Weekly Newsletter 4.15.2020

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A Pastor’s Perspective…

Alleluia! Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! This year, our experience of “church” has been different. We moved from Ash Wednesday through Easter in ways none of us could have expected.  Holy Week was a flurry of activity. From Palm Sunday to Easter, four worshipful experiences were uploaded to our YouTube channel!

After several weeks of recording online worship experiences, I am grateful for those who have made our services possible. I am thankful for our faith family and others who watch and offer such affirming comments. It requires much work to produce these worship experiences, and I appreciate all who make them happen and all who participate with them.

Until we can gather safely to worship together, we will continue to worship together online, and we hope to provide meaningful ways to share the story of God’s love through scripture, music, stories, and a variety of ways to proclaim the Good News!  To do this, we are going to need your help. We need volunteers to be worship leaders from home! Our online services will use audio and video recordings for calls to worship, community prayers, scripture readings, and benedictions, just like we did when we were able to meet in person. A script will be provided as before, and we can offer assistance with the technology.

Another way you can help is to be willing to record either audio and video of how your faith has impacted or impacts your life. These “faith selfies” can enrich our worship times together!  I look forward to hearing and seeing them! 

Until we are able to gather our church into our building again, I hope you will consider taking part in offering worship to God in this new way. Your help will make our online worship diverse, and will ease the pressure on those who have been doing this for the last month. If you will be willing to participate, please let me know by calling 405-769-2717 or emailing me at [email protected]!

I am looking forward to the day when our doors here at our church building will be open and we can all be together. What a glorious day that will be!  Until then, thank you for continuing to be the church where you are!  Please continue to pray and contact each other. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate calling or emailing us! Thanks also for continuing your financial support! Thank you in advance for helping and being Church!

Happy Eastertide!
Gary

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YOUTH NEWS…

The Youth Group had a parking lot meeting Wednesday. Each student had a parking place of their own in a VERY large circle. We played a couple of games and talked about life. What a relief to see their faces in person. Our youth are a strong and intelligent group. They are handling these unusual circumstances, so well. Just seeing each other in person, even at a great distance, was enough for us to feel connected. 

I pray for our congregation as we find new, safe ways to connect with one another and our world. May God inspire us with new ways to love. Our youth are not filled with fear over this crisis, as teens often are, they are certain all will be well. Their faith is inspiring! It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, 

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Finding faith in scary times is sometimes easier for teenagers than it is for adults. I can remember having feelings of invincibility. However, I also understand that my faith in God should translate to reassurance and security, even as an adult. It is our duty as Christians to be respectful of guidelines for safety and we must live by the laws of the land. We represent Christ in the world. So as we take precautions and follow the guidelines, we can do so without fear but with reverence. Our students are practicing their faith and putting it into action, as they avoid giving into panic. They have concerns, but they do not let fear consume them. May we adults hold on to this mindset ourselves, so that we can fully focus on all that the Easter season has to offer. 

Shauna Becker

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Giving for Week Through 4/9/2020  
Annual Budget $ 401,551
Weekly Budget $ 7,722
General Budget & Acct 107 $ 21,200
Diff to Budget +  $ 13,478
Capital Fund $ 5,603  
Other (not Budget) $ 510
Total Weekly Giving$  27,313   

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MUSIC NOTES Has Moved Online!

Mark Johnson and Garry Dowell have prepared music videos to be shared over the next several weeks. Some will feature a soloist while others will be instrumental.

Each week, one will be selected and posted online to the church’s YouTube channel and to the Facebook page.

FCC MWC is fortunate to have such gifted musicians! 

Enjoy and be blessed!

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VOLUNTEERS are NEEDED
to keep our church looking attractive

At your leisure, if you can help for even an hour, we would greatly appreciate your effort. Please call or text Tom Hill with Landscaping at 405-226-8140. Thank you!

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From the Stewardship Department:

Here are ways to continue to give your offering during this time of suspended services and activities:

To Give online:
Log into MyFCC at: fccmwc.org/my-fcc
Select Give from the dropdown menu on the top left
Follow the instructions to set up a recurring gift or send a one time gift
If you have questions, please watch this video
     https://player.vimeo.com/video/170043827

To mail your check to the church:
First Christian Church of Midwest City
11950 E Reno Ave
Midwest City, OK  73130
 You can also drop your giving envelope in the church mailbox. It is a secure, locked dropbox
and is checked daily throughout the week.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS! 

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Be sure to catch the weekly worship service on
YouTube and Facebook.

