Compass Christian Church Newsletter February 10, 2016

Posted by Compass Christian Church on February 14, 2016 in Newsletter | Leave a comment

Calendar of Events:

Wednesday Activities (ongoing)

“Wednesday Nights” is as follows:

• 6:15 Gathering songs and HolyMoly dvd (for all ages)
• 6:30 – Hand Bell Choir
• 6:35- Study groups for pre-school-K, 1st-3rd, 4th-6th Grade, and adults.  Learn about the Bible character presented in the HolyMoly video.
•  7:00 -Ablaze choir   (Bible study activities continue for adults and children who are not participating in Ablaze.)
• 7:30 – Adult choir

“12 Marks of Disciples” Sermon Series 

 As we move into Lent, we’re inviting you to join in  our sermon series:

• Feb 14–Acts 8:26-39 “Taking the Plunge”
• Feb 21–Nehemiah 8:1-12 “Stick to the Script”;Week of Compassion Offering & Mad Hatters Cookie Decorating Class
• Feb 28–Luke 24:13-35–“A Loaf, A Jug, & Thou”; Week of Compassion Offering
• Mar 6–-Joshua 24:1-7, 13-29 “A Pledged Allegiance”; Church Birthday Celebrations and CCO Concert
• Mar 13–2 Corinthians 5:16-21 “Mission in Action”

Christian Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

 Sat., Feb. 20, 9:00 a.m.

 All who love an all-you-can eat buffet breakfast that includes both cold and hot items are invited.You likely have a friend, coworker, or neighbor who would like to share food and fellowship with others. Why not invite them along? All are welcome.

 

Out of Our Hat February 21st

Mad Hatters are expanding their ministry and we are brimming with excitement!   We have accomplished our goal of hats this year and continue to patiently wait for a time when we can pass them out.   We are offering the opportunity to try out different hats – different types of crafts!   The first we are “pulling out of the hat” will be after church on Sunday, February 21st.  Debi Freimuth has tried her hand at cookie decorating and has some special techniques for us to try out.  Cookies, decorating supplies, and fellowship time will be provided.  (There is no cost to participate but please consider bringing a freewill offering to help buy gloves for the homeless.)   Bring a 9X13 pan or other container for transporting your cookies home (the icing needs to dry) and bring your lunch.  We are planning on using our cookie decorating skills for a church event and this is our practice time!  Please RSVP to Debi Freimuth or Carol Yarborough so that we know how many cookies to bring.  This opportunity is for anyone ready to try on a “new hat”/skill!

Our next opportunity that we will be pulling out of the hat will be after church on March 6th.  We are planning a knitting/crocheting time to learn new skills and make a quick and easy project while practicing those new skills.  Many of our Mad Hatter friends have decided they are ready for life beyond hats!  Watch for details to come as we are still pulling this out of our hat!

Debi Freimuth and Carol Yarborough

 

Week of Compassion  February 21 and 28th Offering

Special Days in the life of the church often allow us to focus our worship, celebrations and fellowship around moments that are central to our faith.  Disciples Mission Fund Special Day Offerings also provide an opportunity to highlight specific ministries as part of our faith celebrations.

In Ruth we read of the encounter between two refugees, Naomi and Ruth. Naomi is a refugee in Moab due to famine in Judah, and Ruth is a refugee due to patriarchal systems that rendered single women utterly vulnerable. Both Naomi and Ruth took refuge in Naomi’s land, and they survived such tumultuous transitions because each one gave the greatest gift: their very selves.

By participating in the Week of Compassion offering, we follow God’s command to love. Through this ministry we stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable. Through our giving, we as a Church accompany refugees as they seek to rebuild their lives.

Yet this time of offering—of giving a portion of our financial resources—is only the beginning of our call to give. Jesus declared, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). In addition to your financial gift, consider other ways you can walk alongside refugees, and how you can remain open to ways others might minister to you. Let us give joyously and generously at this time.

 

March 6th Save the Date: (two events)

1. 26th Birthday for the church plan to join us for festivities.
2. 3:00 p.m. Cincinnati Civic Orchestra Winter Concert Valentine’s Day & St. Patrick’s Day

• Irish Symphony by Sir Arthur Sullivan
• Romeo and Juliet
• by Peter Illich Tchaikovsky
• Brigadoon

Holy Week

 

• March 20  Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-11  Faith without Fanfare
• March 24 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service
• March 25  9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Labyrinth
• March 26  9:00 a.m. to Noon  Labyrinth
• March 27  Easter: John 20:1-18  Between a Rock & a Hallelujah Place Fellowship brunch 9:00 am @ Mueller  Worship service 10:30 am

Adult Mission Trip Mar. 27-Apr. 3 Louisville, KY

 Our congregation has a lengthy history of helping those in need all across this nation in countless ways. Your next opportunity will be to partner with Disciples Home Missions & Plymouth UCC to help UrbanSpirit renovate their space to be ready for their summer poverty education programs. Showers will be built, new walls added, painting and repairs. Cost is $50 per person, not including food. For more info contact Leroy O. at fatdog@juno.com or go to: https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/dhm/…/special-projects/.

