Worthington Christian Church

Volume 17, Issue 15 | April 3, 2024

Check out this week's video update!

REACH Phase 2: Worship in the Youth Center

Phase 2 of the REACH Initiative began this week! The primary purpose of Phase 2 is to remodel the Worship Center with new (and more) seating, updated A/V technology and lighting, improved stage, and (of course!) apply a fresh coat of paint and new flooring throughout!

We anticipate that Phase 2 will be complete by August 2024.

Our social media accounts—Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X—will post regular updates about the progress of Phase 2. Please be sure to subscribe or follow to stay up-to-date!

How will Phase 2 affect you?

Worship will be relocated to the newly remodeled Youth Center at the same worship times: 8:30, 9:45, and 11:11 AM. With the new stage and updated A/V system, we anticipate Sunday worship services to run smoothly—both in-person and online!

Currently, our 9:45 services are averaging about 550 per week, with some Sundays seeing over 600. While we are thrilled to have so many people join us at 9:45 AM, our Youth Center is designed to comfortably seat about 350 people. This is a problem. Fortunately, we have some helpful solutions!

To help make the 9:45 worship hour less crowded, the Youth Ministry has agreed to move their morning youth programming from 9:45 to 11:11 AM. We know making this change is a sacrifice for many families with middle school and high school students, but we hope you understand why we need to do it and feel better knowing that this change is temporary.

That said, we also understand that many families with middle school and high school students also have younger kids still in elementary school, so they will need to go to Kids Worship at 11:11 AM. This means we have a greater need for volunteers in the Kids Ministry then. If you are able to help out during that time, please let us know.

Finally, we have designed comfortable overflow spaces that will be available for all three services. We hope that long-time WCC members will be willing to use that space when the services start to fill up so that our guests will feel a bit more comfortable in the Youth Center when they visit us for the first time.

We have prayerfully considered how we can continue our in-person worship during this temporary inconvenience, and this is how we believe it will work best. We know it's not perfect, but we trust in our fellowship to Follow Jesus Together to make this temporary situation work to the best of everyone's ability. As always, we continue to ask for your prayers, patience, and flexibility as the REACH Initiative moves forward!

Announcement: The Library

Thanks to your many book donations, our Library has served us very well over the last five decades. However, as technology has advanced and books have moved to electronic formats, our need for a library has diminished. Therefore, we are making these books available to you for free.

All of the library's books are available to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis. The books will be available for pickup until Friday, April 12. Any books not claimed during that time will be available again in the summer once Phase 2 is complete.

Also, our Contractor is currently using the Library while we prepare for Phase 2. If you would like access to the Library, please get in touch with Terri Gallahue to make arrangements. You may also contact her with any questions you may have.

Thank you!

Kids Ministry Volunteers

Our Kids Ministry team has a lot of fun using their gifts, talents, and abilities as they show the love of Jesus to our kids and their families. Do you want to have fun? Do you love Jesus? Do you love kids? Do you want to get connected at Worthington? We'd love for you to join our team!

We need help staffing our new Take 5 - Sensory Room.
We need more volunteers at 11:11 as our rooms continue to grow.
Please be in prayer for Kids Ministry, our families, and our volunteers!

We are having a short training session on Sunday, April 14, at 9:00 AM for all those interested in joining the Kids Ministry Team. You can meet at the Check Point Desk. Before being added to the rotation, you will need a background check. Please contact Cindy Baker or Amy Carter with any questions.

Baby Dedication Orientation

To best prepare you for our Baby Dedication Ceremony in May, new parents are invited to attend our Orientation Meeting this Sunday, April 7 at 4:00 PM in room 192.

At this meeting, you will receive all the details you need to ensure the celebration day runs smoothly for you and your family – as smoothly as it can when there are kids involved! We ask parents to invite another person (or couple) who will be a faith influencer in their child’s life. We’ll talk about how the home and faith community will partner in being the light of Jesus along your child’s faith journey. We will discuss what it means to pledge to raise your child in faith.

NOTE: This registration is for the Baby Dedication Orientation only. Information for the Baby Dedication in May will be announced soon, including details about how to register. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Baker.

Our Baby Dedication is for children who are two years old & younger and have never been dedicated before.

Men's Event: Press On

Men, join us on Sunday, April 14 as we PRESS ON together!

’Press On’ is our theme for 2024, and we will have our first gathering on Sunday, April 14, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Youth Center.

If you haven’t been to a Men’s Event before, now is a great time to join us as we kick off a new season of getting together for discussion, encouragement, and (of course!) food. Our scripture focus for 2024 is Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

So that we have enough food for everyone, please RSVP by Wednesday, April 10. Our main entree for the evening will be lasagna.

