• Sunday Traditional Worship 9:00 a.m. with Worship and Wonder for Children
  • One and All Worship 10:15 a.m.
  • Sunday School for All Ages 10:00 a.m.
April 10, 2019
A pril:
  • April 14 Palm Sunday Services at 9:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
  • April 18  Maundy Thursday: Meal at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall; Worship at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. For this evening’s activities, we welcome Centennial Christian Church to participate with us.
  • April 19 Good Friday service will be held at Second Presbyterian Church at 12:10 p.m.
  • April 21 Easter Services at 7:30 a.m. (Sonrise), 9:00 a.m., and 10:15 a.m. Coffee will be served after the Sonrise Service; breakfast will be served between the 9:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. services. No breakfast in 10:15 One and All.
  • April 28 Volunteer Recognition Sunday and 10:00 a.m. Congregational Meeting
Don’t miss Volunteer Sunday, when YOU will be recognized for your part in the life of First Christian Church!  As the body of Christ, we each serve a part, and your church staff would like to thank you for fulfilling your role. 

Come, relax, and worship on April 28 (either service), and allow us to show you how grateful we are to you for helping to make our jobs a joy! You will be glad you attended!
--  Your Church Staff
 
The Messenger is a Monthly Newsletter?  On a trial basis, and as a cost-saving endeavor, The Messenger will now be mailed on the first Wednesday of each month. The trial will last through the summer. We will do our best to include comprehensive information in each issue, and you will find updates, breaking news, and weekend worship news in the bulletins and Friday Emails, as well as on Facebook and our website. 
Spiritual Growth
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Small Groups Update

Small Group Book Study  Here is another opportunity to participate in a small group study! We’ve selected a book with a collection of eleven articles edited by Dorothy C. Bass. Each article is between 15-25 pages. The plan (unless we decide to change it) is that we will meet once a month and discuss one article each month. We will meet on the third Wednesday, except this month. Since the third Wednesday falls during Holy Week, we will meet April 10. We are meeting at my house (24 Brunton Ct), but could probably arrange to meet at Westminster Village if any residents were interested in joining the group.

The books are here; all we need now is a loyal group of folks to join us! The format is reading (beforehand), determining the author’s message, and sharing our thoughts. NOT a lecture. NO tests. We don't even have to reach a consensus! Please come join us next Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. for fun and food for thought. I’d appreciate a phone call to make sure I have enough books on hand. My number is 217-719-0094. – Patty Thompson

The Wednesday Evening Group led by Valerie Fisher now has a name! We have agreed to call our group the Polycarps after Polycarp, a Disciple of John the Apostle, Patron Saint of Connections, and Christian Bishop of Smyrna! Polycarp was converted to Christianity by apostles, was consecrated a bishop, and communicated with many who had seen Jesus.

The Polycarps will not be meeting April 10 or April 17, but will start back up again April 24 with a new, as-yet-to-be-named study. All are welcome!

Brown Bag Bible Bunch  Jim Warren leads this weekly study group on Wednesdays 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in the Conference Room. The topic is the scripture for the upcoming Sunday. Pack a lunch and join us!
Reach Out
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Gifts for Another Table In April we are collecting food for the Salvation Army. Items needed: rice and rice dinners, potato dinners, pasta of any kind, pasta sauce, Hamburger Helper, dinner meals, cereal, mashed/boxed potatoes, and canned fruits and vegetables. Please bring a few items each week. Thank you!
The Abundant Life Church Meal will be served on April 21 (Easter Sunday).   This month we’ll need more folks to be involved!   Would you be willing to make your favorite recipe to share with the recipients of this special meal? Please sign up at the Info Desk or contact Julie Robinson at
Mission Trip Update June 17-22, 2019, the group will do work at Real Faith Christian Church, The City of Truth, in  Clarksdale, MS.  Projects include:        
Baptistery -- wiring for lights, building ceiling, drywall, painting, two doors
Computer room -- Install grid lights, wiring, remove a door, drywall, painting
Kitchen -- Remove old counters, install new counters, install 3-stall sink and commercial faucet
Mike and Julie Robinson will be in Clarksdale June 12-26.
Sleeping will be on cots/blow up mattresses you will need to bring, and will be in the church gymnasium. Showers on site. 
Estimated cost will be based on food, gas, materials.  FCC van will be used for transportation. Tools will be provided unless you have favorite ones you want to bring. Estimated cost is about $225 at the most and will depend on donations or sponsorships.
Food will be prepared by Julie. The group usually goes to a local blues club one night.
No Block Party this year, but Reach Out will be collecting school supplies for Unit 5 and District 87. Watch for more information soon.

