Bon Air Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 2071 Buford Road Richmond, VA 23235 804-272-6228 Fax 804-330-0381 baccdoc@verizon.net http://www.baccdoc.org

April 2014 Volume 53 No. 04

Compass strangers

When I moved to Shenandoah I remember talking with one of the church members about how magnificently

beautiful the mountains were and how lucky he was to have grown up in such a lovely place. He said, “Oh folks

around here don’t even seem to see them anymore. We don’t pay attention to them.” Sadly sometimes the most

amazing things are right under our noses but we take them for granted.

I think about Claire who came to our church after having been raised in a different tradition. She had never

heard the story of Jesus. Out of curiosity and I think also a certain yearning, she stopped in for worship on a Satur-

day night. She began reading the New Testament. She came to see me and told me her story.

She discovered Bon Air Christian Church and she learned about the gospel. She was and is like a kid in a

candy store. “Wow, what a treasure!” Through her eyes I could see once again how incredibly awesome is this

message we have received and we proclaim. We are so used to hearing the stories that sometimes we don’t really

hear them. We are so used to our worship service and sharing in the Lord’s Supper that sometimes we may forget

how wondrous it is. We are so exceedingly blessed to be invited to this family table of grace.

Another person new to the church talked about how the church seasons weren’t part of the religious tradition

from which she came. As we talked I realized that we take for granted the richness of our church heritage. I am

thankful for Lent. I am thankful that we have this time of preparation. I know the seasons of the church year help

me to spiritually grow. We arrive at Lent and we are challenged to contemplate the meaning of Christ’s suffering

and death. We are challenged to contemplate sacrificial love and how we live in response to the wondrous love of

our Lord.

Only then can we be ready. Only when we walk through the shadows of Maundy Thursday and the agony of

Good Friday can we arrive at the garden. “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses and the

voice I hear…” The voice we hear, the voice we hear it is the voice of love and hope and grace. Sometimes it takes

a stranger to compass us in the right direction. Sometimes it takes someone new to help us see the treasure in our

midst. Mary met a stranger in the garden; a stranger who turns out to be the one who is the compass - the one who

shows us the right way.

I look forward to sharing with you the old, old story even as we discover it in brand new ways.

Cindy

Family Concerns:

We continue to pray for: Harriet Griggs as she

recovers from surgery; Nancy Maiden as she un-

dergoes chemotherapy; Juanita Coleman’s

grandson, Eric Purser; Mazie McCann, Alice

Beasley, Alma Spivey, Amy Teachey and Lloyd

Thacher. We also keep Betty and Lou Scharon’s

grandson, Joe Burns in our prayers. Our prayers

are with: Michael McCall’s mother; Gerry

Roppe´s Uncle Jack; Shirley Burkhalter’s sister,

Ginny McGuire; Frank Clark’s dad, Jimmy

Clark; Leigh Anne Phan’s friend, Ron Evans;

Arlene and Steve Blythe’s friend, Greg Franz;

