♥ Unbinding Your Heart E-vent♥

An All Church Book Study

February 21 through April 3rd
Sign-ups End Soon!

“Unbinding Your Heart” is on its way! Groups are being created. They’re filling
up quickly, so see us at the booth on Sundays in Sippel Hall.

Small Study Groups Proposed Times*

Christian Youth Fellowship Sundays ♥ 9:30AM
Chi-Ro Sundays ♥ 12PM
Evening Study Group Sundays ♥ 7PM
Amazing Grays Mondays ♥ 1PM
Evening Study Group Mondays ♥ 7PM
Elders Tuesdays ♥ 7PM
Wednesday Morning Bible Study Wednesdays ♥ 10AM
Evening Study Group Wednesday ♥ 7PM
Young Adults Wednesdays ♥ 7PM
New Hope Group Thursday ♥ 7PM
Christian Men’s Fellowship Saturdays ♥ 8:30AM

Please email Don or Sue Zukas at [email protected] or

[email protected] or call (310) 618-8375 with questions or to enroll..

* Times and groups may change slightly as we get closer to kick-off.

Page 1 January 28, 2010

 Disciples Women’s Ministry
The annual Friendship dinner will be held on Saturday, February 6th at
6:00 p.m in Sippel Hall. This event is for adults only. The theme of the
dinner will be “Water From Another Time” and Tom from Loch Leven
will do the program. Tickets went on sale Sunday, January 17th and will
cost $10 each. Free childcare will be provided.
Books continue to be offered for sale in Sippel Hall as a fundraiser for
Quadrennial. Look for other fundraisers to come as we are trying to help everyone
come if they can.
Calendar changes for DWF luncheons
 March luncheon will be moved from March 28 to April 18, 2010. The hostess will
be Chery Carew and the program will be spring tea.
 May luncheon will be moved from May 30 (memorial weekend) to May 23rd.
Thank you to all the wonderful women who made Women’s Sunday a success. A
special thanks to Gail Grove who coordinated the service and made it all come to-
gether. Thank you to Jill Foster and Susie Noble, who provided the message for the
service.
Upcoming events in the spring include Family night which is tentatively set for some-
time in May. Watch the newsletter for more details about this fun event. Judy Ricka-
baugh will be coordinating the program.

Two Prayer Shawl Meetings Every Week

Our Tuesday Night Prayer Shawl group has decided to meet every week. The group meets in
the Fireside Room at 7:00 pm (thanks to the elders for flexibility!) We also have a Wednes-
day group that meets there every week at 2:00 pm.

Beacon Light Mission

Officials at Beacon Light Mission in Wilmington hope to break ground this sum-
mer on a new shelter for homeless women, and are working to raise funds for the
project. City and county approval is expected in the next few months for the 6,500-
square foot facility, which will provide 20 beds for women. The facility “Doors of
Hope Women’s Shelter” will be constructed next to the men’s facility on Broad Avenue. The
facility will provide food and temporary housing supported solely through donations from
about two dozen churches in the South Bay. Visit their website
www.doorsofhopewomensshelter.org or call 562-716-9981 to help make a donation or buy
their cookbook for $10.00.
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We want to thank and acknowledge recent gifts to the Endowment Fund:
 A residual from a gift annuity established by Dolores Koontz at the Christian
Church Foundation
 A gift from Jean Steenson in memory of Ruth Hadlow
 A gift from Jim and Shirley Crawford in memory of John and Cynthia Cox,
Shirley’s parents and members from the late 1930’s.
2009’s fund performance improved against the losses of 2008.
We hope you will remember our Endowment Fund in your estate planning and/or as a way
to honor and recognize a birthday, graduation, anniversary, etc., for someone special.
Simply indicate that you wish the gift to go to the Endowment Fund.
Informational brochures are available in the narthex and pews. A link on the Church’s
website also has information about the Fund.
If you have any questions, please contact one of the directors listed below.
Betsy Galyardt Jerry Jonas Andrea Whobrey Gene Wiehe Doris Wilson

Worship Audio for iPod

Did you know that you can set up iTunes to get the latest sermon audio for you
automatically? It’s easy! Go to www.fcctorrance.org/media and click on “Subscribe”
in the media player. After clicking, a page will load with lots of options for how to get
the audio with iTunes or another program. Click on the program of your choice
(iTunes most likely) and the feed will be added. DONE!

