THE WINDOW MARCH 2016

Transcription

1 THE WINDOW MARCH 2016 ANDERSON HILLS CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) Sunday, March 20 Thursday, March 24 Palm Sunday 10:30 Worship Maundy Thursday AHCC Community Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March am 11 am 7:00 PM Joint service with Faith UCC at AHCC 6:15 PM Light Meal prior to service at AHCC Friday, March 25 Good Friday 7:00 PM Service at AHCC Prayer and Reflection Sunday, March 27 Easter 9:30 AM Light breakfast and social time before service in Fellowship Hall* 10:30 AM Worship Cantata: My Savior s Love * Please help us celebrate Easter by bringing goodies to share for the breakfast and social time. The plan is for simple food - continental style - food easily eaten without utensils! Drinks and paper goods provided. Invite friends and family to join us in this relaxed time before the service and then stay to CELEBRATE Easter! Inside this issue: Pastor s Note 2 Search Team update 2 Moderator Morsels 3 Family Fellowship Fun 4 AHCC happenings 5 Disciples Women 6 Serving in March 7 Birthdays/Anniversaries 7 March Dates 8

2 Page 2 From my heart Perhaps we could use the rest of Lent as a time of Fasting and Feasting: FAST from judging others FEAST on seeing Christ living in them. FAST from harsh words FEAST on encouraging, supportive words. FAST from worry FEAST on experiencing God s care. FAST from self-centeredness FEAST on compassion for others. FAST from idle gossip FEAST on silence with a purpose. Taken from Spirit Brief at Fairfield Mercy Hospital, Sister Sharon Wiedmar May we continue on our journey towards the celebration of Easter with renewed resolve and purpose, taking time to nurture our inner lives that we might deepen our relationship with the Christ who died for us. Blessings, Rev. Nancy FRIENDS IN NEED Coin Sunday will be utilized again on the last Sunday of the month for the purpose of being able to help others who occasionally come to the church for help. Please start saving your change in order to participate when the children pass the little buckets! NOTE - Mar 27 is Easter so the first collection will be on Apr 3. Lenten Study Wednesdays March 2, 9 & 16 6:30 pm Light meal prior to study Study Search & Call Team Update The Search & Call team has begun the process of finding our next called Pastor for AHCC. Scott Shellabarger (Co-Chair) Laurie VanDierendonck (Co-Chair) Katy Lee Tom Moore Susan Smith Joshua Haney Nancy Martin The team asks for your prayers as we begin this important task on behalf of AHCC. The team has met twice which included a meeting with Rev. Dr. Bill Edwards, who gave us some important guidance and advice and answered questions the team had for him. Our first task will be to complete a congregational profile, along with the help of our members. On Sunday February 14th, I addressed the church regarding a few questions that will be in the bulletin. The team plans on meeting with the different ministries to discuss and answer these questions which will be used to complete the congregational profile. We hope to complete this task within a month. We also will be available for one on one discussion with anyone that would rather answer the questions in that way. We ask that you keep our team in your prayers as we begin this very exciting journey! Thanks, Co-Chair-Laurie VanDierendonck

3 Page 3 Moderator Morsels Greetings, AHCC! There is SO much going on in the life of our church. Here are just a few areas that are top of mind for me: When God Left the Building : We had a good turnout for this movie that was shown at our church in early February (thank you to the Elders for making this happen!). I ve seen it twice now, and it truly made a lasting impression on me both times. Many of the realities addressed are not easy to face, especially for longtime churchgoers. But we know that there is HOPE and that God is good! God just might be calling us in unexpected and unfamiliar ways. As a follow-up to the movie, Rev. Nancy is leading a Lenten study on Wednesday evenings based on the book, Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore. Even if you aren t able to attend the study, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book and reading it on your own. Nominating Team: This year s team is already hard at work. For those of you who aren t familiar with what this group does, they are tasked with nominating officers (Moderator, Vice-Moderator, etc.) and officials (Trustees, Deacons, and Elders) for the church year, which begins in July. Please keep this team in your prayers, as the future leadership of our congregation is very important. I also hope that you will be open to hearing how God might be calling YOU to serve in the coming year! Search and Call! As you ve hopefully heard by now, this team is up and running and enthusiastic! We ve met three times, including on February 11 when we welcomed the Rev. Dr. Bill Edwards from the Christian Church in Ohio. He conducted an orientation for our team and answered some initial questions we had. Our first big step in this process is to complete a fairly extensive congregational profile. We are in the process of gathering all kinds of information for it, and we need your help! Here is how you can support the process: We have distributed some questions about our congregation for you to consider, and we plan to visit several church groups throughout the month of March to talk with you and gather your responses to those questions. Please be thinking about what professional and personal qualities you desire in a pastor. We ll be gathering that feedback during those group sessions as well. After we meet with groups, we will ask you to complete a survey about what you feel are the most important ministerial strengths for a minister at AHCC to have. The input you provide will help the Search Team complete our congregational profile. This is critical to the work we re doing because we can t begin to even consider candidates until we finish this step. Your participation is greatly appreciated! Joy and Hope, Katy Lee, Moderator

