Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 23 "Gospel of the Body"
In Sunday’s passage from his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul reminds us how important our bodies are in following in the way of Jesus. Paying attention to our bodies helps us move from our heads to our hearts. It helps us be truly present here and now—present to ourselves and to others. This Sunday, come explore our bodies’ power to expand our lives in compassion, generosity, justice, and joy!
-Pastor Michael Schiefelbein
Scripture: Romans 12:1-8
Last week's sermon: redlandsucc.org
| |
Bring Your Prayers
For the time being, we are keeping the prayer requests sheet at the entrance of the Sanctuary before worship each Sunday. Please write down any prayers that you would like to have included in our worship - the prayers we have received in the office will be on the sheet already.
Prayer Requests:
- Prayers of consolation for the Root family as they grieve the loss of Nan's daughter-in-law.
- Prayers of convalescence for Fred Freeman recovering from a stroke.
- Prayers for strength and healing for those living with chronic pain.
- Prayers of healing for fractured families.
- Prayers of relief for those experiencing stressful transitions.
- Prayers for world cooperation in efforts to reduce global warming.
- Prayers for hope and healing for those who are incarcerated.
Ongoing concerns:
- Tom Miller
- Bill Buchanan
- Ruth Jordan
- Jon Herbert
- Carol Buchanan
- Mary Lou Haney
- Craig Wesson
Please send prayer requests to the office at office@redlandsucc.org
| |
RUCC Parking Lot will be Closed September 14 through September 19
The RUCC parking lot will be closed September 14 through September 19 to allow for scheduled parking lot work.
During this time, the building will not be accessible from either the lower or upper parking lots. If you need to access the building during this period, you will need to enter through the lower garden. Please use extreme caution when walking through the grass and garden area.
To ensure the project can be completed safely, efficiently, and without unnecessary delays, all regularly scheduled meeting groups will be asked to postpone their meetings during this week.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to complete this important project. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Church Office.
Thank you for your cooperation.
|
Open Position, Weeknight Child Care Worker
Redlands United Church of Christ is seeking a Child Care Worker to provide care for children ages 3 to 10 during church choir and handbell rehearsals. At this time, the rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings and child care is needed typically from 5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. A candidate for the position must be 18 years or older, have current CPR and first aid certification, and must pass a Live Scan background check. The candidate must have the ability to work with a wide age range of children, maintain a clean, pleasant environment, recognize common illnesses and plan activities suitable to the children in attendance.
This position starts at $20 per hour and runs from September to June, with occasional weeks off, if the choir is not rehearsing.
Interested parties should forward a resume to Carole Beswick at Cbeswick@redlandsucc.org. The job description can be found at this link.
Child Care Worker
| |
Caring for Our Church Home: Building Use & Clean-Up
Our church building is a shared space, and we are grateful for the many groups, ministries, and activities that take place throughout the week. With so many people using our facilities, it is important that each group does its part to leave the space ready for the next person.
Please remember to clean up after your group meets. Before leaving, take a few minutes to:
- Return tables, chairs, and other furniture to their original arrangement.
- Dispose of all trash and recycling in the appropriate containers.
- Clean up any food or beverages, including spills and crumbs.
- Return kitchen items and supplies to their proper places.
- Remove any decorations, signs, or materials your group brought into the building.
- Check the room and surrounding areas to make sure nothing has been left behind.
- Leave the space in the same condition—or better—than you found it.
Our staff works hard to prepare the building for worship services, meetings, rentals, and other scheduled activities. When groups do not clean up after themselves, additional staff time is required to reset and clean the space, taking time away from other important responsibilities.
Please help us care for RUCC by taking responsibility for the space your group uses. A few extra minutes at the end of each meeting makes a big difference and helps ensure that our building remains welcoming, clean, and ready for everyone.
Thank you for helping us be good stewards of our shared church home!
| |
Bible Study, Monday, August 24
Please join us in the Youth Room on Monday 8/24, from 7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.. We will be discussing Mary and Martha, as found in the 10th chapter of Luke and the 12th chapter of John.
