Central Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)

Kick-Off Sunday- September 12, 2010

On Sunday, September 12th, Central Christian will begin another program year of worship services, fellowship activities, studies, outreach activities, and music! After an enthusiastic introduction by Dr. John Jump, long time member of Central, we are proud to start off our year with the Gospel music of The Majestic Sounds Quartet. They will be featured at the 10:30 a.m. service on September 12th.

Based out of Wilmington, Ohio, the Majestic Sounds Quartet was formed in February of 2008 through the efforts of Jim Spradling from Wilmington, Ohio and Keith Petrequin from Waynesville, Ohio. Currently, Keith sings the lead part, Jim sings bass, and Ben Russell from Butler, Kentucky has been brought on to sing the tenor part. Norman Patterson is currently filling in for the baritone position. In 2009, with special training from Charles Novell, the group completed their first recording. With the use of soundtrack accompaniment the group travels throughout Ohio and the surrounding states singing traditional southern gospel music for the purpose of uplifting their brothers and sisters in Christ. It is also the group’s desire that through their music ministry some lost soul might accept Christ as Lord and Savior.

We look forward to having The Majestic Sounds Quartet lead us in worship as we begin a new year of ministry in Kettering!

Sermon Series – September 19th through November 14th

Fall represents the end of summer, but the beginning of so much more. With school starting and the church program really getting underway, we all have a sense of life being a journey – with all the ups and downs, challenges and victories we often experience along the way. Beginning on Sunday, September 19th, we will begin a new sermon series that will consider eight Biblical principles for making your journey successful – “Rules for the Road.” Each new “Rule” will also explore the journey of Biblical characters and how each rule impacted or shaped their journey.

Last year, beginning in the fall, a Bible Study for young adults started at the home of Rev. David Turner and his wife Tammy. By the end of year, a strong core group of college age and young adults were attending the twice monthly meals and study sessions. Beginning Tuesday, September 14th, our young adult Bible studies will resume. We will continue to meet at the Turner’s home (as long as we still have room) at 6:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month (watch for schedule changes). We can also be found on Facebook under the name “Dayton, Ohio Advance Conference Bible Study.” We serve up hearty and nutritious meals for the stomach, mind and spirit! If you are 19-29(ish), please join us soon!

10-week Intensive Study begins Wednesday, September 15th

On ten Wednesday evenings, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., we will be studying the book of Psalms in the Meeting Room. All are invited to join in this comprehensive study of some of the most beautiful texts in scripture. The human emotions expressed in the Book of Psalms rise to peaks of joy and descend into valleys of despair. In the Psalms, the promise of the reign of God meets the historical experience of God’s people. Faith in God’s faithfulness collides with human experiences of pain and suffering, enslavement, oppression, and exile. God’s people — given voice in the Psalms – struggle to make sense of who God is and who they are, and in so doing they have composed a collection of moving testimonies of grace, glory, sorrow, and beauty unmatched in sacred literature. For students of the Psalms today, this study offers greater understanding of how these ancient texts of praise, lament, worship, and prayer can still speak to us and for us.

A signup sheet will be available on Sunday mornings and you may also call the church office to reserve a student book. A donation of $10 is invited to help cover the cost of study materials. Childcare will be provided.

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I was looking back at my newsletter files from 1998 when I found my “Last Word” for August 24th, the day before my daughter Lauren’s first day of school. Today, exactly 12 years later, Lauren started classes for her senior year (Aug. 24, 2010). Time flies! In honor of my daughter and all of our students, I reprint my thoughts from 12 years ago:

“Tomorrow morning our baby will attend her first day of school. Off she’ll go with her brothers and things will never be quite the same again. I don’t think I’ll tell her that on my first day of kindergarten I cried and clung to my mother for dear life. And I doubt I’ll tell her about how my brother, on his first day, just got up when no one was looking and  walked home!

With school starting for many of our kids this week, I thought you might enjoy some excerpts from an article written by Erma Bombeck on the day she sent her last child to school. It’s called, “Miss Chalkdust, Please Be Kind.”

