CCC NewsNotes March 4, 2003
Volume No 59  Issue No 5

Executive Council Issues, Women's Committee Needs Your Input,  Social Witness Concerns, Chancel Choir Tour to Europe – 2004,  Amendments to CCC Constitution and Bylaws Proposed, Why a Second Capitol Campaign?  From the Church Archives, Thank You from ASSISST, News Notes Deadlines,  CCC Staff

by Jackie Walters

As the church calendar fills with forums, discussion groups and meetings, it is a good time to take a look at the big picture and put all this busy "doing" in perspective. This year the Executive Council is looking at four key topics, all of which have their foundation in our recent history and all of which have long-range implications for CCC.

If one takes the time to focus on the five-year period between the annual meeting in June 1997, when the seven Self-Study aspirations were adopted, and the return to the building on May 19, 2002, the amount of decision-making, risk-taking, planning, change, emotion, transition, adjustment, faith and rebuilding is phenomenal. In 1997, CCC embarked on a course that took it roughly on two parallel and sometimes emotionally conflicting paths: one – the building renovation – primarily logistical, consuming great amounts of business-related time and energy, forward-looking, risky and exhilarating and the other – walking with Joey during her battle with cancer and learning to relate to and rebuild with new ministerial staff following her death – emotional, painful, draining and, ultimately, renewing. Throughout this five-year period, the staff and lay leadership were aware of several issues that would need congregational attention but that required a commitment of time and energy that wasn’t possible as we focused on renovating and rebuilding. Beginning in 2002, the Executive Council turned its attention to those issues. They are:

1. Church Governance: At its first meeting in July, the Executive Council agreed that it was time to take a comprehensive, probing look at CCC’s Constitution and Bylaws with two ends in mind: (1) where practical and reasonable, bring them into conformity with current structure and practice at CCC and (2) bring current structure and practice into conformity with those provisions that continue to provide a sound foundation for effective church governance. A committee chaired by Toko Ackerman has carefully and painstakingly reviewed both documents and identified several key issues that need attention. Throughout the year, the committee has worked closely with church officers and with the Executive Council, which has devoted two of its meetings to in-depth, thorough discussion of both documents. Several boards have also engaged in careful discussion – even vigorous debate! – on issues affecting them. The Council’s goal is to provide the congregation the opportunity to examine and discuss proposed recommendations and to vote on them prior to the Annual Meeting so that any changes affecting business at the Annual Meeting could be effected this year.

2. Staffing: Issues of growth, of budget and of impending retirements have kept staffing an issue that has been percolating for several years. Following Joey’s death and the departure of Ruth Grace Crutchley, CCC hired two long-term interim pastors, Linda Carder and Dale Ostrander, knowing that in five years’ time, they planned to retire. When Toby Ratcliffe, the Church School Coordinator, resigned, it proved difficult – indeed, impossible -- to find someone for that position. Conceivably, and in some cases certainly, the other positions – Senior Minister, Property Administrator and Office Administrator, will turn over within the next 5 years. Entering 2002, only John Touchton’s long-term future – we hope and pray – at CCC seemed assured. Thus, early in 2002, the Executive Council authorized Moderator Rick Brush to appoint a committee to study staffing at CCC. That committee, chaired by Bob Brown, conducted extensive in-depth interviews with CCC staff and gathered a great deal of data about staffing at other area churches. It presented its report to the Council in November 2002. At that time, the Council concluded that essential next steps were to enlist the advice and counsel of the Rev. Dr. Kwame Osei Reed, Potomac Association Minister, whose job is to advise churches on staffing, and to involve the congregation in a comprehensive discussion of the committee’s findings with the goal of developing a staffing model to serve as a guide for search committees, the Board of Trustees and Personnel Committee.

