The newly organizing group of Christian progressives in Maryland discussed in last month’s News Notes will be known from now on as Maryland Christians for Justice and Peace. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2-5 pm., at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia, MD. Anyone from CCC who would like to attend is very welcome to call either Anne Weissenborn (301) 681-6042 or Mark Woodard (301) 592-1811 about car-pooling. The more the better.

When I told the Trustees in May 2004 that I would see the church through its first year in the new support staff configuration as the Church Administrator, I had every intention of doing just that. What I hadn’t intended was that my two-year tenure, first as the half-time Property Administrator and then as the full-time Church Administrator, turned into an unintentional interim. CCC has had a lot of interims recently! One may well ask why we have had yet another and one unnamed at that. Here’s why I think so:

1. In the succeeding Octobers of 1998 and 1999, when the congregation approved, first, finding an architect to help us develop a master plan for the building and, second, undertaking a major capital campaign and developing a concrete strategy for implementing that Master Plan, we set in motion a series of decisions that led to many wonderful things – and a host of unintended consequences. Essentially, we moved out of a relatively simple building to manage in January 2001 and moved back into a very complex building in May 2002.

Our priorities had been to improve parking, make the building more accessible, install air-conditioning, and (as required by federal, state & local law) bring the life safety system up to current code standards. All of these priorities resulted in the installation of complex systems that are costly to maintain because they require (yes, require!) professionally certified technicians to service. The job Property Administrator Dick Meyer left in January 2001 was not the same job he came back to in May 2002. And taking over from him in September 2003, I had a very steep learning curve to learn systems and equipment related to fire safety, heating and air-conditioning, the elevator, and a professional kitchen, among other things. It’s taken the three years we’ve "lived into the building" to build a foundation of knowledge of systems and their costs.

2. I needed a way to analyze the business operation. So, I told myself and the Trustees that my philosophy would be that there is a cost to every decision – including the decision not to decide – and that those costs are tangible (money, time or talent) and/or intangible (consequences, trade-offs, etc.). Costs may be postponed when decisions are postponed, but inevitably, the Church will pay some cost.

Weighing decisions and costs is like putting a big jigsaw puzzle together. Somehow all the pieces have to fit and the picture needs to make sense to all who look at it, or they aren’t going to contribute to keeping the puzzle together!

With that philosophical basis, I saw my role as twofold: (1) Educating first myself and then the members about just what does go into running an operation as complex as CCC and (2) Planning proactively to identify and address issues and problems so that we never face again the failure to keep up our facility that we faced in the late ‘90’s.

(1) Many of you have been kind enough to express your appreciation for the News Notes articles I have written. Thank you. It was important to me to share with the ultimate decision-makers – you, the members – so that you can make informed decisions about the house of God that is entrusted to our care and that enables CCC’s worship, program, and mission. God’s care, unfortunately, does not extend to stretching out a hand and insuring that all the details many of us take for granted are carefully attended to. A host of volunteers does that! Volunteers, for example, weed and mulch the flower beds on a monthly basis from April – October. There are decisions and costs to maintaining a beautiful property: either we pay a landscaping firm, or volunteers contribute time, talent and in many cases, treasure, or we neglect our property’s appearance – with a resulting cost in fewer visitors and disappointed members. Recognizing and thanking CCC’s volunteers regularly is a ministry all of us can take on.

(2) When we left in 2001, our building was shabby. When we returned in 2002, it was pristine. Trish Esposito of the Board for Outreach and Engagement keeps a vigilant eye (as well she should) on how our building looks to visitors – are the floors and carpets clean, the furniture dusted and in good condition, etc.? Take carpet as an example. Our operations manual says our carpet has a useful life of 3-5 years. For 3 years, we’ve had a full-time child care center, an active church school program, and a well-used Social Hall in the basement. When you look at that carpet, consider that it’s been professionally cleaned and regularly maintained by CCC’s custodial staff. Its condition conveys a message to church visitors and to prospective day care parents. What are the decisions and the costs involved as it hits the 3-5 year mark?

Raise the day care’s rent to help cover replacement costs? Perhaps – but will that jeopardize its ability to provide affordable child care to working class families in Silver Spring? Leave the carpet for another 1-2 years – or longer? Plan in Major Maintenance for replacing it and hope to raise enough money for the operating budget? These are the types of decisions an active, growing church like CCC faces all the time, and these decisions reflect the will and spirit of the congregation.

