Children's Sunday School Projects

Thanks to the bequest of CUCC member Art Eckels, the children’s program at CUCC has had a consistent component of teaching justice. The Community Outreach Ministry was given the privilege of discerning how to use Art’s gift to further CUCC’s “working for social justice” mission. In the fall of 2002, they decided to split his gift: half for a Habitat for Humanity house and half as seed money for a staff person to “encourage the growth of CUCC’s children and youth as the next generation of justice people.” (Read a story about the seed money and a thunderstorm.) The congregation acknowledged this generous gift in passing the 2003 budget.

Anne Bailey Zschau arrived at CUCC in March 2003 and has been serving as the Children’s Sunday School Coordinator ever since, building into the children’s program experiences working for justice with their talents and their money.* Through the Rotation Church School program, CUCC’s children had been involved in service projects connected thematically to each rotation, but Anne Bailey’s innovation was to invite them to vote from a short list of options to select their service projects. At first the children voted for a new project every few months. Over time, they settled into a spring, summer, and fall project rhythm. Some years the children voted to continue their support of the same service project for another semester. We aren’t sure what year the voting began, but we know it was in place by 2007.

Full document: Children's Sunday School Justice Projects
(compiled by Jane Smith, August 2016, updated October 2017)

Welcoming Sunday - 2016

Welcoming Sunday is held in early September each year. It's sort of a kick-off event for the beginning of fall and the end of summer.  Susan Maleszweski, Nancy Stoddard, and Sue Cottle headed up a magnificent kitchen crew that supplied and coordinated the food for the event. And many of the church ministries staffed information and activity tables. More than 90 people attended the event.

These photos are from September 11, 2016. You can click the little expander button at the bottom of the slideshow (4 arrows pointing outward) to view the slide show in full screen mode.

Religious Freedom and Events of the Week - July 10, 2016

Rev. Peg Williams and Karen Withem presented the sermon on July 10, 2016. Karen reflected on her Baha’i faith and integrating it into her life in Community UCC.

During the previous week there were national reported shootings by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that took the lives of 5 policemen in Dallas. Pastor Peg commented extensively on the national dialog regarding this violence.

The Good Samaritan (for children)

Pastor Peg Williams shared a version of the story of the good Samaritan with the children on July 10, 2016.

Maggie Leidheiser-Stoddard ordination - June 11, 2016

On June 11, Maggie Stoddard (now Maggie Leidheiser-Stoddard) was ordained into the Episcopal Ministry in Cincinnati OH.  Here are some photos of the ceremony. Maggie grew up in Community UCC as the daughter of Nancy and Skip Stoddard.

Click any photo to browse through enlarged views of the photos

Congolese Singing

Members of our community of Congolese sang during 10:30 worship on June 5, 2016.

Sermon for Children - June 5, 1016

Anne Bailey Zschau and Bill Lamb presented the children's sermon on June 5, 2016.