The Stillwater

Volume 2013 | June 5

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

An Evening with Kathleen and Stephan Wilson, June 5th You are invited to join the CWF for an engaging evening of music, stories about travel in Africa, and demonstration of African instruments by the Wilsons tonight at 7:00pm in Williams Hall. New Debit Card and Purchasing Policies in Place FCC has been blessed with excellent church accounting staff for many years, especially with our current Financial Secretary, Leola Thiemann, who we all know is above reproach. Not all churches are so lucky, as we became aware last fall with the discovery of embezzlement at another Stillwater Church. This discovery caused us to take a hard look at our financial accounting procedures and systems to determine where we could make improvements. In an effort to tighten up internal accounting controls, the Trustees recently approved two new Policies and Procedures regarding handling and usage of the Churchs debit cards and requirement of a Purchase Request form for all purchases of $100 or more. These Policies and Procedures are on FCCs website under Members, Policies for your review. The new required interactive forms are also on the same webpage. Any questions regarding these new Policies and Procedures should be directed to the Treasurer, Kay Smith. We will continue to review procedures and systems to ensure financial accountability is secure. FCC Road Crew, This Saturday Please join the Road Crew this Saturday morning at 9am in the parking lot next to Diamond Autobody, between Jardot and Brush Creek Road for our Trash pick up. Wear sturdy shoes that you don't mind getting muddy and bring work gloves. We provide the trash liners and litter pinchers. We will be done around 10am. Come join us!

PROGRESS

Our efforts at FCC to help our communitys children go back to school ready to learn and with confidence is working! Thanks to everyone who has donated to our effort, by check or by clipping money to the clothesline in the sanctuary. We have raised $705.00 toward our goal of $4,500! We have accomplished 15% of our goal! Way to go FCC! Welcome Secrest Family! This past Sunday Justin, Melanie, Jaxton, and Jordy came forward to place their membership with us in the 11:10 service. Justin and Melanie are both graduates of OSU. Justin is a surveyor and Melanie is a Vet. They were married at Central Christian Church in Enid last month. Jaxton finished 4th grade and Jordy 2nd this spring. Please take a moment to meet them and welcome them to our fellowship! Welcome Emory Mosely, new Custodian Please say hello to Emory when you see him. An Army Veteran, he has been working at OSU and also currently serves as an associate pastor and musician at New Prospect Baptist Church in Perry. He will be here Tuesday thru Saturday in the afternoons and evenings and will also help with special events. Having Emory on board with Dale Frost, all of our Custodial needs will now be met. A big thank you to Human Resources, Property, and Trustees as they diligently worked to make the transition between custodians as easy as possible.

Mark Your Calendar

June 5 An Evening with The Wilsons June 3-9 Camp Dry Gulch June 20 Official Board Meeting June 22-July 7 Jamaica Mission Trips

Join us this Sunday for Owen Caytons Message, More Than Enough! based on 1 Kings 17:8-16 and Luke 7:11-17 Traditional 9:00am Sunday School 10:10 Contemporary 11:10

The Care and Feeding of A Candle

Owen Cayton, Senior Minister pastor@fcc-stillwater.org

Sondra Ladd, Children/Youth Ministry Director youth@fcc-stillwater.org

CH ILDR EN & YO UTH MI NISTR Y NEWS

This past Sunday Judie Varnum shared a story in second service about a single mother who had come in for helping hands. The woman works as a janitor at OSU. During their conversation, the woman confided in Judie her great worry about her future employment. She is concerned that OSU will be outsourcing their janitorial services to a private company. I had heard the same rumor and same concern recently from a potential candidate for our open custodial position. I must be honest and upfront in that I dont know how accurate these statements are. Nor do I know all of the factors that can go into making decisions like that. However, when I visited with our former custodian, Hugh Brown (who is recovering very well, by the way), he confirmed for me what I knew generally: this is a growing trend. Universities, hospitals, governments, and the like are moving toward hiring companies to clean their buildings. One of the major reasons is they no longer need to pay employee benefits. This reminded me of something I hear Rob Bell say in one of his videos, Prophets, Poets, and Preachers. There he posed a question to the effect of: wouldnt it be great if companies and individuals would think about human impact and environmental impact along with financial impact and comfort when making decisions? Of course, the onus is on us as well when we ponder big questions like that. As a church, we are responsible for thinking about more than just the bottom line. We are stewards of more than just our money. One example is our continued use of Styrofoam products. Have we considered the environmental and ecological impact the use of those products make? Or, are they just cheap and convenient? Are there other options that we might consider? These questions are not hippie questions, or conservative questions, or liberal, or progressiveat least for the church, they are not. These questions are deeply biblical questions. They go all the way back to the very beginning of the Bible, to Genesis. In both creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2 we are given care of the earth. In the Genesis 1 story we are given dominion (not domination) of the earth and in the Genesis 2 story human beings are given the role of tilling and keeping the earth. And in Genesis 4 when Cain kills Able he asks the infamous question of God, Am I my brothers keeper? We are responsible for caring for the earth. We are responsible for caring justly for one another. May we take seriously our stewardship of both! 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.fcc-stillwater.org Send prayer requests and general email to office@fcc-stillwater.org Facts & Figures for June 2, 2013

Please pray for Sondra and Rick and the 26 children at Dry Gulch this week! Sondra will be posting updates and more pictures like this on her Facebook page, if you would like to follow along this week. (You should, its a hoot!) Jamaica Teams Meeting, June 9th TEAM BUILDING AND PLANNING MEETING SUNDAY, JUNE 9TH. Each person needs to bring a jar of peanut butter and jelly and a two rolls of toilet paper. Group 1 meet @ 2:00 Group 2 meet @ 3:00 Kids Own Worship KOW is currently meeting during the Contemporary Service in the youth room. This Summer we are studying Old Testament Bible characters, stories and lessons. Bring you Bible and come ready to learn some amazing truths. We will dismiss following the Passing of the Peace.

Attendance(110 and 105).......215 Sunday School....90 General Fund Receipts..$11,898.00 Capital Fund Receipts.....$820.00 Loose Offering/Sunday School.$65.00 Project Funds Receipts....$2,252.00 Facts & Figures as of April 30, 2013 YTD Budget Receipts.$149,553.29 YTD Budget Expenses...$149,565.83 Net Receipts over Expenses...(12.54) Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, dkwsmith@suddenlink.net

Happy Birthday to: 6/5 Kim Hall, Pat McNally 6/7 Beckie Rogers 6/8 Sydney Bailey, Carolyn Baird 6/9 John Jobe, June King, Matt Nance 6/10 Carolyn Gray Happy Anniversary to: 6/7 Bill and Judie Varnum 6/9 Bill and Leona Herald 6/10 Bill and Jane Defee, Matt and Shannon Hiner, Merl and Betty Miller 6/11 Michael and Janet Varnum