Central E-News: 5 September 2013

The pericope for preaching on Homecoming Sunday almost reads like a Jesus is attempting to "thin out" the large crowds that are following him. "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother...even life itself, cannot be my disciple." The UCC Statement of Faith encourages us to count the "joys and costs" of discipleship; here, Jesus seems to tally sharp costs. I wonder if the crowd was thinned; how many decided the loaves and fish to eat were no longer enough to follow this radical rabbi?

The Jesus vision is not primarily concerned with a paradise in the afterlife; it is an audacious claim that we can have it "on earth, as it is in heaven." This requires a serious consideration of our priorities; what are the orienting points of our compass? If your GPS is off, what hope can there be for successful navigation?

For Homecoming Sunday, the 8:30 has been slightly revised to create even more space for quite meditation and "breathing space:" the choir returns to the 11:00 service after a summer recess.

Central Congregational UCC Homecoming &

Annual Meeting

Sunday, September 8, 12:15 PM

Fellowship Hall

The 130th Annual Meeting of Central will be convened after the morning worship services on Sunday, September 8, 2013 in the Fellowship Hall. All members are invited and requested to attend; a quorum is required to conduct business and attendance is an important part of membership. Annual Reports are available in print at church or a copy can be requested via email (Charlotte Shirley).

The Annual Meeting is part of our Homecoming celebrations and potluck. We are asking for folks to bring a salad and/or finger food. The Church Council will provide drinks and deserts.

Children & Youth

Childcare on Sunday mornings

Infant and Toddler Care is available every Sunday from 8:30 AM to 12:15 PM. Childcare is available (Room 201, 202) for infants to 1st Graders during both worship services.

Children's Sunday School

Sept. 8: 9:30 Singing (209)

10:00 Sunday School (207, 208)

On September 8, we ask parents of children and youth to come to the CE Wing and register their children and youth for church activities.

For our younger (3 & 4 year olds) children, Peggy Brodnax and Gracie Theobald will be learning and playing and building community with you.

The K to 2nd Grade children will meet in Room 207. The children will hear our sacred stories of the Old and New Testaments, stories of Baptism, Communion, and other stories of the church. The children will wonder about God's presence in the stories and in their lives. The will have a time of play and a time to share "the feast". We are using the curriculum Godly Play.

The 3rd to 5th graders will hear stories of the old testament. They will have a sharing time and fun activities. We will be using a combination of Godly Play and a Lutheran curriculum called "Connect" which is specially focussed on tweens.

If you have any questions, please be in touch with Rev. Ginnie.

Youth Worship And Gathering

9:30 to 10:45 AM (102, 103)

On September 8, we ask parents of children and youth to come to the CE Wing and register their children and youth for church activities.

Youth worship this Fall will be focused on Matthew 5 and 6. The youth will gather, share, sing and do activities to help them to focus on the sacredness of all life. Fellowship always follows the worship time. For more information, contact Lacey Brown.

Our first Regional Youth Fellowship is Saturday 21 from 6:00-9:00PM. Please meet at the church.

On Saturday, September 28 we will be assembling hygiene kits for the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project from 5:00pm-7:00pm.

We will have dinner at the church.

Volunteers Needed

for Children's Sunday School

Would you like to help Welcome Children and Families on Sunday morning? Our Welcome Team needs new members for this 9:30 to 10:45 AM opportunity to greet folks coming into the Education wing. Would you like to help with the snack and the welcoming of children into their Sunday school class. It's an opportunity to get to know some of the children at Central. Please contact Rev. Ginnie if you are interested.

Safe Church Training: Sunday, Sept. 22, 9:30 to 10:45 AM

You will need Safe Church training to volunteer or chaperone with children and youth. For youth, 12 and older, who hang out with younger children, it is important to have this training. For parents who find themselves at gatherings or practices with the youth, it is important as an example and a practice to attend Safe Church Training. Please consider attending on September 22 from 9:30 to 10:45 AM in one of the Window Rooms in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested, please sign up with Rev. Ginnie.

Adult Formation & Fellowship

Ongoing Sunday Gathering

Practical Theology:

A Just Peace Covenant Community

Sundays, 9:30 to 10:45 AM

Room 206, Education Wing

SUNDAY, September 8

Book: GOD BELIEVES IN LOVE: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage by Gene Robinson.

Lesson: Chapter 5

Leader: Zack Graves

Devotional: Joyce Myers-Brown

Questions? Contact George and Jackie

Ongoing Sunday Gathering

Sacred Journeys

Resuming September 15,

Sundays, 9:30 to 10:45 AM

(Fellowship Hall, Steinhaus Library)

You are invited to join in wide ranging conver-sations around beliefs, prayer, and spiritual growth. The class will take some time in their first week to decide this Fall's topic.

Questions, email Gary Carson.

