March 17, 2024

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

🍀St. Patrick's Day🍀

CHRIST CONGREGATIONAL UCC

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP IN THE GARDEN CHAPEL

10:30 AM

JOIN US FROM ANYWHERE ON FACEBOOK LIVE

WORSHIP RESOURCES BELOW

WORSHIP BULLETIN

HYMNS

"Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross"

"In the Bulb There Is a Flower"

"I Am Yours, O Lord"

Sheet Music is here! Remember to click. Special Music links too!

SPECIAL MUSIC

""What Wondrous Love Is This"

""Open Our Eyes"

“WELCOME!"

We are so glad you are here!”

As we enter our church, as we live as members, as we experience important life-cycle events (falling in love, marrying, parenting, baptism, coming out, transitioning, etc.), words of welcome and support, understanding and love are what we all long for. This manifestation of God’s Extravagant Welcome and the justice and social witness that accompany it are the heart of what we hope to show our community and all who walk through the doors of Christ Congregational United Church of Christ.

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

March 15, 2024

Bianca's You Better Bee-lieve It Corner

📚Dive Deeper into Justice and Equity! 📚

Following the thought-provoking insights shared by Harold Ford from the NAACP at our recent Justice Luncheon, we're excited to offer you a curated list of recommended books and further reading to continue your exploration of these crucial topics.

Explore these titles handpicked by Harold Ford himself to deepen your understanding of justice, equity, and social change. From insightful analyses to inspiring narratives, each book offers valuable perspectives and insights to empower us on our journey towards a more just and inclusive society.

We're also including an upcoming NAACP event, for anyone interested in attending!

Let's keep the conversation going and the momentum strong as we educate ourselves and advocate for positive change together!  #JusticeandEquity #RecommendedReading #CommunityEngagement

Recommended Readings from the Justice Luncheon

For greater understanding of the plight of the BIPOC community, it is imperative that you

immerse yourselves in historical information that demonstrates how we arrived to this

point and the pivotal role the United States Government played in this effort. Although

these are only a few titles, there are so many more to peruse for your edification. Thank you

for all you do in the fight for Justice.

Initial Resources

• The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein

• The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander

• The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America, Thom

Hartmann

• The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole My Vote, Thom Hartmann

• Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos, Coretta Scott-King

• Holler if You Hear Me, Michael Eric Dyson

• Black Miami in the Twentieth Century, Marvin Dunn

• How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi

• White Fear, Roland Martin

• Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man, Emmanuel Acho

Additional Resources

• Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic, and Angela

Harris

• What Truth Sounds Like, Michael Eric Dyson

• Woke Church, Eric Mason, and John M. Perkins

• The 1619 Project, Nicole Hannah-Jones

• Allow Me to Retort, Ellie Mystal

• Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

• Stamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. Kendi

• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, Beverly Daniel Tatum

• Citizen: An American Lyric, Claudia Rankine

• The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois

CITIZENSHIP DRIVE:

🙏Church Family!🙏

We're excited to announce our upcoming Citizenship Drive, and we're inviting YOU to join us in this noble endeavor!

💒Step into the spirit of service on April 6th from 9:30am to 3pm as we extend our hands in support of aspiring citizens. Whether it's offering guidance, lending a listening ear, or simply sharing a smile, your presence can make a world of difference.

📜Embrace the opportunity to embody the values of compassion and hospitality as we walk alongside our neighbors on their journey to citizenship.

🎉Let's come together as a church family, united in purpose and bound by our commitment to serve others with love and grace.

Flyers will be shared with you soon, please feel free to invite friends, neighbors and family!

Let Bianca know if you want to participate! (Registration to follow!)

JUST Pop Tops!

We are collecting pop tops for a special cause. These pop tops will be donated to support the Ronald McDonald Program, aiding children and families in need. Wondering how your pop tops can make a difference? According to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, these tabs are recycled for dollars that directly support the children and families they serve in their Houses. By contributing, you're playing a part in providing crucial assistance to those in our community who need it most. Let's make this season a time of joy, creativity, and giving!

