The Christian Beacon “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness,

But will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Volume 64, Issue 5 First Christian Church, Marion, Indiana May 2019 1970 N Wabash Rd.

First Christian Church Executive Board

Chair- Paul Usher

Vice Chair- Seth Snyder

Secretary- Cheri Frazier

Personnel Representative- Barb Moon

Chair of Trustees- George Hill

Chair of Elders- Dave Pence

Children & Youth- Sandie Briggs

At-Large Board Members- Bill Beck Vacant Position

Sr. Pastor- Roslyn Harrison

Ministerial Assistant- Wesley Williams

Administrative Assistant- Mary Malone adminfccmar@indy.rr.com

Congregational Vision Statement

We believe that God is calling the First Christian Church to care for the mental, physical and spiritual welfare of our greater world community by becoming more service-oriented and mission-minded.

Church Office 765-664-1221

Mon.-Thurs. 9am-4pm 1970 N Wabash Rd. Marion, IN 46952

Bringing the light of Christ to

Grant County.

www.firstchristianmarion.org

Facebook Page: Facebook of First Christian

(FoFC)

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30) Mother’s Day is fast approaching. I am fortunate to have a mother who loves me, supports me, and lifts me up when I feel like I’m failing, or I’m stressed out, or weighed down with grief. Words will never adequately express the gratitude I feel to God for my mother and the ways she has nurtured me and my faith, and taught me to speak out for those who have no voice. That being said, Mother’s Day is difficult for many. Some people never knew their mother, or they have a strained relationship with her. Some mothers have lost children. And then there are women, like me, who wanted children, but it just was not part of God’s plan. It is important to recognize the women who raised us, and to acknowledge the many others who have been mothering figures in our lives: Teachers, aunts, grandmothers, pastors, laywomen, close friends, and more… As Mother’s Day approaches let’s stop and remember every woman who has shown us love, shared wisdom, nurtured our spirits, and worked to empower us. Let’s take a moment to thank God for good mothers and good women everywhere. Our lives would be far less joyful and meaningful without godly women who have helped us along the way. Women of First Christian Church: I want you to know that you are living signs of God’s love to our children, teenagers, and the adults in this congregation. Whether you know it or not, many of you have encouraged me when I was feeling down, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel. You are a blessing. You are loved. May God bless and keep you always!

Yours in Christ, Roslyn

5 Sun-God Squad 2:30 - 3:30 pm

12 Sun-MOTHER’S DAY

13 Mon-Quilters 10 am-2 pm

16 Thurs-Vet to Vet 6 pm

17 FRI-FISH FRY!! 4:30 7 PM

19 Sun-Graduation Luncheon Following Service

22 Wed-AIM @ Garden Gate Greenhouse

Leave church at 11:00 am.

23 Thurs-Vet to Vet 6 pm

27 Mon-OFFICE CLOSED Memor ial Day

30 Thurs-Vet to Vet 6 pm

Service Schedules

Thanks for planning to fulfill your serving

obligations. If you are unable to be present, please

make arrangements for a substitute.

Elders: Prayer & Meditation

Dave Pence & Sharon Pence

Greeters

Barb Price & Sharon Southwick

Welcome Center

Mary Francis McBride

Visiting Elders

Dave and Sharon Pence

Nursery Workers

Sunday School Hour, 9:30-10:15 am

1st Sharon Pence 2nd Pat Hill 3rd Beth Strange 4th Sharon Southwick

Worship Service Hour, 10:30 am

1st Sharon Pence & Stacie Watson 2nd Sandie Briggs & Diane Bartholomew 3rd Beth Strange & Natalie Hills 4th Carol Chambers & Sharon Southwick

Volunteers This Month

Quilters Group May 13th 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Basic sewing skills needed. Donations always accepted! Thank you! Please come and help with this vital outreach to our community!

We will deliver lunches to St. Martin Community Center on May 19th. Sign up sheets are in the Faith in Action Center. If you wish to

give to this cause, please indicate St. Martin Lunch on your offering.