Following Haitian Earthquake

Disciples and their partner agencies have started emergency relief efforts for
the people of Haiti in response to widespread devastation caused by a power-
ful earthquake that struck the country this last week.
Week of Compassion, the emergency relief ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) has authorized funds to be sent through the Division of Overseas Ministries/Global
Ministries to its partners in the area. Week of Compassion is working closely with Church
World Service and other relief agencies in coordinating its response.
Gifts for emergency relief can be made through our church by writing a check to First
Christian Church with a memo to Week of Compassion. To read a Week of Compassion
update, go to: www.weekofcompassion.org

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A big “Thank You” to the Prayer Shawl ministry for the lovely card and all of your
comments. It made my day. Especially the comment Janie Fietz made on my
“personal male nurse”. Janie, I do agree with you that he is a sweetheart but he is
also darn cute too!
I have an appointment with UCLA on Feb. 2 and hopefully they can find a diagnosis
that Torrance Memorial or Mayo Clinic couldn’t find with my lung tissue.
Thanks again for the card. It gave me a lift.
Gerri Stoodley

Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for all the prayers and calls. My leg is healing slowly but surely. I
hope to be home by next weekend. My phone number is listed wrong in the Women’s
Directory. My current (cell) number is (310) 561-4372, or you can reach me by email
at [email protected].
Take care and God Bless!
Maureen Estolas

Jobs Workshop on February 15

First Christian Church is beginning a Jobs Ministry to help those who are in employment tran-
sition—either needing work, or considering moving to a new job.
We will host the first of what could be a number of workshops on February 15, at 7:00 pm.
Help will be offered with:
resume writing
giving a better job interview
networking with others
dealing with the stress of unemployment
Our facilitator is Frank Mitchell, a former corporate officer in Human Resources.

Prayer Meeting – Each Tuesday at 5:45 pm

Under the guidance of our Prayer Team Coordinator, Elba Woods, our Tuesday
night meeting is undergirding the Unbinding Your Heart series with prayer, in addi-
tion to our regular intercessions for one another and others. All are welcome.

Page 4
 CHURCH FAMILY PRAYERS & CONCERNS
Mary Matson’s father, Ed Gherna, has been having difficulty with undiagnosed cause for breathing
difficulties. He has been in the hospital after a recent fall.
Betty Donley has been in the hospital for treatment of diverticulitis, and is gaining strength.
Alice Postlewaite is at home under hospice care, and suffering from a very aggressive cancer.
Kelly Rogers’s sister Shaun Knudsen was expecting evaluation results after her long regimen of
chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
Doreen Jackson’s long-time friend Pat Patterson’s cancer has spread to the spine and bone. Do-
reeen reports that her sister, Lois Stead, is in remission.
Manuel Escobar, an in-law of Shirley Woodman, is facing an uphill battle in his long struggle with
cancer.
Bill Wysong’s brother-in-law suffered a stroke during cancer surgery—he is out of danger for the
moment.
Dorie Herandez’s boss, Linnea, is having a biopsy after being cancer-free for 10 years.
Others in our prayers as they continue to battle cancer: Don Roehl, Dana Morgan, Michele Wood’s
stepmother Judy Mowry, Karen Jackson’s brother-in-law Nick Fiamengo, Wally Sandberg’s
brother-in-law Ron Walls, Dean Noble, Mike DeSarro’s father-in-law.
Gerri Stoodley will be going to UCLA to see if doctors there can diagnose the source of her breath-
ing difficulties.
Lynne Redderson’s father, “Red,” has been having difficulty breathing.
Jack Rogers’s sister, Arly Jahn, has been transferred to a different hospital, but is still fighting in-
fection.
Karen Jackson will be having knee surgery on February 25th.
Al Lubrani is recovering well from surgery—though a little slower than last time.
Maureen Estolas is in cast and on crutches after surgery for a broken leg suffered in a fall.
Mandy Shouse’s father, Thom Shouse, has come through a number of mini-strokes. Mandy at-
tends our Tuesday evening Prayer Shawl group.
Danielle Woods is home from Ecuador after a two-week mission trip sponsored by Loyola Mary-
mount University, where she is a student.

