The Newark Christian Serving God s Transformation of Licking County

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1 CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ) 587 Mt. Vernon Road Newark, Ohio NONPROFIT ORG, PERMIT NO. 7 U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEWARK, OHIO RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED January 14, 2015 Volume LXXVI Issue 1 The Newark Christian Serving God s Transformation of Licking County Church Office Hours: Monday Friday 8:00 am 3:00 pm Phone: We re on the Web! Visit us at: newarkcentralchristian.com Our mission: We seek to: To lead people to faith in Jesus Christ To work through the Holy Spirit, and To understand through the Holy Bible. Grow in knowledge, Cultivate the grace of Christ, Strengthen the unity of all Christians, and be Always moving towards the Kingdom of God. Get in the picture Newark Central is putting together a new pictorial directory! We re ready to assemble a handy way to see and to know who we are as a community of faith here at the corner of Mt. Vernon Rd. & Rugg Avenue. Our members and friends literally live all across Licking County, and we don t always know right off whose name goes with which face that s where a pictorial directory comes in. The next two Sundays, on either side of the worship service times on Sunday Jan. 18 & Jan. 25, Karen Crothers and her team will be signing up families for photography times on February 19, 20, & 21 (a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday window). You ll have a time that s set, and we d like you to come about fifteen minutes early and plan to stay about ten to fifteen minutes after your ten minute window, so about forty minutes here at the church building. Everyone who comes and is photographed will get an 8x10 and a copy of the directory when it s finished whether you buy more pictures from Universal Church Directories or not (check em out at there s no hard sell here, so you can purchase nothing and just select your preferred shot for the directory after, or get 100 wallet-sized to hand out to your friends but that s all your call! If we don t get you scheduled the next two Sundays, you ll be getting a call. We want everyone involved with the life of our congregation to be in this directory, members or friends alike. And if you have friends who would like to get a professional photograph done, feel free to invite them to schedule in, and there s no obligation to be included in the directory itself. Our goal is to have these back to you by Easter: sign up now for your Feb. time!

2 The Newark Christian Page 2 of 8 Help Needed Salvation Army Meals Would you like to be part of a community outreach and help us with the Salvation Army meal program? We wanted to give you an update of the community outreach which we began at the Salvation Army one year ago. The fourth Sunday of each month we have prepared and served meals at the Salvation Army. So far this year we have served somewhere between 1100 and 1500 meals. These meals are prepared and served by 9 different teams of volunteers, which means 3 teams are preparing meals 2 times per year and others are preparing meals once per year. Ideally, we would like to have 12 teams. We are preparing the 2015 team schedule and would love to add 3 new teams. If you would like to be part of this vital and heart-warming outreach, please contact Connie Crothers or call the church office. Change in format for The Nudge to Tuesdays and Thursdays Our regular devotional and prayer notes are coming out in 2015 on Tuesday mornings & Thursday mornings. Let the church office know at if you d like to receive it. This newsletter goes to the same list on the second (or sometimes third) Wednesday of each month. Super Bowl Subs (order 18/25 Jan) The youth groups of Newark Central are making their legendary Super Bowl Subs for pick-up on Sunday, Feb. 1, because, you know The price for each hearty sub is $6.50, and order forms are in the bulletin the next two weeks (or call the church office). All the proceeds of the sub sales goes to the SCOOP Offering the youth of the Christian Church in Ohio put together every summer. SCOOP Offerings support mission work in Ohio, from the Hocking Valley Parish to Inner City programs of the region. Don t forget to order some extra subs, in case of overtime! Route 66 Bible Study Mark s Gospel, through Feb 11 th We re going deep into the story of Jesus and his disciples in Mark s account of the good news, the gospel of the Lord, in these weeks leading up to Lent. Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18 th, so we ve got to make the most of the weeks we have; fortunately, Mark is the shortest of the four gospels! Each week, if you can dig into four chapters, we ll have the whole story ready to share and to study. Mark loves the word immediately in his account of Jesus life this is a fast moving, vivid story, and you can come to Fellowship Hall on Wednesday nights at 6:00 pm to learn more. We are committed to being done at 7:00 pm sharp so folks can get home or get off to dinner; drop in any Wednesday!

3 Page 3 of 8 The Newark Christian Children s Christmas Eve The 4:30 pm added service last Christmas Eve was warmly received; we had about fortysome people in attendance, and over a dozen children who came up into the chancel to help Pastor Jeff arrange the manger scene as we sang and told the Nativity story. This is a new idea that will soon become a tradition for us! Game Night With the hustle and bustle of the fall and holiday activities behind us, we are looking forward to some Saturday evening fun and games on January 31 at 6 p.m. We tried last year to have a Soup/Game night, but had to cancel at last minute due to nasty weather. We are going to attempt this once again! Bring a crock pot of soup or snacks to share and your favorite games. We hope to see y'all there for a robust game of Catch Phrase, Guesstures Charades, Apples to Apples, Shuffleboard. Or whatever favorite game might be be yours! Living Nativity This year s crowds were big & enthusiastic; thanks to everyone who helped in so many different ways. Our county & community were blessed by the Christmas story told this way! Directory Changes Please make the following changes to your directory. Linda Jewell Wat & Melissa Siler 200 Rockledge Ct. 967 Grafton Road Jacksonville, NC Apt. 1 Newark, OH Much Appreciated Thank you for the cards, gifts and prayers recently. They are very much appreciated. Lucille Peoples Thank You Pastor Jeff Gill, we want to thank you and your church s congregation for the tissue paper we received today. It just so happened that our food pantry was out. Thank everyone again for coming to the community s need. Bless you all, Connie Wood, Christ United Methodist Church Food Pantry

