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Please keep the following in your prayers. Remember them with

a card or phone call.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Pray for our nation

Officers of the Haines City Police Department Leadership of First Christian Church US Military Personnel Throughout the World Health Concerns: Karl Casey, Bob Fain, Leo

Woodward, Roger and Yvonne Evans, Lorena Roberts, Ed Schutte, Dottie Minnich, Lee Lynch, Elaine Ogburn, and Dorothy Goodman

Dee Casey - set up to receive regular blood trans-fusions

Liz Crousore - hip issues Mike Crousore - recovering at home following

surgery Barbara Schutte - rehab, recovering from fall Jackie Fain - cardiac procedure went well; time

for healing Gary Pillsbury - two ultrasounds this week Danae Bryan - recovering at home from surgery

Marty Dewitt - hoping to transition into an Inde-pendent Living Facility

Mickey Wright - bruised and banged up follow-ing a fall out on the pavement

Marty Vanaskey - new meds treating depression Rev. James Collins - cancer treatments Melissa Benson - facing more health concerns;

daughter of Gary West Ellen and Millie - sisters with serious health con-

cerns; friends of Cindy Cordner Cindy Cordner - legal issues to work through Anthony - Alzheimer's; brother of Cindy Cordner Gary - battling pneumonia after recovering from

a triple by-pass; friend of Charles Bright Lex Burney - friend of Julie Duff Families who have lost children through gun vio-

lence while out playing in their yards Educators as they head back to school this week

in Polk County Wildfires throughout California Tropical Storm Marco and Laura as they make

their way into the Gulf of Mexico, headed to-wards Louisiana

The First Christian Church of Haines City (DOC) 705 South 14th St. Haines City, FL 33844

Issue 16- 2020 Published Bimonthly

August 25, 2020

WANDERING WEST WORD

A few years ago, Theodore J. Wardlaw, President of Austin Presbyterian Theological Semi-nary in Austin, Texas, was charged with writing an article about “Preaching on Generosity.” I found it helpful as we find ourselves working through our financial distress that has been ex-acerbated by the coronavirus. The article had nothing to do with a “tried and true” steward-ship campaign but a call to remembrance that “we were born to be a blessing and to bless oth-ers and to receive the blessings of others.” Such an attitude is all set in the framework that “life is measured not in terms of what we own, but in terms of Who owns us.”

Wardlaw goes on to share that one of his favorite columnists was Roger Rosenblatt who years ago collected some of his most cherished essays into a book titled The Man in the Water. The book’s title was originally the title of a particularly moving piece Rosenblatt wrote back in 1982 when a commercial jet taking off from Reagan National Airport in Washington was una-ble to get airborne because of ice on its wings and hit a bridge and plunged into the frozen wa-ters of the Potomac River. Rescuers came from everywhere, and television cameras captured dramatic footage of a man clinging with five others to the tail section of the aircraft that was bobbing up and down in the frigid waters. Every time a helicopter lowered a life-line and a flotation ring to the man, he would wave it off and pass it to another of the passengers. Time after time until that man - overcome by the cold himself - finally went under himself, joining the other seventy-three on the plane who did not survive.

This act of selflessness grabbed Rosenblatt to put into words what a lot of folk were thinking as they were watching the televised drama playing out before their eyes. “At some moment in the water he must have realized that he would not live if he continued to hand over the rope and ring to others. He had to know it, no matter how gradual the effect of the cold. In his judgment he had no choice. When the helicopter took off with what was to be the last survi-vor, he watched everything in the world move away from him, and he deliberately let it hap-pen...The odd thing is that we do not even believe that the man in the water lost his fight….He could not make ice storms, or freeze the water until it froze the blood. But he could hand life over to a stranger….The man in the water pitted himself against an implacable, impersonal enemy; he fought it with charity; and he held it to a standoff. He was the best we can do.”

Some may look at this man as a hero. Truth is, every day I am reminded that the world is filled with living embodiments of generosity. They may not have always started out that way, but after encounters with the One who owns us, their discovered their faithful destinies. “He was the best we can be,” could aptly portray how we describe Jesus to others. But we also are able to see Jesus in others and perhaps one day within ourselves. For we are not our own; we belong instead to the One who owns us!

See you Sunday, Gary

SHARING OUR JOYS AND CONCERNS As we find ourselves in this time of doing church differently, please do not hesitate to share your joys and concerns with the church. We want to hear about the births of your new grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We also want to know about health concerns so we can lift those con-cerns in prayer. Please contact the church office either through phone or by email. Thanks!

