MAY 7 - MUSIC SUNDAY

CLICK HERE FOR THE BULLETIN

FOR MUSIC SUNDAY, MAY 7



This is a PDF file which is easy to download and print for use during the service whether you are watching on line, or attending in person on Sunday.

Caring for Kin - Ongoing food collection

Thanks so much to everyone for your generosity!  

Family Services will be happy to supply our local kin with the nutritious foods that you have donated.

In answer to several questions we have received:

You can still donate. We will be collecting peanut butter, instant oatmeal packets and cereal (any kind you like, not only Cheerios) ,for Family Services each Sunday in May.

Our wish is that you will get in the habit of including Caring for Kin on your grocery list each week!

Each month we will be changing what specific items we are asking you for, either for the same agency or a different one. If you have ideas of groups that could benefit from the RUCC monthly collections, please contact Diana Steele or Claudia Tolar.

Reflection of the Week from the Racial Justice Team

............................... "No."

......................................... - Rosa Parks

From the Environmental Justice Team

California’s largest and most expensive environmental cleanup has failed to properly remove lead pollution from some homes and neighborhoods near a notorious battery recycler in southeast Los Angeles County, leaving residents at continued risk, a Times investigation shows.

Six years after the California Department of Toxic Substances Control embarked on a massive remediation effort around the shuttered Exide plant, numerous homes targeted for cleanup have been left with concentrations in excess of state health standards. …

The high lead concentrations have raised serious questions about the department’s oversight of the $750-million project — as well as its commitment to making these predominantly Latino and historically underserved neighborhoods safe from a brain-damaging metal.

Source: “California’s biggest environmental cleanup leaves lead contamination and frustration,” Tony Briscoe, Jessica Garrison, and Aida Ylanan, Los Angeles Times, 2/10/23, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-10/exide-lead-cleanup-leaves-fear-and-frustration-in-its-wake

Notice of special meeting for final vote on the organ contract

On Sunday, April 30, during the Quarterly Gathering, board President Dan Abushanab announced a special meeting to be held on May 21. In case you missed his announcement, or the Realm email sent the same day, here is the information:



Hello church!

As discussed at the quarterly gathering today, the board has put a proposal before the congregation to have an organ custom built for our space. Per our bylaws, please consider this the 3-week notice of the vote, to take place on May 21, 2023.

The proposed contract and an absentee ballot are available on our website for your review, at https://uccredlands.org/organ.

If you have questions or comments about the proposal between now and the vote please feel free to contact Mark Sternberg or Richard Steffen, the co-chairs of the committee.



Regards,

Dan

Wider Ministries seeks your ideas for our church's donations to other groups

The RUCC Wider Ministries Committee will meet on May 21 to decide on RUCC WM donations for this period. This is an important way in which we represent RUCC in the world around us. If you have an idea for a worthwhile organization that would benefit from these donations, please contact either Kathie Blakley or Carol Robb before the May 21 donation meeting. Be sure and check the criteria for donations HERE. You should also include your name, name and address of the organization, and their contact information. The WM Committee will then decide if the request for funds will be granted

Munch and Muse Roundtable ~ May 16 at 11:00 a.m.

Come and join us every other Tuesday from 11-1 for discussion and support in, or in the patio area behind, Covenant Hall. This group began with a few senior friends offering support to one another during Covid - now this group has expanded to members and friends who share news and offer support in a safe discussion over a brown bag lunch. Most of us are older but we welcome the younger - our next gathering is on Tuesday May 16th at 11AM. Bring your own sack lunch and join us….

Calling all runners! 

In honor of our wonderful pastor, Jill, a few of us have decided we would like to run a marathon and raise funds for American Cancer Society. Whether you are an Ultra Runner or you have never run before, we would love for you to join us. We can decide on a specific race depending upon how much training time the majority needs. One possibility might be the Long Beach Marathon and Half Marathon on October 15, 2023. The more we can raise the better, as we hope for a future free from the pain and suffering caused by cancer. 

