December_3_Tie_That_Binds

First Christian Church, 402 E. Noble Ave, Guthrie, OK 73044
Notes from Cathy
Sunday Worship
320
Sunday School
66
Children-35 Youth-5 Adult-26
Communion to Shut-Ins25
Budget Receipts 11/30/14
$8,380
Amount Budgeted per week
$9,298
Amount Budgeted to date
$437,002
Budget Receipts to date
$441,176
Budget Expenses to date
$402,803
November Giving
$50,000
$45,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
Monthly Budgeted Giving
Budgeted Giving
$40,000
Actual Giving
Good Day!
Turkey naps, Hallelujah Choruses, and Hanging Garlands are all just pleasant
memories now. What lies ahead of us requires all of the Christmas Spirit we can
muster to get through more food, friends, and family. What a season! We can
get all caught up in the busyness and sometimes forget the reason for the
season. It is so important at this time of year to fill our days with meaningful
moments. This week at our Unity Service at 10:30am the Chancel Choir is going
to deliver another meaningful memory for your Christmas Season. We will be
bringing you the Christmas Cantata, “What a Glorious Night!” It is our hope that
you will do your best to be there for the presentation. We will have solos from
your favorite FCC Artists and amazing harmony from the Chancel Choir. This is
one of the two times each year that the choir works overtime to put together a
musical experience that will bring tears to your eyes and jump start your
Christmas Cheer! We are planning on wearing Christmas Colors for the concert.
So don your own red and green and join us Sunday for this joyful expression of
love. The bright colors will look exceptional in the group photo after the service.
We will sing our benediction song and head to the north pole…I mean north side
of the sanctuary to get our picture taken. You may need to run down a choir
member (figuratively speaking) to autograph your bulletin after the picture. I am
certain they will be happy to oblige you.
All joking aside, you are invited to one of the highlights of our church year. I
am hopeful you will be there to enjoy our music this Sunday at 10:30 am.
Thanks to Jerry Rucker and Marla Belcher for the beautiful solo, “Gabriel’s
Message”, and accompaniment last week. Tara Hood was the excellent soloist in
the anthem, “People Wait”. We appreciate all their extra work and talent. We
are starting the line-up for the rest of the season for our soloists. If you have a
favorite please let me know so we can include it. We were very grateful for our
readers in the Hanging of the Greens service, Kara Barton and John Kingery.
Such great narrators! Our children were such a blessing as they carried in the
garlands! Hope you were there to see it.
Have a great week!
Blessings!
Cathy
The Tie That Binds (USPS 577280) is published weekly except for the last week of December by First Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ).
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to First Christian Church, 402 East Noble Avenue, Guthrie, OK 73044
Periodical Postage Paid at Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044
402 East Noble Avenue
Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044
www.fccguthrie.org
(405) 282-4080 Fax (405) 282-4088
DIAL-A-DEVOTION: 282-8515
DR. DENNIS CLARK, Senior Pastor
KAREN ALLEN, Minister of Christian Education
We are a family of faith
sharing God’s love by
reaching out, touching lives
and building relationships.
Dennis’ Diary:
Binds
“Our Music Ministry
Is So Impressive”
December 3, 2014
Volume 50, No. 48
We have many strengths as a church family – our children's and youth ministry, our mission
work in the community, our friendliness and caring for those in our congregation and outside,
our ministry of working together with other churches, our Mother’s Day Out ministry, our very
strong bereavement ministry, our taking communion to the shut-ins and nursing homes, etc. However one of
the most important ministries we offer is our music ministry. For a church our size we have a very talented
and dedicated choir (including our Handbell Choir) that inspire us each Sunday.
Music is a huge part of creating our worship experience at both services. This will be evident Sunday as
the choir shares their Christmas Cantata entitled, “What a Glorious Night.” Cathy has led our music ministry
for at least 27 of the 29 years we have been here and I am amazed at the inspiring music she draws out of a
volunteer choir who are here because they love to serve in this manner.
I hope each of you will come to the 10:30 service for the wonderful choral presentation. It is one of my
favorite services of the year and there will not be an 8:30 service this week due to the message in music.
Gratefully,
Dennis
Ministry Opportunities for the week
TUESDAY, December 2
8:30 a.m. – MDO/Preschool
3:30 p.m. – Campfire Meeting
6 p.m. – Worship Team Meeting
6:30 p.m. – Stewardship Meeting
WEDNESDAY, December 3
11:30 a.m. – Staff Meeting
6:30 p.m. – Choir Rehearsal
6:30 p.m. – Women’s Small Group
7 p.m. – Property Team Meeting
THURSDAY, December 4
8:30 a.m. – MDO/Preschool
SUNDAY, December 7
NO 8:30 service
9:30 a.m. – Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. – Christmas Cantata
11:45 a.m. – Congregational Photo
11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Children’s Christmas Program
Practice
Congratulations
to our new
“Territorial Governor!”
Mrs.
