We looked at the The Blind Side this week and explored what it means that God has chosen us and wants to adopt us into his family. If you are already part of God’s family, the question for you is, “How are you helping people know that God wants to adopt them?”

We’re looking forward to seeing you Sunday for Week 2 of CCC at the Movies. Invite someone to come with you who’s never been to church before. It’s gonna be a blast.

We talked about The Blind Side, a huge movie from this past year that is very near and dear to our hearts because it’s the story of Baltimore Raven, Michael Oher. We talked about how God wants to adopt each of us into his family, just like the Tuohy family wanted to make Michael part of their family.

How inspiring and empowering is it to know that the God of the universe has chosen us and wants us to be part of his family? Maybe you’ve forgotten God has chosen you, and this is a great reminder. Perhaps you’ve never considered that God wants you to be part of his family. If that’s something you’re interested in, shoot us an email, give us a call (410.933.8330), or make sure you talk to someone about it on Sunday morning.

We look forward to seeing you back this week as we roll out week 2 of CCC at the Movies! This week’s movie is… come on, you know I can’t tell you here. It’s a surprise!

I hope this email finds you doing well here on the front end of the month of July. And I certainly hope your summer is going better than you expected to this point.

I’m emailing you because I’m quite excited about what’s coming up at CCC. Every year I look forward to what we’re getting ready to embark on this summer.

This coming Sunday, we’re kicking off the 2010 version of CCC at the Movies. And your 4th of July celebration just wouldn’t be complete if you missed the start up of this new series. We’ve got a bag or two of popcorn with your name on it, as well as a host of special guests to usher in our discussion. I even have a feeling that the great majority of the CCC family has seen the first movie we’re looking at this week. It will serve as a springboard for our discussion about life, faith, and the great story of God.

And although I’m not going to reveal what our movie is until Sunday morning, I would encourage you to spend a bit of time reading through the first chapter of Ephesians from the Bible to get a head start.

So get everything ready for your July 4th celebration, but make sure you kick it all off by spending part of your Sunday at 8094 Sandpiper Circle. (Services are at 9:30am and 11am.)

See you in a few days!

David Robinson

The opportunity to sponsor a child continues at CCC for the next few weeks. Consider sponsoring a child for $38 a month on your own, as a family, or as a small group. You can pick up sponsorship packets on Sunday mornings or if you stop by CCC during the week.

You can listen to the whole Stack the Deck series including Compassion Sunday by clicking here.

Over 100 volunteers give their time and talent to help create irresistible environments for families each week at CCC. Summer is a great opportunity to give them a break. We do this by creating a Summer Team for volunteers to serve in Children’s Ministry during July & August, but not necessarily every week. If you are interested in serving on the Summer Team, you can sign up in the lobby at CCC to attend the Orientation on Wednesday, June 16, at 6:30PM. You can sign up even if you can’t attend the Orientation.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who has more time to give during the summer. It’s also a great opportunity for anyone who has not served on a team at CCC yet. The Summer Team gives you a chance to contribute according to your availability and during a specified window of time. I’m really looking forward to serving with the summer team. What are you doing this summer?

Nick Blevins
nick@communitycc.net

I hope you’re all doing well as we start this beautiful, warm Friday. I’m recovering from a pretty nasty cold that wiped me out for more than a week. I’m on the flip side of the worst of it, though, and certainly looking forward to being with the CCC family once again this weekend.

There is much to celebrate in and around Community Christian Church. We had two more folks take the step of baptism this past Sunday during our services and several more are planning to do the same this coming Sunday. That’s always worth celebrating!

We’re also wrapping up a series this week called Stack The Deck, where we’re looking to load things up in favor of families and children. I’ve been looking forward to this coming Sunday in particular, as we have a specific challenge for the CCC community. Don’t miss it. Services take place at 9:30 and 11am.

