EVERYDAY A M o n t h l y P u b l i c a t i o n o f C l i f f Te m p l e B a p t i s t C h u r c h Volume 1, No. 3 March 2015 The Cliff spreading hope by picking up trash around the neighborhood - see page 5 for more
2 Dear Cliff Temple Family, With Easter just around the corner (our brothers and sisters in Cliff Temple en Español call this day Resurrection Sunday), it s fitting that we dedicate this edition of Everyday to the theme of hope. In the early 1940s, two prominent psychiatrists lived in Vienna, Austria, each with a very different take on life. Sigmund Freud held that the chief impulse and purpose of humans is to seek pleasure. He believed that we exist to find pleasure, in food, sex, experiences, comfort, and so on. Victor Frankl, on the other hand, believed that what truly made life fulfilling for humans is not pleasure, but meaning. In 1942, Frankl, his wife and his parents were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp near Prague. Even though he was in four Nazi camps, Frankl survived the Holocaust, including Auschwitz in Poland, from 1942-45. When he arrived in Auschwitz, he encountered two lines: those in the line moving left were to go to the gas chambers, while those in the line moving right were to be spared. Frankl was directed to the line moving left, but managed to live by slipping into the other line without being noticed. Other members of his family were not so fortunate. Frankl s wife, his parents, and other family members died in the concentration camps. Frankl secretly kept a record of his observations in the camps and later published The Doctor and the Soul: An Introduction to Logotherapy in 1963. In this book he taught that life has meaning even in the most deplorable of circumstances. Humans consist of mind, body and spirit, and can discover meaning through good work, spiritual resources and relationships. What kept Frankl and other prisoners going in such brutal conditions, while others withered away? Frankl believed that it came down to hope. If one can find something to live for; something to cherish in one s mind s eye (as Frankl did with his wife, not knowing that she had already been killed); something to cling to as a reason for being; then one can keep going. Frankl never lost hope. He found purpose in encouraging other prisoners, recording his experiences and believing that one day such learning would help others. Essentially, the story of Christ is a message of hope. We have hope through Christ that God is present in our sufferings, that suffering can be redeemed, that there is life beyond this life. I Peter 3:15-16 says, You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. Frankl wanted others to know the reason for his hope. Can you explain to someone else the reason for your hope? Are you ready for such an encounter? Christ is risen! In His love and grace, Dr. Brent McDougal Hospitality Training Our Hospitality Training, postponed due to weather, has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 21, from 9:00-11:30 a.m., in Fellowship Hall. This training is for every group in our church (Sunday school teachers and directors, deacons, Wednesday night volunteers, greeters, ushers, Goslin volunteers, children and youth workers, etc.). The goal of this training is to strategize how to improve hospitality in every facet of our church.
3 Everyday Missionary News from the Special Friends Class by Paul Cardarella The Special Friends Sunday School Class has allowed our Amie to feel like she has her own special place for Sunday School. Donna McCrary has done an excellent job ensuring she has activities each week to attract the attention of the participants which is different from the normal class. I believe this class also demonstrates a spirit on the part of our church to include people who are often forgotten, even in most churches. It also allows the parents of these young people to be actively involved in their own Sunday School classes and provides a brief respite. I believe there are many families in communities all over this country who never attend church because they don't or are not made to feel comfortable attending with a disabled family member. We should be very proud of what we are doing and make it known as much as possible. We have an opportunity to minister to folks who lead stressful lives each day; to let them know there is a place of refuge.
4 Super Adults to The Dallas Summer Musicals Thursday, April 2 1:30 p.m. Bus leaves at 12:30 and returns after the performance. If we have a group of 10 or more, we have an opportunity to purchase tickets in the Music Hall orchestra section at a discount of $50 for the matinee performance. If you would like to go, please call Walter at 214-942-8601. Swing for the Cliff Golf Tournament THE CLIFF - our youth group - will hold its annual golf tournament on Monday, April 27, at The Golf Club of Dallas. All proceeds from this tournament will help our students to take a trip to Atlanta this summer. Many of our students are from low-income homes around our church; therefore, we appreciate any assistance you can give us to make these trips a reality. We take trips like these to give them a chance to make a difference in the lives of other people around our world. For $100, you get a round of golf, one mulligan, and dinner. There are also sponsorships available for $250, $500, and $1,000. Thank you in advance for your support of this important event. With your help, our students at THE CLIFF will have an unforgettable experience this summer. Together we can make a difference in the lives of the youth of today.
5 MLK Service Day from a Student s Perspective by Lydia Behring On Martin Luther King Jr. day, the Cliff Temple youth delivered food with Meals on Wheels. My group delivered eight meals to eight different houses right down the street from the church. As soon as we walked in the first house, the woman s face lit up, before she even realized we were with Meals on Wheels bringing her food. She thanked us six times before we left, and I got the feeling she wasn t just thanking us for the food, but also for the company, even though the visit was brief. We also picked up trash around the perimeter of the church and then down Jefferson Blvd., in honor of the work Dr. King was doing when he passed. One woman stopped us and asked how her daughters could get involved. She told me her daughters wanted to do things like we are doing for their community. It was an encouragement to me to hear her heart. The youth group working outside our church doors gave us the opportunity to invite people to come into our doors. I am excited to see how God uses our work and the relationships we make. Photos on this page and this month s cover courtesy of Sarah O Leary.
