12-8-2011 Chalice
Content
CONNECTION
A publication of First Christian Church of Edmond, OK Vol. 3 No. 47 December 8, 2011
The Chalice
Sharing God’s Light With Others
By Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister
This Advent season has reminded me many times of one of my favorite scriptures— from Micah 6:8—“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” I have seen the giving, the reaching out and the response to so many of those in need this season from our church family that I know our church takes this requirement from the Lord seriously. The acts of kindness that have been done have been truly inspirational. It is with humble appreciation that I can say to a family in need, that, yes, we can help them out this Christmas season, thanks to so many in our church. I want you to know that on behalf of our church family, we have provided many needed gifts this season. And I am not alone. Sunday School classes, individuals, and families have reached out to make sure the joy of this time is being shared with others. Annie Dillard has said, “We don’t have to do these things (acts of kindness), but if we want a life with God, then we do them to know more about God. You don’t have to sit outside in the dark, however, if you want to gaze at the stars, eventually you realize that darkness is necessary.” To know God more fully means to share God’s light with others. Let us not stop at Christmas. I know this is a generous time of year, but our requirement to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God extends throughout the year. I hope that we can spread our generous nature beyond Christmas joy and into a new year that brings hope to the hopeless and sheds light in the darkness.
2011 A Record Year at Breakfast on Boulevard
By Mickey Stufflebean On May 7, 1990 Breakfast on Boulevard opened their doors for the first time and had just one customer. The first full year we were open we served just over 3000 meals. During 2011 we will serve approximately 24,000 meals. These meals will cost $51,000, which is a 19% increase from last year. When Patty McKibben and Carol Roberts had the dream to initiate Breakfast on Boulevard to feed the hungry, they were unsure how big the need would be in Edmond, Oklahoma. We now know. With the rising cost of putting food on the family table, and the current state of our economy, the need continues to increase. BOB has and will continue to open our doors Monday through Friday so that all who are hungry can be fed. We could not have remained open these 21 years without your financial and volunteer support. With larger numbers of people coming to BOB, and the rise in food costs, your generous continued support is needed now more than ever. Thank you for your loving support. If you would like to make a donation you can make your check payable to First Christian Church, and mark BOB in the memo line.
Notice of Annual Congregational Meeting
following each worship service
Purpose: To vote on nominated leaders and budget for 2012, along with proposed modifications to our bylaws. Log on to www.fccedmond.org/meeting to preview the leader ballot, budget ballot and revisions to bylaws. Questions? Contact Craig Adkins, Board Moderator, at 285-6859, or Frank Gresh, Board Moderator Elect, at 844-9120.
Sunday, December 11
Experience the
Wonder
of Christmas
From seasonal songs that lift spirits to quiet carols of reflection and peace, this work is filled with the music of grace. The Peace Lutheran Church choir will join their voices with the FCC Chancel Choir again this year, and the cantata will be accompanied by a consort of instruments (violin, cello, flute, percussion and piano) for a Celtic flair. After, we will share a reception with our friends from Peace Lutheran Church. (Nursery provided)
Christmas hymns. Children (ages 3 through 2nd grade) may select a costume at 5pm and participate in the Nativity story!
Candlelight Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24 - 7 & 11pm
Join us as we anticipate the day of our Savior’s birth! The 7pm Christmas Eve service will feature beautiful music, scripture readings, and the lighting of the Christ Candle. The 11pm service will feature a serene, simplified candlelight service with carols, the Chancel Choir, and scripture. The service ends in candlelight with the bells tolling the midnight hour, marking the arrival of Christmas Day. (No nursery on Christmas Eve)
Candlelight Service of Remembrance
Sunday, December 18 - 6:30pm
For many this is a difficult season of the year, especially if you have lost a loved one. But there is hope in the midst of darkness. Come, light a candle, and experience God’s love at our Service of Remembrance. Our healing prayer ministers will be on hand to fashion a prayer for your needs, and Rev. Chris Shorow will offer a meditation.
Christmas Morning
Sunday, December 25 10:45am Unified Worship Service
Christmas Cantata
Sunday, December 11 - 6:30pm
Children’s Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 24 - 5:30pm
Enjoy “Cookies & Milk for Santa” during Coffee Fellowship at 10am. Nursery begins at 10:30am. (No Sunday school and no Sprouts on Christmas Day)
“Tapestry of Light” - a Celtic Christmas Celebration by Joseph M. Martin is a cantata overflowing with hope and light.
