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This Sunday at Brentwood

In Person Worship Guidelines
10:00 a.m. Livestream
Share Your Joys & Concerns
Donate
The Great Information Update
Youth Sunday School meets weekly at 9:00 a.m.
Uppity Women of the Bible Sunday School series begins at 9:00 a.m.
Baby Dedication of Thea Lindsey during worship service (Tina and Ryan Lindsey, parents)

January events

Jan. 11 - Coffee & Conversation, 10:00 a.m.*

Jan. 16 - Worship temporarily moves downstairs until Easter; services at both 9:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. (more details below)

Jan. 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day March from Mediacom Ice Park to the downtown square, 9:00 a.m.

Jan. 19 - Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 20 - Pub Theology, 7:00 p.m.*

We are collecting donations for Safe to Sleep throughout the month of January (more info below).

*Due to a variety of factors, please note that the locations for Coffee & Conversation and Pub Theology are emailed the morning of each respective event.

Spotlight on our January outreach focus: "Safe to Sleep"

Throughout the year, we are taking time to spotlight each of the organizations our congregation committed to support in 2022. For the month of January, we are focusing on Safe to Sleep, which provides shelter and case management services for women experiencing homelessness.

To donate to Safe to Sleep, you may make your check out to Brentwood Christian Church and put "Safe to Sleep" on the memo line. To donate online, follow the instructions here and use the benevolence code "Special7" (without the quotation marks).
Donate to Safe to Sleep
(Use the code "Special7")

About Safe to Sleep

Safe to Sleep (STS) inspires hope for women experiencing homelessness by providing shelter and case management services, which help them overcome obstacles to sustainable housing.

Once the guest’s immediate need for shelter is met, the focus turns to transportation to and from appointments, connection with medical and mental health specialists, and document readiness for housing/employment — all with the goal of permanent housing. Safe to Sleep is the only local low-barrier “women’s” shelter available 365 days a year.

Since 2011, Safe to Sleep has provided a safe haven for more than 2,700 homeless women. In an atmosphere of dignity and compassion, women have safe shelter and support services to move them from scarcity to security.

Brentwood's Cooperative Cold Weather Shelter is running low on supplies

With so many below freezing nights in a row, the supplies in our Cooperative Crisis Cold Weather Shelter are running really low. it is our hope and prayer that our Brentwood family can help stock these shelves! We have an Amazon wishlist you can shop from and items will be sent directly to Asbury United Methodist Church. You can also purchase these items in town and drop them off at Asbury between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday-Friday or at 8 p.m. on nights when the shelter is open. Items may also be dropped off at Brentwood.

The items that are most needed are:
Essential Food Items
Cup of Noodles
Flavored oatmeal packets
Coffee
Coffee creamer
Hot Cocoa
Tea

Essential Clothing Items:
Body Wipes
Underwear
Socks 
Gloves
Sweatpants with drawstring waist

Essential Kitchen Supplies:
Small hot beverage cups
Spoons
Forks
Napkins
Cold Weather Shelter Amazon Wishlist

New Sunday School class begins Jan. 9: Uppity Women of the Bible

You are invited to join a new Sunday school class beginning January 9 at 9AM in room 10. The group will begin a study of Uppity Women of the Bible. Four women’s stories: A Moabite widow, a Jewish queen, a young lover, and a pious warrior. Can you guess who they might be? The study will challenge us to reflect on a variety of issues still relevant to people of faith, from the presence and absence of God to the place of passion and sexuality to the ways we all suffer and impose both oppression and liberation. The class will be based on a series of video lectures by Dr. Lisa Wolfe, professor or Hebrew Bible at Oklahoma City University. Dr. Don Emler (who was a colleague of Dr. Wolfe’s at OCU) will lead the discussions. Participants are encouraged to read the Book of Ruth before the first session. Also think of the uppity women you can name from scripture and why you might call them uppity.

Exciting updates taking place at Brentwood, beginning in January!

Increase Accessibility.
Improve Visibility.
Update Aesthetics.
To Be More Welcoming to All.

We are entering into an exciting time in the life of Brentwood! We are collaborating with Trinity Presbyterian Church to make some much needed, overdue updates to our property! While this is still a fairly modest effort (there aren't any structural changes or additions to the building), it provides the opportunity to:

Increase Accessibility
Multiple improvements in the sanctuary are designed to make our worship space more accessible to those who use wheelchairs and walkers.

Improve Lighting
New, high efficiency LED lighting in the sanctuary will eliminate dark spots, improve visibility during services, and enhance our livestream broadcasts.

Update Aesthetics
All new flooring, freshly painted walls, and updated fixtures in all spaces will update the look and feel, helping extend welcome to all.

New Sign
Installation of a new exterior sign will clearly identify both Brentwood and Trinity as active congregations in our facility while also improving visibility and presence in the neighborhood.

