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 speaker this week is Mary Balkon, LMSW, Mdiv. This will be her second time at C3. She was last with us in May 2017. She is a therapist; student of psychology, culture and religion; a practicing pagan; and generally a curious citizen of the world. Her teaching title is The Subconscious Doesn’t Hear Not.
Joining us for the first time is Mike Ward: Psychosongs, a Detroit singer-songwriter, known for his lyrically-centric, vocally-charged folk songs. His songwriting resides in the hidden spaces between joy and tragedy, love and loss.
The meditation will be shared by Rod Van Abbema.
Sunday Gathering
Come for Pre-Talk at 9 a.m. to get a jump on the rest of the group; join us at Central Park Place in Grand Haven for the Gathering at 10 a.m., which is live-streamed on C3’s Facebook page. Snack and socialize during Small Bites, then respond to the teaching at Talk Back from 11:15 to noon. C3 Kids meet in the C3 Kids’ area of the Mackinaw Room from 10 a.m. to noon.
- Missed an email? Revisit or catch up on our website > Updates
- Need Event Information? Our website has a full event calendar > Calendar
- Last Sunday’s Teaching here and Meditation here.
- The book mentioned by Charlotte Rozich in her meditation last week is The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age.
🆕 Did You Forget Your Jacket?
A fleece jacket was found in the Mackinaw Room after the Gathering last week. It will be at the sound table this Sunday.
Your Feedback, Please
The Sunday Gathering Team recently began developing a larger pool of guest teachers. Thanks to your many suggestions, we’re inviting some of them to teach in the next couple of months, so you’ll be seeing a lot of new faces. We’d love your feedback on these guest teachers—as well as the musician(s) and the overall Gathering experience. Please either talk to a member of the Sunday Gathering Team, or use this online form to share your feedback. There will also be forms located at the back of the Gathering room, and boxes in which you can put your feedback. You can be anonymous or sign your name. Thanks for your help!
Sunday Gathering Team: Leslie Newman (Chair), Beth Buelow, Valerie Engeltjes, Marianne Fischer, Chrys Moelter-Gray, Jean Regester, Chuck Tawney, Rod Van Abbema, Cindy Van Ittersum, and Ellie Williams
Gathering Cancellations
If a decision is made to cancel any future Gathering, it will be shared on C3’s Facebook page, on Instagram, via the C3 email list, and on television stations Fox 17 and WZZM 13. Let’s hope there’s no need to use this information anytime soon.
🆕 Week3@C3 for February
Our project for February will be to stock the Micro Pantry at the Momentum Center —“Take what you need, leave what you can.” Acceptable items are easy-to-prepare, shelf-stable food (printable list here):
- microwave mac & cheese, Ramen noodles
- canned soups and pasta
- instant mashed potatoes
- instant oatmeal
- canned vegetables and fruit
- gummy fruit snacks
- fruit and pudding cups
- granola bars
- instant hot chocolate.
- Items will be collected on February 4, 11, and 18.
Did you know? The suggestion to place a Micro Pantry at the Momentum Center came from C3 friend Natalie Carmolli. The cabinet that holds the items was built by C3 member Bill Haug.
🆕 C3 Co-Sponsors Peace March Next Saturday
Stand for Peace Michigan, Holland United Church of Christ (UCC), and C3 are co-sponsoring a Peace March along River Avenue at Centennial Park in Holland on Saturday, February 10, from 11 a.m. to noon. Bring a homemade sign calling for peace and join us as we walk on the sidewalk along River Avenue in front of Centennial Park. Will you add your voice and your presence? In addition to supporting the cessation of conflict, we can make connections with fellow peace activists in Holland. Contact Chrys Moelter-Gray with any 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.
Pastor Tim from Life Church and his family lost their home to a fire recently.
- Charity announced last week that we had collected $2200, to provide them a gift card from Meijer. Thank you for your generosity.
- Creative people might be inspired to make something for them.
- Please send Charity McMaster photos of any household items you may have to donate by February 4, to add to the “catalog” of items to share with the family, so they can decide if they could use any of them.
- The date to give this donation to Pastor Tim and family is February 11.
Yvonne Olmsted’s brother Hans Cramer (also known as Hamsagati Das), died recently in India, as he wished. The family will gather this summer for a memorial. Cards may be sent to 210 S. 7th Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417.
