Confused About LED Light Bulbs?
Many of us have been raised using incandescent bulbs and only switched to LED bulbs in the last 20 years. Yet most of us don’t understand a thing on the box when we buy them. There are so many choices today, so which one is best for you? Well after reading this lightbulb guide, you will be a pro!
Here are are some answers
Green Faith Committee member and IUCC resident expert on light bulbs Alex Ingal has answers to all your LED light bulb questions. Here's what he wants everyone to know.
Hello everyone! Did you remember to celebrate Earth Day? Forgot? Well at least you are using LEDs to light up your house, but have you noticed that your rooms are dimmer? It is not your imagination but the facts of LED bulbs.
Many of us have been raised using incandescent bulbs and only switched to LED bulbs in the last 20 years. Yet most of us don’t understand a thing on the box when we buy them. There are so many choices today, so which one is best for you? Well after reading this lightbulb guide, you will be a pro!
Putting it all together
So where do you find all this information on the packaging? Well, they list it like the food labels you don’t read. So let’s look at the first box I found on Amazon and interpret what you would be getting.
Looking at the first image from Great Eagle via Amazon, 25,000 hours life, replaces 60W, Daylight! Sounds amazing! Well of course it does! It is just like seeing fat free on the front of your butter. But does that really make it good? Well let’s look at the second label.
830 lumens. This means this bulb is not as bright as a 60W bulb would be. 22.8 years based off 3 hours a day. Looking back, in about 3 years, this bulb will be dimmer than a 40W incandescent bulb. Speaking of 3 years, the bulb has a 3-year warranty. Huh, it is as if they know the bulb will be much dimmer past 3 years.
Back to the first image. 220 beam angle. Remember, 210 is the minimum I suggest for a lamp so this will technically work for a lamp, but this is a bit excessive for a ceiling light. Then this is the daylight (5000K) model so it isn’t recommended for a lamp, unless your favorite reading spot at night time is in the sun (try to figure out how that would work).
This is a good, solid light bulb for those trying to be economical, but it isn’t a quality bulb. Remember, I just picked a light bulb at random and am in no way trying to recommend one bulb over another but just showing how to determine if the bulb is right for you.
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The July/August Double IUCC Newsletter is Here!
Discover what’s been happening at IUCC including Pride Sunday 🌈, our Spirited Congregational Meeting ✏️, and lots of events on the horizon to grow your mind, heart, and spiritual being alike. 🌎
Newsletter Highlights:
✨Pastor Sarah talks the summer season’s challenge to both grow and slow down, the joy of our June events, and the upcoming summer sermon series, "The Shady Ladies and Bad Boys of the Bible."
🎉A welcome message from our new Moderator, Martha Mecartney! Check out the outcomes from the June Congregational Meeting and the election of new church leadership.
🎭You are invited to the Falsettos show and the Welcome to Falsettoland Summer Gala! July 11 for the Gala’s night of elegance and music, July 23rd kicks off the Falsettos heartfelt and riveting show. IUCC members receive $10 off tickets with the code IUCC.
🌈The Spirit Moves with Pride! - See how IUCCers celebrated at Pride Sunday and Mission Viejo Pride
🎒Support local students in need through Mission & Service’s Back to School Drive benefiting Families Forward. Donations are accepted July 5–12.
🤝Looking to get involved? Learn more about joining the Woodbridge Children's School Committee, upcoming DEI workshops and Book Club, Bethania Kids Sunday, and opportunities to provide feedback as IUCC reviews and updates its bylaws.
📷Plus, enjoy ministry updates, photos from recent events, birthdays, volunteer celebrations, and much more!
The June IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
IUCC welcomed summer with a season full of joy, connection, and spiritual growth. Pentecost brought a sea of red, new members, inspiring worship, and a beloved Pancakes for Pentecost breakfast, while Confirmation Sunday celebrated the faith journeys of two confirmands. Special musical guests, including the Peppermint Ridge Rejoicers and the Singers of Soul, filled the sanctuary with energy, inspiration, and community spirit.
