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?”
Allison Paradise fills the Guest Teacher role with the question What Is Essential? She has inspired thousands of people to see themselves, their relationship to others, and their relationship to the planet in a new way. She is founder of My Green Lab and The Epicenter. We welcome musician Molly back to C3; she last sang for our Gathering in November 2022. Charlotte Rozich’s meditation rounds out the Gathering.
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
- 🆕 Charity McMasters’ Meditation poem from March 31
Talk Back Takeover!
Join us on April 28 for a Talk Back Takeover where Executive Director Shannon McMaster will lead us through a visioning exercise to kick off our community Strategic Planning process! Look for additional information in the coming weeks.
Springtime Dine with Nine
Let’s try for a spring theme for the next Dine with Nine on Saturday, May 11, at 6:00 p.m. Sign up any Sunday between now and April 21 at the Membership Table. This event connects adults regardless of age or relationship status, bringing together widows, singles, couples, partners, and divorcees at the host’s home to share food, fun, and conversation. Coordinators of the event are Joyce Cawthon, Kathy Smith, and Mary Ackerson. Contact: Joyce with questions.
Your Feedback, Please
We’d love your feedback on our guest teachers—as well as the musician(s) and the overall Gathering experience. 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!
Week 3@C3 for April
Our project for April will be to help Grand Haven’s American Legion collect snacks and other items, which they will mail in individual care packages to our troops overseas. Food items (regular size, no bulk packages): Peanut Butter Pretzels, Beef Jerky (no pork), Doritos, Sun Chips, Potato Chips, Pringles, Reese’s Fast Breaks, Paydays, M&Ms, Gummy Bears, Mac and Cheese Cups, Rice A Roni Cups, Pasta Roni Cups, Summer Sausage & Crackers, Goldfish Crackers, Pretzels, Combos, Pop Tarts, Rice Crispy Treats, Girl Scout Cookies, Trail Mix, Cheez Its, and Propel Water Packets. Non-food items: Deodorant, Shampoo, and Toothpaste. Items will be collected on April 14, and 21. Printable list here.
🆕 Donate Your US-Manufactured Eclipse Glasses
Did you experience the eclipse? Patti Baldus is collecting eclipse glasses to send to Eclipse Glasses USA, which distributes them to kids around the world so they can watch the next eclipse in October 2024. The website notes that they only take certified glasses manufactured in the United States. That means the eclipse glasses cannot be made in China and need to include the American-based manufacturer business and address on the inside. There should also be an ISO logo stamped on the edge of the glasses. If you have such glasses that you’d like to pass along, bring them to C3 on Sunday and give them to Patti.
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.
Longtime C3 member Dr. Justin Kleveland died on March 30, at the age of 99, just 12 days shy of his 100th birthday. After serving in the Army, he settled in Muskegon in 1953, and began his career in Internal Medicine, which he practiced for 44 years. He was a strong advocate for education, universal health care, and common-sense gun control. He also enjoyed traveling, and did so to approximately 27 countries. The Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, May 11 at 12 p.m. at the Lake House (730 Terrace Point Dr, Muskegon, MI). Cards can be sent to Kathleen at 1634 Sunset Drive, North Muskegon, MI 49445.
🆕 A celebration of birthdays took place last Saturday for Connie Farell (87) and Jean King(86). A few friends gathered with them for cake and singing!
🆕 Support the Vigil for Peace and Justice
Eight stalwarts stood for peace last Saturday: Patti Baldus, Chrys Moelter-Gray, Leslie Newman, Betty Porter, Tom Sobel, Rod and Cheryl Van Abbema, and Ellie Williams. You are invited to join from noon to 1 p.m. along Washington Avenue at Central Park in Grand Haven. Bring a chair if you would rather sit! If you can’t stay for an hour, stay for as long as you can.
Next Saturday! Earth Day Lakeshore Celebration
Make plans to attend the Earth Day Lakeshore Celebration next Saturday, April 20! Join the Green March at 12:30 p.m. from the Courthouse parking lot through Grand Haven to Central Park Place, where C3 will have both a Kids’ activity and a C3 Outreach table, focusing on our value of Care for the Earth. The celebration features booths and activities for all ages, food, music, and horse-drawn carriage rides!
Volunteers Still Needed for Spring Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
Our spring Adopt-A-Highway cleanup is Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to noon (If necessary, the rain date is Sunday, April 28, after the Talk Back Takeover). Sign up anytime via email (name and phone number please) or at the Outreach table on Sunday, April 14. More information and safety video here!
