AN EDWARDS EPISTLE Thank you for your expressions of surprise, gratitude, grief, affirmation, relief, excitement, encouragement and understanding you have offered to Marty and me since you learned of my forthcoming retirement. Believe me: I share all those feelings with you. God has truly blessed our life together abundantly with the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

We have experienced the Spirit in our diverse ministries in mission and hospitality, in our struggling conversations of what it means to be faithful in our society today, in our worship and praise of God,

in our personal, communal celebrations of love – baptism, confirmation, marriage, death and eternal life in Christ, in our construction and renovation as good stewards.

You have strengthened and increased my faith through the years by your love for Christ and his people.

I am grateful to God and to you as we have sought to fulfill the great ends of the Church in our life together:

• The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

• The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

• The maintenance of divine worship

• The preservation of the truth

• The promotion of social righteousness

• The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world (F-1.0304 –Book of Order)

In these coming months we will continue to affirm and embody these as we prepare for God’s new adventures for and with us. We will listen for the Spirit’s guidance in our continual, changing, growing faithful response to the call of Christ. Each of us remains a member of the Body of Christ and are called to responsibly strengthen our communal witness to the presence of Christ in the world.

As the Lord spoke through Isaiah, I believe the Lord is speaking today: See, I am about to do a new thing: now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (43:19)

With gratitude, expectation and eagerness be engaged in the Lord’s new work within each of us and among us. To God be the Glory!

AMBASSADORAMBASSADORAMBASSADOR First Presbyterian Church

524 South Duncan, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074

June 19, 2013

First Presbyterian Staff

Pastor ··················B. Gordon Edwards

Associate Pastor ···················Leah R. Hrachovec

Director of Children & Youth Ministries ·········· Katie Burgoon

Youth Ministry Assistant

····························· Kristina Earl

Older Adult Ministry Coordinator ·······························Margy Knox

Director of Music & Chancel Choir ·······················Heather Lanners

Organist ·················Rebecca G. te Velde

Church Administrator ······················· Cathy Fairbanks

Financial Secretary & Office Assistant ·······························Ben DeWalt

Custodian ·····························Mike Flowers

Building Supervisor ··························· Peter Thomas

Ambassador Designer ······························Mary Woods

Presbyterian Preschool Director ······························Dana Brown

Childcare Coordinator ··························Kristen Kulling

Church Office Main: (405) 372-5580 Fax: (405) 372-2089

Web Address www.stillwaterfpc.org

The Ambassador 2 First Presbyterian Church

SORROW

Billy McCollom and family in the death of his aunt, Bonnie Miller Rosa Castillo Wilson in the death of her husband, Larry The family of Jean Yates Will Callender and family in the death of his grandfather Robert Koontz The family of Stacy Williams

PRAYER CONCERNS “The acid of hate destroys the container.” Amish Prayer

Larger Church: The Synod of Living Water (KY, TN, MS, AL) Asia and the Pacific The Synod of Mid-America (KS, MO) Upendo Kids International Mission Trip

Names in parentheses indicate the church family member requesting prayer for a non-member. Please notify the church office if persons may be removed from the Prayer List. Thanks!

Cindy Johnston (Myers/Kelly) Sandy Keller (Phillips) Tara Kerr Tom Koehn (Good) Tom Kunz (Shaw) Pam Leslie (Frohock/Leffingwell) George Lowrey (Houston) Tom Lutjens (Beckstrom) John Martin (Sat. Brunch) Tessa Martin (Savage) A. J. Mason (Wilkinson) Ray Matoy Jim McConnell (Wilkinson) Donna McCoy Kathy McNeal (Tyrl) Lydia McNeal (Groshong) Philip Meadows Joe Myers Bob Neal (B. Phillips) Ava Osborn Christine Parson (Rex) Sterling Powell (Gelder) Wayne Prater (Good) Pat Razook Lavon Richardson Leslie Roark (Frohock) Sophie Rowe (Houston) Julie Rozman ( Becky te Velde) Dorothy Mae Rumsey (Jones) Neil Sandvold (Shawley) Steve Shedrick (Gumm) Bryliegh Shullanberger (Stiegler) David Smith (Cooper) Grace Smith Pat Sneed (Johnson) Frances Staff (Stiegler) Mattie Stanley ( Lanners) Ophellia Steptoe (Fairbanks) Naomi Stevenson (A. Houston) Gerald Stotts Sarah Sturzenbecker Carl Swanson (Swanson) Amber Teeman (Frohock) Gayle Thomas Jad Torrance (Shaw) Arlene Warner (Nipp) Larry Watkins (Beckstrom) Arvilla West Nona Wilhm (PW Bowling) Lynn Witzen (Stewart) Betty Woods (Woods)

