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Central UCC
Central Congregational
United Church of Christ
 
IN THIS ISSUE
Sunday Worship: Oct 13
Church Chat
Sunday Childcare
Children's Sunday School
Children's Sunday School
Youth Worship
Bible Study Oct. 13
Practical Theology
Sacred Journeys
Book of Acts
WIFI Returns in October
Lena's Place Oct. 12
Table Talk Oct. 21
Ladies Who Read
Tues Evening Practices
Spiritual Direction
Volunteer
Coffee Hour Celebrations
Firewood
First Aid Class Oct 23&30
Alternative Gift Market Nov. 17
Mission Trip 2014
PH: Hospitality Volunteers Needed
PH: Substitute Dish Washers Needed
PH: Desserts Needed
 
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United Church of Christ 






Sunday, October 13, 2013
PROPER 23  

LECTIONARY READINGS (Click to read them)
Focus Text: Romans 8:31, 35-39 (click here)
A "Speaking of Faith" Sunday (see below)

WORSHIP NOTES
One way of describing a faith community is as an intricate weave of individual sacred stories, long threads and newer strands, that create a holy tapestry.  I think this is a beautiful way of describing Central. Our journeys are weaved into the ancient stories of a people who fled Egypt millennia ago seeking liberation.  We are part of the continuing threads of those who struggled 2,000 years ago to create new models of community under Roman rule and sought resurrection in the midst of oppression.  Many sections of our fabric have been knit by those who were audacious reformers.  And our portion of the cloth is intimately entwined with those who have sought more Truth and Light in Atlanta for over 130 years.  From time to time, in the context of Sunday morning worship, we stop to have a "Speaking of Faith" service; this Sunday is one of them.

October 12 will be the 15th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shephard; it comes during Atlanta's annual Pride Weekend.  On Sunday, October 13, at both the 8:30 and 11:00 Worship Service, we are going to have a "panel of Central mothers" share a portion of their storied fabric.  One is the mother of a lesbian daughter, gay son, and straight son; the other is the mother of a transgendered daughter (male to female).  Their stories are full of tender hope; they are, of course, continuing to be weaved.  Among the other special events of the 11:00 service, we will present Bibles to children and share a litany for children who are bullied.  At 8:30, as ever, we will share Communion.

This will be a holy day, full of a vulnerable faith. I (Rev. Michael) do plan to go to the Pride Parade after worship; however, please be assured that I will be in no hurry.  If you discover that you need a "pastoral moment" after the service, I will be happy to be with you.  The power of a "Speaking of Faith" service is when the faith stories of another invite us to revisit our own; sometimes we are surprised by the liberation, resurrection, reformation or Truth and Light that emerge.
 
For information about the Atlanta Pride Parade, click here.  Any who wish for a special blessing on that day, please simply indicate such to one of the clergy.
Church Chat: 
Sunday, October 13, 9:45 to 10:45 AM
Fellowship Hall

 

The Board for Mission & Action will present a new connection with the Montclair Elementary School on Clairmont Rd. There are many needs for food, clothing, tutors, and supplies. Come to the Church Chat to explore ways to become involved.

Other adult groups are suspended for Church Chats.

Questions? Contact Jean Haller (click here).  
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
(3 & 4 year olds)
9:30 to 10:50 Sunday School (205)

 

We would love for our 3 & 4 year olds to begin making their "church friends" during this hour together. Peggy and Gracie love to spend time with the children building community, telling Bible stories and playing. Please bring your children to share in this wonderful time.

 

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

Children's Sunday School
(K to 2nd, 3rd to 5th Grades)
9:30 Singing (209)
10:00 to 10:50 Sunday School (207, 208)

 

The K to 2nd Grade 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) 

 All are welcome! For more information, contact the Youth Director, Lacey Brown.

 

October 19th Regional Youth Fellowship- We will be carving pumpkins and playing games at Pilgrimage UCC
 
November 22-23Annual Youth Lock In and volunteer day
 
I am in need of volunteers to help Sunday mornings with youth worship
Questions?  
Please contact Youth Minister Lacey Brown.

