Whiteboard: Narrative Budget and Worship

Wait, a pie chart?

On The Whiteboard?

What is going on here? I thought The Whiteboard always had something to do with worship.

Well, you see, this Sunday we are officially kicking off our 2015 Stewardship Campaign and we'll be doing things just a little bit different this year.

During the Stewardship Campaign we'll be presenting a Narrative Budget. Now, have no fear. In order to prepare a Narrative Budget you first have to go and do the faithful planning of a tradition line item budget. We know how much money we need ($260,834) and where those resources will be spent. But a Narrative Budget doesn't stop with the numbers. No, a Narrative Budget is a way for us to tell our story through our budgeting process!

Here is what you do. After preparing a full line-item budget (and we have copies of that available in the church office for anyone who wants to see one, just stop by!) you break down that budget even further by determining how those particular line-items fit into the specific categories of work that define what we do here at the church.

Sounds complicated, but really it isn't. Particularly when you have something that helps orient and organize our work here at the church like we do...our Mission Statement!

Every Sunday I begin the worship service by saying, "We are a Christ-centered Community Inviting Everyone to Seek and Celebrate God's Love through Joyful Worship, Mission, & Ministry!"

Did you catch those last three words (well, four if you count the ampersand)?

Worship.

Mission.

Ministry.

Those words define who we are as a church and help us categorize our work. The Finance Team and the Executive Team here at FCC Scottsdale have been working hard to take our line-item budget and break it out into those three key categories so that we can see just how we are putting your stewardship dollars to work for Worship, Mission & Ministry.

Thus the Pie Chart. It turns out that we allocate about 40% of our stewardship dollars for Worship here at FCC Scottsdale.

And I know what you are thinking: "Is the Worship Committees Budget really that large? Are we spending that much money on communion bread and grapejuice?"

No.

Remember we are reallocating our line-item budget to fit our understanding of who we are. If you want to have a weekly worship service you're gonna need lights and (particularly here in Arizona) you're gonna need air conditioning. So we did a time study and broke out the amount of electricity that we need use on a regular basis for the Sunday morning worship service and we put that percentage of the Property Budget into the "Worship" category. We did a similar thing with my salary (about 40% of my time goes to planning and leading worship, so 40% of my salary went into the "Worship" category) and Jane's salary (30%, representing her time each week printing the bulletin, creating the Song Show Presentation, sending out the liturgy, updating the Worship page on the website and more). Since the worship service wouldn't be complete with music we also included the full salaries of our Director of Music Ministries, our accompanist, and our percusionist. Once you add all those things together (and a couple of smaller categories too, like, well, communion bread and grape juice!) you end up with a total that is about 40% of our budget.

That it is what you see on the Pie Chart this week on The Whiteboard, and that is what we'll be talking about in worship this coming Sunday -- Worship. We'll be talking about what it means, why we do it, why it is important, and we need to continue to support the worship ministries at FCC Scottsdale.

Next week I'll be adding the next category to The Whiteboard (Mission) and on November 9 the service will be built around it. Then on the week after that I'll update The Whiteboard with our third category (Ministry) and on November 16 we'll be talking about that. Finally, on November 23 we'll have our Dedication Sunday as we wrap up our Stewardship Campaign and turn over pledges to the glory of God.

It is going to be a lot of fun in the next few weeks church, because here is what a Narrative Budget really lets us do: Celebrating the stories of our church. We'll be talking about the incredible things that happen here at FCC Scottsdale and the ways that your tithes, offerings, and pledges help to make all of that happen. You won't want to miss a minute of it!

Whiteboard: Dare to Love Boldly

The Whiteboard is filled with my version of the logo for this weekend's Arizona Regional Assembly!

Our congregation, along with over 20 others from all over Arizona , will be part of the Ninety-fifth Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona this October 24th and 25th.

It is going to be a tremendous event. In fact, I am so sure that it will be a hit that I'm planning on preaching about it on Sunday morning...even though the event hasn't happened yet and won't even finish until Saturday evening!

Our Tucson hosts, First Christian and Capilla del Sol, have been busily preparing to welcome us to this regional gathering.

