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| Christian Spirituality Book Group
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Pastor Elane leads a Christian Spirituality Book Group at Barnes & Noble on Almaden Expwy (at Blossom Hill). It meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
| In March, they'll meet just once, on March 26. The book is Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris. |
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| March 1st, 2008 |
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead this Saturday night!
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 Like the spring colors? Tulips and irises dot the neighborhood, so in this newsletter we had to celebrate the coming of spring's new life.
Reformer Martin Luther (the 16th century monk, not the 20th century pastor), famously wrote, "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in
books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time."
I might add, "and not just in every leaf, but in every life."
I have never known anyone incapable of new life. No one is beyond redemption. No one is doomed. And no one, not one, is past the point of receiving Jesus' promise of new life through him and his Way. In the same manner that even the darkest, coldest, most depressing day of winter finally gives way to the first brave flower, so the darkness that threatens to quench your soul's light cannot stand thick in the way of the True Vine.
That is the Easter promise, of course: a life abundant, in the next life and in this one. The rock wasn't rolled from the tomb to let Jesus out. The rock was rolled from the tomb to let his disciples in. We are invited by Christ into new life, every year, every day, every moment.
I cannot urge you enough to come to the Holy Week events, and to bring a friend in need of hope and new life. There is something about walking together through the darkness of Jesus' last days that makes the deliverance of Easter feel not only possible, but inevitable.
Just like the tulips and irises in our 'hood.
Expectantly,
Pastor Elane
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Current Stories and Upcoming Events
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Are you doomed...?
 ...to failure? ...to fear?
Come to Worship between February 24th and March 16th and learn how
through Christ, you are assured of abundant life and are far from
doomed!
Sundays, 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary
February 24: Doomed to faking it?
March 2: Doomed to futility?
March 9: Doomed to fear?
March 16: Doomed to failure?
And, on March 23: Delivered! Bring a friend to our Easter celebration -- and to the possibility of new life!
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Dive - March 5th
 Join your brothers and sisters in another first Wednesday deep Worship service of music, prayer, and contemplation. This is
an opportunity to dive deep into the heart of God with your brothers
and sisters in Christ and
spend quality time with the God who spent quality time with us in the
incarnation of Jesus.
Starting at 7:30 PM, we
will hang out together, sing together, pray together, hear God's Word
together, and enjoy space and time for individual prayer at the cross.
Bring all of you, to be refreshed by all of Him
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Holy Week -- Remembering the Last Days
Palm Sunday (March 16): Worship at 10 AM
On this day the Church
celebrates Christ's entrance into Jerusalem
to accomplish his divine task. "Entrance" is the key. We enter into Jerusalem with Christ. We
enter into our holiest week. We enter into our final preparation for the Easter
feast. The Gospel proclaimed on this day is one of the accounts of the betrayal
and crucifixion of Christ.
The
Easter Triduum
Holy
Thursday evening through Easter Sunday morning, we remember the three days when
Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. This three-day event dates from the third
century of Jesus followers.
Holy Thursday (March 20): Meal & Worship at 6:30 PM
The Remembrance of the Last
Supper is a meal of communion: with each other, with Christ, and with the
ancient memory that it is Christ that unites us in one body. We hear and heed
Jesus' admonition to remember him, and to serve one another.
Good Friday (March 21): Experiential Worship at 7:30 PM
Good
Friday
is a day of fasting and prayer. When we worship, there are no greetings,
opening songs, processions, or alleluias. We simply come to experience those
moments of passionate love of Jesus for each of us, and for the world.
Holy Saturday (March 22): Vigil from 9 AM until noon
We gather for a vigil, with
communal prayer, song, and sacred Scripture readings. We are purposefully "keeping awake" at Jesus'
tomb. We gather; we wait; we watch. We wait with the generations of those
longing for Christ to rise from the tomb.
Easter Sunday (March 23): Worship at 10 AM
Jesus
lives, and we are reborn! It is the feast of joy, celebration, and new
beginnings!
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Family Game Night - March 14th
Mark your calendars! Given the rousing success of last December's Campbell UCC Family Night, we are happy to announce another evening of fun-filled fellowship. Everyone is welcome to come hang out in the Sanctuary Friday, March 14th from 6:30 - 9 PM. We'll have a potluck dinner, boardgames, and a movie. |
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Growing Green Ministry Event: Lights Out and Fun On!
 On
31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off
their lights for one hour: Earth Hour. This massive collective effort
reduced Sydney's energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the
equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for one hour. Inspired
by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global
cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a
global movement. You can read more about this movement at http://www.earthhour.org.
