The Christian Courier The Christian Courier The Christian Courier The C Vol. 65, No. 4 Bellingham First Christian Church April 2015

Come Celebrate Easter!Monday, March 30 thru

Wednesday, April 19 a.m. Breakfast and Taize Worship

Maundy Thursday, April 27 p.m. Worship

Good Friday, April 37 a.m. - 7 p.m. Prayer Vigil

7 p.m. WorshipEaster Sunday, April 5

8:30 a.m. Worship at Zuanich Park9:30 a.m. Breakfast (Church)10:30 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt

11 a.m. Easter WorshipPhoto: Stained glass window, St. Sebastian Catholic Church, Fort Lauderdale. FL

Take the Pastors Easter ChallengeJoin us in an Easter Challenge, as we take a close look at our own lives and reaffirm our decisions to follow Jesus. As we read the words of Jesus, we find ourselves asking how we might best serve Gods people and Gods creation and what it might take to do so.

Consider these commands: Matthew 5:13 - 7:28

Be the salt and light of the world Keep the commandments and teach others to

do the same Be reconciled to those with whom we are angry No lust in your heart No divorce (except for specific reasons) No false promises No revenge, just compassion, generosity Love and pray for your enemies Beware of piety - give your tithes and donations

privately Pray privately (well, be reasonable) and pray as

Jesus taught us Fast in private - if youre doing it to be closer to

God, dont be so dreary! Dont store up junk - just treasures you can

keep in your heart Keep a sound eye - or a good attitude/

perspective Choose whether you will serve God or $$$ (you

cant have it both ways) Stop worrying - God knows what you need and

your energies are better spent working for Gods people

Dont judge people - really! Just dont. Dont waste that which is holy on those who

wont appreciate it Ask, search and find - God has so much to offer.

Do you see it? Keep the golden rule. Remember that the narrow gate may be

difficult, but it leads to life (not destruction) Beware of false prophets, bad influences Remember that just claiming to love God, follow

Jesus, is not enough - you must walk the talk Build a firm foundation for your life and your

faithContinued on page 2

CourierThe

495 East Bakerview RoadBellingham, WA 98226

360.734.6820office@bellinghamdisciples.orgwww.bellinghamdisciples.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lords Table as God welcomed us.

All of UsMinistersRev. Gary ShoemakerPastorgary@bellinghamdisciples.org

Mary Ann TeetersFinance/Membership Administratormaryann@bellinghamdisciples.org

Rev. Tamalyn KralmanDirector of Ed. & Community OutreachCourier Editortamalyn@bellinghamdisciples.org

Amelia NyeAccompanistTBDChildcare ProviderRev. Sandy MessickRegional MinisterRev. Sharon WatkinsGeneral Minister and President

Sunday Schedule9:30 a.m. Sunday School10:50 a.m. Gathering Time11 a.m. Worship12:15 a.m. Fellowship Time12:30 p.m. Out-to-Lunch Bunch (4th Sunday)2 p.m. Someone Cares! Community Meal (2nd Sunday)

Office HoursMonday - Friday9 a.m. - noonOur staff are in and out of the office throughout the week. Please feel free to stop by during their office hours or make an appointment that fits your schedule.

OfficersDon Hoffman, ChairMegan Shoemaker, SecretaryCheryl Perry, Treasurer

Easter Info

2 April 2015

First Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)

Matthew 25:34-40 Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Welcome the stranger Clothe the naked Visit the sick and imprisoned

As we walk through this season of Lent, reflecting on our relationships with God, and as we journey towards Easter morning, when we celebrate new life and resurrection, may our faith and our lives be renewed. May we truly love God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 23:27)

Wishing you peace, fortitude, faith, and joy as you journey toward the cross and beyond,

Pastor Gary and Tamalyn

A Thank You ReceivedMy family and I want to thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and compassion when we lost our beloved Dad. To all who made his memorial service service so special, our sincere thank you.

With love, Marian Crim, Julie, Debbie, Gary, Randy, and Stan

Be Sure to Help the Easter BunnyThat famous bunny will be making his rounds Easter Sunday, April 5. Children ages toddler - 5th grade will begin their search for eggs at 10:30 a.m. But prior to that, the bunny needs your assistance.

Please bring plastic eggs and/or small individually wrapped candies (they must fit IN the eggs) to the church by Palm Sunday, March 29.

Remember: no hard candies, nuts, or palm oil We must protect our children AND Gods creation.

Memorial Flowers for Easter

If you would like to honor a loved one in a very special way, bring an Easter flower to church and add it to the display for Easter Sunday morning. Please sign up in the fellowship hall if you plan to provide flowers. A list of memorials will be printed in the Easter Sunday bulletin. You may also bring your flowers to the office anytime prior to that day.

