THIS WEEK’S OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday

11/22

9:00am 9:30am 9:30am 10:15am 10:30am 10:45am 11:45am 1:30pm 5:00pm

Taizé Worship – Sanctuary Forum - Vaughan Fellowship Hall Adult Sunday School Study - Bradow Room Prayer in the Courtyard – Church Courtyard Worship Service - Sanctuary Children & Youth Church School Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall Congolese Worship - Sanctuary Covenant Community - Bradow Room

Monday

11/23

12:15pm

Monday Lunch Group – Hoffmann Room

Tuesday

11/24

12:30pm 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm

Pray at the Legislature - Downtown Raleigh (SJM) No Youth Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall Sisters in Spirit (SIS) - Gray Woodard’s Home Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service Holy Trinity Lutheran, 2723 Clark Avenue, Raleigh NC

Wednesday

11/25

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thursday

11/26

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Saturday

11/28

9:30am

Sunday

11/29

9:00am 9:30am 9:30am 10:15am 10:30am 10:45am 11:45am 12:00pm 1:30pm 5:00pm

Saturday Morning Book Club – Library Taizé Worship – Sanctuary No Forum Today - Thanksgiving Holiday No Adult Sunday Study - Thanksgiving Holiday Prayer in the Courtyard – Church Courtyard Worship Service - Sanctuary Children & Youth Church School Fellowship - Vaughan Fellowship Hall (VFH) Youth Go to Lunch and Christmas Tree Shopping Congolese Worship - Sanctuary Covenant Community - Bradow

COMMUNITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 Tel: 919-809-8850 Office Hours: 9:00am-2:00pm M-Th www.communityucc.org Office: [email protected] Interim Pastor: [email protected] Interim Pastor: Rev. Peg Nowling Williams Office Manager: Cathy Marshall Children’s Ministry: Anne Bailey Zschau Youth & Adult Education: Śānti Matthew Organist: Doug Barrick Choir Director: Anne Moorman-Smith Nursery Workers: Margaret Osborne, Karen Preston

CUCC Weekly Update  November 22, 2015 OUR CHURCH’S WIDER MISSION UCC congregations are involved with mission in many ways. In the United Church of Christ, we affirm that, although the congregation is the fundamental unit of mission, mission is not just local. We are connected to one another, across boundaries of neighborhood, class, race, and national border. Our Church's Wider Mission is the name used to describe the work we do as the United Church of Christ beyond the local church - through our Conferences, national ministries, and UCC-related institutions. Our Church's Wider Mission is also the name we give to the financial support given by UCC members and congregations that makes this broader mission possible. Congregations are central to the ability of the UCC to do mission in local communities, within the U.S. and internationally. As a congregation works in its own community, it is a representative of the entire denomination and embodies the UCC in that place. And when a congregation determines its giving to Our Church's Wider Mission, there is a direct impact on levels of funding for the Conference and national ministries. Every local congregation has a responsibility to be aware of opportunities for local mission and to be knowledgeable about the work underway by its own Conference and by the national ministries. Our Church's Wider Mission, or also known as OCWM, has two parts: OCWM Basic Support and OCWM Special Support. Basic Support Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support provides funding for the work of UCC Conferences and for the work of the UCC's national ministries. Each congregation decides how much of its members' financial support it will contribute to OCWM Basic Support. Congregations send their OCWM gifts to the Conference. Each Conference decides what percentage of those gifts to keep for the work of that particular Conference, and what percentage it will send to the national setting of the UCC. Some of the National Basic Support money is used for ministries to Conferences, local churches and members, as well as for ecumenical, prophetic and missionary ministries on behalf of the UCC. Contributions from individuals to their congregations comprise the funds from which OCWM Basic Support is given to the Conferences and national ministries. Local churches can help individuals understand the mission and work of the denomination. Special Support OCWM Special Support comprises gifts to the four Special Mission Offerings in the UCC, per capita dues, and gifts that are specially designated for the Conference, national setting or UCC-related institutions. The four Special Mission Offerings are: One Great Hour of Sharing: Supports partners in more than 70 countries with ministries that fund development projects, feed the victims of famine, provide services for displaced people, and respond to natural disasters. Strengthen the Church: Supports church growth and leadership development in the conferences and through the national offices of Local Church Ministries. Neighbors in Need: Supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including ministry carried out by the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM) and by the national offices of Justice and Witness Ministries. The Christmas Fund: Provides financial aid to retired and active ministers and their surviving spouses and children who face overwhelming financial demands, a ministry carried out by the Pension Boards. – ucc.org

