may 22,27, 2012 march 2012
the newsletter of first christian church (disciples of christ)
THE volume xxv | no. 80
Scholarship Applications Due This Friday! The First Christian Church of Smithville, MO, is proud to announce that it is again offering both the First Christian Church Scholarship and the Margaret Wilson Miller & David Rader Miller Scholarship Funds. The First Christian Church Scholarship Application is available for applicants who have completed 24 college hours and have graduated from high school one year ago (2.5 GPA on 4.0 scale is required). The Margaret Wilson Miller & David Rader Miller First Christian Church Scholarship Fund Application is available for high school graduates. Applications will be available in the church office and online starting in April. Completed scholarship applications are due in the church office on Friday, May 25, 2012. Applications will not be accepted after noon on that day. If you have any questions, please call the church office at 532-0773. Scholarships will be awarded during church service on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Please make an effort to be in attendance that day.
cwf meets on tuesday CWF will meet Tuesday, May 22nd at 7 p.m. Old business will include deciding on purchasing dishes as we have prices now. New business to be covered will include our service project for this quarter. Cheryl Merideth will have the program and Barbara McFadden will hostess. All ladies of the church are invited and encouraged to give these meetings a try.
a note from rachel drake Thank you to everyone who helped me with the Graduation Breakfast and Celebration. I couldn’t have pulled it off with out everyone’s help. Thank you to Bud Yazel for getting the beautiful Bibles that we gave the graduates and to Ryan for helping me hand them out. Thank you to everyone who provided food including Linda Neer, Barbara McFadden, Shirley French, Belinda Miller, Emma Drake, Judy Clough, John Manka, Susie Clower, Pam Winn, Kathy French and Joyce French. Also thank you to my set up and take down crew of Billy, Alexander and Emma Drake and to Rader Miller for cleaning up after we were done. Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone. It’s such a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful church community that always comes through to make these events a success. Rachel Drake
A Note from the KC Regional Youth Cabinet Your generous donation made it possible for us to try something new and host three Christian bands for an amazing concert! We are so thankful for your support for the Young Disciples of our region. Our April 20th Beautiful Unusual Tour Concert (featuring Attaboy with Calling Out Closer and Jennie Wellsand) was awesome! There were multiple DOC churches represented, and lots of our invited friends. Thanks again! Blessings!! The Regional Youth Cabinet (including Billy Drake!)
operation overboard: vbs 2012! Dare to dive in and go deep with God! Volunteers and Children please register online at: http://overboard.cokesburyvbs.com/SmithvilleFCC We are now looking for about forty volunteers to help us to make this year’s Vacation Bible School the best it has ever been! Join us as we “dive into faith” and explore God’s love in new ways. Volunteers are needed to help with snacks, recreation, science experiments, bible stories, and small group leaders. Anyone can help! Thank you!
Notes of Thanks To Our Church Family, Thank you for all your prayers, cards, calls, and offers to help out in so many ways. It is sure nice to have such a caring church family. God bless each of you. Thanks, Lyle Brown Dear Smithville First Christian Church Family, Thank you so much for the pink Bible and for recognizing my accomplishments during church service. I truly felt special. Thank you so much. Molly Blosser To All, I want to thank you for all your help through these tough times. Though I do not officially attend Sunday services, I know in my heart thanks to your kindness & caring that I am part of a very loving church family. Susan
current culture A Word from Ryan This last weekend, we marked the first graduation of our congregation’s Faith Leader class. During the last twenty-eight weeks, several members of our congregation have wrestled with a difficult but important question: What does that word “leader” mean in our church? Leadership in the church is so multifaceted. Our immediate thoughts go to the obvious leaders of our church: the Pastor, elders, deacons, committee heads, board officers. The “upfront people” take the spotlight when it comes to leadership, because we feel as though they have some kind of special “authority.” But, in the Disciples of Christ church, we have a theological tradition in our faith that is summarized in one statement: “The Priesthood of All Believers.” The idea of this is simple: that you and I and all who sit in our pews are called to be minister’s of Christ’s gospel, sharing in the authority of the Holy Spirit equally and called to lead God’s church together. This may not resonate fully with your brain because, for many, many, many years the Church has been dominated by the idea of “conferred authority.” After the death of Christ, the Disciples struggled to discern who would lead God’s church. Peter and Paul wrestled with their own interpretations of Christ’s gospel, each so unique that they had different groups who followed them. Early Christianity was driven by Apostles who had been literally accorded authority by Christ himself to carry out ministry with the blessing of the Holy Spirit. The Church became a place where you needed this “authority” to be a leader: the Catholic Church appointed Priests, Bishops, and Popes to lead the people, and these