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OCTOBER 2015 - In This Issue:
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FALL AUCTION OCTOBER 24!!!
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October 4 "The Power of Yes"
David Roth, guest speaker/performer
This morning David will speak and sing about what can happen when you say "yes" when a "no" seemed to make more sense at the time. Poignant to improbable, holistic to hilarious, (and a UU favorite), David comes to us from his home on Cape Cod. Join us for a morning to remember...
October 11 "The Attraction of Buddhism"
Rev. Thom, preaching
Our UU forebears, the Transcendentalists, were among the very first in the English speaking world to study Buddhism. As part of the most recent ministerial search, a survey of our theology indicated that 63% of our members say that Buddhism is important in their religious development. All summer we had a well-attended Spiritual Education of Adults class studying Buddhism. Come this morning to hear about what drives our fascination with Buddhism and why Buddhism continues to be a source of spiritual significance for us.
October 18 "Worthy in Our Being"
Rev. Thom, preaching
Our tradition has long proclaimed the importance of works. We proudly proclaim, for example, that "service is our prayer." However, such an action-based approach to faith might be problematic. What is the role for someone who due to age is no longer capable of serving? What is the worth of someone whose doing is restricted by illness and infirmity? Pastorally and theologically, do we need a new way of thinking about our faith?
October 25 "The Attraction of Vampires"
Rev. Thom, preaching
Each year, on the Sunday before Halloween, I plan to preach about some of the monstrous beings that populate popular culture, why they fascinate us and recur in entertainment, and what these creatures teach us about ourselves and our world. Last year I preached about Zombie theology. This year we'll explore what vampires have to teach us.
November 1 "Day of Remembrance"
Rev. Thom, leading worship
Join us for a multigenerational service as we celebrate All Souls day with a service remembering those in our lives and families who are now with us only in spirit.
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The Fall Auction will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 5:30 to 9:00
The Fall Auction is our church's biggest FUNDraiser and our biggest FUNraiser!
It is also the largest event in the life of our church community.
FUNDraiser
When you make a purchase at the auction you help to fund the church. Every dollar you spend goes to
support our programs, ministries, and work in the wider community. The first $12,000 we raise helps to
fund our budget. After that, additional money goes to support our youth service trips, social justice
projects, and community service ministries.
FUNraiser
The Auction is FUN! It is also a community builder. Most of the events and parties for sale allow you to
connect with other members of our church community. Whether that's a theme party you'll attend with
fellow members or services you'll receive from those in our community, the Auction will help you build
community.
How to Get Involved
RSVP
We are not selling tickets this year. But we do want to know who's coming. Follow this link to indicate how many adults and youth will be attending and how many children will be participating in the children's activities.
DONATE
Your donations of parties, events, services, and special treasures are what makes the Auction happen. Consider hosting a party, outing, or event. Click here to make your donation. The deadline to donate is October 10.
VOLUNTEER
Many hands make light work. We still have need for lots of volunteers on the night of the Auction and in the weeks leading up to the Auction. Click here to volunteer.
BROWSE
Interested in seeing the parties, events, services, and items that have been offered so far? Click here!
What's New?
There are a whole bunch of new things we're going to be trying this year. Thanks to a generous donor the Live Auction is going to begin with a GRAND PRIZE DRAWING. When you show up the night of the Auction and check in, you'll be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to the Apple Store!
Here are some other changes:
The Auction is TICKETLESS. There will be no tickets sold for the Auction this year. However, we do ask that you RSVP.
The Food Committee is asking those who come to the Auction to bring a favorite finger food appetizer or a scrumptious dessert to add to the potluck buffet table.
How the Auction Works
When you show up you will check in at the registration table in the Commons. There you will receive a bidder # that you'll use to bid during the evening.
The Auction has three parts:
- Silent Auction - Bid on items and services
- Fixed-Price Parties - Check out the posters all around the church and sign up for parties and social events
- Live Auction - Bid competitively for items, services, and other treats
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All-Church Community Dinner
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Friday October 9,
6-7 PM
Come for fun and fellowship for at our monthly All-Church Community Dinners in the Community Room. $3/person covers the main dish and dessert. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and nut free options available. Please also bring a side dish (salad, vegetable, bread, fruit, etc.). All are welcome! RSVP here.
These are the dates for this year's Community Dinners:
10/9, 11/6, 12/10, 1/15, 2/15, 3/11, 4/8, 5/6, and 6/3.
