What’s inside...

Preschool..pg. 2

Online Giving...pg. 2

Going to the Movies...pg. 3

Thanks FASTSIGNS..pg.3

Columbarium..pg. 4

Marriage Seminar...pg. 4

Basics Class...pg.5

KP Groups..pg. 5

Mission Opportunities..pg. 6

Youth Ministry...pg. 7

Chaparral Bells...pg. 7

Safety dictates that we pay more aention to the red glimmer from the taillights ahead of us, rather than the ethereal glow of a crescent moon silently traveling through the heavens above us. And, it does not take a brain surgeon (or rocket scientist) to notice that such is the case with nearly every aspect of our daily lives. The incessant demands of the immediate seem to have a well hidden trump card always ready to play against what we might see as extraordinary.

Consider the great mounds of rubbery, yellow kelp you often "nd while taking an early morning stroll along one of California's beaches. Sometimes, you will "nd children tugging on their branches or popping the tear-shaped pods. Most adults, however, see the tangled heap as an eyesore that requires the aention of a giant kiy lier scooper.

Rising thirty to "fty feet off the sea $oor (and over 200 feet in some places), the magni"cent kelp forests hidden beneath the coastal waves reveal a complex majesty that can be best described as, otherworldly. As you glide between the rippled blades, life is unveiled around every corner in three dimensions. Light shimmers and glistens through the water with the movement of the currents and the motion of the members of the forest swaying in unison. Your aention is focused on the forest's inhabitants. While you will not "nd the likes of Bambi, Thumper and friends enjoying a sunny afternoon, you will see many of Ariel's subjects making a life for themselves in this great, protective canopy. Then, like the crescent moon keeping watch over the

nighime highway, the kelp forest drifts into the background of the ordinary. So why does kelp form a standing forest and not a carpet weaving its way along the ocean $oor? I had not thought of that question until I was stuck in the midst of one of Catalina Island's kelp forests waiting for divers to descend. For the "rst time, I saw those tear-shaped pods as more than a sheet of naturally occurring bubble wrap begging to be popped. These gas-"lled bladders, or pneumatocysts, provided buoyancy to keep the stalk and blades standing tall, which led to another question. How did these gas-"lled bladders become gas-"lled while underwater?

My point has nothing to do with the answer to the question of the pneumatocysts, but rather with "nding the time and perspective to ask questions. Last week, I was preparing a lesson on Psalm 23, a piece of Hebrew poetry that we most often "nd printed on the back of funeral programs. Yet, the author seems more interested in comfort that can be found in the present, rather than sought in some distant future. From the darkest valley to placid waters, or from a banquet prepared while our enemies are watching to rolling around in green "elds, the author seems convinced that God is with us, here and now.

I am not suggesting that we remove the 23rd Psalm from funeral programs or from the personal fans that graced church pews in a time before air conditioning was popular. But, I do think that this great psalm reminds us to remove God from the back of the bulletin and background of our lives. Beginning next week, we will start a new series of messages entitled, "Elements." Together, we will explore practical ways that will help us keep our relationship with God standing tall in the ocean of daily life.

Background NoiseFrank A. Shirvinski

B E I N G T H E P R E S E N C E O F C H R I S T I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y

CHAPARRAL familythe

Chaparral Preschool & Kindergarten          The  kids  have  been  back  in  school  for  several  weeks  and  busy  schedules  are  

hi5ng  full  speed.  Don’t  forget  to  make  =me  to  just  let  your  kids  relax  and  play  on  their  own.  Children  truly  do  learn  as  much  from  unstructured  play  and  

ac=vi=es  as  they  do  in  the  classroom.          When  children  are  exposed  to  new  ac=vi=es  and  environments,  it  expands  

their  vocabulary  and  builds  new  connec=ons  in  their  brains.  Just  as  important,  

“children  who  engage  in  plenty  of  unstructured,  imagina=ve  play  deal  with  stress  beEer,  and  develop  beEer  self-­‐control.  They  are  beEer  at  iden=fying  their  likes  and  dislikes,  ac=ng  independently,  and  

making  decisions  than  are  children  whose  lives  are  rigidly  structured.  These  benefits  help  them  do  beEer  in  school.”    (Early  Childhood  Journal)    Play  builds  the  skills  they  need  later  in  life  to  get  along  with  other  people  and  see  different  points  of  view.  

Play  is  indispensable  in  children's  development.  Let's  give  them  an  hour  of  play  everyday!