June is Pride Month, and IUCC continues its commitment to radical welcome and affirmation. Join us as we celebrate Pride Sunday, table at Mission Viejo Pride, and gather for a special Pride-themed Sippin' Under the Sails potluck. From LGBTQ+ outreach to expanding accessibility through sensory-friendly spaces and restoration rooms, IUCC is working to ensure everyone feels seen, safe, and welcomed.
Experience a summer filled with creativity and inspiration. The IUCC Chancel Choir presents an uplifting concert celebrating community and connection, while The Gospel Project welcomes acclaimed artist Jason Chu for an evening exploring faith, race, identity, and storytelling through music and conversation. Looking ahead, The Wayward Artist's "Falsettos" gala offers fine dining, live performances, and exciting auction experiences in support of Orange County's vibrant theater community.
IUCC continues to put faith into action through service and advocacy. This month includes food, clothing, and hygiene drives supporting local families and neighbors experiencing hardship, as well as ongoing work with immigrant communities and refugee families. Members also reflected on community organizing efforts, advocacy for vulnerable populations, and the remarkable success stories emerging from refugee resettlement partnerships that continue to transform lives.
Opportunities for growth abound at IUCC. Weekly ESL conversation classes continue to expand, creating connections among learners from around the world. Young adults are finding community through book clubs, brunch gatherings, and social events, while youth celebrate milestones, leadership opportunities, and summer activities including Youth Sunday, family bowling, Pride events, and camp experiences.
As IUCC looks ahead, members are invited to help shape the church's future through the Spring Congregational Meeting, memorial garden legacy projects, planned giving opportunities, and volunteer ministries. Whether hosting Coffee Hour, supporting accessibility initiatives, honoring loved ones through engraved memorial bricks, or participating in church leadership, there are countless ways to invest in the life and mission of the congregation.
Read the full newsletter to catch up, connect, and celebrate all that’s happening at IUCC this June!
The May IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
After a vibrant Easter season filled with music, celebration, and community, May begins with that same spirit of joy at IUCC. From meaningful worship moments to new friendships forming each week, our church continues to grow into a more diverse, welcoming, and life-giving community.
Through advocacy, partnerships, and direct support, IUCC stands alongside immigrants and refugees with compassion and courage. From ESL programs to court accompaniment and refugee support, we’re actively building a community where every story is honored and everyone belongs.
We’re actively creating new spaces to support accessibility and belonging, including sensory-friendly areas and calming environments for worship. This effort reflects our commitment to ensuring everyone feels safe, seen, and welcomed.
Join us May 30th for an unforgettable evening of music, spirit, and connection in the 5th installment of The Gospel Project. The dynamic Singers of Soul bring powerful harmonies and infectious energy in a performance that invites everyone to feel, participate, and celebrate together. Come for the free meal, stay for the music, and leave inspired.
Between all this and a bombastic night at Drag Disco Bingo Bash, a new DEI Book Club book, our annual Spring Chancel Choir concert, and our California Pizza Kitchen gathering and fundraiser, May is sure to be a busy month at IUCC!
Read the full newsletter to catch up, connect, and celebrate all that’s happening at IUCC this May!
The April IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
Holy Week is here at IUCC. Join us for a reflective Maundy Thursday service and a joyful Easter celebration filled with music, community, and new life. From special choir performances to an Easter brunch, egg hunt, and scavenger hunt, there are meaningful and fun ways for all ages to celebrate the season together.
April begins in the heart of the Easter story. As we celebrate resurrection and hope, IUCC continues to live out its faith through community action, justice work, creativity, and compassion. From civic engagement to music, worship, and shared meals, our church continues to show up for one another and the wider world.
This April, IUCC hosts a bold theatrical experience: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Presented in partnership with local artists, the production explores grace, justice, and redemption through powerful storytelling. Enjoy dinner, conversation, and a thought-provoking performance that invites deeper reflection on faith and forgiveness.
Join us for a special Earth Day gathering featuring a “Song of the Earth” ceremony led by a Native Tribal Elder. This outdoor event invites our community to reflect on our connection to the planet and celebrate creation together through ceremony, learning, and fellowship.
