The Chalice
A publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
201 East Second Street , Edmond Oklahoma 73034
Vol. 1 No. 9 August 27, 2009
Names Are Important Building
Minister’s Message by
Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister
Emotionally
Do you remember taking your pictures for the upcoming Intelligent Kids
pictorial directory? I hope that you do. I know that it has
been a long time and many of you have been questioning
when the books will be out. In fact, many of you have
noticed that talking about the directories is not one of my
favorite topics. I’m sorry if I’ve been impatient, but I’m
more than ready for them to be here.
Today I can finally say, “The directories are here!” So
we will celebrate these family photo albums this Sunday.
Why do I make such a big deal out of some picture books? I think these albums
are very important. They give names and faces to the people in our church. With a
church as large as ours, it is very difficult to know everyone, but we can try. Calling
someone by their name and recognizing who they are is a gift. I think we should
give that gift to each other as often as we can, especially to our children.
The Apostle Paul thought names were important, too. In all of his letters he
included the names of many people he knew in those churches. And to the church
in Rome, where he had never been, he included the names from their church
directory. That’s how important names were to him.
Thankfully, our names are important to God, too. God calls each of us by name
as we worship together. Let us thank God as we greet one another with a holy
kiss—and a name!
Our Pictorial
Directories
Have Arrived!
Did you have your picture taken?
Be sure and pick up your RESERVED
copy from the Pictorial Table in the
rotunda this Sunday.
Extra copies are available on a first-
come/first-served basis.
A Parenting
Seminar
Presented by
Lisa Marotta,
PhD
Wednesday
September 2
5:30 – 7:30pm
Fellowship Hall
Box Dinner & Program $10/adult
Program only (6 p.m.) $5/adult
Children’s box dinner only $4
So much of success in life depends on
a combination of our practical and
academic knowledge, and “people
skills.” Even smart kids struggle in
school sometimes because of difficulty
with social relationships and emotional
control. Be proactive in your parenting
and make a point to join us for an
informative (and entertaining)
workshop introducing the skills of
emotional intelligence (EQ) based on
the popular book by Daniel Goleman.
Expect a new perspective and practical
ideas that you can implement at home
from local psychologist Lisa L. Marotta,
Ph.D.
Register by August 30 @
fccedmond.org/parentingseminar
or use the connection form in your
worship bulletin. Questions? Contact
Carol Schwabe, Children’s Minister at
341-3544 or cschwabe@fccedmond.org
Meet Your New Website! continue highlighting areas of interest in
future articles.
enhance the ways you, your friends, Be sure to not miss the online
Our Communications Ministry and Web
neighbors and the community can find calendars. When you click an event entry
team are pleased to announce our
opportunities to COME, CONNECT, GROW, you will find event details, point of
brand-new website is up and ready for
SERVE and CARE at First Christian. contact information, and be able to make
YOU to begin browsing and utilizing.
From our listening, we learned your registration if required.
For several months we listened to
interativity was highly important if our site Rest assured more features like
input from church leaders and
was to be of the highest benefit. While we sermons online, are one their way. We e
members, researched web vendors,
can’t share everything in one article, we continue to welcome input for
and looked at best practices of other
hope to help you get aquainted through enhancements. Share your ideas at
churches. One of our goals in the
pointing out a few features below, and will www.fccedmond.org/web-team
rebuild was to remove barriers, and to

View
Calendar
and click events
on the calendar
to get details and
register online!
Read
Newsletters
current and a
few back
issues.