Brochure

Important info to know

Tentative Timeline
  • Jan. 16: Worship moves downstairs to Fellowship Hall; services at 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.
  • Jan. 17: Office and main entrance temporarily move to west end (weekdays only)
  • Jan. 17-Feb. 6:  Areas to be renovated cleared of items
  • Feb. 7-April 10: Active renovations and installations
  • April 10-15: Sanctuary reset and prepared for worship
  • April 17: Easter worship in sanctuary
Worship moves downstairs Jan. 16 -- Brentwood services take place at both 9AM and 10AM to allow for social distancing
  • Beginning Jan. 16, worship will take place downstairs in the Fellowship Hall at 9AM and 10AM. It will be the same service (two different times allows for more social distancing since the Fellowship Hall is a smaller space than the sanctuary). As we learn more about omicron we can potentially go back to just one service at 10AM, but for now in the Fellowship Hall we begin with two services as a safeguarding measure. 
Sunday morning activities & programs during renovation
  • The nursery will be available from 8:45AM-11:00AM
  • Children’s Church will be held during the 10AM service
  • Sunday School for youth continues to meet at 9AM in upstairs classroom
  • New Sunday School for adults ("Uppity Women of the Bible") taught by Dr. Don Emler meets at 9AM in upstairs classroom Room 10
  • “Communion to go” — instead of taking off masks during service, we will offer a communion blessing during the service; participants are invited to take their communion packet with them to partake away from Fellowship Hall
  • Offering baskets continue to be available but not passed
Entry & exit for downstairs worship
  • It's easiest to use the downstairs doors by the playground, on the south side of the building adjacent to the back parking lot. There are no steps; the entrance is accessible. Please note that the east doors will be locked during renovations.
Questions?
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to our special committee (or to Phil or Emily) who are working with Trinity Presbyterian on this project:
  • Diane Riedle, Stewardship Chair
  • Brent Fullington, Property Chair
  • Betsy Burris
  • Cindy Lear
  • Gary Stewart
  • Dan Bohannon (ex-officio)

Updated safety guidelines

Since returning to in-person worship, we have implemented several COVID-related health and safety protocols, including required masking, social distancing, and individual communion kits. Going forward, these protocols will remain in place. We’ve also added some updates to our original guidelines. We remain committed to doing as much as possible to help you make the decision to participate at Brentwood in the way that is best for you.

If you plan to attend activities in person, please keep the following updates in mind. [Our full set of guidelines is available here.]

Better masks
While masking helps protect others, data shows it also offers a measure of protection for those wearing masks. In relation to the Omicron surge, early data suggests that KN95 and N95 masks offer significantly better protection than cloth masks and loose-fitting surgical masks. We highly recommend you use these masks whenever possible. Masks are required at all times while indoors at Brentwood.

Communion
In order to allow everyone to stay masked during the entire worship service, we are temporarily asking participants to take their communion packs with them in order to partake at home. During services, we will offer a communion blessing, but we will wait to share in communion until we are in our own spaces. Think of it as “communion to go.” Not ideal, of course, but one small thing to help us get through these times as safely as possible. 

Congregational Singing
We receive lots of questions about singing. For now, congregational singing is allowed, so long as you wear your mask and sing softer than you normally would.

Vaccination
If you’re eligible to get vaccinated, we highly encourage you to get vaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, we encourage you to get boosted. Unvaccinated individuals will bear the brunt of Omicron-driven infections, but initial study of Omicron suggests that breakthrough infections are more common for vaccinated individuals. However, fully vaccinated individuals who’ve received booster shots are most likely to avoid severe illness. A higher vaccination rate also reduces community spread and universal vaccination would help squelch the emergence of new variants—so please continue to encourage vaccination among your friends, family, and colleagues.

Standard Protocols
Standard protocols remain in place:

  • Please self-screen before attending. If you have any symptoms of illness (COVID related or not), please show love for your neighbor by staying home until you feel better. Consider taking advantage of at-home testing kits if they’re available to you. 
  • Maintain social distancing in the sanctuary. Only sit next to others in your household. Households should try to stay at least two arm lengths apart from others on the same row. Do your best to arrange seating so that you are not sitting directly in front or behind those sitting in the pews in front and behind you.
  • Please do not closely congregate outside the sanctuary, either before or after service. Outdoor social interaction is welcome.

Thank you for helping us love our neighbors during these hard times. It’s an awful thing for our world to be going through, and there’s never been a more important time to express love and care for one another.

The Great Information Update

We are trying to make sure that everyone connected to our church community has access to the information you need so we can best serve you. 

Could you take a moment to fill out this Google Form so we can make sure our records are up to date? We greatly appreciate it!
Update My Info

Our Pastoral Team is Here For You

If you are going through a difficult time in life or have questions/concerns and would like to visit with one of our pastors, you may contact them by phone (417-881-0144) or email in order to set up a time (if it’s an emergency, using the phone to contact a pastor is best).
  • Rev. Dr. Phil Snider, Senior Minister
  • Rev. Emily Bowen-Marler, Associate Minister
  • Rev. Sarah Stephenson, Minister to Families
  • Rev. Charlie Bahn, Minister of Congregational Care
Email Dr. Snider
Email Rev. Bowen-Marler
Email Rev. Stephenson
Email Rev. Bahn
Stewardship Update
2021 Budget Goal thru Nov — $284,836
General Offering thru Nov — $267,126
Brentwood makes a profound difference locally and globally through a variety of programs, ministries and justice initiatives that are only possible because of your generous acts of giving. Indeed, it is only through your partnership that we are able to change the world together. Click here (or on the "Donate" button) to make a safe and secure online donation. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Copyright © 2022 Brentwood Christian Church, All rights reserved.


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