First Christian Church - iPhone/Tablet Class · 2016. 4. 6. · First Christian Church (Disciples...

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Serving Schedule Sunday, April 10


A publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), TulsaVol. 21, Number 7 Apr. 8, 2016

From the Pastor’s PenKeyboard

FCC Activities & Opportunites

Birthdays, Attendance, Gifts

Serving Schedule, SundaySchool News, Save the Dates

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org Page 1 First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org

9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth9:00 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall9:15 - 10:15 Adult Sunday School9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children and youth10:15 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall10:45 - Noon Worship, Sanctuary 11:00 - 11:30 Children’s Worship, The Lo�, 4th Floor Sanctuary Building11:30 - 12:00 Children’s ac�vi�es, 3rd Floor

What’s in this Issue

Sunday Schedule

SundaySchoolClassNews

The First Christian Church VISION (USPS 012-958) is published semi-monthly for its members by First Christian Church at 913 South Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK, 74119-2033. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to VISION, 913 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119-2033.

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First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.orgPage 16 First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org Page 1


Next Sunday:

Celebra�ons:


Upcoming Events:


Page 10



Flower delivery:



Flower delivery:



Flower delivery:



A publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Tulsa Vol. 21, Number 7 Apr. 8, 2016






9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth 9:00 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall9:15 - 10:15 Adult Sunday School 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children and youth 10:15 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall10:45 - Noon Worship, Sanctuary 11:00 - 11:30 Children’s Worship, The Lo�, 4th Floor Sanctuary Building 11:30 - 12:00 Children’s ac�vi�es, 3rd Floor


Sunday Schedule



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2 From the Pastor’s Pen Keyboard

3 Attendance & Gifts

4 FCC Activities & Opportunities

5 Regional Assembly

6 Book Recommendations

7 Worship Words

8 April Happy Timers

9 Ministry Council Agenda

10 Easter Sermon Series

11 Book Recommendations Cont. Prayers and Squares

12 Happy Timers - May

13 April Outreach -

Festival of Missions

14 iPhone and Tablet Class/ Pastor's Pen

15 Wilder Side, Summer Camp Needs

Prayers and Concerns

16 Serving SchedulesSunday School News

cont.

I’m sure by now you have figured out that I make stuff up. I told you last time that the young Hargroves were coming for Easter. Well, I lied. They came this week. I just got a little ahead of myself. Jennifer and Danny and Isabell and Anna are here from Indianapolis and the grandparents couldn’t be happier! Kay Thompson has been in Ft. Worth with the grandchildren there, but she ran home Sunday to be with the Hargroves.

I met a nice couple in church Sunday. Linda and Randy Ramsey. Randy has been to our church before, and we are glad he came back and brought Linda.

Have you noticed Paul and Mardell Campbell moved to “center court” (in church) and the entire Gray family moved with them? Becky says, “like a jigsaw puzzle.” I think they just want to get as close to Paul as they can!

If you miss the Youth this Sunday, they have gone on a camping trip. Sounds like fun!

Two hunters had been out for several hours, and one of them was growing uneasy. Panic finally overtook him. “We’re lost!” he cried to his buddy. “Keep your shirt on!” the other said. “Shoot an extra deer and the game warden will be here in a minute and a half.”

Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.

See ya in church, Ruthie

I didn’t write this article – you did. Well, technically speaking, yes, I typed this on my com-puter using my own fingers and thumbs and hopefully more than a few brain cells, but the content has been deter-mined by you. “How is this?” you ask. Simple: you’ve been asking questions about our church and this article (and the next few) will share the conversation with everyone who reads this. So, here we go!

“What happened to the projectors and screens in the sanctuary?”

We purchased the screens and pro-jectors about 15 years ago to the cost of some $150,000+ for what was then state-of-the-art equipment. Because our sanctuary has so many windows and lights, the projectors had to have special (expensive) bulbs and lenses to throw a bright enough image all the way across the room. After 15 years, the equipment has long outlasted its service life and is beginning to fail. The LED bulbs inside the projects are failing (hence the yellow spots in the image) and can’t be repaired due to the equipment being so obsolete now. Sometimes they won’t even turn on. The screens are also problem riddled, as there is a sheen on them from the last time they were cleaned and so they have a glare that cannot be removed. They are torn in one or two places and get caught moving up and down – that is, when they do move up and down. (They too have problems.)

Because of the weekly problems with quality and reliability of this sys-tem, we stopped using it last fall. The price of equipment has gone down in the last 15 years, but it would still cost of tens of thousands of dollars to re-place it all, and we’d have to use bud-

get contingency funds to do so – an ir-responsible expenditure right now until we get a hold on our budget and greatly reduce if not eliminate our deficit.

Perhaps we can do a fundraiser in the future, but not until we get an afford-able estimate on replacement and have no other competing expenses facing us. There are many, many reasons we need to replace the system and restore this ability to our sanctuary, but we’re going to have to wait. Good news: the hymnals ain’t broken and cost nothing to use! (If you need a large print hym-nal, let me know and we’ll see what it would cost to purchase them.)

“What are the various church com-mittees, who are their leaders, what do they do, and how can we hear about what’s going on?”

Whew! That’s a big question! So, let’s break it down for us:

According to our most current con-stitution and by-laws, the primary gov-erning body of the church is you, the congregation. However, because it is impossible for the congregation to have a meeting to vote on every decision that needs to be made, we elect officials to represent us in our church’s Ministry Council (such as the Moderator, Trea-surer, Secretary, etc.). The council in-cludes these officers as well as repre-sentatives from the various Ministry Teams of our church (Outreach, Ad-ministration, Resources, Elders, Dea-cons, etc.). Some of these representa-tives are elected by the congregation (such as the officers), and others are by the Ministry Teams (such as the chair of each team or their Ministry Council representative). Other leadership posi-tions are appointed by the Moderator (such as Chair of Trust Officers).

Every year in the late summer, the Nominating Team begins to take nomi-nations for these positions. Anyone in the church can nominate anyone else for a leadership position. Our success depends upon you nominating people and upon people stepping up to serve.

If you don’t participate in this process, it becomes difficult for our church to function. For example – we still don’t have a Vice-Moderator because no one has wanted to be nominated, and very few people want to talk to others about the position. Folks, if we don’t step up and volunteer, we only have ourselves to blame when the church stops func-tioning well. Democracy only func-tions when people participate, and the same goes for our church.

After the nominating process is con-cluded, the congregation votes on the nominees in the late fall at a special congregational meeting. These meet-ings happen at least four times per year and are always advertised in the news-letter, the worship bulletin, our email news, and in the worship announce-ments. Each Sunday School class is supposed to announce these meetings (as well as nominations), so if your class isn’t doing so, take it up with your class leaders. After the nominees have been voted on and elected, they are officially announced to the congre-gation via the same channels of infor-mation listed above in addition to be-ing presented to the congregation and inducted into service during the first or second worship services of the year in January.

Because not all of us save (or read) our newsletters, we will from time to time post this information once again, including contact information for each leader. When that happens, please save that information somewhere (maybe cut it out of the newsletter and put in on the fridge with a magnet) so you can refer to it easily. We are also working to get an information bulletin board put up in the church building so you can reference the information anytime you are on campus.

