The Seed Newsletter
June 19, 2022
THIS SUNDAY AT CHRISTIAN TEMPLE
This Sunday at Christian Temple...IS GOING TO BE A REALLY BIG DAY!!!
FIRST...Very early on Sunday morning, the CYF group will be gathering at BWI to begin their journey to Los Angeles for their long anticipated 2022 Work Trip. Please keep the group and their sponsors in your prayers and plan to be in worship on July 10th when the group will share their experiences.
THEN...Later in the morning, the 9 O'Clock Forum will meet on Zoom for a second week of discussion on the book, "Paul: The Pagan's Apostle", by Paula Frederiksen. Joe Pettit will lead the discussion and Joe reminds us all that having and reading the book is not a requirement for attendance!
THEN...Even later in the morning, at 11 am morning worship will convene under the leadership of Brian Edwards who will also be preaching while Rick Powell is with the CYF. The topic is very timely: "Turn, Turn, Turn" and the scripture is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. For a sneak preview, click here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4
THEN...Immediately after worship a congregational meeting is scheduled for the purpose of extending a call to ministry to John and Katie Callaway to serve Christian Temple as Senior Ministers in a co-pastoring role.
Big day for Christian Temple! Don't miss it!
NEW MINISTRY LEADERSHIP APPROVED BY CHRISTIAN TEMPLE BOARD
The Search and Call Committee is excited to announce that on June 8, the Christian Temple Board unanimously approved the selection of new pastoral leadership for Christian Temple. Even better is the news that we will be rejoicing in the ministry of John & Katie Callaway who will be senior ministers serving in a co-pastoring role. John and Katie will bring their combined ministerial talents, impressive communication skills, creativity, and love of God to Christian Temple beginning in late October.
Join us for a "Meet and Greet" with John and Katie in the Sanctuary and the Gathering on Saturday, June 18 (3-5pm). The Congregation will vote on June 19th to extend an official Letter of Call to the Callaways.
BABY SHOWER FOR NASIMA BAMYAMI
June 26th, 3-5 PM, Christian Temple Gathering
The Circle of Love Ministry Team would like to invite all Christian Temple women to attend a Baby Shower for Nasima Bamyani, the wife and mom of one of the Afghan families we have been sponsoring since February. Nasima is due to have a baby boy later in the summer and we thought a party was in order- not only to help the Bamyani family welcome their newest addition, but also to give our congregation another opportunity to become better acquainted with our friends from Afghanistan.
More information will follow soon. But for now, those who are inclined to give a gift to Nasima are welcome to use the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2DKA2N3NXI4ZV
As the Circle of Love Ministry Team continues to plan the Baby Shower for Nasima Bamyani, we ask two things:
- If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to Cheryl Haymes at csgh.928@gmail.com so we have a general idea of how many to plan for.
- Additionally, if you are attending and would like to contribute a light snack, please sign up here.
GRADUATE LUNCHEON EVENT
July 10th, After worship service
It has been a long time coming, but it is at last possible to celebrate our Christian Temple Graduates again! You are invited to the Graduate Luncheon event on July 10th, which will begin at approximately 12:15 after service concludes. We will be requesting a small donation for the lunch, which will include at least sub sandwiches, chips, fruit, and drinks. Please contact the church office at office@christiantemple.org or Laurie Rodriguez (lmplr23@yahoo.com) if you are interested in attending (to help us order enough food) OR are able to contribute a special dessert to the festivities to reflect our usual tradition of the Senior Dessert. ALSO: Please let us know if you have (or are) a high school graduate from 2020 or 2021, or a college grad from anytime since spring 2019, so that we can include their name in our program and recognize their accomplishments as well! Please come help us celebrate those who have graduated this school year and honor those whom we missed celebrating in person!
NEW TREES AT CHRISTIAN TEMPLE !
We owe great thanks to Jim Himel and Chris Burk from the Catonsville Tree Canopy Project for their gift of seven young hackberry trees that are already 10 to 11 feet tall.
Tree experts call the hackberry “one tough tree." They thrive in a broad temperature span and can handle anywhere from 14 to 60 inches of rainfall annually. They grow 13 to 24 inches per year and reach a maximum height and spread of 40 to 60 feet. They do well in all kinds of soil and can tolerate strong winds, heat and drought.
