April 2023

Do you really believe in the resurrection? 

by Rev. Glen Miles, Senior Minister


A question I hear more and more these days is, "Do you really believe in the resurrection?" The word "really" isn't always italicized, but sometimes I can hear the italics in the tone of the question. Being a follower of Jesus, a rabbi, I try to follow rabbinical practice and respond to the question with a question, "What do you believe about the resurrection?"


In my experience, most of the time, the answer is something like this, "I want to believe, but I am just not sure." I appreciate the honesty. I suspect many Christians hold that view, as well. There is nothing in our world's history that points to the possibility of resurrection.  


Barbara Brown Taylor helps us see why we wonder about the truth of the resurrection. She notes, "The resurrection is the one and only event in Jesus' life that was entirely between him and God." No one witnessed the event itself.


Rev. Taylor says she finds hope within the story when she recalls, "after the resurrection, every time he came to his friends they became stronger, wiser, kinder, more daring. Every time he came to them, they became more like him."


Consider that Peter was transformed from an anxious denier to a fearless preacher. Mary went from overwhelming fear to becoming the first courageous evangelist of the Easter faith. Paul changed from persecuting his neighbors to becoming an apostle who preached grace for all. Every person in the Bible who encounters the risen Christ, even when they don't recognize him, becomes more like the one God created them to be in the first place.


That's why I believe. I believe this because I've seen what happens when we are found by Christ. I've seen resurrection happen. I've seen it when marriages and families are torn apart by addiction and anxiety are reunited through an experience of honesty and grace. I've seen it when relationships severed by old fights and angry memories are restored when love returns to heal the wounds. I've seen it in churches willing to take on the new realities of the world we live in now while relying on the great truth of God's eternal love.


Do I really believe in resurrection? Yes, I do. I believe it because I've seen what happens when the love made real in the resurrection takes hold of your life and mine.

Holy Week and Easter

Easter Eggstravaganza

We hope to see you at the Children and Youth Team’s annual Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 8 at 10 am outside the Rose Wing at First Community North. 


There will be an egg hunt, dance for candy, and a photo opportunity. This fun family event is open to all children, toddlers through grade 5, and their parents. The event will be held outside and canceled only for extreme weather. Be sure your child is dressed appropriately. 


Easter Eggstravaganza is free, but please register here by Thursday, April 6 to reserve a spot. We will send a reminder to families who are registered with details a few days before the event. 

Governing Board Update

by Molly Hagkull, Governing Board Chair


On Saturday, March 4th, the Governing Board met at the Cleary Company offices for a day-long retreat. Rev. Sarah Kientz provided us with a team-building activity, Tim Vansant helped us explore the assets we bring to our community, and Rev. Mary Kate Buchanan led our worship. 


We spent time brainstorming open questions between those activities to guide our future planning. Stay tuned for further details and opportunities to engage. Additionally, we thought through personal and collective board goals to organize our year and create a framework to evaluate our work. To quote church consultant and author Dan Hotchkiss, “To be constructive, evaluation has to become a routine, non-threatening part of congregational culture.” How can we work together to build that culture? What goals can we set for ourselves—all of us as church members—to further the call to love God and love each other? 

As board chair, one of my personal goals is to ensure that board members understand our roles and duties. In his book Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, Dan Hotchkiss (quoted above) includes a graphic to illustrate how the board, the staff, and the congregation work independently and cooperatively in oversight, management, and planning to support each other. The board provides oversight through generative discussion on important topics, review of financials, and policy decisions. The board delegates the responsibility of management—leading the work of ministry and day-to-day decisions—to the staff. Upholding all of this is the congregation, providing the lay ministries and board membership, and collaborating in the visioning process. We do our best work when we acknowledge and support our separate and shared roles.


If you’re still reading, thanks for making it through the boring parts. Not to rush us through Holy Week, but I’m thinking about Ordinary Time, the liturgical season after Easter and Pentecost. The ordinary parts of life, the boring parts, might not make it into our social media posts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. It’s often where the work happens. The steady routine. The progress forward.


Holy Spirit, thank you for opportunities to put our heads down and do the work. Bless us with the stamina to stick together and press on even when things are complicated, muddy, or monotonous. Tie our motivation to our pursuit of co-creating your kin-dom on earth. Remind us to look up, see the faces of those beside us, and always bind us together in perfect love.


