BCUCC News for Sunday, August 18, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·            Sunday, August 18:  Worship at 10am. Theme: “It’s All Sacred (A Last Sermon)”.  Scripture: Psalm 139:1-18. 

·         Sunday, August 18: Please join us for a thank you and farewell reception for Pastor Terry LePage on Sunday, August 18.  The potluck reception will be in the church hall immediately following the worship service.  Please bring appetizers or dessert to share! Our theme is Garden Party!  If you have a potted plant (especially succulents and native plants) that you can bring for the day, we will decorate the hall with them.

·         Sunday, August 25:  Family Promise Shelter Training after worship. Cyndee Albertson, director of Family Promise, will present an orientation for our new shelter program.

·         Tuesday, August 27, 7pm: Jessica Cosley and Laura Weiss would like to invite you to attend a French horn and piano recital here at the church. They will be playing some of their favorite pieces from film and classical repertoire. No tickets needed but all donations will benefit the Academy of Music for the Blind, giving students with disabilities access to music education and helping to teach life skills. Hope to see you there! 

·         September 1-8:  Family Promise Shelter in Hall (4 families hosted). Volunteers needed: see Ann Marshall or Carol This for signups.  We are excited to restart our homeless ministry with Family Promise! 

·         Sunday, September 15: Movie, 4 pm. “Happening: A Green Energy Revolution.”

·         Family Promise Shelter is seeking donations of desperately needed essentials:  $25 – $50 Target & Walmart gift cards (for back to school clothing and supplies, ASAP please!), feminine hygiene products, razors, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner.  Look for the decorated box in the church entry (coming soon…)  Thank you for your generosity!

Ongoing

·         Choir is returning! Enrich your body and soul with music and singing! Afraid of commitment or of trying something new? Don’t worry! Jessica is here to help you learn and grow at your own pace. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:30PM beginning August 29th. We also sing Sunday mornings with warm-ups beginning at 9AM. All are welcome! 

·         For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion Wednesday at 7pm on August 21st at the Hill household. For directions please call or email the Hills.

Giving Beyond Our Local Church

In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, BCUCC contributed the following:

$1405   One Great Hour of Sharing: for Church World Service emergency and development aid around the world. (member donations)

$863     Neighbors in Need: grants for UCC churches and affiliates to support justice and compassion projects around the country. (Member donations)

$1500.  UCC “per capita” support (proportional to our membership)– to support the Southern California-Nevada Conference staff and ministries. (General budget)

$863.  Friends of Orange County Detainees (Member donations)

$363     Donations to friends of the church in need (General budget)

$150.    LGBT Center OC: support and advocacy for LGBTQ Orange County residents. (Youth and Young adults recycling… thank you Bryan Wake!)

$150.    Our Church’s Wider Mission: Support of the national UCC (Youth and Young adults recycling… thank you Bryan Wake!)

The church is made possible by gifts, and is made stronger by sharing.  Thank you for your generosity!

BCUCC News for Sunday, August 11, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

  • Saturday, August 10: Meet the Pastoral Candidate!  Stop by the church hall any time between 10am and noon to meet the pastoral candidate.

  • Sunday, August 11:  Worship at 10am. Our Pastoral Candidate will preach! Theme: “I Want to Be Ready”.  Scripture: Luke 12:32-40. Carol This will be performing, “Thankful,” during Our Rainbow of Creativity!            

  • August 11: Congregational Meeting right after worship.  The Pastor Search Committee will answer questions and members will vote on our next Pastor.  The candidate has requested we keep their identity and location confidential until the call is final and they have told their congregation.  Please honor this request.
  • Tuesday, August 13: Lunch Bunch, 11:45am at Coco’s at Imperial and State College. Just fellowship with church friends.  RSVP to Pastor Terry or Sharon Everly so we can save you a seat.

  • Thursday, August 15, 2-3 pm:  Bible Study in the church office. All are welcome.