The various Ministry Team meet-ings and the Ministry Council meet-ings are all open to the members, and their times and locations are published in the newsletter as well as the worship bulletin. It is up to you to show up and

(cont. on pg 14)

Prayers and Cares

Donna and John AckenhausenMatthew AlspaughAmy BarnardPaul CampbellPeggie ClendeninJim DalbyJeff DanielMike FawcettEdward FinleyJake FlowersCyrus Ford & familyRoger Ford

Larry GibsonRussell O. Grettum, Jr.Nita GriggsAlexia HaleLes & Marcia HamesEbony HawkinsNorma HendersonDan KimesIrene LewittJoyce MarstonMarianne MoffattPat & Dennis MolloyBill Northcutt

Pat & Carl OliverVic OsteenLeon Patterson & familyBetsi Phillips & familyMark PitcherLynn RayTammy ReatherSharon RedricksVeda RiggsAbbey Roberson’s momJack SandersChristie RichardsonSchreppel

Cindy Skinner-Steward’s familyBetty SmithMichael SmithDoris SorensenBeverly SouthardAshley StubblefieldMary Sudberry’s familyOpal Irene TudorRick UmbargerVicki VandivortNeva Varner

Joy Welsh

Continued prayers for Prayer Quilt RecipientsAshley, Beckie, Beverly’s family, Brian’s family, Chesney, Christie, Cindy, Cyrus, David’s family, Debbie, Fredda,

Gordon’s family, Gyniss, Howard, Irene, Jake, Jerry, Jennifer, Joan, Joseph (PJ), Judy, Judy and family, Karen,

Rev. Katie, Kern’s family, Larry and Molly, Les, Lilia, Marcia, Maddie, Margaret, Marilyn, Mark, Michael,

Miranda, Otavia, Paul, Ray, Richard, Rick, Shaina, Stacee, Susan, Susie, Sybil, Terry, Tonya, and Vicki

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org Page 15

From the Pastor’s Pen Keyboard

Summer Camp Needs:- Twin Bed Sheets- Bath Towels- Swim Towels

These items do not need to be new, gently used items are fine.These items can be donated anytime before June 6, 2016.

Week of Mar 27

Worship 174Children 29Total Attendance 203

Sunday SchoolPreschool 5Elementary 24Youth 9Adults 62Total 100

General Fund $5,962.00Sunday School 31.50

Total $6,052.50

Week of Apr 3

Worship 104 Children 25Total Attendance 129



Total $18,889.00

Attendance and Gifts

April 1-30, 2016

Carol Grisham 4/1Norman Duckworth 4/2Amanda Thompson 4/2Martie Rathbun 4/2Hugh Henderson 4/3Marcia Boyd 4/6

Amy Hauger 4/7Rick McCharen 4/10Bill Clark 4/12Sharon Regnery 4/12Dakotah Poorboy 4/12Bobbie Lewis 4/13Joan Hauger 4/15Margaret Richardson 4/16

Raylene Barclay 4/17WuWu Tolbert 4/20Karen Garner 4/21

Jo Baker 4/28

Thanks Recievedfor Outreach

Scholarship Info

The new application for scholarships for the 2016/2017 Academic year are on the website.

html


April 21, 2pm

Would you like some help learning how to get more out of your tablet (iPad, Kindle Fire, etc) or smart phone?

Joshua will be teaching a class that will focus on learning some tips and tricks so you can do more with your technology!

If you are interested in at-tending, talk to Joshua at church

iPhone/Tablet Class

(cont. from p. 2) attend these meetings – in fact, we encourage you to do so. After all, it’s your church. Just like national and local elections, “If you don’t participate, you really don’t have reason to complain about the results.” It’s up to you to be involved in the business of the church, otherwise we can’t do business.

“How can I get in touch with my pastors?”Rev. Cassie, Joshua, and I are all available to you at

any time, but that doesn’t mean we are always in our of-fices at the church building. Our phone system is having a few problems and needs to be replaced (to the tune of sev-eral thousand dollars – yes, business telephone systems are very different from just plugging in a receiver into the wall jack like at home), so while you can certainly leave a voice mail for us at the church (usually, when the system is work-ing), the best way to get in touch with us is to call us on our cell phones. Those numbers are published in our church directories. (If you don’t have an updated paper copy of the directory, please contact the church office – they are also available in the church lobby.) Calling us on our cell phones is the fastest, easiest way to get in touch with us wherever we may be.

If you are having a pastoral emergency after church business hours, please DO NOT call the church because we won’t get the information in time. Call us on our cell phones or call the PASTORAL CARE HOTLINE at (918) 246-6726. Leave a message, and it will be forwarded to thepastor on-call, who will get right back with you.

Also, your pastors cannot visit you in the hospital if they don’t know you are there. Please let us know when you have medical procedures coming up where you would like a pastoral presence with you. If it is an emergency where you yourself are unable to let us know, make certain your family members or caregiver or friend knows to call us in such emergencies, has that contact information, and knows you want them to call us.

Finally, we would much prefer to make home visits than hospital visits, but we can’t read your mind if you want us to come and visit you. Frankly, we have to spend a lot of time “putting out fires” and helping our church climb out of the hole it is in and doing those jobs that used to be done by former staff or volunteers, and so often our pri-orities have us focused on administration, programs, and our church’s future (not to mention staff searches, helping people in need who come to our doorstep which happens all the time downtown, personal study and prayer, and all of the other things we need to be doing as pastors). However, we are never so busy as to not be able to talk or meet with you – we love such opportunities, but we aren’t just going to invite ourselves over. If you would like a pastoral visit, please let us know – we’d love to come and see you!

That’s all for now. More to come in the next newsletter.

Soli Deo Gloria,Rev. Michael

Memorial Gifts Budget Contingency Fund

In memory of June Phillips

from Berneita Semones

Easter OfferingIn memory of

Robert Barclayand in honor of

Raylene Barclayfrom their daughter, Robyn Bynum

FCC Child Development Center In memory of

Martha Roper’s parents, Jake and Bettyfrom Richard and Peggy Ziglar

Homebuilders Scholarship Fund In memory of

June Phillipsfrom her sister, Jackie Smith and family

Ronald and Janet Francisco


FCC Activities and Opportunities Wednesday, April 6 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Midweek Peak 5:30 Light Supper, Fellowship Hall - $5.00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke - part two: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 7 6:30 Elders Meeting, East Fellowship Hall

Friday, April 8 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer

Saturday, April 9 Communion Preparation: Samantha Cox and Tom Nulf Youth Campout in AR

Sunday, April 10 Communion to Home-Centered 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 12:10 - 2:00 Outreach Team lunch & meeting, East Fellowship Hall AFTERNOON CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS (Pre-K – 5th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Junior Youth Fellowship) 3rd floor children’s rooms YOUTH PROGRAMS (6th – 12th grades) 12:30 - 2:30 Pastors' Class, Fellowship Hall 1:30 - 3:30 Mission Tulsa serving meals to homeless in east parking lot 2:30 Youth return from Campout NEACCO Prayer Calendar: North East Active

Timers (NEATs)

Monday, April 11 8:00 Prayer Breakfast, McDonald's 49th and Harvard 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer 6:00 Ministry Council, East Fellowship Hall 7:00 Camp Christian Board Meeting, North

Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, April 12 9:30 Prayer Group, Library

Wednesday, April 13 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Midweek Peak 5:30 Light Supper, Fellowship Hall - $5.00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 14 10:00 - 2:00 Sewing Group, Rm. Rm. 101 5:30 – 7:00 Outreach opportunity: prepare and

serve meal for folks at Day Center for the Homeless, 415 W. Archer; Sign-up sheets in Main Street lobby


Saturday, April 16 Communion Preparation: Rick Bowlin and Marcia Boyd 10:00 Food Pantry Volunteers here 11:00-1:00 Homebuilders Food Pantry OPEN

Sunday, April 17 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. NO AFTERNOON CHILDREN OR YOUTH PROGRAMS NEACCO Prayer Calendar: First Christian,

Morris

Monday, April 18 Vision to be published 8:00 Prayer Breakfast, McDonald's 49th and Harvard 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer 6:00 Stewardship Meeting, East Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, April 19 9:30 Prayer Group, Library 10:00 Planning and Evaluation Meeting, East

Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, April 20. 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Mid-Week Peak: 5:30 Light Supper Fellowship Hall - $5:00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke - part two: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 21 10:30 CDC Chapel Time, Double Ring 11:00 Happy Timers, Fellowship Hall 2:00 Tablets and Smart Phones class - Joshua,

Movie Room on 3rd Floor

Friday, April 22 – Earth Day 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer

Saturday, April 23 Communion Preparation: Mary Lynn Howard

and Wa'Chanti Tolbert

Sunday, April 24 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. AFTERNOON CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS (Pre-K – 5th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Junior Youth Fellowship) Spring Party YOUTH PROGRAMS (6th – 12th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Chi Rho and CYF), Spring Party 12:30 - 2:30 Pastors' Class, Fellowship Hall 1:30 - 3:30 Mission Tulsa serving meals to homeless in east parking lot NEACCO Prayer Calendar: Morrison Christian,

Morrison

This year’s Regional Assembly gets hands on! With 8 different mission sites city-wide there is something for everyone. Find a mission site that matches your passion! Mission work will take place Saturday morning from 9:30-11:30 after we’ve shared breakfast and completed the short Regional Assembly business meeting.This mission work will be our April Outreach project!

Let’s Get to Work!Green Thumb?

Do you have a green thumb? Do you like to weed or wa-

ter plants? Then join Harvard Avenue Christian Church to work

in their community garden by pulling weeds and watering

plants.

Feed the Hungry?Perhaps you have a passion for feeding ministries! You can

help repackage and sort donated food and other grocery items

in the Product Recovery Room at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Help provide fully nutritious food packages for impover-

ished children through partnerships with humanitarian organi-

zations in the USA and worldwide by working with Stamp Out Starvation. FCC Tulsa “Snack Packs” Feed the hungry in downtown Tulsa. Snack Packs are handed

out at FCC Tulsa 3 days a week to help feed hungry people. We

need your help in this easy-to-assemble packaging process.

Nature Fan?Perhaps you are big on nature. You can join the Oxley Na-

ture Center at Mohawk Park to help clean trails and brush for

local hikers.

Donate Blood to Save LivesConsider signing up to be a part of the #BloodDonorChal-

lenge by giving blood on site at First Christian Church Tulsa for

the Oklahoma Blood Institute. The Oklahoma Blood Institute

is the local non-profit, blood bank that provides blood products

to almost 90% of the state of Oklahoma’s hospital facilities.

Sign up online at www.obi.org to make your appointment.

Animal LoverMaybe you are an animal lover. At the Tulsa SPCA you will be

either painting the night kennels for the dogs or walking dogs

and socializing (playing with) dogs and helping them to social-

ize with others dogs.

Hygiene Kits for CWSConsider assembling hygiene kits for Church World Service

or bring items for the kits. This mission project takes place at

FCC Tulsa. Click here for a full list of items to donate.

There is something for everyone! Register to reserve your

space at the mission site of your choice. Be sure to review the

descriptions here, as some sites require special clothing and

volunteer applications to participate. It’s easy to serve!

Regional Assembly Features City Wide Mission Work – Our April Outreach Project

April Outreach


Join us for a Happy Timers Luau on

Thursday, May 26, 2016!Appetizers & Mocktails @ 5:30pm

Entertainment @ 6:00PMDinner @ 6:30PM

Cost: $15 per person

Wear your best Hawaiian outfitand come prepared for Polynesian trivia!

Prizes will be given for both.

Please call 918-582-8237 to make yourreservations before May 23, 2016!

This year’s Oklahoma Regional Assembly will be a Festival of Missions and we will be hosting it at our church!

There will be ways to celebrate all the ways the various churches in our region do mission work in their own particular communities and contexts. There will be a video highlighting the various missions different churches do as well as a “Missions and Carols” closing worship where the message will be various churches throughout the region sharing stories of their own par-ticular mission work!

There will be sites where actual on-site mission work will be accomplished! Work alongside people from throughout the Region at a mission site that you choose. We have eight different sites for all different types of passions and abilities.

There will be a presentation from the General Church on their new “Mission First” program, call-ing Disciples to name a church-wide, shared mission

focus. This program is about Disciples making a dif-ference by putting God’s mission first, and they will be here sharing how Oklahoma can play a vital part towards meeting that goal.

With worship, food, fellowship (including a Golf Tournament), and hands-on mission work, this Re-gional Assembly will truly be a Festival of Missions.

Learn & Do Mission WorkHave you ever thought that Regional Assembly should be more of a party?

Or maybe a “Festival” instead? Well, this is your lucky year!

Oklahoma Regional Assembly

First Christian Church-Tulsa April 29-30

Register online at

www.okdisciples.org/ra-2016Or pick up a paper registration form

in the church office.

2016 Church Leadership

Moderator Kathy Davis

Vice ModeratorOPEN

SecretaryChris Murphy

Treasurer Brian Knight

AdministrationJim McKinney

Resources Bill Osteen

Spiritual Growth Clarke Kendall

WorshipOPEN

OutreachBecky Gray and Susan Prabhu

HospitalitySusan McKee

CommunicationsMarilyn Carlton

Planning & EvaluationJames Howard

Elders Chair Susan Baston

Deacons Co-Chairs Andrea Rumley and Sandra Lewis

Personnel Ben Gray

Nominating Jean Swanson

StewardshipChris Murphy

PropertyBill Osteen

Evangelism Nick Cox Scholarship Kelli Knight Vision Team

Ben Gray


Joined in Discipleship: The Shaping of Contemporary Disciples Identity

by Mark G. Toulouse

This book is for a more theologically engaging and scholarly look at the history of the Chris-tian Church (Disciples of Christ). From Disciples his-torian, former Brite and Phil-lips profes-sor, and father of your very own Associate

Minister, this book looks at the beliefs and identity of the denomination through the lenses of Interpretation (the freedom to embrace diversity of thought), Res-toration (the questions of where authority should lie), Ecumenical principles (on the belief of Christian unity), and Eschatological (which means “end times,” here ex-amining our beliefs of where God is today and how God interacts with us), as well as looking at our belief in the sacraments (baptism, communion, etc), leadership, and how to be a denomination in an age that is becom-ing post-denominational. While this is a book often used in seminary classrooms, dad’s… oops, I mean, Dr. Toulouse’s book is perfect for anyone curious about the progression of our denomination from its history to the current state of the church who is willing to dig a little deeper into some scholarly writing.

A Handbook for Today’s Disciplesby D. Duane Cummins

This is a highly accessible overview of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that proveds concise informa-

tion on Disciples’ heritage, thought, worship, mis-sion, and struc-ture. It is a great resource for both current Disciples members as well as people join-ing a Disciples church, and even those who sim-ply want to know more about the denominat ion . Cummins illus-trates his summa-

ries of Disciples’ traditions with excerpts from historical documents as well as scripture in order to bring a major American religious movement vividly to life!

Okay to Be Different, by Todd Parr

It’s okay to need some help.It’s okay to be a different color.It’s okay to talk about your feelings.It’s okay to make a wish...

It’s Okay to Be Different, by Todd Parr, cleverly delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format featuring Todd Parr’s trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes. Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids to celebrate their in-dividuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence.

It’s Okay to be Different is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate mul-ticulturalism, and promote character growth, all of which is at the heart of what is means to be a part of the Chris-tian Church (Disciples of Christ) because all means all!

Book Recommendations

continued on page 11

For our book recommendations this issue, we are picking some books that examine who and what we are as Disciples as we prepare to invite the many Oklahoma Disciples churches and their members into our church for Regional Assembly at the end of the month.