Friends, the children learned a lot about the gifts of the Spirit through God Squad and Chi Rho meetings, and through our children's messages on Sundays in worship. You will be pleased to know that they have been putting their spiritual gifts into practice. God Squad and Chi Rho will break for the summer, and our meetings will start again in August. Our focus for the fall will be biblical literacy in the broadest sense--not only knowing the stories of the bible, but being able to navigate the bible, knowing the differences between the Old and New Testaments, and having a grasp on the history of the books of the bible. I am very passionate about making certain the children have a solid theological foundation on which to build and guide their lives, and I appreciate your support as I work with them. They are bright, caring, and an absolute joy to work with! In His Service, Roslyn

Home made noodles still available! Available for sale Sundays; see Marsha Usher or Wynoka Lewis. $4/pound or 2 one-pound bags for $7.

AIM Activity: May 22nd, Garden Gate Greenhouse Tour. Lunch at Big Dipper in Converse. Meet at the church, leave at 11:00. Contact the Becks for more information. Visit The Greenhouse: 3415 East 500 South; Peru, IN 46970

Birthdays This Month! Isaiah Colwell 4 Dominic Monahan 11 Dick Florea 19 Jessie Pickell 21 Candy Smothers 22 Diana Harvey 25 Jane Garwood 26 Paul Usher 26 Linda Carr 30

Anniversaries: Chuck and Beth Strange 7 Ray and Rhonda Lopez 10 Bill and Marianne Beck 21 Bob and Betty Butler 25 Dave and Roslyn Harrison 27 Seth and Megan Snyder 29

Attention Kids! It is time once again to make your summer plans for church camp. All registrations should be turned in to Mary in the church office no later than May 5th. They will be submitted as a group. Camps being held at Geneva Center are as follows: JUN 10-15 *Explorer Camp for kids completing grades 4-5 JUN 12-15 *You and Me Camp for children age 5+ with adult. JUN 17-22 *M.A.D. (Music, Art & Drama) for those who have completed grades 6-12 JUN 17-19 *New Beginnings for kids completing grades 1-3 JUN 20-22 *You and Me Camp for children age 5+ with adult JUN 24-29 *Traditional High School Camp for those completing grades 9-12 *Traditional Middle School Camp for those completing grades 6-8 *C.R.O.S.S. (Christian Recreation and Outdoor

Sports Skills) for those completing grades 6-12. Contact Carol Secttor for more information!

Summer Camp!

Chancel Flowers If you would like to provide flowers one Sunday in honor/memory of a loved one or in celebration of a birthday/anniversary there is a calendar at the Welcome Center, please write your name on the Sunday space you’d like to reserve, call the church office or make note of it on your offering envelope. The cost is $20.00 per Sunday and you are welcome to take the flowers home after the worship service. Please return the vase to the church.

May 5, 2019 Third Sunday of Easter-White Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 May 12, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Easter-White Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30 May 19, 2019 Fifth Sunday of Easter-White Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 May 26, 2019 Sixth Sunday of Easter-White Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9 Did you know the readings contain a verses from the Old Testament, Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospels? You can follow along online. Go to: www.disciples.org, click on the “Leaders” tab at the top of the page, then “Lectionary” to find the current verses.

The liturgical colors of the vestments will stay white from Easter until Pentecost Sunday, June 9th, which will be red to symbolizes joy and the Holy Spirit.

Prayers for Our Church Family

Helen Skinner, recovering from a fall. George & Pat Hill’s daughter Leah Jenette, undergoing

T-cell therapy. Chuck & Beth Strange’s nephew’s fiancé, recently

diagnosed with Lymphoma. Roscoe Johnson’s health issues and upcoming surgery. Jacki Johnson who has shingles. Karen Shockey battling cancer. Gary Gable, friend of Peg Peterson undergoing tests

for cancer.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The

prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16

Continued Prayers

Mary’s great-nephew, Michael Quintero; Will Yank; Jaime Rountree; Sharon Southwick’s friend, Kim; Helen Skinner; Susie Oyler; Beverly English; Ned Gillum; Grace Meyer; Marlene Hutchison’s daughter, Pam; Ray Lopez; Bill Simmons; Drevan Pickell; Kevin Pauley; Steve & Judy Michael’s brother-in-law, Andy Smith.

