Update for August 13, 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?”

Our Gathering this week features Greg Rappleye, poet and Hope College professor, who joins our series We Have Questions, to ask How Do We Speak with the Dead? Jennifer and Jared Adams, who are Annagail, bring us the music. Our meditation will be given by Rod Van Abbema.

Our weekly Gathering takes place in the Mackinaw Ballroom at Central Park Place every Sunday at 10 a.m. Pre-Talk and Awakenings (meditation) precede the Gathering at 9 a.m. After the Gathering, enjoy a Small Bite and join Talk Back. Our C3 Kids meet at 10 a.m. in the C3 Kids’ area of the Mackinaw Room. The Gathering is live-streamed on C3’s Facebook page.

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• Last Sunday’s Teaching here and Meditation here.

🆕  Claude’s Farewell

The Board of Trustees and the C3 Kids Committee would like to acknowledge Claude McMasters’ graduation and express our appreciation of his contributions, which include helping with C3 Kids and three years of setup and take down for our Sunday Gatherings. Claude will attend Grand Valley in the fall. If you have not already made a contribution to Claude’s graduation, and would like to do so at C3, look for a decorated box with Claude’s name on it at the sound table. The box will be there for the next three Sundays! Good luck, Claude!

New C3 Logo T-Shirts

After the Gatherings, Teresa Colbry will be taking orders for new C3 logo t-shirts! We’ve mocked up the shirts in two colors — Indigo Blue and Prairie Dust Brown. The cost of the shirts is $15, payable when the shirt is ordered by cash or check. We need 25 pre-paid orders of a single color to move forward. We may have to gang orders into one color. T-Shirt Specs: Gildan Ultra 100% Cotton, Short Sleeve; Crew neck (No V necks at this time); Unisex sizing (S, M, L, XL; XXL—add $2); Logo will be screen printed in white ink.

Guest Teachers and Beyond

Kent was a guest teacher long before he became our lead teacher. Maybe there’s someone you know who could follow his footsteps. Or maybe the person could speak yearly or perhaps become a core teacher. Regardless of what might happen with any particular person, right now, we’re looking for many guest teachers in the upcoming months. That’s where you come in. If you have ideas of people who would be a good fit as a guest teacher, please send an email to GuestTeacherNames [at] c3westmichigan [dot] org with as much information as you can about the person. Thank you so much!

Before becoming lead teacher Kent Dobson appeared on the C3 stage as a guest teacher. This teaching entitled, Unloading the Camel: Unlearned and Unknowing with Kent Dobson, has over 1000 views!

🆕  Wild Apricot for Members App

Wild Apricot helps members to stay in touch with this handy app. Easily find other members of C3 and contact them. To download the app, navigate to your app store and search for “Wild Apricot for Members”. Download and open the app and log in with your member user name and password. (Note: If you have forgotten your log in credentials you will need to navigate to the C3 Wild Apricot Member Directory Webpage and click on “log in”. At the next prompt click on “forgot password” and follow instructions.) 

Board of Trustees Election Nomination Period

The nomination period for Board of Trustee candidates is now open and runs from August 1 through October 1. Anyone interested in running for office should contact a current board member. Please encourage other potential candidates to apply.

C3 Summer Fundraiser Update

Gordy Alderink, John Leitner, Ira Engeltjes, and Andy Cawthon have been pedaling to up the ante, while Chrys Moelter-Gray has added a few more swims in Lake MIchigan, all to raise funds for C3. You are encouraged to sponsor any of these C3ers with a pledge! They will continue pedaling and dipping until Sunday, September 17, and will report totals and dollars shortly after that.

🆕  Vigil for Peace and Justice

The Vigil for Peace and Justice takes place every Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. along Washington Avenue at Central Park in Grand Haven.

Grand Haven Hispanic Heritage Fiesta

Mark Saturday, September 16, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on your calendar as the date for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Fiesta! C3 is a sponsor and on the planning team. This event honors our Hispanic community with music, dance, a Mercado (marketplace), kids’ activities, food, and more. We will have a C3 Booth, and we need a canopy for the day. Please contact Rod Van Abbema if you have one to loan.

Fall Adopt-A-Highway Date

Another important date to set aside is the morning of September 30. Our fall Adopt-A-Highway cleanup has been scheduled for that Saturday. Rain date is Sunday, October 1, after the Gathering.

🆕  Sunday Dinner Group 

We’re meeting again at William Ferry Park in Ferrysburg (110 Pine Street) at 5:30 on Sunday evening, repeating our “Bring Your Own Picnic” (or grab some take-out food on the way)!

C3 Book Club and Friends

We’ll see you this Tuesday, August 15, 6 p.m. at The Bookman to talk about On Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

September 19: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton (Possible pot luck dinner, place to be determined)

C3 Men’s Group

The C3 Men’s Group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the American Legion Hall on Harbor Drive. Contact Phil Koster at 616-402-1751 for more information.

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.

Cyndi Casemier’s mother Carolyn Casemier-Rotz, passed away on July 23. The obituary may be read here. A Celebration of Life will be held September 2, 4 to 7 p.m. at Klaasen’s Funeral Home. Cards may be sent to Cyndi at 13489 Redbird Lane, Grand Haven, MI 49417.

Carolyn DeVries wishes to thank all for the kindness and thoughtfulness shown during her recovery from a fall. She is currently continuing recovery at home.

Hank & Karen Nash have moved to Washington state, north of Seattle, to live closer to family. Karen reports “a plethora of liberal churches out here.” They have asked to share their new contact information with C3 friends. Address: 15932 Village Green Drive, Unit D, Mill Creek, WA 98012.

We’re collecting Back-to-School items based on teachers’ stated needs within the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy system. The items will be distributed by the teachers themselves, based on needs of individual classrooms and teachers. See the printable list of possible donations here. You may bring items from the list below to C3 this Sunday or on August 20.

• Copy paper – 8 1/2″  x 11″ white; by case or ream; lots
• Sanitizer wipes – Clorox brand suggested; dozens of containers
• Kleenex or other similar brand tissues; multiple boxes
  
• Standard, spiral-bound notebooks – wide ruled (important!); dozens
  
• Pocket folders – hundreds; colorful
  
• Pencils – #2 Ticonderoga brand (specifically for testing); many packages
  
• Pink Pearl erasers
  
• 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
  
• Lysol scented sprays
  

Please note specifics, as other item types may not be useful in the classroom. These are very basic school supplies. Let’s be generous and see to what degree we can relieve the teachers at MLK from having to spend their own money to achieve success in their classrooms. You may also 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.