Office Hours: UCCH Pastoral Staff United Church of Chapel Hill Susan Steinberg A Congregation of the United Church of Christ Acting Head of Staff & Associate Pastor for Faith Formation - [email protected] Direct Line: 919 -338 -7919 Tues -Fri (9 am to 5 pm); Sunday mornings This Week - December 17, 2017 GOD IS STILL SPEAKING, Sunday, December 17 - Third Sunday of Advent David Mateo 8:45 & 11 am Worship - Sanctuary Associate Pastor of Outreach & Language Ministries - 9 am Children's Choir Music Room [email protected] - Direct Line: 919 -338 -7912 10 am Cookie Making - Fellowship Hall Today is the Third Mon - Thurs (8:30 am to 1:30 pm); Sunday mornings Mental Health Support Group 10 am Sunday School classes today: - Sunday of Advent (12:15 pm, Room 256) Adult Forum Fellowship Hall Nick Carter Sacred Conversation on Race - Room 235 We will continue the discussion of seasonal depres- Pastor of Worship and Stewardship Morning Worship at 8:45 & 11 am - - - Spiritual Growth - Conference Room sion. All are welcome. [email protected] Direct Line: 919 338 7917 - Reverend Nick Carter is preaching. Music: Chamber Tues (9 am to 5 pm); Fri (9 am to 5 pm); Faith and Family Family Parlor Confirmation Class - Room 161 Singers. Lighting the Advent candle. Sunday mornings La Mesa 11:15 am – Reverend David Mateo preach- 11:15 am La Mesa - Assembly Hall - ing. UVoP Christmas Concert (6:30 pm) Alyson “Aly” Breisch 12:15 pm Mental Health Support Group Rm 256 Come to the Fisher Memorial United Holy Church Director of Congregational Care - 2 pm Ambassadors Rehearsal Assembly Hall and become a part of The Christmas Spirit, as the [email protected] Direct Line: 919 -338 -7913 4:30 pm Lessons & Carols - Sanctuary Cookies for the Community Tuesdays (9 am to 1 pm): Sunday mornings - (10 am, Fellowship Hall) Fisher Memorial church choirs and the United Voic- 6:30 pm UVoP Concert Fisher Church in Durham es of Praise sing an evening of traditional and popu- lar Christmas songs. Office Hours: UCCH Program Staff Monday, December 18 Jennifer “Jenny” Anderson Sacred Conversations on Race - 12 pm Monday Noon Book Group - Library (10 am, Room 235) Director of Music Ministry [email protected] - Fisher Memorial United Holy Church Direct Line: 919 -338 -7918 6 pm Bronze Voices Music Room SCOR will be joined by representatives from the - 420 E Piedmont Ave, Durham, NC 27707 Mon & Wed (1:30 to 9:30 pm); 6:30 pm Women’s Christmas Party Langelier Board of Deacons to brainstorm ways in which our - is on the corner of Fayetteville and Piedmont in Tues -Thurs (10 am to 6 pm), Sundays 7 pm MES Board Meeting Room 235 Racial Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Covenant - - Durham. Out of Office: December 26 30 7:15 pm Women’s Group Library can be further integrated into their ministry. Every- one is welcome to join the conversation, whether to Katherine Henderson Tuesday, Decembr 19 learn, to contribute, or both. We'd love to hear your THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21 Youth Director - 7:30 pm Chamber Singers Music Room ideas! [email protected] Longest Night Worship Service (7 pm) Tuesdays (9 am to 3 pm); Sunday mornings Wednesday, December 20 Out of Office: December 22 -30 Aly Breisch and Susan 7 am Bible Study - Library Candlelight Festival of Lessons and Carols (4:30 pm) Steinberg will preside. 7:00 pm Christmas Eve Choir - Music Room Anitra Grove Music: Children's, Youth and Chancel Choirs, and Music will feature UCCH Director for Children’s Ministry soloists. Thursday, December 21 Bronze Voices Handbell Choir with flute, piano and [email protected] 7 pm Longest Night Worship Service - Sanctuary organ. Tuesdays (8:30 am to 2:30 pm); Sunday mornings Long, dark winter nights, Hear the Christmas story told in word and song in Office Hours: UCCH Office Staff Friday, December 22 this traditional worship service, first celebrated in even during the Christmas Rinnie Orr 9:15 am Yoga - Fellowship Hall Cornwall, England, on Christmas Eve in 1880, and season, can be overwhelming for those who are Office & Communications Manager 11 am Meditation Group - Library later made famous through annual worldwide radio in mourning or in pain of any kind. For some, [email protected], Direct Line: 919 -338 -7922 - and television broadcasts from Kings College, Cam- this time of year can be the loneliest of all 7 pm Christmas Eve Choir Music Room Mon -Thurs (9 am to 5 pm); Fri (9 am to 3 pm) bridge. times. - Out of Office: December 27 29 Sunday, December 24 - Fourth Sunday of Advent We invite those who long for community and NO 8:45 am service Claudia Galvez - quiet worship to join us for this service of gen- Administrative Assistant 10 am Carol Sing & Las Posadas Fellowship Hall - - - 11 am Worship - Sanctuary tle music, candle lit prayer, scriptural