Eighteenth Sunday of Pentecost, October 12, "Learning to Trust"
Where do the others who were healed go—and why? We learn in this text that it is hard to trust our experience of the sacred—when we experience healing, love, support or joy—we may be frightened or embarrassed to refer to our faith and God as part of the equation. Join us for worship on Sunday as we unpack what it means to lean into our faith while retaining our wits, our reason, our imagination and our experience! Remember God welcomes our questions as well as our needs and prayers! Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary on Sunday…
First Reading: Selection from Thomas Merton's "No Man is an Island"
Scripture: Luke 17:11-19
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In our thoughts and prayers:
- Prayers for the family and friends of Janet Chaney, known by many as "The Possum Lady, " who passed from life to Life.
- Prayers for Amy Wiles, who is undergoing cancer treatments.
- Kim Lara-Kane is asking for prayers for her wife, Cari, as she awaits medical tests. Prayers for Kim too as she waits with her.
- Prayers for Bill Buchanan, who is having health issues.
- Rick Napier’s sister Janice needs prayers due to a cancer diagnosis.
- Prayers for Charlie and Dee Dee Seek; Charlie has an infection.
- Prayers for survivors of sexual violence in our community and elsewhere, particularly women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who are caught in the country’s civil war.
Ongoing concerns:
- Tim and Ida Blakely
- Tom Miller
- Floyd Orr
- Carl Parish
Please send prayer requests to Pastor Jake at jake@redlandsucc.org
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Art, for Heaven’s Sake! is next weekend!!! Oct. 17, 18, and 19! Can you feel the excitement?
Sign-up sheets to help with the show will still be available in the Narthex before church this Sunday.
If you have signed up to help in any of the following ways: baking cookies or appetizers, helping to set up or take down the show, volunteering to help give the artists a break, or check on the bathrooms and trash, or greet,
There will be a short volunteer meeting after church this Sunday, Oct. 12 in Founders Room.
Friday night servers:
Plan to meet in the hallway outside the kitchen door at 5:30 pm on Friday for some brief instructions from Beki Hill. Please dress nicely and wear comfortable shoes.
You can still help us advertise the art show. Postcards and posters are available at the sign-up table and in the church office and Narthex 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.
Even if you can’t help out, be sure to come see what the talented fine artists, crafters, and musicians have in store for you. You don’t want to miss it!
Art Show Hours
Friday, Oct. 17, 6—9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m.—7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m.—5 p.m.
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Church directory coming soon — Update your information
The new printed church directory will be available on Covenant Sunday, November 2. We would love to have everyone's photos and information updated. There will be a table during this Sunday's fellowship hour to confirm your directory information and update your photo. If you would prefer not to be listed in the directory, please contact the church office.
If you have any questions, please contact Linda Hoeger.
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Listening for God in short works of fiction
This Wednesday, October 15, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. First-timers welcome!
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Bridge lessons begin October 20!
Bridge is a card game that takes only a few lessons to learn and a lifetime to master. Heather & Dan Abushanab love this game and want to widen our circle of people who can play! A few RUCC members have expressed interest in learning to play, so Heather will hold a series of eight lessons to get them (and you!) started. We need at least four people to commit to the full series to make the lessons productive.
This first series will be on Mondays, 1-3 p.m., beginning October 20. Classes will meet Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 3, 17, 24, and Dec 1, 8 at Heather and Dan’s house. A final session consisting mainly of play will be on Dec 22 or after Christmas, depending on the desires of the group. No prior experience with Bridge is required, but if you have played in the past and would like to refresh your knowledge of the game, you are welcome! Contact Heather Abushanab at Heather@Abushanab.com to sign up or get more information.
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Game and Conversation Night!
For over a year, Ricky and I have hosted Game and Conversation Night. It has been a pleasure to enjoy the company of so many of you. The next three months at RUCC are so busy with wonderful events, we cannot fit game night into the schedule! So, the next Game and Conversation Night will be in January 2026. Ricky and I would like to pass the baton to new hosts. If you are interested in organizing and hosting game night about once a month in 2026, could you contact me? - Ginny Cruz
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All youth paint and snack party
Come join the fun this evening, October 10, 6-8 p.m., Youth Room in Mosaic Hall
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Hospitality needs YOU to make Fellowship Time happen!
