WE ARE PART OF SOMETHING LARGER

By the time you read this, Dianne and I will either be home, or almost home, from a two week vacation journey to Spain. This will make my fifth journey outside the United States. Within this country I have visited almost every one of the lower 48 states (I think I am missing about 5 states). I sometimes wonder why I enjoy traveling so much and so widely. I know people who have never traveled outside the Eastern seaboard and the Caribbean. I know people who have never traveled farther than the state in which they live. Some have never left their hometown.

Certainly I love the adventure of exploration; the stimulation of encountering new people and a new culture. But there is also something else going on. Jim Taylor, a Canadian who writes a weekly e-column I receive and read regularly recently reflected on his love for “time travel.” His insights shed some light on my love of travel.

He writes: But in fact, we already have several modes of time travel. Archaeology, for example. For the next two months, the Lake Country Museum is presenting a display of ceramics. Curator Dan Bruce gathered rare and valuable pieces from private collections and other museums up and down the Okanagan Valley. Two of these go back a long way -- a fragment of a water jug or wine jar, from about 2,000 B.C., and a tiny tablet inscribed with cuneiform symbols from 2,400 B.C. I look at them, and I realize I’m staring at bits of daily life over 4.000 years ago. If I hold an ancient water jug, my finger tips touch exactly the same spots that countless generations of other fingers have touched. My fingers are, for an instant, one with all those other fingers that also held that piece of pottery.

When I visit a cathedral, or a castle, or a manor house I can begin to connect with the people who lived in that place, 100, 200, 500, 1,000 years ago. I begin to taste what their lives were like and I can begin to better understand myself as I gain understanding of them. It is a type of learning I cannot get from books or History Channel presentations. It is a form of muscle memory; I connect on a deeper, DNA, spirit-to-spirit level by physically touching and being present in the places they lived.

Taylor continues: And then there are stories. Each civilization, each society, has its own stories. Today, they’re written down, published. Once, they were passed along orally. Many of those stories have been protected from frivolous tampering by being preserved in that society’s sacred scriptures.

You don’t meddle with the holy. The biblical Letter to the Hebrews is, for the most part, a mind-numbing intellectual argument. I have trouble imagining how it could persuade anyone to stand fast in the Christian faith. But it contains a memorable phrase: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses....” Artifacts, DNA, and stories all witness to our time about where we have come from, why we exist at all, and perhaps something about where we are going. They are our time machine.

Stories are certainly another form of time travel and by traveling to various locations in the world I can connect on a deeper, visceral level with the stories of other people. But ultimately all their stories are my story as well, for we are all part of God’s creation and all stories are part of God’s story. Being able to walk the streets of Seville, or Buenos Aires, or Jerusalem, allows me to understand at deeper levels the stories that have taken place there. As I gain understanding of their stories, I gain understanding of my story.

A people of faith we draw constantly from the well of stories of our ancestors. They have passed on to us the stories of their experience of God in the world and in their lives. Through their stories they have shared with us their struggles with eternal questions about the meaning of life, the difficulty of suffering, the problem of injustice, the yearning for freedom, the appreciation of beauty, and the wonder of love. It is from their stories, the stories of that “great cloud of witnesses” that we find our meaning and begin to find our own answers to these many questions.

I love stories. I love travel. Travel for me is almost always sacred, bearing the qualities of pilgrimage. Those periodic pilgrimages not only renew my spirit but they inform my story and improve my ability to better understand the stories of others. It is those stories which we celebrate and delve into each and every Sunday when we gather to worship God. Through the stories of faith we explore each week we time travel and reconnect with that “great cloud of witnesses.” What a joy that is.

CLOSER TO GOD

In this month when we celebrate Thanksgiving here is a closer look at life that might help deepen your celebration this year. The thoughts come from author Joyce Rupp and her book, The Circle of Life.

If you look at the planet’s pain and creatures’ woe, you might see only despair.

If you look beneath, you may see hope woven in the compassionate care of many.

Thanksgiving is a time to look beneath our external lives for the unwavering love, the ceaseless peace, and the enduring strength that lie in the deep waters of our soul. The more we trust the ‘unknowable depths’ of our existence, the more the power of gratitude becomes a song we daily sing. With what do you struggle today? What might lie beneath that struggle for which you can give thanks?

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Ernest Locklear in Afghanistan.

-for Donna Dietrich, Carol Peleski, Joe Williams, Will Glass, Clinton Lewis, Bobbie MacNamara, Amy Dunfield, Peg Fullerton, Robin Becker, Larry Green, Alan Cespenes, Terry Mitchell, Joe Drescher, Carol Atheas, Michael Elgard, Catherine Schnellman, Rosemary Pennsley, Rick Caravetta, Manuel Coronado, David Barker, Steven McConohay, Karla Borges, Stephon Scavella, Glenda Catron, Sophie Vienne, Rona Harris, Michael, Robert Diaz, Mike Tompkins, Haley Bush, Case Family, Tyrone Schecksnider, Lois Andews, Rosemary Hensley, Monica Stoupher, David Blaus, Ray Sullivan, Allen Townsley, Gail C., Miguel Molina, Charlene Kilson, Adelfo Guadagno, Risa Morris, Ivy Pennock, Connie Nickel, Gary Green, Barney Rogers, Michael Vile, Diane Howard, Charlie Jones, Howard Werner, Karen Street, Kathy, Richard Graham, Jean, Evangeline Nieves, Tony S.P., Mercy Alverez fighting cancer.

-for Rosemary Daniels, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, Daniel Best, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Alva Taylor, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Ernie Badia, Walter Adeler, Chuck Ault, Parker Brandon, Arnold Gerst, Ernesto Mori, Kai Gonzalez, Shirley Mitchell, Sheila Gregory, Kati Foley, Janet Johnson, Bob, Betty Tirb Patterson, Gene Martin, Samuel Lipman, Tony Campagna, Ileana Gorcilla, Sheila, Lee, Willie D., Tricia Monger, Matthew Lauridson, with health concerns.

-for Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Turner & Angela Wilford, Steve Hanus, Margaret LeGrand, Donna Adeler, Lonnie Murphy, Maria & Pedro Hernandez, Kelly Vidrani, Galla Grijalva, Laura Goodman, Harmony & Melody, Emilio Z, Sandra O., with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder, the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach & the Rev. David Lane.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

… contact the Counseling Ministry of South Florida, a Samaritan Center. They have counselors who offer faith sensitive counseling on a sliding fee scale to be able to receive all people. Remember their availability in the South Dade area when you are experiencing an overload of stress and are growing depressed. To contact a counselor, call the Counseling Ministry office at:

305-531-0723.

Perhaps you have been attending worship at Christ Congregational Church for some time and you would like to deepen your relationship with the friends you have developed here by becoming a full member. If Christ Church has begun to feel like home for you and you would like to make a stronger commitment to the work God is doing in and through this community, contact Pastor Hudder and he will help arrange for you to be welcomed into membership. As an Open and Affirming community our membership is open to ALL interested people who wish to join with us as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus in loving and serving God. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

We received the following letter of gratitude from the folks at Kristi House recently:

We are very grateful for all the school supplies you have collected during our Back to School drive. Your donation, valued at $990, will help us assist clients with their basic needs that might be unmet in this time of emotional turmoil and family upheaval. This assistance is only possible through the generous donations of supporters like you….

The Kristi House mission is to provide a healing environment for sexually abused children and their families. … With two-thirds of our client-families living below the poverty line, all Kristi House services – from case coordination to therapy and transportation – are free to clients.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

Christ Congregational Church is on Twitter! If you would like to follow CCC on Twitter, go to https://twitter.com/cccmiami and you will be able to sign-up to follow us and receive our updates on your cell phone by text message or on your computer.

ATTENTION PARENTS! Sunday morning Bible based classes for all children from Pre-school through Senior High available each week!

Each Sunday during the 10:30 a.m. Worship Hour, you are encouraged to bring your children to worship with you and help them learn the prayers and songs during the first half of worship. About half-way through the worship they will be invited to have a special lesson time with Pastor Hudder on the front steps of the sanctuary. Then, they may return to their seat for the rest of the worship, OR go with one of our Volunteer Teachers to a class specially geared for their age group, where they will engage in learning activities to reinforce the lesson of the day.

The curriculum used, Seasons of the Spirit, is a multi-denominational, Bible-based resource designed to nurture faith through worship, ritual, imagination, music, art & creativity. Your child’s growth in Christian faith will be encouraged through worshipping, learning, and serving together. The vision of the curriculum is of an authentic Christianity lived in a culturally diverse and religiously pluralistic world. Resources are offered to encourage your child to be a sign of God’s liberating compassion and inclusive love, and to grow and be transformed in her or his relationship with Jesus, God, and others.

If you have any questions about the program speak to Vanessa Bryan or Pastor Hudder.

ATTENTION YOUTH: There is also a class for all Middle & Senior High Youth. Every Sunday morning during the worship hour you will have a chance to discuss life and faith issues with other teens and an adult leader in the Youth Lounge upstairs in Whitney Hall.

Jon Beisenherz is leading a Bible Study of the Parables on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m., in the Kelsey Building. Exploring this primary teaching technique of Jesus by looking at some of the most familiar and beloved stories in the Bible, this class began on October 27 and will conclude December 15, taking the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off for the holiday. It is not too late to join the class with a lot of good discussion still to come.

For months we have been inspired by the life and journey of Al Silverglade as he has battled cancer with grace and tenacity, continuing to find a way to fully embrace life and enjoy life. On Saturday, October 9, 2010, Al said his final good-bye to this life and began his final journey into life eternal, greeting his God personally, face-to-face, with a smile on his face and love in his heart. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Al became a local legend as the proprietor of Silverglade’s Deli Stand in Findlay Market. From that location he introduced the residents of Cincinnati to some of the finest cheeses the world has to offer and expanded their horizons with his knowledge and marketing of specialty foods and fine wines. But it was his personal warmth and interest in people that will be long remembered. Al was a “people person” making new friends even in his final days, continuing to touch lives in meaningful ways even beyond his final breath. His life was celebrated in a music-filled, time of worship led by Pastor Hudder and the Rev. Dr. Sheila Guillaume, who grew close to Al & Saralee during her tenure as pastor during Dr. Hudder’s sabbatical in 2008. A special tribute was played by Al’s granddaughter, Sara Blackburn, on the Church organ. Al continually said he was “doing the best I can under the circumstances.” That “best” was a powerful witness to the love of God present and active in his live which touched hundreds of lives during his 79 years. That “best” will long be remembered, and will be greatly missed, at Christ Congregational Church.

It will be a great day of celebration and remembering in worship on the first Sunday of November. That day we will remember All the Saints of Christ Congregational Church who have died during this past year. We will also dedicate those Memorial items we have placed into service this year. That will include a long-dreamed of Memorial Garden.

Recalling the days of the sacred ground of a Church cemetery next to the church building the Memorial Garden records the names of those members and friends of Christ Congregational Church whose ashes are scattered on our Church grounds. The Garden was created with help from donations by family and friends in John Kelley and is thereby named the John Kelley Memorial Garden. John’s wife Lucy Kelley, dear friend Barbara Stanton, and several other family members will be present to join us in worship that Sunday as we dedicate this special memorial.

The Memorial Garden is now ready for use by members and friends of Christ Congregational Church who wish to have their ashes scattered there and be remembered on the memorial stone. The Board of Trustees have established policy governing the use of the Garden which includes signing an agreement with the Church and making a donation of $500 to cover the cost of engraving your name on the stone. (The donation is not necessary if you only wish to scatter your ashes in the garden without having your name engraved upon the stone.) You may also remember a loved one by placing their name on the stone without scattering their ashes here by signing the agreement and making the $500 donation. To discuss such arrangements contact Pastor Hudder.

WANTED! ALL CHILDREN OF CHRIST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH TO HELP WITH “HANGING OF THE GREENS”

As we begin the Season of Advent on Sunday, November 28^th, we will begin our preparations for celebrating the birth of the Christ Child by decorating the Church for the Season of Christmas in the 10:30 a.m. worship. The Children of Christ Church always help lead us in this activity. PARENTS: to help organize for this event, please bring your children early that Sunday, at 10:00 a.m. so they can participate with the congregation in this special way. THANK YOU.

The Mission Outreach Committee is organizing our Annual Thanksgiving Basket Project this month. You are invited to provide an entire Turkey Dinner for a family of four for only $30. Special envelopes are provided each Sunday in the worship folder for you to use to make this gift. The food is being purchased again through SHARE Tropical Florida and will be delivered to Farm Worker Families who live in the Everglades Community Association in Homestead on Saturday, November 20^th. If you could help deliver some baskets please sign-up on the list in the Kelsey Building and plan on meeting at the Church at 9:00 a.m. in the Kelsey Building Parking Lot that Saturday. Thank you for your generosity.

“One Penny More” is a wonderfully enlightening, fair, honest depiction of the plight of those who pick the tomatoes we purchase at our local supermarket. With the release of this YouTube video, the coalition of Immokalee Workers has fully launched its Supermarket Campaign! You can view the very powerful two-minute video at the CIW website: www.ciw-online.org. And while you are there you can take part in a new “e-action” by sending e-mails to Publix leadership asking that they join the growing Campaign for Fair Food. You can also learn about other activities of the Campaign being planned in which you can participate and show your support for the Farmworkers.

We greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Carol and I want to thank you for your prayers and continuing concern for our mission and ministry in Ghana. This summer we were able to return to Ghana for three weeks and were joined by a group of nurses from South Florida [Joan Campagna & Cuca Curbelo]. In addition to sharing in a pastor’s funeral at Kpalime –Duga EP Church, we lead worship and preached 6 times in Takla, Kpenoe, Dzogbefeme, Alavanyo Wudidi, and at Mawuko Girls School and administered Holy Communion at Kpenoe. Thank you!

SEPTEMBER 2010

FOLLOWING JESUS: FINDING THE BALANCE IN LIFE

As we cross the boundary of Labor Day Weekend, with the school year having resumed and the summer season of supposed relaxed schedules fading away, I am thinking about how busy and hectic our lives are today. As a result the life of the church has dramatically changed, too.

Not that long ago (maybe 20 to 30 years tops) the church reached out to a different family structure. Churches then catered to nuclear families – with a mother, father, and offspring. The Church relied heavily on the volunteer work of housewives and geared programming and outreach to young families.

Now people get married and have children later in life, if at all. There is no longer a mom, dad, and two-and-a-half children in each home. A good percentage of church households are likely to be single or in a same-gender relationship. The women of the church today typically work at full-time jobs and have less free time to volunteer in the church.

This new reality creates some ironies and paradoxes in the life of any church. We expect Church to be a place of health and healing, an oasis in the midst of the demands and stresses of daily life, even more so now as our lives grow increasingly hectic.

