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CCC NewsNotes September 13, 2005 A Just Peace and Open and Affirming Church
All
Church Picnic on September 18, 2005 All Church Picnic on September 18, 2005 An ALL CHURCH PICNIC sponsored by
the Board for Church Life will be held on Sunday, September 18th,
following the second service. Please join us in the Social Hall for subs,
drinks, chips, fruit and salad. The younger children can play outside on
the playground after they eat, under supervision of the Senior High youth.
Older children can play games upstairs in the Senior High room. Members of
the congregation are asked to bring their favorite dessert, if you can.
Please plan to join us. The Social Action and Mission Committee of the Potomac Association is sponsoring a visit to Church House, the national UCC headquarters in Cleveland, over Veterans’ Day. The group, limited to 20 fortunate folk from Association congregations, will leave on Southwest Airlines from BWI on Thursday, November 10 at 7:10 pm and will spend all day Friday, Nov. 11, meeting with representatives of various offices and instrumentalities of the UCC, in particular Justice and Witness Ministries and Wider Church Ministries. Saturday, November 12, will be a free day in which to visit attractions such as, but not limited to, the Cleveland Museum of Art and/or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group will fly back to BWI on Saturday, November 12, at 6:00 pm. Cost of the trip for participants will include $168 for round-trip airfare, $79 for two nights (double occupancy) at the Radisson Hotel Cleveland-Gateway, meals, ground transportation and any entrance fees charged by museums. Anyone interested should contact either Kathy Doxsee at (703) 671-5233 or kadoxsee@mindspring.com, or Anne Weissenborn (before Sept.3, and after Sept. 15) at (301) 681-6042 or weisenborn@starpower.net. Contemporary Theology Class THE JESUS SEMINAR STUDY GROUP that meets in our conference room every month has decided to use the Spring 2002 copy of FORUM (MORE OF THE ACTS SEMINAR) based on the book of Acts as our next topic of discussion. The books will be $15 plus postage. You may pay after the books arrive. Elaine Wunderlich will leave them in the church office once they arrive, but discussion of the book won’t begin until our October meeting. If you already subscribe to FORUM, it should be your last issue. Our next meeting is September 23. We selected one of the Spring 2005 Seminar Papers for our discussion that night: Facing Up to Hard Questions: Christian Faith for a New Age by Joe Bessler-Northcutt. Any questions call Elaine at (301) 572-6865 or email her at elaine@marlaine.com. READING THE BIBLE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME—John Gipson will be leading a one-year survey course of the Bible. The goal of the course is not to study each book in depth, but rather to sample the entire Bible, starting from Genesis, and ending with Revelations. Our guidebook in the journey will be 3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated by Donald Knuth. The class will meet at 9:00 on Sunday mornings beginning September 18. Interested? Call John at (301) 384-9805 or email him at Gipson@verison.net. Books will be ordered from Amazon in September. NEW BIBLE STUDY CLASS The CCC Adult Education Committee is pleased to announce the addition of a new Bible study class. The class will meet at the church Tuesday mornings from 8 am to 9 am starting on October 4, 2005. The room will be announced later. The initial offering will be an in depth study of the book of Acts and will be led by Angela M. Bouma. Angela grew up in Brazil, studied to become a teacher, attended a Presbyterian seminary, and completed her theological studies at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has led Bible study groups in churches and homes, has taught Bethel courses and other courses about the Bible and History of the Church. For more information call Elsa Brandt at (301) 589-8694. SENIOR ADULTS MINISTRY, EVENING LIFE REVIEW Life Review is a process of getting to know and understand your own story and the stories of others as we create a web of rich connections and support. There have been several requests to have an evening group. A new Life Review will begin on Wednesday evening, September 21, at 7:30 pm. If you are interested in participating, please call Julia Jarvis at (301) 270-0514 or email her at juliajar@erols.com. Even if you can’t make an evening group and you want to participate, please let Julia know. SMALL GROUP FOCUSING ON ANTI-RACISM A new group is forming to focus on the anti-racism journey at CCC. All those interested in making a personal commitment to this journey are requested to sigh the Small Group sheet titled "Anti-Racism" on the Board for Church Life bulletin board. The group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, in the CCC Conference room. For additional information, contact Delilah Y. Marrow (310) 641-8845 or Jim Helkleman-Bahn (301) 445-1752. AUTHOR STEVE COLL TO SPEAK AT CCC ABOUT HIS PULITZER PRIZE WINNING BOOK On Sunday, October 2, 2005, at 7 pm, writer Steve Coll will discuss his book Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. Steve’s book won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction. This event, which will be held in the Sanctuary, is sponsored by the CCC Book Group, which selected this book for its October discussion. Members of the congregation and friends are cordially invited. After a brief talk by the author, there will be a question-and-answer period, followed by a reception. Coll’s book is a captivating and complex account of the turmoil in Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion in 1979 through to the events of September 11, 2001. This meticulously researched and highly readable book explores the questions so many have asked since September 11: To what extent did America’s best intelligence analysts grasp the rising threat of Islamic radicalism? Who