We kicked of one our favorite series this past week, CCC at the Movies. If you weren’t able to be here, you really missed out. Make sure you check out the Podcast to get caught up.

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!

Hey Friends,

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

If you’ve been around Community Christian Church, you may have noticed we don’t look exactly like other churches.  This might have you wondering about some things.  How did CCC get started?  Who’s on staff at CCC?  What does CCC believe?  What’s my next step at CCC?

There is a place to get these and other questions addressed: Starting Point.  Starting Point is a two-hour gathering where we’ll take a closer look at who CCC is and where we’re going in a fun and casual environment.  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 this Sunday, June 27, from 10:45 – 12:45.  Sign up online here or by calling the church office (410.933.8330) if you are interested in attending.

Sunday Follow-up: Obey

Last Sunday, the “one word” we looked at was the word obey.  We were challenged by David to begin to engage with the Bible looking for places where we need to more fully obey what God wants for our lives.  If you missed the message on Sunday, you can listen to it online here.

There were three different applications to the teaching on the word obey.  The first was to read the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5 – 7 and ask ourselves, very honestly, what does Jesus say here that I need to begin obeying in my life.  The second is to read the entire book of Mark (it’s the shortest of the four Gospel books), and keep a journal of all the commands that you find Jesus teaching.  Third, for people who might be familiar with the teaching of Jesus, the challenge is to read through the Gospels and ask if you are really taking Jesus seriously or if you’ve found a way to rationalize or minimize what Jesus commands.

If we follow through with these challenges, we might just find that we encounter Jesus in a whole new way

We’d love to hear about the commands of Jesus that you are discovering (or rediscovering) and what those mean for your life.  Add a comment to this blog post or drop us a line at info@communitycc.net and let us know what you learn about obeying Jesus.

At four in the morning (that’s crazy) on Saturday, June 12, a team from CCC headed to Santiago, Dominican Republic for a service trip. One of the projects they will be working on is finishing the roof on the church and school in Pontezuela. Several of the folks on the trip have been on short term service trips before, but a few of them are going for the very first time. Spending this week serving in the Dominican Republic will potentially be life changing for them. It is difficult to experience the level of poverty they will be exposed to and not have it drastically affect your life. Pray for their safety and for God to work through them and in them. It’s wonderful to have friends from our CCC community serving and blessing around the world.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Dundalk Pondskipper 5K run last month. Below is a video recap of the event.

You wouldn’t think that putting some change in a baby bottle would add up to so much.  CCC had a bottle drive to benefit the Center for Pregnancy Concerns last month.  We asked you guys to take home a baby bottle and throw your spare change in it.  On Mother’s Day we brought our bottles back and the pregnancy center was thrilled with the results.  We raised around $3,500 which will go to assist women in crisis and their babies.  Thank you to everyone who participated in “Change a Life”.

This past Sunday we wrapped up our Stack the Deck series with a conversation about stacking the deck in favor of children and families around the world. By partnering with Compassion International, CCC is able to contribute to changing the realities of children facing physical and spiritual poverty. We are passionate about this cause because we fully believe that every child matters to God

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.

Kids are getting excited about the school year coming to an end. Graduation parties are on the calendars. Vacations are being finalized, and the weather is……erratic. But by most indications, summer is approaching. I’m really looking forward to summer, and not just for the typical reasons.

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

Hey Friends,

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