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CCC NewsNotes October 21, 2003 Search Process Update, Tribute to Dave Ackerman, Church School, The Spirituality Committee, New Worship Schedule, Joey’s Restaurant Review Club, Youth Global Experiential Learning Initiative, Women’s Wellness Day Cancelled, Open and Affirming Task Force Seeks Input, Social Witness Happenings, Have you looked at the CCC Web Page Lately? Fall Luncheon, 40s+ Singles Group, Halloween Party, Supper for Seven (or so!), NewsNotes Deadlines, CCC Staff The search for a new Associate Minister is now in full swing. Significant steps to date have included:
The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications in early November and will continue to do so as applications are received through January 15, 2004. The winnowing process will include ratings of the candidates’ written profiles, further discussions with those rated highly, on-site visits to a select number of the candidates’ home churches, and interviews here with those showing the most promise. By late winter the Committee hopes to be able to recommend one candidate to the Executive Council and to the congregation for the position. Much of the work of the Search Committee has to be confidential. But we welcome inquiries and will do everything we can to be sure the congregation is fully informed about what is happening in the process. Members of the Committee are Sonja Fisher, Arlene Lopes, Brian Phelps, Bill Prindle, John Rogers, Kathy Stedman, and Chris Walters, with Dave Ackerman and Betty Eakin-Stith serving as co-chairs. The Committee is excited about this task, but we are also feeling the weight of the responsibility we are carrying. We welcome your prayers. Submitted by Dave Ackerman and Betty Eakin-Stith Dave Ackerman recently retired as legislative attorney for the American Law Division for the Congressional Research Service, after nearly 30 years. Senator Richard Lugar paid public tribute to him in a speech that was entered into the Congressional Record. I couldn’t get Dave’s approval to put the senator’s remarks in News Notes, but you may find them posted on the CCC webpage. Read them. Very impressive indeed! We are proud of you, Dave! Jim We are so happy to be able to provide quality Christian Education for our children during both services. At the 9 o’clock hour we are using a curriculum called "The One Room School" which is designed for groups of children across several ages. It is a Bible Story based curriculum, which means that it tells the stories in chronological order rather than following the lectionary as does the curriculum we use at the second church school time. When the School of the Arts is up and running (probably January) it will also be Bible Story Based. Those who are on the School of the Arts planning team will be visiting the classes at the 9 o’clock hour between now and January, to give the students a taste of what is to come. So, if you like worshipping at the 9 o’clock service, please know there is a quality program awaiting your child. And many thanks to the teachers who have offered to help as we develop and transition to yet another new ministry. Linda The Spirituality Committee seeks to provide a diversity of ways to deepen our spiritual lives and broaden our spiritual reach. The committee has met a few times since its inception last spring, most recently in early October. We discussed the regular Sunday morning meditation service and the status of the meditation room upstairs at CCC. We also will consider offering meditation at other times, perhaps Sunday evenings or weekday evenings, in addition to the regular Sunday morning service. We talked about the benefits of intercessory prayer and made plans to include intercessory prayer in one Sunday’s services early in November. We also would like to arrange a day-long retreat in the spring to allow members of the congregation to experience a variety of techniques for exploring spirituality. The concept for the retreat is still in the very early stages, and details will be provided in future editions of News Notes as the plans take shape. Jim Gifford 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 A group of 19 attended Marrakesh de Paris restaurant in the Layhill shopping center on October 15, 2003 for dinner. Glasses were raised in a five-year remembrance of beloved pastor Joey Noble who died in October of 1998. There had been much discussion of the meaning of many of the French menu descriptions but in the event there were no disappointments, although June Leonard was a little concerned when her meal would arrive! (Only kidding). We were pleasantly surprised that the proprietor provided an endive salad, and profiterole dessert on the house, and then capped this by making a 10% donation of our total bill to CCC. Chef Larbi then gave an account of the history of the Paella dish, which is renowned in Spanish cuisine. He told us that the dish was introduced to Spain by their Moorish conquerors who threw together left over ingredients from meals in a saffron laden stew. Neville Platt 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. The Women’s Wellness Day, scheduled for November 1 has been canceled. The Spring Women’s Day is still scheduled for March 20, 2004. For more information, contact the Women’s Committee. Linda Phelps Open and Affirming Task Force Seeks Input The charter of the Open and Affirming Task Force is coming to an end in January 2004. For the last several years, the group has endeavored to provide educational opportunities, to sponsor open forum discussions, and to develop awareness in the church community regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. In preparing for this transition, we're interested in your comments about our work and suggestions you have for the future. What are positive and negative aspects you have experienced about CCC as an Open and Affirming community? Are there ways we can be more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians? Please feel free to email Ann Marshall, chair of the O&A Task Force, at Maind@ix.netcom.com or call her at (301) 565-3175. Other members of the group would also welcome your comments, so