The Hanging Of The Greens

The Hanging of the Greens Sunday, November 29th ushers in the joyous Advent season. Included in our church’s celebration are the traditions of placing an Angel Tree and hanging green wreaths in the Sanctuary. This year, plain wreaths will hang during both worship services and then be taken down to decorate following second service. Craft opportunities to make an individual Advent candle wreath and ornaments for your own Christmas wreaths or trees will also be available. A simple lunch will be provided. Chili and beans, salad, corn muffins, gingerbread and beverages are on the menu. A basket will be available for a free-will offering. Please join us for fellowship, food and fun during this festive time.

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November 5, 2009

Disciples Women’s Ministry We had a wonderful and very moving program at our last luncheon about a program settling refugees in the LA area: Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS). Shirley Woodman is leading the kids in our congregation and other local congregations in a service project collecting school supplies to send to IRIS for the Holidays. Please talk to Shirley Woodman about any donations you may have. There will not be a luncheon in November due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The next luncheon will be held on Sunday, December 6th. Ken Potter will be providing us with our program. Ken’s program is always a big hit. Make sure to mark your calendar so you don’t miss this great performance by Ken. New Hope will be the hostesses for the luncheon and Maureen Estolas will be conducting the worship service. The service project for the December luncheon is the Union Rescue Mission. From the Union Rescue Mission website: We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ giving hope and healing for a changed life helping them find their way home “A sampling of data from providers that focus on family homelessness indicates a 40% increase in family homelessness between 2007 and 2009. Confirming this perception, the Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) recognized 7,500 homeless families in January 2009, the same month the count was conducted, a 49% increase from April 2008. Families who are homeless have been referred to as the hidden homeless: they typically are less visible than chronically homeless adults. They may live in an automobile or on a friend’s living room floor, and spend the day at the mall or a city park. With a child in a stroller, the family’s homeless condition is less noticeable to the public, or even to outreach workers. These are some of the reasons families are underrepresented in the Homeless Count.”

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The Candy Cane Holiday Boutique is less than two weeks away! Hard to believe that a year has gone by so quickly! We are still in need of volunteers to man the booths and cash register. If you are interested please look for the signup sheets in Sippel Hall after church on Sunday. Remember to invite your friends to the boutique on Saturday, November 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Opportunity drawing tickets will be sold on Sunday and at the door. Look around your home for gently used and loved items to give to Grandma’s Attic. This is a big hit every year and we need your help. Please bring the items to the church after November 1st. Items can be stored in the room next to the prayer chapel.

Feed the Hungry Sunday Our next Feed the Hungry Sunday is November 22. Your generous donations make it possible to provide food for about 3,000 people a month that come to the Salvation Army His House Program. Here is a suggested list: canned tuna, granola bars, nuts, oatmeal, boxed juices, raisins, canned fruits and vegetables and canned soup. Dave, the Director of His House, would like to thank you for your continued support to this much needed ministry. “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. Matthew 25:35.

Prayer Shawl Ministry Expands Meetings Our Prayer Shawl Ministry is now meeting in the Fireside Room every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Our time includes working on shawls in progress, blessing finished shawls, sharing in fellowship and iced tea. We will also continue to meet at on the fourth Tuesday evening of every month, at 7:00 pm. Page 3

Special Thanksgiving Offering for Higher Education Disciples of Christ schools have contributed mightily to our congregation—both our pastors received and are receiving their training from our Higher Education System. And the benefits continue—Paul Hextall, one of our young members, was in worship recently, and reported just how much he’s enjoying his first semester at Chapman University, one of our Disciplesrelated schools. Besides his studies, Paul also noted how much he gains from Wednesday night on-campus worship at Chapman. Our church receives six, over-and-above special offerings through the year. Our Thanksgiving Offering emphasizes the ministries of higher education and leadership development. We pray you’ll give as you are led to support these vital ministries of our wider church. Offering envelopes will be available for your special offering on November 15 and 22.

