TAKE HOLD OF REAL LIFE.

Take hold of the life that really is life . . . Be generous.

Welcome to News Notes insert No. 3 from your Board of Stewardship for this year’s campaign.

We have created a beautiful building, and it is alive with new members and partner organizations. We built it, and they came! And we are not resting on our laurels—we are living the God is Still Speaking principle through our racism and gender equality initiatives. We are meeting the needs of our community through the Gandhi Brigade, Shepherd’s Table, the Interfaith Housing Coalition, and Rebuilding Together. We are expanding our ministry to senior adults and youth. And the list goes on.

And we have to step up if we want to support these new missions and ministries and secure our financial future. We need to increase our annual giving to pay operating costs, fund our priorities, and cover the "mortgage payment" for the remaining building costs. Our leadership estimates that we need to increase our pledging by at least 33% to reach these goals. That’s a leap, to be sure! But we have already shown the capacity to support this level of giving: for example, our recent level of giving to the Recommitment Campaign is about one-third of our current pledging.

Generosity Gems: Our Stewardship Stories. This issue focuses on our youth ministries.

Youth-Global Experiential Youth Initiative ("Y-GELI"). Y-GELI is a joint youth program of CCC, Little River UCC, Annandale, VA, and Heritage UCC, Baltimore. It provides training and summer experiences designed to help participants become faith-based, just peace leaders. In 2006, after participating in workshops on antiracism, CCC junior highs will travel to Memphis in August to learn about the civil rights movement and its legacy; in July, senior highs will help recovery efforts in New Orleans while learning about class and race. Earlier, CCC youth have gone to: Native American reservations in SD (2003); the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland; the Taize Community in France (2004); the Harvest of Hope/St. Andrew’s Project in VA and Habitat for Humanity/Koinonia Farms in GA (2005). In 2005 Y-GELI received the WCC Peacemaker Award and the UCC’s Justice and Witness Award. But this increasingly popular program is chronically under-funded. To remedy this, Y-GELI is seeking greater CCC budget support.

Peace Camp. The Peace Train rolled into CCC last summer in the form of MJ and Jerry Park and their Family Peace Camp. Some 10 CCC families joined in discussions, activities, games, and arts/crafts centered on Peace and defining personal peace. Everyone learned the Peace Building Pledge…"I am a Peace Builder. I pledge to talk nice to others, to treat people with care, to make peace not break peace, to build peace at home, school, and in my neighborhood." We used the Peace Train as a tool to resolve conflicts. It emphasizes that it is okay to be angry, but not okay to be mean. Peace-making techniques can also be applied to self-esteem building, effective discipline, cooperative play, nurturing the earth, and conflict resolution. "Peace does not mean there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart". The Peace Train will roll back into CCC this summer at Vacation Bible School.

From Mable Elliott. I have been a member of Christ Congregational Church since 1967; as Pledge Sunday draws nearer, I think about the things that I love about CCC. There is so much to love…but one or two really need to be mentioned because they will certainly figure in my pledge. First are the improvements to the CCC building, which make it easier for seniors to use the church. The elevator is especially important to me because without it I could not fully participate in all that CCC has to offer. Second, CCC’s diversity—and its respect for diversity—makes me love this church even more. Diversity is more than just "good works" for this church. Here, I am heard--whether it is a new concept or one that we have struggled with for years. Our elevator, our air conditioning, our programs, our diversity, our music and our many ministries make me want to give as a steward of this church all that I am able to give.

From Audrey and Neville Platt. 2006 marks our 20^th year in the U.S.A.—18 of which we have been members of CCC. We have lived in Silver Spring longer than any of the 9 homes where we raised our children in the U.K. After a brief membership in a Congregational church in Wolfeboro, NH, we were truly blessed to find this community, and we regard CCC, and our many friends here, as our second family. We therefore feel the desire and the responsibility to share our time, talent, and resources with this church family, as we continue to support our continuing connections in the U.K. We will continue to pledge as best we can, recognizing that we face considerable new challenges in the coming year as we plan ahead to finance our remaining property debt. We welcome this initiative, and we pray for the continuing growth of this church as a strong faith community in Silver Spring.

New UCC TV ad to debut on April 3rd.

A brand new UCC television ad will debut in all national markets on April 3rd and continue through April 23rd.  The ad will air on cable stations. As of this writing, the networks have not decided if they will accept the ad. On the afternoon of March 27th, the ad will be viewable on the UCC website, www.ucc.org.  The UCC hopes to extend the airtime of the ad until May 14th, Mother’s Day if additional funds are raised. You may make a donation or pledge online at www.stillspeaking.com/campaign/support

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Dear CCC family,

The Big Band Dance on March 11, brought in $635 and an enthusiastic crowd that danced, listened, applauded, and sang as the Band played on. Many thanks to the Board of Church Life for sponsoring the event, decorating the Social Hall, and providing refreshments throughout the evening. CCC’s Big Band energized the crowd with a broad selection of tunes, including vocals by Terry Strand.

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This new enterprise by Yihung Mohs of CCC allows you to prepare restaurant quality home-cooked meals ahead of time. At the Grand Opening guests will be offered opportunities to provide meals for families served by the Interfaith Housing Coalition. Questions or RSVP for event. SilverSpringMD@dreamdinners.com.

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CCC’s Spirituality Committee invites you to join fellow seekers on a Silent Retreat at our Retreat House in West Virginia June 9 -11.  The theme for this retreat will be "Community in Silence".   Entering into silence with the intention of being open to God’s presence is an experience many of us have haven’t had.  Yet the gift of awareness of God’s tender presence in silence can be transformative.  A silent retreat with others from our faith community – friends we know in the busy life of CCC - can be a special blessing.  We are moved beyond ourselves and into community through prayerful support of each other.

