Print-formatted version of the newsletter for June 10, 2008 (uses Adobe Reader)
Tom and Nancy Stevens joined our church by transfer of membership during the 9:00 service on Sunday, June 1. They have been attending since last fall and were invited to participate in Wednesday Night Fellowship by Ron and Cara Beer.
You can see Tom and Nancy outside of church at the Strickland Park Farmer's Market. Tom is semi-retired and works to produce the crops for the market. Nancy is the president of the Companion Animal Assistance Program. They are members together of the Stillwater Community Singers, among other activities. The Stevens live at 2126 W. Third Ave., 74074, and their phone number is 377-2619.
Please take a moment or two to welcome Tom and Nancy to our fellowship.
The mission team returned last weekend after a very meaningful experience of service to, and relationship-building with, people living in two colonias on the outskirts of Matamoros. Derechos Humanos is the community, built on top of a garbage dump, where FCC teams have worked for the last several years. Santa Maria, a new but similar community of mostly unemployed and underserved families, is the site of a new two-room school for supplemental education in Santa Maria, where the children may go to public school for half days, if at all. The FCC mission team worked side-by-side with skilled Mexican nationals to construct the school.
On behalf of the team, we give thanks to God and to the congregation for prayers and financial support for our mission. As often happens, we were served by the generous and hospitable people whom we set out to serve in the name of Jesus. Blessings were in abundance for all! Thanks be to God!
Rick Hendricks, Associate Minister/Director of Education - rick (at) firstchristianstillwater (dot) org
Returning from our mission to Mexico got me to thinking about Jesus’ disciples.
I wonder what they thought about and how they felt. I wonder what they thought as they lay down at night after hearing him talk and seeing him touch and heal the people. I wonder how they processed the miracles.
I wonder if they thought very often about their future. How did they imagine it, these rough-hewn apostles who were about to be the authors of a whole new age? Of course, they had no idea of what was to come. I’m sure they saw themselves as learners; students of an engaging rabbi. Probably not much more…
So what did they picture in their minds when he said, “The kingdom of God is like…”? Did they paint sky-dreams, or was theirs a more simple vision of green earth and blue waters teeming with fish? Did they see themselves becoming more than they had been?
Did they think very often of the things they had left behind? Did they think about returning to where they had been before, picking up those nets they had dropped, recovering the things they had set aside in order to follow him? Were they aware of the depth of the decision they had already made? Did they think of themselves as chosen by God for something bigger than they had ever imagined? Did they ever shiver in the night, but more from the immensity of what was happening than the chill of the Judean air just beyond the warmth of the campfire?
For that matter, had they even decided for sure, or did they think of themselves as just biding their time, learning what they could before returning to who they had been before? Did they ever think that returning could never be an option again because they were not the same, and could never be again? Were they waiting for a sign of some kind that would seal their decision to stay or go?
Is it any different for us, two thousand years later? We know who he was, now. We don’t have to speculate. But we still have to make up our minds about what to do with him and whether to let him change our lives.
We are given opportunities all the time to witness in His name; to be the people He calls us to be. We are given the opportunity to live in such a way that it just might change the world.
So what will we do with the one called Jesus? How will our decision to follow him change us? How far are we willing to go to be His disciples?
Peace be with you, my friends.
NEEDED: Responsible people, who are available for one hour of rewarding service per month. Openings now available in the Homebound Communion Delivery area. Responsibilities would include being at the church at 10am one Sunday a month. On the job training provided. Rewards far exceed the commitment. Call Laura Sharp at 385-0520 or email: Laura.Sharp (at) okdhs (dot) org , if interested in this exciting opportunity.
Sondra Ladd, Director of
Children's & Youth Ministry
E-mail: sondra (at) firstchristianstillwater (dot) org
NO KIDS OWN WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
VBS Planning Meeting: Sunday, June 22nd following the Contemporary Service.
Chi Rho Student Life Camp departure is Monday, June 23 at 6am. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that each person bring one bed roll and one bag. Pack ONLY what you need. DO NOT BRING cell phones, ipods, mp3 players or video games. See www.stw-fcc.org for the What To Bring List. Each student needs a minimum of $25 to cover required meals and snack stops and $10 for a required key deposit that will be refunded when keys are returned. Optional spending money: free time recreation (price sheets available in camp packets); camp snack bar and sending money at Silver Dollar City. It is recommended that spending money be separated into marked envelopes, ie: cokes/snacks; Silver Dollar City; meals, etc. Please discuss with your child their budget. Please follow school dress code rules and bring a one piece swim suit OR dark T-shirt cover. During our camp week, parents can visit www.studentlife.com for daily information such as pictures, camp news, email availability, experience worship, and purchase gift certificates.
CYF Panama City Mission Trip – Departure is Sunday, July 20th at 7am. We will travel to Slidell, LA, spend the night and do the Cajun Encounter Swamp Tour, Monday morning at 9:30. Following the tour, we will eat lunch and travel on to Edgewater Resort in Panama City, FL. Our mission work, a children’s ministry or social ministry track, will be done as a group. Camp Pastor is Landon Dowden and Worship Team is Spur58. Each student needs to bring enough spending money to cover five fast food meals, coke and snack money and souvenirs. We leave camp Friday morning, drive to Memphis, spend the night, tour Bealle Street Saturday morning and return to Stillwater around 8pm Saturday evening.
If you have questions regarding Chi Rho Student Life Camp or CYF XFuge Mission Camp, please contact Sondra Ladd.
More camp information at www.fcc-stw.org/Youth/Uthhome.htm
| Attendance: (118 & 165) | 283 |
| Sunday School | 156 |
| General Fund Receipts | $9,450.00 |
| Capital Fund Receipts | $1,045.00 |
| Sunday School & Loose Offering | $171.55 |
| Non-budget Funds Receipts | $1,624.67 |
| YTD Budget Receipts | $176,968.58 |
| YTD Budget Expenses | $154,936.43 |
| Net Receipts over Expenses | $22,032.15 |
Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, kaysmith (at) firstchristianstillwater (dot) org
Our congregation is asked to pray for the church indicated for that
particular week.
June 8: Oklahoma City - Northwest Christian
June 15: Oklahoma City - Putnam City Christian
Join us this Sunday for Senior Minister
Owen Cayton's message
"Hospitality Matters" based on the texts
Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7) and Matthew 9:35 - 10:8.
Traditional Worship - 9:00am
Sunday School - 10:10am
Contemporary Worship - 11:10am
The Stillwater Christian is a weekly publication of First Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ).
The deadline for articles each week is 1pm Monday.
Dana Craig, editor (at) firstchristianstillwater (dot) org
Church Office Phone: (405)372-7722
Fax: (405)372-7726
The Stillwater Christian and other information
about our church is available at
www.fcc-stw.org
Send prayer requests and general email to
firstchristianstill (at) firstchristianstillwater (dot) org