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Yes, it is a bit early to start talking about the holidays, but it's not too soon to begin planning for the Greening of our church. This year our family-friendly celebration of the Winter Solstice will take place on Saturday, December 5, so mark your calendars. Starting at 4 p.m. we'll green the Sanctuary and the Commons, make and hang wreaths on doorways, and assemble baskets of donated household supplies for the women served by the Chatham County Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center. This will be followed by our annual chili supper and carol sing-a-long.
We need volunteers to head up these activities and recruit a team of helpers. Please call Ruth Leopold at (919) 537-8853, or email Ruth for more information. Let's plan together and then have a ball when we deck those halls!
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New! This month, volunteers for the church's Membership Team, with Membership Director Rachel Rose, will make personal calls to all members and associates. The purpose will be to l
 et each of you know we are interested in how things are going with respect to your church connection, and to offer help (if desired) in making further connections.
These calls are not about funding. We will make the initial round of calls on October 6, completing all contacts by October 16.
When we reach you, please allow a few precious minutes for this intentional a
nd friendly conversation. If you prefer, or if you find we ha
ve left you a message, p
lease identify another time
to complete the call. We look forward to talking with you!
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If you enjoy making contact with other church members and talking about their connections with the church, please see the preceding item and volunteer to help. We will launch with an all-call phon
e bank party on Tuesday, October 6, at the church. Please volunteer for either the 3-5:30 or 6-8:30 shift, during which you will place calls to about 15 members, leaving messages as ne
cessary for
your completion later. Training! Refresh
ments! Camaraderie! For more information or to
RSVP, contact Gail McKinley at gailmck@att.net
or 919-448-8841.
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CHURCH YOUTH RETREAT AT SHELTER NECK
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STP - OCTOBER 11: CLUB NOVA
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CLUB NOVA
saves lives by giving people in our community with severe and persistent mental illness hope and opportunities to reach their full potential. It offers respect and access to friendship, housing, education, healthcare, and employment.
Key to this success is an environment of support, acceptance, inclusion, and commitment to the success of each individual regardless of the severity of his or her illness.
Club Nova offers an array of opportunities from which members choose as their needs and goals change, including supportive daytime programming, employment, education, housing, case management, social programs, advocacy, and crisis prevention and response.
North Carolina has retrenched mental health services. Gifts to Club Nova ensure its critical safety net for members and others in our community. Club Nova purchased its Carrboro facility and is planning extensive renovations to meet increased demand. STP contributions will support Club Nova's programs; they will be matched for its capital campaign,
doubling their impact.
http://www.clubnova.org
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STP - OCTOBER 25: EL CENTRO HISPANO
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EL CENTRO HISPANO (ECH) is a 501 (c) (3) grassroots community based organization dedicated to strengthening the Hispanic/Latino community and improving the quality of life of Hispanic/Latino residents in Durham, Carrboro, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. We accomplish our mission through service, education and community organizing. We serve more than 11000 people annually in our four core programs.
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We raised $1692! Two
schools in the mountains of Nicaragua, La Chocolata and San A
ntoni
o de Upa, will each receive $800 due to the generosity of all of you! They will be able to use these funds fo
r sc
ho
ol supplies for the children and still have some left for a special project. They will share
with us how the funds are used and we probably will send pictures and maybe a letter which we will share with the congre
gation. On behalf of the children, thank you for your generosity.
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| SHARE THE PLATE DEADLINE SUNDAY, OCT 25th FOR REQUESTS JAN-JUN, 2016 |
The Share the Plate Steering Committee accepts nominations for non-profit causes that are consistent with the mission of The Community Church twice a year. The deadline for the next submission is October 25th. E-mail applications to either Barb Chapman or stp@c3huu.org. Current nomination forms can be found on the church website. Committee members are Jill Baker, Barb Chapman, Jena Kaizen, John Leopold, Jane Provan, Bill Rote, and Susan Spalt
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COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY
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What if our church can't have a CROP Walk team this year?
It could happen -- if we can't find someone to lead the Community Church CROP Walk team! The annual Chapel Hill/Carrboro CROP Hunger Walk supports hunger relief efforts globally and locally. Church World Service distributes 75% of the money to hunger programs, refugees, disaster relief, and self-help projects in 80+ countries. 25% stays in Carrboro and Chapel Hill to support Inter-Faith Council food programs. Chairing this effort involves ordering tee shirts and recruiting walkers for the 4-mile (with shorter options) spring CROP Walk through Carrboro and Chapel Hill. So that our CROP Walk team can qualify for a 2016 Share the Plate spot, a chair is needed by Oct. 16. If you and/or one or two friends would like to help coordinate this, please contact Debra Ross at
drdebraross@gmail.com
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ECO'S ENVIRONMENTAL CORNER
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 First Sunday Recyclables (at the ECO table during coffee hour)
- Oct. 4: Eyeglasses (prescription, nonprescription, loose lenses, sunglasses, cases),
- batteries (AAA - D, button, rechargeable), natural and synthetic corks, plastic pens,
- pencils, and markers.
