The Seed Newsletter
March 20, 2022
THIS SUNDAY AT CHRISTIAN TEMPLE
We welcome Mark Wilson and the choir back to worship this week even as we continue to ask people to voluntarily wear their masks during the service. While we no longer require wearing the mask, we do have many people who attend worship and who will be more comfortable with folks masking.
This Sunday is the third Sunday of Lent and will give us an opportunity to recall the soldiers who were witnesses to the cross. A uniformed presence makes an impact on what happens doesn't it? What does it mean that Jesus' death was overseen by soldiers and centurions? Join us as we think about these things, as we pray for the people of Ukraine and as we lift our voices in songs for peace.
*Scroll to the bottom of this email to see pictures from this past Sunday's worship service, or CLICK HERE to view it as a .pdf!
CYF ANNUAL SPAGHETTI SUPPER IS BACK!
MARCH 19TH (6 PM)
There is still time to buy your tickets. Call the office now!
Please purchase your tickets NOW so we can be sure to have plenty of food. Send a check to the church or hand it to Rick or Jayna Powell. Mark in the memo if you prefer in-person or carry out. We'll have details about carry out & live streaming closer to the event.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CYF BY BUYING YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
CYF ANNUAL MOTHER'S DAY FLOWER SALE!
Spring is almost here and it is time to start thinking about flowers! We have beautiful 10” and 12” hanging baskets - the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. We also offer a large variety in 4.5” pots (sold in 15-plant flats). New this year, we are offering herbs in flats. If we get 4 or (hopefully) more orders, we can create a mixed flat of herbs. Orders will be taken in the Gathering after church or can be dropped off at the Christian Temple Office until April 3. All proceeds directly benefit our CYF work trips and activities! Tentative delivery date is the afternoon of Thursday, May 5.
CLICK HERE to view and print your order form!
SIGN-UP NOW FOR EASTER FLOWERS
Sign-up for an Easter flower in honor or memory of a loved one. The flowers will be a beautiful addition to the sanctuary as we celebrate Easter! You can pick up your flower after the Easter service or leave it to be planted at the church. The price is $11.50 per flower. You can pay online through our website's Donation Tab or by check (Please write Easter Flowers in the memo line.)
CLICK HERE for a Sign-up Sheet!
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FUN IN THE SUN?
Come join us at Bethany Beach this summer Sunday, July 31st – Thursday, August 4th! We will be sleeping and eating at the Bethany Beach Conference Center in the heart of Bethany Beach, 2 blocks from the ocean. Meal service will be back in full swing this summer and so will group games, playing in the waves, reading on the beach, trips to the ice cream shops and to Mangos! We need to get our reservations and deposit in ASAP! There are several dorm rooms available that work well for families, couples or even singles. Let Lisa Nichols know if you would like rate information and/or more details. Lisanichols3@verizon.net or 410-530-0117.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO: VOLUNTEERING AT CHRISTIAN TEMPLE
Please find below a personal testimonial from Barbara Cheadle, one of our most active volunteers here at church, that speaks as to why they offer their time and talents to Christian Temple:
When I was a little girl my Grandpa taught me a children’s finger game and rhyme about the church, perhaps you learned it too:
“Here is the church, and here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.
Close the doors and listen to them pray, open the doors and they all walk away.”
The church my Grandparents attended was a tiny country church in the Ozarks, and overnights with Grandpa and Grandma always included going to church with them on Sunday mornings. My Grandpa was a deacon, but he was also the warden, and his special responsibility was to close up the church after the service was over. I was so proud when he thought I was old enough and responsible enough to help him. People always lingered for some socializing after the service, of course, but after everyone had departed, including my Grandma and sister who hustled away to get Sunday dinner on the table, it was just Grandpa and me left to clean up and lock up. I would stack hymnals and Bibles, pick up discarded bulletins and hand-fans, and Grandpa would turn off the lights, close and lock windows if it was summer, or check the furnace if it was winter, and whatever else needed doing. We worked in companionable silence, and in my childish way, I came to understand that this silence as we worked was also a form of worship, a prayer or meditation. It filled me with peace.
I don’t think I consciously remembered those times when years ago I answered Laurie Lane’s plea for volunteers to close up the church after a worship service, but I am sure that it’s part of the reason I find this task so easy, and so rewarding. It’s a little more complex, but not by much. I don’t need to stack up hymnals or Bibles, pick up discarded bulletins, clean up after communion, or take the offering to the office - those tasks are delegated to others. Mostly it’s just more thermostats to turn up or down, more light switches to turn off, more windows to make sure are properly latched, and a few more doors to make sure are locked.
