7/28/2019 8/28/13 Courier http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/82813-courier 1/8 Vol. 63, No. 16 Bellingham First Christian Church August 28, 2013 Courier The Christian What is a Green Chalice Church? Eco-justice ministries in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) grew out of the 1977 General Assembly resolution that called for the development of a Task Force on Ecology. This group authored the Alverna Covenant. In recent years, a new effort at environmental stewardship has taken root. General Ministries have recognized their part in caring for creation, for example, by creating programs for congregations to green their buildings (Church Extension) and their grounds (DHM). Christian Board of Publication has committed to using recycled paper stock in their publications. DHM and Week of Compassion have partnered to make Equal Exchange coffee available to Disciples. DHM has worked in behalf of the environment through the promotion of the Alverna Covenant as well as serving as a liaison to the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group and congregations. Recent work has included the Green Church Program as well as Return to the Garden. Green Chalice in Kentucky are Disciples connecting Christian faith, spiritual practice and environmental consciousness in order to demonstrate the fullness of God’s shalom. Kentucky Disciples frame their ministry with one question, “What must we do to live our faith?” For a growing number of Kentucky Disciples that answer includes care for God’s creation through adopting sustainable lifestyles both personally and as a congregation. Green Chalice was called into being in 2007 to help Kentucky Disciples live sustainable lives in harmony with all creation. These two ministries have come together to partner to serve all Disciples in all regions in creation care ministries. The Reverend Carol Devine, has been called to serve as the leadership for this initiative. First Christian Church, Bellingham, has been on a process of “greening” our church for the past several years. Some of the changes we have made have been to switch from the use of styrofoam to use “real” dishes and wash them (or use compostable dishware when this is not an option), installing LED lights and programmable thermostats throughout the building, and adding recyling bins throughout our facility. First Christian Church Bellingham, signed the Alverna Covenant and joined Green Chalice in 2012 and will continue in our efforts to stay “green” and care for God’s earth. Sunday, September 29 Will Be a Super Sunday Invite your friends and neighbors and be sure to be here on Sunday, September 29. We’re going to welcome in the fall season with great joy, celebrate the wonderful gifts each of us bring to this community we call “church,” and get ready for another season of worship, learning, and seeking God’s Spirit. Our schedule for the day will be: 9:30 a.m. Intergenerational Gathering for making ice cream and “holy candles” 11 a.m. Old Fashioned Gospel Sing 12:15 p.m. BBQ for friends, family, & neighbors If you would like to help plan this event, please talk to Betty Schmidling, Linda Heyne, or Tamalyn Kralman.
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7/28/2019 8/28/13 Courier
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/82813-courier 1/8
Vol. 63, No. 16 Bellingham First Christian Church August 28, 2013
CourierThe Christian
What is a Green ChaliceChurch?
Eco-justice ministries in the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) grew out of the 1977General Assembly resolutiont h a t c a l l e d f o r t h e
development of a Task Forceon Ecology. This groupa u t h o r e d t h e A l v e r n aCovenant.
In recent years, a new effortat environmental stewardshiphas taken root. GeneralMinistries have recognizedtheir part in caring forcreation, for example, byc rea t i n g p ro grams fo r
congregations to green theirbuildings (Church Extension)and their grounds (DHM).
Christian Board of Publication has committed tousing recycled paper stock in their publications.DHM and Week of Compassion have partnered tomake Equal Exchange coffee available to Disciples.
DHM has worked in behalf of the environmentthrough the promotion of the Alverna Covenant aswell as serving as a liaison to the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group and
congregations. Recent work has included the GreenChurch Program as well as Return to the Garden.
Green Chalice in Kentucky are Disciples connectingChristian faith, spiritual practice and environmentalconsciousness in order to demonstrate the fullnessof God’s shalom.
Kentucky Disciples frame their ministry with onequestion, “What must we do to live our faith?” For agrowing number of Kentucky Disciples that answerincludes care for God’s creation through adopting
sustainable lifestyles both personally and as acongregation.
Green Chalice was called into being in 2007 to helpKentucky Disciples live sustainable lives in harmonywith all creation.
These two ministries have come together to partnerto serve all Disciples in all regions in creation careministries. The Reverend Carol Devine, has been
called to serve as the leadership for this initiative.First Christian Church, Bellingham, has been on aprocess of “greening” our church for the pastseveral years. Some of the changes we have madehave been to switch from the use of styrofoam touse “real” dishes and wash them (or usecompostable dishware when this is not an option),installing LED lights and programmable thermostatsthroughout the building, and adding recyling binsthroughout our facility. First Christian ChurchBellingham, signed the Alverna Covenant and joined
Green Chalice in 2012 and will continue in ourefforts to stay “green” and care for God’s earth.
Sunday, September 29 WillBe a Super SundayInvite your friends and neighbors and be sure to behere on Sunday, September 29. We’re going towelcome in the fall season with great joy, celebratethe wonderful gifts each of us bring to thiscommunity we call “church,” and get ready foranother season of worship, learning, and seeking
God’s Spirit.
