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

There is a place to get these and other questions addressed: Starting Point. Starting Point is a two-hour gathering in a fun, casual environment where we take a closer look at who CCC is and where we’re going. It is our hope that everyone, whether Sunday is your first week or if you’ve been coming to CCC since the doors opened, will find his or her way to Starting Point.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and at CCC a great place to start is at Starting Point. If you haven’t been to Starting Point before, it might be the next step for you at CCC.

Our next Starting Point is Sunday, March 14th from 10:45 – 12:45.  Click here to sign up online or by calling the church office at 410.933.8330

Baptism is a part of the acceptance process. When we get baptized, we are accepting the free gift of God’s grace and declaring that we want to follow him with our whole life. This is a major decision that we should not take lightly, but it is also the most fulfilling and life-giving decision we can ever make.

On Sunday, March 14, we are having a baptism celebration at CCC for all those who would like to get baptized and begin a new life in Jesus Christ. If you would like more information please contact Joey Keck at joey@communitycc.net or call 443.810.9465.

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

These trips were created so that students from CCC would have the opportunity to experience a culture and an environment different from their own. Our hope is to see every student from CCC participate on one of the Summer Service Trips. For more information about each trip, check out the Sign Up table in the lobby at CCC.

Besides the Summer Service Trips, there are a lot of other things happening over the next few months just for students here at CCC. Make sure to grab a Student Ministry Newsletter and a Summer Trip Schedule at the sign up table this Sunday!

Ryan Arnold
ryan.arnold@communitycc.net

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to see the embedded video

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 had prepared my children for a Christmas without presents. I reiterated daily how at this point in our lives, it would be negligent of me to spend money we didn’t have on Christmas. When I saw the amount of gifts for my children, I was overwhelmed. I have never known how touching or powerful the kindness of strangers could be. When my kids woke up Christmas morning and saw the many presents, they were shocked – screaming at 4:00 in the morning, but strangely enough they unwrapped their presents very slowly, loving every one.

I was trying to be happy so that my mom wouldn’t cry, but I was just pretending because it was a bad time. We were all trying to smile and think that we would get presents. And then Santa came, and my mom was crying, and I don’t know why because we got lots of presents. I got nice clothes and a CD player and a game and a stocking and candy. My favorite is a Razor, but I can’t ride it inside.

At Christmas I was worried about getting things for my children. When I saw all their gifts, I was shocked and then I wished I hadn’t spent so much time worrying about it. It is really nice that you helped us. My children went crazy, and we had to go outside so they could run around and calm down. Thank you for my gifts too. I didn’t think there would be gifts for me, too.

I live in a big house with a lot of people. We didn’t know that we would have a good Christmas, but we did. Santa brought me and all of us kids a lot of stuff, and we had fun. I was mad at my mother when we came here, but now I’m not.

Christmas was really nice. I got so much help. All of us moms got together one night before Christmas, and we got to see our children’s presents. We were wrapping things together. It was a sense of family that I don’t have now. It’s going to make me cry to think of it. Thank you for your help.

It is such a joy and a privilege to be a part of this community that really strives to follow Jesus in the ways we live.

Leigh Ann Hawkey

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.

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why are giraffes so tall and mice so little? Why do I have to eat my vegetables when chocolate tastes so much better?

The question why, at its core, seeks to determine the reasons or purposes behind the things around us. Yet, when we get older, we stop asking why and instead simply embrace things around us without question.

We are starting a new series here at Community Christian Church called “Why” where we are taking a closer look at things we do and believe here at CCC. We don’t want to embrace something because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” We want to know very clearly why. We hope you’ll join us as we take a closer look at why we sing, gather, serve, baptize, and why CCC exists. We promise not to just repeat the question why; we’ll leave that up to your little nephew.

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.

Community Christian Church has sent several teams over the past few years to serve with the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. The Christian Mission sent a medical team into Port-au-Prince in the hours that followed the earthquake, and they have let us know of some of the immediate needs that we are able to supply. We are collecting some specific supplies at CCC and shipping them out on Sunday, January 24. If you would like to purchase some supplies and drop them off at CCC this Sunday, please check out the list of items by clicking HERE.

You could also help by donating to one of these organizations:

Compassion International has 65,000 sponsored children in Haiti.

World Vision has sponsored children in Haiti & is doing disaster relief work. 

Samaritan’s Purse is providing disaster relief supplies. They hope to have 6,000 temporary shelters up in a couple weeks & by the end of next week will be providing 500,000 gallons of clean water daily.

Convoy of Hope has a warehouse there & feeds 7,000 children daily. They are providing food & disaster relief supplies. Here are some photos of their work so far.

World Hope is mobilizing their staff in Haiti & will be coordinating volunteers and volunteer groups from the U.S. (once emergency needs have been met).

The arts and the Church have had a long relationship. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since we worship and follow a creative God. In the beginning, God created. And from the spring of God’s creativity came everything in our world, from sunflowers and mountains to oceans and galaxies. The creativity of God led him to form creatures of all shapes and sizes (just take a good long look at a platypus if you doubt God’s ingenuity). The crowning achievement of all God’s creation is humankind, created in the very image of God.

Is there any surprise that we find inspiration, encouragement, entertainment, and beauty in creativity?

