With heartfelt gratitude, the families and the congregation of First Christian Church Sulphur sent thank you notes for your generosity as they endeavor to rebuild their lives and community.
As of 6/20/2024, partnered with Week of Compassion the Region has disbursed $28,250 in Disaster Funds to Oklahoma (Disciples of Christ) tornado victims including families in Sulphur, Morris and Claremore.
Watch this fun video! Celebrating camp ministry, Yale Ave. CC collected over 200 boxes of cereal to help feed people in the local Tulsa community.
Watch the cereal box dominoes fall thru the church and into the sanctuary!
By Marilyn Bohlender, ODW President
About fifty women from Oklahoma made up approximately 40% of those traveling from a six state geographical area to ROSES, an interregional event scheduled once every four years, held this year in McKinney, TX, June 28-29, 2024. Regions of the Sun Equipping and Serving (ROSES) is comprised of the Southwest, Oklahoma and Great River Regions.
They knew Oklahoma was in the room! Our Disciple Women were on fire; the ending song of “Pass it On” sums up our women’s inspiration! You will be seeing our women even more involved after being uplifted by this event.
Oklahoma women involved in the program were Rev. Maria Garza leading a workshop; Allison Haney leading call to worship and a prayer; Rev. Zenobia Mayo with a Prayer for the Cup during communion meditation; and myself, Marilyn Bohlender, introducing our keynote, Rev. Marilyn Fiddmont.
Friday night Rev. Dr. Debra Reid, our new Disciples Women Interim Executive Director, emphasized Jesus is Love. She continued to inspire the women in her break-out session on Saturday. Her point of Disciples Women Ministry structure has been promised to be sent to me so I can share it with our women leaders. Contact me if you need a copy.
Rev. Marilyn Fiddmont taught us about Peter as she kept it real. In her workshop, she involved the women in a discussion including what’s stopping us from getting involved.
Rev. Alice Hupp, our ending keynote, kept us laughing with audience involvement of what problems we are carrying around instead of giving them to God.
In addition to the three keynote speakers, this event kept on enriching us with the breakout sessions/workshops Saturday afternoon. There was good feedback from those attending sessions with Rev. Dr. Debra Reid, Rev. Marilyn Fiddmont, Rev. Paula Brooks, Rev. Kristin Galle, and Rev. Maria Garza. My takeaway from Rev. Marie Garza’s workshop is that prayer does change things. Thank you to everyone who prayed for this event.
Disciples Women are about service and those attending brought donations for a domestic abuse center in the Dallas area. This also reflects the IDWM “Wear black on Thursdays” campaign of domestic abuse awareness.
The chair shown in the photo with the red shawl represents abuse of women and human trafficking victims. This custom came about after a W2WW (Woman-to-Woman Worldwide) trip to Italy in 2014. Sidenote: W2WW will be going to Kenya for 2025 so watch for information to apply toward the fall of this year.
A silent auction and $1.50+ donations at the 150th birthday party for Disciples Women Friday night benefitted our IDWM. The actual day for the birthdate is Oct 21st!
The Blessing Box Ministry information is on page three of ROSES booklet and online at Disciples Women Ministry or DW section of okdisciples.org. There is a wealth of information in your ROSES booklet so keep or share with other women at your church.
Many thanks goes to the ROSES committee especially energetic Texan Shannon Karr CCSW DW Advisor. Leaders from the six state area served on the committee and were involved in the program. Sally Green, SW Region DWM President presided over this event.
This event was last held in Tulsa in 2019 with Zenobia Mayo as coordinator. In four years, this event will be hosted by the Great Rivers Region which is Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It will be eight years before this event returns to Oklahoma!
Before ROSES was over, some women were inspired to ask me how to be involved with Disciples Women. Our regional office has worked hard to make my monthly articles and our Disciples Women section of the website easier to navigate.
On our Disciples Women section of okdisciples.org pay close attention to the Stay in Touch article which has a link to sign up for the #DW Connect that IDWM President Wanona Rogers Redd talked about Saturday morning or go to Disciples Women Ministries.
There is also a link in the Stay in Touch article to sign up for our regional eNewsletter Regional Roundup which will include my monthly article.
If you have Facebook, please follow for announcements on Oklahoma Disciples Women Facebook and for information on Northeast Oklahoma Disciples of Christ Women Facebook.
Revisit the first part of the song, “Pass It On”
“It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love.
Once you’ve experienced it,
You spread the love to everyone.
You want to pass it on.”
Area meetings and fall retreats are open to Disciple Women outside their area; this helps our smaller areas be involved.
Save-the-Date
CADW will have a meeting Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at FCC Norman
NEODW Fall Retreat Oct 4-5, 2024 (details here)
Save-the-Date
Sept 14, 2024 for a celebration luncheon!
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
It was the first time in the history of Luther that two churches of different races worshiped together outside of the Ministerial Alliance events. The Church of the Living God was vandalized in May 2024. As a symbol of unity and solidarity, First Christian Church Luther worshiped with the Church of the Living God on June 9th.
