HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Following in the footsteps of Jesus

Palm Sunday-March 16
Children Sing in both Services
Easter Eggcitement

Monday-March 17
Holy Week Lunch-12:00 p.m.

Tuesday-March 18
Holy Week Dinner-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday-March 19
Holy Week Breakfast-9:00 a.m.

Thursday-March 20
Maundy Thursday Dinner-6:00 p.m.
“Soldier of God” Cantata-7:00 p.m.

Friday-March 21
Prayer Vigil-6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

EASTER SUNDAY
Pancake Breakfast-7:30-10:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.-Traditional Easter Service
(Bring flowers to place on our Living Cross)

Page 1 March 13, 2008

 Disciples Women’s Ministry

Spring is Sprung!!
As this article is being written, it is a beautiful day outside. Daylight
savings is upon us, and Spring seems to have “sprung”, as the old
saying goes!
As Disciples Women, our energies are centered on the Lenten activities this
time of year. We are preparing for meals to be cooked during our Holy Week,
working hard on our beautiful Cantata, attending Bible study classes, and
helping to get ready for the “Egg-citement” of Palm Sunday. One of the joys
of being a part of our church is the endless possibilities for service, all mixed
in with the wonderful feeling of working together for a purpose.
We hope those of you who attended the Friendship Dinner enjoyed the
evening. So many willing hands, including our guest performers and
friends, made the evening a success. Our thanks to everyone who con-
tributed to the wonderful feeling of togetherness, and for helping set up,
serve up, and especially clean up! We thank all of you for yet another
special memory in the life of our church. Everyone singing “Let There be
Peace on Earth” was truly a goose-bump moment!
Believe it or not, planning has already started for next winter’s Boutique. We are try-
ing to fill all of the committee positions so that we can start getting to work. These
are the women who have accepted the challenge so far:
Jill Foster Chairperson Maureen Estolas Publicity
Dorie Hernandez Craft Workshops June Perkins Bake Shop
Janine Miller Grandma’s Attic Gail Grove Candy Shop
Samantha Lubrani Opportunity Drawing
The only position we still need to fill is the Kitchen Chairperson who will oversee the
making and selling of our Cinnamon Rolls and our Taco Boats. Please think about
joining our group and talk to Jill if you are interested.
And, speaking of busy Jill Foster, she is the lady you want to contact for information
about the Disciples Women’s Spring Event on April 12th. It promises to be a wonder-
ful day – so check it out!

Happy Easter!

Page 2
 2008
Spring Event

Saturday, April 12, is the date and All Peoples Christian Center in Los Ange-
les is the place. The Spring Event is well on its way to being planned. With an
event title of “Whose Voice Is It? Learning to Listen for God?” it is sure to be a
great event. If your calendars aren’t marked, mark them now. Set your alarms
to arrive in Los Angeles by 8:00 a.m.
Registration forms are available in the church office. Your registration fee of
$35.00 includes the 2008 New Day magazine, lunch and a day of fun and fel-
lowship. We will have Child Care available for those who want to bring the
kids at a cost of $5.00 per child or $10.00 per family. Parking is limited so you
will want to carpool or better yet the LA Metro Blue Line has a station within
walking distance of the center. So pack your walking shoes and flats and
come out to enjoy a day supporting the women of the region and All Peoples
Christian center. Come out for a day of blessings.

BLENDED SERVICE
Our seasonal celebration will continue on after Easter with the coming of our
next Blended Service which will be on Sunday, April 6, at 10:00 a.m. These
services offer us a great opportunity to bring our church family together. The
worship committee has attempted to schedule these services to coincide with
special times and events in the church. Therefore this Blended Service will be
followed by Ted Oden’s installation as our Minister of Contemporary Worship.
We have been blessed by Ted’s ministry and we hope that you will save this
day to come and celebrate.
Worship, Serve, Grow
Be part of the All Church Retreat
Saturday, April 19, 9:00 – 3:00
@ Mary and Joseph Center
Fun, food, fellowship
Sign up in the fellowship hall, or see Kel or Sakura
Donations accepted to help cover costs
Page 3
 “The most important single influence in the life of a person is
another person… who is worthy of emulation.”

