Workship in Pictures

On April 30, 2017 we celebrated "The Fifth With First!"

Our Workship Team went out to Ronald McDonald House, where we were invited to wash windows, sweep the property and...host an ice-cream social!

It might be the single greatest project any mission partner has ever invited us to be a part of (or maybe that is just my sweet tooth talking!).

It was a true blessing to bring smiles to the faces of the children and families that are residing at the Ronald McDonald House. Folks are there because their children or family members are undergoing prolonged medical treatments at the nearby hospitals. While the families are facing that kind of stress and strain, to be able to share a little joy with them and bring some light into their lives, well, that sounds like the power of the Gospel at work to me.

Here are some photos of our work from the day. I am particularly proud of our children and young people who not only worked hard, but also embodied the fullness of hospitality throughout our project. Once we finally had the Ice-Cream Sundae Bar all set up, not only did our kids staff the dessert station they also went around the facility and personally invited every kid to come out and join them. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and a worthy project for the morning!

 

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!

Pictures from The Fifth With First

The Fifth With First was a tremendous success on Sunday January 29!

In the Fellowship Hall following the Worship Service we had a team of volunteers pack 48 lunch bags that have been delivered to our sister congregation at First Christian Church Glendale to support their homeless feeding program.

Meanwhile, across town our Workship Team was hard at work helping out a local neighbor in need. Once again we partnered with our friends at Operation Fix-It, and spent the morning doing yard work that otherwise would have resulted in major fines from the city. We had 32 people helping out, including our friend Deanna who comes down from Canada once a year and schedules her trips to coincide with out Workship Projects!

Here are some photos from the clean-up effort on Sunday:

Before Photo

Part of our Work Crew!

The tallest eucalyptus trees in Scottsdale, left us
lots and lots of leaves to rake up! 

Thanks to our friends at Operation Fix-It for
dropping off the supply truck!

Hard at work!

Serving the Lord!

The Kids' Team getting to work!

Trimming Trees

Welcoming first visitors and helpers

Cleaning out flower beds...

and more flower beds!

Stomping down the leaves.

After picture!

One of the giant eucalyptus trees

Our crew!

The clean-up pile, ready for our friends at the
City of Scottsdale to come and haul it away!

The Whiteboard: The Fifth With First

This Sunday is “The Fifth With First!”

The Workship Service will kick things off at 9AM with a brief prayer service at the ramada at Chaparral Park. We’ll hear a word of scripture, celebrate communion, pray together, and then head out for a work project set up by our partners at Operation Fix-It. That means that we’ll be in the community helping out a neighbor in need by doing some exterior home and yard work around their house. It is a great project with a great partner, and I hope you can come out and join us for the Workship Service!

For folks who are planning on attending the Worship Service in the Sanctuary, Rev. Al Beasley will be leading the service and preaching a powerful sermon based on Micah 6:1-8 (“He has shown you, O mortals, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”).

Then after the worship service the Outreach Team will host a work project in the Fellowship Hall where Rev. Judy Stall will lead folks in preparing food bags for our sister congregation FCC Glendale. You see, FCC Glendale has a weekly food ministry in their church that provides sack lunches to local homeless men and women. They typically distribute between 50 and 60 bags a week, and we’ll be preparing the food bags for them this time around!

It is going to be a wonderful Sunday for “The Fifth With First!” I hope you can join us as we reach out to our community!

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Micah 6:1-8 from The Message
What God Is Looking For

1-2 Listen now, listen to God:
“Take your stand in court.
If you have a complaint, tell the mountains;
make your case to the hills.
And now, Mountains, hear God’s case;
listen, Jury Earth—
For I am bringing charges against my people.
I am building a case against Israel.

3-5 “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?
Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!
I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;
I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you—
and Aaron and Miriam to boot!
Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,
and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.
Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.
Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.”

6-7 How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

8 But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Pictures from The Fifth With First

We had another excellent installment of "The Fifth With First" last weekend, including an incredible Workship Project where we partnered with our friends at Operation Fix-It!

Meanwhile, back at the church Rev. Al Beasley preached a wonderful stewardship sermon (on Mission, nonetheless!) and after the service church members stuck around to pack 50 School Supply bags for our outreach partners at the Paiute Neighborhood Center!

Here are a handful of photos from our Workship Project with Operation Fix-It. If you would like to seem more photos from "The Fifth With First" then visit the church's Facebook page at facebook.com/FCCScottsdale!

Pictures: The Fifth With First

This past Sunday we celebrated "The Fifth With First!" with two wonderful projects.

Our Workship Team was out in the community, partnered with the Ronald McDonald House's Phoenix Children's Hospital Campus. We cleaned, we packed up sack lunches, and we washed a lot of windows...all in the name of supporting the families that are staying there while their loved ones receive long-term care and treatments at the hospital.

Meanwhile, back on the church campus the Outreach Team set up a work project on behalf of our mission partners at Operation Gratitude. Remember how we brought stacks and stacks of Christmas Cards to church camp this summer, so that the children and young people of Arizona would write their prayers and best wishes for our military servicemen and women who are deployed all over the world? And remember how our own kids took up the project as part of the SAIL Program this summer? Well, on "The Fifth With First!" our volunteers put the finishing touches on those hundreds of cards so that they can be sent off to the very ends of the earth bringing prayers, thoughts, and hope to those who are far away from home this Christmas.

Oh, and if you missed the excellent sermon from our guest preacher, Global Ministries Intern Henry Brewer-Calvert about the two years he spent in service of behalf of our church in the Dominican Republic, well, you can find it on the Church's Website by clicking here.

Enjoy the pictures from "The Fifth With First!"