Holy Week Observances:

April 5: Palm Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

April 6: Monday Devotional Lunch, 12 noon

April 7: Tuesday Devotional Dinner, 6:00 p.m.

April 8: Wednesday Devotional Brunch, 9:00 a.m.

April 9: Maundy Thursday Dinner, 6:30 p.m.

Maundy Thursday Worship, 7:30 p.m.

April 10: Good Friday Prayer Vigil, 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Good Friday Prayer Service, 6:00 p.m.

April 12: Easter Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Pancake Breakfast in between
Resurrection Cantata during 10:30 Worship

March 12, 2009

Page 1
 Disciples Women’s Ministry
HAND TO HAND ---HEART TO HEART
Isn’t that a lovely saying – it sort of sums up the work of the Disciples
Women’s Ministry. I found it in an article about the Prayer Shawl Min-
istry, our focus for the luncheon on March 29th – 12 Noon – Sippel
Hall! A slip of my computer keys put the wrong date in the last News-
letter, so be sure to re-mark those calendars! Faith Circle will be providing a tasty
luncheon, and Marion Casey will be bringing us the worship message. Our service
project will also be the Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Best of all, our speaker for the afternoon will be our own Janie Fietz,
who will share with us the Prayer Shawl Ministry. If you have seen
Janie knitting around the church, the reason is this wonderful way of
sharing her talent with others. You can learn more about this on the
web site, http://shawlministry.com. One quote from the website that
seems to speak so beautifully to this ministry is worth sharing here ……
“The making of a prayer shawl is a spiritual practice which embodies our thoughts
and prayers for the receiver. It is a gift freely given, made in prayer, as prayer, for
prayer. Shawls are passed on hand to hand, and heart to heart.”
All women of the church are welcome, so please join us for an inspiring afternoon of
fellowship.

Hi –Ho – Come to the Fair!!

A happy, very old song – it makes a great invitation for our Family Night celebration
on May 16th. This year, we are combining our Friendship Dinner and our Family
Night into one “you all come” evening. There will be games for the little ones, vittles
for everyone, some music playin’ and some singin’ is sure to be involved, and even a
few surprises! The DWF Board is on the move, and we could sure use a few helping
hands! We need some entertainment (talent is optional!), and help with all the things
that make an evening like this a success. Every time we get together is a great time
– so please don’t be shy – join us! Tickets will be going on sale soon, and Judy
Rickabaugh and Sakura Koontz are ready to sign you up for wherever you would like
to join in the fun.
Page 2
 to our Own Chery Carew!
This Newsletter is going to press before we could get a really good report from our
tired, but inspired 32 women and 2 men who attended the Women’s Convocation
in Santa Ana on March 7th and 8th. I am sure they will have some wonderful stories
to share, and of course their pride at being there to see Chery surprised with a
Women’s Endowment Fund grant named in her honor! We here at First Christian
Church know of her dedication to the church, her deep faith and commitment to our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the fact that she never says “no” to anyone in need of help.
It is wonderful to know that others also recognize how special she is.
If you would like to be a part of this grant through a donation, please call the church
office for information. We are truly blessed through all that Chery does for our
church, and we congratulate her on this special acknowledgement of her gifts.
“Make of our hands – one hand. Make of our hearts – one heart.” Beautiful words
from another old song, and a fitting prayer for each of us, as Disciples women who
work together in the service of our God.

ENDOWMENT FUND UPDATE

We want to acknowledge a recent gift to the Endowment Fund from the estate of
Mary Mosley. The estate was recently settled and the fund received a check as per
the wishes of Mary. As some of you may know Mary became a member of the Tor-
rance congregation in 1948 and was involved in the planning and construction of
our current buildings. In addition, Mary was deeply involved in all aspects of our
church—education, choir, teaching, elder, etc.- - and was always dedicated to pro-
moting its values, growth and well being. She was one who touched many lives.
In view of current economic conditions the Endowment Fund directors have de-
cided to open a short term CD here in Torrance in order to make our investments
more diversified. This will also protect the value of the gift and give us time and the
flexibility to determine future courses of action. Again we are grateful that Mary and
her family remembered the church in this way.
It is an honor to serve as directors of the fund and we are thankful for the financial
and moral support that has been given over the last five years. As we continue to
look forward and fully expect that economic conditions will improve, we ask for your
continued support.
Thank you and may God’s blessing be upon you and your family.

