Our scheduled Guest Teacher Dr. Rob Davidson will not be with us this week. He is recovering from a bout with COVID. C3 Teacher Kent Dobson will step in. The Great Questions keep coming with What is an Elder? Please join us in person Sunday morning. Pre-Talk is at 9:00 a.m., the Gathering at 10:00, and Talk-Back at 11:00. Of course, the Gathering will also be live-streamed on Facebook, and if you can’t join us in person, please view online!
Kyle Rasche (rhymes with Kashi) has carved his place as one of West Michigan’s most dependable songsmiths of the poetic, soul-bearing sort. 2021 saw his foray back into the solo-songwriter world, with a pile of new songs, and an updated list of accolades – including being named a finalist in Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious NewFolk Songwriting Competition. We look forward to hearing him for the first time at C3.
Gathering Information
Masks are optional at our In-Person Gathering. The decision of whether or not to wear a mask will be up to each individual.
Sundays at the Grand Haven Community Center (421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven)
9:00 a.m. Pre-Talk: In Person
Meet the morning’s teacher in a small group setting for an open discussion of the morning’s theme.
10:00 a.m. Gathering: In Person + Livestream on Facebook
Welcome, readings, meditation from a community member, teaching, and music
10:00 a.m. C3 Kids: In Person (Woodbine Room)
11:00 a.m. Talk Back: In Person
A chance to share questions, comments, and stories related to the morning gathering.
Lead Teacher Kent Dobson
There is a lot more to discover and learn from Kent Dobson on his website, and by listening to his podcast Hints and Guesses. Kent is leading a program entitled, Exploring the Sacred Masculine, on October 27-30, 2022.
C3 News
Look for Changes Starting September 4
There are important changes coming to the shared space of the Community Center on Sundays. Beginning in September, Life Church will hold its adult services in the theater room, keeping their kids’ services across the street in their existing building. They are out of space and have been looking for some months for a solution. The Board is working with them and the Community Center to make this change go as smoothly as possible.
This is an opportunity for us to be hospitable and come together as a community, so we encourage you to attend on Sunday mornings to both welcome Life Church and to show your support for C3. Please follow this link to some FAQs.
If you have more questions, you’re encouraged to contact Kent or any Board member.
There will be some kinks to work out in the flow in sharing the Community Center and we’ll all work together to make this a mutually beneficial space.
Five-Year Celebration and C3 Auction 49 Days Away on Sunday!
We have questions? Here’s one: What better way to celebrate and honor five years with Kent as our lead teacher, survival through COVID, and our commitment to continuing on our unique C3 journey?
We have an easy answer to this one: Coming together October 9 with a celebration that honors our Kent and an auction fundraiser to help us stay financially stable. And do it in 49 days!
Here are ideas to support our community auction:
Come to C3 on October 9—and bring guests!
Donate items that are new, artistic or interesting; your time/services; or unique experiences. (Save vintage or resale items; we’ll need them next summer!)
Volunteer your time to help the auction committee. This is a great short-term commitment that will make a big difference for C3.
Bid to win on October 9!
If you have questions or want to help, talk to or email:
Teresa Colbry
Andy Cawthon
Tom Edwards
Shannon McMaster
On our C3 YouTube Channel the videos can be sorted by “most popular”. One of Kent’s highly viewed teachings is Diving into the Wreck from July 14, 2018. It has over a 1000 views! (Re)
Office Transition
Jeff Baldus has been an important part of our community for four years as our office manager. He told us recently that he has decided to pursue other opportunities. We appreciate everything he’s done for us and wish him well.
The Board is considering how to proceed, and in the interim we are reaching out to the community for volunteers to help with office responsibilities. If you are interested in volunteering one or two days a week for a few hours, please contact Sally Alderink, Tom Edwards, Valerie Engeltjes, or Mark Smith.
C3 Outreach
Vigil for Peace and Justice
Spend an hour for peace at the Vigil for Peace and Justice this Saturday from noon – 1:00 p.m. along Washington Avenue at Central Park. This weekly hour of advocating for peace and justice can be a fruitful time of contemplation, as well. Bring a chair to sit, if that is easier for you. We have plenty of signs to use, or be creative and make your own!
Vigil for Peace Sign
Adopt-A-Highway Fall Clean Up
More information to follow, but our C3 fall pick-up will be on Saturday, October 1. Please mark your calendar. Tom Edwards is the contact person for the event.
C3 Community Care and Concern
C3 Groups
New Meeting Place for C3 Men’s Group
The C3 Men ’s Group meets each Tuesday from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on Harbor Drive in Grand Haven. Questions? Contact Phil Koster.