  • Sunday, August 18: Please join us for a thank you and farewell reception for Pastor Terry LePage on Sunday, August 18.  The reception will be in the church hall immediately following the worship service.  Our theme is Garden Party!  If you have a potted plant (especially succulents and native plants) that you can bring for the day, we will decorate the hall with them.

  • Sunday, August 25:  Family Promise Shelter Training after worship. Cyndee Albertson, director of Family Promise, will present an orientation for our new shelter program.

  • Tuesday, August 27, 7pm: Jessica Cosley and Laura Weiss would like to invite you to attend a French horn and piano recital here at the church. They will be playing some of their favorite pieces from film and classical repertoire. No tickets needed but all donations will benefit the Academy of Music for the Blind, giving students with disabilities access to music education and helping to teach life skills. Hope to see you there! 
  • September 1-8:  Family Promise Shelter in Hall (4 families hosted)
           
                Volunteers needed: see Ann Marshall or Carol This for signups.  We are excited to restart our homeless ministry with Family Promise! 

  • Sunday, September 15: Movie, 4 pm. “Happening: A Green Energy Revolution.”

  • Please welcome Daryl and Vic Callirgos to membership in BCC.  They joined last week.  They moved from Bennington, Vermont to Anaheim a little more than a year ago.  Vic works at a steel company as a project manager, and Daryl handles philanthropy for the sporting goods and clothes company Orvis.  Vic’s son Kevin, with family including granddaughter live in Santa Monica; Daryl’s son Kevin and family with three grandkids live in Santa Clarita.  Vic and Daryl had been very involved in their Vermont UCC church and in Global Missions.  They are frequently with grandkids or traveling, but when they’re not, you’ll see them at BCC!

  • Family Promise Shelter is seeking donations of desperately needed essentials:  $25 – $50 Target & Walmart gift cards (for back to school clothing and supplies, ASAP please!), feminine hygiene products, razors, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner.  Look for the decorated box in the church entry (coming soon…)  Thank you for your generosity!

  • Do you know someone in the city of Brea in danger of losing their home?  Officer Terri Hill is Brea’s Homeless Liaison.  She makes it her job to connect people to resources that can help them keep their homes.  Most OC cities now have homeless liaisons—check with your local police department if someone you know needs support.

Ongoing

  • Choir is returning! Enrich your body and soul with music and singing! Afraid of commitment or of trying something new? Don’t worry! Jessica is here to help you learn and grow at your own pace. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:30PM beginning August 29th. We also sing Sunday mornings with warmups beginning at 9AM. All are welcome! 

For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion Wednesday at 7pm on August 21st at the Hill household.

BCUCC News for Sunday, August 4, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·            We Have A Pastoral Candidate!
Your Pastor Search Committee is delighted to unanimously and enthusiastically recommend a candidate.  Council has unanimously approved the recommendation, and the candidate will be preaching at our church August 11.  Mark your calendars for a Congregational Meeting on August 11 following the service.  Details to follow in a letter from the Search Committee.  Our deep gratitude to the Pastor Search Committee for their prayerful persistence!  The candidate has requested we keep their identity and location confidential until the call is final and they have told their congregation.  Please honor this request; you will have a chance to meet the candidate and learn about them the weekend of August 11. 
 

·         Sunday August 4:  Worship at 10amFirst Food Sunday. Theme: “Enough”.  Scripture: Luke 12:13-21.  We celebrate communion in worship, share a potluck lunch afterwards, and bring food for the Brea food shelf.

·         August 11: Congregational Meeting to vote on our next Pastor.  The candidate has requested we keep their identity and location confidential until the call is final and they have told their congregation.  Please honor this request; you will have a chance to meet the candidate and learn about them the weekend of August 11. 

·         Tuesday August 13: Lunch Bunch, 11:45am at Coco’s at Imperial and State College. Just fellowship with church friends.  RSVP to Pastor Terry so we can save you a seat.

