The Christian

Vol. 64, No. 1 Bellingham First Christian Church

Courier
January 2014 January 12, 3 p.m., will be an exciting time at First Christian Church. That's when all of us will have an opportunity to share the upcoming birth of Benjamin Shoemaker with parents-to-be Megan and Zach. A baby shower will be held in the fellowship hall to help prepare for the arrival in February of the latest addition to the Shoemaker family. All members of the congregation -- men included! -- are invited to join in celebrating this special event.

Hold This Date!

For those who need some hints for gifts, log onto Amazon.com and look for the Shoemaker list. Hosts: women of the church Please contact Lillian Moir for more info.

Introducing: The Worship Art Center

Are you right brain or left? A thinker or a doer? And how are your creative juices owing these days? And one more very important question... How do you experience God? There are hiking and camping clubs for people who experience God in the wilderness. There are Bible studies for people who love to dig into the scriptures. But, there are many people who need a different venue for exploring and expressing their spirituality. If you are a person who needs to create, then we invite you to visit our new Creation Station, located in the family section of the sanctuary. There you will be able to paint, glue, write, color and create to your heart"s content. The projects and medium will change. The creations will be your own. And there, may you nd God in a new way.

Village Well Project in Zimbabwe Continues

Imagine walking two miles to get a bucket of water. That is what women and girls in the village of Shekwa in eastern Zimbabwe must do every day, if they want to cook, bathe and water their animals and gardens. First Christian Church took on the project of raising funds for a well to be dug at Shekwa in 2012. The fund raising will continue this year each Sunday in January. Envelopes will be provided for special gifts for the well. Providing a well will mean girls will be able to go to school instead of spending the majority of their day getting water from the unsafe source some distance from their school and homes. Having a source of clean water will eliminate water-borne diseases. Cost of the well is estimated between $7-10,000, depending on how deep the drillers must go, !the cost of renting drilling equipment and other related costs.! Water likely will be found at the 70 meter level, approximately 210 feet. First Christian Church generously gave $2386 in 2012 for the project. Several years will be needed to collect enough money to dig the well.

Message from the Pastor

First Christian Church

!Disciples of Christ"
495 East Bakerview Road Bellingham, WA 98226 360.734.6820 bhamfcc@comcast.net www.bhamfcc.com

Shoes News
Make Space for Christmas Peace
Friends, we have to work harder and harder each year to create a holy space for the Spirit of God during this busy season. I'd sometimes like to just call "TIME OUT!!!" as we rush through the days leading up to Christmas. It seems to me that we've taken things in the opposite direction from how we ought to be observing the coming of Jesus. I'm just as bad as the next person when it comes to getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of December. That's pretty sad, isn't it!?! Of all people, you'd think that a pastor ought to be one of the ones who gets it when it comes to the spiritual nature of Jesus' birth. But, alas, I get stressed out with the coming of the choir cantata, the Christmas caroling, the Christmas Eve service. Not to mention trying to balance family plans for getting together to celebrate and enjoy each others company. Each of these events is a wondrous gift and an amazing opportunity for the good gifts of God to be celebrated. But getting ready for them has a tendency to bring anxiety and raise our stress and blood pressure. We each need to be more intentional at finding time and space to allow the presence of God to take root in our lives, and we need to do it now! Life is far too short for us not to pause and reflect on all the blessings around us. Give yourself the gift of time. Take a day, or as much as you can allow, to just relax, reflect, meditate on God's goodness and the importance of Jesus in our lives and world. Jesus came to bring the love and grace of God to our world in a more understandable fashion. The last thing he wanted was for us to drive ourselves half crazy with stress in celebrating his coming. Love and grace have very little to do with frantically running around from store to store on the quest to find that perfect scarf for Aunt Bertha (though I'm told Aunt Bertha looks marvelous in deep purple). For the sake of your soul, slow down, reflect, enjoy, take in the wonder of God's incredible gift of the one who came as a baby meek and mild. I will, if you will! Pastor Gary January 2014

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lords Table as God welcomed us. All of Us Ministers Rev. Gary Shoemaker Pastor grshmkr@comcast.net Mary Ann Teeters Finance/Membership Administrator maryannt44@comcast.net Rev. Tamalyn Kralman Director of Ed. & Community Outreach Courier Editor tamalynk@comcast.net Amelia Nye Accompanist Amy Kronenberg Interim Childcare Provider Rev. Sandy Messick Regional Minister Rev. Sharon Watkins General Minister and President

Sunday Schedule
9:30 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 11 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 2nd Sunday 6:30 p.m.

