FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

THE CHRISTIAN MARCH 2016

115 Courthouse Plaza 785-776-8790

Reaching In…..Reaching Out…..Reaching Up

INSIDE From the Pastor Page 2 Youth and Children Page 3 Advanced Giving Seminar Page 4 Church News Page 5 Knowing Your Church Family Page 6 All About Us Page 7

STATEMENT OF MISSION First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is called to witness to all humankind with a spiritual vitality that embraces inclusiveness and Christ-like justice. Therefore, we seek to be a community that reaches in to one another, reaches up to God, and reaches out to the world with the love of Jesus Christ.

All through Lent we prepared for Holy Week on our common journey faith. For without this week, without Easter, there is no First Christian Church, no Christianity. Palm Sunday 9:30 a.m. Ecumenical Palm Processional at City Park 10:45 a.m. Worship with Palm Processional Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday worship at 7:00 p.m. Good Friday Joint service 12 noon at First Congregational (Bethel AME, First Christian, First Congregational)

Easter Sunday Easter Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Easter Worship at 10:45 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt at 12:00 noon

Ponderings from the Pulpit

MARCH MESSAGES March 6 Fourth Sunday in Lent “The Good Father” Paul Allen 2 Cor. 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Children’s Moment: Zach Seckman

By Rev. Paul Allen, Senior Pastor We are still in the season of Lent but at the end of March we will worship together and celebrate Palm Sunday, the Holy Week services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and of course Easter. This week of loss and celebration is also unique because it often brings new people into our congregation or those that we have not seen in a while. When we meet and greet these visitors or old friends it is important to think about how we will welcome them and what steps we will take to ask them to come and worship with us again. I am convinced that evangelism is one of the most misunderstood words in our faith language. In the modern church evangelism is defined as the process of converting non-believers to Christianity. There are numerous books and workshops that reduce evangelism to strategies, programs, and rhetoric such as cold call door knocking, handing our tracts at the mall, or placing pamphlets on cars at the grocery store. However, this was not the practice of the early church. In his book, Journey to Jesus, Robert Webber suggests that the early church evangelized the Roman Empire through “the personal witness of individual Christians and through the corporate witness of the congregation whose inner and outer actions demonstrated the continuing presence of Jesus Christ in and to the world.” In the first century, people were drawn to the church because believers consciously and consistently mirrored the message of Jesus Christ in their lives. Evangelism was more than just a program or a way to obtain new members, it was a life-style. The simple truth is that people have always been more convinced by our actions than by our words. People would rather see a sermon any day than hear one. In today’s world most people do not join a church because of the sermons, the classes that are offered, or the style of worship they become a part of a congregation because they have experienced the joy and energy of a loving and life-giving faith community. They feel more than welcomed; they believe that they have been made a part of the life of the church and its mission. Therefore, evangelism must continue to be the conscious and continuous practice of sharing the message of Jesus Christ in every action, word, and moment of our life. We have to live out the beliefs that we claim as our own or our faith becomes stale, meaningless, and unattractive to those who are seeking fulfillment. This means that evangelism is not the responsibility of the minister or a particular committee; it is the responsibility of each and every Christian because true evangelism is a byproduct of a life well lived and a faith well practiced. I am convinced that when we do this, people will be drawn to the Church and the good news that we offer just as they have been for centuries. Thanks be to God, Amen.

March 13 Fifth Sunday in Lent “Giving Our Best” Paul Allen Phil. 3:4b-1:4; John 12:1-8 Children’s Moment: Dean Armstead March 20 Palm Sunday “When the Stones Cry Out” Paul Allen Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Luke 19:28-40 Children’s Moment: Bill McReynolds March 27 Easter Sunday “The Empty Tomb” Paul Allen 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12 Children's Moment: Puppets :

Community Lenten Worship First Methodist Church Meal served 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Free will offering to cover the cost of the meal, extra will go to Flint Hills Community Clinic and Shepherd’s Crossing. Worship at 12:15 p.m. March 2: Coach Bill Snyder March 9: State Representative Sydney Carlin March 16: County Attorney Barry Wilkerson March 23—Manhattan High School Principal Greg Hoyt

