Christian Courier

First Christian Church of Minneapolis (Disciples of Christ)

April 2, 2011 Disciples reach out to Japanese in need

Inside the Courier: Week of Compassion, the Disciples
relief, refugee and development mis-
• A Look at the Brite sion fund, is providing financial assis-
Side, page 2 tance to our sisters and brothers in
Japan following the earthquake and
• Board Notes,
tsunami
initial emergency response grant, and
Global Ministries continues to channel
funds as requests are made by GM part-
ners. The UCCJ has established a relief
committee and is currently researching,

ourier
page 3 planning and
on March launching an ap-
• Ministry Center 11 that propriate re-
update, page 3 has left sponse. Global
• Reflections on the the island Ministries mis-
Word & Calendar, nation sionary, Jeffrey
page 4 dealing Mensendiek, is
with sev- based in Sendai
eral cris- and working with
es, includ- the UCCJ in
On the Web: ing flood- spearheading
ing and their response to
FCC’s website radiation this disaster.
Christian Church poisoning emitting from a nuclear
(Disciples of Christ) facility. At this writing, it is estimated Your gifts to Week of Compassion also
national organization that deaths from the disaster may ex- support a collaborative effort between
Global Ministries in ceed 18,000 people. More than Church World Service and the Japan
Japan 400,000 are living in makeshift shel- Platform, a coalition of 32 non-
Week of Compas- ters or evacuation centers. governmental organizations, government
sion updates service agencies and media outlets in
Through Global Ministries, the com- Japan. CWS will be providing support
mon witness of the Christian Church and channeling contributions to individ-
(Disciples of Christ) and the United ual members of the Japan Platform, and
Church of Christ, Week of Compas- is also prepared to support efforts of
sion has already responded to our faith-based partners in Japan, including
primary partner, the United Church of the National Christian Council of Japan.
Christ in Japan (UCCJ), with an Your additional gifts to Week of Com-
passion are still needed.
story and photo from Disciples News Service

Give Generously
Don’t Forget Upcoming Lent Activities at FCC
Women’s Ministries Cathy ten Broeke, speaker
Lenten Brunch Find My Way Home
Saturday, April 9, 10 am Forum on Homelessness
Wednesday, April 13, 6 pm
 Page 2 April 2, 2011

A Look at the Brite Side God provides hope amidst helplessness

humility whenever I start feeling (Bureaucracies generally have

Pastor Bob Brite
Part of the Lenten journey for
me (or the human one, for that
matter) is a struggle to come to
terms with my smallness, or in-
significance, in the scheme of
things. I don’t know that I’m
quite on the level of the apostle
Paul in the book of Romans
when he talks about being a wit-
less worm, but I can understand
the sentiment! Over the course
of my life, God has always pro-
vided the opportunities for
too cocky or get immersed in my
personal power. I feel fortunate
in that (even though humility is
painful) I get regularly reminded
that life is not about me; life is
about my interaction and rela-
tionship with God and others.
As I write this on a Monday,
I’ve also spent a fair amount of
time trying to find a solution for
our new sister-in-Christ Paola,
who has been worshipping with
us for three months, and who,
over the weekend, suddenly
found herself homeless. It’s
been quite a rude awakening to
these United States from her pre-
vious life in the Congo, and as I
wander through the maze of bu-
reaucracies that are the homeless
ministries in our fair city, I’ve
felt a fair amount of frustration
and helplessness, as well as find-
ing a few directions to pursue.
that effect on me anyway.) In the
midst of all those feelings, how-
ever, is also a sense that, if I just
keep plugging away at it, God
will provide the direction to-
wards hope and fulfillment and
solutions, and that doing so is
truly doing God’s work.
As we continue as a congrega-
tion through our own maze of
decisions and discernments to-
wards the move, there are going
to be times of frustration and
seeming helplessness. It is my
hope that we use such times to
humble ourselves before our
God, and look in the midst of
such times to the Hope that
equips us and guides us, to help
us see that what we are doing is
not for the sake of First Christian
Church, but for the Kingdom of
God.
I’d like to see YOU on Sunday,
Bob

We pray for Caleb Callanan and his family as he works to recover the
In our prayers use of his injured hand; in joy with Karin Wolverton and Chris
Shearer at the birth of their son John; in sympathy with Ali Hesano
Gracious God, we whose friend and friend’s father died in a tragic auto accident; with
lift up these persons Phil Kinney whose friend’s family is suffering over the death of a son;
in our prayers, ask- for Karen Kandik and all the participants in the kidney donation sur-
ing the blessing of gery scheduled for this week; for friends and family of Kevin Berkey,
your Grace and out- Janice Brady, Arlene Hillestad, Mary Hurlocker and Brenda Neu-
pouring of your Love deck; in celebration with Ernie Brennan who recently turned 63; for
upon them. Paola Mandjanga who has a new job but now needs a permanent
place to live; for traveling mercies for Wes Creighton and Ardie
Armstrong; all our homebound members including Bob Risinger and
Helen Smith, Amen.
 Christian Courier

