Return
to CCC Home Page|
CCC NewsNotes June 14, 2005 News
Notes Editor Position Open News Notes Editor Position Open Looking for a rewarding volunteer position in the church? Consider becoming the next News Notes editor. News Notes was founded 61 years ago and has been providing CCC members with up-to-date information about the activities in the church and community ever since. As editor, you compile the articles submitted and format for publishing. The church office staff and volunteers do the rest – copy, assemble, label and mail. It’s a great position, not requiring too many hours plus you can do it at home and fit it in around your other activities. If interested or if you have any questions, contact me at 301-236-0025. Joan Boyer, Editor 9 AM Sunday Service Continues This Summer By popular demand, we are continuing with our informal service of community and sacrament throughout the summer. Beginning June 19, we will gather in the Meeting Room. The Contemporary Theology class will meet in the Conference Room. The desire on the part of this group to maintain this worship style and community is an affirmation of CCC’s diverse sense of sacred space and expression. The 9 AM community is everyone that shows up! The 30 - 45 minute service includes silent meditation, sharing traditional and contemporary scripture, participatory reflection as we "Break Open the Word," and communion. Music will be a growing edge as we seek to involve more CCC talent and styles. Childcare in the summer is the responsibility of this group. We will together work out a means to keep our young kids supervised while families and individuals worship. If you haven’t been able to attend the 9 AM Service of Community and Sacrament, come join us! Selection of Interim Music Director CCC has hired an Interim Music Director. His name is Markus C. Williams. He is an excellent choir director, pianist and organist. Markus has studied voice, piano, organ, conducting and composition and has a Master of Music Degree from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University. Markus will start with CCC on June 24, in a three quarter time position for 9 to 12 month as CCC pursues its music visioning process. Please extend a warm welcome to Markus as he joins the CCC community. Markus was selected by the Search Committee for an Interim Music Director. The members of the search committee are James O’Steen (chair), Sam Brush, Linda Phelps and Lynn White and Rev. Jim Todhunter (ex-officio). The committee held discussions with eight candidates, held discussion interviews with four candidates and auditioned three excellent finalists. The audition involved many members of the choir. Each candidate performed a piano and organ piece, played a hymn on the organ, directed the choir on a familiar piece of music, and taught and directed the choir on a new piece of music. General Synod 2005 - Potentially "Hot" Issues Related to "Citizenship." The May 10 issue of News Notes contained a list of the many resolutions to be considered by delegates to the UCC’s General Synod 2005 being held in July in Atlanta. Included are several that will probably trigger considerable controversy, particularly those addressing marriage equality and those calling for economic leverage against companies involved in Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. Recently, the Rev. Dr. John Thomas, the UCC’s General Minister and President, addressed these two issues in a speech before the Connecticut Conference. He predicted that each will result in costly discipleship and require "pastoral grace," no matter what the outcomes of the related resolutions. But he also argued that that each involves considerations of "citizenship" from which the church must not shrink. Citing Leviticus 19: 33-34 and its call to treat aliens as citizens, Dr. Thomas noted that marriage equality and divestment each raise questions about who in our time are treated as "strangers and aliens" and who are to be accepted as "citizens" and "members of the household of God." Marriage Equality - The Southern California-Nevada Conference has submitted a resolution asking the Synod to endorse full marriage equality regardless of gender. In response, eight congregations from across the country have submitted a counter resolution stating that marriage is only between "one man and one woman." In the past, the Synod has affirmed ordination of GLBT persons, urged full civil rights and protections, and blessed holy unions of non-married couples, but it has not addressed marriage equality. Dr. Thomas in his speech asked whether a marriage license is not "the one, last remaining, tangible symbol of citizenship we are yet able to withhold from some among us." Divestment from Companies Involved in Israeli Occupation - Six congregations in Hawaii, Montana and Washington have submitted a resolution that calls for "a study of divestment of church funds from companies that profit from the perpetuation of violence and injustice in Israel and Palestine." Penn West Conference has called for selective divestment from companies that are "involved with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the building of the ‘security fence,’ and the Israeli settlements within the Palestinian Territory." The latter explicitly cites Caterpillar, Inc., as an example. A third resolution, submitted by Wider Church Ministries, calls for Israel to tear down the security wall. Dr. Thomas, in his speech, stated: "We in the [UCC] have always affirmed the right of Jews to citizenship in a homeland marked by safe and secure borders. That is not subject to debate. . . . But we have also said that the denial of citizenship to Palestinians is an outrage that cannot be tolerated, a denial that, in the end, threatens the citizenship of all in the Middle East." Anne Weissenborn, Board for Social Witness Many people have helped over the past few weeks as Susan and I worked to get ready for the Annual Meeting and juggled a busy spring schedule at CCC. Our thanks to . . .
