Marion is so grateful for this opportunity to learn and develop. While she is on study leave, Kat Good, our wonderful Assistant Director of Religious Education will be supervising and guiding our summer programs. Please contact her for matters relating to the summer program and Religious Education. More about the Credentialed Religious Educator Program is here.
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DONATIONS SOUGHT FOR NEW NURSERY AND PRESCHOOL ROOMS
With the Preschool gone, the nursery and preschool spaces for children are much emptier that they have been. We are gathering furniture and toys to outfit those rooms. The proceeds from this year's Music Gala have been designated for furniture. In addition, the RE program has received a grant from the Church Endowment for furniture. This grant was approved by the congregation at the Annual Meeting on June 9th. Thank you to the Music Program and the Endowment! This is not exhaustive by any means but it will give you an idea of what is needed. If you have been collecting particular nice things that your children and grandchildren have outgrown and have been looking for an appreciative home for things, we would love to have them!
Here is an online registry for needed new and used items. Note: Items that are marked $1 are items that can be donated or used or new. Questions? Contact Kat Good, Assistant Director of Religious Education or Nicole Graysmith, Chair of the Children's Ministry Team.
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SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS
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SUMMER TAI CHI CLASSES Spiritual Exploration for Adults (SEA) is offered two opportunities to learn Tai Chi this summer. Wednesday 7-8 PM in the Community Room and Sunday 9-10 AM (before service) in the Community Room. These are drop-in classes and participants are welcome to join at any time. Joe Swain is our teacher. Thanks Joe! For more information contact Joe Swain.
WELLSPRING 1 --SPIRITUAL DEEPENING FOR THE UU SOUL "What will you do with this one wild and precious life?" asks the poet Mary Oliver. UU Wellspring is a 10-month program of distinctly Unitarian Universalist spiritual development designed to help participants answer that provocative question. The program celebrates the depth and breadth of our rich religious tradition and is entered on developing a daily spiritual practice, regular group meetings, and deep listening to one another. In Wellspring 1, which is a prerequisite for all other years of UU Wellspring, participants are challenged by, comforted by, and inspired by each one of the six UU sources. They learn not just about Unitarian Universalism, but also about how to integrate their Unitarian Universalist faith more fully into their daily lives. Wellspring begins in October 2019 and meets twice a month. Applications are due August 26. Limit 6 participants. More information about Wellspring and applying is HERE. Questions? Contact Marion Hirsch.
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SUMMER COVENANT GROUP OPPORTUNITIES Think you might want to join a covenant group this fall? Then come try one out this summer! Try-it-Out Covenant groups will meet on June 30, July 28, August 25, and September 22 from 3:00 to 4:30. Sign up for one, some, or all! These are an important and helpful way to find out if you'd like to commit to one of the year-long monthly groups which meet from October through May. Covenant groups promote deep listening and connection by sharing around themed readings and focus questions. To sign up for a Try it Out group contact Joanne Wood.
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If you are a senior (self-defined) woman, you are invited to join Rare Women, a new group that is forming in the fall. From September 2019 through January 2020, we will be reading and discussing chapters from Joan Chittister's book, The Gift of Years - Growing Older Gracefully. We will use the book as a guide for self-exploration and sharing, i.e. we are not reviewing the book. There will be two sections of the group that will meet in the Straley Room on different days. Section 1 (led by Carolyn Holt) will meet from 2-4 pm on the 1st and 3rd Mondays. Section 2 (led by Susan Blanchard) will meet from 1:30 - 3:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. Check our website for more information and our guidelines or email us. CLICK HERE to be added to the Rare Women email list.
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Come join the Community Clickers as we use needles and yarn to create comfort and warmth for our community. One example of the warmth that we have created is the Sunshine Blanket (shown here) that we made on the Day of Service in March and have delivered to Charles House. Our projects are made with 7" x 9" knitted and crocheted blocks (don't forget to leave 18" tails!) of washable acrylic, #4 worsted weight yarn. Our ongoing projects include making 18-block shawls for UNC Hospice, baby hats for the American Heart Association, and individual projects for our first ever C3HUU Holiday Bazaar table! Join us on Wednesday, July 3rd from 2-4 pm in the Commons Area and on Monday, July 15th from 7-9 pm in the Straley Room. Can't knit or crochet? Come learn! Donate finished blocks and yarn in our box in the Commons. Contact us for more information.