Sunday Dinner Group
We will meet at Ted’s in Spring Lake on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Sign up at the Membership table before leaving the Gathering.
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
We meet on Tuesday, April 16, 6 p.m. at The Bookman to discuss The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan. Newcomers are always welcome!
May 21: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Women’s Journey
We meet again on Monday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. at The Bookman. Coincidentally, it will be Earth Day, so we are planning on bringing a small outdoor plant to exchange. Please join us! We also set the date for May: Monday, May 20, (one week before Memorial Day) same time, same place.
Use your IRA and/or Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) to support C3
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.
Momentum Center: The Great Disconnect—Tonight
This documentary explores our age of loneliness and disconnection by visiting North American cities to discover factors that have profound and lasting impacts on the health of the communities in which we live. Is it possible to overcome our modern culture of disconnectedness and rediscover how truly essential we are to one another? On Friday, April 12, enjoy dinner at 5 p.m. at the Momentum Center (401 N. 7th Street) in Grand Haven, followed by the movie at 6 p.m. Both dinner and the movie are free and open to the public. The movie is rated PG-13.
HFP Fundraiser
Do you know about HFP’s fundraiser called the Unball? It’s an event you don’t have to attend, you’re just asked for a donation to support their important work. Click on this link if you would like to know more.
🆕 Deepening Our Spiritual Connection – Shamanic Sundays 2024
A series of four workshops to build understanding of the indigenous spiritual path, hosted by Ruth Zwald, will take place on May 5, June 2, July 14, and August 18. Click here for more information.
🆕 Community Events for Your Consideration
Click on the links for more information.
- April 13 & 14: All Walks of Life Pow Wow at GVSU, sponsored by the GVSU Native American Student Association.
- April 20: The Big Shop Support your favorite non-profit organizations by shopping local.
- April 24: Retirement Sip & See Learn about volunteer opportunities at the Momentum Center
- April 27: Art for the Parks A pop-up sale to benefit Ottawa County parks Foundation
- May 2: Town Hall Meeting: You Have New Voting Rights! sponsored by Organize District 9 and ONTRAC
- May 18: Momentum Center’s Prom with a Purpose. Consider a sponsorship, get your tickets!
Saturday, April 13
12 p.m. Vigil for Peace and Justice (Central Park, GH)
Sunday, April 14
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: Allison Paradise
• Musician: Molly
• Meditation: Charlotte Rozich
11 a.m. Talk Back
Tuesday, April 16
6 p.m. C3 Book Club and Friends (The Bookman, 715 Washington, GH)
7 p.m. C3 Men’s Group (Room B, St. John’s Episcopal Church, GH)
Wednesday, April 16
6:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting (C3 Office, 1447 Washington Ave., GH)
Saturday, April 20
12 p.m. Vigil for Peace and Justice (Central Park, GH)
12:30 Green Parade (Courthouse Parking Lot, GH)
1 p.m. Earth Day Lakeshore Celebration (Central Park Place)
Sunday, April 21
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
• Guest Teacher: Tanya Cabala
• Music: Michelle Held
• Meditation: Rod Van Abbema
11 a.m. Talk Back
Tanya Cabala is a lifelong resident of Muskegon County. She earned a BS at GVSU, started a concerned citizen group to focus on cleaning up pollution, and was hired in 1991 as Michigan director of the Lake Michigan Federation. She helped launch local advisory groups for White Lake and Muskegon Lake, then both toxic hotspots. She has served in several civic roles in Whitehall, and ran for state representative in 2018. Now she is the Lakeshore Outreach Organizer for WMEAC (West Michigan Environmental Action Council).
Michelle Held, a stalwart in the contemporary folk music scene in Detroit for over a decade, has earned Honorable Mentions in the past three Telluride Troubadour Contests. She released her debut single “The World Moves On” last November. Tom Paxton says of Michelle: “Two years ago, I told Michelle that I thought she had the gift. I am changing ‘thought’ to ‘know.’”
Drop Us Some Stars
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.
C3 Membership Directory (login required)
C3 Website>Values (printable list here)
Teaching Podcast “The Stage at C3” Feeds: Apple Podcasts YouTube Music
🆕 Last Week’s Update and Bulletin
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
Did someone forward this email to you? If you would like to receive your own copy send us a message here.
We hope you found this newsletter to be useful. However, if you’d rather not receive future e-mails of this sort from C3 Spiritual Community, please unsubscribe here.
Copyright © 2024 C3 Spiritual Community. All rights reserved.