Recycle your plastic lids at CUCC

Through the Aveda Salon Recycling Program, we can recycle our plastic lids. Jeanne Ledbetter will collect these caps every 1st and 3rd Sunday; there is a collection container on the hutch near the refreshment table in the Vaughan Wing.
The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol.

• twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles,
• flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise),
• laundry detergents and
• some jar lids such as peanut butter.

Excluded are

• pharmaceutical lids
• non rigid lids such as yogurt lids, tub lids (margarine, cottage cheese),
• screw on lids that are not rigid
• metal lids
• plastic pumps or sprayers.

If you can bend or break the lid with your bare hands, then it does not meet the rigid plastic definition. Unfortunately, too much of the wrong types of materials can contaminate the recycling process. We appreciate your efforts in keeping it clean!

Where can I recycle at CUCC?

Bulletin: brown wooden container in narthex

White paper, chipboard, flattened cardboard, and newspaper: green recycling curbside container in kitchen

Cans, glass jars, plastic drink bottles: green recycling trashcan in kitch

Rigid plastic lids: box on hutch in Vaughan Fellowship Hall

Batteries (not leaking):  hand to Jane or Gary Smith

Florescent light bulbs - tube and CFL (unbroken): hand to Jane or Gary Smith

Willing to collect an item from others at CUCC for cooperative recycling? Call Jane Smith.

Welcoming the Immigrant

This message from Chris Liu Beers from the Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants:

People often ask me, "What can I do?" to show support for our state's many immigrants in these difficult times. Well, there are a few really important upcoming events that will give you the chance to take action and learn more:

Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace (April 6-10)
Farmworker Institute Summit and Networking Event (April 14)
Building Communities: Alamance County Speaks About Immigration (April 18)
Adelante Lobby Days - Access to Community College (March-May)

Click here for more information:
www.welcometheimmigrant.org/events

FORUM: March 29

The program for this Sunday's Forum will be another in our series of "conversations" about issues of societal prejudice:

"Conversation on the Muslim Religion and Culture"
Dr. Shamim Rahman, Board of Directors of the Triangle Interfaith Alliance
Iyad Hindi, leader in establishing the Muslim American Society, and an active member of Raleigh’s largest mosque, the Islamic Association of Raleigh.
Samar Hindi, teacher and community organizer.

FORUM: March 22

THE HEALING PLACE OF WAKE COUNTY

Barrett Joyner, Development Director

The Healing Place of Wake County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) recovery and rehabilitation facility for homeless people with alcohol and drug dependency, located in Raleigh, NC. Its mission is to offer innovative recovery and rehabilitation to homeless alcoholic and chemically dependent men and women through a continuing mutual-help program. The program is specifically designed to rekindle the client's desire to return to a meaningful and productive life.

Barrett Joyner will be joined by a resident of the facility who will comment on the affect it has had on his life.

Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether's Lecture

Lecture on Ecofeminst Philosophy, Theology and Ethics: A Comparative Approach by Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether.

4:00 pm
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Christina and Seby Jones Chapel, Meredith College
Reception after the presentation in the Chapel Commons Room

Dr. Ruether is an internationally acclaimed church historian, theologian, writer and teacher specializing in the area of women and religion. She is Professor emerita from both Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, having served on the faculty of both Garrett and Northwestern University and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.

For more information please call the Department of Religion & Philosophy at Meredith College, (919) 760- 2361.

Following the reception for Dr. Ruether, a dinner with her is being held on campus. Seating is limited. If you wish to come to the dinner please contact, Gardner Kirkland at 760-2361 to make a reservation.

March 29 - bring a check and a dish

One Great Hour of Sharing is CUCC's most important offering that goes to both national and international missions. Our special Sunday bulletin inserts have been telling stories of lives that the offering has changed. The UCC website has even more.

On March 29, CUCC will collect the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and hold an after-church potluck to celebrate. We invite you to come, bring a check for the offering, bring a dish for the potluck, and share in the fellowship!

DRC Travel Log

The travel site iexplore.com has a description of the regions of the DRC that makes me want to pack right now.

CUCC calling cards now available

Monday lunch book title? Upcoming Forum speaker? Taize worship time? Justice rally location? When you are talking to friends about mutual interests, why not write the details on a CUCC calling card?

Like a business card, the calling card allows you to make the connection between what you do and the church that supports you. It is a quiet way to say, "This is the place which nurtures me in the work in which we both believe. If you are looking for a church, you might find ours a good fit."

You can get a packet of five cards from Jane Smith or pick one up on the table in the rear of the sanctuary. Keep the cards in your wallet, adding your contact information or the details you are discussing. Tell Jane how you've used the cards; suggest improvements. This is an experiment of the Growth Committee which is exploring how, in ways that suit CUCC's personality, we might extend God's extravagant welcome to those looking for a church like ours. [Don't want the plastic sleeve? Give it back and we'll reuse it.]

What I've wondered about Congo is...

Saturday you can finally ask!
Saturday, March 14, arrive by 3:45 PM, stay until 6 PM
Child care provided - definitely!

Part I : Learning from the experts

A joint presentation by one of the world's leading experts on the DRC, Dr. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, and by the chief executive of the Congolese Community of North Carolina, Miki Kidibu.
Dr. Nzongola is currently Professor of African Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was formerly Director of the United Nations Development Program Oslo Governance Centre. He is a scholar of African politics and an international consultant on public policy, governance, and conflict-related issues.
Mr. Kidibu is leading the effort by Congolese people in North Carolina to educate our citizens about the crisis there and to build a humanitarian network to create change. His background is hands-on, with experience in communications technology and airlines operations. We've enjoyed getting to know Miki and his wife, Jolie, as they have helped in the planning of our All Things Congo series.
Part 2: Learning from our friends

In small groups of six we'll gather with our friends and members of the Congolese community in Raleigh. This is your chance to ask those questions you've wondered and to hear their personal responses. Have you wondered about naming traditions in Congo? Which city or village is home and where is it? What does home look like? If we could visit Congo, what would you want us to experience? What are some things you miss? What are your hopes for your country of origin? How can we help?

Part conversation, part formal presentation, this is an amazing opportunity to learn and to build relationships.
This Saturday, come explore Congo. Please arrive by 3:45 so you can be seated in one of the small groups or get your children settled in child care.

We've been invited for an Adult-only ASP Weekend

Our friends at The Prince of Peace Episcopal Church have invited CUCC to an adults-only 4 day weekend April 23-26 to repair the home of "Clyde" in Jonesville, VA. This winter 81 year old "Clyde" is living in his inoperable minivan because his home is too dangerous. Despite working 55 years as a miner, he doesn't have the resources he needs to repair his home. He works alongside the ASP teams, contributing to the repairs and fellowship.

Adult Weekends are much more relaxed than the summer program - good food, friendships, no kids to teach and monitor, and a couple of days to work on a home in desperate need of repair. Read about the work on "Clyde's" home.


If you'd like to know more, contact Jane Smith. I'll put you in touch with Bill and Rosemary Pate, our friends at TPOP. I can guarantee you an enjoyable weekend making a difference.