With joy – Molly Hagkull, Governing Board Chair

What Do You Know About First Community Foundation?

by Seth Stearns, Exec. Director of Operations


First Community Foundation was established in 1961 to support the future of First Community Church’s programs and ministries. The Foundation is supported by immediate and/or planned gifts from those interested in the future of First Community and leaving a family legacy. The Foundation encourages families, friends, and members of the church to establish Foundation funds or give to an existing funds with full assurance that donors' wishes for their legacy gift will be honored and benefit the church.  


Late in 2022 the Foundation Board approved several grants that supported our ministry at Camp Akita. We are grateful for the families and their Foundation funds that supported the following:


Camp Akita Leadership Training

Funded by the Beatrice P. Shepard Memorial Endowment (Est. 1972)


Camp Akita Counselor Meal Stipend

Funded by the Klamar-Piscopo Family Akita Fund (Est. 2018)


Camp Akita Scholarships

Funded by the Ralph & Catherine Setterlin Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Est. 1984) and the Thomas & Tamea Sutphen Fund (Est. 2018)


Camp Akita Tent

Funded by the Rev. James M Long Honor Endowment (Est. 2012), Kent Brandt Fund (Est. 1987), H & J Johnston Fund (Est. 2019), and the Beatrice P Shepard Memorial Endowment (Est. 1972)


Akita Capital Improvements 

(Sky Valley, Dogwood and Cabin in the Glen)

Funded by the Ralph & Mary Johansmann Akita Capital Improvement Endowment (Est. 2005)


Would you like to know more about the Foundation? Click here.

Welcome New Members

Top row, left to right: Gio Baldonaza, Shirley Barney, Rex Elsass, Chris and Matt Fortney


Bottom row, left to right: Misty Lovejoy, Tim and Nancy O'Hanlon Eva Skaruppa and David Hoy, Sharon and Joe Yantis


Not pictured: Natalie Hanks, Allison Rana, Ellen Stevens

Pre-K Sing and Play

For three Wednesdays in April we welcome all preschoolers to their very own music class as part of The Gathering! Julie Cannell will be teaching this class. Many of you know her as a First Community Chancel Choir soloist and beloved music teacher at Ridgewood Elementary School. Pre-K Sing and Play will be a developmentally appropriate way to introduce your child to the joy of music and enrich their learning. Register HERE or with the QR code. We look forward to seeing you! 

Down on the Farm

Join us for Down on the Farm, Friday, April 28, from 6-7:30 pm. You will find us at the west end of First Community North parking lot. First Community will provide snacks, activities, a petting zoo, and even a professional storyteller. Admission is free. We welcome all families at this event. We hope to see you there! 

Akita Fun Day

April 23, 1 – 4 pm 

Camp Akita (29746 Logan-Hornsmill Rd., Logan, OH 43138) 


Join us for some spring fun at Camp Akita on Sunday, April 23! Drop in anytime from 1 – 4 pm to enjoy open-house-style fun: hike the trails, canoe on the lake, make some family-friendly crafts, join in with some group campfire songs at the Amphitheatre, take a hayride out to the Adventure Complex, climb the Alpine Tower, and try the Giant Swing! Or just come to relax and enjoy the new spring foliage with friends and family. 


For directions, please click here. For more information, email info@campakita.org

Parent's Night Out

Join us for our final Parent’s Night Out of the program year. Gather with other First Community parents to build community and have fun. 


This event will take place on Friday, April 21 at 7:30 pm at the home of Mollie and Mike Zook, 3288 Lilly Mar Ct., Dublin OH 43017. The Zooks have generously offered to provide beverages and appetizers. 


Please let us know if you plan to attend this free event by registering here. Your registration will help ensure there will be plenty of beverages and appetizers for everyone. 


All parents and caregivers with kids from birth to 12th grade who have a First Community connection are invited to attend.

Women's Guild Events

Spring Luncheon


The Women’s Guild of First Community Church is excited that we are all able once again to gather in person for the Annual Spring Luncheon. This year’s luncheon will be held in Grace Hall starting at 11:30 am on Saturday, April 29, and is open to all the women of the church and friends. In addition to fun, fellowship, and fantastic food, we have a special speaker.


