The Link
The Weekly E-Newsletter of Disciples Christian Church
April 23, 2009
In This Issue
- Updated Prayer Requests
- A Message from Rev. David
- Time Flies!
- Holy Grounds Computers
- Men’s Bible Study
- Relief Nursery of
- Ride for Relief Nursery
- BBPS Spring Rummage Sale
- Adam’s Tree
- Helpful Reminders
- Cyber Safety & Drug
Awareness Seminar
- 2009
- 62nd Annual CMF
Spring Retreat
- Summer 2009 Camps &
Conferences
- From The Techno Manor
- Music Notes
Updated Prayer Requests
- Dillon Cheatham, 7th grader who is on life support
at Children’s Hospital in the Cardiac Trauma Unit and in critical
condition.
- Brittany Paxton, Gary Boyd’s niece, diagnosed with rheumatoid
arthritis.
- Prayers for David, Kristina and family as they
continue to settle into their new life in
- J.J. Johnson, Rev. David’s brother-in-law who had shoulder surgery this
past week.
- Jose Aguilar, Claudia Clancy’s father is undergoing a trial
treatment for cancer.
- Rev. Diane Clark saw her urology surgeon on April 22. She will have a laparoscopic removal of
the mass and possibly part of her kidney in 4-6 weeks.
- Gena Hurst’s brother, Brian, is doing well and has seen a
new radiologist and oncologist who will take a more conservative
approach. He will be rechecked in
June.
The prayer requests in The Link each week are recent
updates. A list of ongoing prayer requests appears in our worship bulletin each
Sunday.
A Note from Rev. Dave
This past Wednesday marked Earth Stewardship Day and this
Sunday is recognized as Earth Stewardship Sunday. What does that mean, to be a steward of the
earth? To be a steward simply means to
watch over and take care of something that’s been entrusted to you. As such we’re stewards of money, homes and
other belongings like our vehicles. More
importantly we’re stewards of our bodies, our families, our relationships with
others and yes, even the churches we attend.
We’ve been given the great responsibility to care for that which has
been entrusted to us. To be a steward
means that we spend time nurturing these areas and things in our lives. I suppose that the idea is that we can’t have
the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment of something without the responsibility
to care for it. They go hand in
hand. We can’t have one without the
other, at least not very long.
As far as the earth goes we were created in part to care
for it. We don’t know for sure how old
it is. Many have debated as to the age
of the earth some believing it to be seven or eight thousand years old and
others convinced its millions of years old.
Regardless, the earth is unique and unlike any other planet. What I find hard to debate is not so much the
age but the “intelligent design” behind it.
The fact is that the earth is a wonderful place full of amazing plants
and incredible animals, deep canyons and mountain peaks that touch the clouds
in the sky. Although it would take
lifetime to begin to describe the earth in its entire splendor, we can surmise
that it was formed with a purpose and plan in mind -- each element and organism
being made for another. An atmosphere
creating moisture, light promoting growth, plants and vegetation supplying
nourishment for creatures both on the land and in the sea and humans created
and given the responsibility to oversee it, or be a steward of it.
Still in all of its majesty the earth is not immune from
degradation. What was intended to supply
the needs of all creatures has become a pillage of the plants, animals and
natural resources that comprise this precious world. Thus as stewards we’re called to care for and
maintain this awesome place. Don’t get
me wrong, this world must pale in comparison to our heavenly home, still God
gave us dominion over the earth to care for it and also to protect its
resources. This isn’t to say that I’ve
always done or even do my share.
Perhaps, though, the first step is to recognize the importance of
it. As members of the body of Christ let
us consider everything that God has entrusted to our care including this
incredible planet earth.
May we
work together in Christ,
David
Time Flies!
Even though Easter was only a
couple of Sundays ago, Vacation Bible School is just around the corner,
or at least the planning for it is!
Pastor Dave will announce a meeting for all those interested in
volunteering to help out with VBS and being part of the planning process. Please prayerfully consider helping out this
year. It takes a lot of people and
commitment and love to make it happen!
Holy Grounds Computers
Well, it
finally happened: someone has discovered our "secret cache" of
Holy Grounds laptop computers! Two of them are missing. If you see
a forlorn laptop computer lying around the church grounds, please gather it up
and bring it to the church office. If you have discovered our secret
cache, please leave a note when you borrow a computer (so that we don't
fret), and return the computer when you're finished. Thanks!
