First Christian will now make Sunday sermons available at our website for you to listen to.  We hope this will be a way for people who aren’t able to attend a Sunday or those who want to know what goes on in that building in South Minneapolis to find out.  Simply go to www.fccminneapolis.org/publications/podcasts to find a sermon to listen to.

Folks from First Christian at Feed My Starving Children. June 2010.

Then, little by little people start showing up.  By the time we get to the sharing of the peace, we have at least 70 people in the room.  It’s still small compared to the size of the sanctuary, but it’s average when compared to churches accross this land: the majority of American congregations have less than 75 people in worship.

Our “average-sized” gathering also reminds me of something else: the size of a church is not as important as the ministry it is involved in.

In the last few months, I’ve been impressed by what this small(er) congregation can do and even what it wants to do.  Back in February, we made 100 hygiene kits to help in the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. We gave $3000 to help launch the Currie Avenue Partnership, which will move 150 out of homeless shelters and into permanent housing.  We also have gone to every dollar store in the Twin Cities Area to make Welcome Baskets for those new homeowners through the Welcome Basket Drive.  We raised $1600 in March to support Groveland Foodshelf during Minnesota Foodshare and will hope to raise even more during our July drive.

We are working with Spirit of Joy Christian Church in Lakeville to sponsor of refugee family and with the help of our newly hired Director of Spiritual Formation and Community Ministry, we plan to launch a ministry to gay teens and their parents in the fall.

Not bad for an average church.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the numbers.  Like most of you, I would love to see more people in the pews.  I still hope to that becomes a reality some day.  But there are other numbers that suggest that this faith community is housing the homeless, feeding the hungry and welcoming the outsider.  They maybe small numbers, but God seems to have a habit of taking small things and using them to make a big difference in the world.

Senior Pastor Bob Brite has asked us what would be the best thing for this church to do for the kingdom of God.  I know he is talking about the future of First Christian, but I hope you all are doing a lot in the cause of bringing for God’s realm.

Go and be the church.

Dennis Sanders
Associate Pastor for Mission and Diversity

If you have some time over the summer months, please consider taking part in the many mission projects going on at First Christian:

• On June 10 at 6PM, we will go to Feed My Starving Children in Coon Rapids.  If you are interested in showing up, either contact me or signup at church beginning May 30.

• Also during June, we will have a Welcome Basket Drive for the Currie Avenue Project, a new initiative to help house the homeless.  More information will be coming in the next Courier.

• In late June, our Open Table Ministry will take part in Twin Cities Gay Pride.  We are looking for people to help staff the Downtown Congregations tent at Pride.  Interested?  Let me know.

• On Saturday, July 17, we will have a work day at Community Emergency Service, located in the Phillips neighborhood. This will involve bagging up 35 grocery bags and delivering them all to a building called St. Paul’s Residence near CES in South Minneapolis. We will be working from 9-11:30am.

• During July we will also launch Minnesota FoodShare: Summer Edition.  With the current recession, Groveland Foodshelf is being pushed to the limits and needs funds to help purchase food to feed needy Minnesotans.  During the month of July, we will collect money and food to benefit Groveland.

If you have any questions, or would like to find out how you can get involved, please contact Pastor Dennis Sanders at associatepastor@fccminneapolis.org. Be on the look out for more mission opportunities in August!

FCC will join Plymouth Creek and Lake Harriet Christian Churches in a “green-themed” VBS.  Grounded in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, “ReNew: The Green VBS” brings together the Bible and environmental stewardship.

Kids will grow in faith as they play, learn, sing, and work toward renewing their congregations and communities.  By serving in the community and inviting the community into the church, kids will demonstrate that being green can be easy, faithful, and fun.

If your kids or grandkids are interested in taking part, contact Deb Murphy at christianformation@fccminneapolis.org .  You can register or volunteer by going to the Plymouth Creek website at www.plymouthcreek.org.

Please take a few moments to click on the link below and take the survey.

While this is not a circumstance where you should “vote early and often” (as they say in Chicago), it is something where the full participation of the congregation is VERY important.

