The State of the Church

In two weeks President Bush will be giving his "State of the Union" address and next week Mayor Fred Robinson will be sharing his "State of the City" address.  Here then is my "State of the church" column.  Due to constraints on space, I will use the next three Caller articles and take a few minutes at the annual meeting (Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 12:15PM in the Sanctuary) to share some thoughts about where we are and convictions about where I think we should be going.

Although people change and the world around us is undergoing huge shifts in expectations concerning lifestyle and the understanding of "Truth," the good news remains unchanged and God's purposes for his church are nonnegotiable.  If a church fails at worship, fellowship, disciple building, ministry and care of people, and evangelism, it is no longer a church. It is just a social club. However, the way or style in which we fulfill these God given purposes must be continually adjusted and modified because human culture is always changing.

The overall state of CCPC is healthy.  We are a vital community of believers with a well developed and longstanding tradition of worship and fellowship, learning and outreach.  We have been blessed with abundant people resources and financial support.  Compared to the dire straights of many congregations in America, we are richly blessed. God has been very good to CCPC since its founding in late 1961.     

In this column I will discuss the state of our worship, fellowship and disciple building.  Two weeks from now I will discuss member care, outreach and evangelism.

Strengths:Both of our worship services feature strong choral music and vibrant congregational singing.  We offer a blended musical style of worship that ranges from classical to contemporary.  Children are made to feel welcome through our children's sermons and the optional activities that follow. We enter 2008 with a dedicated and gifted music staff.  We do worship well. 

Once again the Worship Council and the Session wrestled with the one service/two service question. Past surveys (and they have been many) have indicated the congregation is split 50% on this question.  We considered it because we were concerned with the lack of hospitality to newcomers (who almost exclusively make their first CCPC visit at 11AM) and the sense that the attendance at the 11AM service was so low it would deter return visits.  The Session, after considerable discussion, decided to postpone any change until after the consultant visits and makes recommendations.

Thanks to the leadership of James Rada who took over as Interim coordinator for Youth Ministry in July and is now our permanent Coordinator, our youth program is vibrant and growing.  Junior and Senior high youth now meet at the same time Sunday nights.  With help from Marilee Neff, the groups then divide for discussion and share fellowship together.  I anticipate under James's  capable leadership and vision that service, discipleship, and the deep and size of this fellowship will continue to grow.

Marilee Neff will bring some much needed staff help to our efforts to revitalize our ministry to children and their families.  She has already organized a "Kids Club" that bring together children and their parents for regular outings.  Last year we added a Toddler Class taught by Tamara Kaye which accommodates the "graduates" of our Cradle Roll.

Our adult educational offerings continued to expand, both on Sunday mornings and through evening programs and various book groups.  We are well aware that learning and friendship, especially for newcomers, works best at other times then Sunday morning.  In December Shawn Jegede held a morning training seminar of small group leaders.  The plan was to develop "New Groups for New People" and as a result we hope to offer at least one new group each quarter.

In two weeks I will address the state of our membership care, outreach and evangelism.

NOTE:  The 2008 Per Capita is $30 per member. This should be paid using the green per capita envelop in your box. This amount pays for all the meetings of the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly offices. 

Always, James Brassard  

 

 

Worship Notes

Worship: January 20th:  There are very few Bible stories about Jesus before he started his ministry as an adult. One is found in Luke 2:41-52 where the twelve year old Jesus and his parents travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.  Jesus is inadvertently left behind when the family starts to return home. He is found in the temple debating the learned Rabbi's and astounding them with his wisdom and insight.  The sermon is titled "When You Don't Know for Sure." At the 8:30AM service we will celebrate the baptism of Sophia Elizabeth, daughter of Kim (McCarty) and husband Eric Bledsoe.  At 11AM Montgomery, Alabama native Voncile  Willingham will share some first hand experiences from the early Civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sunday January 20, 2008

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

WORSHIP SERVICES: 8:30 and 11 AM

(9:45 AM) Adult Education: Planning for the Inevitable (CR)

(9:45 AM) Sunday School Children's

Library Sunday

CCPC Choirs

No Youth Groups tonight

Prayer Study 7 PM (Parlor)

Warm Nights Shelter Program Begins in Dodds Hall  

CCPC will again be the host of the City of Bowie Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Commemoration on Monday, January 21st. The 11AM service will feature keynote speaker Dr. Micky Burnim, the new President of Bowie State University. The theme this year is "Empowerment through Education." The service will include some historical lessons on public education in Prince George's County.  We will review the founding and relocating of Maryland's first institution of higher learning for African Americans to Bowie in 1911 when the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie opened. Good music and inspiring preaching is guaranteed. The Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry and Emergency Aid Fund will host a reception following the service.