Doug Crawford Lee Sebaugh Gene Wiehe Andrea Whobrey Doris Wilson
Page 3
 A Season for the Spirit
You are invited to join this Lenten season as the adult Sunday class begins a journey
guided by the devotional book entitled A Season for the Spirit. We will meet
every Sunday morning from March 1st to April 5th. The author of our study is Martin
L. Smith, and it is published by Seabury Classics.
These daily readings began on Ash Wednesday. If you have any questions, please
contact Linda Houston (310-329-6444) or Pastor Steve. It is not necessary to attend
all the classes to benefit. You are welcome to any and all.

Page 4
 CHURCH FAMILY PRAYERS & CONCERNS
With Sympathy:
After a long decline in health, Helen Reed died on March 2. In accordance
with the family’s wishes, no separate service was held, but she was remembered during the
March 8 worship service, and honored through the singing of the Lord’s prayer. We were
pleased to have Helen’s son, Allen, and her granddaughter, Amy, present. Along with her
son Fred, and the rest of the family, they are all in our prayers.
Dene Martinez is home and doing well after a stay in the hospital with a respiratory virus.
His great-grandfather, Jim Crawford (Doug’s father) is also home after a bout with pneu-
monia. On Monday he has been readmitted with an irregular heart rate, and will be under-
going tests to determine proper treatment.
Beverly Roseberry is now Little Company of Mary’s San Pedro facility, where she is get-
ting more extensive therapy as part of her recovery from a recent stroke.
Chery Carew asks prayers for her niece in Missouri, Crystal Workman, who has received a
diagnosis of liver disease, and is beginning a rigorous regimen of treatment.
Prayers are asked on behalf of Jean Stamp and her family as she nears death—Jean is a
former member of our church.
Michele Wood’s recent visit to the neurologist has proved helpful in the treatment of nerve
pain from an errant blood draw.
Jim Whobrey is healing from a stress fracture of his foot.
Officer Steve Kroesen, a co-worker with Carol Wilk, is home and doing much better in his
battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Susan Babcock’s beloved canine companions Shiloh and Pumpkin continue in our prayers.
Prayers are asked for the many families, some within our church, who are being impacted
by job or pay cuts.
Please pray for the work of our church’s Mission Discernment Group, the Finance Commit-
tee, and the Nominating Committee.
Ruthie Totes would like to tell all her friends thank you for all the kind words and prayers.
Her New Address Is:
Ruthie Totes
Hanover Guest Home
813 Hanover Street
Santa Cruz CA 95062.
Page 5
 March 2009 (Revised)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thurs

WORSHIP SERVICES
8:30 and 10:30 am
Sunday School 9:30 am
1 2 3 4
Disciple Women
Regional Bake Sale
CYF/Youth Adventure Bible Study 10:00 a.m.
Worship Meeting New H
12:00 Trustees 7:00 Education
Lenten Dinner Series
7:00 7:00
7:00 p
5:00

8 9 10 11

His Hands 12:00

Disciple Women’s
Chi Rho 12:00 Bible Study 10:00 a.m. Cho
Newsletter Board
Lenten Dinner Series Board Meeting 7:00 7:00 p
7:00
5:00

15 16 17 18

CYF 12:00 Bible Study 10:00 a.m.

Love Group 9:30 a.m.
Baptism Class 12:00 Young Adults Cho
Faith Group 1:30 p.m.
Lenten Dinner Series (Koontz Home) 7:00 p
Elders 7:00 p.m.
5:00

22 23 24 25
No CYF
Chi Rho 12:00 Cho
Newsletter Bible Study 10:00 a.m.
Lenten Dinner Series 7:00 p
5:00

29 30 31

Baptism Class 12:00

Women’s Lunch 12:00 Worship Meeting
Lenten Dinner Series 7:00 p.m.
5:00 Page 6
)
sday Friday Saturday

March Birthday’s
Mary Ibe (1)
Hilda Coleman (4)
Gail Grove (5)
Gene Jackson (5)
Virginia Gober (6)
5 6 7 Wally Sandberg (6)
Kurt Nelson (9)
Ruth Morrison (10)
Terry Thomas (15)
Hope Marion Casey (16)
p.m. Lois Sherwood (17)
Haley Crawford (20)
Emma Hernandez (22)
Katie Redderson (22)
Orlando Martinez (24)
12 13 14 Charlene Bowring (26)
Kristin Karlin (28)
Lois Sherwood (29)
Ruth Perry (29)
oir CYF Trip to LA Food Helen Reed (29)
p.m. Bank 8-12 Glenn Singleton (30)
Kel Henderson (30)
Mandy Fontaine (30)

19 20 21

CMF 8:30 a.m.

oir
p.m.

