Caller: in This Issue
Caller: in This Issue
Caller: in This Issue
CALLER
Issue 08
In This Issue
Pastors Corner/Statistics Remember in Prayer Spiritual Disciplines Wk Prayer Requests, Feb.16 Serving in the Military Sr. Book Club MMC Concert Summer Camp Sr. Adult Meeting Audio/Visual Committee Sunday 9 A.M Class Tri Tip Mexico Build Food Loving Guys Week of Compassion Disciples Mens Breakfast Region Elder Training Get on the Bus Stewardship Report Founders Day Serving Sunday 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9
is published weekly (Deadline Wednesday at Noon) by First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 109 E. Wilshire Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832 714.525.5525
email: fullerton1stcc@gmail.com www.fullertonfirstchristian.org
The Caller
Senior Pastor: Rev. Darrell McGowan Associate Pastor: Rev. Debra Todd Editor: Donna Woodbridge
February 23: Week of Compassion Offering 8:00 A.M. - REAWAKEN, Early Worship Service 9:00 A.M. - Church History Study, Chapman Lounge 10:15 A.M. - REMEMBER, Traditional Service 1:00 P.M. - Youth Group 2:00 P.M. - 8:00 p.m. PSWR Event, The Journey, FH & CL 5:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. Casa de Oracin Service, Sanctuary & FH February 24: 6:30 P.M. - OT Class @ Woodbridges February 25: 7:00 P.M. - Casa use Sanctuary and Chapman Lounge February 26: 7:00 P.M. - Council of Elders Meeting, Chapman Lounge February 27: 5:00 A.M. - 6:00 A.M. Casa use Chapman Lounge for Prayer Time 3:30 P.M. - Bible Study, Chapman Lounge 6:30 P.M. - Bell Choir; 7:30 P.M. Choir Rehearsal February 28: March 1: 8:00 A.M. - DMF Breakfast, Chapman Lounge 9:00 A.M. - NOON. Chapel on Wheels Paper Drive March 2: Transfiguration Sunday 8:00 A.M. - REAWAKEN, Early Worship Service 9:00 A.M. - Church History Study, Chapman Lounge 10:15 A.M. - REMEMBER, Traditional Service 5:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. Casa de Oracin Service, Sanctuary & FH March 3: 7:00 P.M. - Alzheimers Support Group, Chapman Lounge March 4: 10:00 A.M. - Mary Circle, Sean Lawrence, Giving Children Hope, Speaker, Chapman Lounge 11:30 A.M. - PSWR Golf Committee Meeting, Chapman Lounge 7:00 P.M. - Casa use Sanctuary and Chapman Lounge March 5: 5:00 P.M. - Hot Meal Ministry, Team A AA Groups: Sun. 8:00 P.M., Friday, 7:30 P.M., Sat. 8:30 P.M., NA Group, Tues., 7:30 P.M.
One of the praise songs we sing on Sunday morning has a verse that says, brokenness, brokenness is what I long for; brokenness is what I need; brokenness, brokenness is what you want from me. Im not so sure that even the holiest amongst us longs for brokenness. Part of us may know that brokenness draws us into a deeper reliance upon and trust in God, but most of us only gain the benefits of brokenness when we are broken despite our best efforts to avoid the experience. Nonetheless, those of us who have passed through experiences of brokenness can testify that the experience brought spiritual growth we probably wouldnt have gained any other way. On some level we know we need brokenness; we may even know that God wants us to embrace brokenness. Its just that our natural impulse is to avoid it at all costs. Until weve truly been broken, though, we really dont understand what it is to rely on someone else; we dont know what faith is all about. When life throws you a curve you cant handle and youre resources are tapped out, you reach a choice no one wants to face. Are you going to ask for help or are you just going to suffer? The people who embrace their brokenness, ask for help, and accept the aid thats offered become humble recipients. They place their faith in another to do for them what they could not do for themselves. They learn they are not alone, and if they stop and reflect on the experience, they soon recognize they have experienced a power greater than themselves at work in and through the people who answered their call. Broken people learn about grace. Generous givers help not because the broken have earned it, but because they need it and ask for it. The givers then become a conduit of divine grace which is always free. The Great Mystery that is the source and destination of all that is, the great I AM people of faith call God, is a force for healing, wholeness, and fullness of life. It lures us all toward lifelife in abundance. People who seek God with their heart, mind, soul, and strength do so not because they want life in abundance, but because they understand they already have it! The abundant life flows in and through all of us and when we allow it to flow through us into those whose burdens have broken them, we experience God amongst us, God within us, God within each other. We reconnect with our True Selves and we help others reconnect with their True Self. We are the greatest expression of the divine when we allow the healing, life-giving presence of God to flow through us. Most of us cannot live so vulnerably, so openly, so generously until we have been broken and experienced the abundant life being restored in us without cost or obligation. Then when we have received such a priceless gift, we seek to share it wherever we go. Jesus Christ offers us all the experience of Gods healing love. In order to receive it, we usually have to be broken. Maybe we should all learn to long for brokenness. Peace,
Sunday Statistics
Feb.16, 2014 112 (Remember Service) 8 (Reawaken Service) 88 (Casa 5 P.M. service) Weekly Giving: $3,500.10 Missions: $388.90 Budget Goal: $3,881 Week of Compassion: $512.03 2
