The Stillwater

Volume 2013 | March 12

It is the mission of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Stillwater to be the church of Jesus Christ in the world. We do so by developing DISCIPLESHIP, enabling OUTREACH, and embodying COMMUNITY in our lives together.

Christian
Holy Week Schedule Palm Sunday, regular schedule Noon service at St. Francis Catholic Church Wed Night Dinner and Holy Week Service Friday noon to Saturday noon Good Friday Prayer Vigil Easter! 7am Sunrise Service 9am and 11:10 am Worship 10am Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch

WNF: THRIVE This Week! Meal: 6:00 - 6:30 Class: 6:30 - 7:30 This week, Scott Freeman will be teaching a special class to help us manage our budgets better called, Bargain Hunting on the Web. Menu for 3/13: Buffet pork loin roast, veggies, veggie soup, salad, rolls, banana cream pie, and more! March 24 March 24-29 March 27 March 29-30 March 31

Outreach Corner
Did you know that FCC distributed more than $78,000 to local, regional, national, and international causes in 2012 and that only $25,850 of that amount was from the general budget? The rest came through project funds, endowments, and donations.

Welcome Alyson Friesen, our New Interim Contemporary Worship Director Alyson was born and raised at FCC and we are thrilled to have her back for several months. She is the daughter of Adeana Sallee and a graduated from OSU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and in 2010 from Arizona State University with a Masters of Music. Alyson recently accepted the position of Interim Contemporary Music Director and will be leading rehearsals with the Praise Band and Singers and worship in the Contemporary Service on Sundays. She is excited to elevate the worship here at FCC and encourage all of us in our personal worship. Leo Blakley Funeral, Friday March 15th at 2pm Leo passed away on Monday, March 11th. The funeral will be held at FCC on Friday, March 15th at 2pm. Please keep their family in your prayers. Blessed Are The Saints of Past FCC has been blessed by those who came before us providing financial support, spiritual leadership, our building, and our history. Once a month, we highlight an endowment fund that provides regular income to benefit many of our ministries. Please keep the FCC managed endowment trust in mind as you make plans for your future financial gifts and asset allocations. We honor the Phillips Trust, a restricted endowment fund. This endowment was initiated by members of FCC who felt the need to support the education of those called to pastoral ministry. The income earned is distributed to Phillips Theological Seminary (PTS). Over the past three years, this endowment has generated over $3303 for pastoral development. Be The Church: Nonprofit Focus Payne County Youth Services is dedicated to providing free, quality services for the positive development and recovery of children, youth and families. They provide counseling, prevention, diversion, crisis intervention, parent education, victim advocacy, workforce programming, emergency shelter, and substance abuse treatment services to youths ages 12-18 (6th-12th grades), and their families in the Payne County area. Additional information available at www.pcys.org To volunteer as part of the team working on a project at Payne County Youth Services, contact Chuck and/or Susan Willoughby at 624-1052 or sddw@brightok.net.

Mark Your Calendar

March 29 Good Friday March 31 Easter April 4-5 CWF Spring Rummage Sale April 7 Childrens Musical Sunday April 20-21 Bruce Barkhauer Visit April 20-28 Be The Church

Join us this Sunday for Sondra Ladds Message, Cleansing Rain based on Psalm 126 and Philippians 3:4b-14 Traditional 9:00am Sunday School 10:10 Contemporary 11:10

