Facts & Figures for May 1, 2011

The Stillwater Christian

Nonprofit Organization
Attendance (139 and 179)...................................318

US POSTAGE PAID
Sunday School………………...………..…...…116

Permit No. 280

Volume 2011 May 3

Stillwater, OK
General Fund Receipts……......................$8,720.00
Capital Fund Receipts...............................$1,707.00
Loose Offering/Sunday School…....…...….$174.22 In This Issue FCC Golf Classic Rescheduled
Non-Budget Funds Receipts...….…..........$2,195.46 Due to the rain, the Golf Classic has been moved to Sunday, May 22nd at 2:00.
Announcements 1
Check with Ray Smith if you want to play on this new date.
2011 Facts & Figures as of March 31, 2011 Care and Feeding 2
YTD Budget Receipts……......…….....$133,035.09 of a Candle
YTD Budget Expenses…….....…….....$132,216.83 May 15th Vote
Net Receipts over Expenses……........……$818.26 Children and Youth 3 There will be a congregational meeting after each service on May 15th to vote on
Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, the temporary restructuring of responsibilities currently being held by the Associ-
Facts & Figures 4
dkwsmith@suddenlink.net ate Minister.

Birthdays in the Newsletter

Find us on Facebook We would like to begin listing birthdays in the newsletter. If, for whatever reason, you do not want
for the latest news, your birthday published here, please contact the church office at editor@fcc-stillwater.org or 372-
7722 and let us know to remove you from the list. Also, if you have never provided the office with
pictures, and your birthday, please do so to the same contact information. Thank you.
Discussions!
Our Easter Cross
www.facebook.com/fccstillwater I want to express deep gratitude to Lyle and Adeana Sallee, Jim Rutledge, Sandi Ireland, and Laura
Sharp for making our cross for Easter Sunday. It is a beautiful piece of art as well as a powerful
symbol of resurrection. The cross is made up of the shards of our confession through Lent and is a
powerful symbol of how we can be reshaped by God’s hand. It is also a powerful symbol of how
Do you have email? Switch to the email our brokenness is made whole and beautiful by the resurrection. Shalom,Pastor Owen
version of the newsletter!
More timely delivery (get it by HELP! HELP! HELP!
Wednesday!) As expected we have 300+ registrations for mission camp. Last year, the time at the
In color lake on the first day was a HUGE hit. We are not doing the Adventure Course this
Saves the church money year due to the HEAT. However we would LOVE to provide lake activities. IF you
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Saves paper have a boat or jet skis and would be willing to spend Monday, July 25th, helping us
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Just let the office know you’d like to make show amazing hospitality to the youth and adults that will be invading Stillwater to
the switch and we’ll take care of it! do mission work, PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE DON’T WAIT UNTIL
Stillwater, OK 74075-7517

CLOSER TO CAMP. NEED TO WORK OUT THESE DETAILS NOW! From Sondra Ladd
Of Stillwater, OK, Inc.
411 W. Mathews Ave.

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
Condolences to the Hoover Fisher Family
We extend our condolences to the family of Hoover Fisher who passed away on Thursday, April
28th. His services were held at FCC on May 2nd. Please remember Loretta and their sons in your
prayers.
Join us this Sunday for Owen Cayton’s Message,
“Burning Hearts and Open Eyes” based on Psalm 116 and Luke 24:13-35
Traditional 9:00am · Sunday School 10:10 · Contemporary 11:10
 The Care and Feeding of A Candle CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS
Owen Cayton, Senior Minister pastor@fcc-stillwater.org Sondra Ladd, Children/Youth Ministry Director youth@fcc-stillwater.org
America and probably most of the world was caught up in the emotion at the announcement
of Osama bin Laden’s death on Sunday night. Almost immediately there were a wide range of Oklahoma Aquarium Lock-In This Weekend!
reactions on the news, Facebook and other forms of media. FCC FAMILIES CELEBRATING FAMILY WEEK – with a trip to the Oklahoma
It was difficult not to react in some way, particularly on an emotional level. I found myself Aquarium. We will be leaving FCC at 5:30pm, Friday. We will eat dinner at the aquar-
surprised by my own reaction of relief – I think that is probably the best word to describe what I ium and enjoy a hands on educational program; see a dive show in the Coral Reef and
felt. After all, here is the news of the death of a man that I haven’t really thought about for a visit the Touch Tanks. We’ll also have some free time with a scavenger hunt; do a flash-
while. At the same time he has been the principle name and face of the enemy in particular and light tour of the Aquarium (don’t forget your flashlight) and watch a movie. Saturday
terrorism in general for almost 11 years. Relief, however short-lived that that relief may be – for morning after breakfast we’ll head for Stillwater. We will return to Stillwater around
fear of reprisal and recognition that there are many others who would take his place, is the best
9am Saturday morning.
description of my emotion.
Since Sunday night many people have made or posted comments, blogs, articles, and ITEMS TO PACK: A flashlight, sleeping bag and pillow, toothbrush and pjs.
thoughts; some comments have been profound, others not so profound. Sorting through and
reading the comments has been a lot like sorting through my own feelings and thoughts.
There is no doubt in my mind the things this man did were evil. His actions caused so much This week’s story teller is Sondra Ladd. Helpers are Matt Arrington, Gage
destruction, chaos, death, pain, and disrupted and destroyed so many lives. That causes me so Baker, Jenna Baker and Courtney Levings.
much sadness, not just for the multitude of victims, but also for him and the gift of his life so
wasted, so broken, so full of hatred and anger that he cared not whom he hurt. Indeed, the world
will continue to reel from the chain of events that stem from September 11, 2001 for years to
come.
At the same time, I continue to wrestle with my faith and what it demands of me in the face Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers at FCC!
of the enemy. Jesus isn’t the only voice in the Bible, the church or the world to express the im- Mother’s Day is May 8th.
perative for loving my enemies. Bin Laden is in many ways representative of the ultimate chal-
lenge of living out that faith. He and others like him, now and through history, require my in-
tense pondering of the question, “How do I best love my enemies?” How do I love the one that
I find utterly and completely contemptible and evil?
I wish I had better answers to those questions. I wish my answers were more about what to
do than they were about what not to do. I wish I were able to love the way Jesus loved. But I
must confess my own susceptibility to my desires and fears. The best I can do sometimes is to CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!
keep trying.
I know that I cannot celebrate with unbridled passion this death. I can only mourn with
deep sadness the apparent necessity of it – for now we see through a mirror dimly. I can pray on
behalf of those many lives destroyed, disrupted, turned inside-out, and ended. I can pray also
that God will work to soften the hearts of all in the world that when we look upon the enemy we
might find it possible to reach out in love. I can hope that this is the beginning of the end to the
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, though I do not hope naively as I know that peace takes so much
work. And I can continue to work for peace and justice here in Stillwater. I can treat my
neighbor – even ones I don’t particularly like very well – with dignity, respect and care.
Shalom,
Pastor Owen