Jackie Walters Shaw Community Ministry - Summer Day Camp Once again Shaw Community Ministry is seeking donations to help fund "camperships" for Camp Friendship, the summer day camp for youngsters in the Lincoln-Westmoreland Housing complex at 7th and R Sts., NW in DC. The funds raised by SCM are used in large part to pay for field trips to zoos, museums, swimming pools and athletic events. The cost of such activity is about $60 per child over the six week period. If you are interested in helping with all or part of a campership, please make your check payable to Shaw Community Ministry, indicate that you want it used for camp expenses, and send it to Anne Weissenborn, 10021 Raynor Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901. All such donations are tax deductible. Thanks very much for helping a great group of kids have a safe and productive summer! Anne Weissenborn, CCC Rep. and SCM treasurer Nearly a dozen CCC teens and six leaders have been busy this past year preparing for the upcoming summer experiences. There have been 3 training sessions focusing upon the Y-GELI program theme, "A Decade to Overcome Violence." (Based on the World Council of Churches’ decade long effort.) Sessions have focused specifically on how hunger, homelessness, addictions and economic inequities contribute to violence. Sessions have allowed our youth to examine these issues from a local and global perspective. There are two trips this summer, one for youth age 12-14 and a second for youth age 15-18. Three of our junior high youth will join 11 others from Heritage UCC and Little River UCC for an experience with Harvest of Hope, July 8-10. This ecumenical program, located near the coast in Exmore, VA brings together farmers, volunteer gleaners, food distribution networks and hungry people. We will work gleaning fields, learn more about local and global hunger issues, worship, and discover new friends. The fee per youth is $75. The actual cost is $260/person. (bus, meals, and program) Five senior high youth will join 13 other teenagers and travel to Americus, GA to work at the Habitat for Humanity Global Village, July 16-22. Habitat is constructing a global village and discovery center, an experiential learning tool highlighting housing issues throughout the world. The fee per youth is $250. The actual cost is approximately $950/person. These experiences will further prepare our youth for summer 2006 when senior high Y-GELI participants gather for a Habitat project in South Africa and junior high youth travel to another experiential learning site in the United States. Y-GELI participants and their families pay a portion of trip expenses through registration fees and fundraiser contributions. Our goal, through collaborative events with Heritage and Little River UCC and the support of CCC fundraisers, is to make Y-GELI experiences affordable for everyone. Please prayerfully consider supporting Y-GELI again this year. Be on the lookout in NewsNotes and in Sunday bulletins for announcements regarding ways to support our youth. Come to the CCC pool party! Sunday, July 10th, 1 – 4 pm (you can stay until pool closes at 8 pm). Stonegate Community Pool, 208 Stonegate Drive, Silver Spring. This event is great for both singles and families. Special invitation to newcomers! The facility offers a main pool (with one of the few high diving boards in the county), baby pool, sandy playground, volleyball court and shade trees. Snacks and drinks provided. Please sign up on the bulletin board or RSVP by July 7th to Sara D. Watson, saradwatson@aol.com or 301-879-7692. Directions from the church: go north on Rte. 29, then north on New Hampshire Avenue, then left onto Stonegate Drive. Welcome Retreat a Welcome Success Cool breezes, sunshine, rain showers, fresh air, children and adults laughing, camp fires crackling, guitars strumming, voices singing, cold creek water, delicious smells of food cooking, all were among the senses experienced at the CCC Welcome Retreat held on Memorial Day weekend in Yellow Spring, WV. Approximately 50 members and friends of CCC, of all ages, either stayed a night (or two) or visited for a day. Some even slept under the stars. During the weekend, we hiked the Retreat House grounds, climbed Fossil Mountain, played games, made crafts, put together jig saw puzzles, shared stories and jokes, played in the creek, sang around the camp fire, ate s’mores, enjoyed community meals together, sat lazily on the porch and participated in a worship service led by Rev. Sandy Dodson. Several