Click the I WANT TO tab

Share your
to get things done!
prayer concerns
Reserve a room, submit a news item,
Follow & interact with our ministers
update your personal information, or
with us through and elders.
request childcare for a church event.
social media tools.
 Staff Restructure
by Jerry W. Black, Associate Minister
As many of supplies, and ordering stock. That
you already function was further reduced by the
know, the gifts, skills, and desires of dedicated
staff and office volunteers who so admirably
Personnel handle such day-to-day duties as
Committee receptionist and data entry.
recently Secondly, the Youth Internship was
agreed to, a huge success—so successful in fact
and the Board approved, some basic that the value of a second part time
staff restructure. Over a three month youth position was obvious. Since one
period of time, facilitated by the annual of the interns was already interviewing,
personnel evaluation process, a and was subsequently hired for, a full
thorough assessment was made of time position and the remaining intern
each staff position. We looked closely was so capable, the Youth Committee
at the changes effected in work flow recommended his retention with
and organizational requirements. This expanded hours and the assistance of
review also included the Youth student, summer interns.
Committee’s assessment of the value With the dawn of our new website,
and merits of the Youth Intern and the strong desire to quickly
Program. incorporate social media tools, produce
We reached several conclusions. and upload videos, and eventually
First, our need for an Administrative move into podcasting our sermons,
Assistant had significantly changed. along with office and any number of
With most of the staff maximizing other information technology related
automation and completing so many of issues, the need for an on site, day-to-
their own tasks at their computers, day, media and IT specialist was
only the most basic tasks were being growing. Well, guess what? The Youth
asked of the Assistant: i.e., running off Intern that the Youth Committee
mailing labels, mailing snail mail cards wanted to keep AND who wanted to
and letters, keeping an inventory of stay, just happens to be a recent
graduate of Oklahoma Christian
University with a major in Youth
Ministries and a minor in Information
Systems. With additional skills gained
at Radio Shack, his education and
training, and his interest in mass
media, a solution was right in our lap.
So, we are (and this is the sad
part) eliminating our full time
Administrative Assistant position. This
means Jean Simon is in the last weeks
of our employ. Please give her your
love, encouragement, and prayers as
she transitions from the First Christian
staff. Secondly, welcome Mark Taylor
as our new Youth Ministry Assistant/
Media Specialist. Thirdly, anticipate
the eventual recruitment and hire of a
very part time, staff assistant—
someone to do routine office tasks.
As previously reported, Mark will
work closely with Greg Bunton and
Shelley Regan, enhancing youth and
communication ministries, as well as
being the go-to person for staff
experiencing computer issues (and we
have more computer issues than we
care to admit!)
Decisions such as these are never
easy, but being good stewards of our
resources requires us to evaluate our
staff structure as part of being faithful
to God’s call.

There has been much concern over the potential outbreak of the H1N1 virus in
Oklahoma. After consulting with the CDC website and getting advice from our

Bless Child Care Center and our parish nurses, we are recommending several common
sense strategies. We have not had any reports of confirmed H1N1 cases in the
church or the Child Care Center, but we feel that addressing this concern is

You!
important.
First, and most important, if you or a family member, are sick, especially with
a fever, please stay home. The school district recommends you stay at home for
24 hours after your fever has gone—a good idea for everyone. Though you will be
missed, the best way to prevent spreading infection is to avoid exposing others.
Second, please wash your hands thoroughly and often. The disease is most
effectively transmitted through touch and close contact. We have placed additional hand sanitizers throughout our church
facility. Please feel free to use them as often as possible.
Our Child Care Center has adopted a policy of quarantining a sick child to prevent further spread of the illness. So if a child
at church becomes ill, we will contact parents and get the child to a secure area.
Hopefully we will not have to deal with any cases of H1N1, but if we do, we will fully inform all involved parties. Remember,
the best way to prevent the illness is proper hand washing.
 Habitat for Humanity
Benefit CONCERT
This Sunday, August 30 @ 7:00PM in the Sanctuary

e M usic
Liv
Enjoy r med
Pe r f o Cooki
O u r Own Recep
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by tio
After t n
he
Conce
Glenn Sulley & Greg rt
David Sisson Bunton

Love Offering Supports The

Fall 2009 Habitat for Humanity UNITY Build!
Join us in welcoming friends from other Disciples churches this Sunday evening as we gear up
to partner in a combined Habitat UNITY Build this September/October.
A project of Central Oklahoma Disciples of Christ, Independent Christian Churches &
Churches of Christ. You’ll be able to sign up to help with the build!

FCC FOLLIES and CHILI COOK-OFF October 4

Get out your old tap shoes, blow the dust off of your horn, Fun for the
brush up on your jokes, because a new star is sure to be born! Whole Family!
Get ready for the 3rd annual FCC FOLLIES and CHILI COOK-OFF, coming October 4th. Join us for an evening of food, fun and
fellowship for the whole family!
We will begin the evening with an old fashioned chili cook-off at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. If you don't have a famous
chili recipe, then please bring your favorite finger food or dessert to share.
The variety show will kick off at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We would love to find hidden talents (or the lack there of)
and have participation from every group in the church. Would your Sunday school class like to do a skit? Do you have a
secret past as a circus juggler or a flamenco dancer? Do you tell a good story, play the harmonica,
swallow fire, or do all three at the same time? We want all types of acts, but remember to keep
them to a 3 minute maximum.
The deadline for registering your act and/or chili will be Sunday, September 27th.
Registration forms are available at the Follies display in the Rotunda. (Please leave the
completed forms in the basket.)
Questions? Contact Diane Ball at 341-3544 ex.25; dball@fccedmond.org , or any of
the FOLLIES Committee: Dana Theobald, Darcy Biby, Frank Gresh, Sherry Parks, Mark Nash,
or Gary Owen
 Prayers of the People Happy Birthday!
8/30 JoDahl Creech, Leah Danley, Carol
OUR PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN THE HOPITAL Hawkins
Ed Berry in Mercy; Nita Johnson (Robert Hall’s mom) in 8/31 Dot Hammond, Gayle Smith
Mercy 9/1 Kelly Beall, Kathrynn Cavanaugh,
OTHERS IN NEED OF PRAYER Dan McNickle, Mildred Max Speegle
Warner (Jack Warner’s mom), Daneen Gambrell, 9/2 Rodney Helms, Marc Pate, Paula
Barbara Hall, Gladys Dronberger, Pat Farley, Ed Penland, Umphers
Dana Shadid, Phil Rehrig (Glo Rehrig’s son), Nita Williams (Jeff Williams’ mom), Hank 9/3 Jan Cowling, Laura Kysar, Jim Turner
Thomas (Randy Thomas’ brother), Hurshell Wright (Patrick Wright’s dad), Margaret 9/4 Taylor Grant, Traci Sarani
9/5 Jay Biby, Peyton Mabry, Lindy
Basso (Anne Stone’s sister), Patrick Douthitt (Duke Douthitt’s brother), Eric & Penny
Rahhal, John Timmons, Jim Williams
Koegel, Alyssa Baker
9/6 John A. Hammond, Matthew
Mitchell, Aidan Polk, Kimberly Woods

