Does the Church Stop After 11:45 a.m. on Sunday?

We are experiencing some great things in our Sunday morning time at Fellowship. The teaching is incredible, the worship is usually great...but there are some MAJOR holes. Community for one. We are lacking that. And, after a year and a half of being there it makes me wonder...can you exist on a Sunday morning experience? I would say the answer is NO. And I've always thought that...but it's hit home with me even more lately. But, isn't it interesting that about 90% of the time and resources seem to go toward that Sunday morning experience in most places? In a way it's funny for me to be saying this considering my former role as a worship minister and the kind of resources we offer (a lot of which have to do with Sunday morning stuff-although we all agree that community and personal spiritual growth are what makes any group of believers healthy). I love the church. I don't think the institution we have now is what "the church" really is though.

I thought the comments above were interesting last week. We do spend so much time and effort on Sunday morning that maybe we forget about the other six days during the week. Does the church stop after 11:45 a.m. on Sunday morning?

A Great Cook

My daughter-in-law can cook! Allison fixed Debbie and I a great meal on Wednesday night as I was coming back from Columbus.

They also had their new living room furniture delivered. The place really looks great.

Update: A Busy Week

My week has been a busy one. On Tuesday, I interviewed new teachers at Pittsburg State University. I really enjoy interviewing new teachers that have just graduated and are ready to work with the children of Kansas. It really "pumps me up" talking to these young people. They are so excited to get their first classroom and begin their teaching career.

It was also nice to see many friends and colleagues at PSU. I enjoyed visiting with a couple of my former professors who I had at Emporia State University about 17 years ago as I was working on my district certification. They have encouraged me and have been there for me all these years as I have worked as a district superintendent. Many welcomed me to the SE Kansas Family!

I really enjoyed my trip to Columbus on Wednesday. I was able to visit with several teachers, staff and administrators. USD 493 is a great district. They have dedicated teachers and staff who go out of their way to help make the district run very effectively. I saw excited and energetic kids in classrooms learning many different academic subjects. I can't wait for new year to begin.

The house hunting in Columbus is going well. We have seen many places and hope to make our way back the first part of April to continue the process.

Another reason I was gone on Wednesday was this was the day that Osage City was using to begin the focus group sessions with the community and staff on what they would like to see in the new superintendent. I have told my board that this is a very exciting time for the Osage City community as you discuss what you would like to see in your new educational leader. I want to be completely out of the way as the district develops the profile and direction as they work with the Kansas Association of School Boards in this important endeavor.

We would appreciate prayers in our transition and on selling our house in Osage City. It's exciting but also a stressful time.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got back to my office on Thursday and had a card from the Columbus Church of Christ signed by all the members. They wanted to let Debbie and I know that they are praying for us and wanted to wish us the very best in our move. They are a great group of Christians.

Craig Wins Election

Congratulations to Craig on winning his Vice President Election at FIT. Have fun balancing the budget!

Happy Birthday Craig

Craig,

Happy 20th Birthday. I hope you have a great day in New York City. Good luck in your Student Government Elections today.

Love,

Dad

The Best BBQ Beef

I had the opportunity last week during Spring Break to eat the best beef sandwich in the world....at Arthur Bryant's. Great bbq.

Happy Birthday Dad

A big Happy Birthday to my dad.

Columbus Schools

Central School

District Office

Scammon School

Park School

Thought for the Day

"When enthusiasm is inspired by reason; controlled by caution; sound in theory; practical in application; reflects confidence; spreads good cheer; raises morale; inspires associates; arouses loyalty; and laughs at adversity, it is beyond price."

Columbus Church of Christ

Debbie and I had a great time on Sunday worshipping with the members of the Columbus Church of Christ. They were very encouraging to us.

Columbus

Columbus


The Cherokee County Courthouse in Columbus.


Yes Craig, there is a McDonald's!

One of the most important business establishments in Columbus the Daylight Donut Shop.

More pics to come.....................