officers of God’s church were accorded offices and with those offices appropriate authority. The first sixteen hundred years or so of the church were built upon a distinct difference between the “Leader” and the “People.” The differences were built into the way the church worked: more often than not the Clergy were the only people who could read and know scripture, and often they were the only ones who had access to scripture (remember this was before Gutenberg’s Printing Press spit out its first book, which was rather auspiciously a Bible!). With such a small group of folks in control of the Word of God, to be a leader meant to have access to tools that others didn’t have. Leaders became those who were most educated, most informed, and most connected. This may be why that “priesthood of all believers” statement has difficulty being heard. Since those first sixteen hundred years have ended, we Christians have been called to take responsibility for leading God’s church, for reading and interpreting God’s word, and for keeping our own spiritual lives vital. Today, we affirm that each of us has received the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit freely, and that with those gifts we’re called to give back. When we drill this into our brains, we have to remember: being a “leader” does not have to be about being so educated, being so informed, or being so connected. Instead, being a leader means discerning the gifts that God has given us, discerning the things in our lives that simply make our souls sing with happiness when we are in
Being a leader means discerning the gifts that God has given us, discerning the things in our lives that simply make our souls sing with happiness when we are in the process of doing them, and then employing those gifts for the building up of the Kingdom of God. the process of doing them, and then employing those gifts for the building up of the Kingdom of God. This means that those nimble fingers you use to quilt or knit with could be used to quilt or knit baby blankets for Child Dedications in the church. What a great way to be a leader. This means that you could use your experiences in life, your deep love for scripture, and your call to shepherd others to work as an elder in the church. What a great way to be a leader. This means that you could use your gifts to encourage others to participate in local government as an act of faithful commitment to the Kingdom of God. What a great way to be a leader. Help me in keeping in prayer the graduates of our leadership course, help me in congratulating them on a great commitment well lived, and help me encourage them as they seek to employ their gifts for the benefit of our church: Greg Atkins, Larry Driver, Shirley French, Joel Hartman, Jonica Lincoln, and Cheryl Merideth. One more thing: we’re already forming our second Leadership class. There are twelve spots open for the group. We will be meeting on Tuesday evenings starting in late August, and will join together on two retreats. The class will be twenty-eight weeks long, but ask any participant from this year: you won’t regret it. I would love to have you come and explore with us how God has gifted you as a leader. With gratitude and anticipation,
Ryan
current culture food pantry report
april care connection report
Thank you for donations. Thank you to all volunteers. Thank you to Paradise Methodist & Smithville Methodist for donations. Check the sign-up sheet for times available to volunteer. I will be working, Lord willing, on May 29th & 31st, we need three per day. Joyce French & Susan Wilson are signed up for the 31st, but we still need one more. Need three for the 29th. I’m proud to serve in the pantry, but a little more help is always welcome.
Cards sent – 24 Home visits – 1 Care facility visits – 3 Phone calls – 37 Total connections – 65 People making connections - 4
Love, Rick galatians 6:9 & 10.
Scholarship Application Deadline—Friday, May 25
a look ahead
this sunday, may 27
next sunday, june 3
GREETERS, EAST DOOR: Argel & Cheryl Merideth GREETERS, WEST DOOR: Ed & Val Blosser LAY READER: Kathy French
GREETERS, EAST DOOR: Martha Parks GREETERS, WEST DOOR: Denney & Shirley French LAY READER: Shirley Owen
CHILDREN’S SERMON: Linda Neer CANDLE LIGHTERS: Jack Massie & Carter Massie
CHILDREN’S SERMON: Ryan Motter CANDLE LIGHTERS: John Manka & Cole French
ELDERS: Mike Gordon & Linda Neer
ELDERS: Matt Dion & Phil French DIACONATE: Barbara Arnold, John Hamilton, Kathy Hamilton, Joel Hartman, Gary Jones, Sue Lake, Cindy Mayberry, Joyce Summers [Alt: Michelle Atkins/Conner French] PREPARE COMMUNION: Kathy French CLEAN UP COMMUNION: Joyce Summers PICK UP SANCTUARY: Cindy Mayberry
DIACONATE: Vicki Belcher, Matt French, Shirley French, Mary Gordon, Jim Mitchell, Jim Owen, Linda Prout, Steve Prout [Alt: Jessica Arnold/Marcus Burchett] PREPARE COMMUNION: Mike Gordon CLEAN UP COMMUNION: Mary Gordon PICK UP SANCTUARY: Shirley French
MAY 22: Mac Clough, Sam Blosser MAY 24: Scott Odle MAY 25: Savannah Klasing MAY 26: Shirley French, Meagan Dion MAY 27: Luke French, Rudy McMahon MAY 28: Adelyn French, Wanda Bryant MAY 30: Carrie Cissell, Peggy Miller, Jill R. Blankenship MAY 31: Connie Hubbard, Ken Lippincott JUNE 1: Rachel Duff JUNE 2: Emma Drake,Orly James Lynch JUNE 5: Bob Arnold, Sam Arnold, Anna Priddle, Clint French
may/june birthdays
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
201 North Bridge Street Smithville, MO 64089-8266 phone: 816.532.0773 www.smithvillefcc.org office@smithvillefcc.org Ryan Motter, pastor cell: 913.707.2870 email: ryan@smithvillefcc.org Mark Holcomb, music minister Velva Fausett, organist Janet George, pianist Greg Atkins, treasurer Abby Carr, communications designer