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The
Vol. 69,Christian
No. 8
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Courier
CourierBellingham
The Christian Courier
First Christian
Please Welcome to Our Pulpit,
Jordan Smith!
Sundays, August 18 & 25
Jordan Smith is a member of First Christian Church and
a writer who has made discoveries about who he was
created to be. Some of his labels include bisexual,
androromantic, usually single, demiguy, nonbinary and
transgender. He also has reflected deeply on mental
health and has had two decades of therapy for
schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type). While he's happy
to discuss any of this, when he was given opportunities
to preach, he discerned he was called to speak about
rocking the boat (August 18) and getting into good
trouble (August 25), both of which Jesus did. Jordan
has demonstrated for Pride, marriage rights, women's
rights, health care, an end to police killings of unarmed
black people, stopping the building of oil pipelines on
Native American land, reparations for the descendants
of slaves, transgender rights, reunification of families
separated at the border, and the rights of people to
make decisions about their own bodies. Jordan has
reached out to leaders of both major political parties to
encourage them to use principled, interest-based
negotiation to prevent and end government shutdowns,
to make foreign policy decisions based on ethical as
well as strategic considerations, and to make the
criminal justice system more just, humane and effective,
and to his representatives for a number of justice and
compassion related policy positions. Jordan believes
strongly in being what Martin Luther King famously
called, “an extremist for love."
The Christian Courier
Church August 2019
Kral’s Scrawls
Wait! What’s happening? I thought…
Do you ever feel as if you just get one thing figured out
and suddenly ten others change? Do you ever reach the
point at which life is changing so quickly around you that
you can’t tell your comings from your goings?
We had dinner with my mom, recently, and she
mentioned that her Alexa not working properly,
prohibiting her from listening to her favorite music. My
sister was having phone issues, keeping her from doing
much of anything. So, a great deal of the evening was
devoted to sorting out apps and devices and muddling
our way through the ridiculous hoops that tech
companies seem to devise so that we might be just a
little more frustrated and whackadoodle at day’s end.
To add to the challenges and changes in your
technological world, you’ll note that the the Sunday
worship slides and bulletins, as well as the Courier are
being reconstructed, as we look for sleeker designs and
seek ways to use our church resources more wisely.
And, of course, the church website and weekly emails
are always being updated, bringing you better
information in better formats, but confusing the life out
of many of us.
And the rest of life? If your life is as calm as those of our
weekly meditation class participants, come teach the
rest of us how to live that way. If not, let’s just hit that
PAUSE button.
Let’s find sabbath and rest and peace and calm. Let’s
be the people who sit at the feet of Jesus at learn to just
chill and refill and figure out how to take one day, one
challenge, one change at a time.
Everybody breathe. Pray. And get ready to change in
whatever way life and God may require.
Peace,
Pastor Tamalyn
Sunday Ministry Teams Birthdays & Anniversaries Financial Summary

First Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ)

495 East Bakerview Road Sunday, August 4 Sunday, August 18

Bellingham, WA 98226 Elder: Kathy Wheeler Elder: Brenda Riseland
360.734.6820 Elder of the Month: Jane Kletka Deacons: Kris Ann Lewis, Celia
office@bellinghamdisciples.org Deacons: James Becker, Bentley Obrecht
www.bellinghamdisciples.org Becker Reader: Melissa Henderson
Find us on Facebook Reader: Darleen Page Children's Moment: TBD
Follow us on Twitter Children's Moment: Tamalyn K. Children’s Church: TBD
Children’s Church: TBD Flowers: TBD
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.
Flowers: TBD Fellowship Time: TBD
As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all Fellowship Time: TBD, honoring
to the Lord’s Table as God welcomed us. August birthdays
All of Us Sunday, August 11 Sunday, August 25
Ministers Elder: Linda Heyne Elder: Bob Fisher
Rev. Gary Shoemaker, Pastor Deacons: Renee Hoemann, Zoe Deacons: Linda Botts, Melissa
gary@bellinghamdisciples.org Ila Becker Henderson
Rev. Tamalyn Kralman, Associate Pastor Reader: Kris Ann Lewis Reader: Gregg Heyne
- Ed. & Community Outreach - Children's Moment: Linda H. Children's Moment: TBD
Courier Editor Children’s Church: Linda Botts Children’s Church: TBD
tamalyn@bellinghamdisciples.org Flowers: TBD Flowers & Fellowship Time:
Fellowship Time:TBD Esther Group
Amelia Nye, Accompanist
TBD, Childcare Provider
Rev. Sandy Messick, Regional Minister Sign up in the fellowship hall to help in these important ministries.
Rev. Terri Horde Owens • Bring flowers for Sunday worship
General Minister and President
• Provide goodies for fellowship time following Sunday worship
Sunday Schedule
Sunday School on summer hiatus
10:20a Gathering Time
Emmett Shoemaker 24
10:30a Worship Rowan Shoemaker 24
11:45a Fellowship Time David Fairchild 25
August Birthdays
12:30p Out-to-Lunch Bunch Jennifer Char 31
Kim Naidu 4
(4th Sunday) August Anniversaries
Steve Hutchens 5
2p Someone Cares! Community Meal Margaret & Lee Brown 8
(2nd Sunday)
Cheryl Perry 9
Megan & Zach Shoemaker 10
Marian Overcash 16
Office Hours Laura & Orrin Char 17
Fran Frazee 17
Tuesday - Friday Dick & Jimmie Talley 25
Diana Linayao 18
9 a.m. - noon
Our staff are in and out of the office throughout the
week. Please feel free to stop by during their office General Fund
hours or make an appointment that fits your
Financial Summary

