Pilgrim United Church of Christ - Durham, NC

🌈 Today, on Marsha P. Johnson Day, we honor a true trailblazer in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Marsha was a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and co-founder of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which supported displaced community members.

The "P" in her name stood for "Pay It No Mind"—a powerful life motto. Her legacy lives on through The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, fighting for Black trans rights.

At Equality NC, we celebrate Marsha’s courage and continue her fight for justice. ✊🏽🏳️‍🌈

Did you know that Pilgrim has 4 ongoing offerings for faith and fellowship for adults?

We have a weekly Monday meditations online, our Auxiliary meets monthly during the school year as well (next one is Sept. 9th), we have semi-weekly Pub Theology conversations Monday evenings at Namu (resuming Sept. 16th), AND Labyrinth meditations before worship about once a month. All are invited, so please out to us for more details, [email protected].

*Apologies to any Auxiliary members cropped from the photo! Your hapless facebook poster was having trouble with the settings.

Hey there Pilgrim families with young children!

Sunday school is starting back-up again for the school year! Sunday September 1st we will have our "(Re)Meet the Teachers Time" with a get to know you craft/photo time during fellowship. We restart in earnest on September 8th.

We will also have 4 Pilgrim School's Out Camp days for 4 specific teacher workdays this year, as another way to support families (Oct. 10, Nov. 11, Feb. 17, April 21st).

Looking forward to seeing y'all!

Please join us for Pilgrim's Homecoming Worship, Sunday August 25th!
We’ll be .....
—opening our Pilgrim Reads: Banned Books cart,
—starting a new photo edition of Mystery Pilgrim,
—Blessing our Pilgrims heading back to school,
—and hosting an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in support of the Whitakers! If you would like more information on all these great community happenings, please see your bulletin and the weekly newsletter.

-And if you would like your photo featured on our Wall of Mystery Pilgrims, please provide a picture of a younger you (any age will do!) to Hannah in the office. You can email it or bring it in. We’re happy to make a copy! [email protected]

SHARE this with LGBTQ+ youth in your life! imi.guide is a free, online, research-backed tool that helps LGBTQ+ youth navigate mental health. It has features like...

🟣 Individual guides on stress, stigma, gender, and queerness
🟣 Real stories and experiences from real people
🟣 Helpful tools and activities, like a new name try-on
🟣 A quick exit button for your safety, and more!

Our Youth Voice Akiko says, "As a guide created 'for and with LGBTQ+ teens' in mind, it is perfect for those naturally confusing, concerning, question-raising moments because it has the power to not only answer these questions but also to let us know we are not alone in asking them.”

And today, we're celebrating: we've hit 100,000 users since imi launched! Are you one of them? Help us hit 200,000 by sharing with LGBTQ+ youth in your life who need to know about this amazing resource!

📢Announcement: This event will now be in the Main Library Auditorium to accommodate additional seating.

Once a symbol of the aristocracy and later achieving the American dream, lawns are now recognized as artificial and resource intensive biological deserts. Learn about getting started with native plants to correct the monoculture of the lawn! Plants native to the local ecosystem provide habitat and food for all types of wildlife, are adapted to the local growing conditions, low maintenance and beautiful! With Deb Greene of Driver Street Nursery in East Durham.

Deb Greene is the Chief Bottlewasher at Driver Street Nursery, a small mom and cat nursery in East Durham. With her intrepid (but lazy) Assistant Chief Bottlewasher, Socks, she propagates native plants and heirloom vegetables that do well in the area (i.e. her yard) and sells them to the public in the spring and fall.

Registration is appreciated.

Register here: https://durhamcountylibrary.libcal.com/event/12192565

WE'RE HIRING! NC Conservation Network is seeking candidates for the position of Environmental Justice Organizer. Working as part of our environmental justice team, and in partnership with dozens of partner organizations across the state, the Environmental Justice Organizer will lead efforts to build connections between community-based organizations and local health departments that are critical to informing and prioritizing action to address health disparities related to environmental exposures.

Deadline to apply: 8/2. For more details & to apply: https://bit.ly/3Wsb3nO

Are you a high school student interested in learning more about elections? Apply to become a Student Election Assistant! 🤝
For more information, go to https://www.dcovotes.com/public-information/election-workers

Hey Pilgrims and friends! It's time for another Pilgrim Project/Craft Night, the first Friday of August, the 2nd, 7pm, at Mary Beth’s house in North Durham. If you like fiddling with projects with your hands, you are invited. So bring your small repair box, DnD figures you want to paint, whittling tools, knitting, doll related sewing projects, watercolors, whatever! We’re ready to coordinate carpools for folks who don’t drive at night, so reach out to Felix to get the address and/or get a ride. [email protected]

Join us for the statewide virtual phone bank!
Learn more about our campaign to register 230K Second Chance voters in North Carolina who are now eligible to vote at bit.ly/ UOVWeeklyPhoneBank

There are two opportunities to see "Bad Faith" in the coming weeks. The first is with one of our partner churches, Mt. Level on August 3rd at 10:30 am. Epworth will also be hosting a showing on September 15th at 3pm! We hope you come to watch, learn, and discuss!

Volunteer with YCV to help us register more voters in NC. There are 87 days until the start of early voting for the 2024 General Election! We've accomplished so much thus far, and it's only July. With a few short months to go until the November elections, there's more work to do! Sign up today at www.youcanvote.org/volunteer (link in bio)

Welcome to all Pilgrim children, Pilgrim children's friends, and volunteers! We are so looking forward to seeing everyone next week (July 8th-12th) for "Make a Joyful Noise!" Vacation Bible School. Expect bible stories focused on music, musical sharing and teaching from fellow Pilgrims, run around time, and a good lunch!

