February 2011 Chatter
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Transcript of February 2011 Chatter
VIEWS AND REVIEWS “MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER”
Being a Christian is not something I am in
myself. In the scripture passage that we are
reading together at the beginning of worship
each week this year, it says that “in Christ we,
though many, form one body, and each member
belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5).
Biblically speaking, to be a Christian is to be “in
Christ” and to be “in Christ” means “each
member belongs to all the others.” I am not
simply my own. Neither are you. We belong to
one another.
Being a Christian is not just a matter of
my personal, individual spirituality. Being a
member of the church is not simply a matter of
being on an organizational membership roll. The
church is not a religious social club or a merely
human association. It is the body of Christ. We
are part of it by the action of God’s Holy Spirit.
God has chosen to work through people.
You and me. What we do and what we fail to do
affects other people. What you and I do can lift
the spirits of others… or discourage them. “We
are members of one another.” Connected.
Intertwined.
Occasionally a church member may
disappear because of relocation or sickness or
apathy. It is not just the business of that
individual. “We are members of one another.”
As part of our loyalty to Jesus Christ, we owe it
to each other to stay connected or to
communicate if that connection needs to be
broken for some reason.
The scriptures emphasize “the common
good” (1 Corinthians 12:7), not private
preoccupations. When we “weep with those who
weep and rejoice with those who rejoice”
(Romans 12:15), something wonderful happens.
Our sorrows are reduced and our joys are
multiplied. We need each other in order to have
the spiritual resources God wants us to
experience. We are not spiritually sufficient as
individuals. But as church we are “members of
one another.” You are part of me; I am part of
you.
At Royal Palm Christian Church we
endeavor to be “an Embracing Church.” It is
through the embrace that we share that God
works. It is through the embrace we offer others
that God’s love extends.
Grace and Peace,
Craig
PRESCHOOL NEWS FROM MS. SUZANNE
Special thanks to Ms. Reggie and crew for
a wonderful, fun Family Bingo event. A yummy
dinner was served, lots of Bingo games were
played, and all of our children went home with
books for prizes.
February brings extra loving, caring, and
sharing as we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s
Day. Teddy Bear Parades, Teddy Bear Picnics,
farm life, friendship, kindness, telephone
numbers and addresses, dinosaurs, and the U.S.
Post Office are all part of this month’s activities.
Registration for Fall Preschool and VPK will
begin for currently enrolled and church member
families on March 7th. Registration for all others
will be March 22nd. Application and fee schedules
will be available for pickup in the preschool office
on February 28th.
Preschool Happenings
2/1 & 2 Sharing With Pastor Craig
2/8 Staff Bio Color Workshop [7 – 9]
2/14 Valentine’s Day Class Parties
2/15 & 16 Class Photo’s
2/21 Holiday – Preschool Closed
Full-Time Care Open
2/24 & 25 Trike-a-Thon Benefiting St. Jude
Children’s Hospital
2/28 Fall Registration Info Available
Church Chatter February 2011
“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope in is you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)
GATEWAY NEWS Thanks to all of you who continue to
support our food pantry so generously. We are
currently feeding over 30 families a week. Our
clients are in need of fresh fruit and vegetables,
so donations of these items are very welcome.
You may come across a special deal on produce
when doing your regular shopping, or you may
have – or know someone with – fruit trees that
are producing bountifully. We also continue to
need toiletries as well as tuna, peanut butter,
jelly, pasta sauce and cereal.
A big thank you to the D Unit Youth Group
for organizing the canned goods in the closets.
That was a huge undertaking, and you guys did a
terrific job. If you have any questions about how
you can help out with this ministry, please give
Betsy a call at 954 614-8483. Thanks again for
your ongoing support and prayers.
CHRISTIAN SOFTBALL LEAGUE Fun, fellowship & friends on Friday nights
under the light! Adult co-ed league plays Friday
nights at Forest Hills Park and has openings for
both men and women. All levels are welcome.
Season begins February 25th. For more info,
contact Diane at 954-647-0546.
