Creation Care Sunday, April 26
"Our Example"
What do others think of us when they learn that we attend church or are a person of faith? Our text this week lifts up the example of the early followers of Jesus living in community and sharing resources, doing works of mercy, and modeling their values. Here we care for one another, welcome diversity, share our resources, and try to support others in the community - what else could we do? Is our “witness” or example what we feel it should be? Join us for worship this Sunday in person or online at 10:30 a.m., while we consider what we are showing others about our faith! Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Last week's sermon: redlandsucc.org
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Upcoming Pastoral Transition
RUCC has calmly and courageously worked through pastoral transitions over the past four years. These changes always come with some grief, sometimes fatigue, and perhaps some anxiety. To this day, the faith community remains healthy and is acting as a supportive and healing presence in our wider community! We have much to rejoice in, despite the stress of change!
At the Board meeting Tuesday, Jake shared his letter of resignation from his position as Transitional Pastor. He will have postponed retirement for ten months and is ready to rejoin his wife and live life in a single location!
Jake will remain on his current schedule through the end of May, then work from home in June and travel out to lead worship and see us in person on Sundays except June 21 (his 38th wedding anniversary).
Jake will continue to offer pastoral care - in person (Sundays) or remotely (weekdays) - until his last Sunday and will continue to attend Area meetings and Board meetings to offer support where needed. Jake will be in touch with Veronica each week, even in June, to keep track of necessary administrative tasks, including employee evaluations and payroll.
We plan to celebrate our time with Jake after worship on May 31st. Stay tuned for more details next month in The View.
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Bring Your Prayers
During 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 the person’s relationship to our community.
Prayer Request:
- Prayers for thanksgiving for Stephen Arth, who passed from life to Life on April 13.
- Prayers for Mark Janz and Debra Van Engelen on the loss of Mark's mother Martini.
- Prayers for Jon Herbert, who is receiving care at Haven Post Acute in San Bernardino.
- Prayers for healing for Eli, who has broken both her wrists.
- Prayers for an end to the war in Iran and support for all families that have lost loved ones in the war.
- Prayers for a safe journey for Danny Anderson as he travels to walk the Camino de Santiago and scatter some of the ashes of his wife, Kimberly, on the coast of Spain.
- Prayers from Cynthia McGuigan for hip pain and for her mother, Mary Ann, in care.
- Prayers for Jean Arnott and her family on the loss of her brother Ed.
Ongoing concerns:
- Tom Miller
- Bill Buchanan
- Ruth Jordan
- Mary Lou Haney
Please send prayer requests to Pastor Jake at jake@redlandsucc.org
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Fellowship Sign-Up
There is a new “pen and paper” sign-up sheet to help with fellowship, hanging on the refrigerator in the kitchen. You can sign up to help with set-up or bring food. The Shepherds Groups are rotating for help with clean-up, so no need to sign up for that. I will continue to do a Facebook post on Wednesdays to drum up helpers as needed.
Best, Kim
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Sunday is Earth Day! Fellowship will be a potluck vegetarian lunch!
The service on Sunday will celebrate Earth Day. It will be followed by a potluck vegetarian lunch. Bring your favorite vegetarian dish - main dish, salad, side, or dessert. If you haven't signed up yet, please let Kim, Dianne, or Suzi Sternberg know what you will be bringing. Vegetarian meals are kinder to the environment than eating meat, so let's share and enjoy some of your favorite vegetarian dishes.
Dianne Landeros
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Note from Board President
Ever wish you could just have a chat with someone on the board about an idea you have or a concern for the church you'd like to share? Well, you can! Easily! I hang out in Micah Room in Mosaic Hall from 10:00 a.m.- noon on Tuesdays. Just stop by; I will be glad to see you!