At the same time, for the church to function as such a place of renewal, the church relies heavily on volunteer labor. For the church to be healthy it needs people to work at achieving the lofty goals of rich and celebratory worship, stimulating adult education, outreach to people who are poor and in need, care and concern for children and youth.

The paradox is that the volunteer pool for the church is increasingly busy, stressed out, and overworked in their daily lives. More people need the church to be an oasis and a place where they can find healing and a respite from the lives which are burning them out and eating them up. With fewer and fewer people with the time, energy, and inclination to work at creating such an environment within the church and keeping it functioning these people become more prone to stress, overwork, and burnout. WHAT IS A CHURCH TO DO?!?

What is needed is BALANCE. And since, as a Christian Church, we profess to follow the teachings and guidance of Jesus, perhaps we should look at the life of Jesus to see what it might teach us. We will undoubtedly be surprised. Part of the problem for us today is that we are doing too much, across the board, in all areas of our lives. We’re doing all of the time. We never stop doing.

But if you look at the life of Jesus as depicted in the 30+ years spanning the written record in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you will see that Jesus spent far more time resting, walking, thinking, and being than doing, doing, and more doing. In fact, we can learn a lot from how Jesus took care of himself. What did he do?

He went to church (well, actually synagogue, which was “church” for him as a good and faithful Jew.)

He prayed. (Regularly, probably daily, but also he took “sabbatical” breaks and went on retreats, away from his regular activity and life.)

It’s less about what we’re doing and more about how we’re being. How can we go from being resigned (to settle for this stressful life) to being resolved (to change it)? For all of us whose mornings and days and evenings are packed so full of activities that we often feel we do not have time to breathe, let us seek to tune our senses to watch for holy moments in the midst of our busy lives. Then when we notice them, let us try to pause and spend some time, even if it is only a few seconds, noticing, cherishing, and honoring the sacred present in our lives.

And as we all seek to follow the model of Jesus’ life with our own lives, let us also seek to carve out some time, even if it is only a couple of hours a month beyond the time we take for Sunday worship, and offer that time to help the church function and thrive as a healthy place for all. As we all offer even a little of our time, we might help more of us experience the church as the healing oasis that we all need and help more of us avoid the syndrome of overwork and burnout.

CLOSER TO GOD

This month we celebrate Labor Day Monday holiday, and yet we are a nation with over 9.5% of our workers unemployed and unable to find work. Let us remember and honor them and keep them in our prayers especially this month. To help us do that here is a Psalm of the Jobless, from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, by Edward Hayes. May this guide our meditations this month that we might remember.

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Ernest Locklear in Afghanistan.

-for Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Zoe Chen, Alva Taylor, Persia Cruz, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Marcie, Ernie Badia, Walter Adeler, Chuck Ault, Parker Brandon, Arnold Gerst, Ernesto Mori, Kai Gonzalez, Shirley Mitchell, Sheila Gregory, Kati Foley, Janet Johnson, Bob, Betty Tirb Patterson, Gene Martin, Samuel Lipman, Tony Campagna, Richard Yoder with health concerns.

-for Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, Roy Wiley family, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Elvia & family, Maureen & Peggy Woods, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Alan Wiley & family, Turner & Angela Wilford, Steve Hanus, Margaret LeGrand, Donna Adeler, Lonnie Murphy, Maria & Pedro Hernandez, Kelly Vidrani, Galla Grijalva, Laura Goodman, the Tavares Family & Hospital Workers with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

Early this month, on each of the first two Sundays of September, new members will be received. If Christ Church has begun to feel like home for you and you would like to be part of these groups, contact Pastor Hudder and he will help arrange for you to be welcomed into membership too. As an Open and Affirming community our membership is open to ALL interested people who wish to join with us as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus in loving and serving God. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

(Richard Terrelonge shared the following helpful bit of news with us recently, including his personal testimonial about using the service.)

Senior citizens who are residents of Miami-Dade County can utilize Metrobus and Metrorail for free. Call the transit department for details about the Golden Passport.

Recently I needed to visit Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at Jackson Memorial. The appointment was for 8:30am. I decided to do the environmentally friendly thing and take public transportation. I allowed two hours for the commute and hoped that public transport would not be any worse than that.

I locked the door at our home, near Miami Zoo, at 6:30am and drove the five miles east to the Coral Reef Golf Course free park and ride lot. I boarded a bus which zoomed along the busway stopping for traffic lights and the stations located at each major cross street. At the Dadeland South Metrorail station I boarded a Metrorail train which whizzed me quickly to the Jackson Memorial station.

I walked at a comfortable pace across the Jackson Memorial Campus and was blown away when I glanced at my watch as I entered Bascom Palmer. The time was 7:30am and my commute had taken exactly one hour and best of all it was free. Escalators and elevators make handicapped and elderly access a breeze. I noticed quite a few people who take their bikes with them to make transportation at either end of their commute easier.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, at the Annual Convention of Operation Smile, Margarita Morell was honored as Educator of the Year. Margarita has worked with Operation Smile, a children’s charity which mobilizes physicians and other medical personnel to treat facial deformities in children, for many years as a volunteer. This past year she traveled to Egypt as the chaperone for two student volunteers for a week of working to help physicians correct cleft palates & lips of children. Congratulations, Margarita!

After 98 years of life, Anne Cogburn closed her eyes, took her final breath, and joined the wider communion of saints on August 25, 2010. She was six weeks shy of her 99^th birthday. Anne was a resident of East Ridge Retirement Village and a member of Christ Congregational Church, since 1985. A celebration of her life and a time of memorial worship will be held on her birthday, October 5, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel at East Ridge Village. Anne’s family, especially her granddaughter, Julie Collins, invite you to join them in this celebration.

The Meeting will be called to order by Bob Pastorello, President & Moderator

Sunday, October 3, 2010, is our opportunity to join with all of our brothers and sisters in the United Church of Christ across the nation in giving to the special All-Church Neighbors in Need Offering. These gifts support the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.

The Neighbors in Need offering also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more that 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S.

Please pray about your gift to Neighbors in Need and give generously. Thank You.

Did you know Christ Congregational Church has a Scholarship Fund? It was begun almost 10 years ago by setting aside $10,000 from a bequest received from Dorothy Smith. The fund was established to allow us to assist CCC members & friends in pursuing their educational goals. This year two young men who grew up in this church were awarded $750 grants for this educational year.

William (Jeremy) Bryan has attended Christ Congregational Church his entire life, having been born and baptized here. His parents, Graham & Vanessa Bryan are active members and leaders in the church. Jeremy attended 3 C’s Preschool, was confirmed here, and in recent years has volunteered with the 3 C’s Preschool Summer Camps (2002 – 2006) and with the Christ Congregational Praise Band (2004 – 2010). He has also volunteered with VITAS Innovative Hospice Care during the summer of 2009. Jeremy is a 2009 graduate of Miami Palmetto Senior High and is attending Miami Dade College, majoring in Film.

Paul Hudder also spent most of his formative years attending Christ Congregational Church. His father is the pastor and his stepmother, Dianne, is an active member. Paul lived primarily with his mother, Priscilla, in Palm Bay, FL, where he was born and attended Riviera UCC where he had been baptized and was confirmed. On his weekend, summer, and holiday visits to Miami, Paul attended Christ Congregational Church. He enjoyed participating with the Youth Program, and he often helped run the computer screen for worship with the Praise Band. Paul is a 2009 graduate of Palm Bay Senior High and is attending Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah where he is majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and minoring in Film Studies.

General Synod is a short 10 months away! Before you know it, people from all across this country and international visitors will be arriving in Tampa for what we hope will be a wonderful experience of hospitality and outreach by our Florida Conference. We need YOUR help! We need you to volunteer!

Our Florida Conference website is now ready to receive volunteers through an easy online process. All you have to do is go to the Conference webpage and click on the General Synod 2011 name and it will take them to the volunteer responsibility page. Then click on the red “Volunteer HERE” words and “voila” – the form comes up for you to fill out and join the ranks of the hundreds of others from across our Conference who will provide the needed support to making Synod a great success. (Click on this link to access it: http://www.uccfla.org/uccfla/General_Synod_2011.html)

Volunteer Recruitment and Coordination (to recruit and coordinate volunteer workers and provide support for volunteers while they are working at Synod.

Information and Logistics (to provide information pertaining to the local area; such as restaurants attractions, drug stores, etc: meeting facility locations, program, etc; coordinate communications within the whole Local Arrangements Committee)

Registration (to assist the Registrar of General Synod in the registration at Synod; much of the preparation is done by staff prior to arriving on-site for Synod.

Transportation (to provide information about transportation to the Synod site and to assist with transportation for particular people, as requested.)

Floor Stewards (To assist in the floor management of Synod including maintaining order, administering access to the floor and distributing handouts to the delegates.)

Youth Stewards (To recruit, train and direct Youth Stewards who will serve on the floor of the plenary sessions assisting the Moderators, the Synod Stage Manager and the Administrator of General Synod.

Hotel Reception (To provide welcome and information in each of the Synod hotels during the primary check-in days which are Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.)

Special needs (To provide services that assist participants with special needs to fully participate in the activities of Synod.)

Cookies (to accumulate cookies to be made available to delegates and visitors during Synod – thousands of cookies.)

VIP Transportation and Support (to provide hospitality to General Synod speakers and VIPs.)

Delegate/Visitor Welcome and Reception (to plan and implement the variety of programs which meet fellowship and recreational needs of delegates and visitors)

Children’s Program and Child Care (to provide child care for infants and design and implement a children’s program for infants, Kindergartners and those in 1st through 5th grades.)

Environment, Worship and Stage Design (To assist the Proclamation, Identity and Communication Team in creating the stage area and the physical and aesthetic environment which is dignified, gracious and attractive and which enables fellowship, participation and celebration of our church family. This will not be a large committee, rather 3 or 4 people who will help the PIC team.)

We are also looking for people to help with arranging for things like T-shirts to sell that will help offset the cost of Synod for the Florida Conference and to help gather items to put in the welcome bags that will be given to delegates and visitors. If you have any questions, call Pastor Hudder, 305-804-7077.

AUGUST 2010

CROSSING THE BOARDERS THROUGH TRUST

In many ways, Borders have become less of an issue and concern for us in our world today. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening up of China to the rest of the world, the end of the Cold War and the creation of the European Union, people are able to cross borders much more easily and freely than they have for a long time in the history of the world. My daughter just returned from a summer law school program in Europe and shared how freely she could walk, yes walk, between France and Germany. Another colleague shared the same insight: that once you land in a European Union country and pass through customs you then have near totally free movement between all the other EU countries.

Yet, while national borders have become much more permeable, other boundaries and borders have become erected or more solidified. While many people celebrated the election of the first African-American President 2 years ago, considering it a sign that this nation was moving past its ugly past filled with harsh racist attitudes and actions, that racism and difficult race relations have continued and in some respects grown stronger. Instead of becoming truly color-blind our government and nation actually seem to be more focused on differences of race and ethnicity.

While the world has become smaller due to high speed travel and instantaneous communication, religious differences have become accentuated with that shrinkage, rather than religious common ground celebrated. More conflicts are being fueled by hardened religious stances rather than people coming around tables and entering into dialogue to explore how we are all children of God and ways we can work together for the betterment of God’s world. One result of these religious conflicts is a retreating of people into their own sanctuaries and a hardening of their traditions, with less openness to not only people of other faiths, but also people in general. This leads to non-religious folk feeling they have to conform or they are not welcome. Coupled with fundamentalist religious inspired violence, this lack of true hospitality, leads many people to shun religion altogether.

These sorts of Borders are very real boundaries which distort or totally block communication. In this country today, less than 20% of people go to church. Of the other 80%, many have little or no concept of who the people in churches really are, what we do, or what we are about. Nor do they seem to demonstrate any real interest in changing any of that; in learning about us, our faith, and the God we worship and serve. For the most part we seem to be speaking in different languages: between the faith traditions and between the religious folk and the non-religious folk.

The result is that today we in the church look across borders at the people who do not know us and whom we do not know either. These might be young people, or people from a different ethnic or national background, or people from a different faith tradition, or people raised with no faith tradition. How will we make these borders more permeable and more inviting so that people from both sides can feel comfortable moving back and forth?

One of the first things that will help us in this effort is to realize that the people on the other side of our “church” border already have habits and patterns of activity for living life which do not include church involvement. Also, in some cases they have already been injured, embarrassed, or excluded by some church in the past and are not sure they want to risk that experience again. At the same time many of them do yearn for spiritual understandings, insight, and inspiration and they do want to make significant, positive contributions to this world. Yet, they have little or no concept that our church can help them discern or grow in this vital and integral aspect of their lives. As the media have been telling us for some time now, more and more people categorize themselves as “spiritual, not religious” and they are extremely reluctant to cross the border into the church. The task for us becomes how can we cross the border to build collaborative, dialogical, creative relationships? Such relationships will strengthen us on both sides of the borders and enable us to strengthen the world as well.

Another key to crossing these borders is the building of trust between people. While we live in what seems to be a fearful, frightened age with low levels of trust between people consider these illustrations of how much we really do trust one another. While sitting in LaGuardia airport recently waiting to return to Miami, a woman seated next to Dianne and me asked me to watch her carry-on bag while she visited the restroom and bought a drink. We had only briefly spoken before she made this request. She was entrusting me to be honest and watchful and I was trusting her bag was not going to blow up! But beyond that: we trust the pilot who flies us to our destination. We trust the taxi driver who carries us away from the airport. We trust other drivers not to veer across the center line and smash into us. We trust the engineer who built the bridge and the government inspectors who certified its worthiness for carrying traffic. There is actually more trust in the world today than a few generations ago.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, faith is not a noun but a verb. You don’t “have” faith, you “do” faith. The closest modern equivalent is probably “to trust.” In the biblical context “to trust” that God exists, that God cares, and that God acts. People today may not really trust God more than they used to. Many put their faith in other sources of knowledge. But if we are truly doing more trusting, more “faithing” than in the past, then that is a start toward building the bridges that will help us cross the borders which still exist in our world today.

CLOSER TO GOD

Here is a prayer-poem by John Van De Laar, published in the journal Weavings, volume XXV, Number 4 that might help you continue to develop and deepen your trust in God.

-for Cindy Ketzle and family on the death of her brother, George Hawkins.

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Ernest Locklear in Afghanistan.

