Worship Return on Pentecost

As the state of Ohio has started to relax it’s orders from the Department of Health, we start to look at returning to gathered worship, within the guidelines we are provided with.

After a meeting of representatives of the Elders, Moderator, Deacons, Trustees, and Property teams, as well as staff, we have determined as long as the stay at home order is lifted on May 29th, we will return to gathered worship on May 31st to celebrate Pentecost.

I want to assure you, while the building has been closed, your property team has been busy insuring that the building is cleaned, maintained, and prepared for our return. Our associate from Q and R Cleaning, has been there every week ensuring that our facility remains maintained, and ready for us. Phones have been upgraded, light bulbs and fixtures replaced as needed, Bathrooms, door handles, carpets, and floors were all cleaned, and disinfected.

To abide by the principles of social distancing we will have some changes to worship:

  • No bulletins, hymnals, or bibles will be available, all items will be projected on the screen, you are welcome to bring your own bible to worship.
  • Offering will be collected when you come forward for communion, rather than passing the offering trays.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available after you give your offering to use before receiving communion.
  • Communion will not be served in trays, but rather individually at two stations in the sanctuary.
  • Masks will be REQUIRED! If you do not have a mask and need one, please contact Marilyn Chamberlain. A limited number of disposable masks will be available at the church.
  • Seating will be in observance of social distancing. Every other row will be closed, there will be a required 6 foot spacing between each individual/family unit.
  • Doors will remain open to most rooms to prevent needing to touch those high touch door handles.

Most importantly, returning to worship is not a requirement or an expectation, but rather an option. The decision to return to worship in person is ultimately yours. I want to encourage you to make a decision that is best for you!

Blessings,

Rev. Connor L. Thompson

Associate Pastor

Good Friday Service

Join us Friday April 10th for the Middletown Area Ministerial Alliance Good Friday service here at First Christian Church.

We will have a 7 Last Words Service, where Pastors from various Middletown churches will share with us about the final phrases Christ spoke before his crucifixion.

We will also have music by a joint choir made up of members of various churches.

Advent @ FCC

Join us for Advent at First Christian Church

Services:

Sunday, December 1st, 2019First Sunday of Advent

Worship: 10:30 A.M.

“What Can Love Do?” -Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson, Senior Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson

Sunday, December 8th, 2019Second Sunday of Advent

Worship: 10:30 A.M.

Sermon- Rev. Dr. Pamela T. Barnes-Jackson, First Lady/Associate Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Pamela T. Barnes-Jackson

Sunday, December 15th, 2019Third Sunday of Advent

Worship: 10:30 A.M.

Sermon- Rev. Connor L. Thompson, Associate Pastor

The Rev. Connor L. Thompson

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2018Fourth Sunday of Advent

Worship: 10:30 A.M.

Sermon- Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson, Senior Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson

Tuesday, December 24th, 2018Christmas Eve

Cookies & Wassail: 6:15 P.M.               Candle-light Worship: 7:00 P.M.

Sermon: Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson, Senior Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson

Christmas Eve Service @ FCC

Join us for Christmas-Eve at First Christian Church

6:15 P.M.- Wassail & Cookies

Join us for fellowship over Hot Wassail and Christmas Cookies, a wonderful way to start an evening celebrating the birth of Jesus.

7:00 P.M. Christmas-Eve Worship

We will have our worship service, joining us in the Pulpit will be The Reverend Dr. Wilie J. Barnes-Jackson. We will have special music provided by Michael Hefner, Kaitlin Thompson, and Phillip Meyers accompanied by Kim Meyers. Following communion, we will cap off our evening with a candle-lighting ceremony and hymn singing.

Join us and experience Christmas at First Christian Church

Come Home for Christmas!

Installation of Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson

Join us Sunday October 20th at 3:00 p.m. for the installation of The Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson as Senior Pastor of First Christian Church (Discples of Christ). The service will begin at 3:00 p.m. and will be officiated by The Rev. Rick Spleth, Visiting Regional Pastor for the Christian Church in Ohio and Regional Pastor for the Christian Church in Indiana. We will also have clergy representing a variety of congregations from the Middletown area, as well as Disciples colleagues and friends.

This will be a great afternoon of worship as we welcome Pastor Willie officially as our Senior Pastor. Following the service we will have a reception with cookies and punch

Easter 2019 @ FCC-Middletown

Join for Worship on Easter Sunday at 10:30 A.M.

Worship is neither traditional or contemporary.  It is relevant.  This means that our worship time reflects who we are collectively.  Some of us are traditional and some of us more contemporary, which means our worship contains elements of both.  We strive for worship to be relevant to all who gather to praise God.

We will have The Reverend Carol Oetzel as our Pulpit Guest.

Carol is an Ordained Minister in the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ). Carol is the Pastor of Assimilation at Legacy Christian Church In Harrison, Ohio. She serves on the Commission of Ministry and the Camp Christian Committee for the Christian Church in Ohio. Carol served as Associate Pastor at FCC-Middletown for 13 years. Carol also served Walnut Hills Christian Church as Co-Pastor.