From talent shows and concerts to youth programs and community gatherings, IUCC continues to celebrate the creativity and courage of its members. Recent events brought together people of all ages to share music, stories, humor, and joy in a spirit of belonging and encouragement.
IUCC is expanding its commitment to accessibility by creating new welcoming spaces for people with disabilities and sensory needs. From quiet rooms to regulation stations, these efforts help ensure everyone can participate fully in the life of our church community.
Our community continues to show up beyond our walls—supporting food drives, immigration ministries, climate advocacy, and service events like the Walk to Feed OC. These opportunities invite everyone to put faith into action and make a difference locally and globally.
The March IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
The March 2026 newsletter from Irvine United Congregational Church (IUCC) invites us into Lent with the theme “Wonder in the Wilderness,” as Pastor Sarah reflects on seeking awe, resilience, and grounded faith in uncertain times. In a world marked by anxiety and global tension, our congregation responds not only with prayer—including a community peace vigil—but also with tangible acts of love and solidarity. As we journey toward Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter, we also prepare to support One Great Hour of Sharing through the United Church of Christ, joining congregations nationwide in compassionate response to communities in need. Alongside these sacred moments, March brings beloved traditions like IUCC’s Got Talent and the Chili Cook-Off, reminding us that joy and celebration are vital parts of faithful community life.
That spirit of creativity and courageous faith continues throughout the coming months. The Gospel Project returns on March 28 featuring acclaimed artists Heather Mae and Flamy Grant for an evening where music, storytelling, and ministry meet around a shared table. At the same time, The Wayward Artist presents JUICE: A Secret Revealed and hosts The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, produced The Larking House, for the fourth installment of The Gospel Project — offering bold theatrical experiences hosted at IUCC that wrestle honestly with faith, justice, and redemption. Add in the Great American Write-In, the CLUE “Architects of Justice” banquet, a Community Repair Café, youth ministries, a food and hygiene drive, and opportunities for prayer, advocacy, and connection, and you’ll find a church alive with purpose. Read the full newsletter to discover all the ways you can worship, serve, create, and belong this month!
The February IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
February at IUCC is alive with community, creativity, and courageous faith. From the powerful launch of The Gospel Project and the joyful return of music, theatre, and drag, to congregational gatherings that shape our shared life together, this month reflects who we are at our best—open, affirming, and deeply connected. Highlights include Holy Ground: Disabled Voices, Sacred Stories, Valentine’s Day Bingo, Music in Common with The Black Legacy Project, youth and service ministries in action, and inspiring updates from Woodbridge Children’s School. Whether through worship, justice work, storytelling, or simple acts of care, this issue celebrates the many ways love, belonging, and transformation continue to take root at IUCC.
The January IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
Rev. Dr. Sarah Halverson-Cano reflects on carrying Christmas light into the new year, announces her upcoming sabbatical, introduces key leadership transitions, and shares exciting plans for arts, justice, and worship in 2026—including major guest speakers like Cori Bush, former U.S. Representative and pastor.
Discover IUCC’s bold new monthly worship series launching January 31. Blending professional theatre, music, dance, testimony, and communion, The Gospel Project reimagines church as participatory, artistic, and deeply inclusive—free, communal, and open to all. Explore the full lineup of powerful themes—from Queer faith and disability justice to immigration, digital life, liberation, and interfaith gratitude—each gathering centered on storytelling, shared meals, and sacred conversation.
By popular demand, this nationally recognized musical experience comes back to IUCC for an evening of music, dialogue, and racial justice—free and open to the community.
Learn about a six-week creative justice workshop led by acclaimed artist and activist Angelica Rowell. Participants will explore urgent social issues, create original activist art, and share their work in a public showcase.
IUCC deepens its global mission by supporting Bethania Kids in India, a life-changing ministry serving orphaned and vulnerable children and families through education, care, and empowerment.
A new DEI-supported ministry launches weekly English conversation classes—free, welcoming, and designed to build confidence, connection, and belonging for non-native English speakers in our wider community.
A moving tribute celebrates Heidi Willcox’s 33 years of dedication to IUCC, honoring her legacy of care, commitment, and behind-the-scenes leadership.