But before we get to Sunday, don’t forget about the Pondskipper 5k race taking place tomorrow, Saturday, May 22nd at Stansbury Park. We’re partnering with Thrive Baltimore to provide our 3rd annual run to benefit the Family Crisis Center. It’s not too late to register if you’d like to run or walk. (or stroll or strut depending on lots of things…) Walk up registrations are welcome. The race starts at 9am. Check out our website for more details or Thrive Baltimore’s website. (www.thrivebaltimore.net)

I hope to see you there.

David Robinson

I’ve been receiving quite a bit of feedback regarding our current series “Dumb Things Smart People Believe“. These past few discussions seem to have struck a chord with many. That’s why I don’t want anyone to miss our final week of the series this coming Sunday, May 2nd. We’re talking about a belief we are particularly prone to here in our country. So make sure and spend part of your Sunday at 8094 Sandpiper Circle. (Services at 9:30am & 11am) It might just be the highlight of your week!

That’s not all that’s going on this Sunday. KidStuf (Where kids take their parents to learn) is happening during the 2nd service. This is a terrific opportunity for elementary age kids and their parents to experience together. You can attend the 9:30am service while your child is in their Children’s Ministry Discovery Island environment, and then go together to the 11am KidStuf in rooms 108-109.

Also taking place this Sunday is Starting Point, which is the place to go to find out all things related to CCC. (Who we are, where we’ve come from, where we’re headed, how we’re going to get there, etc.) It’s a great place to ask any questions you might have regarding Community Christian Church and the place to go if you’re fairly new to CCC. If you haven’t signed up for this installment of Starting Point, it’s not too late. Simply respond to this email and make your way next door to suite F at 10:45am. (Just after the first service ends.) Starting Point will wrap up by 12:45. Free food and free childcare are provided. (If you need childcare, we’ll need to know that sooner rather than later.)

I would also encourage you to take advantage of the many resources we make available each and every week. The resource table in the lobby contains daily readings and small groups guides for our current series, which you can also listen to on our website. And cds of past services are always provided. Don’t miss out.

I hope you have a fantastic start to your weekend. And I hope to see you all this Sunday for our final week of “Dumb Things Smart People Believe“.

“May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope…” Romans 15:13

David Robinson

If you know how to play a sport, someone showed you the ropes.

If you’re reading this, someone taught you the letters and how to piece them together to make words.

We don’t expect any of these skills to develop on their own; they are taught and learned.

Learning how to manage our finances works the same way.  It takes tools and skills to navigate the realm of money well.  We are offering a small group aimed at teaching some of these basic financial skills, such as budgeting, addressing debt, and insurance, just to name a few.

This group will begin meeting on April 22^nd at CCC from 7 to 9 PM and will run for three sessions, meeting every other week.  If you are interested in more information or would like to join this group, please contact Nic Cox at 410.933.8330 or nic.cox@communitycc.net.

I trust this email finds you doing well.

I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks as we approach the heart of the Easter season. I’m quite excited to gather with all of you not only on Easter Sunday, April 4, but also this coming Sunday, March 28.

This Sunday, you’ll want to make sure and pick up your place holders for whichever Easter service you plan to attend. (Three identical services are happening on Easter Sunday at 8:30, 10, and 11:30. Note that these are different from our normal service times of 9:30 and 11am and KidStuf will take place during the 10am service.) Picking up a place holder for you and whomever is joining you will be incredibly helpful as we prepare for the celebration that day. You can pick them up in the lobby of CCC on Sunday. (They’re free.)

You may also want to pick up a copy of the Good Friday Guide while you’re at CCC on Sunday. It has an abundance of possible ideas for you to take advantage of on Good Friday (April 2) with your family, your small group, or some friends. They’re free as well and you can also download the Good Friday Guide from our website, here.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a terrific rest of your week. And I hope to see you all this Sunday.

David Robinson

I trust you’re all relishing in the break of warm weather we’re enjoying over the last several days. (Maybe the snow piles will fully disappear before June after all!)

I thoroughly enjoyed our time together this past Sunday at CCC as we celebrated our 4 year anniversary. It’s hard to believe 4 years have passed since the first day we started meeting at 8094 Sandpiper Circle. As I’ve said many times, it’s been a fantastic start, especially considering that 80% of new churches never make it past year 3. So as we say goodbye to year 4 and start in on year 5, I am overwhelmingly grateful to God for his goodness and grace that has been evident in countless ways since March 5, 2006. And I’m grateful to God for all of you who are committed to seeking and serving Jesus through the life of this new church.

