Sunday, December 15, 2019
Christmas Cantata - 2019
On December 15, 2019, the combined adult and youth choirs of the church presented the Christmas Cantata "Joy Has Dawned: A Christmas Musical".
Youth Choir - "No Time"
The youth choir sang "No Time" as part of the program when the Christmas Cantata was presented on December 15, 2019.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Canticle of the Turning - Dec. 8, 2019
The Canticle of the Turning was performed on December 8, 2019, by Julia Robertson and Mike Schafale in conjunction with the children's Christmas pageant.
Christmas Pageant - December 8, 2019
The 2019 Christmas pageant was presented on December 8 by a large cast of children and youth, a few adults, and one baby. The Christmas pageant is a long-standing tradition at CUCC, and the director for the production again this year was Anne Bailey Zschau. The production for this season ran about 20 minutes and is shown here in its entirety.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Remembering Cally Rogers-Witte
On November 18, 2019, Pastor Carol Ripley-Moffitt led a conversation about the life of Cally during a meeting of the weekly Monday Lunch Group at the church. Others in the church were invited, and together with the visitors we had 22 people in attendance that day.
Here we have an edited version of that conversation during which people reflected and shared stories about Cally's time at CUCC. The conversation is a bit chaotic at times with multiple people talking at the same time, but the love and respect for Cally is manifest in this dialog. Those sharing reflections include (more or less in order) ...
- Nancy Newell
- Carol Ripley-Moffitt
- Judy Smallwood
- John Little
- Peg Hulslander
- Lavon Page
- Geraldine Bryan
- Roger Manus
- Carol Kepler
- Bill Lamb
- Betty Ann Ford
- Vandy Bradow
Download audio
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Reception for Bill and Marty Lamb's 50th Anniversary
On July 28, 2019, a celebration was held following worship in honor of the 50t wedding anniversary of Bill and Marty Lamb.
A video of the worship service is also available.
A video of the worship service is also available.
Worship Honoring Bill and Marty Lamb
On July 28, 2019, the 10:30 worship service honored the 50th wedding anniversary of Bill and Marty Lamb. Santi Matthews gave the homily. An edited version of the service is shown here. (This video as all YouTube videos can be viewed full screen via the expander button in the bottom right corner of the video.)
A video of the reception and party that followed the service is also available.
A video of the reception and party that followed the service is also available.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Geraldine Bryan Reads Scripture
Geraldine Bryan has been a spiritual leader at Community UCC for more than 50 years. In this video Geraldine introduces and reads a scripture passage during the 10:30 worship service on July 14, 2019.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Rev. James A. Forbes, Jr. at Community UCC
This video may also be viewed directly at YouTube: https://youtu.be/c8TdHUKPf9c
A biography of Rev. Forbes is available at The HistoryMakers.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award May 26, 2019
Nancy Newell and Betty Anne Ford
Thirty-seven years ago, Betty Anne Ford and Nancy Newell co-founded Loaves and Fishes, an after-school program for students with academic difficulties considered "at risk." What started as a summer program for kids and their families who lived in the Halifax Court housing project would, through the efforts of these two women, become a year-round after school program for needy kids throughout Raleigh. Loaves and Fishes required extraordinary effort from the outset and its success took immense amounts of energy and caring for the needs of Raleigh's underprivileged children. While Nancy and Betty Anne have received accolades from many places, their attention and focus always remained on the children. Now mostly retired from Loaves and Fishes, they are eager to join William Barber's Poor People's Campaign.
Don and Shirley Birt
Don and Shirley Birt moved to North Carolina from Vermont in 1995, after having lived there for 18 years. They have two children. Their son David lives in Denmark and works for the UN High Commission on Refugees. David is married and has a son Cailen. Their daughter Lara lives in Holly Springs with her husband and their daughter Glenna. Don and Shirley have been married since 1963. They live in Holly Springs, N.C.
Don describes his journey as a social activist as being a natural progression. He was trained in theology at Andover Newton Seminary and was a pastor while also focusing on work with the laity, with neighborhood organizations, and urban ministry. He began working full time with the state and then federal courts systems in New York, focusing on pretrial services and bail investigations for release. He claims significant influence by Harvey Cox, especially his world view on how the church lives in the world. He believes that what we do in the world can make a huge difference. He has his Doctorate in Theology and in Sociology.
Shirley says that her world view took root in her college experience. She has become fascinated over the years with how people evolve from infancy to adulthood, and how their experiences effect their belief system. She has spent the majority of her work and volunteer life teaching in various capacities, from preschool teaching to group work at the YWCA in Boston, from the classroom to correctional facilities. She has experienced political decision making at the local school board and city planning level. Shirley has her Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Public Policy.