Join us and be a part of this wonderful initiative—where every pop top collected brings smiles and support to those in our community who can use it most.



If you are interested in purchasing Easter Lilies, please contact Cindy Ketzle. Cost will be $12 each.

Find Us, Like us, Follow Us, and Share Us

on Social Media!

Facebook: Christ Congregational United Church of Christ

Twitter/X: @CCC_UCC

TikTok: @CCC_UCC

YouTube: ChristCongregational-UCC

Instagram: @christcongregationalucc

REMEMBERED IN OUR CONTINUING PRAYERS

Helen Wiley, The family and friends of Carol McCreary, Joan Hansen, Maggie McDowell, Paul LeGrand, Frank Tirb, Joy Reid, Daniel Best, The Family & Friends of Rev. Tom Franzman, Linda Soltys, Abigail Castro, Rocio Tafur-Salgado, Shawnalee Vassell, Mary Ann Dente, Gary Pearson, Rochelle, Theresa Gambrell, Don Warner and Julie Henkel.



For Pastoral Care Needs, please call Pastor Candy directly at 925-640-9289 or you may call and leave a message with the Church Office, 305-235-9381.

Please let Tracy Williams, Administrative Assistant at office@christcongregationalucc.org or Pastor Candy know if you'd like a name included.

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Women's history month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.

125 Influential women

From actresses and entertainers, female authors, pioneers in medicine, science and math, politicians, activists, sports and business, Women have played and continue to play a influential role in society.

CLICK HERE

Why They Walked

Hear from UCC members why they joined week-long “Pilgrimage for Peace” for Gaza.

Join the UCC to Power the Polls

To help encourage election engagement, and to ensure voting happens smoothly in 2024 elections, the United Church of Christ Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is thrilled to continue our partnership with Power the Polls! Poll workers enable the nonpartisan process of our democracy, keep polling locations open and technology working, and help make every voter’s experience a positive and empowering one. Will you consider signing up to be a poll worker today? For more helpful resources on election engagement, please visit the Our Faith Our Vote website.

Sign Up

ACTION ITEMS:

• We are all still reeling from the reports of tragic loss of life and continued atrocities taking place in Israel and Gaza. As we mourn, and pray for those who have lost loved ones, we must call on policymakers to support a Just Peace.

Contact Your Legislators

• Urge Congress to call on the administration to expedite protections and critical supports, including visa processing and access to resettlements, for Afghan refugees.

Act Now

• Register to pray for Peace in the Middle East.

Register Here

• Read the letter that was sent to congress.

Read letter

• Contact your State Senators to urge them to defend our democracy by supporting the For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Protect Voting Rights

Global Ministries offers a weekly prayer for one of our global mission partners. This week's prayer is with Myanmar. To read their mission moment, please click the Global Ministries IMAGE. Below is this week's prayer, united we pray.

Gracious God, the bestower of all good things, we lift up our spirits and cry out to you for thy peace to rain upon Myanmar so that justice and harmony will envelop it steadfastly. We yearn and pray that you hold Myanmar in the embrace of thy grace. Even if the troubles of Myanmar would appear as minor and insignificant in comparison to the bigger conflicts across the world, we fervently pray to you, O Lord, that you make the world community see the people of Myanmar and not overlook their plight and sufferings. Strengthen the Christian community in Myanmar and all across the world so that all of us may be the fitting instruments in thy hands in ushering peace and justice in the war-torn country of Myanmar and other places of strife and violence. Just as in your word we have received today through prophet Jeremiah, write your law in our hearts so that we might know you intimately. May we be thy witnesses to the ends of this world by bearing fruits worthy of our repentance, in and through loving our neighbors as ourselves. We once again commit the people of Myanmar into thy hands and pray to you, our Lord, to bestow thy mercy and peace without them having to wait much longer. In Jesus’ name, we pray – AMEN