Owen Cayton, Senior Minister

The Care and Feeding of A Candle

CH ILDR EN & YO UTH MI NISTR Y NEWS

Sondra Ladd, Children/Youth Ministry Director

pastor@fcc-stillwater.org

youth@fcc-stillwater.org

I think I have mentioned before that one of my favorite things about the season of Lent is Pastors Class. I always enjoy talking with the students about their faith and hearing their perspectives. They seem to be able to offer with clarity, unclouded by the complexities of adult life, the essence of the love of God. Sondra and I have been working over the past couple years to shift the emphasis of the class a bit. Our intention has been to see baptism less as a graduation from Pastors Class and more as a first step in a journey of faith a long time relationship with God and the church. So our conversations have centered on Christian practices; practices that will help them in a lifetime of faith. Some of the practices we are working with them on are: worship, prayer and singing, service, and study. These are practices we hope will help them maintain that clarity on the essence of Gods love even as they move into adulthood and their lives become more complicated. That is not to say that their faith will not mature. An ongoing relationship with God should shape us and change us in the circumstances of life. Indeed, I hope that these practices help them, and all of us for that matter, grow in our faith. I know that my faith is different now than it was the day I was baptized (Easter Sunday, 1981). The things I might say about God have changed, though I dont necessarily recall exactly what I might have believed on that day. However, if I am honest with myself, the things I have believed have changed and even my focus on the love of God that I knew so well, so clearly on that day has shifted in and out. I have, at times, allowed the complexities of life and relationships to cloud my knowledge of Gods love usually its not about Gods love for me, but it is about Gods love for others. In moments where Gods love is not in focus, I assume God loves the people I love, loves the things I love, and is limited to my own understandings of the world. But then, in my practices of prayer and study (among others) I am reminded of Gods love for the world. I regain some of that clarity. I remember, as with the text from Luke 15 we read on Sunday, that God is so big and inviting that not only does God welcome me, but God invites me to be the parent in that story. God invites me to be the one who embraces the person who has wronged me. God invites me to be the one who goes out and embrace the one whom I may have wronged. I am curious. What are the practices of faith that you find help you regain the clarity of Gods love? Shalom, Pastor Owen The Stillwater Christian is a weekly publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The deadline for articles each week is 1pm Monday. Tracy Freeman, Editor editor@fcc-stillwater.org Church Office Phone: 405.372.7722 Fax: 405.372.7726 Find The Stillwater Christian and more information at www.fccstillwater.org Send prayer requests and general email to office@fcc-stillwater.org

Amy Goad will be the Worship and Wonder story teller this week. Brendan Goad will serve as her assistant. Apple Pies Still Available! There are still plenty of the most DELICIOUS APPLE PIES EVER, available for sale in the church freezer. Pies are $12.00 each and proceeds will benefit Jamaica Mission Trip. Please help us clear out the freezer ASAP. Pastors Class, Sundays at 4pm Pastors Classes continues Sunday afternoons at 4:00. Donate Easter Eggs We are currently collecting donations of plastic Easter eggs and candy for the Childrens Easter Egg hunt which will be held Sunday, March 31st. If you have plastic eggs or candy you would like to donate, please bring them to the church office ASAP. Mission Camp El Reno July 22-26 Youth in 8th-12th grades will be attending Mission Camp in El Reno July 22-26. Cost is $150 per person. $75 deposits and registration forms are due Sunday, April 1st. Final Wed High School Lunch This Week DUE TO BUSY SPRING SCHEDULES AND MEETINGS THIS WEEK WILL BE THE FINAL SHS WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE MADE FINANCIAL OR FOOD DONATIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THIS MINISTRY. WE SERVED AN AVERAGE OF 75 STUDENTS EACH WEDNESDAY. New Childrens Sunday School Invitation: You're Invited!! Children Pre-K through 6th grade are invited to join us for Sunday School at 10:10 each Sunday. We just began new lessons and activities celebrating Easter. Each week we will be doing a different activity such as Bible stories and games, art projects, videos, cooking, music, science, and drama! It's not too late to participate and bring a friend! Hope to see you next Sunday! Grades 1-6 will meet in the classrooms upstairs by the youth room. Pre-K and K will have their own classroom and activities including circle time, story time, games and art. They will meet in the garden room next to the nursery each week.

Facts & Figures for March 10, 2013

Attendance (106 and 91).....197 Sunday School........91 General Fund Receipts.$6,216.00 Capital Fund Receipts.....$185.00 Loose Offering/Sunday School.....$21.00 Project Funds Receipts........$3,896.00 Preliminary Facts & Figures as of February 28, 2013 YTD Budget Receipts.....$73,507.61 YTD Budget Expenses...$78,636.10 Net Receipts over Expenses.($5,128.49) Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, dkwsmith@suddenlink.net

Happy Birthday to: 3/15 Natalie Edwards 3/16 Susan Bigheart, Keri Bruce, Lesa Grussing, Garrison Sorrell 3/17 Ben Yates, Madi Young 3/18 Chad Nordquist 3/19 Rusty Carrier Happy Anniversary to: 3/13 Johnny and Jackie Griffin 3/19 Alan and Kathy Campbell