First Presbyterian Church
555 S. University Boulevard
Norman, OK 73069
405-321-0933
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 113
Norman, OK
First Press
Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church
of Norman, Oklahoma
Return Service Requested
November 2014
FPC Staff
Transitional Pastor
Rev. Joe Reggin
Associate Pastor
for Adults
Rev. Pam Normile
Associate Pastor
for Youth
Rev. Abbey Walker
Director of Music
Dr. Clark Kelly
Director of
Children’s Ministry
Molly Rambur
Director of
Second Wind Ministries
Jeff Rothman
Pledge Dedication
Sunday, November 16th
Find us on:
Upcoming Events
Sunday, November 2nd
Fall Time Change “Fall Back”
Worship with Communion, 8:30 & 11 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, November 9th
Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, November 16th Pledge Dedication
Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, November 23rd
Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 a.m.
Thanksgiving Vespers, 5:00 p.m.
Congregational Thanksgiving Dinner, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 25th
All Church Advent Decorating, 6:30 p.m.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Thursday-Friday, November 27th-28th
Church Office closed
Sunday, November 30th
First Sunday of Advent
Worship with Communion, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 a.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 555 S. University Blvd. Norman, OK 73069
Worship: 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages: 9:30 a.m
Communion: First Sunday of the month
Phone: (405) 321-0933 Fax: (405) 321-0943
Church Office Hours: 8:30am– 4:30pm Website: www.fpcnorman.org
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† Missions
†
Missions
November 2014
†
Missions †
BELL RINGERS NEEDED. Members of our church will have the opportunity to participate in the Salvation Army’s holiday bell ringing on Saturday, December 13, 2014, from
10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Our assigned location is the South door of J.C. Penney at Sooner
Fashion Mall. A sign-up sheet is available in the Atrium for those wanting to volunteer to
“man the kettles”.
THE CHRISTMAS STORE. The Christmas Store of Cleveland County is seeking volunteers to assist
with preparing and operating this year’s store. The Christmas Store is a shopping opportunity for low-income persons who wish to create a meaningful Christmas for their families.
The low-income families will partner with community volunteers to prepare the Store site
for shopping as a means of earning their selection of gifts and food for their Christmas. You
may volunteer to help by going to www.christmas-store.org or by calling 447-5547.
FOOD PANTRY. Our church provides support throughout the year to several local
organizations. One such organization is Mission Norman. Donations will be accepted
at anytime in the designated grocery carts in Alexander Hall or the cart placed near the
front door on Sunday mornings. Requested food items include: baby food, peanut butter, canned goods, dried milk, crackers, beans, and rice. Non-food items that are needed
include diapers, toilet paper, shampoo and soap.
GOAL FOR HAINAMOSA SCHOOL REACHED. First Presbyterian Church of Norman helped establish the Hainamosa School in the Dominican Republic and has continued to be the
sole financial support for the school for the past twenty years. A big thank-you to the
60 giving units who generously pledged $50 for continued funding of the school for
this school year. If you haven’t yet made your donation, checks should be made payable to First Presbyterian Church with “Hainamosa School” on the memo line. Your
checks may be placed in the offering plate or sent to the church office.
RECYCLE. Don’t forget to recycle your pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, old
cell phones for the Women’s Resource Center, used eyeglasses for the Lions Clubs Recycle
for Sight program, and soup labels for Goodland Academy. The items may be left in the
designated containers at the Mission Center in Alexander Hall. And of course, we recycle
all plastics, cans and paper here at FPC! Please find a bin in the Atrium and the work room.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Sunday, November 23rd 5:30 p.m.
(Alexander Hall)
Please bring vegetables, salads and
desserts. All other items provided.
Join us for good food and family
fellowship!
November 2014
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I invite you to consider what Christ’s Lordship
means to you, how much you value that Lordship
and how much you want to be part of a community, a Church family, that is truly committed to
the witness to Christ’s Lordship, in order to make
this world a better place for us all.
I hope to see you in worship this Sunday.
Blessings & peace -
“Who are we, What are we, Why Stewardship”
First Presbyterian Church of Norman
2015 Stewardship Campaign
Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15
Last month I suggested that our stewardship as a congregation needed to be a reflection of who we are as a
congregation and eventually, where we want to go. This month, I know that many of you are prayerfully
considering your individual level of stewardship. I would encourage you not to think of your stewardship
in terms of a “pledge” or “commitment”, but rather as an “estimate of giving”. It is not a financial contract,
nor is it a bill that must be paid or else.