Lectionary and Sermon Information November 22: Reign of Christ Joy Alford’s mother, Betty Scripture: Matthew 6:24-34, Joel 2:21-27 Jerri & Carolyn Ball - Cynthia’s parents Message: “Much Obliged” Vandy Bradow and her Mother, Ida Klages Lectionary: Bill and Zenna Bryan Nov 22: Reign of Christ; 2 Sam 23:1-7; Ps Locke deBruyne - Carol Clark’s brother 132:1-12, (13-18) or Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Ps John Hondros-Kathy Widenhouse’s friend 93; Rev 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37 (Green or Sherri King and her family White) Thanksgiving Sunday - United Black Lisa Marsh Christians Anniversary Ed & Wanda Nicholson-Sue Cottle’s friend Nov 29: First Sunday of Advent ; Jer 33:14Kathy Wajerski - Pastor Peg’s Sister 16; Ps 25:1-10; 1 Thess 3:9-13; Luke 21:25Don Widenhouse 36 Dem. Republic of the Congo To listen to audio recordings of previous serThose whose needs are unaware to us mons stored in CUCC's archive, go to http://

Understanding Our Biases SIGN UP NOW! SPACE IS LIMITED!

PRAYER CONCERNS

www.communityucc.org/2015/02/sermons.html.

Adult Sunday School Class Sunday Mornings, 9:30am - 10:15am, Bradow Room Led by Ellen Beidler and Bill Lamb We are currently listening to a CD series, An Undivided Life, by Parker Palmer. You do not need to buy the book. We listen to 30 minutes from the series and then have 15 to 20 minutes of discussion. This study has self contained lessons. You can easily drop in as your schedule permits. November 29: No Adult Sunday School November Forum - Refugees and Immigration

November 22: Terry Greenlund (friend of Peg and Mac) is bringing young adult students who will share personal success stories about hardships overcome and support received since their immigration. November 29: We will not hold Forum on November 29, Thanksgiving weekend.

Children’s Church School Update Ms. Erin is again leading our choir and we are practicing for our upcoming events. Our practice dates for Nov. & Dec. are Nov. 22 at 10am, Dec. 20 at 10am w/adult choir, Dec. 22 at 10am. Performances will be: Nov. 22nd -Thanksgiving theme Dec. 24th - With Adult Choir Special Dates to Remember Nov. 22: Choir sings for Thanksgiving 29: Children make ornaments for church tree during Sunday School

Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2723 Clark Ave., Raleigh, will host the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service this year on Tuesday, November 24, at 7pm. Involved with this special worship are the pastors, members, and choirs of Fairmont United Methodist, West Raleigh Presbyterian, Pullen Memorial, and CUCC. Please come celebrate with us.

Youth News Tuesday, Nov. 24: No Youth Group. Youth are ask to go to the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at Holy Trinity Lutheran. Sunday, Nov. 29, Noon: Youth go to lunch and Christmas tree Shopping for the VFH Christmas tree.

TODAY AT NOON Vaughan Fellowship Hall. At our fall congregational meeting, we will preview the proposed 2016 budget and hear a report on recruitment of congregational officers, ministry chairs and committee members. All are welcome to come to the meeting. Noon, VFH.

Have you ever felt surprised or ashamed of your gut-level reaction to a person you considered “different”? Perhaps it was someone that was Black, Gay, Poor, Asian, Republican, Muslim, Disabled, or Hispanic. Do you want to explore, in a safe environment, the invisible mental shortcuts that divide us and rob us of a truly just, diverse, and inclusive community? Explore your hidden biases. Discover strategies to confront racial bias in yourself. Two 2-hour workshops will be held in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 9, from 7-9PM. Please plan to attend both sessions. Angela Holloway, MSW, M.Ed., an experienced facilitator on exploring racial bias will lead the workshops. Child care will be provided. REGISTER BY NOVEMBER 22: contact Joan McAllister at 919-851-9674 or [email protected].

Put on your Santa Hat & Save the Date! Welcoming, Fellowship & Growth is sponsoring CUCC’s Annual Adult Christmas Party on Saturday, December 5th, 7:00pm, VFH. WFG will provide desserts, drinks (including wine and beer), and entertainment. We ask you to provide a ready-to-eat/serve finger-food for 6 to 8 people. We’ll mingle and share holiday greetings and then gather in the fellowship hall to sing carols and share what the holidays mean to us. Along with your dish to share, we ask, if you are able, to please bring a Food Bag for Urban Ministries. If you can’t bring a food bag, the Food Bag Piggy Bank will be available for any monetary donations (any amount accepted). RSVP the church office (919-809-8850 or [email protected]) with the number of people coming and what dish you will bring to share. Hope to see you at the festivities! Food bags should include: 1 lb. grits; 1 lb. rice; 1 lb. dried beans; 2 cans tomatoes; 2 cans applesauce; 2 macaroni & cheese; 1 jar peanut butter; 2 1qt pkg. dry milk; 2 cans navy, pinto or pork ‘n beans. Sisters in Spirit (SIS) All women of the church are welcome and invited to join SIS for a pot luck dinner and a lively game of charades on Tuesday, November 24th, 6:30pm, at the home of Gray Woodard, 3131 Hemlock Forest Circle, Unit 201, Raleigh, NC. For questions or directions, call Gray Woodard at 919-417-5411.