Prayer Requests- Prayer for Ashley, a dear friend of the Fuss family, who lost her mother this week.- Ongoing Prayer to grant our leaders wisdom and compassion to address the Covid-19 pandemic.- Ongoing Prayer for inspiration and motivation in Dave’s job search; healing for Shelly’s knee (recent fall) and family health concerns (Shelly Moore).- Ongoing Prayer for Alexis Symanski. Recovering from a chemo during January and a radical mastectomy on 2.17.20. Alexis is a member of the Schmidt family (Suzanne

Schmidt). - Ongoing Prayer for Maggie’s Dad. Continue to pray for my Dad who is recuperating well after his fall (Maggie).- Ongoing Prayer for Dawn Oler, our dear friend, who is having surgery to remove a tumor. We pray it is benign and her recovery is easy (Terri & Dee Dee).- Ongoing Prayer for Cheryl’s grandmother who is in a coma; pray for Ben who is battling stomach cancer (Maggie).

Ongoing Prayer Requests: Please notify Nita at uccsv@verizon.net should you wish to change your ongoing requests. Please note that ongoing prayer requests will be removed after one month. Feel free to resubmit your ongoing prayer requests.

HavrutaOur adult bible discussion group on Sunday mornings at 9am is called Havruta, a Jewish term meaning that we seek to wrestle with God's word by studying, analyzing,

and debating the text.

UCCSV Community,

Dean Nathan LaRud of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon wrote, "The season of Lent has historically served as a season of greater intentionality, a time to re-examine long-held practices and consider giving something up. This Lent, although it’s not the fast we might have chosen, churches are being asked to “fast” from many of the practices we have long taken for granted."

Last night the UCCSV Church Council convened an emergency meeting to discuss our church's plan of action in response to the coronavirus epidemic and the closure of schools and banning of large gatherings in Maryland. We have decided, out of an abundance of caution and with love in our heart for the most vulnerable in our community, to suspend in person worship, meetings, and programs through the end of March with the hope of possibly meeting again in our church building for worship on April 5th. We will continue to monitor the situation and reassess as needed.

In the meantime, though our in-person worship might be cancelled, our relationships, love, and spiritual community are not cancelled. We will continue to worship, but we will move our worship online. We will meet together at our regular worship time of 10am on Sunday using Zoom, an app that works on your computer, phone or tablet and allows you to use video or just audio to join in a group meeting. If you do not want, or cannot, access a computer, Zoom also just allows you to call in through a phone number. I will send a separate email

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March 13, 2020

United Church of Christ of Seneca ValleyAn Open and Affirming Congregation

13421 Clopper Road, Germantown, MDPhone: (301) 540-3449

Email: UCCSV@verizon.netWebsite: UCCSenecaValley.org

later today with details of how to use Zoom and the structure of our worship for this week.

I will also be doing a shorter version of that same worship as a facebook live post through our public facebook page on Sunday evenings at 5pm. Zoom worship will allow us to be more interactive, facebook will be more of the public face of our worship. Since people can't visit us in person, this will be a way for them to still check us out during this time and for us to continue to minister to the wider community.

In addition, we will be providing several opportunities for online connection. We will have Lenten Soup-ers by sending you the link to the TED talks and then meeting through Zoom for a discussion at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings. I will also hold virtual office hours on Zoom from 12:30-1:00pm each weekday for anyone who wants prayer or needs to connect with a human face. The Deacons will be looking for ways to pair people up or create small groups of people who can check in on each other virtually or on the phone or even by mail throughout this time of separation. We will be sending you more resources and ideas, including ones for families and children, and we'll be checking in with suggestions of prayers and spiritual disciplines to help you get through this difficult time.

If you are homebound and in need of assistance getting meals or groceries during this time please contact me on my cel phone (number below) or call your Deacon. I will be in the office periodically but will not be holding regular office hours in the church building. Nita will also be in the office periodically but may not be in the building all day every day during her regular hours. Please call if you need to come by the office and I can meet you there. If you become ill please let me know as soon as possible so I can do anything I can to help. I

know it feels like we are all moving away from one another but in truth you are not alone and we will all get through this together.

Please monitor your email for additional communication from me or from other church leaders in the weeks to come and please feel free to email, call, or text me as needed. Be aware that texting or a phone call is probably the fastest way to get in touch with me.

There is so much that we don't know yet, about how long this will last, about how bad it will get, and about when life will start to get back to normal. We are truly walking in the wilderness together. We are sitting in the darkness of the tomb wondering when the light will return or how we will roll away this all too heavy stone. But rest assured that whenever we return to church, it will be a joyous celebration And if somehow that is after Easter Sunday, then whenever we next gather will be an Easter worship we will long remember. Just imagine the shouts of joy we will share! We are a strong and resilient people. We are people of the resurrection. We are God's beloved. No matter what the next few weeks brings, please remember that.

You continue to be in my prayers and I ask that you keep me and our church leadership and our whole community in your prayers. Be of good courage. Lift your eyes to the hills. God is with us.

Peace,Holly

This Sunday at UCCSV Zoom Worship Information

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Holly Jackson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. You do not need an account to join. You will need to download an app to your computer, phone, or tablet to join by video. You can also simply call in from any phone by using the phone numbers below if that is easier. We will also record this worship and share the link with you on Monday for anyone who could not attend.