The current Staff Design Committee, chaired by Tom Ault and Leslie Weyn, has reviewed the first committee’s findings and met with Kwame. In February, Kwame met with the Executive Council and advised that, if we undertake a careful, deliberate and systematic process of developing a staffing model, we will have ample time to conduct a thorough, successful search for professional staff and will be well-placed to hire competent, qualified individuals for support staff positions. A critical component of the process is obtaining congregational input and, to that end, the Staff Design Committee planned forums on March 2 with a goal of hearing from the entire congregation.

3. Child Care: A position that has been budgeted but proven difficult to fill is that of Child Care Coordinator. Last autumn, the Executive Council, concluding that providing child care encourages and supports families of young children desiring to participate fully in the life of the church, authorized a committee, chaired by Bud Dennie, to study the issue and to recommend a long-range plan for the Council’s consideration. The committee is presenting its report and recommendations to the Council in March.

4. Servicing the Debt: When Bea Stoner, the UCC consultant who guided us in CCC’s successful Keystones Capital Campaign, visited the church in September, she suggested we consider a second capital campaign to begin servicing our $1.75 million debt to the Cornerstone Foundation. Bea pointed out that, as long as debt service (interest and principal) stayed in the operating budget, it would consume funds and spirit better spent on fostering a vital, growing community that seeks to do God’s work. Anne Weissenborn chaired a committee that studied the impact of debt service on the immediate future life of the church and the options for addressing the debt. At a congregational meeting in November, members struggled with the unaccustomed (for CCC) responsibility of debt and the impact on current and potential members of a church focused on debt service rather than on programming, community and mission. Ultimately, the congregation voted to undertake a second capital campaign, the Recommitment Campaign, with a goal of raising $1.25 million over a three-year period to pay interest and to make a significant cut in principal. David Bobbitt and Elaine Wunderlich are co-chairing this effort, which is designed to be low-key, reach the entire congregation, and be concluded before the stewardship campaign gets underway later this spring.

As a congregational church, where the responsibility for the daily life and future of the community rests with the members, CCC has become well-known (infamous?!) for its attention to process. Committees may study and report, and the Council may listen and recommend, but ultimately, it is the members’ participation in the process and their collective decision-making that sets the future course for CCC. Embrace the future, accept the invitation and participate fully and willingly this spring.

Women's Committee Needs Your Input

The CCC Women’s Committee invites women of the congregation to complete the brief survey included in this issue of News Notes. It asks for assessments of our current women’s ministries and solicits ideas for new ones. Your input will guide planning for future women’s programs at CCC. Please return survey to the church office by Friday, March 28.

Your Membership at CCC

___ Attended a retreat ___ Served as an usher or lector

___ Participated in an adult education program ___ Served on a board or committee

___ Participated in a service or advocacy project ___ Taught a church school class

___ Sang in the choir ___ Other (please specify) _________________

 

4) How satisfied are you with each of the following at CCC? For any item that you give a rating of "1" or "2" below, please explain on a separate piece of paper.

 

	Not at all important				Very important
a. advocacy for women’s issues	1	2	3	4	5
b. fellowship opportunities for women	1	2	3	4	5
c. involvement in regional/national UCC women’s events	1	2	3	4	5
d. leadership opportunities for women	1	2	3	4	5
e. religious education for women	1	2	3	4	5
f. spiritual counseling for women	1	2	3	4	5
g. women’s retreats	1	2	3	4	5
h. women’s wellness programs	1	2	3	4	5

6) What specific programs would you like to see offered by the CCC Women’s Committee? (Use additional paper if necessary.)

Information About You - The following questions will be used to group your answers with those of other survey respondents.

11) Additional comments you have for the CCC Women’s Committee? (Use additional paper if necessary.)

Please return survey to church office by Friday, March 28. Contact Christine Guillory, 301-681-8846, caguillory@hotmail.com with questions.

