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 welcome a new voice to C3, Dr. Sarah Kornfield, Associate Professor of Communication at Hope College. Her contribution to our series We Have Questions is Why Are Girls Going Fundamentalist? That certainly sounds like a timely topic. The other two women who will contribute to the Gathering are musician Hannah Laine and Charity McMaster, who offers the meditation.
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.
- Missed an email? Revisit or catch up on our website > Updates
- Need Event Information? Our website has a full event calendar > Upcoming Events
- 🆕 Last Sunday’s Teaching and Meditation here.
🆕 Celebration of Gratitude
In just over a week, Kent will lead our Gathering for the last time as our lead teacher. Be sure to make plans to stay around for food, reminiscing, and a chance to thank Kent and wish him well!
We’re counting on everyone to help make this memorable. If your last name begins with A–M, please bring a savory finger food. If your last name begins with N–Z, please bring a sweet finger food. For all the details, please follow this link to our website for a complete description of the morning.
We’ll see you there!
An Exciting Opportunity at C3
In the coming months, we will be hiring an Executive Director to join the C3 leadership team. Duties for the Executive Director will include everyday operational and administrative responsibilities as well as long-term and special activities that support our mission. They will actively support our robust volunteer teams, Board of Trustees, and Lead Teacher in reaching our goals and serving our C3 and greater West Michigan communities.
Our request: Please forward this link, c3westmichigan.org/employment, to anyone you see as a possible candidate or who might know someone who’d be interested. The posting closes on October 31; we plan to have it filled by year’s end.
With Gratitude,
Executive Director Search Team
Beth Buelow, Ira Engeltjes, Kathy Humphrey, Mark Smith, Wayne Johnson
🆕 Usher Openings Now
- Wanted: C3 members for simple, fun, 15-minute job once every five Sundays
- Requirements: ability to smile, greet, and hand out bulletins
- Pay: personal satisfaction from meeting nice people and serving C3
- Inquiries: Rod Van Abbema
🆕 C3 Community Annual Meeting
It’s important to remember two things about the annual meeting:
- It’s held the first Sunday in November now.
- It’s the morning after we change our clocks, so with that extra hour of sleep, there’s no excuse to miss it!
We’ll be discussing some important business, as well as electing new Board of Trustee members, so you won’t want to miss it!
Sign Up for Sunday Dinner Group
Don’t forget to sign up to join the Sunday Dinner Group at The Kirby this Sundayafternoon at 5:30 p.m. The sign-up sheet will be on the Membership table at the Gathering.
🆕 C3 Men’s Group
The group’s meeting on Tuesday, October 17, will again be at Ted Larned’s home, at the usual time, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
C3 Book Club and Friends
We meet this Tuesday, October 17, 6 p.m. at The Bookman to discuss The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton. The book for November 21 is The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. Start thinking of three books to suggest for 2024, when we meet for our holiday party and book selection process in December.
Women’s Journey Returns
Would you enjoy getting together on a monthly basis to share stories, laughter, and build friendships with C3 women? Join us for an organizational meeting on Monday, October 23, at 6:30 p.m. at The Bookman (715 Washington Ave., GH). We will make a plan for Women’s Journey 2024! Contact Becky Park with questions.
Last Sunday for Week 3@C3 for October
We will be collecting this Sunday for the Muskegon Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving Baskets Project. Needed for the baskets are:
Packaged items—
- stuffing mix
- mashed potatoes
- macaroni and cheese
- brownie or cake mixes
- canned corn and green beans
Muskegon Rescue Mission prepares to give away 1,000 Thanksgiving meal baskets. These items will be collected this Sunday and delivered to the Rescue Mission.
Travel-size Items
Every Woman’s Place takes contributions of travel size toiletry items—shampoo, conditioner, wrapped soap, lotions, nail files, floss. If you have any of these to contribute, bring them any Sunday to the Week 3@C3 table.
Automate Your Donations
- Want to make your life easier and more predictable?
- Why not put your donations to C3 on autopilot?
- No more having to remember to send a check!
- No more trying to remember — did I or didn’t I?
It is a secure and easy set up — just call Carol Takas (616-613-3222) at Selby Accounting. Please direct any questions to Shannon McMaster.
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.
HFP Presents The Voices of Humanity October 27
C3 has supported Humanity for Prisoners for years. Theirs is a work of compassionate action for the incarcerated. Their annual Fall Speaker Event has a new look this year, their first film festival, featuring Behind our Walls, Friday, October 27, 7 p.m. at Central Park Place in Grand Haven. Buy tickets or donate here, and see all the details here.
HFP Communicator
Click here to read the Humanity for Prisoners newsletter for October.
Vigil for Peace and Justice
🆕 We will stand for badly needed peace this Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. along Washington Avenue at Central Park. New folks are always welcome to join.
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.
Lynne Deur is undergoing multiple procedures to receive a cochlear implant. She and Jean will remain in Michigan until she has the implant and is comfortable with it. Cards can be sent to Lynne at 18332 N. Shore Estates, Spring Lake, MI 49456.
🆕 Patricia Johnson had knee-replacement surgery this week.