Ministry Center planning update Regional Assembly

Ecumenical committees from the
three churches in the new Minis-
try Center Partnership (FCC, Sa-
lem English Lutheran, Lyndale
United Church of Christ) are
working hard at planning the new
Ministry Center, scheduled for
opening in November, 2011.
The kitchen committee is work-
ing towards consensus on the
configuration for the new com-
mercial kitchen. The design
committee is considering ideas
for the three different sanctuaries
and all other parts of the build-
ing.
Charles Henderson, an organ ex-
pert from Gustavus Adolphus
College, is working with Bill
Stump, our former music direc-
tor, to consider possibilities for
one or more organs in the build-
ing.
A subcommittee is rewriting lan-
guage in the Ministry Center Co-
venant to reflect a three-church
partnership. The current building
contract has a timetable of April
1 to May 20 for, among other
things, demolition of parts of the
old buildings and framing in the
new additions.
scheduled April 9
A called regional assembly of the
Christian Church in the Upper
Midwest will be held on Satur-
day, April 9, 10:30 – 2:00 p.m.,
at the Highland Park Christian
Church, 4260 NW Sixth Drive in
Des Moines. The region is trying
a new model of participation in
regional life, and would like at
least two representatives from
each congregation (or more) to
share in the meeting and the min-
istry.
If anyone from FCC is interested
or inclined, please contact Bob as
soon as possible.

Welcome to Cackoskis

Board Notes
Approximately 14 board members and three staff members at-
tended the March 15 meeting of FCC’s General Board. The major
items addressed at the meeting were the following:

 Board members agreed that a call committee for a perma-

nent pastor should be formed by May. When it begins its
work, Interim Pastor Bob Brite will also begin his search for
his next position. Board Chair Tom Curry estimates that it
will take 12-15 months to secure a permanent pastor. Mike and Kirsten Cackoski, who
 The Elders will consider forming a leadership team to have been active at FCC for over a
guide the congregation through the many decisions it faces year, joined us in formal membership
as FCC starts the process of closing the building sale and on Sunday, March 27. They have
moving to the new location two sons, Sean and Aaron, and one
 Treasurer Phil Kinney noted that the property committee daughter, Melinda.
spent $11,000 in February for snow removal and glass dam-
age
 Pastor Bob Brite discussed the recent theft of his new lap-
Correction: Russ and Enid
top computer.
Griffin recently celebrated
 A motion was made and passed to compensate Bill Stump
for his time consulting with an organ expert in evaluating their 59th wedding anniver-
organs for the new property sary. The last newsletter had
incorrect names and years.
 Christian Courier Page 4

Bi-Weekly Calendar Reflections on the Word

Readings from 4.3.11
Sundays at First Christian Church
Sunday Worship at 10:30 am “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind?”
Before Worship After Worship --John 9:2
Breakfast Club 8:45 am Fellowship Time 11:45
Sin has been thought since ancient
Spiritual Formation Classes 9:15 am
times to elicit divine retribution. Al-
though blindness is not sin, the upshot
After worship: Fellowship Hour 11:45 am
This Week at FCC Next Week at FCC of this rather wacky story of the man
born blind is that circumstance is not
Friday, April 1 Monday, April 11
Open Table 6 pm Carter Circle @ Wolverton’s 7 pm the same as God’s getting angry at us:
natural disasters do not indicate God
Tuesday, April 12
Tuesday, April 5
Property Committee 7 pm
hates countries, nor do accidents of
Worship Committee 7 pm birth indicate God hates certain
Wednesday, April 13 people. For those Christians who say
Wednesday, April 6 Finance Committee 5:30 pm
Nikkei 9 am Cathy ten Broeke of Heading
that God sends people to hell, de-
Bell Choir 6:30 pm Home Hennepin at Lent forum 6 pm stroys countries with disasters, and
Chancel Choir 7:45 pm Bell Choir 6:30 pm does not love whole groups of people,
Thursday, April 7
Chancel Choir 7:45 pm whether they be gay or Muslim, let
Handcrafters 9 am Thursday, April 14 them read Genesis 9:15. For God’s
Saturday, April 9
Handcrafters 9 am promise is sure: Grace over judgment.
Trustee Meeting 6:30 pm
Men’s Group 9 am
Women’s Ministries Saturday, April 16 We see now, O God, through a glass
Lenten Brunch 10 am Men’s Group 9 am darkly. Open our eyes, illumine us,
Laura Lynn/ Naomi Circle 10 am Spirit Divine, until that day when we
Serve at St. Stephen’s dinner 6 pm may, by your transcending grace, see
you clearly face-to-face.
--Chris Wogaman

A Thoughtful Church in the FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

OF MINNEAPOLIS
Heart of the City
(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
2201 1st Avenue South
Ministry Team
All Members of the Congregation
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Robert Brite, Interim Minister
Dennis Sanders, Associate Minister Address Service Requested
of Diversity and Mission
Chris Wogaman, Office Manager
Rick Bowman, Building Manager
Deb Murphy, Director of Spiritual
Formation & Community Ministry
James Baumgartner, Interim Music
Director
Bryon Wilson, Interim Organist
Serena Carlson, Nursery Attendant
Martha Harris, Courier Editor
Telephone: 612.870.1868
Prayer Phone: 612.870.0984

Christian Courier is published bi-

monthly. Send items and ideas to
church office or to Martha Harris
harrismartha@mac.com
by Sun. April 10 for the next issue.