26 27 28

oir
p.m.
ANNIVERSARIES
Raymond & Donna Stent (18)
John & Anne Beecher (30)

Page 7
 Education Notes & News
March Youth Calendar
Saturday, March 14
CYF will be taking a trip to the LA Food Bank to help package food for distribution to other
food banks in the city. They will be leaving the church at 8:00 a.m. and return sometime after
noon. Must wear closed toes shoes. See Jimmy Koontz for more information.
March 15
12:00 Youth Adventure-Light lunch served. Lenten discussion & group game.
Don’t forget your journal.
12:00 CYF-Lunch outing and discussion of next service project
March 22
12:00 Chi Rho
No CYF meeting today
April 5
Palm Sunday-All groups to participate in Easter Eggcitement immediately after church
April 12
Easter Sunday-No youth groups meeting today

Bible Explorers
Our children have already participated in two great workshops that have focused on
Jesus and his time in the Garden of Gethsemane. The kids have watched and dis-
cussed clips from Jesus Christ Superstar as well as made their own Garden of Geth-
semane terrariums. There are two more weeks of this study and children from pre-
school through junior high are invited to join us from 9:30-10:15 on Sunday mornings.

Supplies Needed: We are still looking for small size containers with lids (to be turned
into banks). Drop them off in the Donation Box located in room 2. Thanks for your
support!

If you are in Junior High School and want to learn about becoming a Shepherd for this pro-
gram contact Jill Foster, Chery Carew or Shirley Woodman.

Page 8
 Date Class Workshop Room #
The Garden of Gethsemane
3/15 PRE K-1 Drama 3
2-5 Games 4
3/22 PRE K-1 Games 4
2-5 Drama 3
3/29 PRE K-1 Last Supper Everyone meet
2-5 Reenactment in 3
4/5 PRE K-1 Palm Sunday Everyone meet
2-5 Activities in 4
4/12 No Bible Pancake
Explorers today Breakfast
Don’t forget that our High School Class also meets at this time in Room 8 under the leader-
ship of Kristen Hammel.

UPCOMING EASTER ACTIVITIES:

Sunday, April 5-Palm Sunday
This Sunday our Bible Explorers and high school classes will be participating in
several mini-rotations that include making Empty Tomb Buns and doing a special
eggshell art project. During both services our children will also participate in our
traditional palm branch processional. Palm Sunday is also the time for our annual Easter Egg-
citement Party. Everyone is invited to join us after second service for lunch, special activities,
a visit from the Easter Bunny and our Easter egg hunt. Plan on bringing a dozen filled Easter
eggs to share.
Easter Sunday-April 12
There will be no adult or youth Sunday school classes this morning, but you are invited to
come to the Easter Pancake Breakfast, which will be served from 7:30-10:15 a.m.

Page 9
Upcoming Sermons
Our sermon focus for Lent is on Spiritual Practices—things we can do regularly
(religiously!) that help strengthen our faith and our connection to God.
March 15 – “Filling the God-Shaped Hole” (Psalm 42; Romans 8:26-27; Luke 11:1-4)
Many people feel awkward or insufficiently able when it comes to Prayer, and yet we also
have an inner yearning for the Source of life and breath. What can we learn from Jesus’ and
Paul’s teachings about talking to God?
March 22 – “Practicing, But Not Quite Perfect”
Pastor Ted Oden will reflect on the process involved in spiritual practices while Pastor
Steve is at Loch Leven facilitating worship at our church retreat.
March 29 – “God’s Hand Is Not Too Short” (Isaiah 59:1-2)
“Confession is good for the soul,” so the saying goes. Do we believe it? Are we willing to
bring our deepest selves before God? If not, what stands in the way? This Sunday, we
think about the spiritual practice of Confession—it’s not just for Catholics!