Adult Sunday School Classes Gathering Time Worship Fellowship Time Out-to-Lunch Bunch Wild Goose Worship (2nd & 4th Sundays)

Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - noon Our staff are in and out of the office throughout the week. 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

News from the Pews

The Blessing of Generosity

Tis the season for Christmas movies. Melody and I recently re-watched one based on Charles Dickenss story A Christmas Carol. (This one happened to have Muppets in it.) Im sure youre aware that the story is about a miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is frightened by a series of ghosts into becoming a joyful and generous person. Stated that way it doesnt seem very believable, does it? Yet something in this story resonates with all of us: Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! [A Christmas Carol, page 1] Scrooge was better than his word. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, every one! [A Christmas Carol, page 70] At this time of year, we want to see ourselves as joyful and generous, and not like the Scrooge at the beginning of the story. As rich as he is, he is a man shaped by disappointment and fear, clutching desperately to what he has, seeing everyone around as a threat. We dont want to think of ourselves like that. So we contribute to meals for the homeless, and we wrap presents for Amys Place, and we give to various outreach causes, and we imagine ourselves as generous.

Joys and Concerns of Our Congregation

Please submit written requests to update this list.

New to Our List:

Andrew Hoemann, will receive his Eagle Scout Award Mary Ann Teeters, on the loss of her mother McKerrow Family, friends of Pastor Gary & Tamalyn, on the sudden death of Gordon McKerrow Helen Blaney, recovering from a fall Don Kralman, Tamalyns dad, recovering from an auto accident Dale Whitney, recovering at home Neilan Hart, friend of the Pages, acute leukemia Daisy Shoemaker, finishing chemo Barbara Smith, in hospice care Mac and Velma McDonald, health concerns and their son, Steve, as he recovers in the hospital Rhea Manlove & her sister, mother and aunt of Jeremy Blanchard, health concerns Disciples House Residents, past, present and future Iglesia de Dios, as together we share Gods love Raices Culturales, the childrens gardening program Rev. Sandy Messick, Regional Minister Rev. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President Rev. Dr. Loletta Barrett, Global Mission partner in Namibia Our General Church ministries Yakama Christian Mission Refugees around the world All troops involved in world conflict Peacemakers worldwide

Ongoing:

But if we check, we may discover that our generosity is only a drop in the (Salvation Army) bucket! We may even be part of the One Percent, as in only one percent of our What Do You Do When Youre Hungry? When your tummy rumbles income given for others. or you get a craving for Let me encourage you, at the end of this year, to examine something yummy, what do your books, and determine how much of a percentage you do? Most of us head for giver you are. Perhaps each of us could raise our giving the fridge. Or a restaurant. one more percent. Our church does so much good with so Or the grocery store. little money. It can do even more good if we can be just Did you know we have slightly more generous. people in our community We dont need Christmas ghosts to frighten us into who consider that a luxury? generosity. Generosity is a gift itself (Romans 12:8), a gift We have been told, time and again, that there are that makes us better people and the world around us a community meals all throughout Whatcom County better place. So my Christmas wish is also Tiny Tims: throughout the week, but there is NO place to eat on three to four Sundays out of the month. And many of the empty God Bless Us, every one! bellies belong to the homeless and disenfranchised teens Don Hoffman some of us know from dinners at Amys Place. A thought for your New Year: ...liv[e] yourself into a First Christian Church, Bellingham, wants to change that. If new way of thinking. Every change of mind is first of all a you are interested in helping with a once-a-month change of heart, and if the heart does not change, new community meal, to be prepared and served here at the ideas do not last long. ~ Fr. Richard Rohr church, please contact Tamalyn, bhamfcc@comcast.net.