FCC Scholarship Information With the school year coming to a close, it is time for those in our congregation going to college or other forms of higher education to submit an initial application or to reapply for a continuing scholarship from First Christian Church. The deadline is May 31st and completed applications should be submitted to the church office. To receive an application, including the criteria for applying, contact Mary Malone in the church office or send an email to adminfccmar@indy.rr.com.

Between Easter and Pentecost

On the Eighth Day after the Resurrection: After eight days (on the eighth day after the resurrection) Jesus appeared again to the entire group and Thomas was present. Jesus told him to put his finger into the nail holes and to place his hand into His side where the spear had pierced Him. John 20:26-27 Thomas believed and responded, “My Lord and my God.” John 20:28 This is also recorded by Paul in 1 Cor 15:5, “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve…” At Some Uncertain Time after His Appearance to Thomas: At some time later, which is not clearly described, Jesus meets seven of His apostles and some disciples in Galilee while Peter and a group were fishing in the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberius). John 21:1-3 He speaks with them there about many things and it is here that Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him the three times. John 21:4-23 At Some Uncertain Time after His Appearance to the Seven in Galilee: Some time after this, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time as recorded in 1 Cor 15:6 Jesus was seen by James and then all of the apostles. (1 Cor 15:7) It is probably at about this point in time that Judas went and hanged himself, although some think that Judas was still alive at the time of the Ascension but disassociated himself from the other eleven immediately after Jesus was taken up. While they were in Galilee, Jesus meets with the eleven disciples and speaks with them about what we term as “The Great Commission.” Matt 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18 Some Time Later in Jerusalem: Jesus showed Himself alive by “many infallible proofs” and was seen for forty days after His Resurrection Day. Acts 1:3 Jesus told the apostles and the disciples again to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit). That they were to be baptized with or “immersed into” the Holy Ghost in a few days. Acts 1:4-5 Forty Days after the Resurrection (The Ascension): Jesus led the apostles out as far a Bethany (about 1 to 2 miles from Jerusalem) to the Mount of Olivet. Luke 24:50 He lifted His hands and blessed them. Luke 24:50 He was carried up into heaven in a cloud and was

seated at the right hand of God They remained for a while staring into the heavens and two angels appeared to them. The apostles were addressed by the angels as, “men of Galilee…” It is at this point that we are sure that Judas was not with them for Judas Iscariot was the only apostle who was not from Galilee. Therefore in addressing them all as Galileans, it clearly presents the absence of Judas. Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-51, Acts 1:11 They left the Mount of Olivet and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke 24:52 They all came to stay in one place called the “upper room” which was in Jerusalem. Those that were there were, “Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.” Also with them was Jesus’ mother, Mary and His family. Acts 1:13-14 Peter initiates the process of replacing Judas in the presence of the eleven and several others which numbered about 120 people (including the apostles). He also speaks of the death of Judas Iscariot. Acts 1:15-22 The election process, which was more like the drawing of straws, ultimately ended in the choice of Matthias. Acts 1:23-26 Fifty Days after the Passover (Pentecost): The appointed time had arrived, for Jesus had been glorified 7 to 10 days earlier at His ascension. John 7:39, Acts 2:1 The Holy Ghost was poured out upon them and they spoke with tongues. They spoke in languages that they did not know and those who were in Jerusalem at that time heard them and understood the utterances as they were speaking of the mighty God and Father of Jesus, the Christ. Acts 2:2-11 Peter began to speak boldly to everyone present about Jesus and about 3,000 people believed and were saved. Acts 2:14-40 Then as recorded, “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” Mark 16:20 And as recorded, “And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.” Luke 24:53