C3 Core Teacher Ruth Zwald joins us on Sunday, incorporating Nature into the Unfolding series with her teaching Nature Does What It Does. Mike Ward: Psychosongs makes his second appearance at C3. Our meditation comes from Leslie Newman.

Gathering

This Sunday’s Gathering will take place at Central Park Place (Mackinaw Ballroom, 421 Columbus Avenue, Grand Haven, MI 49417). The schedule begins with Pre-Talk at 9 a.m. The C3 Kids session with Miss Mary runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The main Gathering, which will be available both in person and via livestream on Facebook, begins at 10 a.m., and is followed by Talk Back, which concludes at noon. Join us for any or all parts of the morning! Teaching archive here and Meditation archive here.

Please note: Awakenings will not meet on Sunday mornings this summer. The fall schedule is yet to be determined.

News

🆕 C3 Summer Celebration Community Potluck

Over 80 people came out to play, laugh, eat, and totally enjoy the beautiful evening. The winners of the second annual corn hole tournament were Lexie and Jim Fischer, known as Team Big Fisch. Several deer were seen walking around the grounds, amazing Lisa and Brad! Teresa Colbry summed up the evening’s essence when she pointed out that what we choose to do as a community matters, and our members matter to each other. She acknowledged what a gift Brad and Shannon are to our community. The last people left the fire pit around 9:30 p.m., attesting to the great conversations and connections everyone experienced. Many thanks to a great and glorious team of people who all were eager to show up early, decorate, arrange, and again stayed late to clean up. Photos from the event can be found on our Community Life webpage.

🆕 Volunteers Needed!

With the change to setup services offered by the City, we will begin doing our own setup at Central Park Place on Sunday morning. Rod Van Abbema has offered to help coordinate some volunteers until Shannon can finalize a plan. We need two to three people for setup and tear down for this Sunday, July 28, and the first two Sundays in August. Plan for an 8 a.m. arrival time. If you are available for all three weeks, that would be great! If you available for only one, that is also great! The task will involve bringing chairs out, setting them in rows, bringing the tables out, pulling out the a/v carts, and after the Gathering putting everything away. Please reach out to Shannon or Rod if you are able to help.

Care and Concern

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.

Cindy Dobrez’ brother Robert James Kittleson died on July 4 in Grand Haven. His obituary can be read here.

Connie Farell is under hospice care at Lake Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1684 Vulcan Street, Muskegon, MI 49442. Visits and cards are welcomed!

Pat Johnson had knee replacement surgery recently, and is working hard at PT, looking forward to driving again, and having both knees fully functional and painfree!

Betty Porter had heart surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit last Monday. She is doing well and recovering at home for a week. Thank you to all who sent encouraging messages.

🆕 Tom and Kathy Tosa would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, wishes and prayers for their son, Michael, who was paralyzed in a motocross accident this past May. Michael continues to improve daily and a week ago was able to walk and stand for four minutes! His progress is amazing and so is your support.

Cindy Van Ittersum’s sister Patricia Aycox died on Monday, July 8. She lived in Schenectady, NY, where she was a teacher, singer extraordinaire, and a very kind lady.

Bob Wassink’s brother Stewart Wassink (age 86) passed away on July 16, under hospice care in Holland.

Outreach

Vigil for Peace and Justice

The Vigil for Peace and Justice will take place tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. on Washington Avenue at Central Park in Grand Haven. The Children’s Coast Guard Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and will conclude before noon, but finding a parking spot might be difficult.

Please note there will be no Vigil next Saturday, August 3, due to the Coast Guard Parade.

🆕 Humanity for Prisoners Newsletter

Click here to read HFP’s July newsletter.

Groups

Sunday Dinner Group at the Park

For the summer, the Sunday Dinner Group will meet at William Ferry Park in Ferrysburg at 5:30 p.m. Bring your own picnic items, or stop and pick up some take-out food on the way! No need to sign up—just come!

🆕 C3 Book Club and Friends

C3 Book Club and Friends generally meet on the third Tuesday of the month, so we will gather on Tuesday, August 20, 6:30 p.m. on Joyce’s porch, to discuss The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.