Topic: Worship Time: Mar 15, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/329540726

Meeting ID: 329 540 726

One tap mobile+16465588656,,329540726# US (New York)+16699009128,,329540726# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)Meeting ID: 329 540 726Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adOJkRUZU0

For more information on how to join a meeting: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-If You Miss Zoom WorshipIf you miss or don't wish to attend the Zoom worship opportunity we will be sending you the link to the recorded Zoom session on Monday for you to watch on your schedule. We also invite you to watch our facebook live broadcast at 5pm on Sunday for an abbreviated worship experience. Our facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedChurchOfChristOfSenecaValley/

Prayer Garden

The Lenten Roses are now in bloom in UCCSV's prayer garden, just in time for Lent. Take a moment and take your coffee up to the garden, sit on our lovely bench and enjoy this

quiet spot.

Lenten Soup-ers Go Online!So we can't join together in person and we won't be serving soup, but we we can still come together as a group. Join us on Wednesdays at 7:30pm during Lent for a spirited online discussion. Since our theme for Lent is "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places" our videos are focused on building healthy relationships (not just couple and love relationships, but family relationships and friendships as well), tending to your mental and emotional health, and living out your truth in the world. Please join us for one session or all the sessions. Please watch the videos ahead of time. I encourage you to watch them at 7pm so they are fresh in your mind and then join us for the Zoom call at 7:30pm. We'll pair each video with scripture and spiritual practice and talk about how we're looking for love even in the midst of isolation and difficult times.

Information for Wednesday's Call: Holly Jackson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.Topic: Lenten Soup-er March 18thTime: Mar 18, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Join Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/967088729

Meeting ID: 967 088 729

One tap mobile+16465588656,,967088729# US (New York)+16699009128,,967088729# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)Meeting ID: 967 088 729Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adOJkRUZU0

March 18th - "How to Build Your Confidence and Spark it in Others" by Brittany Packnett Bhttps://www.ted.com/talks/brittany_packnett_how_to_build_your_confidence_and_spark_it_in_others

March 25th - "The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage" by Susan David https://www.ted.com/talks /susan_david_the_gift_and_power_of_emotional_courage

April 1st - "The Danger of Silence" by Clint Smith https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence and "Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable" by Luvvie Ajayi https://www.ted.com/talks/luvvie_ajayi_get_comfortable_with_being_uncomfortable

The Dilemma

In the past forty years, medical costs have doubled, insurance copays and deductibles have spiked, and bankruptcy rates have quadrupled, creating an avalanche of destructive medical debt.

The BurdenForty-three million Americans owe about $75 billion in past-due medical debt. Medical debt contributes to more than 60% of all bankruptcies and three-quarters of all individuals in medical bankruptcy had health insurance coverage. Lives, households, and dreams are sinking under loads of medical debt.

The ImpactMedical debt restricts individual’s freedom with garnished wages and poor credit. A low credit score can deny someone a loan, an apartment, or even a job. The financial effects of one trip to the hospital can hold someone back their entire life, keeping them from ever reaching their full potential.

The ChallengeA dozen United Church of Christ congregations and institutions in Washington, DC and the surrounding counties have banded together in an effort to erase $2 million or more in medical debt in the area in and around the District.

The ProcessWe are working with the nonprofit organization, RIP Medical Debt, which locates, buys, and forgives medical debt of individuals in the community who are below twice the federal poverty line, have debts greater than their assets, or have debts greater than 5% of their annual income. Prior to RIP's purchase, these bills have passed through several collection agencies and have been pursued for months or years. RIP offers to purchase these accounts at their present industry market value of pennies on the dollar.

Then the debt is simply forgiven. Debt relief recipients are sent a letter informing them that their medical debt has been bought by a third

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party and erased with no strings attached. They owe nothing on the debt and face no tax penalty.

How you can helpThe United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley in collecting donations during March and April to help reach the combined goal of raising $25,000 in the local area. Your donations, when combined with others, will enable the purchase of debt in bundled portfolios, millions of dollars at a time at a fraction of the original cost. A donation equal to the cost of a movie ticket can help relief over a thousand dollars of medical debt for a needy individual or family.

Matching giftsEvery donation from the congregation will be matched by an equal allocation from the UCCSV Social Action Fund. This enables every dollar of your gift to buy back over $200 in medical debt!Informative videosLast Week Tonight with John Oliver Explains a lot and makes TV history inless than four minutes (with two bleeped expletives).

UCC medical debt relief in Chicago.UCC medical debt relief in Saint Louis.

Look for the Helpers ProjectWe Have Our First Match!This past Sunday Susan Pearcy placed a request on the Look for the Helpers Project tree. Her request involved some help moving her patio furniture out of her shed. By Sunday afternoon her request for help was answered when Patrick Jackson and Quinn Jackson helped Susan move her furniture.Susan reports, “It was wonderful to have this chore done so quickly as I usually wait until family arrives at Easter to help...and it was 70

on Monday so I was able to sit outside and have my lunch.”

Thanks to Susan, Patrick, and Quinn for leading the way on the Look for the Helpers Project!

CalendarChurch Council Meeting (7pm) – March 16Men’s Breakfast (9am) – March 21PFLAG (2:30pm) – March 22One Anothering (10am) – March 28

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