Church Events

December 21st -

Christmas Cantata

Annual Christmas Party

December 23rd

Memorial for Larre

Freeman

December 24th Family

Christmas Eve Service

Candlelight Service

December 25th - Church

Office Closed

January 1st Church

Office Closed

January 19th Church

Office Closed

The Spirit

January 2015

From

the St

aff of

Sagua

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Have a safe and happy holiday!

A Letter from Saguaro Leadership

Good afternoon, This has been an incredible year in the life of Saguaro Christian Church. Weve seen so much growth. There are new members, babies, children and renewed programs. We have experienced and shared so much in the past twelve months. It hasnt always been easy, and we are so grateful for your presence and for the time and gifts you share with SCC. You make all of our ministries pos-sible and together we continue living into our shared vision for the future. With the excitement and enthusiasm we share about the future, we must take a moment and share the financial reality and ask for your help. Currently we have not received enough money to cover our expenses and our financial obligations. Here is the current situation: So far in 2014 our expenses are $31,280.00 more than we have received. There are a number of reasons for this shortfall.

1. Loose offerings have fallen short by $21,200 compared with 2013.

2. Facility Usage Fees declined by $23,704 as we tried to subsidize our Pre-schools Budget.

3. Personnel and personnel related cost increased $13,700.

4. Also, we have lost a number of members whose giving we have counted upon to meet our budget.

This has caused a critical shortage in available funds for the day- to- day operation of the church. This has forced us to use our emergency fund of nearly $12,000, and we are forced to reconsider our 2015 budget. The board will have to take a hard look at the budget in 2015 and potentially make some difficult decisions. Here is where we need your help. We need to make up a $25,000 cash flow shortfall. Please con-sider making an additional gift to the church this year, an above-and-beyond gift. Our families and others will be making a 13th month gift to SCC to honor you and the rest of our church family. If you arent caught up on your pledge for 2014, then please consider making that final push to fulfill that pledge. If you havent made your financial pledge for 2015, please do so as soon as possible. If you have made your pledge, please consider increasing it to continue the important work of the church. We wish to continue the good work and to serve our neighbors, our community and God in this important and meaningful way. We are committed to you and our shared vision. May God bless you, and may we share in Gods love this Christmas together. Blessings, Gary Roberts Bonnie Logan Bobbie Butler