The Theme – Dare to Love Boldly! – promises to deliver both inspiration and challenge through preaching and informative workshops. Speakers Rebecca Hale, NBA Vice President for Mission and Ministry and Jose Morales, former Executive Regional Minister of the Central Rocky Mountain Region, are both dynamic speakers and won’t disappoint!

We also have the very talented Andra Moran providing music and leadership throughout the Assembly. Many of us have experienced her gifts – she has been a part of many General Assemblies and Quadrennial Assemblies over the past several years and recently served as the Music Leader at the National Pastor's Conference I attended in San Diego.

"With such a Hope as this we Act with Great Boldness" from 2 Corinthians 3:12 will serve as our guiding scripture passage. Our Assembly Planning Team has carefully considered these words as they have put together a variety of Workshops and Mission and Ministry Offerings. They want
us to think beyond our usual and comfortable places and move into those areas where the need for love and compassion is so great. Where God is calling us to respond.

Disciples from around Arizona and beyond will share in worship, fellowship, celebration and learning. So keep us in your prayers on Friday and Saturday and come join us for worship here at FCC Scottsdale on Sunday morning to hear all about it!

Whiteboard: Children's Sabbath

This Sunday we will celebrate the Children's Sabbath in our worship service!

Our children will be with us for the whole worship service which this Sunday will feature a Children's Sermon from Shirley B., a special prayer for All God's Children from Sandi D., and a special gathering area for our children and young people complete with blankets and cushions.

For folks who do not know about the Children's Sabbath here is brief excerpt from the Children's Defense Funds website:

Sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund, the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Celebration is a way for faith communities to celebrate children as sacred gifts of the Divine, and provides the opportunity for houses of worship to renew and live out their moral responsibility to care, protect and advocate for all children."

Join us this Sunday for the Children's Sabbath and make sure to bring the children in your life (kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, next door neighbors...) so that they can celebrate this special worship service with us!

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Matthew 19:13-15 Jesus Blesses Little Children

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.

The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ 

And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Whiteboard: Gifts of the Spirit

This Sunday we are talking about Spiritual Gifts.

In fact, we are doing more than talking about them!

Immediately following worship this Sunday we'll have a Spiritual Gifts Potluck Luncheon. Please bring your favorite potluck dinner item to share with the church, and come and enjoy some world-class eats as well as the kind of warm, loving fellowship that defines our congregation.

During that luncheon you'll have an opportunity to take a short Spiritual Gifts Assessment. This one-page, front-and-back assessment will allow you to learn a little bit more about the Spiritual Gifts that God has blessed you with.

You see, as people of faith we wholehearted believe that God has given each Christian one or more special abilities, which are to be used for the purpose of unifying the body of Christ and for the growth of God's Kingdom. These abilities are called spiritual gifts.Like other presents, it is impossible to fully appreciate and make use of our spiritual gifts until they have been opened. The self-assessment inventory will help us to begin doing just that!

Our worship service will be built around 1 Corinthians 12, where the Apostle Paul tells us about the variety of Spiritual Gifts that God can bless us with, and also details how each of us have unique gifts and unique roles to play. We do not all have the same gifts, but rather God has blessed us with a wide diversity and broad variety of Spiritual Gifts, each one of which can be used to further God's Kingdom.

Oh, and if you can't make it to worship this week, or if you can't stick around for the Potluck Luncheon we have plenty of extra Spiritual Gift Assessments that you can pick up from the church office so that you can be a part of the fun!

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1 Corinthians 12 Spiritual Gifts

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 

If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 

And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? 

If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

3 Things from Administrative Council

Administrative Council held their regularly scheduled meeting on Sunday September 21 immediately
following the Pumpkin Patch Information Session that immediately followed the Worship Service. As always, here are "The Three Things" you need to know from that meeting:

1. Calendar Stuff!The Calendar is getting quite full at FCC Scottsdale. In the coming weeks we have:
   -- The Spiritual Gifts Potluck Luncheon on Sunday 9/28 in the Fellowship
   -- The Disciples 101 Class in the on 9/28 (immediately following the luncheon) in the Sanctuary.
   -- The first Keenagers Luncheon of the Season on 10/1 in the Fellowship Hall (featuring the music of the Rags Allen Band!)
   -- Girl's Nite Out on 10/7 in the Fellowship with special guest speaker, our very own Katie Ballentine!
   -- The Pumpkin Patch Delivery on 10/11
   -- The Membership Appreciation Luncheon on 10/19 (which will be feature the 2014 Chili Cook Off!)
   