attendees commented on how nice it was to get away and wind down from the hurried lives at home, to be able to enjoy the out of doors, meet and visit with folks over a more extended period of time than fellowship time allows on Sunday morning, and to enjoy the Retreat House with multiple generations. Special thanks to Phil Fox for sharing his musical talents, Bruce Strand for leading the bird house building project, and Cory Gray for his endless energy with the children and for projects around the Retreat House. Hope to see you next year in the hills of West Virginia! Trish Esposito, The Board for Church Life will again be hosting a "Small Group Sign-Up Day" on Sunday, June 19, following the morning services. The purpose of these small groups is simply to give both new and long-time members an opportunity to connect with others in the church who have similar interests, for fun and fellowship. New groups that have been proposed thus far include a Friday Movie Night at CCC (convener, Linda Phelps); a Scrapbook Club (convener, Priscilla Peterson); Spiritual Reflections on Selected Movies (convener, Jay Marciano); CCC Anti-Racism Initiative (convener, Jim Henkelman-Bahn) and a Support Group for those who have Adult Siblings with Disabilities (convener, Sarah Watson). In addition, Julia Jarvis is starting a Springvale Terrace Helpers group to brainstorm about different things we can do as a community and small group to support the Springvale community. About 1/3 of the 154 residents there have very little resources, community or family. This group’s main emphasis will be to think of ways we can support these particular residents during the holidays and throughout the year. There will also be information available about the fifteen current small groups at CCC that are open to new members. Anyone wishing to start a new group is welcome to do so! For further information, to sign up for a small group, or to start a new group, please contact Priscilla Peterson at 301-942-1720 (email: priscillap@starpower.net). The Book Group will next read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and discuss it on the evening of Sunday, June 26, at the home of Aldene Ault, 7 p.m. The Group suggests also reading A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines, to discuss in conjunction with the Harper Lee book, since both are set in the South and deal with racism. A long-range goal is to read Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steve Coll, and discuss it at an October meeting. This book, a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, is by the son of our own Shirley Coll. Since it’s rather long, we are allowing plenty of time. A shorter book for July or August will be selected at the discussion on the 26th. During the summer we give our CCC Church School teachers a break from their normal teaching schedule and have volunteers from the congregation help in the classrooms. It’s a great way to meet new families with young children. There are three classes – the nursery for infants through two year olds; a class for three through five year olds and one for six through eight year olds. See Susan Gray or one of the members of the CE board to sign up for a Sunday. If you haven’t already signed up for one of the summer camps, please turn your registration into the church office by no later than June 15. We want to open the camps to folks from Heritage and Little River, UCC churches if there are available slots. June 26 – July 2 Middle School Camp Silver Spring Dems Host Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley at CCC The Greater Silver Spring Democratic Club will meet on Wednesday evening June 22, at 7:30 in the evening in the social hall at CCC. Our featured guest speaker is Baltimore City Mayor Martin O’Malley, who many believe will run for Governor of our state in 2006. Recent polls show him ahead of Governor Ehrlich and you have the opportunity to hear him, meet him, and ask him questions about the issues that are important to you. If you have met him you know you are in for a treat, and if you have not met him, then you really must do so. The O’Malley campaign in Montgomery County is working with us to organize this event and it has been mentioned twice already in the Washington Post. So we may have a larger turnout then usual. Questions: contact CCC member and Chair of the GSSDC Mark Woodard at 301-592-1811. Christian Progressives Organize Statewide Advocacy Group Anne Weissenborn and Mark Woodard attended "Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice" a