The Gospel will come alive with the help of our children in a narrative re-telling of the birth of Jesus. This abbreviated, familyoriented worship service includes familiar
One of the most common traditions of the Christmas season is the giving and receiving of gifts. We spend endless amounts of time searching for that perfect gift to give to that special someone – a gift with meaning. If you are looking for that perfect gift, then look no further. This year, in conjunction with our Advent theme “The Wonder of Christmas”, First Christian Church is again offering an Alternative Christmas Market. However, rather than offering multiple gift options, we will have one simple focus – our children! In the year to come the Children’s Ministry will be creating a worship space dedicated to the Children Worship and Wonder ministry. This ministry will be offered to children ages 3 through first grade during the 11 a.m. worship time. Using a sensory-motor style of storytelling as a primary means for encountering God, God is experienced not just learned about. Children participate in worship practices and hear Bible stories in a way that allows them to enter into the stories and form responses out of their own life experiences. Because our children are a gift to us, the Outreach ministry of FCC is pleased to support the faith formation of our children through our Alternative Gift Market. So we invite you to “Share the Wonder,” by purchasing a “story” or book for Children Worship and Wonder, or make a donation in the amount of your choice to support this ministry. You can stop by the display table in the Rotunda to see the available gift options or come by the offices during the weekday. When you purchase a story, book, or make a donation, you will receive a greeting card and envelope to give to your gift recipients. Inside the card there will be a message explaining the gift that was given in their honor. It will truly be a gift with meaning! May God bless us this Advent season as we honor the birth of the Christ Child through “The Wonder of Christmas.”
Prayers of the People
THOSE IN NEED OF PRAYER Rose Marie McKee, Florine Shirley, Judy Joy, Bart Rodr, Virginia O’Niel, Cynthia David (Winnie Hall’s daughter), Ed Berry, Bill & Mary Lou Womble, Nita Williams (Jeff Williams’ mom), Naomi Bell (Karen Walenciak’s mom)
Happy Birthday!
12/11 12/12 12/13 12/14 Gina Baldridge, Robbie Shaw Sue Fraim Clarity Farrah Martina Dowell, Lauren Helzer, Abby Kerr, Lucy Mecoy, Lisa Weaver Hayden Ball, Jerry Black, Scott Peters, Marietta Stone Jim Burke, Cody Ward Craig Adkins, Brittney Hendricks, Piper Lowder, Mary Ellen Shepherd, Carlita Walters AJ Berepele, Tyler Burleson, Jerri Dillon, Neal Hunt, Ted Perrin, Gwen Shaw
12/15
Warm-Hearted Blood Donors Needed
FCCE invites all church members to give blood Sunday, December 18th from 8:15am to 12:15pm on the bloodmobile. Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) will reward each donor’s giving spirit with an ice scraper. Anyone who is healthy and 16 years of age can donate blood. (16 yr. olds must weigh 125 lbs. and have signed parental permission; 17 yr. olds must weigh at least 125 lbs. and 18+ yr. olds must weigh at least 110 lbs.) You can sign up on-line at www.obi.org using the sponsor code #0424. Please consider adding this “Gift of Life” to your holiday to-do list. This one hour of your time could save a life….maybe the life of someone in your family or circle of friends. Thank you, from the Outreach Ministry Team of FCC!
12/16 12/17 12/18
December 31, 2011: Deadline to Make Charitable Gifts from IRA Accounts
The compromise tax bill (“Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Authorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010”) extends until December 31, 2011, a provision know as the “Charitable IRA Rollover” which allows taxpayers age 70½ or older to make tax-free transfers (of up to $100,000 per year) directly from their IRA to charities. You can make distributions directly to one or more charities from your traditional or Roth IRA, as long as you are at least 70 ½ years old when you transfer the gifts. Such gifts can be made without increasing your taxable income or withholding. Additionally, funds transferred from your IRA to a charity will NOT subject your Social Security income to higher tax levels, and will count toward your minimum required distribution (MRD). Please consult your tax advisor for more information.
Did you Order A Poinsettia For Your Home?
They will be ready for you to pick up this Sunday, December 11. There will be extras available for purchase - just $15.00 each! Drop money in the box and take home a beautiful poinsettia to decorate your home for the holidays.
All proceeds benefit the FCC youth mission fund.
Theater Seating Available
First Come, First Served!
Last Saturday a transformation of the movie room in the basement began in preparation of it’s new life as the new Children Worship and Wonder Space. If you are interested in obtaining any of the theatre seating currently in the room, it will be given away on a first come, first served basis. We only ask that you haul it away. Contact Terry Kerr at 341-6546 if you are interested.
