Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
Third Sunday of Advent, December 14
"Proof and Pudding"
Have you ever thought that you knew what some person or event was going to be like – and then been completely, utterly surprised? Perhaps a difficult conversation you worried about turned into a wonderful, engaging problem-solving session; a stay in a new city or an unscheduled stop on a trip offers a delightful find and affirming experiences. In this text for the Third Sunday of Advent, the writers of Matthew transform a likely tension between the followers of John and the followers of Jesus by having them affirm one another as gifts from God! Where in our lives have we discovered blessings that came later from initial problems or struggles? We will consider together how our faith can help us work with our challenges in a different context – come join us online or in person for worship at 10:30AM!
Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11
Last week's sermon: redlandsucc.org
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Blue Christmas service, Sunday, December 14
Join us on December 14 at 7:00 p.m. in Mosaic Hall for a gentle, contemplative service of quiet. Through prayer, readings, and piano music, we offer space for those carrying grief or loss during this Advent season. All are welcome.
| | Christmas Eve Service and Tamale Dinner, Wednesday, December 24 | |
Covenants are always welcome.
We would love for you to join us.
If you didn't quite get around to turning in a Covenant on Covenant Sunday you're in luck - there's no deadline, and all are welcome, all the time. It's helpful for planning purposes for the board to have your information sooner rather than later, and it's helpful for Pastor Jake to have your statement to guide his pastoral leadership of the church. If you have any questions about covenanting or need more information about something in the booklet please speak to Pastor Jake, to your Shepherd leader, or to any member of the board.
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Bring Your Prayers
During Advent worship, we are trying something new for our prayers - there will be a sheet at the back of the sanctuary with space for prayer concerns and joys…please write LEGIBLY whatever you would like to share with the community that day, and it will be shared during our prayer time together. Prayers may be edited for length, and it helps if you identify a person’s relationship to our community. Worship area will meet in January to see if this is a helpful tool for us going forward in the new year! Thanks!
Prayer Request:
- Prayers of healing for Valerie Naftzger as she recovers from pneumonia.
- Floyd Orr - Valerie Naftzger is limited on her regular visits to Floyd, she invites us to send cards, and offer visits during this Advent season. Contact the office or sign into Realm for Floyd's address.
- Prayers of joy for Xhantel Chaney-Pineda on her December graduation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
- Prayers for healing for Jeanne McAnespie, long time member of San Bernardino UCC who is recovering from a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day.
- Prayers for courage and peace for a friend of Veronica's on hospice.
- Prayers of support for the Mouser family on the one-year anniversary of the death of their 16 yr old son Andrew.
- Prayers of healing for Christina Powell recovering from eye surgery.
- Prayers for healing for Jon Herbert who has had surgery for a pacemaker.
- Prayers of healing and support for all who struggle with their mental health – prayers for an end to the stigma around those who cope with depression and chronic anxiety.
Ongoing concerns:
- Tom Miller
- Carl Parish
- Bill Buchanan
Please send prayer requests to Pastor Jake at jake@redlandsucc.org
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Church Kitchen Remodel & Temporary Closure, January 2026
We’re excited to share that our church kitchen will be undergoing a remodel! This work will help us create a more functional, welcoming, and safe space for future meals, ministries, and community events.
Please note that the kitchen will be completely unavailable during the renovation period. As you plan upcoming events, meetings, or gatherings, keep in mind that no kitchen facilities—including sinks, appliances, dishwashing, or food prep areas—will be accessible.
We’ll provide updates as the project moves forward and will let everyone know as soon as the kitchen is back in service. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding during this time!
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RUCC Christmas Concert, Tomorrow, December 13
The music ministry at RUCC presents Christmas Joy! Join us for our Christmas concert, featuring the Covenant Choir, Celebration Ringers, Rhymes with Orange, and Instrumentalists. We will bring the Christmas Joy to RUCC on Saturday, December 13, at 1:00 p.m. Stick around after for a sweet treat and fellowship. Don't be a Scrooge, we'll see you there!
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Next Chair Yoga, December 15
Chair yoga will continue on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and has been extended to the end of January 2026. All ages are welcome.
We are blessed to have Jeanne Andrews, certified yoga instructor, hold an introductory chair yoga session for the church family. Covenant Hall. Kid-friendly. Donations accepted.
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RUCC Christmas Caroling, Monday, December 22
Fa la la la la la la la la! ‘tis the season for Carolers! Monday, December 22, RUCC Carolers will take flight around the neighborhood and spread Christmas Joy. We would like to come to your house! If you would like us to come serenade you, please contact the church office so we can add you to the caroling route, and we’ll be there with bells on.
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Silent Retreat, February 20, 2026 - February 22, 2026
An invitation to SILENCE—a great way to deeper communication with your God. Come join us on a Silent Retreat. Even the noisiest of us who can’t imagine being silent for an hour, let alone a whole weekend, are amazed by the grace we receive during this holy time.
Friday, February 20, 2026- Sunday, February 22, 2026
Prince of Peace Abbey, Oceanside, CA
5 meals, single room $300.
Payment due February 1. If financial help is needed, let us know.
Only a few spots left.
Contact Judith Turian or Pastor Jake for more info and to reserve your space.
| | Gingerbread house decorating, supplies are still needed, Sunday, December 14 | | RUCC Christmas Pageant, Sunday, December 21 | |
Caring for Kin
SOCKS are needed!
We have had a response from three organizations in Redlands who would appreciate the donation of socks for their clients.
It would be great if each of you could bring one pair of new socks to donate to those in need. December can be a very expensive month, as we all celebrate with our families,
and also donate to wonderful causes through the Angel Tree and other community drives.