Movie Night with Popcorn: Bring your dinner or just enjoy popcorn as we watch
Flow: For Love of Water at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 16 in the Straley room. Water is a vital resource, yet corporations are taking over water rights worldwide, making it less and less accessible to local communities. Come see and discuss this award-winning movie. Childcare available if requested at
eco@c3huu.org by Tuesday, October 13.
Fall is gardening time! Check out the great programs for all ages at
Duke Gardens and the
North Carolina Botanical Gardens.
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STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE
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WRITING WITH JOYCE ALLEN
The WomenCircle is joining author Joyce Allen on Monday, October 5 as she walks u
s through "on the spot" and "no threat experiments" in story-making. You probably made up s tories when you were a child - perhaps with a friend, a doll, your dog, etc. It was the "doing" of making up stories that was the fun part. Joyce will provide prompts designed to get your imagination going.No pre-planning, no revising, no critique! Your story doesn't even have to stick to whatever prompt you were given.Come enjoy your creativity. We will meet in the Straley Room from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact Joyce Allen at 919-632-0322 or joyceallen@mindspring.com.
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 The WomenCircle will convene at the Ackland Art Museum on
Wednesday, October 28, for a 10 :
00 a.m. museum tour followed by an art lecture/ luncheon. The lecture will be presented by Cary Levine (professor of art history at UNC-CH). The program is titled "Painting and sculpture since 1960 in the museum's permanent collection". Those who plan to attend should
click here to register and order a boxed lunch prepared by Jason's deli ($9).
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SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS FOR ADULTS (SEA)
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 Join us at SEA in October for more exciting
Thursday evening courses! Liza Engstrom will offer Laughter Yoga on
October 15 where you can tap into your inner child and laugh for no reason to reduce stress and learn effective therapy techniques.
Rev. Thom will offer "Channing's Unitarianism" on
October 15, 22, 29 and
November 5 from
2:00 to 3:30; the class will explore William Ellery Channing, who is one of the most famous thinkers in Unitarian history and was actually the first person to claim the term "Unitarian."
Also on
October 29,
November 5, 12, and 19 from
6:30 until 8:30pm Joe Swain will lead "Secularism and Ethics or Being Good without God." The class will be based on the book "Living the Secular Life" by Phil Zuckerman and will explore how Secular people around the world are addressing questions about defining morality, building community, raising children and coping with death, with a spirit of "Aweism".
Please register for courses at the SEA table after service in the Community Room. We hope to see you at SEA!
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 On October 10, Saturday, at 10:30, in the Kirby Room, Carolyn Holt will lead our discussion of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life. Megan Marshall's biography won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014. Fuller was a friend of Eme
rson and Thoreau, a book reviewer and correspondent for the New York Tribun
e. Most importantly, a century before Simone de Beauvoir, she was a groundbreaki
ng thinker about the role of women: her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century is America's first major feminist work. Brilliant, passionate, and brave, Margaret
comes to life in Marshall's beautifully written narrative.
In November, our group returns to meeting on the third Saturday morning of the month. On November 21, our attention turns to environmental matters as we discuss Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World.
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Last month saw us maintaining the Memorial Rock path, fixing stuck locks and solving roof leaks. Our September workday addressed fall maintenance. Our focus for B&G this church year is on CATCHING UP, SAFETY & INVOLVEMENT. We are CATCHING UP on maintenance. We are addressing SAFETY issues such as improved exterior lighting and safer roof access. Please be INVOLVED in church upkeep at least once a year. Join a regular 2nd Saturday morning work session (children welcome!) or schedule a special "teambuilding work session" for your church group/committee with Brad. Something need fixing?
Email Brad or leave a note in the B&G box. Check out the new floodlights facing the sheds next time you move tables and chairs after dark! The timer switch is on the right as you exit the Jones building. Lift the lid from the bottom. It turns itself off!
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The Mental Health Mi
nistry is dedicated to increasing awareness and support to those with mental health challenges and their
loved ones both within and outside of our congregation. Mental Health America is a national advocacy and education organization with a local chapter in the Triangle. Their camp
aign to change the way we think about mental health is B4Stage4.
This campaign has three areas of focus:
* get informed
* get screened
* get help
Learn more about the B4Stage campaign at this link and
then help spread the word.
To learn more about the Mental Health Ministry, please contact Lisa Lackmann at
llackmann@icloud.com.
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STAY CONNECTED
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