 

Bible Sunday  

Sunday, October 13, 11:00 AM  

 

All 2nd graders and others will receive a Spark's Story Bible during the 11:00 AM worship. We are excited to present these books to our children as they continue to grow in knowledge and understanding of their faith.

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, OCTOBER 13TH

We will meet in our classroom, Rm. 206, at 9:30 AM to decide the leaders for the devotional and study on October  20th.   We also need to discuss our

participation in the November 17th Alternative Gift Market.  Please be there!   Following our brief gathering we will participate in the Church Chat in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 AM.

 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20TH

We'll begin our new study.  Get your book and start reading!  CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION:  The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening by Diana Butler Bass.

Available:            Amazon in paperback and Kindle

Barnes and Noble in paperback and Nook

 

Questions? Contact George and Jackie
Ongoing Sunday Gathering
Sacred Journeys

Sundays, 9:30 to 10:50 AM

Fellowship Hall, Steinhaus Library

 

Each week this group explores how spirit guides our personal journeys, and we gain new insights by listening to each other.  It is a sacred hour +, from 9:30 to about 10:50, where the discussion might be inspired one week by a poem, another by an excerpt from a book, a film clip, or an audio tape.  You do not need to read or prepare in advance, and you can join this class from time to time, whenever you wish.  Sacred Journeys is wide open.  We close the door to create a quiet space but you are welcome to open it and come on in. Get to know new people at Central or revisit old friends and explore how the spiritual intertwines with the personal for you.  

The Book of Acts: 
Sundays, Oct. 20, & 27 
9:30 to 10:45 AM,

 Window Room 2, Fellowship Hall

 

Ron Joyner will lead a four week series on the Book of Acts, the second of Luke's two Books.   This book is the only written record we have from the first century of how the church evolved from a group of dispirited Jewish Christians in Jerusalem after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascent to Heaven to a vibrant community of Jewish and Gentile Christians throughout the known world.  It introduces Pentecost, the first Christian martyrs, the conversion of Saul (to Paul), the arguments within the Jerusalem church, the missionary journeys of Paul and several companions, the establishment of churches in major cities, and Paul's eventual arrest and his trip to Rome. There are shipwrecks, venomous snakes, major miracles, and a wealth of  information on local governments and customs. It's a great travelogue as well as a fundamental guide to how the early church theology developed. PLEASE read the first few chapters before our first meeting.  All are welcome for any meetings you can attend. Questions? Contact Ron Joyner Ron Joyner. 
Art and Conversation
Sunday, October 20, 9:30-10:45 AM  Fellowship Hall

Come spend an hour creating art and generating conversation with some feel-good instruction from Atlanta artist Sara Cameli. You will learn about color mixing, basic drawing, and composition. Art Supplies and positive feedback are happily provided for your creative enjoyment!  : )  

WIFI SUPPERS

Wednesdays at Central

 

"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: $5 Adults, $2 Children.
  • 6:30-7:30 An intergenerational activity, different each week.  Oct.16 will be with Ron Smith and exploring our pollinator habitat. And there really is WIFI; you can bring your homework, too.

Reservations are strongly encouraged so we have enough food. Send an email by midnight Tuesday to WIFI.

Lena's Place
Saturday, October 12
8:00-10:00pm

Those of you who enjoyed Lenaʼs Place in the 90ʼs and into the last decade remember with pleasure Cyndi Craven, Jerry Brunner, and later Bruce Gilbert. Their performances as well as their leadership in the production of monthly concerts at Centralʼs own coffeehouse were a standard treat for many years. They will be back this month to please us again after a well-deserved absence. Come early as they are sure to draw a crowd. Doors open at 7:30 and they will be on at 8:00.

A second gig at 9:00 comes all the way from Europe called On a SundaY with Katji and Johannes Petri. You may check them out on Youtube or just show up on Saturday, October 12 for a great concert in a warm and candlelit atmosphere. We finish by 10:00 so everyone can get a good nightʼs sleep and still get to church in the morning. 