It’s easy to regard spirituality as simply a mental exercise where the main focus is information gathering. But there is an aspect of life that cannot be quantified by facts and figures and cannot be explained in a spreadsheet. There are some things that can only be experienced and celebrated through creativity and art. Around here at CCC, it is our hope that everyone is using their gifts, talents, and creativity to worship God and to help others do the same. We might not be able to create the platypus, but we can honor the God who did.

Nic Cox

We are in the midst of a series of messages called “Big C, little c.” It’s a strange title that’s raised a lot of questions. After all, what do those “c’s” stand for and why is one big and the other little? This series is all about looking at the similarities and differences between the Catholic Church and CCC and what we can learn from each other.

The two different sizes of “C” deal with the word catholic. Most likely the only time you run across the word catholic is in relation to the name of a church, such as this or that “Catholic Church” (with a capital “C”). The world catholic (with a lower case “c”) is a word that means universal, or the church at large and in general. The early church did not envision itself as a collection of individual churches or as denominational clusters, but as a universal, “catholic” Church (lowercase “c”). The church being universal was a focus beyond local manifestations of the Church. In this series we are comparing and contrasting the big C (the Catholic Church) with the little c (the universal or general Church).

This is a vital series for anyone who lives in or is from the Northeast, where a significant number of Catholic Churches are located. It is our dream that “Big C, little c” is a very helpful series that clears up confusion and misconceptions about the differences and similarities between the Catholic Church and CCC. It is also a wonderful chance to invite a friend or family member who would find this discussion to be helpful.

Star Queen at CCC
January 22, 2010
7:00-9:00 p.m.

When we pulled up at the Family Crisis Center with bags and bags and bags of presents, they were just blown away. The staff at the center told us the mothers and children weren’t expecting anything at all for Christmas and this would be a big surprise. I wish we could have seen the children’s faces on Christmas morning. I’m sure it was even a bigger blessing to the mothers as they were able to wrap and give those presents to their kids. I drove away from the center overcome with joy. Yes, I was happy to have space in my car again, but I got to experience the joy of giving. I also was so very proud of the families in our church community who try to follow Jesus and be a light to the world.

Thank you to everyone who provided Christmas presents for these families. We’ve already heard several stories of how people have been moved by this experience of either giving or receiving. If you have a story about Adopt-A-Family for Christmas, we would love to hear it. Email your story to leighann@communitycc.net

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

There is something else that makes Christmas unique: it is possibly the biggest time of the year when people’s hearts are softened, just a bit, toward the things of God.

Every year, Christmas reminds us of one of the most important events in all of history, the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a time to celebrate and remember God coming near to us. And this reminder and celebration is not limited to people who call themselves Christian.

Christmas has, undoubtedly, become a commercial phenomenon in the US. It is the time of year when businesses boost their sales and people pack the malls doing their holiday shopping. We have even created a new holiday, Black Friday, just to mark when this shopping season begins.

Yet, in spite of all of this, Christmas still stands as a reminder of something more, something transcendent. People cluster together with their families and the people they love as they celebrate Christmas, knowing in those moments that all the gifts don’t really matter. People turn their attention outward during Christmas and serve others more willingly and help the less fortunate. Christmas is when the world lowers its guard. The stones and the walls that are often built up to keep God out start to crack.

In the end, every Christmas season serves the same purpose that the first Christmas served: bringing God near us. While many people look at Christmas as a time to buy gifts and sit on Santa’s knee, others feel their hearts open to the things of God.

Here at Community Christian Church, our mission is to help people find their way back to God. During Christmas, our family, friends, and neighbors are much more open to beginning this journey for themselves. This Christmas, start a conversation about God with someone you know, and like that first Christmas over two thousand years ago, you might just help usher God into the heart and life of someone in your life.

As we celebrate Christmas and remember God coming near to us in the person of Jesus, let us never forget that God is still near us and longs to come nearer still.

Merry Christmas,

Nic Cox

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

Another value for the Student Ministry at CCC is service. We believe that students should have opportunities to not only learn to follow Jesus but also have some real opportunities to serve as well. For that reason, over the past two summers, the only trips we have offered for both middle and high school students have been service trips. We want to ingrain the importance of service in our summer trips. We hope when students evaluate how they can spend their summer, they will automatically want to serve. When it came time to plan this year’s summer trips we immediately began thinking of the best service trip opportunities for CCC students. Check out this year’s summer service trips:

Middle School – LIVE out LOUD
From July 12th until July 17th middle school students from CCC will go to Lancaster, PA for LIVE out LOUD. LIVE out LOUD will help students recognize the heart of service through repairing, renovating and transforming houses. Not only will students be doing minor home repair, but they will also come to an understanding of the awesome relationship that Jesus offers through worship, small group discussions, and relationships with trip leaders.

High School – Dominican Republic
From June 19th until June 26th high school students from CCC will go to the Dominican Republic for their summer service trip. In the Dominican we will partner with David & Virginia Savage. David & Virginia have been working in the Dominican for over 30 years doing local church planting. While there students will have the opportunity to do church construction, programming for children, and other community projects. The Dominican Republic trip can be a life changing experience for any student that goes.

It is the hope of the CCC Student Ministry Team that every student will go on one of these trips. Trip packets will be available Sunday, December 20th at the information table in the lobby at CCC. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, ryan.arnold@communitycc.net

Ryan Arnold
Student Ministry Director

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