🆕 Jean Regester had a stroke this week and was at Trinity Health Grand Rapids. She is stable, alert, and communicating well. She will be discharged to an inpatient rehab facility. Her kids are with her and will keep us informed.
🆕 Barb Van Leeuwen thanks those who have supported her during her long treatment period, which has recently ended. She continues recovery at home, 2669 Weatherby Hills Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
🐓 Note: Pam Park will have a couple of dozen eggs this week. Text her at to reserve a dozen for $3, and she’ll bring them to C3 on Sunday.
🆕 Congratulations to C3 member Pete Bennett, who recently received recognition from the North Country Trail Association for his 1,000 hours of volunteer work helping to maintain 80 miles of the Spirit of the Woods chapter’s section of the North Country Trail. Pete and Julie adopted a four-mile section of the North Country Trail in 2014 near Big Star Lake to maintain. The North Country National Scenic Trail is a National Park that is 4800 miles long and goes from Vermont to North Dakota.
Naturalization Ceremonies at Loutit District Library
Good news! The USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) has scheduled two naturalization ceremonies at the Loutit District Library on Tuesday, October 17. Several C3 folks have volunteered at previous ceremonies and found them to be very impressive and moving. There will be one ceremony at 10 a.m. and one at 1:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
🆕 Free Film and Discussion to Stop Gun Violence
Guest Speaker Chris VanEyl of MOMS Demand Action will lead discussion of the film 101 Seconds: How do you step up to stop gun violence in your community? at Muskegon Community College on Wednesday, October 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Details here.
Dinner and Movie Night— Tonight
The monthly event takes place this evening, Friday, October 13 at the Momentum Center in Grand Haven, and features Elemental, a film which illustrates that embracing diversity and truly seeing people for who they are can lead to deeper connections and understanding among people. Dinner begins at 5 p.m.(pot luck items welcome but not necessary) and the movie starts at 6 p.m.
Series on Racial Reconciliation
On September 25, St. John ’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven offered the first in an 11-part series, Sacred Ground, a film-based dialogue on racial reconciliation. A schedule of classes and a registration page can be found online.
Happenings at Loutit District Library
This is just a reminder to check out all the interesting things happening at our Loutit District Library in October, including the Banned and Challenged Books Event, Morning Meditation, and the Friday Matinee.
Series on Climate Change and Faith
A four-part series on Climate Change and Faith is being held at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven on October 8, 15, 22, and 29. Click here for more information.
Saturday, October 14
12 p.m. Vigil for Peace and Justice (Washington Ave. at Central Park, GH)
Sunday, October 15
All events held in the Mackinaw Ballroom in Central Park Place (421 Columbus Ave., GH)
9 a.m. Pre-Talk & Awakenings
10 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Patti Baldus
10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
• Guest Teacher: Dr. Sarah Kornfield
• Musician: Hannah Lane
• Meditation: Charity McMaster
11 a.m. Talk Back
Tuesday, October 17
6 p.m. C3 Book Club and Friends (The Bookman, 715 Washington Ave., GH)
7 p.m. C3 Men’s Group (17420 W. Spring Lake Rd., SL)
Saturday, October 21
12 p.m. Vigil for Peace and Justice (Washington Ave. at Central Park, GH)
Sunday, October 22
All events held in the Mackinaw Ballroom in Central Park Place (421 Columbus Ave., GH)
9 a.m. Pre-Talk & Awakenings
10 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Sally Alderink
10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
• C3 Teacher: Kent Dobson
• Musician: Grace Theisen
• Meditation: David Dean
11 a.m. Thank You and Farewell to Kent Dobson
Kent Dobson, who has been the lead teacher at C3 since 2017, will be with us for the last time as Lead Teacher next week. He and the family are moving to Georgia. Kent is in the guide-in-training program at Animas Valley Institute in Colorado, an organization specializing in wilderness intensives. He leads Israel study tours, wilderness retreats, and has his own podcast called Hints and Guesses.
Grace Theisen is a queer Americana artist originally from Kalamazoo. After graduating from Hope College in 2014 with a double major in Gender Studies and Psychology, Grace moved to Nashville from 2015-2018 to run her nonprofit, Songs Against Slavery. She returned to Kalamazoo in 2019 and has been influential in the Michigan music scene. She is one-third of the band The Rebel Eves.
Thank you for supporting C3!
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C3 Spiritual Community Office
1447 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 371, Grand Haven, MI 49417
Becky Park, Office Manager
Office Hours: Wednesday 12:30–2:30 p.m., Friday 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., or by appointment
Automatic donations are handled by Carol Takas at Selby Accounting.
Please direct any questions to Shannon McMaster.
C3 Board of Trustees
Chair: Sally Alderink
Vice-Chair: Teresa Colbry
Secretary: Valerie Engeltjes
Treasurer: Shannon McMaster
Beth Buelow
Andy Cawthon
Kim Crozier
Tom Edwards
Kathy Humphrey
Wayne Johnson
Rod Van Abbema
Newsletter Submissions and Editor: Chrysteen Moelter-Gray.
Newsletter Designer: Annie Wassmann
Copyright © 2023 C3 Spiritual Community. All rights reserved.