couple of months ago and those attending from Maryland decided to establish a statewide group of Christians to do advocacy at the state and federal level from the progressive/liberal perspective. Both of us are working to organize and establish this group. In addition, Mark has spoken with progressive evangelical pastor Brian McLaren of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville. We hope he will partner with us and help us reach out to Jim Wallis of Sojourners and other Christians who desire to be advocates for the poor, the immigrant community, peace in the Middle East, seek justice and oppose all forms of racism and sexism. We hope that by next year Christians who care about peace and justice will be at the witness table in Annapolis and Washington, D.C. advocating a different version of the Christian message than has been spoken by the religious right. Questions-call Mark Woodard 301-592-1811. Vacation Bible School Is Coming In August In order to plan for Construction Zone VBS we need to know how many teens and adults we’ll have to staff the program. If you missed the chance last summer to participate, don’t miss the experience this year. Contact Katherine Hake with questions about volunteering and/or enrolling your children at 301-434-4752 or K2JHAKE@copper.net. Do you enjoy acting, crafts, games, music, creating decorations and props, storytelling, sharing your faith, and/or motivating children? If so, there are many opportunities for volunteering your talents at Construction Zone VBS. Volunteers are needed to lead games, serve snacks, do crafts, sing, and teach valuable character building lessons. We also need childcare for the toddlers of other volunteers. We would love to have you join our crew the week of August 1 – 5. Not available all week? If you can only volunteer one or two mornings that week we will be glad to have you. Not free in August? Volunteers are also needed to create the room decorations prior to VBS and to provide snack items. Katherine Hake This year’s Beach Weekend is set for Friday, August 19 through Sunday, August 21 at the Christian Church Conference Center in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Come join us for fun in the surf and sand before the summer comes to an end. The Center is about a block from the beach in the main part of town and has a community playground within steps of the facility. It’s a great time for fun, community, and fellowship! Registration forms with complete details will be available soon. Watch for announcements. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Kathie McConnelll at 301-589-0151 or by email at KLMcconnell@mindspring.com The group "Sweet Thunder" is a jazz trio - with Jay Marciano on piano, Dan Barbiero on double bass and Tim Smith on drums/percussion. The group’s members have many years of musical experience playing in different types of settings and with various musical groups steeped in the jazz tradition. The group takes its inspiration from the piano jazz trios of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett and plays within a democratic framework that allows each instrument a voice beyond the traditional role associated with a conventional jazz trio. In addition to playing original compositions, the group features arrangements of an eclectic set of material, including Rogers and Hammerstein’s "My Favorite Things," Paul McCartney’s "Michele," Mile Davis’s "Milestones," Burt Bacharach’s "I Say a Little Prayer" and Petula Clark’s 1960s hit "Downtown." The performance takes place in the sanctuary of Christ Congregational Church on Colesville Road in Silver Spring. With the church’s wonderful Steinway piano, along with a set of vintage drums and acoustic double bass, we hope to fill the space with wonderful vibrations. Admission is free; voluntary donations to help cover performance costs are gratefully accepted. $5.00 per family/couple/single is a reasonable suggestion. Sweet Thunder will play two sets and conclude around 9:30 pm. Children are welcome as long as they don’t jump on the piano (or pianist) and are not a distraction to others…if they lack the concentration and staying power they could come for one set and leave during the intermission. Listeners will get a chance to hear jazz played on acoustic instruments and experience the communication and musical dialogue up close. June 25th Saturday 7:30 pm Christ Congregational Church, 9525 Colesville Road, Silver Spring Maryland. Directions on the web: www.christ-ucc.org See