december 7, 2012 brief
DESCRIPTION
december 7 2012 briefTRANSCRIPT
What Christmas Means to Me by Amy Grogan
Christmas is not wrapping paper, ribbons, or presents.
Christmas is not the frenzied rush to get everything done before the big day.
Christmas is not sales at local merchants.
Christmas is not baking cookies, receiving obligatory gifts, or grudgingly getting along with Uncle
Harry, even though you haven't spoken for twenty years.
Christmas is not lights on houses or displays on lawns or Christmas trees or the person at the gro-
cery store requesting donations.
Christmas is not candy canes, snowmen, or carols.
Christmas is not the pressure you feel to buy so many gifts, cook so much food, send Christmas
cards, go to all of the kids' Christmas programs, go to every party, wrap fifty presents with de-
signer appeal, and if you don't do all these things in perfect order and to the fullest extent, then
you haven't properly celebrated.
Christmas is the search for Christ. Every year the Wise Men follow the star to
find Jesus; every year you follow your heart to seek his Spirit.
Christmas is a prayer, born of hope, for the Kingdom of God to be estab-
lished on earth.
Christmas is the vanguard of exploration of who you can be in Christ.
Christmas is grace reaching down and holding your hand, so that you can
fear not.
Christmas is not always peaceful. There is labor in rebirthing our relationship
with Christ. Sometimes He feels far away; a lot of times, we are not listening.
Christmas is awe, wonder, silent obedience, and everlasting light.
Christmas is the beginning of a new covenant with God, sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Christmas is love, wide and long and high and deep, wrapped in forgiveness for sins, and
placed at your feet.
Office: M-F 9 a.m.—2 p.m. 918-492-1353
December 7, 2012
Please see the NEAT’s Newsletter
posted on the Bulletin Board. Be
sure to sign up in
advance at
918-743-1303 for
most attractions!
Dear Friends of the Day
Center,
This is an urgent request for
blankets, new or gently
used. Our inventory is very
low and our need is getting greater as the
temperatures drop. Any help you could
give, including passing this on to others, is
greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your constant support all
year long and for all you do for those we
serve together!
Sincerely,
Debra Dester
Volunteer Coordinator
918-556-6418
Meals on Wheels Needs You
Meals On Wheels drivers are needed for
the third Wednesday and fourth Friday of
the month. Anyone interested in joining
the BCC team, please contact Maria
Taveau. [email protected]
Disciple Women December 8th, 2012
10:00 a.m. Saturday
Study: Christmas Program
Service: Day Center Hugs &
Treats
Hostesses: Marilyn Bowers &
Toni Wine Imbler
For their December service project,
the Disciple Women will be assembling
Hugs and Treat Bags of candy for the
Day Center at the Homeless. All mate-
rials will be available and ready for us
to assemble during the meeting.
Disciple Women are also invited to
bring pairs of adult socks to be distrib-
uted to the clients of the Day Center
for the Homeless.
Lynette Li
Email:
Breakfast Club
....will be 12-15-12, at
9:00 AM at Mimi's Cafe,
71st & Memorial. Come
join us for good food,
fellowship and a break
from the hustle bustle of
Christmas.
Sign up or let Phil and Nancy Gray know
you'll be there.
918-492-2519 or [email protected]
Congregational Meeting
December 9th
We will have a congregational meet-
ing on Dec. 9th directly after worship
regarding the 2013 budget.
The meeting will be in the sanctuary.
2012 PFLAG Tulsa Community
Book Wrapping Project
at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in
Southroads Shopping Center
Bethany is signed up to wrap
December 18th 6:00-9:00 p.m.
"One of the groups we support is PFLAG as
a part of our outreach ministry. We can help
them by volunteering to wrap presents."
Please see Rev. Kelli Driscoll
to sign up!
A New Leaf This year we received the beautiful
poinsettia plants from a nursery in Broken Ar-
row, A New Leaf. They provide a safe working
environment where adults with disabilities can
earn a living while learning and developing
social and marketable job skills.
Because of A New Leaf, adults with de-
velopmental disabilities become more inte-
grated into the community thus increasing
their independence.
Plants are $10 each and you may
purchase one in honor or memory of
someone in your life.
Please include a check with the or-
der form and place it in the offering plate.
Make checks to Bethany Christian Church
and note Poinsettia on the check.
Turn orders in to Judy Krase.
Have you borrowed Items from the
church?
Sometimes things have a way of leaving the building.
At this time If there is ever an item you need to use,
please sign the item out on the yellow clipboard.
There is one in the library, kitchen, and on the church
office desk.
Upon return of the item, please sign the item back in.
This is one way to know where an item is if the church
needs it for a function. Thank you! Marci
DJAN HOSTS SPECIAL WORKSHOP AT
NATIONAL CONVOCATION
One of the ministries we support is Disciples Justice Action Network. If you would like to see their full Christmas newsletter, click here. Here is a highlight.
DJAN leaders attended this year’s gathering of
The National Convocation of
the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) in Hous- ton,
Texas, greeting old friends
and meeting new ones at an
exhibit space graciously
shared with us by The Oldtimer’s Grapevine.
