ANNOUNCEMENTS * ANNOUNCEMENTS * ANNOUNCEMENTS

To my church family, friends:

Our director Doreen Irwin will be retiring next month from Sacramento City College. On May 17th, Friday evening 8 PM and on May 19th at 3 PM Sunday afternoon our FINALE will be presented, it will be our last concerts directed by her. (there will be 120 voices) FREE ADMISSION - PERFORMING AT THE PERFORMANCE ART CENTER, ON CAMPUS OF THE SCC. (OUR NEW AUDITORIUM). Any questions: Dorothy Fong.

In Loving Memory - Ben Rushing

Saturday, May 18th, all are invited to a time to remember and celebrate the life of Ben Rushing (Rushing Bear). The service will be here at First Christian Church and will begin at 1 PM. Ben had been a great servant of God in our midst for many years, who did not allow his disability to stop him from offering many, many words and deeds of love. Ben had served us as an elder, and was very active with Bible and Bag ministry. Please keep Marge and sons, Andrew and Jon, in your prayers in this time.

Summer Special Music

Sign up now to share special music during the summer months. Choir will take a break after June 16th, until early September.

Talent Show and Dinner Report

Thank you again to all who performed, cooked and served at the April Talent show. The final financials for the event show a profit of $870.00. This amount will be equally divided between supporting music ministries and camp scholarship funds.

Richard March is called to the Peace Corps

Richard March came to us in July of 2010 to lead Celebration. He will conclude his music ministry with First Christian Church on Sunday, June 2nd. Richard will begin a 2-and-a-half year term with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia starting July 1st. During Richard's time with us, he led Celebration at our Regional Annual Meeting in 2011, and started our new music ministry, Newsound in late fall of 2011. He also helped us begin our Walking for Wellness program. We are very grateful for all of his leadership with us! We'll celebrate Richard's ministry with a Coffee Hour on May 26th, and then recognition in worship on June 2nd. Richard will stay in touch, so that we can hear of his work and undergird it with our prayers. We are receiving donations for going away gifts for Richard. Use one of the envelopes in the pews and mark it "Richard gift" or get the donation to Ileen Jellison. Donation checks need to be made out to FCC.

Apply now for FCC Scholarships

First Christian Church offers scholarships. If you are active in the ministries of this Church and are going to be a college or graduate student in the fall of 2013, you are eligible to apply. Scholarship applications are now available in the Church office, or in the Library. If you have questions, contact Pastor Ted or Nan Fellers. All applications must be completed and returned to the Church office by June 23.

Graduation Honors

These are our FCC graduates for Spring, 2013:

Wedding Shower for Bethany and Andrew

Plan to stay after worship on June 2nd to celebrate with the happy couple. Andrew Weinberg and some of his family will be visiting that day. They are registered for gifts at Target and Macy's. Wedding will be August 10th, in Newport Beach. Their household colors are red and black.

FCC Graduation Celebration

Is there anyone in your family who will be graduating this Spring? High school, college or graduate degrees, please contact the Church office. We would like to know so that our Church can recognize their achievement in worship on Sun., May 19th. So, if you have graduate in your family, please contact Pastor Ted or Kathy by May 5th.

Summer Camp Dates are Here!

2013 SUMMER CAMP DATES - The N. California/Nev. Region has announed dates for summer camps. If you are a young person, you know this is the best week of the year!! Our summer camps are held at the beautiful Community of the Great Commission in the mountains near Foresthill. Please write these dates down now!

Adult Camp - June 6-9 - Community of the Great Commission

Chi Rho/Junior Camp - June 23rd-June 29th - Community of the Great Commission

CYF Camp - June 30th-July 6th - Community of the Great Commission

Grandparents and Me Camp (session 1) - June 29-July 1

Grandparents and Me Camp (session 2) - July 1-July 3

Walking for Wellness

We believe in good stewardship of our physical bodies. Sio, every month, we go out walking for wellness. On the first and third Sundays of every month, some of us pull on comfortable shoes after worship and go for a leisurely walk in the neighborhood (about a mile). For more information, contact Michelle Nichol.

COFFEE HOUR NEEDS YOU!

Needed: Volunteers to host for the coming months. Please sign up on the bulletin board in the hallway near the library. Remember, cookies and snacks are optional. If you are honoring a special day, please write down the occasion when you sign up.

