CCOK301, Author at Christian Church in Oklahoma

Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence to speak 3/4/17 at FCC Norman

Saturday March 4 Lecture & Workshop

(This training qualifies for Clergy Continuing Education Credit)

As part of the 125th Anniversary celebration of First Christian Church of Norman, Dr. Anna Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia will lead a lecture and a workshop on Saturday, March 4, 2017.

The lecture is entitled “Reading and Rehearsing the Script in the Scripture”, which will be followed by a workshop in which participants will have the opportunity to engage and interact with the script in the scripture.

The lecture and the workshop are based on Dr. Carter Florence’s new book Come Back When You’ve Found Something True: New Ways to Encounter Scripture. Eerdmans Publishing has written of the book, “How do we read scripture for moments of encounter? Is it possible to do more in a Bible study than fight over what the text means? Can groups really gather around scripture and speak to one another about what they see and hear there?”

Dr. Carter Florence offers a faithful proposal that this is possible. “Reading and rehearsing the verbs” in the text is a way to move through differences into experiences of deep encounter with the God we meet in scripture. Dr. Carter Florence offers practical guidelines to help groups and individuals including preachers implement reading strategies that are easy to learn and simple to adapt, documenting the process and showing the strategies at work through lively readings of the Biblical texts.

In addition, Dr. Carter Florence will offer a round table discussion with clergy over lunch on Saturday, addressing the challenges and issues of teaching, preaching, and leading in a politically charged and divisive time.

Sunday March 5th Worship Services:

Dr. Carter Florence will also preach at the 8:40 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday services on March 5th, preaching from Exodus 1: 8 – 14, 22 and 2: 1 – 10 with the sermon entitled “The Girls in the Reeds.”

The Saturday workshops and the Sunday worship are free and open to the public.

First Christian Church Norman • 220 South Webster Avenue • Norman

For more information or questions, please call Rev. David Spain at 405-329-2192 or email david@fccnorman.org

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:18-05:00Feb 13, 2017|Congregations|Comments Off

Verla Miller’s Ordination Ceremony

Verla Miller’s ordination was held on January 21, 2017 at Bethany Christian Church. Leslie Dotson presided over the ordination ceremony. Please join us in congratulating Verla on her accomplishment and support her in her ministry.

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:25-05:00Feb 13, 2017|Clergy News|Comments Off

Christian Church Commission Dinner – Feb. 23rd

You are warmly invited to join the Christian Church Commission for dinner on February 23rd at 6:30pm at New Hope Christian Church. Join us for a meal as we thank God for all that was done in 2016 and discuss what 2017 has in store for new church growth!

This will be a pivotal year in the Commission’s history, and we’d love for your faith, creativity, and passion to be a part of it!

Read more about this event with the attached brochure CCC Dinner.

RSVP Sandy at NWCC 405.691.5366 newhopeccokc@sbcglobal.net

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:30-05:00Feb 9, 2017|Congregations|Comments Off

Minister’s Tax Guide

The Minister’s Guide for 2016 Income Tax is now available for download through Pension Fund’s website. This year, as part of the Excellence in Ministry program and partnership with the ECFA, Pension Fund is also providing two new eBooks for minister’s and their congregations: Ministers’ Taxes Made Easy-2017 Edition and Church Reporting Made Easy-2017 Edition. Find all three resources HERE.

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:36-05:00Feb 9, 2017|Clergy News|Comments Off

Advocates for Reproductive Justice

Misty Foley-McKenna and Rev. Shannon Speidel (Associate Minister, Central Christian Church Enid) have been featured in Oklahoma Gazette for their work for the Coalition for Reproductive Justice, advocating for women’s, family health care rights.

READ THE ARTICLE

Article written by Laura Eastes on February 1, 2017
Article published by Oklahoma Gazette
Picture by Garett Fisbeck

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:42-05:00Feb 8, 2017|Clergy News|Comments Off

Immigration Ban: A Statement from Rev. Pam Holt

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) came into existence on the American frontier through immigrants. Our teachings of faith and practice come first from scripture which call us to offer radical hospitality: to welcome and provide for the stranger in our midst, and to love our neighbor, stranger or enemy, as ourself. As followers of Christ, who fed the hungry and the thirsty and who welcomed the stranger, our faith calls us to do the same.

