A message from our Pastor and Teacher

Sunday, January 21~ Third Sunday after Epiphany ~ "Who Will Follow?"

When Jesus began his ministry, he called a gathering of unusual subjects to come follow him. Not your usual scholars and students planning their whole lives to follow a Rabbi and dedicate themselves to scripture, study, and worship. 

Maybe Jesus intended to begin as he would go on, calling all sorts of us, from oddballs and misfits to your typical everyday Joes and Joannas. Maybe we are the postmodern version of Jesus' original gang of followers. Who do we look to as examples of faithful Discipleship today? What are the ways we are called to follow Jesus today?

Sunday's Scripture:

Mark 1:14-20

YouthHope needs lunches on January 24

Because of the cold weather we've been experiencing, YouthHope welcomes hot food for lunches at this time. What other groups have done to provide hot lunches includes making or purchasing lasagna, spaghetti and meat sauce, and pre-heated burritos and tacos.

We plan to deliver the hot entrees at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 24, so let's gather in the RUCC kitchen about 9:30 a.m. Carol Robb will be there to try to figure out how the ovens work so we can keep hot things hot or heat items that should be served hot. YouthHope can re-heat things in their microwave once items are delivered to them. Anyone who can help Carol learn how to operate our ovens, please contact her!

Also needed are the usual treats, fruit, beverages, etc. If you prefer to supply sandwiches, they are always welcome. Questions? Call Carol at 909-835-7278 or email CarolRobb@aol.com.

Annual Meeting - Sunday, January 28

The RUCC Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, January 28. The agenda will include adoption of the 2024 budget, election of 2024 Board Members, and receipt of the Book of Area Reports for 2023. The Book of Reports for 2023 is now available online. CLICK HERE to download and read prior to the meeting on January 28.

We must have a quorum to adopt the budget and elect Officers and Area Leaders. If you are unable to attend, you may get an absentee ballot here: www.uccredlands.org/ballot

The Annual Meeting includes a potluck!

Please join us for a potluck meal after worship on Sunday, January 28! We invite you to grab a plate of food and join the annual congregational meeting in Covenant Hall.

Please sign up to let us know what you will be bringing to share, using the following link: www.PerfectPotluck.com/DOAN4788

If you have trouble signing up or have any questions, please email minori@redlandsucc.org.

Racial Justice reflection of the week

Ten Quotes from MLK to Ponder on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2024

1. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

2. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

3. If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

4. That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.

5. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

6. The time is always right to do what is right.

7. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

8. Forgiveness is not an occasional act: it is an attitude.

9. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

10. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.

Source: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/10-mlk-quotes-to-ponder

From the Environmental Justice Team

Water & Wildlife: Saved or Spoiled

Lessons & a Legacy of Senator Feinstein

After-church interfaith workshop with special guest Hans Johnson

Sunday, January 21, 2024,

Noon to 1:30 p.m.

For more than 30 years, advocates for the Mojave Desert and its unique ecosystem contended with its plunder by Cadiz Inc. That scheme has faced a series of recent setbacks. Now the election to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a champion for desert parks and water, is an opportunity to uplift environmental justice in ways that unite faith communities, tribes, small businesses, and others. There is a place for you in this exciting advocacy.

Hans Johnson is a leader in nonpartisan advocacy for environmental justice. Longtime director of the George Brown Legacy Project, he also led campaigns to pass Californians’ laws to ban throwaway plastic bags and to protect desert aquifers.

It's easy to help supply meals to the women's cold weather shelter

"Take them a meal" is an easy way to sign up to provide dinner for the Redlands Cold Weather Women's Shelter! If you have questions about quantities or other logistics, contact Jean Pagdilao 909-206-4156. Use the link below to pick a date, and to see all delivery instructions. Easy, peasy!

CARING FOR KIN IN JANUARY 

Thanks to your overwhelming generosity, we have donated much-needed wintry-weather wear to our kin through:

• YouthHope 
• the Men's Cold Weather Shelter
• the Women's Cold Weather Shelter
• the Coopers
• Set Free
• the Thursday program at Family Services. 

We have January 21 and January 28 still on our schedule for collecting these items. Based on what the above agencies are telling us, Caring for Kin asks that you limit your donations these last two weeks to these items:

• heavy-duty gloves
• packages of new men's underwear
• packages of new men's warm socks (above the ankle)
• hand and foot warmers

There is also one woman at the Cold Weather Shelter who needs a special donation.

