Disciples of Christ
The Newsette
A monthly publication of the life of our church.
Download the current Newsette in Adobe pdf format.
Pastor's Pen
Sisters and Brothers,
As God’s creation tells us it is spring, we listen to God’s voice to inform us about life together, our ministry and service. As new life forms around us, we are
reminded of the risen Christ who beckons us: come,
believe, follow, bear fruit, love, feed my sheep. These ancient words apply to spiritual vitality. They are reminders of the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples--
instruction meant to bring the kingdom of God close. The risen Christ suggests words that are life-nourishing, words that are timeless, yet timely.
Pause in the day to notice the beauty of the earth--
its fullness and the subtle message we might hear informing us that God is present. Pay attention to the natural changes that occur. Observe the sacred rhythms of life as it cycles from newness to fullness, to death and resurrection. Pay attention to how the risen Christ might be inviting you to listen. Respond to the opportunities to grow in spirit and faith. Your life is meant to be fruitful. When we grow in faith, we grow in grace and love. Take time to pray, to study the word of God, to respond to those who need to be fed, physically and spiritually.
During the Festival of Preaching I attended last week,
William Willamon spoke of the risen Christ saying, “Jesus makes an appearance--it is something that God does. The risen Christ is on the move. There’s no way to be in Christ without moving with him. He’s alive--in motion.” We humans spend a lot of our time trying to keep Jesus in our safe, contained ways. What if we moved to find him where he is and joined him in ministry there?
Prayerfully, Debbie
As God’s creation tells us it is spring, we listen to God’s voice to inform us about life together, our ministry and service. As new life forms around us, we are
reminded of the risen Christ who beckons us: come,
believe, follow, bear fruit, love, feed my sheep. These ancient words apply to spiritual vitality. They are reminders of the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples--
instruction meant to bring the kingdom of God close. The risen Christ suggests words that are life-nourishing, words that are timeless, yet timely.
Pause in the day to notice the beauty of the earth--
its fullness and the subtle message we might hear informing us that God is present. Pay attention to the natural changes that occur. Observe the sacred rhythms of life as it cycles from newness to fullness, to death and resurrection. Pay attention to how the risen Christ might be inviting you to listen. Respond to the opportunities to grow in spirit and faith. Your life is meant to be fruitful. When we grow in faith, we grow in grace and love. Take time to pray, to study the word of God, to respond to those who need to be fed, physically and spiritually.
During the Festival of Preaching I attended last week,
William Willamon spoke of the risen Christ saying, “Jesus makes an appearance--it is something that God does. The risen Christ is on the move. There’s no way to be in Christ without moving with him. He’s alive--in motion.” We humans spend a lot of our time trying to keep Jesus in our safe, contained ways. What if we moved to find him where he is and joined him in ministry there?
Prayerfully, Debbie
Current Focus
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
What Are We Doing?
Long ago, (Conference on the Present) we prioritized our ministry to three top priorities.
plan of meeting our priorities through our Common Life, how we are formed (Formation) while using our Resources (Stewardship of our Gifts) and Structure. At a potluck dinner on August 5th at 6:00 pm we will complete the Design Task. Thank you Jesus! From this point a writing team will create a unified plan for formal presentation to the congregation. Following this, we will move to Phase 5 (the final phase).
- Minister to all ages} We strive to be an intentional community—to invite and include all people. We attempt to listen and bear one another’s burdens and practice our faith through Bible Study, prayer, service, inclusive hospitality and joyful worship.
- Serve Our Community Neighborhood} We are discerning how to respond to needs within our community. We seek to bear witness to Jesus Christ as a sign of hope to the world.
- Meet
the Needs of our Changing Culture} We strive to overcome the forces
that degrade, enclave and oppress God’s creation and to become an
expression of God's new creation. We desire to "do justice, and
to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8b)
plan of meeting our priorities through our Common Life, how we are formed (Formation) while using our Resources (Stewardship of our Gifts) and Structure. At a potluck dinner on August 5th at 6:00 pm we will complete the Design Task. Thank you Jesus! From this point a writing team will create a unified plan for formal presentation to the congregation. Following this, we will move to Phase 5 (the final phase).
Journey of Discovery
Design Teams
It is no secret - Design Teams
are at work. They are studying, evaluating ideas and input and
putting them into a plan to be shared with you. Common Life is
concerned with how we build a common life and shared ministry that
expresses Christian faith. Formation is talking about how we
design and develop processes and practices that form our congregation
as a missional community. Another way of putting it: how we are
trained to be in the tradition of being followers of Jesus Christ.
Resources describe the abundance of God's gifts. It concerns how we cultivate, develop and utilize and manage the gifts entrusted to our stewardship. Structure follows the other three, attempting to design our church organization to embody our Missional Strategy. The teams will gather this week and will report to each other and develop a way of sharing with the congregation. Soon, very soon, you will be asked to participate in the process.
We are traveling towards our future with intentional steps. May we travel together with the shared purpose of faithfulness to God's call.
Resources describe the abundance of God's gifts. It concerns how we cultivate, develop and utilize and manage the gifts entrusted to our stewardship. Structure follows the other three, attempting to design our church organization to embody our Missional Strategy. The teams will gather this week and will report to each other and develop a way of sharing with the congregation. Soon, very soon, you will be asked to participate in the process.
We are traveling towards our future with intentional steps. May we travel together with the shared purpose of faithfulness to God's call.
GUIDING VISION
First Christian Church of Bremerton is a diverse
group of people seeking to respond to the vision of God's purpose
revealed through Jesus the Christ.
We believe this vision calls us to be an intentional community, which engages persons in Christian practices. These practices include the Lord's Supper, joyful worship, Bible Study, prayer, service, and inclusive hospitality. We anticipate being open to all people, discerning how we can respond to needs within and beyond our congregation. As a community we will listen to and bear one another's burdens, and work on behalf of justice for all God's people.
To embrace and manifest Christ-like relationships in our community, we desire to communicate Jesus' death on the cross and bear witness to His resurrection as a sign of hope in this world. We seek to realize this hope by finding ways to overcome the forces that degrade, enslave and oppress God's creation.
In this vision we seek to know, to discern, and to act on the Holy Spirit's guidance to become an expression of God's new creation through our personal gifts and resources. In our actions we strive "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God." (Micah 6:8c)
We believe this vision calls us to be an intentional community, which engages persons in Christian practices. These practices include the Lord's Supper, joyful worship, Bible Study, prayer, service, and inclusive hospitality. We anticipate being open to all people, discerning how we can respond to needs within and beyond our congregation. As a community we will listen to and bear one another's burdens, and work on behalf of justice for all God's people.
To embrace and manifest Christ-like relationships in our community, we desire to communicate Jesus' death on the cross and bear witness to His resurrection as a sign of hope in this world. We seek to realize this hope by finding ways to overcome the forces that degrade, enslave and oppress God's creation.
In this vision we seek to know, to discern, and to act on the Holy Spirit's guidance to become an expression of God's new creation through our personal gifts and resources. In our actions we strive "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God." (Micah 6:8c)
Copyright © 2003 First Christian Church of Bremerton. Stained glass by Fred Hereth