-for Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Zoe Chen, Alva Taylor, Persia Cruz, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Marcie, Ernie Badia, Walter Adeler, Chuck Ault, Parker Brandon, Arnold Gerst, Ernesto Mori, Kai Gonzalez, Shirley Mitchell, Sheila Gregory, Kati Foley, Janet Johnson, Fela Balcells with health concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

This month of August, a group of New Members is being gathered to enter into a deeper relationship and commitment to God through this Church. If you would like to be part of this group, contact Pastor Hudder for further information about time and place for an orientation meeting to prepare you for membership. As an Open and Affirming community our membership is open to ALL interested people who wish to join with us as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus in loving and serving God. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

Sunday morning classes for all children from Pre-school through Grade 6 are on Summer break!

In order to give our teachers a break there is no special Sunday morning classes during the 10:00 a.m. worship hour this summer. You are encouraged to bring your children to worship with you and help them learn the prayers and songs during the first half of worship. They will still have a special lesson time with Pastor Hudder on the steps and there are special Children’s Activity Sheets available from the ushers related to the morning Bible lesson which they can color and complete during the sermon. There will be child care available for infants and children up to 6-years-old in the Lullaby Lounge in the Kelsey Building.

Come renew old friendships, sing praises to God, lift our hearts in prayer, hear the Word read and proclaimed, and share together in Holy Communion.

Marian McCray provided the necklace which was used as a prototype of the triune cross for the new t-shirt logo. It came out so well, and was so popular, that it is being used also on the church brochure and the new web site. So thank you, Marian, and enjoy your necklace with its new, extended meaning. Barbara Parker.

…to our friends in C.C.C. We are fine. All is well. The picture (on the postcard) is of a school in Ho we work with. Thanks for your support and prayers & gifts.

(This postcard is posted on the Mission Bulletin Board in the Kelsey Building.)

The Board of Trustees reminds us that the Church’s Financial Year ends on August 31. On that date we will close the books on our 2009 – 2010 Budget and September 1 will begin the 2010 – 2011 Budget. Please be sure your Financial Commitment for this year is up to date and completed by August 31. (That would include your Per Capita Dues of $14.50 per member if you have not paid that yet. We owe this to the Florida Conference UCC for each member of Christ Congregational Church. This year the congregation voted to ask each member to cover the cost of their Per Capita Dues.)

To check the status of your giving towards meeting the Financial Commitment you made for this year (including whether you have paid your Per Capita Dues) contact our Church Treasurer, Jim Ketzle, at 305-495-4452, or ketzle@yahoo.com.

The Board of Trustees also wants to say THANK YOU for all your gifts and financial support, especially in what continues to be difficult economic times for our world. Your response and support this year has been truly inspiring! Please remember to begin giving to meet your new Financial Commitment, made in the “For Such a Time as This” Campaign, beginning September 1. THANK YOU.

Help to repair the home of an elderly lady taking care of her granddaughter. Her home was damaged during the Memorial Day rains in 2009. Her roof leaks and has caused severe ceiling damage in two bedrooms. Both bedroom ceilings stay damp following rain and the ceilings are full of mold.

Join a group of UCC Disaster Ministry volunteers and help to make this woman’s home safe and healthy for both her and her granddaughter. Live at the Volunteer Housing Center at Union Congregational UCC in Holly Hill and enjoy meals prepared by a group of volunteers from Union Congregational UCC. The registration fee for both lodging and 16 meals is $125.00.

Plan to arrive on Sunday, Sept. 12, after the evening meal and leave Saturday, Sept. 18, following breakfast. Those who wish may add nights lodging before or after the event for personal activities in the Daytona Beach area.

The construction manager for the Volusia Interfaith Network for Disaster recovery will work with the group. Bob Wood will be the group leader. Construction materials will be provided by VIND.

Registration forms are available from Pastor Steve & the Church Office. Ask for one by email, christch@bellsouth.net, or by calling 305-235-9381.

Text Box: Florida Conference Minister Rev. Kent Siladi has called upon us to “gather on the beach to lament the oil spill, to confess our complicity and dependence on oil, to pray, to recall the wonder and beauty of God's creation and to seek to find new ways to lessen our dependence on petroleum.”

In response to this effort, there will be a Youth Worship Service on the Beach at Key Biscayne’s Candon Park on August 22nd at 3:00PM. Each youth group is being asked to bring a dish to share with others.

This event is free to all youth groups in the Southeast Region. Please RSVP to the Conference office at lperry@uccfla.org or for further information contact sheilag@uccfla.org.

JULY 2001

THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THE WILDERNESS

(Following up on last month’s column about “finding ourselves on the frontier.”)

A reality of frontier living which is both exciting and frightening is the close proximity of The Wilderness to the frontier. The very nature of the frontier places it next to the wilderness. Some people are attracted to the frontier because of that close proximity. They thrive on the wilderness and the possibility of venturing deeper into the wild from the frontier. For these explorers the wilderness is a place of excitement, of opportunity, of growth, and adventure. Others are frightened by the wilderness and the untamed and dangerous aspects of it. For them it is a place of danger, of potential loss, of great risk, and of unknown threats.

The image of The Wilderness is a powerful and prominent image in the Bible. For the people of God the wilderness has also been both a place of great danger and great growth. The people of Israel were always surrounded by the wilderness. Even today Israel/Palestine has vast areas that have been difficult to tame and cultivate; wild areas that appear extremely desolate, dry, and devoid of life. The Israelites feared the wilderness as a place of trial, confusion, distraction, and temptation, populated with beasts, wild animals, and demons.

At the same time they also looked back to their 40 year sojourn in the wilderness as one of the high points in their history. While it was a difficult, demanding time, they also realized and remembered it as a formative time. Their time in the wilderness was when their national identity as the people of God, who trusted in God to lead them and provide for them, was forged. When they encountered difficult times as a nation, times when they were in danger of losing their identity, the prophets often called them back to their wilderness days, to remember when they trusted God completely for their survival. The prophets reminded them how God brought them safely through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

The Wilderness was also a place Jesus knew. It was a place he entered as he contemplated his call from God and the beginning of his ministry. It was a place he returned to over the years for renewal and reconnection with that call. Jesus and the other prophets, like Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, often returned to the wilderness in times of great stress and distress. While it was a dangerous place, it also was a renewing place. For one of the great paradoxes of the wilderness is that it is the place where people of faith often find themselves simultaneously lost and being called by God back into ministry.

The wilderness has always functioned that way for me. One of my favorite places on earth is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. As a teen-age Boy Scout I was tantalized by the tales of canoes smoothly gliding over lake waters surrounded by forests and wild animals. As a young adult beginning my ministry as an Associate Pastor in Indiana those dreams were realized through the opportunity of leading UCC youth for three summers on Canoe Camps into the Boundary Waters Wilderness. The wilderness was everything I had imagined, and more!

Since those early camps I have returned several times with my own children to test myself again and again and immerse myself in the primeval experiences the wilderness present. Each trip is an extremely difficult, taxing, tiring and challenging experience. The canoe does not move on those lakes without you paddling and often times that involves paddling into a strong head wind! Plus, to move from lake to lake, you must remove all your belongings from the canoe, carry them and the canoe over rugged terrain, to the next lake. Then there is the reality of sleeping on hard ground, cooking over a wood fire, gathering water, hanging your food pack out of reach of bears. All your time is engaged in the basic tasks of living and surviving.

At the same time the rewards are AMAZING! I always discover that I am capable of surviving. My body is fully taxed, but always responds. And God’s marvelous creation greets me and welcomes me almost immediately. It never takes very long on entering the wilderness before one hears the call of the loons, or sees a soaring eagle, or is greeted by playful otters, or surprises a regal moose. All of these creatures welcome and tolerate me in their home environment and I realize my deeper connections with the created world around me. Also, as I settle into the rhythm of survival activities, I also settle into a rhythm of daily living which includes significant space for breathing, for soaking in the beauty all around, for re-connecting with my soul and the soul of the universe.

I always enter the wilderness with great anticipation. I am always pushed to my limit early on, so that I question “what am I doing and why did I ever think this was a good idea” and good experience. But as I move past those difficulties and confront those doubts, I eventually move into the rewarding experience so that by the time I leave the wilderness I am already missing it, wishing I could stay longer, and planning my return visit.

If we are truly living on a new frontier in 2010 as a Church, is it possible the wilderness can be a renewing, reinvigorating, and growing place for us, even as it challenges us, taxes our resources, and pushes us beyond our comfort zones to consider new ideas? Can it possibly lead us to embrace new ways of being church together? Can it challenge us to embrace new forms of reaching out in ministry to the wider community and the wider world? What might those challenges be? And what rewards and renewal might the wilderness bring to our faith, our spiritual lives, and our communal life as Christ Congregational Church? As frightening as the wilderness might be; as difficult and taxing as the challenges it presents are; it is also the place where we might truly hear God calling us into deeper faithfulness and to even more rewarding ministry.

CLOSER TO GOD

The slow-motion tragedy of the gulf oil spill continues daily. While unknown thousands of barrels of oil leak into the rich and diverse ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico, so much remains unknown: How long will the oil flow into the gulf? How far will the oil slick spread? How damaging will the spill be to fragile wetlands and the flora and fauna in the region? How will the spreading oil slick jeopardize the future of thousands of people who depend on the Gulf for their livelihoods?

In the face of these uncertainties, we turn to the One who is certain – the One whose creative and recreating power is stronger than any of our human folly. While we search for other ways to respond, struggling with our own participation in an oil-addicted culture, let us not forget to also pray. Here is a prayer written by John S. Hill, Director of Economic & Environmental Justice, General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church that you might use in your personal prayer time this month until the oil stops flowing and the clean-up is complete.

God, we come to you today with heavy and humbled hearts. We ask that your healing, comforting and strengthening presence be with all those affected by this unfolding tragedy:

For workers injured, missing and presumed dead from the explosion on the rig and for their families and friends,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers

For people working tirelessly to contain the spill and protect fragile ecosystems and communities from its toxic impacts,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers

For individuals and communities whose livelihoods depend upon the Gulf of Mexico,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers

For your good Creation — from the smallest of sea creatures to the birds of the air — and all your magnificent handiwork at risk of exposure from our human errors,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers

For wisdom to understand our dependence on You and strength that we might walk humbly in the path of justice and right-relationships with all Your Creation,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.

-for Joan Campagna, Cuca Curbello, David & Carol Christensen, as they are on their mission trip in Ghana.

-for Al Silverglade, Donna Dietrich, Carol Peleski, Joe Williams, Will Glass, Clinton Lewis, Bobbie MacNamara, Amy Dunfield, Peg Fullerton, Robin Becker, Larry Green, Alan Cespenes, Terry Mitchell, Joe Drescher, Carol Atheas, Michael Elgard, Catherine Schnellman, Rosemary Pennsley, Rick Caravetta, Manuel Coronado, David Barker, Steven McConohay, Karla Borges, Leandro Perez, Jr., Stephon Scavella, Glenda Catron, Sophie Vienne, Rona Harris, Michael, Robert Diaz, Mike Tompkins, Haley Bush, Case Family, Tyrone Schecksnider, Jim Godley, Lois Andews, Rosemary Hensley, Monica Stoupher, David Blaus, Ray Sullivan, Allen Townsley, Gail C., Miguel Molina, Larry Nipper, Charlene Kilson, Adelfo Guadagno, Risa Morris, Ivy Pennock, Beth Cain Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Hawkins, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Zoe Chen, Alva Taylor, Persia Cruz, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Marcie, Ernie Badia, Walter Adeler, Chuck Ault, Parker Brandon, Arnold Gerst, Ernesto Mori, Kai Gonzalez, Shirley Mitchell, with health concerns.

-for Rebekah Hudder, Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, Roy Wiley family, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Elvia & family, Maureen & Peggy Woods, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Alan Wiley & family, Turner & Angela Wilford, Steve Hanus, Margaret LeGrand, Donna Adeler, Lonnie Murphy, Maria & Pedro Hernandez, with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

At Christ Congregational United Church of Christ the door is always open for new people to join us in this community endeavor of imagining a new world and new possibilities. As an Open and Affirming community our membership is open to ALL interested people who wish to join with us as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus in loving and serving God. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

Sunday morning classes for all children from Pre-school through Grade 6 are taking a Summer break!

In order to give our teachers a break there will be no special Sunday morning classes during the 10:00 a.m. worship hour this summer. You are encouraged to bring your children to worship with you and help them learn the prayers and songs during the first half of worship. They will still have a special lesson time with Pastor Hudder on the steps and there are special Children’s Activity Sheets available from the ushers related to the morning Bible lesson which they can color and complete during the sermon. There will be child care available for infants and children up to 6-years-old in the Lullaby Lounge in the Kelsey Building.

Classes will resume in September and remember our Vacation Bible School program, July 12 – 16.

We had a great time watching the Marlins play the Phillies in May, so another Church Night is planned for Friday, August 6 as the Florida Marlins take on the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Cards were the team Pastor Hudder grew up watching.) Again, the tickets will be in the bullpen box section and cost $16 per person. To reserve your spot, either call the Church Office, 305-235-9381 or sign-up in the Kelsey Building after worship. DEADLINE for reservations is July 25, so we can get this great price. You are welcome to bring friends or family with you, just indicate how many tickets you need when making your reservation.

The response in Faith-Promise Estimate of Giving Commitments for the 2010-2011 Mission Spending Year has been nothing short of AWESOME!!! God is good! All the time!! And all the time, God is good! As we near the end of this campaign we have received a total of 51 Estimates of Giving for a total of $110,957.20. This is a 10% growth in our estimated giving for next year and is a powerful witness to our willingness to acknowledge the abundance with which we have been graced by God and our willingness to trust God by engaging in faithful risk-taking.

If you have not made a Faith-Promise Estimate of your Giving to support the work of God through Christ Congregational Church in 2010-2011 you may still do so by filling out an Estimate of Giving card and returning it to the Church. If you need a card call the church office, 305-235-9381 and one will be mailed to you. Thank you for your prayerful consideration and for all your generous support.

DEADLINE APPROACHING TO APPLY FOR CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP FUND GRANTS FOR 2010-2011 ACADEMIC YEAR

Christ Congregational Church invites applications from qualified Undergraduate Students for grants to be issued for the 2010 – 2011 academic year. The Scholarship Committee will review applications and award 1 - 4 scholarships of $500 to $1,000 each. Applicants must be affiliated with Christ Congregational Church through membership or family relationship; be enrolled in an accredited post-secondary educational institute. Special consideration will be given to those candidates who are members of Christ Congregational Church; are attending a UCC-related institution; have demonstrated financial need; are active in the life of the church; and are active in the local community.

1. A resume with biographical & contact data, educational history, and details regarding admission and enrollment for the fall, 2010, and a statement about where they stand in their course of study;

2. A 500 word personal statement about the importance of their faith for their life and the role the church plays in their life.

All applications should be submitted to: Christ Congregational Church Scholarship Committee, 14920 SW 67 Avenue, Palmetto Bay, FL 33158 or at christch@bellsouth.net (put “Scholarship Application” in the subject line.) Deadline for application is July 15, 2010 and awards will be announced by August 15, 2010.

