Incarnation Sunday Announcements 10.11.09

Today is Small Group Sunday! There's a table set up in Farlander Hall where you can learn more about the different Small Groups offered at the church and in local homes. There are leaders from some of the Small Groups to answer any questions you may have. You have the opportunity not only to sign-up for a Small Group but also to offer suggestions for a Small Group or to form a group of your own! After all three services this morning, come on by and see what might interest you!

Numina presents: Spiritual History through Art today and next Sunday, October 11th & 25th, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. here in the Church. From the Renaissance through the Wars of Religion, each session will highlight one of the foundational stages in the development of Spirituality in the West. Featuring slides of some of the world's greatest paintings, these presentations will have an interdisciplinary character, combining history, religious studies and art. Sessions are led by Professor Bruce Elliott, a professor at UC Berkeley, Stanford Continuing Studies, and Sonoma State Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. $15 per session. Go to www.numinacenter.org for more details.

Starting in the next two weeks, there will be construction on the portion of Cherry Street between Mendocino and Humboldt streets. During the weekdays there will be no street parking. You will still be able to get into the church parking lot - but only from one direction, either the Humboldt side or the Mendocino side. They will start their work on the Mendocino side, so plan to come around to Humboldt to get to Cherry Street for a while.

Small Group News!

Tuesday Morning Book Group meets on Tuesday at 9:30 am in the Library, off Farlander Hall. We are reading and discussing God: Stories, a collection of " twenty-five dazzling short stories by eminent writers of varying persuasion," including James Baldwin, Philip Roth, James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike and Eudora Welty and edited by C. Michael Curtis. No advance study is necessary. Come and join us! You can find out about purchasing a book when you come to the meeting.

Hike Anyone? Our Next Hike will be 17th of October at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma. We will meet at the church parking lot at 8:30 am on the morning of the hike to arrange carpools and head towards our destination. All are invited to join us. If you have any questions please contact Fernando Dizon at fdizon@gmail.com or call him at (707) 477-1513.

The Evening Women's Group will meet on Tuesday, October 20th at 7 pm at the home of Lynn Garland. She will present a program on Healing Through Body Movement. We will also use the Body Prayer to begin and end our gathering. We will incorporate discussion into the program as usual. Please call Lynn at 545-7525 for directions. All women are invited to attend. We are a supportive group providing a place to share our lives and our spiritual journeys with each other, building friendships as we go. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lynne Smith at mlsmith@sonic.net or Donna Wiuff at 837-8768.

The Tuesday Bible Group is reforming and will start up again in January. On November 3rd and December 1st we will be hosting an open house of sorts for this group. If you are interested in seeing firsthand what goes on in a small group, now is your chance to find out. Come and join us for a time of fellowship and food at the home of Cindy and Barry May. If you are interested, please contact Mitch Garcia at (707) 703-4162 or email him at smallgroups@incarnation-sr.org.

You're invited to the Harvest Hoedown! Celebrate an early Halloween by coming to our Harvest Hoedown party on Saturday evening, October 24th from 4:30 to 8 pm. There's something for everyonhe -- food, fellowship, and fun. Astound your friends with your fabulous costume in the costume parade! Carve a spooky jack o'lantern (bring your own pumpkin, candle, and carving tools). Test your skills with our carnival games, with prizes! We'll also be building our Day of the Dead Altar (see more info below). Many more wonderful surprises are in store for you - check your bulletin next week for a sneak peek! We need to know how many to feed for the dinner, so please RSVP to Daphne Vernon, 579-2604 ext. 106, or email youthmin@incarnaiton-sr.org.

Day of the Dead Altar: On the evening of the Harvest Hoedown, bring a picture of a loved one (friend, family member, animal) who has passed on. The altar will be a beautiful collection of, and tribute to, our cherished loved ones. Anyone is welcome to bring a picture at any time and place it on the altar. It will be up in Farlander Hall from Saturday October 24th to Sunday November 8th, after which you can collect your pictures and take them home. All are welcome to join us in honoring our loved ones.

All Souls' Weekend - Playing With Shadows

In these chaotic times, it is important to draw back and rediscover our whole selves, regain our balance, and find our bearings. As the veil between the worlds grows thinner, we will explore rituals from various traditions.

Oct. 30th, 7 pm, $15 - An evening of poetry, song, story, ritual and reflection with Richard Naegle and Friends.

Richard Naegle, Word Artist, will draw from many of the world's religious traditions to create a glorious mosaic of the human spirit. Weaving a magical web of chant, movement, poetry, story and ritual, he will help us remember our deeper selves, and to savor our loving connection with those who have passed to the other world. He will address the joys and sorrows and the bittersweet beauty of life as we play with the shadows and join our ancestors in singing our world into being.

Oct. 31st, 9 am-3 pm, $25 - An artful day of creating a mask that reflects your Soul and Spirit with Master Mask Maker Annie Hallatt.

Annie Hallatt, Master Mask Maker, will help us continue our inner exploration through mask making. This ancient ritual will help us discover and unleash other sides of who we are. Using plaster-impregnated gauze, each participant will create their own individual mask.

There will be live drumming at each event.

Both events - $35, if tickets are purchased in advance.

Reserve your place now by going to www.numinacenter.org or call 707-324-6021. We would love to see you there at this All Souls' Weekend!

The beautiful and mysterious poster for this Numina event was created by our very own Sharon Landon. Please take the time to check out her beautiful art work in the Numina board outside of Farlander Hall.

Great Buys for a Good Cause
Come for top-rate, secondhand shopping! Santa Rosa Vet's Building, Saturday, Nov. 7th, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.This event benefits The Living Room, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Community Action Partnership, and Roseland University Prep.

You can help!

-- Collect nearly new items from your house, and call 707-577-8210 to find out where to deliver them in Santa Rosa. Please price your items. Especially welcome: Holiday ornaments, gift wrap, nearly new items to give as gifts, housewares, small appliances, jewelry, women's accessories, books.

-- Volunteer! We need help with set up the evening of Nov. 6th, and setting up, selling and packing up on Nov. 7th. Tell your friends and shop at the event.

Questions? Want to volunteer? Contact Melissa Kelley at mkelley@sonic.net, (707) 537-8783.