you there! Bios Jay Marciano. Since leaving the Connecticut based Jacob Riise Quintet in 1980, Jay was a featured performer on the PBS series "All American Jazz" and composed music for the History Channels documentary "NYPD True" a film tracing the historical roots and famous cases involving the New York City Police Department. He composed and performed the music for a production of Thornton Wilder’s "Our Town." Jay is grateful to be playing with a group after being solo for 25 years. A native of New Haven, CT, Dan Barbiero has been involved in creative improvised music in the Baltimore-Washington area for several years as a performer, composer, and sometime bandleader. He has worked in a variety of contexts, including modal and post-bop jazz, free improvisation, and world fusion drawing on the Indian classical and Middle Eastern musical traditions. He also has arranged and performed contemporary composed music, and his solo music has been used as a setting for dance and movement. Dan’s compositions were inspired by his years growing up in the New Haven area. Tim Smith is from Silver Spring and has played with numerous groups in the DC metro area. During the course of his musical journey, he has met both Buddy Rich and Bill Evans and is influenced by these two diverse artists. Along with Tim’s strong rhythmic sensibilities, he plays with keen awareness of the drums’ melodic potential. Summer is just around the corner and our library now has eighteen new books for our children to check out and enjoy reading for fun. These beautifully illustrated, high quality books include Noah’s Ark, by Jerry Pinkney, Does God Know How to Tie Shoes? by Nancy White Carlestrom; Mother Theresa, by Demi, The Lord’s Prayer, by Tim Ladwig, and Turn! Turn! Turn! based on Ecclesiastes and the song by Pete Seeger. Look for them on the Rainbow Book Cart, made by children at CCC. The Children’s Library is located on the first floor in room 107 opposite the nursery and is open to members and visitors on a self-serve basis. Please check out as many books as you want to read and bring them back when you are finished—no due date. Fill out the card in the back of the book with the current date and your name and drop it in the blue box on the desk. Have a blast reading books this summer! Susan Hill Temporary Summer Alumni Assistant needed from June 21 to August 27. Will consider college student or high school student with good grades and strong work ethic. Salary competitive, no benefits. Foggy Bottom work location convenient to Metro. Alumni Assistant sorts alumni files in storage to reduce redundancy, creates new filing system, and shreds unneeded files. Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. Please send resume, cover letter including salary requirements to David Bobbitt, at davidb@twc.edu. No calls please. A Perfect Summer Camp--Elementary School Camp: July 10-16 It is not too late to register for the Elementary School Camp. This is open for children in grades 3-5. (You must have completed 3rd grade.) This is a great chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, the lure of TV and computer games, and experience a simpler life. Days include bible study, hiking and swimming, crafts, as well as time for playing games hanging out with friends. There will be camp fires and picnics. In short, a perfect summer camp. This is my 5th year of running this camp. I first went as an adult helper when my son Larry first went to camp. The following year I became director, and have been doing it ever since. My primary goal is to provide an atmosphere of love and trust where our children can have fun, grow, and get to know each other within a faith-based community. If the camp is half as successful as the others I have been involved in, it will be a great success. If you have any questions, please call me, John Gipson, at 301-384-9805. Looking ahead… Y-GELI Golf Tournament October 15, 2005 Plans are underway to host a major fundraiser with corporate and small group sponsorship. The success of this event will fund a significant portion of the 2006 South Africa experience. You golfers out there, save the date and anticipate more details to follow! PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for
the next
issue is THURSDAY July 7, 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.
Thank you. The Rev. Jim Todhunter, Senior Minister; The Rev. Sandra Kay Dodson, Associate Minister; The Rev. Julia Jarvis, Director of Programming for Older Adults; Jackie Walters, Property Administrator |
