Worthington Christian Church

Volume 17, Issue 11 | March 13, 2024

Check out this week's video update!

REACH Phase 2: Worship in the Youth Center

As you already know, we’re getting ready to dive into the next phase of our REACH initiative. Following Easter, we will move out of our Worship Center from April 1 – August 9. This means we must worship in our Youth Center for four months. We’re keeping the same worship times —8:30, 9:45, and 11:11 AM—but it will be a tight fit, so we’ll need your help!

Currently, our 9:45 services are averaging about 550 per week, with some Sundays seeing over 600. Our Youth Center will seat 350. This is a problem, so what are we all going to do?

Youth Ministry currently meets for classes at 9:45 AM, but they will temporarily shift to the 11:11 hour. That will definitely help. For those of you who don’t have children or youth, please consider worshiping at 8:30 AM. That will really help a lot, too.

However, since more families with small children may worship with us at 11:11, we need more volunteers to help with the Kids Ministry at 11:11. Please consider volunteering. Just fill out our volunteer form to get started.

Finally, we offer several overflow spaces to worship outside of the Youth Center as it fills up. We encourage all our volunteers and members to please consider the overflow spaces first so our guests, who may not understand everything that is happening during the remodel, will have a seat in the main worship area.

We’ve 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 feel like we know our church. We believe that as we "Follow Jesus Together," this church will find new ways to connect and find opportunities for fellowship.

We look forward to the next few months as we get a little closer and enjoy a new adventure as we Follow Jesus Together!

Complete a volunteer form today!

Easter Changes Everything

We invite you, your family, and friends to join us for services as we celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Our service times are 8:30, 9:45 and 11:11 AM. That leaves you and your family plenty of time to worship with us and spend with your loved ones in the afternoon! All three services will be available for in-person or online worship.

NOTE: Adult & Youth classes will not be offered on Easter Sunday. However, classes for Nursery-5s will be available during the 9:45 and 11:11 services. Kids Worship (K-5th grade) will be offered at the 9:45 AM service only.

EXTRA PARKING AVAILABLE

Easter is a busy time, and we know it can be a bit frustrating to start your morning by driving around in circles and looking for a place to park. With that in mind, please consider using the parking lot next door on Easter Sunday!

Located off of Northwoods Blvd. just south of WCC, this lot is linked to our church building via a set of stairs and a sidewalk.

Good Friday Meal & Communion

Please join us on March 29 at 6:00 PM for a special Good Friday Meal & Communion event.

We will meet in the Youth Center for reflective worship, followed by a devotional and communion. Afterward, we will share a meal as a family. All ages are welcome to attend!

The meal is free of charge, but seating is limited, so RSVP online by Friday, March 22.

NOTE: The menu for the evening will include gyros, chicken, salad, rice, assorted spreads, toppings, and sauces -- all catered by Agape.

Please RSVP Today!

Connect Class

Are you new (or newish) to Worthington Christian Church? If so, then the Connect Class is for you!

Our Connect Class, led by Teaching Minister Austin Seevers, will answer your questions about faith, baptism, church membership, and our vision for WCC.

We will offer this class on Sunday, March 17, from 11:00 AM to Noon in room 120. It will be in a relaxed atmosphere that allows for honest questions while we closely examine what we believe and how we respond to those beliefs.

Questions? Please contact Patti Remaklus.

Baby Dedication Orientation

To best prepare you for our Baby Dedication Ceremony in May, new parents are invited to attend our Orientation Meeting on 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.

Slate Hill Elementary 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. Please see the specific items and sizes needed below.

Girls shoes (sizes 1-6)
Boys shoes (sizes 1-4)
Boys underwear/boxers (sizes 5/6 and 12, 14, and 16)

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.

Soup & Games!

The Fun & Fellowship Committee (part of the Senior Adult Ministry) invites you to join us on Thursday, March 21, at 11:30 AM in the Youth Center for Soup and Games!

This is a great opportunity for us to get together to enjoy a nice meal and spend some time playing our favorite board games. We will provide a variety of soups, salads, desserts, beverages and a few board games but we encourage you to bring your favorite game to play with others!

A goodwill offering to cover the cost of the meal will be taken up during the event. Please RSVP by Monday, March 18. Questions? Please contact Sally Pickard.

Revelation Study

We invite you to join us in a new study in the Book of Revelation by Dr. Shane Wood starting this Sunday, March 17, at 11:00 AM in room 135. We will watch a video by him one week, and then the following week, we will dive into the text, study God’s Word together, and discuss.

Dr. Wood has spent over 15 years studying Revelation. He did his master’s thesis on it and his PhD dissertation. His study aims to simplify Revelation so we are neither afraid of it nor obsessed by it…but rather we are transformed by it.

We welcome all who have ever wanted to know more about the Book of Revelation to join us for this study! Questions? Please contact Darrell Daniels.

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.

GriefShare

Our GriefShare support group is 14-weeks long and usually meets twice a year. We are composed of a group of friendly, caring people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.

Let us help you through the hurt.

It may be hard for you to feel optimistic about the future right now. If you’ve lost a spouse, child, family member, or friend, you’ve probably found there are not many people who understand the deep hurt you feel. GriefShare is a ministry designed to help you through this hurt.

GriefShare meets every Sunday from March 3 to June 9 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Impact Spotlight: Columbus Dream Center

As you already know, every year we partner with the Columbus Dream Center to collect Thanksgiving Baskets to distribute to families in need. However, the work of the Dream Center extends well beyond Thanksgiving!

The Dream Center distributes food and hygiene items to needy families throughout the year through their 'Adopt-A-Block' program. They also celebrate communities with regular Block Parties.

They regularly provide meals to the homeless (three meals a day, seven days a week), laundry and shower services, and assistance to help connect people with housing, jobs, and a relationship with Jesus.

The Dream Center offers an After School Program to provide educational, spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical support for students. This includes help with homework, tutoring, and meals.

For Easter, they are offering Family Easter Kits filled with essential household items. If you would like to provide an Easter Kit, please visit the Columbus Dream Center website to learn more and sign-up!

Worthington Resource Pantry

We want to follow Jesus together, and part of that is being a good neighbor. How do we do that? By doing what we can to meet the needs of a neighbor in crisis! Therefore, we will continue to support the Worthington Resource Pantry for the foreseeable future.

CURRENT 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.