May 2017 CHURCH STAFF Pastor: Rev. Cecilia Baxter Interim Pastor: Rev. John Kunkel Pastoral Intern: Bob Rapp Director of Children and Youth Ministry: Janet Newett Director of Music: Andy Hoke Nursery: Bobbie Pacheco, Julie Rice, Amber Ebert Administrator: Deborah Brogan Facility Manager: Herschel Schreck Custodian: Brooke Weed Vol. 23 - Issue 4 610-865-6565 christ@christucc.org www.christucc.org Childcare available at all services. WORSHIP 10:30 a.m. May 7, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Easter Communion May 14, 2017 Fifth Sunday of Easter Mother s Day May 21, 2017 Sixth Sunday of Easter May 28, 2017 Seventh Sunday of Easter
Invite a friend to our All Ages Game Night on May 6th at 6:30pm. Bring your favorite game from home, or play one of ours. It is sure to be a night of fun, food and fellowship. When I was a child, one of my very favorite games was Mouse Trap. Of course, I loved the part of the game when you get to turn the crank and set the chain reaction in motion. It s always fun to watch the complicated process that leads to the trap falling (hopefully on my opponents mice). There s something else I love about the game though: I love how you get to set up the board as you play. Most of the other games that my brother and I played, like Jenga, had to be set up before we could begin. Mouse Trap is a "set up as you go" kind of experience. I also like the way that you have to work together to play Mouse Trap. At least until the contraption is built, everybody is working on the same project: getting all of the pieces in place so that the chain reaction will work properly. Once it s built, all bets are off, but during the building, everybody works toward the same goal. Sometimes, the Church approaches new ideas like we re playing Jenga. We decide what we want to do, and then we spend a whole lot of time setting ourselves up to be able to do it. Then we can get easily frustrated when our plan doesn t work as well as we d hoped: the wooden blocks aren t stacked quite right and the whole game falls apart at first touch, or maybe we lose enthusiasm and energy before we even finish setting up! What would it look like to approach our dreams and goals like Mouse Trap instead? What if we decided where we want to go and then we start on that path, working together and making adjustments as we make our journey? We can start the game before the entire board is set up. We can start on our dreams before we are sure of where they are going to take us. This is what a life of faith, of complete trust in the Spirit is all about. As we work together to serve God, as we walk together following Jesus, it s important for us to have a dream and it s important for us to have a plan. It s also crucial for us to start doing, sometimes even before every step of the journey is clear. We can trust that the Spirit will be our guide. So let s dream together. Let s plan together. And let s keep working together as God s people shining God s light in the world. I think it will be fun. In Christ s Peace, Pastor Cecilia Not Even an Hour The other evening I was lost in a reverie as I mindlessly stared out the kitchen window. My gaze was transfixed upon a honeybee that was flitting from blossom to blossom on an apple tree in our back yard just a few feet from the window. The tree offered a seemingly endless supply of exactly whatever it is that bee s collect. For a long moment I watched amazed at this small creature doing instinctively what it was doing. I remember thinking what a life no worries, no cares how different from homo sapiens (a higher species of creation?) My reverie was interrupted and I was rudely jarred back to reality with the radio s musical intro to the news broadcast at the top of the hour. OK, I thought, enlighten me; I suppose I should know what is going on in the world In a few minutes I heard about the potential nuclear crisis North Korea poses, the forcible removal of a passenger from a United Airlines flight, and Syrian President Assad s chemical weapon use. By the time the fourth story was beginning I had had enough. I turned off the radio and headed to the bookshelf, pulled out my Bible, and read to myself a part of Matthew s 6 th chapter 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, What will we eat? or What will we drink? or What will we wear? 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today s trouble is enough for today. Sighing, I took a deep breath and went back to the window without the radio blaring all the problems of the day and looked at that little bee for a long time The world s worries faded away. Pastor John
Christ Church Soup Kitchen Anyone interested in volunteering their time for the Christ Church UCC Saturday Soup Kitchen please contact Lynn Ratzell at 610-759-1982 or sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0445a9aa29a2ff2-soup Consistory Updates After many years of dedicated service in supervising the pantry for the soup kitchen, Patty Jones will be taking on a new role of providing care for her new grandchild. So Patty will be stepping down from this position. We thank Patty for the great job she has done. We are now in need of a person or group to place orders for the pantry from Second Harvest and organize the ingredients for groups coming in to work at our soup kitchen. If you are interested in helping please contact the church office or a Consistory member. Peace, Ed Yenolevich, Consistory Chair Worship Planning Meeting Sunday, May 7 Immediately after worship in the All Purpose Room Please bring a bagged lunch. Hospitality Team Meeting Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30 pm in the All Purpose Room Greeters are needed for Sunday worship. Please contact the church office or sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0445a9aa29a2ff2- worship If there is any one interested in placing altar flowers in our sanctuary, please contact Barbara Davies at 610-838-6142. Stand Up Bethlehem An event held to aid the homeless of Bethlehem. Saturday, June 10 in Eberts Hall Used clothing donations will be accepted at the church from now up to and including the day of the event. Free Hot Food Free Clothing and Personal Items Veterans Services Available Free Health Checks and Hair Cuts To donate your time, goods, or for more information, please contact: Bob Rapp 484-357-0600 or masherrapp@gmail.com TARGETED GIVING DONORS NEEDED? Our ministerial and administrative staff rely heavily on computer technology to create newsletters, track finances, create reports, conduct research, write sermons and a whole host of other important functions. Our current computers are well past their end of life and we are in dire need of replacing them. If you would like to help underwrite the cost of the new computers, please send a check to the church office or use one of the pew envelopes and indicate your wish to support the purchase of the computers. Any contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated. Church Peanuts will be available for your orders on Monday, May 22. Price per. 1/2 lb. $2.50. Place your order in the order book by Wednesday, May 17 at the church office or phone in 610-865-6565. Dear Christ Church Family, We wish to express our sincerest and heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of support, prayers, cards, notes, phone calls and visits from so many of you during Jeff s recent hospitalization and rehabilitation. Mere words cannot express the true feeling of love we felt and which was so greatly appreciated. We look forward to coming back once again to church some Sunday to see you all. God bless, Jeff and Nancy Heller Please notify the church office with any changes in your household, ie: address change. We also need to know our homebound members and their needs. Please inform the church office if you or a family member have been admitted to the hospital and advise the hospital that our church code is 409.
