December 25, 2016 Issue 50

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CALLER the

In This Issue Merry Christmas 1 Remember in Prayer 2 Serving in the Military 2 Daily Devotionals 2 Thank Yous 2 Statistics 3 Congrats 3 Leadership Retreat 3 Adult Class 3 Offering Envelopes 3 Office closed 3 Christmas Offering 4 Lessons and Carols 4 Homeless Opportunity 4 Barbara Fenters Retires 5 Week of Compassion 6 & 7 Serving Sunday 8

Merry Christmas from the Staff:

Pastor Mandye

Donna Woodbridge

Mitch Hanlon

Sharlane Blakeley

Cloris Dong Lorena Garcia Melissa Fought

Jennine Martinez Events: December 25, 2016 – January 2, 2017 There will be no Sunday School or 8am Worship on 12/25 and 1/1/17 No Sunday Night Live on 12/18, 12/25 and 1/1/ 17 December 25: Christmas Day – No 8 a.m. service, 9 a.m. Sunday

School or Sunday Night Live 10:15 A.M. - REMEMBER Worship Service

1:00 P.M. - Casa de Oración Service, Sanctuary, FH, & classrooms, 101 - 104 December 26: Office Closed, Christmas Holiday –

Mandye on vacation through January 2. December 27: 7:00 P.M. - Casa uses Sanctuary, Chapman Lounge, choir room, &

classrooms 101, 104 December 31: New Year’s Eve – First Night Fullerton 7 p.m. – Midnight January 1: New Year’s Day - No 8 a.m. service, 9 a.m. Sunday School or Sunday Night Live January 2: New Year’s Holiday; Office Closed AA Groups: Sun. 8 P.M., FH; Thursday, 8 P.M. FH; Friday, 7:30 P.M., FH; Sat. 8:30 P.M., FH Dist. 10, 1st Wed. 7:00 p.m. FH;

Intergroup, 2nd Wed, 7:00 P.M. FH

The Caller is published

weekly (Deadline Wednesday

at Noon)

by

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 109 E. Wilshire Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832

714.525.5525

email:

fullerton1stcc@gmail.com

www.fullertonfirstchristian.org

Senior Pastor:

Rev. Dr. Mandye Yates

Editor:

Donna Woodbridge

Webmaster:

Lisa Parks

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Remember in Prayer Continue to pray for: Amber Angulo, Dottie Bense, Sandra

Brown, Jack Doughty, Raquel Durdan, Lorna & Skip Farnum, Joyce Finch, Bob Hasty, Sharon Hatton, Carolyn Kenrick, Terry Knott, Colleen Langston, Dirk McCuen, Flora Miller, Janet Parker, Kristine Perry, Norma Rill, Betty Rollo, Marj Schwenker, Edee Stahnke, Claudia Tammen, Willie West, Bob & Donna Vannoy. Please pray for: Iglesia Discipulos de Criston 17003 S. Clark Avenue Bellflower, CA 90707 Angeles Coronado, Pastor Pacific Southwest Region Don & Susan Dewey, Co-Regional ministers Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Church; Sharon Watkins, General Minister & President

For Those Serving in the Military

Michael J. Borden, Navy Chief, Nancy Geiger’s grandson, in Norfolk, VA Brandon Johnson, Army Chaplain, Mariette Linberg’s cousin, in Afghanistan. Lt. Austen Packer, Laura Lee Wiggins’ friend, at Oceana, NAS, in Virginia Pvt. Kash Cross, Ted & Sammie’s grandson, is now back in the US at Fort Drum, NY Mjr. Christopher Evans, cousin of Annie Frater’s who is serving in Seoul, Korea. Pvt 2. Melody Martinez, at Ft Hood, TX PFC David Radcliffe, friend of the Robidouxs’ in South Korea

Week of Dec. 26– Jan.1, 2016 Monday, December 26: Reading: Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Pray for Pastor Mandye and family as they visit family in