If you are interested in helping her, please contact me for information. (kltolar@verizon.net)

It is heart-warming to view, firsthand, how you all have responded to the needs in our community. Thank you!

Update from the Organ Committee

Hello Church Family! Ryan Ballentyne and Steuart Goodwin are busy working on the soon-to-be RUCC organ. They have secured most of the parts and are currently working on the pipe design and layout while building the main frame of the organ. Ryan feels they are on track to have the project completed at or near our target time of Spring 2024. We agreed that a visit at the end of January to view progress was in order. Stay tuned for more details.

Wider Ministries 2024 kickoff this Sunday, January 21, at noon in the Founders' Room

RUCC Wider Ministries will be meeting this coming Sunday, January 21, after church at noon, in Founders Room, to organize and plan our Wider Wider Ministries efforts for the coming year. We will be calendaring our quarterly meetings and working on upcoming projects such as Souper Bowl, eWaste recycling, Caring for Kin, Helping Our Unhoused Neighbors, YouthHope Lunches, the Rummage Sale, etc.

We will also be considering future projects, and looking for new suggestions of ways to serve and help others and our world. The meeting is open to everyone who is interested in donating their service, time, and talents in making a difference for good. 

These vacancies at RUCC need to be filled

These may be only part-time positions, but they are important to our church's mission. The Youth Director plays a key role in helping our young people understand why RUCC's values and theology are important to them as they prepare to go out in the world.

The Nursery Care Worker provides a warm and loving environment for small children too young to participate in an hour-long church service. Parents feel free to concentrate on the service and do not have to worry that their small children are appropriately cared for.

.......................~~ The RUCC Personnel Committee

The Rummage Sale is still happening on February 10, but is now under new management

Thank you, Wendy Birchard, for wearing the Rummage Sale hat! Wendy will now be working with Claudia Tolar and Kathie Blakley to organize the Rummage Sale in Pam's absence.

They understand that there are a lot of treasures that our RUCC folks have been collecting. So we still need many volunteers to help set up the week before the sale (February 5-9) and help during the sale on February 10. We also need folks with trucks to take any leftovers (we are hoping there are not many!) to various donation centers the afternoon of February 10.

Plan to bring your treasures (NO FURNITURE!) to the Garden Room at church beginning Sunday, February 4 and throughout the week before the sale.

We will start having organizational meetings in January. Thanks so much!

Wendy Birchard (951) 966-7030, Claudia Tolar (909) 725-1794,  Kathie Blakley (909) 213-9469

Pilgrim Pines Winter Camp

Join us on the mountain for WINTER WONDER CAMP 2024! 

This will be a fun event with some of the Pines' favorite camp traditions and activities. Enjoy outdoor crafts, games, conversations, workshops, hikes, and other fun and meaningful activities with your camp friends!

This retreat is for middle school and high school campers. 

Winter Wonder Camp Theme

Resilient

February 17-19

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Everyone loves a good "comeback" story! Let's make it yours! At Winter Camp we will be looking at what it means to keep going even in the face of challenges. Life gets so hard, sometimes it can feel like you are being knocked down on all sides. Micah 7:8 says "Though I get knocked down, I get up again". Let's explore some tools to help us do just that and become more Resilient!

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RUCC kids receive at least 50% off their tuition for all Pilgrim Pines programs—in many cases more than that! Also, grandkids of RUCC members receive 25% off—even though the grandkids themselves don’t attend RUCC.

For more information about these scholarship opportunities, please contact admorics@mac.com before you log on to the Pilgrim Pines website to make your reservation.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 21- 11:30 to 12 noon- History Committee, Garden Room
• January 21 - Wider Ministries Area organizational meeting, Founders Room - Noon
• January 21 - Environmental Justice Special Meeting - Noon
• January 23 - "Munch & Muse" Brown Bag lunch - 11 a.m.
• January 24 - 9:30 a.m. - RUCC Kitchen - YouthHope Lunches
• January 28 - Annual Congregational Meeting following the 10:30 Worship Service. Includes potluck lunch in Covenant Hall
• February 10 - RUCC Rummage Sale & Electronics Recycling

The church calendar is found at redlandsucc.org

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