Betty
Foster
Our love and sympathy go to: Charlie
and Teresa Evans in the death of his
mother, Pauline. Also to the friends
and family of Bill Wagoner. We pray
for our church family: Marilyn
Walters, Maxine Yost, Myrna
Laughlin, Marilyn Irby, Jim Willbanks,
Fern Brouchoud, Phil Morrow, Flo
Olds, Ruth Ellis, Ada Dilley, Wayne
Bennett, Don Bross, Gene Reed,
Joan Jones, Viola Dilley, Kathleen
Olds Elliott, Ann Geisler, Karen
Yancey and Joyce Carter-Eitson. We
pray for our friends and family:
Sophia Fink, Kay Webb, Rev. John
McLemore, Carolyn McLemore,
Vivian Bradshaw, Madison Dilbeck,
Linda Calvert, Frank Saxton, John
Gathers, Joy Kursel, Grace Nelson,
Tima Krausse, Norma Cook, Ruth
Raymond, Jack Thompson, Toni
Blatizar, Sharen Bowers, Brian
Vincent, Glenda McKeever, Ashlee
Townsend, Glenda Fournier, Taylor
Rocheleau, John Krausse, Gary Clay,
Jack Bond, Donnie Savory, Donna Jo
Carrillo, Earl Johnson, Sherry Hall,
Rhonda Lovelace and Hollie
Chappell. Our military overseas:
Jeremy Wilson and Tauren Sampson.
The church we are praying for this
week: Newcastle Disciple Church
and their pastor, Russ Brown.
Christmas
Cantata
Sunday, Dec. 7
10:30 a.m.
“What a Glorious Night”
We had a wonderful time of fellowship last Tues. at our Thanksgiving
Feast. Our preschoolers were cute in their native American costumes
and did a great job of entertaining us. Special thanks to Telena Hawkins
and Lindsay Mays for help with set-up and clean-up, and to all parents
that brought food for our child-friendly feast. I know a lot of little ones
that are thankful for cheese, chicken nuggets, goldfish and
marshmallows; and we are thankful for all of our little blessings!
Now that Dec. is here, we will begin preparing for Christmas. Our
last day of classes before the Christmas break will be Thurs. Dec. 18.
Ms. Betty
Angel tree shopping & wrapping THIS Sunday following the 10:30
service until 4:00 p.m.
Last week in Kid's Worship we began our
Advent study.
We learned about God's
Christmas promise to Mary and about the
promises
we
receive
everyday
from
God! Next week we will learn about the good
news God has for us this Christmas as we read
Luke 2:1-14. Thank you so much to all those
who donated money to help with our Angel Tree ministry! What a
difference our group of Kid's Worship and Kid's Worship Extra
children are going to make in the lives of these children who will be
receiving these gifts! We will have our Angel Tree Christmas store
set up again next Sunday for any children who still want to donate
money.
Poinsettia Order Form
If you would like to purchase one of the
beautiful, live poinsettias that help decorate
our sanctuary and surrounding areas for the Advent season, you
may do so in honor or in memory of a loved one.
Please fill out the form below and turn it in to the church office
or place it in the offering plate by December 21. The cost is $12
each and you are welcome to take your poinsettia home
following the Christmas Eve Service.
YOUR NAME: __________________________________________
NUMBER OF POINSETTIAS ______ x $12.00 EACH = $__________
Please check one:
( ) IN HONOR OF _____________________________________
( ) IN MEMORY OF ____________________________________
Keeping Up
With Karen
Our Family Advent Event was a huge success. We had over 25
families join us to make advent calendars and enjoy an afternoon of
fun and fellowship. Thanks to everyone who participated. If your
family was unable to attend I still have four kits that are available and
can be picked up in my office. There are step-by-step instructions that
will make it super easy to complete.
Next up on the agenda is the Chancel Choir’s Christmas Cantata
on Sunday! As usual John and I will be running the sound board and
visual elements. I always enjoy cantata Sunday because I get to
spend Sunday morning sitting with my husband, which doesn’t
happen very often. Usually by the end of the cantata, we remember
why it’s good we don’t sit together during worship! Haha! Sometimes
people in the balcony probably wonder what on earth is happening
during musical events such as a cantata or children’s Christmas
program as we point back and forth at each other and at the multiple
screens and flash hand signals back and forth to communicate about
sound volumes, page numbers, slide numbers and other elements. In
the end, we usually have a good laugh about all the antics of the
“behind the scenes” that happen. For the most part a lot of it goes
unnoticed in the presentation. I will say that my husband has learned
how to live “on the fly” a lot more than he’d like to over the past five or
six years as we’ve worked the soundboard together. I can also say
there is no one I appreciate more than him, when he covers my
mistakes and I know there are others who would say the same.
Which brings me to our next main event, which is the Children’s
Christmas program! Our kids have been practicing their little hearts
out and I am so excited to see the fruits of their labor. It will be Dec.
14 at 6:30 p.m. The title is “Dude, You Hear What I Hear?” Following
the event we will have a tasting party and everyone will also have a
chance to meet our new transitional minister Rev. Amy Rogers.