Dave
Gillen
Men’s Bible Study
Calling
all men! Come join us at IHOP (
Relief Nursery of
Dear Friends,
The Relief Nursery
of Collin County is ready to open our second classroom! We need two volunteers daily (with two
teachers) to ensure that our classroom adult-to-child ratio allows maximum
therapeutic benefit to the children. Volunteers
are highly valued and respected members of our classroom teams. Background check/interview required. Men and women ages 16 through retirement are invited to apply. Experience with young children is a plus. One 3.5 to 4-hour commitment per week for
10-12 weeks allows us to staff a room for a season. Class times are Mon./Wed.
and Tues./ Thurs. 9:30-a.m.-12:30 p.m. Benefits
include making a difference in children's lives, helping provide parents with a
needed break and enjoying the laughter, play, and logic of young children. Experience at RNCC can help you update your
resumes or future job applications in teaching or social services fields and
can count as service hours for students and scouts. Interested in joining us? Please call the Relief Nursery of Collin
County at 972-665-0298, or visit us on the web at reliefnurserycc.org. Thank you!
Laura Young,
Early Childhood Specialist,
Relief Nursery of
Ride for Relief Nursery
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month!
Join us
for the Ride for RELIEF Nursery on April 25, 2009.
We'll be
riding 45 miles through rural
The ride
ends at Bullwinkle's
The ride
will raise funds mainly through participation fees; $10 for single riders, $15
for two-up. On-line registration has begun so check http://www.freewebs.com/ride-for-relief-nursery/
for more details!
Early
Registration Party - Join us for Bullwinkle's Bike Night on Thursday April
23rd, 2009. We'll have raffles and door prizes, so come and enjoy.
The first
250 that pre-register and pre-pay receive a free ride pin or patch.
April is
Child Abuse Prevention month. If you don't ride, you can still donate. Go to
the Relief Nursery website (www.reliefnurserycc.org)
and click the donate button on the top right corner of the homepage.
BBPS
Spring Rummage Sale
Don’t forget that THIS Saturday, April 25,
BBPS will have its semi-annual rummage sale in the DCC parking lot. Hours are 7 am—1 pm. Come on out and get some great deals!
Adam’s Tree
Thank you
to our church family for replacing Adam's Oak in the front lawn. The
original was planted by the youth in 1999 right after Adam died. It means
so much to us to have the memorial to him still standing. The new tree is
beautiful. Thank you to the Bertschis, Rick Boyer, and Nick Bell for your hard
work.
Jeff and Gena Hurst
Helpful Reminders
- For those of you who
have a loved one or friend listed on the prayer request (or who might in
the future), please remember to provide the DCC office with updates as you
get them.
- Even though the
attendance “counters” come up with a total attendance every Sunday, most
of the time the number who sign the registration forms is less than half
the number actually counted. Please
remember to sign the attendance sheet in the black book located in the pew
in which you sit during worship.
Cyber Safety & Drug Awareness Seminar
A Cyber
Safety (internet) and Drug Awareness Seminar for parents is
scheduled for Saturday, April 25. It will be at the Area
2009
The annual Area Assembly will take place on Sunday, May 3 from 3 – 5 pm at
Northway Christian Church.
The theme this year is “Community on Purpose, Community with
Purpose.” The guest preacher is Dani
Loving-Cartwright, Regional Minister for the Southwest Region. There will be special music and message with
attendees from over 80 Disciples churches.
What a great way to learn what’s happening in the church beyond the
local church!
62nd Annual CMF Spring Retreat
Fliers are on the Welcome Table
in the Atrium for those interested in learning more about the Tri-Area
Christian Men’s Fellowship Spring Retreat.
It will take place at Disciples Crossing in
Summer 2009 Camps & Conferences 
Information about the Tri-Area
summer camps and conferences is now available. Copies of the flier are available on the
Welcome Table in the Atrium which includes camp dates and pricing.
From
The Techno Manor
Ever made
that cross-town trip, only to get stuck in traffic? Wish you could see the traffic conditions on
your planned route…before you left your house or office?
Well, you
can.
Google
Maps and Windows Live Search Maps both give a view of traffic flow, with colors
representing speed, and markers showing accidents, construction, and road
hazards. To a lesser extent, the North
Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) gives similar information for the toll roads
around the Metroplex.
Here’s
what you do to use them.
|
Google
Maps |
|
|
·
Open a Web browser ·
Visit http://maps.google.com ·
Type ·
Click Search Maps. ·
Click << to hide the
“travel guide” panel. ·
If there’s an address balloon in the middle of the map, click X to close it. You’ll want access to the full window. ·
Click the Traffic button. ·
Major roads are colored according to the observed speed. There is a scale in the upper-right. ·
Little icons (a man with a shovel or a red circle with a line through
it) indicate road events at that point.
Click on an icon to see a balloon with details about the event. ·
The map is updated periodically.