“Messy Spirituality” – a Discussion Series for Lent

“How would our understanding of the spiritual life be altered if we used other words to de-
scribe growing? Maybe waiting is good and not waiting is bad. Maybe stopping has a
higher value than starting. Maybe success is bad and failure is good.” (Mike Yaconelli,
Messy Spirituality: God’s Annoying Love for Imperfect People, Zondervan, 2002).
You are invited to explore your “Messy Spirituality” as part of our Sunday Evening Lenten
Discussion Series. Based on the wonderful book by Mike Yaconelli, we will consider what
one reviewer calls “the antidote to spiritual perfectionism.”
The series continues Sunday evening in Lent through April 5. We begin at 5:00 pm with a
simple meal, and follow with theme time that is part discussion group, part worship. One
need not have come to earlier sessions to get something out of our upcoming gatherings.

Baptism Class
Our Baptism Class continues its gatherings on March 15 and 29 at noon, after
worship, with lunch and lessons, and their last session on Saturday, April 4.
We look forward to receiving confessions of faith on Palm Sunday, April 5,
and a celebration of baptism on Easter Sunday, April 12. (Due to schedules,
some confessions and baptisms will be celebrated on other dates.) For a full list of candi-
dates, please see the pastor’s note on the back page.
Page 10
 Footnotes
“All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We
have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if
we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him
in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3-5)
From the beginning, Lent appears to have been a season of preparation for baptism. It
was a time when baptismal “candidates” learned the lessons of the faith, considered
what it would mean for them to “walk in newness of life,” and, at least during times of
persecution, quite literally prepared for the possibility of dying for their faith—all in
the hope that their symbolic dying and rising in baptism would prefigure their ultimate
hope of resurrection.
In our time and place, Christians experience diminished influence, but nothing ap-
proaching persecution—for which we give thanks. But Lent is still Lent—still a time
when candidates prepare for baptism, learn of the faith, consider their new walk, and
receive the hope of resurrection. I want you all to know that it is a joy and a privilege
for me to participate with our current baptism class.
But because the responsibility—and the joy!—are not mine alone, I commend to your
prayers our candidates for baptism: Anne Beecher, Trevor Bise, Dallas Cooper, Dixie
Cooper, Rebecca Foster, Caitlin Hedde, Ileana Iannucci, Sarah Iannucci, Brittany
McPherson, Ryan Rogers, Paul Ryan, and Sydney Thornton. Marie Wood, who was
baptized last year, has also joined the class, so as to share and learn with her friends.
Please lift these names up to God as often as you pray—for their immersion into the
power of the Holy Spirit, the blessings of their new fellowship in Christ, and their ex-
perience of the redeeming love of God.

Shalom, Steve
Home phone: 310-212-5950 email: steefeets@hotmail.com

Wednesday Morning Bible Study

Our Wednesday morning Bible Study is looking at some of the Psalms that are appro-
priate to the season of Lent. Bible Study is in Sippel Hall every Wednesday morning
from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

**Next Newsletter articles need to be at the church office by 3/23/09.

Page 11
 FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NON PROFIT ORG.

(Disciples of Christ)
PERMIT NO. 109
TORRANCE, CA

2930 El Dorado Street

Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 328-2820 Fax 310 328-2929
E-mail - fcctorr@pacbell.net
Web address - fcctorrance.org
Sunday Schedule
8:30 a.m. - Worship - Informal
9:30 a.m. - Church School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Worship - Traditional
Children’s Worship - Ages Pre-school through
2nd Grade
(During the Traditional Worship Service)
Nursery Provided
For birth through age 3 during Sunday School
and the Traditional Service
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Staff
Steven Fietz, Senior Pastor
Ted Oden-Minister of Contemporary Worship
Administrative Assistant– Camelia Olloque
Choir Director - Ken Potter
Nursery Attendant - Sherril Wiechmann
The Christian Messenger

Officers
Chair - Doug Crawford
TIME VALUE DATA

Vice Chair - Don Zukas

2930 El Dorado Street

DO NOT DELAY
First Christian Church

Torrance, CA 90503

Treasurer– Bill Wysong

EXPEDITE

Financial Secretary - Moggy Emmen

Clerk– Chery Carew

Page 12