Spring Break

We plan on visiting Columbus this weekend and attend Church. We are excited about being able to worship in the community that we will live and work in. We have not had that opportunity for 22 years. We will also look at housing possibilities and we might just have to check out the Columbus Country Club if it's warm.

Craig's Big News

In all the wedding arrangements and my new job announcement, I forgot to tell our friends about Craig's big news. Craig was accepted into the Bachelor's program at FIT in New York City as well as he received a job promotion at Ug-Australia. He will be an assistant manager at the New York City Upper West Side store that just opened He is excited. He will stay in New York City this summer and work, and yes.....he wants to find his own apartment instead of living in the on campus apartments.

Thought for the Day

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope. ~John Buchan

A Tough Letter to Write

March 8, 2009

Members of the Central Church of Christ Family:

It is with sadness and a very heavy heart that I resign as an Elder of the Central Church of Christ effective today.

I have accepted a new position, beginning July 1, as the Superintendent of Schools in Columbus, Kansas, just outside of Joplin, Missouri.

This is a professional move, as well as a family move, that will allow us to be about 90 minutes from our parents in Broken Arrow.

I have enjoyed serving the Central Family the past five years as an Elder and serving with Rex, Gary, Bill, Roger and Jerry. They are men who are truly committed to you and to Christ and His teachings.

My family has appreciated the support and prayers on our behalf and will continue to pray for you and the leadership here at Central.

God has blessed Central greatly throughout the years, and I know He even has greater blessings for the future.

Debbie and I are looking forward to our future and our new ministry in the community of Columbus and with the members of the Columbus Church of Christ. But we leave a family here that we care about very deeply and will miss very much.

May God continue to bless the Central Church as you reach out to a lost world in need of a Savior.

In Christian Love,

David and Debbie Carriger

For My KU Friends

John Brown holding the NCAA Championship trophy..............Nice Touch!

Wedding Pictures

The Church was beautiful.

A very traditional ceremony with many family stories

The Happy Couple!

Hey............How about the cake?

The proud Mom being escorted out by Craig

Brian and Debbie


The Beautiful Bride

The Smell Around Us

This came from Mike Cope's blog..............Powerful insight.

Love these insightful words from Eugene Peterson:

“Every society finds ways to shut its eyes, put fingers in its ears, and by the extravagant use of deodorants and garbage trucks to get rid of the smell of decay, uncleanness, stench, and squalor. We put our sick in hospitals, our elderly in nursing homes, our poor in slums, and our garbage in landfills. We are never entirely successful in keeping them out of sight and smell and sound, but we do our best.”

One of the things Jesus taught us was how to see. We can’t close our eyes; we must be able to see those around us.

Cataracts form so easily. They cloud our eyes; they made us near-sighted; they can even blind us. Christian formation involves a removal of those cataracts so that we can focus on God’s world.

Keep your eyes open today.

Vision

At Central We Practice Our ABC’s Daily
Accepting Christ
Building Relationships
Committed to Serving

Emerson once said that "People only see what they are prepared to see."
May God prepare us to see what He wants us to see.

Proverbs says, "Without a vision the people perish." The Apostle Paul was unable to proceed in his ministry until he had a vision of a man from Macedonia calling him. Peter had a vision that "God shows no partiality” and it changed his life. In this post-modern world, the most vital churches are those that can clearly articulate how God is calling them into the future.

Most organizations, companies and businesses develop mission or purpose statements to give direction for their employees. Those organizational leaders wish to instill in their employees the reasons and purpose of the company. This is what we believe in, and this is what we wish to accomplish.

How about the Church? This is actually a very simple concept that only becomes complicated when the vision Jesus gave is blocked by human philosophies and convoluted formulas. Most people do not realize that Jesus has given us the vision for the church in clear, concise, and in an easy to understand format. Look at Jesus’ vision for the church in Matthew 28:18-20:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

So there is a true vision for the church and there is nothing wrong with applying methods that can relate to the current time in which we live. We can use music, programs, methods and many tools and resources. As long as our sights can remain on the target of fulfilling the God-given vision of fulfilling ALL of the great commission, we are effectively serving the Lord in our ministries.

