Our worship service begins with the Prelude. Please use this time for quiet reflection as you prepare for worship. *All who are able may stand +Seating of Latecomers

Leader: Gather us in, the lost and the lonely, the broken and breaking, the tired and aching, who long for the nourishment found at your feast.

PEOPLE: Gather us in, the done and doubting, the wishing and wondering, the puzzled and pondering, who long for company found at your feast.

Leader: Gather us in, the proud and pretentious, the sure and superior, the never inferior, who long for the leveling found at your feast.

PEOPLE: Gather us in, the bright and bustling, the stirrers and shakers, the kind laughter makers, who long for the deeper joys found at your feast.

Leader: Gather us in, to meet, to eat, to be given a seat, to be joined to the vine, become like the least, be found at the feast. Let us pray:

God of creation, open our eyes this day to see the ways that we are being made new. Help us to create families, communities, and a world, which radiate your compassion and hope. Set our spirits free, that we might sing your praise this day and in all the days to come. Amen.

Children are staying in church today to participate in Communion. Activity bags are available from the ushers.

Welcome to our Friends and Visitors this morning. Please join us for our Time of Refreshment in the courtyard immediately following worship. The Community Church of Sebastopol is an Open and Affirming Congregation. What this means, in the words of our Open and Affirming Statement, is…”We welcome and affirm people of every religious background, family composition, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, ethnicity, age and gender. We encourage all people to participate fully in every aspect of our church’s life and ministry…” Again, WELCOME!

Adult Education Sunday Morning Class Adult Education Sunday Morning Class makes a change. Come at 9:30 for coffee and to discuss the scripture chosen for the sermon, this week: Mark 1:29-39. We will begin the discussion with a brief insight into Gene’s view of the passage and pose questions for the group. We will read the passage, discuss it, and then listen to the Sunday sermon with a little more insight and to hear what Gene has to say. Everyone is welcome - you don’t need to be a Bible scholar, just have the desire to delve into the Bible, one scripture at a time! Please join us from 9:30 to 10:15 Sunday morning in the Fireside Room.

Children’s Choir will meet on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15 AM in the Choir Room with co-directors Andy DelMonte and Jan Kahdeman. Children from ages 4 to 10 are invited to join the fun!

Handbells will meet in the Sanctuary on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM for practice.

New members will be received into The Community Church during the worship service on Sunday, February 12th. There will be an informational meeting for those interested in church membership following the worship service TODAY, in the Fireside Room. If you cannot attend this meeting, but are interested in finding out more about The Community Church, please see one of the ministers.

TODAY the Jr. High Youth at the Community Church of Sebastopol are working to help stamp out hunger by collecting for the Souper Bowl of Caring. You can help too with your donations. The youth will be in worship on February 5 with their soup pots to collect your donations that will go directly to the West County Homeless Services Center and Catholic Worker to help folks right here in Sonoma County

One in five children in our country lives in poverty and that means even more people will be turning to food pantries this winter for help feeding their families. Help stamp out hunger by contributing the Jr. High Youth Souper Bowl of Caring on TODAY, right here at the Community Church. Thank you for your support!

Women’s Bible Study The Women's Bible Study will meet on Wednesday mornings in February at 10 AM in the Fireside Room with an introduction to the Gospel of John. For any questions, please contact Muriel Weaver.

Men’s Bible Study will NOT meet on Thursday, February 9 , but will meet again on February 16 and 23 at 7:30 AM in the Fireside Room. We will continue with our study on the book by Marcus Borg, Speaking Christian: How Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power and How They Can Be Restored. Rev. Nelson will be leading the group.

Grief Support Group will meet at 7 PM in the Fireside Room on Thursday evenings. Please contact Susanne or Harry Simms at 829-7769 to confirm the meeting dates. All are welcome to attend this free class.

Kristen will meet with the Hospitality Team on Tuesday, February 7 at 7 PM in the Fireside Room. If you would like to see what this is all about, you are invited too!

