CONTENTS
Church Community News
- E-Post Award
- Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 7:30-9PM in the Auditorium
- What We Are Doing in December
- Love is Born at Christmas – Plans for Children’s Groups
- Weather Cancellation Information
- Our 2009 Year is Coming to an End
- Join Us to Launch Our 2010 Farm
Getting Connected: Opportunities to Live, Learn, and Grow With Cedar Ridge
8. Prayer Practice: December 17
9. Winter Discipleship Series Beginning in January 2010
10. Discipleship Group Leaders Meeting
Getting Involved: Meeting Needs In Our Church, Community, and World
11. Current Needs for Leaders in Children’s Ministry
12. Ministry in 20 Minutes a Month
13. Serve Coffee on Sundays
PostScript
- Contact Information
CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWS
1. E-Post Award
The E-Post award goes to Doug Renwick. Doug has been a member of Cedar Ridge for many years and has served on Sunday mornings in technical capacities. Recently, he's been volunteering extra time (along with others) to make some improvements to our sound setup and repair some equipment. In addition, he mixed sound for the December 4 coffeehouse, an evening that was full of surprises! Doug is a very quiet guy, but his ownership and technical skill have really helped Cedar Ridge.
2. Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 7:30-9PM in the Auditorium
As a non-profit organization Cedar Ridge has a Board of Trustees to ensure that we operate leally, ethically, with fiscal responsibility and that we remain true to our vision and values. As part of this we hold an Annual Meeting where we celebrate progress towards our vision, report on last year’s financial statement and elect new Board members. On December 20 the Board will propose a new Board candidate and at the meeting on January 13 all Cedar Ridge members will be able to vote yes/no/abstain. Appointments to the Board will be effective immediately after the vote. At this meeting we will also share important information about refinancing the mortgage loan for our property.
3. What We Are Doing in December
Our December series will celebrate Advent: the period of waiting and expectation of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. We will spend this time focusing on the personal, unconditional, passionate love of God for humans. Each Sunday we will celebrate the joy of the miracle of love incarnate at Christmas and consider what might hold us back from experiencing this love in all its liberating wonder. Specifically we will look at how God’s powerful love can overcome all our failure, suffering and shame.
Throughout Advent we will also be referring back to the Gift of Enough series in November where we looked at alternatives to the rampant consumerism that so often entangles us during this time of year. We’ll focus on putting people first (rather than “stuff”) in our gift giving, celebrating and holiday activities as a means of heightening our awareness and experience of the mystery and magic of the incarnation of Christ that we celebrate at Christmas. Check out our website for lots of ideas.
On Christmas Eve we will have two special services at 4:30PM and 6:30PM. Each service will last one hour and will be suitable for all ages, so bring along family and friends as we celebrate the birth of Christ together. At the end of each service there will be Christmas boxes full of edible treats to deliver to people who have to work on Christmas Eve. These boxes will be prepared by our children on Sunday, December 20, (see below for more details) and are a simple way for us to share God’s love with others. Think of hospitals, fire stations, police stations, restaurants and stores that you pass on the way home and bring a little of God’s light into someone’s Christmas.
4. Love is Born at Christmas – Plans for Children’s Groups
Are you interested in knowing about what children's groups are doing during this series? During Advent, children in preschool and elementary school are learning about people who were a part of the Christmas story, and taking part in some special events.
What your Preschoolers are doing:
Children in Preschool are reading about different people in the Christmas Story, and using creative play to get to know these characters better, and their roles in the story of Jesus' birth. On December 6, preschoolers learned about Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. Talk to your preschooler about Mary and Joseph, and the fact that they traveled far away from home at the time when Jesus was born. Ask your child to use his or her imagination to think about what it would have been like to sleep in a stable or barn instead of at home. On December 13, preschoolers learned about shepherds and angels. Ask your preschooler what he or she learned about sheep, and the shepherd's job taking care of them. Ask your child about the angels, and the message they brought to the shepherds from God. On December 20, children will help pack Christmas boxes for our outreach on Christmas Eve. Ask your child if she helped to put treats or goodies into a box, and what kinds of things were put in. Remind your child that on Christmas Eve your family will give one of those boxes away. Your child helped to make a present for someone! On December 27, children will learn about the Wise Men or Magi. Remind your child that the Magi traveled from a far away land to visit Jesus and bring him gifts.
What your children in Elementary School are doing:
On December 6, children in elementary school learned about Elizabeth and Zechariah, and discussed God's love for us during times of hardship. Ask your child if he or she can remember what a "hardship" is, and if they can recall any hardships faced by Elizabeth and Zechariah, or Mary and Joseph. Talk about hardships that people may face today, and how we can remember God's love for us even when times are hard. On December 13 children in elementary school learned about shepherds and the Magi, and God's love for the outsiders. Ask your child what he or she learned about the shepherds or the Magi. The Bible doesn't tell us why, but we can wonder and discuss why God included these people in the story of Jesus' birth. On December 20, children will help pack the Christmas Boxes for our outreach on Christmas Eve. This tradition is one that many children in elementary school enjoy – talk to your child about how it went! On December 27 we'll celebrate the end of 2009 and the coming year by having a party. We'll watch a movie and have some snacks, and will enjoy some games and crafts as well.
During this series, many children's groups may visit the sanctuary during the worship time to sing carols, make a person or animal to add to the Nacimiento, or share a prayer by writing or drawing it.