Kentucky. Tuesday, December 27: Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6; Pray for Global Ministries missionary in Dominican Republic, Toni Reynolds. Wednesday, December 28: Reading: Matthew 2:1-8; Pray for Hot Meal Team from St. Paul serving the hungry tonight. Thursday, December 29: Reading: Matthew 2:9-12; Pray for the Homeless shelter at the Armory that they may get enough volunteers to help with set up, serving and clean up. Friday, December 30: Reading: Ephesians 3:1-6; Pray for all of us as we prepare for a new year 2017. Saturday, December 31: Reading Ephesians 3:7-12; Pray for everyone out celebrating New Years Eve that they are responsible and safe. Sunday, January 1: Reading: Psalm 95: 1-7; Happy New Year

Thank You - We owe a huge thank you to our tireless workers who helped wash, restock, and organize the kitchen after fumigation. Our crew consisted of Tom and Leslie Beck, Pam Findley-Flor, Minde Findley, Craig Wallace, and Rosa, Florencio, and Daveon from Casa. It was a big job but the kitchen is now ready for use. So thanks again for fulfilling your pledge of time and for a job well done!

Another Thank You Norma Rill sends thanks to Mandye, Callie and Heidi for the beautiful fruit and candy basket they delivered a couple of days ago. “Made my day” she said.

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Celebrities Among Us! Check out the Fullerton Observer interview

with Rick & Randy Baxter-Herrera on the bulletin board. Rick & Randy are shown in a photo celebrating their anniversary with Mark Matthews and Rico Sanchez (our newest members) celebrating both couples 20 years together. Congrats guys!

Leadership Retreat- Saturday, January 7th 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Lunch provided All Elders, Lay Leaders, Ministry Team and Committee chairs are invited to attend. We will meet in Chapman Lounge. Here's a basic breakdown of the day and what we will be doing. Please make plans to stay for the whole day. It will be lots of fun! 9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Elder Training (what you need to know for the various duties of an elder: Table (prayers and motions), Narthex (responsibilities), Stewardship (prayers and responsibilities) and Shepherding (shut in visitation, prayers and responsibilities) 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. Lay Leader Training (speaking in worship 101, prayer and offering invitation ideas) 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. Lunch 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. Calendaring and Visioning for 2017 (planning our committee events, fundraisers, outreach projects, all church activities for the year - and dreaming up new stuff too)

Sunday Statistics December 18, 2016 143 (Remember Service) 6 (Reawaken Service) (Casa 1 P.M. service) Weekly Giving: $2,247.97 Missions: $249.78 Budget Goal: $4,831 Pathways: $20 Christmas: $525 Week of Compassion: $25.25

Church Office will be closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2 for the Holidays.

Office hours as usual, Tuesday – Friday, December 27 – December 30.

Offering Booklets Pick up your 2017 offering booklets either in the display rack in the Narthex or on the counter in the office.

Parlor Class Update This past Sunday, the Parlor Class wrapped up its four-week course, “Because of

Bethlehem,” that featured Max Lucado. Due to both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on Sundays, the class does not plan to meet on either 12/25 or 1/1. The first meeting in 2017 is set for 9 A.M. on Sunday, January 8. At that time the class will resume its study of the Gospel of John. The first 12 chapters of this gospel were studied during the greater part of 2016, so when the group convenes on 1/8, they will focus on the first chapter of the passion narrative as laid out by the writer of the fourth gospel, that is, chapter 13. This chapter details Jesus’ experience of washing his disciples’ feet and their reactions to both having their Master wash their feet and to the news that his remaining time with them was going to be brief. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved in an adult learning experience, this is a good time to become part of the Parlor Class as we are beginning the study of the second half of this beloved gospel. The Parlor Class

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Final Opportunity to Give To The Christmas Offering This Sunday—