Hackberries produce small, dark red drupes that turn dark purple and persist into the winter. They attract many species of butterflies and the fruit is popular with winter birds.
We also truly appreciate our planting crew on a hot Sunday afternoon. It included Chris and Elyssa Burke, John Klingerman and Maria Wilson from Academy Heights, along with Jim Junker and Laurie Lane from the church. Vaughn Ouellette helped us decide where to plant. Some of our neighbors from Academy and Lambeth Roads who back up against the alleys behind the church also gave us encouragement and let us use their water.
You can meet our newest "members" along the back and side of the outfield behind the church. We're very happy to welcome their positive environmental impact after losing so many trees on our property over the last ten years.
As we head into the hot and dry part of the summer, our new trees will need their watering bags filled about once per week when it doesn't rain. If you'd like to help them thrive with an occasional watering, please email Laurie at laurielane49@verizon.net or text her at 410-908-8069. It takes just one hour of your time.
MY TWO CENTS
One thing in ministry I learned the hard way was about who suffers when a crisis visits the church.
After a Christmas night church fire in the congregation we used to serve burned our building essentially to the ground, everyone valiantly stepped up to provide key leadership to get us through the crisis. A neighborhood church offered us their sanctuary and offices. A community center offered us a big room for meetings. People came through with donations of books and office equipment. We even had a call from someone who offered us their old choir robes!
So, out of the ashes we were able to cobble together a vital congregational life- with one big exception. Our kids. It took us weeks and weeks to even begin to find the energy to provide programming for our kids, while everyone was doing whatever they could to keep us going. We all know that Sunday school and Youth groups are important- really important! But, when the focus narrows to doing the things that are absolutely necessary just to get by, the kids too often get shuffled to the side.
Thankfully that hasn't happened at Christian Temple over the past two years of "crisis".
During the pandemic we had some folks who really stepped up to keep things going for our kids and youth. Peter Kruse and Mindy Swain managed to get the CYF together a few times and even had modified work trips both years. Kecia Johnson and her crew made sure we had a virtual Vacation Bible School and other things for kids. Jayna Powell kept our younger kids singing from their homes. Our young adults gathered once or twice.
One thing, though, that has gone by the wayside over the past two years is our congregation's participation in the Regional Camp and Conference Program. For obvious reasons, Covid meant no camps. And no camps, meant no money allocated in our budget to fund our historically generous camp scholarship program.
For decades it has been the practice at Christian Temple to pay for half of the expense of church camp for children, youth and young adults. That policy has reaped huge rewards as kids have so often found their spiritual home at church camp- or at least have had their faith deepened. But, two years ago, because we were doing just what was absolutely necessary, we zeroed out the funds for this line item. Then, we did it again last year as the camp program continued to be on hold.
But this year, even though the budget line remains unfunded, church camp is back! And we have some kids, youth, and young adults who are interested in attending. So, in addition to announcing the return of church camp, this column is for the purpose of inviting anyone out there, who might be inclined to make a special, "over and above" gift to Christian Temple marked Church Camp, to do so. As our congregational life returns to whatever the new normal is, and as we consider building camp scholarships back into the budget for next year, a special gift or two will jump start this important hallmark of our ministry.
So, if you are able, give a little extra to send a kid to camp!
Shalom, Rick
REGISTRATION: CAMPS & CONFERENCE PROGRAMS
Did you know that a program we have traditionally loved at Christian Temple is starting up again? It is! And the program is the Camp and Conference program of our Regional Church. The Christian Church Capital Area has a facility at Bethany Beach where, this summer, "sleepover" camps will be held.
For kids in preschool through those entering the 3rd grade in the fall, a weekend camp is being planned from July 1-3. This camp will give parents an opportunity to join the fun and will include all sorts of fun activities in addition to time at the beach!
For kids entering Grades 4-9, a week of camp is scheduled from July 10-16. This time at Bethany Beach will "host" two different camps- Junior Camp for those entering grades 4-6 in the fall, and Chi Rho camp for those entering grades 7-9 in the fall.
