Facts & Figures for April 17, 2011

The Stillwater Christian

Nonprofit Organization
Attendance (160 and 164)...................................324

US POSTAGE PAID
Sunday School………………...………..…...…144

Permit No. 280

Volume 2011 April 19

Stillwater, OK
General Fund Receipts……......................$5,877.90
Capital Fund Receipts...............................$1,660.00
Loose Offering/Sunday School…....…...….$189.22 In This Issue Easter Offering to be Taken on Sunday
Non-Budget Funds Receipts...….…..........$3,156.00 The Easter Offering supports the General Minis-
Announcements 1 tries of the church. General Ministries serve
2011 Facts & Figures as of March 31, 2011 Care and Feeding 2 across the U.S. and Canada and around the
YTD Budget Receipts……......…….....$133,035.09 of a Candle world. General Ministries are partners in minis-
YTD Budget Expenses…….....…….....$132,216.83
Children and Youth 3 try serving through far-reaching and unique organizations. Easter offering will be
Net Receipts over Expenses……........……$818.26
Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, received on April 24th, or give online at www.Disciples.org
Facts & Figures 4
dkwsmith@suddenlink.net

Church Women United

Friendship Lunch
Monday-Friday at noon: ecumenical worship services put on by the Stillwater Ministerial Alliance
Friday April 29th 12:00 Noon at St. Francis Catholic Church. (Owen will be preaching on Wednesday)
First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater Thursday, April 21: Maundy Thursday Service, “Remembering the Upper Room” at 7:00pm
Contact JoAnn Seamens for tickets, $7.00 (Children are always welcome in service. There will also be an attended nursery available.)
each. Program will be provided by Friday, April 22 - Saturday 23: Prayer Vigil noon until Saturday noon
Sunday, April 24: Easter Sunday
St John‟s Catholic Women. 7:00 Sunrise Service in the court yard
9:00 Traditional Worship
FCC Golf Classic! 10:10 Light brunch for everyone and Easter egg hunt for the children
11:10 Contemporary Worship
Please join us From the E-Team
May 1st 2:00pm On Easter Sunday we'll have a worshipful celebration of the focus of our faith. It is the per-
fect Sunday to invite a friend or neighbor to join you at First Christian Church. The sanctuary will
Lakeside Golf Course reflect the Glory of God. The baptisms will reflect the new life chosen by several in our midst. The
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

See Ray Smith or Lyle Sallee for details message will be one of hope, joy, and gratitude for the unending, unconditional love of God
Payment and sign up due Sunday! for God's creation. Give the gift of God's love to someone in need.
Stillwater, OK 74075-7517
Of Stillwater, OK, Inc.
411 W. Mathews Ave.