Sue Woodling
Sue has two sons and lives in Raleigh. She is the chair of Lutheran Peace Fellowship and has been to Central America as a Witness for Peace. Cy and Carolyn’s long-standing support for justice for the Palestinians gave Sue the impetus to pursue this important issue. She currently is a member of AIME (Abrahamic Initiative on the Middle East). The purpose of AIME is to develop and amplify a strong, local interfaith voice working for a just and sustainable peace in Palestine-Israel.
In 2015 Sue reached out to friends in the peace community and they came together to form Campaign Nonviolence NC which is a part of the Campaign Nonviolence movement-- a long-term movement to mainstream nonviolence and to foster a culture of peace. This movement was launched nationwide in 2014. Campaign Nonviolence NC envisions a culture of nonviolence that includes connecting the often separate efforts for change. It actively connects the dots between war, poverty, the climate crisis, and the epidemic of violence and works to solve these issues in an integral way.
Thirty-seven years ago, Betty Anne Ford and Nancy Newell co-founded Loaves and Fishes, an after-school program for students with academic difficulties considered "at risk." What started as a summer program for kids and their families who lived in the Halifax Court housing project would, through the efforts of these two women, become a year-round after school program for needy kids throughout Raleigh. Loaves and Fishes required extraordinary effort from the outset and its success took immense amounts of energy and caring for the needs of Raleigh's underprivileged children. While Nancy and Betty Anne have received accolades from many places, their attention and focus always remained on the children. Now mostly retired from Loaves and Fishes, they are eager to join William Barber's Poor People's Campaign.
 |
| Sue Woodling, Shirley and Don Birt |
Don and Shirley Birt moved to North Carolina from Vermont in 1995, after having lived there for 18 years. They have two children. Their son David lives in Denmark and works for the UN High Commission on Refugees. David is married and has a son Cailen. Their daughter Lara lives in Holly Springs with her husband and their daughter Glenna. Don and Shirley have been married since 1963. They live in Holly Springs, N.C.
Don describes his journey as a social activist as being a natural progression. He was trained in theology at Andover Newton Seminary and was a pastor while also focusing on work with the laity, with neighborhood organizations, and urban ministry. He began working full time with the state and then federal courts systems in New York, focusing on pretrial services and bail investigations for release. He claims significant influence by Harvey Cox, especially his world view on how the church lives in the world. He believes that what we do in the world can make a huge difference. He has his Doctorate in Theology and in Sociology.
Shirley says that her world view took root in her college experience. She has become fascinated over the years with how people evolve from infancy to adulthood, and how their experiences effect their belief system. She has spent the majority of her work and volunteer life teaching in various capacities, from preschool teaching to group work at the YWCA in Boston, from the classroom to correctional facilities. She has experienced political decision making at the local school board and city planning level. Shirley has her Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Public Policy.
Sue Woodling
Sue has two sons and lives in Raleigh. She is the chair of Lutheran Peace Fellowship and has been to Central America as a Witness for Peace. Cy and Carolyn’s long-standing support for justice for the Palestinians gave Sue the impetus to pursue this important issue. She currently is a member of AIME (Abrahamic Initiative on the Middle East). The purpose of AIME is to develop and amplify a strong, local interfaith voice working for a just and sustainable peace in Palestine-Israel.
In 2015 Sue reached out to friends in the peace community and they came together to form Campaign Nonviolence NC which is a part of the Campaign Nonviolence movement-- a long-term movement to mainstream nonviolence and to foster a culture of peace. This movement was launched nationwide in 2014. Campaign Nonviolence NC envisions a culture of nonviolence that includes connecting the often separate efforts for change. It actively connects the dots between war, poverty, the climate crisis, and the epidemic of violence and works to solve these issues in an integral way.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award
On July 3, 2012, the Church Council voted to establish the Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award as a repeating event. Subsequently, the award has been given annually by the Social Justice Ministry.
The text of the resolution passed by Council is given here.
Resolution establishing the Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award
Honorees
2012: Carolyn and Cyrus King, inaugural winners and award namesakes
2013: Sandy and Deane Irving; Marjorie Eckels
2014: Bill Towe; Slater Newman; Peg and Mac Hulslander
2015: Judy Occhetti-Klohr and Leo Klohr; Rev. Collins Kilburn
2016: Patrick O'Neal and Mary Rider; Jane Hunt
2017: Alan and Ruth Reberg; Joan McAllister
2018: Lib Hutchby; Adrienne and John Little; John Paar
2019: Betty Anne Ford and Nancy Newell; Don and Shirley Birt; Sue Woodling
The text of the resolution passed by Council is given here.