Remember: please remove the yellow pollen from Easter lilies. Those with allergies will thank you!

(Easter Challenge, continued from page one)

A Message from Our Mission Partner Joys and Concerns

Joys and Concernsof Our Congregation

Please submit written requests to update this list.New to Our List:

Bill Franks, health issuesMary Ann Teeters, who will be undergoing surgery for breast cancerTerry Buchanan, friend of Cyndy Koehn, dealing with breast cancerRuss and Bekki Weston, on the death of Russs mother, Mary WestonJohn and Brenda Riselands, on the death of Johns brother JoeRev. Debbie and Gary Little, on the death of Debbies father

April 2015 3

The Activity Centre has zero books.

My students learn by copying notes that the teachers write on two blackboards that are positioned on easels. When I arrived the former English teacher arranged for a copy to be made for me of the students workbook. It was a very, very old English primer with short stories and a few questions at the end of each chapter. The problem with the primer is that every year new copies are made from the book that suffered the least amount of lost pages, which means that there are still a lot of missing pages. The questions at the end are pretty much useless because past students have written the answers in the margins.

I went to South Africa last December and was very excited to pick up an English grammar workbook and an English composition workbook, both around a sixth to eighth grade level. I could only get one of each though, and I use them to teach all 10 of my students, which isnt technically legal. While I was in SA I committed copyright infringement again by typing out the first nine chapters of a book and printing 10 copies for my students...

At the beginning of class we take about 30 minutes to read aloud from the book. They read a paragraph at a time. The book moves so slow in the beginning that I was worried they would get bored, but they love it and their spoken English is improving monumentally. It has also helped me to figure out what words they dont understand, and the more advanced students help those who struggle on longer words and those with difficult pronunciations. Having them read aloud and seeing them become invested in the story has been great.

But Id rather not be committing copyright infringement.

Tonight I read about Worldreader.org on Jason Kottkes website kottke.org. They give e-readers preloaded with

Kristine in AfricaKristine Tisinger is our Global Mission Partner serving in Ghana. Here is an excerpt from her blog.

Cooking class benefits from e-readers in Ghana

books to kids in Africans schools. Their FAQ page is pretty interesting. They are currently operating programs in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The books are available in English and some African languages like Twi and Kiswahili as well. Theft hasnt been an issue, either.

I sent an email to inquire about enrolling the Activity Centre in their program. E-readers in the classroom would help our English class immensely. Besides the obvious benefits of having textbooks and new classroom reading books legally at our fingertips, it would be another form of technology my students can become comfortable using. Only two of my students have email accounts. Hardly any of them know how to type. None of them knew how to turn on a laptop or open a Word document until about two months ago when Melanie (a German volunteer) and I started bringing our laptops to class to help them learn how to use them. Now we have technology class as part of English composition on Mondays.

English isnt the only class that would benefit from e-readers, though. The social sciences, entrepreneurship, health sciences, and mathematics classes could also use the textbooks. Heck, Id be willing to teach the teachers how to use the e-readers myself. And if theres a cookbook available to download I know the cookery and baking teacher would be all over that. Shes always asking me to find new recipes online for her to use in class.

To read more, find Kristines blog at kristineinafrica.wordpress.com.

Whos on First?!

4 April 2015

Sunday, April 5Elders: Melody Hoffman (O), Gregg Heyne (C)Lock-Up: Brenda RiselandIn Home Communion: Lillian Moir, Don HoffmanDeacons: Jane Kletka, Lynn Plancich, Alexis PinkstonReader: Don HoffmanGreeters: Jane KletkaFlowers: TBDFellowship Time: TBD

Sunday, April 12Elders: Lillian Moir (O), John Riseland (C)Deacons: Marian Overcash, Linda Heyne, Max PerryReader: Melody HoffmanGreeter: Connie PageFlowers: TBDFellowship Time: TBD

Sunday, April 19Elders: Don Hoffman (O), Brenda Riseland (C)Deacons: Lois Oswalt, Pat Whitney, Connie PageReader: Lillian MoirGreeters: Charles SchmidlingFlowers: TBDFellowship Time: TBD

Sunday, April 26Elders: Leslie Pinkston (O), Joe Plancich (C)Deacons: Ardythe Hannah, Kathy Wheeler, Jayne WitmanReader: Mary Ann TeetersGreeter: Mary Ann TeetersFlowers: Esther GroupFellowship Time: Esther Group

Sunday, April 5 Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10-24-43 John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8Sunday, April 12 Acts 4:32-35 Psalm 133 1 John 1 - 2:2