CWF Rummage Sale Report

The Stillwater Christian is a weekly publication of Our most sincere thanks to youth and adults for helping with the Rummage Sale. We especially ap-
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). preciated the men who helped in the clean-up. The Rummage Sale was most successful; we raised
The deadline for articles each week is 1pm Monday.
$1,740.00 which supports this year‟s CWF goal of $3,400.00 for the Disciples Mission Fund. Gifts
Tracy Freeman, Editor editor@fcc-stillwater.org
to the Disciples Mission Fund are 50% of our total CWF budget. Thanks to all! CWF
Church Office Phone: 405.372.7722
Fax: 405.372.7726
Find The Stillwater Christian and more information Join us this Sunday for Easter!
at www.fcc-stillwater.org Romans 6:3-11 and Matthew 28:1-10
Send prayer requests and general email to Sunrise Service 7am · Traditional 9:00am · Sunday School 10:10 · Contemporary 11:10
office@fcc-stillwater.org
 The Care and Feeding of A Candle
Owen Cayton, Senior Minister pastor@fcc-stillwater.org
One of the many ways God has shaped me this season of Lent has been through the
Pastor‟s Class. It has been an amazing experience taking steps of faith with the young
people who will be baptized on Easter Sunday. They have ministered to me in this jour-
ney in their simple yet deep understandings of what it means to be disciples of Jesus
Christ. (By coincidence – or not – the scripture for our prayer time and devotion this
morning included Jesus‟ words: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”)
During our last Sunday together in class, we talked about baptism. We chose robes,
talked about the „mechanics‟, walked through each step, went down into the baptistery
and looked out at where the congregation will be sitting, and had a wonderful time of
excitement and anticipation together, laughing and celebrating the step they are each
making in their life.
We also shared with each other our understandings of baptism. We talked about the
3 „actors‟ in baptism: the one being baptized, the Church, and God. And we read the
stories in scripture of Jesus‟ baptism.
It was while we were talking about what God is doing in baptism that things got
very interesting. We shared with one another the words that the voice spoke, “This is
my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased!” I invited them to hear those
words, that while Jesus may have had a special relationship in the life of God, as meant
for them as well. Baptism is a reminder from God that we are claimed as children of
God and if we listen, we just might hear a voice saying to us in that act, “I love you and
I am well pleased!”
God has loved us from the moment we are born to the moment we die and infinitely
before and after! God‟s love for us is there no matter what is going on in our lives, no
matter the actions we have taken or left undone. There is nothing we can do; nothing
we can become that will ever keep God from loving each of us.
Of course, it may surprise you that, as I was saying these things to them, I began to
choke up a little, the emotion of the moment was palpable! When I finished, there was a
brief pause and one of the young people began clapping (to the chagrin of their parent).
Soon all the kids were clapping, even cheering.
They had heard the good news!
Are we ready to receive the good news? Has our journey through Lent prepared us
in such a way to be shaped by the Potter‟s gentle, loving, firm, and precise touch? Are
we ready to see what God can do even with the shards of our brokenness, our hurts, our
stubbornness, our guilt, our pain, and our fear? Are we ready to receive the good news?
“For it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Shalom, Pastor Owen
CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS
Sondra Ladd, Children/Youth Ministry Director youth@fcc-stillwater.org
Easter Egg Hunt This Sunday!
This Sunday we will celebrate Easter with an Easter Egg Hunt for children 3-12 in the church
courtyard. PLEASE BRING BASKETS OR BAGS TO GATHER YOUR EGGS. In the past,
buckets have been provided but they were not available this year. There will be more than 1,000
prize filled eggs and a special visit from the Bunny!
Lock-In at The Oklahoma Aquarium, May 6th!
FCC will celebrate Christian Family Week with a lock-in at the Oklahoma Aquarium on
May 6th and May 7th. Cost is $20 per person and includes dinner, breakfast, a Dive Show in the
Coral Reef, Touch Tanks, educational hands on program with animals and bio-facts in the Great
Hall, a flashlight tour of the Aquarium, and Movie Time.
Reserve your spot by submitting $20 payments no later than Sunday, May 1st. Participants
will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow, PJs, flashlight, and light toiletries. Children under
age 7 must be accompanied by an adult. This is going to be a great way to celebrate family and
friends. Join us for an AMAZING time!
Being The Body, April 27th
This event is sponsored by Stillwater FCA and is intended to encourage youth groups to work in
unity. We will be attending the event as a group and plan to meet at the church at 5:00. We‟ll
go to Hideaway Pizza for dinner and then attend the event. Parents should pick up youth at the
SHS Fieldhouse at 8:00. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND SO I CAN MAKE
SURE WE HAVE PLENTY OF PIZZA FOR EVERYONE – PLEASE CALL OR TEXT TO
CONFIRM ATTENDANCE.
MISSION CAMP FINAL PAYMENTS AND FORMS ARE DUE MAY 1ST.
If you have not completed your registration form, please do so ASAP.
GUYS CAMPOUT/GIRLS WEEKEND May 20-21.
I guarantee you don‟t want to miss this. Contact Sondra and Rick for more details and MARK
YOUR CALENDARS!
Shopping at Atwoods?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CONTINUE TO SAVE ATWOOD RECEIPTS AND
TURN THEM INTO SONDRA LADD NO LATER THAN MAY 29TH! 5% OF PUR-
CHASES WILL BE DONATED TO FCC YOUTH.