Enjoy thoughtful essays, heartfelt tributes, intergenerational stories, and a delightful list of New Year’s resolutions that remind us why IUCC is a place of depth, warmth, and humanity.
The December IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
Experience our joyful traditions—from our long-loved interfaith Thanksgiving service with University Synagogue to a festive Friendsgiving that welcomed new faces and old friends.
“Kindle the Light” — our inspiring Advent season theme, including inspiring worship, beautiful music, and events for all ages.
Enjoy our Chancel Choir Christmas Concert, the Candlelight Christmas Cabaret, and a heartwarming Christmas Pageant that asks how we find hope in challenging times.
Families and young people can join in the fun at the Advent Festival, Christmas Bake-Off, photo booth, crafts, and Young Adult holiday gatherings—all designed to spark joy, connection, and belonging.
IUCC continues its commitment to justice and learning with the DEI Book & Film Club, the upcoming Gospel Project blending art and worship, and a new Arts for Activism workshop launching in January.
The November IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
Powerful testimonies and reflections on Homecoming from Kim Pellet and Myrna Bohan.
An update on this year’s Stewardship Campaign: Firming Our Foundation – Groundwork for Growth, plus exciting updates on campus repairs and future ministry dreams.
Exciting updates on our seasonal holiday events like our joint Thanksgiving Service with University Synagogue, our Christmas Cabaret featuring the talented Joey Miranda (who also played Jesus in Godspell!), and this year’s Christmas concert.
Reflective testimonial essays, featuring Vivian Johnson on our experience of energy as we age, and Luna Moore Latorre on faith’s regenerative power in the age of social media!
Don’t miss The Christians on Thanksgiving weekend, or the weekend before! Details can be found here.
The October IUCC Newsletter is Here! Highlights include:
A recap of our Ministries Fair and IUCC’s vibrant presence at OC Pride Festival.
A heartfelt message from Pastor Sarah celebrating 45 years of IUCC, World Communion Sunday, and all the fun of Blessing of the Animals and Spooky Sunday.
Details on this year’s Stewardship Campaign: Firming Our Foundation – Groundwork for Growth, plus exciting updates on campus repairs and future ministry dreams.
Upcoming events like the Advocates for Peace & Justice Ballot Review, AIDS Walk OC, Repair Café, and the DEI Book & Film Club on Mother Emanuel.
Ministry spotlights including SPARK (Supporting Parents, Affirming Rainbow Kids), the new Membership Classes, and ways to support Mission & Service through food donations.
Don’t miss True Stories by Vivian Elaine Johnson—a delightful reflection on cake, kids, and the importance of clarification.
The September edition of IUCC News & Notes is here!
IUCC came together in joy and love to witness the baptism of several young members! Surrounded by cool waters and the warmth of friends, this meaningful moment was a powerful reminder of our shared faith and commitment to walk together on life’s spiritual journey.
On the final Sunday of our “Divine Disruption” series, Pastor Sarah challenged us to break the rules for good— taking bold action for justice, compassion, and prayer that reached beyond our walls and into the world!
At our Aug. 31 Listening Session, 26 thoughtful voices came together to dream big about the future of Plumer Hall—sharing heartfelt hopes for a more functional, inclusive, and versatile space.
Mark the date — IUCC will host a booth at OC Pride on September 27th! Email communications@iucc.org if you’re interested in volunteering!
The August edition of IUCC News & Notes is here!
IUCC’s Leadership Retreat was a hopeful and inspiring day filled with laughter, deep reflection, practical planning, and visionary insight—highlighted by community-building, financial updates, tech improvements, and a powerful keynote from Rev. Dr. Jacob Buchholz on how churches can thrive.
Join IUCC’s Earth Matters Ministry on August 3rd for a meaningful outdoor gathering as part of the Global Earth Exchange, where we’ll honor the land through reflection, ritual, and storytelling—celebrating our deep connection to the earth, spirit, and community.
Get ready to celebrate in style at Cucu Chanel’s glitter-filled birthday bash—an unforgettable night of bingo, dazzling drag performances, games, and a nacho bar you won't want to miss, all hosted by Cucu and her fabulous divas!