FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Disciples of Christ

701 Holly Street Perry, OK 73077

E-MAIL: perryokfcc@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.fccperryok.com

****** Martin P. Foster

MINISTER 580/572-8473 Wade Longan

YOUTH MINISTER 405/385-2584 Kim Ward

CHURCH SECRETARY Paula Shryock

CHOIR DIRECTOR

****** CHURCH OFFICE

(580) 336-4576 Monday - Friday

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

****** SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES

8:15am or 10:30am SUNDAY SCHOOL

9:15am

September 6, 2016

Sunday September 6, 2016

ATTENDANCE: 8:15 worship 40 10:30 worship 59 TITHES & OFFERINGS received:

General Fund $4,549.30

The Perry Christian First Christian Church Disciples of Christ

SAYING GOODBYE

In his book, Saying Goodbye: A Time of Growth for Congregations and Pastors, Edward

White points out:

“Often it is the transitions of life that are the greatest occasions for growth. In

addition to appreciating what we are leaving and what we are moving to, we can learn

many secrets of the Spirit by monitoring the experience of the transition itself. We can

discover new things about ourselves and about the God who is with us in the transition.”

My hope and prayer is that we will discover some amazing things about ourselves and

God upon my departure from FCC in a few weeks. Almost immediately we will begin to discover

that I will no longer be able to relate to you in the same way as I previously have as your officially

called and installed pastor and active in just about every aspect in the congregation’s life and Sun-

day worship. After September 30th I won’t be in a position to provide pastoral care or talk about

church business or perform baptisms or preach, teach and serve with members. Nor will I be able to

answer questions about the activities in the church or give counseling or advice or supply leader-

ship to the congregation. This will be difficult for both of us.

Again, in the book, Saying Goodbye, Joan Mahon notes:

“The pastor ceases to be the pastor/friend and becomes friend only; members

cease being associates/clients/advocates/friends and also become friends only. Relation-

ships must then be redefined as friendships alone, apart from ecclesiastical roles. The

depth of mutual loss and grief is often so great the inherent difficulty in shifting these

roles and redefining those relationships becomes compounded by mutual pain. But shifted

and redefined they must be, and the more intentionally and clearly those role shifts are

made, the sooner the pastor and members alike can establish healthy new church relation-

ships.”

It will take time for you as a congregation and me to get used to that shift in our relation-

ship. That is a part of the reason there is an interim minister before you call a new pastor. That will

also be why I won’t participate in worship here until your new minister is well established in the

church and the community. Paula and I made this decision out of love for you and out of respect for

your new pastor, whoever he or she may be.

In the concluding episode of oldie moldy sitcom MASH they receive the long awaited

good news—the war is over and they will return home to family and friends. It’s a cause for joyful

celebration and sad goodbyes. The doctors and nurses soon realize that “going home” means there

current relationships will end as they depart for various destinations in the States. The person that

struggles with this inevitable change is surgeon BJ Hunnicutt.

For him, it carries a heavy weight of finality. BJ knows that saying “goodbye” means he

will never see Hawkeye again and that for the rest of his life, he’ll have to live without that daily

friendship he was so accustomed to having during the Korean War. So BJ opts to pretend that he

and Hawkeye will keep in touch with Christmas cards and annual visits to medical conventions or

each other’s homes.

And who can blame BJ for feeling and acting this way. Many of us, me included, can

identify with BJ’s anxiety, pain, sadness and reluctance toward saying the two words that

acknowledge the end of a particular relationship. But for every goodbye there is a hello. Hello to a

new beginning, a new adventure, a new experience, an exciting future. Hello to a new pastor.