As our General Minister and President, Sharon Watkins, explains, “we have upheld this commitment to offer hospitality to well over 40,000 refugees since the time of WWII, and have done so by providing housing, employment, mentoring, contributions, prayer, and friendship,” and we have offered and experienced many faces of God’s grace and love through our faith and practice.

While we are grateful for our national security which strives to keep our nation safe, and while we support their system that oversees and implements the vetting process, an executive order by the POTUS that unnecessarily oppresses our brothers and sisters who are refugees or immigrants strikes the very core of our faith teachings and practices as ambassadors of Christ.

Our pastors and congregations strive for unity and cooperation among diversity, and we will continue to ardently pray and advocate for the rights and welcome of the vulnerable immigrants and refugees to be in our midst.

Pam Holt

Regional Minister

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:46-05:00Feb 8, 2017|Regional News|1 Comment

Oklahoma Disciples Men’s Retreat 2017

Mark your calendar for April 7-8, 2017 for the Oklahoma Disciples Men’s Retreat at Central Christian Camp & Conference Center in Guthrie, OK.

The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Thomas Jewell. The theme for this year is “Are you Afraid!!!”.

Please complete and return this form with payment, payable to Disciples Men, by March 15, 2017.

You may mail your registration form (2017 retreat registration) and payment to:

Christian Church in Oklahoma
Attn: Disciples Men
301 N.W. 36th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73118

You may also register online at this link

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:51-05:00Feb 6, 2017|Congregations|Comments Off

Year Book Report Due March 15th

It’s that time of year again! Congregations are requested to submit the annual Year Book report to the General Church for publication in the 2017 Year Book.

Why It’s Important – Your congregation is granted 501(c)3 status thru the General Church of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) uses the Year Book to verify your congregation’s non-profit status.

You may submit your form online or complete the form and mail it to the Regional Office and we’ll do the online submission for you. All information is transmitted electronically so your help in taking the quick and easy online steps is a great help!

The deadline is March 15th. Click here to locate the Congregational Reporting Login (or refer to the instructions that accompanied the blue Year Book form.)

Questions? Call Jennifer or Ellen at the Regional Office (405)528-3577 or email us at office@okdisciples.org

To mail your form please send it to Atten: Year Book, Christian Church in Oklahoma, 301 NW 36th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73118-8661

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:50:56-05:00Jan 30, 2017|Congregations|Comments Off

Leadership Training School – April 1st

Keynote Speaker: Laurie Feille

Rev. Feille graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in December 1996 and was ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in January 1997. Rev. Feille served First Christian Church, Garland, Texas as part time Youth Minister and full time Associate Minister; Arlington Heights Christian Church, Fort Worth, TX as Senior Minister; and Senior Minister of Azle Christian Church, Azle, TX Rev. Feille has a passion for missions and has been on Mission Trips to Bosnia, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya and many places in the United States.

Rev. Feille has served as the Chaplain for the Disciples Women Fellowship of the Trinity Brazos Area Board, Southwest Region of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); on the Youth Ministry Council for the Trinity Brazos Area; on the Patient Advisory Committee for Texas Health Resources; adjunct teacher at Brite Divinity School in Homiletics; and as a member of the Steering Committee for Rippling Hope a newly formed nonprofit organization. Rev. Feille has been a director/counselor/ keynoter at retreats, camps and conferences in the Trinity Brazos Area, North Texas Area, Central Area, Costal Plains Area and the Northeast Area of the Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She currently serves on the Executive Unit of the Commission on Ministry for the Upper Midwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and on the board of Church Extension Fund for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:51:07-05:00Jan 25, 2017|Regional News|Comments Off

FCC Norman 125th Anniversary

Join us in celebrating First Christian Church Norman’s 125th Anniversary.

List of Special Events:

January 29th at 4:00pm – Handel’s Messiah – Chancel Choir, orchestra, organ, harpsicord, soloists. First Christian Church Sanctuary
March 4th and 5th – Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence – Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. Saturday Seminars and Preaching at 8:40am and 10:45am Worship Services on Sunday.
April 29th and 30th – 125th Anniversary Weekend
– Saturday Banquet at the Marriott Conference Center at 6:00pm – Reservations Required – please call the Church office at (405) 329-2192.
– Sunday Celebratory Worship at 8:40am and 10:45am

We hope you will make plans to participate in these special events as the church gives thanks to God for 125 years of ministry in Norman.

CCOK3012019-03-18T15:51:12-05:00Jan 24, 2017|Congregations|Comments Off

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Keynote Speaker: Laurie Feille