Rhonda Ringel’s friend, Evan Smith; Steve

Kline’s friend, Ed Winfield; Steve Goff’s friend,

Beth Ann Molter; Christy Sprouse’s friend, Mar-

tha Carter; Clairee Cochran; Peggy Hill; Gerry

Roppe´; Chris Verheul; Shirley Huff’s son,

Mark; Jackie Nilles’ aunt, Brenda Grant; Jean

Dowdy’s dentist, Joshua Rubinstein; the Lander-

gan’s friend, Dan Bickett; Stacy Price; Arlene

Blythe’s friend, Donna Leake; Mary Ann Casdi-

a’s granddaughter, Daisy Hansen; Hannah Bry-

ant who has leukemia and Lewis Bell whose

cancer has returned. We pray for Mary Eliza-

beth Jonas’ granddaughter, Captain Lauren

Richardson, who is in Kuwait. We also keep in

prayer Rob Atherton who is in the Middle East

on the Harry S. Truman carrier and for Lt. Adam

Teachey who is stationed in Romania. Please

pray for George Smith’s son who is serving in Af-

ghanistan

Holy Week Schedule

April 13

Palm Sunday

8:45 & 11:00 Worship

Service

April 17

Maundy Thursday

7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday and Tene-

brae Worship Service – A commemoration

of the Lord’s Last Supper

April 18

Good Friday

12:00 Good Friday worship service

April 19

Holy Saturday

5:00 p.m. Casual Worship Service

April 20

Easter

7:00 a.m. Easter sunrise service

7:45 Brunch – bring your favorite covered

dish and enjoy fellowship and food

8:45 & 11:00 Easter worship service

12:15 – Easter egg hunt

Member News

Congratulations to Jasmine Heath

who was hired to work on staff for

Christmount Conference Center this

summer.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

The Regional Assembly of the Christian

Church (Disciples of Christ) in Virginia will be

held at Lynchburg College May 30-June 1,

2014. The theme of the Assembly is Mission:

Possible and the keynote speaker will be the

Reverend Doctor Sharon Watkins, General

Minister and President of the Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ). Former missionaries Jon

and Dawn Barnes will also speak at the Assem-

bly. Included in the program will be business

sessions, interest groups, worship, and fellow-

ship.

If you are interested in representing Bon

Air as a voting delegate, let the church office

know and pick up a registration brochure from

the office. For more information see the Vir-

ginia Christian article posted on the bulletin

Requesting

Musicians

The Worship Committee is looking for Mu-

sicians willing to provide Christian music for one

of the Saturday Night Services starting on June

21st throughout summer. You can sing or play

any instrument or invite some friends to join you.

Any College and High School student/s would be

welcomed to perform. Our church services are

always more meaningful and enjoyable when

there is music. If you are willing to help with

one Saturday contact Andee Kirk.

Anyone willing to bake bread for Maundy

Thursday, Good Friday or Sunrise Easter Service

please contact Andee Kirk at 804 330 9275 or

804 929 2270. I would greatly appreciate your

help.

This summer our children will travel to

God’s Treasure Island during Vacation Bible

School. Your kids, grandkids and your chil-

dren’s friends will not want to miss this adven-

ture. The adventure begins on Monday August

11th and ends on Friday August 15th during the

evenings. On Sunday August 17th the children

will share their adventure during the worship

services. Save the dates!

CARITAS is Coming: July 19 to 26

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Matthew:25:40

BACC will host the CARITAS Family Focus program July 19 through July 26. CARITAS is a Richmond metro-area program that provides shelter to homeless persons and assists them in moving into permanent housing.

Congregations all around the Richmond metro area host families and single men and women who are in need of shelter. Bon Air Christian Church will host families for a week beginning July 19. We will provide overnight shelter, breakfast, a bag lunch and a hot dinner each day that week. We will need volunteers to provide meals, spend the night, do laundry and provide activi-ties for the children. A sign-up sheet for volunteers will be posted soon. Please check the sign-up sheet for opportunities to serve these vulnerable brothers and sister

In 2013 there were over 3,000 homeless persons in the Richmond area and around 500 of them were children. Fifty-four percent of these persons have high school degrees or GEDs. Thirty-nine percent of homeless persons in our area have experienced multiple episodes of homelessness within the past three years. In 2013 the number of homeless persons declined by 13 percent as compared to higher rates in previous years.

CARITAS helps to break the cycles of homelessness in Metro Richmond area so that people can lead stable lives. It is the largest and most inclusive emergency shelter provider in the area, and its innovative programs fill major needs in the community. CARITAS helps the most vulnerable among us, which makes for a stronger community. Through its four programs, people receive the basic life and job skills they need to exit shelter and return to their families, their jobs, their homes and their lives as productive citizens.

Maundy Thursday Service

April 17th at 7:00

On Maundy Thursday we remember

the Lord’s Last Supper with his disciples by

sharing in Holy Communion. The service is

also a Tenebrae service. The Tenebrae is the

extinguishing light as the scripture describing

the passion of Christ’s suffering and death is

read.

We are reminded that the road to East-

er always passes through Golgotha. Please

plan to join us for this inspiring service.

Congratulations are extend-

ed to Robin and Dan Emson upon the birth of

their daughter, Charlotte Mae. Charlotte was

born February 20. Ellie is Charlotte’s big

sister and Cindy Stratton and George Smith

are the proud grandparents.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore is the

book for the April Book Club.

The main character’s daddy always told her that if the good Lord can take the time to

care for something as small as a baby sparrow nesting in a tree, then surely he could take

the time to listen to a little girl in Ringgold, Georgia. So every night before she went to

bed she got down on her knees and begged the Lord to find her a way out of her home

town. And every morning, she woke up in the same old place.

