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CCC NewsNotes A Just Peace and Open and Affirming Church
"Retreat House Glimpses" – by Nancy Kosinski 3rd in a series of articles commemorating the 40th anniversary of CCC’s purchase of the Retreat House After the Retreat House was purchased, the Board of Trustees created a standing committee to plan and implement maintenance and building projects for the house and property. At first, this group was composed only of men. Several of us joked about this, and the next thing I knew, the chairman called and asked if I wanted to join the committee. At my first meeting, someone pulled out a chair; another placed a piece of paper in front of me, and a third gave me a pencil. With scarcely a word spoken, I had just been elected secretary. Taking minutes actually suited me fine, because the alternative doubtless would have been to perform very bad carpentry or even worse plumbing. At least I could spell. Over the years, the rich variety of retreats has drawn many of us to our weekend home in West Virginia. It would be impossible to do justice to all of them; each has its own distinct character. Some of my favorite memories include:
During these times, we had deep and sometimes life-altering experiences and forged unique bonds. We laughed for hours around the meal table; walked to the river at midnight; explored Fossil Mountain; searched for the source of the Branch; roamed the aisles of the general store in Yellow Spring. In short, we embraced life and, sometimes, we said farewell to loved ones in countless ways during the time we spent at our home in the country. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In honor of the Retreat House 40th anniversary the display in the Tate Gallery during March and April will be of photographs, paintings, and drawings of the house and the area around it. The exhibit is open to all. Anyone with items pertaining to the Retreat House is welcome to participate. Dig out your old boxes of photos from camp and retreats. Items should be framed with wire hangers and left in Room 104, by Thursday, February 23. Be sure they are labeled so they can be returned after the exhibit. Questions? Call Susan Gray at the CCC office (301) 585-8010.
SUMMER CAMP SUMMER CAMP SUMMER CAMP SUMMER CAMP Dates for CCC camps at the Retreat House are: July 25 – July 1
LIFEGUARDS NEEDED! Lifeguards are needed for the weeks of summer camp at the CCC Retreat House. High School Students: CCC will pay to have you trained as a lifeguard in exchange for your service to summer camp. See Rev. Sandy Dodson for details. "Pursue Justice, Seek Peace! Working Together to Build a Better Future in Palestine and Israel" - March 3-4. Sabeel-DC, a partner of the Sabeel Center Jerusalem and of Friends of Sabeel-North America, is holding a DC-area conference on March 3-4 at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. One of the organizers is Marla Schrader, a UCC/Disciples missionary to the Middle East presently stationed in Washington and a friend of CCC. Sabeel is an ecumenical peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land. "This conference will offer local churches and area denominational bodies, as well as other religious and secular peace and justice organizations in the DC Metro area an arena to inform ourselves, network widely and provide tools to become pro-active peacemakers." Participants will receive information about current realities in Palestine and Israel, education on the principles of a just peace, and ways to engage in broad-based networking and activism, and also "renew our spiritual foundation for peacemaking." To register, go to www.wiamep.org or call (202) 258-0569. The registration fee is $85 now and $100 after February 14. See further information posted on the bulletin board outside the CCC office. "Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice" – March 10-13, 2006. The fourth annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference will be held in Washington on March 10-13 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, Arlington, VA. The theme will be "Challenging Disparity: The Promise of God – The Power of Solidarity". Last year’s conference attracted almost 900 participants from all over the country, including Mark Woodard and Anne Weissenborn from CCC who found it very informative and exciting. This year’s conference will offer plenary presentations, worship times, track workshops, and a lobby day on Capitol Hill. The many workshops will address Latin America, US domestic issues, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Global Security, Eco-Justice, Africa, and Jubilee and Economic Justice. Speakers will include E.J. Dionne, Jr., columnist for the Washington Post, the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, chair of the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the National Council of Churches and professor at Eden Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, senior pastor at the Believers Christian Fellowship and president of the Hampton University Ministries Conference. Sponsors include the UCC as well as the NCCC, Church World Service, Episcopal Church USA, United Methodist Church, etc. Workshop leaders will include UCC national staff members. The registration fee is $140. For more information and to register, see materials on the CCC bulletin boards and go to www.advocacydays.org. Potomac Association Website The Potomac Association has created a new website, designed to give the Association greater visibility and to promote better communications. The address is www.potomacucc.org. The site allows members of local UCC congregations to receive the Association’s monthly newsletter, Potomac Association Postings, by email. Recent issues of Postings are archived on the site. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE CCC’s next blood drive will be held in the Social Hall on Sunday, January 29th from 8:00AM to 1:00PM. To schedule a donation time, please contact the Red Cross directly at 1-800-GIVELIFE. If you wish to assist by welcoming the donors and providing refreshments, please contact Dick Meyer, Blood Drive Coordinator at 301 445 1866. Christ Congregational Church Workday, Saturday, January 28, 2006 The first quarterly CCC workday for 2006 will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 9:00 to 4:00 with lunch provided from 12:00 to 1:00. Please come and join other volunteers to work on as many as we can of about 20 worthy projects. Nearly all projects are planned for inside the church. If the weather is good, one or two may be done outside. Volunteers are welcome for morning, or afternoon, or both. Please note January 28, 2006 on your calendar and join in the good work and fellowship. You need not sign up, but if you want to join us for lunch, please call Randy Caswell at 301-585-0529. CCC Building and Grounds Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cross-Country Ride Supports People with Disabilities I am participating in the Journey of Hope, a cross-country bike ride to raise funds and awareness for people with disabilities. Funds raised provide grants for amenities ranging from therapeutic horseback riding saddles to handicap-accessible playgrounds and ramps. The ride is organized by Push America, the philanthropy of my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. I will be departing from San Francisco on June 11th and will be arriving in Washington D.C. 63 days later on August 13th. You can learn more about the Journey of Hope and support my fundraising effort with a tax-deductible donation at www.pushamerica.org. Please follow the "Donate" link on the site, followed by clicking on "Sponsor a Team Member" and typing in my last name. Thank you for your support! Peter Cailloux ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eat, Drink, and Contribute THANKSGIVING IN FEBRUARY – February 7. Thanksgiving in February is an annual event in support of Community Ministry of Montgomery County. Participating restaurants agree to donate a percentage (10-20%) of their receipts that day to CMMC for distribution to non-profit organizations providing food to qualifying clients. Each year CCC takes part by encouraging members and friends to participate individually, and by organizing a group lunch and dinner at specific restaurants. This year CCC will reserve a table for 12:00 noon or so at Nova Europa Restaurant in the Kemp Mill Shipping Center, Lamberton Drive, for lunch, and a table at Ferdinand’s Restaurant, 11300 Fern Street, Wheaton, for dinner at 6:00 or so. Stay tuned for exact times. There is a sign up sheet for shared dining on the bulletin board outside the CCC office. For more information, call Anne Weissenborn, (301) 681-6042, regarding lunch, or Holly Brooks, (301) 933-0285, regarding dinner. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LET’S DANCE!! February 11, 2006 – 8-11 p.m. CCC’s own Big Band plays tunes from the 30s, 40s and beyond on February 11, from 8-11 p.m. in the CCC Social Hall. Help make this an enchanted evening by joining in the fun. Fancy dress is welcome, but not required. Donations accepted to the church Building Fund.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STEWARDS OF THE EARTH The amount of junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes. We receive nearly 2 million tons of junk mail each year. Put a stop to junk mail by contacting the Direct Marketing Association (www.dmaconsumers.org). They will stop your name from being sold to most large mailing list companies and help to reduce your junk mail up to 75%. (Source: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth by The Earth Works Group.) The NewsNotes schedule for the next few months is as follows. Please note that the deadline for receiving NewsNotes articles will now be on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays.
Deadline Mailing
Deadline for next News Notes
is February 15, 2006 at 5:00 PM The Rev. James A. Todhunter, Senior Minister; The Rev. Sandra K. Dodson, Associate Minister; The Rev. Julia Jarvis, Director of Programming for Older Adults; Markus Williams, Interim Director of Music |
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