feel free to contact Dave King, Gale Haggard, Clarence or Mary Stone, Eleanor Waldrop, Ruth Prindle or Terry Strand. You can also leave written comments in the Open & Affirming Task Force mail box in the office. Please get your ideas to us before November 20. Thank you! Boycotts Endorsed by the UCC General Synod. There are two posters on the Board of Social Witness bulletin board calling on UCC members and friends to support boycotts approved by the UCC General Synod. Former CCC member Edie Rasell, Justice and Witness Minister for Labor Relations and Economic Development, is the national UCC staff member with responsibility for UCC participation in both boycotts. The first boycott targets Taco Bell restaurants because of their use of tomatoes picked in Immokalee, Florida, by immigrant farm workers who are paid only 40 cents for every 32 pounds by Six L’s Packing Company, Taco Bell’s supplier. This piece rate has not changed since 1978 and results in a yearly income of $5000. Taco Bell has refused to push for higher wages. In 2002, General Synod endorsed a national boycott of Taco Bell. Go to http://www.ucctakeaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=11927 to send a letter to the Taco Bell Corporate Office urging intervention on behalf of a living wage for the Immokalee workers. The second boycott is of Mt. Olive Pickles. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee ("FLOC") is a principal organizer of migrant and seasonal farm workers in North Carolina, including those who harvest the cucumbers used by the second largest pickle company in the country, Mt. Olive Co. The company is a member of the North Carolina Growers’ Assoc. that uses Mexican workers recruited through the US Government’s H2A program. In recent years at least two workers in the cucumber fields have died of pesticide poisoning and of heat stroke, a major factor behind the FLOC boycott of Mt. Olive Co. Four years ago, General Synod voted to support the boycott. More recently, UCC national leadership persuaded the National Council of Churches to endorse the boycott, and UCC members continue to be national leaders in the overall effort to remove Mt. Olive products from grocery shelves. Board for Social Action by Anne Weissenborn Have you looked at the CCC Web Page Lately? The CCC Website (http://www.christ-ucc.org) has been a means of introducing our church to the wider community. People moving into the community have found our church by searching for local churches on the web. This is one of the purposes for having a web site. The second reason is to keep the church members informed and up to date. Did you know that the church bulletin is posted each Friday afternoon with the service for Sunday including the announcements?
Did you know that the sermon is posted each Sunday and that previous sermons remain on line?
Did you know that items of interest are posted on the website? (e.g. News Notes, Executive Council Minutes, Congregation Meeting Minutes, Pictures of Art Shows or other events.)
Did you know that most calendar events are listed with times and links to additional information?
Did you know that contact numbers including phone extensions and email addresses are listed on the website?
Did you know that you can search for anything to see if it is posted on the CCC website?
Did you know that youth activities as well as permission slips for events are also available?
If you notice that any information is out of date, please contact Elaine (Elaine@marlaine.com) or Marv (marv@marlaine.com) Wunderlich. If you know what information should really be there, please send suggestions for a change as well. If you have suggestions as to other items of interest that would be helpful, please contact them as well. Elaine Wunderlich Christ Congregational Church The luncheon will be catered by Carolyn West-Gipson and a special program will be presented by Barbara Callander. She will offer "An Anti-Suffrage Monologue" - a propaganda piece used by the suffrage movement. Barbara Callander is a professional actress, having appeared in theaters nationwide – the Folger, Arena Stage and the Studio theaters in this area. Please RSVP by October 26 by calling: Mable Elliott at 301-622-3174, or Dale Ostrander at CCC. The 40s+ Singles Group (generally for ages 40-60) will be having a pot-luck dinner and sock-hop on Sunday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the home of Sue Dollins, 412 Brewster Avenue (across the street from CCC). All singles are welcome to come bring a dish for dinner and enjoy music from the 50s, 60s and 70s If you’d like to know more or have any questions, call Sue at 301-585-8874 or email suedollins@cs.com . Saturday October 25 Make your very own scarecrow an hour ahead of time this year. 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, please contact Leslie Wilson at 301-625-5407 or L903wilson@aol.com. Sponsored by the Board for Church Life Supper for Seven (or so) is an opportunity for you to join a small group that takes turns having a meal in each other’s homes (or other location). It’s a great way to get to know others at CCC. You’ll be grouped with 6-8 other people -- singles and couples. One person needs to offer to contact the others in the group and host the first meal, and then the group decides its own schedule. If it’s hard for you to host in your home, you can arrange another location or buddy up with another member of the group. Name: ______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ Telephone: _________________________________________ PRINT Email: ______________________________________ (please give email if you use it, makes communication much easier) Are you willing to be the first host? Yes No (someone needs to!) Do you want to be in a group that includes children at the dinner? Yes No If yes, ages of children: _______________________ Please return by November 9 to Sara Watson, saradwatson@aol.com or fax 301-879-7693 or mail to 14616 Notley Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905. Questions, call Sara at 301-879-7692. PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next issue is WEDNESDAY October 30, 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 |