It is certainly important to consider your current financial situation when contemplating your “estimate of
giving”. At the same time, I would suggest that you remain open to the fact your expectation of giving
may very well increase or decrease this next year and you can respond accordingly by adjusting your
“estimate of giving”.
A very wise pastor friend of mine once told me to not think in terms of giving to the Church, but as giving
back to God through the Church. So, as you contemplate your stewardship this year, please consider this:
WHAT IF your estimate of giving reflected your faith and your hope that your current expectations will be
exceeded?
Marty Cain
For the Stewardship Committee
All-Church Advent
Decorating
On Tuesday, November 25th we will gather for the ALL
Church Advent Decorating! Dinner will be provided by
the Session and Deacons at 5:45pm and decorating will
begin promptly at 6:30pm. We will divide into groups to
decorate the Sanctuary, Alexander Hall, Atrium and
Parlor.
We need all church officers and as
many members as possible to help.
Come and enjoy the fellowship too!
Thanksgiving Vespers
Sunday, November 23rd
5:00 p.m. ~ Sanctuary
Fellowship Bridge: will meet at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, November 3rd in Westminster Room.
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November 2014
A New Sunday school class has begun... and you are invited to join! This class will
meet Sunday mornings 9:30 until 10:30 in the Pastor’s Study. We will be reading the
book: Connecting With Our Children, written by Dr. Roberta Gilbert, MD. This class
is being offered especially to parents of our youth and is open to all who would be interested in discussing how we can be better connected to our children, grandchildren,
other family members and better able to strengthen family connections.
November 2014
Children’s Sunday school (Pre-K through 5th
grade) will be learning about Daniel in the Lion’s
Den, having some Thanksgiving fun, and preparing
for Advent this month.
Kings Company
Adult Interest Center ~ Senior Adults
(Kindergarten and 1st Grade choir)
meet in Room 211 from
10:30 - 10:50 AM on Sundays.
Carol Harris, Director
Gabriel's Gang
Thursday, November 6, 10:30 a.m.
“ Church Chat” - Joe Reggin, our Interim pastor, will answer questions and talk about the interim process.
Abbey Road Catering will serve lunch.
Thursday, November 13, 10:30 a.m.
“Collections and Hobbies” - What do you collect or like to do as a hobby? Bring something to show (or
pictures) from your collection(s) or your hobby. Abbey Road Catering will serve lunch.
Thursday, November 20, 9:30 a.m.
“National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum” - Meet at the church at 9:30am to go to this museum
in Oklahoma City. We will eat lunch there at Dining on Persimmon Hill Restaurant. The cost will be $11
plus the cost of your lunch. Please sign up with Carol Harris by Monday, November 17.
Thursday, November 27 - Happy Thanksgiving!
Looking Ahead ~ Single Worship Service During the Month of December
December 7th, 2nd Sunday of Advent
Lessons & Carols, 11:00 a.m.
December 14th, 3rd Sunday of Advent
Children/Youth Christmas Worship, 11:00 a.m.
All-Church Christmas Dinner, 5:30 p.m.
December 21st, 4th Sunday of Advent
Worship with Choirs and Orchestra, 11:00 a.m.,
Christmas Breads, 9:30 a.m.(A)
All-Church Christmas Caroling, 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24th, Christmas Eve
Family Candlelight Service, 6:00 p.m.
(Childcare provided)
Candlelight Service with Communion, 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 25th, Christmas Day
Nativity of Jesus Christ
December 28th, Sunday after Christmas
Worship, 11:00 a.m.
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(2nd-5th Graders)
We meet on Wednesdays at 3:05 PM in Atrium for
snacks followed by choir, Bible study and games,
and finish at 5:15 PM. We are continuing to learn
about the Fruit of the Spirit.
We will not meet on November 26th.
Bridges to Worship
is for children in 1st and 2nd grade, right
after the children's message at the 11 AM
Worship Service. This class is designed
to help children understand worship so
they can more fully participate.
New Child Drop-off Point 4th and 5th Grade trip to Urban Mission
for the infant and toddler rooms.