The theme for the day is Women Celebrating Women. Jerrie Mock was the first woman to fly solo in a Cessna around the world. Born in Newark, she took off and landed at Port Columbus. Her accomplishments are numerous; her plane, The Spirit of Columbus, hangs in the Smithsonian and the Columbus Foundation awards the “Spirit of Columbus” to deserving community leaders each year.


Her sister, Susan Reid will recount her fascinating journey and highlight some adventures from her 21 stops around the world.


Please register by Friday, April 21, at this link or by contacting Kathi Williams at kwilliams@FCchurch.com or (614) 488-0681. The cost of the luncheon is $23 which can be paid at the time of registration or at the door. We hope to see you there!

Missions Updates

Click below to read the On a Mission! monthly news. In this month’s news you can find more information about:


  • This year’s Easter Sunday special offering will be split between two garden projects supported by First Community. Read more about South Side Family Farms and the Share and Learn Garden.
  • Deep Griha is hosting a brunch and webinar on Saturday, April 22. Read more and register online.
  • The Trading Post has goodness all around, just ask the shoppers.
  • Mark Your Calendars: Mission All Teams meeting April 25 and LGBTQ+ meeting April 13.
  • Welcome our new Administrative Assistant!
  • Read this month’s Heart to Heart update from Yohan Kim, including info about a new arrival!
  • The Refugee Ministry Team continues to support the resettlement efforts from the Wilondja family, seeking one final important donation.
  • First Community’s Prison Ministry is excited to welcome home Greg Esparza in the very near future.
  • Spots for Monday Night Meals are filling up! Don’t miss the chance for your small group to volunteer.
Read On a Mission! Newsletter Here
Register for In-person Event
Register for Webinar on Zoom

Minute for Mission

Easter Offering 2023

by Rick Greene

 

My Master in a garden lay, perfumed with spices rare,

for tender hands had laid Him there to rest amid the roses.

'Twas on a cross they laid Him bare, and pierced His hands

with nails, that we poor men might live again and be with

Him in glory. Alleluia. My Master from a garden rose to go

for us to heav'n and He will come and take us there, to be

with Him forever. Alleluia. Gordon Young

 

The Bible has many scripture verses on gardens, with nearly 75% of the books containing garden references. Some of the more familiar Holy Week and Easter stories include the Garden of Gethsemane and the site for Jesus' burial in the Garden of Joseph of Arimathea. More obscure Biblical references include Ahab's gardens of herbs, the royal garden at Susa, and king's garden near the Pool of Siloam. Early in the Bible, in Genesis, God made Adam a gardener in the Garden of Eden to work and care for it.

  

Composer Gordon Young wrote the quote at the head of this article with words affirming the risen Christ for Lent and Easter celebrations. The Choir will sing a lush arrangement by Eleanor Daley of this piece on Easter.

 

Given the importance of gardens and Spring, the Easter Offering at First Community for 2023 will be split between the South Side Family Farms and the Share and Learn Garden.

 

South Side Family Farms

Founded in 2014 as a community garden, the Family Missionary Baptist Church on Oakwood Ave, Columbus, started South Side Family Farms, an urban farming mission. This organization works side-by-side with Columbus South Side neighbors to cultivate a community of wellness that heals bodies, souls, and minds. This program strives to address food insecurities and provide safe havens for discussion, learning, reflection, and encouragement to bring forth fruit and nourishment.

 

It is the passion of South Side Family Farms to serve its community in Planting Seeds of Progress. It produces plants—fruit on the vine—as agents of change towards better food access, equity, quality, and fair food. It wants to sustain and equip generations through knowledge transfer and learning to grow food and food systems.

 

The South Side Family Farms features hands-on teaching in the gardens, interactive learning about proper nutrition, and how to cook delicious recipes with the harvest. The organization shares the fruits of its labor with the community through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). In this, it participates with the CSA by bringing fresh food access to homes in the South Side community. Youth in the program participate in the growing and harvesting of our bounty and deliver it to houses in the community.

 

The organization currently has two farms at both 1204 and 1269 Wilson Avenue. In addition, it has the Seedlings of Change Farmsite in Johnstown, which has plants for seedlings and production.