Love your new pastor as much as you love me. That will be your best affirmation that my

ministry with you was healthy, strong and enduring. It is my prayer this new minister will deepen

your to commitment to Christ Jesus, his church and his mission. In His Love, Martin

New Requests: Velta Stringer, the Norma Speer Family, Lois Luthye (cancer), the family of Clifton Smith, the family of Larry Voss, Marilyn Klingaman, Arlie Goforth, Gerry Wells, Cheri Payne, Ed Manley, Steve Smith, Ester Norman, Bill Stephens,

Search committee

continuing prayers. . . . The family of Ester Brand, The family of John Skinner, Joey Hamilton, the family of

Becky Diebold, Jeannie Payne, The family of Donna Wade (mother of Mollye Henley), the family of Maxine

Buffington, the Ricky Morehinwig Family, Juanita Kraut, Emma Schaffer, Cindy Rice, Tyler Frank, Steve

Schultz, the Henderson and Welsby family, Lavona Niles, Steve Schultz, the family of Brandi Lane, Dave Iske

(Tamara Yost’s husband), PTL for graduation of Ethan Stringer, the family of Jennifer Lazenby, The family of

Bill Rotter, the family of Thelma Hansen, The family of Stanley Bloom, the family of Austin Clavin, the fami-

ly of Deanna Coffee, the family of Randy Lang, Steve Meyers, Jennifer Anderson (niece of Marilyn Ewy),

Riley Cinnamon, Wilbur Keith, Matt Carr, Aileen Habben, the family of Ann Miller, the family of David Hep-

pler, the family of Tom Ryan, Janet Newman, John Ringer (Monty’s friend), Leon Kennedy, the family of Harry Bendure, Rev.

Adrian Pollard, Caraway Street cast member search, Minister Search Committee, Philip Ventris (Wade’s step-father, cancer), Brant-

ley Taylor, Zoey Johnson Please Note: A request in the above section will run for two weeks. Contact the church office to renew.

Nursing Home/Assisted Living Ilene Branen, Norma Speer, Maxine Schwartz, Colleen Robison, Priscilla Wallace, Vallie

Webb, Dr. Charles Martin

Cancer survivors: David Riggs, Joyce Bailey, Philip Ventris, John Taylor, Karen Bigbee, Connie Henderson, Linda Stangl, David Tharring-

ton, Wayne Speer, Duane Dickson, Marilyn Goforth, Kristie Cook, Gerald Payne, Melva Edgar, Gary Moore, Kate Yost, Harold Price, Becky

Hammock, Bonnita Foster, James Gall, Misty Leeper, Jim Taber, Gene Zavodny, Jim Gall, Beverly Klingaman, Randy Beeman, Keli

Schweer, Branen Kirtley,Velma Lindsey, Norma Hughes, Marilyn Ewy, Jim Ewy, Cathy Wells-Drury, Gary Wells, Barbara Habina, Maxine

Schwartz

Missionaries: Casey &Karen Z. Southeast Asia, Andrew & Reilly Bowers (granddaughter of the late Faye and Mary Odell),

West Africa, Lauren Anderson-Park, Thailand

these serving our country: Ethan Stringer, Army National Guard, Anthony Moore, Austin Moore, Devin Blansett-Marines, Shel-

by Schultz-National Guard, LTC Stephen Lightfoot, Thomas Henke-Marines, Jared Mann, Ryan Padilla, Bryson Running-Navy,

John Maehs, Scott Collins, Chip Collins, Jr., Jeremiah Givens, Lindsey Bishop, Trevor Schultz-National Guard, Kyle Thomason

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”Philippians 4:6

September 4– September 17 Paula Foster-4 Sharon Boyd-5 Rich Lambert-6 Nat Karcher-7 Aiden Dillon-7 Velma Lindsey-7 Anna Shelton-11 Willena Cunningham-11 Taylor Finley-12 Wade Longan-13 Happy Anniversary

If we missed a special day, please let us know.

for the week of September 4, 2016

Total needed for the week: $5,170.00

Received this week: $4,549.30

Under weekly budget: $620.77 Total needed for the month:$21,494.00

Received for September: 4,549.30

Under monthly Budget: $16,944.70

VISITORS IN WORSHIP Sunday, September 4, 2016

Jackie Fuller, Grandview, MO

Cora Selvey

Saryn Miller

Ayden & Ashtyn Lumbers

Mira Hays & Brooklynn Broome

Lynn Martin & Greylyn Martin

Don & Shirley Jones

CHOIR NOTES

The praise songs for this Sunday will be "You Never Let Go" and "The Heart of Worship." The choir will be singing a familiar piece, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." See you Sunday! Paula

CWF is sponsoring a fund for the Clap-

per family. Amanda and Raegan Clap-

per’s home suffered extensive damage

due to lightning in July. Donations are

being accepted to help with the cost of

the repairs. On Behalf of CWF and the

Clapper family, THANK YOU.

