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?”

Greetings as we observe the waning of 2022 and the beginning of 2023!

With no Gathering this Sunday, December 31, we instead take this opportunity to review some of the C3 highlights from 2022.

During our Gatherings this year, we reviewed our C3 Values (January through June) and addressed some of The Great Questions (July – December). Many C3 members served the C3 Community as members of the Board of Trustees, committee members, hosts, ushers, contributors of Small Bites, counters, event organizers and workers, and so on. Your willingness to fulfill these roles is gratefully acknowledged.

Many of the C3 Committees provided the following year-end reports. Please note that to read some of the complete reports, you’ll need to click on the link provided.

Executive Committee

submitted by Valerie Engeltjes

One of the Executive Committee’s functions is to determine issues/proposals that merit the entire Board of Trustees’ attention. Highlights of 2022 included:

Moving forward with embarking on the “Just Cause” process and developing
a “Just Cause” statement
Working with the Community Center and Life Church to ensure a smooth
transition to sharing space
Celebrating Kent’s 5th anniversary
Developing Board-focused priorities for 2023

Treasurer’s Year-End Report to the Community

submitted by Mark Smith, Treasurer

From a financial standpoint, 2022 was a successful year. As a result of your ongoing financial support and the Finance Team’s meticulous eye on expenses, we will end the year with a balanced budget and begin 2023 on strong financial footing – THANK YOU!!!

The team had eight goals this year and achieved success in all of them. On the top of that list was our search for a treasurer for the coming years as my tenure is up. I am excited to let you know that Shannon McMaster will take over these responsibilities in March. Shannon has been a member of and significant contributor to the finance team for a while now. Continued here.

Membership Committee

submitted by Jeff Cradle (with additional information from Ellie Williams)

The Membership committee strives to increase interest and membership at C3. This includes improving our presence on Sunday mornings, through being visible and welcoming. Changes have been made for larger name tags and we are discussing how we can use signage more effectively.

We have agreed to a mandate to guide our activities, and to a list of responsibilities for those serving at the Welcome Table.
We will continue to record membership data and be able to communicate this to the board when asked. This data collection hopefully will be turned over to the front office employee when it is feasible.
Special thanks to committee members Richard Kamischke, Ellie Williams, Sarah Jacobs, Kathy Smith and Shannon McMaster.
We remain positive about and for the future of C3 Continued here.

Outreach Team—C3 Reaches Out in 2022

submitted by Rod Van Abbema

Many C3 members worked with the Outreach Committee to promote our values in the past year, and Mike and Charlotte Rozich became valued Committee members.
For the first time we did a “Park Clean-up Blitz” which included removing refuse several from parks in Grand Haven. Also new: the People Center, historically connected to C3 is now formally connected with Patti Baldus representing C3 on their board.
We also continued to put our values into action at the Muskegon Heights libraries through CCD; weekly Peace Vigils; Adopt-a-Highway cleanups; the Grand Haven Hispanic Heritage Fiesta; Humanity for Prisoners, a Red Cross blood drive, and the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign.
We thank the numerous C3 members and friends who made all this possible.

Sunday Gathering Team
submitted by Ellie Williams

C3 has many members and friends who continue with this community who were active long before we started gathering at the Grand Haven Community Center in September of 2011. Many current C3ers were members of Christ Community Church, and perhaps a few were at First Reformed Church of Spring Lake, both predecessors of C3. At our Annual Meeting in February or perhaps at an event later in the Spring we would like to acknowledge those members and friends who have remained through the years. They carry the history of this enduring and evolving spiritual community. So far, about 70 of these treasured “long-haulers” have contacted us with the year they first became an active member or friend of this community. C3 is empowered, driven, and sustained by volunteers. Thank you to all who contribute to this thriving spiritual community along the Lakeshore.

Education Committee

submitted by Margaret Willey, Chair of the C3 Kids Education Committee

The C3 Kids Education Committee, along with our C3 Kids teacher Mary Crouse, have managed the transition back to in-person childcare very smoothly. We have adapted to a new room, new protocol, new projects. We have enjoyed a slight increase in attendance, and hope to build on it in 2023. We have a reliable group of rotating volunteers who help Mary on Sunday mornings as needed. Also in 2023, we hope to establish a loose curriculum for the children focusing on themes that better mirror what is happening at the Gatherings. This is something the Education Committee had planned to start before the pandemic hit. Now, it seems, we are ready to attempt this improvement once again, while still making sure the children who attend have time for creativity and play.

Week 3 @ C3—Addressing Needs in 2022

submitted by Char Zoet

January & February: Collected nonperishable items respectively, for both White Lake UMC’s Free Store in Whitehall and for the People Center in Spring Lake. Both of these groups requested items not generally available with SNAP cards.

April: Gifted tools and other things useful for gardening and harvesting to MLK and Edgewood schools in the MHPSAS for their at-school gardens.

May: Gifts of cash ($1850) for “Food for Ukraine” were funneled through World Central Kitchen, universal humanitarian, non-profit organization based in New York City. Continued here.

Our first Gathering in 2023 takes place on Sunday, January 8. C3 Teacher Kent Dobson kicks off the new series Saints, Mystics, and Misfits. He will be joined by musician Jen Sygit, and our meditation will be offered by Cindy Anderson. Please plan to join the C3 Community as we mark the beginning of this new year. Pre-Talk meets at 9 a.m. in the Woodbine Room; the Gathering starts at 10 a.m. in the Mackinaw Ballroom, and is followed by Talk Back until noon.