Newcomers and first-timers are especially encouraged to join us for this invigorating discussion!
|
What is happening tomorrow, at 5:30 p.m. in Covenant Hall
What is happening on Saturday, August 22, at 5:30 in Covenant Hall? It is a Pizza Party at Game and Conversation Night. Come spend a fun and friendly night playing your favorite game or joining others. We will have ice cream and cookies for dessert. If you would like to add to the menu, please do. Prizes for everyone at our “recycled” table.
|
Super Shepherd Sunday, August 23
This Sunday, August 23, right after church. Come, eat food, hang out with friends, and maybe make some new friends. Learn about the latest goings-on at church, bring your questions and concerns, or share your joys.
Group #1 will start on the church patio. If it's too hot, it will move into Covenant Hall.
Group #2 will meet at Karen Twichell's home.
Group #3 will meet in Micah Room in Mosaic Hall.
Group # 4 will meet at Ginny and Ricky Cruz's home.
Group #5 will meet in Youth Room in Mosaic Hall.
Group # 6 will meet in Garden Room (across from the restrooms ) in main church building.
Group #7 will meet in Founders Room next to Covenant Hall.
If you are unsure of what group you are in or you would like to join a shepherd group, contact Judith Turian.
Enjoy yourselves!
|
Next Chair Yoga, Monday, August 24
Chair Yoga may sound like it is easy-peasy, but it is quite a wonderful yet gentle workout. For the last eight months, 15 to 20 friends and neighbors of RUCC have gathered on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. in Covenant Hall to stretch, strengthen, and breathe. Our fearless leader, Jeanne Andrews, a gifted certified yoga instructor, challenges us to work a little harder in modified yoga poses. Afterwards, you feel the best kind of tired. It is for people of all abilities. We would love to have you give it a try. Donations appreciated.
| |
Book Group meeting September 6
The RUCC Book Group will be reading The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, and discussing it at the next meeting on Sept. 6 after church, at noon, in the Founders Room. The presenter will be Charletta Campfield.
“PULITZER PRIZE WINNER NATIONAL BESTSELLER This follow-up to The Underground Railroad brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.”
--Amazon review
"One of the most gifted novelists in America today." —NPR
| |
Baby Shower, Sunday, September 13, for Zoe and Sophia
Please join us for a baby shower for Zoe and Sophia during fellowship time after church on September 13. We are excited to celebrate with them! For those who want to give a gift, here is a link to their registry:
https://my.babylist.com/zoe-petersen?session_synced=true
Note: There are also options for the baby's college fund and for gift cards.
|
Mark Your Calendars! Art, For Heaven's Sake! 47th Annual Show October 16, 17, and 18, 2026
“The Art Show” – You hear this quite often in conversation around our church. In case you were wondering what it is all about, here you go.
Art, for Heaven’s Sake! Fine Arts Festival is a three-day annual art festival on the grounds and gardens of the Redlands United Church of Christ. The Redlands United Church of Christ holds this event to support the arts and the community.
This premiere art festival of the Inland Empire features 72 artists and crafters representing a wide variety of media, including acrylics, photography, watercolor, oils, stained glass, jewelry, pottery, and metal sculpture.
In addition to original art, the festival offers a craft boutique, a fabulous food truck experience, incredible music, and artist demonstrations. A gala “Meet the Artists” reception open to everyone is held on Friday evening to open the show.
This is one of the biggest fundraisers for our church, but it doesn’t magically happen. The members and friends of our church make it happen, so mark your calendars and watch for upcoming information on how YOU can be a part of making this premier event a huge success.
| | Save the Date for Children and Youth activities | | QUESTIONS? Contact Kara Tolan or Kathy McCool in Education. | |
Caring for Kin, August 2026
In the month of August, we are collecting unopened toiletries, underwear, and socks for Angel's Closet. Angel's Closet provides clothing, shoes, accessories, and toiletries to elementary, middle, and high school youth in Redlands whose families have difficulty affording these items. Items they specially requested this year include the following:
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Soap and body wash
Shampoo
Deodorant
Lotion
Sanitary pads and tampons
Underwear - all sizes, youth through adult
Socks - all sizes, youth through adult
Angel's Closet expressed gratitude for all RUCC does to support their organization. Thanks for your continued generosity this year!
