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MARCH 2019 - In This Issue:
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March 3
The Service After the Service
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
On the day after the first ever Community Church Day of Service, join us for an uplifting and celebratory Service as we recognize the impact this church community has on us and on the world.
March 10
Your One Wild and Precious Life: A Tribute to Mary Oliver
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
On January 17 of this year, we learned of the death of Mary Oliver, who has been often called the poet laureate of Unitarian Universalism. Our Worship Service this morning will speak of her life, her poetry, and the ways it touched so many lives.
March 17
Reckoning with White Supremacy, Part Two
Marion Hirsch and Rev. Thom Belote, co-preaching
Join us this Sunday, as Marion and Rev. Thom preach the second part of a sermon addressing how we can best respond to the legacy of white supremacy and the reality of systemic racism in a way that is courageous and responsible.
March 24
Taking Religious Experience Seriously
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
In graduate school, Rev. Thom studied under Prof. Jeffrey Kripal, a revolutionary scholar who studies intense (mystical) religious experiences. This morning, Rev. Thom will read from a series of sermons Kripal delivered at a UU church in Houston, as well as share his own reflections on mysticism.
March 31
Susannah Tuttle, guest preacher
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Our Community Day of Service on Saturday, March 2, is shaping up to be an amazing day! We have more than 250 people signed up to participate in 15 different service projects! There is also a hospitality team working to feed and entertain all our volunteers!
Here is the schedule for Saturday, March 2:
8:45 a.m. - UU Ukes Ensemble
9:00 a.m. - Coffee, juice & beignets
9:15 a.m. - Community Day of Service kick-off
9:30 a.m. - Teams report to service locations at the church or in the community
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch back at the church, red beans & rice plus KING CAKE (
Who will find the baby?)
1:00 - 3:00 p.m - Afternoon projects commence
3:30 - 4:00 p.m. - Clean up
LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!
Don't forget: on
Sunday, March 3, we will hold our
Service After the Service at 9:15 and 11:00. With music from the Community Church Choir and the Community Church Band and a sermon from Rev. Thom, we will join together in celebration of the impact our congregation makes!
Pledge packets that are not picked up on Saturday or Sunday will be mailed on Monday. On-line pledging will begin on Saturday,
March 2.
Please make your pledge by Saturday, March 9!
Thank you for your generosity!
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MUSICAL NOTES
by Glenn Mehrbach, Music Director
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This is an exciting time of year for the Music Program at the Community Church, with lots of special events happening in the coming months, beyond the wonderful music presented each week during services. First of all, on March 2, as part of the Day of Service, a group of congregational musicians will be doing a quick tour of three Durham and Chapel Hill retirement communities. Then, on Saturday, April 13, it's time for our annual Music Gala, SinfUUl Songs: Singing the 7 Deadlies. And, on May 4th, there'll a special concert titled, From Church to Tango: the History of the Bandoneon with bandoneon player Alejandro Pinzon, who'll also be performing Misa a Buenos Aires: Misatango with the choir and a string quintet the following morning.
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From March 3 through April 28 the art in the Sanctuary will be cloth constructions by Alice Levinson. In her non-traditional cloth constructions, Levinson employs a broad range of surface design processes, emphasizing layering of color and texture, movement and intuitive process.
Her work has been included in exhibits throughout the United States, Italy, and Israel. It is in numerous private and institutional collections, including those of UNC Hospitals and the North Carolina Hillel Foundation. She is an owner-member of the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts in Hillsborough, NC. In addition to her personal creative work, Levinson is active as an arts advocate supporting the work of artists and arts institutions in Orange County, North Carolina.
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DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 10
Set your clocks one hour ahead!
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EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP CLASSES 3/14 & 21
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Wednesday evenings,
March 14 & March 21, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
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. 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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CHILDREN'S & YOUTH MINISTRY
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THANK YOU, GRACIAS, MERCI, TAKK, ARIGATO TO...
