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OUR LATEST TALK SERIES:
CMYK began 2018 with a sermon series exploring the history of the church — where it’s been, where it’s going and what it means for us today.
We started with the roots of Christianity planted by Christ during his life and resurrection. Then we took a close look at the church’s surprisingly consistent cycle of change. Every 500 years, a new branch grew on the tree of Christianity — from the marriage of Christianity and political power to the Great Schism between East and West to the Protestant Reformation to the present, with 30,000 unique denominations of Christianity. With each new branch came new fruit, both good and bad.
But studying history isn’t just for the sake of memory. As the church approaches another 500-year anniversary and another massive shift in direction, we know if we understand where we came from and how we got here, we can shape the future of our faith. Which direction is forward? It’s up to us.
To listen to the whole series, visit cmyktalks.podbean.com or search for CMYK talks wherever you listen to podcasts. For deeper study, check out Phyllis Tickle's book, The Great Emergence.
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WE HAVE ENOUGH.
As a community we are currently giving 45% of everything given to organizations doing great work in the community and world around us.
One of our favorites in Billings is Tumbleweed. It's an honor to help, in a small way, with the great stuff they are doing here in our city.
Head to www.tumbleweedprogram.org to learn more.
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BIG SKY TRIO ALBUM RELEASE
Big Sky Trio is a modern jazz group from Billings. In June Erik Olson, Keller Paulson, and Parker Brown went to Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, to record at their on campus studio. After a long weekend they produced Short Stories. Monte Nickels (Tippet Rise) engineered the project. The album is comprised of original and arranged songs from the Big Sky Trio blending traditions from jazz, folk, rock, and even hip hop. Money gifted by the CMYK Community helped cover extra costs with making and producing the album and furthered education for the musicians in the band. Short Stories debuted at Arthouse Cinema & Pub on April 6. Albums are on sale at www.pbrownsound.com.
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SINGER-SONGWRITER GRANT ALLEN JONES
Grant Jones has been a member of the CMYK community since its inception. He frequently shares his music at Sunday gatherings, and I am ecstatic for the upcoming summertime release of his first album, Nighttime Friends. (He considers the style to be folk rock.) I have sweet visions of driving in my car, windows rolled down, wind in my hair, and the voice of Grant Jones and his acoustic guitar pushing the limits of my Hyundai Santa Fe speakers. Grant's soulful lyrics and humble disposition are striking. He poetically expresses the wonder, joy, and sorrow of humanity. CMYK and the Billings community is fortunate to have such a talented musician.
Grant will play The Garage at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. on May 5. This show will be a split bill with The Dusty Pockets from Bozeman. You'll find me there with a Wooley Bugger Root Beer in my hand and a smile on my face as Grant pours his heart out and enlivens the audience. If you're a fan of talented local music, this is an event you do not want to miss.
Story by: Mikayla Hirschkorn
About Mikayla: I love a lot of things in this world, but among my favorites are ice cream, tea, books, free T-shirts, and cozy blankets. My ideal day would be combining all of these in a bed with my dog and my husband. I am working my dream job as a public school librarian. I like to dabble with a math equation or two when the occasion arises.
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CONGRATULATIONS, AIDRIAN!
The winner of the Materials Science Award for grades 1-12 is…second-grader, Aidrian Lindley! Those in the CMYK Community will be most familiar with the sight of Aidrian dashing through the CMYK crowd on a Sunday morning. But on March 23, he was presenting the results of his marshmallow-and-toothpick bridge experiment to judges at the largest science fair in our region. The MSU Billings & Billings Clinic Science Expo was sanctioned by the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair and attracted more than 350 competitors from 24 Montana counties.
Aidrian chose the marshmallow and toothpick bridge project because he likes to build things and it sounded fun. His three bridge designs confirmed his hypothesis: that a bridge with beams will hold the most weight — even if the bridge is built of marshmallows and toothpicks. As Aidrian’s designs evolved, his material list expanded to two sizes of marshmallow and the toothpicks. Play-Doh containers, craft paint and a can of pineapple juice were used as test weights. The final bridge design supported all of the test weight: Paint, three Play-Doh containers AND the pineapple juice. His work was impressive enough to garner him the only Materials Science award in all 12 grades.
Aidrian reported he enjoyed designing bridges, loved talking to the judges about his project and is looking forward to a different project next year. But the favorite part of the science expo for Aidrian? He was next to his best friend, Henry.
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STRATEGIES FOR HANDLING WHINING AND TEMPER TANTRUMS
The core skill that will help you through a temper tantrum is keeping your cool. Your upset will only fuel your child’s fire. Instead, use active calming techniques such as deep breathing to manage these difficult, but developmentally normal, fits.
