All In-Person Worship and Church Activities Suspended Until Further Notice
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Live streaming
We are live streaming, or broadcasting, at 9:00 a.m., a form of Sunday service each week, featuring a sermon by Rev. Jim Warren, music, and a Time for Children. You can watch from our website homepage, as well as on Facebook. On our website, scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and see that the current or most recent broadcast is toward the top of the selections there. You can also watch older broadcasts. If you use Facebook, just go to our Facebook Page and see the broadcast start a few minutes before 9:00 a.m.
Are you in need of a DVD of a service, or an audio recording on a CD? If so, contact Brian Metz at
[email protected]
or James Nussbaum at
[email protected]
. If you need a CD player, the church has a few extra and you may have one at no cost. Just email Holly Irvin at
[email protected]
.
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Office Hours
(suspended during the quarantine)
are listed at the bottom of each
Messenger
issue.
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July
:
- In-person services are replaced by live streamed worship
- July 10 Blood Drive
- Cornbelters Baseball Game (see article below)
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Summer plans...
- See You At The Game! The Cornbelters game is ON! We will watch a double-header, meeting at the ballpark, and safely distancing to enjoy an evening of fun and baseball together. Tickets are just $5. When do we want to go? Please email Maggie at [email protected] with your vote. Options are July 10 (Strike Out cancer with a band after the game), July 24 (Christmas Eve -- a festive evening), or August 7 (Superhero -- something for kids).
- An FCC t-shirt has been designed and production plans are in process. Watch for an opportunity to order yours SOON!
- Red FCC grocery bags are again ready for purchase at $5 as before, for your use and for ministry projects. See the current project description in the Reach Out/Meet the Neighbors column below. Contact Jen Petri at [email protected] to purchase a bag.
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A Message About Reopening from Rev. Jim Warren
When will our church reopen and resume worship? What do we have to do to prepare for that? What extra cleaning and disinfecting will need to be done between Sundays? How will worship be different when we resume? These are just a few questions our church’s Reopening Group has been asking themselves.
It will be no small task to reopen church and resume worship. Our first priority is to do so as safely as possible. We want to protect the more vulnerable among us and ensure that we are adhering to best practices for reopening.
The Reopening Group has been meeting for several weeks and has recently divided its work into four teams. The Worship Planning Team is looking at how we’ll do worship when we’re back together. The Cleaning/Disinfecting Team is asking what we need to do before we reopen and what do we need to do between Sundays and between groups. Administration/Logistics is determining best practices for reopening. They’re looking at such things as traffic flow and cleaning between services. The Building Use Team is deciding when to reopen the office, resume worship, and allow church and outside groups to use the building.
The members of the Reopening Group are Joe Bandy, James Nussbaum, Jen Petri, Maggie Burton, Alan Chapman, Debbie Stumm, John Dailey, Camille Taylor, Lou Ann Fillingham, Jill West, Holly Irvin, and Jim Warren.
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A long obedience in the same direction…
Martin Luther King, Jr. on Faith and Love
Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived. He helped to guide our nation through a very difficult time and made us aware of our inherent racism. We owe a great debt to him.
I’ve been thinking about King a lot lately, and I offer to you some of his quotes on love and faith. May they bring to you as much hope as they’ve brought to me.
“Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear.” —
Transformed Nonconformist
“Jesus eloquently affirmed from the cross a higher law. He knew that the old eye-for-eye philosophy would leave everyone blind. He did not seek to overcome evil with evil. He overcame evil with good. Although crucified by hate, he responded with aggressive love.” —
Love in Action
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says ‘Love your enemies,’ he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition.” —
Loving Your Enemies
“We should be happy that (Jesus) did not say ‘Like your enemies.’ It is impossible to like some people. ‘Like’ is a sentimental and affectionate word. ... But Jesus recognized that love is greater than like.” —
Loving Your Enemies
“A man cannot forgive up to 490 times without forgiveness becoming a part of the habit structure of his being. Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” —
Love in Action
“The person who hates you most has some good in him; even the nation that hates you most has some good in it; even the race that hates you most has some good in it. And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every man and see deep down within him what religion calls ‘the image of God,’ you begin to love him in spite of. No matter what he does, you see God’s image there. There is an element of goodness that he can never slough off.” —
Loving Your Enemies
“Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that cripple the soul, the economic conditions that stagnate the soul, and the city governments that may damn the soul is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood.” —
Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool
“The kind of love that led Christ to a cross and kept Paul unembittered amid the angry torrents of persecution is not soft, anemic, and sentimental. Such love confronts evil without flinching and shows in our popular parlance an infinite capacity ‘to take it.’ Such love overcomes the world even from a roughhewn cross against the skyline.” —
Antidotes for Fear
Jim Warren
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News from the FCC Board
First Christian Church continues to function in these unprecedented times of Covid-19. Just last week, Monday, June 15, we met as a church board over Zoom to take up the business of the church. Here are some of the highlights that you may have interest hearing:
Treasurer’s Report
- Total income is down by about 17% compared to budget
- Pledged giving is down about 10.5% compared to budget
- Total expenses are below budget by nearly 11%
- Residual funds from last fiscal year continue to shore up our finances
- In summary, we are blessed that even in the face of Covid-19 and not having in-person worship since March, we feel optimistic about our financial state. Reduced expenses are a direct result of having our church building closed.