January 2014

Friends & Partners in Ministry

Thank you First Christian friends for your prayers, many cards, thoughts and visits to me in the hospital, rehab and here at home. A special thanks to Pastor Gary for the frequent visits. I'm hoping the doctor frees me from my leg brace and wheel chair real soon, so I can get back together with you. ~Dale Whitney Dear Church Family, I want to thank everybody who supported my Eagle Scout Project, I could not have done it without your help. Last week I passed my Eagle Board of Review and have received the Eagle Scout Rank. Thanks for all the support. Andrew Hoemann

Thank you for my new bible. I like it very much. ~Alisha

Congratulations, Andrew!
We"re so very proud of you. We"re also very grateful for the beautiful work you did in the courtyard. We shall enjoy it for a long time to come. (The fairies thank you, as well. They love the new gazing balls!)

Good News Received from Interfaith

The Our House Campaign has reached an exciting new phase - construction! This home, which is being built by Interfaith Coalition and its many partners, is located in Ferndale. This single-family home is designed as a triplex in order to serve more homeless families in our area. Interfaith expresses thanks to the many people who have helped with the project thus far and reminds us that it is not too late to make a pledge. The Severe Weather Shelters will be open again this winter. They are staffed by volunteers from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. The mens shelter is housed at Faith Lutheran and the women and childrens shelter is at Garden St. UMC. The Hope Auction, Interfaith Coalitions biggest fundraising event of the year is spring, will take place on Saturday, March 22. You will enjoy an evening of fun and community spirit, and the proceeds will support housing for homeless families and health care for all in need. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Best Western Lakeway Inn in Bellingham. Your help is needed to ensure the auctions success. Do you have an auction item or service to donate that would raise essential funds to support programs for our neighbors in need? Popular items It has been a long while include a craft or art item, service since Ive come home to your business such a relaxing place. provides, weekend Thank you. I will always or vacation home, gift certificate, remember your kindness. tickets to a ~Charles, a Severe concert, or a dinner or theme Weather Shelter guest party. More info is available on our Local Outreach bulletin board in the fellowship hall to help with these and other Interfaith programs. For further information or to make a donation, please contact 360.734.3983.

Year-End Updates from Lydia Place and Habitat for Humanity

Lydia Place assisted 75 households in exiting homelessness and finding permanent and safe housing in 2013. Members of these households included 95 children who now have a place to call home. In 2014, Lydia Place will celebrate 25 years of serving homeless families in Whatcom County. Habitat for Humanity, Whatcom County built two homes that are so energy efficient they can be heated with a hair dryer at a cost of less than $20 a month. As more families in our community experience housing problems, HFH continues to work on their behalf. To read more, see the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall or contact the individual agencies. Lydia Place: lydiaplace.org, 360.671.7663 HFH: hfhwhatcom.org, 360.715.9170