Learn more why FCC Luther’s pastor Johnnie Melton and Rev. Dwight Guy of Church of the Living God addressed the hostility towards its congregation.
Rev. Elizabeth Grasham was installed by Interim Regional Minister Rev. Randy Kuss on May 24, 2024 as the Shared Pastor for the Shared Ministry between First Christian Church Claremore and First Christian Church Nowata.
Blessings on this new ministry covenant.
Rev. Dr. Joshua E. Bell was awarded his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Rev. Dr. Nancy Pittman, president of Phillips Seminary at the 2024 Spring Commencement.
Joshua is the minister at First Christian Church Perry. Congratulations!
Rev. Anna Holloway was ordained into Christian Ministry at Disciples First Christian Church, Oklahoma City on April 21, 2024.
Interim Regional Minister Rev. Randy Kuss and Associate Regional Minister Rev. Michael Davison conducted the services attended by a large group of Anna’s family and friends.
06-10-24 The Regional Minister Search Committee had their initial meeting Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the regional office. Rev. Paul Koch, Regional Minister of Mid-America Region, is serving as Regional Minister Search Partner, providing orientation for the team and guidance through the Executive Search Process used by the search committee.
Disciples General Minister and President Rev. Terri Hord Owens joined in via Zoom to bring some words of insight and guidance for the search. Rev. Nathan Hill lead the team through a session of Pro-Reconciliation Anti-Racism training.
The Search Committee will be scheduling Listening Sessions in late Summer and early Fall to discern current needs of the region that will assist in the call of the next regional minister. Watch for the schedule of sessions in a future issue of the Regional Roundup.
(Pictured L to R) Rev. Jerry Black, Madi Showalter, Ruth Moore, Ashley Gibson, Rev. Jose Garza, Rev. Susan Payne (committee chair). Not pictured: Rev. Milton Bowen.
Among our churches and church families, the Sulphur and Morris communities were hit the worst during our spring tornado season. First Christian Church Sulphur (above) and First Christian Church Morris suffered extensive damage from wind and water. Cleanup and repair is underway though final assessment of what is needed and the full cost remains to be seen. Pastors Randy Martin (Sulphur) and Tim Craighton (Morris) along with their church leaders are shepherding their congregations through this challenging time. Members of Sulphur have returned to worship in their building; Morris is currently meeting at the Lion’s Club.
Eleven church member families in Sulphur suffered partial damage or complete loss of their homes. Rev. Gary Mitchell, pastor of Midwest City Christian Church, also had damage to his home.
Disciples across the region and beyond responded! Week of Compassion, the disaster response arm of the Disciples of Christ, as well as the Disciples Pension Fund provided funds to assist. Numerous congregations and individuals sent donations to our regional disaster fund. Nearly $27,000 has gone so far to congregations and also to the Sulphur families (pictured below) to aid them toward recovery. Thank you!
It will be a long road. Communities are not yet ready for volunteer teams to do hands-on recovery work but when the time comes, we will get the word out. Further donations are still welcome. You may contribute through the Region’s online Givelify account, or checks may be noted Regional Disaster Relief Fund, Christian Church in Oklahoma, PO Box 891140, Oklahoma City, 73189-1140.
Click here to see images of the FCC Sulphur and FCC Morris building damages.
By Marilyn Bohlender, ODW President
Did you ever meet someone you instantly had a connection with? When you looked back at the details, you felt God’s hand was in it! A welcome smile, where they sat and where you sat were just the beginning of a new friendship! I could add more details but on May 20th at the meeting in Stroud, I met Maria Garza who will be part of the program at ROSES 2024 which will be held June 28-29th in McKinney, Texas.
At this point you are expecting a shout out for ROSES! Of course, I will do that in a minute. For just a moment let me diverge to a thought on how we connect with others and the impact we want to leave. To improve our relationship with others we must first look at our relationship with our loving God, Lord and Savior, which includes prayer.
Pray with me, “Lord, I want to be the friend others want to be friends with, I want to be the type of person others want to work with, I want to be the type of person that brings a smile to those around me. Most of all, I want to be the Christian in which others see Christ in me! If I stumble, I pray that I forgive myself and focus on the path forward, growing and filling myself with your spirit and message of love. Amen.”
Now a shout out for ROSES which will help you grow, renew and be spirit filled. It is not too late to register at CCSW.org. Deadline is June 20th. For more information you can also go to our web page.
Whether you are able to go or not, please pray for the ROSES event, the leaders, presenters and those attending. At last check we need one more to make 50 women attending from Oklahoma. With busy summer and camp schedules this is great attendance! It is not too late to reach out to other women, neighbors, or family, to attend; this may be the christian spark they need.
Are you the one more we need to attend to make 50? Do not let the fact that you are the only one from your church keep you from coming; you will make friends there. I know; at one time I was the only one!
I pray all of us go and make friends.
2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.