Balance 1/19/19 $0
schedule.
Income 1/1/ - 6/30/19 $73,161.58
Officers Expenses 1/1 - 6/30/19 $76,260.17
Gregg Heyne, Moderator
Balance 6/30/19 -3,098.59
Leslie Pinkston, Vice-Moderator
Betty Schmidling, Secretary
Cheryl Perry, Treasurer Cash Assets
CD $27,775.12
Important Links:
Regional Website (including monthly
Checking (general) 7/15/19 $20,150.63
newsletter): disciplesnw.org Checking (restricted) 7/15/19 $17481.16
General Church Website: disciples.org $65,406.91

2 August 2019
Info on the Community Meal Joys & Concerns

A Word on the Community Meal A Request from the Someone Cares

Four years ago our church started an endeavor
that has turned out to be what I
think is a wonderful outreach
Sunday Monday
mission for us: The Someone
Cares Community Meal. Your
financial, emotional, and
volunteer support was amazing
and continues to be amazing.
Through your efforts we managed
to build a fund that has enabled
us to make it through 4 years of
offering good, wholesome meals
Community Meal Task Force:
We need the congregation’s help! Our great
team of people who Friday
utilize our church
Saturday
kitchen preparing our Community Meal each
month are finding it more and more difficult
each time to find counter space to work.
That makes it difficult when we are preparing
dinner for 50 plus people at a time. We are
asking that anyone who has anything left on
the kitchen countertops please remove
those items before August 15. Anything left
there after that time will be cleared away.

and the staffing to make those

meals happen, and to build We will also be notifying other groups who
Joseph’s Closet for our guests.
use our kitchen of this action. Thanks for your help!
During this past year we have served an
average of close to 60 folks on the second
Sunday of the month, and have spent an Joys and Concerns
average of $150 to $200 each month. In
Please submit written requests to update this list.
addition, each month you have signed up to
bring food donations that help to keep costs Medical concerns: • Refugees worldwide
down and have given me cash that allows me • Bea Gilfilen’s sister, • Iglesia de Dios, as
to go to the store for last minute items that Dory together we share
might be needed. We have purchased needed • Chloe Gibson God’s love
supplies and kitchen items, paid the church • Darleen Page & Family •C o m m u n i t y t o
coffee fund for a year’s supply of coffee for our • Diana Findlay’s son, Community families in
guests to drink, and have had the privilege of Gary Schwebel their gardening program
offering cookies to our guests that are made by • Ellen Fisher, Bob’s sister- in our field
our adult special needs friend Tim. These in-law • Kristine Tissinger,
cookies get devoured by our guests before the • Jimmie Talley’s mom missionary partner in
meal starts.
• Kevin Clark Ghana
Several months ago I reported to you that our • Kris Ann Lewis’s • Rev. Sandy Messick,
cash fund was hearty for then and suggested to family, including stepdad- Regional Minister and
you that you might want to think about putting in-law, Pat Spiller, & President
your money donations toward other needs in mother-in law, Vivian • Rev. Teresa Hord
our church and community. I also told you that Lewis Owens, General
when we got close to having $1500 left in our • Maureen Thompson, Minister and
meal fund, I would come back to you. We are Melissa Henderson’s mom/ President
currently close to the $2000 mark in our meal Leslie Pinkston’s sister • Our General Church
fund and knowing what I know about how far Life’s challenges: ministries
our money goes toward meals and supplies, I • Ardythe Hannah & • Yakama Christian
am asking that you again consider giving granddaughter Mission
donations to the Someone Cares Meal Fund. I Stephanie • V i c t i m s o f h a t re d ,
think it’s time.
• Jimmie & Dick Talley injustice, violence,
• Bob Fisher’s daughter poverty, disease, and
It has been an honor and a privilege to work Katie disaster worldwide
with all of you, especially those who volunteer • Kris Ann Lewis’s • All troops involved in
to work at the meals, and our guests we serve. family: brother Phil, world conflict
It has been a growing experience for me as I sister-in-law Cary, •P e a c e m a k e r s
know it has been for many others. Your nephew Matt niece worldwide
enthusiasm and willingness to help is the mark Hannah, Brenchly family
of who we are as a church.

Beyond Our Walls:

Brenda Riseland
• For the healing of
Someone Cares Community Meal Coordinator our nation

3 August 2019
4
August 2019
Table 1 Sunday
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

7:30a Men’s Break-

fast, Denny’s
Monday

4
 5 6 7
8
9 10

10:20a Gathering
Bulletin deadline 11a Meditation 7:30a Men’s Break-
10:30a Worship
fast, Denny’s
11:45a Fellowship
Tuesday

11 12 13 14
15
16 17

10:20a Gathering
Bulletin deadline Courier deadline
7:30a Men’s Break-
10:30a Worship
11a Meditation fast, Denny’s
11:45a Fellowship

2p Com’ty Meal

18 19 20 21
22
23 24

10:20a Gathering
Bulletin deadline 11a Meditation 7:30a Men’s Break-
Wednesday Thursday

10:30a Worship
fast, Denny’s
11:45a Fellowship
Friday

25 26 27 28
29
30 31

10:20a Gathering
Bulletin deadline 11a Meditation 7:30a Men’s Break-
10:30a Worship
fast, Denny’s
11:45a Fellowship

7p Book Group
Saturday

August 2019
August Calendar