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YOUTH AND CHILDREN NEWS Soup Supper and Talent Show Update! It was a very successful Soup Supper and Talent Show. We had many talented acts and some wonderful cooks who supplied many soups, desserts, and sides. Thank you to everyone who helped raise money for the camp fund. We raised a little under $1,500 to help send the youth from the church to camp! The winners of the raffle are as follows:  Table Runners—Tresa Landis  Quilt—James Johnson  Tablet—Alicia Chaline  Vacation—Debi Rogers

Renate Woodmansee won the Golden Ladle with her Schaschlik soup.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt! Easter is March 27th and we are looking for donations towards the annual Easter Egg hunt. We have the eggs if members of the church are willing to donate little items to go inside. Some ideas for the items: candy, stickers, erasers, toy jewelry, Easter trinkets, loose change, etc. If you are willing to donate, please bring your donations to Ashley VanGilder on Sundays during March.

News! TRUTH Youth Group in March! Meeting weekly Each Sunday From Noon until 3PM

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REACHING UP, REACHING OUT, READING IN BUNCO NIGHT We would love to have everyone join us for Bunco night on March 4 at 6:30 at the church! We had so much fun in October playing Bunco that the Fellowship committee decided to have another party! Bunco is a dice game that all ages can play. The rules are easy to learn and players move from one table to another throughout the game. This gives everyone a chance to visit with different people. Wear green to celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day and bring a snack to share if you wish. We will have prizes to give away to the lucky winners!

MONDAY MORNING BOOK STUDY RESUMES IN APRIL! On April 4th, the Monday Morning Book Study will be focusing on “The Other Wes Moore”, an account of two boys with the same last name who grew up in Baltimore, in similar neighborhoods, both with difficult childhoods. One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar and business leader. The other is serving a life sentence in prison for murder. The book examines the question “How did this happen?” It is a short book, so the group expects to conclude discussion in 3-4 sessions. Book Study meets 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Discipleship Men’s Fellowship meets on Tuesday, March 8 for a 7:00 a.m. breakfast at Vista, after which those who can come to the church to give some time to work projects. Come one and all!!

Anyone who would like to get on the list to occasionally bake Friendship Breads (3 x 5 1/2 mini pans), please let Debi Rogers or the church office know!

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COORDINATING COUNCIL REPORT Pastor Paul Allen’s sabbatical leave (May 23rd-August 10th) is a part of FCC Manhattan’s agreement with our ministers. Sabbatical leaves are a part of a minister’s faith life. They are a time for rest, renewal, reflection, and growth. Pastor Paul will use his sabbatical to enrich himself spiritually, mentally, and physically. The FCC Coordinating Council has called Reverend Ben Duerfeldt as our interim minister during Pastor Paul’s sabbatical leave, May 23rd-August 10th. We are grateful for Rev. Duerfeldt’s willingness to guide his faith friends during this period. James Johnson has been called to fill a one-year unexpired term as Deacon. Thank you, James, for your prayerful consideration to service within our congregation. Coordinating Council welcomes Liz Krieger as Chair of the Local & Global Outreach Ministry Team. Liz shared with us that she is a member of First Christian Church because of our outreach hospitality at our Purple Power Play booth. Many thanks to the February groups of FCC men who help keep our church building in good repair. You’ll want to look up at ceiling tiles, look out at walls painted, and look down at floors picked up.

