the newsletter of first christian church (disciples of christ)march 27, 2012

THEvolume xxv | no. 75

april 3, 2012

Tall Oaks Summer Camp 2012The theme for camp this year at Tall Oaks is “SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM.” Come and experience God-inspired moments in the great outdoors which will develop and strengthen your faith. You will make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and have fun. Camp moments at Tall Oaks become memories for life. Contact Traci Burns at 816.813.394 or burnsgomsu@yahoo.com, or visit www.talloaks.org and click on “Camp.”

Day Camp 1 June 6

Day Camp 2 July 9

Day Camp 3 August 1

Primary 1 June 23–25

Primary 2 July 5–7

Junior 1 June 6-9

Junior 2 June 30 to July 3

Chi Rho Activity May 29 to June 2

Chi Rho 2 July 30 to August 3

Eighters’ Camp June 30 to July 6

CYF Camp 1 June 3-8

CYF Camp 2 July 8-13

Grandparents Camp 1 June 24-26

Grandparents Camp 2 July 29-31

Equestrian Camp 1 June 17-20

Equestrian Camp 2 July 5-8

Registration deadline is 4-15-12; forms are on the back table.

Tall Oaks Acorn Dash: May 6The Acorn Dash 5k Run/Walk will be held on May 6th at the Tall Oaks Con-ference Center. If you are interested in participating in this event you may obtain entry forms in the church office.

easter sunday remindersAs a reminder, Pre-K and Elementary Sunday School will not occur on Eas-ter Sunday. Children’s Church will not be available on Easter Sunday as we encourage all youth to join us in worship. The nursery will be staffed for children through 2 years old. Sunday School and Children’s Church will re-sume Sunday, April 14th.  

The Young Adult Sunday School Class is also canceling class on Easter morning and will resume the following week.

Graduation BreakfastWe are continuing to gather names of this year’s graduates to honor at the breakfast on May 13. Please let me know if you are aware of someone graduating that is not listed here:

HIGH SCHOOL: Patrick Burns, Alex Hamilton. COLLEGE: Elissa Miller, Alicia Seevers, Mallory Burchett, Molly Blosser, Luke French.

Thanks! Rachel Drake—rachelldrake@gmail.com

Easter Breakfast PotluckPlease begin to make plans to join us on Easter morning for a Pot-luck Breakfast with our Easter baptism candidates. Please bring dishes that accord to the first letter of your last name:

If your last name starts with A–H, bring fresh fruit.If your last name starts with I–N, bring breakfast casserole.If your last name starts with O–Z, bring baked goods.

CWF Service ProjectThe CWF service project for this quarter is for battered women in shelters. We are asking for cosmetic bags filled with lotion, makeup, etc. and also for the lounging pajama bottoms that we all like to wear. You may bring them to the church and put in the container under the table in the fellowship hall. Thank you!

cwf garage sale coming upThe CWF garage sale will be April 12, 13, and 14—Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. This is the week immediately following Easter so you need to be planning now. As you clean out closets and bring out your spring wardrobe, please remember our garage sale. We will take house-hold items, furniture, knick knacks, etc. This year, any electronics that are brought, such as TVs and computers will have to be signed in, and if they do not sell you will have to pick them up. The seniors will meet in the basement until the week we are preparing—so no items until Monday, April 9, please. If you would like to volunteer your time in preparing for or working the days of the sale, please let Shirley French or Kathy French know. Thank you!

current culture

garden, rich with meaning, waiting to be watered and nurtured, grown slowly. In the Resurrection, we come to realize that the story of God’s amazing love is just another seed that was planted, albeit the seed by which we come to understand all others.

This year, as you celebrate Easter blessings and rejoice in the good-ness of resurrection, reflect on the seeds that you have planted dur-ing this Lenten season and throughout the last year. What are you nurturing so that it might grow into something amazing? How are you planting resurrection, and how your taking care so that it might grow to change not only your world but the world as we know it?

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

With Easter blessings, Ryan

A Word from RyanTake a little look at this amazing and beautiful picture.

Isn’t it beautiful? That’s Mesculun Lettuce, in infancy. You know, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a parent! Okay, so this is a little different, especially in that I hope to eventually eat this little plant. But, there is a budding sense of joy that I have each time I jour-ney out into the small patch of dirt I call my garden. I keep thinking about the process that brought us here, the steps that it took. The soil that makes up my garden came from Denney and Shirley French, and I wonder how many years of good tending and healthy care have brought this soil to be so black and rich. I think about the hard work the Val and Ed Blosser and Mac Clough put into the parsonage land-scaping, and the care that Val has taken in educating a garden novice like me. More than these people, though, imagine the years of culti-vation and chemistry and growth and goodness that brought these plants to our parsonage’s back yard.

And now…these small green leaves. Amazing. Resurrection, growing from a seedling.

This week we lift high the name of God and recognize the power of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The story of the empty tomb is one that took time. For we who call ourselves Christian, the story be-gins with the prophesies of a messiah that come from the prophets, a “suffering servant” as Isaiah calls the Messiah. We have journeyed in just five short months from the birth of the Christ, lowly and in the manger, to Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, crucified for no more crime than a disturbance of the peace.