On Feb. 10 the co-executives of the Common Global Ministries Board (UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)) issued a statement calling for a "peaceful resolution to the current standoff with Iraq." The statement noted that many U.S. Churches have raised questions about possible outcomes of any war with Iraq and about U.S. motivations. "Some of our people and churches do not accept the concept of Just War; others believe that the criteria for a Just War have not been met. We have warned that innocent Iraqis would suffer, that other people of the Middle East would feel detrimental and even disastrous effects and that U.S. relations with other countries would be damaged. We are taught by Jesus, the Christ, that peace, harmony, and justice are God’s vision for humanity. War against Iraq will not bring peace, harmony or justice." Four delegations of religious leaders organized by the National Council of Churches have met with leaders of Great Britain, Germany, and France over the past several weeks to express opposition to war with Iraq. A similar delegation will meet with President Putin of Russia in early March. In addition, on Feb. 26 a six-member delegation to Rome, being hosted by the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, attended a public audience with Pope John Paul at which they presented him with a letter approved by the NCC Executive Board asking that he address the UN Security Council in person to convey his already declared opposition to such a war. Thus far the White House has not responded to the letter from 49 US religious leaders, including the UCC’s President John Thomas and 20 United Methodist bishops, requesting a face-to-face meeting with President Bush about a possible war with Iraq.

Chancel Choir Tour to Europe – 2004

An open forum will be held immediately following the second worship service on Sunday, March 16, for anyone interested in learning more about the Chancel Choir’s proposed tour to Europe in 2004. At this meeting we will discuss dates for this tour, offer information regarding possible destinations, suggest performance venues, and provide financial considerations for tour participants. If you are unavailable for this meeting but would like to participate in this exciting experience, please contact me directly via email (johnrt777@aol.com) or by phone (301-585-8010 Ext. 224). I look forward to meeting with you!

John Touchton
Director of Music

The Executive Council has called a Special Congregational Meeting on April 6 following the second service to consider several important amendments to the CCC Constitution and Bylaws.

So you may ask, how do these documents affect me? These documents guide every aspect of the life and governance of CCC, from worship services to finances to expectations for Boards and Committees to hiring and termination of staff. By reading these documents, you’ll find how "the process" is supposed to work at CCC!

And what is the difference between the Constitutions and Bylaws? And why do we have these two separate documents, you may also ask. The Constitution sets forth basic principles for the organization and governance of the church, while the Bylaws are authorized by the Constitution to guide practical applications of these principles in more detail. Furthermore, the Constitution can be amended only by the congregation, while the Bylaws can be amended either by the congregation or by the Executive Council.

Since September the Executive Council has been engaging in a thorough study and review of these documents, and it is now ready to recommend several revisions and updates to the congregation. Please plan to attend either of the following two forums in advance of the Congregational Meeting to hear brief presentations of the proposed amendments. Both forums will be held in the second floor Conference Room, as follows:

March 23 (Sun), 10:20 - 10:55 a.m. (between services)

March 30 (Sun), 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. (following the second service)

Some key issues to be considered include: specifying expectations for Board and Standing Committee Chairs; emphasizing the year-round nature of the nominating process; clarifying the Board for Social Witness’ authority to designate denominationally requested special offerings; clarifying the Board of Trustees’ authority and responsibilities on legal and personnel matters (including the termination of staff); designating liaison relationships between Boards and Standing Committees; and requiring the Retreat House Committee to obtain approval of the Board of Trustees each year for the Retreat House budget and fee schedule.

The Constitution and Bylaws in their entirety showing all the proposed deletions and additions, and a "Summary of Key Proposed Amendments" which outlines all the recommendations to be presented at the Meeting, are available on the church’s website Constitution/ConstitutionRevision2003). Limited copies of these documents are also available at the Church Office.

Toko Ackerman, Chair, Constitution & Bylaws Review Committee

Why a Second Capital Campaign?