Student Ministries get connected@

www.fccedmond.org/students Make A Difference!
 Sunday, August 30
GiveBlood - Sept. 27
10:00am Youth Café & Classes – FLC  Thursday, September 3
CROP Walk/Fight Hunger - Oct. 4
12-4:00pm Video Scavenger Hunt Registration Deadline for FALL FEST!

On Wednesday evenings during the school year, we UNITE for dinner, learning and fellowship. In
a culture that is increasingly individualistic, personal and private we are called as Christians to
connect, grow, serve and care together. So come UNITE with us this fall, as we grow closer to God

U
and form lasting bonds! Register now @ www.fccedmond.org/unite

Fall 2009 UNITE Calendar STUDENTS (6th-12th grade)

• September 9, 16, 23, 30 This year we will be taking a serious look at the life of Jesus by “Walking In
• October 7, 21, 28 His Footsteps.” Bring your bibles; you are going to need them!

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• November 4, 11, 18 Students Schedule
• December 2, 9 5:30 Choir in Chapel 5:45-6:30 Dinner in FLC
6:30-7:15 Worship in Chapel 7:15-8 Small Groups
KIDS (pre-k – 5th grade)
“Studio Go! Game Show” Together ADULTS
we’ll meet leaders from the Bible

I
who teamed up with God and
decided to GO for it! Join us to see
how God works in the lives of all
who trust in God and with Jesus
everyone wins!
5-6 Adult Bible Study (Rm. 125) led by Rev. Chris Shorow
We will look at the theology of Paul (more exciting than it sounds!) In all of
Paul’s letters, he only speaks twice about the life and ministry of Jesus.
Most of his focus is on the risen Christ. However Luke’s gospel is the story
of Jesus’ earthly life, and in Acts Luke tells the story of Paul and the early
church. How have these two differing theologies affected the church and

T
Kid’s Schedule
5-5:30 – Cherub Choir (preschool)
5-6 - Kids Choir (elementary)
6-6:30 – Dinner in Fellowship Hall
6:30-7:30 - Kids Small Groups
how does one relate to the other? We will compare the letters of Paul to
the gospel of Luke, and think about how we see Paul’s message today.
6-6:30 Community Dinner
6:30-7:30 Introduction to the Old Testament (Rm. 116)
led by Rev. Dr. Jerry Black. We will utilize Celia Brewer Marshall’s “A Guide

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7:30 - 8 - Kid’s Extended Session
(for families with older children in the
youth program)
Through the Old Testament.” Book is $15.
Pre-registration required. www.fccedmond.org/unite
7:30 – 8:45 Chancel Choir (nursery available!) led by Diane Ball
The Chancel Choir offers musical gifts throughout the year in worship
services and on special occasions. Share your gift!
Worship
at First Christian Join us for our 2nd Annual
August 30 - 8:15, 9 & 11
Pictorial Sunday Gratitude Celebration
Message: Rev. Chris Shorow
Sunday, September 20 at 5:00pm
Scripture: Romans 16:1-16
Allow us to say “Thank You!” for all the ways YOU Make A Difference
September 6 - 8:15, 9 & 11
As We Celebrate How First Christian Is Making A Difference in God’s World
Labor Sunday/Thank You Sunday
Message: Rev. Chris Shorow FREE Dinner Following Our Program & Children’s Activities
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Sign-up online by September 13 @

The Chalice CONNECTION fccedmond.org/gratitude-celebration
Shelley Regan, Editor
sregan@fccedmond.org

The Chalice CONNECTION, PO Box 3548, Edmond, OK 73083

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