Loving all people, growing in faith,
working toward God's vision of
justice, healing and joy
An Open and Affirming/Creation Justice Congregation
THIS, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 – Welcome Back Sunday, Second Week of Stewardship Reflection and the Sacrament of Communion
What a day at SCUCC!
To celebrate coming together again after so many being away for the summer months, please join us for a special Welcome Back Luncheon Sunday, November 15th in Fellowship Hall immediately after Worship. This luncheon is sponsored and hosted by our Deacons.
We also continue our annual weeks of reflection as part of this year’s Stewardship effort. Our theme for this year is “F” is not for “Failure”: Faith, Foundations and Fellowship. Over the course of these Sundays, members of our spiritual community will speak to the role SCUCC has played in their life in regard to one of those “F’s”. Paul Roth will reflect on our second “F” - Foundations.
And in honor of it being Welcome Back Sunday, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion as a spiritual community during Worship today.
NEXT SUNDAY, November 22 – Thanksgiving Sunday!
Next Sunday we will celebrate our annual Thanksgiving Sunday, which will include our now traditional Gathering of Thanks during Worship, where all are invited to write down one or two specific things they are most grateful for since last Thanksgiving. Those will then be collected and shared with all by Mark.
In addition, we will have the third and final of this year’s Stewardship Reflections as part of this year’s Stewardship effort and its theme: “F” is NOT for Failure: Faith, Foundations and Fellowship.Reflecting on the third “F” - Fellowship – will be Scott and Dana Crater.
Also, next Sunday will be our annual Neighbors In Need offering in conjunction with the United Church of Christ.
Church Office Hours
The Church Office is regularly open from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday.
Mark is normally on campus Tuesday-Thursday pending pastoral visits or off-site meetings. Please feel free to just “drop by” or make an appointment directly with him by email: mark@sanibelucc.org or text/phone at 908-477-5426.
Mackenzie Albert, our Director of Music, is normally on campus Wednesday and some Fridays. Please make an appointment by phone or text to 203-517-5427.
BIBLE STUDY
Bible Study will take place THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19th at 10:30AM on ZOOM.
Each week, we explore the Scripture passage(s) being used in Worship that coming Sunday. The sessions are largely “guided discussion” in approach, focusing on your questions and insights from reading the text ahead of time, with Mark facilitating and adding relevant context and detail as needed or wanted.
This approach allows for participants to engage with the Bible creatively, and with an eye toward how the texts speak to us in our time and lives. In addition, the sessions are great preparation for getting more out of the Sunday Messages!
SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION
Our first Spiritual Exploration Unit for Fall 2026 concludes TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 at 7PM on ZOOM.
A,B,C,D,E,F,G… : Faith By the Letter (Part 1)
Tuesday, November 17
7-8:15 pm on Zoom
Based on the book, A Is For Alabaster by the renowned minister and theology professor Anna Carter Florence, this unit will be the first in a series that will occur intermittently over the next couple of years.
Each week of this five-week unit will explore one story from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and one from the New Testament that feature characters or themes that begin with a particular letter of the alphabet – beginning with the letter A and then proceeding in alphabetical order from there. As we do, we will discuss both our own and Carter Florence’s reflections on each story and its spiritual and theological themes.
Calling all artists and all skill levels! Please join Carol Good and friends on Tuesday mornings, from 11am to 2 pm in Fellowship Hall. Take time to paint, pick up some pointers and catch up with friends.
Christmas Eve Beach Celebration
The SCUCC sponsored Christmas Eve Beach Celebration is scheduled for 5:15 pm on Thursday, December 24 at Lighthouse Beach Park.
Limited parking at Lighthouse Beach or Sanibel Pier.
Shuttles from SanCap Chamber and SCUCC will be available, 4 pm – 6:45 pm.
Chairs, carpooling and bikes are encouraged.
Please start thinking about how you can assist with this popular event. Sign-up sheets will be available shortly.
An Invitation from Mission & Benevolence – December 6th Presentation, following Fellowship Time
Paula Winland Van Zyl is the director and co-founder of Home for Aids Orphans, a registered NGO located in the village of Mwandi, Zambia. Home for Aids Orphans focuses on building homes for extended families that have been displaced by AIDS. To date, Paula has helped build over 200 homes in Mwandi. Through the years her focus has expanded to building a community school, sponsoring the education of youth, and caring for the elderly. Most recently, she created a trade school to give local youth skills to succeed.