Remember in Prayer
Continue to pray for: Sue Bacon, the family of Richard Bagley, Dottie Bense, Harold Brickens, Sandra Brown, Linda Christman, Chris Collett, Matt Davis, Lorna & Skip Farnum, Harold Horn, Anna Lou Horspool, Kevin Johnen, Carolyn Kenrick, Flora Miller, Sue Miller, Jim Piper, Norma Rill, Julie Stuart, Claudia Tammen, George & Dorothy Tanner, Connie Townsend and family, Anna Van Diest and Bob & Donna Vannoy Please pray for the following PSWR Church: First Christian Church 1915 Chapala Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Elaine Schoepf
Janice Whittington
Mike Hogan
Continued prayers for Chris & Kevin Johnen. Praise Helenas Nana & Grandpa visiting for her 6th birthday and all the love that Helena, her Daddy and Papa have received from FCCF these past 6 years. Harold Horn has been moved to a special care facility and cannot receive calls or visitors. Cards are welcome. Matt Davis who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain disease Betty Ruth Buchanan fell and was in the hospital but is now home but not feeling well. Masumi Hogan broke her toe.
March 12 at 10:30 am to greet the Alzheimers guests who come for worship. Each year we provide this service and Barbara Fenters has it all planned and tasks were assigned at our meeting. If you have questions contact her. Be sure to mark you calendar and join us on March 18 for our regular meeting.
that's more than half a year of Thursdays. And each Thursday consumes a lot of hours of volunteer time with both set-up and clean-up as well as the time of sales when the market is open for business from 4 P.M. TO 8 P.M. Plus there are tasks to be done before Thursdays arrive each week--purchasing supplies, including meat, rolls, beverages, etc. etc. and getting them to the church in a timely manner. We know there is a lot of interest in this project, but we are always open to having more volunteers so that the workload can be spread out among many people. If you'd like to know more about this project, including the specific tasks that need to be done each week, you're invited to a brief orientation and recruitment meeting about the Tri-Tip Project for 2014 this coming Sunday, February 23 immediately after the 10:15 A.M. worship service. Come to Chapman Lounge to get all of the details and to decide if you'd like to be part of this project this year. If you can't make the meeting, but want to volunteer to help with this project, call Tom Beck, Dirk McCuen or Donna Woodbridge to get your name on the list of volunteers. Showing up at Sunday's meeting does NOT obligate you to be a volunteer. You will be free to say "yes" or "no" after you know what's involved in being a volunteer. Why do this project? First, it's a great way to raise funds for a variety of outreach projects our congregation supports. Last year we distributed some $13,000 to outreach projects from the proceeds of the TriTip/Bratwurst sales. Raising this amount of money some other way would be next to impossible. Second, it's a great way to create more visibility for our congregation in the community. People need to know us, not just by our location at Harbor and Wilshire, but also by what we do, especially what we do that benefits others. Third, those who work as volunteers get to know one another better and that builds community that strengthens our congregation. The Outreach Ministry
plates as they were brought forward by the Diaconate this past Sunday. We remind all of the children who took an offering box home on Feb. 2 to be sure to bring them to worship this Sunday so that they can be presented for dedication along with the checks and the cash that is given by adults. Some Statistics and Facts to ponder as you consider your gift for the 2014 Week of Compassion offering are these. 1. Hunger is the world's No. 1 health risk. It kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. 2. There are more hungry people in the world than the combined population of the USA, Canada and the European Union. 3. Almost one billion people lack access to a supply of safe drinking water. 4. Because of diarrheal disease, two million deaths in the world each year are attributable to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. 5. Over three million children die every year within a month of their birth. 6. About 20 million children worldwide suffer from severe malnutrition. Most children can be successfully treated at home for malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic foods. 7. An estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation globally. Author Thomas Carlyle tells how, when he was a boy, a beggar came to the door. His parents were out and he was alone in the house. On a boyish impulse, he broke into his own savings bank and gave the beggar all that was in it. He comments about that experience: "Never before or since did I know such sheer happiness as came to me in that moment." There is indeed JOY in giving. We pray that all will know JOY in giving as each of us makes our gift of support for the 2014 Week of Compassion Offering. The Outreach Ministry
First Christian Church 109 E. Wilshire Avenue Fullerton, CA 92832 Reawaken (Early Worship Service) Sunday, 8:00 A.M. Church School for all ages: Sunday, 9:00 A.M. Remember (Traditional Worship Service) Sunday, 10:15 A.M. Youth Groups: Sunday, 1:00 P.M. & Wednesday, 3:30 5:15 P.M.