Chalice Connection 09-23-10

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The Chalice

CONNECTIONA publication of First Christian Church of Edmond, OK

Vol. 2 No. 38 September 23, 2010

Gods house. At school, some kids wershunned, ignored, made fun of, ostracior even beaten up. But at church all weaccepted and respected. We had jocks,nerds, hoods, loners, and cheerleaders worshiping together. That would neverhappen at school. But in church, it wasway of life.

I learned not to judge others. It didn

matter where everyone came from, whthey did, what their parents did or howbig their house was. We were all on equfooting at church. God loved each of uno matter what kind of grades we madehow good we were at basketball.

Finally, I learned good stewardshipsaw faithful people giving of their time money to a higher cause. They gave infaith and it increased their faith.

Those lessons were some of the mimportant ones for me in the rest of mylife. Although I have forgotten all of mycalculus and most of my physics, I havecherished the lessons learned in churchMaybe I should be helping my sons wittheir church homework instead!!

I mentionedin my sermonon Sunday

that I waslearning,or moreaccuratelyrelearning,many thingsas I helped

my kids with their homework. Many ofus have become aware of how much wehave forgotten over the years as we seethe TV show Are You Smarter Than aFifth Grader? Well, let me tell you, itstrue that many of the details have escaped

my memory.Especially math, which I never really had afirm grasp on in the first place. Lucky forme I had some great teachers in Edmond

public schools like Jerri Jones, ArmeldaLinton, Georgia Sparks and VievaYoesting. Their dedication, effort, time

and energy combined to shape a gen-eration of children.Im glad that I learned so much

from them. But Im also glad that Ilearned many other things along theway. At church. Im grateful for all ofthe Sunday School teachers and youthleaders who were patient enough tovolunteer their time to try and teach methe mostimportant things in life. It was not aneasy job. Often, I thought I was rightand they were wrong. More often, I was

loud and easily distracted. But they werepatient and loving.

I learned important things likehospitality. Everyone is welcome in

Lessons Learned FromTeachers At ChurchBy Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister

FCC FOLLIES & CHILI COOK-OFFThis Sunday, September 26!

Join us this Sunday evening for our old fashioned chili cook-off and Follies talent show. Youcant beat the tasty and entertaining fun! The Chili Cook-Off begins at 5:30 in the fellowshiphall - we have over 25 pots of delicious chili on the way! At 6:30, we move into the sanctu-ary for a FREE evening of entertainment featuring some of the best talent in Edmond..our

own FCC members! Questions? Contact Diane Ball at 341-3544 ex. 25; [email protected]

Join The Walk To CROP HungerSunday, September 26 2pm at Mitch ParkSince 1990, the Edmond CROP Walk has raised nearly $70,000 to ght hunger at home aaround the world. Twenty-ve percent of the money raised in each city goes to local programs. In Edmond, that includes the Hope Center, Breakfast on Boulevard, Samaritan Hoand Edmond Mobile Meals. Annually, more than 2,000 communities organize CROP HunWalks through Church World Service, a cooperative ministry of 36 Christian denominati

and relief organizations. It isnt too late to join the 2010 CROP Walk. Just join us Sunday afternoon. If you want a free t-shigrab a pledge packet from the church foyer and nd friends to pledge at least $100 for your walk! Questions? Contact GreBunton at [email protected]


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Throughouthistory wise

people haveargued we needto live moresimply and thatonly by limit-

ng outer wealth will we achieve innerwealth. In the new book Less is More Ifound a compelling collection of writingson the themes of simplicity and reduc-ng consumption. These essays advocatea thoughtful approach to how we live,work and spend our leisure time.

The title says it all. So many of us

are frantically piling up more stuff in thebelief doing so will make us happier. Wework long hours to pay for stuff, struggleo finance and maintain large houses inwhich to store our stuff, and then findwe dont have the time to enjoy all thatstuff. Most of us have stuff weve forgot-en we possess! Sometimes it seems ourstuff owns us, rather than the other wayaround. When excess is burden, couldgetting rid of it be the relief we need?

Less is Morewill open your eyes tohe Simplicity movement which advo-

cates a simpler, less cluttered lifestyle.It hopefully encourages us to shift our

focus from mindless material consump-tion, to focus on inner riches, connec-tion with nature, meaningful involve-ment in the community and, above all,the act of making conscious choicesabout how we lead our lives.