Money and church is an intensely personal topic for most of us. When we think about giving to the church, we are challenged to confront our most basic feelings about generosity and security, trust and faith, sacrifice and rewards, individuality and community. When CCC made the courageous decision to move forward with the building renovation and the Keystones Capital Campaign, in effect – whether we realized it consciously or not – we collectively accepted some basic assumptions:

We accepted UCC consultant Michael Downs’ assertion that churches are either growing or declining – and that, unless a church acts to reverse a decline when it has the opportunity to be successful, it will inevitably reach a point where a decline is irreversible. We recognized that having a well-designed property adequate and appropriate to our needs was essential for growth -- not growth for the sake of numbers but rather for the enhanced ability to carry out God’s work in the world.

We demonstrated faith and trust in God’s goodness and steadfastness. We had no way of knowing for certain that our decision would prove to be right. We could only trust that, if we sought to discern God’s will for CCC as a faith community, God would guide us safely to the end of the road.

We are in this together. We raised more than $2 million. We borrowed $1.75 million from our denomination, the largest loan ever given to a single church, and added over $500,000 in member loans. Collectively, we trusted that, once there was no going back, individuals would keep faith with their community and insure that CCC met its obligations. What risk and sacrifice – and what reward!

Every Sunday, we welcome visitors; every month, we welcome new members. The building may make a good first impression, but it’s the spirit of CCC – its people, its programs, its commitment to mission, and its experienced, dedicated staff – that inspire people to covenant here.

Now we have a second opportunity to recommit courageously to CCC’s future. A church burdened by debt is a church focused inwardly and sapped of vitality. Recognition of this truth inspired members voting at a congregational meeting in November to support a recommitment campaign with a goal of raising $1.25 million over 3 years to reduce interest and principal on our debt. Campaign co-chairs David Bobbitt and Elaine Wunderlich plan a low-key yet ambitious campaign that reaches every member and friend of CCC and provides a variety of ways to participate in giving.

Jim’s and my first major gift ever was to the Keystones Campaign, and it was scary to commit so much money to the Church. Now, as a couple in our mid-fifties planning retirement, looking at recent stock market performance and impending war, considering another major gift to the Recommitment Campaign raises all those basic feelings of generosity and security, trust and faith, individually and as a couple. We struggle every day to discern the balance God wants for us between prudent planning for our future and our desire to give generously to the church that has nurtured and continues to sustain our family, including Christopher. When we hosted the first meeting of the Recommitment Campaign Committee in our home, the people and the conversation reawakened our awareness of the special and unique nature of CCC and why we want to be generous. When you are invited by a committee member for a conversation about CCC, please reflect and pray about what matters to you in this faith community and about how you can affect and insure CCC’s future. Prayerfully consider accepting the invitation to recommit to CCC.

Jackie Walters

A report of the church budget committee in January 1945, when the church was less than six weeks old, had a bottom line of $3,500. Some of the items budgeted included $100 for choir robes, $150 for hymnals and $100 for a mimeograph machine. Another $106 was budgeted for postage, $167 for supplies and printing (church bulletins, stationery, and mimeograph stencils, paper and ink), and $120 "For (petty cash) expenses incurred for the church by the minister." Big bucks, huh? Oscar W. B. Reed, Jr. was treasurer. 

P.S. from the archivist. In the 1950s, a church cookbook, containing favorite recipes from members, was published. The archives would like to have a copy. Also, telephone directories from the late 1960s and 1970s are needed. Copies for these years are in the archives, but are in poor condition. If you have any of these publications, and would be willing to donate them to the archives, please leave them in the archives mailbox in the church office.

Bill Carnahan, Archivist/Historian

ASSISST, the Senior Connection, which received $1,500 as part of discretionary missions funding wrote: "Your gift will help sustain this program of providing vital volunteer services to individuals who can no longer do for themselves. The financial and volunteer support from Christ Congregational Church, UCC is a vital ingredient to the ultimate success of our program. Thank you again for your care and commitment to seniors and their families in our community."

News Notes Deadlines

PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next  issue is THURSDAY, March 13, 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

CCC Staff

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; Archie Freedman, Custodian