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upcoming activities..
Friday, March 2nd 5:30-9:30 p.m.
ACT I
Reception
featuring sumptious appetizers and beverages
(beer, wine, soda)
ACT II
2012 Faith & Community Award
recognizing
St. John's Episcopal Church
Please consider a TRIBUTE GIFT to support programs of the COUNCIL OF CHRUCHES in honor of the good work and people of St John's Episcopal Church
ACT III
Face to Face
A Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John
Tribute artists Joey Riedel and Michael John have joined forces to capture both legends in a high energy, interactive show. "Billy" and "Elton" each perform a solo set with a killer Rock 'n Roll band, and then meet for a Face to Face finale!
Bridgeport's own dinner theater! Bring your own picnic-style supper and drinks to enjoy during the show.
Invite friends! Tables of 4,6, and 8.
$65 per person.
RSVP by Friday, February 24
CO-OP Center's
Sixth Annual Art from Prison Auction
Exhibited at
The 305K Gallery, 305 Knowlton St., Bridgeport
Monday, March 5 - Friday March 9, 2012
Artwork donated by inmates in Community Partners in Action's
Closing reception Friday, March 9, 5:30-7 pm
click for details
Art From Prison Auction artwork will be available for viewing on the CCGB website after 2/15/12
Calling All Angels!
click to see the angel giving guide
The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport’s 28th Annual Angel Giving Guide invites you to "Be an Angel" – an angel who leverages hope and transforms people's lives!
How can we make gift giving a sacred act in which we give out of our own grateful hearts? How can we respond to the gift of Christ to the world in a meaningful way? How can we respond to the Gospel call to love God and neighbor in all we do?
Using The Angel Giving Guide, you can honor the angels in your life while you empower The Council of Churches to:
- Keep kids safe and families together
- Challenge young students to become scholars
Provide second chances for ex-offenders
- Connect people and communities to celebrate diversity and meet urgent needs
Here's how some of your neighbors use The Angel Giving Guide:
- A local businessman uses it to honor his employees during the holidays.
- A Bridgeport doctor uses it to honor both colleagues and staff.
- Families use it to show appreciation for their children's teachers.
- Stockbridge’s Gourmet Cheesecakes Shop in Shelton displays The Angel Giving Guide in their store and gathers donations from customers.
- A daycare center in Shelton encourages parents to express their appreciation for the care their children receive by giving to The Council’s Hunger Outreach network in the form of Grocery Store Cards.
The possibilities are endless! Using the form, and an additional piece of paper if necessary, provide the names of the people who are "angels" in your life. Each one of them will receive a personalized note telling them of your thoughtful gift – inside that note will be tucked an Angel Ornament for Holiday display made of seeded paper, which when planted in the Spring, will grow beautiful wildflowers!
A gift made through The Angel Giving Guide can also be a beautiful way to embrace the memory of loved ones who have passed on.
God fills our lives with bounty. As we celebrate the extraordinary ways in which God blesses our own families, may we become blessings to others who may be in desperate need of angels.
O Holy One, as we rush to shop and send out cards, as our Christmas trees are lighted, and Christmas songs are played everywhere, as we strive to make everything perfect, keep us close to you. Keep us close that the one whose coming we celebrate – Jesus the Christ – may be honored in all we do. May the gifts we give in this season shine forth with your love. May our lives shine forth with your love. Let Christ be seen in us; in all we do, in all we say, in all we are. For with wonder and with awe we pray in his name. Amen * based on a prayer by Ruth C. Duck
The Norma F. Pfriem Foundation awards The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport a grant of $45,000 for Hunger Outreach Network
CO-OP Center Recognizes Client Achievements!
CCGB program featured in "RELEASE"
click below to read
Marathon Madness!!
Thanks for all your support!!
read the press release
Rev. Brian Bodt nears the finish at the Steamtown Marathon, Scranton, PA
CEO'S MARATHON APPEAL: The Running Reverend completed his third consecutive Steamtown Marathon on October 9th in a personal Steamtown record of 5:06:54 and a fund-raising record of over $22,000 to date. To give, click on "How to Donate." To read his blog, click here.