NEWS * NEWS * NEWS

Pentecost Worship Service on May 19th

Come celebrate the birth of the Church on Pentecost. Come and let your spirits lifted up by the Holy Spirit. On that day all are encouraged to wear red. We will also receive our Pentecost special offering. Pentecost Offering is designated to fund new church starts. So please give generously to spread the gospel in new communities of faith.

Coffee Hour for Richard March - May 26th

Richard March came to us in July of 2010 to lead Celebration. He will conclude his music ministry with First Christian Church on Sunday, June 2nd. Richard will begin a 2-and-a-half year term with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia starting July 1st. During Richard's time with us, he led Celebration at our Regional Annual Meeting in 2011, and started our new music ministry, Newsound in late fall of 2011. He also helped us begin our Walking for Wellness program. We are very grateful for all of his leadership with us! We'll celebrate Richard's ministry with a Coffee Hour on May 26th, and then recognition in worship on June 2nd. Richard will stay in touch, so that we can hear of his work and undergird it with our prayers.

2013 Rummage Sale - June 1st

Our Church Rummage sale will be on Saturday, June 1st. We will begin receiving your donations of used items around May 1st. Please bring your items any morning, Sunday through Thursday, up until May 23rd. We will need some time to be able to price and organize everything. Rummage sales are fun! If you would be able to help, please contact Katie Roberts or Kathy Burt. We will need help any day the week before the sale, including the sale date. Please no clothing or large furniture items.

Rummage Sale pricing and prep group - come and help! Starting Tuesday, April 30th, the pricing and prep group for the rummage sale will meet in the Fellowhip Hall Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 2 PM and Wednesdays from 9:30 AM to 12 noon. Anyone is welcome to help, for any amount of time.

Bethany and Andrew's wedding shower - June 2nd after church

An all-church "couple's shower/lunch" will be hosted by the Disciples Women's ministries on Sunday, June 2nd, following the service. It will be a free lunch featuring ballpark food. Please plan to attend. The couple is "crazy about baseball" so we will get to hear how they recruited each other, and how Andrew made the winning pitch to Ted and Vickie. The couple is registered in the bridal departments of Target and Macy's. If you would like to help with the shower or be included in a group gift, see Priscilla Ross or Barbara Kronquest.

Adult Camp - June 6th-9th

Men's Spiritual Challenge - June 8-9

"Fearless" is the theme of our 2013 Men's Spiritual Challenge. In the Bible, there are dozens and dozens of times when God, or spiritual leaders tell the people, "fear not!" How do we learn to "fear not." At the Men's Challenge this year, we will learn and share together the lessons of how our faith can overcome those things that we find fearful or difficult.

The Men's Challenge will be June 8-9. Our physical challenges will include a river run on the Class IV Middle fork of the American River. We will camp that night at the Community of the Great Commission. The cost is $105 for men ages 17-25, and $130 for men 26 and up, and includes four meals, the camping and all activities. This is the last call. Contact Pastor Ted if you are interested.

Deacons Training - June 9th

At 8:30 AM on Sunday, June 9th, you will all be fed pancakes by chef, Ron Ross, in the social hall. This is the annual training for all deacons - new and already serving. It's the one day a year we ask you to be with each other on your team to catch-up on changes in procedure and elect leadership. YOUR WHOLE FAMILY is invited to come with you and enjoy. A MUST ATTEND! RSVP - Ron and Priscilla Ross. SAVE THIS DATE, PLEASE.

Pastor Ted's 10th Anniversary - June 16th

Come and celebrate with us in worship on Sunday, June 16 (Father's Day), for Pastor Ted's 10th anniversary at First Christian Church. We will have a special Coffee Hour for P.T. after worship.

All Ages Dinner and Games - June 17th

On Monday, June 17th, all ages are invited to share dinner and games together. We will gather in the Fellowship Hall at 6 PM and start dinner soon after. Spaghetti, salad and bread will be provided for just $3.00 donation per person. We will also have vegetarian spaghetti options. Bring your favorite table games, but we will have croquet outside also. Bring the kids, and bring your friends!

Congregational Meeting - June 23rd

We will have a congregational meeting following worship on Sunday, June 23rd, in order to approve our new congregational officers for 2013. These names will be posted on the Bulletin Board starting May 19th.