Nominating Committee
We continue to have a few positions in the church we would like to fill for 2021. Those are: Be Faithful Steward, Spiritual Growth, Children and Youth, Reach Out, Historian, and some Deacon positions. Not having in-person worship has hindered our opportunity to fill these positions. If you have interest in these positions or in helping, we would like to hear from you. Please call the office or e-mail
[email protected]
.
Reopening Team
We have a small team that is addressing reopening the church after we reach Phase 4 of Recovery Illinois and we feel that we can keep everyone safe. Consideration to open the church office, once again, host groups, open the church to outside groups, and lastly resuming in-person worship. Opening the office and having groups is a much easier plan than determining when to have in-person worship. We feel we will get there, but in-person service appears to be later this summer at this time. In the meantime, and when we resume in-person worship, we offer a superb experience in our live streaming each Sunday and Jim’s additional messages on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you haven’t, please check this out.
Ministry Stewards and Priority Areas
We heard from some of the Ministry Stewards and priority areas. Small groups continue to meet in a variety of settings. Many are meeting electronically, but we also heard about groups meeting at various parks around Bloomington/Normal. If you would like to check out a group, please get in touch with the church office and we can provide you some options for days, times, in-person, or virtual. Reach Out is very active right now putting together resources and supplies to furnish to our older members. One of our priority areas, Welcome All, will be delving into racial justice and how our church can be a part.
We plan to meet next month on Monday, July 20.
Blessings!
Joe Bandy
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FCC
Ministry Priorities and News
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Discipleship
— Equip participants for missional engagement in the world
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Analyze Staffing Needs
— Build budgets to address mission, including how we faithfully staff the ministry for it
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Welcome All
–
Begin discernment on building an inclusive faith community
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VBS 2020
has been postponed, but please watch for information about a rescheduling, perhaps in an outdoor format, for later in the summer.
Pastors’ Class
will resume meeting when in-person church resumes. Details will be provided when known.
CCIW Church Camp
has been cancelled for summer 2020, regrettably. But, you can order your own Walter's Camp Treasure Box - a collection of Camp Walter Scott branded and camp inspired items and activities curated by CWS directors and staff! Visit
bit.ly/WaltersCampBox
for details!
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Spiritual Growth/
Small Groups
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Small Groups
— Build on what we’ve learned and do more of these
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Brown Bag Bible Bunch
This weekly study group meets on Wednesdays 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. using Zoom. The topic is the scripture for the upcoming Sunday. Contact Debbie Stumm at
ds
[email protected]
to join!
Small Groups
Small groups continue to offer us another way to connect with one another. As the state gradually reopens we gain some new options. For example, the Fishers’ Wednesday evening group has been meeting at Fairview Park (still socially distanced, of course). Many other groups are still meeting via Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts, but it is by no means “virtual.” No matter how we gather, it remains “real” fellowship.
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Reach Out/Meet the Neighbors
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Meet the Neighbors
— Beginning with existing relationships, take a deeper dive into who God has given us to love in this area – and how our lives might intersect
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Senior Essential Bags
There are many folks helping gather useful and comforting items to put in our FCC red bags for delivery to those who may need an extra reminder that we are thinking about them.
If you have questions about Reach Out efforts, contact Julie Robinson at
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Gifts for Another Table
Please hold onto items you've gathered for the Boys & Girls Club, and bring them when we return to church.
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Property Use
– Help our property become a resource to the community and an entry point
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Various groups
are discussing or being considered for future use of our building. We are hosting the Boys & Girls Club, who have designated areas of the building to use, this summer.