·         Sunday, August 18: Please join us for a thank you and farewell reception for Pastor Terry LePage on Sunday, August 18.  The reception will be in the church hall immediately following the worship service.  Our theme is Garden Party!  If you have a potted plant (especially succulents and native plants) that you can bring for the day, we will decorate the hall with them.

·         Sunday, August 25:  Family Promise Shelter Training after worship. Cyndee Alpertson, director of Family Promise, will present an orientation and 

·         September 1-8:  Family Promise Shelter in Hall (4 families hosted)             Volunteers needed: see Ann Marshall or Carol This for signups.  We are excited to restart our homeless ministry with Family Promise!  

·         Sunday, September 15: Environmental Movie, 4 pm.                    “Happening: A Green Energy Revolution.”

Ongoing

·         Our Rainbow of Creativity: Through the summer, members and friends of the church will share their creativity with us through the arts and music.  Thanks to all who have shared in this very personal way!

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! *During the summer, we may cancel Bible Study on weeks when regulars are traveling.  Call, email or text Pastor Terry if you’re not sure.·   For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion Wednesday at 7pm on August 21st at the Hill household.

BCC News for Sunday, July 28

BCUCC News for Sunday, July 21, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday, July 21: Worship at 10am. Theme: “Paying Attention.”  Scripture: Luke 10:38-42. 

·         Sunday, July 28, after worship: Goodbye and Thank You to Kathryn Kadletz.  Kathryn will be moving to Colorado in early August.  She and the church have journeyed together for about twenty years, and she has been our lead Sunday School teacher.  Sharon Everley is coordinating a salad buffet (Items currently provided: salad bar, lemonade, bread). —please let her know if you’d like to bring a salad or dessert. Blessings to Kathryn Kadletz on her new adventure! She will be sorely missed.

Mark your Calendar:

·         Sunday August 4:  First Food Sunday.  We celebrate communion in worship, share a potluck lunch afterwards, and bring food for the Brea food shelf.

·         Tuesday August 13: Lunch Bunch, 11:45am at Coco’s at Imperial and State College.

·         Sunday, August 25:  Family Promise Shelter Training after worship.

·         September 1-8:  Family Promise Shelter in Hall (3 families hosted.)             More details below!

·         Sunday, September 15: Environmental Movie in late afternoon                    “Happening: A Green Energy Revolution.”

Ongoing

·         Our Rainbow of Creativity: Through the summer, members and friends of the church will share their creativity with us through the arts and music.  Thanks to all who have shared in this very personal way!

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! *During the summer, we may cancel Bible Study on weeks when regulars are traveling.  Call, email or text Pastor Terry if you’re not sure.

·         For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion.  We will meet Wednesday at 7pm on July 24 for chapters 7-9, August 7 for chapter 10, and August 21 for chapters 11-12.  For directions please contact the church.

Shelter News

Brea UCC will be replacing our ISN program with Family Promise.  Rotating with about 20 other Orange County churches, we will open our facility to provide short-term emergency shelter to families. The director will give a brief introduction to the program during worship on Sunday August 11, 2019 and a training for the church volunteers immediately after the service on Sunday, August 25. We will not only have the opportunity to provide meals, we will need overnight volunteers, and can also offer tutoring and craft activities for the children. See Ann Marshall for more information, and look for literature on the entry table.

BCUCC News for Sunday, July 14, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday, June 30: Worship at 10am. Theme: “Learning to be Neighborly”.  Scripture: Luke 10:25-37. Bryan Wake will be presenting a slideshow this week!

·         Monday, July 15, 7:30pm:  Candlelight Taizé Meditation of Resistance. Scripture, prayer, song and meditation.  Led by our musicians and Karen Hill.  This reflective service is a different style of worship.  Please join us, and invite family and friends who might enjoy such an experience, including meditators and “SBNR’s” (spiritual but not religious…)

·         Tuesday July 16, 7pm: Church Council meets in the Hall.