We will also have Mike Fulton as our guest at the Organ, and will be joining our Music Director Michael Hefner and the Chancel Choir!

Join us for a wonderful celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

May 19th, Rev. Rick Spleth

Rick Spleth joined the staff of the
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN INDIANA as Regional Minister on September 1, 2001. His duties include pastoral oversight for congregational and regional ministries and serves as the chief executive officer of the region. As regional minister, Rick works with Search and Call and the Regional Board.  He also works with the Stewardship Commission, Finance Committee, Nominating Committee, and the Reference and Counsel Team of the Commission on Ministry.
He also serves as liaison to the General Church in several capacities, including:
General Board, College of Regional Ministers, Christian Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, Division of Overseas Ministries Board, and the Council for Theological Education. He also serves as president of the Indiana Interchurch Center board.
Rick has a B.A. from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, and an M.Div. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Rick and his wife, Diane, have two adult children and three grandchildren.  Diane is the Senior Minister of Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis.
Rick Spleth, Regional Minister-Indiana, has responsibility for our area of Ohio in the absence of a Regional Minister for the CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN OHIO.

May 12th, Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson

The Rev. Dr. Willie Barnes-Jackson

Rev. Dr. Willie J. Barnes-Jackson was born in Bourbon County, Paris, KY. He is the son of Mrs. Wanda M. Anderson of Dayton OH, and Dr. Willie J. Barnes of Longview, TX. Dr. Barnes-Jackson accepted his call to ministry on August 22, 1998 at a John Maxwell “Equipping the Saints” seminar in Toledo, Ohio.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1998 from Central State University, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. He graduated in 2002 from Payne Theological Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree in Theological Studies and Pastoral and Marriage Counseling, while having matriculated as a Daniel A. Payne Presidential Scholar. He also completed over 400 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education and was ordained in December 2002 by the Christian Church in Ohio and Summit Christian Church under pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. J. Thomas Johnson. In 2013, he graduated from United Theological Seminary after completing his Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Education and Urban Ministry Development.

Dr. Barnes-Jackson has volunteered as a Chaplain for both Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals in Dayton. He is a member of the Disciples Chaplain Association. He held the position of President of the Reconciliation Committee. He is a trained member of the Anti-racism and Pro-reconciliation Commission and is considered a New Church Planter for the Ohio Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Dr. Barnes-Jackson established the first and successful annual Brother’s in God’s Grace (B.I.G.G.) Men’s Rally at Tabernacle Baptist Church. He spearheaded the development of a Clergy Social Action effort called Dayton Ecumenical Social Action Collaborative and led the development of a non-profit Community Development Corporation and

Action group with parishioners at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio. Currently he is an Associate Minister at Summit Christian Church in Dayton. Rev. Dr. Barnes-Jackson was an Associate Minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church and Pastor of Light of the Community Christian Church (DOC). He is married to Rev. Dr. Pamela Barnes-Jackson and is father to six children and fourteen grandchildren. He and Pamela celebrated thirty-one years of marriage on February 22, 2018 and currently reside in Clayton, Ohio. He is a loving and caring member of the Body of Christ and a dedicated man of God who looks forward to working with others in ways that enhance and promote continuous spiritual growth.

May 5th, Mr. Michael Massey



Michael is a part-time student at Lexington Theological Seminary (Disciples of Christ) and is a “member in discernment” working towards ordination in the United Church of Christ. He was raised Southern Baptist and has a church music degree from Southern Seminary, but found his spiritual home in the UCC. He has been a member of Faith UCC in Cincinnati for 18 years.

Michael is Special Projects Director at Dolbey and Company, a healthcare documentation solutions provider, and has worked there in a variety of positions since 1994. He and Leslie have been married for nearly 37 years and have a son Jonathan who is an incredible professional musician and songwriter.

April 28th, Rev. Rebecca Woods

Rebecca Woods, M.DIV, Lindner Center of Hope

Rebecca Woods serves as Spiritual Care Coordinator at the Lindner Center of HOPE. She sees patients who want to include spirituality and faith in their ongoing recovery, helps provide for patients’ spiritual and religious needs, and leads Enrichment groups.

Rev. Woods is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. She completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center and Twin Towers Retirement Community. In 2015 she completed additional training in Palliative Care Chaplaincy through California State University and the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network. She is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains and the Spiritual Care Association.

Her focus is on helping people develop and maintain a healthy spirituality to support recovery and wellness; facilitating connections with supportive faith communities; and educating faith leaders and communities on how to support individuals and families in coping with mental health and addiction issues.

Before joining the Lindner Center of HOPE, she worked as a full-time chaplain at Twin Towers Retirement Community and served on the board of directors of NAMI of Butler County. Prior to that, she pastored an urban congregation and was the executive director/campus minister at the Campus Ministry Center (now the Interfaith Center) in Oxford, Ohio, serving students at Miami University.

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)