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Red Cross Blood Drives
Blood drives are scheduled for July 10 (Friday) 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and October 20 (Tuesday). The July 10 drive will take place in Fellowship Hall (not Major Hall). Follow signs and directions as you enter the building from the north elevator entrance. Be sure you have an appointment (instructions below).
Additional things to know:
- Precautions will be taken by the Red Cross for all donors' safety.
- All Red Cross blood donations are now tested for Covid-19 antibodies, which would provide donors insight if they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus.
- Sign up with Maggie Burton via the church office email: [email protected]. Pete Whitmer will be calling previous donors, as well.
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of donors, volunteers, and staff, precautions include:
- Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
- Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
- Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation, and refreshment areas.
- Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment, and donor-touched areas.
- Wearing gloves, and changing gloves often.
- Using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for every donation.
- For the safety of our donor community and in accordance with CDC guidelines, all staff, volunteers, and donors are required to wear a face covering or mask. Please bring a face covering or mask to your donation. If you do not have one, a mask will be provided to you.
The Red Cross is in dire need of blood so please consider donating during this difficult time. -- Wholistic Health Council
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Nominating Committee News
The nominating committee is working on filling open positions for the upcoming church terms. If you have an interest in lending your talents or know of someone that would, please contact Nominating Committee chairperson Chip Jamerson at
[email protected]
or at (309) 531-9206.
Be Faithful Stewards (2 year term)
- In this position, the candidate will work with current ministry steward Nancy Pool on planning, organizing, and carrying out an annual financial campaign to support the general fund and to encourage deeper levels of stewardship.
Grow Spiritually Every Day (Adult Education) (2 year term)
- In this position, the candidate will work with current ministry steward Stephanie Kiesewetter to promote and facilitate the spiritual growth of individuals and groups at FCC.
Ministering to and with Children and Youth (2 year term)
- In this position, the candidate will work with current ministry steward Gregg Kiesewetter and Director of Music and Youth Rev. Holly Irvin to provide opportunities for children and youth such as Sunday School, youth group, VBS, and Worship and Wonder.
Reach Out (2 year term)
- Reach Out has a twofold purpose: One is to encourage our congregation to reach out to those in need “from our doorsteps to the end of the world.” The other is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and invite people outside of the church to experience God’s love. Preferably, two individuals are needed for this ministry.
Historian (1 year term)
- The candidate will work to organize and maintain the Historical Room. Examples would be clipping/printing and filing newspaper articles involving First Christian Church and filing any historical materials from the church office.
Deacons (2 year term)
- We would still like to have 8-10 more deacons for the upcoming church terms. Deacons are primarily responsible for the preparation and distribution of the elements of Holy Communion and the collection of the congregation’s weekly offering. Deacons normally serve in 7-8 services over the entire year. This is a combination of the Traditional Service and the One and All Service. For example, one may serve at 4 Traditional Services and 4 One and All Services. Those could be served on the same Sunday or spread out over 8 Sundays. Deacons sign up for the Sundays and services that fit into their schedules.
Note: The congregational meeting that would have happened in April will be postponed until further notice. Officers will be voted on at that meeting. In the meantime, the current officers will continue to serve, as voted on in the May Board meeting.
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Tech Team News
We have some exciting new equipment in the balcony that we’ve been using for the live streamed services and we’d love to teach you how to use it. When we get back to services held in the church, we typically have a three-person crew. We have a person who runs the computer power point presentation, another who works the sound board, and a third (and sometimes fourth) working the cameras.
If you are interested in learning a new skill and helping out, please email James Nussbaum (
[email protected]
) or Brian Metz (
[email protected]
). With our new equipment, things are pretty simple and working any one of the three aspects is easy, and no preparation is needed before Sunday’s service.
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FCC Landscape Watering
Volunteers are needed to help water pots by the doors and flowers in landscaped areas at church for this summer. Depending on the number of volunteers, it would be as little as one week a month (July -September). It's estimated that the task will take about 45 minutes maximum each time. A hose will be provided to make it easier, but some watering may be easier with a watering can.
Some light weeding would be appreciated as well. Doug Reed would be more than happy to show volunteers what needs to be done. Please contact Doug at
[email protected]
to volunteer for this or the above task or to ask questions.
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A Not In Our Town film
on how the Camden, NJ, in a very impoverished community, changed the police dept. culture with community input.