Book Recommendationscontinued from page 6

Prayers and Squares:A Prayer Quilt Ministry

For over 18 months, our church has provided “prayer quilts” to anyone we know who is in need of prayer. Each quilt is chosen specially for that person using fabrics representing their interests or color preferences. There is no cost for a quilt, nor do recipients need to be members of our church.

A dedicated group of church members cut and sew each quilt, preparing it for the Sunday it will be tied during the church service. Hopefully you have been able to participate in tying the strings on the quilt. Every knot tied represents a prayer being said for the recipient.

While we strive to make quilts which are pleasing to the re-cipients, it is all about the prayer. Each quilt has a sewn label which says “This quilt was made for _______ with love, hope and prayers. Each knot represents a prayer that was said for you. First Christian Church, Tulsa.”

To date, we have given over 50 prayer quilts to people need-ing our prayers for many different reasons. Do you know someone who is going through a tough time? Is feeling alone? Struggling with health issues? In need of prayer? If so, they might appreciate one of our prayer quilts.

It’s simple to request a quilt:1) Ask the recipient if they would like a quilt;2) If the answer is yes, contact Marcia Boyd with your

request.3) When the quilt is sewn, we will tie the quilt during a

Sunday worship service, ready for youto deliver or mail to the recipient.

A list of prayer quilt recipients is listed in the Vision and worship bulletin each week. Please keep this special group in your prayers as well as this ministry. AND, if you would like to find out about becoming one of the sewers, please give Becky Gray a call, 918-706-0915. We provide the fabric and a simple pattern while you do the sewing.


2016 EASTERTIDE SERMON SERIES

“What Does Eternal Life Look Like?”The First Sunday of Easter 3/27

“Prison Break”(Luke 24:1-12)

with apologies to FOX

The Second Sunday of Easter 4/3“The Truth Is Out There”

(John 20:19-32)with apologies to FOX

The Third Sunday of Easter 4/10\“Better Call Saul”

(Acts 9:1-22)with apologies to AMC

The Fourth Sunday of Easter 4/17“Raising Hope”

(Acts 9:36-43)with apologies to FOX

The Fifth Sunday of Easter 4/24“Say Yes to the Dress”

(Revelation 21:1-6)with apologies to TLC

The Sixth Sunday of Easter 5/1“Family Ties”(Genesis 22)

with apologies to NBC

The Ascension of the Lord 5/8“Highway to Heaven”

(Acts 1:6-11; Rev. 22:12-17,20-21) with apologies to NBC

Do you ever decorate for parties? The Church decorates for a party every Sunday! Worship is a celebration of God’s love and presence in Jesus Christ, a celebration that comes to focus at the Table. So, if we are celebrating, that means it’s a party. And if it’s a party, that means we decorate!

The Church decorates a bit differently for its worship party than we ourselves might at home. While yes, sometimes balloons or confetti has been by churches in worship (and our own congrega-tion even has special streamers for special occasions!), the way the Church decorates has special theological significance and meaning.

First, there are special colors we use in worship: white, purple, pink, green, red, and black. Here is a quick list of how the vast majority of Christian traditions use them:

White is the color used to celebrate the feasts and seasons of the Christ narrative – not that he was white, because he wasn’t, but because the color white is associated with “witnessing to the faith” in the Christian tradition. So whenever the Church has a party that tells an important part of the Christ story, we see lots of white. There are two seasons that use white: Christmastide (the 12 days of Christ-mas) and Eastertide (the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost). In addition, there are special Sundays that use white outside of these seasons:

the Epiphany of the Lord (always January 6) the Baptism of the Lord

(the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany) the Transfiguration of the Lord

(the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday) the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday) the Ascension of the Lord

last Sunday before Pentecost) the Reign of Christ (last Sunday before Advent)White is also used for weddings and funerals, and so you also see

white on All Saints Day (always November 1), All Souls Day (al-ways November 2), or the associated All Saints Sunday (the Sunday directly after these dates).

Purple is both a royal color (because the dye used for it in an-cient times was very expensive and only affordable to kings) and a penitential color (for somber occasions). The Church uses purple in preparation for two celebrations of our “king” Jesus: the season be-fore the celebration of the Risen King (Easter) and the season before the Newborn King (Christmas). The season before Easter is called Lent and gets its name from the Old English word for “spring.” Just as Jesus prepared himself in the wilderness for ministry for forty days, so too the Church prepares itself for ministry as Easter people with forty days (not including Sundays) of reflection, repentance, and discipline. The season before Christmas is called Advent and

its name means “beginning.” Advent used to be a forty-day prepa-ration for Christmas marking the beginning of the Christian Year (the Christian calendar is a bit different from the secular calendar), but is now a four-week season that begins the four Sundays before Christmas Day. Unlike the secular world, Advent is not an early Christmas celebration – it is a season of exploring the waiting and longing of the people of God for the arrival of a Savior. Sometimes Advent feels at odds with the secular celebrations of December, but sometimes we need to remember “the reason for the season” and wait, listen to the prophets once again, hear the old stories, and pre-pare our spirits to celebrate. (Some churches use blue for Advent, representing the color of hope commonly associated with Mother Mary – we follow the greater tradition of purple because of Advent’s historic associate with Lent.)

Pink is used only twice a year: the middle of Lent (Lætáre Sun-day – the 4th Sunday in Lent) and the middle of Advent (Gaudéte Sunday – the 3rd Sunday of Advent). Both “Lætáre” and “Gaudé-te” mean “rejoice” and mark a turning point for Lent and Advent where we lighten things us a bit. For Lent, we begin to recognize the approaching Passion and Easter events. For Advent, we begin to see the waiting come to and end with the approaching Incarnation. (That’s why there is a pink candle on our Advent Wreath!)

Red is used for celebrations of the Holy Spirit. Chief of these is the Feast of Pentecost (always 50 days after Easter Sunday). It is used on Reformation Sunday (the last Sunday in October) where we celebrate how the Spirit continues to call the Church to change. It is also used on any occasion where the larger Church gathers together, such as assemblies, revivals, joint worship services, ordinations, in-stallations, et cetera.

Green is used for almost everything else. It is the color of “com-mon time” between high holy feasts, festivals, and special seasons. Green is also the color for nature and is used for feasts, festivals, and seasons celebrating God’s Creation (such as Creationtide – the month of September).

Black is used only one time per year: Good Friday. It marks the somber nature of our observing (not celebrating) the crucifixion of Jesus and represents the darkness and death found in the world. Black used to be used at funerals (and still is by laity), but clergy typically now wear white vestments at funerals to represent the promise of Easter and our belief in the Resurrection of the dead.

Where do you see these colors during worship? How do we use them to celebrate? How do we use them to focus our hearts and minds on the spiritual? Food for thought.

See you Sunday!