Advent Devotional Booklet Last year, the Worship Committee sponsored a well-received Advent Booklet full of thoughtful devotions from some of our own members. Anyone interested in contributing to this year’s devotionals is encouraged to contact the office, or Pastor Steve. There are still lots of days open!

Wednesday Morning Bible Study Our Wednesday Morning Bible Study is looking at the First Letter of John, a New Testament writing that struggles to hold things together after an early church split. Bible Study meets in Sippel Hall, Wednesday mornings at 10:00. Page 4

CHURCH FAMILY PRAYERS & CONCERNS Beverly Roseberry is in Little Company of Mary rehabilitation facility after surgery to shore up a broken hip suffered in a fall—which also broke her wrist. Aron Fried is up and around after full knee-replacement surgery. Susie Noble is doing very well after knee surgery; Doug Crawford and Carol Wilk are both still in long but improving recoveries from knee injuries. Lynne Redderson is home and improving after foot surgery. Gerri Stoodley is going off current medications in order to find more appropriate treatment for what continues to be an undefined ailment affecting her immune system. Julie Chavez is home from the hospital, but still wearied in her battle with cancer. His Hands, our cancer support ministry, is helping with meals—contact Gail Grove if you wish to be part of this caring effort. Kelly Rogers’s sister, Shawn Knudson, is in her second round of radiation and chemotherapy as a follow-up to surgery for ovarian cancer. Kelly also asks prayers for Dana Morgan, who is recovering from a cancer-related double-mastectomy, and whose twin sons both have autism. Mike DeSarro’s father-in-law has cancer, and is on hospice care in Texas. David Matson asks prayers for the wife of the president of Hope International Univ., where he teaches—she has been diagnosed with cancer. Chery Carew invites prayer for Bobbi’s teacher, Miss Wills, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Prayers are asked on behalf of those struggling with addiction, and for those who seek to love them best. Carole Jones’s new puppy has been hospitalized for numerous infections and complications. Earl Woods’s cousin’s husband passed after a long struggle. Page 5

November 2009 (Revise Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thurs

WORSHIP SERVICES 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School 9:30 am 1

Amazing Gray’s 1:00 Newsletter Trustees 7:00 Unbinding the Gospel Unbinding the Gospel 7:00 7:00 Youth Adventure CYF Craft Workshop

9

8 Craft Workshop CYF

Unbinding the Gospel 7:00 Unbinding the Gospel Worship 7:00 7:00

15

16

CYF/Chi Rho Youth Adventure Unbinding the Gospel His Hands 7:00 Unbinding the Gospel Newsletter 7:00 Thanksgiving Offering

22

23

Feed The Hungry Sunday Thanksgiving Offering CYF 12:00

29

Ruby’s Fun Raiser 5:00-9:00

Bible Study 10:00 a.m. Unbinding t Prayer Shawl 2:00

Prayer Ministry 5:45

Prayer Ministry 5:45 Disciple Women 7:30

Hanging of the Greens 12:00 Page 6

11

Choir Pr 7:00 Veteran’s Day Church Office Closed Unbinding t 2:00 &

18

17 Love 9:30 Faith 1:30 Prayer Ministry 5:45 Elders 7:00

2:00 & Choir

Education 7:00

10

Bible Study 10:00 a.m. Prayer Shawl 2:00 Cabinet 7:00

25

24 Prayer Ministry 5:45 Prayer Shawl 7:00

30

4

3

2

Bible Study 10:00 Prayer Shawl 2:00

Choir Pr 7:00 Unbinding t 2:00 & Directory 3:00-9

ed)

sday

Saturday

Friday

November Birthdays

5

6

the Gospel & 7:00 7:00

12

13

ractice 0 the Gospel & 7:00

19

Boutique 9:00—2:00

20

ractice 0 the Gospel & 7:00 y Photos 9:30

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Julie Vernon (1) Lyrae Monson (2) Alyssa Zukas (3) 7 David Drolet (4) Jill Foster (4) Dorie Hernandez (7) Lorraine Colston (8) Beverly Townsend (10) Jimmie Talley (11) Nancy Johnson (11) Donna Stent (11) Doug Hedde(12) 14 Pat Woodman (12) Madison Noble (13) Donald Bowring (20) Marlen Sanchez (26) Samantha Lubrani (26) Carol Wilk (27) Benjamin Koutny (27) Mark Thompson (29) Chuck Bruley (30) 21 Kim Silagy-Silva (30) Megan Bell (30)