Race completed, Rev. Brian Bodt displays his finisher's medal.
What is CCGB all about?
check out this 7 minute video to find out!
click on the link then double click on
the video for full screen
CCGB
Video Overview
Members talk about the history,
programs, and inspirational stories that
make the Council of Churches an
outstanding ecumenical, social service
organization that YOU will want to
become involved with.
Rev. Dr. Brian R. Bodt, President and CEO, Tony Mancini, Project Executive, KBE Building Corporation, Carl Johnson, Chair of the CCGB Board of Directors, Byron Crosdale, Finance Director and Hunger Fiduciary
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES RECEIVES HUNGER GIFT
The Council of Churches recently received a gift toward Hunger Outreach from the KBE Building Corporation of Farmington, CT. KBE has municipal and educational construction projects throughout Connecticut. Part of their model of corporate philanthropy is to choose an organization in the area of a current project through which to make an impact. Their recent project at the University of Bridgeport make them aware of hunger needs and the essential role The Council has in helping fund the programs of the Hunger Outreach Network.
"The Council is very grateful to KBE Building Corporation and its associates for this kind donation," said Reverend Brian R. Bodt, President and CEO of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport Inc. "Through the 37 feeding programs of the Hunger Outreach Network, this contribution will help provide meals for families and individuals in need in our communities. In these trying economic times, the need is greater than ever."
If you want to help alleviate hunger in our area, follow the “How to Donate” link on this website or go to www.justgive.org. We thank the KBE Building Corporation and all our supporters for helping feed hungry people.
Tom Larson, Chair of Human Resources
for The Council, and recent
recipient of the 2011 Community
Builder Award, reflects upon what
“Community” means to him.
"..One
of the exciting parts of working in
community building is I’ve learned
that no one person has all the
answers, but each of us may have
some of the answer – and each of us
can be part of the solution..."
Read
the whole speech here
The Council of Churches Wants You...
to
observe
Council Month
Member
congregations are encouraged to
observe “Council Month”
in October, 2011 (or any Sunday
better suited to local needs).
Council Month (originally
“Council Sunday”) is a 2005
renewal of a longer history of
addressing our congregations. The
purpose is to equip Council
delegates with the tools to
inform and inspire
our members about the ways we use
your mission giving to “turn
faith into action…helping people at
risk meet their urgent needs.”
Click
here to learn more
Go to full report for videos of award recipients!
Cinco de
Mayo was also
CCGB's 66th
Annual Meeting
2011
It proved to be "the
best Council annual meeting ever.”
Three new member congregations were
received and other business was
conducted.
click
here for a full report
click
here for event photos
THANK YOU
FOR MAKING "SPRING FLING" A GREAT EVENT!!!
Click to
read all about it and see the pictures
THANK YOU !
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For a successful
ART FROM PRISON Auction event.
Janus Center
Director Dale Holder
chosen
to participate in 2011
Fairfield
County Leadership Development
Roundtable (LDR)
Program.
read the whole
story
"Let your light so
shine before others, that they may
see your good wo
Thomas received hope through CO-OP
Center. Released from prison with
no prospects, Thomas found CO-OP
Center and its Computer Technology
Learning Center. He has redirected
his life, is gaining new skills,
building relationships and is
gainfully employed.
Thomas has a changed life
++++++++++++
Lori's family received hope through Janus Center. Their son was
truant and on the verge of landing
in jail. The intervention of case
managers from the Janus Center for
Youth in Crisis gave resources and
expertise for the crisis. Today,
the family is reconciled and their
son has completed school and is
working.
Lori's family has a changed life.
++++++++++++++
Jarvis received hope through Janus Center
and Project Learn. As a result of
his encounter with
a caring case manager from the Janus
Center, Jarvis was able to take
control of his life and finish both
college and graduate school. Coming
full circle, he now gives of himself
to young students
who want to succeed
academically through our
Project Learn after school program.