Sunday January 27, 2008

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

WORSHIP SERVICES: 8:30 and 11 AM

(9:45 AM) Adult Education: Planning for the Inevitable (CR) last class

(9:45 AM) Sunday School

CCPC Choirs

Confirmation Class 12:15 PM (CR)

Youth Council Meeting 12:15 PM

Youth Groups: New time! Both meet from 5-7 PM

Warm Nights Shelter Program (Dodds Hall)

Warm Nights Shelter Program  

CCPC will be participating in the Warm Nights Shelter Program sponsored by Community Crisis Services, Inc. (CCSi) from January 20th to the 27th. The program is a collaborative effort of numerous committed church congregations throughout Prince George's County that provide a rotating emergency shelter from mid-November through the end of March each year.  It has been in operation since the early 1990s and CCPC was the first church in Bowie to participate in the program.  

During our week we will provide a warm place to stay from  7:00 PM until about 6:00 AM for 25 to 30 homeless people.  We also will provide them with three meals a day.  When the shelter clients arrive they are greeted with a hot, hearty dinner.  In the morning they get breakfast and we hand them a bagged lunch as they walk out the door.

Successful participation in this program requires CCPC volunteers to perform a variety of duties.  There are many ways you can get involved.  You can sign up to prepare a meal, serve as an overnight host, help set up Dodds Hall on January 20th before the shelter clients arrive or help transport the cots and equipment to the next church on January 27th.  Sign up sheets and instructions will be posted in the atrium.  Even if you cannot participate in any of the Warm Nights duties I encourage you to stop by the church during our Warms Nights week.  You will have an opportunity to meet the shelter clients, hear their stories and see how our giving and caring are impacting their lives.

Paul Sell, Mission Committee

YOUTH NEWS!  

Greetings one and all, hope everyone's doing well - and that especially applies to those of us who danced the night away last night at the Winter Wonderland.

First, Sunday the 20th we are going to be hosting our guests from "Warm Nights." We'll be setting up Dodds Hall for our guests, and making them dinner too.

We will be meeting from 5pm - 8pm.

As for dinner ...we're gonna be making some of that World Famous Presbyterian Spaghetti. What makes it world famous - I don't know, but we can be assured that it'll be Presbyterian!

We're gonna need some folks to help us out here. So far we've got the Vegetarian/meatless sauce covered, but we still need the following:

Regular Sauce
Spaghetti (2 pots worth)
Side Dish
Dessert

If you'd like, you can either make the meal at home and bring it to the church. Or you can bring the ingredients to the church and the youth will take care of cooking it.

Please RSVP and let us know what you'll be able to bring.



Second, don't forget that we've signed up to help out with the Martin Luther King Day Work Project on Monday the 21st.  We'll be leaving CCPC about 7:30 in the morning and heading into DC to help rehabilitate an elementary school. We should be back early afternoon. We still have a few slots available so if you're interested in joining us, please RSVP - ASAP!  And remember, yes, these do count toward your community service hours!

Have a good week! 

James Rada (ccpcyouth@verizon.net)

Capital Area Food Bank

Message from Myra and Oye

"We hope you had a very enjoyable holiday and Happy New Year!  Thank you so much for coming to volunteer for Capital Area Food Bank during the months of October and November.  In those months volunteers sorted 240,038 pounds of food, made 3,383 Brown Bags for seniors in DC and Maryland and 8,000 Food for Kids bags for children in the metropolitan region and 300 direct food distribution bags.  If you came with a group, friend or family member, please pass our thanks onto them."  Myra and Oye

We are continuing to volunteer at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, DC on the third Saturday of every month.  The help of those of you who have joined us is greatly appreciated.  Many thanks to Jo Bolig for recruiting Bowie High students who have been volunteering with us each month.  We have been taking between five and nine volunteers and would love to have a larger CCPC representation.  We meet at  CCPC at 8:15 and return to CCPC around 12:30.  We need volunteers for January 19th, February 16th and March 15th.  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Lori Kronser.. 

Library News

Next Library Committee Meeting: January 16, 2008 - 10 AM

Children's Library Sunday: January 20, 2008

Our church library will be open before and following each worship service this year and during the education hour.  Use the self-check out system posted on the desk to take out books.  You can find biography, fiction, and non fiction books that focus on understanding faith and growing in spiritual life. Parents and children may visit the library to select books. Books may be returned to the basket outside the library.  Please continue to look for books that are ready to be returned.

Thank you!

Christmas Families 2007

Once again members and friends of CCPC have met the challenge of the Christmas Families Project with an outpouring of gifts, monetary donations, time and effort.  This year forty-two families consisting of one hundred and seventy-four persons received a week's groceries and one hundred and twenty-four children received gifts of clothing and a "fun" gift.

