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SEPTEMBER 2017 - In This Issue:
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September 3
"Focus"
Sean McCaffery, Preaching Practicum
"Focus" is a word that carries many different connotations ranging from severe to peaceful, but is nevertheless commonly identified as one that is essential in everyday life. Sean will share the thought process by which he came to understand the profound implications that the concept has on how he lives his life and the connections that it has with his spiritual perspective of the world.
September 10
"What We Cannot Control"
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
It can be a difficult spiritual challenge to admit that there are things that we do not control. As the famous prayer puts it, "Give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed." Easier said than done. This morning we explore the spiritual practice of how to accept what we cannot control.
September 17
"Service with Spirit"
Rev. Thom & Community Service Ministry
Join us for a
Sunday celebration of some of the ways our church serves the local community. Rev. Thom will be joined in the pulpit by members of the Community Service Ministry who will offer reflections on service.
September 24
"The Immigrant in the Community"
Rev. Thom Belote, preaching
Approximately 1 out of every 30 persons currently residing in the United States is undocumented. This morning we'll hear about the lives of immigrants living in the communities to which we belong.
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Potluck Picnic
Saturday September 9, 5-8 p.m.
Camp New Hope
Please join us for an evening of fun and fellowship! Please plan to bring
a dish to share along with your own drinks. Water will be provided.
After dinner we will have group games: balloon squeeze, spoon races, sack races, three-legged races, tug-of-war, and more.
Click here for more information
and to RSVP.
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On Thursday evenings, September 21 & 28, 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 7-9 p.m. at the church. Please RSVP by sending an email to Rev. Thom Belote or Rachel Rose. Childcare is available upon request. Let Thom or Rachel know ASAP if you need childcare to be able to attend.
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Robertson Millpond,
Sat. September 23, Carpool from Church at
9:00.
Paddle the only bald cypress, blackwater swamp in the Piedmont (1 hour drive). Kayak rentals or BYOB(oat). Do bring goodies for a shared picnic. RSVP:
[email protected]
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Saturday, November 11. Mark your calendars now for this all-church fundraising event! See article above for more details.
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Marni Goldshlag and Trey Kennedy will be married at the Community Church on Saturday, December 30 at 2pm followed by a reception in the Jones Building and all y'all will be invited. We look forward to seeing lots of you there so SAVE THE DATE.
We welcome members of the congregation who would be willing to help plan our wedding.
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Your SUUper Heroes Auction date is Saturday, November 11, 2017. This is also Veterans Day, another group of heroes. Please mark your calendars and make your plans to attend our largest FUNdraiser of the year. Tickets will go on sale October 1st. The doors will open at 4:30 pm for registration, auction browsing (no bidding until 5 pm!), and dropping off "tasty hors d'oeuvres" for munching on while bidding.
Donations, Donations, Donations!!
That is what we need NOW. We will have hand-outs with ideas, instruction sheets, and paper forms at the Service Auction table every Sunday beginning September 10th. Donate something fancy, Nancy! Offer your condo, Armando! Enter items at
www.togetherauction.com/ccchuu
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Volunteers:
If you would like to help, we would love to have you! During tabling, we will have sign-up sheets with job descriptions and sheets for signing up to bring food. Contact Susan/Don Blanchard
with questions.
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"Building on Our Legacy"
is the name for the new phase of our collective journey towards making some very important improvements to our church home. The exploratory phase represented by "Our Space - Our Future" and predecessor efforts over the past four years has concluded, having provided a clear definition of our highest priority needs and a feasible conceptual design for meeting them. As we move forward together, we will proudly build on the legacy voiced by our minister, Reverend Charlie Jones, when he dedicated our first building in 1959.
Please join the discussion about specific uses of the space and refinements to the conceptual designs, over the next couple of months. Drop by the "Building on Our Legacy" display in the Jones Building Alcove (between kitchen and stage) during Sunday tabling - pause to chat, visualize the space, and ponder the implications! Sign up for one (or more) informal discussion sessions to focus on particular aspects of the project, where you can share your ideas and exchange questions and comments with others similarly interested!