Children and Youth
Sunday School and Youth Group will meet April 14 (Youth Group grades K-12) and April 28 (Youth Group grades 3-12).

Year-end Youth Group Event April 28

VBS June 2 through 6

A Youth Group Schedule can be seen here .

Camp Registration is open for all 2019 camps.   Visit cciwdisciples.org/camp-program/ to access and complete the online registration form. Instructions and other important information are also available on the website.
All-Church Cleanup of the FCC Grounds
on April 6 was a success!

Thank you to all who participated, and a special thanks to Forrest Kaufman for donating the beautiful mulch for our planters.
 
The group completed the planned activities. Walk around our block and enjoy the beauty, and help keep the grounds clean for Easter and beyond.
Saving those Box Tops for Education?  Please do! There is a Disciples Women’s Ministries mailbox just outside the office door where you can leave them. Donate your Box Tops and we can make a big impact on a local school. Thank you!
FCC Volunteer Opportunities
  • All gifts of time and resources to help with these volunteer opportunities are greatly appreciated. 
  • Helps the church by eliminating the need/cost of hiring someone to do the job.
  • Helps ensure our building/grounds are in the best shape possible for members and visitors. 
  • Please contact church office (Maggie) to add your name to the volunteer list for each opportunity.
Wednesday Supper Club
April 17 at 5:00 p.m.
  
 Applebee’s
 in Bloomington
 
RSVP by indicating the number attending on an attendance pad. 
Or, call Maggie in the church office at 309-829-9327
by 2:00 p.m. Monday, April 15.
Want to help the Warrens by providing a meal?    
If you would like to help provide meals for the Warren family, please follow the steps below. Thank you!
  • Go to the web site: www.takethemameal.com
  • Type in "Warren" for the family name
  • The Password: Godisgood
  • Sign up for the time(s) when you would like to supply a meal, and just follow the simple steps for delivery 
It’s THAT day, celebrating a week later, April 30, in order to include all. Tell MAGGIE, JEN, and DEBBIE how much we appreciate them: drop them a note, stop in, and/or send them an email. Let them know: THE OFFICE COULD NOT RUN WITHOUT THEM.
 
And while you’re at it – you might also want to say, ‘THANKS’ to Peggy in the CCIW office at the end of the hall.
Blood Drive Tuesday, April 16, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sign up at the Info Desk April 14. You can also call Maggie at the church office. The American Red Cross desperately needs your donation.  Please consider donating.             -- Wholistic Health Council
General Assembly will take place July 20-24 in Des Moines, IA, Disciples of Christ of all ages will gather from all over for the assembly with an “Abide in Me” theme, based on John 15:1-5. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President, describes the gathering in this way, “We will hear about exciting mission from MissionFest stories and general ministries working on our behalf. We will be gifted with the opportunity to learn with workshops ranging from elder training to administrative ministry and training for both lay and clergy leaders. We will come together at tables – the Lord’s Table in worship, luncheons with friends and dinners to learn about ministries of the Church. Most of all, we will be in the presence of other Disciples, sharing life, love and passion for mission together.” 
 
Des Moines is a very family-oriented town, with many fun activities and attractions. Why not make General Assembly a part of your summer travel? Learn more at www.ga.disciples.org
Legacy Circle  Visit the church website (in the Member Portal) to learn about this group whose members have decided to keep the church in their long-term plans.
Discernment Update                                            April 4, 2019

Dear Church Family,
 
The spring season is finally upon us, and we are starting to see the flowers and the trees coming back to life! After the long and grueling winter we’ve had, I think everyone is anxious and ready for the change in the season and CUBS baseball!
 
As we head into spring and summer, I wanted to take an opportunity to provide you with an update on the discernment process.  It’s been a few months since our November 18 prayer group celebration, where we made it known that the discernment process was going to transition from the core team to the board. At the celebration, as board chair, I outlined five key areas the board was going to focus on in the short term to continue and lead this process:
 
1) The first key area is that the Board and Elders took part in a training called Healthy Congregations. We started the series of six, two-hour training sessions in January, and we wrapped up the last on Thursday, April 4.  As leaders of the church, this training was valuable in helping us to grow closer, to see the need for and begin to develop the ability to be more open, and to direct conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing our church. This is necessary to move the leadership and congregation toward healthier functioning and to enable the discernment process to go forward.  
 