Locking up the church is satisfying on several levels: I feel good that I am helping the church save money on heating or cooling bills, and that I am making sure that our church is a secure and safe space for our members and the community groups that use our space. But the real bonus is that - as it was for me as a child helping my Grandpa - it is a continuation of worship, a meditation practice that brings me peace.
9:00 FORUM- FAITH AND FILM
Join us as Jayna Powell leads us in watching (and then discussing) a series of short films that have been nominated for Oscars in the past. Each film raises important personal and social issues that invariably lead us to look at ourselves and our relationship with others, with God and with the world.
* The Zoom link is at the bottom of this email.
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY
Fridays (1 PM), In-person in the Church Library
Starts March 11th and ends on Good Friday, April 15th
Please join us! We plan to meet each week on Fridays at 1 PM for a Lenten Bible Study entitled Entering the Passion of Jesus- A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week. If you would like to go on this journey with us, please call the church office at 410-747-2041 to let us know. Each meeting will last about one hour. We hope you can make it! ~ Betty Moore and Barbara Cheadle (Discussion Leaders)
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.
During the Sundays of March, the kids will be restocking the Little Community Food Pantry. They may bring some food from their own homes, but our hope is that each week you will be able to bring in some food from the list below and place it in the bin in the gathering space marked "Transformers". You are welcome to drop food items off during the week or bring them with you on Sunday mornings. Here are the things that are most popular in our Pantry box. You will notice that they are items that can be consumed "on the move".
Small, self opening containers of soups, lasagna, and chili
Individually packaged crackers.
Protein and granola bars
Individual packages of trail mix.
You get the idea! Please add a few of these items to your weekly grocery shopping and give our kids an opportunity to experience how our congregation can be an important part of our community.
WATSON HALL - ALL "FOR SALE" ITEMS MUST GO!!
Watson Hall's New Year Sale is almost over! If you are interested in classroom furniture and/or educational toys, then this is the sale for you! So much GOOD stuff can accumulate over the years! If you are interested in purchasing some of these items, please contact Kenda Watson at kenkenwatson78@gmail.com as soon as possible. This deal will only last a few more weeks! Kenda will be able to give you a general description of what is left and also set up a date/time for you to view these items.
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
CAW & TRANSFORMERS- HELPING OUR COMMUNITY!
Hello CAW/Transformer Families! This February let us show "some love" to our local community by filling the Little Free Pantry (upper parking lot of Christian Temple Church). Sign-Ups are every Wednesday and Sunday in February. Please, refer to the email from Ms. Kecia for Pantry suggestions.
Sign-Up here ---> https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44A8A928A1F9C34-love
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Every Wednesday at 9:30 to 11 AM, a group of Christian Temple members meet via Zoom to learn and discuss topics about Christianity, the Bible, other religions of the book, religious history, and a variety of other religious topics. Beginning on January 26, 2022 and for the next 23 weeks we will be studying about “Jesus and His Jewish Influences.” If you are interested in furthering your understanding of Christian traditions, practices, and theology we invite you to join us on our journey.
We know that Jesus was born of Jewish parents, that he obtained Jewish religious training, and preached throughout Judea his understanding and views of biblical Jewish law. His followers carried on his teachings, practices, and legacy through Christianity. The aim of this study is to obtain an understanding of how Jesus’s teachings and views were shaped by his Jewish background and context, and illustrated by selected passages from the canonical Gospel accounts. Use this Zoom link to join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89678926477?pwd=Yno4ZW01RER0a00zNGlnWUFyWE9wQT09
KIDS CHOIR WELCOMES ALL KIDS!
Each Sunday from 10:15-10:45, the Kids Choir meets on Zoom to learn about Jesus through music. We'd love to have your child join us this Sunday! The Zoom link is also posted each week in the Sunday Morning Worship & Information email.
TRADITIONAL CHURCH DIRECTORY
The church directory is now back up on the website! It is password protected, so you will need to log-in to your Members & Friends account to view the directory. This document is updated every month or so and should provide you with the latest contact information. (A revision date is on the lower front cover of the church directory.) Please know that we only include contact information in this document that a member or friend would like to have published.
As always, feel free to contact Robin by email office@christiantemple.org or phone 410-747-2041 if you would like to make any changes or additions to your information.
To view the directory, please CLICK HERE
If you are not logged into your Members & Friends account, then please follow the directions on the Traditional Church Directory page (located under Archives). If you have any difficulties, please feel free to contact Robin.
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)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/602793616
Children's Choir, Sundays (10:15- 10:45 AM)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87001372088
