A Director of Family Life Ministries Perspective
Volume 52| Issue 28| July 13, 2017 First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1930 Winchester Ave. Ashland, KY 41101 606.324.5335 FirstChristianChurch.org Dr. Ike Nicholson Senior Minister [email protected]
Rev. Larry Sivis Associate Minister/ Minister of Worship [email protected]
Amy Christman Director of Family Life Ministries [email protected]
Carleen O’Neill Office Manager [email protected]
Wayne McCulley Facilities Manager Connie Reliford Lead Childcare Provider and Nursery Missy White Preschoolers Miranda McCulley Toddlers Scriptures for Sunday, July 16, 2017 Genesis 25:19 —34 Psalm 119: 105 —112 Romans 8:1 —11 Matthew 13:1—9, 18 —23 Church Office Hours Monday — Friday 8:30 a.m.— 5 p.m. July Needs FCC Food Pantry: bottled water, snack foods, egg noodles Church Without Walls: hygiene items, jackets, jeans Shelter of Hope: paper towels, toilet paper, blankets, kitchen garbage bags, cleaning supplies Safe Harbor: diapers, wipes, women’s undergarments, hygiene items Coffee Fellowship Volunteers are needed to host Coffee Fellowship following Morning Worship. Please consider signing up for one Sunday.
A Director of Family Life Ministries Perspective By Amy Christman
The other day, a friend and I were texting, updating one another on our summers. I told her I’m focused on Vacation Bible School now, so things are good because VBS is basically my happy place. She responded by saying “good for you, but to me VBS is more like my stressful place.” She is an accountant who has never been all that fond of children, so although I can’t empathize, I certainly understand how she and some people can just think about VBS and suddenly feel stressed. Vacation Bible School is always a high energy, chaos-filled week of screaming, singing, running children during which adults scurry around trying to keep a little order, make sure everyone is safe and show each kid the love of Jesus. The hours of each VBS day seem to run on double time as you try and pull together all the last-minute details and then suddenly run on half speed when you have one hundred kids cooped up in a room wanting some dinner. Now don’t get me wrong, at some point over the next few weeks I’ll probably complain about how I’m tired and I’m sick of the same six songs running through my head. Despite that, I love it! Here’s why:
P E R U
Passion. The passion and joy that exists during VBS week at a church is unlike any other. I wish each of you had the opportunity to be blessed each evening like I am by standing up front during opening and closing celebration and looking out to see a couple hundred children and adults singing and dancing with great enthusiasm. No matter how rough your day might have been, you can’t help but be uplifted and drawn into the joyous atmosphere of VBS. Experiences. The experiences of VBS create memories that can last a life time. My mind is full of past VBS experiences from my childhood and youth. I remember the year when I was a child when we learned all about Moses and had to try and turn kiddie pools full of mud into bricks like Pharaoh forced the Israelites to do while in bondage. I remember watching Chadder the Chipmunk’s great adventures unfold throughout the week on DVD as he taught us biblical truths. And I remember buying limburger cheese to hide in our ‘tomb’ at the Bible Story station for kids to smell how bad Lazarus’ body would have smelled after being dead a few days. Relationships. The relationships created and strengthened during VBS will encourage the faith of our children for years to come. In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph lose track of their son Jesus. When they finally find him at the temple, he tells his parents, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus felt at home in the house of God with the people of God and that is what we want all of our children to feel: that they belong in our community of faith. Unity. Nothing unifies a church (or two churches in our case, since we partner with Calvary Episcopal Church) like gathering in our building, eating dinner together, laughing, playing, singing, and praising our God every evening of a week. VBS week is a wonderful picture of Paul’s imagery in 1 Corinthians 12 of the many members of the church being one body. The number of volunteers needed to pull the week off is big and the variety of gifts and talents required is vast but we always end up with exactly who we need in each position that is needed.
The theme of our Vacation Bible School this summer is Passport to Peru: Discovering God’s Good Gifts. Each day we will learn Bible stories that teach how God gives us comfort, patience, peace, love and joy. If you’re volunteering for VBS this year (If you’re not, you should be! Call me!), you will likely need each of these gifts at some point during the week, especially patience. As we teach our children, we will also get the chance to discover how whatever it is we need: God will provide. The chorus for the week’s theme song ends with, “All that is good, comes from above.”
