I want to stress how important it is that
we all attend worship every chance we
get. It means so very much for us all to
be together in prayer, song listening,
communion, and faith. Acts 2:42 talks
about the commitment of the early
church saying, “They devoted
themselves to the Apostles’ teaching,
fellowship, the breaking of bread, and
prayer. A church devoted to these
Rev. Steve Digby
Transitional Minister
[email protected]
Rev. David Finklea
Assistant Minister Chain Reaction Ministries
chainreactionministries
@gmail.com
Mirtha Robbins
Custodian
Teri Villoutreix
Church Secretary
[email protected]
Janet Christman
Dir. of Children’s Ministry
[email protected]
Delmarie Gilbreath
Organist
Rev. Chris Parrott
Praise Band Leader
Marilyn Duncan
Choir Director
[email protected]
Deb Olsen-Busch
Handbell Choir Director
Candy Kepper
Preschool Director
[email protected]
Church Office
Monday-Thursday
9:00 am-4:30 pm
things will move from striving to
thriving.
Next Sunday, March 22, I hope you
will be present to worship with your
church family as we attend to the
importance of each member of the
body to the body. Palm Sunday, March
29, we will celebrate Palm/Passion
Sunday. We will attend to the triumphal
entry to Jerusalem as we think about
what a difference a good entry makes.
On Maundy Thursday, April 2, we will
come together to remember the events
of Holy Week, hearing the scriptures
detailing what Jesus did to conclude his
ministry with his disciples. On Easter,
April 5, we will celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus with great music
and a consideration of the short ending
of Mark.
Last Sunday I told the congregation
about an upcoming worship service that
is of great importance for the future of
Memorial Drive Christian Church. This
service, to be held on April 12, will be a
time for discussion and answering
questions that will help the Search
Committee in their work of listening to
God’s direction in calling a permanent
Senior Minister to the church. You
notice I used the word call. We do not
hire ministers in the church. We call
them. They in turn answer a call not
only from a congregation, more
important, they answer a call from God.
When both the congregation and the
pastor are listening carefully to God,
beautiful things can happen.
The service on April 12 will be held
in the Fellowship Hall. Gathered in the
name of Jesus, we will sit around tables
and participate in small group
discussions, as an important part of the
worship of God. I’ll be talking about the
worship service in greater detail in the coming
weeks, so please be in worship and stay in
the communication loop. I also want you to
know you may call me either at the church or
on my phone (512) 749-3700. I’ll be happy
to talk with you about what we are trying to
accomplish and to learn from you.
Last Sunday in the sermon I talked briefly
about the Life Cycle of a Congregation as
described by George Bullard. If you are
interested in learning more about the life
cycle of a congregation, simply Google
“Stages of Church Life by George Bullard.”
You will be taken to an informative article.
I also talked about Will Mancini’s book
Church Unique in which he presents three
aspects of the church’s mission, or Local
Kingdom Concept. They are Apostolic Esprit,
Collective Potential, and Local Predicament.
Apostolic Esprit answers the question, “What
particular focus most energizes and animates
our leadership?” Collective Potential answers
the question, “What are the unique resource
capabilities that God brings together in us?”
Local Predicament answers the question,
“What are the unique needs and
opportunities where God has placed us?”
If you Google “Will Mancini Kingdom
Concept,” you will be taken to a YouTube
interview.
I believe every one of us wants to see
Memorial Drive Christian Church clarify its
vision and to reach people with the good
news of Jesus Christ. Right now we have
some problems to overcome. We lack the
number of people that once were here. We
don’t have the money to do things we once
did. We have debt. Any of these problems,
unaddressed, has the potential of doing us in.
But these problems are not The Problem. The
Problem has to do with clear Vision, and our
mission of making disciples that are
passionate about making disciples.
I pray for God’s blessings on you and I
hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor Steve
Contact: Terrie Cardwell
[email protected] or 713-208-4923
On Sunday, April 12, we will have a unique
worship experience that you don’t want to miss. We
will sing hymns, pray together, share in communion,
and share ideas and visions. As a part of our
worship service, we will discern plans for the future
and for the mission of Memorial Drive Christian
Church. You do have a voice in the process of
selecting a new minister and in the future plans for
our church. You are an integral part of this process
and this is the opportunity for you to share your
vision for MDCC. We will worship in the Fellowship
Hall where you will be encouraged to interact with
other members in small groups, answering questions
and sharing ideas. The information collected from
your discussions will provide valuable input for the
search committee to use in the process of selecting a
new senior minister.