SUBSTITUTES  WANTED:  Chaparral  Chris=an  Preschool  and  Kindergarten  is  looking  for  individuals  18  and  older  who  love  to  work  with  2  to  5-­‐year-­‐olds.    All  of  our  classrooms  are  set  up  with  two  teachers,  so  as  a  subs=tute,  you  will  work  as  an  

assistant  only  with  one  of  the  regular  teachers.  You  are  required  to  be  fingerprinted  but  the  preschool  will  reimburse  you  for  the  fingerprin=ng  once  you  start  subbing.  The  posi=on  pays  $10  an  hour.    Call  or  email  Nicole  Moran  for  a  subs=tute  

applica=on  at  ccpk@qwestoffice.net  or  480-­‐991-­‐6440.    -­‐  Nicole  Moran

Something NEW is here at Chaparral! 

For the past several months, our staff has been working to move Chaparral Christian to a new Church Management software package which we hope will better serve our Church family.  This new system, called Fellowship One, will provide us with a number of new benefits.  In the newsletter, we introduced our new system for creating an online profile and Church directory.  Now, we are implementing our second phase which will provide our members with additional services for online giving.  In addition to having the ability to offer recurring contributions using your checking account (ACH), we now have the capability of providing recurring contributions using Visa and MasterCard.  In addition, you will also have the ability to completely control the frequency, amount and schedule for your contributions.  Also, by linking your secure online profile to the financial component, you can view your giving history right from the comfort of your home at any time. This also means that you can make payments for events, activities and other programs using your existing account.  

To get started, visit Chaparral.org and click on the "My Account" button.  Here, you can learn about all of the new services.  On the left menu, you will find a video and PDF for making an online profile.  Once this is created, you will use the same login and password to access the online giving sites.  Online giving can be directly accessed from Chaparral.org by clicking on "Online Tools" and then the "Online Giving" button on the next page.  Remember, the login and password you use for online giving and our online profile (InFellowship) are the same. (You can also create an account directly from the Online Giving page.)  Detailed instructions, FAQs and additional information can be found on our website.  Also, please feel free to contact the Church office with your questions.  We hope that these new services will be helpful.

*Note: A number of folks have asked about households that use only one email address but would like to have two or more users.  Unfortunately, email addresses cannot be shared.  The simplest solution is to acquire another email address from a free service like gmail or your internet service provider (Cox, Qwest (Century Link), etc.).

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Sunday Morning Small Group Bible Studies will resume for the fall semester. 

On September 4th, Jr. and Sr. High students will split up after worshiping together in The Commons and go to their respective classes in the Forum; 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, led by Jennifer Rice in the North Forum classroom, will be studying the topic of Prayer including discussions on "The purpose of prayer," "Praying for the right reason," and "Making time to pray."

The 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, led by Travis Armes in the South Forum classroom, will be discussing the idea of the Christian Atheist based on the book by Craig Groeschel, The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist. Discussions will include "When you believe in God but you won't forgive," "When you believe in God but not in prayer," "When you believe in God but pursue happiness at any cost," and "When you believe in God but not in His Church."   

Sunday Night Programs Resume for the FallOn the evening of September 18th we will resume our Sunday night gatherings from 5-6:30 in The Commons.  Activities will include worship in song led by the teen band, guided prayer and reflection and meditation exercises, group games, small group discussions and the occasional off campus night.  Jr. and Sr. High students will meet together for part of the evenings, particularly to join together to worship in song. Small group nights Jr. and Sr. High students, guys and gals, will split up so that they may open up and share from their heart with one of our loving adult

leaders. 

Volunteers Needed!We hope that all parents are already participating in the youth ministry in a big way by praying for their students and the ministry's adult volunteers. If you would like to be more involved, we would love to have additional energetic and compassionate adults assisting in our Sunday morning small groups and our Sunday evening programs.  You need not be a Bible scholar or a party planner or a Phys Ed guru, you just need to have a love for teens and for helping them mature spiritually.  

Additionally, we frequently need chaperones and/or drivers for events, host homes for parties, and meal or event organizers for activities like 30-Hour Famine.  Invest in our teens, invest in their future, invest in our future.  

