Whiteboard: The Fifth With First

This Sunday is the next installment of “The Fifth With First!”

For folks who are unfamiliar with that turn of phrase, “The Fifth With First” is our shorthand way of saying “The Fifth Sunday of the Month with First Christian Church.”

You see, on those months that have an extra Sunday (it happens four times a year) we make outreach our primary focus as a church. So we have two different offerings on Fifth Sundays: One is a Worship Service in our Sanctuary at 10:15 that is followed immediately by an outreach project in our Fellowship Hall, and the other is a Workship Service out in the community where we put our faith into action by helping others through direct service.

We have a special treat for the Worship Service in the Sanctuary this Sunday: The Rev. Terri Hord Owens is the nominee to serve as the next General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). And while I wish I could say that she was going to be with us in person on Sunday…well, her schedule is just a little bit too full for that right now! Instead, through the wonders of technology, we’ll be sharing a beautiful sermon that she crafted that introduces her to the wider church, shares her hopes and dreams for our denomination, and calls us to more fully embody the gift of God’s love in the world. You are going to love it, and you are going to love her too! Following the Worship Service in the Sanctuary the Outreach Team will lead a project in the Fellowship Hall that will benefit the summer literacy program at the Piute Center.

The Workship Service will begin with a short Prayer Service (with communion) at Chaparral Park at 9AM. From there we’ll head out to work with our partners at the Ronald McDonald House. Details are still coming together on that project, but I have heard rumors of helping out with an Ice Cream Party for the residents at the Ronald McDonald House – and bringing a little bit of joy to families in need while their loved ones are hospitalized sure sounds like holy work to me!

Whether you participate in the Worship Service and Outreach Project on site or the Workship Service and Community Outreach off site, I hope that you join us this Sunday in putting our faith into action!