During this time, Caring for Kin wants to continue helping others, without over-asking from our generous church. Warm, new socks can often feel like such a comfortable luxury if you have had to go without.
They will make a much-appreciated after-Christmas gift.
Thanks, as always, for your generosity!
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Racial justice message
The San Diego City Council approved a $30 million payment to the family of a 16-year-old killed by police in one of the largest such settlements in U.S. history, exceeding the $27 million the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay the family of George Floyd, whose May 2020 murder by a police officer who knelt on his neck sparked a nationwide racial reckoning.
Surveillance and body-worn camera footage from Jan. 28 showed Konoa Wilson running away from someone who pulled a gun and fired at him in a downtown train station. As he exited the station, Wilson encountered San Diego Police Officer Daniel Gold. In the lawsuit against the city and Gold, the family alleged the officer “instantly, without any warning,” fired two shots at Wilson as he ran by, striking him in the back. The lawsuit identified Wilson as Black.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/konoa-wilson-police-shooting-settlement-san-diego-8519e65121e30f7d10eec9b9e39fc17b
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Environmental justice message
Starvation, economic collapse, civil unrest and wars are among the risks we face if we don’t take decisive action to limit further global warming and preserve nature, leading experts in climate, food, health and security warned today in London. The National Emergency Briefing, an event organised by climate activists and researchers, was held to persuade political leaders of the need for urgent and drastic action on the interconnected climate and biodiversity crises.
“We are asking for a World War II level of leadership – so leadership as if the survival of our society depends on it, because it does,” said Mike Berners-Lee at Lancaster University in the UK, who chaired the event.
Source: “Emergency response needed to prevent climate breakdown, warn experts,” Michael Le Page, New Scientist, 11/27/25
**The environmental justice team will meet briefly after church (noon) this Sunday, December 14, in the Founders Hall to finalize plans for January's Season of Creation. Please grab your snack and beverage and join us for this final meeting before the new year.
Dianne Landeros
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RaiseRight orders December 16
It's holiday shopping time! As a reminder, every time you participate in the RaiseRight program, by buying gift cards (scrip) or shopping online, RUCC gets a small rebate which goes into our General Fund and helps to pay our staff and expenses and fund our ministries.
Orders may be placed through the website at www.raiseright.com or the RaiseRight app – you must pay for it online (link bank account, debit card, or credit card) for your order to be submitted with the order this week. If you want to pay by Zelle, please let me know.
Upcoming holiday order schedule:
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 8 a.m. for pickup Sunday, Dec. 21
As always, if you have questions or need help with the program, just let me know!
-Jennifer Brainerd
giftcards@redlandsucc.org
As a reminder, here are all the ways to earn for RUCC while you shop.
- Buy gift cards from RaiseRight and use them to pay for all your holiday expenses. Every gift card purchase from RaiseRight earns up to 20% back!
- Shop online through RaiseRight—log in to your RaiseRight account (RaiseRight.com) , click through to shop directly on a brand’s website, and earn upon completing a purchase. Install the RaiseRight Earnings Extension to easily activate online earnings for a brand, buy eGift cards to pay for your online purchase, or both at once! Install Browser Extensions – Browser extensions are currently available for Chrome, Edge, and Safari for iOS mobile devices. If installed, these extensions will alert you when you go to a website that participates in RaiseRight and make it easy for you to activate RaiseRight rebates and purchase gift cards for that brand, raising money for RUCC. To install an extension go here: The RaiseRight Earnings Extension
- Dine locally—link a credit or debit card in your RaiseRight account to earn 5% every time you dine at thousands of restaurants nationwide and pay with your linked card while at home or traveling.
- Book travel through RaiseRight—save and earn by booking hotels and car rentals using RaiseRight's travel site.
Bonuses – Check out the week’s bonus rebates every week to make your shopping dollars go even farther for RUCC. Current bonuses include: Albertsons/Vons/Safeway, Bath & Body Works, DoorDash, Delta Air Lines, and many more. See all bonus rebate options here: https://www.raiseright.com/shop
eGift Cards – Remember, you can order eGift cards at any time and receive them immediately (great for those last minute gifts). Through the RaiseRight app or raiseright.com website, you can buy eGift cards, available to you immediately, to use for online or in-person shopping or to send as a gift. For some eGift cards, there are options to have the eGift card sent directly to the recipient at a specified time. Otherwise, you can take snapshots of the eGift card in your “wallet” and give it to the recipient. Stater Bros cards are back in stock.
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This week at RUCC
Saturday, December 13
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Christmas Concert Rehearsal
- 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Christmas Concert
- 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Christmas Concert Refreshments
- 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Indonesian Church practice (Covenant Hall)
Sunday, December 14
- 9:15 a.m. -10:30 a.m. - Kids Zone early care
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time at 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Third Sunday of Advent)
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary)
- 11:30 a.m. - Decorate gingerbread houses
- 11:30 a.m. - Environmental Justice Team meeting
- 12:00 p.m. - Pageant practice
- 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Blue Christmas service
Monday, December 15
Tuesday, December 16
- 7:00 p.m. - Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 17
- 1:00 p.m. - Mah Jongg
- 6:00 p.m. - Bells Rehearsal
- 7:00 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, December 18
Friday, December 19
Saturday, December 20
- 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Private funeral service and reception
- 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Indonesian Church practice (Covenant Hall)
Sunday, December 21
- 9:15 a.m. - Kids Zone
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time at 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Fourth Sunday of Advent)
- 10:30 a.m. - Christmas Pageant
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- December 24 - Christmas Eve Service and Dinner
- December 25 - Office Closed
- December 29 - Office Closed
- January 1 - Office Closed
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