5. Weather Cancellation Information
As winter weather arises, we want to make sure you know the avenues we use to inform you of the building status. For Sunday services, we will post closures by 7AM on Sunday morning. For midweek evening activities, we post closures by 5PM. Youth activities follow Montgomery County schools for closures jurisdiction so listen to the radio or go to the county website for county school closings. We will inform you when the property closes or services are cancelled via two methods: website and phone extension. On the front page of our website, www.crcc.org, there will be an update posted. Or you can call in to the church at 301-384-7444 x27 and listen to the weather message. Please help us spread the word and be sure to inform your small groups or ministries when you know Cedar Ridge is closed. As leaders of ministry, you can cancel meetings even when the church is open but please contact your people and, if possible, let your staff ministry leader know too. (Having an email list or phone tree is helpful to contact Cedar Ridge people in advance of bad weather). Finally, if you are a key holder and are the leader of your ministry, please be on time for your winter gatherings by arriving at least 15 minutes prior to any meeting to prevent people from being locked out of the building. Our smaller sized staff may not be here for evening meetings. Be safe and always use caution but we hope to see you at Cedar Ridge during this winter season.
6. Our 2009 Year is Coming to an End
Just a friendly reminder that Sundays, December 20 and 27, are the last two in which you can make a tax deductible gift for 2009. If you are able to give a one time gift to wrap up the year, we would appreciate it during this time of economic challenge. Thank you for your faithful support. You can expect a receipt for your tax deductions in 2009 in early January. If you have moved this year and Cedar Ridge is not aware of your new address, please send your address to Pat Martin. If you'd like to mail in a gift, you can send it to Cedar Ridge Community Church attn: Elaine Chabot at 2410 Spencerville Road, Spencerville, MD 20868. Thank you!!!
7. Join Us to Launch Our 2010 Farm
Sunday, January 31, starting after second service, there will be a Farm Meeting where ALL are invited. We will be serving soups and salad while we share the ideas and suggestions for improving our Farm in 2010, making plans on how we will approach the year. Listen in just to hear the feedback and share ideas, or attend knowing you want to participate in the planting plan, or other hands-on areas and tasks. The meeting will run 12:30-2:30PM. For any questions, please contact Beth Burgess.
GETTING CONNECTED: OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE, LEARN, AND GROW WITH CEDAR RIDGE
8. Prayer Practice: December 17
Take a break from the chilly hustle and bustle of the busy season and find rest and refreshment in the warmth of God's love at Prayer Practice, this Thursday, December 17. We come together to explore practices that engage the mind, heart and body in prayer, including Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, guided meditation, breath prayer and other ways of learning to be still and at peace. Through these disciplines we seek to spend time together focusing our whole selves on receptively resting in the Loving Presence of God. We also spend time discussing how to grow toward living more mindfully, and into carrying a deeper awareness of the sacred in our daily lives, especially important in this season of celebrating Emmanuel. Everyone is welcome. In the first floor of the historic Barn at Cedar Ridge from 7 to 9PM. No registration or prior experience required. No food or childcare.
9. Winter Discipleship Series Beginning in January 2010
On Sunday, January 17, we will begin a five week discipleship series called “Our Journey of Hope: Following the Dangerous Way of Jesus”, focusing on our vision, values and philosophy as a community. What makes us the community we are? What are our distinctives? What is important to us and why? What is not important to us? How do all these issues shape us as a community? We’ll follow our usual format of Sunday messages and midweek discussion material, and sign-ups for groups will begin on Sunday, January 3, continuing on Sunday, January 10, when we will also have a church community potluck after second service. Please contact Patsy Fratanduono at 301-384-7444 ext. 24 for more information, or if you are interested in starting a new group.
10. Discipleship Group Leaders Meeting
If you are a current discipleship group leader (or are interested in becoming one) please plan to attend one of two pre-series discipleship group leader meetings. These will be important and meaningful times for sharing information about the "Journey" series and enjoying support from pastors and fellow leaders. Meetings will take place Thursday, January 7 from 7-9PM (with light dinner) and Sunday, January 10, from 8:30-10AM (breakfast). Please contact Patsy Fratanduono for more information or to RSVP.
GETTING INVOLVED: MEETING NEEDS IN OUR CHURCH, COMMUNITY, AND WORLD
11. Current Needs for Leaders in Children’s Ministry
This winter, our children's groups are enjoying hands-on, creative activities to help them connect to the Christmas Story and learn about the ways God loves and cares for us. We're managing, on a week-by-week basis, to find enough adults to sub so that all of our children's groups can remain open. But we do need more regular leaders on our teams to keep things running smoothly and ensure that leaders can have some Sundays off. If you are interested in spending time regularly on Sunday mornings with children, there are several areas to consider. You can provide a safe, predictable and caring environment for our youngest children by joining our nursery team. If you enjoy helping children learn about God through creative and active fun, consider joining one of our preschool teams. Our elementary school leaders help children think through their questions and make connections between what we read about God in the Bible, and what is happening in the world today. If you have an interest in joining one of these teams, please contact Leigh-Ellen Curl, the coordinator of Children's Ministry.
12. Ministry in 20 Minutes a Month
Looking for a way to meet people and serve at Cedar Ridge, but don't have lots of time? The Welcome Team invites you to join us as we seek to cultivate a warm, welcoming environment for those who come to worship on Sundays. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the beginning of your preferred service in order to open the outside door, hand out bulletins at the inside doors, or answer questions at the Welcome Desk. Older children, teens, and adults are welcome to be a part of our monthly rotation. If you're interested or have questions, please contact Bryan Peterson.
13. Serve Coffee on Sundays
We take great pride in serving good quality coffee at our services on Sundays as a way of creating a welcoming environment. Currently we are brewing fair trade, organic beans from Guatemala. Would you like to help make and serve coffee to our community? We need more people to join in, so contact Matthew Dyer if you are interested.
POSTSCRIPT
Contact Information
Cedar Ridge Community Church
2410 Spencerville Road, Spencerville, MD 20868
Phone: 301-384-7444
Website: www.crcc.org