Chaparral bells sharing their gift

For  many  years  the  Bells  of  Chaparral  have  enjoyed  a  weekend  get-­‐away  to  the  Mogollon  Rim.  About  a  decade  ago  one  of  our  longAme  ringers,  Donna  Heitmann  and  her  husband  Norb,  moved  to  Happy  Jack.    Each  summer  they  invite  our  ringers  to  play  in  their  mountaintop  place  of  worship,  Blue  Ridge  Community  Church.  This  year  10  of  our  ringers  and  several  of  their  family  members  made  the  trek  up  the  hill.  I’m  proud  that  these  people  take  our  giM  of  music  and  the  unique  sound  of  the  handbells  to  a  church  that  is  so  welcoming  and  appreciaAve.    -­‐    Jackie  Huber

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The House of Hope works in conjunction with our friends at House of Refuge Sunnyslope (HRS). This program is designed to assist single working mothers, as they seek to keep their families together and recover from poverty and homelessness. Currently the House of Hope is committed to providing housing and helping 10 families become self-sufficient within a loving Christian community environment. They are the presence of Christ.

If you volunteered to help at this summerʼs VBS program, you could have very well met some of the children of these households. We were delighted we could provide such an opportunity for them.

House of Hope is looking for others to come alongside them to assist these families. They are in need of mentors and support teams to provide skill classes and lead Bible studies. There are also plenty of opportunities to cook a meal or watch the children while momʼs learn additional life skills. If you would like additional information concerning how you can be the presence of Christ to these families, contact Moira Winter moirawinter@aol.com, or the House of Hope directly (602-678-0223 and ask for Julie Supplee).

“There is surely a future of hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Proverbs 23:18

Missionʼs Opportunity

For the last two years, Chaparral has participated with Feed My Starving Children, a program designed to assist in feeding the worldʼs hungry. Amazingly, it is the same organization that helps Northwest Haiti Christian Mission with its feeding program.

In conjunction with the fall medical mission trip to Haiti, we have reserved a number of spots to visit the Tempe food packing location and pack meals to be sent overseas. This will take place on Saturday, October 15, from 2:00-4:00 pm. This can be a family event, or just a fun way to fellowship with several friends from the congregation. While Feed My Starving Children does not require donations, they do request that volunteers prayerfully consider helping cover the cost of the food. The average adult person packages $52 worth of food during the two hour session.

Register on line through the church website (www.chaparral.org). If you have any questions, you can contact Wayne Worthington (wworthington@cox.net) or Sara Perrine (sara.perrine@chaparral.org).

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Going to the MoviesI like to watch movies. Recently, I discovered that I like creating movies as well. Together with Andrew Langdal and Kenny Bump, I have seen an idea morph into a story; a story morph into a script, and a script come to life in the hands of hired actors. We’re calling the movie Riscatto, the Italian word for “Redemption,” because the movie chronicles a middle-aged man’s journey to redeem himself from his former way of life. As a younger man, he was addicted to the thrill of crime. But now as a middle-aged man, he is a slave to the consequences of his former life.

“Redemption” is more than a New Testament word. It was first uttered to a man who lived a thousand years before Christ. In Exodus 6, the LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD... I will free you from being slaves to the Egyptians, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” For Moses, being redeemed meant being free from slavery.

The Apostle Paul picked up on this theme in Romans 6. Here’s a summary of what Paul writes:

We are all slaves to something. You’re either a slave to sin, which means you are slaving to please yourself, slaving to work primarily for your good.

Or, according to Paul, you’re a slave to God: “But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God..and the result is eternal life” (6:22).

I like to watch movies and, whether that movie is a drama, comedy, or action flick, I try to find themes of redemption throughout. I encourage you to do the same everywhere you go. Even Hollywood filmmakers realize that there is something terribly wrong with the world. They realize that all is not well, and that the world needs a huge dose of hope. People are looking for redemption, and we get to be the people who tell them that redemption has a Name. We get to be the people who find relevant ways to tell them that being a slave to culture is no way of living at all. We get to be the people who share with them the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah. ! Nick Stavlund

A Special Thanks to FASTSIGNS! Wende and Drew Mutschler, longtime members here at Chaparral, (Wende’s parents are Charlie & Kathy Miller) have done so much to help the Church in producing beautiful signs for our campus! I have had the pleasure of working with them and everyone I have encountered has been wonderful to work with. Most of the new signage on campus has been printed by them. We design most of them and they bring them to life! However, if you are in need of someone to design yours, they can do that too. They are located next to Smart and Final at Thunderbird Road and Scottsdale. Go in and say Hi or better yet, have them create a beautiful sign for you today!