Thank you,
Diana Steele-Jones
|
Lost & Found Reminder
Have you misplaced a jacket, water bottle, dish, umbrella, or another personal item? Our Lost & Found box, located in Covenant Hall, may have what you're missing!
We invite everyone to take a few moments to look through the Lost & Found and claim any belongings. To help keep the area organized.
If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office. Thank you for helping us keep our shared spaces tidy!
| |
Racial justice message
"The overwhelming majority of women accept patriarchy unquestioningly and even protect it, working out the resultant frustrations not against men but against themselves in their competition for men as sons, lovers and husbands. Traditionally the violated wife bides her time and off-loads her built-in aggression on her daughter-in-law. So men dominate women through the agency of women themselves.”
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Anti-apartheid activist
Source: https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/east-coast-breakfast/five-inspirational-quotes-south-african-women/
|
Environmental justice message
| | |
Every year, more of us experience unnatural disasters and extreme weather--but we'd likely never know it was related to climate change from watching the news. Will you write to the CEOs of major outlets to urge them to invest in and prioritize climate reporting?
Last year, the watchdog group Media Matters found that just four percent of national TV news segments mentioned climate change during the record-breaking heat dome. And a recent report found that US outlets are covering the climate crisis far less frequently than other countries.
This is a real problem. News outlets play a critical role in informing us about current events, shaping our understanding of the world around us, and influencing the policies that affect our lives. Mainstream news must consistently cover the connection between heat waves, wildfires, storms, and other unnatural disasters and human-caused climate change.
The science is crystal clear. Climate change is making extreme heat and other "weather" more frequent and more severe. Yet according to Grist, global media coverage of climate change has dropped 38% in the last five years.
When major news outlets fail to name the connection between extreme weather events and climate change, we pay the price. Lack of awareness slows our transition to clean, renewable energy. It means our families will continue to feel the effects of climate change through price hikes for our insurance, food, energy bills, healthcare costs, and more. When people don't see climate coverage in the news, the issue becomes less salient, making it difficult to build public support for policy change.
Responsible news media must tell the truth about what's driving these unnatural disasters: Urge them to do better!
--Excerpted from the Sierra Club newsletter
-Dianne Landeros, environmental justice team
| |
Third Quarter Donations for Wider Ministries
In the third quarter of 2026, RUCC Wider Ministries sent a donation to Carol’s Kitchen, Inc, Feeding God’s Children which was founded in 1998 by Jim & Arlene Ragan to honor the memory of their daughter, Carol. What started as a simple act of love has grown into a community lifeline with sites in Banning, Beaumont, Cabazon, and Hemet. Their mission is to strengthen local communities by ensuring that anyone in need has access to a free, hot, nutritious meal, groceries, gently worn clothing, and referrals to additional services. https://www.carolskitcheninc.org
| | |
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.
Free Items
2 rollators (1 used twice, 1 new)
Aluminum walker (brand new)
Trapeze for hospital bed (brand new)
Bedside Commode (brand new)
Contact Sue Kirkhart
| |
This week at RUCC
Saturday, August 22
- 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Game Night
Sunday, August 23
- 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Kids' Zone
- 10:30 a.m.- Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary, then to Mosaic)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary
- 12:00 p.m. - Super Shepherd Sunday
Monday, August 24
- 10:00 a.m. - Chair Yoga
- 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study (Mosaic Hall)
- 5:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. - Private Funeral
Tuesday, August 25
- 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. - Private Funeral
Wednesday, August 26
Thursday, August 27
Friday, August 28
Saturday, August 29
- 2:00 p.m. - Private Funeral
Sunday, August 23
- 9:15 a.m. - Kids' Zone
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary, then Mosaic)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary
- 12:00 p.m. - Wider Ministries Meeting
| |
Upcoming Dates to Remember
- September 12 - Children and Youth apple picking
- September 14-19 - Parking lot renovation
- October 16-18 - Art, for Heaven's Sake!
| | | | |