John 20:19-31Sunday, April 19 Acts 3:12-29 Psalm 4 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48Sunday, April 26 Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18

Happy BirthdayPat Whitney 1Sarah Wheeler 2Mary Ann Teeters 2Ethan Heyne 4Connor Hoemann 4Jon Cavnar 5Frances VanDyke 9Tanner Klemann 11Abigail Hulbert 14David Ruther 15Megan Wheeler 15Allison Ronney 17Dan Perry 18

Greg Smith 23Maija Haggith 25Elise King 28

Happy AnniversaryKelly & Tom Gilson 10

This Months Lectionary

April

Be a Part of A Small Group (nurture your soul) Women's Spiritual Growth Groups - Please contact the

church office if you would like to be a part of a group.

Out-to-Lunch Bunch, 12:30 p.m., 4th Sundays - This informal gathering, visits locally owned and run restaurants.

Book Group, 7 p.m., 4th Sundays - This group explores books to expand their minds and their hearts.

Esther Group, 11:30 a.m., 3rd Mondays - this group meets for lunch and fellowship in a local restaurant.

Bible Study, Noon, Tuesdays - Meeting in the church library, this group explores the weekly lectionary scriptures.

Wild Goose Worship, 6:30 p.m., 1st & 3rd Tuesdays - An alternative worship experience for young(ish) adults.

Pub Theology, 6:30 p.m., 3rd Thursdays - Beer, conversation, and God! (Or any beverage of your choice.)

Checking in Group, 5 p.m., 4th Thursdays -supportive group of people who share life's journey together.

Men's Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Saturdays at Denny's - All men are invited to join this weekly breakfast group for fun and fellowship. A sense of humor is strongly encouraged.

Be the Hands of God (nurture the world) Community Meal Josephs Closet Disciples House CAST

Socks on the Street Spring Creek Worship Care Packages

Calendar

March 2015 7

Ap!l 2015Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

30 31 1BulletinDeadline

6p Bell Choir7p Chancel Choir

2Maundy

Thursday

7p Worship

3Good Friday

7a - 7pPrayer Vigil

7p Worship

47:30a Mens Breakfast, Dennys5:30p Choir Rehearsal

5Easter Sunday

8:30a Early Worship,

Zuanich Park9:30a Breakfast at the

Church10:30a Easter Egg Hunt10:50a Gathering Time11a Worship12:30p Fellowship Time

6 7

Noon Bible Study

6:30p Wild Goose Worship

8

BulletinDeadline

6p Bell Choir7p Chancel Choir

9 10 11

7:30a Mens Breakfast, Dennys

10a Board Meeting

129:30 a Sunday School10:50a Gathering Time11a Worship12:30p Fellowship Time2p Someone Cares! Community Meal & Josephs Closet

13

6:30 p.m.Stewardship Committee

14

Noon Bible Study

15Render unto

Caesar!

Bulletin & Courier

Deadline6 p Bell Choir7 p Chancel Choir

16

6:30 p Bellingham Brew Theology,Hops N Headz

17 18

7:30a Mens Breakfast, Dennys5:30 p.m.Prayer Vigil for Peace in the Middle East, location TBD

197:30a Elders Mtg9:30 a Sunday School10:50a Gathering Time11a Worship12:30p Fellowship Time1:30p Spring Creek Worship

20

11:30aEsther Group

21Noon Bible Study

6:30p Wild Goose Worship

22Earth DayBulletinDeadline

6 p Bell Choir7 p Chancel Choir

23

5 p.m. Checking In Group

24 25

7:30a Mens Breakfast, Dennys

26Earth Stewardship

Sunday9:30 a Sunday School10:50a Gathering Time11a Worship12:30p Fellowship Time Out-to-Lunch Bunch (Location TBD)7p Book Group

27 28

Noon Bible Study

29

BulletinDeadline

6 p Bell Choir7 p Chancel Choir

30

9a Lenten Breakfasts and Taize Worship

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Save the DatesSat., May 16 Open Mic Night at FCC: A night of music, laughs, fellowship, & dessertSun., May 31 Summer Schedule begins Sunday School on hiatus thru Sept. 13Sun., June 21 Longest Day Worship, 6 p.m.Sun., Sept. 13 Back to (Sunday) School Day Blessing of the Backpacks & Bible presentationsSept. 19-20 All Church Retreat

Open Mic NightDid you love our every seven years whether we need it or not talent show?

Were happy to announce that your talents will be showcased once again - or for the very first time. Start practicing and plan to join us Saturday night, May 16 for drinks, desserts, and decibels - or something like that!

This event is open to the community.(Invite your friends.)

All acts must be family friendly.