Joan Sutton will turn 90 on January 29. She is doing well, but doesn’t get around as much as she used to. She talks about C3 often. You can send birthday wishes to 13892 148th Avenue, Grand Haven, MI 49417. Daughter Gayle invites you to an informal open house for Joan on February 3, 1:30– 4 p.m. in the Woodbine Room at Central Park Place.
Sunday Dinner Group
Sign-up for Sunday Dinner Group at the Membership Table at the Gathering. This week we’ll head to The Kirby at 5:30 p.m.
C3 Men’s Group
The C3 Men’s Group meets each Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Room B, in Grand Haven. Contact Phil Koster for more information.
C3 Book Club and Friends
Join us on at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20 at The Bookman to discuss The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi by Efif Shafek.
March 19: Bee Season: A Novel by Myla Goldberg
April 16: The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
Women’s Journey
Our next meeting will be Monday, February 26, at 6:30 p.m. at The Bookman. Bring a favorite children’s book or story. Leslie Newman will be leading us. Please continue to consider ideas for the new year!
Thank You! Your support matters and is greatly appreciated!
It takes a lot of time, energy, and money to produce all the great things that happen at C3. Whether it is our Sunday Gatherings or working within our West Michigan communities, we strive to make a difference, with compassion. Your financial support allows us to continue to learn, teach and live our values to heal and effect change.
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.
Momentum Center: Free Dinner and Movie Night
Mark your calendar now for February ’s movie, Rustin, which will be Friday, February 9. Dinner is at 5 p.m., the movie starts at 6 p.m. Pot luck items are not necessary, but welcome.
OCDP Community Service Project / CROP Walk 2024
The Ottawa County Dems will participate in the Holland/Zeeland CROP Walk on Sunday, May 19, to raise funds to provide clean water and food to individuals in crisis. JoBird is organizing the team. Find out more here. Both walkers and donations are welcome! Maybe we could form a C3 group to join the effort! Contact Chrys Moelter-Gray for more information or to join the team.
Ottawa County Leadership
If you are concerned about the current quality of leadership in Ottawa County, here are some groups you can learn from and get involved with:
- Organize Ottawa–-this is where the action is right now if you want to get involved. Groups are organizing in each district to elect responsible leadership to the County Commission in the next election. You can find it on Facebook or send an email to to get involved.
- The Unifying Coalition of Ottawa County came together in response to Ottawa Impact becoming the majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. The main organizations are Ottawa Integrity PAC and Vote Common Good West Michigan.
- Ottawa Objects Facebook page is a good source of information about actions of the County Commission.
Sunday, February 4
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 Sandy Kate Stephens
10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
• Guest Teacher: Mary Balkon
• Musician: Mike Ward: Psychosongs
• Meditation: Rod Van Abbema
11 a.m. Talk Back
Tuesday, February 6
7 p.m. C3 Men’s Group (Room B, St. John’s Episcopal Church, GH)
Sunday, February 11
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 Bladus
10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook
• Guest Teacher: Dr. Sarah Kornfield
• Musician: Grace Theisen
• Meditation: Mary Ackerson
11 a.m. Talk Back
Dr. Sarah Kornfield is Associate Professor of Communication at Hope College and affiliated professor of Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research combines rhetorical criticism and feminist theory to analyze three pillars of U.S. public culture: entertainment television, Christian religiosity, and politics. She is the author of Contemporary Rhetorical Criticism, and the upcoming publication from Johns Hopkins University Press, Invoking the Fathers.
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 to 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.
New Year, New Reviews!
We would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to share your experience at C3 by reviewing us on Google. Thank you!
Google requires reviewers to have a Google account. If you don’t have one you can set one up with your current email address, follow instructions here.
frontdesk [at] c3westmichigan [dot] org
C3 Spiritual Community Office
1447 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 371, Grand Haven, MI 49417
616-842-1985 (number can receive text messages)
Becky Park, Office Manager
Office Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays from 12 noon – 2:30 p.m., or by appointment.
Shannon McMaster, Executive Director
smcmaster [at] c3westmichigan [dot] org
Automatic donations are handled by Carol Takas, 616-613-3222, at Selby Accounting.
Please direct any questions to Andy Cawthon.
C3 Board of Trustees
Chair: Teresa Colbry
Vice-Chair: Tod Wyn
Secretary: Beth Buelow
Treasurer: Andy Cawthon
Newsletter Submissions and Editor: Chrysteen Moelter-Gray
Newsletter Designer: Annie Wassmann
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