Those are some Sunday highlights. I also want to make mention
of a big event for the Retired Fellowship Group. We have our annual
Christmas Lights Tour scheduled. We will be traveling to the Tulsa
area. The plans are to leave at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11. We will
eat dinner at 4:30 p.m. at Fanny’s Country Cookin’, which is an Amish
Restaurant in Chouteau. We will have chicken and roast, along with a
host of side dishes served family style and all the pie you can eat.
Cost for the meal is $15. We will travel to Rhema Bible College to see
Christmas lights and then try to find a few stops in Tulsa before
returning to OKC.
I need reservations in THIS WEEK if you plan to go with us. We
have to turn a count into the restaurant by the weekend. You can call
the church office at 282-4080 or e-mail me at [email protected] if
you want to go. We will be taking the church bus and vans.
I hope everyone has a wonderful first week of Advent and we’ll
see you on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Karen
Sunday, December 7
ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTERS
The Jerry Ball Family
KID’S WORSHIP
Tyler and Amanda Shipley
KIDS WORSHIP HELPER
Charity McPeek and Carissa Redman
KID’S WORSHIP EXTRA
Tyler Shipley
CHILDREN’S MOMENT
LaMoyne Hardin
SCRIPTURE READER
Brendan Hanna
JR. DIACONATE
Brendan Hanna and Brock Parker
ELDERS
10:30 – Tommy Johnston and Jana Frey
COMMUNION TO SHUT-INS
AJ Griffin, Linda Holtz
and Alma Hopkins
COMMUNION PREPARATION
Justin and Andrea Stevens
DIACONATE
(Please wear nametags when serving)
Nick and Shana* Bench,
Lindsey Mays, Jerred Young,
Mitch and Charity McPeek,
Rod and Courtney Poplin,
Jason and Desi Rice,
Justin and Andrea Stevens
* Denotes team captain
USHERS
Hank Hubbard, Bobby Davison
and Doyle Webb
GREETERS
Karen Bock, Frances Macrory, Pat Free,
Kathy Warner and Rita Stowe
BREAD MINISTRY
Sherry Canning and Carol Allen
NURSERY HELPERS
Kegan Payne, Logan Payne,
and Mikayla Johnston
SOUND
John Allen
VIDEO MINISTRY DELIVERY
Margaret McNeely
Congratulations on Your Baptisms!
Welcome, Faeron!
Last Sunday Tommy Bross was baptized
in a private ceremony in the early
afternoon. Tommy is married to Sandy and
they have four children and three
grandchildren and one on the way. They
live at 4723 Davis Road in Guthrie where
Tommy farms and does some construction
on the side. Their phone number is 2821561. Congratulations, Tommy!
Farewell Receptions
Help us celebrate!
A retirement party will be
held on December 28 from
noon to 3pm for
Dr. Dennis Clark.
A Mother’s Day Out Open House
and Celebration of Betty
Egelston’s ministry will
be held on Wednesday,
January 7 at 6pm.
Please make plans
to join us
for these celebrations!
Children’s Christmas Program
First Christian Church and Dennis,
Thank you for your guidance, compassion,
love and support of my family – all 4
generations!
Amanda Wrede
Dec. 14
6:30 p.m.
Followed by a tasting party
with a special guest!
On Sunday Faeron Dewart came
forward at the 10:30 service to make
her public confession of faith! Faeron
is 12-yrs-old and is in the 6th grade.
She enjoys reading in her spare time.
She and her mother Conna Dewart
live at 1327 N. Fogarty. Faeron is the
granddaughter of Robert and Diana
Dewart. Welcome to the family of
God!
Kelly Malone and her daughter Taylor
Christian were both baptized at the
10:30 service on Sunday. Kelly is married
to Angel and is a stay-at-home mom. She
enjoys being a homeroom mom and
being available for school activities for
her daughter. Taylor is 12-yrs-old and a
top honor student at her school in
Moore where they live. She enjoys
playing softball. Congratulations!
Memorials and Special Gifts
We would like to thank the following individuals and families for their generous donations.
Building Fund
In Memory of Bill Wagoner
By Sherry Canning
Mike & Janie Carey
Len & Linda Tontz
In Memory of Bion Acton
By Margaret McNeely
Youth Fund
In Memory of Bill Wagoner
By Boyd & Linda Rice
Memorial Fund
In Memory of Bill Wagoner
By Roy & Mickey Weathers
Choir Fund
In Memory of Wayman Momsen
By Pat Ball
Youth Fund
In Memory of Peggy Kingery
By Pat Ball
Christmas Gift Fund
In Memory of Jim & Karen Seamans
By Mike & Quepha Smith
In Memory of Bion & Betty Acton
By Sue Durkee
Bus Fund
In Memory of Bion & Betty Acton
By Amanda Wrede
Bereavement Fund
In Memory of Royal Smith
By James & Gail Gauldin
Memorial Fund
In Memory of Sharon Waner
By Evelyn Engelking
Handbell Choir
In Memory of Sharon Waner
By Gloria & Don Siratt
Donna & Bob Sewell
Debi & Dewey Miller
Lynn & George Law
Rosetta Ulrich
Bill Wagoner
1928- 2014
Family
Advent
Event
2014