January 2014

Word Received from Global Ministry Partner

Things are even more quiet here in Kalkfeld than before. Three of the five children who live on the church property have gone to visit relatives. The two church children who live off grounds aren't allowed to walk here by themselves - a 20 minute walk - and have been busy at home helping clean, traveling to work with grandpa and babysitting in Otjiwarango. The other children who occasionally attend have all gone back to visit their parents (They live with grandparents and go to school in Kalkfeld). School let out on Nov. 29 until Jan. 14, and I thought things would be very bustling here with the children home all day and people coming for the month-long December 8 holiday (Apparently the schools and government close but other things do not). Instead it has been the opposite. We have had to change the date of the Nativity play three times. First it was to be on the 8th because three children were leaving on the 13th to visit family until Jan. 10. Then we moved it to the 15th because their grandmother got sick and two left early and were to come back on Dec. 13th. Now we are not sure when they are coming back and one of the other kids wont be back until Dec. 15 so we are tentatively doing it on Dec. 22. The children have been both disappointed to have to wait, and have taken it in stride. So we have been practicing with those who are here, which changes weekly, and I have assured the children we will not do the play until they are all here and ready - even if that means waiting until January 1! They seem more than satisfied with waiting for everyone to be involved. With seven players and 13 parts, we cannot do it without all of them! As for the adults, their schedules are even less predictable than the children's. I know one woman is coming to stay on Dec. 13 until the New Year. There have been two men here working on a house off and on. Otherwise the population is dwindling and the church attendance is dwindling faster. When family visits on the weekend, instead of bringing them to church, everybody misses worship. Including me, we are averaging 15 in worship - seven or more were children. Now we are getting seven, including me, with three being children. I was getting discouraged so I asked and the people say that is how the attendance was before I got here. So apparently the 15 in worship was the predictable "there is a new pastor, let's check her out blip." I believe there will be a few more at the Christmas Eve service as some will come that are visiting. But then others will stay home to be with family. I am most interested in there being a group here to see the children's play. Last year they did the play but just acted to the narration. This year the children insisted 1) that there be a play and 2) that they have speaking parts. They have worked so hard to learn their lines (They started practicing in November and know each other's lines too!), and they know all the props and scenery and there is no adult behind stage helping them with costumes - they do it all themselves. Pretty amazing for the group is 13, 12, 9, 8, 7, 5, 5 years old. They work together and there is very little bossing going on. After the first couple rehearsals, all I have done is the narration, and reminded them to speak loud and to the audience. The children in the play have seven adults connected to them so I think we will have at least that many, and as long as we have it in the daylight (worship on Sunday) we are bound to get a few of the four elder Lutherans who came once for communion, but came last year for the play. The internet has been less reliable these past couple of weeks so I have not been able to update my blog regularly and am behind again. I have lots of pictures of the children practicing, making decorations and decorating the sanctuary I want to post. They have made Advent Candles, Advent calendars, tissue paper flowers and Chrismons. They have made one set of everything for the church and one for each household here as well. Glitter abounds here that is for sure!! I am so glad I bought every craft supply I could find every time I was in Otjiwarango. They are really enjoying themselves. Since the children are out of school I have not been walking them to school or going to the other school to read and I miss interacting with the children that way. I still walk every day for exercise but not near as much. I slather on the sunscreen, wear a hat, carry an umbrella and carry water. I am prone to heat stroke so I have to be careful. Still, just getting electricity and going to the post office are a 45-minute round trip. We have not had electricity for sale here for three weeks because the box is not working at the Roadhouse, the only place in Kalkfeld where you can buy it. Luckily I had just bought a bunch the week before. Other people have had to go without, use generators or get family to buy it for them in Otjiwarango. I think I can go another week if I am careful. Hopefully by then the machine will be repaired since I have not been able to get transportation lately. The post office is also closed again for the third time since September. There was a suspected embezzlement, then the replacement person got sick, now there has been a burglary. Since September the post office has been closed more weeks than it has been open. The mail is only delivered on Tuesday and Thursday but the post office is also the place where people get their pension checks and can do basic banking, so when it is closed, there is no money in the settlement. I am still waiting on a Halloween card my "mom" and "dad" sent from Upland, CA and a music book and CD Jim Manley sent from there about the same time. I am wondering if it there is any hope for either. It sounds like the post office may be closed through the first of the year to investigate the burglary because the new employee did some things that left the office open to crime. It has been difficult for me to be here with so few people - who are all very family focused, to have a "part-time" ministry, and to have no transportation to visit other places, churches and people in Namibia. I have made special effort to meet and talk to people outside the church - at the schools, post office and police, but walking in the heat is my greatest limitation. (None of the people outside the church will come to church - most go to the Lutheran or Catholic churches (whose pastors come only once a month or quarter for service) or they are black and unfortunately would not be comfortable in the [mixed race] church - but perhaps they will come for the play!) Peace, Rev. Dr. Loletta M. Barrett God is Still Speaking!

January 2014

Who!s on First?!

January
Sunday, January 5 Elders: Don Hoffman (O), Leslie Pinkston (C), Melody Hoffman & Leslie Pinkston (in home), Gregg Heyne (lock up) Diaconate: Betty Schmidling Reader: Don Hoffman Greeters: Sandy Grant & Lois Oswalt Flowers: TBD Fellowship Time: TBD Sunday, January 12 Elders: Lillian Moir (O), Gregg Heyne (C) Diaconate: Marian Overcash, Megan Shoemaker, Ardythe Hannah Reader: Bruce Radtke Greeter: Jane Kletka Flowers: Schmidling Family Fellowship Time: Schmidlings Sunday, January 19 Elders: John Riseland(O), Joe Plancich (C) Diaconate: Lois Oswalt, Pat Whitney, Connie Page Reader: Virginia Haldeman Greeters: John & Brenda Riseland Flowers: TBD Fellowship Time: TBD Sunday, January 26 Elders: Melody Hoffman (O), Brenda Riseland (C) Diaconate: Lynn Plancich Reader: Gregg Heyne Greeters: Betty & Charles Schmidling Flowers: Esther Group Fellowship Time: Esther Group Happy Birthday: Kathy Wheeler Normadene Padgett Chloe Anne Gibson Danielle Foster Jane Kletka Mark Hoemann Rachel Naidu Jordan Naidu John Riseland Ana Gobledale 1 4 8 9 10 10 10 10 11 12

