|
CCC NewsNotes November 18, 2003 From the Property Administrator, CCC Chancel Choir to Sing in Salzburg Cathedral, Christmas Ornaments for Recommitment, Religious Founders Day at Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, School of the Arts, Mitten, Hat and Coat Collection, Book Review, Shepherd’s Table, 20th Anniversary Celebration of Shepherd's Table, First Sunday Potluck, Thanksgiving Collection, Shaw Community Ministry—Thanksgiving Baskets, Advent Wreath Workshop, Social Witness Happenings, Christmas Plants, Events of Advent, CCC at Leisure World Christmas Luncheon, CCC’s 40+ Singles, Early Fellowship Time Coordinators Needed, Help Decorate the Church, NewsNotes Deadline, CCC Staff From the Property Administrator Many thanks to Kristen Brown’s Sunday School class members, Daniel Bell, Molly Fritz, Acer Lewis, Jenna Michel and Meleny Weber, and parent Christopher Lewis for raking pine cones and leaves and for mulching the azalea bushes during Church School on Sunday, November 9. CCC lost power several times during the windstorm on November 13, but incurred no damage. With the power going on and off around 7:45, John persevered, and the choir managed to complete most of its rehearsal before the power went out for good at 9 p.m. A reminder: if you are unable to reach the Church by phone, it means the building has lost power. We are able to make outgoing calls on an old phone hooked into the fax line, but we are not able to receive calls. As long as the building is safe and there is light, the office will generally be covered during unexpected emergencies during the day, but members must come to the Church to conduct business. If weather affects the Church’s ability to hold worship services, a designated staff person will notify WTOP. All other cancellations will be made by the person in charge of the event (see the weather policy published in the last issue of News Notes, www.christ-ucc.org.) Jackie Walters CCC Chancel Choir to Sing in Salzburg Cathedral By special arrangement with the Music Director of the Cathedral in Salzburg, Austria, the CCC Chancel Choir will perform a solo concert in the Cathedral on Friday, July 2, 2004, during the International Choir Festival. The choir’s program will be one of a series of solo concerts, including those performed by choirs participating in this annual, world-renowned invitational festival, on that Friday. In addition to Munich and Salzburg, the choir’s itinerary includes Bavaria; Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia; ancient Roman seaside towns on the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia; a hydrofoil trip across the Adriatic Sea to Venice, Italy; and a stop in Verona, Italy. Arrangements for the trip are being handled by Music Contact International, Inc., a Vermont-based company specializing in custom tours for musical groups. Music Contact International is booking four concerts for the choir, including the concert in Salzburg. The choir’s European tour has attracted interest from CCC members and their families and friends. For more information about the tour, contact John Touchton, Music Director, or Ann Marshall or Jackie Walters. The choir departs on June 22 and returns on July 4, 2004. Jackie Walters Christmas Ornaments for Recommitment Under the auspices of the Recommitment Campaign, CCC members will be able to purchase handmade porcelain Peace Dove ornaments made by a mother-daughter team of crafters in California. Proceeds from the sale will go toward servicing the loan from the Cornerstone Fund for Phase I of the building project. The ornament, tied with a sheer ribbon, comes packaged in a box with a custom design by our own Judy Cox and with a vellum insert describing CCC. The ornaments are delicate and tasteful stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, or a gift for any occasion. The ornaments will be on sale following worship services during Advent and through the church office at $12 per ornament, or $10 per ornament for purchases of 5 or more. For more information, contact Jackie Walters at 301-565-3197 or jjwalters.silverspring @verizon.net Jackie Walters Ahmadiyya Muslim Community15000 Good Hope Rd, Sil. Spg. We are invited by Imam Shamshad Nasir to a gathering of Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other faiths to attend a luncheon and meeting to consider the "Role of Religion in Achieving World Peace." Different leaders will speak to this topic out of their own faith traditions. We are working hard to get this new program up and running by the first Sunday in January. And, some help is needed. This program requires setting up certain kinds of spaces. We need a Middle Easter or Oriental type rug (6 x 8 or larger), some pillows that we can cover to go with the rug, and some scarves or material that we can arrange to look like a tent canopy, as well as pictures of musical instruments from Bible Times. We need some artists to paint a mural and make a paper awning. We also need people to help set all this up. If you can help in any way, please contact Susan Gray or Linda