CCOK301, Author at Christian Church in Oklahoma

January 14: INTEGRIS Pastoral Care Presents: Moral Injury – Healing the Wounds of Ministry

INTEGRIS Pastoral Care is pleased to offer a live presentation for clergy and clinical staff on January 14, 2020 from 1-4pm, titled “Moral Injury: Healing the Wounds of Ministry”.

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Time: 1 – 4pm
Where: INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center Auditorium
Address: 3300 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112
Presenter: Tommy Goode, D. Min., director, Moral Injury Institute, Springfield, Mo.
No registration required for this free program. This event will be preceded by a dutch treat luncheon in the conference room “L” near the cafeteria and the auditorium. Hope you can join us.

This presentation focuses on professional spiritual caregivers roles (including chaplains, pastors and other clergy). Those who have experienced trauma-based personal and professional life experiences may struggle with the effects of social/emotional/spiritual wounds, which are identified as moral injuries.

This woundedness may result from personal moral failure, experiences in professional ministry resulting from the actions of others, and/or that which is often referred to as secondary trauma. This may sometimes be expressed as wishing for a “do-over.”

Various professional groups (doctors, nurses, therapists, pastors, chaplains, etc.) now identify moral injury wounds. There are few, if any, predictors of when the struggle with moral injury may occur. Accident, injury, loss or critical incident medical treatment may trigger flashbacks and/or other reactions to the trauma-event that resulted in moral injury. This presentation proposes to provide timely and needed knowledge and practice insights for those charged with the spiritual-care and wellness concerns of themselves and those in their care.

Clergy will receive 3 continuing education hours for this event.

CCOK3012020-01-09T11:10:28-06:00Jan 8, 2020|Clergy News|1 Comment

Oklahoma City Community Foundation Awards Grants For Mobile Meal Programs

Oklahoma City Community Foundation awards grants to help provide warm meals to local homebound elderly citizens. Many of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ Churches participate in Mobile Meal programs. Crown Heights Christian Church, New Covenant Christian Church, Nicoma Park Christian Church, and Western Oaks Christian Church were awarded grants to help support and continue their Mobile Meal programs.

Read the full article from Oklahoma City Community Foundation:
(OKLAHOMA CITY) – This winter, Oklahoma City Community Foundation is continuing its tradition of helping to provide warm meals to homebound elderly citizens by awarding $50,200 in grants to 52 area churches and organizations that prepare and deliver mobile meals throughout Oklahoma County, including four Christian churches. In addition, Meals on Wheels of Norman and Edmond Mobile Meals each received $5,000 grants.

Since 2008, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation has distributed more than $400,000 in support of the central Oklahoma Mobile Meals program. According to Meals on Wheels of Oklahoma City, one in 12 senior citizens in Oklahoma County lives in poverty, and nearly 16,000 lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Seniors age 60 and older who are unable to leave their homes without assistance or prepare meals due to health limitations, may apply to receive home-delivered meals, regardless of income.

“When we think of hunger, we generally think of people in faraway lands. But drive down any street in Oklahoma City and you’re likely to pass the home of a senior – probably several seniors – receiving home-delivered meals,” said Chris Lambert, director of Meals on Wheels of Oklahoma City. “Meals on Wheels of Oklahoma City works with scores of volunteers throughout Oklahoma County to deliver meals to hundreds of homebound seniors every day. None of these churches receive state or federal funding for the meals they prepare; it’s the continued generosity of organizations like Oklahoma City Community Foundation and its donors that allows them to keep serving our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Volunteers with area churches and organizations provide nutritious meals, wellness checks and meaningful contact to more than 1,900 homebound senior citizens living in central Oklahoma who are unable to prepare their own meals. In addition, Edmond Mobile Meals prepares more than 1,100 meals per week and the Norman Meals on Wheels program serves more than 1,500 meals per week.