With Sympathy in Loss

After a long struggle with a recurrence of breast cancer, Julie Chavez succumbed in early January.
Her children, Brittany, Megan, Taylor and Cameron Chavez are in our prayers, as are Julie’s mother
and stepfather, Valerie & Tom, and for her extended family, including sister-in-law, Anna Rogers.
Page 5
 FEBRUARY 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thur
WORSHIP SERVICES
8:30 and 10:30 am
Sunday School 9:30 am
1 2 3
Amazing Gray’s 1:00
Bible Study 10:00 a.m.
Membership 7:00
Prayer Ministry 5:45 Prayer Shawl 2:00
Trustees 7:00 New
Prayer Shawl 7:00
Education 7:00
7:

7 8 9 10
Youth Adventure 12:00
CYF 12:00 Bible Study 10:00 a.m.
His Hands 12:00 Prayer Ministry 5:45 Choir
Prayer Shawl 2:00
Nominating Committee Newsletter Disciple Women 7:00 7:
12:00 Prayer Shawl 7:00 Cabinet Meeting 7:00
Unbinding Your Heart
Leader Training
14 15 16 17
Love 9:30 Ash Wednesday
Faith 1:30 7:30 –8:30 a.m.
Presidents Day
Prayer Ministry 5:45 7:00 Worship Service Choir
Church Office Closed Bible Study 10:00 a.m.
Elders 7:00 7:
Jobs Ministry Prayer Shawl 2:00
Prayer Shawl 7:00
7:00

21 22 23 24

CYF 12:00 Prayer Ministry 5:45 Prayer Shawl 2:00 Choir

Newsletter
Prayer Shawl 7:00 Unbinding Your Heart 7:
Youth Adventure 12:00 Unbinding Your Heart
Unbinding Your Heart (Young Adults) 7:00 Unbinding
7:00
(Elders) 7:00 (New H

28

Feed The Hungry

Sunday
Women’s Luncheon
Page 6
12:00
 rsday Friday Saturday

February Birthdays
Sammi Wilk (3)
Michael Gonzalez (6)
Marie Wood (6)
4 5 6 John Galyardt (7)
Carole Colby (10)
Brent Foster (10)
Friendship Dinner Doreen Jackson (11)
w Hope Jean Richards (12)
Carol Rimmey (12)
:00 6:00 p.m. Ted Oden (13)
Connie Gonzales (17)
11 12 13 Barbara Myers (17)
Shirley Johnson (20)
Cheryl Crawford (22)
Ruth Singleton (24)
Practice John Beecher (27)
Jeff Wood (28)
:00 Bob Rogers (28)
Bob Thomas (28)

18 19 20

Men’s Breakfast
Practice 8:30 a.m.
:00 Civil War Program

25 26 27

Practice
:00 Unbinding Your Heart
g Your Heart (Men) 10:00
Hope) 7:00
ANNIVERSARIES
Jeff & Michele Wood (12)
Stan & Chery Carew (24)

Page 7
 Education Notes & News
Upcoming Youth Camps
Feb Camp (9th-12th grades)
February 12-15. 2010 at Pilgrim Pines
For more information on Feb Camp see Jimmy Koontz or go to
http://www.scncuu.org/youth young adults/febcamp.htm