6 Leaving a Legacy with Cliff Temple Baptist Church In our 116 years of ministry, Cliff Temple has benefited from estate gifts and other special gifts from her members. These gifts have allowed Cliff Temple to have a continued, dynamic presence in North Oak Cliff and to extend ministry efforts around the city. Thousands have been touched by the ministries of Cliff Temple, and thousands more will be touched in the future. Your gifts can help sustain the future ministries of Cliff Temple, including: The training of youth and children in the Christian faith so that one day they will carry on the work of our church and reach others for Christ; The continuation of ministries such as the Goslin Opportunity Center and The Well Community; The preservation of Cliff Temple s sanctuary, education space and ministry facility needs; The care of members during times of celebration, illness and bereavement; The sending out of Cliff Temple members to serve both locally and globally, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ; The enduring commitment to excellence in music; The loving fellowship that values all generations, from newborns to senior adults. In 2015, we ll see much-needed renovations take place with thanks to the generosity of church members who have given estate and planned gifts, such as Winona Ball. Members have given real estate, stock and other special gifts to Cliff Temple, and every gift makes a difference, whether small or large. Thank you in advance for leaving a legacy for the benefit of others and to the glory of God. To learn how to make a future estate gift or to give a special gift today, please contact Church Administrator, Barbara Evetts, at 214-942-8601 or email barbara@clifftemple.org. Coach Grant Teaff to speak at Cliff Temple on March 15 Legendary head coach Grant Teaff was hired to coach Baylor's program in 1972 when many people said the Bears should drop out of Division I. When the final gun sounded on the 1992 John Hancock Bowl - Teaff's last game as a head coach - he had accomplished one of the most distinguished coaching careers in history. Teaff finished his career 170-151-8 overall in 30 years as a head coach. He was 128-105-6 at Baylor, 83-74-4 in the Southwest Conference and 4-4 in bowl games. He was named SWC Coach of the Year six times and national coach of the year once. He coached 16 first-team all-americans and 83 all-conference performers.* Coach Teaff will be in Cliff Temple s pulpit on Sunday, March 15, at 10:45 a.m. He will also be the speaker at our annual Legacy Partners Lunch following worship that day. For more information or to sign up for the lunch, please call 214-942-8601. *http://www.baylorbears.com/trads/bay-grantteaff.html
7 Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday, February 1 by Jamie Burchfiel The Goslin Opportunity Center is an outreach program within our church that has been providing food, clothing and educational opportunities to many local families in our community for over fifty years. The Goslin Center has been and continues to be the core of Cliff Temple s local missions efforts. Sunday, February 1, 2015, was the annual Souper Bowl of Caring event at our church, which is held once a year on Super Bowl Sunday as a benefit for the Goslin ministry. Attending the event this year was a humbling experience, and I was able to learn about so many wonderful things I never knew about before. This year s Souper Bowl of Caring event raised over $600, and over 2,000 pounds of food were donated. Without the love and support from members of Cliff Temple, the Goslin Opportunity Center would not be able to service as many families in the North Oak Cliff community as it does today. In conjunction with the donations and fundraising that took place, a free soup lunch was served in Fellowship Hall following the church service. For me, the soup lunch was a really great experience, because it allowed everyone from all different groups within our church to come and fellowship together. Events like the Souper Bowl of Caring really make me stop to think about how thankful I am to be a part of such an incredible church family. photo courtesy of Sarah O Leary Unless otherwise noted, photos on this page courtesy of Barbara Evetts
125 Sunset Avenue Dallas, Texas 75208 Phone 214-942-8601 Fax 214-942-8606 www.clifftemple.org Sympathy The Cliff Temple family extends sympathy to...... the family of Jeff Ward, who died on January 27.... William and Marcy Zimmerman in the death of their infant son, William Jeffrey, on February 4. Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday, March 8 2:00 a.m. Set your clocks forward one hour before you sleep Saturday night! March Wedding Anniversaries Jerry & Joyce Wascom 35 yrs Juan & Martha Ochoa 32 yrs Greg & Barbara Evetts 31 yrs Kirby & Diann Warnock 28 yrs Steve & Mindy Long 26 yrs Brent & Jen McDougal 21 yrs Greg & Julie Leftwich 19 yrs Tony & Evadelle Medven 17 yrs Danny & Elaine Parham 12 yrs Easter Activities at Cliff Temple Palm Sunday, March 29 10:45 a.m. The children will bring in palm branches during worship 5:00 p.m. Seder Service Wednesday, April 1 6:00 p.m. Children s Family Easter Event Thursday, April 2 7:00 p.m. Service of Darkness, followed by a time of prayer until midnight Easter Sunday, April 5 - bring flowers to decorate the crosses 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Service at Lake Cliff Park 10:45 a.m. Morning Worship