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Calling All Angels!
The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport’s
Angel Giving Guide
invites you to "Be an Angel" – an angel who leverages hope and transforms people's lives!
For 67 years The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport has served people challengedbyfamily crisis; crime and incarceration; hunger; lack of appropriate after-school care for their children; and feelings of isolation and fear.
As the holidays near, we often become more aware of the urgency of our neighbor’s needs. On a daily basis, hundreds of kids in Greater Bridgeport need help to succeed in school, or, worse, find shelter care away from their homes. Thousands of adults and their families need to escape poverty and crisis and need access to food or just a second chance. All of these people in crisis need an Angel.
The Council’s Angel Giving Guide provides donors with a wonderful vehicle for making gifts to support The Council’s work, while at the same time, showing appreciation for the Angels in their lives. Please consider making an Angel Gift to those you care most about this holiday season and in so doing, help The Council of Churches expand its own mission to leverage hope and change lives. Those you name will receive a personalized note telling them of your thoughtful gift – inside that note will be tucked an ornament, hand-crafted by the little angels enrolled in Project Learn.
Click to read about how your neighbors use the angel giving guide and print a gift form
CCGB OPENS LEADERSHIP SEARCH
The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport (CCGB) has an exceptional leadership opportunity for a dynamic individual to work closely with a committed Board of Directors and an experienced and motivated staff to lead a well regarded and growing faith-based organization into the future... read more
Position Description: Chief Executive Officer Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport click to read
CCGB 2011-2012 Strategic Plan
CCGB reports on the
67th Annual Meeting
held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Highlights included an enthusiastic welcome to Grace and Mercy Baptist Church as they joined the CCGB membership, recognition of outgoing board members, and introduction of new board members
Click here for all the meeting details
Observe Council Month
Member congregations are asked to observe “ Council Month” one Sunday in October, 2012 (or any other Sunday). Council Month lifts and celebrates our partnership in mission with member congregations. We provide tools to info rm 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.”
Here are suggested activities for your observance:
- reading a two minute message we provide at morning worship;
- publishing a message in your weekly bulletin and/or monthly newsletter;
- sharing our materials after worship;
- a presentation by a delegate, pastor or CCGB Board or staff member;
- show our promotional seven-minute DVD.
No fund-raising is intended with this observance. Some congregations choose to receive a special offering but our goal is sharing news of our ministry. If you want to know more about observing Council Month, please contact Patty Jensen at pattyjensen@ccgb.org or 203.334.1121, ext. 243.
As of May 7 th, 37 churches committed to observing Council Month. To see the list click here. The list weill grow as more commitments are made:
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
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
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”
June, 2012
Dear friends of The Council of Churches,
John Fawcett was an English ecumenist who knew how to say goodbye. A Methodist who later became a Baptist, he opened a school for neighborhood children at his home in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. He also wrote hymns, the best known contained in the collection Devotional Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (1811), the same year Brown University bestowed on him the Doctor of Divinity. To the tune of Sicilian Mariners he wrote:
Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing; fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, thy love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace.
O refresh us, O refresh us, traveling through this wilderness.
And perhaps even more familiar to church folks:
Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.
So this is goodbye—literally, a contraction of “God be with ye”—which is a blessing both sweet and poignant. For me, it is the end of a 17 year chapter with The Council of Churches that includes a decade of Board leadership and my six year term as CEO.
The Council is in good hands. Direction by management and executive committee will provide stability while our search committee continues its work in identifying a new CEO. Finances are in excellent shape, thanks to our many supporters; and the proposed budget for the new fiscal year beginning July 1 is conservative.
The Council continues providing life-saving services. The excellence of our program staff assure it, and will expand on it as Life Cycle Management unfolds throughout the summer through a planning process designed to identify gaps and the ways we can respond to them.
The Council will continue to cherish your support and prayers. ‘Nuff said!
Me, too! My last day is June 21st; I marry Carol Galloway on June 23rd; I begin as pastor at Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, Milford, Connecticut on July 1st. Nissan’s marketing got it years ago: “Enjoy the ride!”
The Housatonic River is not such a great gulf. I hope we will see one another from time to time, and certainly on September 23rd at an event in my honor at First Church, Congregational, Fairfield. More details will come over the summer. It has been a great ride/run/journey for which I am grateful to far too many people to name; and it has been an honor to serve God through The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. May God remain with ye, and me, as we serve our neighbors in need.
Faithfully,
Brian
* * *
The Rev. Dr. Brian Bodt is the President and CEO of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport
* * *
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in Crisis