YOU have been faithfully supporting the work of God through Christ Congregational Church in 2009-2010 with your financial gifts all year and the Board of Trustees and your Pastor are very grateful. THANK YOU to each and every one of you! As a result we entered the summer in a solid financial position and so far that support has continued in strong fashion. We wish you well in your summer travels and vacations and hope this gentle reminder will help you remember that even as you are away from the area, the work and the needs of the church continue. Please remember that our Financial Year ends August 31 and be sure your “Estimate of Giving” is current and completed by that date. Thank you!

It was a glorious day June 27^th, when David & Margie Diaz brought their daughter, Lola Rose before God and the gathered people of God for the Sacrament of Baptism. Lola received the waters of grace poured over her head as though she was having a bath and her wide eyes took in the congregation as she was introduced by Pastor Hudder as the newest member of God’s family. Big brother, Anthony, stood by her side and other proud family members included grandparents Hermes & Margarita Morell and her uncle and aunt, Jaime & Virginia Morell.

JUNE 2010

FINDING OURSELVES ON THE FRONTIER IN 2010

If one were to take the total number of inhabitants of the state of Ohio and divide by the square miles of that state, you’d come up with about 222 people per square mile. In North Dakota, that number would be 6 people per square mile! So many folks have moved away from less populous and economically depleted areas that some counties in North Dakota no longer have enough people to warrant having the designation of “county!” The state has declared those areas to be “frontier.” There are just not enough people, and so earlier frontier images and operation modes have come back into use, which affects funding for services such as roads, law enforcement, public schools, etc.

That interesting factoid was shared at the recent Annual Meeting of the Florida Conference in Naples by the two keynote speakers, the Reverends DaVita McAllister and Elena Larssen. The same dynamic is at work for many churches today as well. Churches which once had three, four, or five hundred people in the congregation, now have 70, 60 or less. This results in a sense of distress, failure, uncertainty, and fear.

But like North Dakota, this is a “place” those churches have been before. In fact, there was a time when these churches had even less people, had no building, and ever fewer programs to offer. But, there was a different feel, hope, and vision. The difference was that those churches then knew themselves to be on the frontier. They were breaking ground, embarking on a great adventure, to establish a church, a community of faith, in that particular place. They were not obsessed with looking back to “glory days” but instead were filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and expectation waiting to see what God was going to do in their midst in the next moment.

Perhaps it is time for such churches to recognize they are once again on a Frontier of existence. They will never again go back to being exactly what they were in former years; that simply won’t happen. It is time to look to the future … to start anew.

Does any of this ring true for us here at Christ Congregational Church? This Church was founded 54 years ago by a retired Congregational pastor sent to South Florida to start 4-5 new churches. At the time he came to the Cutler Cove area, Old Cutler Road wound through tree farms, mango, and avocado orchards. The people he discovered who were interested in a new Congregational Church being established in the area were members at Plymouth Congregational Church who were finding it too far a drive for regular participation! This area was not too far removed from feeling like a “frontier” in 1956.

When Pastor Tiemeyer was called as the third pastor in 1960, the church had about 50 members and he was told by the Home Mission Board that if they could not build a permanent sanctuary within two years that they felt the church would never survive and they would pull the funding for the project. By 1962 the Sanctuary was built and within four more years the Church had grown to 400 members, had started 3 C’s Preschool, and was building Fellowship Hall. That remained the peak membership level throughout Pastor Tiemeyer’s tenure and the entire time Pastor Kelsey was here.

Then Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992 and since that time the membership has declined and struggled until we find ourselves today, 152 members strong, with a successful preschool, several more buildings completed, and wondering why we cannot reclaim the glory days of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Are we encountering a new frontier time in the life of this church?

Consider the Frontier … it can be a romantic place where stories are forged which immortalize courage, self-giving, and hard-won success. It is a place of struggle, hardship, and pain. It is also a place of excitement and creativity. It’s a place where people must rely on relationships to survive, and where they can pull together to do amazing things!

This is clearly a Frontier time in the life of Christ Church. We are faced with continually shifting and changing demographics all around us; we are faced with dramatically changing realities in how people relate to one another on social networks with rapidly evolving communication technology; we are confronted with seismic shifts in how people view their connection and relatedness to God, the place of religion and spirituality in their lives, and the importance, or lack of importance, of church and denominational identity for them. The changes are massive, the shifting of tectonic plates are happening, not just in the physical world, but in the social and spiritual worlds as well.

Churches open to change, though, are surviving, some even thriving. Most churches, however, when faced with change draw on patterns they are used to and most comfortable with. They bring a sense of security and stability in the midst of a world that is in constant movement and shifting all around them. The best research being done on the religious landscape suggests that some of the key elements for those churches that are able to open themselves to change are:

Yes, frontiers can certainly be frightening places. But in our history as a nation there have always been those who embraced the frontier and saw them not as a foreboding place, but as a place of opportunity, a place for growth, a place of excitement. How do you look at the frontier on which we find ourselves in this new century? Does it excite you or daunt you? What vision do you have for the possibilities the frontier offers us for new growth?

CLOSER TO GOD

This month we are making our Faith/Promise Financial Commitments which are always a challenge for us as we struggle with our sense of abundance and our fear of scarcity. Here are a poem and then a prayer which might help with that decision, even after you have made it, to still find peace with it.

-for Margie Diaz, Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Hawkins, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Zoe Chen, Alva Taylor, Persia Cruz, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Marcie, Ernie Baddia, Walter Adeler, Chuck Ault, with health concerns.

-for Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, Roy Wiley family, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Elvia & family, Maureen & Peggy Woods, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Jennifer Ng, Alan Wiley & family, Lauren, Turner & Angela Wilford, Steve Hanus, Margaret LeGrand, Donna Adeler, Lonnie Murphy, with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

Sunday morning classes for all children from Pre-school through Grade 6 are taking a Summer break!

Classes will resume in September and remember our Vacation Bible School program, July 12 – 16.

Come renew old friendships as our two worship times come together to sing praises to God, lift our hearts in prayer, hear the Word read and proclaimed, and share together in Holy Communion.

Blessed are the church members who pay their pledges before their vacation cometh.

They sit beside the still waters, hoping that the fish will bite and the insects will not;

They build a fire of charcoal and place savory meat thereon and the wind wafteth to their nostrils a pleasant scent;

For they know that the good work of their Church will not be diminished while they are away. -copied

The Board of Trustees and your Pastor take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to everyone who has so faithfully been financially supporting the work of God through Christ Congregational Church in 2009-2010. With the continued strong support of some of our out-of-town members, the pledge & loose offering income has been strong all year. As a result we enter the summer in a solid financial position. We wish you well in your summer travels and vacations and hope this gentle reminder will help you remember that even as you are away from the area, the work and the needs of the church continue. Please remember that our Financial Year ends August 31 and be sure your “Estimate of Giving” is current and completed by that date. Thank you!

We received two certificates of appreciation recently from the Community Partnership for Homeless for our “dedication and contribution to the least, the last and the lost of Miami-Dade County” in 2009. One certificate was presented to “Christ Congregational Church for 2009 Events” as a way of saying “Thank You” for the Annual Halloween Party we sponsor at the Homestead Homeless Assistance Center each October. The second certificate was presented to “Christ Congregational Women for working with the Meal Program” of the Homeless Assistance Center.

Frontiers, Wilderness & Borders were confronted, explored and embraced as the delegates to the 111^th Annual Meeting of the Florida Conference United Church of Christ gathered in Naples, Florida April 30 – May 1. With the assistance of keynote speakers, workshop leaders, a missionary couple who shared with us their work in Hungary, and the Rev. Kent Siladi, our Conference Minister, we explored the reality of the contemporary world in which the Church finds itself and we “Imagined…” what the future might be for the United Church of Christ in Florida.

In his address to the gathered delegates, the Rev. Kent Siladi invited us to “Imagine …

… looking around at ourselves and asking ‘who is not here?’ and ‘why?’

… reaching out to other faith communities and found new ways to engage in mission and ministry together.

… working together on the common goal of providing a truly extravagant welcome to the United Church of Christ delegates and visitors to General Synod 28 in Tampa in July, 2011.”

All of our delegates from Christ Congregational Church were faithful, diligent, and attentive to all the Annual Meeting offered. Those delegates included: Bob & Andrea Pastorello, Evelyn Godley-Juarez, the Rev. Dianne Hudder, and the Rev. Dr. Esther Roach. Some thoughts from some of them follow below as well as some pictures from the event.

The Rev. Dianne Hudder: This year's annual meeting was probably the best I have attended. It stands as a time for proud moments, moments which affirm my pride in the UCC-especially the Florida Conference. This meeting was one of very positive energy and actions, most notably when the conference delegates voted to be an Open and Affirming Conference. Wow! I was also very proud of Steve as he led some portions of the meeting and was elected as Moderator of the Conference for the next two years. It was great to be with CCC's other delegates and I was especially pleased with our youth delegate's (Evie Godley) presence at the business meetings. The setting was perfect and the members of the host church, Naples Community Church, overwhelmed us with their hospitality. It was one of those times I wish could be fully shared with all of our church members.

The Rev. Dr. Esther Roach: Annual Meeting of the Florida Conference, UCC at Naples was an uplifting, refreshing, and transforming experience for me. I met lots of new conference members: I was introduced as a new UCC minister who'd joined the Florida Conference on 2009. The conference theme of "Imagine..." introduces lots of opportunities to grow, develop, and transform both as a person and as a community of faith. It also reminds me of God's infinite love for us that there are no boundaries for this "imagining" but to be free with it. This was what both keynote speakers, Rev. Elena Larssen and Rev. DaVita McCallister walked us through their presentation, 'A Prophetic Conversation About UCC' over three different sessions. Worshiping experience was the highlight for me in this conference as it drew us near together and to God as well as we seek creative ways to imagine the infinite possibilities. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to represent the Christ Congregational Church!

Bob Pastorello: The annual UCC Florida Conference was inspiring. Some of the pics are seen below. Wonderful folks; some old friends from Gainesville and new friends from Naples along with many others. We found ourselves in the wilderness...of ideas, ideals, worship and mission fields. The "open and affirming" resolution was debated and passed, though CCC is among those churches already ONA. I believe it is more about loving all people as Jesus Christ taught and respecting our differences to sit down together and witness our faith as a community. Blessed be.ed and passed, though CCC is among those churchs already ONA. I believe it is more about loving all people as Jesus Christ taught and respecting our differences to sit down together and witness our faith as a community. Blessed Be.

The Board of Directors of the Florida Conference recognized those churches in the Conference who were leaders in supporting the work of God through the Florida Conference and the national United Church of Christ through their giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission. They honored the top five churches in each of three categories for Fiscal Year 2009: Total Dollars Given to OCWM, Largest Increase in OCWM Giving Over Previous Year, and Per Member Giving to OCWM.

Christ Congregational United Church of Christ was recognized as the top church for 2009 in Per Member Giving to OCWM. In that year we gave $22,000 for Basic Support of Our Church’s Wider Mission, which meant we gave $141.03 per member. This is a powerful witness and testimony that we truly seek to live out our Mission Statement in which we say: We resolve to share the love we have from God by giving of ourselves, our time, our energy and our financial resources toward caring for all of God’s creation and building a more just and caring society.

(We also received the following letter from the Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ, dated May 5, 2010.)

I am writing to offer my thanks for Christ Congregational Church’s generous sharing of Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support last year, and for you part in making that happen. When we asked your Conference Minister for the names of churches that have made exemplary gifts in 2009 for Basic Support, your church was on that short list!

The gifts you have given from your church enable significant mission – mission that belongs to God and that all of us do together. I believe that our partnership through Our Church’s Wider Mission is truly Changing Lives! We work hand in hand with our Conference to support and encourage congregations like yours that are on the front line of mission every day. And together, we carry out mission across the nation and around the globe.

I know very well the financial challenges faced in every setting of the church today, among the many other challenges and joys of our faith. These challenges make your leadership especially critical in these days. I am personally grateful for your leadership at Christ Congregational Church and your support of Our Church’s Wider Mission giving. Thank you for your partnership.

On Sunday, May 23, Robert B. Peterson, the father of the Rev. Dianne Hudder, ended his struggle with cancer and died as he had hoped, in his own bed in his condo overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in Naples, surrounded by his family, a close friend and faithful care givers. Bob’s life was filled with love, laughter, music, and dancing. He had a genuine interest in each person he met and his goal each day was to make someone smile.

Bob was born March 8, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York where he grew up, met and married the love of his life, Marian Janda in 1948, raised a family, and built a career with Allstate Insurance. He loved the beach, fishing and boating, so he naturally served in the Navy during World War II. Upon retirement he moved with Marian to Naples, Florida and enjoyed an active life in his condo overlooking the Gulf and the pool. Blessed as his life was, he suffered his share of heartache, including the death of his beloved Marian after 48 years of marriage and of his youngest son, William R. Peterson, on September 11, 2001 in the Twin Towers.

A celebration of Bob’s life and interment of his remains took place in Naples on June 4. He may be remembered through VITAS Hospice Charitable Fund or the American Cancer Society.

Two work days were held since our last Newsletter with a lot being accomplished. Thank you to all who came out to prune trees and get them in ship shape for the storm season. Those who helped included Jon Beisenherz, Scott Blackburn, Wally Carlson, Pastor Hudder, Harry Ruehl, Ron Stafford & Frank Tirb. A special THANK YOU to our fence painters, Sarah & Jacob Blackburn. A second special THANKK YOU to Jon Beisenherz & Frank Tirb who added an extra work day to cut up and haul away a gumbo limbo tree which blew down next to Whitney Hall, breaking a window in the Pre-school Office.

Seventeen members & friends of Christ Congregational Church enjoyed a night out watching the Florida Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies on May 28, in spite of the rain showers! The Marlins lost 3-2 (and the rain did stop about the second inning) but several members of our group won Cody Ross bobblehead’s playing Billie the Marlin Bingo! CCC members enjoying the outing included Andy, Antonia, Evelyn & Anasofia Godley-Juarez, Steve & Dianne Hudder, Jim & Cindy Ketzle, Mark & Kaelen Krumich (along with two friends), Jonathan & Esther Roach, David & Bonnie Sands, and Frank & Mary Tirb. (Another ballgame night will be planned for August 6 to watch Pastor Hudder’s childhood team the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Marlins.)