DID YOU SEE… who joined us for our live stream worship services? We welcome Doug and Marilyn Ward, Larry and Pat Lincoski, James and Peggy Bertucca, Jean Stanley, Shellie Biodolillo, Ruth Kis-singer, Florence Roberts, Bruce Herron, Jenn Miller, Betsy Ambrouso, Doris Peterson, Florence Roberts, Leo Woodward, Tim Jenkins, Melodee Jenkins and Jessica Kelley!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Charles Bright on the announcement of the birth of a new great-granddaughter! Born August 9 to parents Dan and Katya in Brooklyn, New York, Eva Claudea Mezhibina topped the scales at 5 lbs., 13 oz. Welcome to the world, Eva!

GROUP GATHERING TO PRAY EACH SUNDAY

Each Sunday morning, at 9:00 a.m., a group gathers to pray in the Fellowship Hall, lifting up the concerns of the church as it addresses its financial shortfall and seeking to discern God’s will for the church’s future. Donna Nordby sets the framework for the thirty-minute time together and persons are invited to pray or remain quiet while others pray. Safety protocols remain in place. If there are those who are unable to attend physically, but would like to participate through lis-tening in through their telephone, just let us know so we can include you. [Editor’s Note: The Group will not gather this Sunday, August 30, but will return on the following Sunday.]

ELDERS SEEK TO OFFER COMMUNION

If you are unable to worship with us either in-person or online but would like to receive com-munion, the Elders are working on a plan to bring or send you prefilled communion cups with wafers and offer a meditation, the words of institution, and a prayer via telephone on a monthly basis. A second option would be to send you a complete service that you can do on your own. If you are interested, please contact either the church office or Elders Chairperson Charles Bright so we can include you with others who are receiving communion.

MEN’S BREAKFAST REMAINS POSTPONED Yet another month will have passed without the men getting together for breakfast, but don’t give up hope. While the men may not be able to get together for the September 5 date, it will be worth the wait!

BOARD GATHERS FOR REGULAR MEETING Having had to hold several “called” Board meetings to address our financial issues, we do have a regular Board meeting set for Sunday, September 12, immediately following the worship ser-vice. Over the next few months, the Nominating Committee will begin its work preparing a slate for 2021 Officers and Ministry chairs. Ministry teams will need to re-convene to begin preparing their proposed 2021 budgets to submit to the Stewardship Ministry by mid-October. If your Ministry prefers to meet by ZOOM, let the Minister know so that it can be set up for you.

(Iowa, Midwest Communities Struggle… Cont.) shower, do laundry, charge devices, or just cool off and rest for a while.

With support from Week of Compassion, New Disciples Christian Church in Cedar Rapids is preparing to provide food and charging stations. And Disciples across the state have been clear-ing up debris, preparing meals, and opening their homes to neighbors in need of a place to cool off, charge electronics, or take showers. Thanks for your care, concern, and continued prayers for those affected by the storm. We will continue to share updates about how Disciples are working to meet needs throughout the long recovery ahead.

FRIDAY BACKPACK MINISTRY AND “A HOUSE BLEST” ON HOLD

By now, we have already lined up sponsors for the 40 students we provide Friday backpacks to take home with them at the end of the school week. Because of the financial difficulties we have been experiencing with the General Fund, we have applied for a grant from Week of Com-passion that would enable us to provide backpacks through the end of 2020, starting in Septem-ber. Since COVID-19 has also impacted our monthly donations for “A House Blest,” we are also seeking within that grant some financial assistance that will support this local food minis-try. “A House Blest” is no longer open twice a week but is serving people in our area twice-a-month with a drive-thru service. If received, the grant money would assist through the end of 2020. Hopefully, the new year will mark a return to a “new” normal where we can get back to bringing in items for “A House Blest” on the second Sunday of every month.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY GOING VIRTUAL IN OCTOBER The decision has been made to hold the 2020 Regional Assembly on-line instead of moving forward with in-person gatherings at our host site in St. Petersburg, October 8-10. Because of the change, the Assembly might even add another day to the schedule, allowing for more work-shops to be offered. Many of the planned workshops will be pre-recorded and then dropped at a certain time for viewing, followed by a “live” Q & A session. Guest preachers have been lined up for the worship services that are planned each day, along with special music. Plans will be finalized over the next month as the Planning Team works to bring the theme, “Grow Up! In Love” to life.