Greetings Pilgrims and Friends!

Our own Nancy Ruth is asking us for some help after her surgery on June 26th. Specifically she'd love some food and a little COMPANY about once a week as she recovers. The meal train says "once a week on Fridays,' but you could actually bring the meal and visit on any day of the week, except for Tuesdays, and any time in the afternoon or early evening. Just let them know, before that day, when to expect you.

Meal train link here: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/2z4qnm

A special upcoming offering from our denomination!

❤️💛💚 Join us to honor and celebrate Juneteenth!

🗓️ June 20th @ 3:30 PM Eastern

-Deepen practices of restorative healing.
-Listen and learn from educators, organizers, activists, and next-generation leaders.

Racial Justice Ministries and Join the Movement toward Racial Justice invite you to honor and celebrate Juneteenth this year by remembering and discovering the healing practices that sustained freedom in the bones of our ancestors, before and after emancipation.

Through music and prayer, poetry and art, reflection, and ritual, may we find a medicine bundle, a libation, a Brush Harbor and a clearing, a poultice that teaches us the sound of freedom, echoing from legacies of healing and singing futures of wholeness.

👉🏾 Register to join us: https://ow.ly/2imf50SjYwl

Hey Pilgrims and friends,

It's summertime, so let's get out there and have fun together! Any and all are invited to join in for a picnic and hang-out day at Falls Lake, just a half hour north of Durham. Swimming, picnicking, bbq-ing, napping, corn hole, it's all on the table.

June 22nd 10:30-1:30pm! Rolling View beach, watermelon and coals for grilling provided but otherwise byo-food/drink. $7 per car

On Sunday June 23rd, in honor of Juneteenth, Pilgrim's Race + Equity team will be offering a screening of the film Origin, based on the game changing book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. This award-winning film is based on Wilkerson's life during the writing of the book. Come and learn and share in fellowship with fellow Pilgrims. Friends are absolutely welcome as well. Donations are welcome and all proceeds will be given to the Royalties for Spirituals Project to further the education/opportunities of young musicians of color.

We'll start the movie at 12pm after we've had a little time for fellowship.

FREE HALF DAY CAMP AT PILGRIM!

Need a good place for your kiddo on DPS's early release day on Friday June 7th? Pilgrim's own Felix and Gabe will be ready to amuse your kids and their friends from 12-3:30pm, at Pilgrim. Expect games, puzzles, crafts, and stories. Free childcare and diet inclusive snacks! Sign up below if you're interested, room for up to 9 children.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JID0oI-IWjt3pED-XV1GT3SFFmFibdzANt6nZs-TRc0/edit

Sunday May 26th we'll be celebrating our graduates! Come join us.

Pilgrim is putting on another fundraiser, THIS time for our youth’s first service trip in years to help fix up houses with the Appalachian Service Project in West Virginia!

If you would like to:
-Make treats
-Buy treats
-Have your car washed and/or vacuumed....
The Board of Christian Education, the Board of Christian Service, and the Youth
would love your help! Treats to sell can be dropped off at noon on June 1st. And we'll be ready for "customers" right at 1pm. If you’d like a car wash “appointment” you can sign up using this link, but we’ll also have a first come first serve drive up line too.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zU41ps7akvvXjrHgTrdeOlrmVasCx_RgE9n8YBGrsIU/edit

Let’s support our youth as they embark on this service project journey!

Hope to see you!

With DurhamCares – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

With NC Poor People's Campaign : A National Call For Moral Revival – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

With You Can Vote – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉Pilgrim loves YCV! If you want to know the most up to date voting policies in NC and want to help with voter access they are a well run, well organized, and non-partisan group.

Very meaningful event being held by our denomination this evening!

💬 TOMORROW: Let's Talk About Healthy Conversations! 💬

Parents and faith leaders, join us for a transformative discussion on how comprehensive sexuality education can be a powerful tool in your community. Don’t miss out on our live webinar this May 7th, where we'll debunk myths and share benefits.

🗓️ Tuesday, May 7th @ 7:00 PM ET

Click here to register: https://ow.ly/JuzM50RwyU8

Hey Pilgrims and friends, please consider coming to this special Pentecost worship our church is participating in as a part of the Mt. Level Partnership for Racial Justice!

We are excited to share about this upcoming event with Mt. Level Community Partnership for Racial Justice.

The entire Durham community is invited to come out and join in this wonderful celebration of Pentecost!

🗓️ May 19 - 5pm
📍 Durham Central Park

This event features representatives from several Durham churches unified in worship and celebration of Pentecost. The MLCPRJ chose to present this event as a result of a book study, “Becoming Human: The Holy Spirit and the Rhetoric of Race” by Dr. Luke Powery. In this book Powery reminded us to focus in the Spirit on our “common ground, human to human, earth to earth.” This Durham Pentecost celebration is our attempt to do this by bringing Durham together in the Pentecost story.

There will also be a voter registration station and an arts/crafts station for children!
Bring your lawn chairs, water bottles, and friends. Service pets only are allowed in the pavilion area.

No RSVP is necessary but we would like to know if you plan to attend. Visit https://buff.ly/4a3IOAz to let us know!

We look forward to seeing you there!