From Disaster to Recovery

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Opportunity To Serve
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Splinters from the Board
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Calendar Insert

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Lenten Prayer Study

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Lent - Imaging The

World
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Did You Know...

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Contents

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February 2015

DID YOU KNOW....

By: Barbara Blaisdell, Senior Pastor

THAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF PARTICIPANTS AT FCC IS

SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER THAN THOSE LIVING IN THE CHURCHS
IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD?

Weve been saying that we want to reach more

people in our immediate neighborhood and to
reach younger people. Did you realize that both
are possible because both are right next door? This
news comes from the Contextual Analysis prepared
by the Leadership Team that has been working with
our consultant, Dr. Dick Hamm. I cant wait to
hear what that means for the way we do ministry.
Can you?

THAT A MAJORITY OF OUR CONGREGATIONS PARTICIPANTS

LIVE SOUTH AND OR WEST OF HIGHWAY 16 EVEN THOUGH
THE CHURCH IS IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST AND NORTH OF
HIGHWAY 16?

Highway 16 is what is known as a psychological

barrier to welcoming new participants to the
church even as that is where most of us live with
our neighbors. What does that mean for our future
planning?
February 2015

 THAT TO HELP POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTAND WHY THEY MIGHT WANT TO

COME BE A PART OF US WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUM UP OUR UNIQUE PURPOSE OR
MISSION IN A VERY FEW, EASILY UNDERSTOOD WORDS?

For the church, of course, our purpose or mission is God-given and a matter
for prayerful discernment. What is God calling us to do for the world for
which Christ died? What unique gifts has God given to this congregation
that help to indicate what unique mission God has for us? I cant wait to
hear what that means for our next steps in ministry. Can you?

THAT A GROUP HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TO DISCOVER THESE THINGS AND OTHERS
AND WANT TO SHARE THAT WORK WITH ALL OF YOU AT THE ALL CHURCH RETREAT?

The Contextual Analysis of our past, present

and possible future as a church was prepared
in consultation with Dr. Richard L. Hamm,
Church Consultant/Coach by the Leadership
Team: Rich Eltrich; Heidi Hickok; Chris Morton;
Becky Metcalf; Jo Roller; Tim Shipe; Brenda
Tabor; Barbara Blaisdell, Senior Pastor

RETREAT SCHEDULE
8:30 8AM
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 AM
RETREAT BEGINS
12:15 AM
LUNCH
2:00 PM
RETREAT CONCLUDES

February 2015

SUNDAY, MARCH 1 FOLLOW UP TO

RETREAT
9:30 AM
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS OF
RETREAT TO ALL
11:00 AM
DICK HAMM PREACHING IN WORSHIP

LENT - IMAGING THE WORD

Jesus, calling people to follow me, now
leads his followers into the heart of the worlds
suffering and struggle.
The image of the Palm Sunday procession
captures the imagination of the church in
Lent. Jesus, who began his ministry by calling
people to follow me, now leads his followers
into the heart of the worlds suffering and
struggle. Confronting the power of sin manifest
in individuals and in society Jesus preaches
freedom, healing, justice, and new life. To
follow Jesus means to carry out his mission in
our time: it requires humble self-knowledge
and the willingness to change ones own life. It
requires, as well, confident courage to confront
the world to change its sinful structures. Follow
me extends to Jerusalem where Jesus is hailed
as ruler, then on to Calvary where he faces death.
Jesus promises no safety along the road; he
promises only to provide those who follow
with the way, the truth and the life.

faithfulness continuing in Jesus-God with who

shares our life and our death. Lent begins with
the black and gray of Ash Wednesday; it ends
with the red of Good Friday. Along the way the
church wears purple, a color long associated
with penitence.
Lent - Following even to Jerusalm
~ Taken from Imagining the WORD - An Arts,
& Lectionary Resource, Vol 3 by the United
Church Press; Pg 153
SERMON SERIES
February 8, 2015
Epiphany 5~With Wings Like Eagles
Isaiah 40:21-31
February 15, 2015
Epiphany 6~Priesthood of All Believers
Numbers 11, 16-17; 24-29

JOURNEY THROUGH LENT

February 22, 2015
1 ~ A Rainbow Covenant
Genesis 9: 8-13
March 1, 2015
2~The Big Question
Genesis 7:1-7; 15-16 & Mark 8:27-38
March 8, 2015
3~Christs Anger & Christians and Anger
John 2:13-16

Guatemala: Procession, 1978, by:Betty LaDuke

Covenant with a faithful God forms the

context for this years Lenten journey. The
Hebrew Scriptures offer reminders of Gods
promises of life and relationship made to
Noah and his family, Abraham and Sarah, and
Jeremiah. Christians experience Gods covenant

March 15, 2015

4~For God So Loves the World
John 2:13-16
March 22, 2015
Lent 5: The Law Within
Jeremiah 31:27-34

