1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

Volume 73: Issue 1
January 9, 2015
STEEPLE OF LIGHT
CELEBRATION
Celebrate “Steeple of Light”
20th Anniversary on Jan. 21!!
On Wednesday, January 21, at
7:00 p.m. we will celebrate the 20th
anniversary of the “light-up” of
Community’s “Steeple of Light.”
It’s not everyday that you throw a
party for a light, but this one is certainly in order. The “Steeple of
Light” – envisioned by Frank Lloyd
Wright, designed by Dale Eldred,
and executed by Roberta Lord, and brought to fulfillment
by the congregation of Community Christian Church –
stands as a beacon of beauty, an electric obelisk of mystery, a beam of love, a tower of illumination, a sentinel of
hope, a parable of radiance.
To highlight all of that luminous regard, we are glad to
announce that Glen LeRoy, long-time friend of Community and currently Dean of the School of Architecture and
Design of Lawrence Technological University in Detroit,
Michigan, will be the featured guest speaker for the occasion. Joining Glen LeRoy for the festivities will be Tim
Whitmer, along with representatives from the art and
architecture communities. So, mark your calendars and
be there on January 21 at 7:00 pm!
2015 Greater Kansas City
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
INTERFAITH SERVICE
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015, 3:30 p.m.
AT COMMUNITY
Featuring Guest Speaker
DR. CHARLES G. ADAMS
From 1962 to 1969, Dr. Adams served as
Pastor of historic Concord Baptist Church
in Boston, followed by an appointment as
the Pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist
Church in Detroit. Dr. Adams was the
1993-94 Conference Preacher for Hampton University Ministers Conference held
in Hampton, Virginia. He has been
awarded twelve honorary doctorates, has
spoken before the United Nations and has
received the coveted “Rabbi Marvin Katzenstein Award” from
the Harvard Divinity School. Dr. Adams is currently the Pastor at
Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.
Special music by: Tim Whitmer, Millie Edwards, Ah’Lee Robinson, KC Boys Choir and KC Girls Choir & Shir Balev.
The 2015 Evelyn Wasserstrom Award will be presented to The
Honorable John Sharp, activist and City Councilman, Kansas
City, Missouri.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING JANUARY 11
The Administrative Council has called for a special congregational meeting to be held on Sunday, Jan. 11,
2015. Agenda for the meeting consists of three items: 1) discussion and vote on call to Rev. Shanna Steitz; 2) consideration and approval of 2015 church budget; and, 3) approval of amendments to church by-laws. The meeting
will convene immediately following the 8:30 am service for consideration of item 1 (discussion and vote) and will
continue following the 9:20 am service for item 1 (discussion and vote). Discussion and vote on item 1 will continue following the 10:45 am service. After the vote on item 1, we will proceed to items 2 and 3. Materials related
to item 1 (call to Rev. Steitz) have been provided to the congregation electronically, and are available in hard copy
in the church office. The proposed 2015 budget and by-laws amendments will be distributed electronically and also
are available in the church office.
View from the Hill
Some Religious Questions for 2015 — The following are some of the religion-related questions that may
be on our minds in the year 2015. Other suggestions? Please send them on.
1) Will more religious institutions offer live and/or recorded online feeds of their worship services and
establish categories of "online worshipers" in their statistical records?
2) How will the Roman Catholic Curia reform itself?
3) How will the community of nations, particularly African nations, deal with the horrors of Boko Haram in Nigeria?
4) Who will stand against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — in Muslim and interfaith circles — and declare unequivocally that
terrorism is antithetical to everything that Islam and the Qur’an truly stand for?
5) Will American seminaries return to their previous levels of enrollment?
6) Will food pantries sponsored by religious organizations be burdened by as much need in 2015 as they were in 2014?
7) Will the lifting of sanctions on Cuba lead to more international exchanges and relationships among faith-based groups?
8) How will Facebook and other social networking media evolve and change in connection with religious institutions?
9) Will U.S. congregations expand their involvements in racial reconciliation ?
10) Will the entertainment industry continue to churn out fear-inducing films about bizarre apocalypse scenarios? Will the
movie industry have as many "religious/faith-based" movies in 2015 as it did in 2014?
Great Days in January — In the rush of the holiday season some announcements about important Community
gatherings may have zipped past some folks. In addition to every Sunday being a good and glad time to gather at 4601
Main St., KCMO, please mark the following on your calendar: January 11– This year’s Martin Luther King Interfaith
Service, at 3:30 p.m., in our sanctuary, will be blessed by the preaching prowess of Dr. Charles G. Adams, sometimes
known as “The Harvard Whooper;” January 21 – The 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Steeple of Light will feature
Glen LeRoy as our guest speaker; January 25 – Our annual pulpit exchange with St. James United Methodist Church
will find us welcoming Dr. Emanuel Cleaver III to Community’s pulpit in our 10:45 a.m. service, following their
welcoming yours truly to the St. James pulpit in their 8:00 a.m. service.
Wisdom Rather Than Resolutions – Instead of resolutions, I want to suggest we seek out guiding wisdoms by which
we can live our lives in 2015. For my money, the simplicity and metaphorical richness of Satchel Paige’s “How to Stay
Young” is a good place to start. (By the way, you can visit Satchel Paige’s grave-marker in the Forest Hill cemetery on
Troost Ave., where you’ll see the chiseled declaration of these six rules)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacifiy it with cool thoughts.
Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
Go very lightly on the vices such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain’t restful.
Avoid running at all times.
Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.