C.M.F. 8:30 a.m. Junior Greeter Training

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28 ANNIVERSARIES Jack & Ruth Perry (3) Francisco & Marlen Sanchez (9) Jun & Nora Pagdilao (25) Frank & Joan Paour (26)

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Education Notes & News Junior Greeter Training Plans are in the works for training our new Worship and Wonder greeters. The training will be focused on our junior greeters, but adult greeters are welcome to join in for any or all of the training. The date is Saturday, November 21 and will include dinner and a sleepover at the church.

Children’s Christmas Program: Sunday, December 13 Mark your calendars for 2 fun events. During the second service our children will be presenting a special Christmas program. That evening will be our annual All Church Christmas Party and Sleigh Ride. Come prepared to eat, sing, decorate gingerbread men and celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Details coming soon!

Bible Explorers We’ve just started a new unit on Jonah and the Big Fish. You don’t want to miss out! All children ages Pre-K through 6th grade are invited to Bible Explorers at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. See schedule below. Middle School students are invited to be shepherds for this program. See Jill if you are interested. High schoolers will continue to meet for their Sunday School in Room 8 with Jeff Wood as their teacher.

BIBLE EXPLORER SCHEDULE DATE

CLASS

WORKSHOP

ROOM

TEACHER

Jonah and the Big Fish 11/8

PRE K-1

ART

2

KARA

11/8

2-5

GAMES

4

SHIRLEY

11/15

PRE K-1

GAMES

4

JILL

11/15

2-5

STORYTELLING

2

DORIE

Christmas Around the World 11/22

PRE K –1

DRAMA

3

PEGGY

11/22

2-5

COOKING

KITCHEN

KELLY

11/29

PRE K –1

COOKING

KITCHEN

KELLY

11/29

2-5

DRAMA

3

PEGGY

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November Youth Calendar Sunday, November 8 12:00 CYF (grades 9-12) at church Sunday, November 15 12:00 CYF/Chi Rho/Youth Adventure joint activity--stay tuned for details Sunday, November 22 12:00 CYF at church Sunday, November 29 No youth groups due to holiday weekend.

Loch Leven Retreat--Save the Date!

Our 2nd annual Loch Leven All Church Retreat is going to be the weekend of January 29-31, 2010. Mark your calendars and look for more information to come. See Jill Foster if you’d like to help plan this fun weekend (commitment of 2 planning meetings) or if you want to be in charge or help out with an activity on the weekend itself.

Summer 2010 Camp and Conference Schedule The region has just published the camp schedule for next summer. Here it is so you can mark your calendars and start planning. The 7 kids who went last year had an experience of a lifetime and it would be great for even more to experience it this year. Mini Camp, 7/7-7/10 (entering 2nd-3rd grade) Junior Camp, 7/18-7/24 (entering 4th-6th grade) CYF I, 7/25-7/31 (entering 9th-10th grade) CYF II, 8/1-8/7 (entering 11th-12 and ’10 grads) Chi Rho, 8/8-8/14 (entering 7th-8th grade) Page 9

Upcoming Sermons November 8 – “It’s a Both/And Life” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) If we are of an age, we remember the folk song “Turn, Turn, Turn” as one of the few times scripture made the Top 40. But what is Ecclesiastes (a fancy word for “preacher”) really getting at? What if we don’t like having “a time to break down” or “lose” or “keep silent”? November 15 – “A Separate Peace?” (2 Kings 20:12-19) King Hezekiah lays the groundwork for a disaster that falls on his descendants—but doesn’t seem to care, as long as there is “peace in his time.” Can we confess our own temptation to the same kind of complacency? And what difference would it make for how we live? November 22 – “Slow Food” (Mark 4:26-29) Thanksgiving is a time when we celebrate harvest, but most of us have gotten away from our agricultural roots. If farming requires anything, it requires patience—and perhaps a sense of mystery. What might we learn at Thanksgiving from the slow growing seed?

