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The Chalice
A publication of First Christian Church of Edmond, OK
CONNECTIONVol. 4 No. 13 April 5, 2012
I have watchedthe faces of mychildren over theyears as we
passthe communion
trays by themevery week.Before theywere baptized,
Beth and I made the decision not tolet them take communion. We
had along discussion with each explaining thedecision. We told them
it would be moremeaningful for them after their baptismand that
baptism is all about entry into thebody of Christ. Still, I could
see their facesas we invited everyone around the table todine with
us. They felt left out.
The decision about whether to allowchildren to take communion
beforethey are baptized is a personal one. Wedont have a policy
here at the church.I know many families have their
ownpreferencessome do and some dont. Idont have a problem with
either decision.I do think it is important for the kids
tounderstand both sides of the issue and beOK with whatever
decision is made. And Isee the positives of both sides of the
issue.It is meaningful to wait, knowing thatbaptism and public
confession of faith is
such an important element of all our faith.But it does seem
exclusive to invite all tothe tablebut not our children.
Somefriends invite their kids to take it, knowingthat it includes
their children, but it is not
fully communion until they are baptized.No matter how you see
it, the table
is central to all of our faith. Thats whythis Holy Week is so
meaningful to us asDisciples. The Last Supper instituted
ourobservance of the table and we celebrateChrists presence every
time we gatherround. And this Maundy Thursday wecelebrate the first
communion for ourpastors class. Is it the first time any ofthem
have received communion? Probablynot, and thats just fine. But is
it the firsttime as baptized believers in Jesus Christ?
Yes, and that is why we anticipate it withsuch emotion. What a
statement our kidshave made, and what an impact it has ontheir
lives.
So, next Sunday as we pass thecommunion trays, William, as a
newlybaptized believer will take it just likeeveryone else. What a
celebration! AndClark, our four-year-old, will watch us
withanticipation. He may notice other childrentaking it and ask me
about it. We can havea great talk about it. Isnt diversity a gift
inour community?!
AnticipationBy Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister
To feed my sheep is grounded in the churchs mostbasic calling:
to live a life of faith in God, to trust in Godsabundance, to use
Gods gifts wisely and to share themgenerously.
The General Ministries of the Christian Church(Disciples of
Christ) feed the sheep of Jesus by helpingcongregations use
financial resources wisely - providingpensions and quality health
care for church workers;providing emergency assistance; and
educating leaders.
Join us and Disciples around the country on Sunday,April 8 as we
support the 2012 Easter Offering to Disciples Mission Fund, and
lets love
Christ by feeding his sheep.
8:15am Chapel Service9am Contemporary Servic
11am Easter CantataWho Is This King?
An Easter Cantata written by LloydLarson & Joseph M.
Martin
Those who witnessed the life andministry of Jesus were
consistentlymixed in their verdicts about whoHe was. Join us as we
proclaimJesus the risen and living King!
Performed by our Chancel ChoirAccompanied by a 22 piece
orchest
Greg Bunton, Narrator
(PARENTS: On Easter Sunday,
SPROUTS childrens worship will
NOT meet during the 9am and
11am services. We invite your
children to worship with you!)
Easter Breakfast 8:30-11amEnjoy a special breakfast in
FellowshHall with your church family befor
you go to worship or Sunday Schoo
Hosted by Membership Ministries
Come Hunt Eggs!Childrens Easter Egg Hunt 10:20aThe Annual Easter
Egg Hunt, for agesthrough 4th grade, will be held on oplaygrounds.
Children: meet in you
classrooms - Sunday School teachers wescort you to the
appropriate playgrou
for the hunt. Parents - please join us(Children will be
dismissed to theirparents immediately following.)
Bring a basket and a friend!
Hosted by the 2012 Pastors Class
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Giving Ourselves to Others!Book Inspires Intentional
GenerosityBy Bethany Shipley, for the 29 Gifts Creative Team
How better to celebrate this new life that we have been
giventhrough Jesus Christs death and resurrection than by giving
ofourselves to others?!
Give away your life; youll find life given back, but not
merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing.
Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets
generosity.