As we inch closer to this year’s Easter celebration, I am excited to see how the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead some 2,000 years ago, will be at work in each of our lives in the coming months and years together.

Speaking of Easter, you’ll want to be aware that we’re adding a third service for that particular Sunday, April 4. This will slightly shift our typical service times. We’ll have three identical services at 8:30am, 10am, and 11:30am on Easter Sunday. Children’s Ministry Programming (Discovery Island, Kid’s Kove, and Baby Bay) will be unaffected by the time change, but note that KidStuf (where kids take their parents to learn) will take place during the 10am service.

To help balance out the services, we’re asking everyone to pick up place holders for whichever service they plan to attend. The place holders are free and are not tickets, but they will help us prepare well for one of the most important Sundays of the year. (You can begin picking up place holders on Sunday in the lobby at CCC.)

This coming Sunday, March 14 is the final week of our current series called “Why”. It’s also a baptism celebration Sunday, which means we get to celebrate together with folks who are taking the important and crucial step of being baptized into Christ Jesus. We love participating alongside people who are being baptized. It’s one of our favorite things. You don’t want to miss it.

So be sure and set your clocks ahead this Saturday evening (That’s right, Daylight Savings Time begins) and make your way on over to CCC at either 9:30am or 11am.

I hope to see you all then.

David Robinson

I hope all is well with you this week. I’m looking forward to this coming Sunday as we will be celebrating CCC’s four year anniversary. We launched Community Christian Church on March 5, 2006, and it’s been quite a ride since. I am grateful to God for the start we have had and am incredibly optimistic about the future that is before us. Most of all I’m thankful for all of you who call CCC your church home and gather regularly at 8094 Sandpiper Circle to celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do. It’s a privilege to journey with you and serve God alongside of you.

So make your way out to one of CCC’s services at either 9:30am or 11am this coming Sunday, March 7th, as we continue our series “Why”. (I hear there will be lots of food to help our stomachs enjoy the day!)

It’s also a Kidstuf Sunday, which is one of our Children’s Ministry environments where kids take their parents to learn. Kidstuf takes place at 11am in rooms 108-109. For those of you wanting to take part in Kidstuf, come on out to the 9:30 service and then make your way across the hall at 11am.

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

David Robinson

Is this weather crazy? Not one, but two blizzards made their way to good ol’ Maryland over the last seven days. (In case you didn’t notice.) I woke up this past week thinking I was in Buffalo! In fact, you’ve probably heard the suggestion that Baltimore could make a better location for the Winter Olympics than Vancouver.

Hopefully, you’re all shoveled out and are warm and safe on this February day.

I was once again disappointed we were unable to be together as a church family last Sunday.

But we’re going to start things back up this Sunday, Valentine’s Day, by kicking off a new series called “Why”. I really anticipate the next several weeks being very helpful and encouraging. (It might just be the highlight of your week.) And I’m also anxious to see what those Super Bowl prize packs have morphed into.

In addition to this new series, here are a couple of things happening at CCC in the coming weeks.

STARTING POINT
Our Starting Point class that was slated for a couple of weeks ago has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 21st. So if you were signed up before, we’ll keep a spot reserved for you. And if you weren’t going to be able to make it last week for some reason, then you can still be a part of this next one. Starting Point is a great place to find out about all things related to CCC. (Who we are, where we’ve come from, where we’re headed, how we’re going to get there, what it means to be a part of CCC, etc.) It’s a place to ask whatever questions you might have and connect with some other folks who are new to CCC. It takes place on Sundays, just after the first service, beginning at 10:45am and wrapping up by 12:30. Free childcare and refreshments are provided. There is no cost for Starting Point, but sign up is required. You can sign up by replying to this email, or through our website, or in the lobby of CCC on Sunday. I hope that everyone who is a part of CCC participates in Starting Point early on in their journey here. It’s worth it! (And it’s free!)