 

Share and Learn Garden

The Share and Learn Garden, located behind First Community North, receives tender loving care from volunteers and the children, staff, and teachers of the Mary Evans Child Development Center. Our loyal volunteers teach the children about growing healthy foods. In addition, the garden produce is donated to the Heart to Heart food pantry to provide fresh vegetables to those in need.

 

During the past few years, the Garden has supplied up to 1,500 pounds of produce each growing season for Heart to Heart food pantry. For the 2021 season, this team grew and supplied garlic, onions, lettuce, green beans, bell and hot peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, collard greens, carrots, okra, and herbs. In addition to vegetables, volunteers have also planted hundreds of tulips at the Lincoln Road Chapel and transplanted rose bushes to save them due to FC North construction.

 

Just as important as providing fresh, nutritious produce for clients at the food pantry is the hands-on education and enjoyment for children attending the Mary Evans Child Development Center. They are always eager to learn about (and sample) the produce.

 

In recent years, the children enjoyed the newly implemented zinnia bed—both beautiful and beneficial to pollinators such as monarch butterflies. During these uncertain times, the volunteers feel it is important to provide a little beauty and help to others.

 

The First Community Church has provided a variety of opportunities to donate to this Easter Offering, which will help support these two mission partners:



  • If donating by check, please indicate " Easter Offering " on the memo line. Send a donation to First Community Church at 1320 Cambridge Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43212
  • Donations can also be made online here. Please choose "Easter Mission.
  • You can also donate during worship, on the attendance form, and in the collection plate.

 

If you want more information about First Community Church and its other Mission programs, please email us at mission@FCchurch.com.

Birthday Bags for Heart to Heart

Everyone deserves to have a cake on their birthday! The Wednesday evening Midweek Missions kids are making Birthday Bags for clients at Heart to Heart food pantry. You can help their mission by donating: 


  • Boxed cake mix 
  • Canned frosting 
  • Box of birthday candles 
  • Gift bags large enough to hold the mix, frosting and candles 
  • Disposable foil cake pans 


Donations can be dropped off in the tubs outside the Rose Wing doors at First Community North or inside the Crane Welcome Center at First Community South by April 10. 

Upcoming Ministries 4 Movement March – Sunday, April 2 


Several members of the Racial Equity and Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Ministry Teams participate monthly in a march and worship/information session with members of the Family Missionary Baptist Church and Ministries 4 Movement partners in the South End of Columbus the first Sunday of each month. First Community is recognized as an official partner of Ministries 4 Movement. We continue to work with this community and other partners for sustainment and new opportunities to contribute to justice causes. 


If you are interested in attending this worthwhile event, the next march is on Sunday, April 2 at 3 pm at 996 Oakwood Ave, Columbus. There will not be a van option provided this month. Please meet directly at 996 Oakwood Ave.   


“Personal Stories Rarely Heard on Racism” Book Study and Discussion – Follow-up to Sacred Ally Quilt and Art Exhibit – Tuesday, April 4 and 11 


The Community Justice Ministry is hosting a follow-up discussion to the Sacred Ally Quilt Exhibit and a book study on “Quilt of Souls: A Memoir” by Phyllis Biffle Elmore led by the dynamic trio of Eileen Covell, Barb Davis, and Loretta Heigle. This study will include two sessions with Session #1 on April 4 and Session #2 on April 11. Please register for this event here and see the graphic below for more details.

LGBTQ+ Advocacy Group – Thursday, April 13 


We recently started an LGBTQ+ Advocacy Group that will participate in Pride events and will also seek to advocate for our friends in the LGBTQ+ community year round. If you would like to get in on the ground floor of this worthy effort, please see the April meeting time information below.  

Community Justice April Monthly Meeting – Monday, April 17 


All of our community justice teams gather on the third Monday of each month. This builds our community as we discuss and plan projects and overall direction of the Community Justice ministry together. Our meeting this month is Monday, Feb 20 at 7 pm in Grace Hall. Smaller, specialized meetings around individual projects/events will still occur individually. 


