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CCC NewsNotes October 7, 2003 From Linda, New Worship Schedule, Fall Luncheon, Oct. 30, CCC Youth Calendar:Current - November 2003, German Youth Choir, Youth Global Experiential Learning Initiative, CCC Workday-Oct. 11, School of the Arts, Thank You from MUSST, Social Witness Happenings, Spy Museum, 40s + Singles Group, Halloween Party - October 25, Sisters for Sisters, NewsNotes Deadlines, CCC Staff As Dale and I get closer to our time of retirement, we get lots of questions about what we are going to do next. There are also those who share their sadness that we are leaving. Others talk about their concern that the programs Dale and I have helped to create, lead and sustain will not continue. I want to speak to this last concern. As I look back over the ministries I have been fortunate to be a part of, they are all still there and thriving. There is the UCC Resource Center I started over 30 years ago, still being run by a wonderful and dedicated staff and doing well. There are the education programs and the arts programs in a local church still running in a manner that I instigated 25 years ago. And then there are all the ministries I was a part of in Iowa: the youth program is still one of the strongest in the UCC, the outdoor ministries program continues to grow and they have a wonderful new "adult friendly" facility. The Christian Education programs, the training program for Lay Ministers and Christian Educations and the Arts programs are healthy and strong. And pastors and churches are being cared for. For each program, systems were put in place, the vision and purpose became very clear and leaders were trained, so that continuity was pretty well assured. Yes, Dale and I will leave. We will miss all of you and you will miss us. But none of us will be without God’s care and love. That will sustain all of us. The training of leaders that has been done while we were here and the development of goals, objectives, as well as the "how to" remain with all those who have been involved. Already I watch and smile as people move forward to do some of what I have done. What a wonderful gift God gives us when this happens. For God will not let God’s ministries flounder. God will provide leadership, love and sustenance for the journey. Imagine yourself sitting along a parade route. You have been there for some time. The parade is just about to start. So you stand, all on tiptoes, so you can get the first glimpse of what will come around the corner. You begin to fidget with anticipation. And the real truth is, God will not disappoint. The parade of God’s ministry will be continue long after some of the starters have gone out of sight. Blessings and Hope Linda The Board of Deacons remains committed to helping ensure a meaningful worship service for as many members as possible. Members of the Deacon’s Worship Committee will be talking with people attending both the 9:00 am and 10:30 am service from time to time, to ascertain how the schedule is working out for them. If you have comments that you would like to pass on to the Deacon’s Worship Committee, please contact committee members, Jack & Iona Hiland, Eric Fisher, and Audrey & Neville Platt directly, or send an email to them via the web page. Go to: http://christ-ucc.org/ComingEvents/NewlyPosted.htm, click on Worship Service Comments, and you will be prompted to send an email to Neville Platt. If you would like a response please mention that in your e-mail message. Both positive and negative comments are welcome. We want to know how the new schedule matches your needs. Neville Platt for the Worship Committee Christ Congregational Church Actress Barbara Callander will present her one woman show, "AN ANTI-SUFFRAGE MONOLOGUE" at the Fall Luncheon. Written in 1913 by Marie Jenny Howe, "An Anti-Suffrage Monologue" was used as a propaganda piece by the suffrage movement in the final years leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Barbara grew up in CCC and has been acting professionally for over 25 years in theaters nationwide, including Arena Stage, the Folger and the Studio Theater locally, and recently touring with actress/playwright, Tori Douglass. She has returned to this area from Seattle where in 1995 she received a National Women’s History Project award for her work at the Seattle celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Plan now to attend this special and timely event just prior to Election Day, November 4th. Dale Ostrander Photo Directory The Photo Directory sign-ups have gone very well! More than 180 families have reserved a photo sitting time. If you have not yet reserved a time slot and wish to do so or need to reschedule your appointment, please contact Dan Schumacher at 301-881-7296 or dan.schu@verizon.net. The photo dates are October 17, 18, 21, 22, and 23. There are a limited number of spots available, so act fast! CCC Youth Calendar October
9 - 12 German Youth here in the DC Area
12 25 Junior Highs Create Haunted House for CCC Halloween Party