reflection [email protected], Direct Line 919 338 7915 and the spiritual food of communion. Mon -Fri (10 am to 2 pm) 11:15 La Mesa - Assembly Hall Duane Gilbert Christmas Eve Business Manager 4 pm Children’s Christmas Eve Service - - [email protected], Direct Line: 919 338 7920 7 pm Candlelight Service Mon -Fri (1 to 5 pm) 9 pm Candlelight Service DECEMBER 24 OUTREACH EVENTS 2018 FLOWER Fourth Sunday of Advent CALENDAR & SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES ONLY Morning Worship NO 8:45 am service. How to help our 5 MORE NEIGHBORS IN NEED 10 am Carol Sing & Las Posadas (10 am, Fellowship Hall) Please join in as a singer or instrumentalist as our Christmas Orchestra leads us BRING food & personal SUNDAYS in a sing -along of favorite Christmas carols and songs. Instrumentalists are care items for the IFC Food TO FILL asked to bring their own stand. Music is provided! Pantry offering on Sunday mornings. Do any of these following dates have special “Las Posadas” is a Mexican tradition that recalls the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph looking for a place meaning for you? to stay on Christmas Eve. In addition to music, the celebration includes traditional foods from Mexico and Central America. Everyone is invited and can add to the festivities by bringing a dessert, tamales or BAKE casseroles to be served at Commu- • May 20 & 27 a hot drink to share. nity Kitchen and Homestart. Please help us • July 29 restock the freezer with casseroles for the IFC • August 12 Community Kitchen. Grab a casserole dish on 11 am worship • November 18 A perfect way to prepare for the coming of Christmas, including traditional hymns, a sermon by Rever- the table in the Narthex and fill it with yum- my food for us to serve at IFC. Thank you! end Nick Carter entitled “When the Soul Feels its Worth,” and special music featuring a guest cello solo A friend/family birthday? An anniversary? The of “O Holy Night,” and contributions from the Comma’s and Candace Marles (soprano) and Benjamin passing of a friend or family member to honor. Sallard (trombone). BECOME a server. We serve: • Dinner at IFC Community If so, consider volunteering to provide the - Kitchen the 2nd Thursday flowers for the church altar that enrich our 11:15 am La Mesa Reverend David Mateo preaching. each month. Sunday worship. We have 23 Sundays in 2018 • Dinner at IFC’s Homestart to fill with flowers for our altar. Christmas Eve Worship for Women and Children the Children’s Service (4 pm) 3rd Thursday each month Volunteers sign -up on the 2018 Flower Calen- (women servers only!) dar, outside the church library. You will get a This lively service includes carols, an interactive reading of the nativity story, and • communion. We'll provide nativity costumes for angels, shepherds, Mary, Joseph Lunch at IFC Community Kitchen the 4th reminder closer to the date you choose, with and the magi (wise boys and girls). If your child would enjoy being one of the Thursday each month. options for providing flowers. animals at the manger, he or she may wear their own costume. Donkeys, sheep - and cows or your child's animal of choice are welcome! Music provided by Chil- To be on our meal serving team for IFC Com- dren's Choir and Soloists. munity Kitchen and Homestart, leave us your email address and let us know you want to re- ceive our monthly email volunteer signup form. 2018 UCCH CALENDAR AND Children are invited to bring an inexpensive baby gift for Jesus (bibs, spoons, lotions, diapers), which will be given to families of newborns in need. COMMENTARY Following the service, we'll move to Fellowship Hall for a birthday party Dave Otto’s calendar this year features the for Jesus. Cake and punch will be served. church staff and includes a commentary BEER AND HYMNS BENEFIT EVENTS TO with much fascinating information about SUPPORT THE INTERFAITH COUNCIL each staff member. If you want a calendar, AND PAWS4VETS contact Dave at [email protected] . The - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (7 pm) Reverend Susan Steinberg Sponsored by Chapel of the Cross, Holy Trinity, cost is $10. preaching. Music: Chamber Singers United Church of Chapel Hill, and 519 Church Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (9 pm) - Reverend Susan Steinberg Sunday, December 17 preaching. Music: Chancel Choir and Youth Choir 7:30 pm Trali, Morrisville 2 This Week - December 17, 2017 5 This Week - December 17, 2017 From the UCCH Library The Journey of Faith SEASON OF GIVING 2018 Pledge Update For additional perspectives on today’s readings from the lectionary, check out the following: Many of us arrive at the end of the calendar The United Church 2018 Stewardship Cam- year and realize we may have missed a few paign is more than halfway through our cam- • Levine, A.