Worship December 11, 2011
3rd Sunday of Advent
Message: Rev. Dr. Jerry Black Rev. Chris Shorow Theme: The Wonder of Christmas - The Shepherds Show the Way to Bethlehem Scripture: Luke 2:8-14
The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ~ 1 Kings 19:11-12
The Invitation to Listen
By Shelley Regan, Communications Director
Have you ever been in a conversation and known that the person you are with isn’t really listening to you? Could you tell by their face they were already thinking ahead to what they would say next? Or maybe they were busy continually pulling out their iPhone to send texts and check emails. We live in a noisy and easily distracted world. Phones ringing, TVs blaring, music thumping. Around every corner there is noise. We have become used to this noise as the soundtrack of our lives. Into the noise, we raise our voices in prayer. We tell God what we think God should be doing in the world, or to make requests. But the noise of our lives prevents us from hearing any response God might make. Yet still we wonder why God isn’t answering our prayers. I have a feeling we seem distracted to God. So busy talking, texting and listening to other things that we can not really hear anything God might be saying to us. Advent extends an invitation to quiet the noise, slow down, take a breath and listen. Stop talking for a minute. Turn off some of the noise that we invite into our lives, in order that we might genuinely and intentionally listen. It’s not always easy - especially as we approach Christmas. But if you can find a still and quiet space in your life to really pay attention - no phone, no iPod, no computer, no television, no interruptions - you might be able to hear God speaking. May we find peace and answers in the “sound of sheer silence.”
December 18, 2011 4th Sunday of Advent
Message: Rev. Greg Bunton Rev. Dr. Jerry Black Theme: The Wonder of Christmas The Magi Show the Way to Bethlehem Scripture: Matthew 2:1-2
The Chalice CONNECTION
Shelley Regan, Editor [email protected] Read News Online @ fccedmond.org/news Submit Articles to [email protected]
(USPS 210-360) is published weekly (except weeks of New Year’s Day and Christmas Day). Periodicals postage paid by First Christian Church, 201 E. Second, Edmond, OK 73034-456 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chalice CONNECTION, PO Box 3548, Edmond, OK 73083
Periodicals Postage Paid Edmond, OK USPS 210-360
A publication of First Christian Church of Edmond, OK Vol. 3 No. 47 December 8, 2011
The Chalice
Sharing God’s Light With Others
By Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister
This Advent season has reminded me many times of one of my favorite scriptures— from Micah 6:8—“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” I have seen the giving, the reaching out and the response to so many of those in need this season from our church family that I know our church takes this requirement from the Lord seriously. The acts of kindness that have been done have been truly inspirational. It is with humble appreciation that I can say to a family in need, that, yes, we can help them out this Christmas season, thanks to so many in our church. I want you to know that on behalf of our church family, we have provided many needed gifts this season. And I am not alone. Sunday School classes, individuals, and families have reached out to make sure the joy of this time is being shared with others. Annie Dillard has said, “We don’t have to do these things (acts of kindness), but if we want a life with God, then we do them to know more about God. You don’t have to sit outside in the dark, however, if you want to gaze at the stars, eventually you realize that darkness is necessary.” To know God more fully means to share God’s light with others. Let us not stop at Christmas. I know this is a generous time of year, but our requirement to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God extends throughout the year. I hope that we can spread our generous nature beyond Christmas joy and into a new year that brings hope to the hopeless and sheds light in the darkness.
2011 A Record Year at Breakfast on Boulevard
By Mickey Stufflebean On May 7, 1990 Breakfast on Boulevard opened their doors for the first time and had just one customer. The first full year we were open we served just over 3000 meals. During 2011 we will serve approximately 24,000 meals. These meals will cost $51,000, which is a 19% increase from last year. When Patty McKibben and Carol Roberts had the dream to initiate Breakfast on Boulevard to feed the hungry, they were unsure how big the need would be in Edmond, Oklahoma. We now know. With the rising cost of putting food on the family table, and the current state of our economy, the need continues to increase. BOB has and will continue to open our doors Monday through Friday so that all who are hungry can be fed. We could not have remained open these 21 years without your financial and volunteer support. With larger numbers of people coming to BOB, and the rise in food costs, your generous continued support is needed now more than ever. Thank you for your loving support. If you would like to make a donation you can make your check payable to First Christian Church, and mark BOB in the memo line.