Sunday, June 6, is the culmination of our four-week stewardship Bible study, “For Such a Time as This” as we gather in worship that day to join together in making our “Estimates of Giving” financial commitments for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year. As we have studied the story of Esther & Mordecai we have learned that the two attitudes central to stewardship in hard times are:

If you are not able to be present in worship on June 6, someone from the Stewardship Committee will be contacting you in the weeks that follow to provide you with an “Estimate of Giving” card and inviting you to make your Financial Commitment to support the work of God through Christ Congregational Church in 2010-2011. Thank you for your prayerful consideration and for all your generous support.

1. A resume with biographical & contact data, educational history, and details regarding admission and enrollment for the fall, 2010, and a statement about where they stand in their course of study;

2. A 500 word personal statement about the importance of their faith for their life and the role the church plays in their life.

This July one of our members, Joan Campagna, and her partner Cuca Curbelo, will be traveling with the Rev. David & Carol Christensen on their Annual Mission Trip to Ghana. They are allowed to bring extra luggage in which they can carry items to give the people with whom they work in Ghana to help improve their lives. The Mission Outreach Committee has organized a collection drive to help provide these items. Please limit your donations to the items on the following list, as the Customs Laws are very strict for entering Ghana.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES: (NOTHING OUT OF DATE) including band-aids, rubber gloves, children’s vitamins, antibiotics, gauze pads or rolls, any orthopedic equipment (Knee brace, wrist support, etc.).

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: such as pens, pencils & non-electric sharpeners, crayons, scissors, paper & books (since books are heavy, they ask that you are judicious in what you donate. Classics or children’s books will be screened for too much Western culture and ghost/spirit themes with the exceptions of Macbeth and Harry Potter).

CLOTHING: children’s summer clothing (cotton, excellent condition preferred) including underwear, T-shirts (with no military or nationalistic references or sexual innuendoes), and flip-flops.

PERSONAL HYGEINE: small or sample size tooth brushes and tooth paste (in equal numbers).

CASH DONATIONS: You may also give cash which they will use to purchase needed supplies and items upon arrival in Ghana.

The following letter was received by David Christensen recently from one of the leaders in Kpenoe, one of the poorest villages in the Volta Region. David’s brother Jim, his wife, Marcia and his congregations have working there since 2000. David & Carol have been there since 2002. It is in this village that the water tower and solar pumping system was installed on their visit in June 2009. This letter shares the story of a mission work engaged in by the residents of Kpenoe in April, 2010 and demonstrates the impact the work of the Christensen’s is having in the lives of the people.

Grace and peace be you now and forever more. Again we thank God for the bright mornings of Thursday. we were privilege to be one with our brothers and sisters in the cured lepers village. some one who heard the information at church in the released it the press who later interviewed me on radio.

Many citizens were happy when i announced the visit and told them that it is an idea you proposal but joint partnership. even though we are in the farming season both the old and young expressed optimism. to my surprise people from Kpenoe quickly gathered their used cloth and some items which they took along as gifts. women carried brooms, cutlasses and hoe and were long waiting for bus.One of the women left very early by walking to place and on reaching there she started working before the first batch arrived. the bus which we original contracted to do 3 rounds of the trip went 5 time because a lot of people were anxious. In all 150 people went to the place and the drive charged 1 Ghc per head . we bought the 3 cartoons of soap at Ghc 62

On arrival the cured lepers who could not hide their joy they joined us in weeding process and we as a people had a refreshing moment with them. Even the items we took for refreshment was shared among us. what a joy to be on mission. our men even weeded their bushy cassava farms for them. i saw to my surprise one of them keeping poultry and has his eggs well preserved for incubation.

This idea mission you gave me has now be come an eye opener. i am planning to appeal to all Christians in Ho to give their used cloths to be given to them. i know this will be difficult but to start with i will ask members of my church to bring their old cloths. I can't imagine my self i am caught up with the spirit of mission you have impacted to me, ha! ha! Ha! God help me. We planned washing their belonging but they objected to it and the 3 cartons of soap including the individual piece of soap that people brought was given to them to share.

I am feeling very fulfilled because of mission work we have done. I. If there is any citation from me to you it will be captioned ' MISSION THE ONLY GREATEST INVESTMENT POWERED BY THE CURRENCY OF LOVE' It is true that love heals and binds.

Seeing their joy, i promise them i will invite them to Kpenoe any time there is going to be celebration of the yam festival.

best regards

Togbe kotoku

MAY 2010

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

As candidates, politicians give the impression that they know how to solve all kinds of thorny problems from education to transportation to health care. Glad someone is willing to lift these concerns off our shoulders, we elect them. After the election, they disappoint us on every score. In truth, no one has one right answer for these very complex problems. No answers exist, because these are not “problems”; they are “adaptive challenges.” Smart, correct decisions will not solve them because their causes lie too deep in our national identity and character and habits. To address adaptive challenges, we need to adapt; no leader, brilliant or not, can do that for us. Adaptive issues do not get solved when leaders come up with 100 percent “right” solutions.

This is very true for the church in today’s world as well. Today’s church faces many “adaptive challenges.” More and more people identify themselves as “spiritual, not religious.” This means they look to other arenas and avenues for nurturing their inner life, their spirit and soul, than church and established religion. Fewer and fewer people are identifying with denominational brands when looking for a church, which means we cannot simply rely on people seeking out “the church of their childhood” when they do seek a faith community. Our world has become a 24/7, 365 day economy, which means people have a wider variety of schedules, less commonality in their free time, and even less free time. All of this impacts the life of Christ Church.

Since these are “adaptive challenges” they call ALL OF US individually and the Church as a whole to adapt and change the way we do ministry and the way we function as a community of faith, a community of people gathered to support one another in our common lives and in our faith journey to God. This lifts up again the important role we each play in the life and ministry of Christ Congregational Church. We cannot be a clergy driven or focused organization; we cannot be a Council driven or focused body, if we are going to fully realize and fulfill our ministry and calling from God. We are a “Congregational” church, where each and every person is important to the life and ministry of the church. We are the “body of Christ,” where each of us has an important role to play, or the body does not function properly.

This month we are entering a very important season in our life as a community. Beginning May 9^th we will be examining the very complex part of our life known as STEWARDSHIP. This area of our lives has become even more complex during this difficult financial period our world has entered. In a time when all of us are facing difficult decisions brought on by these shaky economic times it is really not faithful to resort to simplistic thinking. It is not just a matter of simplistic polarities: abundance vs. scarcity, generosity vs. selfishness, faith vs. the world. Honest, faithful stewardship requires dealing with more complicated issues.

This is a time when we need to ask ourselves difficult questions as a community.

Such questions can be answered only through honest conversation, and addressed only through trial and error. These are the questions which we need to grapple with this next month.

This year I hope our Stewardship conversation can move beyond the need to maintain real estate & buildings, meet payroll, or continue customary programs. All of those are important needs and we are do and accomplishing a lot with and through our property, our Preschool, and our Mission Outreach program. We are also caring for one another and for people in a wide sphere of influence during times of crisis, difficulty, and joy.

To help us grapple with these questions and with the role our stewardship can play in helping us address such questions we will be engaging in a Bible Study for Stewardship in Challenging Times. We will spend some time with one of the smaller, unique books of the Hebrew Bible, the book of Esther. We will engage in this Bible Study together in a creative fashion.

This promises to be an exciting and innovative Stewardship program. It will continue our effort to provide more faith oriented content on the internet and the World Wide Web. It should help us move our thinking about our stewardship and our ministry beyond just institutional maintenance issues to deeper issues about who we are as a church and what God is calling us to do in this modern world. I look forward to this journey with you in the next six weeks and I invite you into this deeper conversation about the complex issues facing us as a Church today.

CLOSER TO GOD

This month I share with you an eDevotional from the United Church of Christ website, www.ucc.org. You may go there and sign up to receive these daily devotionals for free sent to your email inbox. This meditation is by Ron Buford, Director of Development for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ and is titled: “5 Intentional Minutes with God.” It challenges us with some good thoughts about our relationship with God.

A Facebook intermediary connected me with Beverly, a dear college friend and symbol of so much of who I am -- someone I'd not seen for more than 20 years. As Beverly and I reconnected by phone, it was like old times.

Suddenly, I realized that underneath the daily drone of busyness, I've always missed her . . . missed us . . . and so had she.

"As the deer longs for the flowing streams, so my soul longs for you my God." (from Psalm 42)

Not only do our souls long for God when we neglect intentional time with God, but God also longs for us. Hear the poet in the Song of Songs 5:8,

Swear to me, daughters of Jerusalem!
If you find my love
You must say that
I am in the fever of love.

When we take time to be alone with God, in prayer, in meditation, not just taking a hike in nature but setting aside time for a hike in nature with God, something different happens. Not only does God's heart dance for joy at your and my intentional journey that dares reach beyond itself toward the ineffable God, but so does our own heart.

Spend five intentional minutes with God today: in prayer, Bible study, a nature walk or run, lovemaking, yoga, the rosary, golf -- whatever . . . . Intentionally set aside 5 minutes with God today. See what happens. It's not what you do, but that you do it intentionally that matters. (Here's a bonus: Do the same for the one or someone you love today -- take five intentional minutes!)

Prayer
O God, perhaps without realizing it, I've been longing for intentional time alone with you. Funny, I never thought about how much you might have actually missed me, too. I don't want to wait until a crisis brings us together. Help me set aside five intentional minutes . . . today. I love you. Amen.

-for Peter Salas & family on the sudden death of his father, Mario Costa; Lorrie & Isabella LeGrand on the death of her grandfather, Ulrich LeGrand; and Frank & Mary Tirb on the death of his sister, Beverly Bierbauer.

-for Al Silverglade, Bob Peterson, Donna Dietrich, Carol Peleski, Joe Williams, Will Glass, Clinton Lewis, Bobbie MacNamara, Amy Dunfield, Peg Fullerton, Robin Becker, Larry Green, Alan Cespenes, Terry Mitchell, Joe Drescher, Carol Atheas, Michael Elgard, Catherine Schnellman, Rosemary Pennsley, Rick Caravetta, Manuel Coronado, David Barker, Steven McConohay, Karla Borges, Leandro Perez, Jr., Stephon Scavella, Glenda Catron, Sophie Vienne, Rona Harris, Michael, Robert Diaz, Mike Tompkins, Haley Bush, Case Family, Tyrone Schecksnider, Jim Godley, Lois Andews, Rosemary Hensley, Monica Stoupher, David Blaus, Ray Sullivan, Allen Townsley, Gail C., Miguel Molina, Nancy Meazaros, Larry Nipper, Charlene Kilson, Adelfo Guadagno, Risa Morris, Ivy Pennock, Margaret LeGrand, Beth Cain (aka Valerie Quarles), Connie Nickel, Gary Green, Barney Rogers fighting cancer.

-for Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Sally Caldwell, Leslie Mejia, Lila Erdley, Marilyn Golden, Rosie Legunes, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Clinton, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, Pablo Martinez, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Zoe Chen, Joan, Alva Taylor, Karen, Persia Cruz, Celida Camacho, Alexandra Rivera, Beth Orris, Michael R., Marcie, with health concerns.

-for Ruth Schmutz, Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, Roy Wiley family, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Elvia & family, Maureen & Peggy Woods, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Jennifer Ng, Alan Wiley & family, Scott Parker, Lauren, Turner & Angela Wilford, Steve Hanus, with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

If you have been attending Christ Church for some time and are feeling a sense of belonging, why not consider affirming that feeling through Church Membership? As an Open and Affirming community our membership is open to ALL interested people who wish to join with us as we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus in loving and serving God. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

Steven & Jennifer Mauk who brought their children, Jacob Rowan and Lillian Adelaide for the Sacrament of Baptism on April 6. Jacob was born November 16, 2009, and Lillian, March 8, 2006, in Idaho. Their grandmother, Janice Rowan, lives in Deering Estate. Standing as godparents for both children were Christine & James Britt.

Javier & Marilyn Pro who brought their daughter, Sabrina Lyn Pro, for the Sacrament of Baptism at the 10:30 worship service on Sunday, April 18. Sabrina was born in Miami on January 13, 2010. Standing as godparents were Ana Martinez and Joe Perez. Sabrina’s sister, Samantha, who was baptized in 2006, now attends 3C’s Preschool.

May and June are the months for High School & College graduations. Next month, in the June/July issue of The Christ Herald we will be recognizing and honoring all of our graduates. If you, or someone you love, is graduating this month or next, please drop us a line in the church office so we can share these accomplishments as a church family.

i. From what school did you graduate? With what degree? Other awards? Special activities?

Just call the church office: 305-235-9381; fax the info: 305-238-4801; or email: christch@bellsouth.net.

ALL CHILDREN FROM PRE-SCHOOL THRU GRADE 6 INVITED TO CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES ON SUNDAY MORNING

Each Sunday during the 10:30 a.m. Worship Hour, parents are encouraged to bring their children to worship with and help them learn the prayers and songs during the first half of worship. About half-way through the worship the children are invited to have a special lesson time with Pastor Hudder on the front steps of the sanctuary. Then, they may return to their seat for the rest of the worship, OR go with one of our Teachers to a class specially geared toward them, where they will engage in learning activities to reinforce the lesson of the day. If you have any questions about the program, speak to Cindy Ketzle or Pastor Hudder.

ATTENTION YOUTH: There is also a class for all Middle and Senior High Youth. Every Sunday morning during the worship hour you have a chance to discuss life and faith issues with other teens and an adult leader.

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

The 111^th Annual Meeting of the Florida Conference United Church of Christ will be held this month, April 30 – May 1, at the Naples United Church of Christ. Over those two days the delegates from all 100 UCC congregations from across the state of Florida will spend time “imagining” the future of the United Church of Christ in Florida, approving the 2011 Conference Budget, electing Conference Officers, members of the Board of Directors, Church & Ministry, Budget & Finance, and Endowment Committees, and delegates to General Synod. Dr. Hudder is nominated to serve a two-year term as Conference Moderator. Accommodations for the meeting will be across the street from the church in the Naples Grande Resort hotel.

Representing Christ Congregational Church at the meeting will be Pastor Hudder, our lay delegates Bob & Andrea Pastorello, our youth delegate Evelyn Godley-Juarez, and our 4-Way Covenant Specialized Minister delegates, the Rev. Dianne Hudder and the Rev. Jihey Esther Roach.

In April the finishing touches were completed on the newly designed Memorial Garden in the large lawn area directly across from the Church Sanctuary doors. The John Kelley Memorial Garden includes a granite stone with the names of beloved members of Christ Church who have died, most of whom have had their ashes scattered on the Church property; a stone bench for those who wish to visit the Garden and spend time in prayer and meditation; and a protective screen of plants, designed to grow into a privacy hedge.