Barbara Staehnke Matt Nelson Charles Schmidling Russ Weston Bill Franks Nathan Klemann Ralph Gilfilen Mary Weston Kelvin Smith Bob Wistoski

12 13 14 17 20 23 24 26 26 28

Happy Anniversary: Tod & Ana Gobledale 1 Bob & Norma Dawes 19

This Month!s Lectionary

January 5 Second Sunday after Christmas Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21 John 1:(1-9), 10-18 Ephesians 1:3-14 Monday, January 6 Epiphany January 12 Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Matthew 3:13-17 Acts 10:34-43 January 19 Second Sunday after the Epiphany Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-11 John 1:29-42 I Corinthians 1:1-9 January 26 Third Sunday after the Epiphany Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 4-9 Matthew 4:12-23 I Corinthians 1:10-18

Spring Creek Worship

January 5 Prayers: TBD Lead Hymns: TBD Read Scripture: TBD Message: TBD Benediction: TBD January 19 Prayers: TBD Lead Hymns: TBD Read Scripture: TBD Message: TBD Benediction: TBD

What? That"s a whole lotta TBDs! To help with this important ministry, please see Virginia Haldeman.

January 2014

January 2014
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3 7:30 AM Men's Breakfast, Denny's 4 2 1 Happy New Year! 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Re! hearsal 31 12:00 PM Bible Study 30

Sunday

January 2014
6 7 8 9 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Re! hearsal 12:00 PM Bible Study 10 7:30 AM Men's Breakfast, Denny's 11 13 14 15 MLK Jr's b-day Courier Deadline 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Re! hearsal 12:00 PM Bible Study 16 17 7:30 AM Men's Breakfast, Denny's 5:30 PM Prayer Vigil for Peace in the Middle East, Faith Lutheran 18 20 21 12:00 PM Bible Study 22 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Re! hearsal 23 5:00 PM Checking in Group 24 7:30 AM Men's Breakfast, Denny's 25 27 12:00 PM Bible Study 28 30 31 7:30 AM Men's Breakfast, Denny's 1 29 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Re! hearsal Page 1/1

29

9:30 AM Sun. School 10:50 AM Gathering Time 11:00 AM Worship 12:15 PM Fellowship Time

9:30 AM Sun. School 10:50 AM Gathering Time 11:00 AM Worship 12:15 PM Fellowship Time 1:30 PM Spring Creek Wor! ship

Epiphany/12th Night

12 9:30 AM Sun. School 10:50 AM Gathering Time 11:00 AM Worship 12:15 PM Out-to-Lunch Bunch 12:15 PM Fellowship Time 3:00 PM Shoemaker Shower 6:30 PM Wild Goose Wor! ship

MLK Day (observed)

19 7:30 AM Elders' Mtg 9:30 AM Sun. School 10:50 AM Gathering Time 11:00 AM Worship 12:15 PM Fellowship Time 1:30 PM Spring Creek Wor! ship

12:00 PM Esther Group

26 9:30 AM Sun. School 10:50 AM Gathering Time 11:00 AM Worship 12:15 PM Fellowship Time 6:30 PM Wild Goose Wor! ship 7:00 PM Book Group

Holocaust Memorial Day

Calendar

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) A church of grace and welcome for all! 495 East Bakerview Road Bellingham, WA 98226-9168
The Christian Courier (USPS 0589-870) is published monthly at First Christian Church, 495 East Bakerview Road, Bellingham, WA 98226-9168. PERIODICALS POSTAGE paid at Bellingham, WA 98226-9997 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Christian Courier, 495 East Bakerview Road, Bellingham, WA 98226-9186

PERIODICALS POSTAGE AT Bellingham, WA 98226-9168 USPS 0589-870

Save the Dates

You are now free to settle in for a long, winters nap! Just remember, more to come... Baby Shoe Shower Jan. 12 Prayer Vigil, Faith Lutheran Jan. 18 Annual Hope Auction March 22 Interfaith Coalition Office

Contact Us
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Submissions for the Next Courier are Due Jan. 15

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