Worship Words


April Happy Timers

Please make reservations by Monday, April 18, 2016 at Noon918-582-8237 with First Christian Church Downtown Tulsa

Cost $7 to cover lunch

Join us on Thursday, April 21, 2016 @ 11am to hear music performed from Samuel

FrenchÕs Smoke on the Mountainby Sand Springs Community Theater

Members

First Christian Church, Tulsa“Making a Difference in the Heart of Tulsa”

Ministry Council Agenda • Monday, April 11, 2016

1. Call to Order and Welcome, establish quorum – Kathy Davis, Moderator2. Opening Prayer – Rev. Michael Riggs3. Approve Minutes: a. Ministry Council – March 14, 20164. Financial Report – Mary Byrne5. Reports from Ministry Council Representatives: Administration: Jim McKinney Resources: Bill Osteen Spiritual Growth: Clarke Kendall Outreach: Becky Gray/Susan Prabhu Nurture/Healing: Report will be given with Elders’ Report Worship – Open Communications: Marilyn Carlton Hospitality: Susan McKee Strategic Planning/Evaluation: James Howard

6. Old Business:

7. New Business: a. Delegate to Regional Assembly

8. Additional Reports: a. Elder Chair: Susan Baston b. Deacon Co-Chairs: Andrea Rumley/Sandra Lewis

9. Staff Reports: a. Michael Riggs b. Cassie Sexton-Riggs c. Joshua Toulouse d. Beverly Vale Brown

10. Additional Comment/Questions from Membership11. Next Meeting: Monday, May 9, 201612. Motion to Adjourn

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 913 S. Boulder, Tulsa, OK • 918.582.8237 • fcctulsa.org Page 11

Joined in Discipleship: The Shaping of Contemporary Disciples Identity

by Mark G. Toulouse

This book is for a more theologically engaging and scholarly look at the history of the Chris-tian Church (Disciples of Christ). From Disciples his-torian, former Brite and Phil-lips profes-sor, and father of your very own Associate

Minister, this book looks at the beliefs and identity of the denomination through the lenses of Interpretation (the freedom to embrace diversity of thought), Res-toration (the questions of where authority should lie), Ecumenical principles (on the belief of Christian unity), and Eschatological (which means “end times,” here ex-amining our beliefs of where God is today and how God interacts with us), as well as looking at our belief in the sacraments (baptism, communion, etc), leadership, and how to be a denomination in an age that is becom-ing post-denominational. While this is a book often used in seminary classrooms, dad’s… oops, I mean, Dr. Toulouse’s book is perfect for anyone curious about the progression of our denomination from its history to the current state of the church who is willing to dig a little deeper into some scholarly writing.

A Handbook for Today’s Disciplesby D. Duane Cummins

This is a highly accessible overview of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that proveds concise informa-

tion on Disciples’ heritage, thought, worship, mis-sion, and struc-ture. It is a great resource for both current Disciples members as well as people join-ing a Disciples church, and even those who sim-ply want to know more about the denominat ion . Cummins illus-trates his summa-

ries of Disciples’ traditions with excerpts from historical documents as well as scripture in order to bring a major American religious movement vividly to life!

Okay to Be Different, by Todd Parr

It’s okay to need some help.It’s okay to be a different color.It’s okay to talk about your feelings.It’s okay to make a wish...

It’s Okay to Be Different, by Todd Parr, cleverly delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format featuring Todd Parr’s trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes. Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids to celebrate their in-dividuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence.

It’s Okay to be Different is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate mul-ticulturalism, and promote character growth, all of which is at the heart of what is means to be a part of the Chris-tian Church (Disciples of Christ) because all means all!

Book Recommendations

continued on page 11

For our book recommendations this issue, we are picking some books that examine who and what we are as Disciples as we prepare to invite the many Oklahoma Disciples churches and their members into our church for Regional Assembly at the end of the month.

Book Recommendationscontinued from page 6

Prayers and Squares:A Prayer Quilt Ministry

For over 18 months, our church has provided “prayer quilts” to anyone we know who is in need of prayer. Each quilt is chosen specially for that person using fabrics representing their interests or color preferences. There is no cost for a quilt, nor do recipients need to be members of our church.

A dedicated group of church members cut and sew each quilt, preparing it for the Sunday it will be tied during the church service. Hopefully you have been able to participate in tying the strings on the quilt. Every knot tied represents a prayer being said for the recipient.

While we strive to make quilts which are pleasing to the re-cipients, it is all about the prayer. Each quilt has a sewn label which says “This quilt was made for _______ with love, hope and prayers. Each knot represents a prayer that was said for you. First Christian Church, Tulsa.”

To date, we have given over 50 prayer quilts to people need-ing our prayers for many different reasons. Do you know someone who is going through a tough time? Is feeling alone? Struggling with health issues? In need of prayer? If so, they might appreciate one of our prayer quilts.

It’s simple to request a quilt:1) Ask the recipient if they would like a quilt;2) If the answer is yes, contact Marcia Boyd with your

request.3) When the quilt is sewn, we will tie the quilt during a

Sunday worship service, ready for youto deliver or mail to the recipient.

A list of prayer quilt recipients is listed in the Vision and worship bulletin each week. Please keep this special group in your prayers as well as this ministry. AND, if you would like to find out about becoming one of the sewers, please give Becky Gray a call, 918-706-0915. We provide the fabric and a simple pattern while you do the sewing.


2016 EASTERTIDE SERMON SERIES

“What Does Eternal Life Look Like?”The First Sunday of Easter 3/27

“Prison Break”(Luke 24:1-12)

with apologies to FOX

The Second Sunday of Easter 4/3“The Truth Is Out There”

(John 20:19-32)with apologies to FOX

The Third Sunday of Easter 4/10\“Better Call Saul”

(Acts 9:1-22)with apologies to AMC

The Fourth Sunday of Easter 4/17“Raising Hope”

(Acts 9:36-43)with apologies to FOX

The Fifth Sunday of Easter 4/24“Say Yes to the Dress”

(Revelation 21:1-6)with apologies to TLC

The Sixth Sunday of Easter 5/1“Family Ties”(Genesis 22)

with apologies to NBC

The Ascension of the Lord 5/8“Highway to Heaven”

(Acts 1:6-11; Rev. 22:12-17,20-21) with apologies to NBC

Do you ever decorate for parties? The Church decorates for a party every Sunday! Worship is a celebration of God’s love and presence in Jesus Christ, a celebration that comes to focus at the Table. So, if we are celebrating, that means it’s a party. And if it’s a party, that means we decorate!

The Church decorates a bit differently for its worship party than we ourselves might at home. While yes, sometimes balloons or confetti has been by churches in worship (and our own congrega-tion even has special streamers for special occasions!), the way the Church decorates has special theological significance and meaning.

First, there are special colors we use in worship: white, purple, pink, green, red, and black. Here is a quick list of how the vast majority of Christian traditions use them:

White is the color used to celebrate the feasts and seasons of the Christ narrative – not that he was white, because he wasn’t, but because the color white is associated with “witnessing to the faith” in the Christian tradition. So whenever the Church has a party that tells an important part of the Christ story, we see lots of white. There are two seasons that use white: Christmastide (the 12 days of Christ-mas) and Eastertide (the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost). In addition, there are special Sundays that use white outside of these seasons:

the Epiphany of the Lord (always January 6) the Baptism of the Lord

(the 1st Sunday after the Epiphany) the Transfiguration of the Lord

(the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday) the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday) the Ascension of the Lord

last Sunday before Pentecost) the Reign of Christ (last Sunday before Advent)White is also used for weddings and funerals, and so you also see

white on All Saints Day (always November 1), All Souls Day (al-ways November 2), or the associated All Saints Sunday (the Sunday directly after these dates).

Purple is both a royal color (because the dye used for it in an-cient times was very expensive and only affordable to kings) and a penitential color (for somber occasions). The Church uses purple in preparation for two celebrations of our “king” Jesus: the season be-fore the celebration of the Risen King (Easter) and the season before the Newborn King (Christmas). The season before Easter is called Lent and gets its name from the Old English word for “spring.” Just as Jesus prepared himself in the wilderness for ministry for forty days, so too the Church prepares itself for ministry as Easter people with forty days (not including Sundays) of reflection, repentance, and discipline. The season before Christmas is called Advent and

its name means “beginning.” Advent used to be a forty-day prepa-ration for Christmas marking the beginning of the Christian Year (the Christian calendar is a bit different from the secular calendar), but is now a four-week season that begins the four Sundays before Christmas Day. Unlike the secular world, Advent is not an early Christmas celebration – it is a season of exploring the waiting and longing of the people of God for the arrival of a Savior. Sometimes Advent feels at odds with the secular celebrations of December, but sometimes we need to remember “the reason for the season” and wait, listen to the prophets once again, hear the old stories, and pre-pare our spirits to celebrate. (Some churches use blue for Advent, representing the color of hope commonly associated with Mother Mary – we follow the greater tradition of purple because of Advent’s historic associate with Lent.)