Please sign your child in, allow
the childcare workers to take
your child inside, and let us
know where you will be (Sunday school, worship), and
how you’d like to be contacted if needed. If you feel
best taking your child into the rooms to help with transitioning, you are welcome to do so, but please don’t linger. Our wonderful childcare staff and volunteers are
ready to play and care for the children.
Each year we take the 4th and 5th graders to Urban Mission to help sort food or prepare for the
Santa Store. Be looking in the bulletin on the
children’s ministry board for when this will be.
Parent sponsors are needed, too!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Trunk-N-Treat this year!
Look for pictures in next month's newsletter.
Wayne & Vicky Busma - 608 Summit Crest Ln, Norman 73071
Dave & Mary Edwards - 2308 Carolyn Ct., Norman 73071
Jeff & Doris Frederick - 912 Heather Glen Ter., Norman 73072
Kevin Gille - 1608 SW 33rd St., Moore 73160
James & Marian McLaughlin - 2016 NE 31st St., Moore 73160
Tom & Cynthia Montgomery - 3620 Bob White Ave., Norman 73072
Katherine Stanton - 3291 Ridgecrest Ct., Norman 73072
Please welcome these new members into our church family!
DECEMBER
Wednesday
November 12th
at 9:00 a.m.
(Early due to Thanksgiving)
Thank You!
The Annual Poinsettia Sale and Dedications will begin on the 1st Sunday of Advent,
November 30th in the Atrium and continue on December 7th and 14th. The cost is
$15 each (due upon sign-up). Please print your dedication on the line provided. Dedications will be printed in the church bulletin on December 21st. The poinsettias will
be delivered to our church family members who are hospitalized and homebound.
Thank you for celebrating the Christmas season as we honor family and friends.
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IN THE INTERIM: I have been engaged in the
practice of ministry, as a Teaching Elder in our denomination, for over thirty years. Over the years, I
have found all of the congregations I have served
tend to share one common, yet quite mistaken, understanding of the body that governs them called
“the Session.” This mistake is not easy to correct,
since it originates in our national culture and is so
deeply imbedded in the way we think and relate to
one another. Congregations tend to think they elect
Elders to serve as members of the Session and that
the job of the Session is to represent them. As I
said, this is a mistaken notion.
Although our ecclesiastical form of government is
the basis for our national form of government,
these two governments function quite differently.
Technically speaking, we do not “elect” Elders as
our secular representatives are elected. When we
meet as a congregation to elect Elders, what we are
actually doing is voting our agreement with the understanding that those who are nominated for the
office of Elder have been called by God. Voting
for an Elder in a congregational meeting is not our
saying, “we select this person to be our representative, as we would a secular Senator or Representative. Instead our vote for an Elder affirms our belief that God has called an individual to serve
Christ’s Church in the office of Elder. The congregation chooses, or elects, Elders in the common
understanding of these terms; however, technically
speaking, the vote of a congregation is simply an
affirmation of God’s choosing, God’s calling,
God’s election, not ours.
The next part of the mistaken impression that congregations often hold is that the Elders are elected
to represent the members of the church. This is not
at all the case. Elders do not represent church
members. Elders are chosen/called by God to represent Jesus, our Christ and Lord. The first duty of
any Elder in our denomination is not to ask, “What
do the church members want.” The first duty of an
Elder is to ask, “What is God calling us, as a congregation, to do?” The Elders in our denomination
are to represent to all members of Christ’s Church,
and to the community in which a given congregation is located, what it means when we say that Jesus is our Christ and our Lord. The primary duty
of an Elder is to ensure that the Lordship of Jesus,
our Christ, is honored and followed.
In my experience this understanding of what it
November 2014
means to be a Ruling Elders tends to become lost
over time, especially when church members develop a deep sense of connection to their Pastor.
When a Pastor becomes trusted and loved by
church members, which is a positive, such an emotional connection can, eventually, develop into a
negative. Over time, as this level of emotional connection grows, congregations (and Sessions) can
develop a dependency on a Pastor and begin to allow a Pastor to make all the important decisions
regarding the church and its ministry. At that point
the church begins to be seen as belonging to the
Pastor. The Pastor in turn, wanting “her/his
church” to do well, will tend to focus on working
to make sure everyone in the congregation is happy
or satisfied, rather than working to ensure that the
congregation is challenged to grow in their understanding and commitment to Jesus, as Lord and
Christ.