2. The Budget
   In advance of our upcoming Stewardship Campaign, Administrative Council reviewed the 2015 Budget Proposal. Our Finance Team (and particularly our Treasurer) has been working tirelessly to put all of our budget line items together to help us further our mission and ministry and continue our work of reaching out into our community with the good news of God's love!
   
3. Regional AssemblyThe Arizona Regional Assembly will be held at First Christian Church Tucson on October 24 and 25. If you are interested in attending then come and talk to us in the Church Office and we'll get you all signed up. You can learn more about the Arizona Regional Assembly by visiting the website -- RA.AZDisciples.org
   

Whiteboard: In the Vineyard

Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God and he tells this story about the eccentric hiring practices of a particular vineyard owner.

The owner goes out early in the morning when the harvest is ready and he hires a whole bunch of people offering to pay them a fair days wage for a fair days work. The workers gladly accept and get right to it.

Then the owner goes back out at 9AM and hires a bunch of other people offering to pay them "whatever is right." These workers gladly accept and get right to it.

He goes out and repeats the whole thing again at Noon, then at 3PM, and then one last time at 5PM.

When the day is done and it is time to pay out the owner gives the full daily wage to each and every person who came to work. It doesn't matter if you got there at 5PM, 3PM, Noon, 9AM, or so stinking early that you don't even know what time it is -- everybody gets the same wage.

Which is a delight to the people who came into the vineyard at 5PM, and apparently an affront to the folks who have been then since o-dark-early.

It is a kindergartners favorite complaint: It is not fair!

It is the most basic sense of justice in this world -- fairness. I had to work longer and harder than that guy for the same amount of money and it is not fair!

And here is the thing about the Kingdom of God: It is not fair. It is grace.

If our salvation had anything to do with us getting a fair treatment for the things we've done, well, then we'd all be in trouble. So our entry into the Kingdom of God has nothing to do with the work we put in. Instead, it has everything to do with God's lavish, extravagant welcome. That is, with God's grace.

And if we really get it, and are really a part of that Kingdom work, well, then our response to somebody else who has come in to work on the Lord's behalf wouldn't be to complain. No, our response would be to celebrate! That is the Kingdom of God. A Kindgom of grace, extravagance, and welcome.

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Matthew 20:1-16
The Labourers in the Vineyard

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 

When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. 

When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 

And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” 

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” 

When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 

And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” 

But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” 

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’

Unity in Community

We have this way of confusing unity with uniformity.

Uniformity means that everything is exactly the same in every detail. Uniformity means that every widget that comes off the line at the factory is identical in every technical specification.

That is not unity.

Unity is about purpose. It is about calling. It is about volition. Unity is about working together to achieve one common aim, despite the differences we have and the diversity of gifts we bring.

You know, "despite" is probably the wrong word there. We might be better off saying "regardless of" or even "because of". In fact, lets try that: Unity is about working together to achieve one common aim, because of the differences we have and the diversity of gifts we bring.

That probably still needs some polish, but that it why it is a good thing that we have a few days between The Whiteboard post and the sermon I'll preach on Sunday! But I hope you take my point -- Unity and diversity are not polar opposites. We can be a diverse community (one that is blessed with many differences, with a variety of gifts, with a panoply of blessings) and still be united (in Christ Jesus our Lord, in serving God, in faithfully reaching out).

So this Sunday, as we continue our Community Sermon Series we'll talk about diversity and unity, and how having both of those things present at the exact same time is truly a blessing!

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Romans 14:1-12 Do Not Judge Another

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Three Things from the Elders

The Elders had their regularly scheduled meeting on Sunday September 7 after the worship service. Here are The Three Things you should know from that meeting!