DJAN also organized a special workshop on
justice advocacy. Participants were General
Minister and President Sharon Watkins, Disciples
Home Missions President Ron Degges, Joan Bell
Haynes (a member of the DJAN Decisions
Team and Pastor of United Parish in Reston,VA),
and DJAN President Jack Sullivan (Regional
Minister of the Christian Church in PA).
The workshop explored ways the priorities of
our denomination’s vision statement—deep
Christian spirituality, true community, and a
passion for justice—are related each other and
to our efforts to promote “wholeness in a frag-
mented world.”
The discussion included issues identified as jus-
tice priorities by the general ministries of our
church— poverty and hunger, women and
children, immigration, and care for God’s crea-
tion—and the role that racism plays in each of
these issue areas.
“This is an excellent model for a workshop,”
said The Rev. Ron Degges, President of DHM.
“We’re hoping to use it at other Disciples gath-
erings and events.”
Have you borrowed Items from the
church?
Sometimes things have a way of leaving the building.
At this time If there is ever an item you need to use,
please sign the item out on the yellow clipboard.
There is one in the library, kitchen, and on the church
office desk.
Upon return of the item, please sign the item back in.
This is one way to know where an item is if the church
needs it for a function. Thank you! Marci
We wanted to share the speakers, preachers and worship leader for the upcoming Re-Mind &
Re-New Conference at Phillips Theological Seminary. We hope you can attend! Register for
the conference now.
Preacher and Speakers for Wednesday, January 23, 2013:
The Rev. Kelli Driscoll - Pastor, Bethany Christian Church of Tulsa, Okla.
Josh Linton - Youth Minister, Skiatook Church of Christ, Skiatook, Okla.
The Rev. Mary Hughes Gaudreau - Consultant with US Disaster Response Office of the
United Methodist Committee on Relief, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Kacie Starr Triplett - Alderwoomoan, 6th Ward, St. Louis, Mo.
The Rev. Scott Anderson - Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, Sun
Prairie, Wis.
Preacher and Speakers for Thursday, January 24, 2013:
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Butler Murray - Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Theol-
ogy, Barrytown College; Senior Pastor, The First Baptist Church of Boston, Mass.; American
Baptist Chaplain to Harvard University
Regina Shands Stoltzfus - Assistant Professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies, Goshen
College, Goshen, Ind.
Atlee Breland - Parents Against MS 26: Personshood Amendment, Jackson, Miss.
David Harland - Intern architect, a Christian interfaith advocate, and white anti-racist ac-
tivist, Tulsa, Okla.
David Blatt - Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, Tulsa, Okla.
Moises Echeverra - Community Volunteer and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter Day Saints, Tulsa, Okla.
The Worship Leader for the Re-Mind & Re-New Conference will be The Rev. Emily Bowen, Asso-
ciate Minister of Brentwood Christian Church of Springfield, Mo.
To register, view the full schedule, learn more about presenters topics and find additional in-
formation, visit the Re-Mind & Re-New Conference web pages, at
www/ptstulsa.edu/remindrenew.
Bethany Church Calendar
Elders Serving
(Bread, Wine)
Dec. 9 Ruth Ann Fate, Geoff Brewster
Dec. 16 Kelly Kirby, Alice Jane Lanier
Dec. 23 Geoff Brewster, Tommie Kinyon
Dec. 30 Marilyn Bowers, Ruth Ann Fate
Deacons Serving
(Door/Acolyte, Door/Prayer) Dec. 9 Mike Cross, Nick Crews
Dec. 16 Steve Fate, Maria Taveau
Dec. 23 Judy Krase, Jesse Fate
Dec. 30 Loren Krase, Kathy Herwig
Dec. 8 Disciples Women meeting 10:00 a.m.
(details on page 2)
Dec. 9 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am
Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.
Advent 2nd Sunday
Congregational Meeting after worship
Blood Drive 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 12 Church Office is closed.
Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 12-13 Rev. Kelli is out-of-office
Dec. 15 Breakfast Club – Mimi’s’ Café 9 a.m.
Dec. 16 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am
Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.
Christmas Offering
Advent 3rd Sunday
Open House at Kelli & Nick’s 4 to 6 p.m.
Dec. 18 PFLAG Gift Wrapping 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
at Barnes & Noble in South Roads Mall,
sign up with Kelli
Dec. 19 Church Secretary out-of-office
Choir Rehearsal 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 23 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am
Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.
Advent 4th Sunday
Christmas Offering
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7pm
Dec. 24 – 28 Secretary on vacation, out-of-office
Dec. 26-28 Winter Vacation Bible School
Dec. 30 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am
Worship at 10:45 a.m., Rev. Bob Lawrence
Singles Luncheon – TBA
Dec. 31 New Years Eve
Serenity Groups: Sunday, Tuesday, Friday 7:30pm
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 1st Dennis Smith
4th Jo-Ann Jennings
5th Brittany Comeaux
6th Mary Dickey
6th Margaret Ekey
8th Grace Young
8th Janet Edge
17th Paula Cross
17th Michael Owen
20th Nancy Gray
21st Jim Bearden
22nd Natalie Madaj
30th Dena Fate
30th Mack Kelly