I have been very blessed in my life to have had some wonderful role models and have
worked with people worthy of emulation. The result of such encounters has been that I
have grown to be a person of diverse tastes and talents who embraces opportunities to en-
rich my life experiences and who listens to the influences of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has recently influenced me through the accomplishments of one of our church
family. Last summer, Brandon Matson successfully attempted a remarkable bike ride that started in
Torrance, California and ended at the Oregon border. The trip took 15 days and because he wrote in
his journal every day, I was able to share with you all the highlights of his journey in two Messenger
articles.
During Young Adults meetings before his trip he would share with us how he had been training and
where he planned to stop. We were all so impressed with his dream. We made sure to call and text him
while he was on the bike so he knew we were thinking and praying for him. After the trip we all en-
joyed hearing about his great adventure and the comment was made, “well Brandon your next bike trip
down to San Diego is going to be a piece of cake.”
That comment hit home for me and I could not get the thought of a long bike ride out of my head. Af-
ter a week of thinking and praying about it the thought had moved from my head and into my heart. I
was going to attempt a long bike ride! In September I began to train for what was originally a ride to
San Diego, but has now been modified to a trip from Huntington Beach to San Onofre.
I have had a stationary bike at home for years that I talk to once or twice a week for usually no more
then 15 minutes, just enough time to keep the blood flowing. My 15 minutes on the bike soon turned
into 30 and then 50 three times a week. I also have a street bike and my first official training ride was
6 miles round trip. Half of the ride was into strong head winds and even though my legs were burning,
I just kept thinking about the heavy winds Brandon had faced, and I refused to stop. My next ride was
to a weekly meeting 6 miles from my house, 12 miles round trip. I made the ride in good time and
have ridden to the meeting 3 times since. I next attempted a 20 mile ride and again met my friend the
wind. I returned to my house a little out of breath, but undaunted. My last ride took me from my house
to the Aquarium of the Pacific and back.
( 37 miles total)
The Young Adults bike trip is on March 29th and I am really looking forward to it on so many levels.
One of them being that the ride is the day before my birthday. So on the last day of my 40th year I will
be attempting the greatest physical challenge of my life. I will be able to spend my 41st birthday with
my church family and my thoughts will not be of the pangs of age, but on the enormous satisfaction of
a goal accomplished and the memories of another wonderful experience.
“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy.” Continue to grow in
your life adventures.

Blessings,

Pastor Kel
Page 4
 CHURCH FAMILY NEWS
Congratulations to Pastor
Dick & Jimmie Talley on
the birth of their new grand-
daughter. Jada Brooklyn
Talley was born a month early on Febru-
ary 14. She weighed 7lbs, 2oz. Proud
parents are Darren & Janet Talley.
DID YOU KNOW…
that Michael Sanchez
passed his driving test last
month? Congratulations
Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A BIG thank you to Bill &
Ester Adams for always
coming every week and
working on our beautiful
church gardens. They al-
ways make sure those beautiful flowers
and plants are getting enough food and
water, a nice trim and spraying for those
pesty bugs. We are all looking forward to
our beautiful roses this year.
Thank you to Gene & Doreen Jackson
for the extra cleaning and repairs they
do around the church. They are painting
the classrooms, the light fixtures in the
Fireside Room are sparkling clean, the
screens and windows have been
washed, light bulbs get replaced and the
resource room is getting neat and tidy.
WOW now that’s Spring Cleaning!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Bible Study—10:00 a.m.
(Wednesdays)
Choir—7:00 p.m., (Thursdays)
Praise Team Practice—6:00 p.m., (Thursdays)
Worship Meeting—6:30 p.m., March 13.
CMF—8:30 a.m., March 15.
Easter Eggcitement—12:00 p.m., March 16.
Holy Week Lunch—12:00 p.m., March 17.
Love Group—9:30 a.m., March 18.
Holy Week Dinner—6:30 p.m., March 18.
Holy Week Breakfast—9:00 a.m., March 19.
Maundy Thursday Dinner—6:00 p.m., March
20.
Cantata “Soldier of God”—7:00 p.m., March 20.
Prayer Vigil—6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., March 21.
Pancake Breakfast—7:30-10:00 a.m., March 23.
Living Cross—Bring flowers, March 23.
Easter Sunday—March 23.
Young Adults—7:00 p.m., March 24.
Faith Group—1:30 p.m., March 25.
Elders Meeting—7:00 p.m., March 25.
Monthly Gathering—7:00-9:00 p.m., March 26.
“Heart Healthy” —Lynda Stoodley
A big “Thank You” to our church family for
all the prayers, phone calls, cards, etc.
when our son David was so ill. A special
“Thank You” to Pastor Kel for visiting David
when he was hospitalized in ICU and in
isolation. David is well on the road to recov-
ery.
Bill & Geri Stoodley
Page 5
 March 2008 (Revised)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursd

WORSHIP SERVICES
8:30 and 10:30 am
Sunday School 9:15 am

2 3 4 5
Bible Study
Amazing Gray’s
Young Adults 12:00 p.m. Trustees Meeting 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
2:00 p.m. New Hope 7
Skirball 12:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Catalina Coffee House