Our schedule for the day will be:
9:30 a.m. Intergenerational Gathering for makingice cream and “holy candles”
11 a.m. Old Fashioned Gospel Sing12:15 p.m. BBQ for friends, family, & neighbors
If you would like to help plan this event, please talkto Betty Schmidling, Linda Heyne, or TamalynKralman.
We live in a culture that has pretty much adopted theattitude, “live and let live.” We don't like to intrude inother peoples' lives by making suggestions about whatthey should or shouldn't do. That makes it difficult whenit comes to inviting people to church. We don't want tomake people feel uncomfortable or have them assumethat we're some sort of “Bible thumpers.” Tam and Iwere thinking about the fact that we're part of thegeneration that has pretty much left the church. Most of our contemporaries are not a part of any church.
All of that leads us to a particular challenge when itcomes to increasing our church attendance. We're notgood at inviting others and we live in a time when churchattendance in general is decreasing.
However, if we have a faith community that iscontributing to our spiritual well being and if weappreciate what our church offers us as we deal with theissues facing the world, then we ought to be about thebusiness of inviting folks to join us.
We were having a chat with some folks after worship andwe were naming some of the unique strengths andqualities of our congregation. We are unique in manyways and we have much to offer. I think a lot of ourproblem is just getting the word out there! And, asstudies have shown, the best way to do that is through
word of mouth. It's people inviting other people.
Take the time to invite someone to church. Make themaware that you receive something unique because youparticipate at First Christian. Ask them to come with yousome Sunday. Ask them to experience a church wherelove is taught more than judgement... where people arewelcomed regardless of who they are... where God'sgrace is expressed... where we are challenged to befollowers of Jesus.
I was also talking with someone who was rememberingEitha Vernon. They basically said, "I'm in this church
because of Eitha. She'd come by where I workedand invite me to church."
Invite folks to come experienceour church. Offer them a ride.We have much to offer.
Together,we can grow...Pastor Gary
byMakena Schmidling
What would Jesus do if he saw how we were treatingthe homeless or the same gender couples? And how we
just push the homeless away and don’t care if they liveor die from living on the streets? Or how we shun samegender couples? That, I can’t wrap my head around -why some people can be mean to other people.
Didn’t Jesus say, “Love your neighbor as yourself?”Then why do we not follow what Jesus had said so longago? Is it because we are stuck up and we think thatwe don’t need to follow his sayings or we listened towhat he’s saying but not following?
So, if Jesus came down to see how we were doing,would he be happy to see how we are treating eachother? No he would be quite mad at us and probablyput all of us in a time out for awhile. Then, after ourtime out he would sit around and tell us a story. Andafter he was done with the story, he would give uscookies and pat all of us on the head and he would goback to heaven to make sure we listen and play nicetogether.
And, a word from our sponsors: Thank you,Makena. It is good to be reminded about the basics andto love our neighbors as ourselves. We call ourselves
Plan your summer vacation trip so you can have fun and dosome good at the same time. There are many side trips thatcan be educational, scenic, and help you feel you are makinga difference.
Right here in Washington State there are many opportunities. Visit our own Yakama Christian Mission to see what youroutreach giving is accomplishing.
If you travel out on the Penninsula, check out the MakahReservation at Neah Bay and Cape Flattery in the farnorthwest corner of the state. You’ll find beautiful, rugged
scenery, and an interesting museum and souvenir store.Clallam County is one of the poorest counties in the US, so buy gasoline and a burger and help boost the localeconomy.
If you are going out of state, there will be other such opportunities. I’ll let you investigate them on your own. And visita Disciples church if there is one near your area. (They won’t mind if you show up in your camping clothes!) Check with Tamalyn in the Church Office. She can give you addresses, phone numbers, and web sites, if you tell her whereyou’re going.
And, oh yes, Bellingham First Christian Church has to carry on while you are off seeing the sights. So remember topay your pledge before you go!
Bon voyage!
Don Hoffmanfor Stewardship Ministries
The Log Church at Yakama Christian Mission
SundaySeptember 29, 2013
2 p.m.Village Green
See Tamalyn, Gary or Mary Annfor a walker pledge sheet or tosponsor a walker.
Thank you to Frankie and Paulvan Dyke, who bring beautifulflo wer s f ro m the i r ow ngardens during the summermonths.
the kitchen and everything is back in place.Hallelujah and a big thank you to CharlesSchmidling for the tireless work that saw thisproject through from beginning to end.
On Sunday, August 18, our hardest workingmember, Mason Stanbro, gathered everyhymnal and Bible he could find andcarefully arranged them on a pew. If thisdiligent effort is any indication, our churchwill be in good hands in the future.
On spiritual retreat in Montana, FCC folks explthe beauties of Big Mountain near Whitefish.
The Spirit moves in creative and fun ways at thneighborhood picnic on Sunday, August 11.
Amy’s Place is providing more services to local youththan ever before. We are averaging up to 40 youtheach time we are open on Friday and Saturdayevenings. Along with the increase in participation
comes the increase in the number of volunteersnecessary to mentor and supervise youth.