This Sunday, January 11, we’re launching the first sermon series for the New Year 2015, “Relationship Prescriptions.”
Over the course of the next six weeks we’ll explore the dynamics and dimensions in the key relationships in our lives —
in our families, among friends, living as a single person, encountering strangers, and loving ourselves. I’m excited about
the first message in this series, “The In Synch Community,” as we explore the relationships we share as members of a
congregation. On Sunday I’ll share with you why I believe the word “congregation” is one of the most sacred words in
the human vocabulary. This will be a great day to invite a friend to Community for worship, to introduce them to your
congregation and the ways a relationship in a congregation can bless their lives.
See you in church! Love – Bob
VOLUNTEER FAIR—JANUARY 13
The Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence, co-sponsored by a host of congregations and community groups,
including Grandmothers Against Gun Violence and MORE2, invites one and all to a Volunteer Fair on Tuesday, January
13, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (4501 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri). There is no charge
for this event. Learn about the organization’s current and future efforts and how you can volunteer in the following
areas: Communications, Advocacy, Event Planning, and A.S.K. (Asking Saves Kids). For more information contact
[email protected].
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to Wanda
Taylor, who joined
Community on December
14, 2014 by Affiliate
Membership.
We welcome Megan
Jones, who joined our
community of faith on
December 28, 2014.
Diaconate Book Dialogue—Jan. 13
Hey Young Adults!
Come pursue your
faith over a pint!
CCC is hosting a new Theology Pub.
Join us for open and honest
conversations about faith twice a month
on Monday nights.
Theology Pub
January 19 at 6:30 p.m.
McCoy’s in Westport
Kansas City, MO
The format is simple: drinks, conversation and God.
Everything is up for discussion, no assumptions, no
barriers to entry. Guaranteed thought provoking discussion and new friends.
Contact Rev. Caitie Smith or Rev. Katie Sexton for
more information.
Utilizing Lillian Daniel’s When “Spiritual but Not Religious” is
Not Enough and Chuck Blaisdell’s “Salt and Light” lectures, we
will stretch our faith and understanding about what it means
to be a Christian and a servant leader. An interesting evening
to be sure. Join in the discussion on Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall. Call the church office if you would like to get a copy of
the reading materials before the discussion, 816-561-6531.
YOUTH LOCK-IN
JANUARY 18 AT 4 P.M.
ACTIVITIES CENTER
Contact Rev. Katie Sexton or Sonja Shaffer for more information.
IN SYMPATHY
We offer our sympathy to the family of Father Norm Rotert.
Father Rotert died on December 17, 2014. Services were held
on December 21.
Our sympathy goes out to Wanda Carruth, on the death of
her uncle, Earnst Lindsey, who died on December 18, 2014.
Services were held in St. Louis.
Sympathy to Cheryl Finke, on the death of her step-father,
Cully Culton, who died on December 29, 2014. Services are
pending in Texas.
Our sympathy is extended to Glen Woodmancy and his
family, on the death of his brother Bob Woodmancy, on December 29, 2014.
We extend our condolences to Karl Bublitz and his family at
the death of his sister, Dorothy Bublitz Marolf Opfer, who
passed away on Saturday, December 13, and whose services
were held on Dec. 18.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the
Family Christmas Program on December 21. It was
a very special evening that won't be soon forgotten.
And thank you to all the parents for making sure
your child had a costume (they looked AWESOME). Special thanks to Dawn Parris, and all the
teachers (Jan, Laura, Bonita, Letha, Jennifer and
Shelly) who helped teach the songs and were on
hand to help with the coordination all along the
way. Thank you Vernie, Art and Doug for all the
behind the scenes help with sets, lighting and
sound, and HUGE thanks to dedicated parent and
talented director, Kristy Nerstheimer, for making
this all possible.
Community Christian Church
4601 Main Street · Kansas City, MO
Phone: (816) 561-6531
[email protected]
www.community-christian.org
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Community Church News (USPS 126-500) is published
every other week for $10.00 per year by
Community Christian Church, 4601 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
Telephone: (816) 561-6531 ● FAX (816) 561-0805
Periodical postage paid at Kansas City, MO
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
Community Church News, 4601 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
On the 2nd Monday of every month Community volunteers take the church bus to
Micah Ministry at Independence Boulevard Christian Church to help serve a meal
to those in need. If you would like to help
with this important ministry, meet at the
church at 4:00 on that day to ride together.
You can also drive yourself over if you prefer. Call the office for more information:
816-561-6531.
On the first Sunday of each month Community friends and members prepare a meal in
Centennial Hall and take it across the street
to serve to our neighbors in Mill Creek
Park. This is done in conjunction with Artists Helping the Homeless. If you can help
make the meal, or would like to provide
some of the food we serve, please call the
church office at 816-561-6531, to make arrangements.
Volunteers are needed to drive the church
bus on Sunday mornings. If you can help
please call the office.
RELATIONSHIP
PRESCRIPTIONS
Exploring the dynamics and dimensions of the
key relationships in our lives
New 2015 Sermon Series—Sunday Mornings
Dr. Bob Hill preaching
January 11
“The In Synch Community”(Congregation)
January 18
“Modern Family” (Family)
January 25
10:45 - Pulpit Exchange - w/St. James UMC
8:30 & 9:20 – “Fearfully and Wonderfully
Made” (Loving Yourself)
February 1
“The Three-Fold Chord” (Friends)
February 8
“God Is For You” (Single but Not Alone)
February 15
“Angels Unaware” (Caring for the Stranger)