The Spirituality Committee is available to answer your questions about a Silent Retreat on April 23^rd at 10:00 (between services) and on May 7^th at 11:45 (after the 10:30 service).   We’ll have a couple of articles on silent retreats as well as the weekend’s schedule.  The deadline for signing up for the retreat is June 1.

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We have been assigned to work with homeowner Sherry Crawford, and this year's Rebuilding Together project is shaping up as a very nice fit for our group. Our Project Day is Saturday, April 29, and we are reaching out to find new CCC volunteers of any skill level.

Sherry has been in her home, in the Dufief Mill neighborhood of Gaithersburg, for 28 years. Sherry works as a substitute teacher in the county schools and grooming pets at Petsmart. Her grown son and daughter recently moved out of town and Sherry, as a senior on a limited income, has difficulty keeping up with housework and repairs.

The home had a small deck extending off the kitchen over a wooded lot, but the deck collapsed during Hurricane Isabel. We will also be addressing several plumbing problems, a floor that was destroyed by a water heater malfunction, painting needs and yard-work.

This is our tenth year of helping low-income seniors continue to live independently in the homes they have grown to love. The lumber is being delivered, the paint and plantings are picked up, lunch is covered; now all we need is you! Please sign up on the main church bulletin board, or contact John Enagonio for more info, at 301-649-6492, enagonio@yahoo.com.

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We (Lois and Jim) invite you to consider joining a new six-week course on "Couples Communication" that we will be leading starting in late April. This is the fourth such series they have presented over the years at CCC. There will be a meeting to introduce Couples Communication to any one interested on Monday evening, April 10^th, at 7:30 p.m. in the CCC Meeting Room.

What is Couples Communication? It involves learning a simple, clear and direct communications model for couples, and guidance and support in putting it into practice. Couples Communication is definitely not therapy, encounter group, counseling, or anything using intrusive tactics. It is not about giving advice or solving problems. It is about how all of us in committed relationships can do a better job of sending and receiving clear messages to each other. It is about deepening understanding, not trying to find agreement.

At this session we will introduce the model, demonstrate its use, and answer any questions you might have. Coming to this session does not commit you in any way to continue with the course. The course is open to any couple in a committed relationship, including same gender couples. It is free of charge.

Couples Communication (along with Marriage Enrichment – based on the same model), has provided some of the most meaningful and helping settings to deepen love and commitment for CCC members and friends. Please come on April 10^th and learn more!

(Childcare can be provided if you let us know in advance).

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In addition, with the recent Circuit Court decision overturning Maryland's law limiting marriage to couples of opposite sex, the issue has come even more to the forefront in our state.  The Legislature is even now considering a proposed amendment to the state constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

The members of CCC's Open and Affirming Task Force would like to invite members of the congregation to enter into dialog regarding this issue.  While we know that many feel strongly one way or the other, we plan to have open, non-judgmental and mutually respectful discussions as we try to discern the direction our church should take.

I have the following questions or comments regarding the UCC Same Sex Marriage Resolution:

We invite all persons with particular interest in supporting these justice issues to view a showing of the documentary "Tying the Knot" after church on Sunday April 23^rd.  This is the first in a series of educational forums in which we discuss the issue of same sex marriage.  "Tying the Knot" provides an historical and legal perspective on marriage as well as real life stories.  It is a powerful and moving documentary.

Louise McClelland was born in Albany, New York on July 23, 1915, the only child of Edward and Gussie Hobbs. She died early March 11, 2006 at Magnolia Place II where she had been living and receiving loving care fro the last three years.

Louise attended Albany Academy for Girls and Wellesley College. She married the Reverend John Francis McClelland on June 19, 1940, in Albany. Their first home was in Orient, NY, where John was the minister at Orient Congregational Church.

In 1944, the McClelland family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, where John and Louise were asked to start a new church—Christ Congregational Church. Then in 1959, the McClelland family moved to Billings, Montana where John was called to be the Senior Minister of First Congregational Church. Louise took part in all aspects of church life including singing in the church choir. After retiring from First Church in 1978, John and Louise moved back to Orient where they had vacationed for many years.

Louise was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She gave her time freely to the community. She was involved in Pink Ladies at Billings Deaconess Hospital and Headstart at the Friendship House and she volunteered in the schools.

Louise is survived by her children Jeff McClelland (Cathy), Laurie Howell (Roger), Doug McClelland (Liza), Julie McClelland, and Marcy Brown (Kenny), as well as by ten grand children. Also surviving are five great-grandchildren.

Hers was a good life filled with love.

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The church will be decorated with lilies on Easter Sunday, April 16. If you would like to order an Easter plant as a memorial or in celebration of a person or event, please use the form below. The price will be $12 per plant. Please be sure to include all the information requested so we will know what message to include in the bulletin. After the service, the plants will be taken by the Deacons to those confined either to home, hospital, or a nursing home. Your check may be made out to Christ Congregational Church and noted as an Easter plant. Orders will be accepted by mail or may be left in the marked envelope in the church office and must be received by Monday, April 10th.

In celebration of ______________________________________________________ OR

In memory of ________________________________________________________

Given by ___________________________________________________________

Number of plants _____________________ Check for _______________________

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Please put registration form with a check made payable to Christ Congregational Church for the total amount of payment due, in the church office.

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