Ongoing

·         Our Rainbow of Creativity: Through the summer, members and friends of the church will share their creativity with us through the arts and music.  Thanks to all who have shared in this very personal way!

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! *During the summer, we may cancel Bible Study on weeks when regulars are traveling.  Call, email or text Pastor Terry if you’re not sure.

·         For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion.  We will meet Wednesday at 7pm on July 24 for chapters 7-9, August 7 for chapter 10, and August 21 for chapters 11-12.  For directions please contact the church.

Delegates to General Synod 2019 voted to approve another timely resolution of witness:
“Addressing the State of Global Forced Migration.”  The complete resolution is at https://tinyurl.com/migr-ucc2019  and copies are available in the church entry.  Here is a crucial excerpt:

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Thirty-Second General Synod of the United Church of Christ:

Affirms a vision of God’s family that is all-inclusive, accepting, and welcoming, recognizing the dignity of every human being; and rejects the divisive discourse of fear, xenophobia, bigotry, and racism that pervades the discourse on global forced migration, including as it relates to policy debates on immigration; and

Calls upon the members of the United Church of Christ in all settings to take seriously the matter of global forced migration: to pray, learn, and actively engage in education about the current state of global forced migration using resources made available through the church, specifically Global Ministries, the UCC’s Humanitarian and Development Ministries, and the UCC National Collaborative on Immigration; and

Urges members of the UCC to participate in practicable ways to address the state of global forced migration through

·         support of denominational partners around the world who are responding to the needs of displaced people, whether they are refugees, migrants, internally displaced, asylum- seekers, or others, through Global Ministries and One Great Hour of Sharing;

·         engagement in refugee resettlement programs in the US through the UCC’s Humanitarian and Development Ministries;

·         advocacy for the rights of refugees everywhere based on the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951); and for Palestinian refugees specifically as stipulated in UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948), and for continued US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency;

·         advocacy and action on issues of economic justice, climate justice, and immigration justice; and

·         efforts to dismantle racism, to learn about different cultures and religions, including Islam, and to counter any form of discrimination, bigotry, and xenophobia when encountered

BCUCC News for Sunday, June 30, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday June 30: Worship at 10am. Theme: “Inspired Action”.  Scripture: Luke 9:49-62.  Guest singer Angelica Rowell.  Angelica is a musician, actor, teacher, and activist who graduated from UCI a year ago.  We are blessed to have her gifts in worship this Sunday!

·         Sunday June 30: At a short congregational meeting, we will vote to approve the budget for June 2019 to July 2020.

·         Next Sunday, July 7 is First Food Sunday.  Every first Sunday of the month, we bring nonperishable food for A.C.T., our Brea food shelf.  We make a difference!  We celebrate Communion in worship, and we share a potluck lunch after worship.  All are welcome!

Save the dates:

·         Tuesday July 9: Lunch Bunch meets at Coco’s, 11:45am, Imperial Highway at State College Avenue, just for fun and fellowship.  All are welcome.  RSVP to Pastor Terry.

·         Sharing Musical (and artistic) Gifts in Worship: Would you like to share a meaningful song, or instrumental music, or poem, or photos, or dance, or…?  Our suggested theme is: “Our Rainbow of Creativity”.  A few slots are still open.  Through the summer, the choir is on break and your gifts for worship will be most appreciated.  Jessica can support musical endeavors.

Ongoing

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! *During the summer, we may cancel Bible Study on weeks when regulars are traveling.  Call, email or text Pastor Terry if you’re not sure.

·         For our summer read, the BCUCC Theological Book Club chose a novel, The Overstory, by Richard Powers.  Inspired by the Redwood trees, Powers writes an impassioned work of activism and resistance that is, also, a stunning paean to the natural world.  There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us.  Come join the discussion.  We will meet Wednesday at 7pm on July 10 for chapters 1-6, July 24 for chapters 7-9, August 7 for chapter 10, and August 21 for chapters 11-12.  For directions please contact the church.