1. We spent a good portion of the meeting prayerfully discerning who should be nominated to serve as Elders beginning in 2015. It was a fruitful, spirit led conversation that will lead to good things for the spiritual leadership of FCC Scottsdale. In the coming days and weeks individual Elders will be approaching members of the congregation to ask them to consider serving as an Elder at FCC Scottsdale.
   
2. Regional Assembly is coming October 23-24 at First Christian Church in Tucson. You can read more about Regional Assembly on the Blog by clicking here, or you can go straight to the source and visit the Regional Assembly Website by clicking here.
   
3. Speaking of Regional Assembly, I have been nominated to serve as Vice Moderator for the Arizona Region! I spoke with the Elders about the responsibilities and opportunities that come with this position, and they enthusiastically offered their support. 

August 31 The Fifth With First

For "The Fifth With First" last Sunday our Workship Team partnered with The Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix and folks participating in the Worship Service on the church campus took part in packing 30 bags for Healthy Packs!

It was a terrific day that surprisingly included media coverage from two different local news affiliates!

Below you will find the clips that aired on Fox News 10 and Channel 3 News this past weekend as well as some photos of the work we did to help our local community and give glory to God!

After a brief prayer service at Chaparral Park, our Workship Team headed to the Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix for a morning of serving our community. Here are some photos of the hard work our team put in. 

Henry cleaning up the Kid's Playroom. 

Carolanne and Carol prepping lunch for the families. 

Shirley cleaning up the fridge.  

Brooke washing windows. 

 Michelle washing windows. 

 Carrie and Kevin washing windows...did I mention
there were a lot of windows?

Bob spraying weeds.  

Brian sweeping up.  

Bob using the leaf blower to clean up the entry way... 

...and harass Henry! 

A fully stocked fridge with sandwiches, fruits, and veggies
for the families.  

More sandwiches.  

Our Workship Team...and Ronald McDonald, of course.  

Rev. Brian with Ryan (site manager of the Ronald McDonald House)
...and Ronald McDonald, of course! 

The note we left for the familes of the Ronald McDonald House.  

Healthy snacks that we brought for the families
staying at the Ronald McDonald House. 

Henry and Ronald McDonald, of course!

Meanwhile back at the church after the Worship Service in the Sanctuary our church members went over to the Fellowship Hall for an outreach project that included...

...THIRTY Healthy Packs being assembled as part of...

...the Healthy Packs Assembly Line!

Thank you to everyone who participated in The Fifth with First. We will continue with our blend of Workship Projects and Worship Services on the fifth Sunday of each month that has five Sundays. Our next celebration of The Fifth With First will be on November 30!

Whiteboard: Kick Off Sunday

It is Kick Off Sunday this weekend at FCC Scottsdale!

Even though the Whiteboard took a distinctly Football feel this week, Kick Off Sunday means that we are kicking off the Fall Program Year here at the church. After so many of our ministry groups and fellowship groups took a nice summer hiatus to recharge our batteries and get away from the summer heat for a little while, with the start of September things are rolling again here at the church.

So this Sunday morning our Sunday School classes will be back in full swing. In fact, I'm thrilled to announce that we have added another Elementary-aged Sunday School Class this fall! We'll have a 4th Grade through 6th Grade Class and a 1st Grade through 3rd Grade Class, along with the Kindergarten and younger class in the Nursery. The Adult Sunday School Class will be starting back up this week with their regular weekly meetings in the Arizona Room.

In fact, some groups are even getting started ahead of Kick-Off Sunday. The Workday Crew (weather permitting) is planning on being out Saturday morning to make the church grounds beautiful. The Chancel Choir has already started back up, and would be more than happy to have your lovely voice join them!

In the coming days and weeks the DWM Circle Groups will get started, our Youth Group Programs will kick off again, and at the beginning of October the Keenagers will have their first meeting.

Oh, and we'll be Kicking Off a new Sermon Series this Sunday as well. All throughout the month of September we'll be talking about Community -- What it means to be a community, how we best live in community with one another, how we welcome new people into our community, and what it means to be a community build on forgiveness.

So join us this Sunday at FCC Scottsdale for Kick Off Sunday!

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Matthew 18:15-22 

Reproving Another Who Sins

‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the churchsins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.