2) The second key area was to continue prayer groups / small groups and take advantage of the momentum, energy, and spiritual development they have created in the congregation. You may have recently seen the article in March 27 Messenger highlighting some of the different small group opportunities that are going on. This is a combination of efforts put forward by past prayer groups and leaders along with the Grow Spiritually ministry stewards (Patty Thompson & Bill Robitske). Patty also just sent out an e-mail introducing a new FCC Book Group that she and Faith Russell are starting. One of our Healthy Congregations trainers, Ellen, likened small groups to Acts Chapter 2 churches themselves and the four points: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. By design, small groups within the church are different from other gatherings outside the church.  If you’re not currently in a small group, I would encourage you to explore the opportunities. This is a great way to get to know other members and develop a deeper relationship outside of corporate worship setting.
 
3) The third key area was to expand and develop some of the prayer group outcomes. Each month at our board meetings we have started to discuss some of these and put an action plan together. One example would be telling our story and an evangelism plan. We need to share the Good News and our church’s story, and get better at inviting others to church. With the help of our Reach Out ministry stewards, we have developed some plans to do this using “FCC logoed grocery bags” and other ideas. We are also looking at putting a “Welcome Team” together that can introduce visitors to the church and all we have to offer. More to come on this as we start to implement some new and exciting ideas!
 
4) The fourth, and probably most important, area is development of the MISSION, VISION, and MINISTRY. This is vital to setting direction for the future and allows us to make other important decisions. VP Joe Bandy will be leading a committee made up of 10 members, which will start working on this in April. They will not only be looking at creating a new vision and mission statement, but will be building an action plan with a timeline and goals. It is important that it describes who we will be and, most important, what we will do.
 
5) Last is the future of our church building. As I mentioned at the celebration, once we make decisions about the mission, vision, and ministry, that will give us the clarity needed on the building. The trustees prepared scenarios for consideration and presented them to the board. Once we have clarity about our ministry, we will have the information to help inform our decision making. One of the points of consensus from the prayer groups was that the Church is NOT a building; the Church is people serving and worshiping God through different ministries and opportunities.  
 
As we begin a new board year, new people will pick up where others have left off and carry us forward. The staff, the board, the elders, the trustees, and the entire congregation each have a role to play in the future of First Christian Church. In the meantime, there continues to be numerous opportunities for folks to be a part of this journey and engage in the process. What gives you life? Look and listen for opportunities to serve!
 
Yours in Christ,
Doug Reed

Serving Schedule
Serving Schedules are included in each Messenger and in the Friday Email (sent via email to all who have subscribed) two days before worship services. These are to help you as a final reminder of your duties. Ministry areas send initial serving calendars or schedules for each area of duty, and we hope you have already marked your calendar.  When you find it necessary to find a substitute, please try to trade with someone else and don’t forget to tell the church office at 309-829-9327 or office@blmfcc.org as soon as you can.  Knowing who is actually serving is important to the staff and leadership for various reasons. Thank you for your help!

Sunday, April 14

Acolyte: --
Child Care: 
·          Trish Logan
·          Naomi Kosier
Deacons:
·          9:00 Kathy Dailey, Valerie Fisher
·          10:15 Matt Davis, Juan Mejia
Jr. Deacons: 
·          Seth Newton
·          Sadie Newton
Drivers:  
·          Ryan Newton
·          Ralph Lehmann
Elders: 
·          Mike Robinson
·          Leslie Frizzell
Homebound Elders:  
·          Becky White
·          Naomi Kosier
Coffee Fellowship:  John & Kathy Dailey
Fill Candles:  Marla McElroy
Greeters: 
·          Justin & Kim Cox
·          Bill, Susan, & Tom Chaney
Info Desk:  Martha Hunter
Scripture:  Bob Trefzger
Sound Tech:  Brian Metz
Time for Children:  Matt Chapman 
Video Tech:  Chip Jamerson
Worship & Wonder Greeter:  Ryan Newton
Pulpit:  Jim Warren -- Matthew 26:36-46
“Giving Up Fear and Taking on Trust”
Jesus is grieved and agitated, and He prays that this cup would pass from Him. Jesus is afraid and apprehensive for what must happen next, but ultimately He trusts in God as He prays “Not what I want but what you want.” We are often afraid, but we can trust in God.



