CONTENTS

Church Community News

1.    Discipleship Groups this Summer 

Getting Connected: Opportunities to Live, Learn, and Grow With Cedar Ridge

2.    Prayer Practice
3.    Student Promotion Dates for the Fall and Potluck Lunch

Getting Involved: Meeting Needs In Our Church, Community, and World

4.    Our Community, Our Farm
5.    Cedar Ridge Workdays
6.    Support Guatemalan Friends

PostScript

• Contact Information

CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWS

1.          Discipleship Groups this Summer

We are currently spending seven weeks immersed in the book of Ephesians through a Sunday message series called "Free to Live." The theme of this series is embracing the vibrant, beautiful, fulfilling, challenging, difficult, simple life that Jesus calls us to. Through Discipleship Groups, individuals and families meet mid-week to support one another in pursuing the dynamic Christ-centered life. Each week's message will be accompanied by questions suitable for discussion in groups or for self-reflection. Questions will be available on the web under the "Messages" tab and on handouts available in the Commons. 

Many groups currently meet throughout the summer, sharing meals, fun and meaningful discussion together, farming at Cedar Ridge, leading children's groups on Sundays, or serving the community in other ways. If you would like more information about groups at Cedar Ridge, contact Patsy Fratanduono.

GETTING CONNECTED: OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE, LEARN, AND GROW WITH CEDAR RIDGE

2.          Prayer Practice

The third Thursday of each month there is an opportunity to join with others and take time to slow down from the busyness and stress of life. We engage in different methods of prayer together that may help us be more deeply present to God and to our lives in the present moment. All are welcome to join us this Thursday, July 15, from 7-9PM in the first floor of the barn. No registration or prior experience required. No food or childcare. Contact Patsy Fratanduono for more information.

3.          Student Promotion Dates for the Fall and Potluck Lunch

Students, Parents - please mark your calendars for the fall. We have scheduled our student promotion dates for next year: new 9th graders on Sunday, August 15, and new 6th graders on Sunday, August 22. Throughout the summer students should remain with their current groups. On their promotion date, students should first report to their current room and allow their leaders to ceremoniously walk them and help welcome them into their new group. If you have any questions, please email Steve Mather for High School or Lisa Dyer for Middle School.

We are inviting everyone to a potluck luncheon in the barn on Sunday, August 22, at 12:45PM. We'll share a meal and look at plans for the new school year for both Middle School and High School groups. While this is an important meeting particularly for youth parents and leaders, this will be an opportunity for everyone to connect with the teenagers in our community. Come learn what the youth have in store for next year! 

GETTING INVOLVED: MEETING NEEDS IN OUR CHURCH, COMMUNITY, AND WORLD

4.          Our Community, Our Farm

In 2008-2009, Cedar Ridge prayerfully considered the ways in which we could use our property to serve God in line with our vision. We believe our farm will provide opportunities for personal spiritual growth, for growing in authentic community and for serving each other and our neighbors.

This season, we have already harvested strawberries, radishes, beets, peas, peppers, green beans and spinach. And more is on the way! Come and be part of this exciting, hands-on experience.

Getting Involved
Farm Parties: These are small groups of people who arrange times to farm and are inviting our community to join them. You’ll find July party dates below.
Sign Up: Sign up at the farm table in the Commons and a farm team leader will contact you to help you through the process.
Show Up: You can come farm any time! All necessary instructions are in the white farm shed out front—with a contact phone number listed there if you have questions.
Email: Email farm leaders if you have questions or would like some help.
Talk to Kirk: Kirk Hoffman, our Director of Facilities, oversees the farm project and would love to help you! His contact information is listed in the bulletin or find him in the commons after each service.

Farm Parties
Staff members invite you to join them in July. Come join in!
   Matthew Dyer           July  20—6:30 to 8PM
   Patsy Fratanduono   July  21, 28—6:30 to 8PM
   Kirk Hoffman             July  20—6:30 to 8PM
   Bryan Peterson         July 29—6:30 to 8PM
   Parents/children        July 21, 28—9 to 11AM
   Farm team leaders    July 18, 25—12:30 to 1:30PM

Deliveries
We are providing fresh, naturally-grown food to many local organizations that serve people in need—the Silver Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition, Elizabeth House, Shepherd’s Table, St. Camillus Church Food Pantry, Aunt Hattie’s Place, Sharp Street Church Food Pantry and identified families in need.

On harvest days, you have the opportunity to hand-deliver the crops fresh from the ground and see what God is doing in our community at large

5.          Cedar Ridge Workdays

Workdays are held every other Saturday. The next ones are scheduled on July 24 and August 7. We start at 8AM and work until noon. Please contact Kirk Hoffman or just come by Saturday morning.

6.          Support Guatemalan Friends

In Guatemala
Currently there is a group of teachers who have traveled from our area to Ipala, Guatemala to assist learning English language skills to Guatemalan teachers and students. The Cedar Ridge community raised $2500 to purchase educational materials to be distributed to Guatemalan schools. Thank you for your tremendous generosity for this endeavor! You can continue to support the teachers and students by keeping them in prayer through August 1 when they return.

Locally
Cedar Ridge continues to engage with Guatemalan friends locally. There are a number of ways in which you can become involved:

a. Aid for Hurricane Agatha Victims
Cedar Ridge is financially assisting local Guatemalan friends who are traveling to Guatemala to   help people in need living in regions most impacted by the recent disaster. Contact Patsy Fratanduono to contribute.

b. Food Bank
Volunteer at the St. Camillus food bank in Langley Park by either helping to transport food from    the Cedar Ridge Community Church farm to St. Camillus, or helping to transport food donations to people in need, or working with families in applying for food stamps. Contact Beth Hood for more information.

c. Habitat for Humanity Trip
We are prayerfully considering partnering with Habitat for Humanity for a trip to the Ipala area      of Guatemala for sometime next year. If you are interested in being part of a team to put the trip together, contact Patsy Fratanduono.

For further information on these programs and other opportunities to get involved in serving with Global Engagement, contact Patsy Fratanduono.



POSTSCRIPT 

Contact Information

Cedar Ridge Community Church
2410 Spencerville Road, Spencerville, MD 20868
Phone: 301-384-7444