2018 NBA Mission and Ministry Grants Program Application Now Live
We are excited to share with you that the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is currently receiving
Read the news release HERE.
Prayers for the July 2018 Caminante Mission Trip
Please join us in prayer for Taylor Anderson, Rev. Valerie Austin (Community Christian Church – Ponca City), Bret Carter, Harriett Dupus, Mackenzie Dupus, Rev. Mary Heath (Edmond Trinity Christian Church), Alexandri Leist, Debora Touthang, Grace Touthang, Rev. Sei Touthang (Yale Avenue Christian Church – Tulsa), and Allison Wenthold as they prepare to travel July 21 – 28, 2018 to the Dominican Republic for the upcoming Caminante mission trip.
We also lift up the children and adults in the Dominican Republic, as they prepare to welcome our Disciples.
Read more HERE about Caminante.
‘Tis The Season…Camp Season!
We are in Camp Season in Oklahoma and we are delighted with the number of Youth who have been blessed to experience church camp and amazing fellowship this season! Chi Rho, Junior, Discovery and CYF 2018 Camps were all a big success!
Click on the below links to enjoy looking at camp pictures:
Chi Rho Camp Pictures
Junior Camp Pictures
Discovery Camp Pictures
CYF Camp Pictures
We still have one camp to go this season, Grand Camp. In July, Grand Camp welcomes Grandparents and Grandchildren to enjoy a very special church camp experience together.
Want to Participate? There is still time!! Check out the Youth web page HERE for details on upcoming events.
- Texoma Camp hosts Water Weekend and Reconcile 4 is part of the event (July 27-29), so make a weekend of it with your youth grades 8-12.
- Reconcile 5: September 15-16
Cost and Site: TBA - Reconcile 6: November 9-11
Come to Qahal/Koinonia to celebrate the year of reconciling action! This weekend at Oakridge Camp & Conference Center is for Chi Rho and CYF Youth groups and adults from their congregation.
Colton Lott’s Ordination
Join us in congratulating Colton Lott on his recent ordination. Colton was ordained on June 30, 2018 at First Christian Church Ada. Colton is a graduate of Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago. Rev. Lott will begin congregational ministry as Sr. Pastor of First Christian Church El Reno on July 15.
August 9, 2018: Regional Food Bank’s Hunger Action Month Breakfast
You are invited to join us for breakfast on August 9th at 8:30 am at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. This will be a time to learn more about hunger in Oklahoma and to interact with other religious leaders that partner with us to provide food and hope to our neighbors facing hunger each day.
Did you know the Regional Food Bank provides enough food every week to feed 136,000 people in central and western Oklahoma? This is possible through a network of over 1,300 community-based partner agencies, 60% of which are faith-based organizations.
Today, your community of faith has the opportunity to ensure that hungry Oklahomans have the nutritious food they need to thrive. You can get your organization involved in fighting hunger in Oklahoma through a variety of activities. We offer programs for kids of all ages, have numerous volunteer opportunities and can provide a speaker if requested.
September is Hunger Action Month, a time for food banks across the nation to come together to not only share the great work being done, but also raise awareness of how far there is still to go to provide food for our neighbors.
Please contact Natalie Wood at 405-600-3174 or by email at nwood@regionalfoodbank.org.
Family Separations: A Word to the Church – Terri Hord Owens, GMP
“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2, NRSV)
Over the past several weeks, new policies for the implementation of immigration laws have resulted in family detention and the separation of thousands of children from their parents across the United States. We, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), have proclaimed ourselves to be a pro-reconciling/anti-racist church, which extends welcome to all people, recognizing that every person is created in the image of God.
Please read the complete article from Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President, Indianapolis, IN, HERE.
Today is World Refugee Day! Prayer Service at NOON
Happy World Refugee Day!
Please join us in celebrating refugees’ resilience and strength and urging our Members of Congress to do everything they can to protect the U.S. refugee resettlement program. We have a number of events and actions planned for today.
Prayer Service at 12pm: A prayer service will be offered at 12pm today across from the Methodist Building at the U.S. Capitol Building Area 8 (Senate side park). Here is the event invitation https://www.facebook.com/events/195031097818965/
Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Over the past two years, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has reached out to communities in more than 30 states across this nation to join in fighting against systemic racism, inequality and poverty, ecological devastation, war economy and militarism, and national immorality. As stated on their website, “When confronted with the undeniable truth of unconscionable cruelty to our fellow human beings, we must join the ranks of those who are determined not to rest until justice and equality are a reality for all.”
For the past few weeks, this campaign has committed itself to “40 Days of Moral Action,” which is scheduled to conclude with a mass rally on Saturday, June 23rd at 10am on the National Mall.
On the morning of the June 23rd rally, National City Christian Church is hosting a Disciples Gathering at 8:15am. We invite you to join the Disciples Center for Public Witness for this important rally—and in the struggle for justice that will continue long after the rally ends. This movement is growing fast and gaining more support everyday. We hope that you will take action and try to get involved.
Let us know you’re coming to DC for the event: https://disciples.org/sign-up-for-washington
Let us know you’re coming to the pre-gathering: https://goo.gl/forms/hAF7A2WsQb6bbmJA3
Fall Openings for Interns at OKC Veterans Affairs
The CPE Center at the Oklahoma City VA (Veterans Affairs) is recruiting for fall interns. One unit of CPE may be earned from September to December 2018.
Additionally, if there is enough interest they are considering a community-based CPE unit where pastors may use their time with congregations as clinical hours.
For more information please contact:
Chaplain Megan Alleman
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate
Mental Health Fellow
Oklahoma City VA Health Care System
Email: megan.alleman@va.gov
Office: 405-456-3256
Please Give to the Annual Fund Drive
June 2018
Grace to you and peace from God our Creator and our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Please consider a gift to the Annual Fund of the Christian Church. Whether your gift is large or small, every gift we receive is a generous gift and is blessed by God. Also your gift, joined with others, sustains the life and work of our Region as we seek to glorify God together.
The 2018 Regional Assembly and Leadership Training School was well attended. Over 350 Disciples assembled at New Covenant Christian Church, OKC, and represented 79 of our Region’s congregations. That is quite a gathering!
We heard challenging and passionate words from the Rev. Virzola Law who invited us to “handle one another with care” in these days. Workshops and exhibitors equipped folks with resources and ideas to take back to their church. We installed new board members and empowered them to lead this Region with dreams and passion. People went home that day energized and grateful for their “church.”
The next time we will gather will be on February 23, 2019 for Leadership Training School. The Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens, our General Minister and President, will be the featured speaker. We will be offering exciting workshops once again. Your gifts support this ministry of the Region.
This spring, congregations in Oklahoma have welcomed over 50 young people in the life of the church through baptism. On June 3rd, camps for our young people in the Region begin with about 275 youth and children registered. First Christian Church in Ada will celebrate the ordination of Colton Lott on June 30th. Vacation Bible Schools will be happening all over our Region to welcome and introduce God and Jesus to many in the communities.
Our three newest congregations, Refuge Fellowship, Iglesia Cristiana de Capitol Hill, and Simplicity Church, are becoming stronger every day. The Region has engaged Terrell McTyer with New Church Strategies to help us establish additional congregations in Oklahoma.
The Region has made giving easier for you. This spring we subscribed to Givelify, an app that can be downloaded to your mobile device. With Givelify it’s easy to become a recurring donor.
In this season of Pentecost, may the Spirit continue to fall afresh on you, your congregation, and our Region.
Peace & God’s grace,
Pamela G. Holt, Regional Minister
P.S. You may securely donate online here.