As in any conflict situation, focus on what you want your child to do, model this behavior or state yourself, and notice any hint of success. In terms of tantrums, the behavior or state of being that you want from your child is “calm.” Your job is to focus on “calm” and model calmness yourself. This may sound particularly difficult in the face of a screaming 3-year-old, but can we really expect a 3-year-old to keep his cool if we can’t stay cool ourselves? Here’s an example:
Your toddler wants a bag of candy he’s spied in the grocery aisle. You say, “No.” He crashes to the floor, screaming. You’re feeling angry, embarrassed, exhausted and at your wits end. You feel like everyone’s looking at you.
First, take three deep breaths to help calm the stress response in your body. Then, discipline yourself with the affirmation, “I’m safe. Keep breathing. I can handle this.” You’ve just set the internal foundation needed to teach your child how to handle frustration and become calm. Now you can address your upset child.
Be encouraging. Get down at eye level with him and say, “You can handle this. Breathe with me. You’re safe.” Scoop him up, hold him in your arms and breathe deeply with him. When his body relaxes a little, say, “There you go, you’re calming down.” Then tell him he has a choice, “You can sit in the cart and hold the list, or you can sit in the cart and hold your truck.” Once he makes his choice, celebrate your success together, “You did it! You calmed yourself down, and that’s hard to do.”
Source: www.consciousdiscipline.com
Dr. Becky Baileys, Easy To Love, Difficult To Discipline, contains detailed information for wiring children’s brains for greater self-control (fewer tantrums in the first place) and helping children calm down so they can move through an existing tantrum more quickly.
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Jenny Barkac is an educator working with teachers and administrators to approach emotional regulation proactively. Teaching strategies that encourage positive instructional and behavioral changes increase student emotional regulation. Using 25 years of classroom experience and her recent doctoral work, Jenny has established an effective way to teach self-regulation through daily routines. Jenny has presented at state and national conferences on topics related to transformational change, behavioral interventions, and understanding the brain to manage emotions. She is an educational consultant who views challenging behavior as a skill deficit and teaches others the power of perception and intentional teaching through prevention and intervention strategies. Her work as a Behavior Interventionist allows for intentional interventions that uniquely contribute to working with the whole child while helping them to develop internal strategies for managing emotions in a safe way.
Jenny's vision for CMYK kids is that we teach all children not only about the love of Jesus but also how to manage emotions. Using healthy coping strategies, we can model effective ways to actively calm our own upset as adults. Investing in parents and strengthening their skillset in emotional regulation will create healthy environments for children. As a community we can invest in our children during each gathering through being intentional about how we see misbehavior and being willing to learn and teach missing skills to our children through safety, connection and problem-solving. "Thank you for sharing your children with me!"
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NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS TEARING AT THE SEAMS
If you haven't been following this guy (and his band), you've been missing out.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nights Sweats make their long-awaited return with Tearing at the Seams, a staggering album of rock 'n' soul music. Propelled by driving rhythms, blazing hornplay, and Rateliff's rowdy, soul-drenched vocals, Tearing at the Seams' 12 tracks crackle with emotion and intensity. From anguished sorrow to ecstatic heights, Rateliff's expressive tenor is unvarnished on the record's tender R&B ballads and nitro-fueled rave-ups.
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MOTHER: A FILM BY DARREN ARONOFSKY
WARNING: This film is not for the faint of heart. In fact I (Matt) wrestled with whether I should even mention it. But as with most things in my life, I'm just going for it because I think it's worth it. Mother is a stunning picture on many levels. It's a master craft in telling a story in only one location with its beautiful shots and characterizations. But more than anything, it is a film that's meant to disrupt, a film that's designed to get you talking, and a film that invites you to think about it days after you've seen it.
The characters have no names. They are simply known as "Man," "Him," "Woman," etc. This is a subtle way of inviting the viewer to see that the story being told is one that surpasses just a few characters. This is designed to be a human story. A spiritual story. A planet Earth story.
If you like intense, thought-provoking art, this film has got to be on your list.
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THE DIVINE MAGICIAN BY PETER ROLLINS
Peter Rollins may be a familiar name to CMYK regulars. Rollins is one of the most forward-thinking, challenging, and beautiful authors we've come across. He has a passion for not only spirituality, but philosophy and art. This unique (and many times humorous) perspective comes through in all his writings.
If you have yet to check him out, I'd start with his latest work, The Divine Magician. In it he speaks to what many of us have potentially wrestled with in religion, and he offers a new approach to what could be. Do yourself a favor and don't miss out on this incredible author.
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