Guest Speaker - Dr. Greg Hitzhusen - Professor of Religion and Ecology at The Ohio State University Save the Date - Sunday, April 30, Grace Hall 


Community Justice Ministry is pleased to be hosting guest speaker Dr. Greg Hitzhusen at 12:30 pm on Sunday, April 30 in Grace Hall. Dr. Hitzhusen is a professor of religion and ecology at The Ohio State University and holds a M.Div. from Yale and a Ph.D. in faith-based environmental education from Cornell. Dr. Hitzhusen will be discussing how our faith informs environmental justice and how we can take action in the areas of creation care, environmental sustainability, and environmental justice. Please be on the lookout for more details on this exciting opportunity in the upcoming weeks. 

Older Adult Ministry

Register for the Burkhart Luncheon
Read Beth Long Higgins Bio
Register Here for Older Adult Day at Akita

Click on any of our offerings for more information or to register.

2023 Spiritual Searcher Event coming in fall

A committee is selecting the 2023 speaker for the Center’s flagship program, the Spiritual Searcher lecture. These dynamic, thoughtful national leaders share their wisdom and help us make sense of faith, spirituality, and love in a complex world beyond central Ohio. We’ll keep you updated as we plan for their visit.

Visit the Spiritual Life & Learning Center Website

Wednesday Morning Fellowship Group

You are invited to fellowship with First Community members and friends Wednesday mornings from 8-9 am in the Library at FC South. Each week, this group gathers for breakfast (coffee and donuts) and conversation. Speakers, including FC staff, enlighten and inform.


Below are the April speakers:


  • April 5: Our speaker will be one of our members who will volunteer to share their life’s experiences.
  • April 12: Deb Lindsay will speak to us about The Spiritual Life & Learning Center and their plans for the future.
  • April 19: Bob Jacques presents a Sandel lecture on JUSTICE.


This fellowship group is open to all. Please contact Larry Anderson if you plan to attend or have any questions at larry.anderson297@gmail.com

Holy Land Trip Information Meeting

Dustclouds from the Archives

Revisiting Our Youth Program (Part 4)

by Jackie Cherry, Church Historian


During Dr. Otis Maxfield’s tenure as Senior Minister in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Rev. Gabe Campbell was the youth minister. He was assisted by the Youth Council, which comprised representatives elected from each high school grade. They worked together to plan and oversee the entire youth program. Gabe built strong relationships among the students as he discouraged cliques and insisted they were all friends. Kids could hang out at First Avenue House, which they had named The Seven Keys Club since it served as their teen center. The Annual Report issue of The First Community News of January 24, 1965, announced that during the previous year, there were at least five occasions when more than 500 Tri-Village teens had gathered at First Community Church for fun, fellowship, or worship. Quite a record!


As the tumultuous decade of the ’60s ended, the youth team of Rev. Richard Hardy was ministering to the high school youth while Rev. Dick Horn was ministering to the junior highs. After graduation from divinity school, when Dick Hardy returned to First Community, where he had grown up and served on the Akita staff, he found the young people fragmented and feeling alienated from the main church and isolated by their facilities in Lincoln Road Chapel. The church was also embroiled in the divisive issue of whether or not to build a new church on the property it owned at the intersection of Reed and McCoy Roads. While holding major programs for youth dealing with controversial issues such as the emerging drug culture and options of military service, the youth council and adult committees explored ways of integrating youth activities into the ongoing life of the church, in the choir, in the operating funds drive, and as youth readers during worship services. Combined efforts transformed the center basement of the church into youth facilities and offices. Dick Horn concentrated on helping junior high students become caring persons through the caring adults who supervised and participated in their activities. 


After Bob Raines arrived as Senior Minister in 1970, a youth page was added to the First Community News, and two youth representatives were added to the Governing Board. A new experimental form of ministry to youth began when the Center for the Affirmation of Young Life launched a team ministry in January 1971. This concept sought to meet young people with a new model for understanding and to discover creative ways of living life with others, for gaining perspective of the alternatives and consequences of appropriate decision-making and problem-solving, for finding a faith that is made coherent at the individual’s level of experience, and finally for discovering meaning and purpose for the direction of one’s life. An article in the January 24th issue of The First Community Church News summarized the scope of this ministry. “We can outline a youth program that offers Bible study, discussion groups, camp retreats, personal counseling, music, guest speakers, service projects, and worship. But through them, all our essential task is to offer a relationship that calls a person toward fulfillment, allows him to stretch and grow, and encourages direction for his destiny that is ultimate.”


(To be continued)

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