FIT-TO-BE-TIED
The next session of Fit-To-Be-Tied is ready to launch on Sunday, February 28th. Fit-To-Be-Tied is a small group for couples who are considering marriage or are leading up to their wedding. It meets on Sundays for a total of 8 weeks, 2 hours each week. Any couple considering taking the wonderful, yet challenging step of marriage should make this small group a priority. The cost is $80 per couple. To sign up or for more information, you can email me at david@communitycc.net, or sign up in the lobby on Sunday. Space is limited so don’t wait!

BAPTISM CELEBRATION
Our next CCC Baptism Celebration is scheduled for one month from now on Sunday, March 14th. If you’ve been thinking about this important step of baptism, consider signing up for this day to be the occasion. (You can sign up in the lobby at CCC or simply respond to this email.) This is a chance to go public with your faith by being baptized into Christ Jesus. It’s one of my favorite things to celebrate when we gather together. (Plus, we baptize people in a hot tub. How fun is that?) If you still have some questions surrounding baptism, you might want to pick up a copy of a DVD we created called “Baptism 411″. Or grab a CD series we have called “2″, where we spent a recent Sunday morning dealing with some common questions about baptism. You can pick either of those up in the lobby on Sunday.

I’m glad you’re all a part of this wonderful thing called the church. (And specifically this church!)

I hope to see you all on Sunday, February 14th, at either 9:30am or 11am.

David Robinson

I hope you’re all having a terrific week.

I was disappointed we ended up canceling our services this past Sunday. I missed seeing you all and being together as a church family.

We were slated to kick off a brand new series called “Why”. I’m sure you’ve all been asked that question, or asked that question about something at some point in your life. This week, we’re planning to dive into the question of “Why…Church?”

Don’t miss the start up of this series on Sunday, February 7th. I anticipate it being a very helpful and encouraging several weeks. Gear up for your Super Bowl extravaganza by celebrating together with the CCC family. (I have an inside scoop that some Super Bowl Prize Packs will be handed out.) And remember, the beginning of a series is a great time to invite a friend or family member to join you at 8094 Sandpiper Circle. (Identical services at 9:30 & 11am.)

By now, I’m sure you’re aware of the looming snowfall we’re slated to receive over the next couple of days. We’ll be updating the website and Facebook page no later than 7am on Sunday to keep everyone abreast of the plans as a result of whatever weather pattern makes its way through Maryland. So check that out over the weekend.

Here are a couple of things happening at CCC in the coming weeks.

STARTING POINT
Our Starting Point class that was slated for this past Sunday has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 21st. So if you were signed up before, we’ll keep a spot reserved for you. And if you weren’t going to be able to make it last week for some reason, then you can still be a part of this next one. Starting Point is a great place to find out about all things related to CCC. (Who we are, where we’ve come from, where we’re headed, how we’re going to get there, what it means to be a part of CCC, etc.) It’s a place to ask whatever questions you might have and connect with some other folks who are new to CCC. It takes place on Sundays, just after the first service, beginning at 10:45am and wrapping up by 12:30. Free childcare and refreshments are provided. There is no cost for Starting Point, but sign up is required. You can sign up by replying to this email, or through our website here, or in the lobby of CCC on Sundays. It’s our hope that everyone who is a part of CCC participates in Starting Point early on in their journey here. It’s worth it! (C’mon…it’s free!)

FIT-TO-BE-TIED
The next session of Fit-To-Be-Tied is ready to launch on Sunday, February 28th. Fit-To-Be-Tied is a small group for couples who are considering marriage or are leading up to their wedding. It meets on Sundays for a total of 8 weeks, 2 hours each week. Any couple considering taking the wonderful, yet challenging step of marriage should make this small group a priority. The cost is $80 per couple. To sign up or for more information, you can reply to this email, or sign up in the lobby on Sundays. Space is limited so don’t wait!

I’m glad you’re all a part of this fairly new church. (We’re celebrating our 4 year anniversary in 1 month…crazy!)