4 Page 4 Family Fellowship Fun Night At the congregational luncheon in January, many members shared memories of what they appreciated most about Anderson Hills Christian Church. The one theme prevalent in several comments was Fellowship. It is apparent that we enjoy being together! Since we all enjoy each other s company, why not provide more opportunities to share fellowship? Don and Laverne Shellabarger have volunteered to organize an ongoing Family Fellowship Night. On Family Fellowship Nights, participants can join a theme-based activity or just sit back and relax. To make things less complicated, every effort will be made to plan a Family Fellowship Night starting at 7pm on the first Friday of every month. Reminders and/or any changes in dates and times will be announced during worship as well as noted in the bulletin. The only expectation is for everyone to enjoy the evening. Punctuality is not required. You can arrive or leave whenever you please. If you need transportation, please contact Laverne Shellabarger at and she will make sure you have a ride. Family Fellowship Night is intended for everyone, so feel free to invite friends and family. There are no age requirements. Everyone is welcome. If you have any ideas for an activity, please contact Don & Laverne. Let s get together to talk, laugh, eat, and have a great time! Family Fellowship Activities for April and May Friday, April 1: Favorite Card Game Night - AHCC Fellowship Hall Games begin at 7pm Bring a deck of cards If you wish, bring snacks and drinks to share If you like Poker, bring your chips Bring Old Maid, Go Fish, Uno, etc. Be prepared for the long anticipated Euchre Tournament! Relax and enjoy yourself. If you love a particular card game, just let it be known and you will have an opportunity to play it. Friday, May 6: Dinner and Fun at the Heeneys - John & Mary Heeney s Home Details will be provided near the end of April As Family Fellowship Night matures, it could provide a fun and carefree way for us to share our love and joy with neighbors who live in other communities. What a huge dose of positive energy!

5 Page 5 Flooring project: 1) workers on Fri. Mar 4 at. to remove old carpet and prepare tile floor; 2) workers on Sat., Mar 5 at 9 am 3 pm to install new carpet squares. (Children s Classroom and Fellowship Hall) If you can volunteer some hours to assist, please let Susan Smith or Nancy Martin know what days and times you are available. Blessings! Ministry Team IPM Mobile Pantry Wednesday, March 9 9 am 12:15 pm Volunteers needed Contact Chris Eichorn chriseichorn@gmail.com or March 20 Ministry Team Meeting After Worship Chi Rho Mar 6 5:30 pm Mar 20 5:30 pm We will soon receive a donation check for $ from Kroger. Thank you for listing AHCC with your shopping card. C Community Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March am 11 am Volunteers Needed Contact: Susan Smith AHCC Easter Flowers Orders taken Feb. 28, Mar 6 & 13 Mark choices on the Flower envelope in the bulletin. Flowers will be available for pickup after the Easter Cantata. Price Flower Color $9.75 Easter Lily White $13.50 Hyacinth Blue Pink White Red Yellow Pink Orange Purple $ Tulips Family Fellowship Night Favorite Card Game Friday, April 1 9 pm Contact: Laverne s. Jeff Tincher Don & Laverne Shellabarger Nominating Team The Board has approved the following individuals to serve on this year's Nominating Team: Barbara Moore, Elder Rep Gayle Roush, Elder Rep Sue Carter, Deacon Rep Brad Smith, Deacon Rep Steve Brinker, Member at Large Brian Lee, Member at Large THANK YOU to these individuals who are tasked with prayerfully discerning God's will for our church leadership. I know that they would appreciate your prayers and encouragement throughout this process; and I am hopeful that all of us will keep an open heart and mind about how God might be calling each of us to serve in the coming year.. Blessings, Katy Lee

6 Page 6 The Disciples Women will meet in March, but instead of Wednesday evening (due to Lenten series) we will meet on Sunday, March 13, after morning worship with a potluck lunch. All ladies in the church are invited. We will enjoy lunch together and continue with the study: Red Hot Faith, Lessons from a Lukewarm Church. If you are able to come and need child care, please let us know and we will provide child care (Call Susan Smith or Laurie Van Dierendonck) Our annual AHCC Easter Egg Hunt is coming soon. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 26 and is open to the entire community. We would like for all our congregation to volunteer in some way for this effort. We will be needing candy donations for the goodie bags, people to help set up ahead of time, volunteers serving as greeters, helpers with hiding eggs and directing the children. Beginning on Sunday, February 28, there will be sign-up sheets in the narthex. Looking for Summer Nanny Position Hello Church Friends, I am interested in finding a full or part time nanny position for this summer. I would be available beginning the last week in May 2016 to first week in August I also would be available to pet sit or dog walk anytime. Please let me know if you or anyone you may know might be interested in talking with me about a potential summer position. You can call or text me personally at (513) You could also let either one of my parents know of any interest. Thanks for your consideration, Lauren VanDierendonck Search & Call Team Nominating Team Jeff T. s family Roland Serenil s father & Roland s grandmother died John Kingfisher Wanda Owens Sarah & John Baker & family Prayers for: Joys Baby Levi James Snow dedicated Feb 14. Jane McSorley s grandson. Jim & Bonnie send their greetings from Albuquerque Tim Henson Turpin Band Steffanie Webb Tom B & Kay W & Bear (Tom & Kay s dog) Debbie Harlow& Family Don Shellabarger Travel safety for Tabitha s family Dear Members of AHCC, Thank you for your gift of $380 from your special Christmas Offering. This donation is making a difference with families who are struggling with difficult choices. They are forced to make a daily decision to pay for food or pay for the gas to get to work, or pay for medicine. They are hard-working people who are now hopeful because your contribution helped them. It will grow far beyond what you could ever imagine. Sincerely, Lindsey F. Ein