Search online for:
                             https://www.youtube.com/user/FirstCCMWCOK

 or on the Facebook page: FCC Midwest City

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 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection
and the life. Those who believe in me,
even though they die, will live.” 


 John 11:25 NRSV 
He is Risen!

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FOLLOW US AND STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FACEBOOK Search name:  First Christian Church MWC   
INSTAGRAM Search name: FCC Midwest City
YOUTUBE Search name: First Christian Church Midwest City

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First Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ)

11950 E Reno Ave

Midwest City OK 73130

405.769.2717

Senior Minister:

Rev. Gary Mitchell 

OFFICE HOURS:

Please call the church
office before stopping by
to make sure it’s open.

Thank you!

Disciples Around
The Web

www.disciples.org

www.okdisciples.org

www.weekofcompassion.org

Disciples News Service

All church services and group activities are suspended until further notice. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or needs.

Church Office: 769-2717
email: [email protected]
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Please contact the church office with new prayer concerns and with updates on those who are listed.
Thank you!

PRAYER CONCERNS

Family & Friends of Noretta Clayton (Jan Teel’s aunt); Chuck Clayton and Cheryl Clayton and their families (Jan’s cousins); Family & Friends of Cindy Proctor (Susan Updegraff); *Bev Rubino; Kristy Lowry; Nancy Hall; Jake & Hillary Lange and the Becker family (Shauna Becker); Mario Castro (Moler); Paul Pettigrew; Nancy Mitchell; Johanna Harvey (S Updegraff); Malik Givens (J Avants); Shirley Niehoff; Ralph Seabaugh (McKinney); Karen Holland; Faye Miller; Nancy Hall; Katy Givens; Sandy Lees; Becky Long; Doug Egerer (M Holt); Tom Jamison; Rev. Lee Nirschl; Lori Lange; Michael DeGennaro (Camp); Angela Bruning (Martin-Davis); Jim Gladney (Moler); Wayne Haney (Moler); Sue Crumrine (Gambill); Lori Zang (M Holt); Nancy Williams; Blair Lanning (Avants)

*NEW ADDITION

Congregation Long-Term Prayer List: 

Nellis Adams; Julie Avants; Barbara Benge; Katie Benge; Ashley Dean; Gene Gilbert; Tanni Jamison; Lloyd Kitchell; Richard Layman; Lloyd family; Mary Nirschl; Kristyn Reid; Vicki Richey; Lane Ross; Millie Sawyer; Wanda Williams; Jim Wylie.

Shut-In Prayer List

Lola Jean Ashford; Virginia Douthitt; Ken Foust; Dona Harris; Betty Martin; Dr. Gifford McBride; Bill & Robbie McGruder; Bertha Owen; Cole Padgham; Harold Powers; Margaret Scears; Ray & Joyce Shirley; Shirley Tharp; Renata Thomas; Barbara Wilson; Julia Wingate.

Family/Friends Long Term Prayer List:

Tom Acree (Acree); Jim & Bonnie Brooks (Lloyd); Lori Bonnewell (Bonnewell); Debbie Broome (Philips); Jacob Burkhart (Avants); Jerry Calcote (McGruder); Lisa Coffman (Stanfill); Coleen Crow (Lange); Adrienne  DiCarlo (Northcutt); Jere Fisher (Bonnewell); Barbara Fretwell (Reid); JoAnn Fritz (S Updegraff); Jennifer Fulton (Lewis); Tom Henthorn (Albee);  Leo Hickman (Gambill); Betsy Hormel (Wakely); Rev. Lawrence & Mary Howard (M Howard); Sam Howard (Howard); Jim Johnson (Greffin); Rita King; (Brubaker); Gary LaVigna (S Updegraff); Amber Leamy (Niehoff); Misty Leeper (Jamison); Evelyn & Norman Lees (Lees); Rod & Cathy Lees (Lees); Leisinger Family (English); Don Martin (Spradley); Cathy Martinez (Moler); Sue McCormick (Brubaker); David & Diane McEvoy (Walters);  Annis Hickman Miller (Gambill); Cathy Miller (Reid); Jordan Mitchell (Miller); Michael Niehoff (Niehoff); Emily Richey (Moler); Kyndra Slechta (Brubaker);  Susannah Smith (Lees); Judy Soltis (Lewis); Joel & Jeff Staggs (Walters); Michael & Debbie Stevens (McGruder); Rosa Stock (M Holt); Jim & Betty Temple (Williams); Alton Ray Tidwell (Niehoff); Austin Traylor (Traylor); Lucille Williams (N Williams); Cindy Winkle (Fennell).