I hope to see you all in a few days, after we’ve all dug ourselves out of the snow.

See you Sunday.

David Robinson

If you’ve been considering going on a service trip this year, you can still jump on the Dominican team. It’s not too late. Even though the trip isn’t until June 12, the team is forming now. There has been a lot of interest, and we are in the process of meeting with each person to go over some of the details of the trip, answer any questions, and have a chance to get to know each other a little.

Making new friends is a fun part of any service trip. We really get to know people on a deeper level when we step out of our normal environment and regular routine and spend a week together. It is such a unique opportunity to put aside our schedules, blackberries, agendas and ipods and see what God will do in our lives when we spend a week serving in his name. For those that are ready to take this step and join the team, I’ll bet the week spent in the Dominican Republic will be the highlight of the year.

February 7 is the last day to sign up and get some information on the trip. You can sign up in the lobby at CCC or email leighann@communitycc.net

Starting Point is your next step in getting plugged into the life of Community Christian Church. You’ll discover who we are and what makes us tick. Starting Point provides the opportunity to connect with other new attenders and get your questions answered in a fun and friendly environment. You are guaranteed to proceed at your own pace and to have fun! Starting Point takes place from 10:45-12:45PM right next door from CCC, in Suite F. Refreshments and childcare are provided.

I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying a wonderful week.

This past weekend at CCC was quite incredible. We had John Thomas Oaks and Tommy Oaks with us here in Maryland. On Friday, they performed their two man musical comedy called Star Queen based on the story of the book of Esther from the Bible. It was side splitting! (The desserts were off the charts as well!) On Saturday, a small group of folks met with Tommy for a conversation about marriage. It was both insightful and helpful in many ways. And then Sunday, they lead us throughout both of our services as they performed another one of John Thomas’ musicals based on the story of the prodigal son that Jesus told in the Bible from Luke 15. So many of you were there, and you know it was incredibly moving. It was a fantastic modern retelling of perhaps the greatest story that’s ever been told.

I hope you were able to take part in some portion of the weekend with the Oaks.

This coming Sunday we’re kicking off a brand new series called “Why…” The beginning of a series is the perfect time to invite someone who’s not a part of any church. I don’t think you’ll want to miss out on the next several weeks.

Some of you have been asking how to get a book we recommended in our last series called “Big C – little c”. The book is called Growing Up Catholic by Tim Lott. Perhaps the best way to acquire the book is to email Tim directly and request a copy. You can get in touch with him at timlott@bellsouth.net.

I hope to see you all on Sunday at either of our services at 9:30 or 11am.

In the meantime, have a terrific day!

David Robinson

As we loaded the many bags and boxes of supplies onto the U-Haul Sunday afternoon, we prayed that the people receiving them would be blessed and gain comfort from them. We will continue to pray for the church to shine brightly and for the name of Jesus to be held high through these difficult days in Haiti. It is also our prayer that everyone who contributed to the supply drive was blessed by the opportunity to care for those who are truly in need. The church is at its best when we serve and give.

I’m sure you’ve all dug yourself out from under the record snowfall we just received over the weekend. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the snow, I missed seeing you all this past Sunday. Not to worry though, because we’ve got three identical Christmas Eve services coming up this Thursday, December 24th. (4pm, 5:30pm, and 7pm)

We’re going to open up the Bible and look at some defining moments in the lives of a few people who met Jesus and see if this Christmas 2009 might be a defining moment for us.

It should be a memorable time together as we center around the fact that God came to us in the person of Jesus. And that’s made all the difference in the world.

So make your way on over to 8094 Sandpiper Circle to celebrate Christmas Eve with the CCC family. It’s one of my favorite gatherings of the year. (Children’s Ministry Programming is provided for pre-school age children.)

I hope to see you all on Thursday.

David Robinson

Click here to visit the blog if you can’t see the video above

I hope you’re all doing well and staying warm on this blustery day.

We had a terrific time at our services this past Sunday as 16 families stood before the CCC community and made some commitments about how they were going to approach raising the young lives that have been entrusted to them. And I’m sure it was encouraging to those families to have a whole community of people commit to standing with them on this challenging task of being a parent. It was quite a Parent and Child Dedication Sunday. (I was particularly fond of #5 on our Top Ten list, if you were there to hear it).