Lenten Soup Suppers and Faith Journey will begin on Tuesday, February 28 and be presented on Tuesday evenings through March 27. Janice Humphries would like a helper to coordinate the soups – give the office a call if you can lend a hand at 823-2484.

Songs of the Spirit, Songs of Love will be presented February 12 at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Rosa at 4 PM featuring Rev. De. Curran Reichert and Scott DeTurk. Free will offering will benefit the Chancel Choir tour scholarship fund.

The Reader’s Circle will meet in the Fireside Room, on Monday afternoons from 2-4 and evenings from 7-8:30 in February, March and April, 2012. The Book Group is open to all, everyone is welcome. You may contact Rosemary Manchester at 823-3477 or r_manchester@comcast.net with any questions.

On Monday, February 6. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen A classic memoir of her life in early 20^th century colonial Africa, published 1937. Dinesen, aka Baroness Karen Blixen, managed a coffee plantation in colonial Kenya, 1914 – 1931. You may have seen the movie. The book is readily available in the library (but not set aside for us) or at bookstores or online.

Lenten Personal Growth Class with Gayle Madison will be held Wednesdays, from February 15 – March 21in the Fireside Room at the Community Church. Using the Internal Family Systems (IFS), we will get to know our inner parts that protect and manage our lives, sometimes obscuring the flourishing of our Souls. The group is open to members and friends of the Community Church and the wider community. Cost is $240 for 6 sessions payable all at once or weekly ($40). If the fee is a barrier to entry please email Gayle gayleamadison@comcast.net. The group will meet from 5-7 PM. Gayle can also be reached at (415) 519-5931.

Ash Wednesday Service will be held on Wednesday, February 22 at 7 PM in the Fireside Room

Circle Service scheduled for February has been cancelled. Watch for updates on the March meeting.

Between Women

Intergenerational Gathering

We invite all women to join us on the Second Saturday each month in the Fireside Room for Between Women. Each meeting stands independently, our group is fluid, so whether you can attend every month or just occasionally, you are always welcomed by an intergenerational group of gals. We discuss, we share, we listen, we talk, we eat and we have FUN! Please mark you calendars and reserve the second Saturday of the month for Between Women.

Are you new to the Community Church? Would you like to know more about Between Women? Or perhaps you have a friend you would like to bring to Between Women? ALL women are welcome! For more information, please contact Virginia Hughes at 823-1881 or Marie Cotton at 823-3375.

Homeless Lunch. The Community Church hosts lunch for the homeless on the second Saturday of each month. If you would like to contribute to this effort, there are several ways to help:

v Cash and check can be made out to the Community Church and designated for the homeless lunch

Look for the collection bin in the church entry to drop off towels and toiletry items. Monetary donations should be left in the church office. For more information or to volunteer, contact Gary Bachelor or the church office at 823-2484.

Ceres Community Project has started work on their new home at 7351 Bodega Avenue in Sebastopol (they began here at the Community Church) and they could use your help. Volunteer work parties are every Saturday, 9 - 4. They provide work gloves and provide drinks. No skills needed. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. You can find out more here: http://www.ceresproject.org/BldgRmdl/index.html

Did you know we have available for your use, a listening device to help enhance the sounds and voices speaking in church? Just ask an usher for a listening device and they will show you how it works. You can sit in any of the pews and the listening device will improve the sound quality for persons who may be hard of hearing. Give it a try!

On Saturday evening, February 25, Gerald Haslam, Professor Emeritus from Sonoma State University, will speak to us about his most recent book, “In Thought and Action: The Enigmatic Life of S. I. Hayakawa.” Dr. Haslam, assisted by his wife, Janice Haslam, spent the past six years writing this book, the official biography of the late Hayakawa. It is an intimate and detailed biography, a most interesting book about a most interesting and controversial man.

Perhaps you took courses with Gerry Haslam at Sonoma State, or with S. I. Hayakawa at San Francisco State. Perhaps you are old enough to remember Hayakawa, whose attempts to silence student protests at San Francisco State ignited rebellion on that campus and at Berkeley. Perhaps you were there, or knew people who were. Or perhaps you have only heard the legends of those tumultuous days, and would like to hear about it from one who was there. In any case, here’s an opportunity to learn more about the brilliant, eccentric Japanese American man, born in Canada, who went on to represent California in the United States Senate.

