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Worship

We have many worship opportunities including Sunday Traditional Worship service. Learn about Sunday Taizé, Weekdays, Special Occasions, and Meditation services below. Learn how we include those with physical challenges.

Sunday Taizé

When: 9:00am - 9:30am
Where: Sanctuary, and

When: 7:00pm - 7:45pm First Tuesdays
Where: Fellowship Hall

Join in a service of quiet meditation, scripture reading, singing of chants and other simple repetitive hymns or songs, and prayer. A unique feature of Taizé is the substantial silent time for meditation. The third Sunday of each month is generally a communion service. Taizé worship originated with the Taizé community in France.

The Taizé service is planned and led by a lay group from the congregation on a rotating basis. Musical leadership is varied with guitar, organ, hammered dulcimer, and piano employed from one week to the next. The schedule for leadership is maintained by Peg Hulslander and Etta Barksdale. Attendance at the Taize service typically runs between 6 and 20 participants.

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Sunday Traditional Worship

When: 10:30am - 11:45am
Where: Sanctuary

The Traditional service combines elements common in most American Protestant worship services with some elements reflecting particular Community UCC traditions and values. Worshippers speak, sing, and listen, using a bulletin to follow the service and find hymn numbers. The sermon - designed to help congregants focus on some aspect of their faith journey - takes a variety of forms.

We care about who you are on the inside, not what you wear. We suggest children and youth wear clothes they can get messy; in church school we sit on the floor, play games, and create art. Wearing a jacket is a good idea in case we go outside.

While generally presented by the pastor, sermons may be given by a guest, a member or a committee of the church (for example, the Wider Outreach Committee, the Youth Group, the Church School Children, a chancel drama group or the choir). Read a recent sermon entitled Friendship in Christ or another, Coping with Grief. Childcare is available for those aged 3 and younger. Children and youth should check the introduction to the bulletin to find out if they have church school that Sunday.

We worship God together!

The first two segments of worship - We Gather to Worship God and We Listen for God's Word - bring all generations of the congregation together. During a brief welcome and sharing of announcements, everyone is invited to sign the Caring Roll; this is an easy way to learn the names of those seated with you in the pew.

The call to worship, prayer of invocation, and scripture readings occur while the children are present with their families. These are followed by the Children's Time when children gather on the steps of the sanctuary for a short discussion (often with props); parents are welcome to join their children. Children are then dismissed to church school. Those children who prefer to remain in worship with their parents may do so. Worship continues with special instrumental or choral music, additional scripture readings, and the sermon.

We Heed God's Call moves us toward an outward focus with a Ministry Moment which suggests ways to serve in and beyond the church, the collection of financial offerings, and the prayers of the people. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. After worship, we gather in the fellowship hall to meet visitors and to talk with each other; join us for Fair Trade coffee and light snacks!

What time should I plan to arrive?

Arriving 15 minutes early will give you time to locate your children's church school classrooms and allow them to meet "Miss" Anne Bailey. Adults will be able to become familiar with the order of worship in the bulletin and to ask questions so you feel comfortable. We have quiet time in the sanctuary from 10:15-10:30 to prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

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Weekdays

Some of our educational programs include worship as an integral part of the sessions. In small groups and large with a variety of settings and styles, we worship often!

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Special Occasions

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Meditation

The Memorial Meditation Garden on the Wade Avenue side of the sanctuary was created to be a peaceful, beautiful location for private meditation. Designed by Mac Hulslander (a member who is also a landscape designer), the garden combines elements of Japanese landscape design and North Carolina native species. The spot is hallowed by the ashes of some of our members.

Some members find the courtyard near the Peace Pole and the sunny deck behind Pilgrim House to be quiet locations for prayer.

The church sanctuary is open for meditation on Good Friday and at other times of the year. "Centering Prayer" is offered during Advent and Lent.

Earth Sabbath Celebrations

These are interfaith, contemplative and experiential services which utilize community building exercises, readings from many faith traditions, music, video, ritual, movement, chant, guided meditation and other modalities to reach deep into the grief and love we feel for our Earth and help both salve and energize our spirits so we can continue the work of restoration and repair on behalf of all creation. They are held on the 4th Tuesdays of each month in our Fellowship Hall at CUCC from 7-8:30pm. They are co-sponsored by NC Interfaith Power and Light and Community UCC. 

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