Pink is used only twice a year: the middle of Lent (Lætáre Sun-day – the 4th Sunday in Lent) and the middle of Advent (Gaudéte Sunday – the 3rd Sunday of Advent). Both “Lætáre” and “Gaudé-te” mean “rejoice” and mark a turning point for Lent and Advent where we lighten things us a bit. For Lent, we begin to recognize the approaching Passion and Easter events. For Advent, we begin to see the waiting come to and end with the approaching Incarnation. (That’s why there is a pink candle on our Advent Wreath!)

Red is used for celebrations of the Holy Spirit. Chief of these is the Feast of Pentecost (always 50 days after Easter Sunday). It is used on Reformation Sunday (the last Sunday in October) where we celebrate how the Spirit continues to call the Church to change. It is also used on any occasion where the larger Church gathers together, such as assemblies, revivals, joint worship services, ordinations, in-stallations, et cetera.

Green is used for almost everything else. It is the color of “com-mon time” between high holy feasts, festivals, and special seasons. Green is also the color for nature and is used for feasts, festivals, and seasons celebrating God’s Creation (such as Creationtide – the month of September).

Black is used only one time per year: Good Friday. It marks the somber nature of our observing (not celebrating) the crucifixion of Jesus and represents the darkness and death found in the world. Black used to be used at funerals (and still is by laity), but clergy typically now wear white vestments at funerals to represent the promise of Easter and our belief in the Resurrection of the dead.

Where do you see these colors during worship? How do we use them to celebrate? How do we use them to focus our hearts and minds on the spiritual? Food for thought.

See you Sunday!

Worship Words


FCC Activities and Opportunities Wednesday, April 6 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Midweek Peak 5:30 Light Supper, Fellowship Hall - $5.00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke - part two: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 7 6:30 Elders Meeting, East Fellowship Hall


Saturday, April 9 Communion Preparation: Samantha Cox and Tom Nulf Youth Campout in AR

Sunday, April 10 Communion to Home-Centered 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 12:10 - 2:00 Outreach Team lunch & meeting, East Fellowship Hall AFTERNOON CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS (Pre-K – 5th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Junior Youth Fellowship) 3rd floor children’s rooms YOUTH PROGRAMS (6th – 12th grades) 12:30 - 2:30 Pastors' Class, Fellowship Hall 1:30 - 3:30 Mission Tulsa serving meals to homeless in east parking lot 2:30 Youth return from Campout NEACCO Prayer Calendar: North East Active

Timers (NEATs)

Monday, April 11 8:00 Prayer Breakfast, McDonald's 49th and Harvard 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer 6:00 Ministry Council, East Fellowship Hall 7:00 Camp Christian Board Meeting, North

Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, April 12 9:30 Prayer Group, Library

Wednesday, April 13 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Midweek Peak 5:30 Light Supper, Fellowship Hall - $5.00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 14 10:00 - 2:00 Sewing Group, Rm. Rm. 101 5:30 – 7:00 Outreach opportunity: prepare and

serve meal for folks at Day Center for the Homeless, 415 W. Archer; Sign-up sheets in Main Street lobby


Saturday, April 16 Communion Preparation: Rick Bowlin and Marcia Boyd 10:00 Food Pantry Volunteers here 11:00-1:00 Homebuilders Food Pantry OPEN

Sunday, April 17 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. NO AFTERNOON CHILDREN OR YOUTH PROGRAMS NEACCO Prayer Calendar: First Christian,

Morris

Monday, April 18 Vision to be published 8:00 Prayer Breakfast, McDonald's 49th and Harvard 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer 6:00 Stewardship Meeting, East Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, April 19 9:30 Prayer Group, Library 10:00 Planning and Evaluation Meeting, East

Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, April 20. 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer Mid-Week Peak: 5:30 Light Supper Fellowship Hall - $5:00 5:45 - 7:15 Bible Study - "According to Luke - part two: The Acts of the Apostles" 7:15 - 8:30 Sanctuary Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm.

Thursday, April 21 10:30 CDC Chapel Time, Double Ring 11:00 Happy Timers, Fellowship Hall 2:00 Tablets and Smart Phones class - Joshua,

Movie Room on 3rd Floor

Friday, April 22 – Earth Day 11:00 Snack Packs given, Chapel foyer

Saturday, April 23 Communion Preparation: Mary Lynn Howard

and Wa'Chanti Tolbert

Sunday, April 24 9:00 Coffee Bar open, East Fellowship Hall 9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth, South Fellowship Hall 9:15 -10:15 Sunday School for adults 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children (PreK-5th) 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for youth (6th-12th Gr.) 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg. 10:15 -10:35 Choir rehearsal, Choir Room 10:15 -10:45 Coffee fellowship, East Fellowship Hall 10:45 -12:00 Worship service, Sanctuary 11:00 -11:30 Children's Worship in the Loft, 4th floor Sanctuary Bldg.- NE corner 11:30 -12:00 Children's activities, 3rd floor, Ed. Bldg. AFTERNOON CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS (Pre-K – 5th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Junior Youth Fellowship) Spring Party YOUTH PROGRAMS (6th – 12th grades) 12:00 – 2:30 (Chi Rho and CYF), Spring Party 12:30 - 2:30 Pastors' Class, Fellowship Hall 1:30 - 3:30 Mission Tulsa serving meals to homeless in east parking lot NEACCO Prayer Calendar: Morrison Christian,

Morrison

This year’s Regional Assembly gets hands on! With 8 different mission sites city-wide there is something for everyone. Find a mission site that matches your passion! Mission work will take place Saturday morning from 9:30-11:30 after we’ve shared breakfast and completed the short Regional Assembly business meeting.This mission work will be our April Outreach project!

Let’s Get to Work!Green Thumb?

Do you have a green thumb? Do you like to weed or wa-

ter plants? Then join Harvard Avenue Christian Church to work

in their community garden by pulling weeds and watering

plants.

Feed the Hungry?Perhaps you have a passion for feeding ministries! You can

help repackage and sort donated food and other grocery items

in the Product Recovery Room at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Help provide fully nutritious food packages for impover-

ished children through partnerships with humanitarian organi-

zations in the USA and worldwide by working with Stamp Out Starvation. FCC Tulsa “Snack Packs” Feed the hungry in downtown Tulsa. Snack Packs are handed

out at FCC Tulsa 3 days a week to help feed hungry people. We

need your help in this easy-to-assemble packaging process.

Nature Fan?Perhaps you are big on nature. You can join the Oxley Na-

ture Center at Mohawk Park to help clean trails and brush for

local hikers.

Donate Blood to Save LivesConsider signing up to be a part of the #BloodDonorChal-

lenge by giving blood on site at First Christian Church Tulsa for

the Oklahoma Blood Institute. The Oklahoma Blood Institute

is the local non-profit, blood bank that provides blood products

to almost 90% of the state of Oklahoma’s hospital facilities.

Sign up online at www.obi.org to make your appointment.

Animal LoverMaybe you are an animal lover. At the Tulsa SPCA you will be

either painting the night kennels for the dogs or walking dogs

and socializing (playing with) dogs and helping them to social-

ize with others dogs.

Hygiene Kits for CWSConsider assembling hygiene kits for Church World Service

or bring items for the kits. This mission project takes place at

FCC Tulsa. Click here for a full list of items to donate.

There is something for everyone! Register to reserve your

space at the mission site of your choice. Be sure to review the

descriptions here, as some sites require special clothing and

volunteer applications to participate. It’s easy to serve!

