The Nurturing Community: We … support social climates in which human communities are maintained and strengthened for the sake of all persons and their growth. We also encourage all individuals to be sensitive to others by using appropriate language when referring to all persons. Language of a derogatory nature (with regard to race, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexuality, and physical differences) does not reflect value for one another and contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Redemption of Scrooge – Love

CUC is fortunate to have Rev. Kristin Heiden speaking to us this Sunday on the next lesson in the “Redemption of Scrooge – Love”. Kristin always has a wonderful lesson!

CUC Refreshments
Be sure to thank Ann & Larry Douglas and Judy & Sieg Hoogstraal who are providing the CUC refreshments this Sunday.

CUC Attendance
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Total 97
93 members, 2 visitors and 2 teachers

CUC Christmas Party
Thanks so much to the members of the Social Committee, Donna & Vince Grosse chairmen, Patricia Mashburn for table decorations,and Jeff Coelho, for doing the entertainment, providing a wonderful CUC Christmas Party for 106 of our members!

Christmas Choir Concerts
Christmas Festival Concerts are this Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, at 3 p.m. The concerts will feature the RUMC Sanctuary Choir, Georgia Philharmonic, Celebration Ringers, and organist Tom Alderman.

Christmas and New Years CUC schedule
CUC will not be meeting on either Christmas Day or New Years Day

Christmas Open House
A Christmas Open House will be held on Saturday, December 17th at Nancy and Johnie Wright’s house, starting at 6PM. Bring a small hors d’oeuvre or dessert.

Carpool if possible due to limited parking. Please let the Wrights know if you plan to attend.

Candler Speaker Series
Join us this coming Wednesday, December 14, for the final speaker of the Fall 2016 special speaker series. With support from the RUMC Foundation, we have had top biblical and Methodist scholars participate.

This speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Brent Strawn, who joined the Candler faculty in 2001 as professor of the Old Testament. Strawn conducts research in ancient Near Eastern iconography, the Dead Sea Scrolls,Israelite religion, legal traditions of the Old Testament, and Old Testament theology. Within the Old Testament proper, he works in the Pentateuch and poetry, focusing especially on Deuteronomy, the Psalms, and theological exegesis.

Save the Date!
Save the date of February 5 for a CUC Super Bowl Party!

RUMC Name Tags
If you ordered a church name tag and have not received it, it is available for pick up at the Welcome Center in Building A on Sunday mornings. At other times of the week you can be retrieve it from the Church Office in Building B. If your name tag cannot be found, contact Patty Hampton at 770-261-1767. She will determine if it has been ordered or if a new order should be placed.

Job Networking
This coming Monday, December 12, there will be a “Mini” Job Fair Plus 11 Afternoon Workshops, Dinner, and Evening Workshops in case you know of anyone seeking employment.

A Homestretch Success Story
Beatrice Kibera (Lester) who was one of the Homestretch clients that CUC nurtured in the Homestretch program has really been a real success story. Beatrice came to the Homestretch program as a homeless single mother with two small daughters.

She was an exceptional participant in the program – always on time for meetings, developed her own budget, and planned ahead for possible challenges. She truly understood the value of the program. She made a presentation to the CUC class during that period of time.

After graduating from Homestretch, she was accepted in the Habitat program and after fulfilling all the requirements moved into her own home on Highway 9 close to Forsyth County. A couple of years later, she fulfilled all the requirements and became a citizen of the US. She will graduate from Kennesaw State on December 13.

Help for Red Bird Missions
Thanks again to CUC members who clip coupons to benefit the school at Red Bird Mission, a Methodist community ministering to needy people in rural Kentucky. CUC can do so much good for Red Bird Mission with so little effort.
Each of the 242 Box Tops for Education sent this week from CUC by Betty Hunt is worth only ten cents, but added to others coming from around the USA they will make a difference. These coupons result in cash for items not included in the school budget. Last year they paid for Ipads for students who finished the year with perfect attendance.
Although the Labels for Education coupons will be phased out as of July 31, 2017, they are accepted until then and are still found on products other than Campbell soups. Our coupons sent in this week equaled 65 points. They will help with the 200,00 points still needed to reach the goal of 1,500,000 points for a minivan. Students live far from public schools and need transportation to the mission school.

Please do look for these coupons on household products. A list of products were sent as an attachment two weeks ago. Caution: Labels for Education must include the bar code part. 26 Labels could not be sent because they did not have the bar code.

Prayer Requests

• Mike Ewing for comfort in his loss of Joanne
• LaVerne Lamb for pain relief and good recovery following shoulder surgery
• Caryn Woodison for improvement of health problems
• Betty Williams discharged home following a hospital stay this past week
• Barbara Davis is in Northside Forsyth with complications from her blood clot.

Ongoing CUC Prayer Requests

• Pat Peterson , Linda Temples, and Barbara Davis as they continue to deal with health problems
• Frank and Betty Magaro at Brookdale – Neese Road Assisted Living, Woodstock

Please pray for needs expressed and unexpressed for friends and relatives of CUC class members who are facing illnesses, loss of loved ones, and difficult decisions at this time.

Birthdays

• none

Anniversaries

• Sharon & Tom Erdman – December 13, 1959 – 57 years !

Calendar Reminders

• December 9 – 7:30 Christmas Festival Concert
• December 11– 3:00 Christmas Festival Concert
• December 13 – 7:00PM – Service of Remembrance
• December 17 – Wright’s Christmas Open House
• December 18 – 3:00 –11th Annual Messiah Sing-a-Long
• February 5, 2017 – CUC Super Bowl Party
• November 1,2,and 3, 2017 – CUC Annual Retreat- Winshape Center, Berry College