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COLUMBARIUM TO HAVE NEW COVER STONES

We are pleased to announce that new name stones will be installed in our beautiful garden columbarium in the coming months.  As you may have noticed the finish on the original covers, which are made of brass, is discoloring as the covers age, making some difficult to read.  This picture shows the new solid granite plaques that have been designed to replace the old covers.  The new granite covers will be the exact same size as the old brass plates, and the finish will be as durable as the stone from which they are cut.  Brass covers which already have been engraved will be replaced with duplicates, bearing the same words etched in stone.  The brackets holding the covers in place will remain the same.

Pictured are three of the test covers that we have put in place to allow our people to see the new material.  Larry Hostetler has been working with a stone mason and an engraver to produce the new covers.  He set out to find a solution that would be permanent and maintain the beauty of our unique columbarium.  He said, "For centuries people have used granite stones to mark the resting place of those they love.  Those stones are endearing and enduring reminders of the heroes of the faith who served their God in this life, and now rest in His eternal presence in heaven.  Every time I walk through the garden I am reminded of the continuing legacy of love these people have at Chaparral."

It will take some months to cut the new stones and have them engraved.  Those who have questions about the new covers may call Larry at the office.  Those who have loved ones already sheltered in the columbarium will be contacted and consulted about the process and when they can expect to see the new granite markers.  You are invited to visit the columbarium to see the new plaques up close.  Two of the granite plaques are in place with one engraved and the other blank.  We believe they are a beautiful solution to providing covers of lasting quality.

The columbarium is offered to all members and friends of Chaparral as they have need, or for future use.  Many people have reserved their niche as the final resting place for their cremains.  For more information please call Nick Stavlund or Larry Hostetler.

Topics for the seven weeks include:    Building Strong Foundations    The Art of Communication    Resolving Con$ict    The Power of Forgiveness    Good Sex    The Impact of Family – Past and Present  Love in Action

Dinner for Two? Great Conversation? Yes, Please!

The Marriage Course runs from Saturday, Sept. 10-Oct. 22, 5:30-8:00 p.m. in The Commons

The cost is $85.00 for members and non-members is $95.00.

This fee covers the cost of dinner for two each week and materials.  This can be paid on-line from the Chaparral website (events).

Childcare is also available.

New to Chaparral? Chaparral Basics Class is for you.Are you new to Chaparral? Do you have a friend you've been meaning to invite to church? We are offering a Chaparral Basics Class on two Sunday evenings, September 18 and 25, from 5:00 - 6:00 in the Conference Room. These classes will be taught by our Senior Minister, Frank Shirvinski. The classes will be a great way to find out more about our Church, its history, what we believe and the many ministry opportunities we offer. You will also have the chance to meet many of the people on staff at Chaparral. Come for one or both classes! We would love the opportunity to get to know you better, and tell you more about who we are! Childcare will be provided, but we need to know how many children you will bring and what their ages are. Please call Adrienne at 480-991-9878 to let her know. The class will wrap up with a Connections Dinner, which will be on Sunday, September 29.

Connections DinnerOn Thursday, September 29, from 6-8 pm, we would love to invite anyone who is new to Chaparral and your families to a Connections Dinner in The Commons. Children are welcome, too. Come eat with us, meet other new people and staff from our church, and have a great time! Dinner and dessert will be provided. We need to know by Monday, September 26, how many people will be attending to help us plan how much food to have. If you are interested or have questions, please call Adrienne at 480-991-9878 or email adrienne.armes@chaparral.org.

We hope to see you at the Basics Class and the Connections Dinner! We are so glad you are a part of Chaparral!

KP Groups...Coming Soon! What are "KP" Groups? KP, or kingdom promoting groups, are task-oriented or service small groups. The name comes from our commission to continue Jesus' earthly mission of promoting God's kingdom (i.e., God's peace, rule and renewal) on earth. KP groups will meet regularly for one of the following four purposes: 1) To care for the Chaparral campus, 2) To pray for one another, 3) To visit seniors in assisted living centers and nursing homes, 4) To partner with local organizations and para-church ministries in the community. The list of KP groups is not exhaustive and we hope more groups will form so that we may greater serve our community. Some of the groups will be open for families

with children to serve together, while others may require childcare. 

We will kick off our KP groups with a social on the evening of September 11th. Check out the Chaparral website for more information and to sign up. 

Leaders wanted!If you would be willing to contact other team members and work with Chaparral ministers as a

liaison and contact person for your group, please step up! Call Travis Armes at the Church office.

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theCHAPARRAL family

CHAPARRAL 6451 E. Shea BlvdScottsdale, AZ 85254

theThe Chaparral (USPS 416-770) is published monthly by Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254-5097, periodical postage paid at Scottsdale, AZ. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85254-5097.

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