The Transition Team
First Christian Church, Minneapolis

Click here to take survey

This last week, though, as I came in, the guys were reading aloud the story of Holy Week.  I just sat down and listened.  And you know what?  Just in the listening of the words, I had a great since of the Holy Spirit’s presence; it was very powerful.  It reminds me of the fact that anytime I really listen to the Bible, or really work through the Scripture lessons, the Spirit equips me to be present in that and to grow through that. 

There’s more fellowship around the study of Scripture than you’ll find in any bar on a Saturday night.  (And no, that is not how I closed out that evening!)

There’s something about Holy Week that sometimes has me calling it by another name.  It’s not so much that there’s extra work time (some, but not a ton), but there is something of increased stress as a pastor.  But, hey, even when I was out of ministry and working my bartending job Holy Week had an element of increased tension.  Part of it, I think, is a matter of simply living in the spirit of Jesus’ walk during that time.  It was a time of confrontation, intimacy, betrayal, denial, torture, and death in a horrible form.  Holy Week is a time when the best and the worst come out in the human story; the welcoming crowds on Palm Sunday shout “Crucify Him” only days later, close friends end up stabbing him in the back, his followers run away in his toughest time.  That’s tense!

Translating that into the human journey with God, I gotta remember that whatever I do, God loves me.  If I deny Jesus, God loves me.  If I betray Jesus, God loves me.  If I help to put Jesus to death, God loves me.  God loves me, and it’s my job on the human journey, no matter how much I screw up along the way, to live in the Spirit of that Love.  That’s a pretty good thing to do, actually.

“Jesus asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” –Luke 13: 2-3

“Repent or perish” frankly scares me. Lent is about reflection and change, but my unease persists around these words, because as soon as I repent, I sin again. Jesus says here “their sins were no worse than yours, but you all must change.” We are often aware of the need to change, but the means can still elude us. “Lord, have mercy” remains our refrain each day.
Lord, you love your entire creation, and hate not that which you have made. When we stray, gently correct us, that we may live into the promises you have made, which remain faithful even when we are not. Amen.

-Chris Wogaman is the Office Manager at First Christian Church, Minneapolis.

Today, November 15.  Please bring your non-perishable food item or see Associate Pastor Dennis Sanders and his coffee can after service and make a cash donation.  Proceeds will go to help the Groveland Foodshelf.

Mission Chat: Community Emergency Service

We welcome Mark Peterson, the Interim Director of Community Emergency Service to give the Mission Chat today.  A group from First spent time yesterday volunteering at CES  and we are thankful for the experience. To find out more about Community Emergency Service, please visit their website at www.cesmn.org.

Thanksgiving @ First

Come help us celebrate Thanksgiving at First Christian Church! You are invited to a potluck dinner after Worship in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 22.  The meat, potatoes, bread, and beverage will be provided for $5.00 per person or a maximum of $15.00 per family.  Everyone is asked to bring their favorite vegetable, salad, or dessert to share.  For those unable to bring food, a contribution of $8.00 per person is suggested.

Thanksgiving Offering

We will receive the annual Thanksgiving Offering today and on November 22.  This offering assists future leaders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) attending Disciple colleges and seminaries. Please use the offering envelopes inserted in your bulletin.

Amahl and the Night Visitors Practice

If you are interested in being part of the chorus for the December 18 performance, please meet in the choir room after service.

Volunteer at St. Stephen’s Shelter

Join us every third Saturday of the month as we go and serve meals at St. Stephen’s homeless shelter in Minneapolis.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Warren Westpahl or the church office at 612-870-1868, by email at office@fccminneapolis.org.

Advent Vespers

Begins Wednesday, December 2 at 7pm.  Join us for a brief (less than 30 minutes) informal gathering time or prayer, mediation and communion.

Project Homeless Connect

December 7 at the Minneapolis Convention Center from 9am-5pm. Project Homeless Connect is a one-stop shop for delivering services to people experiencing homelessness.Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis partner with service providers, businesses, citizens, and faith communities to bring multiple resources to one location where people can come to find the services they need. Volunteers are needed to help that day.  If you are interested, please contact Homeless Connect at www.homelessconnectminneapolis.org.