Jacquie Adair Louree Alexander (Carter/Shaw) Jean Ames Chris Aupperle (Harding) Bob Beckstrom (Beckstrom) Margaret Berry Jeff Black (Fowler) LeNell Bowen (Myers) Wanda Bradley Kirby Brock (Dearinger) Vivian Burgoon (Burgoon) Dennis Butler (Arquitt) Shannon Cape (Shaw) Wayne Cartwright (Koeppe) Mary Ann Chambers (Chambers) Allison Christy (Breuninger) Abby Clapp (Clapp) Mike Clemens (Clemens) Linda Cobb (Haury) Barbara Contardi (Houston) Lisa Cook Don Cooper Dona Cooper Rick Coutant (Olson) Joyce Cox (Jaynes) Anita Davis (Kelly/Myers) Beth Delametter (Gumm) Brianna Dennison (Breuninger) Bill Edwards Lori Fagan Jack Ferchau (Morwood) Don Fort (Leffingwell) Ralph Fox (McKinley) Ed Gallegos (Wilkinson) Marty Gallup Alice Giacobbe (Parsons) Robert Gibson (Wilkinson) Al Goodbary (Olson) Janet Griffith (Knox) Cathy Grove Norma Hall Jodi Haun Woody Hedrick (Jaynes) Nelda Hershberger (Knox) Kay Hildebrandt (Arquitt) Kathy Holliday (Wilkinson) Janice Jadlow (Olson) Marjorie James (Clark)

In the Service Members & family members of our church family who have been deployed in service to our country:

Joshua Miller (Sat. Brunch)

CPT Chris Halsrud (Savage)

MAJ Thane Startzell (Murphy)

MAJ Charley Fairbanks (Fairbanks)

(If you also have family members who are serving, please call the office with their names to be included in our prayer list, here and in the weekly bulletin)

The Ambassador 3 First Presbyterian Church

“FRIEND” US ON FACEBOOK™! Stillwater FPC has a Facebook page. Be sure to “like” us to keep up with all the news, upcoming events, and photos

related to Stillwater FPC!

www.facebook.com/StillwaterFPC

Staff News

Fair Trade Store

Be sure to visit our Fair Trade

Store Sunday mornings in the

Hospitality Area.

Pastor Edwards will be on vacation June 25 through July 3. He will be attending the Annual Training Conference for Drug Court Professionals July 13 through 18 as a member of the Payne Count Drug Court Board. Associate Pastor Hrachovec will be out of the office on vacation July 4-7 and August 16-18. July 16 & 17 she will attend a Solar Under the Sun meeting in Arkansas. Katie Burgoon, Director of Children and Youth Ministry, will be volunteering at Dwight Mission June 23 - 29. She travels to Youth Triennium July 14-21 with youth from Oklahoma. Ben DeWalt, Financial Secretary, will be out of the office June 20 & 21 and August 1-10 Cathy Fairbanks, Church Administrator, will be out of the office on July 1, 12, & 15.

The Church Office will be closed July 4 & 5 in c e l e b r a t i o n o f Independence Day.

New Members Katie Burgoon joined by letter of transfer from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Sherman, Texas. Katie is Director of Children and Youth Ministry at FPC.

Jami Clark & Heather Blackburn joined by Confession of Faith. Heather is employed by Frontier Electronic Systems and Jami is office/case manager at Payne County Drug Court. Their children Ronald and Mandy joined with the 2013 Confirmation Class. Craig & Jana Ainsworth joined by Confession of Faith. Craig is a machinist and Jana a Customer Service Rep at Chickasaw Communications. (They are the parents of Heather Blackburn and grandparents of Mandy & Ronald.) Linda Burks joined by letter of transfer for First Christian Church. Linda is a psychologist in private practice.