At the same time the Board of Trustees have developed the policy regarding the scattering of ashes and the placing of names on the Memorial Stone:

1. Any member of Christ Congregational Church may scatter the ashes of a loved one in the Memorial Garden without any fee or charge. Ashes must be scattered on the surface of the ground, not buried and permission does need to be secured from the Pastor, or Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

2. Any member can add the name of a loved one to the Memorial Stone for the cost set by the Board of Trustees to cover the charge for the engraving and a donation to the Memorial Garden Fund, set aside to ensure the maintenance and care of the Garden. That charge is currently set at $500.

If you are interested in making use of the Memorial Garden you may contact Pastor Hudder or Jon Beisenherz, Chairperson for the Board of Trustees to make arrangements.

The Community Sunrise Worship this year was visited by a flock of ibis, the trumpeting of peacocks, and about 300 people from the Cutler Bay/Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest region. Unable to worship with a view of Biscayne Bay the lake at the Palmetto Bay Village Center and the mangroves lining the Bay provided a beautiful setting as the sky brightened softly with the rising sun.

The three churches who sponsor and host the worship every year agreed to designate the offering to the support of New Hope School in Haiti (the school founded, organized, and supported by Marlyn Genois-Baker.) About $300 in expenses putting on the worship were covered by the three churches, which allowed the entire offering of $942 to go to the School.

(In a side note: Marlyn recently returned from a trip to visit the school in Haiti and was surprised to learn that she was now supporting 21 students as a result of the earthquake. The Mission Outreach Committee continues to support the school and seek donations of any clothing for the children, ages 5 – 14 years, as well as school supplies, books, curriculum, and household items, including furniture and appliances. Contact Judy Carlson for more information, 305-235-3719, or bring your donations to the Kelsey Building.)

This past month several of our members & friends lost dear loved ones to death. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn these losses. The apostle Paul charges us in Romans to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” and reminds us in Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So it is that in the Church, the body of Christ, that we especially feel the pain of loss when anyone in our community suffers, even as we enjoy and celebrate their victories and blessings as well.

On Sunday, April 18, Peter Salas received a telephone call from his sister in New York informing him that his father, Mario Costa, had suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep. Our prayers are with Peter, Debra and the family.

Later that week, on April 21, Lorrie LeGrand received word that her grandfather, Ulrich LeGrand, who was in hospice care, lost his battle with cancer and died in his home in Massachusetts. Our prayers are also with Lorrie, Isabella & the entire LeGrand family.

Then on Friday, Frank Tirb learned that his sister, Beverly Bierbauer had died after severe complications from surgery and a lengthy hospitalization in Michigan. Our prayers are with Frank & Mary on their loss.

Even as we mourn with those who have lost loved ones, we rejoice at the new life which has joined our Church family in the birth of Lola Rose Diaz, the new daughter of David & Margie Diaz, sister to Anthony, and granddaughter to Hermes & Margarita Morell. Lola Rose was born on April 23, 2010 at Baptist Hospital, weighing 6 lbs. 6 oz. at 18 inches long.

The Board of Trustees have scheduled another Work Day to attend to maintenance needs on the Church Grounds. We will continue to paint the wooden fences on the property as well as spend time pruning trees in preparation for Hurricane Season. Needed are painters, tree pruners, trucks for hauling debris, and many willing hands! Join the group on Saturday, May 15^th, between 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Come when you can, stay as long as you can!

The first CCC Night Out with the Marlins for 2010 will be Friday, May 28^th as the Florida Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies! Game time is 7:10 p.m. and those who would like to carpool can meet at the Church at 5:15 p.m. Cost of the ticket is $16 for Bullpen Box seats. Make your reservation with Pastor Hudder by signing the sheet in the Kelsey Building on Sunday morning, calling 305-804-7077, or email rshudder@bellsouth.net. Reservations must be made by May 19^th so tickets may be purchased to get the Church Night Discount. (Another ballgame night will be planned for August 6 to watch Pastor Hudder’s childhood team the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Marlins.)

APRIL 2010

A WORD FOR LAY CHRISTIANS

This month I want to share with you, the members and friends of Christ Congregational Church, a very important statement which came through my email from the Alban Institute. (Alban Institute is a place which seeks to provide resources and educational opportunities for clergy and congregational leaders to strengthen their ministries.) This statement was the concluding section of a set of two books written by Wesley J. Wildman & Stephen Chapin Garner, Lost in the Middle? and Found in the Middle! It is directed to the lay members of local churches and I find it to be a very powerful and important statement.

Your pastoral leaders and your churches would be lost without you. Without you there is no community. Without you "Jesus" is an empty word rattling about in the corridors of history. Without you the church is a lifeless shell. The measure of the church's success is directly related to how you, the lay members of your community, love one another and live out your faith in your daily lives.

Remember that Jesus's call was not to a bunch of ordained clergy. Jesus called fishermen, businessmen, hated tax collectors, feared soldiers, mothers, widows, prostitutes, the able-bodied, the infirm, people with faith, and people without faith. Jesus's call was for everyone to follow him. You have as much right to follow Jesus as anyone else. Your pastor, your church council, your bishop, your church boards do not have a higher claim on Jesus than you do. So take your role in the church and in the world very seriously.

What does that involve? Love, tend to, and work to strengthen your pastor, your church, and your church leadership. Help your community to keep its focus. When you sense that something is amiss, speak up and make your case lovingly. Too often when the going gets tough, lay people get going and hightail it right out of church. Church is messy, community is messy, life is messy. You can't get in the habit of running from it because the mess will follow you until you deal with it. Remember, the church is yours and you are the church. Stick with the body of Christ in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow as long as you live.

This calling to faithful unity and participation can be challenging for liberal-evangelical Christians because we are not always easily identified or categorized. We can become frustrated in church because we don't feel we fit. We are not always sure where to find our place. We do feel lost at times, and it is hard to believe that any of our well-dressed, well-pressed, and well-spoken neighbors in the pew next to us are as confused as we are. But in fact many of us feel lost in the middle. Most of us are uncertain about our faith, at least some of the time. We are all searching for something we have yet to find. We try to follow Jesus, we try to love God, we try to love our neighbors, and we fail much of the time. But that is not a reason to quit. We are aware that we are lost in this life, and we engage in Christian community in the hope of being found.

The first great test of the liberal-evangelical church, and of your moderate and radical Christian faith, occurs when you face conflict and difference in your community. Can you sit next to someone who will vote oppositely to you on the question of gay marriage and still move forward together to celebrate Communion? Can you participate in a Bible study or a faith discussion group and genuinely strive to understand in depth the person who has a different view of salvation through Christ than you do? It is so easy to shut down in the face of such disagreements. But that is when you and the church both lose. Church can't be only about comfort and agreement, and that is doubly so for the liberal-evangelical church, with its Christ-centered commitment to radical inclusiveness and the principle of agape love. Divine love shines when you stay connected, especially when it feels like a major effort to do so. Strive for the spiritual maturity to place love ahead of personal comfort and your church's witness will flourish.

The second great test is whether you will commit yourself to the practices that build up the church and your faith. In particular, will you look for educational opportunities within your congregation and strive to deepen your understanding of your faith? Will you encourage your church to centralize practices such as the Eucharist that bind differently minded people together in the name of Christ? It takes work to learn, and it is often uncomfortable to have our existing beliefs broadened and to make new discoveries. But committing to the journey of learning is part of discipleship and it can be incredibly exciting if you stick with it.

If we have a dream for liberal and evangelical laity, it would be for you to know that you are not alone. There are countless people of faith who struggle just like you do, who are filled with longing just like you are, and who desire a Christ-centered and radically inclusive community just like you do. The more you speak your faith, share your vision for your church, and take leading roles within your community, the more room you will make for people who find themselves lost. You don't have to remain lost in the middle. You can be found in the middle, too, and learn to feel at home there.

So what do you think? As we continue our faith journey together as Pastor and people, let me know your thought and ideas, your hopes and dreams for Christ Church, for your life, and for our life together. Let me know where you sense the Spirit of God calling you and calling us to be in ministry making a different in our world.

CLOSER TO GOD

This month begins with the end of Holy Week, the somberness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, but very quickly moves to the joy of Easter Sunday and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This month is a celebration of life, joy, laughter and exuberance. The Medieval Church had a tradition of celebrating “Holy Fool’s Day” on the first Sunday after Easter. April also begins with the secular celebration of “April Fool’s Day.” In that spirit of fostering exuberance and joy, here is a prayer from Edward Hays prayer book, “Pray All Ways” titled “A Fool’s Prayer” for use this month.

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Lindsey Champion in Afghanistan.

-for Al Silverglade, Elaine Chaney, Bob Peterson, Celida Camacho, Donna Dietrich, Carol Peleski, Joe Williams, Will Glass, Clinton Lewis, Bobbie MacNamara, Amy Dunfield, Peg Fullerton, Robin Becker, Larry Green, Alan Cespenes, Terry Mitchell, Joe Drescher, Carol Atheas, Michael Elgard, Catherine Schnellman, Rosemary Pennsley, Rick Caravetta, Manuel Coronado, David Barker, Steven McConohay, Karla Borges, Leandro Perez, Jr., Stephon Scavella, Glenda Catron, Sophie Vienne, Rona Harris, Michael, Robert Diaz, Mike Tompkins, Haley Bush, Case Family, Tyrone Schecksnider, Jim Godley, Lois Andews, Rosemary Hensley, Monica Stoupher, David Blaus, Ray Sullivan, Allen Townsley, Gail C., Miguel Molina, Nancy Meazaros, Larry Nipper, Charlene Kilson, Adelfo Guadagno, Risa Morris, Ivy Pennock, Ulrich & Margaret Legrand, Beth Cain (aka Valerie Quarles), Connie Nickel, Gary Green fighting cancer.

-for Margie Diaz, Barbara Parker, Dianne Hudder, Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Sally Caldwell, Leslie Mejia, Lila Erdley, Marilyn Golden, Rosie Legunes, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Leroy Collins, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Steve Hanus, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Clinton, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, Pablo Martinez, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Todd Huber, Zoe Chen, Joan, Alva Taylor, Beverly Bierbauer, Karen, with health concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

Easter is a time for new life. Traditionally in the Church, Easter has been the season for baptism as new people joined the church, rejoicing in the new thing God was doing in their lives and celebrating their place in this new family of love. Why don’t you consider taking this step this Easter season and join with this family of faith? As an Open and Affirming community all people are welcomed, accepted and affirmed. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077.

On Sunday, March 21, Betty Kleopfer joined Christ Congregational Church in full membership, transferring her standing from Park Congregational Church in Toledo, Ohio. Betty is the mother of Etta Schaller, and has been a regular visitor during the past several winters, even singing in the Choir. Last fall she sold her house in Toledo and relocated to Miami. We welcome Betty into full membership and look forward to many years of serving God together.

ALL CHILDREN FROM PRE-SCHOOL THRU GRADE 6 INVITED TO CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES ON SUNDAY MORNING

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

Our Annual Blessing of the Pets will take place in both worship times on Sunday, April 11^th. Bring your four-footed, furry, feathered, scaly, slimy, etc., friends and loved ones to either the 8:55 or 10:30 a.m. worship that Sunday and there will be a time for Pastor Hudder to bless them. This is always a wonderful experience as we celebrate God’s wonderful creation in all its diversity, open the side doors of the sanctuary, and enjoy the added squawks, screeches, woofs, etc. as we wall praise God together! (Please be sure to bring your pet on a leash or in a cage for their safety and the safety of others.)

“The Florida Conference would like to thank the members and friends of your congregation for the support your church has made this past year towards Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM). Your congregation’s support of $21,999.96 in 2009 confirms your commitment to this important ministry.

Changing Lives, that’s Our Church’s Wider Mission.” is more than a slogan or phrase; it is the lifeblood of ministry and mission in the United Church of Christ. Your contribution to this offering of our covenant together provides financial support for many local and global ministries.

Thank you again for your support of this vital ministry. Your congregation’s contributions to Our Church’s Wider Mission are central to the ability of the United Church of Christ to continue its mission work in local communities, within the United States and internationally.”

“Thank you for being among the compassionate who have heard the cries of our sister and brothers in Haiti and have responded with a generous donation to the United Church of Christ Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. We recorded your gift of $1,508.00 on 3/12/2010 as per your request. The United Church of Christ is using Haiti Earthquake relief funds to support the relief efforts of several partners including Church World Service, ACT Alliance and Global Ministries. UCC supported efforts include distribution of water, food packages, blankets, hygiene and baby kits and medicine and medical supplies. We are also engaged in construction of temporary water systems and latrine. Haiti Earthquake relief funds will also be utilized in the months and years to come, as we accompany our Haitian sisters and brothers on the long, long journey of recovery, restoration and renewal. Thank you for making the journey possible.”

COUNTING DOWN TO A NEW CAMPAIGN
(Excerpts from an article written by Gregg Brekke, March 16, 2010, published by UCC News online.)

The United Church of Christ this month will do a viral launch of the next "God is Still Speaking" commercial called "The Language of God." The April 16 debut is a first for the UCC, relying exclusively on social networking and the church's best communicators, its own members, to spread the message.

"Yes, a new Stillspeaking ad is coming," says the Rev. Felix Carrion, coordinator of the UCC's Stillspeaking Ministry, "and what makes this debut so significant is that we are counting on the moxy of our million-plus supporters to spiral this viral message around the world. We're asking people to set aside that morning — April 16 — for unparalleled texting, Twittering, Facebooking and emailing of this new spot.”

The 60-second video message is being produced by Think Media, a national advertising firm known for its edgy, innovative video work. Its household-name clients include the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Clinic, Progressive Insurance and Nestle, among others.

In preparation for the launch, a webpage with instructions on how you can help spread the word April 16 has been posted in addition to changes to the UCC's home page. "We want the excitement of this new ad, and its potential for invitation and awareness, to reach every corner of the church - including cyberspace," says Connie Larkman, the UCC's strategic media coordinator.

UCC commemorates 200 years of global mission

Written by Staff Reports
March 8, 2010

Recognizing the 200th anniversary of America's first foreign mission society, the United Church of Christ has planned a two-year observation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), a historic predecessor to Wider Church Ministries.

Founded by Massachusetts Congregationalists in 1810, the ABCFM sent mission personnel to India, Turkey, Palestine and the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii and Samoa) in its first decade.

By the time of its centenary in 1910, the board was responsible for 102 mission stations and a missionary staff of 600 in 15 countries including western North America. After 150 years, the American Board had sent nearly 5000 missionaries to 34 countries.

Through Global Ministries, the shared foreign mission agency of the UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 125 missionaries currently serve in 80 countries.

Wider Church Ministries leaders have asked that in addition to celebration, this anniversary be a time for reassessment regarding missteps taken in the context of evangelizing other cultures, saying, "There is much to celebrate, there are also mission mistakes to confess in the commemoration."