Christmas Day—will be your final opportunity to make a gift in support of the 2016 Christmas Offering. We have received $1260 so far toward our goal of $1,502 for this year’s Christmas Offering. We are well on our way to reaching, if not exceeding, this goal. The Christmas Offering, we remind you, supports the work of the Regional Church which, as you know, will move its office from Altadena to Fullerton most likely by the end of 2017. Currently work is underway to remodel the Education Building/Fellowship Hall complex to accommodate the move of the Regional Church to our community. The Christmas Offering will not be used to pay for the costs for the remodeling. It will be used by the Regional Church to do ministry in and through our congregations throughout the Pacific Southwest Region. This includes leadership training of laity; programming for children and youth, particularly through the summer camp and conference program; and, the development of new congregations to serve people in our Region, especially ethnic congregations to reach out to the diverse population of our Region. Use the special offering envelope to make your gift or simply write “Christmas Offering” on the memo line of your check. We thank you for your generous support of the 2016 Christmas Offering. The Outreach Ministry

LIstening Alert The annual service of Nine Lessons

and Carols, first offered in 1919 at Kings College, Cambridge, England, will be broadcast worldwide on the BBC on Christmas Eve—Saturday, December 24. It can be heard live this Saturday morning (tomorrow for those of you who receive “The Caller” electronically on Friday), at 7 A.M. on KUSC, 91.5 on the FM dial of your radio, or wherever you pick up radio broadcasts on your other electronic devices. If you’ve never heard this traditional broadcast, get up early on Christmas Eve and treat yourself to beautiful music and the story of God’s redemption on the world through the nine lessons that will be read. Plus you'll get to hear the magnificent voice of one Michael Barrone, who hosts this broadcast annually, as he introduces and wraps up the broadcast.

Opportunity to Help the Homeless

The Armory Cold Weather Shelter is open. If you would like to help Mercy House for a night or tear-down in the morning during the months Dec-Mar here is how you can help: Create an account at VolunteerUp.com. https://volunteerup.com/login. You can serve at the Fullerton Armory (Single Adults) or Santa Ana Armory (Families). Shifts you can choose from are 5:30pm-8:30pm or 5:00am-7:00am. You click on the day/shift you want and how many will join you. The volunteer site is open to the community so check various dates because the day you wanted may be full or won't have as many empty spots. Serving at the shelter is an eye opener and great way to love our neighbors who most of the year have no place to stay.

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SHE’S RETIRED Barbara Fenters, a long-time member of our congregation has been retired for a long time. But, as of early December she’s retired again. This time, she retired from a volunteer position she held for many years. Eight plus years ago, Barbara agreed to become a member of the Older Adult Ministry Committee of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Pacific Southwest Region. Four years ago, she was elected to chair it. She has served in that role for the past four years and has now relinquished it, as well as membership on it, effective the end of December. For those of you who do not know, the OAM Committee has many responsibilities for promoting meaningful activities for Seniors in congregations of the PSW Region. Their most important responsibility is providing oversight for funds of the Fellowship of John. This Fund goes back to the life of the California Christian Home, formerly related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) when it was part of the National Benevolent Association. That home was established in 1926 and moved from Long Beach to Rosemead not long after it came into being. It provided housing and much more for retired clergy and members of the Christian Church in this Region until, as part of the bankruptcy settlement of the National Benevolent Association, it was sold to a for-profit entity in 2004. This terminated its relationship to our denomination. Many years before it ceased to be church-related, CCH established the Fellowship of John. Its purpose was to provide supplemental funds for its residents whose financial resources no longer covered the cost of their care. Because of this fund, NO resident was ever asked to leave because he or she could not pay their bills. A few years after the bankruptcy was settled, Susan Gonzales Dewey, one of our Co-Regional Pastors, received a call from the California Attorney General’s Office. She was told that they had about 1.1 million dollars in the name of the Fellowship of John that had been generated over the years to benefit the residents of CCH. They wanted the Regional Church to assume responsibility for these funds and to disperse them for the exclusive benefit of Senior Adults whose lack of resources put them in difficult straits financially. To accomplish this purpose, Susan recruited a number of people to serve on this committee. That number included Barbara! Barbara played a key role in the development of the policies and procedures for the disbursement of the interest earned by the FOJ. Over the years she served on the OAM Committee, she continued to make sure that the policies and procedures were tweaked, as needed, to be effective. In the last four years, as Chair of the committee, she has led the committee in seeing that funds were disbursed in accordance with the adopted policies and procedures. The interest from the Fellowship of John has been used since 2009/2010 by the OAM Committee to provide grants of up to $600 a month for Senior Adults who belong to Disciples’ congregations in the PSW Region, as well as to provide emergency grants of as much as $2,000 annually to those who qualified to receive such assistance. Barbara has written letters, made phone calls and led the OAM Committee in seeing that these funds were distributed to people who need help. Dozens of Senior Adults among our congregations in this Region have benefitted from Barbara’s leadership of this important committee. FOJ funds are on deposit in an interes-bearing account with the Christian Church Foundation. They will continue to be available to those who need them and qualify to receive them for years into the future. In a large measure, thanks goes to Barbara for this great resource to help Senior Adults. She would tell you that any praise goes to the members of the OAM Committee. But without Barbara, this program would not be as effective as it is in keeping true to the purpose for which the Fellowship of John was created as far back as the 1970s and 1980s. Kudos to Barbara for a job well done! She will be missed by the members of the OAM Committee as well as by people who never met her and will never meet her but who will benefit from her work for years to come. One additional note for your information is this. Mike Vaughan of our congregation is a member of this important Regional Church Committee. He has served as its Treasurer for a number of years and he will be continuing in this role at least through 2018. Submitted by Ed Linberg, who served with Barbara on this committee until he left its ranks at the end of 2014.

