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March
2009 Calendar
Click
here for the Current
Smyrna Calendar.
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Everyone is invited
to stay after worship for a
special coffee hour
March 8
to celebrate Lucia Schuebel’s 94th birthday
In the Friendship Hall of
Smyrna UCC
Family will serve
cake, coffee and punch.
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Chilly
outside and Chili inside!
Six teams created their own
special brand of chili for Smyrna’s annual Chili Cook-off on
February 8, 2009.
The Hot Chili Mama’s took on AKJ,
the 4D’s, the UCY, Rebekah Yoder’s Team and It’s All Chili.
Chili was topped onions, cheese, tomatoes, salsa; consumed with
sides of corn muffins, taco chips; washed down with coffee,
punch, water and (from the UCY) orange juliuses. Then it was
followed by more.
The total raised by all six
teams was $1,573.88. Half of the money will be used to promote
youth programs and the other half will go to the building fund.
[photogallery/photo00016457/real.htm] |
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Tuesdays in Lent
During March we will meet every Tuesday evening for a Simple
Soup Supper followed by a weekly study of how the Bible can
support us in our Pilgrimage as Christians. Every family will
receive a participant’s book with exercises to guide them daily
during Lent.
We will conclude our Lenten service with a Maundy Thursday
service to include communion on April 9th. As part of our Maundy
Thursday service we will include readings from the Tenebrae
service (Tenebrae is at Latin term for Shadows). Under candle
light we will be reading about the last events in Jesus life.
 Save your Tuesdays (and one Thursday). You can volunteer to
provide the soup for one Tuesday by signing up in the Narthex.
All the suppers will begin at 6 p.m.
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 Maclaren Update
The party we agreed to sponsor for the
Kincaid Cottage at the Maclaren Youth Correctional Facility finally
happened on February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Our original plan for a
party was canceled by a snow storm on December 21st.
 Twelve members of Smyrna visited the
Kincaid Cottage where we shared pizza, chips and salsa, donuts, and ice
cream with 27 boys. We also played ping pong, basketball, and a wild and
intense game of Pictionary. We had a lot of fun and look forward to
having more events with the boys in the future.
Pastor Dave has a Wednesday afternoon
Bible study with 6 to 8 of the boys, exploring the following Sunday’s
scripture passages.
The boys at Maclaren are in need of a
mentor who can meet with them on a regular basis. If you would like to
volunteer at Maclaren, please contact Rev. Craig Cutting, Volunteer
Coordinator at 503-981-9531 ext. 315. You can also email Rev. Cutting at
Craig.cutting@oya.state.or.us. |
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Building
Committee
It’s not all over yet. The
final payment to the contractor has been made and all the county
building inspections completed, but there is still the matter of
the notes borrowed from our members. Last September, the
church borrowed $155,000 finish the project and now it is time
to start paying that off.
At its February meeting, the
Church Council adopted a plan which we hope will lead to full
repayment in five years. We will use money from the
parsonage and cell tower rent and the pledges made, in addition
to holding regular fund raisers.
A full report is available in
the Narthex or from Joel Daniels. We have done a
stupendous job of paying off the farm we bought and completing a
major addition. Smyrna always rises to the cause. |
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Plans for
April
 Several
young people in our Wednesday Night Youth Challenge group have expressed
interest in being baptized. We have scheduled a Baptism service for
Sunday, April 5th (Palm Sunday). Baptism is an outward and visible sign
of the grace of God. In baptism, God works in us the power of
forgiveness, the renewal of the spirit and the knowledge of the call to
be God’s people always.
We hold baptism as part of our Sunday
morning worship so that we all can be reminded or our own baptism. We
also have the opportunity to commit to help the one being baptized to
grow as a Christian.
If you or your child has never been baptized, and you are interested
in learning more or being part of our April 5th service, please see
Pastor Dave.
Christian Nurture
Please come and have fun with the
Christian Nurture
Committee and all the young kids at our Annual Easter Egg Hunt on
Palm Sunday, April 5th around 1 p.m. (after coffee
hour). We will hide Easter eggs outside if
weather permits. The hunt will be for children 3rd grade and under. We
will have lots of fun and treats galore.
Easter
Breakfast
 The
UCY is putting on their Annual Easter Breakfast from 7:30 - 8:45 am on
Easter Sunday, April 12th. Come, enjoy a
delicious breakfast made by our youth and
meet all the new kids in their splashy new tye-dye shirts. They will
also serve coffee hour after worship
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One Great Hour of Sharing
 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
In keeping with this year’s One Great Hour of Sharing theme, “Where
Is Your Treasure?,” Pastor Dave will hand out small “treasure chests” to
each church family at the beginning of March. (Empty treasure chests!)