Chi Rho/Junior Camp at CGC - June 23rd

CYF Camp at CGC - June 30th

Disciples General Assembly - July 13-16, 2013

This July, Disciples will gather in Orlando for our biennial gathering. The theme is "Lord, Teach Us to Pray." Representatives from 3700 congregations will come together for this event. The General Assembly is our time of gathering for the business of the Church, but also for inspiration and learning. Would you like to attend and be a delegate from First Christian Church? If so, FCC will be able to help with some funding for your trip. The early bird rate is $155.00 per person. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Ted right away.

REMINDERS * REMINDERS * REMINDERS

Alternative Gift Giving

We live in a culture of "Too Much Stuff". Our closets are stuffed. Our garages are stuffed. We even rent storage units for more stuff. So, when we think of giving we may be adding more stuff to our lives. We would like to suggest an alternative. In our community there's a number of fine programs working to meet the needs of individuals and families. There are a number of great organizations doing local, national and international work. You will find a list of some of these people and organizations on the hallway bulletin board with their addresses. You may have a group that you and your family support. Consider these as alternatives to stuff.
The Department of Outreach aka Reaching Out

Quality of Life Cards

Reminder: Raleys/Bel Air has replaced the Quality of Life program with the Extra Credit program, a benefit of their new loyalty program called Something Extra. To continue supporting First Christian Church/Christian Women, please sign up for Extra Credit. If you haven't already, the next time you shop at Raley's or Bel Air pick up a card and sign up there for the Something Extra program. Most people use their phone number as their loyalty number. Once you've signed up for Something Extra, go online to www.raleys.com/extracredit and join the extra credit program. Select "First Christian Church/Christian Women" as your organization and select "100%" for the % of your donation. Marge Rushing will be available after church on January 13th and 20th to help you sign up for Extra Credit.

Coffee Hour

We need more coffee hour volunteers. Cookies are not a requirement (but they are nice!), all we need are people who will set out beverages and clean up afterwards. Sign up on the sign-up sheet on the hallway Bulletin Board.

Donation Center

We collect several different items for charities. We collect Campbell Soup labels, grocery bags, toiletries for St. John's Shelter, coffee mugs, etc. We now have a convenient collection center in the Fellowship Hall. Check it out!

Membership has its rewards!

First Christian Church offers a number of services to members. For one thing, if you are a member, we do not charge you for the use of the building for weddings! We maintain membership files here in the Church office. In the files, we offer the opportunity to store important paperwork, like copies of Advanced Health Care Directives or DNR forms. In this way, you and your family can be assured that these papers can be readily accessed in case of emergencies. Additionally, many people like to do advanced planning for their own memorial services. You may have special requests of favorite hymns or scriptures, or of fraternal organizations that you would like included in your memorial planning. The Church staff and clerk will be happy to keep these requests on file, so that we can serve you. If you would like to become a member of First Christian Church, please contact Pastor Ted.

Remember First Christian Church In Your Estate Planning

For 155 years, First Christian Church has worked in the Sacramento area to spread the gospel, to educate young people and to feed the hungry. We have been able to do so because of the faithful support of people like you. If you believe that this ministry should go on, then we encourage you to include First Christian Church in your will. Consult your lawyer or estate planner to find out the best way to give. As you do, you will benefit the generations yet to come into our church.

Volunteers Needed!

The ministries of First Christian Church depend upon lots of willing volunteers. It is our belief that all members of the church have some way to share their gifts in service to all. The following is a short list of opportunities.

Coffee Hour - We need volunteers to prepare coffee and snacks for our fellowship time after worship. If you want more information, contact Carol Scott or Kathryn King.

Children's Ministries - We always need Sunday School teachers and substitute Sunday School teachers. There are other ways to help also, contact Heather Barnes-Ponder or Pastor Ted.

Service and Outreach Ministries - Do you get excited about working to help refugees, children in crisis, the hungry, and the homeless? If so, we try to create opportunities for service. Contact Kathy Smith.

Music Service - Do you like to sing, or play an instrument? Contact choir director Suzie Agee, or Praise Team director Richard March.

ADULT GROUPS * ADULT GROUPS * ADULT GROUPS

CHILDREN'S GROUPS * CHILDREN'S GROUPS * CHILDREN'S GROUPS

Sunday School classes are offered every Sunday for those children ages 4 years and older. Child care is offered for infants, 2 and 3 year olds.

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