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KNOWING YOUR CHURCH FAMILY MATTHEW, MELISSA, AND TIMOTHY HERTZ The Hertz’s are relatively new to our church family (arriving in June 2015), but if you have not met them yet, you haven’t been paying attention. In just a few months each member of this beautiful and faithful family has become a very integral part of our church family. For starters, they all attend Sunday School and worship services regularly; they all are members of and have actively participated on the Fellowship Ministry Team; Timothy has served as an acolyte, and is a member of our local cub scout pack; and Melissa is an active member of the Spirit Sisters. But let’s get to know them a bit better. Matt, as you may know, is currently on active duty at Fort Riley. He serves in the position of Executive Officer of the Aviation Support Battalion. Matt was born in Muskegon, Michigan. While still a baby, his family moved to Melvin, IA, then Applington/Parkersburg, IA., and Matt spent his first 14 years there attending all grades up to 9th grade. Then, his family moved back to Kentwood, MI. You see, Matt’s father is a minister, and ministers have a tendency to move more than most families. After graduating from high school (1999), Matt enrolled at Western Michigan University, studied and graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems. He also was an ROTC student for four years, and was commissioned as a 2LT. Melissa grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended public school for two years, then completed the rest of her grade school and high school studies as a home-school student. After graduating from high school, Melissa attended a community college for two years then enrolled at Western Michigan to study Athletic Training (2000 – 2003). Now, as you have probably deduced, this is where Matt and Melissa’s stories converge. This is correct, but possibly not as you think. They met on line! (For some of us older people) they used something called “Instant Message.” They started talking to each other on line in October 2000. They eventually met each other and their first real person-to-person date was to play putt-putt golf… a safe location, (but perhaps somewhat risky for two competitive people J). In June of 2003 Matt proposed to Melissa. In August of 2003, Matt graduated and was commissioned into the U.S. Army. In September of 2003 Matt and Melissa were married. They squeezed in a honeymoon at Mackinac Island before moving to their first duty station at Ft. Rucker, Alabama in October of 2003. This was a fast and furious few summer months, but they were able to stay at Fort Rucker for the next 14 months while Matt attended Rotary Wing Flight School. In October of 2004 to October 2011 (no, this is not a typo) Matt and Melissa were stationed for seven years at Fort Hood, Texas. Matt had various duties while at Ft. Hood including Platoon Leader and Company Command. He also deployed to Iraq in November 2005 - November 2006 (Iraqi Freedom) and then again to Iraq in June 2008 - June 2009 (another Iraqi Freedom deployment). While at Ft. Hood, Melissa studied and received her license as a massage therapist (she is now an LMT!) Ft. Hood is also where Timothy was born…on December 19, 2008. Their next assignment (Oct 2011) was to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona for six months to attend the Intelligence Career (Advanced) Course. Then, in 2012 - 2014 they moved to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma where Matt taught tactics and air operations to the Artillery Basic course. In 2014 they moved to Ft. Leavenworth, KS where Matt attended the Command and General Staff College.

That brings us to the present. Matt, Melissa, and Timothy live in the Timbercreek III area of Manhattan, Matt is currently the Executive Officer of the Aviation Support Battalion, and in a few weeks will become the battalion ( S-3) Operations Officer. Melissa is primarily a teacher (she home schools Timothy) and takes appointments for massage therapy. Melissa loves to sew, play the piano, and she likes to read anything and everything. Matt doesn’t have time for “hobbies,” but does like to spend time (as precious as it is) with Melissa and Timothy exploring the local area attractions. Timothy is a Wolf Scout and has earned his “knot” merit badge and is currently attending classes (from Pastor Paul) to earn his God and Country badge. He will participate in the pinewood derby in March. He says that he really likes his school teacher. She sometimes gives hard (difficult) lessons, and his favorite subject is science currently about the weather. Timothy attends Sunday School (teacher is Miss Sarah, and sometimes Miss Pam) every Sunday, and during the week takes piano lessons from Miss Lisa.

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REACHING UP, REACHING OUT, READING IN KNOWING YOUR CHURCH FAMILY, cont. Why did they choose to worship at First Christian…you might ask? Melissa grew up in a non-denominational church whose services were close to the Baptist faith. Matt grew up in the Reformed Church of America, the faith in which his father still is an active minister in Michigan. While stationed at Ft. Sill, they attended a Christian Church (it was close to where they lived). So when they moved to Ft. Leavenworth, they attended the Disciples church in Leavenworth and found that it was a “happy medium” for them. Lynn Dixon, pastor at Leavenworth referred them to our church. The first Sunday they visited FCC, Manhattan, they met a very nice couple, Waide and Tanya Purvis. The Purvis’ and the Allen’s invited them to Sunday lunch and…as the saying goes…the rest is history. They enjoy our worship service Paul’s sermons and the “feeling of belonging” at First Christian. The Hertz’s hosted a table fellowship dinner in February and are scheduled to attend each of our Fellowship Dinners. Hopefully some of you have been fortunate to meet and develop a relationship with this remarkable Christian family… Matt, Melissa, and Timothy Hertz. Everyone should know that Matt is scheduled to have his third overseas deployment, this time to Afghanistan, in August.