January 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Church Office

Closed

2 3

4 5

7pm Faith Based

Recovery

6

1:30pm Staff

7

9:30am Blessings in a

Backpack 5:30pm Saguaro

Ringers 7pm Sanctuary

Choir 8pm Shelter

8 9 10

Owen Army

11

12:15pm Primavera Breakfast

Group

12

4:30am Primavera Breakfast 7pm Faith

Based Recovery

13

1:30pm Staff

14

9:30am Blessings in a

Backpack 5:30pm Saguaro

Ringers 7pm Sanctuary

Choir 8pm Shelter

15

1pm Deborah Womens

Group

16 17

6:30am POWWOW

7:30am Mens Breakfast

18 12:15pm

Primavera Breakfast

Group 12:15pm

Elders Meeting

19

Church Office Closed 4:30am

Primavera Breakfast

7pm Faith Based Recovery

20

1:30pm Staff

21 9:30am

Blessings in a Backpack

12pm Newsletter

Articles Due 5:30pm Saguaro

Ringers 7pm Sanctuary

Choir 8pm Shelter

22

6:30pm Board

Meeting

23 24

25 26

7pm Faith Based

Recovery

27

1:30pm Staff

28

9:30am Blessings in a

Backpack 5:30pm Saguaro

Ringers 7pm Sanctuary

Choir 8pm Shelter

29

10am Newsletter Assembly

6:00pm SOL Team Meeting

30 31

Serving Schedule

Elders Serving at Communion Table Ushers

Palo verde Service Traditional Service 9:00am Bobbie Butler

1/04 Wende Gonzales KC Estes/Susan Keenan 11:00am Jackie Presson,

1/11 Pam Pioche Adrienne Crump/Brian Lott Shirley Gunion, Annette Armstrong

1/18 Rachel Sager Annette Armstrong/Peggy Goforth Acolyte

1/25 Carol Friesen Michael Cleveland/Adrienne Crump Seth Madsen/Areya Roadman

Home Communion Deacons (*Coordinator) Communion Preparer

1/04 Peggy Goforth/Carol Friesen Pa lo ve rde Service Trish Krebs

1/11 Brian Lott/Pam Pioche Trish Krebs & Lea Cuzner

1/18 Rachel Sager/KC Estes

1/25 Michael Cleveland/Adrienne Crump Traditional Service

Shirley Gunion, Susan Lock, Patricia Holmes, Marilyn Hanson,

Areya Roadman

Scripture Readers

Pa lo ve rde Service Traditional Service Childrens Moment Leaders

1/04 Stephanie Sager Areya Roadman 1/04 Gwen Elbert/KC Estes

1/11 Bobbie Butler Arlie Heald 1/11 Michelle Gusick, Lisa Ledbetter

1/18 Patricia Casey Shirley Heald 1/18 Michelle Gusick/ Paul Ledbetter

1/25 TBD Lisa Ledbetter 1/25 Michael Cleveland/KC Estes

January Birthdays

3rd Marcos Lares

Betty Slaybaugh

4th Nick Makres

7th Fredda Cox

Amastacia George

10th Hila Villa

16th Pam Pioche

19th Erika Meyer

20th Fran Johnson

21st Kelly Estes

24th Margi Lott

Sharon Steehler

Meditation Class in January

Want to make your gray matter grow? Have less stress? Be more resilient? Improve your mood? Research is

showing these are among benefits of regular meditation. If you'd like to learn meditation in a completely friendly,

non-threatening atmosphere, join us as we learn from Pat & Joe Ambrosic, Monday evenings, starting January 12

for 5 weeks, 1 1/2 hours each meeting in the chapel. For more information, contact Terry Bagwell.

A Few Thoughts

NBA XPLOR Project Along with First Christian Church, Tucson, we at Saguaro will embark on a journey with the National Benevolent Asso-ciation to bring this amazing project to our community. NBA XPLOR Project is a ten-month residential service opportunity for young adults, ages 21-30, who want to explore lives of faith and service. We provide opportunities to serve in cities across the United States, while offering Resi-dents housing, a small living stipend, vocational support, career development, travel opportunities and more. The Four Cornerstones of the XPLOR Project are: Hands-on Service/Justice Work: Working in and among neighborhoods to empower local mission efforts while gaining awareness of systems of injustice. Simple Living in Community: Learning and practicing faithful, intentionally simple and culturally competent communal living. Spiritual Discernment on Vocation: Striving through spiritual disciplines to discern the purpose for which ones soul is made. Disciples Leadership Development: Living our ones Disciples identity and unleashing ones leadership capacity. Without naming all the natures of diversity, XPLOR is committed to the cultivation of a widely diverse population liv-ing in all XPLOR Houses. Visit www.nbacares.org/xplor for more information.

Prayers of Our Congregation

Barbara Miranda

Bob Purvis

Chuck Mull

Fredda Cox

Helen Ellis

Clayton Gooden

The Larsen Family

Abby Casey

Ruth Harmon

Cece Terry

Arlie Heald

The Youngs

Betty Thompson

Clayton Gooden

Bonnie Logan

Harry Johnson

Baby watch is in full swing! Though the due date is 4 JAN, we are now past 38

weeks. Our whole family is waiting as patiently as possible for the new arrival.

My family and I want to thank you for all of your prayers during this time. Once

baby gets here, I will be out of the office for two weeks as we bond with the new

baby and help our oldest two with the transition. We will really appreciate your

prayers then!

During my absence, Rev. Shelly Tilton will be preaching and handling all the pasto-

ral care concerns. We are blessed to have her. She will continue preaching the

majority of January so that I can help facilitate the transition of our Deacons, El-

ders, Board of Directors, Sol Team (formerly Ministry Council) and Staff.

I am optimistic and prepared for the beauty and newness of the New Year. Weve

grown much this last year. There were moments of pure blessing and there were

challenges. My hope is that we can settle into that growth as we continue to live

into the celebration of our vision. Thank you for a good year.