Are you an amazing baker, great at savory dips, make coffee like a barista, or love to buy prepared foods and make tummies nice and full? Well then, Hospitality needs your support for Fellowship Time! If you are interested in helping with set-up, clean-up, or bringing food, we would love for you to sign up. The goal is to schedule through the end of the year and ensure that this special time for the congregation is not only full of great conversations, but delicious treats as well. Please use this link to navigate to the sign-up, pick your spot, and get ready to make folks happy. If you have questions, please reach out to Kim Lara-Kane.
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Caring for Kin
In the month of October, we will be collecting shelf-stable Thanksgiving holiday food items. We will give these items to Redlands Family Service in early November to help them prepare to support families and individuals in need during the holiday. Commonly-requested items include boxed mashed potatoes and stuffing, canned vegetables and pumpkin, and baking supplies.
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Racial Justice Message
A Texas woman was recently sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to drown a 3-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim child in a pool attack that officials called racially motivated.
This is a sad reminder that children, especially those from marginalized and “othered” communities, are not spared from racial hatred. The targeting of a toddler shows how deeply entrenched prejudice can be, and how racial violence often masquerades as isolated or “senseless” acts rather than as symptoms of larger patterns of discrimination and dehumanization.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-woman-sentenced-five-years-attempted-drowning-muslim-child-2025-10-03/
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Environmental Justice Message
Building on last year’s first-ever Environmental Justice Action Grants, today CalEPA is awarding more than $4 million to 15 projects with a focus on communities most impacted by pollution and environmental hazards. … Environmental Justice Action Grants support projects that strengthen emergency preparedness, safeguard public health, expand participation in environmental and climate decision-making and ensure coordinated enforcement of environmental protections.
Source: Investing in Community Power, California Environmental Protection Agency press release, 9/25/25
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Love Knows No Borders: Convening of Conference Ministers in Washington DC
On October 29, 2025, Conference Ministers from across the United Church of Christ will convene in our nation’s capital to bear witness to truth and justice. We proclaim the truth of the sacred stories and identities being violently attacked and disappeared by our own government. We seek justice with and for every neighbor and every community oppressed by the fear and greed of an unholy movement fueled by white supremacy and Christian nationalism. Alone, we are being overwhelmed by an unceasing flood of hatred. Together, we will resist the tide of tyranny, united in the love of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We will speak out. We will not be erased. We affirm that Love Knows NO Borders.
And we invite every local church to join in this witness!
Use the toolkit provided, or any materials you choose, to send postcards and letters to the Conference office no later than Friday October 24. There's also a coloring page resource for activists of all ages to share a message with lawmakers! Our Conference Minister, Rev. Rachael Pryor, will collect these resources, read them, pray over our testimonies and requests, and deliver them personally to congressional offices the following week. You can also participate through the national setting's online advocacy alert portal, with more specialized alerts to follow in coming weeks.
The Conference Ministers’ visit to D.C. will culminate with a public witness and prayer service to boldly proclaim a message of love and justice. Please mark your calendar for 1:00 p.m. on 10/29 to join in spirit and prayer for our vigil at Upper Senate Park. Thank you for your support, your prayers, and your voice to accompany Rachael and other Conference Ministers along this journey. Let us together affirm boldly that "Love Knows No Borders!"
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This week at RUCC
Saturday, October 11
Sunday, October 12
- 9:15 a.m. - Kids Zone
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time at 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in sanctuary)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary
- 11:30 a.m. - Art, for Heaven's Sake training, Founders Room
Monday, October 13
- Art show preparation
- 4:00 p.m. - Church Growth Meeting
- 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study (email for info), in person or online
Tuesday, October 14
- Art show preparation
- 7:00 p.m. - Stewards meeting
Wednesday, October 15
- Art show preparation
- 11:00 a.m. - Listening for God lunchtime series
- 6:00 p.m. - Bells Rehearsal
- 7:00 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, October 16
- Art show preparation
- 6 p.m. - Jam Session, Sanctuary
Friday, October 17
- Art show preparation
- 7:00 p.m. - Women's closed AA meeting (moving to private location due to art show; contact Judith Turian if interested)
- 6—9 p.m. - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
Saturday, October 18
- 10 a.m.—7 p.m. - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
Sunday, October 19
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship Service
- 11:30 a.m.—5 p.m. - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
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October 25: Trunk or Treat
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October 26 - Quarterly Gathering
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October 26 - Covenant workshop
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October 28 - Covenant workshop
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October 27-29 - Love Knows No Borders: Convening of UCC Conference Ministers in Washington DC
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