DISCIPLES WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP SPIRIT FEST Ladies, mark your calendar for Spirit Fest, April 16th The Manhattan FCC DWF cabinet was honored to be asked to serve as host for the NE district Spirit Fest this year where we will focus on “Lavish Hospitality, All are Welcome”. Spirit Fests are presented in wide-spread locations throughout the region each spring to introduce the newest study materials and offer leadership training. The one-day event also provides worship and fellowship opportunities. Team members of Woodhaven, Columbia, Mo., will present information about their work with challenged adults. Workshops are the JUST WOMEN Bible Study presented by Jauna Khan, McPherson, “Prayer” presented by Angela DeVore, Lyons, “Hospitality” presented by Judy Cooper and Carla Pearson, Galva, as well as a workshop by the Woodhaven staff. The cost of the one day event is $15 which includes a light meal, snacks and all materials. See one of the cabinet members for a registration form. An online registration form will be coming soon, so please check www.kansasdisciples.org/ spirit-fest Payment and registration must be sent to the Regional office in Topeka with payment by Friday, March 25.

SISTER SIMONE IN MANHATTAN! Sister Simone Campbell, a Public Policy advocate, will be addressing the Manhattan community on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 pm in the First United Methodist Sanctuary. First Christian is one of the co-sponsors of her visit in Manhattan. Sister Simone Campbell is the executive director of the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK in Washington, DC. As an advocate for the poor, she lobbies on issues of healthcare, economic policy, and immigration reform. In addition to her sharing at First Methodist, she will also be sharing in the K-State Union, Room 227, that` Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

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STEWARDSHIP STEWARDSHIP LAW #2 The Law of Purposeful Possession – Wise stewards are guided by lordship, not “hoardship”. Before reading this month’s stewardship article, please take time to read the following scripture: Luke 12:13-21. It can be said in America that never before in human history have so many people had so many things. And yet, we often want even more and wear ourselves out to get whatever else is next on our list. According to the resource for these stewardship articles, this kind of self-satisfying behavior is greed (oh no, not me!)…the very thing that Jesus warned against. In the referenced scripture, the rich man had fallen into the trap of prideful arrogance. He thought that his riches were actually his riches, when in fact they were on loan to him from God. He was more concerned with “hoardship” than lordship. So, the question for us is, “How can we be rich toward God?” We can answer this question by following these three thoughts: Richness toward God comes through seeing everything as a gift from His hand. Richness toward God comes through seeking His direction before settling on decisions. Richness toward God comes through caring more about giving than getting.

The rich man of the parable was consumed with greed and he cared nothing about giving. Can we fall into this trap? Certainly. The challenge is to think inclusively about others instead of inclusively about ourselves. By generously giving at every opportunity, we fulfill our purpose and honor His name.

GIVING SEMINAR Please mark your calendars to attend a Charitable Advanced Giving Seminar on Tuesday, April 5. This seminar, sponsored by the Stewardship Ministry Team and arranged by Mikeal Hodges, member of the Stewardship Ministry Team, will be presented by Steve Martinez, Regional Field Consultant for Farm Bureau Financial Services. For 35 years, Mr. Martinez has presented seminars on the provisions and advantages for making charitable gifts through wills, trusts, or other gifting plans. We will learn not only the latest rules concerning income tax advantages, but also how to possibly reduce or eliminate estate and probate expenses through our gifts to our church. This is a very important facet to the stewardship mission of our church and we hope that you will make every effort to attend. A light lunch will be provided at 12:00 followed by a 45 minute seminar. Please notify the church office of your intention to attend so that we will know how many lunches to provide. If you have a friend or colleague from another congregation who many want to learn the latest news on this subject, you are welcome to bring them as a guest. ANNUAL HABITAT “CHOCOLATE & TEA” EVENT—APRIL 10 A wonderful Sunday afternoon event and a great way to support our local Habitat for Humanity. This is the 13th annual Chocolate & Tea event at Houston Street Ballroom on Sunday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 if purchased ahead of time, or $20 at the door. All the chocolate you can eat and tea/coffee served in old fashioned tea cups. There will be a large assortment of silent auction items as well as a live auction items including a quilt made and donated by Diana Chapel featuring KSU bowl game t-shirts, outlined in purple KSU fabric and Coach Snyder’s 16 goals to success stitched in the border – incredible! Tickets can be purchased on line at www.mahfh.org, or talk to Paul Allen or Linda Jones.