Save the Date! Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m.— 2 p.m.

All Creatures Great & Small Pet Blessing & Adoption

Check out the Compass Christian Church Facebook page (formerly the Tylersville Rd. Christian Church Facebook page) and forward the event link to all your Facebook friends! Twitter, Pictochat, Instagram away!
https://www.facebook.com/events/943526972398638/

Youth Corner:

Wednesday Night Education and Ablaze Choir

“Wednesday Nights Event times for youth is as follows:

• 6:15 Gathering songs and HolyMoly dvd (for all ages)
• 6:35- Study groups for pre-school-K, 1st-3rd, 4th-6th Grade, and adults.  Learn about the Bible character presented in the HolyMoly video.
•  7:00 -Ablaze choir   (Bible study activities continue for adults and children who are not participating in Ablaze.)

Christian Youth Fellowship Relaunched Feb. 7!

High School Ages

CYF launched Sunday the 7th and packed love boxes to send off to our college students.  We unveiled the National Youth Event, July 26-30 at Walt Disney World with the theme Believe!!!  However, some of the youth were planning to go to Camp Christian this week and couldn’t stand to miss, so we are exploring other options.   Please pray for God’s will for these youth and the mission trip this summer.  We will need to fundraise either way.  Meantime we will be meeting  every week after worship for learning, fellowship, service and fun. On 5th Sundays, we will plan to go out to eat together.

Vacation Bible School

 Tuesday, July 12 – Friday July 15 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Save the date for an over-the-top underground adventure!  We’ll be spelunking our way to discovering the rock-solid foundation of Jesus’ love.  VBS is for kids 3 years old through going into 5th grade.  Older kids are encouraged to sign up to be helpers.  See Katie Baird to find out how YOU can help!

Children’s Worship & Wonder

The children will move from Children’s Time to a classroom where they can do work throughout the sermon. They can join back to their families (if they are finished working, or anytime).

What is Worship & Wonder: (click here) http://wp.me/p3O270-kW

Thanks to Dave Diehl for putting our pictures online for purchasing! See link:http://hyperperformance.smugmug.com/Church/Tylersville-Rd-Christian

 

Members Corner:

Thank you and Good Bye

 I’m so thankful I was able to find this job in 2001.  TRCC, now CCC has become my extended family.   When I need prayers,  I have reached out to my small group and Pastor Troy.   He is always there even when he is supposed to be with his family.  Many memories were shared Sunday.  Some were funny, others where I was trying to get an answer from a team leader and many were of special thoughts of times when I was a part of the church family.

Thank you for the many gift cards.  Amy and Sally seemed to know my favorite drinks and food, chocolate.  Thank you to all who were part of the tasteful luncheon.  The chili and sandwich was perfect for me.

Whenever I found a job I always wanted to represent that company so those coming in would want to return.  I have felt at times,  that I may have not reached that goal.  You showed me yesterday that I was wrong in that thought.   I’m not elegant with words but I want to say thank you for all the memories, gifts, love and care you have shown to my family and me through the years.               Debbie O

 

Adult Education Opportunities:

Adult Ed Class Sundays, 9:30 a.m.

The Adult Ed class will be finishing our study of the Gospel of Mathew in the next few weeks.  We will then start a study of Romans entitled “A Letter for Today.”  Join us Sunday mornings for study and lively discussion.  The cost of the Kerygma Program study guides is $20.  There will be a sign up sheet at the table in the back. For more info contact Steve Si. at wm.stephen.simmons@gmail.com.

“Marks of Disciples” Study Wed. mornings starting Feb 10th

Copies of the study material will be available for those who wish to follow along in their own Bible Study.  Wednesday morning group started Feb.10. Call Ruth P. for time and which lesson to study.

PRAYERS  

 Local — For divine guidance as we touch hearts for Jesus one conversation at a time.

Regional — For miracles & unity in all groups and ministries combatting addiction and overdose.

Global — For all selflessness in Christ as we seek peace and help for victims of conflict in Syria and beyond.