Regional Assembly Features City Wide Mission Work – Our April Outreach Project

April Outreach


Join us for a Happy Timers Luau on

Thursday, May 26, 2016!Appetizers & Mocktails @ 5:30pm

Entertainment @ 6:00PMDinner @ 6:30PM

Cost: $15 per person

Wear your best Hawaiian outfitand come prepared for Polynesian trivia!

Prizes will be given for both.

Please call 918-582-8237 to make yourreservations before May 23, 2016!

This year’s Oklahoma Regional Assembly will be a Festival of Missions and we will be hosting it at our church!

There will be ways to celebrate all the ways the various churches in our region do mission work in their own particular communities and contexts. There will be a video highlighting the various missions different churches do as well as a “Missions and Carols” closing worship where the message will be various churches throughout the region sharing stories of their own par-ticular mission work!

There will be sites where actual on-site mission work will be accomplished! Work alongside people from throughout the Region at a mission site that you choose. We have eight different sites for all different types of passions and abilities.

There will be a presentation from the General Church on their new “Mission First” program, call-ing Disciples to name a church-wide, shared mission

focus. This program is about Disciples making a dif-ference by putting God’s mission first, and they will be here sharing how Oklahoma can play a vital part towards meeting that goal.

With worship, food, fellowship (including a Golf Tournament), and hands-on mission work, this Re-gional Assembly will truly be a Festival of Missions.

Learn & Do Mission WorkHave you ever thought that Regional Assembly should be more of a party?

Or maybe a “Festival” instead? Well, this is your lucky year!

Oklahoma Regional Assembly

First Christian Church-Tulsa April 29-30

Register online at

www.okdisciples.org/ra-2016Or pick up a paper registration form

in the church office.

2016 Church Leadership

Moderator Kathy Davis

Vice ModeratorOPEN

SecretaryChris Murphy

Treasurer Brian Knight

AdministrationJim McKinney

Resources Bill Osteen

Spiritual Growth Clarke Kendall

WorshipOPEN

OutreachBecky Gray and Susan Prabhu

HospitalitySusan McKee

CommunicationsMarilyn Carlton

Planning & EvaluationJames Howard

Elders Chair Susan Baston

Deacons Co-Chairs Andrea Rumley and Sandra Lewis

Personnel Ben Gray

Nominating Jean Swanson

StewardshipChris Murphy

PropertyBill Osteen

Evangelism Nick Cox Scholarship Kelli Knight Vision Team

Ben Gray

I’m sure by now you have figured out that I make stuff up. I told you last time that the young Hargroves were coming for Easter. Well, I lied. They came this week. I just got a little ahead of myself. Jennifer and Danny and Isabell and Anna are here from Indianapolis and the grandparents couldn’t be happier! Kay Thompson has been in Ft. Worth with the grandchildren there, but she ran home Sunday to be with the Hargroves.

I met a nice couple in church Sunday. Linda and Randy Ramsey. Randy has been to our church before, and we are glad he came back and brought Linda.

Have you noticed Paul and Mardell Campbell moved to “center court” (in church) and the entire Gray family moved with them? Becky says, “like a jigsaw puzzle.” I think they just want to get as close to Paul as they can!

If you miss the Youth this Sunday, they have gone on a camping trip. Sounds like fun!

Two hunters had been out for several hours, and one of them was growing uneasy. Panic finally overtook him. “We’re lost!” he cried to his buddy. “Keep your shirt on!” the other said. “Shoot an extra deer and the game warden will be here in a minute and a half.”

Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.

See ya in church, Ruthie

I didn’t write this article – you did. Well, technically speaking, yes, I typed this on my com-puter using my own fingers and thumbs and hopefully more than a few brain cells, but the content has been deter-mined by you. “How is this?” you ask. Simple: you’ve been asking questions about our church and this article (and the next few) will share the conversation with everyone who reads this. So, here we go!

“What happened to the projectors and screens in the sanctuary?”

We purchased the screens and pro-jectors about 15 years ago to the cost of some $150,000+ for what was then state-of-the-art equipment. Because our sanctuary has so many windows and lights, the projectors had to have special (expensive) bulbs and lenses to throw a bright enough image all the way across the room. After 15 years, the equipment has long outlasted its service life and is beginning to fail. The LED bulbs inside the projects are failing (hence the yellow spots in the image) and can’t be repaired due to the equipment being so obsolete now. Sometimes they won’t even turn on. The screens are also problem riddled, as there is a sheen on them from the last time they were cleaned and so they have a glare that cannot be removed. They are torn in one or two places and get caught moving up and down – that is, when they do move up and down. (They too have problems.)

Because of the weekly problems with quality and reliability of this sys-tem, we stopped using it last fall. The price of equipment has gone down in the last 15 years, but it would still cost of tens of thousands of dollars to re-place it all, and we’d have to use bud-

get contingency funds to do so – an ir-responsible expenditure right now until we get a hold on our budget and greatly reduce if not eliminate our deficit.

Perhaps we can do a fundraiser in the future, but not until we get an afford-able estimate on replacement and have no other competing expenses facing us. There are many, many reasons we need to replace the system and restore this ability to our sanctuary, but we’re going to have to wait. Good news: the hymnals ain’t broken and cost nothing to use! (If you need a large print hym-nal, let me know and we’ll see what it would cost to purchase them.)

“What are the various church com-mittees, who are their leaders, what do they do, and how can we hear about what’s going on?”

Whew! That’s a big question! So, let’s break it down for us:

According to our most current con-stitution and by-laws, the primary gov-erning body of the church is you, the congregation. However, because it is impossible for the congregation to have a meeting to vote on every decision that needs to be made, we elect officials to represent us in our church’s Ministry Council (such as the Moderator, Trea-surer, Secretary, etc.). The council in-cludes these officers as well as repre-sentatives from the various Ministry Teams of our church (Outreach, Ad-ministration, Resources, Elders, Dea-cons, etc.). Some of these representa-tives are elected by the congregation (such as the officers), and others are by the Ministry Teams (such as the chair of each team or their Ministry Council representative). Other leadership posi-tions are appointed by the Moderator (such as Chair of Trust Officers).

Every year in the late summer, the Nominating Team begins to take nomi-nations for these positions. Anyone in the church can nominate anyone else for a leadership position. Our success depends upon you nominating people and upon people stepping up to serve.

If you don’t participate in this process, it becomes difficult for our church to function. For example – we still don’t have a Vice-Moderator because no one has wanted to be nominated, and very few people want to talk to others about the position. Folks, if we don’t step up and volunteer, we only have ourselves to blame when the church stops func-tioning well. Democracy only func-tions when people participate, and the same goes for our church.

After the nominating process is con-cluded, the congregation votes on the nominees in the late fall at a special congregational meeting. These meet-ings happen at least four times per year and are always advertised in the news-letter, the worship bulletin, our email news, and in the worship announce-ments. Each Sunday School class is supposed to announce these meetings (as well as nominations), so if your class isn’t doing so, take it up with your class leaders. After the nominees have been voted on and elected, they are officially announced to the congre-gation via the same channels of infor-mation listed above in addition to be-ing presented to the congregation and inducted into service during the first or second worship services of the year in January.

Because not all of us save (or read) our newsletters, we will from time to time post this information once again, including contact information for each leader. When that happens, please save that information somewhere (maybe cut it out of the newsletter and put in on the fridge with a magnet) so you can refer to it easily. We are also working to get an information bulletin board put up in the church building so you can reference the information anytime you are on campus.

