Previous NewsNotes

CCC NewsNotes February 22, 2005
Volume No 61  Issue No 4

Social Witness Happenings One Great Hour Of Sharing - March 6, "The First 60 Years," Come and Get Your Just Desserts! "Visioning Day Thanks",   "March 5 – Planning Day",  Fifty-Year Members Recognition, Information and Guidance In the Event of Death, Calling ALL Girl Scouts, Spring Women’s Retreat April 29-May 1, CCC Book Group,  OWL,  2005 Summer Camp Schedule, Vacation Bible School at CCC,  Youth Trips,  Events Sponsored By The Board For Church Life,  Spirituality Day,  NewsNotes Deadline,  CCC Staff

Social Witness Happenings

Anne Weissenborn, 
Board for Social Witness

Religious Forum on the Middle East, Sat., March 5, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. On March 5, Westmoreland Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda, will host an all-day interfaith forum on present social, economic and political conflicts in the Middle East. Speakers will include, inter alia, Dr. Dale Bishop, presently at Hartford Seminary and formerly Executive Minister, Wider Church Ministries, UCC, and Middle East Director, Church World Service; Dr. Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland; Ambassador Philip Wilcox, Jr., President, Foundation for Middle East Peace, the Rev. Dr. Susan Andrews, Senior Minister, Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church; Lewis Roth, Americans for Peace Now; Dr. Zaid Asali, American Task Force for Palestine; Marla Schrader, UCC Missionary to Palestine; the Rev. David Smock, United States Institute for Peace; and the Rev. Gordon Forbes. The full schedule is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office. To register, go to mideast@westmorelanducc.org

Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice, March 11-14. On March 11-14, the UCC will co-sponsor this annual event along with more than 25 other national faith groups. The gathering, to be held at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, Arlington, VA, provides comprehensive issue briefings, nationally known speakers, ecumenical worship services, and advocacy training. Eight issue-tracks will be offered: the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, global economic justice, global security, eco-justice, and US domestic issues. The last day will be spent on Capital Hill with members of Congress discussing upcoming legislation. Registration is $135. To see the brochure and to register, go to http://www.ucctakeaction.org/ctt.asp?u=49+1=71687 . To join with other attendees from CCC, contact Anne Weissenborn at (301) 681-6042.

Federal Budget Cuts. The UCC’s Justice and Peace Action Network (JPANet) is asking members and friends to contact their members of Congress in opposition to cuts for social services in the President’s budget for FY 2006. Nearly 150 programs would be affected, including Medicaid, food stamps, veterans’ health services, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and the Earned Income Credit among others. The budget calls for making the 2001 tax cuts permanent, which would result in $130 billion in lost revenue over the next five years. JPANet urges opposition to the budget cuts in human services, the scaling back of tax cuts to the wealthy, closure of corporate tax loopholes, and curbs on military and war funding. To send a electronic message to Congress, go to http://www.ucctakeaction.org/ctt.asp?u=49&1=77743 .

March 6 will be One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Sunday. This yearly national, ecumenical offering is supported by ten Protestant denominations. Nearly one-third of the amount collected is used by the UCC for ministry through Church World Service and Action by Churches Together. The portion that stays with the UCC goes to international development projects and international and national disaster relief. UCC Refugee Ministries is supported entirely with OGHS monies. Of the total in OGHS funds received, 95% is used directly for mission because most administrative costs are met through OCWM giving. This past December, it was OGHS receipts from the 2004 campaign that made it possible for the UCC to react immediately to the needs of tsunami victims in South Asia first through CWS and then directly. Please give as generously as possible. An envelope is enclosed with this issue of News Notes and others will be available in the sanctuary pews.

"The First 60 Years,"  
Bill Carnahan's history of Christ Congregational Church,  has been delivered and will be available between services the next few Sundays.  The book is 85 pages and contains 33 photos.   Money to print the book came from the CCC memorial fund. It is being sold for $5 per copy so the memorial fund can be repaid.  Excess income will go to the building fund.

On March 13th, in the Social Hall after the 10:30 church service, the Board of Stewardship invites CCC members and visitors to come and celebrate all the wonderful people who serve on church boards and committees. These people deserve their "just desserts," which is what we will be providing. Come and satisfy your sweet tooth and help say ‘thank you’ to those who have so generously given of their time and talent so that church programs and activities function so well!

Thanks to all of you who participated in Visioning Day February 5! It was an exciting and energizing day. We so much appreciated Jackie Bahn-Hinkleman’s facilitation skills. Thanks also to those who helped organize the day’s logistics and support, including Bud Dennie, Janice Dennie, Marian Dirda, Sue Bratten, Lynn White, Priscilla Peterson, Jessica Peterson, Vanessa Raditz, Glenda Neal, Helen Hanes, Jessica Johnson, David Bell, Gregg Breads, Jackie Walters, Jim Henkelman Bahn and Clarence Stone.

--- Visioning Committee, Ruth Prindle & Tim White, Co-Chairs

We invite one and all as we gather again on March 5, Saturday from 9:00 to 12:30. The Visioning Committee will present the Visioning Day group reports and offer observations. This will be a time to ask questions and provide comments to guide the committee.

 On April 10 at the 10:30 worship service, CCC members with 50 years of service will be recognized.  After the service there will be a reception in the social hall to honor these and other CCC "Elders" with 50 years or more of service.  Come meet or renew acquaintances with these people who have served so long, some since the 1944 founding of CCC. 