UCC General Synod 32, 2019

      Worship, community, inspiration and justice happened in Milwaukee last week as delegates from all over the nation gathered for the semiannual United Church of Christ General Synod.  Outgoing leaders were honored, and new leaders were chosen. Rev. John Dorhauer will be our General Minister and president for a second term.

      Resolutions were passed, including ours!  Remember, in our Congregational church government, the General Synod speaks TO the local churches, not for them.  Here is one resolution of witness:

A Resolution to Abolish the Growth and Existence of Private Prisons

      Privately run state and federal prisons should be abolished in the United States, the United Church of Christ’s General Synod said Tuesday.

      “As believers in Christ, we must abhor and actively battle against any individual or industry which derives profit from human misery,” the Synod declared in a resolution that delegates passed by a vote of 646 to 27 at the UCC’s biennial denominational meeting.

Brought by the UCC’s Illinois Conference and its Chicago Metropolitan Association, the resolution calls upon:

·         The U.S. Congress and state legislatures to ban government contracting with privately owned or operated correctional or holding centers.

·         UCC churches and their members to divest and promote divestment from companies that invest in or supply such prisons.

·         Existing prisons to improve health care, mental health care and safety measures for inmates.

In describing the work of the committee that reviewed the original resolution, Penn Northeast delegate Maria Brace shared that members of her committee “sought to understand how the private prison system takes the already criminal justice system and further destroys the lives of men, women and children.” The committee added companies who supply private prisons to the list of firms from which the denomination and local churches should consider divesting.

      “I was in prison, and you visited me.” – Jesus.

BCUCC News for Sunday, June 23, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Saturday June 22OC Pride Parade and celebration.  A number of UCC churches will be marching together.  Join the Parade and celebrate inclusive welcome with us!  Do you have an idea for a unifying theme for our group in the parade?  Let’s make it happen!

·         Sunday June 23: Worship at 10am. Theme: “Humble and Grateful”. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. 

·         Have you pledged to support our church? Your support makes church happen.  Large commitments, and small, help us plan a faithful and responsible budget, so we can fulfill our mission. Your presence and participation matters.  Please submit a pledge note if you plan to give regularly.

·         Electronic Giving makes your giving and church accounting easy.  You can sign up for the tested and trustworthy UCC electronic giving service to transfer money from your credit card, debit card, checking or savings account, weekly, monthly or one time.  It only takes a couple minutes to set up.  Go to breaucc.org, and click the “donate” link in the upper right corner. 

·         Sunday June 30: At a short congregational meeting, we will vote to approve the budget for June 2019 to July 2020.

Save the dates:

·         Tuesday June 9: Lunch Bunch meets at Coco’s, 11:45am, just for fun

·         Sharing Musical (and artistic) Gifts in Worship: Would you like to share a meaningful song, or instrumental music, or poem, or photos, or dance, or…?  Our suggested theme is: “Our Rainbow of Creativity”.  Starting June 23 through the summer, the choir is on break and your gifts for worship will be most appreciated.  Jessica can support musical endeavors.

Ongoing

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! *During the summer, we may cancel Bible Study on weeks when regulars are traveling.  Call, email or text Pastor Terry if you’re not sure.

·         The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Finally Comes the Poet—Daring Speech for Proclamation by Walter Brueggemann.  Brueggemann tells us that the Christian gospel can be too often preached with excessive certitude which can reduce it to coercive, debilitating pietism that can mask the text’s meaning.  He proposes an alternative voice that is artistic, poetic, and dramatic.  Come join the discussion.  We’ll meet on June 26th to discuss Chapters 3 & 4.  We’ll meet at the Hill household.  Please call or email at 714-693-0261 or jandkhill@mac.com for directions.

BCUCC News for Sunday, June 16, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday June 16: Worship at 10am.  Music Appreciation Sunday!  Theme: “What We Value”. Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-3, Mark 12:13-17.  And there’s more.  Happy Father’s Day!  New members will be joining our church today.

