Michael Davison, Author at Christian Church in Oklahoma

Summer Camp Discount Rates Extended to April 19

Exciting News!

It is Eastertide AND the discount rates for summer camp are extended one day to April 19!

Many of our congregations offer programming for children, and youth on Wednesday so we wanted to extend the discount rates one more day to give everyone the opportunity to register before the prices go up.

New this Summer: Grand Camp (for a grandparent and child or youth)
July 18-20 at Camp Christian
We are extending the registration window and discount rate ($235 for grandparent & 1 child/youth) until June 1. This new outdoor ministry experience is designed for a grandparent and child/youth camper that has completed grades K-8th.

Visit the Families and Youth webpage to learn more about camp and register today! Don’t wait. The rates will go up on April 20.

See you at Camp!

Michael Davison2017-04-18T08:08:50-05:00Apr 18, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

The Gospel According to . . .

How would you tell it?

Has your discipline during lent done for you, or to you, what you hoped it would? Have there been surprises?

We’ve wandered in lent seeing Jesus through the eyes of the writer of John. This gospel is more a theological handbook than a story of the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. From it’s opening word, John has gone about providing a theology of Jesus as the Christ of faith more than telling a story about Jesus the traveling prophet, turned preacher from Nazareth.

One of the best practices of lent, I think, is writing the gospel according to . . . [fill in your name]. You have had parable experiences, and have a story to tell about your circle of disciples following Jesus. You have a personal story to tell. Writing that story is not an easy assignment. What part of the story do you leave in or take out? And here is the somewhat harder choice. What is important about Jesus’ last visit to Jerusalem. What disciple do you identify with most as the events in Jerusalem unfold and Jesus washes your feet?

At the beginning of March I was the keynoter at the Kansas CYF retreat. Those keynotes focused on knowing your own disciple story and being able to tell it, or at least a spark notes version, if asked. Writing your story about being a disciple, a follower of Jesus, is an important thing to do now and again. It helps you make sense of your experiences and gives you a voice when asked to talk about your experiences, your faith and belief.

You’ve followed Jesus to Jerusalem. You’ve heard the Palm Sunday story and the Easter story many times. Now, you show up to the tomb with Mary Magdalene. What happens next? How will you speak of the good news you have experienced? How are you living it?

I pray the events of Holy week and Easter will be surprising for you. I look forward to hearing the story of the good news of God that you have to tell. Take a risk and be a blessing.

Michael Davison2017-04-04T14:39:53-05:00Apr 4, 2017|Michael Davison Blog|1 Comment

Are You Registered 4 Camp?

Attend a camp this summer and Branch Out in faith and your discipleship. The discount rates for summer camp end April 18, and our camps are beginning to fill up. Don’t delay. Click here to visit the Families & Youth webpage to learn more and register.

New this Year: Grand Camp
This two night/three day camp is designed for a grandparent and a grandchild (grades K-8th). Hosted at Camp Christian, this brief time for grandparents and their grandchildren is an excellent way to share faith stories and family stories that tell of God’s presence.

Who is attending camp so far? Thirty (30) of our congregations have campers registered for one or more of the summer camps offered this year. Has your congregation registered yet?

First Christian Church Broken Arrow
First Christian Church Calumet
First Christian Church Chandler
The Federated Church Checotah
First Christian Church Cherokee
First Christian Church Chickasha
First Christian Church Claremore
First Christian Church Cushing
Del City Christian Church
First Christian Church Duncan
First Christian Church Edmond
Southern Hills Christian Church
First Christian Church El Reno
Central Christian Church Enid
Christian Church of the Covenant Enid
Central Christian Church Fairview
First Christian Church Guthrie
First Christian Church Luther
First Christian Church Midwest City
First Christian Church Norman
Crown Heights Christian Church Oklahoma City
Hillcrest Christian Church Oklahoma City
New Covenant Christian Church Oklahoma City
Village Christian Church Oklahoma City
Western Oaks Christian Church Oklahoma City
First Christian Church Ponca City
First Christian Church Pond Creek
First Christian Church Stroud
First Christian Church Thomas
Forest Park Christian Church Tulsa

Michael Davison2017-03-27T23:00:43-05:00Mar 27, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

Interfaith Dialogue Is Christian Practice: IAS 2017 Begins

Today, 22 youth and 6 adults representing 13 congregations departed from First Christian in Norman to begin the education and spirituality adventure we call International Affairs Seminar. The group will spend the next 8 days learning about the topic of study and experiencing Washington DC and New York City. We are grateful to the congregations that supported their youth and adults going on this trip.

We are grateful for our transportation providers: First Christian in Sulphur (Kathy and Kirk Standridge driving) and First Christian in Norman (Jeff Champeau) driving.

We want to thank the adults going on the trip:
Rev. Dr. Tom Lyda, trip leader (New Covenant Christian Church)
Pastor Tara Dew (First Christian Church El Reno)
Jeff Champeau (First Christian Church Norman)
Rev. Jenny Wynn (Southern Hills Christian Church)
Rev. Brandon Johnson (First Christian Church in Lawton)
Rev. Shannon Cook (First Christian Church in Norman)

You can follow the trip on Twitter or Facebook #ias2017ccokdoc

Here is a glimpse of the itinerary.