February 2015

LENTEN PRAYER STUDY

Pastor Barbara will be offering a five week
prayer study during Lent using Anne Lamotts
Help, Thanks, Wow. If youve never read Anne,
you are in for a treat. She is a passionate, if
sometimes irreverent and humorous, Christian
writer. Her fans find her refreshingly honest
about the challenges of faith in todays world.
An example of her writing:
My friends like to tell each other that I
am not really a born-again Christian.
They think of me more along the lines of
that old Jonathan Miller routine, where
he said, I am not really a JewIm Jewish. They think I am Christian-ish. But
Im not. Im just a bad Christian. A bad
born-again Christian. And certainly, like
the apostle Peter, I am capable of denying
it, of presenting myself as a sort of leftist

February 2015

liberation-theology enthusiast and maybe

sort of a vaguely Jesusy bon vivant. But
its not true. (from Traveling Mercies
p.61)
Classes will held on Wednesdays beginning
the week after Ash Wednesday. The same
class will be offered at both 9:30 am in the
Education building, #207 and at 6:30 pm with
a light supper at Barbaras home: 713 Regents
Blvd. Fircrest, WA. Students should order the
book online (one vendor: http://www.amazon.
com/Help-Thanks-Wow-Essential-Spiritual/
dp/1623150760 )or your local bookstore.

THE FIVE LESSONS WILL

COVER:
Feb 25:
March 4
March 11
March 18
March 25

Prayer 101 (pp. 1-8)

Help (pp. 9-40)
Thanks (pp. 41-68)
Wow (pp. 69-88)
Amen (pp. 89-102)

FROM DISASTER TO RECOVERY

By Rev. Josh Baird, Director of Disciples Volunteering with Disciples Home Missions.

In the critical aftermath of a disaster, it is typically inappropriate, and sometimes impossible,

for any but the nearest neighbors to physically show up to help; yet Disciples are there because
of our support and gifts to Week of Compassion.
The pattern is intentional and consistent: from
the immediate extension of solidarity grants to
affected Disciples, members and churches to ongoing partnership and recovery grants. Disciples
aim to be present for as long as we are needed.
Not all nonprofit and faith-based organizations
are active throughout the full recovery, yet the
dogged commitment of Week of Compassion
and its partner Disciples Volunteering have
earned Disciples the reputation of showing up
when help is needed and being among the last
to leave.
This is exemplified by our response in Joplin, Missouri through a partnership that also included
the United Church of Christ, host church South Joplin Christian Church, and local recovery
organization Rebuild Joplin. Last summer, more than three years after the massive EF-5 tornado
devastated Joplin, people were still looking for help with their recovery. Turned away by other
organizations or unaware that help was available, they had only just learned of the services
provided by Rebuild Joplin.
In August 2014, South Joplin hosted its last Disciples/UCC mission team, which worked on
the home of one of these families while a grant from Week of Compassion helped purchase
materials. In December 2014, Rebuild Joplin held their final housewarming after completing
their 180th home rebuilt or significantly repaired.
To some, it is strange to talk about recovery from an event that happened almost four years ago.
For Disciples, it is who we are.
From the moment help is needed until the work is done, Week of
Compassion enables Disciples to be present, putting Compassion into
Action with neighbors for the long haul.

February 2015

HELP WITH COFFEE HOUR

We are still in need of cookies and small muffins labeled and dated
and stored in our freezer in zip lock bags. So If you love to bake,
please consider donating a portion of your latest efforts. If baking
is not your thing, you can bring goodies that are store bought or
you can help us set up by making coffee and/or clean up. There
is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Area (Narthex) and a complete
instruction sheet for doing the coffee fellowship is in a binder on top
of the coffee machine.

GOING GREEN WITH THE NEWSLETTER

We are trying our best to help our environment by limiting the amount of paper that is being
used. All newsletters are printed on recycled paper, but is that
really enough? To help out Mother Earth we are asking if you
would like to receive an electronic version of the newsletter? If
so, please contact Cassie at: cassie@fcctacoma.org with subject
Lets Save Mother Earth and please let us know the best e-mail
address to send your electronic newsletter to. Thank you for
Going Green.

THANK YOU!
By: Max Ebengho

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and
remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to
receive ~ Acts 20: 35
The Boemba and Ebenghos families are very greatful for what all of you have done during the
holidays from Thanksgiving to the New Year 2015 by the diversity of gifts we couldnt provide to
our lovely Christian kids. All of us are moving from our rental home to rental houses tomorrow,
January 19th, for Elodie Boemba (Hipkins Road, Lakewood, WA) and the beginning of Febuary
2015 for the Ebenghos (6601 S. Proctor St. Tacoma, WA 98409.)
Thank you everybody for your precious gifts in the name of Jesus Christ.
01-18-2015
Max Ebengho
Elder FCC-Tacoma
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February 2015

February 2015

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First Christian Church of Tacoma

602 North Orchard Street
Tacoma, Washington 98406
253-752-7734

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