7 Serving in March... Page 7 Deacon and Fellowship Snack Schedule Greeter Mary Heeney (3/20) Preparers Doug Roush (3/6) Cindy Thomas (3/13) Usher Tammy Riffle (3/27) All Deacons should be prepared to sub Elders Mar 6 th Sean Riffle / Barb Moore Mar 13 th Laurie VanDierendonck/ Sean Riffle Mar 20 th Sean Riffle / Katy Lee Mar 27 th Susan Smith/ Sean Riffle Junior Worship and Children s Moment Mar 6 th Laurie VanDierendonck Mar 13 th Jennie Cox Mar 20 th Susan Smith Mar 27 th Children Remain in worship Apr 3 rd Jeanna Haney ~Church Office Info~ Pastor Hours Rev. Nancy A. Eichorn s office hours will vary from week to week. Please check with her or call the church office for current hours. Secretary Hours Lynda s office hours are Wednesdays & Thursdays 8:30 am 2:30 pm. If you would like your name removed from our Monthly Newsletter, please respond to this or call the church office at (513) , and we will promptly remove your name. If you would like to receive your newsletter in printed form, please let us know that, too. Thank you. ~AHCC Fellowship Hall Rentals~ Karate: Tuesday & Thursday 5:30 8:00 pm, Saturday 9:00. Contact Kim Weber at March Birthdays 3/3 Valerie Preston 3/6 Olivia Haney 3/9 Jonathan Lee 3/12 Laurie Roessler 3/16 Barb Moore 3/17 Hazel Baker 3/25 Sarah Baker March Anniversaries 3/3 Chris & Sheri Eichorn 3/7 Gabe & Lauren Lyon 3/30 Justine Eichorn Laurie Van Dierendonck

8 Anderson Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 8119 Clough Pike Cincinnati, OH Rev. Nancy A. Eichorn Interim Pastor Office Hours Lynda - Secretary W & Th 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM Join us on Sundays 10:30 AM Worship Junior Worship ~ Most Sundays AHCC s elementary-aged kids baked and decorated LOTS of cookies, then delivered them to local fire and police stations to thank them for their service to our community! March Dates Mar 2 Soup & Bread meal 6:30 pm Lenten Study Mar 3 AL-ANON Mar 4 Flooring Project 9 pm Mar 5 Flooring Project 9 am 3 pm Mar 6 Adult Sunday School 9:30 am Worship Admin Team Meeting After Worship Chi Rho 5:30 pm Choir practice Mar 7 Olive Garden 11:30 am Transition Team 6:30 pm Cub scouts pack 6:30 pm Mar 9 IPM Mobile Pantry 9 am 12 pm Soup & Bread meal 6:30 pm Lenten Study Mar 10 AL-ANON Mar 13 Daylight Savings Time Begins Adult Sunday School 9:30 am DW Officers meeting 9:30 am Worship DW Carry-in Lunch meeting After worship Choir practice 7:30 pm Mar 14 Elders 7:00 pm Mar 15 Election Day (Polling Location) Mar 16 Soup & Bread meal 6:30 pm Lenten Study Mar 17 AL-ANON Mar 20 Palm Sunday Adult Sunday School 9:30 am Worship Ministry Team After worship Chi Rho 5:30 pm Choir Practice Mar 24 Maundy Thursday Light meal at AHCC 6:15 pm Worship service AL-ANON Mar 25 Good Friday Prayer service Mar 26 Community Easter Egg Hunt am Cantata dress rehearsal noon Mar 27 Easter Sunday Light Breakfast & Social time 9:30 am Easter Cantata Mar 28 Search & Call meeting 6:30 pm Mar 31 AL-ANON Apr 1 Family Fellowship Fun Night 9 pm Apr 3 Adult Sunday School 9:30 am Worship Service Choir Practice AHCC Building Rental and Weekly meetings *Tues Anderson Karate 5:30 pm 8 pm *Thurs Anderson Karate 5:30 pm 8 pm *Thurs AL-ANON *Sat Anderson Karate 9 am