March 10
Travel Day to DC
Housing at Calvary Baptist Church
Orientation to DC, Monuments at Night

March 11
Museums and Arlington National Cemetery
Monuments and Memorials

March 12
Worship at National City Christian Church
Holocaust Museum

March 13
Seminar Day on the theme with the United Methodist Women’s Seminar Leaders
Dinner @ Ben’s Chili Bowl
Monuments and Memorials

March 14
Seminar Morning
Capitol Tour and Meet with Senator Lankford
Dinner @ Farmers Fishers Bakers
Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center

March 15
Travel Day to New York on Amtrak
Lodging at Yotel NY
Orientation to NY
Dinner @ John’s Pizzeria Times Square
Broadway Show: Kinky Boots

March 16
Half Day Seminar with Methodists Women’s Seminar Leader
Free Afternoon in NY
Broadway Show: Wicked

March 17
9/11 Museum and Memorial
Free Afternoon in NY
Dinner in Chinatown or Little Italy
Times Square

March 18
Homeward Bound

Michael Davison2017-03-10T07:16:25-06:00Mar 10, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

OPEN: Summer Camp Registration

After some delays we are excited to announce that our Summer Camp Registration is OPEN! We look forward to a fun and full camp season this year. Remember, our camps are size limited based on the number of adult volunteer counselors and available bed space at the sites that host our camp experiences.

The “discount rates” are available until April 18, and then a short ‘regular rate’ window will open until all registration closes on May 16.

Discount Rates: there are two options. Campers from congregations in the Central Area and Northwest Area are eligible for the ‘Leave No Child Behind’ grant which lowers the discount rate. All other campers are eligible for our discount rates.

Discount Rates

Chi Rho Camp
Central Area & Northwest Area Rate: $345
All Other Areas: $390
Junior Camp
Central Area & Northwest Area Rate: $325
All Other Areas: $370
Discovery Camp
Central Area & Northwest Area Rate: $189
All Other Areas: $234
CYF Conference
Central Area & Northwest Area Rate: $327
All Other Areas: $372
Grand Camp [all areas]
$235 [per 1 adult & 1 child. add 1 extra child for $80]

Regular Rates

Chi Rho Camp $410
Junior Camp $390
Discovery Camp $250
CYF Conference $390
Grand Camp $250 [per 1 adult & 1 child. add 1 extra child for $80]

Michael Davison2017-02-27T10:48:19-06:00Feb 27, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

Regional Youth Council Applications

Regional Youth Council is an adventure in leadership. It is the Region’s ‘youth group’ modeling participation and leadership in their local youth group, congregation, and larger community. RYC is a group of juniors and seniors alongside adults that plan and lead the gathering of youth groups for retreats each year and they often help at CYF Camp. RYC spend take time to vision the future of youth gatherings in our Region. RYC youth members typically serve a 2 year term.

Are you a rising junior or senior interested in serving on RYC? If so, apply between Feb 6 and April 1. Click here to download the application.

Questions? Want to know more about serving on RYC? You may have someone that serves on Regional Youth Council in your congregation. Ask her or him. Not sure? Contact Rev. Michael Davison and he can connect you with one of our RYC Executive Officers, Abigail or Sami, or a RYC member.

Regional Youth Council

Aanika Gillett, Western Oaks Christian Church Oklahoma City

Abigail Peters, First Christian Church Duncan (Exec Officer)

Anna Hubbard, First Christian/Presbyterian Church Pryor, Adult

Aries Couch, First Christian Church Sulphur

Brooke Hileman, First Christian Church El Reno

Darien Vassella, First Christian Church Duncan

Drew Kirtley, First Christian Church Duncan, Adult

Elizabeth Haskins, First Christian Church Chickasha

Emily Angleton, Central Christian Church Enid

Ish Engle, First Christian Church Cushing, Adult

John Wheeler, Central Christian Church Enid, Adult

Justin Whitfield, First Christian Church Sulphur

Lamont Henderson, New Covenant Christian Church Oklahoma City

Matthew Gillett, Western Oaks Christian Church Oklahoma City

Payden Arnold, First Christian/Presbyterian Church Pryor

Ryane Nelson, First Christian Church El Reno

Sami Frame, New Covenant Christian Church Oklahoma City (Exec Officer)

Shalyn Pigeon, First Christian Church Sulphur

Tara Dew, First Christian Church El Reno, Adult

Taylor Puckett, Forest Park Christian Church Tulsa

Travis Carlson, First Christian Church Cyril, Adult

William McCurley, First Christian Church Cyril

Zoe White, First Christian Church Claremore

Michael Davison2017-02-06T07:37:50-06:00Feb 6, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

Summer Camp Registration Open Pushed to Feb 13

Our Summer Camp Directors are recruiting counselors and the preparations that make our Summer Camp program happen are in process. Many have downloaded the Camp Registration Guidebook and are ready to register for one of the camps. We want to make sure our technology and process is right when registration opens, so we need to push the opening of Camp Registration to Feb 13. This will allow our technology be ready (yes, we register online), and help us finalize the funding support from the Leave No Child Behind Grant.