“Boy how I had lusted for that day… But there was no exhilaration in my victory, watching ‘the baby’ sit pathetically at the curb. I thought of the woman he was going to – Miss Chalkdust, or whatever. And I wrote, ‘Miss Chalkdust, give him patience and gentleness. Please have a soft lap and a warm smile. I submit to your tender, loving care my son is who is a little shy and a lot stubborn… I may sue you for alienation of affection, but for the moment, God bless you.’ Those small pathetic, scared children who are sitting out on curbs this morning for the first time… might confess that they didn’t  have breakfast this morning because they couldn’t swallow. They didn’t sleep well last night. They’re afraid. Afraid  they’ll get lost. Afraid they’ll goof up. Afraid they won’t find the straw for their milk. Afraid they’ll lose their lunch money. Afraid they won’t get to the restroom in time – or ever. Afraid someone will laugh at their name. Afraid they won’t find a friend. Afraid the wind will blow their papers out of their hands. Miss Chalkdust, this is a day for all the love you have to give.”

Preparing for another first day of school is a reminder to me of how quickly time passes and how precious the time we have really is. It is so easy to get caught up in the things in life that don’t really matter. As school starts once again, remember to not only drive a little more carefully – but also to invest your time in things that count. Business will get done, carpets will get vacuumed, but children and grandchildren won’t stay small for long.

And, Miss Chalkdust, wherever you are, please be kind.”

Amen – again.

King David is one of the most iconic and compelling figures in the Bible. He was a fighter and a poet, a king and a sinner. He was a true renaissance man before such a term existed. This fall our own Felix Ortiz will be leading us in an  exploration of David’s life, from shepherd to king, from brave child to troubled father, from sinner to redemption, engaging his life using the Bible as well as archaeology.

You can choose your own path in the afternoon with a number of different options: fishing, computing, song writing, poetry writing, jam sessions, etc. And then at night we’ll be cooking outside and gathering around the campfire. As these adventures are always best when shared, plan to bring friend, relative, or other guest to share your adventure with. We hope that you can join us for this exciting, and interactive experience at the Disciples Men’s Fall Retreat on September 17-19.

Base Cost:

$80. Fri-Sat Evening
$60. Saturday Only
$80. Sat Morning – Sun
$100. Entire Weekend
$20. discount for men under 30
$5. early bird discount before 8/27
$5. late fee after 9/10

Don’t let money be the reason you don’t come! Scholarships are available, contact the Regional Office for more information. Visit the Regional Website for online registration.

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Last year at this time, we were gearing up for a 40-day all-church study of the book, Unbinding Your Heart by Martha Grace Reese. It was a wakeup call to remember who we are and what we are called to do and be. The focus was evangelism – but it was really about realigning our priorities with the ministry of Jesus. At its most basic, our job is to help people connect with God, connect with one another in the community of faith, and send disciples of Christ back out into the world to serve. Or, as we have captured in the mission statement of our church: deep Christian spirituality, true community, and a passion for justice.

An article that came out this week in the Christian Century about the failure of so many churches to successfully reach out to young people (entitled “The Almost-Christian Formation of Teens: Faith, Nice and Easy”), argues that the biggest danger for churches today is getting away from historical, orthodox Christianity into a sort of “moralistic therapeutic deism” – something that looks and acts “Christian,” but in the end is something else entirely. Needless to say, if our focus isn’t where it should be, nothing we “do” will have any lasting impact.

A study funded by the Lily Foundation called “the Exemplary Youth Ministry study” found that congregations who were doing the best job of forming young disciples were also more likely to:

–portray God as living, present and active
–place a high value on scripture
–explain their church’s mission, practices and relationships as inspired by “the life and mission of Jesus Christ.”
–emphasize spiritual growth, discipleship and vocation
–promote outreach and mission
–Help teens develop “a positive, hopeful spirit,” “live out a life of service” and “live a Christian moral life”

Churches that are experiencing real growth in spiritual maturity and in “numbers” are churches that do not call people to be moralistic do-gooders – but Christ’s representatives to the world.

Last Sunday, we began a sermon series on the Foundations of our faith that touch on all of the bullets outlined above. The first sermon, “Why God?” (now available online) focused on God as “living, present, and active.” This coming Sunday will lift up the importance and authority of scripture.

Right now, we have a tremendous amount of energy and momentum. However, we also are seeking input. We need to take our mission and purpose and make it concrete. What kinds of things can we do – practically – to help people connect with God and one another? What can we do to increase the outreach and mission of our church? In the weeks ahead, we invite you to join us in dreaming big dreams for the ministry of Central Christian Church. Would you like to see us build a house for Habitat? Expand our ministry to youth and young families? Do a better job of caring for those already in the fold? Come and share your ideas as we take our big vision – and make it a reality.