This Sunday, December 13th, we’re kicking off a brand new series called Defining Moments. The beginning of a series is a great time to invite a friend to join you for one of our services at either 9:30am or 11am.

We’ve also have a Christmas Eve service coming up later this month. Three identical services are happening on December 24th (of course) at 4pm, 5:30pm, and 7pm. So check your schedule and pick up the correct number of place holders for you, your friends, and your family. (There’s no need to pick up a place holder for pre-school age children, as pre-school ministry is provided.) These place holders help as we prepare for that big night. You can pick up a place holder in the lobby on Sunday morning. It should be a fantastic experience together.

Have a terrific rest of the week. I hope to see you all this Sunday as we dive into some Defining Moments.

David Robinson

I hope you had a most excellent Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful time with my family and especially enjoyed some pumpkin pie over the weekend. (The apple pie was pretty good as well!)

It was good to hear from so many of you in regard to what you are thankful for this time of year. Something I’m incredibly thankful to God for is all of you at Community Christian Church. It’s been an absolute privilege these last few years to have a front row seat at seeing CCC people learn and grow into more fully devoted followers of God. I have been inspired by the many ways you all love and honor each other, celebrate and care for each other, encourage and strengthen each other as we follow Jesus on this journey of faith.

Even with all the challenges that come with starting a new church, I’m overwhelmingly grateful to be a part of it all. Thank God for this church that is helping people find their way back to God.

And I’m rather excited for what’s in store for us over the next month. This coming week, December 6th, we have quite a special service planned. I’ve been looking forward to this week for some time. It’s our Parent & Child Dedication Sunday. We have a bunch of families prepared to stand before CCC as a whole and make some all too important commitments, knowing the CCC community will be making some commitments to them as well. Our service is loaded with several elements that I’m sure will make for an unforgettable and helpful time together. You don’t want to miss it. (Services are at 9:30 & 11am.)

And then next week, December 13th, we’ll dive into a brand new series called Defining Moments. It will carry us through the month of December. The beginning of a series is one of the best times to invite a friend to join you at CCC.

And Christmas is an especially great time to invite someone to check out our church and the God we are celebrating. We have a special service planned on Christmas Eve that is always one of my favorite times we gather each and every year. We’ll have three identical services on Thursday, December 24th, at the following times: 4pm, 5:30pm, and 7pm. Place Holders for these services will be available starting this Sunday. The Place Holders are free and help us even out the participation in each service. Check your schedules to see which one you can attend and pick up your Place Holders in the lobby of CCC. (Again, they’re free and will be available beginning this Sunday.)

In the meantime, have a fantastic start to your weekend.

I hope to see you all on Sunday at either 9:30 or 11am.

David Robinson

I hope you’re doing well as we round the corner toward Thanksgiving weekend.

We’ve been engaged in a wonderful series focused on understanding the big sections of the Bible and how to interact with them in a healthy, responsible sort of way. When we were thinking about and planning for this series, our main hope was to be very helpful to everyone. It’s critical for each of us to get into the pages of the Bible and allow what we find there to get into us. But very often the Bible can be a difficult and puzzling book to encounter. So it takes some effort to develop a framework from which to read, study, and comprehend what’s going on in each section and book of the Bible.

Perhaps no more puzzling book exists in the Bible than the very last one found there, which we’re going to look at this Sunday at CCC. The book of Revelation out of the Bible either fascinates people to obsession or frustrates people to wash their hands of it. It’s certainly an intriguing book, and notoriously difficult to understand. Revelation is quite unlike the rest of the Bible.

Although it’s been a challenge preparing for this week, I’ve been looking forward to week 8 of this Bird’s Eye View series for some time now.

So be sure to make your way on out to 8094 Sandpiper Circle at either of our services. (9:30am & 11am) I don’t think you want to miss this intriguing, informative, and hopefully helpful week.

See you all on Sunday.

David Robinson