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ALL ABOUT US A great big THANK YOU to the youth of First Christian FCC, who came by with cake for Valentine’s Day. They sang and gave me a hug which really made up for the two weeks I have been home with bronchitis. We certainly have a caring and talented group of young people. Sincerely, Betty Slemen Thank you to the youth that delivered a delicious loaf of lemon bread and performed the most impressive serenade. What a great bunch of youngsters! Cindy Sink

MARCH BIRTHDAYS March 1 March 2 March 13 March 14 March 17 March 18 March 27

Caleb Purvis Steve Shawgo Natalie Appl Bryan Schurle Don Thomson Patti Allen Carol Duerfeldt

Thanks for the delicious bread and especially the serenade. Anna Gates Thanks for the pleasant surprise of Valentine Bread and beautiful singing. Much love, Jane W assom Yes, I had a wonderful Valentine Day!!!! My day was having the wonderful youth and the driver with the youth come to my home with their sweet bread for my delicious treat!!!! God bless and Jesus’ love to you all. Don Clagett Thank you to my Faith Friends at First Christian Church for the loving gift of delicious bread that I have enjoyed so very much. Janice Parsons Thanks to you who sent cards and prayers upon the death of my brother, Howard Webster. Bernice Hedinger

Heartfelt Sympathy We reach out in sympathy to Mickey Bogart and her entire family, at the death of her brother, Rich, on February 17th. Sympathy also goes to Paula Hardin, at the death of her brother-in-law in Florida, on February 23rd.

FOOD COLLECTION SUNDAY IS MARCH 6 Bring non-perishable food items for families in financial stress. “Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You”

DO YOU HAVE EXTRA TRAVEL COFFEE MUGS YOU NEVER USE? Bring them to Marian in the church office and she will take them to the free community meals for the guests, who do not have money for such things but would really appreciate having one. God really loves a cheerful giver!

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Custodial Note Our Custodian, Kelly Reed-Harkness, recently suggested that we establish a dedicated church e-mail address for use in communicating church cleaning needs. Dave Woodmansee created an account for us and it has already proved to be an effective means of alerting Kelly and Clay when areas need attention in our church building. Kelly is closely monitoring this e-mail account. If you see a cleaning need please let us know by sending a brief message to: [email protected]

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ) 115 Courthouse Plaza Manhattan, KS 66502

First Christian Church, 5th & Humboldt Senior Pastor: Paul J. Allen, IV Christian Education Director: Ashley VanGilder Campus Minister: David A. Jones, 904 Sunset Church Treasurer: Don Foster Financial Secretary: Leonard Purvis Church Secretary: Marian Fuller Custodians: Clay Reed , Kelly Reed

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Manhattan, KS 66502 Permit No. 575

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785.776.8790 785.323.7540 620.218.2594 785.539.4281 785.776.8790 785.776.8790 785.776.8790 785.776.8790

EASTER OFFERING Easter Offering The Easter Offering supports the General Ministries of the church. General Ministries serve across the U.S. and Canada and around the world. General Ministries are partners in ministry serving through far-reaching and unique organizations. General ministries that receive support from the Easter

Offering include:

Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries

Council on Christian Unity

Disciples Church Extension Fund / Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation Disciples of Christ Historical Society

Disciples Home Missions

Division of Overseas Ministries/Global Ministries National Benevolent Association

Disciples Women

Higher Education and Leadership Ministries

National ConvocationNorth American Pacific/Asian Disciples

Certain services and ministries under the umbrella of the Office of the General Minister and President such as Communication Ministries, Center for Faith and Giving, Treasury Services and Promotion.