November 9 23 30 No Youth Groups The 5th and 6th grades will follow the same general topics each month as the junior and senior highs. There will be other events and activities, such as bowling trips woven into the schedule. The Youth Choir from Halle, Germany, will be here October 9 through 12. While they are here, you will have 3 opportunities to hear them sing. On Saturday night the 11th, they will sing compline at the Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill, at 212 E. Capitol Street at 7 PM. Our youth group will be attending. If you care to join us, we will meet at the church parking lot at 6 PM to carpool. Information about this and permission slips have been mailed to the youth. There are backup copies on the website if you need them. They will also be singing at both of our worship services on Sunday morning September 12. There will be a luncheon for those youth, our youth and the people who have housed them after the second service. If you can help provide food for that luncheon, please let Susan Gary know and she will pass that on to Toby Ratcliffe who is coordinating that luncheon. Please try to attend one of these services. You will be in for a real treat. Linda Carder and the Youth committee. Youth Global Experiential Learning Initiative The next training event for youth who are interested in participating in our trip to the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland and to the Taize community in France next summer is from 3:30 to 8:00 PM Sunday October 26th at our church. Jennifer Morazes of the World Council will lead the training. Please encourage any youth who will be in the 9th grade next year and older to attend this meeting. We will have dinner at 6 PM as usual. The youth from the other churches will also be here. Jennifer will be preaching at both services that Sunday morning. She will bring a message from the perspective of the World Council of Churches. We are very fortunate to have her with us. On October 11, 2003, Christ Congregational Church members will have a opportunity to assist with various projects around our building both inside and out. On this day we will have volunteers do many things to help make CCC a better place. Because of the type of work we plan to do, only Middle School and older children will be allowed to work. Many volunteers are needed to assist in the many projects. The hours of your labor of love and fellowship are : 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Lunch will be served to all volunteers from noon to 1:00 P.M. Sign up sheets are on the bulletin board. Please contact Bud Dennie or Jackie Walters for any additional information. Building and Grounds Committee There is a committee working to develop an arts program for children in first through sixth grade during the 9:00 worship time. The children would learn Bible stories and learn about our faith through drama, music, and the visual arts. If some of our youth show interest we will find ways to involve them. The team that is working to develop this program is made up of actors, artists and musicians. And, there are some wonderful curriculum materials available for this ministry. Please watch the News Notes for further developments. Also, if you have one or more children in the above age bracket, you will get a letter inviting them to participate in this program. We hope to have this up and running very soon. In the meantime, if you like to come to the early service, there are classes for children through sixth grade. As I visited those classes, last week, the children were engaged, learning and having a very good time. And, there is always room for more. Linda Carder I would like to invite anyone who might be interested to join us as we begin the discussion of a new book on October 17th. The Jesus Seminar Study Group will begin discussing Elaine Pagels' new book Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas beginning with our October meeting on October 17th. I plan to put in a second order to Amazon for this book on Wednesday, October 8th so that we will hopefully get them in time to read the first chapter for that meeting. When they arrive, I will leave them in the church office of Christ Congregational Church so that you can pick them up before our meeting if you are in the area. Please let me know by Tuesday, October 7 if you would like to be included in this order if you haven't already done so. This book lists at $25, but the Amazon price is $15 and I will get them with free shipping. I will let you know when they arrive. Our next two meeting dates are: October 17 and November 21 - Please put these dates on your calendar. We meet in the CCC conference room from 7:30 -9:00 P.M. If you have any questions about the group or the book, please feel free to phone me at 301-604-1758 or email me at elaine@marlaine.com. Elaine Wunderlich To All our Supporting Congregations, We at MUSST really appreciate your support all year. We currently need more volunteers to staff our office. Please either post this announcement in a prominent place, or in your weekly bulletin: MUSST (Ministries United Silver Spring/Takoma Park) is an interfaith non-profit agency providing assistance to people faced with eviction, utility