4 Dear Church Family Thank you for coming to our home and singing Christmas Carols. This was a highlight of the season for Jim and me. A special thanks goes to Dee Hill for the suggestion and to Marilyn Yost for organizing the event and of course the choir in taking time during the busy season to provide the music. We hope this will continue to be an ongoing Christmas happening. Also thank you to Cynthia, Jan and Julie for bringing communion to our home. Thank you, Jim and Vickie Bope Bowling for Biscuits Report The Men s Fellowship made a wonderful challenge to the youth, pledging a gift to them based on how many pins they knocked down in a pre-christmas bowling venture. The kids took out about five thousand pins, and the total at a nickel a pin ended up being around $250 to the Food Pantry Network. Good job everyone on this event! Mission Overview The Newark Christian Page 4 of 8 Ash Wednesday Prayer Vigil 17/18 February 6 pm to 6 pm (with Wed. Lenten Dinners to follow) Starting February 1 st, we will have a sign-up chart in the narthex outside of the worship space for the prayer vigil that traditionally opens Lent at Newark Central. Half-hour times can be signed up for whether at the church, or at home (and home may even be in Florida for a couple of participants!). Sign up on Sundays or call/ the church office. Feb. 25 to March 25 we will have 6:00 pm meals and 6:45 pm programs in the Fellowship Hall, our Lenten Dinner tradition. The meals will be simple, led by various groups in our church, and the programs this year will be The Hills of Lent, a sort of spiritual travelogue. Mark those evenings now on your calendar! As you can see from earlier in this newsletter, we will always be needing new participants in the Salvation Army dinners we do on fourth Sunday evenings, feeding 150 to 250 people who are struggling at month s end to pull the ends of their fraying budgets together. Likewise there s an ongoing need at the Medical Loan Closet, a wonderful outreach ministry of this congregation, in always needing to welcome & train new volunteers for staffing the program on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm. A wiser minister than your pastor recently pointed out that the dilemma of the modern American Christian movement is that we ve tended to separate social service mission efforts from the priority of bringing people to faith in Jesus. One way to reconsider this challenge is to remember that we serve and share as a result of our relationship with Jesus as Lord of our lives and times: not as a way to earn grace, which is a gift direct from God, but as a way to share the grace we ve received with a world still trying to understand, and believe. Let your faith be a visible witness in one form or another, and either SA dinners or MLC service can be that grace!

5 Page 5 of 8 The Newark Christian Joys and Concerns We mourn the passing of William Young, who died last week in Florida at 32. His family will lay him to rest in private services. Please keep the young woman, 11 years old, here in Newark in your prayers, who has fought a brave fight against a form of juvenile cancer, Ruth Miller. We ask your prayers for healing to raise up for Jim Richey in ongoing testing; also for the father of Melissa Siler, Harold; she asks we keep him in our hearts as she and Wat prepare to move here within Newark. Rick Hayden s daughter Heather also asks that we pray for a good friend of hers preparing to undergo brain surgery this week. Our good friend Effie Enmen had heart problems last week, and needs our ongoing prayers after a hospitalization, and with more medical care to come. Also our own Bob Weaver who has ongoing personal torture to deal with as his shoulder continues to come together. We delight in the news that Luke Schmitt is gaining weight (most of us can t say that!) and his test results have been good. For Michael & Emily and the family, know that God is with you in this journey What Does The Book Say? The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Jas. 5:16 I have been the recipient of your effective and fervent prayers and I thank you. In addition to your prayers I thank you for the cards, phone calls, food, visits and filling the position as my chauffeur. Love abounds in many ways and you have showered me with yours. In His Love, Carol Van Winkle With Gratitude Thank you for your contribution to New Beginnings this holiday season. Your gift has made another s holiday full of Peace and Joy. Thank you! Tricia Hufford, Director Pecans for Sale The Harriet Circle is selling pecans at a cost of $8.50 per pound for pieces and $9.00 per pound for halves. Contact Cynthia Rarick at to order. (Editor s note: That price is just nuts!)