Table Talk 
Tuesday, October 21,  
6:30PM to 8:30, off campus

 

Table Talk is a monthly gathering, hosted at the gracious dining room table of Joan and Bill Harrison (409 Oakland Street, Decatur) and facilitated by Rev. Michael.  It is not a "traditional" group; folk come and go as they are able and no advance reading is required. Please bring a dish to share, if you are able-there is always a gracious plenty of food.  Conversation also happens on the Table Talk Facebook page.

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.

Rice Center 

for Spiritual Practice

on Tuesday Evenings 

 

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)  

 

Drumming Class:

November 5, 12, 19, 26, 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:

Tuesdays, Oct 15, Nov 19, 6:30 - 7:30PM

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

Tuesdays, Sept 24, Oct 22, Nov 26, 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

Tuesdays, Nov 5, Dec 3, 6:30 - 7:30PM

Join in the conversation 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. On Nov 5, we will be talking about  Chapters 3, 4, & 5. (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

 

How do you understand your relationship with God? What does it mean for you to encounter the Divine throughout your life? In what ways can that experience grow deeper, broader, or more fully? These are some of the kinds of issues explored in spiritual direction. Spiritual direction is a reflective process through which you grow in awareness of the spiritual direction and dimension of your life. Many people find the process helpful in times of transition, but spiritual direction is essentially about your own growth and wholeness.  

 

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

 
Volunteers Needed  
to Host Tuesday Evening Spiritual Practices

 

If you have a Tuesday (5:30 to 7:30 PM) a month and could welcome our guests who come to Central for Spiritual Practices, please contact Rev. Lou Kavar (lou@central-ucc.org).

 
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.
FIREWOOD
Firewood from two trees cut is lining the church drive and the drive to the granite house.  It is available for anyone who can use it.  If wood is taken, please keep the area neat.  Thank you.

 

Opportunities to Share
Certifiable First Aid & CPR Class
October 23 & 30, 6 - 9 PM

Judy Padgett, a member of Central UCC, has offered to teach a third two-evening certified First Aid / CPR class on a mid-week evenings 6:00 to 9:00 pm in the Autumn. Please be in touch if you are interested in a First Aid Class.

This class is full. We can teach another call if there is interest. Contact Rev. Ginnie to sign up.

Alternative Gift Market: November 17th - Commons

Give gifts that give back! Your Christmas shopping can begin at the Alternative Gift Market on November 17th, 9:30-1pm, in the commons area at Central UCC. Choose gifts that give back within our church, locally, as well as globally! Gifts for sale will include blankets, decorative houses, jewelry, and holiday bells. In addition, through Church World Service, you can sponsor gifts such as: clean water, an animal, educational toys, and more. There will be multiple organizations benefitting. Come enjoy refreshments & buy gifts for good!

 

Cindy Hoover has volunteered to organize the market again this year. Please contact her know if you can volunteer to help or donate a baked item, agm@centralucc.org. Many hands make light work.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE, GO ON A MISSION TRIP: Sept. 21-27 2014

We have an opportunity September 21-27, 2014 to participate in a work-camp at Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi. We have made a reservation for 15 people. Will you be one of them?

 

"The ministry of Back Bay Mission was born in 1922 when the First Evangelical Church of Biloxi (later United Church of Christ) responded with compassion to the basic needs of poor shrimpers and their families who were living in deplorable conditions along Biloxi's Back Bay.

 

Through the years, Back Bay Mission continued to expand its services and ministries, always keeping the impoverished and marginalized at the center of its concern. Although no United Church of Christ churches remain in Mississippi, Back Bay Mission continues to serve as it has for eight decades, always being responsive

to the emerging and critical needs of God's people, ever seeking a day of greater justice and peace.

 

BACK BAY MISSION STATEMENT

Back Bay Mission, a community ministry of the United Church of Christ, serves the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the wider church community by faithful witness for social justice and compassionate service to the poor and marginalized.

 

BACK BAY VISION STATEMENT

Back Bay Mission shall embody with integrity and truth the prophetic mandate of Micah "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."

 

If you are interested in going to Back Bay Mission for this trip, please let Jean Haller or Bill O'Steen know. You may be able to support this mission with a financial donation, so someone else may go. We will have to pay for food and a minimal charge for housing at the Mission, as well as transportation costs to and from Mississippi.

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.