In an essay from Sweden, authorAlan AtKisson introduces us to the con-cept oflagom, a Swedish word whichhas to do with quantity and means nei-ther too big nor too small, more thanenough but less than too much. Themost accurate translation may be justenough or just the right amount.

Swedes apply lagon to describeanything from the size of a room to thequantity of chocolate cake theyd like tohave for dessert.Lagom can be highlysubjective what may be just the rightamount of chocolate cake for me maybe way too much for you, or vice versa.But one can also apply the concept oflagom to wider societal issues, allowingfor plenty while setting healthy limits.

If we need a concept for thinking

about how much, in terms of stuff, is the

A Stewardship Book Review by Shelley Regan, Communications Director

LESS IS MORE: Embracing Simplicity for a HealthyPlanet, Caring Economy, and Lasting Happiness

right amountthe Swedes have givena word for it. We may just find oursel

more content if we stop the endlessstriving for the best, the fastest andthe most. The writers in Less is Morpresent numerous possible approachand solutions, aimed to help us be juwhat the book title promises healthmore caring, and happier.

During our Enough sermon andstudy series, we are offering a varietyof stewardship books for purchase.You can purchase them at theEnougdisplay in the rotunda. Other books ymight enjoy, include:

UpsideLiving in a

Downside

Economy

Not YourParents

Offering Plate

SimpleRules for

Money

A Seat At The TabWorld Communion SundOctober 3, 2010

9:30 AM Sunday School

10:45 AM Combined Worsh

12:00 PM FREE Gratitude LuPlease join us as we celebrate th

abundance we share - there is

a seat at the table for you!

To ensure we have enough food foplease let us know you plan to atte

Sign up on Sunday at theENOUGH display in the rotunda

or register onlinewww.fccedmond.org/enough

Do you havea tough timeseparating

wants fromneeds?Do yousometimesfeel consumedby the desireto have more?Do you everlook at your

surroundings and feel overwhelmed bythe sheer volume of things? When isenough, enough?

This Sunday in worship, we willconsider these burdens, address ourhuman tendency head-on, and learnhow to consciously change our ways.

Next week, you will receive an estimateof giving commitment card in the mail.On a practical level, we ask our mem-

bers to turn in estimate of giving cardseach year so that our Finance Commit-tee is able to set an accurate ministrybudget for the coming year. This allowsus to make the most of every dollargiven to the church. On a personal level,the commitment card is an opportunityfor you to spend time in prayer andreflection, considering what offering youwould make to God through our churchin the coming year. Please watch forthe mailing; then fill out the card and

bring it with you to worship on Sunday,October 3rd. You also can pledge onlineat fccedmond.org/enough.

Contentment Is Key


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The Visiting Nurse Association anthe Parish nurses will be giving

FLU ANDPNEUMONIA SHOTS

Sunday, Sept 26in the rotunda8am to 12:30pm

Costs are $25 for u shots and $5for pneumonia shots.

If you have Medicare Part B pleabring your card and we can le

your u and pneumonia shots wiMedicare for you.

On Sunday, October 10 our youwill host their annual WorldVision Dodgeball Tournamenfrom 1-5 p.m. in the Family Lif

Center. Adults are invited to ptogether a team and join in othe fun. A team consists of 6-players, and cost $50 per team

All proceeds from the tournamhelp sponsor a World Vision chfrom Africa. Registration deadli

is October 3. Register at

www.fccedmond.org/dodgeba

Happy Birthday!9/26 Lynn Holzberlein, Kalli Knox

9/27 Lori Beasley, Karly Meadows, Jo

Osburn

9/28 Brian Cavanaugh, James Larriso

Randel Shadid, Matt Williams

9/29 Jane Nay, Alan Simpson

9/30 Dallas Ayers, Shirley Brady, Paig

Lagasse, Ari Pierce, Dean Shiple10/2 Taylor Clark, Cooper Coil,

Loretta Dodd, Barbara George,Kelly Jackson, Dante Little, LoreWilkinson

10/3 Christin Baker, Paxton Shorow

Prayers of the PeopleTHOSE IN NEED OF PRAYERJoshua Anthony, Jenny

Wiechmann, Jeff Stephens, J.C. Mahan (Karlas husband),Belinda Davis, Emily Bates Marsh, Mary Foreman, Dorothy