Czech Friends: SAVE THE DATE Sunday, July 7, 2013

Magda Jacubcova is coming to town!! Magda has been a volunteer translator for every English Camp in Policka, Czech Republic and has been invaluable to those serving on our Czech Mission Teams. She is coming to the U.S. for the first time this summer! You are invited to a barbecue at 5:30 P.M., with social time beginning at 3:30pm at First Presbyterian Church in Ponca City, sponsored by PW-Ponca City. Magda and her Mother Jarmilla will be visiting, and as an extra surprise Marta Dusova (Pastor Jan’s daughter) will be at the celebration. Please let us know that you are coming: jodywhip@gmail.com or 580-765 6161. Looking forward to seeing you, Chip & Jody Whipple

The Ambassador 4 First Presbyterian Church

EVERY WEEK ~ EVERYBODY! 11:00 a.m. - Fellowship Hall Come Dine or Visit or Help!

Columbarium update On May 31, 2013 the cremains of Roger E. and Norma W. Koeppe were inurned in the Columbarium. This date would have marked their 66th wedding anniversary.

The sales for the Columbarium and the Memorial Wall continue. Completion of the Memorial Wall, as well as the paneling on the south wall of the Columbarium area, should take place within the next month. This will finish the improvements to the area. The Memorial Wall is a meaningful way to honor a family member and provide a reminder of the importance of our church to this person. It is also a way to demonstrate your dedication to the church for future generations. A plaque can be purchased to be engraved as soon as the wall is constructed if the honored person is deceased. A plaque may also be purchased for the future and the placement be reserved. A future reservation is important if family members wish to have adjoining plaques. A plaque will be engraved for each individual and will cost $250. This includes the cost of the granite, the engraving and a portion of the cost of the improvements as well as a contribution to future maintenance of the area. Please contact Nancy Franklin @624-0947 or nbfrankline@sbcglobal.net with any questions or more information concerning the Memorial Wall or the Columbarium.

Ambassador schedule There will not be a July issue of the Ambassador. The next issue will be mailed August 14 and will contain information about fall classes and activities. Have a great summer.

Children and Worship We had a great year of Children and Worship! Many thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers! They include: Denise Rex, Rusty Rex, Mindy McCann, Leah Hrachovec, K. Cohlmia, Ann Houston, Michael Kulling, Carolyn Caldwell, Larry Caldwell, Jenny Fowler, Jenna Fowler, Justin Fowler, Claire Leffingwell, Karsten Wilkinson, Mandy Blackburn, Henry Rohlfing, Quinn Baldwin, Leslie Baldwin, Lynn Wenig, Whitney Brosi, Beverly Gumm, Bob Henderson, Barb Henderson, Megan McCann, Cassidy McCann and Brenda Johnson

NEWS ABOUT PW Many of you have been on vacation and I hope you are all having a good summer. The weather has been rather turbulent and it has given many people a chance to show the true Christian spirit of service to others.

I want to thank Margie Keener for coordinating the breakfasts for the volunteers at Vacation Bible School. The Circles are not meeting this summer but will resume in September. Special Notice: PW will be serving a brunch for the congregation after church July 7th. This is a special time to visit those you do not often see. Bring a dish and enjoy the gathering. Special Notice: To all women in our church. Margie Keener has invited us to come to her home on the 17th of July for our annual get together. You will not need to bring food this year so come prepared to visit and enjoy her beautiful home and yard at 2017 Highland Court. Many thanks for the great year in PW. Madaline Harding, Moderator

Was your car damaged…? If your light blue Honda SUV was damaged in the church parking lot on Sunday, May 26th, please call the Church Office (372-5580).