HEALTH ROCK Sunday, March 27th
12:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Event Includes:
� Speakers on topics of health and fitness
� Representatives from Nutrition Industry
� Healthy Cooking demonstrations
� Interactive Physical activities for all ages
� Live Music [For more information,
call Judy B. 405-323-1330]
MARRIAGE COUNSELING / SUPPORT GROUP Beginning Wednesday, March 2nd, Paul &
Judy Veliyathil will be leading a small group
focusing on support for married couples. This
group will meet in the Conference Room each
Wednesday from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Anyone
interested in deepening their marriage is
welcome. Let’s grow together as we support
each other in our important relationships.
PRAYER GROUP If you’d like to be included in the prayer
group that receives prayer requests, send an
email to [email protected].
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS 1st Sarah Derby
Andres Ortiz
Daniel Ortiz
2nd Tina Wiedman
3rd Emily Derby
6th Ryan Wolff
8th Jane Fenelon
Michael Wolff
9th Judy Veliyathil
12th Michael Rucinski
13th Jim Martin
Paul Zahn
15th Craig Watts
19th Hannah Canterbury
22nd Juliet Watson Romain
Diane Wead
23rd Juliana Angle
24th Joshua LeFever
Billie Schaeffer
25th Diana Genno
Kathy Rucinski
27th Sydney Lagogiannis
28th Lisa Gerlach
29th Sophia Lagogiannis
FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES 7th Jeff & Libby Snyder
14th Michael & Yvonne Steele
27th Mason & Donna Pruner [We apologize if your name is not on the list. Please call the office to update your information!]
BLESSINGS God is always at work! Do you have a
blessing to share with your RPCC family? We
would love to include it an upcoming Chatter.
Please email your blessing to the church office at
BIG WAVE DISCOVERY Plan now to have your child participate in
the fun of Big Wave Discovery, a beach
adventure of discovering the answers to 13 Big
Questions about their faith and life. Each Sunday
morning from 9:40 to 10:30, your child is invited
to a time of songs, games, Bible stories, creative
art and more. We are waiting to lead your child
on an adventure!
STEWARDSHIP How much, Lord?
In the study of economics, there is an
important concept known as utility. A more
complex definition of utility is, “The want-
satisfying power of a good or service; the
satisfaction or pleasure a consumer obtains from
the consumption of a good or service – or from
the consumption of a collection of goods and
services.” In simpler terms, how much
something satisfies a want we are feeling – or in
even simpler terms, how useful it is to us.
There is also the concept of diminishing
utility. This basically means that if something
satisfies a want we are feeling, a second unit of
that something will probably satisfy us a bit less
– and a third even less.
We can combine the two concepts if we
think about being outside on a hot Florida day
and coming inside for a cold drink. We can all
relate to how satisfying that first drink is – and
how a second drink is good, but nowhere near as
satisfying – and a third is maybe even overdoing
it a bit. Quickly, we learn how much enough is.
As Christians, however, our greatest want
is to be like Christ. Unlike our physical wants in
the example of thirst given above, this want is
ever-growing and needs new and different
satisfactions every day. Simply put, the concept
of diminishing utility sort of gets reversed. The
want-satisfying power of being a Christian does
not diminish. Instead, it manifests an increasing
utility as we grow in our faith and belief. The
more we consume, the more we want.
This, in turn, reverses the concept of how
much is enough. Clearly, we can feed our bodies
until we have had enough, but feeding our souls
creates an entirely different picture. There is
simply never enough.
And so, we return to our question: How
much, Lord? Obviously, there is no simple or
universal answer to this question. Perhaps a
better question might be: How much is enough?
Based on the above, there is never
enough. As we grow in our faith, each new
understanding opens new realms of thought
which often provokes new yearnings in our souls
– and each new yearning creates a new want to
be satisfied. For example, perhaps once we
wanted to help our youth, and then new
yearnings created a want to help our troubled
youth, followed by a yearning to help our
disabled youth. The process continues as we
continue to grow.
Once this growth becomes a part of our
being, it becomes, like so many things, a living
reality that enough is never enough. The more
we understand and yearn for, the more there are
wants to satisfy. One day, all of our wants will
be satisfied. But for now, to answer our
question: How much, Lord? Simply put, enough.
God be with you,
Bill Vasquez
and the Stewardship Team