Meanwhile, the difficult decision was reached several weeks ago to cancel the 2021 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that was planned for Louisville, Ken-tucky in July.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES FOR SEPTEMBER

Celebrating birthdays in September: Celebrating anniversaries in September: Linda Woodward - 09/02 Leo and Linda Woodward - 09/03 Jody Murphy - 09/10 Tony and Betty Macaluso - 09/15 Jean Stanley - 09/12 Bob and Dottie Minnich - 09/22 Lloyd Walker - 09/18 Ed and Barbara Schutte - 09/30 James Tennant - 09/20 Wendy Anderson - 09/26 Liz Pillsbury - 09/28 Barbara Schutte - 09/29 Bruce Herron - 09/30

Iowa, Midwest Communities Struggle Following Storm

On August 10, a 40-mile wide derecho blew across the upper Midwest; the effects were especially dev-

astating across a large portion of Iowa. During the derecho - a sustained, power-ful straight-line windstorm - the winds at times exceeded 100 miles per hour. Those are wind speeds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

Communities in the Midwest continue to struggle following last week’s storm. While public assistance was approved on Monday, making available federal funds for things like debris removal and utility repairs, 27 counties in Iowa still await approval for federal assistance to individ-uals and households.

Meanwhile, recovery is complicated by COVID-19, with Iowa currently averag-ing 458 new cases a week across the state.

Disease-prevention measures pose challenges to the usual types of response following a disaster, and because of the economic toll of the pandemic, many households have already exhausted what savings and supplies they had.

Rev. John Richardson, Interim Regional Minister in the Upper Midwest Region, says, “An esti-mated 10 million acres of corn and soybean crops were destroyed or heavily damaged. Barns, silos, grain bins, and houses were crushed across many counties. Countless decades old trees have been uprooted. At one point over 400,000 people were without electric power. As of today, around the cities of Cedar Rapids and Marion, crews are still working to restore power. Cell phone service was disrupted for several days. And, as is so often the case, the vulnerable are struggling the most. One apartment building, now deemed uninhabitable, housed 75 refugee families.

“The recovery effort will take a long time. As of today, local groups, faith communities and non-profits are beginning to offer support and services. Disciples Church Extension Fund has been reaching out to Disciples congregations with damaged buildings since last week. Week of Com-passion has been offering support since early last week. We are grateful for both of these vital Disciples of Christ ministries. Your prayers and gifts to Week of Compassion for disaster re-sponse are welcome.”

At least 10 Disciples congregations have been directly affected--with damage to church build-ings, members with damage at their homes, or both. With your help, Week of Compassion is responding to meet the needs of both congregations and families at this time. Disciples are help-ing in other ways as well. Christian Conference Center, the camp facility for the Upper Midwest Region, has opened as a respite center and day shelter. They are providing a place for people to (continued on next page)

JOIN OTHERS IN STUDYING THE BIBLE ON ZOOM We continue with our weekly Bible study on ZOOM every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Each week, we unpack the Scripture used for the previous Sunday’s message after opening with a time of prayer. If you are interested in joining, please contact the church office so we can send you the link that will permit you to enter the ZOOM meeting. You have the option of displaying a video of yourself to others in the group and you will have a microphone by which to speak or to mute when you are not speak-ing. There is no cost to the participant. [Editor’s Note: Bible study for Wednesday, September 2, has been cancelled. It will return the next week]

MEMORIAL PAVERS We are taking orders for Memorial pavers that will be dedicated in the church’s courtyard on Sunday, November 8. Pavers are $50.00 each with a replica available for the same price. You can have up to three lines and either a logo for the military branch the person you are remember-ing or honoring or a picture of a Bible. Pavers will be ordered the first of October ensuring that we will have them back in time for the Dedication Service. Forms can be picked up at the church office or you can call and we will mail one or more to you.

WALL OF HONOR NEEDS SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS YEAR If you are a veteran, we would like to honor you by adding your name and picture to the Wall of Honor in the Fellowship Hall. We would need a current picture of you, a picture of you in your service uniform, and a copy of your DD-214 form. All copies will be returned to you. Each Vet-eran’s Day weekend, during the Sunday worship service, we honor those men and women who have served and also recognize new members to the Wall of Honor by presenting them with a copy of the framed picture that will hang in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your pictures and infor-mation into the church office between now and mid-October to ensure that we include you into the next class.

THE SECRET PLACE If you have been missing out on the quarterly devotional “The Secret Place,” we will be glad to send you a copy. Just give us a call at the church office or stop by and pick one up. We do have the new quarterly which runs from September through November.

HURRICANE POLICY With things heating up in the Gulf of Mexico, this is just a reminder of what our adopted church policy is regarding hurricanes: We don’t like them! Okay, so that is really not what our policy states. This is our policy: If a “hurricane warning” has been sounded in Polk County, all services and activities will be cancelled until the warning has been lifted.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT August 16, 2020

General Fund - $ 2,358.01 (Live only - Internet out for streaming) Attendance - 40 Use of Facilities - $ 1,080.00

August 23, 2020

General Fund - $ 1,915.01 (Live and Live-streamed) Attendance - 69