CALVERT INTERFAITH COUNCIL
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Calvert Interfaith Council is an unincorporated association of clergy and lay representatives from different congregations or houses of worship in Calvert County, Maryland. THE PURPOSE OF CIC IS FOUR-FOLD: 1) To provide a means of communication with and among the various religious congregations of Calvert County. 2) To provide for continuing education of the clergy in areas of pastoral concern. 3) To coordinate common efforts of congregations on behalf of the poor and to provide better social services for those who are in need of assistance in Calvert County. 4) To facilitate interfaith gatherings and civic events which support the spiritual and social well being of the people of Calvert County, Maryland. CIC Officers for 2011:
The next CIC meeting in 2011: The next CIC meeting will be Tuesday, December 13, at Project ECHO, 484 Main Street, Prince Frederick. Hospitality at 9:30 Meeting at 10:00. There will be nominations and election of officers at this meeting. All are welcome!. About CIC Meetings: The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month from 9;30 a.m. to noon. The CIC meeting is held at a different location each month. Clergy and/or representatives from various congregations volunteer to host the meetings at their places of worship. Details of upcoming meetings can be found on this website. Each meeting begins with the clergy or representative of the host (place of worship) sharing a brief (20 to 30 minutes) presentation on their faith tradition. This is followed by a business meeting to discuss and share information on relevant issues in our county. Refreshments are provided by the host place of worship.
Activities that CIC sponsors: The Annual International Day of Peace Celebration: This year's celebration took place on September 21st at the Phillips House in Prince Frederick (28 Duke Street across from the Post Office). The theme was "Make Your Voice Heard". This year, the event was co-sponsored with the Community Mediation Center of Calvert.
The International day of Peace was established by the United Nations in 1981. The concept is to inspire people to embrace compassion, to respect life and to live in harmony with one another, celebrating diversity rather than using it as a reason for conflict.
Click on the picture to see some of the highlights of the International Day of Peace celebrations of past years.
The Annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service: Sharing perspectives and worship of the Abrahamic faith traditions. This year's service will take place at St. Edmonds UMC on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. (3000 Dalrymple Rd, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732).
Other Upcoming Events: Peace Builder Award Nominate a local Peace Builder for the Community Mediation Center of Calvert Peace Builder Award.The award will be presented on Conflict Resolution Day at the Phillips House on Oct. 21st. There will be an Open House from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and lunch will be served. There is no charge. The Peace Builder Award will be presented around noon. Click ( PeaceAwardNominationForm) for a nomination form.
Christmas in April Click here (CIAApplication%20Flyer2012) to find out more how you can apply for Christmas in April.
Activities that CIC members support: Community Ministry of Calvert CIC has organized this program to fill the gap in services for those in the community who need financial assistance. The success of this project depends on both volunteers and financial support. Our mission is provide assistance to those in need in emergency situations either directly or in cooperation with other agencies. This effort grows out of a belief in the basic dignity of all. We believe that all who live in a society are connected to one another by our common humanity. We recognize that for some, difficult or even insurmountable barriers stand in the way of this simple goal of a decent life. We believe, as stewards of God's abundant creation, we have a shared responsibility to reach out to assist others in distress, sharing from that bounty.
All those who are interested in assisting in this endeavor can contact Rev. Charles Harrell at Charles@trinityumchurch.org or 410-535-1782. Calvert Collaboration for Youth It focuses its energies on increasing volunteer and financial resources dedicated to programs for children and youth, and on building community awareness of youth issues. It supports the efforts of many outstanding child and family organizations End Hunger in Calvert: October has been declared End Hunger Month in Calvert. End Hunger in Calvert County exists to change lives. We work with individuals to create permanent solutions that move them from dependency to self-sufficiency. There are more and more people needing help. Find out how your can help. And find out more about The Farms of End Hunger program. Environment Ministry: Trinity UMC is spearheading an effort to establish an effective coalition of faith communities working together to restore the Patuxent River to a pristine state. Contact: Rev. Charles Harrell at Trinity UMC, Prince Frederick. charles@trinityumchurch.org Project ECHO: ECHO (Ecumentical Council for the Homeless) is supported by several places of worship in Calvert. It is a nonprofit agency that provides emergency assistance to homeless people in our community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.ECHO offers a safe, sober place to stay overnight to homeless men, women, and children on a short-term basis. The new shelter has a capacity of 40 beds. Clients are required to actively pursue goals for housing, employment, treatment, education, etc. as needed. Meals are also provided; dinner is supplied by vounteers each evening. Patuxent Habitat for Humanity: Patuxent Habitat for Humanity (PHH) is dedicated to providing decent affordable housing in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties. It builds houses and sells them to qualified families at cost with no down payment and 30 year interest free mortgage. The cost is minimized by accepting donated land, building material, and volunteer help. The homeowners are required to help build their own home by working 200 hours of "sweat equity" for each adult in the family. Since 2003 PHH has built 9 homes serving 35 children, 4 in Calvert County and 5 in St. Mary's. 2 are currently being built in St Mary's and 3 are planned to start in Calvert early next year. PHH also operates a "Re-Store" in Lexington Park which sells building materials donated by builders and lumber and hardware stores at approximately half the retail price. You can help the PHH by organizing volunteers to help build houses or perform administrative help, arrange fund raising, provide lunches for builders, or keep PHH in your prayers. 12 local churches have joined together to formed an "Apostle Build" to build Habitat Houses. Faith congregations in Calvert County take turns in sheltering the homeless for 22 weeks throughout the cold weather months beginning in November and ending in April. The Safe Nights program is dedicated to protecting the homeless from the cold by providing shelter in a clean and safe environment. The consortium of Calvert County faith congregations participating in the Safe Nights program are dedicated to a compassionate response to homelessness in Calvert County. We share a common goal of reaching out to help those who need it the most. Approximately forty churches/congregations are participating in the program. Safe Nights of Calvert County, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. It is operated entirely with volunteers and is funded entirely through donations. For further information click here.
Southen Maryland Action Coalitio (SMAC): A community organization comprised of faith communities, businesses and other civic and service organizations dedicated to serving all citizens of Calvert County as agents of tranformational change.
TurnAbout Café is a Fair Trade Café, Bakery and Gift Shop committed to serving Calvert County and surrounding areas by providing training and employment opportunities to underemployed people (with a focus on empowering those with special needs and circumstances). They use and sell fair trade items, train their employees and give them a “living wage”. TurnAbout Cafe is sponsored by All Saints Episcopal Church, along with Broadview Baptist Church and Garrett Music Academy. They are looking for other churches and business to help sponsor this effort. Contact: Pam Klink, Executive Director, turnaboutinc@verizon.com
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Theresa
Calvert Interfaith Council P.O. Box 878 Prince Frederick, Md 20678 |
Site updated 10/2011 Hosting for this website is provided by www.ftagh.us |