Don’t forget to make plans for attending Summer Camp at Loch Leven.
Mini Camp, 7/7-7/10 (entering 2nd-3rd grade)
Junior Camp, 7/18-7/24 (entering 4th-6th grade)
CYF I, 7/25-7/31 (entering 9th-10th grade)
CYF II, 8/1-8/7 (entering 11th-12 and ’10 grads)
Chi Rho, 8/8-8/14 (entering 7th-8th grade)

Baptism Class
Plans are in the making for our Lenten Baptism Class. This class is open to anyone
who would like to consider or prepare for baptism. Traditionally we invite all
fourth graders to consider this process; however all ages are welcome. Pastor Steve
is developing the class schedule. Please see Pastor Steve if you are interested or would like
more information.

Bible Explorers
All children ages Pre K through 6th grade are invited to Bible Explorers at 9:30 on Sunday
mornings. We will end the month of January with a combined media event for all ages. Feb-
ruary will focus on the story of The Prodigal Son. See schedule below.
Middle School students are invited to be shepherds for this program. See Jill if you are inter-
ested.
High schoolers are lucky enough to have Pastor Ted Oden to lead them for the months of
January-March. Join Pastor Ted in Room 8 after first service on Sunday mornings for some
“Messy Spirituality”. During the Lenten season our high schoolers will be doing their own
version of “Unbinding the Heart” during their Sunday School time. If you haven’t been at-
tending Sunday School this would be a good reason to start! See Pastor Ted for more infor-
mation.
Page 8
 BIBLE EXPLORER SCHEDULE
DATE CLASS WORKSHOP ROOM TEACHER
1/31 PRE K-1 5th Sunday Activity TBD DORIE

1/31 2-5

The Prodigal Son

2/7 PRE K-1 Cooking Kitchen ANNA

2/7 2-5 Storytelling 3 SHIRLEY

2/14 PRE K-1 Storytelling 3 SHIRLEY
2/14 2-5 Cooking Kitchen ANNA
2/21 PRE K –1 Photography 3 KELLY
2/21 2-5 Games 4 KARA
2/28 PRE K-1 Games 4 KARA
2/28 2-5 Photography 3 KELLY

January-February Youth Calendar

Because we do not have a youth leader for our Chi Rho (6-8th grade) kids at this time Shirley
Woodman is inviting this age group to join in with the Youth Adventure kids. They will con-
tinue to meet on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month after second service.

Sunday, January 31
No CYF meeting due to Loch Leven retreat

Sunday, February 7
12:00 Youth Adventure
12:00 CYF

Sunday, February 14
No youth group meeting due to Feb Camp

Sunday, February 21
12:00 Youth Adventure
12:00 CYR

Page 9
Upcoming Sermons
January 31, 2010 – “Fast, or Loose” (Mark 2:18-22)
How is our discipleship, our daily walk of faith, to be lived out? Is life in Christ a festive
fellowship, full of joy and celebration? Is it a quiet, serious exploration of the depths of the
soul? The answer: Yes.
February 7, 2010 – “Rules Were Made to Be Blessings” (Mark 2:23-3:6)
Are we being ruled by our rules? Jesus regularly broke religious regulations, not just to
cause trouble, but to help us understand the purpose of our faith and its practices. How
might his example shape how we view our rules?
February 14, 2010 – “Are You Ready for This?” (Mark 3:7-19)
One of the puzzlements of the gospels, especially noticeable in Mark, is Jesu’s many re-
quests to “not make him known.” Sometimes it seems we’ve been doing a pretty good job
of following that commandment—but why would he say it? And what are we truly called
to do and say?
February 21, 2010 – “So What’s the Difference?” (Acts 9:1-19)
Many Christians, most famously Paul, would say they have had “God-just-up-and-knocked-
me-off-my-horse” experiences. But many of us haven’t—and yet we do have faith, deep
faith. This first message in our Unbinding Your Heart series asks us all to consider the dif-
ference being a Christian makes in our lives—with or without blinding flashes of light.