All that change you’ve been bringing to church every Sunday can go right
into the treasure chests for several weeks.
On March 22, 2009 everyone will bring their treasure chests to church
to be dedicated to One Great Hour of Sharing. Our focus this year is the
reduction of hunger. The UCC works with international partners to
provide sources of clean water and food, education and health care,
small business micro-credit, emergency relief, and advocacy and
resettlement for refugees and displaced persons. OGHS also supports
domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and
response.
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Many of the names on the prayer list come from a list of people
that the Diaconate sends cards to every month. Some are get well
cards, others are simply “thinking of you” cards. If you know
anyone who should be on the prayer list in the Behold, please
let Jeannie or Elaine know. If they would enjoy receiving cards
let someone in the Diaconate know.
Healing and
better health:
Jackie Sperb, Ethel Henderson, Vonda
Stoneking, Josette Waitman, Mickey Hester, & Frank Peterson
“Thinking of
you”:
Dick Cheadle, Norton Nicholson, Cheryl Sano,
Darrell Melcher, Gale Blatchford, Marlene Seethoff, Jack & Willa
Kieling, Evelyn Wormdahl, Helen Kappler, Debbie Fisher, & Eleanor
Holbrook |
Mission Statement
Smyrna United
Church of Christ is striving to be:
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A place of peace where we teach the word of God and the story of God’s
love. |
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A spiritual haven where we accept and care for all humanity in an
outreach of grace. |
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A lighthouse of God’s light, where worship, teaching, learning and
spiritual growth take place in community powered by thought and action. |
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A Christian people, working for God’s realm in ecumenical
harmony with other people of faith and conviction.
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Please let us know if you want to
be removed from the Behold!! mailing list.
You may also choose to view a very
colorful version at our church website,
www.smyrna-ucc.org . If you would prefer it to
the printed edition, we can arrange that too. You will be
reminded each month when a new Behold!! is available.
Contact
smyrnaucc@canby.com
or
behold-email@smyrna-ucc.org
Announcements are available on our
website each week as well.
In order to avoid an interruption,
let us know if you have a change of address. |
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Winter
Time Blues?
When we first moved to the Portland
area, a friend of mine who had lived here for over 20 years told me,
“There is no point in traveling during the summer months. The weather is
beautiful here in the summer. Winter time is when you want to travel— to
get away from the gray days.”
Getting away does seem like a good idea,
but our budgets don’t always allow it. What can you do to cheer up
without traveling? I have three ideas for you—
| Try spending 10 minutes a day
giving thanks for all the good things in you life. Don’t ask for
anything; just tell God how much you appreciate all the ways you
have been blessed. At the end of your “prayer” call someone and tell
them how much you appreciate them. You and your friend will both
feel better. |
| Put on your rain hat and go for a
walk. Being outside and getting some exercise will always help.
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| Finally, volunteer and spend some
time helping someone else. I have been volunteering in the homeless
shelter kitchen in Vancouver on Thursdays for the last 3 months. I
hate getting up at 4:30 a.m. to volunteer— it isn’t a very civilized
hour. On the other hand, I love being part of making sure the
homeless start the day with a good breakfast, and I always drive
home feeling better about life. |
If these three suggestions don’t help,
remember to look out the window at the lengthening days and appreciate
the sunshine when we have it. And if you really want to feel better
about life, join the Wednesday night youth challenge. The group averages
15 teenagers, and there is enough energy in the room for everyone. The
following poem was part of our January 28th session:
Crabby?
Sitting in my crabby chair,
with crabby, narrow eyes,
I’m thinking really crabby thoughts
without too much disguise.
Crabbiness extends to all
who enter my domain.
And if they sit too long with me,
they’re crabby! I’m to blame.
But when I have had enough
and can’t stand any more,
I set my crabbiness aside
and walk outside the door.
Shaking off my crabby mood
is often hard to do;
but when I take the first step out,
God helps me take step two.
Carolyn Washington --from devozine
(January/February 2009). Copyright © 2008 by The Upper Room®. All rights
reserved.