9 10 11 12
Bible Study
Finance Committee
10:00 to 11:30 a.m
Ted Oden Preaching Meeting 7:00 p.m. Choir
Board Meeting
His Hands 12:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m
Women’s Board 7:00 p.m.
Newsletter Worship Com
Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Daylight Saving Time Mtg. 6:30

16 17 18 19

Pastor Kel Preaching Love Group Maundy Th

Holy Week Breakfast
Easter Eggcitement Holy Week Lunch 9:30 a.m. Dinner 6:0
9:00 a.m.
Children Sing in 12:00 p.m. Holy Week Dinner Cantata 7:0
both services 6:30 p.m. “Soldier of

23 24 25 26
Bible Study
Pancake Breakfast
10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Pastor Kel Preaching Newsletter Choir
Faith Group 1:30 Monthly Gathering
Living Cross Young Adults 7:00 p.m
Elders 7:00 p.m. 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday 7:00 p.m.
“Heart Healthy”
30 31

Galen Gobin .
Preaching
Page 6
day Friday Saturday
1
March Birthday’s
Friendship Dinner Mary Ibe (1)
Hilda Coleman (4)
6:00 p.m. Gail Grove (5)
Gene Jackson (5)
6 7 8 Virginia Gober (6)
Wally Sandberg (6)
Kurt Nelson (9)
Ruth Morrison (10)
Chi Rho Fun Night
7:00 p.m. Terry Thomas (15)
7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Marion Casey (16)
Lois Sherwood (17)
Haley Crawford (20)
13 14 15 Emma Hernandez (22)
Katie Redderson (22)
Orlando Martinez (24)
r Charlene Bowring (26)
Kristin Karlin (28)
m. C.M.F. Lois Sherwood (29)
mmittee 8:30 a.m. Ruth Perry (29)
p.m. Helen Reed (29)
Glenn Singleton (30)
Kel Henderson (30)
20 21 22

hursday Prayer Vigil

0 p.m. 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
00 p.m.
f God” Good Friday

27 28 29
ANNIVERSARIES

r Raymond & Donna Stent (18)

m.

Page 7
 What is CMF?
CMF stands for “Christian Men's Fellowship” and we have a
breakfast in Sippel Hall the 3rd Saturday of each month, at 8:00
a.m. (eat at 8:30). We usually disband after clean up, by 9:30 or
so. Sometimes we sing, accapella, (It sounds best if you are
across the street) or we have a devotional or sometimes we lis-
ten to Bill Adams jokes or just gab. Our agenda is very loose and flexible.
Mark your calendar and “come on down” and taste chef Jack Perry’s pan-
cakes or Rich Koontz’s country gravy and biscuits together with chicken eggs
and pig sausage, with orange juice and coffee. It all tastes good as you will be
with fellow church “guys.” No gals allowed!
If you are not a regular and plan to attend please call chef Jack at 310-328-
8597, so he will have enough food prepared. Next breakfast is Saturday,
March 15, at 8:00 a.m. So give Jack a call, now!
Thanks,
Gene Wiehe

A Moment For Stewardship

Faith is critical in our stewardship.
Stewardship is critical in our faith.
The Stewardship and Finance Committee each year must seek faith in the
budgeting process. Likewise, as stewards of Christ’s mission, each one of us
must seek faith and express our faith through our stewardship.
My expression of financial stewardship is an expression of faith between my-
self and Christ. That expression of stewardship comes forth through my finan-
cial gifts to organizations where God’s work can touch lives and nurture them.
First Christian Church of Torrance is where I choose to give a majority of
that expression. I have faith that God will lead us to make good decisions and
be good stewards to glorify God and his church here on earth.
Just as important as financial stewardship is the stewardship of time, energy
and talent. It Takes A Village to nurture our church, therefore, as Brothers and
Sisters in Christ each one of us must focus our time, energy, talent and
financial resources to that end. In so doing, we will nurture each other, our
church and the larger community we love.
Doris Wilson
Page 8
 Something Different
Attendance CARDS will soon replace the red attendance booklets in the pews.
Every Sunday, each member of the congregation will be asked to fill out a card
and place it in the offering plate as an expression of their stewardship time in
church. The cards will also be used to help keep in touch with those who have-
n’t been seen for a while. We don’t want anyone to feel that we don’t care about
them or miss them. Sometimes it is too easy to let people in our family “fall
through the cracks”.
A comment section will be included for you to write messages about anything
you wish the church to know (suggestions, requests, questions, ideas, etc.)
These will then be passed on to the appropriate person.
A better record and contact information about visitors is also a goal.
The Membership Committee

ENDOWMENT FUND UPDATE

We want to acknowledge and say thank you to John and Phyllis King and Bill
and Ester Adams for their recent contributions to the Endowment Fund. The gift
from John and Phyllis was in memory of Mary Mosley and the gift from Bill and
Ester Adams was in memory of Catherine Bales. John and Phyllis and Bill and
Ester along with many others have been strong supporters of the Endowment
Fund and for this we are extremely grateful.
As always we hope that you will consider the church in your estate planning and
when possible use the Fund to honor someone in a special way. We know there
are many requests and demands for our resources, but we also know that as we
are blessed we can be a blessing to others.
It is an honor to be able to serve as a director and if you have any questions
please contact one of the directors listed below.
Thank You.