Sermons on line
Miss a Sunday? You can access past sermons on our church website (www.fcctorrance.org)
Click on Worship Media, then on the title or date of the sermon. Let us know if you’re lis-
tening, and thank Jimmy Koontz for helping us to provide this service!

Wednesday Morning Bible Study

There are commandments and teachings in the Bible that many, even most,
Christians do not follow—we do not worship on the seventh day, but we do
eat pork and shrimp. Most Disciples churches would never think of forbidding divorce and
remarriage, and we not only “permit” women to lead, we celebrate their leadership.
Our Wednesday Morning Bible Study is exploring the criteria we use to discern biblical au-
thority, and the practices that sometimes diverge from the letter, but fulfill the Spirit. Our
Bible Study meets in Sippel Hall, Wednesday mornings at 10:00.

Page 10
 Footnotes
Overheard after worship recently in the church office passageway, from one member
to another: “I really, really appreciated your…your… testimony!”
Most of us can probably relate to that tiny bit of hesitation before the word
“testimony.” For those of us who’ve been long-time Disciples, it’s different from what
we’re used to—maybe something other good Christians do (right before rolling in the
aisle) but not so much us. Alexander Campbell was notoriously uneasy with what he
called “emotionalism,” and we are his legacy.
But, if we’ve been in worship the last few Sundays, we can also appreciate the real
sentiment expressed above: it has been powerful to hear some of our folk share their
faith-stories—their testimonies! Starting with Women’s Sunday, and continuing with
those who’ve shared the impact of being in the Unbinding the Gospel series, we’ve
heard honest, authentic witnesses (another one of those terms!) to the deep meaning
that faith and prayer bring to real lives.
Now, we don’t expect most to feel comfortable offering testimony in worship—God
bless those who have! And for the record, no one’s going to be asked to go door-to-
door, or hand out tracts on Maple. But Unbinding Your Heart, our next step in the se-
ries, does encourage faith-sharing one to one, and in small groups. It encourages
prayer, alone and together. It encourages the exploration of faith’s every-day meaning
for us—not according to the dictates of what someone else says is the right way, but
according to our own prayerful experiences.
And, I believe, it will yield deep, meaningful experiences among those who partici-
pate. If you’re unsure of making that six-week commitment to one of the small groups
that are forming, well, don’t listen to me—of course I want you to participate! Listen
to your sisters and brothers, and the stories—the testimonies!—they have to offer.
Shalom, Steve
Home phone: 310-212-5950 email: [email protected]

Adult Sunday Class

Our Sunday morning adult class continues its pattern of lively discussion with a num-
ber of thought-provoking topics and facilitators. All people and views are welcome—
and often expressed! It’s also OK to come and just listen!
Dr. David Matson will take two Sundays of February to follow up on last fall’s presen-
tation on the biblical meaning of “the soul.”

Next Newsletter articles need to be at the church office by February 8, 2010

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 - [email protected]
Web address - fcctorrance.org
Sunday Schedule
8:30 a.m. - Worship - Informal
9:30 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
Or Current Resident

For birth through age 3 during Sunday School

and Contemporary & Traditional Service
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Staff
Steven Fietz, Senior Pastor
Ted Oden-Minister of Contemporary Worship
Administrative Assistant– Camelia Olloque
Choir Director - Ken Potter
Nursery Attendant - Kim Larson
Dorie Hernandez
The Christian Messenger

Officers
TIME VALUE DATA

Chair - Doug Crawford

2930 El Dorado Street

DO NOT DELAY
First Christian Church

Torrance, CA 90503

EXPEDITE

Vice Chair - Don Zukas

Treasurer– Bill Wysong
Financial Secretary - Charlotte Sandberg
Clerk– Angie Ahumada

Page 12