The Ambassador 5 First Presbyterian Church

Process of selecting a successor for Gordon Dear Friends, Greetings on behalf of the Commission on Ministry and Preparation from Cimarron Presbytery! I am honored to serve as liaison between the congregation and the presbytery as we begin the process of selecting a successor for Gordon. Change is as exciting as it is hard! I was able to meet with session on June 11 and from that meeting, they have elected a Visioning Task Force...the first step in the process of seeking a pastor. This force is tasked with revisiting and perhaps even rewriting the mission statement of FPC. As a part of that process, they will be doing some "vision-casting" for what church looks like to serve at least the next two generations and beyond. FPC has enjoyed a wondrous time of stability and growth in the last 50 years and now is the time to be open to the leading of the Spirit to begin the journey for the next 50 years. This is where you come in. Please let your voice be heard! Your Visioning Task Force will be contacting you for input as they do their work. The results of this work will inform and infuse the pastor search process as we discern the Spirit's calling for a new teaching elder to lead us in fulfilling that vision. Session has appointed Dennis Ferrell, Brenda Johnson, Kim Leffingwell (Deacon), Mary McKinley, Dustin Reavis, and Mike Woods to the task with instructions to include a youth member. Gordon will serve as an exofficio member without vote. Be confident in taking ownership of how the Spirit is giving you input, laying things on your heart, and sharing those feelings. Attempting to hear every voice is how we are uniquely Presbyterian in our process! I look forward to more conversation and discernment even as we plan ways to celebrate Gordon's ministry among us. This is a very exciting time in the life of the church and I'm blessed to share it with you! Grace & Peace, Scott Foster

A Note from the Mission Statement Task Force We are excited to accept the challenge of re-evaluating the current Mission Statement for First Presbyterian Church. In the coming weeks we will be seeking your input, ideas, hopes and dreams for the future of our church. In the meantime if you have anything you would like to share with the Task Force, don’t hesitate to contact any of the following members: Dennis Ferrell 372-3424 dennisferrell@sbcglobal.net Brenda Johnson 547-0027 brendajohnsonok@suddenlink.net Kim Leffingwell 624-0798 kimleffingwell@suddenlink.net Mary McKinley 377-4367 mck2@brightok.net Dustin Reavis 880-5621 dcader@yahoo.com Mike Woods 377-1318 mike.woods@okstate.edu Gordon Edwards (liaison) 372-5580 bge41340@swbell.net

The Ambassador 6 First Presbyterian Church

Thank you about piano and wheelchairs The congregation received a baby grand piano from the family of Roger and Norma Koeppe. It has been placed in the Fellowship Hall. We are grateful for this instrument which will enrich our worship and fellowship together there. Thank you!

An anonymous member has donated three light-weight wheelchairs to the church. One of them has been placed in the Narthex (making 2 available in the Sanctuary area) and the other two in the Fellowship Hall. We are grateful to this member who saw a need and tended to it making us a more welcoming community. Thank you!

A gentle reminder for worship… During Time with Children, pastors are asking real questions, and children give real answers that may at times seem surprising or even funny to adult ears. However, when you laugh at a comment a child makes during a children's sermon, the child

doesn't hear your warmth and appreciation; instead, he/she feels that you are laughing at him/her. Children are adorable and the congregational laugh is full of love, but please try to see it from the child's perspective and honor children's contributions to worship in the spirit they intend it. We can learn a lot when we listen to all of God’s children with respect.

Ten Things we learned at Dwight Mission Family Camp 2013 by Claire, Quinn, Josie, Kim, and Thad Leffingwell 1. It makes parents really happy to get a break from cooking, cleaning, and carpooling! 2. Families can have some wonderful quality time when internet and television are not available. 3. Everyone is welcome, no matter where you are from or who you are! 4. You get to dance and be silly with your family without worrying who will see you! 5. The counselors plan games, crafts and entertainment for you! 6. Its fun to meet other Presbyterian families from all over Oklahoma. 7. You get to sing at the top of your lungs, praising God through music! 8. Outdoor worship is amazing! 9. It's easier to hear God when you are out in nature. 10. You get to spend an entire weekend with your family and friends in the best place ever, Dwight Mission!

It’s not too late to register for 2013 camps at Dwight Mission. Go to www.dwightmission.org.

Plan to attend the 2014 Family Camp!!!

Mark Your Calendars: Teacher Training is August 11

Teacher Training is for all volunteer teachers, shepherds and youth sponsors. This training will include tips on working with specific age groups, how our Reformed theology impacts our

leading and nurture, and introduction to fall and spring curriculum and plans, and more. Training will begin at 10:45am, followed by lunch and Child Protection Policy Training at 1:00pm for those who have not had CPP training in the last three years (or never before.)