As you leave the worship service on Sunday April
12, you will also be given a survey to complete and
return to the church. This survey will provide even
more information to guide the search committee
during the selection process.
We thank you in advance for your attendance
and participation in this wonderful opportunity to
work together as a community of faith with a
promising future ahead of us!
Sincerely,
Terrie Cardwell, Worship Chair
Contact: Zoe Hunt, 713-467-7035
The Ladies Service Group is taking on
another project and we will need the
help of all church members.
We have learned of a long-overdue
need—luggage for foster children. When
the children are sent to a new foster
home, all of their clothes and personal
possessions are sent in a plastic garbage
bag! Our new project is to clean and
repair old luggage.
You can help us attain our goal, “A
Suitcase For Every Child,” by donating
old or unused luggage (any size or
condition) so these children can walk
into their new homes with a little dignity.
The Choir, the Emmaus Sunday
School class, and friends will be
sponsoring a reception for Bill and
Martha Welch following the
11:00am church service on March
22. Bill and Martha have been very
generous with the sharing of the
gifts God has given them with
Memorial Drive Christian Church,
and we wish to honor them as they
move to Georgia to be near their
son and his family. If you wish to
bring them a card, it would be
appreciated by them as they pack to
know that we love them and they
will certainly be missed.
Please place your donations in the
place provided in the Giving Center
foyer of the Fellowship Hall.
Contact: Susan Pain, 713-515-0616
Our church is hosting a quilting workday
on Saturday, April 18, at 9:00am3:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Come
for a while and sew or tie quilts already
pieced or just help pin some together.
Supplies will be provided. Houston Quilt
Guild provides around 500 quilts yearly
to agencies like Star of Hope and
various women’s and children’s shelters.
After much thought, prayers, and
discussion, Pam and I have decided
it is a time for us to step down from
leadership of this group.
Unfortunately, some things just
run their course and then need to
be re-evaluated. We have enjoyed
our time of planning and going with
you!
Mary Williams and Pam Ellis
We will be playing Chicken Foot
dominoes in the Fellowship Hall at
10:00am on the third Thursday of
each month, April 16. Single ladies
are invited to join us for fellowship,
games, and lunch. Bring a salad to
share!
We meet for bridge on the fourth
Thursday of each month, March 26.
We meet in the Delphi Room, at
10:00am. Bring a sack lunch. A call
to Connie Ikard is needed to reserve
your place.
Community
Joys & Concerns
Our condolences to the family and
friends of Margaret Oates, who
died on March 9. A burial service
was held in Sapulpa, OK on
March 14.
Property Committee would like to
thank Ed Plummer for spending the
day at the church fixing stuff. It was a
long day with several frustrating moments. Thanks for the tenacity in getting the jobs done.
Larry Neal
Chair Property
Contact: Janice Spradlin, sprad@@swbell.net
or 281-380-0696
We have had our share of cold, gray, windy,
and rainy Sundays so far in 2015. Thanks to
all of you who have greeted and welcomed
our members and guests with such warm and
friendly smiles. The Lenten season is a very
special time in the life of Christians. For many,
it is a time of refocusing on our faith, renewal
of our beliefs, and rebirth in the love of Christ.
As each of us continues our journey through
Lent culminating with our Easter Week
activities, please be open to others who have
not yet experienced these joys. Let’s share
what we have as members of MDCC with
others who are looking for a caring church
family.
We will have more visitors with us over the
next month as we approach Easter. We will
need a few more smiling faces to help with
greeting, passing out bulletins, and
helping visitors find their way around and
feel a part of things. We would
appreciate your help. We will need
additional people for Palm Sunday,
Maundy Thursday, and both Easter
services.
After church, on April 19th, we will be
offering a training session for Ushers,
Deacon Leaders, Building Closers,
Elders, and anyone else who feels they
might benefit from this meeting. We feel
if you serve in one of these capacities, it
would be helpful for you to know some
routine and emergency procedures that
are in place as well as some information
concerning the building itself. We will be
handing out an updated information
sheet and Larry Neal will give us some
specifics on the fire alarm system, etc.
Please mark this date on your calendar
and plan to attend. We hope to walk
through the information in 30 minutes.
These responsibilities have fallen to a few
knowledgeable people and one
designated usher each week. Under
normal circumstances, this has worked
well but if an emergency arises, such as a
fire, the more people who know
procedures and where things are, the
safer we will be as a congregation.
Lastly, we would like to thank Rev.
Digby for the interesting and thoughtful
sermons he has been giving each week
and including the children in the worship
service.
Spring is just around the corner!!