Anything that can be brought into the line of sight while we remain focused on the command given to the church by Jesus without drifting from our goal of hitting the target is most likely beneficial to the church. Jesus is the one who gave the church the vision and He alone is our Shepherd. If the elders and congregation are following Him, we will fulfill our ministry.

In the very near future the Central Eldership will challenge the congregation in six ways as we continue to serve Him and our community in 2009. It is our prayer to take and live the Great Commission each and every day.

Osage City Fire

When we pulled into Osage City last night the downtown was on fire. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles everywhere. We went by my district office to see if there was any damage. Just a little smoke but everything was fine. We are a storage facility for many on Market Street this morning that had to protect items from the fire.

Firefighters from neighboring areas help battle downtown fire
By Phil Anderson
The Capital-Journal
Published Monday, March 02, 2009

OSAGE CITY — Vickie Buenger and her family were watching the Kansas-Missouri basketball game on television Sunday afternoon when they heard sirens from a fire truck go past their home, then stop about a block to the west.
"We're nosy," Buenger said, "so we looked outside to see what was going on."

Buenger said some smoke was visible from the 500 block of Market Street in Osage City's historic business district. The smoke appeared to be coming from behind a turn-of-the-century building that housed Mink Photography, 531 Market St., and the Ramblin Rose gift store, 529 Market St.

Buenger said the fire seemed small at first but quickly escalated, engulfing the two-story red-brick building in flames.

The blaze, which began about 2 p.m., was the biggest Buenger can recall in Osage City. Longtime residents said the biggest fire in town before Sunday is believed to have occurred nearly 100 years ago.

Osage County Fire District 2 was first on the scene. Mutual aid calls were answered by fire departments from Lyndon, Scranton, Melvern, Burlingame, Carbondale, Mission Township and the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority, the latter two of which brought aerial trucks that sprayed water down onto the fire from platforms that extended high into the air.

Osage County Fire District 2 Chief Dan Romine said the blaze started in the rear, or south side, of the building, then moved to its upper floor. The fire spread in part, he said, because of the way the building was constructed.

"There were multiple ceilings and voids, and we weren't able to contain the fire," Romine said. "We were able to save the buildings on both sides of it. They have a little smoke and water damage, but we were able to save them."

The business to the east is Osage Hardware, 533 Market St., and on the west is the Osage County Herald-Chronicle newspaper, 527 Market St.

As additional fire trucks rolled into town Sunday afternoon, dozens of Osage City residents gathered on nearby blocks in temperatures of about 20 degrees.

Jason Croucher, 25, a member of the city council in Osage City, was among those who came to the scene.

He estimated about 50 people, including himself, helped move merchandise out of several businesses along the south side of the 500 block of Market Street, where the fire occurred. The items were placed on the sidewalk on the north side of the street.

Croucher said many items from the Ramblin Rose store were brought out of the building before the fire spread. He also said the computer server and archived newspapers were taken out of the Osage County Herald-Chronicle as a precaution.

Additional items were taken out of two drugstores, a furniture store and a Radio Shack on the south side of the 500 block of Market Street.

"I'm so, so proud of the people of Osage City," Croucher said of the town of around 3,000 residents, located about 35 miles southwest of Topeka. "People really pitched in. I'm awfully proud of them."

Fire crews were on the scene late into the night Sunday, battling hot spots and flame flare-ups in an effort to contain the blaze to the building of origin.

Authorities said an apartment was located above the Ramblin Rose store, and all items inside it were destroyed. No injuries had been reported in connection with the fire by 9 p.m. Sunday.
However, responders were called about 8 p.m. to a car-pedestrian accident that was reported at 5th and Market Street, just west of the fire scene. Authorities said late Sunday they had no reports of serious injuries in connection with the accident.

Investigators with the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office are to be at the scene early today to begin sifting through the debris in an attempt to determine the cause of the blaze, which by Sunday night was undetermined. An estimated dollar loss wasn't immediately available.