Luke 6.38, The Message
Well that is exactly what we will be focusing on in an upcoming
sermon series, entitled29Gifts/29Days. The idea for this sermon
series and giving challenge, came from CamiWalkers book 29 Gifts:
How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life. Cami, a young woman in
her mid-30s, was diagnosed with MS in 2006. After strugglingwith
the chronic pain and subsequent addiction to pain medications,
Camis health andspirits were in a downward spiral. She decided to
take the advice of a spiritual mentor togive a gift a day for 29
days. While it didnt heal her MS, it did have a remarkable effect
onher ability to cope. I went from being unable to walk and feeling
depressed and angry tobeing able to hike a mile and feeling a
strong sense of love,says Cami, who credits her swiftrecovery to
her giving spree.
As we are quickly approaching this new sermon series, I want to
encourage you to pickup a copy of Camis book. I truly believe if
you are able to read through her journey andpersonal account of
29Gifts/29Days, you will not only be inspired and energized
topartake yourself, but you will be able to truly grasp the idea of
mindful, intentional, joyfulgiving. Which I believe will add to
your own experience during the upcoming challenge!
Our 29Gifts/29Days sermons series and giving challenge begins on
ChildrensSunday, April 22. The children have some great things
planned as they lead us in worship at11am, and we will see some
videos they are creating in the other services.
The challenge is very simple. Commit to give away 29 gifts in 29
days. Practicing
mindful and intentional giving is key. Want to know one of the
best parts of this challenge?The gifts can be anything; a phone
call, a cup of coffee, listening to a friend, random acts
ofkindness, smiles, your time, a hug, kind words, prayers, notes of
encouragement, etc. And,even betterThey can be given to anyone; You
can give them anonymously, to people youknew really well, to
friends and family members, to teachers, to someone you see often
butmay not really know, or to complete strangers.
So pick up a copy of29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change
Your Life,and then join us in celebrating the joy of giving by
participating in this 29 day experience!Experience for yourself how
giving can change your life - and the lives of others.
For the past month our students have been engaged in a study
called, To Save A Life. We began this stud
in response to the 3 teen suicides that affected our community
in January of this year. This study has been apowerful opportunity
for our students to grow in their faith, experience the powerful
presence of God, and fintrue community in the body of Christ.
Through the prayer support of our Elders, our Wednesday night
sessihave been filled with the Holy Spirit, and our students have
found the strength and courage to be themselvesto share their
hurts, struggles, fears, disappointments, as well as their joys and
celebrations. It has been a gregrowth experience for everyone!
On Wednesday, April 25, we will conclude our study with an Agape
Feast and Community Worship. Oustudents will be inviting other
students from their schools to our Wednesday night dinner, and we
have inviteother church youth groups as well. It is our hope to
fill the Family Life Center with students and help them
Feel the Love of their community. We need each other, and that
is what we want to make known and celebrate! After the dinner,
wewill gather in the Sanctuary for a Community Worship, and we are
inviting anyone and everyone to join us! Our worship leaders for
theevening will be Christian recording artists Shane and Shane. I
encourage you to check them out at www.shaneandshane.com.
If you know of a student in 6-12 grade, please encourage them to
attend our Agape Feast on April 25 at 6:00 p.m. And then,
please come - ALL OF YOU - to worship with Shane and Shane at
7:00 p.m. in our Sanctuary. It is going to be a powerful evenin
Feel the LoveBy Rev. Greg Bunton, Associate Minister of Student
Ministries
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Join Us for a Bridal Shower HonoringRachel ParksSaturday, April
7, from 2 to 4pm
Rachel is registered at Macys, Williams-Sonoma, and Target.
Hosted by Charla Allison, Jennifer Cain, Donna Combs, Robbi
Kinnaird,
Brenda Peterson, Trish Thomas and Sherrye VanOsdol
Raise Your Hand...
If YOU Want To Be A
Welcome Desk HostCan YOU smile and give a friendly goodmorning?
Can you answer the simple question what time does your service
start?
On Sunday Mornings, our Welcome Center desk team answers calls,
takes messages,greets people and points them in the right
direction. This same team answers questionsabout the church, where
to find classes, and helps us make a great first impression!
If you have the gifts of making people feel welcome, and a broad
knowledge of ourministries, we would welcome you to our team!