Jesus’ life was one of planting seeds. “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth.” Seed, planted. “You shall the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Seed, planted. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Seed, planted. Jesus’ teachings are a

Ryan Gone for Bethany Fellows from April 13-20Ryan will be on vacation from April 13-15, and then from April 16-20 he will be joining together with the Bethany Fellows in California. The Betha-ny Fellowships take new pastors and place them into a system of mentor-ship and encouragement meant to build up lifelong ministries. Ryan is one of about thirty young ministers who will be in California for the retreat, where he will take some time to retreat, reflect, and listen to new ideas for his ministry with our church.

During his time away, our elders are available to help you with any im-mediate needs you might have and the church office will be open. Ryan will not be answering his cell phone nor will he be available in case of emergency. Instead, there are several ministers who are helping Ryan by being “on call” during his absence. To reach one of these ministers, please contact one of the elders. Your elders are Matt Dion, Phil French, Rader Miller, Linda Neer, Bill Drake, Ken Lippincott, Mike Gordon, Bud Yazel, and Larry Priddle.

Guest Preacher on April 15: Rev. Dr. Bob MageeWe welcome to our pulpit the Rev. Dr. Bob Magee on April 15 as a guest preacher while Ryan is in California. Bob comes to us after many years of fine ministry as the Senior Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in North Kansas City. He has recently completed a two-year stretch as the interim minister of Shawnee Park Christian Church, and now devotes most of his time to organizing mission trips that journey to Ja-maica to assist with medical relief. Bob and his wife Shirley will be joining the congregation that day and are looking forward to worshipping with us!

current culture

food pantry reportmatthew 25:34-40 Thanks to you we have enough “green eggs” for ham to receive the maximum discount on 4 hams! Praise the Lord! A drawing will be held for 4 lucky families to receive a ham and they will be deliv-ered before Easter, Lord willing. The Kononia Class has donated $50.00 for paper goods and toiletries for the pantry. Thanks to them for that donation! Our needs are: paper towels, toilet paper, kleenex, cereal, and canned fruit. psalm 46:10

Love, Rick

christian concert on april 20thWhat is it? A Christian concert! Who is performing? Three cool bands on the Beautiful Unusual tour! Attaboy, Jennie Wellsand, and Calling out Closer! Who can go? Anyone in 9-12th grade! When is it? April 20th. What time? doors open at 6:00 and the concert starts at 6:30. Who is putting this concert on? The Kansas City Regional Youth Cabinet! Anything else? We have a raffle! It includes AWESOME prizes such as; a camera, gift cards to some great places, a customized XBOX controller valued at $120, and much, much more! Anything else else? There are concessions! Can I get more info? Of course! thebeautifulunusualtour.com/fr_home.cfm. Tickets are $10 at Lee’s Summit Christian Church 800 NE Tudor Rd Lee’s Summit, mo 64086. For tickets call: Billy Drake @ 816.532.6090.

a look ahead

April BirthdaysAPRIL 3: Janice Heath APRIL 6: Gina Parks, Greg Summers APRIL 7: Ann Darr, Shanna Mingee APRIL 8: Logan Mitchell, Marilyn Osborn APRIL 9: Pat Burns, Amy Markworth APRIL 10: Kara Major, Randy Winkler APRIL 11: Traci Easton, Carolyn Major APRIL 12: Beverly Darling, Debbie Jones, Pat Reece APRIL 13: David (Bud) Morton APRIL 14: Tammy Seevers APRIL 15: Walt Halferty, Coen John Hickman, Erin Miller APRIL 16: Megan Burns, Jim Johnston APRIL 17: Gary Jones, Kayla Lincoln

GREETERS, EAST DOOR: Phil & Kathy French GREETERS, EAST DOOR: John & Pam Maedel

Early Service Late Service

LAY READER: Dale French LAY READER: Kathy French

DIACONATE: Vicki Belcher, Shirley French, Mary Gordon,Jim Owens, Linda Prout, Jessica Arnold

DIACONATE: Barbara Arnold, John Hamilton,Joel Hartman, Gary Jones, Sue Lake, Cindy Mayberry

CANDLE LIGHTERS: Lauren Frala & Aleigh Porter CANDLE LIGHTERS: Jack & Carter Massie

CLEAN UP COMMUNION: Vicki Belcher CLEAN UP COMMUNION: Joyce Summers

GREETERS, WEST DOOR: Don & Betty Lindsey GREETERS, WEST DOOR: Dale & Dee Cooper

CHILDREN’S SERMON: Ryan Motter CHILDREN’S SERMON: Ryan Motter

PREPARE COMMUNION: Shirley French PREPARE COMMUNION: Kathy Hamilton

ELDERS: Mike Gordon & Linda Neer ELDERS: Matt Dion & Phil French

PICK UP SANCTUARY: Jessica Arnold PICK UP SANCTUARY: Michelle Atkins

Easter Sunday, April 8

FirstChristianChurch

(Disciples of Christ)

201 North Bridge StreetSmithville, MO 64089-8266phone: 816.532.0773www.smithvillefcc.orgoffice@smithvillefcc.org

Ryan Motter, pastor cell: 913.707.2870email: ryan@smithvillefcc.org

Mark Holcomb, music ministerVelva Fausett, organist Janet George, pianistGreg Atkins, treasurerAbby Carr, communications designer