Susan and I are acutely aware, as were Ruth and Dick before us [and as Trustees are perennially!], that we are stewards of our members’ hard-earned and lovingly pledged treasure. While CCC is not a business, it should be managed in a business-like manner. Under any circumstances – and most certainly after the risky leap of faith we took together as a congregation in 1998, CCC members should expect nothing less.

What has this unintentional interim yielded? The next Church Administrator will find accurate records of the costs of supporting CCC’s operation – office supplies, technology, utilities, maintenance, etc. S/he will find operations manuals that document all the aspects of maintaining daily life at CCC. S/he will find many volunteers without whose steadfast commitment to their respective jobs, life at CCC would be less productive and certainly less enjoyable!

There are challenges and opportunities as well. Sonja Fisher asked what I learned during this interim, and I shared my conclusion, reached over time, that CCC is a big-time church struggling to emerge from a small-church mentality. We do have complex, sophisticated systems to manage. We have a seven-day/week operation that increasingly has been noticed by entities in Montgomery County as a desirable and hospitable lower-county venue, especially for children & youth programs and community organizations. There are a multitude of costs – tangible and intangible -- associated with the decision to support that type of outreach. We could do much more with technology to improve efficiency and increase capability to manage information and business operations and to expand services to staff and volunteers to free them up for the substantive work that feeds their passion. We should continually explore cost-effective ways of managing certain operations, such as custodial services.

The other thing I learned that I hope the next Administrator will understand from his or her first moment in the building is that managing the physical and business operation is, in a way, a ministry. CCC has policies governing who can use the building and for what purpose based on a theology which defines our congregation’s mission and purpose. What is God calling us to do and how does our space reflect our response to that call? Is the support staff integrated into the ministerial staff team and do they work together to support and enhance the spiritual life and mission of the church? [Yes!] Does the support staff, including volunteers, make every person who walks through the front door feel welcomed and cared for regardless of their circumstances or their purpose in entering the building? Administering a church invokes and inspires a higher calling and purpose than simply managing a physical plant and a business operation.

It has been my privilege to serve CCC for the last two years, and I thank all of you for your prayers, your acceptance of my learning curve, and your tolerance of my sometimes testy customer service! I thank the Trustees for their confidence and support, for their painstaking care for the business of the Church and for the sheer hard work they do throughout the year. I also thank all of the staff, particularly Jim Todhunter, whose wise perspective and pastoral caring provided a positive rock of support; John Touchton, whose personal friendship and music ministry provided a spiritual refuge for a sometimes battered soul; Susan Gray, who is a trusted, capable and equal colleague and a steadfast friend; and Cory Gray and David Gayer, whose knowledge, calm assurance and sense of humor sustained me through some tough and unexpected situations. CCC’s many volunteers are one of the best parts of the job as far as I am concerned – they light up the church when they walk through the doors. I thank them for their generosity of spirit, their caring and their laughter. I must single out three volunteers, however, whose skill, knowledge and generosity not only supported my ability to do the job in terms of managing the building but who saved the Church hundreds of dollars through their generous donations of time and talent: Bud Dennie, Ben Gallup and Dick Meyer. They were, and are, invaluable consultants and confidants – I couldn’t have done it without them. If I can make any claims to success, it is because of the support of all these people and of my family and friends – without them, success would not be possible. 

The Youth Global Experiential Learning Initiative program has received two significant honors for its ministry within the church. The World Council of Churches, whose headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland, nominated and awarded Y-GELI its Peacemaker Award. Y-GELI participated in a World Council of Churches pilot program linking youth with the WCC Decade for Non-Violence mandate. Rev. Ginna Minasian Dalton, associate pastor at Little River UCC and founder of the Y-GELI program, will present CCC with this award during worship Sunday, August 28.

The United Church of Christ national office of Justice and Witness Ministries recently selected Y-GELI to receive its Just Peace Award. This award is given annually to a ministry within a local church which labors to do justice, seek peace and effect change for a better world. One youth from each of the Y-GELI churches attended the UCC General Synod July 1-4 in Atlanta GA to receive this honor. Coleman Fisher went on behalf of CCC.