There are some special people who deserve recognition for making this project work.  Thanks to Julia Leaman for creating the Christmas doves, and to the children who artistically colored them.  Thanks to Jo Bolig for assembling the school supply packets, and to Pat and Ron Stokes who generously donated the school supplies.  Appreciation goes to Marty Sippel for convincing Trader Joe's to donate paper bags with handles.   Thanks to Nancy Honeyford, Jackie Smith, and Diane Dudley who once again organized the gift sorting.  Thanks to Renee for coping with the additional calls and messages that came to the CCPC office during this time.

Thanks to all of you who in any way contributed to the success of the Christmas Families Project including those who bought gifts for the children, those who donated food for the small families, those who donated turkeys, those who shopped for the medium and large families, those who contributed monetarily, those who sorted food and gifts, those who wrapped gifts, and those who loaded the food and gifts and helped with distribution.  Because of your generosity and effort Christmas was made brighter for each of our Christmas Families.  I am proud to be a part of such a caring and compassionate church family.

Marjorie Tanner,

2007 Christmas Families Project Coordinator.

Gratitude and Happy Memories

With gratitude to each of you who participated spiritually and/or with

Upcoming Events

SoulCollage® Workshop/Retreat Day

January 19th 2008  - 10 AM to 4:30 PM

Bring in the New Year with a New Spirit of Self Discovery. Join Linda Miller and Sheree Ruhl as we explore this wonderful process in depth.  All materials, lunch, snacks, tea, companionship and teaching included in the special retreat price of $75. Already familiar with SoulCollage? Half Day Card Building $35. Bring a friend and both receive $10 off!

Sign up now!  http://yolinna.com/soulcollage.html Or call Sheree Ruhl Space will be limited.   

Reiki Night at CCPC

The Next Reiki Energy Class will be held Monday, January 21, 2008 Reiki, is a form of Natural Healing in which the Reiki practitioner places his/her hands in a systematic way on your head, chest, abdomen, arms, legs, feet and back. Reiki energy is life giving energy that comes from the universe, our creator God, and can totally relax our bodies so that healing can occur or begin at various levels in the body and in the energy field that surrounds us.  Jan Bridger, Linda Miller and Sherrie Ruhl bring their tables to CCPC Sanctuary every third Monday evening at 7PM for half hour sessions.  Reservations are helpful so we will know how many tables to set up, but walk-ins are always welcome at 7PM.  Contact: Linda Miller or Sheree Ruhl.  

Feb. 2nd Technician Classes Start - 6wk course - 9A.M.  to 12 A.M.

at the Anne Arundel Radio Club's club house in Davidsonville for Persons interested in supporting CCPC in Emergency Communications using CCPC's Amateur Radio equipment and/or wanting an FCC Amateur radio license.  The Exam will be given after the last class. The classes and the exams are free.  Contact: Gerry Burdett.

FORUM - Gerry Burdette and Chuck Tanner will be the forum presenters on February 3 for the topic "CCPC's Communication Preparedness for Lack of Telephones and Cell Phones in an Emergency" They will also demonstrate CCPC's newly purchased Ham Radios.

The City of Bowie is offering a Shelter Operations Training Seminar on February 2nd and 3rd. Call Allen Crawling, City of Bowie Emergency Management Resource Coordinator at 301-809-3079 for more information.

CCPC Emergency Response Committee

needs your help to complete two tasks.

1.Help for the Disabled. If you are interested, we need one or two persons to work with the Deacons for their input in developing a list of handicapped or disabled persons in our church family who might need assistance in an emergency, or at least a phone call. Someone's name and phone number will only be kept with that person's  permission and will only be used when directed by the pastor or a designated person.  We will also take requests from family members to identify these persons. Each person identified will then be called or visited to explain our contact service during an emergency. If you can help, please call Jan Bridger or Sue Mather.

2.Data Entry. We have a request for someone to help enter our volunteer members names, contact numbers and e-mail addresses into a CD data base so that we  do not have to rewrite all this information more than once. Many of you have generously donated your time and skills for our emergency response teams, but we are finding it hard to keep up with the updating of our lists. If this is something you can do, please call Jan Bridger or Sue Mather.

New Katrina Work Camp Opportunity!

Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church is organizing their 5th Katrina work camp for March 3-7, 2008, in Pearlington, Mississippi. 

Accommodations are like camping.  A flat fee of $20 per day is charged for housing and three meals.  The group uses various modes of transportation to travel to the coast, including van, car, and plane.  This site has the advantage of being within walking distance of the work areas.  Pearlington was near the center of the eye of Katrina, and was almost totally demolished by the hurricane.  GPC has reserved 5 spots for CCPC, and two are taken. If you are interested or desire more information, contact Marjorie or Charles Tanner (Soon!).