Owen

OUTREACH Food Bags Given Out During November: 0

Elders Gift Cards Given Out During November : 2

Primavera Meals Served: 2 Breakfasts, Thanksgiving Dinner

(Each breakfast serves about 70, dinners about 100)

Blessings in a Backpack : 402 Bags packed,

11 Volunteers

Mobile Meals Delivered: 65 trays

Attendance

November

8:00 9:00 11:00

2nd 10 58 111

9th 9 53 101

16th 9 83 101

23rd 12 49 80

30th 11 51 97

Financials

November

Nov. 14 2014 (YTD)

Income 29,568 333,993

Expenses 23,252 356,012

Income/(Loss) $ 6,316 ($22,019)

Thank you to all who have helped to make the Blessings in a Backpack program succeed. Many thanks to Wanda and Nick Makres, Jean Coombs, Peggy Gorforth , Emily McKinney and her sister Carolyn Connaway, Mary Gregory, Arlie Heald, Mi-lan Kriho and Stewart Bagwell for being there to pack the bags. And to all the wonderful church members that contribute to the fund to make the program successful. We are doing a triple pack on December 17 to help the children through the Christmas Holidays. Blessings to all!

Shirley Heald, Pat Sutton, and Dodie Kriho

Christmas Blessings

Primavera Thanksgiving Dinner

Over Thanksgiving members of Saguaro Christian

and First Christian came together to shop, prepare

and serve a Thanksgiving meal for Primavera.

SPECIAL OFFERING

Thanksgiving special offerings were $1881.00.

As we reach the end of 2014 and reflect on the gift we have been given through the birth of Jesus, its also a time

to consider the most generous gift left to Saguaro by the Brady family in the form of an endowment established to

carry on many activities and programs they were passionate about. One of these is the Brady Outreach endow-

ment.

BRADY OUTREACH funds are awarded for areas including neighborhood, community, world/global, Basic Mission

Finance, new church development and ideas beyond the scope of our own church development. Requests are not

limited to church-related projects but are considered for humanitarian efforts and outreach as well. We ask that

groups not apply for funding that will be used for institutional sustainment (salaries, rent, etc.) but rather for spe-

cific, preferably new, needs/projects within the organization. Funds should have a measurable impact on a specific

target project and help those outside the membership of Saguaro Christian Church.

Now is the time for you to present to the committee applications for grants to programs and projects that

meet these guidelines............be they religious or secular/humanitarian in nature. There are so many wonderful

groups out there, think about it, won't you be an advocate for one?

Applications are available in the church office and should be returned by the 10th of January to be considered for

Quarter 4/2014 awards. Questions may be directed to Sharon Jensen, Chair, at ss.jensen57@gmail.com

Brady Outreach

Dear Bonnie and Saguaro friends,

This is to send my sincerest admiration and thankfulness for the restructuring of the spiritual polity of SCC as proposed. May the walls keep falling down until all ministries are free to accomplish their spiritual mission.

I remember a class in seminary that addressed the profound change in the church when it changed to the committee system- and lost its essence as a spirit-empowered movement. May the fire of Gods purpose be rekindled in all your hearts.

Love in Christ,

Chuck Mull

Letter from a Friend

Our Staff

Minister Rev. Owen Chandler

Ministerial Resident Shelly Tilton

SICP Director Tanima Lawrence

Office Manager & Christian Education

and Youth Coordinator

Laurie Cleveland

Director of Music Jeff Myrmo

Accompanist & Contemporary

Worship Director Keith Koster

Property Manager Paul Ledbetter

Custodians Brian Rudigier

Jacob Ansell

Seminarian Resident Rev. Kevin Prahar

Financial Manager Laurie Colburn

Media Frank Terry

Nursery Attendant Barbara Sager

For Your Information

Worship Services: Sunday: 8:00am 9:00am 11:00am Sunday School: 10:10am E-mail: info@saguarochristian.org Phone: 520-296-5901 Fax: 520-298-0168

Web Page: saguarochristian.org

Our Mission Statement Christ has called Saguaro Christian Church

to build a home to serve God and all peo-

ple through growth and healing in ourselves

and the community beyond our front doors.

8302 E Broadway Tucson, AZ 85710

December 19, 2014

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Sermon Theme for January: Call

January 6: Epiphany Scripture: Luke 2.25-35

January 11: Baptism of Jesus

Scripture: Mark 1:4-11

January 18: Calling of Samuel Scripture: 1 Sam. 3.1-10

January 25: Calling of the Fishermen

Scripture: Mark 1:14-20