It was a place that Catherine Grace Cline, never wanted to call home, even though she

was born and raised there. It was a place in the 1970s where everybody knew everything

about you down to the color of underwear your mama bought you at the Dollar General

Store. It was a place where girls like her traded their dreams for a boy with a couple of

acres of land and a wood-framed house with a new electric stove.

Ringgold, Georgia at that time had a population of 1,923 with one traffic light and one

Dairy Queen. And one Catherine Grace, a daughter of Ringgold’s third-generation Bap-

tist preacher, who is quick-witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her

small-town life.

Every Saturday afternoon Catherine Grace sits at the Dairy Queen, eating Dilly Bars

and plotting her getaway to the big city of Atlanta. And when, with the help of a family

friend, the dream becomes a reality, Catherine Grace immediately packs her bags, leaving

her family and the boy she loves to claim the life she’s always imagined. But before things

have even begun to get off the ground in Atlanta, tragedy brings her back home. As a se-

ries of extraordinary events alters her perspective–and sweeping changes come to

Ringgold itself–Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually

be, against all odds, right where she began.

The Book Club will meet on Tuesday, April 22nd at the church. Everyone is invited.

Church World Service

Kit Collection Begins April 7

Beginning April 7th, BACC will be the

drop off site for the statewide collection of

health kits, school kits, clean-up buckets and

baby kits. The collection continue through

May 16 with a driver picking up kits and de-

livering them to New Windsor, Maryland on

May 22nd.

Good Friday

Service

There will be a Good Friday Service

at 12:30 on April 18th. This is a time to

reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made

for each one of us. Please bring family

and friends for this special service.

Library Corner

War Brides by Helen Bryan is a book you may to check out of our library.

With World War II threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crow-

marsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal; evacuees from London are billeted in local

homes, nightly air raids become grimly mundane and the tightening vice of rationing curtails

every comfort. Men leave to fight and die and five women forge an unlikely bond of friend-

ship that will change their lives forever. Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar,

is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline

Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline's arrival causes a stir in the vil-

lage but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy El-

sie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life

of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors

of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and

bound to show up any day. Then there's Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante

whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers. As the war

and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart

their lives also brings the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat

formidable enemies: hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a trai-

tor in their midst, They find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends,

Their forged loyalty will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance. When four

of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television

cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age,

but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women's mission is not to commemorate or remem-

ber. They returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.

EASTER OFFERING

The theme of our 2014 Easter Offering, which will be received April 13 and

April 20, is Living Waters. Jesus offered living water that would transform the

world. The Easter Offering supports the General Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

and the countless ways that Disciples can continue to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus.

The Division of Overseas Ministries/Global Ministries serves alongside our partners around the world

meeting God’s people at their point of deepest need.

Disciples Home Missions resources congregations and leaders to transform their lives, churches, and

communities.

The Center of Faith and Giving encourages a culture of generosity by providing study resources, semi-

nars, and workshops.

The National Benevolent Association creates communities of compassion and care by partnering with

Disciples to inspire and connect food and hunger related ministries, spiritual care, and wellness to com-

munities in need.

The National Convocation, North American Pacific/Asian Disciples (NAPAD), and the Central Pasto-

ral Office for Hispanic Ministries bridge and support the distinct and diverse communities within our

church.

The Council on Christian Unity gives leadership to Christian unity efforts nationally and international-

ly and resources congregations around Disciples identity.

Communications Ministries keeps our Disciples community informed and promotes our General As-

semblies, where we all gather together.

Disciples Historical Society preserves and shares the special story of our unique history and intercon-

nects all Stone-Campbell churches all around the world.

Higher Education and Leadership Ministries helps young leaders acquire tools for understanding the

mission and witness of Christian communities.

Disciples Church Extension Fund helps congregations plan and finance “sacred space” to be used for

ministry, for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ from our doorsteps to the end of the Earth.

Hope Partnership empowers courageous leaders as they guide their new and transforming congrega-

tions in the era of God’s mission.

Your generous donation to the Easter Offering will support these General Ministries’ commitments to

being the hands, feet, voice, and heart of Jesus through countless servants all around the world. With our

giving we model the life of the One who gave the gift of Living Water that transforms the world.