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Women Circle Clothing Exchange: Bring some things, take some things! A fun, free and easy way to shop! Join us at the Community Church on Saturday, July 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for our Fourth Clothing Exchange. In order to be ready for the shopping spree, you can bring your gently used clothes, scarves, jewelry, shoes, etc. to the church from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. p.m. on Friday, July 12. If you need to drop your items off at another time, please email Helen Lancaster or call her at 831-239-5370 By the way - WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! Helen is waiting for your call or email.
WOMEN CIRCLE POOL PARTY
The Gillioms are again hosting a WomenCircle pool party at their home on Friday, August 16 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Spend the afternoon lolling around in the pool with other UU WomenCircle Water Babies. Bring suits, towels, sun screen and hats. Floats, snacks, and drinks will be provided. RSVP Bonnie by email or phone (919-636-0994), and she will send you directions to their house.
WOMEN CIRCLE FALL RETREAT WomenCircle Fall Retreat is being held on October 11 -13 at Haw River State Park. Time to get to enjoy old friends and make new ones in a beautiful woodland setting. The Brown Summit Conference Center (north of Greensboro) offers beautiful accommodations and they will cook meals for us! We will have lots of time to hang out, talk, tell stories, boat, play cards, take walks, etc. We have two optional activities: a nature walk with the park superintendent Kelley King (Sindy's daughter) and Steevie Parks will get us in touch with our creative side. Come for two nights or just Saturday night. Deadline to indicate interest and pay a $25 deposit is July 31. Questions? Contact either Val Vickers or Sindy Barker.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR JULY On Saturday, July 20, at 10:30 in the Kirby Room, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, by Jon Meacham. The book traces the history of presidents and other brave souls who gave us hope to overcome division and fear. Lila Berry will be leading our discussion. The Readers meet on the third Saturday of each month. New members and drop-ins are welcome. CLICK HERE to contact the group.
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20S AND 30S REGULAR SOCIAL GROUP FORMING The 20s and 30s are organizing a regular monthly time for a social gathering. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this poll. In addition there is a regular 20s and 30s monthly covenant group which meets this summer July 23 and August 20 from 7 to 8:30 for fellowship and spiritual deepening. It's a drop-in group. Contact Marion Hirsch to get on the mailing list and to get more information. There is also a 20s and 30s Facebook group.Contact Marion Hirsch to get on the mailing list and to get more information.
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FLAMING CHALICES SOFTBALL
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Come join us, to play, or just watch and cheer, as the Flaming Chalices softball team continues play in the Chapel Hill church summer softball league.
All games are played Sunday afternoons -- between 2 pm and 6 pm -- at Homestead Park in Chapel Hill (Homestead Rd. off MLK Boulevard).
Game dates for the remainder of the season:
July 14, 21, 28; August 4, 11, 17, 18
New players, male or female, age 13 and over, are welcome. For more info, email Manager Nils Brubaker,or call 919-428-9573. CLICK HERE for the Flaming Chalices webpage.
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Saturday October 19th! NEW this year is our website for all your go-to information. Check it out HERE! On auction night, the doors will open at 4:30 pm for registration and browsing. The Silent Auction will start at 5 pm and the Live Auction about 7 pm. There will be free child care for toddlers through 10-year-olds. At 5 pm, we will have plenty of delicious (donated!) hand-held hors d'oeuvres and beverages for your evening's indulgence. Tickets ($10) will go on sale in mid-September. We will need many VOLUNTEERS before the auction and on auction night. So, plan your Fall and put the Auction on your calendar! This is the largest FUNdraiser in the Community Church and a Fun, Fun evening! For more information and to volunteer to help, contact Don and Susan Blanchard or visit the Fall Auction table after services, beginning on September 8th.
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STAY CONNECTED
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