Amy’s Place is in great need of men!! I don’t meanto sound like I am discriminating in any way, but we doneed men to help mentor and supervise youth. If youhave time or know of anyone who could volunteer atleast once a month on Friday or Saturday eveningsfrom 5:30 - 10 p.m., please let me know.
Sponsorship Program - A big thank you to awonderful couple (both 83 years old) who suggested asponsorship program. There are 8 - 10 shifts (Fridaysand Saturdays) per month to cover during drop in
center hours at Amy’s Place. Only dedicated andresponsible youth will have the opportunity to apply fora shift; five hours per evening and earn $10 per hours.
Youth will help with set up, serve dinner, organizedonations, clean up, and assist with other duties.
You can sponsor a youth for $50 per month bydesignating your donation for the sponsorshipprogram. Youth will learn new skills and be rewardedfor their consistency and dedication.
For more information on how you can help, pleasecontact me at 360.920.0615 or 360.671.5567.
Sincerely,Heidi Unick, Program Director
Amy’s Place is halfway through its 7th year. Here are a few stats from theirrecent newsletter:During Jan. 1 - June 30, 2013
• 261 different youth have attended
• 152 are returning from previous years
• 109 are brand new to Amy’s Place
• Youth attended 1266 times
• Youth ate 1209 meals
Demographics
• 120 reported to be homeless
• 55 are Native American
• 145 are male
• 103 are female
• 75 are under the age of 18
• 39 are 18 years old
• 139 are between 19 and 24 years old
Thank you to Heidi and the many volunteers who helpserve the homeless and hungry youth and young adultsin need in Whatcom County.
Have You Signed Up?We have several sign-up sheets in our Fellowship Hall, withopportunities for you to take part in different aspects of ouchurch life. You can be a scripture reader or bring flowers tograce our chancel during worship. You can be a greeter fopeople as they arrive on Sunday morning or host a
Fellowship Time after worship. And more opportunities comeup throughout the year.
Please note that some sign-up sheets are time sensitive andonce you’ve done your job, it’s over until the next go-round(e.g. flowers and Fellowship Time.) If you want to take those
jobs again, just wait for the next sheet to appear, with thenew dates, and “grab” your desired Sundays.
Other sign-up sheets are good FOREVER (e.g. readers andgreeters). Once you have signed up, your name goes in thecomputer and we rotate you into the schedule. Should youwant to be removed from the list, please contact Tamalyn.
Rev. Tamalyn KralmanDirector of Education & Community OutreachEditor, The Christian [email protected]
Amelia Nye Accompanist
Aneesa AhadChildcare Provider
Rev. Sandy Messick Regional Minister
Rev. Sharon Watkins
General Minister and PresidentSummer Sunday Schedule
10:30 a.m. Worship
After Worship Fellowship Time
3rd Sundays Out to Lunch Bunch
Fall Schedule begins Sunday, September 8
Wild Goose Worship on hiatus until September 22
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 12 noon
Our staff is in and out of the of fice throughout theweek. Please feel free to stop by during their
office hours or make an appointment that fits
your schedule.
Officers
Mary Ann Teeters, Chair
Betty Schmidling, Vice-Chair
Virginia Haldeman, Secretary
Pat McGovern, Treasurer
Courier Schedule
Submission Deadline Mailed
Aug. 29 Sept. 4
Sept. 18 Sept. 25
To go paperless: Subscr ibe to the e-Courier [email protected] and get the electronic version of thisnewsletter.
To unsubscribe: E-mail [email protected], call360.734.6820, or mail 495 E. Bakerview Road, Bellingham, WA 98226
Joys andConcerns
Please submit written requeststo update this list.
New to Our List:
John & Brenda Riseland, atthe loss of their friend EttaKirk Hap Vernon, at the loss of wife Eitha (former membersw h o h a d r e l o c a t e d t oBremerton)Merle White , Mary LeeWiser’s daughter, recoveringfrom surgery
Ongoing:Joanne, Skip Winchester’s sister, cancerJanet Franks, recovering from surgery for a broken hipNeilan Hart, 4 year old friend of the Pages, acute leukemia
Virginia Haldeman, recovering from surgeryMargaret Farrar, steadily improvingPat Powell, Lois Oswalt’s sister Nona’s son-in-law’s aunt,inoperable brain cancerJayne, Taylor & Austin Witman, at this time of lossDaisy Shoemaker, on chemoMarek Hudec, Bob Fisher’s son-in-lawBarbara Smith, in hospice careRhea Manlove, mother of Jeremy Blanchard, health improving,but her sister has had a setback Mac and Velma McDonald, health concerns
Sandy Grant, health concernsLaura Dietsch, health concerns (Mark Millenaar’s friend)The unemployed, job securityRev. Dr. Loletta Barrett, Global Mission partner in NamibiaRev. Sandy Messick , Regional MinisterRev. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and PresidentOur General Church ministries
Yakama Christian MissionRefugees around the world
All troops involved in world conflictPeacemakers worldwide