Nonprofit Organization US POSTAGE PAID Stillwater, OK Permit No.

280

Facts & Figures for October 9, 2011 Attendance (151 and 183)...........................334 Sunday School.....141 General Fund Receipts..............$6,038.00 Capital Fund Receipts.......................$1,948.00 Loose Offering/Sunday School......$646.50 Non-Budget Funds Receipts...$1,781.00 2011 Facts & Figures as of August 31, 2011 YTD Budget Receipts.........$323,223.47 YTD Budget Expenses.......$332,334.81 Net Receipts over Expenses.......($9,111.34) Presented by Kay Smith, Treasurer, dkwsmith@suddenlink.net

The Stillwater Christian

Volume 2011 In This Issue
Announcements Care and Feeding of a Candle Children and Youth Birthdays & Anniversaries Facts & Figures 1 2 3 3 4

October 11 We need your help! Positions to fill include table prep, drinks, serving, and clean up. Each of these jobs takes about 30 minutes. We also need a "Cook's Helper" for Wed. afternoon and this job takes 2 to 3 hours. If you are willing to help, please contact Judith Elliott. Its time for our annual fundraiser, Blanket Sunday, for Church World Service. Blankets will be for sale in the Small Fellowship Hall for $5.00. These blankets are sent all over the world for the needy.

WNF Session 2 Needs Kitchen Helpers!

Blanket Sundays, Oct. 16th and 23rd

Red Cross Blood Drive Next Sunday Call Jim Baker for your appointment! WNF Menu for Oct. 12
Dinner: Kubideh (ground meat on skewers w/ regional spices), Mujadrah (lentils w/rice), Fattoush ( cucumber & tomato salad), Flat bread Dessert: Fig and Almond Baklava

A Special Meeting will be held immediately following the first service on Oct. 23rd to act on the Organist/Chancel Choir Director Position. Ladies! Mark your calendar for our beloved annual tradition of the Armchair Bazaar. The theme this year is Wedding Memories. Do you still have your wedding dress? What about mementos from your wedding? We would love to view these at the Bazaar. To help, contribute items, or any questions, please contact Jodelle Stout, Judy Hutchinson or Gail Saxon. We need six more individuals interested in a Family Spring Break Ski Trip. Please contact Mitsi Andrews at 372-7934 if you are interested. Thank you to everyone who donated and especially those who assisted with the Rummage Sale last week. CWF raised $1,300.00 which will support their projects including the Disciples Mission Fund, the children and youth programs, Mission of Hope and more! Thank you to everyone who contributed, both by pledging and by contributing your time to make the campaign a success. Currently, we have received pledges from 119 donors in the amount of $368,800.00. We still have 80 pledge cards outstanding. We estimate our total receipts for 2012 will be $433,160.00. If you have not turned in your pledge, please complete and return it, so that we can reduce the uncertainty in the budgeting process. This is especially important if your circumstances have changed, and you will reduce your pledge. If you need a new form, you may download a new one from the church website fcc-stillwater.org or pick one up in the church office.
Join us this Sunday for Owen Caytons Message, Be the Closeness of God! based on Psalm 139 and Matthew 22:15-22 Traditional 9:00am Sunday School 10:10 Contemporary 11:10

Special Official Board Meeting Oct. 23

2011 Armchair Bazaar, November 2, 2011!

Spring Break Ski Trip

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Of Stillwater, OK, Inc. 411 W. Mathews Ave. Stillwater, OK 74075-7517

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

You may pre-order your pies by contacting Sheri Gumm or Sondra Ladd. Pies may be picked up around 2pm on Sunday, Nov. 13th, or ASAP. All proceeds will benefit childrens and youth ministries at FCC.
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

Apple Pies Available Nov. 13th!

CWF Fall Rummage Sale A Success!