Welcome Center desk volunteers areneeded on Sunday mornings - we
currently have two vacancies to fill: the 2nd Sundayof each month
from 11:00am to Noon, and the 4th Sunday of each month from
10:00-11:00am. This duty will last from April, 2012 through
December, 2012.
This is a wonderful ministry to be a part of at First Christian
Church, and manyblessings are attached to it. If you are interested
in learning more or signing up, please
call Gayle Smith at 348-1357.
Prayers of the PeopleOUR PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN THE HOSPITAL Joan
Grant,
Parcway Rehab
THOSE IN NEED OF PRAYER Dale Jones, Marcy Williams,Charlie
Young, Vernon Conaway, Jim Hays, Edna Blunk, Loretta Parks,
TommyAtchison, Temple Thigpen (Teddi Owens daughter), Roy Jackson,
Rose Marie McKee,Bart Rodr, Virginia ONiel, Cynthia David (Winnie
Halls daughter), Ed Berry, Bill &Mary Lou Womble, Naomi Bell
(Karen Walenciaks mom)
OUR SYMPATHY AND PRAYERS To James & Kim Kerr on the passing
of Kimsgrandmother, Dorothy Sager of Fort Collins, CO, on March 24.
Services were held onApril 2 in McPherson, KS.
Happy Birthday!4/9 Lindsay Clark4/10 Alex Adams, Judy Berry,
Rose
Hammond4/11 Larry Ball, Robert Earl, Conno
Flournoy, Jamie NovakowskiCollins Ryland, Karen Turk,James Winn,
III
4/12 Christin Adkins, DesireeGengler
4/13 Dale Jones, Kinsey Winters4/14 Meredith Farley, Ben
Hall,
Robert Hendricks, Jana Huff4/15 Carol Sterling
Get Your Garden Growing!The Youth are selling $20 TLC Greenhouse
gift cards now through
May 6. The TLC cards are good for all plants, trees, fertilizer
andsoil to help you get your garden growing this spring!
(excludes
landscaping services). Your purchase will help support our
youth
mission trips. The cards are easy to purchase on Sundays, in
the
rotunda, and on Wednesday evenings - pick up yours today!
Contact Missy Blevins at 833-1115 with questions.
Regional Assemblyof the Christian
Church in OklahomFeaturing FCC
Edmonds Own
Praise Band!Thursday - Saturday
April 26 - 28The Regional Assembly of the ChristiChurch in
Oklahoma will be heldApril 26-28 at First Christian Churchof
Duncan. Worship, workshops andstudy sessions will center on
scriptureJohn 1:1.
FCC Edmonds own Praise
Band will be performing at the
1:30 pm worship service on
Saturday, April 28!
Rev. Dr. Michael Mooty, SeniorMinister of Central Christian
Church,Lexington, KY, and former moderatoof the Christian Church
(DOC) in theUS and Canada, will preach Thursdaand Friday. Regional
Pastor Rev.Dr. Thomas R. Jewell will preach onSaturday.
Faculty of Phillips TheologicalSeminary will present
workshops.
Registration forms available at theWelcome Center in the rotunda
or
online at:http://www.okdisciples.org/Events/
reg-assembly2012.pdf
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The Chalice CONNECTION
Shelley Regan, [email protected] News Online
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Worshipat First Christian8:15, 9 & 11am
April 8, 2012Easter SundayMessage: Rev. Dr. Jerry Black
Rev. Chris Shorow
April 15, 2012Holy Humor SundayMessage: Rev. Chris Shorow
Rev. Greg Bunton
Monday - Thursday, June 11-14Vacation Bible School
Dinner will be served from 6:00 to 6:30pm inFellowship Hall and
the VBS activities will runfrom 6:30 to 8:45pm. Come join in the
fun!
Online registration begins April 15
Friday, June 15
FCCs Annual Golf TournamentKickingbird Golf Club
There will be an $80 Entry Fee.Questions? Contact Bob
Stafford
at 359-8900 or [email protected]
Sunday, April 29Give Blood - Be a Lifesaving Donor!
All blood drives will be held from 8:30am to 12:30pmin the
Fellowship Hall. Make plans to support our
hospital patients with your gift of life through theOklahoma
Blood Institute.
Save These Dates:
