Due to COVID-19, worship services are being done virtually at this time. The Church Office is open for limited hours. Please read the message below for additional information.
Welcome to Community UCC!
We gather for Worship at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday in our beautiful Sanctuary, located at 5550 N. Fresno St., Fresno CA, in northeast Fresno. Our congregation was established in 1956 and merged with Zion Congregational Church in 2006.
Our Mission Statement:
“Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.”
(We will update the above graphic weekly to show our progress toward our goal.)
2021 Capital Campaign: Lights, Camera, Action!
We’ve kicked off a campaign – “Lights, Camera, Action!” – to raise money for two capital projects at church. Here’s what you need to know:
What are the goals of this campaign?
A camera system for the sanctuary and updated exterior lighting.
Why do we need cameras?
To improve our services via Zoom and YouTube. The new system will allow viewers to see the pulpit, the musicians, and people in the congregation.
Does that mean we won’t have services at the church when the pandemic ends?
No. We will return to the sanctuary for Sunday services when it’s safe to do so.
So why then continue to have services on Zoom?
Several reasons:
- Some members may not be physically able to come to the church. Or some may be out of our geographic area.
- New people may find us via our YouTube broadcasts, and want to join our Zoom worships, which are more interactive than just watching the stream on YouTube. Several people have found us this way since we began sheltering in place, and now they are regulars with us on Sunday mornings.
- We’ll be able to do more on social media to attract new members.
Why is social media important?
It’s the way many people – especially younger people – communicate and gather information.
Why not return to the camera we used before the pandemic?
That camera was an iPhone mounted on a small platform. Its range is limited.
What will change with the exterior lighting?
We’ll install new light fixtures with energy-efficient LED light bulbs and better timers. That will save money in the long run and provide better lighting. The change also is in keeping with our commitment to protect the environment.
How much money do we need?
We need to raise $15,000 to implement these goals. We’re counting on your help to help us get there!
Pastor Julia’s op-ed about our church’s stance on COVID-19:
God’s work must continue through people of faith, but we offer an entirely different approach to how that faithfulness is demonstrated during this pandemic. Click here to read this timely Valley Voice in The Fresno Bee.
COVID-19 updates:
Limited office hours have resumed
Timestamp: 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020
Marilyn is now in the office part of each work for limited office hours. Generally she will be there from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursday, though it is best to call before stopping by, both to ensure that she is there and to limit people in the office at one time for social distancing. If you plan to stop by, please wear a mask or facial covering. Also, the office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for the Labor Day holiday.
Switching our worship live stream to YouTube beginning Aug. 30
Timestamp: 3:12 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020
To reach more people, we are switching our Sunday worship live stream to YouTube beginning Aug. 30. If you have been tuning in on Facebook Live, we will no longer be broadcasting there. Go to our YouTube channel — bit.ly/cuccyoutube — and bookmark that page. You have an option to subscribe so you receive notifications when we post new content.
Community UCC will not reopen church/office for now
Timestamp: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 23, 2020
Every day seems to bring new desires, requests, demands, and near orders to reopen essential services in our communities. The most recent calls, locally and nationally, have been for the reopening of businesses, restaurants, and places of worship. As details of how a return to some semblance of “business-as-usual” are debated at various levels, we see a strong push to reopen our public life quickly.
Our wider United Church of Christ gave pastoral guidance in a May 19th statement. Along with the decisive words, “We urge you to wait until ALL safety concerns have been addressed,” they offer detailed and practical information regarding risks and considerations. CUCC leadership is actively reviewing all of these angles regularly.
We miss being and worshiping together; we miss welcoming new people into our worship; we miss joining together over a cup of coffee or a delectable soup.
But despite our sense of loss and longing, we will keep our church building doors closed at this time out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and safety of all members of our congregation and our staff. We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and will decide when we can reopen our church campus in a safe way and according to guidance from local and state public-health experts, not politicians.
The past few months have shown us that the Church is neither a building nor defined by in-person meetings; it is people! People reaching out to each other; people coming together in various groupings for fellowship and worship; people finding ways to meet needs of those particularly vulnerable at this time. And we remain committed to doing just that.
The Church has a history of considering the big picture of what serves our community and our world, not primarily ourselves. This time of pandemic is no different. We will continue to look for ways to heal the sick, feed the hungry, free the oppressed, provide physical necessities both practically and spiritually.
This time of virtual gatherings is an invitation to lift our vision to bigger horizons and pose the question: What opportunity can we expand to serve our congregation and community with the tools we now have? The leadership of CUCC welcomes your thoughts and participation.
As followers of Christ, we echo the words found in 1 Corinthians 10:23: “Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up.”
Blessings and grace to each of you.
From Pastor Julia and Church leadership
The Church and Office will be closed until the Shelter in Place advisory is lifted
Timestamp: posted at 4:53 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2020
To share prayer concerns and joys, please text Robin Carlson at 559.960.2452.
If you need anything, call or text Robin.
We also created a private Facebook group where church members can share prayers, hopes, fears and concerns and share news and announcements. Let Lisa Boyles (Lisa Dorman Boyles on Facebook) know if you would like to be invited to that.
These are unprecedented times of uncertainty and rapid change, not just in our community but globally. But we are still a community of faith, even if we are separated temporarily by these protective measures. Stay connected with each other and we will make our way through this together.
Thank you and Peace be with you.
Instructions for Zoom worship, beginning March 26
Timestamp: posted at 9:09 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2020
For upcoming worship services, we are doing Zoom meetings. Zoom is a videoconferencing interface available for video and audio conferencing, chat, webinars and more.
This allows more interaction in our service than Facebook Live, which is a one-way broadcast.
Lisa will continue to provide Facebook Live on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., by capturing her computer screen during the Zoom worship.
Zoom can be used on a computer, via a website, or on smart mobile devices via an app. You can sign up for a free account. Go to Zoom.us from a computer or laptop or get the app in your phone’s app store and create a free account.
We will post the link to join worship through various communication channels. Each “meeting” will have its own link to join.