“The well-being of our senior citizens has deservedly become an increased focus for a lot of our donor-directed grants,” said Nancy B. Anthony, Oklahoma City Community Foundation president. “To round out our 50th anniversary year, we have again partnered with more than 50 churches and Meals on Wheels organizations to help ensure no senior in this community will go hungry this holiday season.”

Grants were awarded to the following Christian churches that provide home-delivered meals in central Oklahoma:

Crown Heights Christian Church
New Covenant Christian Church
Nicoma Park Christian Church
Western Oaks Christian Church

About the Oklahoma City Community Foundation:
Founded in 1969, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that works with donors to create charitable funds that will benefit our community both now and in the future. To learn more about the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, visit www.occf.org.

CCOK3012020-01-07T13:30:02-06:00Jan 7, 2020|Congregations|Comments Off

First Christian Church-OKC Becomes Open and Affirming

First Christian Church of Oklahoma City votes unanimously to become Open and Affirming on December 15, 2019.

Open and Affirming Statement Approved by the Congregation:

We at First Christian Church of Oklahoma City are committed to Love ALL the People! We differ in race, age, gender, cultural background, marital status, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, gender identity, family structure, political stance, theological perspective, life circumstances and spiritual journey. Diversity is a gift from God, and we are called to celebrate our differences as well as what makes us the same. We know that the church has at times rejected diversities, and denied God’s promises for itself and for others. So without reservation, we proclaim:

“You are a beloved child of God, embraced as you are at the Welcoming Table of our Lord. Together let us share God’s love so completely, that we might make a difference in God’s world!”

CCOK3012020-01-07T12:46:26-06:00Jan 7, 2020|Congregations|Comments Off

Save the Date: April 24 – 25, 2020 for Regional Assembly + Leadership Training School

Mark your calendar and plan to attend a Pre-Assembly Event on Friday, April 24, 2020, followed by a full day of Regional Assembly + Leadership Training School (RA/LTS 2020) on Saturday, April 25, 2020. Join us at Central Christian Church, Enid, OK.

We are excited to announce Rev. Dr. Nancy Pittman, as our key note speaker for RA/LTS 2020.

The theme is “Fixed on Jesus”, focusing on Luke 4:14-22a. The Planning Committee is hard at work, planning a meaningful and educational event.

More details will follow soon.

CCOK3012020-01-22T13:33:49-06:00Dec 21, 2019|Regional News|Comments Off

OKC Day Shelter for the Homeless: Emergency Cold Weather Shelter in OKC

An Emergency Cold Weather Shelter will be open at the Salvation Army located at 1001 N. Pennyslvania Ave, Oklahoma City on the nights that the temperature drops below freezing.

OKC Day Shelter for the Homeless is looking for volunteers to help staff and operate an emergency overflow shelter during the overnight hours of nights that the temperature drops below freezing for the 2019/2020 winter season. This is a crucial need for so many of the most vulnerable in our city and it could mean life or death for some? Due to an increasing number of unsheltered homeless on our streets, the City of Oklahoma City and community/faith-based organizations have collaborated to develop solutions. One of the solutions is to open and operate an emergency overflow shelter when temperatures drop below freezing. Volunteers are needed to help staff the shifts.

Emergency Shelter will be located at Salvation Army 1001 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Shifts: 7pm-6am (can be split up between multiple volunteers)
Security guard will be present to ensure safety of clients, volunteers and staff
Night shifts are very low key. Volunteers are needed to simply welcome clients to the shelter and get them set up with a cot to sleep on.
Individualized training will be provided before shifts.

If you would like to volunteer please contact Tom Knudsen.

Tom Knudsen, LCSW Day Shelter Director
Phone: (O) 405.415.8501 (C) 405.973.6135
Homeless Alliance | Day Shelter
1729 NW 3rd St. Oklahoma City, OK 73106
t [email protected]

CCOK3012019-12-16T13:36:31-06:00Dec 16, 2019|Congregations|Comments Off

Does Your New Church Need Chalice Hymnals?