Carder. Thank you very much. Mitten, Hat and Coat Collection Once again, we will collect mittens, gloves, hats and coats for the children of Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring. The items should be new or in very-good-used condition. In order to give the school time to distribute the winter clothing prior to the school’s winter break, our collection period will take place early this year. Look for the Mitten Tree and Coat Collection boxes in the church entranceway beginning November 30. The last Sunday to donate items will be December 14. If you have any questions, contact Kristen Brown at 301-460-1806 or brownjk@erols.com . Next Discussion: Sunday, Dec 14 Every second Wednesday of the month CCC is responsible for providing volunteers to help prepare and serve meals at Shepherd’s Table at Progress Place, 8210 Colonial Lane, Silver Spring. A number of wonderfully faithful individuals appear to help month after month; but, there is a great need for additional folks. If you can spare a couple of hours, please sign up on the main CCC bulletin board, or contact Gregg Brown of the Board of Social Witness at (301) 589-1080 (evenings) or via gabsjp@mindspring.com . The BSW is also looking for persons who would be interested in serving as a volunteer coordinator for Shepherd’s Table once every four months. This job involves recruitment of the CCC team for a particular month and coordination of its work at Shepherd’s Table. Anyone interested should contact Gregg Brown. Board for Social Witness Speaking of Shepherd’s Table... Come join Shepherd’s Table as it celebrates its 20th Anniversary of services to Montgomery County’s homeless and disadvantaged on Sunday, December 7, 2003, 2-5:00 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theater & Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring, 8633 Colesville Road. Celebrate with the dedicated volunteers who have made it possible to serve over 700,000 daily evening meals! Relax, enjoy refreshments and hear keynote speaker, humorist Ben Stein, long-time Shepherd’s Table supporter and Silver Spring native, as he captures the spirit of the miracles that happen for the volunteers and clients at Shepherd’s Table. RSVP by November 21 by calling Heidi Ashton at 301-585-6463. Join us for wonderful food and fellowship the first Sunday of every month for a pot luck lunch in the Social Hall after the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Sign up for the next one, Sunday, December 7, on the Church Life bulletin board by the coat rack so a place may be set for you. Hot dishes may be brought to the warming oven in the kitchen before the worship service. Other contributions may also be left in the kitchen until after the service. December’s pot luck will have an Italian theme with two types of lasagna already planned. So bring a salad, garlic bread, etc., and join the fun! Questions? Call this month’s hostess, Susan Hill, at 410-715-8923 Two Opportunities for Giving this ThanksgivingWith the holidays quickly approaching, The Board For Church Life would like to remind all CCC members that we are going to be collecting canned and dry foods on Sunday, November 23, or the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The donations will go to local shelters and food banks. Look for the donation box in the church foyer. Thank you soooooo much!!!! Brian Phelps Shaw Community Ministry—Thanksgiving Baskets Each year Shaw Community Ministry collects canned and packaged food items, plus cash for turkeys, in order to fill Thanksgiving baskets for residents of Lincoln-Westmoreland Housing in the Shaw area of the District of Columbia. The goal this year is at least 100 baskets. Although the contents of each basket varies according to the size of the recipient family, the average basket contains a turkey, two cans each of green beans, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and fruit, two boxes of stuffing mix, two boxes of macaroni and cheese, one box of muffin mix and one box of cake mix. If you would be interested in supplying actual cans and/or boxes of food, or in making a contribution of $35 (payable to Shaw Community Ministry) to cover the cost of one complete basket, please call or write Anne Weissenborn, 10021 Raynor Road, Silver Spring, MD, 20901. (301) 681-6042. She will be glad to pick up and deliver any and all in-kind contributions. Thank you in advance for helping a family have a special Thanksgiving. November 30, following the 10:30 worship service. Advent is the liturgical season which begins four Sundays before Christmas during which we prepare for Jesus’ birth. During the Advent Wreath workshop, you will be able to make a wreath of evergreens with four candle holders representing the four Sundays in Advent. A fifth candle for Christmas is placed in the center in a free-standing holder. The wreath itself is a circle to symbolize God’s never-ending love as there is no beginning and no end. The first Sunday, we light the candle of hope. The second Sunday, it is the candle of Peace. On the third Sunday, we light