tried to stop Osama bin Laden? Why did they fail? Coll attended area public schools then attended Occidental College in Los Angeles. Since 1988, he has worked for The Washington Post as a reporter, foreign correspondent, editor of The Washington Post Magazine, and Managing Editor. He is the author of four other books. As of September 2005, he is an employee of The New Yorker magazine. Coll lives in Bethesda with his wife Susan (also a published author) and his three children. He just happens to be the son of Shirley Coll. (He will be happy to sign books during the reception.) Seniors, come join other Senior Adults for a Potluck Luncheon on Thursday, October 6th at 12 noon. A sign up sheet has been placed on the bulletin board. Please indicate if you are able to bring either a salad or a dessert to share. Our interim Director of Music, Marcus Williams, is going to give a piano recital in the Sanctuary following our meal. Several Committee members have either left the area or have been through surgeries or other illnesses so new members would be greatly welcomed. Come and share your ideas and enthusiasm and help with the activities. Call Julia Jarvis (301) 270-0514 or email her at juliajar@erols.com if you have any questions. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SISTERS FOR SISTERS will meet on Saturday, September 17th, at 1:00 pm at the home of June Leonard, 1009 Laredo Road, Silver Spring, MD. Please bring your sandwich and other refreshments will be provided. CCC Response to Hurricane Katrina: If you would like to support the UCC’s efforts to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina through One Great Hour of Sharing, you may write a check payable to "Christ Congregational Church" AND mark in the Memo line "Emergency USA." Checks collected by CCC will be forwarded to UCC headquarters in Cleveland. Those desiring to make donations by credit card may log onto www.ucc.org/oghs/donate.htm and make a secure donation. Information about the UCC’s response may be found at www.ucc.org/disaster. Art exhibit/aid to victims of Katrina Laura Boyer is currently exhibiting her work in the Tate Gallery. All photographs are for sale for $100 a piece. 100% of the sales will be donated to the Red Cross. To purchase framed photos, please contact Laura at pkboyer@erols.com or call Susan Gray in the church office. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *****New CCC directories are available in the lobby. Please take one per family.***** Neighbors in Need Offering will be collected on October 2nd. This year’s campaign theme is "Imagine: Another World is Possible." Neighbors in Need represents one of several ways that the UCC expresses its financial commitment to justice and compassion throughout the United States. Funds collected from NIN support the UCC’s justice advocacy programs and are also distributed to a wide array of congregations and nonprofit organizations who work to support justice and who help neighbors in their communities across the country and in Puerto Rico. One-third of the offering supports the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM), including the 20 American Indian congregations in the UCC. An offering envelope is enclosed with this issue of New Notes, and additional information will be forthcoming in Sunday bulletins. Please give generously to this very important undertaking.Upcoming Events sponsored by the Board for Church Life
========================================================================== First Sunday Potluck is an informal gathering of church members to reconnect with old friends and to make new friends at a Potluck-style lunch. This group will meet on the first Sunday of each month in the Social Hall after the second church service. Please plan to attend one or all of them, and remember to bring your favorite food dish to share. Your food can be stored in the Social Hall kitchen until the luncheon begins. Questions? Call Glenda Neal at (301) 622-3948 or gbneal1958@earthlink.net. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Parent’s Night Out will resume on Friday, September 16th. This is a co-op childcare program, which meets on the third Friday of each month from 6:30 to 10:00 pm. Children of all ages come together to play in a friendly, family-like atmosphere. If you plan to participate, please sigh up on the Church Life bulletin board, located near the kitchenette on the first floor. Questions? Contact Glenda Neal at (301) 622-3948 or gbneal1958@earthlink.net. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Halloween Party Attention all ghouls and goblins! The annual Halloween Party, sponsored by the Board for Church Life, will be held on Saturday, October 29th, in the Social Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Come and join us for a night of games, crafts, tricks, and treats. This event is for all ages. For more information or to volunteer to help, contact Marian Dirda at (301) 589-6412 or m_dirda@yahoo.com, or Lauren Jones at (301) 587-3007. See you there. Did you know that the goodies provided during the Fellowship Hour each Sunday are funded mostly by donations? The Fair Trade coffee and tea are part of the Board for Church Life budget, but the other food items are not. Baskets are placed on the food tables each week to collect much-needed donations. As you enjoy these goodies, please remember to drop a donation in the basket. Without donations, there wouldn’t be any coffee, punch, and cookies to snack on. We rely on your generosity to make Fellowship Hour a happy time for everyone. Thanks in advance for your consideration and generosity. 