help, or those who need help paying for their medical prescriptions. We have an office in Silver Spring, staffed by volunteers who interview clients to determine their needs for assistance. We currently need volunteers who can commit to 4 hours of service per week, and substitute volunteers who can work on an as-needed basis. If you are interested in working with us, please call Ann Leger at 301-495-9454. Thank you very much! The September, 2003, issue of United Church News, the national UCC newspaper, contains articles on the following: UCC Candidates for President. Two of the persons running for the Office of President of the United States, Howard Dean and Bob Graham, are long-time members of the UCC. They are members respectively of the First Congregational UCC of Burlington, VT, and of Miami Lakes Congregational UCC, Miami Lakes, FL. The article includes interviews with the pastors of these churches. A copy is posted on the BSW bulletin board, along with the accompanying review of the religious affiliations of the other presidential candidates. 150th Anniversary of the First Ordination of A Woman in the Protestant Tradition. On Sept. 15 the UCC celebrated the 150th anniversary of the ordination of Antoinette Brown at a small Congregational church in South Butler, NY. Ms. Brown was a graduate of Oberlin College and became a lecturer on temperance and the abolition of slavery. The sermon preached at her ordination in 1853 by a Wesley Methodist minister was entitled "A Woman’s Right to Preach the Gospel" and was based on Joel 2:28. By 1899 there were 49 ordained Congregational women clergy; today there are 2,832 active ordained women in the UCC. At each UCC General Synod, the Antoinette Brown Award is given to two outstanding women clergy in recognition of advocacy for women and "significant leadership in the parish, community, or other church-related institutions." The full article is posted on the BSW bulletin board. For a free subscription to United Church News, call 1-800-363-0575 or go to http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/subscribe.htm. Board for Social Witness Malfunctioning traffic lights and debris-strewn streets may have delayed but did not prevent the bus from leaving the church September 23rd for the International Spy Museum where 22 of us enjoyed and learned about the world of spying. This fascinating museum with two floors of exhibits started with the history of spying, going back to ancient times and brought us up to date with modern devices used in the craft. An enemy is disabled with a poison dart cleverly concealed in an umbrella, or pen, and tiny cameras are secreted in ordinary things like buttons. We saw the ultimate spy car, fully loaded with tire shredders, machine guns and rotating license plates. Pictures and stories of famous spies like Mata Hari and the civil war ladies were prominently displayed and described. Alas, Mata Hari, seductive as she was, was ultimately betrayed and executed. After two hours walking we were glad to relax in a nice restaurant nearby. All the while Dale Ostrander took care of us, shepherding like a good pastor and not one of us got lost. This is only one of the many interesting trips Dale has arranged as well as periodic luncheons and other affairs at church. How will we ever get along without him?? Adelle Lampos This group will be getting together on Sunday, October 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the meeting room (#108) at CCC. All 40s+ singles are welcome to join. Please call Joan Boyer at 301-236-0025 if you have any questions. Halloween Party Saturday October 25 Scarecrow Making 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the playground — Make your very own scarecrow a week ahead of time this year. All you need are some old clothes, with long sleeves and long pants. Straw and directions will be provided. Please sign up on the Board for Church Life bulletin board so we will know how much straw to provide. Your scarecrow can wear any old hat or if you would like Glenda to order one for you, please indicate on the sign up sheet. Then after you’ve made your scarecrow, join us in the Social Hall for a fun-filled evening of crafts, games and contests. If you are able to assist by helping to decorate, supervise a craft activity or game, or help to clean-up after the party, please contact Leslie Wilson at 301-625-5407 or L903wilson@aol.com. Sponsored by the Board for Church Life Sisters for Sisters, a group for single women, will be meeting on Sunday, October 19 immediately following the second service in the Conference Room. Please bring your own sandwich...beverages and dessert will be provided. All interested are welcome to come. PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next issue is WEDNESDAY October 16, 5:00 P.M. Please submit articles via: email - mojobo@aol.com, phone - 301-236-0025, or paper copy - drop off in the News Notes box in the church office. Thank you, Joan Boyer, Editor 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; Jackie Walters, property administrator; Ruth Avery, office administrator; Archie Freedman, Custodian |