·         Tuesday June 18:  Church Council meets at 7pm in Joshua Tree Room.

·         Saturday June 22: OC Pride Parade and celebration.  A number of UCC churches will be marching together.  Join the Parade and celebrate inclusive welcome with us!  Do you have an idea for a unifying theme for our group in the parade?  Let’s make it happen!

·         Have you pledged to support our church?  You have probably received a pledge letter; extra letters will be in your bulletin this Sunday.  Your support makes church happen.  Large commitments and small help us plan a faithful and responsible budget, so we can fulfill our mission. Your presence and participation matters.  

·         Electronic Giving makes your giving and church accounting easy.  You can sign up for the tested and trustworthy UCC electronic giving service to transfer money from your credit card, debit card, checking or savings account, weekly, monthly or one time.  It only takes a couple minutes to set up.  Go to breaucc.org, and click the “donate” link in the upper right corner. 

·         Sunday June 30: At a short congregational meeting, we will vote to approve the budget for June 2019 to July 2020.

·         The UCC offers an online daily devotional that sometimes has a refreshing take on traditional scripture passages.  You can subscribe by email here: https://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional, or scroll down the page to view entries in your browser.

·         Sharing Musical (and artistic) Gifts in Worship: Would you like to share a meaningful song, or instrumental music, or poem, or photos, or dance, or…?  Our suggested theme is: “Our Rainbow of Creativity”.  Starting June 23 through the summer, the choir is on break and your gifts for worship will be most appreciated.  Jessica can support musical endeavors.

·         The Lord’s Prayer in Worship. – a note from Pastor Terry, on behalf of the Worship Team (Karen Hill, Shannon Clay, Ann Marshall, Jessica Cosley)
      The order of our worship– which parts of the service happen when– has changed significantly over the past year or so.  Most of those changes seem to be working well.  Several months ago, BCC’s Worship Team decided to move the Lord’s Prayer in worship from its spot after the pastoral prayer to a slot early in the service.  This was done so that children (who usually exit for Sunday School) could participate in a meaningful part of our worship that would be accessible to them.  It’s working!  We hear children reciting the Lord’s Prayer with us.  At the same time, a number of adults miss that prayerful feeling they got from the Lord’s Prayer when they said it after the Pastoral Prayer, later in the service.   To aid in the transition from announcements to reverent worship, I have recently started offering short reflections leading into the Gathering Song. We can’t please all the people all the time.  Try the Lord’s Prayer as it is for a little while longer, then if you still really long for its old role as the close of the pastoral prayer, let someone on the worship team know.  

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi is now on hiatus through the summer.

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! 

·         The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Finally Comes the Poet—Daring Speech for Proclamation by Walter Brueggemann.  Brueggemann tells us that the Christian gospel can be too often preached with excessive certitude which can reduce it to coercive, debilitating pietism that can mask the text’s meaning.  He proposes an alternative voice that is artistic, poetic, and dramatic.  Come join the discussion.  We’ll meet on June 26th to discuss Chapters 3 & 4.  We’ll meet at the Hill household.  Please call or email at 714-693-0261 or jandkhill@mac.com for directions.

BCUCC News for Sunday, June 9, 2019

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday June 9: Worship at 10am.  Theme: “Church in the Spirit”. Scripture: Acts 2:1-18. 

·         Help us celebrate Pentecost June 9 by wearing red, in honor of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church.

·         Sharing Musical (and artistic) Gifts in Worship: Would you like to share a meaningful song, or instrumental music, or poem, or photos, or dance, or…?  Our suggested theme is: “Our Rainbow of Creativity”.  Starting June 23 through the summer, the choir is on break and your gifts will be most appreciated.  Jessica can support musical endeavors.

·         June 22: OC Pride Parade and celebration.  A number of UCC churches will be marching together.  Join the Parade and celebrate inclusive welcome with us!  Do you have an idea for a unifying theme for our group in the parade?  Let’s make it happen!