Bryan, Chuck Hague (Suzanne Allisons brother), Peggy Thies

(Sandy Mitchells mom), Chelyne Barney (Marjorie Andersons daughter-in-law), AnnDouthitt (Duke Douthitts mom), Garry Sloan (former FCC minister of music), Bart &Jennifer Rodr, Lorelle Watts, Sharon Luton (Susan Blacks cousin), Ed Berry, Hank Thomas(Randy Thomas brother)

Each Sunday we gather for worship, every Wednesday wecelebrate together around the dinner table and in small groupbible studies, and throughout the week we participate in otherforms of ministry within our church and community. Theseministries of First Christian Church are clearly seen and evidentamong our family of faith, yet there is another vital ministry of-

ten hidden from public view which needs our attention - it is our Benevolence Ministry.Each year our church reaches out to hundreds of individuals and families who are

desperate for hope, who need some encouragement, and who desperately need a help-

ing hand. Most of you will never see or meet these people, but as staff members, wehave the privilege of ministering on your behalf. Each day brings someone new intoour building looking for assistance with food, a place to stay, help with their rent, utilitybill, or transportation. And each day we try our best to be the hands of Christ and meettheir needs.

Our Business Administrator, Karla Mahan says this about our benevolence ministry -Everyday I meet people from our community that are desperate to protect and care for

their children. They are trying to find work, get to the doctor, or in pain and in need

of prescriptions. They are simply trying to make ends meet for one more day. What a

privilege it is to look into a desperate face and tell them First Christian Church will help.

Watching most of them leave thankful, some in tears, I am humbled by the way God

blesses First Christian Church enabling the church to serve in this way, and blesses me

with this living example of His provision.

It can be hard at times. Our benevolence ministry is not a budgeted ministry.It relies on donations from you. We do our best to be financially responsible for themoney entrusted to this ministry. We track those who receive assistance, only providingfor them once every 6 months. We limit the amount we offer for gas, utilities, and rent.Yet even with these measures in place, we often have a hard time keeping up with thedemand.

Since the beginning of the 2010, we have offered over $12,000 in assistance! Thankyou First Christian Church for your support! What a difference you are making in ourcommunity and in the lives of those who walk through our doors. Now the seasons arechanging, the weather will be getting colder, and the holidays are fast approaching. Andour benevolence fund is nearly empty. In fact, making it through the next month will bea stretch. If you feel called to support this ministry, we will gladly accept your donation.Together we can continue to offer hope to Gods people need!

Are You Called to Give?

Benevolence Fund

Running Short of DemandBy Rev. Greg Bunton, Associate Minister of Student Ministries


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The Chalice CONNECTION

Shelley Regan, [email protected]

Read News Online@ fccedmond.org/news

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Worshipat First Christian8:15, 9 & 11am

September 26, 2010

3rd Sermon in our ENOUGH SeriesCultivating ContentmentMessage: Rev. Chris ShorowScripture: Luke 12:13-21

October 3, 20104th Sermon in our ENOUGH SeriesCultivating ContentmentMessage: Rev. Chris ShorowScripture: Luke 6:43-45

News from our NurseryBy Anna Lisa Stanley, Director of Childrens Ministry

We are pleased to introduce our new nursery coordinator, Kendra Mobley! Kendra grew

up in Marlow, Oklahoma and graduated from Oklahoma Christian University in 2009

with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Following graduation, Kendra taught Kin-

dergarten at Eugene Field Elementary in OKC. Kendra and her husband are proud par-ents to Ashton, 9 months. When not working at First Christian

Church, Kendra enjoys being a stay at home mom and caring

for three kindergarten age kids during the day.

Also, please make welcome an entirely new nursery staff;

Karen Endicott, Christina Mitchell, Allie Blundell, and Claire

Patton. We want your child to feel welcome and a part of our

program through people and activities that God has placed in

this ministry area.

We provide nursery care for children birth through two

years of age during the Sunday school hour. Childcare may

be provided for other occasions for children birth through 5thgrade. You can make reservations for your ministry event by

using this form on our website fcedmond.org/child-care-request

Kendra Mobley,

Nursery Coordinator

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Chalice Connection 09-23-10