Inquirers Class

Sept. 8, 15 & 22, 9:45 to 10:30 AM Office Area Conference Rm

Rev. Michael will host a three-session Inquirers' Series from 9:45 to 10:30 AM in his conference room (office suite). The sessions are designed for visitors to get to know him and each other a little better and explore both Central and the United Church of Christ. Attendees, of course, are not required to join following the sessions, but may if they feel ready to do so. The next "joining day" will be September 29. To register or for more information, email Rev. Michael.

Fellowship of the Grape:

Saturday, September 7, 7:00pm

Please join us on Saturday, September 7 as Robin Lee Fitch and Dan Jones host Central's Fellowship of the Grape (FOG), our wine tasting group. The theme is "Your Favorite Blush", so please bring a bottle of your choice and a light appetizer or snack to share. For those not familiar with FOG, attending is of the best ways to meet Central's members and visitors of all ages and stages of life in a casual setting. The tastings are not formal, just informative. You don't have to be a church member to attend and all are welcome! Event Details: Saturday, September 7, 7:00pm. At the home of Robin Lee Fitch and Dan Jones. RSVP directly to Robin Lee Fitch. We look forward to seeing you at FOG!

Priscilla Circle

Priscilla Circle will be meeting on Wednesday, September 11th in the Fellowship Hall from 10:00am-noon.

Pilgrim Evening Circle

Pilgrim Circle will meet on Wednesday, September 11th from 7:00pm-9:00pm in the Fireplace room.

Lena's Place Coffeehouse Saturday, Sept. 14, 8:00 - 10:00 PM

Since 1984, Lena's Place Coffeehouse is a monthly opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of acoustic artists in a coffeehouse atmosphere. Lena's is staffed by volunteers.

This month's musician at 9 PM is Vanessa Deliz, a singer/songwriter born and raised in the city of Miami, FL and now residing in Atlanta.

Donations ($5 is suggested) are accepted to benefit Central's "Lena Werking Fund" for local charities. All proceeds in September go directly to Men Stopping Violence.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Rev. Ginnie.

WIFI Suppers and Fun Returning in October!

"Wednesday Intergenerational Families and Individuals." No cooking; just make a reservation and show up, by yourself or with all or part of your household. A big success last spring, WIFI is back for all 5 Wednesdays in October.

5:30-6:30 Supper in Fellowship Hall. Casual food, home cooked or catered. Donation invited.
6:30-7:30 An intergenerational activity, different each week, from crafts to a "hymn jam" to Halloween Party.

Reservations for October 2 open up the week before. Watch bulletin boards and the E-News.

Women's Daytime Book Group Meets on 4th Thursdays

An informal gathering begun this summer has taken root. "Ladies Who Read" will continue to gather in the Fireplace Room every fourth Thursday at 1:30 p.m. September's book is And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner). The circle isn't a study group, but there's plenty of discussion about the book and also conversation inspired by it. The next get-together will be September 26. If you would like to receive email reminders, send an email to Geneva Benoit.

Tuesday Evening

Spiritual Practices

Compassion Meditation,

An On-Going Practice: 5:45 - 6:30 PM

Do you already have a practice of meditation? Or are you a beginner? Whatever your experience may be, you're welcome to join the compassion meditation sitting and discussion from 5:45 to 6:30. Rev. Lou will answer questions about different approaches to meditation and provide practical suggestions to help you further incorporate this practice in your life.

Yoga For All Levels: 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Hatha yoga is a specific type of yoga that creates balance between the feminine and masculine aspects within all of us. The instructor is Molly Grubb. ($10 per class)

Drum Circle:

Tuesday September 10, 6:30 - 7:45 PM

Join the rhythm of West African djembe and dunun drums. Bring along your bongos, triangle, rattles, bells, or other rhythmic instrument. Colleen and Amy from DrumRise will lead a free-style drumming circle. Allow yourself to move in and out of the pulse and cadence while your spirit experiences the energy of the circle. Djembe drums are available. (Suggestion Donation: $15.00)

Group Spiritual Direction:

Tuesday, September 17, 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Group spiritual direction is a process through which individuals gather in a collective setting to listen, share, support, and explore each other in the experience of the luminous dimension of life. Facilitated by Rev. Lou, participants will have opportunities to share their experience and learn from others about the sacredness of daily life. (Suggested Donation: $5.00)

Every Time I Feel the Spirit:

Spirituality and the Arts

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 - 7:30PM
This experience will touch the spirituality inherent in creating and receiving art. Explore with us the filling and outpouring as spirit/Spirit "speaks" (poetry), "moves" (music and dance) and "sees" (visual arts).