 

Leaders Messages:

Moderator Moment

Update from Congregational Meeting Jan 31, 2016

Greetings Congregation!

Thank you to the many people who attended the congregational meeting this past Sunday.  For those who could not attend, we want to provide a brief update from the meeting.  Any unanswered questions can be directed to any of the various members of the church leadership.  Thank you also to the many people who have spent countless hours on committees over the past year working on these various developments.

Budget:  The budget for 2016, prepared by the Finance Committee, passed by a vote of 52 to 1 with 1 abstention.  This budget is notable in several respects.  It is balanced.  It preserves our current operating practices while investing in several line items to support community outreach and growth.  It was made possible by the great generosity of the congregation (thank you), by a very generous one-time gift from a benefactor, and by the fundraising efforts of the Stewardship committee.

Code of Regulations:  Our revised “instruction manual” for how we are organized and function as a church, prepared by the Annual Review Committee, passed by a vote of 46 to 7 with 1 abstention.  This document will take effect July 1, 2016, but reflects many changes that are already in motion.  It is designed to be highly usable.  It’s a great read; everyone should take a look.

Church Name:  The proposal for a new church name, and instructions for placing that name in context, prepared by the Identity Committee, passed by a vote of 45 to 9 with 2 abstentions.  Our new name is “Compass Christian Church”.  This reflects over a year of shared experience, conversation, and discernment, and it illustrates the core aspects of who we are as a Church, and how we wish to be seen.  It replaces our current provisional name Tylersville Road Christian Church.  The operational steps to rollout of the new name are yet to be determined, but step one is this newsletter announcement.

Whenever possible, the name Compass Christian Church will be paired with the phrase “A Disciples of Christ Community” in signage, advertisements, and official written correspondence.  The name may also be paired with various descriptive phrases (“tag lines”) on a rotating basis under the direction of the Mission Leadership Team and Board.

These developments are all very exciting, very necessary, and simply a very big deal.  Nonetheless, we must remain mindful that they are only foundational.  In other words, we must build upon them by actively pursuing our church mission over the coming year with energy, innovation, and faith.

Respectfully,

Mike Lyons, Moderator

Bob Phillips, Moderator-Elect

Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, so I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence. To enter the place of worship, meet my exuberant God, sing my thanks with a harp, magnificent God, my God.                                 Psalm 43:3-4 (Message)

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth, the Great King’s city!  Psalm 48:2 (Abbey Psalter)

Grace and peace to you, members of Compass Christian Church! What an incredible journey we’ve been on these past couple of years! This particular journey began among Board and Elders at a leadership retreat in July 2014. There was a recognition that the name “Tylersville Road Christian Church” was deliberately provisional from our beginnings, and that perhaps God was calling us to consider a name more reflective of our identity. From that retreat grew an art, sermon, and Christian education project that carried us through October and November of that year. Our worship space was transformed to immerse us within the biblical imagination to discover our life and the world’s story as a voyage. A Disciple Identity Committee was formed to solicit inputs from the congregation about how we view ourselves and how we are known in the community. In summer 2015 we considered the ramifications of naming within Scripture, and gathered leadership once again to refine congregational inputs into a series of images and words with an eye toward renaming our congregation. Last fall we voyaged once again into our mission, core values, and congregational identity. The Disciple Identity Committee presented three options for congregational consideration and prayer, and solicited both informal feedback at any point in this process and formal feedback at two listening sessions prior to the congregational meeting on January 31, 2016. We have traveled many leagues from that initial discussion in July 2014 to our congregational vote a week and a half ago, yet God has guided us inerrantly every step of the way.

I’ve rechristened this column as “Waypoints” in concert with our congregational name change. At its most basic, a waypoint could be as simple as a landmark such as a mountain, river, oasis, spring, or other natural feature. Waypoints are how we progress from one place to another, one space to another, and one state of being to another.

Lent offers a yearly opportunity to recalibrate our spiritual compass, to realign ourselves with God’s purposes for us and the world. The discipline of prayer realigns us with God, the discipline of almsgiving realigns us with others, the discipline of fasting realigns us with ourselves. It’s to enter into a 40 day journey with and toward Christ that begins in the desert of temptation and directs us to Jerusalem. As Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51) so we are called to align our faces, hearts, and spirits toward that destination. If we follow him, he promises to meet us as we journey and at our journey’s end. In his company we find our true bearings, and discover our hearts burning within us (Lk 24:32).  See you down the road.

Pastor Troy to CCC

 

Disciples News :

Disciples.org/dns/  Click here to see many other news articles from our National Diciples of Christ website.  Check out the new format of the website!