Thank you for your patience. If you have questions about the Camp Registration process, please contact Rev. Michael Davison.

Michael Davison2017-02-06T07:39:50-06:00Feb 6, 2017|Youth|Comments Off

Parables Can Connect Us

This year we meet Jesus through the experiences of Matthew. He probably used a few of the letters of Paul and the Gospel of Mark as his source material filling in the details that Mark leaves out. Yes, the author of Matthew may have embellished a bit based on his experiences and the time he lived. All the gospels and epistles do it. You may think that never happens today, but well, you know different. A couple of weeks ago we met the first disciples (Matthew 4:18-23) that Jesus called: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. It was the beginning of their disciple story. Have you ever thought about how your disciple story begins?

Did it begin with a parable? Try this to begin remembering. “Look in a mirror and see if you can see yourself without seeing your eyes seeing yourself.”(1)

The parables that Jesus told flip our thinking and our vision. New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan notes, “First, parable is story, that is, a tensive sequence of beginning, middle, and end in a narrative that lures you into its plotted micro world to participate as an outsider-insider in its ongoing adventure.”(2) The parables describe the world, relationships, and community as the way it could be, should be, would be, might be were those that believe in the God that Jesus proclaimed experiencing good news; and being living good news. Often, it takes walking around in another person’s shoes to see the world through another lens. Yes, that takes a lot of work. My guess is your disciple story begins with you seeing or experiencing God differently, and that there is something more to your story than accepting Christ as your savior and being baptized.

Maybe one or two of the parables can connect us as followers of Jesus. Which one or two of the parables best frame the good news of God or describe the kindom of God? Which parable provides connections to community and to practicing the way of Jesus which, in our current context, might be different than what is called Christianity.

I think the parables have the power to connect us, we disciples of Jesus, because they work on us and help us be better people. Many of the people I know, non-Christian and Christian alike, work a parable or two every day. Most often without any thought. So, I’ll be thinking about the parables this spring, with a few colleagues and friends, trying to choose one or two that connect us and our discipleship following Jesus, whom we call Christ. I look forward to the journey. Join us. I’ll be posting the conversations here.

——
Note
1. John Dominic Crossan, The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction About Jesus (New York: HarperOne, 2012), 243.
2. Crossan, The Power of Parable, 243.

Michael Davison2017-02-02T13:50:58-06:00Feb 2, 2017|Michael Davison Blog|Comments Off

Intersection gets a new look for 2017

“Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”
David Bowie, “Changes” 1972

The flow of information into our lives has increased. Some by choice and some simply by being awake. It is the product of living in an information age. Every TV service offers users a way to create a favorites list. SiriusXM encourages users to create a favorites list and within a specific music channel gives users the ability to filter the kind of music heard on that channel. Email programs can be set up to filter our email to different folders: spam, inbox, work, friends, family. Most of us have created filters to help us manage, choose what information gets to us. It is an important skill to own in the early 21st century.

With this in mind, this little eNews has made a format change. Each month we will highlight resources, information, and stories trusting that you will choose to be connected to your Disciples sisters and brothers. This eNews will contain snippets of stories and articles with links if you want to read more in depth. We will include more writing from members of our Children, Youth, and Young Adult Commission, from our Regional Youth Council, and from others in our Region and beyond our Region. We will do our best to be device friendly knowing that many of our subscribers use a small screen rather than a big screen.

We start off 2017 with gratitude. Thank you for being a part of our movement, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Thank you for allowing this eNews into your circle of attention. Thank you for supporting ministry, presence and program, with children, youth, and young adults in your congregation and through the Region.

Happy New Year! May God continue to bless us with gospel to be and ministry to do.

Peace . . . Michael D

Michael Davison2017-01-08T11:02:53-06:00Jan 4, 2017|Michael Davison Blog|Comments Off

A Look Back @ 2016

A short five minute and thirty second look back at our program ministries for children and youth this year. There are many, many people that help nourish our program with time, extensive talent, and yes, dollars. We thank our congregations for including children, youth, young adult, and summer camp in your budgets, planning, and participation in the Region. This is a missional ministry we share.

Thank You:

Camp Directors and Camp Counselors
Regional Youth Council Youth and Adults
The adults that volunteer in our congregations to bring meals, drive the van or bus, help with scholarships, attend a retreat, and listen to the children and youth in your midst.
Young Adults, Youth, and Children for being You and involved in your Church.
Daniel U’Ren and the members of the Commission with Children, Youth, and Young Adults.

The Commission with Children, Youth, and Young Adults is committed to teach the language of faith and the practice of Christianity for the Church today; and tomorrow.

Michael Davison2017-01-08T11:02:53-06:00Dec 13, 2016|Youth|Comments Off

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About Michael Davison