The Seed Newsletter
May 15, 2022
THIS SUNDAY AT CHRISTIAN TEMPLE
Sunday, May 15th marks the first Sunday of our Every Member Commitment Program to raise funds for our ministry in 2022-23. The theme for this year is pretty self-explanatory: A New Day! Let's all plan to be in worship Sunday so we can begin to slowly turn our attention to all that God has yet to do in the days to come at Christian Temple.
COVID UPDATE
A member of the church who was in worship on Sunday, May 8th, has tested positive for coronavirus. Our Pandemic Preparedness Policy obliges us to let the congregation know that this occurred. We ask that anyone who was in worship last Sunday, and who has tested positive in the past few days, to please call the church office (410-747-2041) and let us know. If you would like to know more about what to do if you are sick or have coronavirus symptoms, you may CLICK HERE to visit the CDC website for additional information.
UPDATE ON SEARCH AND CALL COMMITTEE PROGRESS
During morning worship on May 1st, Cindy Wagner and Brian Edwards provided the congregation with an update on the progress of the Search and Call Committee. While it is important that the details of the committee's discussions remain confidential for now, this progress report will offer an idea of where the committee is in their process.
Cindy: Good morning everyone. Just in case you don't know me, I'm Cindy Wagner. I'm chair of the Search and Call Committee and Brian Edwards is the co-chair of the committee. It's been a while since we've updated you on the work we are doing, and that is definitely not a reflection on the amount of time and effort that has gone into the last few months. We are on the cusp of an exciting time. And Brian is going to update you. And you can also check out the poster we have in the gathering which we have been updating by checking off where we are in our process of finding new leadership for Christian Temple.
Brian: Thank you Cindy. Since I last provided an update, as Cindy said, we've been busy to say the very least. We've made significant progress with phase two, the phase that will ultimately culminate in bringing forth a candidate that our committee nominates for our new senior minister leadership. This will happen after our committee presents our nomination to the Administrative Council, and then to the Church Board. We then plan to have a time to bring our nomination before you so that you all have a chance to get to know that nomination before the congregational vote. Most of our work has involved pouring through applications from candidates- and by that I mean reading through 30-ish page long applications from each candidate, discussing our thoughts about the candidates and how they might fit with our congregation, and watching what we think might be around 50-60 sermons. Now, I love a good sermon, but that's a lot! But, as Cindy said, at the same time, the work we've been doing has been encouraging, exciting and life-giving, as we consider what you all have told us, that we as a congregation want and need in new ministerial leadership. And, as we consider all that we have been provided by potential candidates. As I mentioned, we have made significant progress. You will be hearing from us again soon about next steps. But we thought it important to take some time this morning to let you know how excited we are for all that is to come at Christian Temple. We are living- and we have been living for 26 years- in the midst of good times. And we believe good times will continue with new ministerial leadership in the months to come.
NAMI Family Support Groups: Meeting 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 7-8:30 PM!
Are you the loved one of someone living with a mental health condition, or whose mental health you are concerned about? We're here for you! NAMI Family Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults 18+ who have a loved one living with a mental health condition. By joining one of our groups, you'll be able to get connected to people who see the value of speaking up about mental health and will gain insight from sharing your experiences and hearing the challenges and successes of others!
Attend a Support Group Starting in September, we will be offering our NAMI Family Support Group in-person on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 7:00pm - 8:30pm. Register on this Eventbrite to receive location details!
***IMPORTANT*** We will follow all safety protocols set in place by both the Baltimore City and County Health Departments and our partners to ensure safety of participants. Space is limited and NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore Staff will confirm registration closer to the attendance date. We will do our best to communicate any cancellations in advance, but please check our website at namibaltimore.org to stay up to date on our latest updates.
Please contact the NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore Help-Line at 410-435-2600 or email info@namibaltimore.org for more information.
NINE O' CLOCK FORUM
Important Update: Due to the scheduling of our New Disciples Class at 9:30 every Sunday morning until Pentecost Sunday, our Nine O' Clock Forum will take a little break until after the Baptism Sunday, June 5th. We look forward to resuming the Forum that week and continuing it over the summer months.
TRANSFORMERS- KIDS CHANGING THE WORLD!
Going forward (and thanks in large part to our pandemic hiatus) our Sunday morning kids ministry will change a little from the program known as Children at Worship. Our new program, called Transformers, will still give our kids opportunities to learn and experience Bible stories, but we will add a hands-on outreach component that will give our little ones an opportunity to learn the importance of serving others. Our hope is that this combination of story and service will, indeed, be transformative for our kids.
CAW & TRANSORMERS FAMILY- INFORMATION REQUESTED
A Note from Kecia Johnson...
Please help to update our records! I am asking ALL Christian Temple families with kids aged Birth to 8th Grade to complete and submit this Form ---> https://forms.gle/h2bDFT7d7LkBHfE39
PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS POLICY UPDATED
At its most recent meeting the Official Board updated Christian Temple's Pandemic Preparedness Policy to more accurately reflect the current realities of the pandemic. Anyone who would like to see the policy as it now is written may CLICK HERE.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Every Wednesday at 9:30 to 11 AM, a group of Christian Temple members meet via Zoom to learn and discuss topics about Christianity, the Bible, other religions of the book, religious history, and a variety of other religious topics. Beginning on January 26, 2022 and for the next 23 weeks we will be studying about “Jesus and His Jewish Influences.” If you are interested in furthering your understanding of Christian traditions, practices, and theology we invite you to join us on our journey.
We know that Jesus was born of Jewish parents, that he obtained Jewish religious training, and preached throughout Judea his understanding and views of biblical Jewish law. His followers carried on his teachings, practices, and legacy through Christianity. The aim of this study is to obtain an understanding of how Jesus’s teachings and views were shaped by his Jewish background and context, and illustrated by selected passages from the canonical Gospel accounts. Use this Zoom link to join us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89678926477?pwd=Yno4ZW01RER0a00zNGlnWUFyWE9wQT09
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO ISN'T RECEIVING THE SEED?
Our email distribution lists are almost up-to-date, but we are concerned that we may have missed a friend or two during this process. If you know of anyone who isn't receiving the J&C and/or The Seed, please ask them to let the office know. Contact Robin at 410-747-2041 or at office@christiantemple.org. Thank you!
ZOOM LINKS!
Wednesday Bible Study, Wednesdays (9:30 AM)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89678926477?pwd=Yno4ZW01RER0a00zNGlnWUFyWE9wQT09
The Well, Thursdays (6:15 PM) The Well will not be meeting on April 14th.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89200881845
Children's Choir, Sundays (10:30- 10:55 AM) The Children’s choir will meet in-person at 10:30 in the Stone classroom. If you can't make it in to church, then join us on Zoom at 10:30 instead! Please use the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87001372088
9:00 Forum, Sundays (9 AM) Join us for our new session, "Keeping the Church Weird".