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Week of Compassion Flood Report 2016 There is a children's song often

sung in Sunday schools, which has in the refrain the lines: "and the rains came down, and the floods came up; the rains came down, and the floods came up." Such could be an appropriate refrain for 2016, given the frequency of floods across the United States this year. Flooding is one of the most ubiquitous disasters, common to almost every region of the country - from flash floods in the western deserts and mountains, to coastal flooding during tropical storms and hurricanes, to flooding across the Midwest and South caused by cresting streams and rivers. While flood events are common, 2016 proved an exceptionally severe year of floods, with 22 flood events receiving federal disaster declarations and numerous additional localized flood events. The phrases "historic," "record-breaking," and "100-, 500-, and 1000-year flood" became an almost monthly addition to the news cycle, reflecting a larger trend of disasters increasing in frequency and severity. These floods caused damage to thousands of homes, and recovery in many of the affected communities will likely take several years. Yet each new flood shifts the media, our collective focus, and (all too often) our donation dollars. Week of Compassion is committed to providing support long after the attention has moved to a new disaster. As this year comes to a close, we recall into our thoughts and prayers the thousands affected by floods this year and we share an updated summary of our ongoing solidarity and support.

January: Cresting rivers caused record-setting flooding in south and southeast Missouri. Areas that had not flooded in living memory experienced severe flooding. Week of Compassion provided solidarity grants for several affected households and congregations. March: In Clarksdale, Mississippi, a late-December tornado caused damage on the south side of town. When heavy rains in March caused flash flooding across much of the south - from Texas to Alabama, the other side of Clarksdale got hit. In both instances, Real Faith Christian Church was there to meet the immediate needs of those affected. Week of Compassion was there to provide support for their efforts. April: Central, South, and East Texas had higher than normal spring rainfall, causing flash flooding across the region, including historic flooding in the Houston area. Week of Compassion provided solidarity grants to local congregations who sustained damage and who were providing relief to their communities. In one affected town, Palestine, the Disciples congregation was instrumental in providing immediate relief, assistance in cleanup, and volunteers for repairs, with support from Week of Compassion. You can read a reflection by Rev. Jordan Byrd about the flood and the cleanup here.