Patty Little
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Game Night, Saturday, April 25 - Cinco De Mayo themed
Cinco de Mayo Game and Conversation Night in April? Yes! What could be better than celebrating early on Saturday, April 25, at 5:30 in Covenant Hall. Come and enjoy dinner with Mexican favorites provided by our amazing Chef Kim and assistant Ginny. Feel free to bring a sweet treat to share. Try your hand at Mexican Train Dominoes or play your favorite game. Time to replenish the prize table, so if you have an item that someone else might like, please bring it. Everyone can take a prize for coming!
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Next Chair Yoga, April 27
Jeanne Andrews is a gifted yoga instructor. We thank her for leading us toward health and wellness on Mondays at 10 a.m. in Covenant Hall. Give it a try! It is gentle yet effective. So good for your mind and body. We will continue into May. Donations appreciated.
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Bible Study Monday, April 27
Please join us in the Youth Room as we discuss the biblical stories of Rahab and Bathsheba, found in:
Joshua 2 and 6
2 Samuel 11-12
We'll also be using the book Fierce by Alice Connor as a supplementary text.
Please join us in the Youth Room on Monday, 4/27 at 7:00 p.m. First-timers welcome!
For more information, contact Andrea Morics.
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RUCC Gift Card Users
Thanks for supporting the RaiseRight program. 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 order schedule:
Order May 19 for pickup Sunday, May 24
As always, if you have questions or need help with the program, just let me know!
-Jennifer Brainerd
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 the week’s bonus rebates 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 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.
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RUCC Book Group, Sunday, May 3
The RUCC Book Group will welcome local author, David Salvaggio, to discuss his book, Restless Gold (Musings about CA Pupils and Other Verses), at their next meeting, which will be on May 3, after church at noon, in Founders Room. David is a member of RUCC, and everyone is welcome to join the group for this meeting.
| | Blood Drive, Wednesday, May 13 | | Contact Kerry Dunn if you have any questions. | | RUCC Lunchtime Study Series | | Copies of the second reading, "Short Easter" by John Updike are in the office for your convenience. The first reading is available also. | |
Earth Day, Sunday, April 26
Kids and youth will be invited to do some planting in our community garden during the Sunday service.
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CARING FOR KIN, April
April Collection .... LAST WEEK!
Youth Hope sure appreciates all of you!
We have been delivering your donated snacks each week
and are greeted with big smiles and sincere "thank you"!!
ONE MORE SUNDAY LEFT to bring some treats for these kiddos!
(This Sunday, April 26th!)
They would still love to have:
Takis
Chips
Crackers
Nuts
Cookies
Fruit (maybe some delicious local navel oranges?)
Fruit snacks
Applesauce
Juice
Gatorade
**As the youth gather to snack, staff are able to get to know the individuals and their needs.
Conversation leads to building relationships, and allows staff to begin guiding the youth with the help they need with school, jobs, housing, transportation, medical care, and more.
Thanks for your ongoing generosity.
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Racial justice message
Francia Márquez, Colombia’s first Black vice-president, describes how racism inside and outside the government has undermined her ability to lead and strained her relationship with President Gustavo Petro. She recounts being excluded from key roles, targeted by racist attacks in the media and online, and obstructed in her efforts to build the new ministry of equality. Márquez says these barriers reflect a broader pattern in which Black women in high office are treated as threats rather than leaders, ultimately influencing her decision not to run for president.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/16/colombia-francia-marquez-vice-president-racism
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Environmental justice message
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We at RUCC are members of the Redlands Interfaith Climate Action Coalition (ICAC). This slightly edited statement was read at last Saturday's Earth Day celebration in downtown Redlands:
"The group you see here on stage represents the Interfaith Climate Action Coalition of Redlands,
a group of leaders from ten of Redlands’ faith communities. We came together over the last
year with the help of Accelerating Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA.) because we believe
passionately that we need to care better for the Earth, and we believe that
when we act together, we strengthen each other in doing that.