Doug Crawford Andrea Whobrey Doris Wilson

Lee Sebaugh Gene Wiehe

Page 9
 EDUCATION NEWS

Adult Education
As always, David Matson has been leading a wonderfully engaging class
entitled, "Discovering the Disciples." It has focused on the nineteenth
century and the beginnings of the movement, with particular focus on
Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell. They have been exploring
some of the key documents of the Disciples, including the Last Will and
Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, the Declaration and Address,
and the Lunenburg Letter. This class will be continuing through the month, with
the exception of Easter Sunday.
Next month, Basil Ibe, will be leading the group in a study of the book of Ephe-
sians in a study topic entitled, “Reconciled in Christ.”

Children & Youth

Our trip to the Skirball center was enjoyed by all. Our group of 20 or so
was impressed with the interactive exhibit that represented over 40 dif-
ferent flood stories. All the pieces in the exhibit were made from recy-
cled materials and were extremely interesting.
The Middle and Primary grades will be performing in church on Palm
Sunday, March 16. Thank you to Jill Foster, Shirley Woodman, and Ken
Potter for all the work they have been doing with the class.

The High School Group will be putting on their puppet show during our
Easter Eggcitement. They are building the backdrop and pulled the
puppets out of the attic and have begun working on a puppet show
about the Easter story to be shared during Easter Eggcitement.

Easter Events
Easter Eggcitement
Come join us on Sunday, March 16, after 2nd service for our annual Easter Egg-
citement. The event will begin in Sippel Hall with a light hot dog lunch and a pup-
pet show by our high school group. After lunch the group will be invited to go out
on the lawns for the egg hunt where we will be joined by our special Easter friend.
(to help with the event, please bring a dozen filled eggs)

Page 10
 Upcoming Events
Easter Pancake Breakfast- March 23
April 19 has been booked for a retreat date at the
Mary & Joseph Retreat Center
Chi Rho Fun Night – March 28
Youth Sunday – April 27
Church School classes bring flowers to Sunnyside during the
church school hour- May 4

Amazing Grays
The group will be meeting Monday, April 7, at 12:30 p.m. at the church for a
potluck and a game.

Young Adults
The group will meet on Monday, March 24, at the Catalina Coffee House.
Bike Ride and campout March 29th – 30th.

Bible Study
Join us on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in room 4. The group is study-
ing the Gospel of Matthew.
Join us on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. in room 4. The group is studying the
Gospel of Mark.

Monthly Gatherings
Do you know your risk factor for having a stroke or heart attack? Come learn
ways to decrease your risk of having either a heart attack or stroke.
On Wednesday, March 26 from 7:00-9:00 p.m., our gathering will be on
“Wellness Ministries.” Lynda Stoodley, MSN, NP-C, CCRN, PCCN Torrance
Memorial Medical Center, will be leading an evening devoted to our heart and
health care.

**Next Newsletter articles need to be at the church office by 3/24/08.

Page 11
 FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NON PROFIT ORG.

(Disciples of Christ)
PERMIT NO. 109
TORRANCE, CA

2930 El Dorado Street

Torrance, CA 90503
(310) 328-2820 Fax 310 328-2929
E-mail - fcctorr@pacbell.net
Web address - fcctorrance.org
Sunday Schedule
8:30 a.m. - Worship - Informal
9:15 a.m. - Church School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Worship - Traditional
Children’s Worship - Ages Pre-school
through 2nd Grade
(During the Traditional Worship Service)
Nursery Provided
For birth through age 3 during Sunday
School and the Traditional Service
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Staff
Associate Pastor - Kel Henderson
Administrative Assistant– Camelia Olloque
Choir Director - Ken Potter
Nursery Attendant - Sherril Wiechmann
Officers
The Christian Messenger

Chair - Basil Ibe

Vice Chair - Doug Crawford
TIME VALUE DATA

Treasurer– Richard Koontz

2930 El Dorado Street

DO NOT DELAY
First Christian Church

Torrance, CA 90503

Financial Secretary - Moggy Emmen

EXPEDITE

Clerk– Chery Carew

Page 12