2005 Stewardship Results The Spring 2205 Stewardship campaign resulted in pledges from 224 households (as of July 31, 2005), totaling $547,235. This was the best result the church has ever had from its stewardship efforts. On behalf of the 2004-05 Board of Stewardship, thank you for your generosity in pledging and thanks be to God. If you have not yet completed a pledge form for the 2005-06 church year, you may still do so. Forms are in the pew racks or on the table outside the church office. Leave the completed for in the Stewardship box in the church office. The Board of Stewardship wants to thank the church’s peerless database manager, David Main, for inputting the stewardship data in a confidential and careful manner. David had quietly done this for years and deserves our deep gratitude. Treasurer’s Annual Report Copies of the CCC financial annual report are available in the church office. If you would like to have an electronic copy, please contact the church office at cccoffice@christ-ucc.org. Family Movie Night is coming to CCC. Bring the family and join in the fun as CCC holds its first Family Movie Night on September 30th. The movie to be shown will be The Pacifier and it will begin at 7 pm. Bring your favorite snack and get ready for a family fun time. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Questions? Call Linda Phelps at (301) 622-3174. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you I’d like to thank everyone
at CCC for his or her cards and prayers and meals following my recent hip
replacement surgery. I spent the summer recovering and felt supported by
your concern. Again, many thanks. ************************************************************************************ Dear CCC Family, Thank you to all the dear people who remembered me on my 97th birthday. The flowers, visits, card, luncheon were all appreciated. A special thank you to my support group who visited me bringing me goodies. In the evening I was visited by Sandy and Jaime, which was a real treat. Jamie was charming. Love, Come celebrate and say "thank you" to Jackie Walters for her leadership as CCC’s property administrator. Jackie’s careful stewardship of the building had given us much insight into the management of our property and fulfilling our mission within the community. Mark Sunday, September 25th, on your calendar and come to Coffee Hour after the second service to recognize Jackie’s contributions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the CCC Ushers Team The CCC Ushers are looking for volunteers to join our team. In particular, we are in need of ushers at the 10:30 Service for the 2nd Sunday of every month. Ushering requires no skills or experience other than a friendly smile. This is a great way to volunteer at the church, meet new people, and best of all, attend no meetings. Those interested in joining please call Pete Boyer at (310) 589-0544 or email at pkboyer@us.ibm.com. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Despite Saturday, September 3rd, being in the middle of Labor Day weekend, eight brave souls joined in a morning of planting, weeding, mulching, moving, and watering under the leadership of Mary Pence. New flowers were planted in the Normand Minnick garden and in the Steve Gilbert garden. Jean and Randy Caswell, Glenda and Nina Enagonio, David Frey, Ann Marshall, Mary Pence, and Gail Withuhn took part. The final Building and Grounds work day for 2005 will take place on Saturday, October 1st, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with lunch provided from noon to 1 pm. Projects are planned for both inside and outside the church. Volunteers will be welcome for the morning or afternoon shift or for both. Please enter October 1, 2005 on your calendar and join in the good work and fellowship. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the main bulletin boards so we will know how many to expect for lunch. Women’s Retreat—October 7-9, 2005 at the Retreat House Women of all ages are invited to attend our annual Fall Retreat, Friday evening through Sunday morning, October 7-9. Plans are being made to offer a program focusing on food for the soul. Hopefully, we will compliment our gathering with a special guest resource. A retreat marks a returning to a safe place in order to reflect on where we are and where we desire to be. The CCC Retreat House, located on 54 acres of rolling farmland in West Virginia, offers us simple hospitality and sacred space. The Civil War vintage farmhouse has three dormitory style bedrooms, 2.5 baths, kitchen, living room, dining room, and a large screened porch. It can accommodate up to 20 people. Meal preparation is a community endeavor. To register, sign up on the list located outside the church office or call the church office. The cost is $35 plus meals. You may (or may not) have noticed the Bulletin Board next to the elevator in the Entrance Hall. This bulletin board follows the Lectionary, the system of weekly lessons developed by the UCC together with other churches. Sometimes the sermon for a particular Sunday follows the Lectionary but not always. The bulletin board changes weekly. Jean Caswell, a retired professor of Art History at the University of Maryland, prepares the boards from the UCC Lectionary, numerous sources of great historical and modern art, the Bible, poetry, etc. She enlarges most images and prints them on a digital printer. Have a look. Adele writes from her new home in Illinois. She sends greetings to all her many friends and thanks everyone for the calls and notes she has received. We are missed but she is grateful for her relatives who give her lots of support. She said that she looked forward to joining the UCC church that sponsored the retirement community where she lives. The first Sunday that she attended, the minister "introduced me to the congregation. The bus got me there a half hour early so I had time to read the copious bulletins and indicate on the registration form my wish to join the church. Peace Memorial Church is a huge cavernous edifice….The choir is great as is the organ music and most of the hymns are good old favorites. The service ends promptly at 10:30 whereupon all repair to the huge social hall where all kinds of fancy pastries are served. There is another half hour wait for the return bus and I sit in the noisy room on a hard chair. I try to talk to neighbors but it’s not very rewarding. No one pays attention to me except once when two ladies introduced themselves as a new-member committee and said the next reception of new members would be in September and they would send me some info about church activities. I’m still waiting….I often think of how friendly everyone is at CCC and we are urged to speak to strangers….I am really quite contented here and God…is taking care of me." Love, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> God is like…HALLMARK CARDS. He cares enough to send the very best. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Supper for Seven (or so!) - Printable version Supper for Seven (or so) is an opportunity for you to join a small group that takes turns having a meal in each other’s homes (or other location). It’s a great way to get to know others at CCC. You’ll be grouped with 6-8 other people -- singles and couples. One person needs to offer to contact the others in the group and host the first meal, and then the group decides its own schedule. If it’s hard for you to host in your home, you can arrange another location or buddy up with another member of the group. Name: __________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ Telephone: ________________________________________ PRINT Email: ______________________________________________________ (please give email if you use it, makes communication much easier) Are you willing to be the first host? Yes No (someone needs to!) Do you want to be in a group that includes children at the dinner? Yes No If yes, ages of your children: __________________________ Please return by September 25th to Sara Watson, saradwatson@aol.com or put in the Church Life mailbox in the church office. Questions, call Sara at 301-879-7692. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The UCC and Israel/Palestine: Economic Leverage and the Wall. In July, General Synod passed two resolutions on the Middle East, one on the use of economic leverage to promote peace between Palestine and Israel and the other opposing the construction by Israel of "the Wall." The first calls upon the UCC at all levels to advocate for the reallocation of US foreign aid to constrain militarization, to make positive contributions to groups committed to non-violence, to divest from companies that gain from the continuation of violence, to support the development of two viable states, and to remain in dialogue with all religious partners in the area. To read the resolutions, go to www.ucc.org. Later in July, the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC’s President and General Minister, issued a statement explaining these resolutions. He began: "We have long affirmed the right of Israel to exist within secure boundaries as well as the right of Palestinians to their own state." And he both denounced suicide bombing and called for an end to the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Dr. Thomas continued: "The General Synod has not called for a boycott against the state of Israel. The [GS] has not called for divesting from companies doing business with the state of Israel. The [GS] has not called for using economic sanctions to damage the economy of Israel. The [GS] has not equated the Occupation with apartheid in South Africa, nor has it equated the Israeli government with the apartheid government of South Africa." And he concluded: "[W]e have . . . attempted to reassure our Jewish friends . . . of our continued commitment to previous actions of the General Synod which have denounced anti-Semitism and which have separated the [UCC] from theologies declaring that God’s covenant with the Jews has been superseded by God’s covenant with the Church in Jesus Christ. We have said clearly that God’s covenant with the Jews endures. This complex theological concept has enormous practical importance, for it challenges . . . the theological justification for centuries of anti-Jewish Christian violence and bigotry, and reminds the church that the Jewish community is an intimate and enduring partner in faith." Anne Weissenborn for the Board for Social Witness International Day of Prayers for Peace, September 21st. The World Council of Churches, as part of its Decade to Overcome Violence, had designated September 21st, as an International Day of Prayers for Peace. This designation will be the second time that the WCC will have joined the UN International Day of Peace. The WCC theme this year, chosen by churches in Asia, is "Building Communities of Peace for All." (Asia is the focus of the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence during 2005.) See the colorful brochure on the Board for Social Witness bulletin board. CALLING ALL GOLFERS Y-GELI GROUPS FROM little River UCC, Heritage UCC, and CCC are hosting an 18-hole golf tournament Friday October 14th, at Northwest Park. Please sigh up in the church lobby. Entrance fee will be about $100 per person and will include goodies, food coupon, prizes, and FUN. For more information call Sonja Fisher at (301) 216-9610 or email her at phisher@erols.com. YOUNG ADULT MEETING OCTOBER 2 The Y-GELI program provides amazing opportunities for our kids to participate in mission work, but it is not cheap. We will be hosting a variety of fundraisers this year that will give you a fun way to contribute to this important youth program. Besides the up-coming golf tournament, we will be selling Entertainment Books and Kids Books. They include discount coupons for stores, restaurants, and events. We will also sell Giant Food cards; you pay face value for them but we buy at a discount. You may also give us your old cell phones for recycling. PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for
the next
issue is THURSDAY
September 29, 5:00 p.m. Betsy Thomas, Editor The Rev. Jim Todhunter, Senior Minister; The Rev. Sandra Kay Dodson, Associate Minister; The Rev. Julia Jarvis, Director of Programming for Older Adults; Markus C. Williams, Interim Music Director |