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Candidates needed for the
Board of Trustees
We are seeking candidates to fill 5 seats on the church Board of Trustees. Candidates may choose whether to run for one of the three 3-year terms (one of which will be Vice President) or one of the two 1-year terms. The person elected as Vice President for 2018 will become President for 2019, and Past President for 2020.
The ability of the Board to make plans and goals that include diverse perspectives depends on you. The Nominating Committee is looking for members who are interested in making decisions to help our church realize our vision and preserve our fiduciary stability. While the time commitment is significant, the opportunity to learn more about our Church, contribute your own ideas, and share a deep sense of community with your fellow trustees is very fulfilling. Please consider offering your voice, expertise and time.
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MUSIC (AND THEATRE) NOTES
BY GLENN MEHRBACH, MUSIC DIRECTOR
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I have lots of exciting news about the music program at the Community Church.
First, now is a great time to join or at least try out one of our 4 choirs. These are all "no-fault choirs," with no formal audition and plenty of resources for learning, as well as friendly fellow choristers to encourage you and help you sing your best. The four choirs are:
* Children's Choir (elementary school aged children)
* Youth Music Group (middle school and high school)
* Community Church Singers (fewer harmonies, less commitment, more fun)
* Community Church Choir (our "traditional" church choir, in the loosest sense)
Secondly, we recorded lots of music for our first Community Church CD. The CD will include not only church choirs, but long-time contributors like Danny Gotham, Erich Lieth, Richard Edwards and Eric Bannan. We expect to have the CD ready for sale for the Holiday Bazaar in December, with an accompanying "CD Release Party" sometime before that.
Lastly, this is the year of the church musical, running the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 17-19. This year we're presenting the tuneful adaption of Charles Dickens, "Oliver!" Tickets will be on sale in mid-October, and the terrific cast has already been working hard on creating another amazing production for the church. Please contact me if you're interested in helping with any of the backstage needs. Tasks are to accommodate all levels of interest and commitment.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH BEGINS SEPTEMBER 10
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Please register your child or youth
here for the fall program ASAP if you haven't yet. Information about the children's program is
here. Information about the youth program is
here.
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THANKS TO THE LEADERS OF OUR FABULOUS SUMMER PROGRAMS
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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Thank you to the many volunteers who led our special summer programs. Donna Washington for storytelling. Nora Smith and the counselors for leading Chalice Camp. Selden Holt for being the Headmistress of Hogwarts on the Hill and for all the wonderful volunteers who brought their magic to Hogwarts, including Krista Rowe the head of Acquisitions and Lisa Lackmann who coordinated all the volunteers. Heather Cramer for leading our summer art project in July.
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HIGH SCHOOL ANTI-RACISM TRAINING IN AUGUST
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Shout out to the High School Youth who participated in anti-racism training in August. Parker Sexton, Mo Fernandez, Anna Zolotor, Maura Holt-Ling, and Lizzy Kuhlman participated in the Racial Equity Institute "Race Matters?" workshop August 5-6 at Carrboro High School. The training was sponsored by Orange Organizing Against Racism. Our congregation helped organize the training for local youth.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY
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Community Service Ministry (CSM) invites you to learn more about this form of spirituality in the coming month. Beginning August 27th, the video display in the Commons will feature pictures of CSM activities. Then on September 17th the Sunday services and tables in the Jones Building will showcase examples of folks in our congregation putting their values into action, addressing issues of hunger, homelessness and economic inequality. Rev. Thom's homily will be on the spirituality of service, and two CSM members will share reflections on the transformative power community service has had in their lives. Perhaps you want to learn more about activities that address these issues here in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area, or have gifts that you would like to share with local children, elders or Hispanic/Latino residents. Tables in the Jones Building on the 17th will have information about church projects and opportunities for involvement.
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Brunch Fundraiser for Center for Employment & Leadership
of El Centro Hispano!!
Community Service Ministry is serving a full brunch with vegetarian options on September 24 after the second service. Please join us for food and fellowship with a purpose!
Funds will be used to provide the workers with a packet containing a t-shirt with the CEL logo and contact information, a personal water bottle with the CEL logo, and a cap. We are coordinating this project with the staff at the center to promote a sense of pride for the workers.