For Young Adults who have finished High School and haven't yet turned 30, the Young Adult Conference is being planned for August 4 - August 7.
More information is included in the attached brochures about the camps and the registration process through Camp Docs. One important thing to add is that Christian Temple provides half scholarships to all camps and conferences. For more information please contact Pastor Rick or Robin Picanso (office@christiantemple.org and/or 410-747-2041) Thanks!
BAPTISM PICTURES!
CLICK HERE to see Before and After pictures of the 2022 Baptism Candidates, as well as a picture from the Catonsville High School Senior Picnic! (If your prefer, the picture is also attached to this email.)
NINE O' CLOCK FORUM
Please plan to join us as Joe Pettit leads the discussion on the book "Paul:The Pagans's Apostle" written by Paula Fredriksen. No need to have read the book to be part of the discussion, but anyone who wants to purchase may want to know that it is available on Amazon and at local booksellers. Paul may sometimes confuse and even frustrate us, but without his ministry none of us would be here! Come find out why!
Use the link below to join the Nine O'Clock Forum:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/602793616
CLICK HERE TO READ A LETTER FROM OUR MODERATOR, BARBARA CHEADLE
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PRINT OUT A PLEDGE FORM.
NAMI Family Support Groups: Meeting 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 7-8:30 PM!
Are you the loved one of someone living with a mental health condition, or whose mental health you are concerned about? We're here for you! NAMI Family Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults 18+ who have a loved one living with a mental health condition. By joining one of our groups, you'll be able to get connected to people who see the value of speaking up about mental health and will gain insight from sharing your experiences and hearing the challenges and successes of others!
Attend a Support Group Starting in September, we will be offering our NAMI Family Support Group in-person on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 7:00pm - 8:30pm. Register on this Eventbrite to receive location details!
***IMPORTANT*** We will follow all safety protocols set in place by both the Baltimore City and County Health Departments and our partners to ensure safety of participants. Space is limited and NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore Staff will confirm registration closer to the attendance date. We will do our best to communicate any cancellations in advance, but please check our website at namibaltimore.org to stay up to date on our latest updates.
Please contact the NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore Help-Line at 410-435-2600 or email info@namibaltimore.org for more information.
TRANSFORMERS- KIDS CHANGING THE WORLD!
Going forward (and thanks in large part to our pandemic hiatus) our Sunday morning kids ministry will change a little from the program known as Children at Worship. Our new program, called Transformers, will still give our kids opportunities to learn and experience Bible stories, but we will add a hands-on outreach component that will give our little ones an opportunity to learn the importance of serving others. Our hope is that this combination of story and service will, indeed, be transformative for our kids.
CAW & TRANSORMERS FAMILY- INFORMATION REQUESTED
A Note from Kecia Johnson...
Please help to update our records! I am asking ALL Christian Temple families with kids aged Birth to 8th Grade to complete and submit this Form ---> https://forms.gle/h2bDFT7d7LkBHfE39
PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS POLICY UPDATED
At its most recent meeting the Official Board updated Christian Temple's Pandemic Preparedness Policy to more accurately reflect the current realities of the pandemic. Anyone who would like to see the policy as it now is written may CLICK HERE.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO ISN'T RECEIVING THE SEED?
Our email distribution lists are almost up-to-date, but we are concerned that we may have missed a friend or two during this process. If you know of anyone who isn't receiving the J&C and/or The Seed, please ask them to let the office know. Contact Robin at 410-747-2041 or at office@christiantemple.org. Thank you!
ZOOM LINKS!
Wednesday Bible Study, Wednesdays (9:30 AM)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89678926477?pwd=Yno4ZW01RER0a00zNGlnWUFyWE9wQT09
The Well, Thursdays (6:30 PM)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89200881845
9:00 Forum, Sundays (9 AM) New Session!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/602793616
Children's Choir, Sundays (10:30- 10:55 AM)
No Kids Choir this Sunday as Jayna Powell will be on a work trip with the CYF.
The Children’s choir will meet in-person at 10:30 in the Stone classroom. If you can't make it in to church, then join us on Zoom at 10:30 instead! Please use the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87001372088
9:00 Forum, Sundays (9 AM) Join us for our new session, "Keeping the Church Weird".