To learn more about any of the General Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) go to

www.disciples.org or www.disciplesmissionfund.org and click on the appropriate links.

Sunrise service and Brunch

We invite everyone to come join us for

our 7:00 a.m. sunrise service followed by a pot-

luck breakfast. This is a great way to start our

celebration of Easter.

Please come share with us in worship

and time of fellowship. You are invited to

bring a covered dish to share. Coffee and juice

will be provided.

Handel’s Messiah

Sunday, April 6

at University of Richmond

The Christian Education Commit-

tee is sponsoring a church-wide field trip to

University of Richmond on Sunday, April

6, to attend a free performance of Handel's

Messiah, arguably the Western world's

most famous piece of chorale music. The

performance begins at 3 p.m., and carpools

will leave promptly from the church at

2:30 p.m. Anyone who would like to car-

pool from the church should register on the

sign-up sheet posted just outside the

church office. If you are able to drive one

of the carpools, please indicate on the sign-

up sheet the number of passengers you can

accommodate.

Cleaning the

Sanctuary for Easter

An e-mail will be sent out once a date

has been set. Helpers will be needed to

clean glass sconces from the chandeliers

and to get wax off the new pew cushions.

The Worship Committee would be grateful

if you would come help for many hands

make the work lighter!

Flock Gathering

There will be a flock gathering of the

flocks of Ed Parks and Barbara Bancroft on

April 6. The gathering will be a potluck

luncheon after the 11:00 service and will take

place in the fellowship hall. Roasted chicken

will be provided and those attending are en-

couraged to bring favorite vegetables, salads,

and deserts.

We look forward to getting together, we

hope that you can attend.

Gerry Roppe' Update for April 2014 and Beyond During the winter months, I have tried to keep everybody up to date with several group emails

that Becky has so graciously sent out to our congregation. To recap, I applied for Disability benefits

in July of 2013. (I had applied 3 other times and was denied twice. The other time and the two afore-

mentioned times, I did not proceed due to my failing health and consensus that I probably would not

survive) My health has progressively been deteriorating rapidly with the onset of Charcot's Disease, a

genetically inherited disorder of the peripheral nervous system that affects one's use of their extremi-

ties. It is progressive and there is no known cure. In my case, both of my hands are becoming increas-

ingly paralyzed with my right hand nearly rendered unusable. My left foot from just below the ankle

is so nerve damaged that I literally can feel nothing but a tingly sensation from time to time. Walking

has become quite a chore since I must consistently remind my brain that I need to take a step. If dis-

tracted, I have a tendency to fall down. Somehow, I find this amusing. I have to keep a sense of hu-

mor otherwise; the tragic nature of my existence would make things much more unbearable. This, in

conjunction with the severe pain, my right leg amputation, advanced diabetes, severe cirrhosis, and a

host of other major medical issues, have driven me to financial ruin. I have no medical insurance. I

became uninsurable because of my pre-existing conditions. No carrier would cover me because of

their financial risk. With Obamacare, I am able to obtain insurance but the annual cost would be

nearly $15,000. I have done the meticulous research. These numbers are real and totally unafforda-

ble. Herein lies the terrible nature of my dilemma. Unable to work for years, I have been living off of

my life savings. And with each hospitalization, I have become increasingly poorer and poorer. With

neither military service nor retirement, I have literally become penniless in the last few months. You,

the congregation at BACC, have been my saving grace. It has been your care, compassion, prayers,

and financial help that have carried me through this dark time in my life.

As I wait through this lengthy appeal process, I am encouraged and strengthened by your sup-

port. I have supplied the Social Security disability board with every bit of documentation they have

requested and much more. I was confident that they would rule in my favor. Again, they decided that

I am not disabled. Without ever spending one minute with me they rendered a decision that affects

my very existence. They ruled and never spoke, saw, or heard a word leave my lips.

Therefore, the appeals process is in effect. I have finally been given “permission” to hire an at-

torney, which I have. I have also been in touch with Congressman Bobby Scott and he has written

them in an attempt to further help me with my case. The time table for my case to be heard before the

judge is somewhere near the end of 2014. Without a consistent source of income that seems like an

eternity. So, if all goes smooth (somehow “smooth” and the government don't seem to go hand in

hand), the entire process will take a year and a half from the onset to the determination. And there are

no guarantees that the judge will rule in my favor.

