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April
2009 Calendar
Click
here for the Current
Smyrna Calendar.
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Smyrna
Scholarship Applications
The Smyrna
United Church of Christ/Glenda Yoder Sano Scholarship Committee
will be accepting applications through April 24th, 2009. The
applications are available in the narthex of the church or by
contacting Rick or Levonne Gano. Eligibility Requirements are:
the applicant must be a current or recently graduated high
school senior or in a post high school program making
satisfactory progress, and the applicant must be an active
participant in Smyrna UCC with active participation during the
past year in the life of Smyrna UCC (Examples would be
participation or assistance with the Charity Barbeque,
Strawberry Social, Chili Cook-off, Vacation Bible School, etc.).
This is the sixth year that Smyrna has provided church members
scholarships for furthering their education after high school.
The church scholarship is granted in memory of Glenda Yoder
Sano, a 1962 Molalla High graduate and a long time member of the
Smyrna Church family, who, as many of you know, was instrumental
in starting and continuing many youth programs in our church.
--Rick Gano,Smyrna
UCC Scholarship Committee |
A
Second Opinion
The position of Parish Nurse was
an important job in the early life of the church in the United
States. The Parish Nurse could provide very important basic
medical care when a doctor was not available, or when people
could not afford a doctor. The Parish Nurse offers a faith based
ministry of healing and some churches have an active Parish
Nurse program today.
During February I was asked by three different people for
financial advice. They were looking for advice on their budget,
and on their investments.
While I am not a certified financial planner, I can offer a
second opinion. Our concern as a church is for the health of our
congregation- spiritual, physical, and financial. If you would
like a second opinion on our finances, please contact me. All
information will be held in the strictest confidence. And you
can rest assured that the opinions are coming from someone who
is not trying to sell you anything.
---Pastor
Dave
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We
need your help!
The Stitch Club is
gathering recipes in order to put together another cookbook
— “The New Addition.” If you have favorite recipes to share
(have you been updating those old favorites as your diet
changes?), please give them to Elaine. |
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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:
Roger Engle, Ethel Henderson, Josette Waitman, DaNelda Strode,
Mickey Hester, & Frank Peterson
“Thinking of
you”:
Dick Cheadle, , Burt Gottwald, Norton Nicholson, Cheryl Sano,
Darrell Melcher, Gale Blatchford, Marlene Seethoff, Jack & Willa
Kieling, Evelyn Wormdahl, Helen Kappler, Debbie Fisher, &
Eleanor Holbrook
Sympathy:
Prayers of sympathy and support go to
Steven and Eileen Boss on the loss of their nephew, Martin Eltritch
of Mulino.
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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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Learning
from the Students
I have begun to enjoy Wednesday afternoons almost as much
as Sundays in my ministry. My routine on Wednesday is to tutor math in
the 4th grade at Peter S. Ogden elementary school in Vancouver, and then
to head down to Smyrna. I stop on the way to conduct a Bible study for 6
to 8 boys at Maclaren Youth Correctional Facility before joining our
Wednesday Night Youth Challenge. Both groups of young people challenge
my thinking.
Several Wednesday’s ago I was sharing the creation stories in Genesis 1
and 2 with the boys at Maclaren expecting the usual surprise at the
realization that there were two different stories as to how God created
men and women. We used a new version of the scriptures called The
Message. The boys’ focus was only temporarily on the creation, and
primarily upon the verse, “Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds
in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.”
The verse seemed to catch the boys in a very reflective state. One of
them acknowledged we haven’t been doing a very good job of being
responsible for the world.
One of the books I have been reading lately is The Green Collar Economy.
The book is focused on how we can rebuild our economy using green
technology providing new jobs, and protecting the earth. Of course the
book mentions the importance of reducing our waste with two very
important sentences— “It is true that we don’t have any throwaway
species or resources. We don’t have any throw away children, throwaway
neighborhoods, or throwaway nations either.”
For many years we have celebrated Earth Day on April 22. We know that
our country has only 4% of the world’s population yet we use 25% of the
world’s petroleum. Did you know that our country also has 25% of the
world’s prisoners?
The answer to reducing our correctional facility’s population is the
same as health care — prevention. Our ministry with children of all ages
and in all places is more important than ever. Those children are truly
made in God’s image, and in caring for them we truly will see Christ
present in the world.
Our Sunday morning Christian Education program, the Wednesday Night
Youth Challenge, and the opportunity you give me to spend time at
Maclaren are all opportunities for our church to say we love all of
God’s children.
---Pastor
Dave
DavidAkers@smyrna-ucc.org
Smyrna’s
Spring Days of Giving
...
is scheduled for
Sunday, April 5. Please bring your donation to worship marked
Spring Days of Giving or mail to Irene Schriever, Church
Treasurer, 32914 S. Kropf Rd, Molalla OR 97038 |
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Lucia Schuebel's Birthday
Surrounded by friends and family, flowers, cake and cards, Lucia
Schuebel celebrated her 94th birthday in Smyrna’s Friendship
House. (Click on thumbnail to see larger photo.)
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April Lectionary
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April 5
Psalm 31
Isaiah 50:4-9
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14 and 15 |
April 12
Psalm 118
Isaiah 25:6-9
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Mark 16:1-8 |
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April 19
Psalm 133
Acts 4:32-35
1 John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31 |
April 26
Psalm 4
Acts 3:12-19
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
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Ucy Activities— past and
future
Attention Newcomers: The 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 March 2009:
March 4, 11, and 25 - Wednesday Night Youth Challenge at
Smyrna from 6:30 - 8:30. Snacks were provided. March 18 - Pizza
was provided.
March 8 - A bunch of UCYer's and Adults went to the Mt.
Angel Abbey - to look at their Museum, Grounds, listen to their
Vespers Prayer Service, which was sung by the Monks, then we
went to Spoleto's Pizza for dinner.
Plans for April 2009:
April 1 — 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth Challenge.
We’ll be filling Plastic Easter Eggs - for the
Palm Sun. - April
5th Easter Egg Hunt. Snacks provided
April 8 — 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth Challenge.
We’ll be making Tie-Dye Shirts - to wear at the Easter
Breakfast. Please bring a 100% White Cotton Shirt - washed but
not put in the dryer. Snacks provided
April 15, 22, and 29 - Wednesday Night Youth Challenge at
Smyrna from 6:30 - 8:30. Snacks provided.
April 12 - Easter Sun. - 7:30 - 8:45 am - The UCY is
serving their Annual Easter Breakfast. Come, enjoy a
delicious breakfast made by our youth and meet all the new kids
in their splashy new tie-dye shirts. They will also serve coffee
hour after worship.
---
Sandra Mahar
- UCY Coordinator |
Treasurer’s
Report
General Fund
Balance Jan. 31, 2009 $25,669.97
Receipts
7,125.76
Expenditures
(7,134.38)
Balance Feb. 28, 2009 25,661.35
— Irene
Schriever |
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and having communion since it is the first Sunday of the
month, we will also be celebrating the sacrament of Baptism.
A few of the youth from the Wednesday Night Youth Challenge will
be baptized during the service, and we will all have the
opportunity to remember our Baptism.
At
1 p.m. we will have our annual Easter Egg hunt- outside if
the weather cooperates or in the Sanctuary if the spring rains
persist. The hunt will be for children 3rd grade and under. Fun
and treats galore!
