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280

Facts & Figures for December 4, 2011 Attendance (112 and 151)...........................263 Sunday School........ General Fund Receipts............$11,145.00 Capital Fund Receipts.......................$2,385.00 Loose Offering/Sunday School......$254.04 Non-Budget Funds Receipts......$3,800.61 2011 Facts & Figures as of Oct. 31, 2011 YTD Budget Receipts.........$399,840.33 YTD Budget Expenses.......$409,098.50 Net Receipts over Expenses.......($9,258.50) 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 1 2 3 3

December 6 The results of the Dec. 4th Congregational vote are as follows: For the 2012 Official Board: For the 2012 Budget: 110 in favor 102 voted in favor 0 voted against 3 voted against Therefore, both proposals passed. Thank you, everyone, for participating.

2012 Official Board and Budget Passed

Celebrate Christmas with FCC Staff!!

Join Us! This Saturday 7:30am

Tim Bower will give a presentation on Tajikistan and a USAID Farmer-to Famer project. FCC Blood Drive, Dec. 11th from 8am to 1pm Contact Jim Baker to make your appointment!
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

Please take this opportunity to thank our staff for their hard work and dediFacts & Figures 4 cation this past year. Donations are being accepted for Christmas bonuses for the staff. Please mark your contribution Staff Christmas Bonus. Thank you. Bill Defee, Official Board Chair

Thank You, From Rebecca Perry

"Thank you for all the love, prayer, and support bestowed upon my family during this time of bereavement for my mother Raneal Perry. We truly appreciate it." First Christian Church has been blessed by those who came before us providing financial support, spiritual leadership, our building, and our history. Once a month in this newsletter, we will highlight an endowment fund that provides regular income to benefit many of our ministries. Today we honor the Juanita Jackson Endowment, a restricted endowment fund. Through her will, Juanita Jackson established two trusts which provide scholarships for students in ministerial vocations at Phillips Theological Seminary. Over the past two years, this endowment has generated nearly $285 in scholarship funds for deserving students. Please keep the FCC managed endowment trust in mind as you make plans for your future financial gifts and asset allocations. FCC is collecting new toys, socks, gloves, and underwear for children for Operation Christmas on behalf of JSL and COCAA. These will be collected thru December 9th.. A collection bin is in the church office. Thank you so much for your continued support of COCAA thru our monthly food drives and weekly bread deliveries. COCAA is extremely thankful. Christmas Offering to be Taken Dec. 11th and 18th More than 75 ministries receive support through Disciples Mission Fund and DMF Special Day Offerings. More than 2,500 congregations allow these ministries to touch the smallest of communities in the U.S. and Canada and reach to every corner of the globe.
Join us this Sunday for Owen Caytons Message, GIVING begins a Life of Sharing based on John 1:6-8, 19-28 and 1 Thess. 5:16-24 Traditional 9:00am Sunday School 10:10 Contemporary 11:10

Blessed Are the Saints of Past

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

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

FCC Participating in Operation Christmas

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
I remember the very evening that I learned Lori was pregnant for the first time. It was a Monday evening and I had been teaching my class at the University of Indianapolis. I walked in and as usual dropped my stuff just inside the door to make my way to the kitchen. I noticed something sitting on the table, but that was not an unusual occurrence in our house and besides, I had my mind on filling my belly. I must have walked past the signs 3 or 4 times before I paused long enough to look at what was there. Sitting on the table were two positive pregnancy tests and a book entitled The Expectant Father. Still it took me a few moments to put two and two together. I looked up at Lori to confirm my growing suspicions, and there she was with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. We were going to be parents! I couldnt wait. It was so exciting. Lori and I were having our own advent. The first three months dragged on and on. Time seemed to crawl until we got signed up for Bradley classes and began counting weeks instead of months. We did everything we could to get ready. We ate healthy, were the guests at a shower, bought necessities, went to the doctors appointments, and we learned everything we could about what was happening and what would happen. We were ready! Well, we thought we were ready! The night before Toviel was born, Lori knew that it was happening. Still all night we were trying to read the signs how far apart the contractions were and their intensity. They were getting closer together, no farther apart, well that one was really strong, then a few minutes laternothing. Is it time to go to the hospital? What if it is a false alarm? Get the book, what does the book say? (As if any of this goes by the book!) Actually, looking back on it, most of it did, just no matter how ready you are it still happens when it happens. And obviously it happened. Waiting is such a hard thing to do. Time seems to drag when we are anticipating something so exciting. For two thousand years the church has been waiting. We look around and we know that things are not right with the world too many struggle, too much hunger, too much death, disease and poverty, too much injustice, too many overly complex issues that divide friends and family. The list could continue. We wait and we wonder when the age to come will become the present age. All this waiting gets old after a while. We can only wait so long before we sort of stop looking and go back to our business of everyday life. O we catch ourselves in moments longing for that day, but we tend to shake our head, maybe thinking it will never arrive. However, Jesus began his ministry by saying, The Kingdom of God is at hand. Have we put our head down so far and gone back to life as usual so deeply that we miss the fact that God is present in the world all around us? God has always been close, has always been engaged by the world, and has always been forgiving, loving and responsive to humanity that is the witness of the whole of scripture. Advent is about preparing for Christs coming into the world in the past and in the future. It is also about noticing the ways that Christ comes into the world right now: light breaking into the darkness, moments of peace in the midst of war, and hope in the presence of (Candle, continued next page)

CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS

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

27 FCC youth and sponsors will be heading out on our annual Mystery Trip on Friday. All participants should be ready to leave from the church at 4:00pm. Bring a swim suit, EXTRA warm clothing, Bible, money for two fast food stops and snacks. We will return to Stillwater late Sunday afternoon or early evening. PACK LIGHT we are at full capacity so your bag needs to fit under the seat. See you on Friday!

CYF Mystery Trip

This weeks clues:

#1 All Aboard! Were going for a sail #2 Off the water and into a winter wonderland #3 Familiar faces, different places. Where are the creepy elves? #4 WE ARE NOT GOING TO FLORIDA. We will meeting at FCC Sunday at 3:00pm (please note this change in times) for crafts, games, and fun! Then, well enjoy an evening buffet at Hideaway Pizza. All family, children and youth are invited to attend. Heads Up! Rehearsals for the Childrens Musical will begin Jan. 11th during WNF. Children ages 3 and up are eligible to participate. This years musical is Happily Forever After. A musical for kids about the kingdom of God. The story will be complete with a brave knight, a beautiful princess, a dangerous dragon and a prince. This is going to be more fun than you can imagine! Mark your calendars NOW and keep Weds. nights open for rehearsal, your kids will WANT to be a part of this. Sondra Ladd will be directing, assisted by Diana Watkins, Michelle Schaecher and Ashley Ladd. The musical will be performed Sunday, April 15th at 10:00am and the cast party will be an overnight zoo trip. DONT MISS THIS!

Family Christmas Party, Dec. 18th at 3:00

Childrens Musical Rehearsals Begins in January!

(Candle contd)

hopelessness. And we are the Church, the body of Christ, witnesses of that Kingdom. Keep awake, therefore, and respond to Gods Kingdom as it comes into the world by being light, bringing peace and living justly. Shalom, Pastor Owen
Happy Birthday to: 12/7 Diana Watkins; 12/9 Ron Beer, Jon Baker, Bill Kusik; 12/10 Tad Cox, Catherine Dermer; 12/12 Rachel Fieldsend, Julianne Hall, Sam Webb; 12/13 Jerry Bettis, Ken Sirbaugh