Sunday, April 21

Acolyte:  Ellie Chapman
Child Care: 
·          Trish Logan
·          Stephanie Reed
Deacons:
·          7:30 Ryan Newton, Stephanie Reed
·          9:00 Pat & Jenny Lawler,
Nate & Heather Damery
·          10:15 Valerie Fisher, Juan Mejia
Jr. Deacons: 
·          Addy Reed
·          Rebekah Warren
Drivers:  
·          Rich Crusius
·          Frank Lipscomb
Elders: 
·          Deanne Bryant
·          Gregg Kiesewetter
Homebound Elders:  
·          Mike Robinson
·          Deanne Bryant
Coffee Fellowship:  Easter breakfast
Fill Candles:  Marla McElroy
Greeters: 
·          Brian Metz, Austin Metz
·          Doug & Stephanie Reed
Info Desk:  Susan Hinrichsen
Scripture:  Ryan Newton
Sound Techs:  Brian Metz, Austin Metz
Time for Children:  Linda Lehmann 
Video Tech:  James Nussbaum
Worship & Wonder Greeter:  Patti Jamerson
Pulpit:  Jim Warren – John 20:11-18
“Giving Up Death and Taking on Life” 
As we celebrate today the victory of God over death in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we’ll ask where death prevails in our lives and where we need to experience life.     
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Contact Us
Senior Pastor:   James Warren

Minister Emeritus:   John Trefzger

Dir. Music, Dir. Music & Youth
Ministries: Holly Irvin

Organ/Piano: Lou Ann Fillingham

One and All Music Coordinator:
Bill West

Communications Coordinator:
       Jenifer Petri

Office Receptionist: Maggie Burton

Financial Secretary:
Deborah Stumm

Child Care Coordinator: Trish Logan
        tllogan4@hotmail.com
Witness of the Faithful
Attendance:
  • 3/31/19: 126, 34
  • 4/7/19: 144, 30
Offering:  $39,581.30
 
Prayer Concerns

OSF St. Joseph:
  • Patt Lee
  • Paula Robb
Aftercare:
  • Steve Bozarth
  • Madonna Courtright
  • Marilyn Kopp
  • Kaleigh Menken
  • Mary Lou Mercier
  • Peggy O’Neal
  • Susan Sanders
  • Mary Smart
Treatment: 
  • Don Gottselig
  • Forrest Kaufman
  • Sharon Warren
Hospice: Harold Goyen
Assisted Living:  
  • Mickey Armstrong (Luther Oaks)
  • Niola Daily (Westminster)
  • Mary Lou Mercier (Home)
  • Glenn & Betty Metz (Villas of Holly Brook)
  • Neil & Dorothy Sallee (Westminster)
  • Alma Samuels (Taylors’ home) 
  • Suzanne Summers (Evergreen Village)
Nursing Homes:    
  • Alden Valley Ridge, Bloomingdale – Hazel Kuhn
  • Heritage, Blm. – Merle Murray
  • Heritage, El Paso – Sonna West 
  • Heritage, Normal – Harold Goyen
  • Liberty, Clinton – Corena Meyer
  • Martin Health – Myrna Cable, Marlyn Mahannah, Neil Sallee, Barbara Thatcher
Military:
  • Adam Jacobs (Army)
  • Chris Kavanaugh (Marines, CA);
  • Harley Scott (Phillis niece/Navy, VA)
Sympathy to:
  • the family of Robyn Loftin, Holly Rocke, and Ethan Rocke on the April 1 death of Robyn’s mother, Paula Loftin, of Bloomington
  • the family of Jan Violano on the April 8 death of her husband, Joe Violano, of Normal
Congratulations to Luke Pool for completing his probationary year with the Bloomington Fire Department.
Front of Church
Office Phone 309 829-9327 Fax 309 829-2865
Address 401 W. Jefferson St. Bloomington, IL 61701
Website www.blmfcc.com
Hours Of fice hours have changed. The office is open Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. , and Tuesday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.  The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. every day. The best times to contact the church office are while Maggie is here, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
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