Volume 53 | Issue 28
Worship Participants—July 16, 2017
Elders: Bob Craycraft/Loaf, Kay Pearce/Cup, Kim Sutton/ Homebound Deacons: Pam Nelson, Randy Ruley, Teri Ruley, DeWayne Russell, Rebecca Russell, Joyce Schuman, Linda Schuman, Mike Simmons A/V Department: Team 1 Lay Readers: Coleman Fannin, Beth Taylor Communion Coordinators: Debbie Fields, Kim Stephens Greeters: David and Margaret Ruth Ushers: Brian Brumfield, Bob Cruickshank Van Driver: John Allen Youth Deacon Liturgist: Reed Daniel
Memorial Gift Given
A gift has been given in memory of: † Ethel McQuady by Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Lowman II
Welcome New Member
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) joyously welcomes new member Chuck Adams. He was received Sunday, July 9, 2017. If you would like to send a personal note of welcome, his address is Unity Square, 506 9th Street, Apt. #509,Ashland, Kentucky 41101
Have a Kroger Plus Card?
First Ashland participates in Kroger’s Community Rewards Program. Contribute to our church just by shopping at Kroger with your registered Kroger Plus Card.
Register your card online at kroger.com/community rewards. You’ll be asked to sign in or create an account. Once you enter your account, click on Community Rewards under your Account Settings. You’ll be asked to enter a number to find the organization. The church’s number is 82390. Then, when you shop at Kroger, be sure to swipe your registered Kroger Plus Card and the church will earn money from Kroger. You will not lose your own Kroger points.
Calendar of Events: 7/16/2017— 7/22/2017 SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. MONDAY 9:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY 7:55 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 5:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY 11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. THURSDAY 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday School FIRST KIDS! “A Place For You” Television Ministry Adelphia, Ch. 9; Time Warner, Ch. 9) Sunday Morning Worship Faith & Fitness/Room #18 Library Reserved/ Investerettes Rooms #13,14, Fellowship Hall & Kitchen Reserved/ KY Adoption Boy Scouts of America/Fellowship Hall Panera Dough-Nation/Daina Wood Men’s Fellowship Breakfast/ Pancake & Sausage Youth Summer Lunch VBS Decorating Meals on Wheels/Daina Wood VBS Decorating Faith & Fitness/Room #18 Fellowship Hall Reserved/Men’s Basketball
Youth News
High school students (incoming grade 9 – completed grade 12) are invited to join Rev. Ike, Amy and an Elder each Tuesday for Summer Lunches. Please be at church by 11:45 a.m. and bring lunch money. Destination will be determined by the group upon arrival.
Librarian’s Pick
The Librarian’s Pick for July is Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner by Rush Limbaugh: Jump in with Rush Revere and the Time-Traveling Crew, as his trusty horse, Liberty takes you on a flying leap through American history into past heroes and extraordinary citizens who have so much to teach us about patriotism. All you need to bring is your curiosity about the birth of our democracy. Yes, this book is for juveniles, but we adults will also learn a few little known facts. Who could imagine Rush Limbaugh writing for young people? Well, he did and it’s GREAT! And he got the facts, too!
Vacation Bible School News
-Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 24—27 from 5:30—8 p.m. All ages are invited to join us for Passport to Peru. Attendees and volunteers, register now at www.firstchristianchurch.org. -We need packaged, store-bought cookies for dinner each evening. Donations may be placed in the box in the church kitchen labeled, “VBS Cookies.” -We also need empty gallon jugs and starburst candies for VBS activities. Please contact Amy ([email protected]) if you are able to provide these items. -Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 19 from 5—7 p.m. when we need many hands to help transform the church building into Peru. -Following our joint Morning Worship with Calvary Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 30, we will provide lunch to volunteers willing to stay and help tear down, clean up and carry reusable decoration items to the basement. Please sign up on the table in the Narthex so we know how many we will be feeding. -All VBS volunteers should meet at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary on Monday, July 24 for a time of last minute instructions and prayer for our week of ministry.