Sermons on line Those wishing to listen to past sermons can access them on our church website (www.fcctorrance.org) by clicking on Worship Media, and then on the title or date of the sermon. Dates are listed by sermon title, year, month and day—for example, September 7, 2009 is 20090907. Thanks to Jimmy Koontz for helping us to provide this service!

Adult Sunday Class Our Sunday morning adult class continues its pattern of lively discussion with a number of thought-provoking topics and facilitators. All people and views are welcome—and often expressed! It’s also OK to come and just listen! Ted Oden continues a wonderful discussion of Mike Yaconelli’s book Messy Spirituality through November 8. We will once again be privileged to experience the scholarship of Dr. David Matson on November 15. Steve Fietz will guide a seasonal discussion during the four weeks of Advent.

Prayer Service—5:45 pm Tuesdays This is a quiet time of centering and praying for one another. We still meet in the sanctuary, but with a new seating arrangement that helps us hear one another better. All who wish to be part of the common support we have in prayer are invited. Page 10

Footnotes What does it take for someone who seeks to follow Jesus Christ to not be a Christian? The Breeze’s religion page featured an article about evangelical missionaries in New England, which has now surpassed my Pacific Northwest as the least religious region of the country. Well I wish them all success! But a quote in that article troubled me. Citing the decline of Episcopalians and the United Church of Christ (historical communions in New England) the Rev. Wes Pastor (Pastor Pastor?) was quoted as saying these denominations practice a “different religion.” The implication was that these churches were not truly Christian. This is not just a “conservative” accusation against “liberals”—the righteous finger has been known to wag both ways. Because they perceive them as lacking compassion, some liberals have come awfully close to calling evangelicals “non-Christian.” It’s good to have these discussions, hard as they can be. Silently pretending that we’re all the same can paper over essential issues, and misses the opportunity to share and grow in faith. But we need to reframe the discussion, I believe, away from who is and isn’t Christian. What if we listened more? What if we truly tried to hear and understand what others were really saying? What if, when we spoke, it was with the humble acknowledgement that we don’t know everything, we are not God? And even where our beliefs are passionately held, could we grant at least the sincerity of those with whom we disagree? Even in core differences, could we be generous enough to say that another’s belief is, in our view, wrong, misguided—or even un-Christian—while still allowing that the actual person is still a sister or brother in Christ? I believe it’s what the sage meant when he said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Shalom, Steve Home phone: 310-212-5950

email: [email protected]

Next Newsletter articles need to be need to be at the church office by 11/16/09. Page 11

TORRANCE, CA PERMIT NO. 109

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ) 2930 El Dorado Street Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 328-2820 Fax 310 328-2929 E-mail - [email protected] Web address - fcctorrance.org Sunday Schedule 8:30 a.m. - Worship - Informal 9:30 a.m. - Church School for all ages 10:30 a.m. - Worship - Traditional Children’s Worship - Ages Pre-school through 2nd Grade (During the Traditional Worship Service)

Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Staff Steven Fietz, Senior Pastor Ted Oden-Minister of Contemporary Worship Administrative Assistant– Camelia Olloque Choir Director - Ken Potter Nursery Attendant - Kim Larson Dorie Hernandez Officers Chair - Doug Crawford Vice Chair - Don Zukas Treasurer– Bill Wysong Financial Secretary - Charlotte Sandberg Clerk– Angie Ahumada

TIME VALUE DATA

DO NOT DELAY EXPEDITE

First Christian Church 2930 El Dorado Street Torrance, CA 90503

The Christian Messenger

Or Current Resident

Nursery Provided For birth through age 3 during Sunday School and Contemporary & Traditional Service

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