Classes are from 9:15-10:15am each Sunday Morning for Preschool through 7th grade. Children are engaged through story, music, play, crafts and video. Offering is collected weekly, as well! Teachers: Judy Koch, Jess Becker, and Anthony Newett PNEC Annual Youth Retreat May 19-21 (Cost per youth $130) Christ Church has 11 youth attending the retreat this month with many other youth from our conference. The theme is GOD FIRST! How do we put God first when so many things call for our attention?? UCC General Synod June 30-July 4 (Cost per youth approximately $600) Christ Church has 7 youth attending this important event in Baltimore, MD!! This is the 30th General Synod for the United Church of Christ. Our youth will join with thousands of faithful people to debate, praise, celebrate, and serve. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THESE and other EXCITING FAITH FORMATION ACTIVITIES through the following funding opportunities: 1. Carl's Corner Hoagie Vouchers $5! Purchase a voucher from the church office or on a Sunday morning and use it at your convenience for either an Italian, Turkey or Tuna 7" sub from Carl. (2 W Elizabeth Ave Bethlehem) 2. Call the office to pre-order a soft pretzel from Philly Pretzel Factory. Pretzels are only $1!! Available for pick on up Mother's Day, May 14! 3. INVEST IN THE YOUTH... Buy STOCK in the YOUTH! Choose your investment level $10, 25, 40...$100 etc Receive a STOCK certificate, a postcard from Baltimore and an special BRUNCH in August (date TBD) THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED AND OTHERWISE PARTICIPATED IN THE VENDOR/BAKE SALE ON APRIL 1 AND 2!! As of April 23 we raised $3,058.00 for our awesome youth!! Prayer Circle Tuesday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. in the Parlor The Prayer Circle will pray for you daily for one month, and continue to pray as requested. Place cards in the Prayer Box on the Information Booth located in the Narthex or call Bea Sheriff 610-691-3021. ADULT BIBLE CLASS The Adult Bible Class meets at 9:15AM Sunday mornings in the room behind the Gathering Place. All are welcome to join us. Come when you can. May 7 Ruined for Good Sandy Yoder 14 Why Should We Keep Praying Sandy Yoder 21 Who, Me Worry? Sandy Yoder 28 NO CLASS DEATH April 14, 2017 Karen Cunningham YOGA Feeling stressed? Need a little centering and relaxation? Thursday nights beginning May 4, 7-8:15pm In The Gathering Place No Experience necessary Free childcare available $5.00 suggested donation Learn, Discuss, Reflect and Grow... At our Book Discussion Group In the All Purpose Room on Sundays from 9:15am-10am Beginning on May 7 and ending June 11 Pick up a book in the Church Office for $8 or buy it on Kindle
Buy STOCK in Christ Church YOUTH and Help Send a Youth to General Synod 2017!! Choose your investment level $10, $25, $50, $100 etc... With your investment, you will receive.. a STOCK Certificate and Receive a postcard from Baltimore, MD! Following General Synod, you will be invited to attend the Stockholder s Brunch where youth participants will share their experience with you via photos, memories, videos and more! General Synod 2017 June 30-July 4, 2017 THEME: Make Glad This is a gathering of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, that happens every two years. Thousands come together from all across the country and beyond to talk about church structure, issues of peace and justice and witness to the awesomeness of God. This is an opportunity for youth to meet new people, participate in moving worship services and hear inspiring speakers. Also youth will have a chance to create new understandings about themselves, the world, what they believe and how they see themselves in the world as a person of faith. FUNDRAISING GOAL: $6000.00 Cost per person for Event, Housing, Food and Transportation: $600 Easter Cantata --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I want to buy stock in Christ Church Youth and help send them to GENERAL SYNOD 2017! (return this form with your investment to the Christ Church office) NAME: April 9 ADDRESS: 10:30 am Directe EMAIL: Level of Investment: (circle) $10 $25 $40 $50 $75 $100 $150 $200 $300 OR