Take your family out to lunch this Sunday at Englewood Christian Church and enjoy a Baked Potato Bar with all the toppings in the Fellowship Hall at 12 noon. Invite a friend to join you and share in the fellowship with friends. Cost? Pay what you think it’s worth.

The soups and stews were delicious this past Sunday and the birthday cakes added the right touch. A total of $460 was raised for the church on this meal alone. On February 17 it will be spaghetti, salad and French bread; on February 24 we will have various soups and sandwiches. Look forward to seeing you each Sunday.

Thanks to all who helped make it possible.

The ladies will meet for breakfast and fellowship Saturday, February 9 at 8:30 am at Shari’s Restaurant at 40^th and Fruitvale. Be there to protect your image.

A delicious meal served and prepared just for you! Candlelight and music to set the mood. Special friends with which to enjoy the evening. This is all coming to you on Wednesday, February 13 at Englewood Christian Church. The dinner is open to all members; families are invited. Childcare will be provided.

You are a talented group of people! There is hidden talent all over the place. Now is the time to show some of that talent. Rev. Helseth will once again put his money on the line by giving out nearly $2,000, trusting that the members of Englewood Christian will take it and multiply it through various means.

From February 10 until May 4 you are invited to create things, make things, sell your talents. Use the money Rev. Helseth will hand out to be seed money; charge a reasonable amount for your gift and then use that money to create more. Bring your gifts to worship on Sunday mornings; sell them to your friends.

On Saturday, May 4 there will be a large bazaar in the fellowship hall to which community members will be invited.

Let’s see what happens when we invest our talents and gifts!

Hazel Palmer had a delightful birthday party last Saturday. Looking good at 90!

Sharlene Sloop, our church organist, asks for your prayers as she is facing surgery next Monday, February 11 to remove a growth on a nerve in her inner ear.

Kathy Helseth’s mother, Jean Kizer, is home from the hospital in San Diego where she had tests for a possible tumor near her pancreas.

Wow what a game. Also, wow what a party. The Youth all had a fun time watching the game together and sharing in some fun. At first it seemed that no Youth would show up but the game started at 3:30 not at 3:00 (like Michael thought). So, all enjoyed watching the game and playing Taboo. What is Taboo, you may be asking? It is a fun game of trying to get someone to say a certain word or phrase without using a list of words. Needless to say, the Youth liked it and the football game was wonderful.

Both groups will be meeting at their normal times listed in the calendar. There will be a great lesson and socializing. So, make sure you are a part of the wonderful experience we call Youth. Also, bring a friend…the more the merrier.

Have you ever thought that you were the only young family in the Church? Have you walked into the Sanctuary and thought wow, where have all the young people gone? Well, make plans to have lunch with all the other young families of the Church this Sunday in room 6. We will gather in the fellowship hall and get our food there. Then we will proceed to room 6 so that we can share together and look at the future of our Church. If you have any question, please contact Michael Oberlender. And, Yes, there will be childcare provided.

You’re invited to a weekend of fund and painting at Zephyr Lodge, February 8-10. Plan to arrive after dinner on Friday evening, with painting to begin after breakfast on Saturday morning.

The work will conclude on Saturday, but painters are encouraged to stay over Saturday night for a time of fun and fellowship. The weekend will conclude with breakfast and Worship on Sunday morning.

Please bring snacks to share in the evenings and your own painting equipment (and a step ladder if you can). Paint will be provided.

Would you like to get more out of the Lenten season this year? One way to make Easter a special time is to use the Lenten season to prepare for it. A great way to start that preparation is to participate in the Ash Wednesday Service at 12 noon, February, 13^th. This is a special service of reflection and dispensing of ashes. For further information contact Michael Oberlender.

Volunteer Chore Services of Yakima is conducting a food and toiletry drive for Valentine’s Day. Non-perishable food, toiletry items, and cash donations are accepted until February 10. Look for the decorated VCS box in the Narthex. Call VCS at 965-7105 for questions or to volunteer.

On February 10 Bev Goodman Ward will be in the Forum Class to talk about conflict resolution and the work going on in Yakima at the Dispute Resolution Center.

The Discovery Class will be talking this Sunday about the second coming of Christ. Beginning February 17, Rev. Helseth will lead three weeks of discussion on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

A lot of discussion is taking place around the proposed cuts in state funding regarding nursing homes. A panel discussion and public forum with experts in this area will be held on Tuesday, February 12 here at Englewood Christian Church. Two sessions will be held. The first will be from 1:30 – 3:00 and the second from 7:00 – 8:30 that same evening.

Yakima Long Term Care Ethics Committee and Yakima Area Nursing Homes & Assisted Living are the two sponsoring organizations.

It is open to the public with no charge.

My attendance at the Successful Church Leadership Conference in Garden Grove, California last week was very interesting and helpful. Over 1,400 people were registered from every state in the nation. Let me share the outline of a presentation made by Dr. Schuller.

A church is likened to a restaurant with each one different and having a certain market. He lists "7 Principles of Successful Retail" and then applies them to a congregation.

1. Dream the dream. Find a need and fill it. Find the hurt and heal it.

2. Accessibility. People have to get to you.

3. Surplus parking. Adequate parking is not good enough; it must be surplus.

4. Inventory. Determine what your market is going to be and offer what is needed.

5. Service. Clean, bright, welcome, friendly, quality.

6. Visibility. Ads; public relations, get the word out; have a budget.

7. Solid, sensible financial operations.

Schuller then added an 8^th principle: P.M.A. Positive Mental Attitude. Attitude can make or break a business, a church or organization. A sense that we have something important to share is essential. From his perspective, the one thing that all people have in common and are longing for is "hope." The mission of the church is to offer hope – hope for life now and in the age to come.

Something to think about.

Rev. Larry Hansmeier has been called to be the new minister at First Christian Church in Kennewick. A special service of installation will be held Sunday, February 17 at 3:00 p.m. at the Kennewick church. You are invited to attend.