---Pastor
Dave
DavidAkers@smyrna-ucc.org
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For
several weeks the children of Smyrna have been collecting money
during the Children’s Time of Sunday worship services for Heifer
International. The money goes toward buying animals for poor
people around the world.* We have done this before with good
success. Our current donation drive ended on February 15 and
raised $692.94.
Congratulations! And thanks to all who donated their extra
change to this worthy cause. Keep an eye out in the Behold for
what we will do next.
—Angela Stierle—
*go to
www.heifer.org for some fascinating information on how the
process works, the training that goes along with the animals
provided, what Heifer International is doing for urban people
and more, much more.
—
Jeannie |
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March Lectionary
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March 1
Psalm 25
Genesis 9:8-17
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15
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March 8
Psalm 22
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
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March 15
Psalm 19
Exodus 20:1-17
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22 |
March 22
Psalm 107
Numbers 21:4-9
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
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March 29
Psalm 51
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33
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Smyrna’s
"Stimulus Program"
 February saw the start of AT&T’s
Cell Tower project at Smyrna. The plans have been in the
pipeline for several years. Cell phone companies have
access to money we have paid on our phone bills t o help ensure
that rural areas receive coverage. AT&T officials told the
church that they like to be able to put towers church, school
and other public property so they can have the benefit.
Under the terms of the contract, the church will receive monthly
payments of $1,100 which will increase by 3% per year.
This money will help us to pay of the remaining notes on the new
building project.
The cell tower is just outside
the cemetery fence on the southwest corner. The
construction company has built a road around the cemetery so
they will have access at all times. They have also drilled
under the parking lot to bring in telephone and power lines.
It is their responsibility to leave things as they found them
and to landscape around the tower. The Cemetery Committee
is planning to make sure there are a few more trees planted on
the southwest corner of the cemetery. |
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Ucy Activities— past and
future
Attention Newcomers: UCY—Smyrna's
Church Youth Group—will be meeting once a month and every
Wednesday night for 4th — 12th Graders. Sandra Mahar and Carly
Sether are inviting the UCY Members and Newcomers to come to
some kind of an event, do a community service project, help with
fund raisers, plus attend the Wednesday Night Youth Challenges.
Happenings
in February 2009:
Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25 - Wednesday Night Youth Challenge
at Smyrna from 6:30 - 8:30. Snacks were provided.
Feb. 6 — 7 - Middle School Retreat at Camp Adams.
Feb. 7 - two UCYers, Pat Bullard, Sandra Mahar, and Angie Stierle
made some Chili for the Chili Cook-Off.
Feb. 8- UCY had a Chili Booth and served delicious Chili and
Orange Julius Drinks. They won 2nd place out of 6 teams! UCY would like
to thank everyone for all of your donations. The money will go towards
supplies, pizza, drinks, snacks, and events. UCY also had a donation pot
for The Souper Bowl of Caring, which went to the Molalla Service Center.
$46.00 was raised, and the Molalla Service Center was very happy to
receive the donation.
[photogallery/photo00022600/real.htm]Plans for March
2009:
March 4 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth Challenge at
Smyrna Snacks will be provided.
March 8 - 3:00 p.m. UCY Members will meet at Smyrna to go to the
Mt. Angel Abbey - to look at their Museum, Grounds, listen to
their Vespers Prayer Service, then go some place for dinner. Here is a
picture and explanation of the Mt. Angel Abbey by the monks: The
Monastery—The Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine Monks
founded in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg in Switzerland. We maintain
a monastic tradition that has been a vital part of the Roman Catholic
Church for more than 1500 years. Responding to God's call to holiness
and preferring nothing whatever to Christ, we dedicate ourselves, under
a Rule and an abbot to a life of prayer and work. We strive to support
one another in community, to serve God, the Church, and the larger
society. We do this as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist together, pray
the Liturgy of the Hours five times daily in choir, and devote ourselves
to reading and silence.
March 11 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
Night Youth Challenge at Smyrna. Snacks will be provided.
March 18 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth Challenge at Smyrna
Pizza will be provided.
March 25 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth Challenge at Smyrna
Snacks will be provided.
On January 25, 2009, UCY of about 30 people attend the play day at J.
J. Extreme in Clackamas, OR. Here are some photos of that event:
[photogallery/photo00004419/real.htm]
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Sandra Mahar
- UCY Coordinator |
Treasurer’s
Report
General Fund
Balance
12/31/08
$23,918.33
Receipts
7,487.33
Expenditures
(5,735.69)
Balance
01/31/09 $25,669.97
— Irene
Schriever |
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