The anniversary's theme is "God's global mission now and for tomorrow." Planned activities and resources for the commemoration include:

• Local-global "mission" tree planting – plant a "mission" tree locally and contribute toward the planting of a tree in a designated mission country
• Global mission study trips
• Anniversary worship resources online - bulletin insert, worship liturgy, litany, prayer
• Mission programs - using suggested elements for small and large group
• Special giving opportunities
• A mission DVD - mission then, now and into the future
• Mission history study booklet
• Symposia at UCC-related higher education institutions

Additional information and resources for ABCFM's 200th anniversary commemoration, which runs through 2012, will be updated at <ucc.org/globalmission200/>.

Marlyn Genois-Baker is a member of Christ Congregational church originally from Haiti who has started and fully supports a boarding school in Haiti for 10 children, male and female, ages 5-14. Over the past several years she has built and made improvements on the facility where the children live and study. She provides all the support for the teachers and supervisory staff on-site, plus for the expenses of caring for and educating the children through the multiple jobs she holds here in Miami. Marlyn truly feels a deep sense of calling from God to do this work.

We have been working to find ways that we can learn more about New Hope School. Toward that end Marlyn will be the speaker at our next Justice Luncheon on April 18^th at 12 noon, following the 10:30 a.m. worship. She will have just returned from a recent trip to Haiti and can give us an update on the school and what she is working to accomplish.

We are continuing to collect items for the school. This school provides room and board for all her students and some of her staff. They need used items such as furniture, mattresses & bed frames, kitchen appliances/dishes/pans, lanterns, house paint, refrigerator, gas stove/range and computer. The children’s ages range from 5 thru 14 and they need clothing. Please contact Judy Carlson at 305-310-9373 or Marlyn Genois at 786-380-7871 to make arrangements for donations and pickup.

The Board of Trustees have scheduled another Work Day to attend to maintenance needs on the Church Grounds. Two projects to be tackled include painting some of the wooden fences on the property and removing some overgrown palms. Needed are painters, tree pruners, trucks for hauling debris, and many willing hands! Join the group on Saturday, April 10^th, between 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Come when you can, stay as long as you can!

MARCH 2010

WE ARE A CHURCH THAT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

These guidelines were shared by the Rev. Kent Siladi, Conference Minister for the Florida Conference United Church of Christ at a recent Board of Directors meeting. They are used by successful organizations to guide their work and help keep them on track. Kent shared them as guidelines he has found very useful in his work with churches. I thought it would be an interesting exercise for us to apply these three guidelines to Christ Congregational Church.

So who are we? I would begin with the three statements that we have formulated together in various gatherings of members and congregational leaders – workshops, retreats, committee meetings & Congregational Meetings. Those are our Mission Statement; our Vision Statement; and our Open & Affirming Statement. Beginning with the last one, first it proclaims: At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore, we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities. I can say with strong conviction that at this Church these are not just words. I hear over and over and that people truly feel welcomed and accepted here. I witness members reaching out to warmly welcome and receive guests at our worship each week and to integrate new members into our fellowship regularly.

Our Vision Statement to a great extent summarizes our Mission Statement and says that we are a church that listens, praises God, inspires, and serves others. We do listen: for the Stillspeaking God; to one another; to the wider world around us. We do praise God with our worship and with much that we do to care for one another and the wider world around us. We are a church which inspires those who are part of the church and others in the wider church and in the world around us. And we certainly seek to serve others with a very active mission outreach program.

So what do we have? Christ Congregational Church has always been blessed with tremendous resources of people, property, talent, creativity, vision, leadership, and finances. We live on five of the most glorious, beautiful, and nurturing acres in all of South Florida. What the people of this church have built in this location over the past 54 years is truly a blessed sacred garden dedicated to God.

The people God continually gathers into this church are talented, creative, dedicated to caring for ALL God’s people. We have inspiring musicians that lift our spirits weekly in worship. We have people with a heart to care for children and help nurture a faithful relationship with God in our children. We have people who truly care for hurting people in the world and want to make a difference in making the world a better place for all people. We have been blessed with two specialized ministers in Four-way Covenant, as well as four other ordained clergy who are either members or regularly attend our worship and participate in our life together. We have provided leadership to the wider church, providing a past moderator for the Florida Conference UCC, a future moderator, several representatives on the Board of Directors & the Church & Ministry Committee of the Conference. We have also provided financial leadership to the wider church through our dedicated and generous commitment to giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission.

So what are we doing and does it matter? Most certainly we continue to strive to make a difference in the lives of the people who come to this church each week and in the wider world around us. We are providing quality Preschool education for over 100 children through the 3 C’s Preschool. Every year our staff hears from Kindergarten teachers and Elementary Principals how well prepared the children from 3 C’s Preschool are for kindergarten. I already mentioned the leadership we are offering the wider church through the Florida Conference UCC. (In 2009 we were the #3 church out of the 30 churches of the Southeast Region in total dollars given to Our Churches Wider Mission and #1 in OCWM dollars per member given.)

In addition we are making a difference in many lives in the community around us every year through our Mission Outreach program. That includes the over 50 farm worker families which we help at Thanksgiving with food baskets; the over 100 day laborers to whom we regularly take food from our Barrel of Hope and who enjoy the Thanksgiving Lunch we help other churches prepare; the over 70 children at the Homeless Assistance Center who enjoy the Halloween Party we host every year; the over 70 children we gave school kits to through Kristi House and the 10 children in Haiti.

Plus there are the lives we touch regularly at East Ridge Retirement Village through our participation in the Sunday Vespers program. There are the countless ways we support each other to cope with illness and death, job loss and stress, relationship difficulties and many other personal issues that arise in daily living. And each week there are people who leave worship with their spirits lifted, their faith strengthened, their hearts encouraged.

In summary: It is good to take stock like this, because in the daily grind of living and working we can become so focused on the next task, or the one we are running way behind on, that we become overwhelmed, depressed, even discouraged. God is doing tremendous things through Christ Congregational Church and each one of us. God has truly blessed us. We should always rejoice in what God is doing and in those blessings. Could we be doing more? Most certainly we could. But let us be sure as we look to engage in more ministry that we remember who we are and what we have and let that guide us to do what matters.

CLOSER TO GOD

Since we are in the Season of Lent and in a reflective mood and to go with our reflections about who we are, what we have, and doing what matters at Christ Congregational Church, here is a reflection about “Acceptance of Yourself” which we might apply to the Church and to each of our individual lives. It is taken from the book “Prayerfulness: Awakening to the Fullness of Life” by Robert J. Wicks.

“After a morning meditation period, a spiritual guide said to those present, ‘Each of you is perfect the way you are.’ Then, after a short pause, he added with a smile, ‘And, you can all use a little improvement.’

When you truly accept yourself, you can have the courage to acknowledge the many gifts God has given you. And in the same vein, you honestly face your own growing edges. This allows you to avoid the perils of extreme self-confidence on the one hand or extreme self-doubt on the other.

And, when you accept yourself with a spirit of intrigue, you can see how your gifts (such as, perhaps, faithfulness or enthusiasm) can turn into unwanted or defensive behavior (such as, perhaps, rigidity or exhibitionism) under some circumstances.”

At Christ Congregational Church we strive to love one another as God has

loved us and welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Therefore,

we are an Open and Affirming church, loving and welcoming all people in

all of God’s variety; including racial, ethnic, and economic diversity, gender

diversity and expression, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities.

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

-for the people of Haiti & Chile, those with family & friends there and those emergency personnel and aid workers responding to bring relief and help.

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Lindsey Champion in Afghanistan.

-for Rosemary Daniels, Barbara Parker, Dianne Hudder, Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Sally Caldwell, Leslie Mejia, Lila Erdley, Marilyn Golden, Rosie Legunes, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Leroy Collins, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Steve Hanus, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Clinton, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, Ryan Foley, Pablo Martinez, May Wheeler, Darrin Smith, Marie Vanderpool, Ellie Kellner, Todd Huber, Zoe Chen, Joan, with health concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

ALL CHILDREN FROM PRE-SCHOOL THRU GRADE 6 INVITED TO CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES ON SUNDAY MORNING

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

A big THANK YOU goes out to all the eager and energetic volunteers who showed up to the Workday February 20^th. Thanks to their efforts the Garden Chapel was cleaned up is much more welcoming and pleasant on the eyes for the various worship gatherings we will have out there this spring. Also, the Memorial Garden was replanted with a new hedge to surround it. To assist the plants in growing the overarching oak trees were also thinned of branches to allow more sunlight to reach the ground. This was in anticipation of the Memorial Stone arriving this month to complete the project. Again, thank you to all our volunteers: Jon Beisenherz, Scott Blackburn, Tony Briggs, Wally Carlson, Pastor Hudder, Bob Pastorello, Saralee Silverglade (who planted some begonias in the Garden Chapel), Frank Tirb, David & Sonya Williams.

The Rev. Dianne Hudder is leading a study this month on Wednesday evenings exploring many of the difficult issues and decisions surrounding death and dying in our culture. Dianne is the Bereavement Services Manager for the Dade program of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, Inc. She brings to this study session over 10 years of experience as a Chaplain, first with the Sylvester Cancer Center and then with VITAS. The course meets every Wednesday evening in March, ending March 24^th, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kelsey Building. Even if you have missed sessions, you will still benefit from the remaining sessions.

Procession of the Palms at 10:30 a.m. We begin in the Kelsy Buidling and then move to the Sanctuary in a “Palm Parade”.

Gather in an atmosphere that recalls the “Upper Room” where Jesus shared his last meal with is followers before they all deserted him and Judas betrayed him. We will share the simple food of the Middle East (please bring items such as hummus, pita bread, figs, dates, olives, cheese, grape juice, rice dishes, or other simple foods to share) for a light support. During the meal we will participate in the Rite of Footwashing and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We will then close with the Service of Shadows, remembering how all his disciples deserted him, finally ending in the Garden Chapel.

Preschool & Elementary age Children will have their own Upper Room experience. Parents, please bring your children to Fellowship Hall for the start of the meal. They will be dismissed after the Footwashing to join “Jesus” in their own setting to learn more about this night.

Community worship with meditations on the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross by local clergy, including Dr. Hudder. Hosted by Cutler Ridge United Methodist Church, xxxxx Old Cutler Road.

6:45 a.m. Community Sunrise Worship located this year at the Palmetto Bay Village Center, Old Cutler Road & 184^th Street. (Due to the construction on the usual bayside site.) Dr. Hudder will join with other local clergy and the CCC Praise Band in this celebration. Bring your lawn chairs and celebrate the “Son-rise” in a beautiful setting overlooking a lake.

10:00 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt on Fellowship Hall Lawn for children of all ages.

10:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary with special music by the Choir and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Every time anyone every ran into Peter Franzino on the grounds of East Ridge Retirement Village, he had a joke or funny story to share with you. For 99 years Peter wore a smile and always found a way to find humor and joy in life. Born January 11, 1911 in New York, he was one of ten children and had to go to school at night while working in the day to help support the family. But he persevered with his education and graduated from CCNY, became a CPA and had a long career, first as a Naval accountant during World War II and then as a corporate accountant. Along with his wife of 64 years, Mary, he moved to Miami in 1956 where he became an active member of Plymouth Congregational Church, the Masons, Rotary, and the Country Club of Coral Gables. After retiring, Peter gave ten years of volunteer services to South Miami Hospital. In 1994 he and Mary moved to East Ridge Retirement Village and began attending Christ Congregational Church. At East Ridge Peter’s artistic talents blossomed as he gave many hours to creating beautiful stain glass and needle point pieces. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Jane & John Noppenberg, along with two grandsons and one great-granddaughter. Pastor Hudder lead a time of worship celebrating Peter’s life at East Ridge Village Chapel on February 22, 2010, following his death on Februray 12^th.

Disasters occur often without any warning whatsoever. The people of Haiti & Chile have been reminded of this most powerfully. When such catastrophic events take place, people need IMMEDIATE help. They really cannot wait for good-hearted, compassionate people even to reach for their cell phone to text a donation to some agency who must then gather in the funds.

Every year during the season of Lent we participate with hundreds of thousands of other Christian Churches, from the United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, etc., to collect a special offering for One Great Hour of Sharing. Those funds are then administered by the Wider Church Ministries office of the United Church of Christ (or portion, that is) and allow us, through that Ministry, to provide an immediate response, within hours, to anywhere in the world when catastrophe strikes.

This year we will gather our gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing on Sunday, March 28 in worship. Please pray about your gift. Ask God how you can best help Jesus to “Feed his sheep.” Ask God to help you make the most generous gift you can. Remember, your gift now, means immediate response will be possible in the future. Thank you.

The Board of Directors of the Florida Conference United Church of Christ, at its meeting on February 13, 2010, took action authorizing the use of up to $7,300.00 of the Conference Disaster Recovery Fund to buy building materials to repair two homes damaged by Tropical Storm Fay in 2008 and by the Memorial Day floods in 2009.

These materials will made it possible for approximately 90 volunteer workers to donate their time and skill. About 60 of the volunteers arrived to work during the week of Feb. 15-19, 2010 and the remaining 30 came to work during the week of Feb. 22-26, 2010. These volunteers were all adults, many taking a week of their vacation time to come, and paying their own travel expenses to get to Florida. The funds from the Conference provided the building materials for the work of the volunteers.

One of the homes where the building materials were used is occupied by an elderly lady who has a disabled son living with her in a mobile home with a severely damaged roof. She did not have wind coverage in her home owner’s policy, so her insurance company gave her nothing. Her roofing materials cost $3,642.18. The second home is occupied by 8 Hispanic farm workers living in a home that is less than 1000 sq. ft. in size. The house was severely damaged by the Memorial Day floods last year and they have no resources to pay for the materials to repair the house. The materials cost $3,646.29.

One of the groups of volunteers who came to work on this project was from the United Church of Christ in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. The group stayed in the newly renovated Mission Work Group Housing Center at Union Congregational United Church of Christ, Holly Hill, Fl. Just two weeks earlier another group from St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania stayed in the Holly Hill center and replaced a roof on a different storm damaged home.

Contributions toward the cost of building materials for an additional five households waiting for help may be sent to the Florida Conference United Church of Christ, 924 N. Magnolia Avenue, Suite 250, Orlando, Florida 32803. Additional information is available from Bill Wealand, Disaster Ministries Coordinator for the Florida Conference by sending an email to Bwealand@uccfla.org or calling 407-592-9744.

FEBRUARY 2010

RENEWED BY WONDER, IMAGINATION & THE SPIRIT - Dr. R. Steven Hudder

Last month I had the great pleasure of sitting with 30 other UCC clergy in the company of Mark Burrows, Professor of Church History at Andover-Newton Theological Seminary in Massachusetts while he led us on an excursion into the world of Poetic Imagination, encouraging us to always be in touch with the power of imagery and metaphor and remember that the Bible is a book of imagination. The Bible is a book of faith and faith is dealing in the realm of mysteries and imagination, not information. The goal of faith, and of the Bible, is always transformation, change in our lives.