When this happens I would suggest the church begins to decline and morale tends to wane. Church
members begin to gauge their participation in the
church on their perceived relationship to the Pastor.
Members then tend to participate, to give of their
time, talents and treasures, in support of the church
and its program on the basis of their perceived
closeness to the Pastor, rather than in response to
their commitment and relationship to God in Jesus,
our Christ.
We are coming to a time when we focus on Stewardship in this congregation. It is my witness to
you that this focus on Stewardship is not about
money, or the congregation’s budget. Instead Stewardship is about our renewing our commitment to
follow Jesus as Christ and Lord. Stewardship is
about our relationship to God in Christ; not our relationship to the Pastor. Stewardship is about how
much we value the Lordship of Jesus, our Christ,
for ourselves, for our families, for our Church
Family, our community, our nation and for our
world!
As you read these words our focus on Stewardship,
as a Church Family has begun. In this time I want
to encourage you to remember that we have no
membership fees, there are no dues in the church,
because Jesus of Nazareth has already paid and
give all that is necessary. In this time of Stewardship focus, I invite you to consider what you have
received from God and what kind of steward you
would like to be of God’s many gifts and blessings.
November 2014
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Second Wind Ministries
This has been an exiting month at Second Wind. Jahruba Lambeth, a local artist-in-residence for the state
of Oklahoma, put on a fascinating event called "The Art of African Story Telling." Our Bible studies have
also been filled with vibrant and wonderful conversation. Last week, for instance, we looked at the subject
of how a Christian should approach modern war. In addition to discussing Jesus' famous words, "those
who live by the sword shall die by the sword," we looked at Israelite war practices in Deuteronomy and
also Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "Beyond Vietnam" speech.
On the coffee shop side of things, there is one word which encapsulates the essence of fall at Second
Wind: PUMPKIN! Pumpkin chai, pumpkin latte, pumpkin mocha....Sometimes we are so filled with
pumpkin orders I wonder if it is raining pumpkin flavored liquid from the clouds! We hope you stop in
soon and try a pumpkin drink or any other kind of drink, and enjoy our relaxing and welcoming space.
May the peace of Christ, which is the inheritance of all who serve Him, be yours both now and forever.
Jeff Rothman, Director of Second Wind
Christian Condolences
...to the family of Clay Bostic (husband to Betty Jane) friends of this congregation, upon his death on
September 22nd. Clay was a retired Presbyterian pastor.
Please keep this family in your prayers
Pledge Update
September
Actual
Pledges
36,572
Non-Pledges/Loose Offerings 6,018
Total
42,590
September
Budget
YTD
Actual
YTD
Budget
Annual
Budget
48,750
8,333
57,083
413,088
56,554
513,750
438,750
75,000
513,750
585,000
100,000
685,000
Happy November
Birthday!
Nov. 1
Nov. 3
Nov. 4
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Darby Hollister, Shawn Rogers
Carlyn Vance, Brenda Wagner
Jane Alsup, Justus Rambur, Jodi Riddle
Rex Cline, Vivian Hamilton, George Thomas
Dennis Byers, Daniel Epperson,
Thomas Pender
Nov. 8 Kit Marcotte
Nov. 9 Chase Anderson
Nov. 10 Hannah Harder, Angela Lowe, Mina Sovick
Nov. 11 Dolly Lee, Chester Peek, Beverly Rice
Nov. 12 Chip Baker, Carmelita Turner
Nov. 13 Emma Fritz, Daisy Myers, Jeff Rothman
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Nov. 25
Nov. 26
Nov. 27
Nov. 28
Nov. 29
Nov. 30
Melanie Wright
Warren Taber
Janet Gambill, Jean Kugler, Bill Sherwood
Marjorie Stookey
Mark Anderson
Abbey Walker
Bill Braun
Allison McMartin
Joan McLeod, Lynne Miller
Agnes Anthony, Emma Brittan, Jean Cate,
John Krause, Kim Ray
Dustin Camp, Harold Everett, Bill Miller
Tom Ridgway
Julie Nekouian, Joe Reggin,
Michael Shauberger
Alun Skitt
Mary Jo Atteberry, Connor Chancellor,
Joshua Hyde, Georgia Oubre,
Chip Whittier Jr.
Grace Heefner
Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday, November 2nd - “Fall Back”