Thanks to all the Adult Special UU Buddies who made this year's breakfast a success.
Thanks to all the folks who brought camping mats and blow-up beds for the UU youth group from Belmont, Massachusetts, who visited here on the way to a service trip. Over 30 mats! Wow.
Thanks to the Youth Ministry Team for hosting the Fishbowl Game Night Auction Event. We had over 30 in attendance for a fun night.
Thanks to Kat Good for her presentation to the High School Youth Group about her Peace Corps Service in Uganda.
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FAMILY DINNER AND TALENT SHOW 3/16 Saturday dinner at 5:00, followed by a short talent show for the whole family at 6:00-6:30/6:45. Entree provided, you bring a side to share. $3 per person. Everyone can get home for an early bedtime. RSVP HERE by Friday March 15.
This is for kids and the adults who love them to share their talents -- instruments, singing, dancing, skits, jokes. Sign up to share talents HERE.
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WONDERING WHAT'S NEW WITH THE BUILDING PROJECT? Since the Congregation's exhilarating January 13 vote authorizing a construction loan, the wheels are turning to make the new addition a REALITY! A new publication, "Building Blocks: C3HUU's Building Project Update," is now coming out with monthly information tidbits and photos to keep everyone apprised of building and funding progress. Copies of the latest issue are available at the Building on Our Legacy display in the alcove between kitchen and stage, and online via the Building on Our Legacy section of the church website, along with building sketches, lots of other details, and contact information.
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Join us on April 5 at Hope and Healing: Faith Communities and the Suicide Crisis, the annual conference of Faith Connections on Mental Illness in Chapel Hill. Speakers will address how faith communities can engage, support, and build resiliency around those affected by suicide and suicidality. Registration is open; CLICK HERE for more information.
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Peggy Misch Continues Her Journey--in Massachusetts
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March 22, 2019, 7:30-9, in the Sanctuary: Peggy Misch has been a treasure and a shining light for social justice at The Community Church for many years. Now she is moving to Massachusetts to be closer to her daughter and we are saying adieu with a special event on March 22 at 7:30 in the Sanctuary to reminisce and tell stories. Then, we'll move to the Community Room to share dessert and socialize.
Several of the groups that Peggy works with are also invited. Attending will be her friends from NC Commission on Torture, Orange County Peace Coalition, local ACLU, Women's International League for Peace and Justice and many other groups. All are invited.
For more info, email
Mary Hulett.
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ECO'S ENVIRONMENTAL CORNER
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First Sunday Recyclables
Mar. 3 at Coffee Hour: gently used children's books. As every month, ECO is also collecting batteries (AAA - D, button, rechargeable), corks (natural and synthetic), and tiny bits of metal (paper clips, nails, screws, etc.).
As part of Community Service Day on Mar. 2, ECO will be cleaning up the Jones Park property near the church. Email us for details.
If you missed our letter-writing in February supporting the Green New Deal, you can write a letter to your legislator at home. For talking points and a sample letter, CLICK HERE. There has been a lot of misinformation about the Green New Deal. ECO's view is that support for the Green New Deal demonstrates that we consider climate change to be an urgent issue. Action is needed, but the details remain to be worked out.
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SHARE THE PLATE March 24 - Refugee Community Partnership The Refugee Community Partnership (RCP) is a grassroots, community-driven organization that uses long term relationship-based support, opportunity development, and institutional organizing to assist members in achieving their social mobility goals, and to eliminate the structural barriers that stand in their way. Through an accompaniment model, RCP members attain access to community services and resources, overcome language barriers, develop social network capital, and much more. One of RCP's more recent initiatives is the Youth Community Advocates program, which equips youth with the training and skills to advance language justice, preserve cultural identities, and serve as their communities' agents of social change. Donations will send youth -- hailing from Burma to Syria to the Congo -- to social justice and leadership development trainings, and college readiness workshops and mentorship.