If you leave your Web browser open, you can keep current on traffic
changes. Here are
a few traffic map navigation tips: ·
Hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse to drag the map
around. ·
Left mouse click to zoom in where the hand icon is located. ·
Right mouse click to zoom out where the hand icon is located. |
|
|
Windows
Live Search Maps |
|
|
·
Open a Web browser ·
Visit http://maps.live.com. ·
Type ·
Click the green magnifying glass. ·
Click X (in the left pane)
to hide the “travel guide” panel ·
Click the Traffic button. ·
Major roads are colored according to the observed speed. There is a scale in the lower-right. ·
Little icons (a yellow or orange triangle) indicate road events at
that point. Move the hand cursor over
one of the icons to see a balloon with details about the event. ·
The map is updated periodically.
If you leave your Web browser open, you can keep current on traffic
changes. Here are
a few traffic map navigation tips: ·
Hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse to drag the map
around. ·
Move the cursor over to the +
and – icons in the
upper-left. Click on them to zoom-in (+) or zoom-out (-). |
|
|
NTTA |
|
|
·
Open a Web browser ·
Visit http://www.ntta.org. ·
Click Go to driving conditions
map on right side (beneath the color bars). ·
Scroll down to view the full map. ·
The toll roads are colored according to observed speeds. There’s a scale in the upper-right. ·
Click the Incident tab to
see icons about accidents or other road events. Click on an icon to see more details about
the event. ·
The map is updated periodically.
If you leave your Web browser open, you can keep current on traffic
changes. Here are
a few traffic map navigation tips: ·
Click the Travel Time, Incident, and Lane Closures tabs to get different views of toll road
conditions. ·
You must scroll the map down to get a full view of the toll road
system. Each time the map is updated,
you have to scroll down again. This
can be a pain. |
|
I
typically bounce between Google Maps and Windows Live Search Maps. I prefer to “mouse over” icons for details in
Windows Live, but I like the mouse click to zoom in and out with Google Maps.
What if
you’re away from a computer? Well, if
you have a mobile phone with a wireless data plan (such as an Apple iPhone, or
Windows Mobile phone), you can use mobile versions of Google Maps or Windows
Live Search Maps. Google Maps is
pre-installed on the iPhone, but can be downloaded for your Windows Mobile
phone. Windows Live Search Maps is only
available for Windows Mobile phones.
In
general, I find these tools invaluable as I prepare to leave for a client. I sometimes cut my travel times close
(oops). So it’s nice to know if I should
rethink my route before I leave. Now you
have another tool to maximize your time, and (hopefully) minimize your wait on
the road.
Curious
about some technical “thingy?” Drop me a
line at:
I’ll make
up some explanation for it in The Link. Yes, it’ll actually be the truth! (My doggies will see to it.)
Dave
Gillen
Music
Notes
By Laura Young
Chancel
Choir
April 26(Sun.) Chancel Choir warms up 9-9:25 a.m. in the sanctuary
April 29 (Wed.) Chancel Choir rehearses 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 3 (Sun.) Chancel Choir warms up 9-9:25 a.m. in the sanctuary
May 6 (Wed.) Chancel Choir rehearses 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 10 (Sun.) No Chancel Choir warm up today. Handbells will
ring for special music.
May 13(Wed.) No Chancel Choir today!
You
are invited to enjoy a night off or to attend the free Richardson Community
Band concert.
May 17 (Sun.) TBA choir or handbells
May 20(Wed.) Chancel Choir rehearses 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 24(Sun.) Chancel Choir warms up 9-9:25 a.m. in the sanctuary
May 27(Wed.) Chancel Choir rehearses 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary
May 31(Pentecost Sun.) Chancel Choir warms up 9-9:25 a.m. in the
sanctuary.
Handbell Choir
April 26(Sun.) Handbell rehearsal immediately following
worship.
May 3 (Sun.) Handbell rehearsal immediately following
worship.
May 10 (Sun.) Handbell rehearsal 9 a.m. to ring in worship today!
Upcoming
Concerts:
The
Richardson Community Band will present a Mother's Day concert at 2 p.m.,
May 10th at the
The
In order to follow Jesus and worship God, we will serve our neighbors. We will minister to our fellow Christians. We will live and tell the good news of Jesus
Christ in all we do.
Disciples Christian Church Staff
Rev. David Nordyke, Senior Pastor
Laura Young, Music Director
Linda Gulick, Preschool Director
Julie Chen, Pianist
Jan Carter, Administrative Assistant
Dave Gillen, Webmaster frenchygrey@gmail.com
Stacie Doss, Nursery Attendant
Email: theoffice@dccplano.com
Phone: 972-398-2240