The experience will be led by Regina Harris Drake. Regina sees poetry in people and her divine tasks are to write and share. She believes that the arts make us "more fully human" in the words of the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire and also connect us to God-Spirit. She has a M.Div. degree from the I.T.C. in Atlanta, GA, is a licensed minister and a member of the Victory United Church of Christ in Stone Mountain, GA ($10 per class)

Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth

Edited by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

Tuesday, October 1, 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Join in the discussion of this compelling and timely book with Rev. Ginnie. Twenty essays are included from a variety of well-respected writers. These authors bring to life the complexity of nature and our impact on this diverse world. They challenge us to examine our understanding of our place in the web of life on this planet. The writers' passionate love of creation and their deep concerns for the planet make these essays beautiful and also painful to read. They call us to widen or perhaps to transform our understanding of the divine in the midst of ecosystems, critters, and all the delicate balance of creation. (Suggested Donation: $5.00)

For more information on the Fall schedule, go to Meetup.com

Questions, contact Rev. Lou Kavar .

Spiritual Direction

with Rev. Lou Kavar, Minister-in-Covenant

Are you looking to explore the role spirituality plays in your life? Do you find that beliefs you once held no longer work for you? In the midst of transitions, do you wonder how your values and beliefs come

into play? Working with a spiritual director may be helpful for you.

Spiritual direction is a process through which an individual explores, develops, and deepens the spiritual dimension of life with the aid and guidance of a director or coach. It is a process whose focus is to better integrate the spiritual dimension of life with other life dimensions, including relationships, work, and leisure interests.

The Rev. Lou Kavar is available to you as a spiritual director. For more information, contact Rev. Lou (Click here).

Coffee Hour Celebrations

Mark Your Special Day

Sunday in the Commons, following 11:00 worship, is a welcoming time to linger for a chat or a hug before returning to face the week. There's hot coffee, cold lemonade, and sometimes a celebration -- a birthday, anniversary, or thank-you. If you would like to share your special occasion, just reserve the date in advance, and bring your cake to the kitchen on Sunday morning, as early as possible before 11:00. Fellowship committee and volunteers will see that it's served. Reserve a Sunday by calling the church office or sending an email to fellowship.

Opportunities to Share

CPR/AED Class at Central:

Sunday, Sept.15, 12:30 PM

On Sunday, September 15, 12:30 PM, Judy Padgett, a member of Central UCC, has offered to teach a short course on CPR and the AED machine. This gives you the knowledge you need but not a certification. This class, too, is limited to 12 persons. There are nine spaces left. Contact Rev. Ginnie to sign up.

Certifiable First Aid & CPR Class

October 23 & 30, 6 - 9 PM

Judy Padgett, a member of Central UCC, has offered to teach a second two-evening certified First Aid / CPR class on a mid-week evenings 6:00 to 9:00 pm in the Autumn. We are waiting to see if people sign up before we choose the dates. Please be in touch if you are interested in a First Aid Class. If you took First Aid in 2011, you need to get re-certified and CPR has changed in the last 2 yrs.

Contact Rev. Ginnie to sign up.

For Plymouth Harbor:

Hospitality Volunteers Needed

Plymouth Harbor needs volunteers to sit by the entrance doors and welcome the participants and their families on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Most people arrive between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, making this very appreciated contribution an easy morning. Please contact Kay if you are interested.

For Plymouth Harbor:
Substitute Dish Washers Needed

Plymouth Harbor, the adult day care program held here on Central's campus, is looking for substitute dish washers on an 'as needed' basis. If you are interested in being put on the call list please email Kay Coppage.

For Plymouth Harbor:

Donate Desserts

Left over brownies? Sale at the bakery? Plymouth Harbor would happily accept dessert donations on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Please feel free to drop them off ahead off time or on the day of, place them in the fridge and label them 'For Plymouth Harbor' with the date. Donations greatly appreciated.

THCA Wants to Get Fresh!!!

Toco Hills Community Alliance would like to expand our food pantry offerings to include produce and other fresh foods. Much of these products are available at little or no cost to us, but, WE NEED REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS! Among our eight churches, there have to be people with an old fridge in their garage or a chest freezer in their basement that is not being used. If you would like to make a tax deductable donation, or have a strong back and/or a truck, please contact Mary Louise Wilson. Stay tuned to hear how God provides!

The UCC Coffee Project

The UCC Coffee Project is a partnership between our UCC Justice and Witness Ministries and Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative founded over 25 years ago and dedicated to fair trade. Equal Exchange works with coffee, tea, cocoa, and sugar farmer-owned coops in 20 countries, helping farmers in places like Colombia, Sri Lanka, and the Dominican Republic support their families, plan for the future, and care for the environment.

Through the UCC Coffee Project, local churches and their members make a difference in the lives of farm families, assuring they receive fair prices for their crops. And, for every pound of product UCC members order through the Project, Equal Exchange makes a donation to the UCC Small Farmer Fund, which assists family farmers in the Southern hemisphere. Central brews Equal Exchange coffee, and volunteers staff a sales station in The Commons two Sundays each month.