In Christian Fellowship,
Janice Spradlin, Linda Thompson, and
Angela Bullock
Contact: Janet Christman, 713-304-8707 or [email protected]
We had a great time at our first Family Fellowship on Sunday, March 8. We
enjoyed a pizza lunch, played some games, and visited with our church family. We
are hoping to sponsor this type of event 4 or 5 times a year to give our families the
opportunity to get to know each other and offer some time for old fashioned fun and
fellowship! If you weren’t able to join us this time, we hope you can make the next
one.
The Youth and Children’s Ministry team has made some great plans for the next
few months in the life of our church. Just to give you a heads up; here are some of
our plans:

Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, April 4 at 10:00am

2nd Annual “Breakfast in Bed” to honor all women of the church. The youth
and children will be dressed in their pajamas and will pamper you and serve
you a continental breakfast. You are welcome to come dressed in comfortable
clothes and enjoy the special treatment on Saturday, May 9 at 9:00 a.m.

Father’s Day Celebration, Sunday, June 21 immediately following the morning
worship service. Come and enjoy a good old Texan Cook-Out and honor all
the men of our church.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL will be held August 3-7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon
for all children Kindergarten through 5th grade. We would love to have as many
youth as possible help us with this event.
We are looking forward to spending SPRING BREAK with my parents in Iowa.
Hope you enjoy spending some extra time with family.
In love with the King’s Kids
Janet
I hope that all of you had the
privilege of attending the February 22
worship service. Reverend Nathan
Russell delivered an inspiring and
challenging sermon and Cynthia
Clawson provided wonderful music.
There is indeed life in these bones!
Steve Digby is now here and
things are happening. I would like to
highlight a couple of the people who
make this a wonderful congregation.
Elaine Cook served for several years as
our board secretary. She kept us
informed of upcoming events and
ensured that our years were complete
with minutes. Unknown to many,
Larry Neal actually lives in the
basement of the church. He is busy
with roof leaks, stopped up restrooms,
light bulbs, and various and sundry
vermin. Tune in to the next newsletter
for additional names of people who
make me proud to be a member of
MDCC.
Stephen Robinson Ordination
When you sing in the choir how will you know
which part to sing? Are you an alto? A tenor?
Voice placement can be quite specific, but in general, we divide
the choir into four parts: bass, tenor, alto, and soprano. Although
these parts are then sometimes subdivided, generally speaking a
soprano is a female with a high voice. (Boys and girls with high
voices are called Trebles.)
Those women with rich, lower voices are contraltos, or altos.
They sing a harmony part and are very important to those tricky
chords we sometimes sing. Boys whose voices have not yet
changed may also sing alto.
The men who sing just a bit lower than the altos are called
tenors. There are many different categories of tenors, but we just
call them all tenors. It’s been my experience that church choir
tenors just love a good joke.
The basses have those low voices and really ground a good
choir sound. Sometimes they get to sing a moving line of oohmpa
sounds and sometimes they sing so low they almost disappear.
Whatever part you sing, you are a valuable addition to the
church choir and we would love to have you join us. Voice
placement assistance is available if needed.
If you are interested in singing in the choir, please call Marilyn
Duncan at the church at 713.789.0060 or at 832.498.9397 to find
out how to get started.
Former MDCC member Stephen C. Robinson was
ordained at Hyde Park Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), Austin, Texas, on Sunday, March 8, 2015.
Stephen is the son of Charles and Pam Robinson (also
former MDCC members) and grandson of the late Carl S.
and Dorothy Smith, former members of Bethany Christian
Church. He became a member of Memorial Drive
Christian Church in 1992 and was an active participant in
Chi-Rho and CYF, serving as the representative to the
Youth Ministry Council for three years. After graduating as
salutatorian from Strake Jesuit High School, Stephen
majored in religious studies at the University of Texas in the
Plan II Honors program, earning his BA and a Phi Beta
Kappa membership in 2004. Several years ago, Stephen
found himself back in church and soon felt himself called to
Christian ministry. Stephen graduated from Austin
Theological Presbyterian Seminary with a Master of
Divinity in 2013, served a year as a chaplain resident at
Seton Healthcare Family. Currently, Stephen serves as a
staff chaplain at Seton Medical Center Hays as well as the
Associate Minister for Education and Evangelism at Hyde
Park Christian Church. Stephen lives with his eleven-yearold son, Weston. Stephen still loves music and sings in the
church choir as well as serving as leadership for his son's
Cub Scout troop.
Congratulations to Stephen and his family on this
auspicious occasion.