Update for February 19, 2023

C3 inspires spiritual, intellectual, and creative exploration and action, led by the questions, “what are the biggest challenges we face on our shared journey, and how do we respond to those challenges?”

We celebrate our C3 Annual Meeting on Sunday after the Gathering! We urge you to join us!

C3 Teacher Kent Dobson welcomes our next year together as C3 Spiritual Community with the question What is an “Inclusive” Spiritual Community? This talk points toward a new series of teachings to begin next week, Spirituality for the 21st Century. Joining Kent at the podium are Nelleke Knarr with the meditation, and musician Hannah Laine, who knocked our socks off last month!

Please join us this week at Central Park Place. Pre-Talk is at 9 a.m. in the Woodbine Room, the Gathering in the Mackinaw Room begins at 10 a.m., and the C3 Annual Meeting follows the Gathering at 11 a.m. C3 Kids meet at 10 in the Woodbine Room. If you can’t join us in person, you can watch online on C3’s Facebook page, but you must attend in person to take part in the Annual Meeting.

Sunday Gathering Information here. Additional Resources here. 
🆕  Last Sunday’s Teaching here. Meditation here.

C3 Annual Meeting

The C3 Annual Meeting provides a time to hear a report on the state of the Community, approve the budget for the year, approve the slate of new board trustees, affirm your membership, and happily recognize one person’s extraordinary contributions with the Phil Koster Meritorious Service award, which is always a highlight of the year! It’s an important time for all of us in the Community to come together! Familiarize yourself with with this year’s slate here.

Attention, please!

Our Board of Trustees has two important reminders for the C3 Community
attending the Gathering:

• Please watch for any spills on the carpet and report them to a board member or Sunday Gathering Team member, and/or clean them up as much as possible.
• If there are any concerns about our shared space and time with Life Church attendees, please take those concerns to our Liaisons Teresa Colbry or Kim Crozier, rather than directly to the Life Church members.

Sunday Dinner Group

21 happy C3ers met at Burger Theory at the Holiday Inn last Sunday evening for dinner and greatly enjoyed each other’s company! We will repeat the occasion at the same location this Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. Interested? Please sign up on the list at the table in the back of the Mackinaw Room, so we can call ahead for a reservation, or contact Chrys Moelter-Gray at 248-217-3879 (call or text).

Dine with Nine

The next Dine with Nine will be on Saturday, March 11, at 6 p.m. Mark your calendar! Sign-up dates are February 19 and 26. This event happens several times a year. You are invited to gather in people’s homes to share food, fun, and conversation. This popular program aims to connect adults regardless of age or relationship status, bringing together widows, singles, couples, partners and divorcees at the home of the evening’s host. Each person is asked to bring an element of the meal—an appetizer, salad, dessert, wine, or bread, while the host will provide the main entree. Coordinators of the event are Joyce Cawthon, Kathy Smith, and Mary Ackerson. Contact Joyce Cawthon (616-502-3133) with questions.

Caring for the members of our C3 Community is a shared communal responsibility, rather than a role reserved for a pastor, priest, or leader. Our C3 Community Care Team encourages members to support each other at time of need with notes, cards, phone calls, visits, meals, and transportation. C3 members are urged to contact the Community Care Team to inform them of life events, illness, or hardships, which can be shared with the C3 Community. To report a need or request help, or to help visit members in hospital, rehab or recovering at home, contact Cheryl Van Abbema: email or Mike and Charlotte Rozich: email.

🆕  Chuck Tawney’s mother, Phyllis M. Tawney, passed away on Monday, February 13. She was 90 years old. She (and her “comedic prickliness”) will be sorely missed by Chuck and his sister. Her obituary can read here. Cards to Chuck can be sent to 3526 Murl Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49442.

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.

Week 3@C3 in February

This is the last week to donate funds for Food for Ukraine. Gifts may be made by cash, check or credit card and will be funneled to Ukraine through the Mennonite Central Committee in Goshen, Indiana. Checks should be made out to C3 with “Food for Ukraine” in the memo line. Likewise, cash should be in an envelope labelled “Food for Ukraine” and deposited in the donation boxes or brought to the “Week 3@ C3” table in the Gathering Room. Chase is prepared to assist you with credit card giving. When giving please indicate that your donation is for “Food for Ukraine,” so that it goes into the correct C3 fund, and so that we can best tabulate total value of the project. Gifts may also be sent to: C3, PO Box 371, Grand Haven, MI 49417.

🆕  Save These Spring Dates!

With two more months of winter ahead of us, let’s think about spring-ier things! At the end of April are two C3 Outreach events that you won’t want to miss, so block out some space on your calendar now for our spring Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup on Saturday, April 22, and the Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 29. More details will follow as those dates approach.

🆕  Humanity for Prisoners February Newsletter

Click here to access the February edition of the HFP Communicator.

Momentum Center February Newsletter 

Click here to access the February edition of Gaining Momentum that includes a special letter from Barbara Lee VanHorssen on Collaboration.

C3 Book Club and Friends

Our discussion of Apeirogon by Colum McCann is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m., at The Bookman. Join us!

April 3: One Long River of Song by Brian Doyle

C3 Men’s Group 

The C3 Men’s Group meets each Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on Harbor Drive in Grand Haven. Questions? Contact Phil Koster at 616-402-1751.

🆕  Black History Events at Frauenthal

Two noteworthy upcoming events are scheduled at the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon: The Black Violin Experience (Sunday, February 26) and Detroit ’67 (March 9-11). Further information and tickets are available at the links. Why not ask a few of your C3 friends to join you at one or both of these events?

Muskegon Museum of Art Postcard Salon 2023

Just a reminder that the deadline for the MMA’s Postcard Salon is Friday, February 24, 2023. Follow this link for complete entry information.