Seating will be limited to fifty. Tickets will be available in the Jones Building Sept 3, 10 and 17 at $10 each for adults, $5 for children under 10.
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ECO'S ENVIRONMENTAL CORNER
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First Sunday Recyclables - September 3:
Gently used books
, suitable for children, grades K-5, for
Book Harvest; batteries(AAA - D, button, rechargeable).
As we start a new church year, the ECO Committee would like to invite anyone who is interested in environmental issues to join us at one (or more) of our regular monthly meetings. We usually meet on the first Sunday of each month after the second service coffee hour in the Kirby Room in the Jones Building. We do a variety of activities, which are largely shaped by the members on the Committee, so if you have a particular interest, come and share it with us and we may take it on as a committee. See
http://www.c3huu.org/eco.html
for more information on our activities.
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STP - SEPTEMBER 17
INTERFAITH COUNCIL
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IFC (Inter-Faith Council for Social Services) will have our bi-annual STP (Share the Plate) on
Sunday, September 17. Many of you know the importance of this agency in providing for those in need of food, housing, services and support. We are one of the founding members of IFC and we give financially as well as serving meals at the community kitchen, case conferencing at both shelters, volunteering at the food pantry and the donation of food by members of the congregation. In this time when so many are struggling economically we are hoping that (as in the past) you will be generous in supporting this organization that gives much to many on
September 17
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STP - OCTOBER 1
CHARLES HOUSE
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The Charles House Center for Community Eldercare provides quality, personalized care to elders and respite for their caregiving families.
The mission of Charles House Association:
Enriching the lives of seniors
Supporting families caring for aging family members
Representing the community's commitment to its elders
We emphasize that participants should be active according to their capabilities and needs. We also emphasize involving families, especially during admission and goal planning.
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SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS
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Join us for a stimulating discussion. UU Readers welcomes folks on a drop-in basis.
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Animals, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! WomenCircle is going to the NC Zoo on Friday, September 15. The carpooling trek will start at the church at 8:15 a.m. We will have lunch together at Junction Plaza at noon. Adult tickets are $15 and senior tickets are $13. They offer a Zoofari tour for an additional $20 which provides a specially outfitted, open-air vehicle for an exclusive tour of the Watani Grassland exhibit. Note: Since the Zoofari tour covers rough terrain, there are health restrictions which are listed on the nczoo.org website. Trip coordinators are Val Vickers, Elsbeth Van Tongeren and Shannon Richards Please let Joann Haggerty know by September 1 if you plan to come. Rain date is September 22, same time, same place.
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Come join the Community Clickers
as we use needles and yarn to create comfort and warmth for our community. Our projects are made with 7" x 9" knitted and crocheted blocks of washable acrylic, #4 worsted weight yarn, but you are welcome to join us and work on your own project. We have made an afghan for the 2017 Service Auction, shawls for UNC Hospice, and a small blanket for The Welcome Blanket
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Join us on Wednesday September 6th from 2-4 pm in the Commons Area and on Monday September 18th from 7-9 pm in the Straley Room. We generally spend some time working on a group project and then click and chat, but some attendees click and chat the entire time! Can't knit or crochet? Come learn! Donate finished blocks at our table on September 17th. Contact
[email protected]
for more information
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Application Period for Endowment Fund Mini-Grant now open through
Sept 15, 2017: Up to $7,000 is available for distribution this cycle with priority being given to projects that align with the Our Space Our Future Project. Awards will be finalized by a congregational vote at a called meeting later in the fall of 2017 with funds available beginning
January 1, 2018. Application form and further information is
available online here. If you are uncertain about whether your project falls within the scope of what the Endowment Committee funds, please contact an Endowment Committee member. Members are listed
on the church's website.
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If you have a loved one with mental illness, the NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Family-to-Family course can provide support and information. This free series of 12 weekly classes is taught by trained NAMI members who also have loved ones with mental illness. In a confidential setting, family members will learn about:
- How mental illness affects your loved one
- Current brain research related to mental illness
- Being an advocate for better treatments for your loved one
- Medication issues and the latest treatment options
- Strategies for dealing with stress and worry to help you take care of yourself while supporting your loved one
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STAY CONNECTED
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