Hello everyone,

The Community Soup Kitchen is aver-

aging 50 attendees. I recently met a Per-

ry High School senior, Jacob Avery,

who would like to help with the soup

kitchen each week. He has participated

for the last two weeks serving the do-

nuts and he takes direction well. Would

it be okay if Jacob volunteers with your

group? I have a calendar opening of

September 22nd. If your group would

be interested in taking that date please

give me a call or text, 336-8558. I

would be happy to have the food ready

if someone would serve and cleanup.

Michelle Lawson, Soup Kitchen Coordi-

nator

Worship Committee Meeting September 11 11:30am

Stay Connected:

September 28th

- See You at the Pole SEE YOU AT THE POLE is on Wednesday, September 28, at 7:00 am local time. All around the globe, in every time zone, students will be gath-ering at their flagpoles praying for their school, friends, families, churches, and communities. SEE YOU AT THE POLE is a day committed to global unity in Christ and prayer for this generation. October 9

th- Make Promises Happen Day at Frontier

City Details coming soon. November 30

th- Thanksgiving Dinner

We are so thankful for ALL of our youth. We are inviting the youth and their families to come and eat with us on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

PRAISE THE

LORD !!!

With the recent growth in our Sunday School program, the Education Committee has made a deci-sion to move Caraway Street back to performing on Sunday Mornings. Kick off Sunday for Caraway will be the first Sunday in October. Our prayer is that with the Wednesday program (starts August 24), and moving Caraway Street back to Sunday mornings during the 10:30 ser-vice we will be able to double our ministry to the youth. To make this possible we do need some help from you. Caraway Street still needs 2 stage manag-ers (1 for cast one and one for cast two), and we would love to have one more actor. The other big need is for van drivers to pick up chil-dren to attend on Sunday mornings. There are chil-dren who would come, if they had a ride each Sun-day. Please be in prayer about how you can help this ministry. Thank you.

November 17, 2016

Join us for our ALL NEW

program, Disciples Kids, every

Wednesday, beginning August 24th

Disciples Kids is for all kids in

PreK-6th grade!

Our bus and vans will pick up stu-

dents after school each Wednesday.

Students may be picked up at 5pm

at First Christian Church, 701 Holly

PURPOSE STATEMENT OF FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Perry, Oklahoma

To glorify God by leading people to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Servers for Sunday, September 11, 2016

ELDERS: Jay & Sherry DeBord

WORSHIP LEADER: John Fuller

8:15 DEACONS: Gerald Payne & Verna Skouby

10:30 DEACONS: Robert Cunningham, Raegan Clapper, Kim

Sheets & Levi Karcher

DEACONESS: Tommie Cargill

8:15 GREETERS: Barbara Schweer

10:30 GREETERS: Arlie & Marilyn Goforth

Communion to Homebound: James Meier, Nathan Smith &

Brandan Sheets

Servers for Sunday, September 18, 2016

ELDERS: Johnny Fuller & Arlie Goforth

WORSHIP LEADER: Rich Lambert

8:15 DEACONS: Norma Hughes & Tammy Kelly

10:30 DEACONS: Jay & Sherry DeBord, Larry & Janice Hansen

DEACONESS: Rich Lambert

8:15 GREETERS: Verna Skouby

10:30 GREETERS: Kim Sheets

PRAYER CHAIN: Call the church office at 336-4576

If you are unable to attend Sunday Worship, you may view the service on Sundays at 2:00pm on PIN Channel 14. www.pin.cityofperryok.com

We have a picture collage of

Martin’s 14 years at First

Christian hung in the church

hallway as part of his retire-

ment celebration. If you have

pictures you would like to in-

clude and or well wishes for

him, we welcome you to in-

clude them on the banner

hanging in the hallway.

Thank you.

Worship Committee

Martin’s Retirement Sunday

will be held Sunday,

September 25.