Does your new church need Chalice Hymnals? Please let Laura Ginn, with New Church Ministries know and she will be happy to supply your new church with some!

Call Laura at (317) 713-2529

CCOK3012019-12-16T13:09:42-06:00Dec 12, 2019|Congregations|Comments Off

Putting Our Faith in Action in Canadian County, Oklahoma

On Monday, December 9, 2019, First Christian Church in El Reno hosted the Rev. Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, Associate Director of the Week of Compassion for Domestic Disaster Response. She came to help the church think through how to best coordinate their congregation, Disciples Volunteering, and the Week of Compassion to respond to the 2019 May flooding and the May 29, 2019 tornado. Both events caused significant property damage (including to Disciples families) and loss of life for two in El Reno.

We currently need volunteer work teams (ideally between 5-10 folks!) who could work in the spring of 2020 and especially the summer of 2020 (for a few days or a week). We currently need funding for supplies and repairs volunteer teams cannot properly address. We currently need skilled laborers to give up a day or a week to teach others how to do home repairs.

We currently need prayer and continued awareness that all is not well for our friends and neighbors in Canadian county and across Oklahoma after the 2019 spring storms.

Can you help us fill a need?

Colton Lott,

Senior Minister
FCC El Reno
(405) 262-3539

CCOK3012019-12-16T13:09:04-06:00Dec 12, 2019|Congregations|Comments Off

Thank You From The Regional Minister

These past few weeks, Randy and I have been overwhelmed with the baskets of balm with which you all have blessed us. Your kind words of compassion and care with numerous cards and phone calls and your expressions of shared grief with flowers arrangements and contributions have certainly held us up during these days of grief upon the death of my mother, Shirley Green. I plan to share every expression with our family, and especially with my brother who does not have a church family. Our hearts are full of gratitude and joy for your prayers and presence in such a time as this. Thank you.

Peace & God’s grace this season of Advent,
Pam & Randy Holt

Photo: Marty Leonard Community Chapel, Fort Worth, Texas

CCOK3012019-12-16T13:10:07-06:00Dec 12, 2019|Regional News|1 Comment

Celebrating Generosity at Memorial Christian Church, OKC

This week Memorial Christian Church was featured on Channel 9 news. The story was about the remnants from homeless people and how the city planned to fine the church. By the next morning, the story had changed. Ralph Ranney, the minister of Memorial Christian Church, was inundated with phone calls from the community about how they would like to help with the clean up. He received donations of physical help and dollars to pay the fine. He said, “I am overwhelmingly blessed with the tremendous response already today!” We give thanks for the story on the news which identified a problem, and we are deeply grateful for people’s compassion and generosity to help remedy it.

CCOK3012019-12-17T09:25:54-06:00Dec 12, 2019|Congregations|Comments Off

January 23-24, 2020: Remind & Renew

Registration for Remind & Renew 2020 is now open. Remind & Renew, At the Intersection of Jesus and Justice, will take place on January 23–24, 2020 at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Throughout history, Christian churches have deliberated on the definition of justice in the context of Christianity. Two Phillips Theological Seminary faculty members, Dr. Ellen Blue and Dr. Richard Ward, will explore the relationship between the two during the Remind and Renew Conference.

The Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas will preach for Remind & Renew 2020. In a special evening event, Dr. Charles Kimball will present a talk on Jan. 23 in the evening.

Sign up by Jan. 4 and receive the early registration discount. CLICK TO REGISTER

Lodging can be booked at a discounted rate at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Tulsa. CLICK HERE TO BOOK. Hampton Inn & Suites is located at 3418 South 79th E. Ave in Tulsa, OK.

CCOK3012019-12-12T10:28:20-06:00Dec 12, 2019|Clergy News|1 Comment

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Photo: Marty Leonard Community Chapel, Fort Worth, Texas