Dear friends, this has been a real eye opening journey for me. There have been many moments

when I could have given up but my faith in family, friends, and God has given me strength. Without

your continued support both spiritually and financially, I would be homeless at best. I am so grateful

for you. And one day, one way, I hope to be in a position to help another as you have done for me. In

the meantime, please feel free to call on me anytime for any reason. My number is 503-9074. Togeth-

er, we will succeed. As so aptly written (Isaiah 54:17) and often said by my dear Carol... “No weapon

formed against thee shall prosper”. Respectfully submitted by your friend in Christ, today, tomorrow,

and always.....Gerry Roppe'

A note of thanks from the Griggs

Harriet and Dan Griggs express our deepest

appreciation for all the supportive things you have

said and done to help us keep going during these

five weeks of Harriet's hospital ordeal. Your

prayers, cards, gifts, food, emails, visits, kind

words and positive thoughts have buoyed us

up. She will have several weeks of nursing visits

and physical therapy at home, along with four

weeks of round-the-clock antibiotics; but she is

already walking better than she did before the

knee-joint replacement February 11. We thank

you, and we thank God for a church such as Bon

Air Christian. Harriet is home as of St. Patrick's

Day.

Christian Women’s Fellowship

Bon Air Christian Church offers three op-

portunities for women’s fellowship. The Chris-

tian Women’s Fellowship groups are open to all

women of the church. The groups and meeting

dates are:

The Day group meets the second Tues-

day of the month. The next meeting will be April

8th. Everyone is asked to bring a sandwich to the

meeting. Meeting starts at 10:30. Arlene Giffel

is the group leader.

The Evening group 1 meets the first

Tuesday of the month in members’ homes. The

next meeting is April 1st at Sara Reese’s. Kitten

Whitlow is the group leader.

The Evening group 2 (Salad Group)

meets once a month at 6:15 at the church. The

meetings are held on the second Wednesday of

the month. The next meeting will be April 9th.

We would like to express our apprecia-

tion to everyone who participated in the

Ash Wednesday Chain of Prayer.

SERVING SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 2014

April 6

Elders: Youth

Deacons: Youth

Worship Leaders: Youth

Acolyte: Youth

Worship & Wonder Storyteller: Sandy Collins

Worship & Wonder Helper: 8:45 Cassie/Caitlynn Collins

11:00 Arlene Giffel

Ushers/Greeters: Youth Group

April 13

Elders: Frank Clark, Russ Johnson

Deacons: 8:45 Guy Barker (P), Chris Bates

11:00 Bill Sydnor (P), Michael Whitlow, Jamie

McDonald, Diane Clark

Worship Leaders 8:45 Steve Goff 11:00 Kitten

Whitlow

Acolyte:

Worship & Wonder Storyteller: Gail Macfadden

Worship & Wonder Helper: 8:45 Lena Neal 11:00

Maggie Pace

Ushers/Greeters: 8:45 Sandy & Doug Collins 11:00

Jean Turlington & Laura Hollis

April 20

Elders: Steve Kline, Gina McKenney

Deacons: 8:45 Jim Lehan (P), Tom Snodgrass

11:00 Paula Craft (P), Stephen Blanchard, Claire

Cochran, Arlene Giffel

Worship Leaders: 8:45 Sandy Collins 11:00 Doug

White

Acolyte:

Worship & Wonder Storyteller: Cathy Law

Worship & Wonder Helper:

Ushers/Greeters: 8:45 Sandy & Doug Collins 11:00

Jean Turlington & Laura Hollis

April 27

Elders: Barbara Bancroft, Duke Dale

Deacons: 8:45 Carol McGowan (P), Jeanne Brock

11:00 Rick Novak (P), Lauren Johnson, Doug White,

Polly White

Worship Leaders: 8:45 Collin Thomas 11:00 Shea

Hollifield

Acolyte:

Worship & Wonder Storyteller: Taylor Brooks

Worship & Wonder Helper: 8:45 Tammy Rucker 11:00

Martha Seemiller

Ushers/Greeters: 8:45 Tom Snodgrass & Sara Reese

11:00 Jean Turlington & Laura Hollis

Offering: Bill and Wendy Sydnor (P) denotes

communion preparation