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May/June: Spring rains continued causing "500-year floods" in the Houston metro area and across southeast Texas. Week of Compassion again provided solidarity grants to local congregations, many of which were affected by the earlier flooding as well. Week of Compassion continues to be in conversation with local leadership to provide grants to support repairs and rebuilds across the region. June: When on June 24 "1000-year floods" caused severe damage across much of the state, the governor of West Virginia declared a state of emergency in 44 counties. Twelve counties received Federal Disaster Declarations, and nearly five thousand households qualified for federal assistance. Week of Compassion made immediate relief funds available through the West Virginia Region. Since the floods, we have been in conversation with local leadership in order to support long-term recovery through grants and a potential site to host volunteers. In consultation with the Region, we are directing our support to counties receiving little aid from other voluntary organizations. August: The worst single disaster since Hurricane Sandy occurred when Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas of southern Louisiana experienced historic flooding caused by heavy rains. Thousands of households were damaged, including many who had been affected by flooding earlier in the year. Week of Compassion responded through local congregations, providing solidarity grants and supporting a community meal through First Christian Church of Baton Rouge. Through partnership with the Jewish disaster relief organization, NECHAMA, and continued involvement of FCCBR, Disciples participated in clean-up efforts, mucking out flooded homes. A mission station is planned to open in the spring to host volunteer groups for repair and rebuilding work throughout the recovery. September: 12 inches of rain in 24 hours caused flooding in the "100-year flood" range, affecting 13 counties in Iowa. Week of Compassion provided solidarity grants to affected households. October: After causing destruction across the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew moved up the eastern coast of the United States, causing the most severe and widespread flooding of 2016 in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Among the thousands of people affected by the floods were over 100 Disciples families from multiple congregations. In addition to solidarity grants to those churches and households, Week of Compassion supported the relief efforts at Southwood Memorial Christian Church. Staff from Week of Compassion and Disciples Volunteering are currently visiting affected areas in North and South Carolina to identify potential partnerships for long-term recovery support. We are reminded in this season of Advent, as we recall and anticipate Christ's coming, that our God is with us always. So, too, are we reminded that we are called to bear the presence of Christ to others, to join in the struggles and celebrations of our neighbors. In the words of Albert Taule's Christmas hymn, Toda la Tierra (All Earth Is Waiting): "In lowly stable the Promised One appeared; yet feel his presence throughout the earth today, for he lives in all Christians and is with us now; again, with his coming he brings us liberty."

First Christian Church

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109 E. Wilshire Avenue Fullerton, CA 92832 Reawaken (Early Worship Service) Sunday, 8:00 A.M. Adult Sunday School: 9:00 A.M. Remember (Traditional Worship Service) Sunday, 10:15 A.M. Children’s Sunday School – Infants through 12 years old, 10:00 a.m. Sunnycrest Worship Service: Fourth Sunday of every month 2:00 P.M. Youth Group: Sunday, 1:00 P.M.

First Christian Church . . .

Where encounters with God are not only ordinary,

they’re extraordinary!

Where invitations not only happen on occasion,

they happen on every occasion.

Where not only minds grow in knowledge,

hearts grow in faith.

Serving December 25, 2016

Greeter: Ted Adams Guest Book: Mary Brill Coffee Host: Hospitality Ministry Acolytes: Lay Leader and Elders Sound & Video: Travis Robidoux Lay Leader: Chris Fee Children’s Moment: Mandye Yates CWW Greeter: Jeanne Tarbell & Donna Woodbridge

CWW Helper: Callie Yates Butterfly Nook Helper: Kayla McCuen Elders: Barry & Donna Woodbridge, Mike Vaughan

Diaconate: McCuen’s Team Prepare: Randy Langston Ushers: Kelly & Shawn McCuen Serve: Jan, Kelly & Shawn McCuen, Randy

Langston, Anna & Dwain Van Diest Clean Up: Randy Langston, Anna & Dwain Van Diest

Serving January 1, 2017

Greeter: Guest Book: Coffee Host: Hospitality Ministry Acolytes: Lay Leader and Elders Sound & Video: Lay Leader: Pat Vannoy Children’s Moment: Marguerite Beal CWW Greeter: Sara Caswell CWW Helper: Butterfly Nook Helper: Heidi Beal Elders: Randy Langson, Bill Martin, Lisa Parks

Diaconate: Alice’s Team Prepare: Randy Langston Ushers: Kelly & Shawn McCuen Serve: Jan, Kelly & Shawn McCuen, Randy

Langston, Anna & Dwain Van Diest Clean Up: Randy Langston, Anna & Dwain

Van Diest