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Habitat for Humanity Share the Plate Thank You
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Many thanks to our congregation and visitors who contributed $2,399.12 in our January 27 Share the Plate collection for our Habitat for Humanity mission. These funds will be used to fund our 24th Habitat project in 24 years, continuing to provide our neighbors with safe and affordable homes in Orange County.
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TABLE Share the Plate Thank You
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The Community Service Ministry would like to thank the congregation for its very generous donation of $1546 to TABLE. TABLE is the only area non-profit to focus exclusively on childhood hunger by providing healthy, emergency food aid to over 650 Chapel Hill/Carrboro children, ages 3 - high school, every week. In addition to the Weekend Meal Backpack Program, TABLE also supports Snack Chef, which sends volunteers to local after school programs to teach children how to make healthy snacks to share with their families. Summer TABLE, an extension of the Weekend Meal Backpack Program, delivers weekly nutritious food, including fresh produce from local farms, to kids for 6 - 8 weeks during the summer months. Our STP collection will be used to support TABLE's hunger relief and educational programs.
Click here for more information on TABLE!
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Join the Community Clickers! We use needles and yarn to create comfort and warmth for our community. Our ongoing project is to make shawls for patients at UNC Hospice. On March 2nd, we will also make a Sunshine Lap Blanket (in bright, sunny colors) for Charles House as part of the church's day of service. Shawls and blankets are made with 7" x 9" knitted and crocheted blocks (please leave two 18" yarn tails at opposite corners) of washable acrylic, #4 worsted weight yarn. Finished blocks can be dropped off in the Clickers Box in the Commons Area. Join us on Wednesday, March 6th, from 2-4 pm in the Commons Area and on Monday, March 18th, from 7-9 pm in the Straley Room to design and sew shawls and then to sit, click and chat. Can't knit or crochet? Come learn! Contact us for more information.
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SPIRITUAL EDUCATION FOR ADULTS
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SEA SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS (SEA) SPRING CLASSES
You can register for these classes now either during tabling or
online:
In the Belly of the Whale: Is That You Down There? Led by Karen Jessee, Thursdays 7-9 PM 2/15, 2/22, 3/1.
Spiritual Practice: Meditation. Led by Karen Rossie, Thursdays 7-9 PM 3/8, 3/15, 3/22.
Tai Chi. Led by Joe Swain. Walk-ins welcome. Wednesdays 7-8 pm.
Transform Negative Judgement and Hate to Joy and Love through Dragon Dao Yin: An ancient Qigong Form. Led by Dave Gulick, 7-8 PM4/5, 4/12, 4/19 and 5/3 and 5/10.
Creative Time to Connect with Your Inner Spirit. Presented by Steevie Jane Parks, Thursday 7-9 PM 4/26.
Voluntary Simplicity. Facilitated by Marion Hirsch, 7-9 PM 5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31.
Vegetarianism from a Spiritual Perspective. Rondy Elliott, 7-9 PM 5/17, 5/24, 5/31. Register online here.
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NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR MARCH On Saturday, March 16, at 10:30 in the Kirby Room, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer, by Barbara Ehrenreich. A razor-sharp polemic offering a new understanding of our bodies, ourselves, and our place in the universe, Natural Causes describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide our attempts to live a long, healthy life-from the importance of preventive screenings to the concepts of wellness and mindfulness, from dietary fads to fitness culture. Ivy Brezina will be leading our discussion. The Nonfiction 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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The WomenCircle will tour Reynolda House in Winston-Salem on April 5. The tour will include the highlights of the house and a special exhibit entitled Hopper to Pollock: American Modernism. We will have a docent-led tour and the tickets are $16 per person. Pay by check or exact cash at the start of the tour. We will carpool from the church leaving at 9:30 a.m. We have reserved space for lunch in the Silo Restaurant at Reynolda Village at 11:30 a.m. Your contact person for the trip is Joan O'Brien. Let her know if you are willing to be a driver and to also reserve your place by March 28. Space is limited to 20 people.
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STAY CONNECTED
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