Rev. Larry Sivis Associate Minister/ Minister of Worship [email protected]
Amy Christman Director of Family Life Ministries [email protected]
Carleen O’Neill Office Manager [email protected]
Wayne McCulley Facilities Manager Connie Reliford Lead Childcare Provider and Nursery Missy White Preschoolers Miranda McCulley Toddlers Scriptures for Sunday, July 16, 2017 Genesis 25:19 —34 Psalm 119: 105 —112 Romans 8:1 —11 Matthew 13:1—9, 18 —23 Church Office Hours Monday — Friday 8:30 a.m.— 5 p.m. July Needs FCC Food Pantry: bottled water, snack foods, egg noodles Church Without Walls: hygiene items, jackets, jeans Shelter of Hope: paper towels, toilet paper, blankets, kitchen garbage bags, cleaning supplies Safe Harbor: diapers, wipes, women’s undergarments, hygiene items Coffee Fellowship Volunteers are needed to host Coffee Fellowship following Morning Worship. Please consider signing up for one Sunday.
A Director of Family Life Ministries Perspective By Amy Christman
The other day, a friend and I were texting, updating one another on our summers. I told her I’m focused on Vacation Bible School now, so things are good because VBS is basically my happy place. She responded by saying “good for you, but to me VBS is more like my stressful place.” She is an accountant who has never been all that fond of children, so although I can’t empathize, I certainly understand how she and some people can just think about VBS and suddenly feel stressed. Vacation Bible School is always a high energy, chaos-filled week of screaming, singing, running children during which adults scurry around trying to keep a little order, make sure everyone is safe and show each kid the love of Jesus. The hours of each VBS day seem to run on double time as you try and pull together all the last-minute details and then suddenly run on half speed when you have one hundred kids cooped up in a room wanting some dinner. Now don’t get me wrong, at some point over the next few weeks I’ll probably complain about how I’m tired and I’m sick of the same six songs running through my head. Despite that, I love it! Here’s why:
P E R U
Passion. The passion and joy that exists during VBS week at a church is unlike any other. I wish each of you had the opportunity to be blessed each evening like I am by standing up front during opening and closing celebration and looking out to see a couple hundred children and adults singing and dancing with great enthusiasm. No matter how rough your day might have been, you can’t help but be uplifted and drawn into the joyous atmosphere of VBS. Experiences. The experiences of VBS create memories that can last a life time. My mind is full of past VBS experiences from my childhood and youth. I remember the year when I was a child when we learned all about Moses and had to try and turn kiddie pools full of mud into bricks like Pharaoh forced the Israelites to do while in bondage. I remember watching Chadder the Chipmunk’s great adventures unfold throughout the week on DVD as he taught us biblical truths. And I remember buying limburger cheese to hide in our ‘tomb’ at the Bible Story station for kids to smell how bad Lazarus’ body would have smelled after being dead a few days. Relationships. The relationships created and strengthened during VBS will encourage the faith of our children for years to come. In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph lose track of their son Jesus. When they finally find him at the temple, he tells his parents, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus felt at home in the house of God with the people of God and that is what we want all of our children to feel: that they belong in our community of faith. Unity. Nothing unifies a church (or two churches in our case, since we partner with Calvary Episcopal Church) like gathering in our building, eating dinner together, laughing, playing, singing, and praising our God every evening of a week. VBS week is a wonderful picture of Paul’s imagery in 1 Corinthians 12 of the many members of the church being one body. The number of volunteers needed to pull the week off is big and the variety of gifts and talents required is vast but we always end up with exactly who we need in each position that is needed.
The theme of our Vacation Bible School this summer is Passport to Peru: Discovering God’s Good Gifts. Each day we will learn Bible stories that teach how God gives us comfort, patience, peace, love and joy. If you’re volunteering for VBS this year (If you’re not, you should be! Call me!), you will likely need each of these gifts at some point during the week, especially patience. As we teach our children, we will also get the chance to discover how whatever it is we need: God will provide. The chorus for the week’s theme song ends with, “All that is good, comes from above.”