6 The Newark Christian Page 6 of 8 General Assembly Notes Child Care Opportunities Calling All Ohio Women - Ohio Women's Ministries Service Project for General Assembly 2015 Soar (Columbus Convention Center, July 18-22) Wanted: Exercise Blankets for Nursery/Preschool Guidelines: 1 yard Fleece finished Colorful (theme for Assembly is Soar - so clouds, stars, happy faces, balloons, etc.) Please pick gender neutral fleece - NOT for a girl or boy only. (Upon receipt child's name and gift giver will be sewn onto the back) Please no knotting of the ends. We need 60 blankets. Let us know if you will be making a blanket(s). You are welcome to update us with pictures of your group making the blanket, etc. ( jbentleysec@insight.rr.com) Blanket are to be received by May 1, Please pray over the blanket that the child receiving it will feel God's love and will have a wonderful time at the Assembly. Thank you for sharing with this project. Julie Bentley Also: The following is the information for the Craft Day at Camp Christian. I had mentioned this to several ladies during our discussion about the exercise blankets. Please forward as appropriate. It could even go in your bulletin, etc. The Annual Craft Event at CAMP CHRISTIAN is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. Bring your favorite craft project to work on (or even the exercise blanket for the nursery-preschool program-general Assembly). Proceeds from this event go to the Free Store. Cost for Saturday only will be $45, Sat and overnight will be $70 (which will include a continental breakfast). This will be a relaxed event. Lunch and dinner will be provided. Snacks will also be provided. Please advise of any special diet needs. Registration may be completed on line through the Regional office (ccinoh.org). Deadline will be Saturday, April 17.

7 Page 7 of 8 The Newark Christian Notes from my Knapsack In my pastoral column, I want to share something I ve been asking our elders, our leaders, and all of the membership of Newark Central to think about what does growth in discipleship look like for this congregation, in this time & place? My discernment takes me, step by step, down these recommendations what do YOU think? Discipleship Goals for Newark Central 1. For visitors in worship to understand the invitation to the Table as offered to everyone, and for them to return. 2. For return visitors to find connections to the Body of Christ through a fellowship or life group of some sort in our congregation. 3. For regular visitors to learn the outline of the simple Gospel/Good News as we know that through Jesus as the Christ, and to understand our basic view of church membership as built simply upon the Good Confession, or through transfer from another Christian body. 4. For members to have a solid overview of the Bible from Law to Gospel, between Hebrew Scriptures and the Apostolic Writings, Old Testament and New, and to have some sense of why we believe these ancient writings have meaning for our lives today. Our manner of life and spiritual disciplines will be shaped by our encounter with the Living Word in worship & service. 5. For leaders (diaconate, officers, and elders) to all know and be able to share what the particular gifts of our tradition are within the wider Christian family, and that we all see ourselves as a fellowship with the vocation of "Serving God's Transformation of Licking County." 6. For everyone associated with Newark Central to find a place in the living and active mission of God made known in our time and place, both individually and together, as the Household of God. This goal would encompass both a vital prayer life & ongoing commitment to hands-on ministry. As I hope is clear here, these goals are intended to be considered step by step, from first visit to long-established member: what does growth in discipleship look like in our body of believers? Tell me what you think of these! In grace & peace, Pastor Jeff

8 The Newark Christian Page 8 of 8 Daily Scripture Readings Jan 14 Luke 6: Psalm 8: Luke 17: Psalm 121: Galatians 6: Psalm 107: Romans 8: Acts 5: Corin. 3: Luke 8: Acts 9: Genesis 1: Psalm 6: Chron. 15: Romans 8: Isaiah 49: Luke 12: Ephesians 4:14-16 Feb 1 John 13: Romans 5:1-5 3 Matthew 5: Mark 9: Psalm 19:1-6 6 Luke 1: Psalm 18: Samuel 3: John 4: Corin. 15: Romans 8: John 8: Matthew 22: James 5:13-18 (Taken from The Upper Room) NEXT NEWSLETTER: Feb. 11 dateline, so Feb. 9 deadline! Looking Ahead. Sunday, January 18 - "Come and See!" I Samuel 3:1-10 & John 1:43-51 Sunday, January 25 - "Follow Me... Into the Deep" I Corinthians 7:29-31 & Mark 1:14-20 Sunday, February 1 - "The Beginning of Wisdom" Psalm 111 & Mark 1:21-28 Sunday, February 8 - "What I Came Out To Do" Mark 1:29-34 & Mark 1:35-39 Sunday, February 15 - "Listen To Him!" Psalm 50:1-6 & Mark 9:2-9 Ash Wednesday, Feb "Where Your Treasure Is" Joel 2:1-2, & Matthew 6:1-6, (Service at Newark Central, 6/7 pm) Sunday, February 22 - "Teach Me Your Paths" I Peter 3:18-22 & Psalm 25:1-10 Wednesday, Feb "What Steadfast Love Remembers" Psalm 25:1-10 (Lenten Lunch at Second Presbyterian, noon) Wednesday, February 25 "The Hills of Lent: Mount Hermon & Mount Tabor" (Lenten Dinners at Newark Central, 6/7 pm) Get your March info in by Feb. 9!