Gerald Haslam is a celebrated and beloved author, and popular speaker. A Penngrove resident, he has written a number of books, including “Workin’ Man Blues: Country Music in California” and the anthology “Many Californians: Literature from the Golden State.” His books will be available at the lecture, and he will be available to sign them for you.

Again this year, the Adult Education Committee is planning an all church retreat at Camp Cazadero. This year’s retreat will be March 2-3-4. We will gather at Caz on Friday for dinner and depart after breakfast and worship on Sunday. This is not a planning or task-oriented retreat – it is more a time to step away from tasks and join in a time of quiet reflection and sharing in a beautiful location.

This year’s leader will once again be the Rev. Bethany Nelson. Bethany, a graduate of Pacific School of Religion, was ordained in The Community Church and now serves as an associate pastor at Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Tiburon. Bethany will lead us through the weekend with the theme: “Genesis and the Goodness of Creation.” In her words, “As we rest and play in the beautiful setting of Camp Cazadero, we’ll take some time to consider familiar – and not so familiar – stories about creation from the Book of Genesis, reflecting on our own relationship to creation and to our Creator God. We’ll focus on various ways to celebrate the goodness of creation and on God’s role of Creator in our lives.”

The cost of the retreat will be $90 per person and will include our facilitator, two nights lodging and five delicious meals. If you have not yet heard, beginning on January 1, John and Cynthia Diggs return to Caz as our camp managers. Their work in the kitchen gives new meaning to the concept of “camp” food.

Sunday Morning Worship Volunteers

Check out the nifty sign up sheet in the narthex and add your name to list. Find the Sunday (or Sundays!) you plan to be here, find the position you would like to fill and then write in your name and phone number. What could be easier! Ushers, greeters and lay readers are needed throughout the year so find a date that works for you and sign up to serve!

Baked Goods for Sunday Coffee Hour We need to stock up with goodies to share during our Coffee Hour! If you have cookies, cake or a some kind of treat we can serve after church, please bring it by the church wrapped for the freezer and we can save it for next Sunday. Thanks!

Recycle Empty Ink Jet Printer Cartridges Your empty cartridges will help Mission & Outreach provide funds for the Habitat for Humanity build projects here in Sonoma County. You may also pick up pre- paid mailers to send your ink cartridges directly to the recycler and the Community Church still gets credit. You will find the mailers in the church office – please help yourself! Please note: we are not able to take any laser print cartridges at this time.

MDF the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, has been in great demand and funds are very low. The money is used to help our community with emergency needs, such as helping to prevent a PG&E shut off, provide bus passes to services in Santa Roa and other family emergencies. If you can help, please make a check payable to the Community Church and note “MDF” in the memo line.

Need Help? If you are finding yourself overwhelmed by financial crisis, job loss or other large issues in your life, remember that your pastors are here to help. Gene can be reached at 823-2484 ext 12 and Kristen is at ext. 14.

Minister of Music, Brian Plaugher has requested that you take a few moments and jot down the titles of your favorite hymns to help with future worship planning. Please leave this in the collection plate or in the church office.

Your name________________________________________________

Favorite Hymns________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Recycling Please notice the blue recycling bins in Fellowship Hall, Memorial Hall and in the kitchen off of the Fireside Room and in Room #4. The coffee cups we purchase are recyclable so please dispose of them in the blue recycling bins. There is a list next to each of the blue bins as to all the items that can be recycled – let’s all pitch in and do our part to help save the earth!

Worship Service Now on CD! If you would like a copy of today’s worship service on CD, or a copy from a previous Sunday, please fill out the form below and drop it in the offering plate or leave it in the church office along with payment. Each CD is $2.00.

The Community Church

February 5, 2012 Communion Sunday

Between Women

Intergenerational Gathering