The Board of Deacons is pleased to announce this newly revised brochure is now available and can be found in the revolving kiosk in our entryway. We suggest that every household pick up a copy, read it, and place it in your family bible for easy retrieval in an emergency.

If you have not done estate planning, consider attending to this in the near future. If you have need of an elder affairs lawyer, the CCC office has at least one name on file.

The Deacons are especially grateful for the legal advice of Bill Neal and for the talents of Susan Gray who designed and printed the brochure.

Mary Carnahan, Board of Deacons

Calling ALL Girl Scouts
(Past and Present) – Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior and Adult

On Sunday March 13th, CCC will celebrate the 93rd Birthday of Girl Scouts. Wear your Girl Scout uniform, vest/sash or pins to church on Sunday, March 13th and help celebrate the birthday of Girl Scouting. Even if you are no longer an active Girl Scout, dig out those pins, find your old sash/vest or beret, and don them on March 13th. There will be a special recognition time of Girl Scouts during the 10:30 AM worship service. Once a Girl Scout always a Girl Scout. See you on March 13th.

Trish Esposito

"SPRINGTIME OF THE SOUL, cultivating gardens."
Join us at the Retreat House for a prayerful weekend of rest and play.
Contact Sandy Dodson.

The Book Group’s next selection is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. This novel, in paperback, is about a discovery by an autistic boy; the book is on the best-seller list. We will meet to discuss this book on March 20^th, 7 p.m., at the home of Dave and Toko Ackerman.

The "Our Whole Lives" (OWL) program will supplant the regular Sunday evening program for fifth and sixth graders during February and March. The regular first-Sunday evening meetings for fifth and sixth graders will resume on April 3 and continue on May 1 and June 5, with the possibility of special activities during the summer if families are interested.

June 17-19 Families with Young Children Weekend - Director Sandy Dodson

June 26-July 2 Middle School Camp, finishing 6^th-8^th grades - Co-Dir: Sandy Dodson/TBD

July 10-16 Elementary School Camp (formerly Traditional Camp)

Finishing 3^rd-5^th grades - Co-Dir: John Gipson/TBD

July 17-23 Music Camp – Director - John Touchton

July 24-30 Senior High Camp, finishing 9^th-12^th grades - Director: Kathy Stedman

Vacation Bible School at CCC

August 1-5 We need lotsa volunteers!

July 8-11 Harvest of Hope, Eastern Virginia.Y-GELI youth age 12-14 by June 15, 05

July 16-23 Habitat for Humanity, Georgia. Y-GELI youth age 15-18 by June 15, 05

Y-GELI participants must have completed the training workshops this past Nov.-May.

August 6-12 Canoeing for youth finishing 8th-12th grades., Algonquin Park, Canada; Limit of 7 youth - Co-Directors: Sandy Dodson/Bill Prindle

Spirituality Day - Registration Form
Register now for the CCC’s upcoming Spirituality Day: The Sound of Sheer Silence. Saturday, March 19th from 9:00 am-12:30 pm. We’ll come together to explore how God can be encountered in the silence of our lives. Speaker and Workshop descriptions are below. A Taize service will conclude the day. Complete the registration form to reserve your space.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Nat Reid  The Search for Silence in a Busy World
Nat Reid is the director of Dayspring Silent Retreat Center, in Germantown, MD founded by the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC. Centering prayer and silent retreat have been central to his practice at Dayspring and his previous work with several inner city ministries. Nat helps introduce people to silence—silent retreat in particular—as a means to deepen one’s spiritual life.

The following three workshops are offered twice during the day.

GROUP SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: Ann Kline
Ann Kline is on the program staff of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, where she directs the group spiritual direction program as well as leads programs on spiritual direction, prayer and contemplation and action. She is a spiritual director, writer and hospice volunteer.

SPIRITUALITY AND ART: Billie P. Abraham
Through the oriental art form of Sumi nagashi, a technique of marbleizing paper, participants will have the chance to experience a process of making art that is a form of contemplation. Billie P. Abraham is a student at Wesley Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Divinity with an emphasis on the Arts and Religion. She is currently a Washington National Cathedral Seminarian working with Rev. Eugene Sutton.

OPENING TO GOD BY BEING QUIET WITH SCRIPTURE: Elaine Tiller, M.Div. Elaine Tiller, M.Div., is a gerontologist and a bereavement counselor, and an author of numerous articles in both of these fields.  She is currently the Director of Bereavement Care at Montgomery Hospice.  In 1981 she developed and implemented the first Bereavement Care Program at the Hospice of Northern Virginia. Elaine has presented at many local and national conferences in gerontology and bereavement.  She conducts grief workshops, grief support groups and community training in grief and loss.

Ginny McDonagh

News Notes Deadlines

PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for the next  issue is THURSDAY March 3, 5:00 P.M. Please submit articles via: home email - mojobo@comcast.net, phone - 301-236-0025, or work jboyer@apwuhp.com or or paper copy - drop off in the News Notes box in the church office.  Please note the e-mail change from mojobo@aol.com to mojobo@comcast.net. Thank you, Joan Boyer, Editor

CCC Staff

The Rev. Jim Todhunter, Senior Minister; The Rev. Sandra Kay Dodson, Associate Minister; The Rev. Julia Jarvis, Director of Programming for Older Adults; John Touchton, Director of Music;   Jackie Walters, Property Administrator