C3 Book Club and Friends
Our book for September is Aftershocks: A Memoir by Nadia Owusu, described as a “. . . deeply felt memoir about the push and pull of belonging, the seismic emotional toll of family secrets, and the heart it takes to pull though.” We return to The Bookman at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6. We hope to see you there, and remember, encourage friends to attend! Email Joyce Cawthon with any questions.
October 4: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Bookclub September and October
C3 Groups
Week 3@C3 in August
This is the last week to donate back-to-school items for the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy system. Donated items will be distributed by the teachers themselves, based on needs of individual classrooms and teachers. See the teacher-advised printable list of possible donations here. School starts soon. Let’s be quick and generous!
Copy paper: 8 1/2″ x 11″ white; by case or ream; lots
Standard, spiral-bound notebooks – wide ruled (important!); dozens
Pocket folders – hundreds; colorful
Pencils – #2 Ticonderoga brand (specifically for testing); many packages
Crayola wax crayons: 24-ct boxes; individual boxes or packs of six or more
Colored pencils – for students (not adult type); many boxes
Scotch tape – replacement rolls for dispensers or regular filled plastic dispensers
Sanitizer wipes – Clorox brand suggested; dozens of containers
Kleenex or other similar brand tissues; multiple boxes
Please note specifics, as other item types may not be useful in the classroom. If you’d rather not shop, consider sending a check made out to “C3 – Back to School Project.” Mail to Week 3@C3, P. O. Box 371, Grand Haven, MI 49417, and we will shop for you.
C3 Finance
Would you like to save money on your taxes and support C3 at the same time?
You can use money in your IRA to contribute directly to a charitable organization like C3, without it being considered a taxable distribution. The same applies if you are required to take an RMD. Be certain to consult with your tax advisor or financial representative as it is important to understand the process and follow the appropriate guidelines.
Your ongoing support of C3 is greatly appreciated. Online donations can be made here. Automatic donations can be set up by contacting Carol Takas, at Selby Accounting. Checks should be sent to C3 Spiritual Community, P. O. Box 371, Grand Haven, MI 49417. C3 is a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organization. Our tax ID is 38-1960212.
C3 Values in Action
Momentum Center Events
There are events happening at the Momentum Center! Follow their Facebook page to stay informed. These upcoming events may be of interest. Click on each link for details.
Dinner and Movie Night: Reunited States, Friday, September 9. Click here for details.
Summer Series: Exploring Mental Illness, Mondays in August
Next Civil Rights Road Trip: The dates for the next Civil Rights Road Trip have been set as October 24-27, 2022. See the flyer with all the details here.
Reunited States Still
Reunited States Trailer
Sad news from the Diatribe
“On August 3rd, Nika Marie Price transcended into her next stage of being, beyond this plane and into the next. The absence of her laughter, bright smile, and powerful energy is felt deeply amongst the community, most closely by her husband, our Executive Director, Marcel ‘Fable’ Price.” Announcement email here.
C3 Calendar
Saturday, August 20
12:00 p.m.: Vigil for Peace and Justice (Central Park, GH)
Sunday, August 21
Grand Haven Community Center (421 Columbus Ave., GH)
9:00 a.m. Pre-Talk, In Person
10:00 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
Teacher: Kent Dobson
Music: Kyle Rasche
Meditation: Cindy Anderson
10:00 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Margaret Willey (Woodbine Room)
11:00 a.m. Talk Back, in Person
Tuesday, August 23
7:00 p.m. C3 Men’s Group (American Legion Hall, 700 S. Harbor Dr., GH)
Saturday, August 27
12:00 p.m.: Vigil for Peace and Justice (Central Park, GH)
Sunday, August 28
Grand Haven Community Center (421 Columbus Ave., GH)
9:00 a.m. Pre-Talk, In Person
10:00 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
Teacher: Jenny Atlee Loudon
Music: Beth Bombara
Meditation: David Dean
10:00 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Sally Alderink (Woodbine Room)
11:00 a.m. Talk Back, in Person
Jenny Atlee-Loudon is well-known to long-time C3 members as our Lead Teacher in 2016, and those who don’t know Jenny will have the privilege of hearing from this social justice giant next week. Jenny and her husband Tom spent 30 years of work supporting social justice and environmental rights activists in Central America.
From Tom Petty’s heartland rock & roll to Aimee Mann’s quirky indie-folk, Beth Bombara’s latest album, Evergreen, sources its inspiration from iconic sources. Even so, it is the unmistakably unique work of this Missouri-based singer/songwriter who, over a half-dozen albums, has nodded to past traditions while always pushing ahead into new territory.