September 24: Bicycling with Butterflies by Sara Dykman

C3 Men’s Group

The C3 Men’s Group provides a valuable time for men to meet and talk with each other. Feel free to join them on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Room B, in Grand Haven. Questions? Call Phil Koster.

Women’s Journey

Women’s Journey is on pause for July and August.

Charter for Compassion

🆕 School Supplies for Muskegon Heights Elementary Schools

Our Week 3@C3 project for August entails collecting the teacher-requested items listed below for Edgewood Elementary (Pre-K – Grade 2) and Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary (Grades 3-6).

• Copy paper: White 20 lb. – many reams

• Business envelopes: #10, no windows

• One ream each red and green copy paper (Christmas colors)

• Pencils: #2 Ticonderoga or other quality brand

• Lined paper: 8-1/2 x 11, wide-ruled

• Glue sticks

• Crayons: 24-count boxes

• Folders with pockets (many)

• Play dough: 3- or 4-oz. containers (many)

• Primary composition books: Staples #2072492 (9-¾ x 7-½) – two 12-packs.

• Band-aids: boxes of assorted sizes

• Sanitizers wipes and sprays

These items will be collected on August 4, 11, and 18.

Finance

Your ongoing support of C3 is greatly appreciated. Online donations can be made here. Automatic donations can be set up by contacting Carol Takas, 616-613-3222, 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.

Values in Action

Community Events for Your Consideration

Click on the links for more information.

Every Monday through August 26, 7 to 9 p.m.: Summer Author Series
August 1, 6 to 8:30 p.m.: Community Conversation–Common Values in Uncommon Times
August 5, 6 to 7 p.m. Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer at Spring Lake District Library
August 6: Primary Election Day
August 7, 7 p.m. Little Sable Night at the Light

🆕 John Leitner’s Arthritis Foundation Bike Ride

John Leitner is doing a bicycle ride around Lake Michigan soon to help raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. See details and support information here.

Calendar

Saturday, July 27

– 12 p.m. Vigil for Peace and Justice (Central Park, GH)

Sunday, July 28

– 9 a.m. Pre-Talk

– 10 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Sally Alderink

– 10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook

Core Teacher: Ruth Zwald
Music: Mike Ward: Psychosongs
Meditation: Nelleke Knarr

– 11 a.m. Talk Back

Tuesday, July 30

– 7 p.m. C3 Men’s Group (Room B, St. John’s Episcopal Church, GH)

Saturday, August 3

– 12 p.m. NO Vigil for Peace and Justice

Sunday, August 4

– 9 a.m. Pre-Talk

– 10 a.m. C3 Kids with Miss Mary and volunteer Char Kole

– 10 a.m. Gathering, In Person + Livestream on Facebook

Lead Teacher: Brad Ruggles
Music: Sammie Hershock
Meditation: Nelleke Knarr

– 11 a.m. Talk Back

Brad Ruggles joined C3 as Lead Teacher in May of this year. He is a former pastor that deconstructed and later left the faith he was raised in after 18 years in ministry. He and his wife Lisa enjoy adventuring and traveling with their two adult daughters. Brad ’s interests are diverse and include backpacking, meditation, breathwork, yoga, sport kiting, and photography.

Sammie Hershock almost became a cloistered Catholic nun at the age of 18. Now she travels around Michigan singing songs about not knowing the answers. She weaves her humor and playfulness into the depth of the human existence, so audience members sometimes laugh and cry simultaneously. She is an award-winning Michigan-based songwriter, classically-trained pianist, mother of three incredible children, who majored in sacred music with an emphasis on the pipe organ. You won’t currently find her behind an organ at a church, but you may find little pieces of that influence throughout her original folk music.

Additional Resources

C3 Website

C3 Website>Updates

C3 Website>Calendar Events

C3 Membership Directory (login required)

C3 Website>Values (printable list here)

C3 Website>Newsletter Request

Teaching Podcast “The Stage at C3” Feeds: Apple Podcasts YouTube Music

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