Notice of Annual Congregational Meeting
following each worship service
Purpose: To vote on nominated leaders and budget for 2012, along with proposed modifications to our bylaws. Log on to www.fccedmond.org/meeting to preview the leader ballot, budget ballot and revisions to bylaws. Questions? Contact Craig Adkins, Board Moderator, at 285-6859, or Frank Gresh, Board Moderator Elect, at 844-9120.
Sunday, December 11
Experience the
Wonder
of Christmas
From seasonal songs that lift spirits to quiet carols of reflection and peace, this work is filled with the music of grace. The Peace Lutheran Church choir will join their voices with the FCC Chancel Choir again this year, and the cantata will be accompanied by a consort of instruments (violin, cello, flute, percussion and piano) for a Celtic flair. After, we will share a reception with our friends from Peace Lutheran Church. (Nursery provided)
Christmas hymns. Children (ages 3 through 2nd grade) may select a costume at 5pm and participate in the Nativity story!
Candlelight Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24 - 7 & 11pm
Join us as we anticipate the day of our Savior’s birth! The 7pm Christmas Eve service will feature beautiful music, scripture readings, and the lighting of the Christ Candle. The 11pm service will feature a serene, simplified candlelight service with carols, the Chancel Choir, and scripture. The service ends in candlelight with the bells tolling the midnight hour, marking the arrival of Christmas Day. (No nursery on Christmas Eve)
Candlelight Service of Remembrance
Sunday, December 18 - 6:30pm
For many this is a difficult season of the year, especially if you have lost a loved one. But there is hope in the midst of darkness. Come, light a candle, and experience God’s love at our Service of Remembrance. Our healing prayer ministers will be on hand to fashion a prayer for your needs, and Rev. Chris Shorow will offer a meditation.
Christmas Morning
Sunday, December 25 10:45am Unified Worship Service
Christmas Cantata
Sunday, December 11 - 6:30pm
Children’s Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 24 - 5:30pm
Enjoy “Cookies & Milk for Santa” during Coffee Fellowship at 10am. Nursery begins at 10:30am. (No Sunday school and no Sprouts on Christmas Day)
“Tapestry of Light” - a Celtic Christmas Celebration by Joseph M. Martin is a cantata overflowing with hope and light.
The Gospel will come alive with the help of our children in a narrative re-telling of the birth of Jesus. This abbreviated, familyoriented worship service includes familiar
One of the most common traditions of the Christmas season is the giving and receiving of gifts. We spend endless amounts of time searching for that perfect gift to give to that special someone – a gift with meaning. If you are looking for that perfect gift, then look no further. This year, in conjunction with our Advent theme “The Wonder of Christmas”, First Christian Church is again offering an Alternative Christmas Market. However, rather than offering multiple gift options, we will have one simple focus – our children! In the year to come the Children’s Ministry will be creating a worship space dedicated to the Children Worship and Wonder ministry. This ministry will be offered to children ages 3 through first grade during the 11 a.m. worship time. Using a sensory-motor style of storytelling as a primary means for encountering God, God is experienced not just learned about. Children participate in worship practices and hear Bible stories in a way that allows them to enter into the stories and form responses out of their own life experiences. Because our children are a gift to us, the Outreach ministry of FCC is pleased to support the faith formation of our children through our Alternative Gift Market. So we invite you to “Share the Wonder,” by purchasing a “story” or book for Children Worship and Wonder, or make a donation in the amount of your choice to support this ministry. You can stop by the display table in the Rotunda to see the available gift options or come by the offices during the weekday. When you purchase a story, book, or make a donation, you will receive a greeting card and envelope to give to your gift recipients. Inside the card there will be a message explaining the gift that was given in their honor. It will truly be a gift with meaning! May God bless us this Advent season as we honor the birth of the Christ Child through “The Wonder of Christmas.”
Prayers of the People
THOSE IN NEED OF PRAYER Rose Marie McKee, Florine Shirley, Judy Joy, Bart Rodr, Virginia O’Niel, Cynthia David (Winnie Hall’s daughter), Ed Berry, Bill & Mary Lou Womble, Nita Williams (Jeff Williams’ mom), Naomi Bell (Karen Walenciak’s mom)
Happy Birthday!
