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CCC NewsNotes April 22, 2002 Worship Service Forums Coming In May, June, Thoughts On Fall Worship, Estate Planning Workshop, Party For Justice May 18, AIDS Ride Coming Up, Thank You From Deacons, CCC Big Band Tunes Up, Coming Up At CCC, News Notes Deadlines, CCC Staff Worship Service Forums Coming In May, June The Board of Deacons will hold a series of forums to gather as much input as possible from our members in developing services that will be attractive and appealing to new and older members alike. We want to keep the process moving, so we're scheduling forum dates during what we know is a very busy and joyful time in our church life. The forum dates are: Sun., May 26 after worship in the Conference Room. Wed., June 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Conference Room. Sun., June 23 after worship in the Conference Room. We've already received valuable and helpful ideas which are being explored, and we want to employ the same effort and careful planning that has been devoted to the building program. At the same time, we are making a determined commitment to have a plan in place for the fall of this year. Everyone's input is vital, and we shall be looking at value voting on some of the issues that we face together. Eric Fisher has kindly agreed to produce the material that will enable you to register your opinions on key elements in the worship plan. Please try to attend at least one of these sessions. Elsa Brandt & Neville Platt, co-chairs, Worship Committee From Rev. Jim Todhunter For a number of months now, the Worship Committee of the Board of Deacons, the CCC staff and most recently the Christian Education Board have been exploring possible changes in our Sunday morning schedule at CCC. This has been a careful and thoughtful group process. Neville Platt and Elsa Brandt of the Worship Committee have now shared a proposed plan and a schedule of opportunities for discussion. I would like to share some of my personal thoughts at this time. Let me preface this by saying that, though I believe my views are largely in line with the deacons and staff, I am speaking for myself. And secondly, that I fully trust that if the process is good, the outcome will be right for CCC, whatever it is. Here goes, then: 1.) CCC is on a membership plateau. The experts tell us that churches at that place don't grow unless they are intentional about doing what is necessary to grow. It was this intentionality that led to our magnificent building program. Actually, experts say that the plateau itself is a myth -- either you are growing or declining. CCC has addressed the important requirements for growth, particularly in creating an accessible, safe and welcoming building with ample parking. There is, however, one axiom that the experts all agree on. For a church to grow, worship opportunities must be expanded, choices provided, and a range of needs addressed. One simple rule is, "if your sanctuary is more than two-thirds filled each Sunday, you need to create another service." It is a mistake to wait until you feel the pressure for growth. Then it is too late, and you have already been sending new people elsewhere. A church must always strive to be proactive. If not, what are we saying to ourselves and newcomers is, "We are content with who we have." I have read widely about this and listened to the testimony of other clergy enough to be convinced that we need to find a way to provide two full services each Sunday. Frankly, I would be very disappointed to see us return to the schedule we followed prior to our departure for renovation. I would wonder why we went through this tremendous building effort just to come back and say, "Now things will be as they were!" Again, speaking for myself, I am committed to seeing CCC move off the plateau and grow, in numbers, in mission and in vitality. I honestly believe that this is God's will for us. 2.) Whatever the worship schedule, there will be trade-offs to be weighed. Not everyone may end up fully happy. But that was the case with our old schedule. For example, church school teachers never got to regularly attend worship. This has become a serious problem in recruiting for the church school. Awkward arrangements regarding team teaching tried to mitigate this problem, but that brought its own difficulties, e.g. lack of weekly continuity of teachers. Church school teachers could never sing in the Chancel Choir. I think it is too bad that dedicated folks such as these are asked to give up the opportunity for worship, even as they are giving up for our children. 3.) We need to find a way to regularly include our children in at least one full worship service each Sunday. Why? For a number of reasons. First of all, they need this for their spiritual development. They need to experience worship and they need to see their parents modeling out worshipful behavior. Frankly, at CCC the sad fact is that our youth enter their teen years (particularly the Covenant Class) with practically no firsthand knowledge of what worship is, what happens in the sanctuary, and why it is important. In church school, they have been told about certain aspects of worship, but what they are missing is the ongoing weekly experience of worship. The proposed model would allow for this, while also providing for those parents of small children who prefer to worship in the sanctuary while their children are in church school. Does a child-friendly service have to necessarily be a "dumbed-down" service? I don't think so. We have always celebrated the presence of our children at baptism times. More and more families have come to cherish the inclusion of their children in Holy Communion. Worship is an invitation into the mysteries of symbol and deep metaphor. Some experts think children may even be more open to these nonverbal mysteries than adults. Furthermore, our society is more and more concerned with intergenerational opportunities. Worship can be one of these. And I believe the presence of children provides a wonderful energy. Under our old schedule, I can't tell you what a drain of energy Linda and I observe each Sunday when our children and teachers depart after Children's Time. 4.) I have sometimes heard it said that moving to two worship services would split the congregation and undercut a sense of community and the feeling that we are one family. However, I believe that in many ways we have always been split up into a variety of many sub-families. There are some folks that come to church nearly every Sunday. There are others who come less often. Two different worship groups. Look at all the smaller groups that people seek out: choir, sanctuary committee, couples communication and marriage enrichment, adult education, day fellowship, etc. A particular kind of community takes place in worship. A different kind of community takes place in these smaller groups. And I believe there is a universal interest at CCC to see more of these groups developed. I am personally interested in more spirituality groups, starting more couple communication groups, developing a more ambitious men's ministry and teaching when we get back. The current proposed worship plan provides for a "community life hour" between the services, which would include organized activities for the children and fellowship possibilities for adults. 