Mary Oliver was one of the poets we enjoyed together. Her poem “Mysteries, Yes” was a marvelous introduction inviting us into a deep exploration of life, creation, ministry, wonder, and imagination. I hope you read the opening poem slowly, and I encourage you to pause here, return to it, and read it through one more time, even slower.

Far too often our very busy, hectic, commerce-driven and highly competitive world drives us from one task to another, from one job to another, from one hour to another, from one day to another. Rarely does it allow us to pause and drink in the wonder of the world. Another poem, this from Todd Boss, published in the “The New Yorker,” May 12, 2008

This was a powerfully renewing day for me. It was followed by an equally renewing Friday evening and Saturday Labyrinth retreat on the theme of “The Healing Labyrinth.” The presenter highlighted that the language of the labyrinth is metaphor. When we work with the labyrinth we are working in the symbolic world, the world of imagination. She emphasized that imagination is so important to the healing process. To become whole we can imagine what we might become and imagine what elements of ourselves look like when whole and strong and healthy and new. During the retreat I participated in 3 labyrinth walks and each was a powerful experience that was renewing, healing, and deeply spiritual.

I returned from my mini-sabbatical of three days with a new sense of peace and calm in my soul; with a renewed desire to commit to time and practices of creativity, wonder, and nurturing my imagination; and with stronger desire to make fuller use of the labyrinth we have created on our property. We have a treasure and a powerful tool that has been settling into our ground, but without much attention or utilization. I have a greater sense of not only the meditative possibilities, but also the healing potential, of our labyrinth.

I close by sharing one final poem from Wendell Berry, from “Given: Poems” (Washington, D.C.: Shoemaker Hoard, 2005)

That is my dream, as well. As I commit to spending more time wondering, seeking the place where imagination and truth meet, I trust it will enable me to offer more nurture to your faith and help be to better point to the possibilities for growth and transformation us all and for Christ Congregational Church.

(This devotional arrived in my email box the day after my sermon on living together in love and needing to listen to each other with charity and openness and it just seemed so timely and appropriate as a follow-up that I felt it needed to be passed along. You may subscribe to a daily devotional from the UCC on the national church website, www.ucc.org. Look for the “Stillspeaking Daily Devotional” tab.)

February 1, 2010 - Elijah
Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell
Excerpt from 1 Kings 17: 8-16: "For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel . . ."

What would it take for you to believe in somebody else's god? What would it take for you to at least listen to what they have to say?

Elijah heads to foreign territory, where they worship a different god. There he meets up with a widow and tells her about his god. She doesn't end up converting to his religion, but does recognize that Elijah has said some true things about the world and about God.

You already know that interfaith dialogue can teach you true things, right? Well, hanging out with the Muslim or Wiccan next door is one thing, but I think it's a lot harder to talk with people who are part of my religion but who think about it very differently than I do. I'm not talking about Presbyterians or Methodists here; I mean Pentecostals, I mean fundamentalists, I mean conservative Evangelicals, I mean whatever it is that you would define as the opposite of you. In many ways, it's easier to talk with people who are very different than it is to talk with ones who are sort of similar—but that doesn't mean they can't have something true to teach you about God.

I'm not saying you need to convert or anything (the widow didn't); I'm just saying that God sends Elijahs to tell us about God all the time, and that sometimes, they come from the unlikeliest of places.

Prayer
God, when you send a messenger to teach me about you, give me the grace to listen, regardless of whether she's one of us or one of them. Amen.

null

About the Author
Quinn G. Caldwell is Associate Minister of Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

CLOSER TO GOD

The Season of Lent begins in the Christian Church this month and here is a prayer you might use as we move into that season and begin our journey to Easter. It is by Kathleen R. Flood, OP and was published in Weavings, Volume XXV, Number 2.

-for the people of Haiti, those with family & friends in Haiti, and those emergency personnel and aid workers responding to bring relief and help.

-for all serving in the military, especially Manjula in Iraq & Lindsey Champion in Afghanistan.

-for Peter Salas, Barbara Parker, David Christensen, Mary Ellen Prather, Anne Cogburn, Ed Smith, Jean & Margaret Guthrie, Marian McCray, Nelda Herod, Judy Krenek, Emilio Juarez, Marilyn Garcia, Shannon Barker, Cameron Hunt, Maggie Maher, Florida Carey, Amy & Matt Bowles, Michelle Tinney, Carol Logan, Mydoan Berman, Sally Caldwell, Leslie Mejia, Lila Erdley, Marilyn Golden, Rosie Legunes, Margarita Padilla, Fred Matthews, Nelly Michelena, Julie Betancourt, Dick & Elaine Geary, Doris Suber, Whitney Allen, Katherine Shwartz, Brandon Richardson, Ann Husselton, Breanna Cashman, Thomas Tremmall, Curtis Leiba, Jerry Silhan, Beverly Butler, Leroy Collins, Sylvia Garcia, Lynn Kirkpatrick, Linn Guevara, Mary Ross Hudson, Eunice Williams, Stephanie Lebana, Gloria Critz, Wina Padilla, Sandy Newbie, Steve Hanus, Luis Molina, Ebony Gutierrez, Walt & Marion Krumich, Antonio Martinez, Alicia Melendez, George Clinton & Carol Hawkins, Daniel Best, Dr. Ed Keith, Ryan Foley. Pablo Martinez, May Wheeler, John Orris, with health concerns.

-for Ruth Schmutz, Dale & Jimmy McCray, Kelvin Ryan, the Juarez family, Jerome McDermott, Patricia Nyman, Chris Hale, Roy Wiley family, the Johnson Family, David Lowe, Howard Wilson, Elvia & family, Maureen & Peggy Woods, Steve Meazaros, Nasir El Azari, Jennifer Ng, Alan Wiley & family with personal concerns.

-for the work and ministry of our Four-Way Covenant partners: the Rev. Dianne Hudder & the Rev. Dr. Jihey Esther Roach.

(If someone has been on the list for eight weeks, they will be removed, but can be returned with an update. Be sensitive to other’s privacy and check with them first)

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

305-531-0723.

… to Church Membership, that is. Perhaps you have been attending worship at Christ Church for some time but have not yet made a full commitment through membership. We would love to talk with you about joining us in a stronger fashion to stand up for justice, for compassion and caring, and for acceptance and inclusion. We would love to welcome you with joy into the family of Christ Congregational Church. As an Open and Affirming community all people are welcomed, accepted and affirmed. If you would like to become part of this growing, active community that is making a difference in South Florida, give Pastor Hudder a call at 305-804-7077. He will be happy to share with you the next steps you can take to join the church.

ALL CHILDREN FROM PRE-SCHOOL THRU GRADE 6 INVITED TO CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES ON SUNDAY MORNING

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

EVERYBODY is needed to help the Trustees clean up the grounds, trim the trees and bushes, pull weeds, add some plantings and mulch, etc. There are tasks for all skill & fitness levels. If you can use chain saws & pruning clippers, bring your tools, gloves and help. If you have a pick-up truck which could haul debris to the dump transfer station, bring your truck and help. If you can help pick up debris and load the truck, bring your gloves and help.

Work begins at 8:00 a.m., but come whenever you can and help as long as you can. THANK YOU!

As we enter the Season of Lent we will also take a moment to affirm our support of the ministry of our elected Congregational Leaders. All the members of the Church Council and Boards/Committees of the Church are asked to be present in the 10:30 a.m. worship on Sunday, February 21, so that they might affirm their willingness to accept the responsibilities of the office they have been elected to fill and so that we, the other members of the church, might affirm our willingness to follow their leadership and support them with our prayers and in other ways in the coming year.

The six weeks before Easter in the church have traditionally been a season of prayer and fasting known as Lent. It is often viewed as a journey with Jesus through the wilderness temptations/suffering/passion to the cross of Good Friday and then the joy of Easter resurrection. Keeping with that imagery this year, Pastor Hudder invites you to begin your Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday, February 17^th, by walking the labyrinth at Christ Congregational Church. We will begin this time of prayer/meditation/reflection in the Garden Chapel at 5:30 p.m. where Pastor Hudder will offer some suggestions to guide your prayers and reflections and some hints for using the Labyrinth. We will then begin walking the Labyrinth as a group and you will have the opportunity to receive the traditional Ash Wednesday smudge of ash if you desire. (PLEASE NOTE: You are invited to arrive whenever you can after 5:30 and you will still be able to walk the labyrinth with some guidance. The early time is due to the sunset hour and the probability that to allow everyone to walk the labyrinth, even though we will be walking as a group, will probably take about an hour of time. But the amount of time each individual will take it up to you.)

Pastor Hudder recently attended a Labyrinth Retreat and has some new and helpful learning to share which will deepen and enrich your experience of the Labyrinth.

The Rev. Dianne Hudder will be leading a study during the season of Lent on Wednesday evenings using a new UCC resource developed to assist us in exploring many of the difficult issues and decisions surrounding death and dying in our culture. Dianne is the Bereavement Services Manager for the Dade program of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, Inc. She brings to this study session over 10 years of experience as a Chaplain, first with the Sylvester Cancer Center and then with VITAS. The course will begin February 24^th, and take place on 5 Wednesday evenings beginning at 6/7 p.m.

For most of us, there will come a time when we will need to confront our own fears around our dying and death. Some of these fears are grounded in concerns that our dying may be prolonged or our remaining life cut short. Some of these fears come from our sense of not having control over what happens to our bodies as we move through the dying process. Some of these fears come from the amazing technology that is available to us today that can prolong life but also require us to consider at what cost both to our bodies and to our limited resources. And, as technology becomes more and more sophisticated and can prolong life for what may seem like an indefinite period, we need to be educated about these issues so that we, and those who love and care about us, will know what our wishes are, in case something happens to us that prevents us from voicing those wishes ourselves.

within to soul search, reflect, take stock of our lives as Christians, and consider what our relationship with Jesus is all about and why Jesus died. These forty days are a reminder of Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Looking at dying and death can be a wilderness experience because wilderness can be the unknown, which reflects the uncertainty of life and where life is leading us. Further, not knowing when we will die requires of us to be prepared, knowing that God will be with us, both in our living and in our dying. As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans (14:8), “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” You are invited to join Dianne on this journey through Lent, knowing that you will have the support of others, and always the watchful care of Jesus to guide you.

It happened so quickly! In 34 seconds on Tuesday, January 12, the lives of almost everyone in Haiti were literally turned upside down. The need was great and there was no real time to think about it or plan how to get the word out to people so they could respond. So we made plans to receive a special offering to send to our UCC Global Ministries and Disaster Response Offices. We reached out to Marlyn Baker, one of our newest members who is from Haiti, has much family still in Haiti, along with a ministry she organized and supports to about 10 children in Haiti. “What did she know? What could we do to help?” The call came back for water, blankets, and sterile surgical masks. An email went out to all our members for whom we have email lists sharing the need. Your response was tremendous: $1,700 in cash donations, and enough water, blankets, masks & some canned goods to fill a pick-up truck. Marlyn & her husband and son boxed up everything Sunday evening and Monday morning to ship to Haiti and Frank Tirb transported them and the supplies to the Miami River to a freighter which left on Thursday.

The following update was received from our Florida Conference United Church of Christ Conference Minister, the Rev. Kent Siladi on January 26^th, about how our national UCC is responding and our Florida Conference.

“One Great Hour of Sharing and Haiti Earthquake Relief funds are being used to help with basic humanitarian relief in providing temporary shelter, food and health assistance. Funds are also being used to provide water and sanitation engineers, and equipment to construct water purification systems. Resources for building latrines are also being provided, as the sanitation situation is critical. The UCC will be supporting communities in the long struggle to rebuild from this disaster — the worst earthquake to strike Haiti in 200 years. Since the earthquake, the UCC has reached out to its partners in Haiti to coordinate a swift response. Funds have been dispersed to several partners including Church World Service, ACT Alliance, IMA World Health and Global Ministries (CONASPEH and House of Hope).”

If you would still like to make a donation to help the people in Haiti you made do so by making an online contribution to United Church of Christ – Haiti Earthquake Relief fund. Or you may place a check in the offering plate on Sunday morning or mail it to Christ Congregational Church, 14920 SW 67 Avenue, Palmetto Bay, FL 33158. All funds we receive will be forwarded to the Florida Conference UCC to be sent on to the national UCC. 100% of gifts received for UCC Haiti Earthquake relief will be used for relief and rehabilitation initiatives. The administrative costs related to receiving and processing gifts is covered by UCC members’ generous contributions to Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM).

If you company offers matching gifts your gift to UCC Haiti Earthquake Relief fund will qualify for this program. The United Church of Christ is a federally recognized, tax exempt organization pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Their tax ID number is 34-1927041. Receipts will be issued for charitable contributions made to the United Church of Christ for disaster-related or other mission work.

In the wake of this disaster, the response of UCC members and friends has been overwhelming. As a result of this generosity, new gifts are received daily. As of Monday, January 25, 2010, over $500,000 has been received. Please be assured that your contributions are being used to meet both immediate needs in Haiti and will be utilized for long-term recovery initiatives

Though we are not organizing official Christ Church participation in this very worthy effort this year, we did want to share the information with you. If you feel called to volunteer a day to help build homes for worthy families this information will help you. Habitat is focusing on a community in the Homestead area and the build is taking place the first two weeks of February. There is a web address you need to check out to register which will also show you which days are in need of volunteers.

February 1-13. If you didn't sign up yet, now's your chance! Spots are available all 11 days, including Saturdays!

What: Building 10 homes for 10 families in need of a decent, affordable place to live.

Why: The need is great. Thousands in Miami live in substandard housing. Most of them just need an opportunity, a helping hand-up out of poverty. With your hands and hearts, we can help these families achieve the dream of homeownership.

THE POWER OF TRAVEL AND STORY - Dr. R. Steven Hudder

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

SEPTEMBER 2010

FOLLOWING JESUS: FINDING THE BALANCE IN LIFE

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

AUGUST 2010

CROSSING THE BOARDERS THROUGH TRUST

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

JULY 2001

THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF THE WILDERNESS

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

JUNE 2010

FINDING OURSELVES ON THE FRONTIER IN 2010

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

MAY 2010

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

APRIL 2010

A WORD FOR LAY CHRISTIANS

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

MARCH 2010

WE ARE A CHURCH THAT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!

FEBRUARY 2010

RENEWED BY WONDER, IMAGINATION & THE SPIRIT - Dr. R. Steven Hudder

CLOSER TO GOD

WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN…

FOLLOW CCC NEWS ON TWITTER!