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi is now on hiatus through the summer.

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! 

·         The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Finally Comes the Poet—Daring Speech for Proclamation by Walter Brueggemann.  Brueggemann tells us that the Christian gospel can be too often preached with excessive certitude which can reduce it to coercive, debilitating pietism that can mask the text’s meaning.  He proposes an alternative voice that is artistic, poetic, and dramatic.  Come join the discussion.  We’ll meet on June 26th to discuss Chapters 3 & 4.  We’ll meet at the Hill household.  Please call or email at 714-693-0261 or jandkhill@mac.com for directions.


UCC churches, clergy reach out in response after tornadoes in Ohio, Kansas

 (Excerpt from UCC News)

            Every day for the last two weeks of May, people in some part of the United States were living under a threat of tornadoes. In Ohio, a number of twisters touched down, converging on the Dayton area. An extremely powerful storm tore through communities in Kansas. In both ravaged locales, members of the United Church of Christ jumped to action to help impacted neighbors and strangers, soon to be friends.

            The Rev. David Zerby, disaster response coordinator for the Ohio Conference UCC, teamed up with the Rev. Carl Robinson from the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association (SONKA) and Jay McMillen, senior pastor of Shiloh Church UCC, to coordinate initial assistance in Southern Ohio. On May 24, a string of 13 tornadoes ripped through Dayton and several burgs. Shiloh Church sits right in the middle of the devastated area and quickly became a distribution point.

            Zerby, on behalf of the Ohio Conference, delivered more than 100 cleanup buckets and over 400 hygiene kits to Shiloh early Thursday, May 27. By early evening, most were gone.

            “We started a distribution of items this morning at 10,” McMillen said Thursday evening. “We only have 10 buckets left and only 16 hygiene kits left for tomorrow.”

Winds of up to 140 mph tore homes from their foundations, ripped off roofs and downed thousands of trees around Dayton. More than 200 people were treated for injuries. Power is still out in some spots. McMillen said local groups are traveling around with grills and food to feed community members, with one being stationed at Shiloh Church for some time on Thursday. The injury claim compensation is what you need in case you need legal help.

            “We are becoming a hub [for assistance] with three to four organizations and churches that will continue to bring supplies to us to serve the Shiloh area and anyone else who needs it,” McMillen said. His church and SONKA are planning a Sunday community worship and meal service, with four congregations, two being UCC. Volunteers, armed with flyers, are out spreading the word today.

            “We will have some extra clergy and have secured a couple of counselors to deal with and trauma that folks may have,” McMillen said. “We are preparing to make at least 1,500 to 2,000 meals using grills and our love to package and share with those that come to the church. We also have vehicles ready to take meals out into the community to distribute.”


            In Lawrence, Kansas, a powerful and extremely large tornado touched down just south of the home of Kansas/Oklahoma Conference Minister Edith Guffey. The May 25 twister, according to the weather service, hit peak winds of 170 mph and was on the ground for more than 30 miles. Guffey and four UCC congregations in the path of the storm are okay. But on Thursday, Guffey visited with the matriarch of one of those churches who lost everything.

            92-year old Cherry McCabria, is a life-long member of St. Paul’s UCC in Eudora, Kansas.

“Many members of that congregation were busy helping her yesterday,” Guffey said. “Her home was destroyed. Her pastor is Shannah McAleer. Shan is supposed to be on sabbatical but was at Cherry’s home visiting and helping clean up. Cherry just told me how she remembered the day she joined the church with her parents, she knew it was something important and the church has indeed been important in her life. She’s in amazing spirits having she lost her home of over 40 years and most of the contents as well.”

“There are also members of Plymouth UCC helping people in Linwood, Kansas,” Guffey continued. “The people they are helping are not members of one of our congregations but that doesn’t really matter, does it? They are doing what the church does – being the church.”