START HERE: Kids Baptism Class

Kids have questions about many things, including about Jesus and faith. How can we equip parents to have significant faith conversations at home? What if parents and kids need a place to start?

The START HERE class will help equip parents to lead their children to Christ and help provide kids with four things they can do today (and every day) to know God. The key ingredients they need are: HEAR. PRAY. TALK. LIVE.

Join us on Sunday, April 14, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM as we "START HERE!" We recommend this class for all families with children aged 8-12 who have started thinking about following Jesus and have questions about baptism.

NOTE: This class is for parents and children. If you’d like to join us, please register so we know how many to expect.

Old Testament Women: Used By God

Ladies, we're kicking off a four-week Bible study beginning Tuesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 25.

Leah, Eve, Rahab, and Abigail -- four women of the Old Testament with powerful stories and life lessons we can still learn from today. Join us as we examine these women's lives and choices in depth, gain insight from God’s Word, and explore the amazing ways God used them. Even though Jesus had not come into the world just yet, the promise of a Savior was firmly rooted in their hearts.

This four-week study will be available at three different times.

DATES & TIMES:

Tuesday evening at WCC, April 23-May 14, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Thursday morning at WCC, April 25-May 16, from 9:30 to 11:00 AM
Thursday evening via Zoom, April 25-May 16, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM

NOTE: There is no cost for this study. Childcare is available for the Thursday AM study only.

Tuesday PM

Thursday AM

Thursday PM (Zoom)

Women's Ministry: Teacups & Tiaras

Whether you're aged 5 or 85, we’re all a daughter of the King and, therefore, a princess!

Come and bring your little princess (age 5 or older) or your special friends, and we’ll have a tea party on Saturday, May 4, at 10:00 AM in the Atrium. We’ll share brunch together, have a devotional time, and participate in fun activities. (Photo booth, Tiara decorating, Bracelet making, Bath salts making, Cookie/cupcake decorating.)

The cost is $10 per adult or $5 for children 10 & under — $20 maximum per family. Payable at the door.

Join us for this Ladies' and Girls' Brunch on Saturday, May 4. It is open to all ladies and girls (age 5 and older).

Registration will begin Friday, April 5. Childcare is provided if requested at the time of registration.

Impact Partnership Spotlight: Worthington Resource Pantry

We have supported the Worthington Resource Pantry since the COVID lockdown in March 2020. Since then, we have provided our community with (literally) tons of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items.

We will continue to support the WRP for the foreseeable future, but the pantry has needs beyond supplying them with canned food, pasta, and toiletries -- they are always in need of volunteers, too.

WCC member Chris Mossgrove has been volunteering at the Worthington Resource Pantry since she retired four years ago. When she first walked into the building, she fell in love with the atmosphere.

"Everyone there is all about serving our neighbors, and that is what I love when I am there," she told us. "My passion is for the babies and pets, and I make sure our shelves are always stocked with diapers and pet food so that on pick-up day, our families have access to both. I can't think of anywhere else I would rather volunteer!"

"Love your neighbor" is one of our greatest commandments, and one way we can do that is by helping to provide for those in need. We hope you will consider volunteering at the Worthington Resource Pantry. If you want to learn more, please contact Chris Mossgrove or visit the Worthington Resource Pantry website to complete a volunteer application.

CURRENT PANTRY NEEDS:

Cereal

Tuna

Canned Ravioli

Healthy Snacks

Personal Hygiene Items/Toiletries (specifically, feminine hygiene items)

You can drop off your donations at any time! A blue donation bin is available at each of the entrances to the church, and we regularly empty the bins to make room for additional items. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Alison Morrow.

Slate Hill Elementary School

Shoe Drive

Our friends at Slate Hill Elementary, our nearest elementary school and a long-standing partner, have reached out with a heartfelt request. They shared that some of their students, our community's children, attend school in ill-fitting or worn-out shoes.

This is where we can make a difference. By donating 'new' or' 'like new' items, we can help these children feel comfortable and confident, ready to focus on their education.

Some donations have already come in (thank you!), so we have updated our list of needed items and sizes below.

Boys shoes (sizes 1, 5 & 6)

Please drop off your donation by April 10 in any of the blue bins (the same bins we use for collecting donations for the Worthington Resource Pantry). We sort through donations every week and deliver them as needed.

Questions? Don't hesitate to get in touch with Alison Morrow.

We'll take your empty print cartridges!

Did you know that we collect empty brand-name print cartridges? We do! We donate all empty print cartridges from HP, Brother, Canon, Epson, etc. for a discount on office supplies.

If you have any empty print cartridges, please consider dropping them off at the church office!