Volume 53 | Issue 28
Worship Participants—July 16, 2017
Elders: Bob Craycraft/Loaf, Kay Pearce/Cup, Kim Sutton/ Homebound Deacons: Pam Nelson, Randy Ruley, Teri Ruley, DeWayne Russell, Rebecca Russell, Joyce Schuman, Linda Schuman, Mike Simmons A/V Department: Team 1 Lay Readers: Coleman Fannin, Beth Taylor Communion Coordinators: Debbie Fields, Kim Stephens Greeters: David and Margaret Ruth Ushers: Brian Brumfield, Bob Cruickshank Van Driver: John Allen Youth Deacon Liturgist: Reed Daniel
Memorial Gift Given
A gift has been given in memory of: † Ethel McQuady by Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Lowman II
Welcome New Member
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) joyously welcomes new member Chuck Adams. He was received Sunday, July 9, 2017. If you would like to send a personal note of welcome, his address is Unity Square, 506 9th Street, Apt. #509,Ashland, Kentucky 41101
Have a Kroger Plus Card?
First Ashland participates in Kroger’s Community Rewards Program. Contribute to our church just by shopping at Kroger with your registered Kroger Plus Card.
Register your card online at kroger.com/community rewards. You’ll be asked to sign in or create an account. Once you enter your account, click on Community Rewards under your Account Settings. You’ll be asked to enter a number to find the organization. The church’s number is 82390. Then, when you shop at Kroger, be sure to swipe your registered Kroger Plus Card and the church will earn money from Kroger. You will not lose your own Kroger points.
Calendar of Events: 7/16/2017— 7/22/2017 SUNDAY 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. MONDAY 9:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY 7:55 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 5:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY 11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. THURSDAY 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday School FIRST KIDS! “A Place For You” Television Ministry Adelphia, Ch. 9; Time Warner, Ch. 9) Sunday Morning Worship Faith & Fitness/Room #18 Library Reserved/ Investerettes Rooms #13,14, Fellowship Hall & Kitchen Reserved/ KY Adoption Boy Scouts of America/Fellowship Hall Panera Dough-Nation/Daina Wood Men’s Fellowship Breakfast/ Pancake & Sausage Youth Summer Lunch VBS Decorating Meals on Wheels/Daina Wood VBS Decorating Faith & Fitness/Room #18 Fellowship Hall Reserved/Men’s Basketball
Youth News
High school students (incoming grade 9 – completed grade 12) are invited to join Rev. Ike, Amy and an Elder each Tuesday for Summer Lunches. Please be at church by 11:45 a.m. and bring lunch money. Destination will be determined by the group upon arrival.
Librarian’s Pick
The Librarian’s Pick for July is Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner by Rush Limbaugh: Jump in with Rush Revere and the Time-Traveling Crew, as his trusty horse, Liberty takes you on a flying leap through American history into past heroes and extraordinary citizens who have so much to teach us about patriotism. All you need to bring is your curiosity about the birth of our democracy. Yes, this book is for juveniles, but we adults will also learn a few little known facts. Who could imagine Rush Limbaugh writing for young people? Well, he did and it’s GREAT! And he got the facts, too!
Vacation Bible School News
-Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 24—27 from 5:30—8 p.m. All ages are invited to join us for Passport to Peru. Attendees and volunteers, register now at www.firstchristianchurch.org. -We need packaged, store-bought cookies for dinner each evening. Donations may be placed in the box in the church kitchen labeled, “VBS Cookies.” -We also need empty gallon jugs and starburst candies for VBS activities. Please contact Amy ([email protected]) if you are able to provide these items. -Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 19 from 5—7 p.m. when we need many hands to help transform the church building into Peru. -Following our joint Morning Worship with Calvary Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 30, we will provide lunch to volunteers willing to stay and help tear down, clean up and carry reusable decoration items to the basement. Please sign up on the table in the Narthex so we know how many we will be feeding. -All VBS volunteers should meet at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary on Monday, July 24 for a time of last minute instructions and prayer for our week of ministry.
