July 9, 2021
Dear Prairie Avenue Family,
As I write this week's e-note, the notes of the organ are sounding in the sanctuary, as Buzard Organ technicians give our James W. and Angeline Harper Acton Wicks Organ a long-needed tuning. An Electrician and Electrical Engineer are repairing and updating our Solar Generation equipment. Les Ruffner has delivered the agenda for our upcoming Board meeting next Tuesday at 7 pm. Many of the normal activities have returned.
Once again, we are making some changes with the worship services. I have been waiting to see how our new schedule and routine would begin to coalesce in participation and preference. I did not know whether we were going to develop into a common worship style for all services or different styles available at certain times. Many churches have both a traditional and a contemporary/modern worship service. Traditional Worship will be held at 8 am Sunday. Modern Worship will be held at 9:30 am Sunday. More usage of the organ will be in the 8 am service than the 9:30 am. The 5 pm Saturday Service will be suspended at the end of the month. Each Sunday service will be live-streamed on Facebook Live, and videos will be posted following the broadcast on the Worship Online page of the church website.
Worship This Weekend:
Everyday Prophecy: Amos: On-The-Job Training
I continue to share lessons from the Old Testament prophets this weekend. The Book of Amos is one of the oldest books with speeches and traditions of a prophet, who lived nearly 3,000 years ago. One of the unique statements is how Amos denies being a prophet as a prophet. He makes a distinction between title and job, which we explore deeper this weekend. Join us at 5 pm Saturday, 8 am & 9:30 am Sunday, or online via Facebook Live.
Stephen Ministry Update
In just three weeks, we will formally recognize and install our first trained Stephen Minister, Amanda Butterick. It has been hard work, regularly meeting at 11 am on Sunday for up to two hours over 20 sessions to be trained to provide one-to-one Christian caregiving. Completion of her training is a powerful witness of our priority commitment to providing hands-on assistance in times during and following a crisis or life changes. We made the investment of becoming a Stephen Ministry congregation in 2017, and in the midst of our global pandemic, we have nurtured and developed the first of many trained Christian caregivers to serve and share Christ-centered care at a point of need. If you would like more information about exploring if Stephen Ministry is a good step to respond to God's calling to service for others, speak to me.
Looking Ahead to 2024
Can you believe we are just three years away from our 100th Anniversary as a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)? We have experienced a name change (from Seventh Street to Prairie Avenue), an electrical fire that damaged our original building, two capital building campaigns that enabled our growth and development as a large congregation, and our continued commitment to serving others with the love of Jesus Christ and as a witness to his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Facing the headwinds of an unimaginable pandemic, we have persevered, adapted, and responded. We have changed.
What is God calling for us today? Some things may no longer serve our calling and are rather beloved artifacts of a former time and place. Our history reflects both our abilities and limitations in responding to God's ever-present work to move brokenness to wholeness among neighbors and God.
My urgent prayer is that you will join me on a journey of imagination, reflection, and anticipation of God's calling both towards our Centennial and beyond. I am convinced that God is calling us to continue the mission first revealed in 1924: Christ-centered community among our neighbors and neighborhoods. Over the next couple of months, I will be asking you what you think, feel, and believe God is up to now and how you will respond to God's calling as a participant in the life of Prairie Avenue Christian Church. As we emerge from the post-COVID-19 universe, I hope I can trust you to share, care, to pray for our future and calling.
Invite friends to join you for worship
this weekend, in person, online
In-person on Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday mornings at 8 am or 9:30 am (masks and social distancing recommended for unvaccinated).
See you this weekend online or in person,
Blessings to you all,