The various Ministry Team meet-ings and the Ministry Council meet-ings are all open to the members, and their times and locations are published in the newsletter as well as the worship bulletin. It is up to you to show up and

(cont. on pg 14)

Prayers and Cares

Donna and John AckenhausenMatthew AlspaughAmy BarnardPaul CampbellPeggie ClendeninJim DalbyJeff DanielMike FawcettEdward FinleyJake FlowersCyrus Ford & familyRoger Ford

Larry GibsonRussell O. Grettum, Jr.Nita GriggsAlexia HaleLes & Marcia HamesEbony HawkinsNorma HendersonDan KimesIrene LewittJoyce MarstonMarianne MoffattPat & Dennis MolloyBill Northcutt

Pat & Carl OliverVic OsteenLeon Patterson & familyBetsi Phillips & familyMark PitcherLynn RayTammy ReatherSharon RedricksVeda RiggsAbbey Roberson’s momJack SandersChristie RichardsonSchreppel

Cindy Skinner-Steward’s familyBetty SmithMichael SmithDoris SorensenBeverly SouthardAshley StubblefieldMary Sudberry’s familyOpal Irene TudorRick UmbargerVicki VandivortNeva Varner

Joy Welsh

Continued prayers for Prayer Quilt RecipientsAshley, Beckie, Beverly’s family, Brian’s family, Chesney, Christie, Cindy, Cyrus, David’s family, Debbie, Fredda,

Gordon’s family, Gyniss, Howard, Irene, Jake, Jerry, Jennifer, Joan, Joseph (PJ), Judy, Judy and family, Karen,

Rev. Katie, Kern’s family, Larry and Molly, Les, Lilia, Marcia, Maddie, Margaret, Marilyn, Mark, Michael,

Miranda, Otavia, Paul, Ray, Richard, Rick, Shaina, Stacee, Susan, Susie, Sybil, Terry, Tonya, and Vicki


From the Pastor’s Pen Keyboard

Summer Camp Needs:- Twin Bed Sheets- Bath Towels- Swim Towels

These items do not need to be new, gently used items are fine.These items can be donated anytime before June 6, 2016.

Week of Mar 27

Worship 174Children 29Total Attendance 203



Total $6,052.50

Week of Apr 3

Worship 104 Children 25Total Attendance 129



Total $18,889.00

Attendance and Gifts

April 1-30, 2016

Carol Grisham 4/1Norman Duckworth 4/2Amanda Thompson 4/2Martie Rathbun 4/2Hugh Henderson 4/3Marcia Boyd 4/6

Amy Hauger 4/7Rick McCharen 4/10Bill Clark 4/12Sharon Regnery 4/12Dakotah Poorboy 4/12Bobbie Lewis 4/13Joan Hauger 4/15Margaret Richardson 4/16

Raylene Barclay 4/17WuWu Tolbert 4/20Karen Garner 4/21

Jo Baker 4/28

Thanks Recievedfor Outreach

Scholarship Info

The new application for scholarships for the 2016/2017 Academic year are on the website.

html


April 21, 2pm

Would you like some help learning how to get more out of your tablet (iPad, Kindle Fire, etc) or smart phone?

Joshua will be teaching a class that will focus on learning some tips and tricks so you can do more with your technology!

If you are interested in at-tending, talk to Joshua at church

iPhone/Tablet Class

(cont. from p. 2) attend these meetings – in fact, we encourage you to do so. After all, it’s your church. Just like national and local elections, “If you don’t participate, you really don’t have reason to complain about the results.” It’s up to you to be involved in the business of the church, otherwise we can’t do business.

“How can I get in touch with my pastors?”Rev. Cassie, Joshua, and I are all available to you at

any time, but that doesn’t mean we are always in our of-fices at the church building. Our phone system is having a few problems and needs to be replaced (to the tune of sev-eral thousand dollars – yes, business telephone systems are very different from just plugging in a receiver into the wall jack like at home), so while you can certainly leave a voice mail for us at the church (usually, when the system is work-ing), the best way to get in touch with us is to call us on our cell phones. Those numbers are published in our church directories. (If you don’t have an updated paper copy of the directory, please contact the church office – they are also available in the church lobby.) Calling us on our cell phones is the fastest, easiest way to get in touch with us wherever we may be.

If you are having a pastoral emergency after church business hours, please DO NOT call the church because we won’t get the information in time. Call us on our cell phones or call the PASTORAL CARE HOTLINE at (918) 246-6726. Leave a message, and it will be forwarded to thepastor on-call, who will get right back with you.

Also, your pastors cannot visit you in the hospital if they don’t know you are there. Please let us know when you have medical procedures coming up where you would like a pastoral presence with you. If it is an emergency where you yourself are unable to let us know, make certain your family members or caregiver or friend knows to call us in such emergencies, has that contact information, and knows you want them to call us.

Finally, we would much prefer to make home visits than hospital visits, but we can’t read your mind if you want us to come and visit you. Frankly, we have to spend a lot of time “putting out fires” and helping our church climb out of the hole it is in and doing those jobs that used to be done by former staff or volunteers, and so often our pri-orities have us focused on administration, programs, and our church’s future (not to mention staff searches, helping people in need who come to our doorstep which happens all the time downtown, personal study and prayer, and all of the other things we need to be doing as pastors). However, we are never so busy as to not be able to talk or meet with you – we love such opportunities, but we aren’t just going to invite ourselves over. If you would like a pastoral visit, please let us know – we’d love to come and see you!

That’s all for now. More to come in the next newsletter.

Soli Deo Gloria,Rev. Michael

Memorial Gifts Budget Contingency Fund

In memory of June Phillips

from Berneita Semones

Easter OfferingIn memory of

Robert Barclayand in honor of

Raylene Barclayfrom their daughter, Robyn Bynum

FCC Child Development Center In memory of

Martha Roper’s parents, Jake and Bettyfrom Richard and Peggy Ziglar

Homebuilders Scholarship Fund In memory of

June Phillipsfrom her sister, Jackie Smith and family

Ronald and Janet Francisco


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Next Sunday:

Celebra�ons:


Upcoming Events:


Page 10



Flower delivery:



Flower delivery:


Greeters: eFlowers for Sunday:

Flower delivery:



A publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), TulsaVol. 21, Number 7 Apr. 8, 2016






9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth9:00 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall9:15 - 10:15 Adult Sunday School9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children and youth10:15 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall10:45 - Noon Worship, Sanctuary 11:00 - 11:30 Children’s Worship, The Lo�, 4th Floor Sanctuary Building11:30 - 12:00 Children’s ac�vi�es, 3rd Floor


Sunday Schedule



23456




Next Sunday:

Celebra�ons:


Upcoming Events:


Page 10



Flower delivery:



Flower delivery:



Flower delivery:



A publication of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Tulsa Vol. 21, Number 7 Apr. 8, 2016






9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast for children and youth 9:00 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall9:15 - 10:15 Adult Sunday School 9:30 - 10:30 Sunday School for children and youth 10:15 Coffee Fellowship, East Fellowship Hall10:45 - Noon Worship, Sanctuary 11:00 - 11:30 Children’s Worship, The Lo�, 4th Floor Sanctuary Building 11:30 - 12:00 Children’s ac�vi�es, 3rd Floor


Sunday Schedule



23456



2 From the Pastor’s Pen Keyboard

3 Attendance & Gifts

4 FCC Activities & Opportunities

5 Regional Assembly

6 Book Recommendations

7 Worship Words

8 April Happy Timers

9 Ministry Council Agenda

10 Easter Sermon Series

11 Book Recommendations Cont. Prayers and Squares

12 Happy Timers - May

13 April Outreach -

Festival of Missions

14 iPhone and Tablet Class/ Pastor's Pen

15 Wilder Side, Summer Camp Needs

Prayers and Concerns

16 Serving SchedulesSunday School News

cont.

First Christian Church - iPhone/Tablet Class · 2016. 4. 6. · First Christian Church (Disciples...

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