5.) The staff and deacons looked at the idea of having one worship service with contemporary music and worship style, and another in the traditional mode. We decided that this approach would do a disservice to both styles by implying that one is preferable to the other. Two services would allow us to explore this further and learn as we go. In closing, I fully understand that you may disagree with part or even all of what I am saying. That doesn't bother me! But I believe that the important thing now is to address the issues underlying any Sunday morning schedule. I am sure there are other equally important issues that I haven't mentioned, such as the question of Sunday morning starting times. Let's address them all together. Blessings! Jim Life is complicated, and estate planning can be overwhelming. To help make sense of the issues, the Special Gifts Committee is sponsoring two financial workshops to help CCC members understand the various components of estate and financial planning. Open to members of all ages and life stages, the workshops are designed to educate participants on critical issues of wealth management. Presented the Rev. Robert F.R. Peters, Jr., president and senior consultant, Church Finance Services, the first workshop on Sun., April 28 will cover these topics: Estate planning, marital deduction, three kinds of wills, steps to creating a will and responsibilities of your executor, bequests and powers of attorney, and what happens to your estate if you don't write a will. Handouts will include an estate inventory guide. Child care will be provided. The workshop will be held in Room 204 of Marvin Memorial from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The workshop will be repeated on Sat., May 4 at 10 a.m. (also in Room 204). Please note that the information presented in these workshops is of a general nature and is not intended to be viewed as legal advice. Workshop participants should consult attorneys and professional advisors for guidance concerning their personal situations. For more information about the workshop, please contact Greg Linden at (301) 854-2851. Free State Justice is Maryland's only statewide organization working for inclusion and tolerance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people through education and political advocacy. The organization's largest annual fundraiser is "Maryland Out For Justice," to be held May 18 at 7 p.m. Free State Justice was an integral part of the success of Governor Glendening's recent effort to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and public accommodations throughout the state. In the coming year, Free State Justice will monitor and fight the intolerant bills that are submitted (including one banning gay people from adopting children) and fight for statewide hate crimes law that includes sexual orientation. CCC'ers David Bobbitt and Rob Stansbery are volunteer table captains for the fundraiser and would love to gather a CCC group to attend. Cost is $80 per person and includes food and live entertainment. The event will be held at Gomez Gallery, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 100, Baltimore (not the mailing address), beginning at 7 p.m. Make checks payable to "Free State Justice" and contact David or Rob at (301) 887-0054 or robdavid@prodigy.net. Even if you can't be part of the event, consider becoming a Free State Justice member in 2002 with a gift of $35 or more. David Bobbitt I am participating in the Washington DC AIDSride this year. I will bike 330 miles from Norfolk, VA to Washington DC beginning on Thurs., June 13 to Sun., June 16. In order to make this trip, I need to raise at least $2,400 by June 12. I have already committed $500 of my own money towards this endeavor. The proceeds from the AIDSride go to two DC organizations: Food and Friends and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Food and Friends helps people who are HIV-positive as well as persons with AIDS by providing freshly prepared meals, groceries, and nutrition counseling. The Whitman-Walker Clinic provides case management for people living with HIV/AIDS, their partners and family members, and offers an array of legal, medical and prevention services. If you are interested in sponsoring me on this ride, you can make your donation online at www.BeThePeople.com. Please mention that you are sponsoring John Touchton, rider #1554. Donations are tax-deductible. You may also contact me at home (301) 754-0112 or via e-mail, Johnrt777@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your support. John Touchton The Board of Deacons thanks all who gave Easter memorials to the Deacons' Fund. Through your generosity with the memorials and your contributions on communion days, we have been able to maintain our $200 monthly contribution to Ministries United Silver Spring - Takoma Park Inc. We also have been able to help our own church family in times of crisis. The fund is used carefully at the request of our ministerial staff. Those who have been helped truly thank you. Mary Carnahan, Board of Deacons CCC's Big Band will provide musical spice to a spaghetti dinner on May 3 at the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring (corner of Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street). This event is to raise funds for the church's youth camp program. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., and the Big Band concert will take place between 8 and 9 p.m. Donations are requested. For reservations, call Chuck O'Connor (301) 593-9525 or the Baptist church office at (301) 585-5454 no later than April 29. Chuck O'Connor A second session of "Guiding Our Children" will be held Sun., April 28 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. The focus of this meeting will be age-appropriate books for children regarding the topic of sexuality. There also will be a movie shown called "That's a Family." For more information, contact Terry Strand. The Sunday adult class, which meets at 2:30 p.m., has begun a study of our UCC Statement of Faith in the book, "Confessing Our Faith," by Roger L. Shinn, Reinhold Niebuhr professor emeritus of social ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Copies of the book are available for $11. Make checks payable to CCC (designate "book"). Wellborn-Touchton piano duo: William Wellborn and CCC Music Director John Touchton will perform a two-piano, four-hand concert on Fri., May 31 at 7:30 p.m. at CCC's renovated facilities, 9525 Colesville Rd. The concert will feature the works of Chopin, Saint-Saens, Schubert and Liszt. A cook is needed for the junior high camp for the last full week of June. If you would be willing to help our summer camping program in this important way, or would like to know more about it, call Linda Carder at CCC. Women of CCC: Plan ahead and put this date on your calendars now! The fall Women's Retreat will be held Fri., Sept 27 -- Sun., Sept. 29 at the CCC Retreat House. Hope to see you there! PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the MAY 6 issue will be THURS., May 2 at 5 p.m. News Notes editor -- Susan DeFord (301) 649-3093, or sjdkjk@erols.com The Rev. Jim Todhunter, senior minister; the Rev. Linda Carder, assoc. minister; John Touchton, director of music; the Rev. Dale Ostrander, director of programming for older adults; Richard Meyer, property administrator; Ruth Avery, office administrator. |