Jarvis has a changed life.
The Norma F. Pfriem Foundation
awards The Council of Churches of
Greater Bridgeport $150,000 for
Hunger Outreach Capacity Expansion
Click
to read the whole story!
in Safe Place's newsletter
"Connections."
The Council of Churches of Greater
Bridgeport Receives $100,000 Grant
from The Norma F. Pfriem Foundation
read
more...
(from left to right)
Barbara Stinson, Annual Appeals
Chair; Byron Crosdale, Finance
Director; and the Rev. Dr. Brian R.
Bodt, CEO of The Council of
Churches, presents an unrestricted
gift on behalf of the Norma F.
Pfriem Foundation to officers of The
Council of Churches: Valzie Peterkin,
Secretary; Phil Norgren, Treasurer;
and Carl Johnson, Chair of the Board
of Directors.
Fairfield Fire
Department and Safe Place…
A Great Match
click
to read all about it!
Click to read :
John
Cottrell testifies before State Senate
Select Committee on Children regarding
Bill #292
CCGB Chief Operating Officer and member
of The Connecticut Team for Runaway and
Homeless youth, John Cottrell testified
before the State Senate regarding “An
Act Concerning Homeless Youth.” The
purpose of the bill is to authorize the
Commissioner of Children and Families to
administer, within available
appropriations, a program of outreach,
shelter and transitional living services
for homeless youth. Read his
comments in their entirety.
Trumbull
Youngsters Stock St. Luke's Food Pantry
CCGB
Board Member Spotlight
The State of the Council
Scroll down to see current CCGB events & announcements
Read about CCGB
honorees:
Co-op
Client Recognition Events
2010
Great Friends Honorees
2009
Great Friends Keynote Speaker & Honorees
2008
Great Friends Keynote Speaker &
Honorees
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“Reflections”
January, 2012
My 23 year old son Adam recently lost his wallet. Two days after Christmas. Filled with hundreds of dollars of gifts in cash and gift cards. On the morning commuter train to New York.
It’s not the first time he’s lost his wallet. Usually that would be the end of the story. Game over.
But faced with the enormity of the crisis, Adam acted. Calls to Metro-North were met with “Yes, there’s a lost and found, but call back tomorrow when people are here.” Undeterred, he left his 129th Street apartment in Manhattan and went to Grand Central Terminal with his last Metrocard ride. (Asked later by his brother “So how were you going to get home if you didn’t find your wallet” he replied “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”)
Unsuccessful inquiries of real people were dead-ends. In a last ditch effort, Adam tracked his train on the “Arrivals” board, figured out that it might still be in the station, and searched it. Operating on the flawed assumption that the train had been turned for the out-bound trip, he searched the train from the wrong end.
He was about to give up when, passing one of the cars, he noticed a poster for an upcoming television show. He remembered seeing the poster when he was riding the train and thinking “I should be sure to watch that.” He entered the car, found his seat in relation to the poster, and under it, with everything inside, was his wallet!
A miracle? Of sorts. Certainly a discovery with the same odds of a needle in a haystack. But to me, it was also a parable of how tenacious we can be when we are seeking something of value. The Christian Gospels are full of such stories as reminders of how urgent is God’s love toward us; to what length the “Hound of Heaven” goes to seek and save the lost; and how very valuable we are to the Author of Creation.
If only the urgency of Adam’s search could be lived toward all people living on the margins, as many of those we serve at CCGB do. I truly believe that our mission “to turn faith into action…to help people at risk meet their urgent needs” is not just a slogan but a conviction from which our staff work every single day.
For that, I am grateful to them and you who support them with your time, talent and treasure. And I am grateful to my son, whose story of lost and found and whose cry (as he later told me) of “Never give up! Never surrender! reminds me of the tenacity we all need to seek and help our neighbors in need.
Rev. Dr. Brian R. Bodt
* * *
The Rev. Dr. Brian Bodt is the President and CEO of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport
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in Crisis