12/11 12/12 12/13 12/14 Gina Baldridge, Robbie Shaw Sue Fraim Clarity Farrah Martina Dowell, Lauren Helzer, Abby Kerr, Lucy Mecoy, Lisa Weaver Hayden Ball, Jerry Black, Scott Peters, Marietta Stone Jim Burke, Cody Ward Craig Adkins, Brittney Hendricks, Piper Lowder, Mary Ellen Shepherd, Carlita Walters AJ Berepele, Tyler Burleson, Jerri Dillon, Neal Hunt, Ted Perrin, Gwen Shaw
12/15
Warm-Hearted Blood Donors Needed
FCCE invites all church members to give blood Sunday, December 18th from 8:15am to 12:15pm on the bloodmobile. Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) will reward each donor’s giving spirit with an ice scraper. Anyone who is healthy and 16 years of age can donate blood. (16 yr. olds must weigh 125 lbs. and have signed parental permission; 17 yr. olds must weigh at least 125 lbs. and 18+ yr. olds must weigh at least 110 lbs.) You can sign up on-line at www.obi.org using the sponsor code #0424. Please consider adding this “Gift of Life” to your holiday to-do list. This one hour of your time could save a life….maybe the life of someone in your family or circle of friends. Thank you, from the Outreach Ministry Team of FCC!
12/16 12/17 12/18
December 31, 2011: Deadline to Make Charitable Gifts from IRA Accounts
The compromise tax bill (“Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Authorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010”) extends until December 31, 2011, a provision know as the “Charitable IRA Rollover” which allows taxpayers age 70½ or older to make tax-free transfers (of up to $100,000 per year) directly from their IRA to charities. You can make distributions directly to one or more charities from your traditional or Roth IRA, as long as you are at least 70 ½ years old when you transfer the gifts. Such gifts can be made without increasing your taxable income or withholding. Additionally, funds transferred from your IRA to a charity will NOT subject your Social Security income to higher tax levels, and will count toward your minimum required distribution (MRD). Please consult your tax advisor for more information.
Did you Order A Poinsettia For Your Home?
They will be ready for you to pick up this Sunday, December 11. There will be extras available for purchase - just $15.00 each! Drop money in the box and take home a beautiful poinsettia to decorate your home for the holidays.
All proceeds benefit the FCC youth mission fund.
Theater Seating Available
First Come, First Served!
Last Saturday a transformation of the movie room in the basement began in preparation of it’s new life as the new Children Worship and Wonder Space. If you are interested in obtaining any of the theatre seating currently in the room, it will be given away on a first come, first served basis. We only ask that you haul it away. Contact Terry Kerr at 341-6546 if you are interested.
Worship December 11, 2011
3rd Sunday of Advent
Message: Rev. Dr. Jerry Black Rev. Chris Shorow Theme: The Wonder of Christmas - The Shepherds Show the Way to Bethlehem Scripture: Luke 2:8-14
The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ~ 1 Kings 19:11-12
The Invitation to Listen
By Shelley Regan, Communications Director
Have you ever been in a conversation and known that the person you are with isn’t really listening to you? Could you tell by their face they were already thinking ahead to what they would say next? Or maybe they were busy continually pulling out their iPhone to send texts and check emails. We live in a noisy and easily distracted world. Phones ringing, TVs blaring, music thumping. Around every corner there is noise. We have become used to this noise as the soundtrack of our lives. Into the noise, we raise our voices in prayer. We tell God what we think God should be doing in the world, or to make requests. But the noise of our lives prevents us from hearing any response God might make. Yet still we wonder why God isn’t answering our prayers. I have a feeling we seem distracted to God. So busy talking, texting and listening to other things that we can not really hear anything God might be saying to us. Advent extends an invitation to quiet the noise, slow down, take a breath and listen. Stop talking for a minute. Turn off some of the noise that we invite into our lives, in order that we might genuinely and intentionally listen. It’s not always easy - especially as we approach Christmas. But if you can find a still and quiet space in your life to really pay attention - no phone, no iPod, no computer, no television, no interruptions - you might be able to hear God speaking. May we find peace and answers in the “sound of sheer silence.”
December 18, 2011 4th Sunday of Advent
Message: Rev. Greg Bunton Rev. Dr. Jerry Black Theme: The Wonder of Christmas The Magi Show the Way to Bethlehem Scripture: Matthew 2:1-2
The Chalice CONNECTION
Shelley Regan, Editor [email protected] Read News Online @ fccedmond.org/news Submit Articles to [email protected]
(USPS 210-360) is published weekly (except weeks of New Year’s Day and Christmas Day). Periodicals postage paid by First Christian Church, 201 E. Second, Edmond, OK 73034-456 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chalice CONNECTION, PO Box 3548, Edmond, OK 73083
Periodicals Postage Paid Edmond, OK USPS 210-360