Resolution establishing the Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award
Honorees
2012: Carolyn and Cyrus King, inaugural winners and award namesakes
2013: Sandy and Deane Irving; Marjorie Eckels
2014: Bill Towe; Slater Newman; Peg and Mac Hulslander
2015: Judy Occhetti-Klohr and Leo Klohr; Rev. Collins Kilburn
2016: Patrick O'Neal and Mary Rider; Jane Hunt
2017: Alan and Ruth Reberg; Joan McAllister
2018: Lib Hutchby; Adrienne and John Little; John Paar
2019: Betty Anne Ford and Nancy Newell; Don and Shirley Birt; Sue Woodling
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Ed Klemmer Memorial Service
A memorial service for Ed Klemmer was held at Community UCC on February 11, 2019. The video of the service is available here in two versions. The first is an edited version which removes all congregational singing and spoken comments from members of the congregation. All words spoken from the pulpit are retained. The second is the complete service. Ed's obituary from the Raleigh News & Observer is further down on this page.
Ed Klemmer Obituary (from the Raleigh N&O)
July 22, 1924 - February 3, 2019
Cary
With great sadness the family of Edmund Theophilus Klemmer announces his death, at age 94, at his residence in Glenaire retirement community.
Edmund was born in Boston, MA, and raised in Fair Lawn, NJ; graduating from Eastside HS, Paterson, NJ. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY, and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, NY. Edmund served as a fire control officer in the US Navy aboard the USS West Virginia in the Pacific.
Edmund's civilian career began at David Taylor Model Basin, Carderock, MD. In 1957, he joined the research team at IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY and then, in 1962 moved to human factors engineering research at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ and Holmdel, NJ. After retiring from Bell Labs in 1982, he worked as an ergonomics consultant to various research firms, and at IBM, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Ed met and married Ruth Anna Rickers at Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, DC. They had two children. The family especially enjoyed travelling and skiing together. Ed also enjoyed playing tennis, organizing new leagues each time the family moved. Working for peace and social justice was a moral imperative for Ed, and he invested great energy and resources toward those objectives.
Edmund was predeceased by his son, Paul Edmund Klemmer, and by his wife of 62 years, Ruth. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Klemmer Brown and her husband Sanford Brown of NJ; granddaughter Kimberly Ruth Brown and her wife Kimberly Borne of NC; grandsons Daniel Walter Brown of DE and Keith Edmund Brown of NJ.
A memorial service will be held on February 11, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Community United Church of Christ, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Community United Church of Christ, Citizens for Global Solutions, or the charity of your choice.
Published in The News & Observer from Feb. 7 to Feb. 10, 2019
Edited Version (40 minutes) (Also available on Vimeo)
Filmed by Lavon Page
Complete Version (62 minutes) (Also available on Vimeo)
Filmed by Lavon Page
Ed Klemmer Obituary (from the Raleigh N&O)
July 22, 1924 - February 3, 2019
Cary
Edmund was born in Boston, MA, and raised in Fair Lawn, NJ; graduating from Eastside HS, Paterson, NJ. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY, and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, NY. Edmund served as a fire control officer in the US Navy aboard the USS West Virginia in the Pacific.
Edmund's civilian career began at David Taylor Model Basin, Carderock, MD. In 1957, he joined the research team at IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY and then, in 1962 moved to human factors engineering research at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ and Holmdel, NJ. After retiring from Bell Labs in 1982, he worked as an ergonomics consultant to various research firms, and at IBM, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Ed met and married Ruth Anna Rickers at Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, DC. They had two children. The family especially enjoyed travelling and skiing together. Ed also enjoyed playing tennis, organizing new leagues each time the family moved. Working for peace and social justice was a moral imperative for Ed, and he invested great energy and resources toward those objectives.
Edmund was predeceased by his son, Paul Edmund Klemmer, and by his wife of 62 years, Ruth. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Klemmer Brown and her husband Sanford Brown of NJ; granddaughter Kimberly Ruth Brown and her wife Kimberly Borne of NC; grandsons Daniel Walter Brown of DE and Keith Edmund Brown of NJ.
A memorial service will be held on February 11, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Community United Church of Christ, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Community United Church of Christ, Citizens for Global Solutions, or the charity of your choice.
Published in The News & Observer from Feb. 7 to Feb. 10, 2019