There will be a showing of the 28 minute film, followed by discussion in Zoom small groups, seeking community ideas on our local law enforcement. Please also read the Washington Post article on Camden and preview the film at
https://niotbn.squarespace.com/camdensturn
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A Note from Our Trustees
Connect Transit Feasibility Study
Connect Transit is about to launch a feasibility study to identify potential sites for a downtown Bloomington transportation and transfer station. Their goal is to select the top three sites that meet all or most of the many criteria that have been determined as critical for this project by the end of August. Our First Christian Church properties, including the church building, the parking lots, and the green space to the north, are among the ten sites being considered in the study. This does not mean that our properties are for sale, or that they have been committed in any way. If our properties are identified as being among the top three, then we will work together as a congregation to examine our options and determine our next steps.
Alan Chapman
Chair of Trustees
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Thank you notes
have been received from:
- Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders (Disciples Women's Ministries donation)
- Dorothy Sallee (sympathy)
- Church World Service (blanket donations)
Additional Note Received
"Dear First Christian Church: Happy 183rd Anniversary! Thanks for your Christian love and support. We appreciate our church family and the opportunity to worship with you online. Very comforting. Blessings." Darrell and Teri Arvik
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Disciples Women's Ministries
Please continue to collect your plastic lids and caps, and then bring them with you when we return to church. Thank you!
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Face Masks
Are you in need of a cloth face mask? Michelle Kiesewetter is making them and offers them for FCC members/friends who have a need. You may email her at [email protected].
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Deadlines for Publications
Please follow these deadlines for publications to ensure that your item is included!
The Messenger
(mailed last Wednesday of the month with some exceptions)
Deadline Friday at noon before mailing date as a general rule (verify with church calendar on FCC website or in previous issue of
The Messenger
)
Upcoming
Messengers
:
- July 24 deadline for July 29 mailing
- August 21 deadline for August 26 mailing
The Bulletin, Moments for Mission/Ministry
Deadline Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.
The Friday Email/FCC Connected
Deadline Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
Announcements/Prayer Concerns
Deadline Thursday noon, unless it is an emergent prayer concern
Worship, Pre-Worship, Centrum, and Foyer Screen Items
Deadline Thursday, 4:30 p.m. (note these include Time for Children and Moment for Mission/Ministry screens)
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Serving Schedule
We will publish serving schedules when it is determined we will resume in-person worship.
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Contact Us
Senior Pastor:
James Warren
Minister Emeritus:
John Trefzger
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
Worship and Wonder Storyteller/Sexton:
Susan Sanders
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Witness of the Faithful
May 3 $13,722.04
May 10 5,981.70
May 17 7,979.70
May 24 5,116.70
May 31 2,339.20
June 7 11,705.36
June 14 8,699.70
June 21 9,217.70
Prayer Concerns
Treatment:
Awaiting Tests/Surgery:
Richard Malone
Aftercare:
- Wannie Beard
- Sabrina Campos
- Niola Daily
- William Etchison
- Phyllis L. Miller (Heritage, Blm. Rehab #166)
- Connie Rapp
- Brennon Reed
- Ethan Rocke
- Charles Smalley
- Mary Smart
Hospice:
Marilyn Kopp
Military:
- Sean Montoya (Air Force, Belgium)
- Harley Scott (Phillis niece/Navy, VA)
New Baby:
Audrey Laine Houk was born to
Will and Sara Houk of Normal on June 10. Grandparents are Linda and Brian Metz.
Anniversary:
Leonard and Charlene Maupin are celebrating their 70
th
anniversary. If you would like send them a note or card of best wishes, their address is
Westminster Village #3117
2025 E. Lincoln Street
Bloomington, IL 61701
Sympathy
to
:
- Dale and Pat Meridith on the death of his mother, Wilma Meridith
- Steve Schmidt and family on the May 21 death of his wife, Debra
- John Lindenbaum and family on the May 31 death of his wife, Connie
Please be in prayer for essential and emergency workers, of which our congregation has many.
Reminder
:
Please let the church office know if there’s someone who needs a call or is in the hospital. Email
[email protected]
.
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Office Phone
309 829-9327
Fax
309 829-2865
Address
401 W. Jefferson St. Bloomington, IL 61701
Hours
The office is currently closed every day out of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff members are working from home as needed.
Normally, t
he office is open
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. The best times to contact the church office are while Maggie is there, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
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