the candle of Joy and on the fourth Sunday, it is the candle of Love. The fifth candle which is in the center is to be lit on Christmas Day. This is the Christ candle. When we reach that day, our Advent passage is over and Jesus is born. At CCC we have a long-standing tradition of coming together for a light lunch of soup and bread and then making a wreath to take home. The Board for Church Life is sponsoring this workshop and would like your help in making it a success. We need pots of soup, bread, cookies for dessert and lots of greens for the wreaths. If you have a wreath left from previous years, please bring it with you. Also, bring clippers for cutting those greens and gloves are also helpful. All other items will be supplied by the Board for Church Life. If you have questions, please contact Glenda Neal (301) 622-3948 or orgbneal1958@earthlink.net or Leslie Wilson (301) 625-5407 or L903wilson@aol.com Financial Crisis in the UCC. The November issue of United Church News contains a lengthy and disturbing story about the mounting budget deficits facing the UCC, particularly at the national and conference levels. According to the article, "The UCC is facing its most significant financial crisis in its 47-year history . . ., but, perhaps for the first time, there is a shared understanding that the weight of the problem – including its solution – must be owned equally by all settings of the church." At the national level, the UCC projects a $3.5 million shortfall in 2004. Over the past year 25 staff positions have been dropped; some program budgets have been reduced by as much as 40% or completed wiped out. More such reductions are anticipated in the short run. Local churches have reduced their earmarking of funds for OCWM which supports both the national church and the conferences. [CCC has avoided doing so, but only by drastically reducing discretionary mission giving.] The reduction in investment income has also been a big factor. Other mainline churches are facing the same situation. In July, the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, advanced a proposal at General Synod 24 for an aggressive goal - an increase in overall giving to local churches to $1 billion annually by 2007, the UCC’s 50th anniversary. On Oct. 10-12, 23 Conference Ministers, the 78-member Executive Council, and the five-person Collegium of Officers met together in Cleveland to address the financial problem and possible solutions. A result of this meeting was a proposal providing "for an aggressive new approach to evangelism and stewardship . . . ." The tentative plan "calls for a greatly expanded advertising/marketing effort to increase UCC name recognition among the general population, while instilling pride and ownership among its members." Further conversations will take place and, hopefully, final decisions will be made in April, 2004. The 23 Conference Ministers at the joint meeting issued a statement received with affirmation by the UCC’s Executive Council. "Because God is still speaking and we are still listening, we believe it is imperative that all settings of the church commit to a process of unprecedented collaboration toward the adoption of a bold plan for church-wide renewal." They affirmed the Thomas challenge of $1 billion by 2007, stating: "[W]e understand this to be a profoundly theological and spiritual challenge." To read the full UCC News article on the financial situation, see the
BSW bulletin board or go to www.ucc.org/ucnews/nov03/struggles.htm. Board for Social Action The church will be decorated with poinsettia plants on Christmas
Sunday, December 21. If you would like to order a poinsettia as a memorial
or in celebration of a person or event, please use the form below. The
price will be $10 per plant. Please be sure to include all the information
requested so we will know what message to include in the bulletin. After
the service, the plants will be taken by the Deacons to those confined to
home, hospital or nursing homes. Make checks payable to Christ
Congregational Church, noted Christmas Plant. Orders will be accepted by
mail or may be left in the marked envelope in the church office and must
be received by Monday, December 15.
Christmas Luncheon Friday, December 12 in the Clubhouse at 12:30 p.m. Early Fellowship Time Coordinators Needed The Church Life committee is looking for five volunteers to coordinate Fellowship Time in the foyer following the 9:00 a.m. church service, one Sunday a month. The Church Life committee purchases all of the supplies. If interested, please call John Potts at 301-879-7894. Late Fellowship Time Fellowship time following the 10:30 service has moved downstairs to the Social Hall. Please come down for cookies and punch! The Sanctuary Committee will be decorating the church for Christmas on Saturday, December 6. They need all the help they can get. All are welcome to join them in this fun project. Joanne Hollcroft PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next issue is WEDNESDAY December 4, 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 |