When asked by our friends at ANCA what we could do collectively for Earth Day, we asked to
speak together at this gathering. We wanted to testify as a united group that we all agree
that we have a very big, very real problem with climate change and environmental
degradation in our world, and that humanity can’t wait any longer to act. Further, we believe
that stopping the devastation and healing the Earth is one of the most urgent moral issues of
our time.
As people of faith, we’re committed to advocating for the common good. Although there are
differences among us regarding aspects of our religious beliefs, we’re very much united in this.
Harming the environment harms all who dwell on the Earth, especially the poor and future
generations.
Why is this a faith issue? As religious leaders, we agree that the Earth and everything on it were
created in a generous and loving act of our Creator God. Caring for the Earth and all that dwells
on her shows respect and love to our Creator and helps us keep our own dignity.
Caring for the Earth also shows our love for the rest of humanity and for the rest of Creation.
The Earth came about with reason, with logic written into its design. In balance, it can provide
for all of our needs. But when one part or another is degraded or overused, all of it starts to
break down. We’re seeing that now. Climate change is bringing increasingly harmful weather
patterns, and the loss of species is reducing the bounty that was meant to exist for all.
We stand before you today, leaders from the Baptist, the Baha’i faith, the Episcopal, Latter-day Saints,
Lutheran, Methodist, Paradox Church, Presbyterian, Restoration, Roman Catholic, and United
Church of Christ faith communities in Redlands. We urge you to continue acting and advocating
at home, at work, in your neighborhood, and with your elected officials.
Thank you for your kind attention. May all of your activities today be blessed and fruitful."
-Dianne Landeros
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Rummage Sale Update
The Annual Rummage Sale is a long-standing tradition at RUCC. The main purpose of the sale is to take people's treasures that they no longer want or need and recycle them to others who can use them. We try to find a home for everything to its next best use. Even if it doesn't sell, we try very hard to find a group that can use it.
It takes many hands and many hours to make the Rummage Sale happen. Its success is due to the congregation's generosity in donating items, helping with the set-up, sale, and clean-up, purchasing items, and spreading the word about the sale to their friends and the community. While it works, the RUCC church members who help have fun, build friendships, and feel good about giving service to the Redlands community.
The Rummage Sale Committee was able to send donations to more charities than originally announced due to the amazing financial success of this year's sale. The total proceeds for the Rummage Sale were $7,613, and donations are being sent to the following organizations:
*Boys and Girls Club of Redlands
*YAPS (Yucaipa Animal Placement Society)
*Humane Society of Redlands
*Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
*Hannah's House of Hope, the Blessing Center
*Inland Coalition for Immigration Justice (IC4IJ)
***Many thanks again to all who participated and helped!***
| | Bless & Be Blessed is a space for our church family to share new or gently used items they no longer need. Whether you’re looking to pass something along or find something useful, this is a simple way to care for one another and practice good stewardship within our community. Contact the office or send the information to the View when you have an item to offer or an item you need. | |
This week at RUCC
Saturday, April 25
- 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Game Night
Sunday, April 26
- 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Kids' Zone early care
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Creation Care Sunday)
- 12:00 p.m. - Environmental meeting
Monday, April 27
- 10:00 a.m. - Chair Yoga
- 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study
Tuesday, April 28
- 11:00 a.m. - Munch & Muse Lunch Group
- 7:00 p.m. - Technology Class
Wednesday, April 29
- 11:00 a.m. - Listening for God Discussion Series
- 1:00 p.m. - Mah Jongg
- 6:00 p.m. - Bells Practice
- 7:00 p.m. - Choir Practice
Thursday, April 30
Friday, May 1
- 2:00 p.m. - Private Funeral service
Saturday, May 2
- 9:00 a.m. - Sacred Saturday
Sunday, May 3
- 9:15 a.m. - Kids' Zone
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Fifth Sunday of Easter)
- 12:00 a.m. - Book Group
- 12:00 p.m. - Grounds Committee
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- May 2 - World Labyrinth Day
- May 16 - Education- Clean-up service project and pool party
- May 23 - Game Night
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