the

PAST AND PRESENT COPIES OF THE FELLOWSHIP NEWS MAY BE VIEWED AT

www.scribd.com/2468bixby
Bixby Knolls Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) (562) 426-0428
ISSUE 05

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Dear Church,
This week, our church reached millions of people. No, Im not exaggerating.
Less than a week ago, I posted on our church facebook page this image:

The image was accompanied by a caption that said

Bixby Knolls Christian Church is an Open and Affirming congregation BECAUSE we read the Bible and take
it seriously.
I didnt think it would get a lot of attention. Facebook doesnt show everything that we post to our
facebook page, so unless someone sees it and shares
it on their own page, the total number of views a post
gets is around one or two dozen.
The post appeared Wednesday evening. Thursday
morning, when I woke up, I checked the facebook
page and was surprised to discover that 2,000 people
had viewed this post.
I was shocked.
Evidently, someone saw it, liked it, and shared it. Then someone else saw it, liked it, and shared it.
The sharing continued, and began to grow exponentially.
By the time I finished breakfast, it had reached 4,000.
By the time I got to church at 8:00, it had reached 10,000.
By midafternoon, it had reached 250,000.
By the weekend, the number of people who saw it was literally in the millions. And the numbers kept rising.
Why were so many people sharing this online? What does this mean?
It means that Bixby Knolls Christian Church has an important message to share with the world, a message
that the world needs, a message that the world is longing for.
It means the work we do is important and not in vain.
It means that the Spirit of God is upon us, and we should therefore be BOLD in sharing this good news
with the world!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support for our ministry. With your prayers, your time, and your
financial contributions, we really are making a difference.
Blessings,
Pastor Danny

MALAWI PROJECT

Helen Tedesco
Sarah Stolze

I mailed one box of pill containers and we re-

Sumbal Sardar

ceived a letter from the Malawi Project.

Keri Clark (daughter of M. Lanz)

Hattie Johnson

Please allow me to thank you for your support

Grace Kobel

during our recent pill container collection for Ma-

Porter Family, Ruthie Atkin (friends of B. Smith)

lawi. It has been a success beyond anything we

Nargis & family in Pakistan (family of S. Sardar)

Keri France (family of A. Hillig)

could have ever imaged. Before the collections

ended on January 15, we have surpassed an

Venus (friend of A. Hillig)

Crystal Gay (friend of K. Hillig)

un-imagined 2 million prescription pill containers.

Laurie Ramey-Williams (friend of G. Rugh)

Over 600,000 have already been shipped and as

they are distributed in Malawi we will post pictures and stories on the website, Facebook and
our electronic newsletter.

CWF

So this project has ended when we had just be-

stamps. The stamps will be sent to the Sons of

gun. Thanks to all who participated. Malawi is the

Norway organization and they process and sell

third poorest nation on earth and is suffering from

them. The funds are used to purchase equip-

a famine.

ment for the Childrens Orthopedic Hospital.

http://www.malawiproject.org

We are again collecting cancelled postage

They can use any stamps and as well as stamp

collections. The black box labeled for stamps is

Pat Cohen
Community Action

on the counter in the Fellowship Hall.

Thanks to Troop 29 and their parents for participating in Scout Sunday Feb 7 and also providing
all the wonderful snacks for Coffee Fellowship.
Much appreciated

Scrip News

CHRISTIAN OUTREACH IN ACTION

For several years BKCC has provided dinner one
night a month to Christian Outreach in Action. On
Wednesday when I picked up the pans, the
kitchen manager told me that our casserole is very
popular. We never have any leftovers. COIA assists the homeless and working poor in several
ways. They are located on 3rd and Linden.
Pat Cohen
Community Action

We will be ordering gift cards on Sunday, Feb

21. This is the time when we can order any of
the cards we dont keep on hand. Gift cards are
a safe way to shop or great for gift giving.
New retailers available:
Nordstrom

$25 & $100 with 6%

back to BKCC
Saks 5th Avenue
$50 with 12% back to
BKCC
Princess Cruises $100 6% back to BKCC
You can pick up a list of all retailers at the Scrip
table. There are 100s to choose from. Purchasing gift cards for your use, is a great way to
give back to BKCC and doesnt cost you anything extra.

March 11-12, 2016

After Wars Broken Heart: An Exploration on Moral Injury
Founders Day is an annual event sponsored by the Office of Church Relations, connecting students, faculty
and community members with an outstanding scholar in the area of religion (Founders Education Day) and
a renewal and reunion event for Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ people (Founders Day).

"For more info about Founders Day, check out the bulletin board in the fellowship hall, or visit

www.chapman.edu/about/church-relations/founders-day/index.aspx

March Birthday Blessings

Pat Cohen
Rajal Sardar
Kirsti Hillig

Submit your articles for

the next newsletter by

March 1
March 9
Marc h 15

February 28

March Anniversary Blessings

David & Gretchen Rugh

March 2

Congratulations & Blessings to all!

Faith is not believing that God

can, but that God will.
-Abraham Lincoln

In a world where communities are being displaced by the

catastrophes of war, famine, and natural disasters, the Church
is called to reclaim the spiritual discipline of solidarity. Christians are summoned to adopt and live out a theology of
acompaamiento [accompaniment] (Roberto Goizueta). As
natural, economic and political forces disrupt and uproot
communities, the Church is called to stand in solidarity with
these refugee communities as they seek to move beyond the
trauma of displacement and toward a new life of well-being
and promise.
Ruths promise to Naomi defines what solidarity authentically entails; and it stands as a challenge for Christians
to intentionally walk with refugees as they seek to build a
new home in a strange land:
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth
1.16)
Is this not the Gospel? Did not Christ, who migrated and
moved into the neighborhood (John 1.14 The Message) accompany us in our alienation and displacement? Did we not
receive

the

Holy

Spirit

in

our

hearts

to

be

our

advocate (John 16.7) who intercedes for us with sighs too

deep for words (Romans 8.26)? Will we make Ruths promise
our own?

Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of our church. It is how we respond to disasters and crises around the world.
Every February, Bixby Knolls Christian Church emphasizes
the work of Week of Compassion, and invites you to make a
special contribution so that this important ministry can continue helping people in need.

Feb 21 - Luke13:31-35
Feb 28 - Luke 13:1-5

Love in the Mirrors annual

What Day is it Anyway?

Hygiene Collection
Drive

As I rest here on Monday morning checking

emails and stuff, I realize the calendar says its

March 1-31.

George Washington's birthday! Last year Lincoln's birthday was on the 20th of this month!

Please bring donations of the following items to

This is all rather confusing to us brought up in

church any time during the month of March:

the Land of Lincoln!

Body wash

Now, being a school child in the Midwest, you

Chapstick

learned quickly when days off were and they

Combs

hadn't invented " Monday" days off yet. So for

Conditioner

those of you not from the Cardinal state, who

Deodorant

probably don't know their state song(?). Lin-

Hand sanitizer

coln's birthday is February 12th every year, as is

Lotion

Washington's on February 22nd every year.

Razors

Presidents' Day in February was not to celebrate

Shampoo

Woodrow Wilson, but to combine 2 birthdays

Soap bars

for a three day weekend! Thank you school

Sunblock

boards across the country!

Toothbrushes

Enjoy your day off and don't forget the 22nd this

Toothpaste

month for poor old George W.

Wipes

Thanks to all who supported the fundraiser.

Travel sizes preferred.

Pancakes brought in a profit of around $150.00.

Thank you for making a difference in our com-

More music for all.

munity!

HANDBELLS ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW PEOPLE

TO COME AND HAVE FUN!
Barb
Gayle Schoepf Memorial Service:
The memorial service for former BKCC member
Gayle Schoepf will take place 2:00 this Saturday,
Feb. 20, at First Christian Church in Fullerton (109
E. Wilshire at the corner of Wilshire & Harbor).
Anyone who ever sang with Gayle in worship or
during a musical show is invited to join the choir
arrive by 1:15 to rehearse!
Ruth Settle has moved. She can be reached at
1730 W. First Street, San Pedro, CA 90732

BKCC youth with LOVE IN THE MIRROR founder

Jonas Carona, after they helped assemble 500
hygiene kits during a recent youth event.

WHAT WORDS DO WE
WANT WRITTEN ON OUR
CHILDRENS HEARTS?
A DISCUSSION OF COMMUNION IN THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST AND
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE WORDS WE USE AND THE MEANING OF THE CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION.

THE REV. DAYNA KINCADE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER

LINDA GARDNER, DISCUSSION FACILITATOR
Dayna Kinkade is Senior Minister at First Christian Church of Orange. She is a graduate of Iowa State University and Vanderbilt Divinity School. She was ordained in 1989
and served several congregations in Iowa before moving to California, and is currently
working on her Doctor of Ministry degree at Phillips Theological Seminary.
Linda Gardner is an Elder at Delhaven Christian Church, Chair of the PSWR Transformation
Team, and a contract employee with Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, a general
unit of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She has a passion for facilitating groups and
has her own consulting business specializing in Group Process, EveryVoice
( www.heareveryvoice.com.)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016

9:30 A.M. TO 2:30 P.M.
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF ORANGE
1130 E. WALNUT AVENUE, ORANGE, CA 92867
There is no charge for this program.
To register, email Mary Jo Bradshaw at [email protected].
Registration deadline February 19, 2016.
A light lunch will be served.
Participants will earn .3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Check us out on Facebook

www.facebook.com/bixbyknollschurch
website:
www.bixbyknollschurch.blogspot.com

The Fellowship News

A publication of
Bixby Knolls Christian Church of
Long Beach (a Disciples of Christ
Church)
1240 E. Carson Street
Long Beach, CA 90807
www.bixbyknollschurch.org
Editor:
Monica Lanz
562-426-0428
[email protected]
fax 562-426-0429
Pastor:
Daniel Bradfield

Every 2nd Sunday is FOOD

SUNDAY at BKCC. Bring
your nonperishable food
items and place them in
the box in the narthex.

Help cook food for Christian

Outreach in Action (COA).
Every 2nd Thursday at 8:00 a.m.
in our church kitchen.

Our prayer circle meets every

2nd and 4th Tuesday at 10:00
a.m. in room 115. Join this
dedicated group in praying
for our church, community, &
world.

The Fellowship News is published

twice monthly.

Bixby Knolls
Vision Statement
To know what the Lord requires
of us; to do justice, and love
kindness, and walk humbly
with our God.
(Micah 6:8)
BIXBY KNOLLS
CHRISTIAN CHURCH

(Disciples of Christ)

SUNDAY SCHEDULE:
9:00 a.m. Sunday School for Adults
10:15 a.m. Morning Worship and Childrens Church
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Friday closed

Litter pickup: We meet at the

front gate every 4th Sunday at
11:45, to pick up litter in Somerset Park and along our
neighborhood sidewalks &
gutters.
Wednesday Night Dinners: join
us every Wednesday at 6:00 for
this pay-what-you-can meal.

CHURCH STAFF:

BOARD OFFICERS:
Leo Dittemore
Pastor Daniel Bradfield
-Board President
-Minister
Scheri Dubon
Monica Lanz
-Vice President
-Church Secretary
Pat Cohen
Barbara Neal-Peebles
-Secretary
-Music Director/Organist Angela Hillig
Suzie Romero
- Treasurer
- Custodian
Chrysan Naw
- Financial Secretary
-Church Clerk