As
part of this global event on Saturday March 29, 2008 at 8 pm, we will
be turning out the lights at Campbell UCC! Join us for an hour of
candlelight, contemplation, stargazing, and fun! More details soon! |
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Recital - Sunday, March 30th
The teaching arm of the Campbell UCC Music Ministry will present a recital immediately after Worship on Sunday, March 30th. Please stick around after Coffee and Conversation and support our students! For more information, please contact Cheryl Forest Morganson at 415-902-1276.
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Hats 'n Chat - March 31st
Calling all knitters (and wannabe knitters)!
Before the weather warms up too much, let's get a head start on knitting hats to give the men of the Montgomery Street shelter in their Christmas bags. On Monday March 31 from 7pm to 9 or so in the Fireside Room, there will be yarn, needles, patterns and experienced instructors available. Rumor has it cookies and lively conversation are also likely. Bring the whole family! Questions? Call Susan Hough at 737-8192 or e-mail susan@campbellucc.org. |
E-waste Collection and Recycling Opportunities
On Saturday, April 19th between 9 AM and
1 PM, bring all of your E-waste to the church and drop it off to be recycled! Material to be recycled includes things like old computers,
monitors, computer peripherals, microwaves, TV sets, VCRs, and telephones. This event will be the first of three planned e-waste collection days occuring at Campbell UCC this year. Everything collected will go to Pride
Industries, which takes everything apart and recycles up to 98% of the collected material.
In addition, you can always bring your
old batteries (up to size 'D'), CDs, DVDs, Cell Phones, Ink-jet and Laser-jet
Cartridges, and Laptop and Cell Phone Batteries to the church office for recycling.
Praise Report! The Growing Green Ministry wants to thank all of you in
helping to recycle things here at the church.
We have managed to reduce our trash by almost 70% in the last few
months. Because of the screen in the
Sanctuary, we have reduced the number of bulletins we print each week, and by
emailing the newsletter we have reduced the amount of paper even more. Additionally, Faith King has devoted some of the time she volunteers in the main office to getting the church off of unnecessary mailing lists. Her efforts have reduced the amount of incoming mail that would otherwise be immediately disposed of.
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Ongoing Ministries and Opportunities
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Women's Ongoing Ministries
Faithful Followers
The Faithful Followers women's group wants you. Leadership rotates for this group, but it always meets on Sunday evenings at 6:30 in the Fireside Room. All women are welcome. For more information, contact Teresa Lewis (Keeper of the Book) at tlewis959@sbcglobal.net
Isabel CircleIsabel Circle is our longstanding ministry for sage and seasoned
women. The ladies will meet on Tuesday, March 11, at 1 p.m. in the
Fireside Room. Please contact Jo Mary Keith at 378-8110 or Evelyn
Brooks at 252-6668 for information.
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Youth Group Update Youth in junior high and high school are welcome to come Sunday evenings from 6 - 8 PM for food, fellowship, faith and fun! Please contact Larry Edson at 408-379-4158 for more information, or to help the kids grow in maturity in Christ. |
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Tuesday night Bible study Our Bible study meets Tuesdays from 6:30-7:45 at Pastors Elane and Bran's home in Willow Glen. Right now they're reading the 4 gospel tellings of Holy Week. It's food for the body and the soul! Contact Pastor Elane or Pastor Bran for location and info.
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The
Worship Team needs YOU!
Come learn about all those fancy-schmancy dials and
levers in the back of the Sanctuary! We are looking for people to operate our
sound and visual projection systems during Worship. No
experience is necessary; we'll teach you all that you need to know.
If
you are interested in volunteering or know someone who might fit the bill,
please contact John Rodgers at 378-4418 or by email.
We are also looking for creative people to help
develop Worship art and graphics. It would be helpful if you knew a
little about PowerPoint or had experience with any major graphics program.
People with strong visual or artistic skills who are unafraid of learning are
also most welcome! Contact Pastor Elane
for information. |
Come join the Music Ministry!
Lift your voices and hands in praise of God! Instrumentalists and vocalists - regardless of skill or experience - are welcome to join Campbell UCC's Music Ministry. For details, please contact Cheryl at music@campbellucc.org.
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Real Faith for Real Life
Jesus's resurrection makes it
impossible for man's story to end in chaos - it has to move inexorably
towards light, towards life, towards love. - Carlo Carretto
Christianity is in its very essence a
resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart.
If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed. - John R. Stott
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