Paula is a California native with a fascinating but checkered past, who credits Christ with saving her life. Paula grew to love Africa during her years of travel and met her late husband, Dan Van Zyl, when he was working for the UN on food distribution in Zambia. Dan was born in Zambia and spent his early childhood in Mwandi, where his father was a general trader.
Today Paula carries on his legacy through the organization they created, and its sister company, Compass Zambia, a California non-profit whose mission is to support Home for Aids Orphans. Please come hear Paula speak in Fellowship Hall after Worship on Sunday, December 6.
SCUCC T-Shirts
Please check out our SCUCC t-shirts. They are available for sale in Fellowship Hall on Sundays after Worship. A $10 donation is suggested.
MUSIC
The Church is very proud of the music programs we are able to present which are always free and open to all.
However, many of these programs do involve expense to pay guest soloists and musicians. If you would be interested in sponsoring any or part of these programs and providing underwriting for them, please contact Music Director, Mackenzie Albert at 203-517-5427 about programs and costs.
Coming in December!
An Unlikely Advent
Tuesdays: December 1, 8 and 15
7:00-8:15pm on ZOOM
A companion to last year’s Lenten unit An Unlikely Lent, this three-week unit will be based once again on the work of Methodist minister and author Rachel Billups.
During our sessions we will examine what Billups refers to as“unlikely” characters who appear in the Advent and Christmas stories. We will discuss their role in those stories with an eye toward illuminating and deepening our own Advent/Christmas journeys and our spritual lives in general.
The Green Team is Growing!
Are you interested in the stewardship of our natural world? Want to meet new friends?
The Green Team invites you to join us!
Simply put, the Green Team seeks to fulfill our SCUCC mission in nurturing God’s Creation. We share resources and help sponsor programs and speakers to raise awareness on how we are all intimately connected with our environment. Periodic planning meetings are online.
For more information contact the church office.
Men’s Group Luncheon
The Sanibel Congregational UCC Shell Point Men’s Group next meeting will be THIS Tuesday, December 8 at 11:45am in the Palm Grill.
The monthly Men’s Lunch is now open to ALL SCUCC men, regardless of where they live. For information or to make reservations, please contact the office.
.Women’s Group Luncheon
The Sanibel Congregational UCC Shell Point Women’s Group will have its next monthly luncheon meeting on Friday, December 11th at 11:30 at the Palm Grill in the Woodlands Common.
The monthly Women’s Lunch is now open to ALL SCUCC women, regardless of where they live. For more information, or to make a reservation, please contact the church office.
From the Hurricane Preparedness Committee
Please check out the F.I.S.H of SanCap website for useful hurricane season information. Their preparedness packet includes a list of the Fort Myers area local motels and hotels, with their local numbers.
Click here to download or view the Hurricane Preparedness Resource Packet
Copies are available in the Narthex.
Interested in Joining SCUCC???
If you are considering becoming a member of SCUCC, or would simply like to find out more about us, please let Rev. Mark know. After you and he discuss the expectations and, as the old commercial says, “the benefits of membership”, you and he can schedule a Sunday that works best for you to become an official part of the SCUCC community.
Like A Ride To Worship?
If you would like a ride to Sunday Worship from Shell Point or Cypress Cove, please contact the Church Office at office@sanibelucc.org by noon on Thursdays.
The Santiva Islanders Cardio & Strength Classes
Please join Mahnaz Bassiri at SCUCC for exercise. Get fit this summer from 9:30-10:30; Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Fellowship Hall. A second class will be added in the new year.
Our mission is to love all people…grow in faith…and work toward God’s vision of justice, healing and joy. Our character is to reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ: acceptance, forgiveness, kindness, respect(for each person, our islands and our earth), joy and love toward one another. You'll find us a positive,non-judgmental place for you to worship, praise, rejoice and find the purpose our Maker has for each of us, provided each week in a positive and uplifting message. Our church is one where you will be loved, accepted, supported, and affirmed regardless of your age, class, ability, race, ethnicity, gender identification, or sexual orientation. No matter who you are, or where you are in your life journey, you are welcome here!