Stewardship Campaign Report

Send prayer requests and general email to office@fcc-stillwater.org

The Care and Feeding of A Candle

Owen Cayton, Senior Minister pastor@fcc-stillwater.org
On Sunday Toviel did a particularly good job of reading a fairly long and substantial passage from the bible in church (for those of you who werent in church, the scripture was Exodus 32:1-14.). If you would allow me to indulge in a moment of pride as his father Thank you. Since 1st grade Toviel has loved to read. He loves other things too, but will often entertain himself by reading. So, while I am proud of him anytime he reads (particularly scripture in church), I am not surprised. However, his reading was not what I was most proud of this time around. During the week, we had him practice reading out loud a number of times. One evening after reading the passage a couple times, he came into the kitchen where I was and said, I dont think God would do that. Do what? I asked. I dont think God would destroy his people. In that scripture, Toviel came across a description of God that was inconsistent with who he has known God to be, not an altogether bad thing, and he raised questions about it! We had a brief conversation about the difficulties of the scripture, what it would mean for God to be angry, and what it would mean for God to never get angry. Are there things we should get angry about? Are there things God should get angry about? Dont we get angry about the things we care aboutand if God never got angry, what would that say about God? The passage from Exodus 32 is a really interesting story full of irony (and perhaps even humor). As you read the story, notice that no one, not even God, wants to take credit for leading the people up out of the land of Egypt. Everyone tries to pass the buck: first the people say Moses led them up, then they say the gods led them up, Aaron tries to do a little correction by working Gods name into the mix. Then God looks at Moses and says, Boy, these people you brought out of Egypt, they sure are a piece of work! (paraphrased, of course) But more than that, a primary question the story raises is the one that Toviel identifies. In the end, Moses challenges God. Wait a minute God, these people YOU brought up from the land of Egypt, remember they are the fruit of the promise you made. What God is doing is not consistent with who Moses has known God to be. God is acting out of character! Moses knows God to be faithful and merciful and challenges God, even reminds God of the divine character. For many, this would be a more problematic notion than God getting angry and wanting to destroy the people. But there it is, both things laid out in this one single story, side by side. As with any good story there is more than a singular point as Moses, God, Aaron and the people wrestle with one another. Certainly, our understanding of who God is expands with questions we raise when we encounter something new, something different, something that doesnt quite fit in with the God we think we know. We are, in some sense, disillusioned; that is, our illusions about God fall to the wayside. I think this story illustrates that God desires this kind of wrestling, this kind of seeking to understand, this kind of opening up to Gods own self revelation. Shalom, Pastor Owen

CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS

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

We will attend Frightfest at Frontier City on Sunday. Everyone is encouraged to attend the 9:00am service, and then we will depart immediately after. Tickets are $20.00 per person, which includes haunted house admission. IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND AND HAVE NOT TURNED IN YOUR MONEY, YOU NEED TO CONTACT SONDRA IMMEDIATELY! SPACES ARE ALMOST FULL! FCC will once again host Trunk or Treat on Monday, Oct. 31, 5:30-7:30. This was SO MUCH FUN last year and we are expecting it to be even better this year. Dont miss your opportunity to be a part! You can be involved in a couple of ways 1. Send a donation of candy or treats to be handed out (bring donations to the church office ASAP or 2. Plan to dress up, decorate your trunk and hand out candy to the children who come to trick or treat. A light supper will be provided for everyone. Last year those who helped went ALL OUT it was amazing! We would LOVE to fill both parking lots so PLEASE, pull out those clever costumes and join us in sharing a little love and candy with the children of our community. Mark your calendar! Youth will be assembling the most delicious pies on the planet on Sunday, Nov. 13th. All Children and youth who are active in ministry programs at FCC are asked to help. Children under 8th grade need to be accompanied by an adult. WNF: Hometown Nazareth Wraps Up This Week Oct. 12th we will finish out the series in an amazing way. Our meal will consist of authentic Jewish fare! Our cooks have come up with a menu that EVERYONE is going to be talking about for weeks. Then, we will package food for Kids Against Hunger. Also, Perry Gethner, Cantor from Temple Emmanuel in Ponca City, will be sharing some of the traditions of Jewish worship services. This is a Wednesday night you dont want to miss! Well kick off Session 2 with Dinner and a Movie! With the hectic pace of life we sometimes forget that lifes greatest pleasures are most often the simple things. This week there is no tight schedule, no rush to eat and hurry off to a class or keep up with the kids. We are going to enjoy a meal and a movie together. We promise some laughs, fresh popcorn and an opportunity to fellowship with a great group of people. Dont miss out! Happy Birthday to: 10/14 Brady Bigheart; 10/17 Rachel Peters, Rachel Snyder; 1018 Ellis McHendry

FrightFest, This Sunday, Oct 16th

Trunk or Treat, Oct 31st

Apple Pie Day, Nov. 13th

WNF Session 2 Begins Oct. 19th