If you are interested in walking or running a Marathon or Half Marathon with us let Jules Rattray know by emailing [email protected] or find me after church this Sunday.  And for those of you who would love to get involved but don’t want to run, we will have opportunities for you too, don’t worry! 

So come and join us in taking on a great challenge in celebration of Jill and all she has done for us. 

Strengthen the Church special offering on Pentecost, May 28

The Strengthen the Church Offering reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to cooperatively build up the UCC. Conferences and the National setting share equally in the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. The funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. By your generosity to this offering, you build up the Body of Christ.

Blood Drive scheduled for Friday, May 26

Have you ever thought about donating blood, but it just wasn't very convenient? We can't come to your home; however, we are coming to your church! The Blood Drive begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Appointments are not required but suggested to save you time. Call 1-800.879.4484 or log on to https://www.lstream.org/

And please pass this information on to family and friends! If you have any questions that are not covered in this flyer, please ask Kerry Dunn who is coordinating the event. He can be reached at (909)963-8304.

Hope to see you on Friday, May 26th!

Sacred Saturday on May 6

Sacred Saturday, a morning retreat for our souls, will be held this week from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at RUCC. Come and give your spirit whatever it needs - quietude, creativity, community, prayer, meditation, time in nature - all are welcome.

Sunday Service Altar Flowers--Ordering Update

As the pandemic has affected so many facets of our lives, we feel a need to rework and  update our Altar Flower ordering practices. Here are a few steps to be taken to secure your wishes, should you be considering the honoring of a special person or occasion. After you have selected the date that you wish, please contact me either by cell phone (951-534-3438) or by email ([email protected]), at least three weeks before your chosen date. Please leave a message if I’m not available, so I can contact you in return. We will need to discuss your floral selections and the dedication wording to be printed in the View, as well as the power point slide, which is to be shown during worship. I will relay your words of dedication to both resources for printing.



Closer to your date, I will order your flowers from our contact florist, to be delivered for the Sunday service. The fee for the flowers is $80.00, which can to be paid to the church directly by either a personal check or cash in the collection plate, or electronically. This amount needs to be paid any time before your service date. Please make a note, on the memo line of your check, offering envelope or text, that these moneys are for Altar Flowers, so your payment can be credited to the right church account.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me through my contact information listed above.

Peace, empathy and openness, Dee Dee Seek

Raise Right - Gift Cards make shopping and fundraising easy

Raise Days on May 4-5 – During Raise Days, you can earn higher rebates (bonuses) on select eGift cards and reloaded gift cards. You must have an online account to participate, so this is a great time to get signed up if you aren’t already! Just a few of the hundreds of participating brands include: Panera (13%), REI (12%), Airbnb (8%), Starbucks (6.5%), Chipotle (15%), and Zappos (10%).

About RaiseRight: When you purchase gift cards through the RaiseRight program to pay for your day-to-day expenses or provide as gifts, RUCC receives a rebate that helps fund our missions. It’s an easy way to raise some money for RUCC. Hundreds of retailers participate, including grocery stores, gas stations, home improvement stores, department stores, online retailers, and much more. Please contact Jennifer and Pam at [email protected] if you need an enrollment link, need help setting up/accessing your online account or placing an order, have any questions, or want to learn more about the program.  This video will give you an overview of how to get started: https://youtu.be/c-v65F0xr2c

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• May 6 - Sacred Saturday
• May 7 - Music Sunday
• May 7 - Book Group will discuss Orwell's Roses. Nan Root will facilitate the discussion.
• May 14 - Mothers' Day
• May 21 - Special Meeting for congregational vote on final authorization of the organ project.
• May 21 - Wider Ministries quarterly meeting with a guest speaker and consideration of donations for the quarter.
• May 26 - Blood drive in Covenant Hall
• May 28 - Pentecost and Strengthen the Church special offering



The church calendar for May is found at uccredlands.org

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