Y-GELI is a shared ministry among Heritage UCC in Baltimore, Little River UCC in Annandale, VA and Christ Congregational Church. This summer junior and senior high youth will travel to Exmore, VA and Americus, Georgia to experience hands on learning concerning hunger and homelessness.

We are planning to raise funds for leadership training and a future trip to South Africa for our youth participating in the YGELI program. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, September 10th (rain date Saturday, September 17th) for our next YGELI car wash and yard sale from 9 a.m. until noon. The car wash will take place in the south end of the church parking lot. The yard sale will be located in the parking lot across from the church behind the YMCA offices in the white house. We will not be collecting donations for sale this year. Instead we are renting spaces for you to sell your valuable junk / collectibles. There are a limited number of spaces available with a table provided by the church for $20. Other spaces for parking your car next to your table space or for bringing your own table are available for $10 each. Otherwise, you may park on the street or in the north end of the church parking lot. We hope to have a donation truck stop by at noon to pick up any leftovers you wish to donate. To reserve one or more spaces, please contact Susan Hill at 410-715-8923 or email sehill@comcast.net. It’s never too early to plan for the fall and start sorting through your stuff this summer!

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.

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 are now available in the church entry way. The deadline for registration is Sunday, July 31st. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Kathie McConnelll at 301-589-0151 or by email at KLMcconnell@mindspring.com.

Sunday August 28 we would like to carpool up to Toby’s Dinner Theater (in Columbia, MD) to see "Grease" and eat lunch.   Please let us know ASAP if you would like to join us.  We need to buy group tickets soon and would like to have a head count.  Toby’s is one of the best dinner theaters in the area and "Grease" is a fun musical to see those old poodle skirts again.  Please sign up on the bulletin board by the church office or call Julia at 301-270-0514.

If you have any interest in getting to know/understand your own story and the stories of others’ (through a process called "Life Review’) as we create a web of rich connections and support, a new "Life Review" group will begin this Fall.  There have been several requests to have an evening group (Wednesday nights). Even if you can’t make an evening and you want to participate please let me know.   Please call Julia if interested in participating at 301-270-0514 or you can email at juliajar@erols.com.

After church, July 23, Julia will be having a meeting for all those interested in supporting folks at Springvale Terrace Retirement/Assisted Living Home which is located near CCC.  Please let Julia know at home or email (see above) if you will be able to attend.

CCC is continuing to have people sign up for Small Groups to discuss relevant to the group. I am requesting you to join me establish Partnership with the United Church Christ of Zimbabwe – Mbare. This Church was built in the early 50s. It has a membership of about 150 people. Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980 and President Robert Mugabe has been its leader ever since. He has terrorized his people and there is more suffering today than it was during colonial days. My husband Rev. Sithole was a UCC minister and for that reason, Mugabe did not take kindly to this Church. Its Headquarters are at Mt. Selinda Mission which was established 1890 by the American Board of Missionaries. The government does not like it because that area is where Rev. Sithole comes from and the people in that area for the last 25 years of independence have not voted for Mugabe and his party. Recently Mbare Church has had a kitchen destroyed by the government as an illegal structure. This small kitchen used to feed the homeless but they can not do that now. Any help you can give now for instance, clothes, blankets, food and money will be greatly appreciated. The Rev. at this Mbare Church is Samuel Mzite. His phone is -011-2634-66. If you are interested in talking about the Zimbabwean situation you can reach me at 301-736-2866 or email vesta1@comcast.net. The UCC people in Zimbabwe need your help. 

It’s time to save a life again!  Our next American Red Cross blood drive is scheduled for Sunday, July 24, 8:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m., in the Social Hall.  Your help is desperately needed due to low blood inventory and high demand during the summer months.  Every day, the American Red Cross in our region ships blood to 65 hospitals and 10 major trauma centers where trauma victims, cancer patients and those with blood diseases depend on the availability of blood on a daily basis.  

Each donor will receive an American Red Cross Commemorative T-shirt and be entered in raffles for cruise tickets and restaurant gift certificates.  Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule your life-saving appointment.  Remember, the drive is on Sunday, July 24th.  We really appreciate your help for another successful blood drive.  Thanks!

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