The Ambassador 7 First Presbyterian Church

Seasoned Adults June has arrived!! I do hope all the bad, bad weather will stay away. Remember when it was really cool and we were wishing for warm? Well I think it is here!!

I am so sorry we needed to cancel our May Gathering. I had hoped we could meet in June, but that has not worked out. Our next Gathering will be Monday, July 15 and we will watch the movie we planned to watch in May. I have been told about the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulfur, Oklahoma. Some of you may have been there. I thought it would be fun if we planned a trip to Sulfur sometime this Fall. I would like to hear your thoughts on such a trip. Please let me know. We also need to put the July 28 Sunday Brunch on our calendars. That is when we (Seasoned Adults) are expected to prepare the food. I know some of you are in other groups and have or will be serving on other dates. If enough of us help, it should not be a difficult task. Please let me know if I can count on you!! Blessings, Margy

Summer Worship Schedule and Sermon Series

Sundays through August 18 One service 9:30 a.m. in Sanctuary followed by a time of Fellowship and snacks in Fellowship Hall at 10:30 a.m. Church School classes do not meet during the summer. The Pastors solicited questions, topics or concerns from the congregation to be addressed in a Summer Sermon Series. The following questions will be addressed: June 23 – Worship will be led by the 2013 Mission Team June 30 – “What’s So special about Baptism and Communion?” July 7 – “How Do We Talk about Sin?” July 14 – “Are Heaven and Hell Real?” July 21 – “How do We Sing to the Lord? July 28 – “Why do We Sing to the Lord? August 4 – “Are There Unforgiveable Sins?” August 11 – “How Should Christians Live with People of Other Faiths?” August 18 – “How Should Christians Treat Non-Believers?”

* June 30 Worship – Communion in Fellowship Hall * We will be gathering around tables in the Fellowship Hall. Each household is asked to bring some finger food to share with you table (and neighboring tables). We will be receiving Communion as Table Communities during worship. Sharing our finger foods (breads, cookies, fruits, veggies, cheese, etc.) during worship will replace the brunch sharing at the end of worship. Plan to enjoy the company around your table as you worship together, share your food offering and partake together of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Rally Day – Sunday, August 24

Return to two worship services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Rally Day activities at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Summer Fellowship Time Once again following the 9:30 a.m. summer worship services, we will have a time of fellowship and snacks in Fellowship Hall. Various groups are hosting a Sunday. The focus in on Fellowship – the food does not have to be elaborate. June 23 World Mission/Mission Trip June 30 Communion in Fellowship Hall July 7 Presbyterian Women July 14 Stephen Ministry July 21 Family Ministry July 28 Seasoned Adult; Adult Education August 4 2nd Mile Sewing August 11 Youth Ministry; University August 18 Chancel Choir/Worship & Music

The Ambassador 8 First Presbyterian Church

Summer Youth Calendar June 21 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 24 Mexican Monday @ Qdoba 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 28 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. July 1 Mexican Monday @ Qdoba 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 4 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY (No Youth on July 5th) 7 Nooma Video Sunday @ the Youth Suite 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. 8 Mexican Monday @ Qdoba 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 10 Movie Night at Katie’s House Time & Move TBA 12 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 14 Nooma Video Sunday @ the Youth Suite 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. 15 Triennium Group leaves from FPC Stillwater @ 7:30 p.m. 19 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 21 Triennium Group returns to FPC Stillwater @ 8:00 a.m. Nooma Video Sunday @ the Youth Suite 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. 24 Movie Night (Man of Steel PG13) @ Carmike Theater Time TBA 26 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 28 Nooma Video Sunday @ the Youth Suite 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. August 2 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 5 Mexican Monday @ Qdoba 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 9 Fro Yo Friday @ Orange Leaf 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 12 Mexican Monday @ Qdoba 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 14 Movie Night at Katie’s House Time & Move TBA 16-17 MidHigh Rangers/Hurricane Harbor Lock-In @ FPC Grapevine, TX

The above calendar is subject to change… We may add even more fun events!!

Mexican Mondays: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. @ Qdoba (139 S Knoblock) Did you like Taco Tuesdays? Then you’ll love Mexican Mondays! You get to eat great food one day earlier! Bring money for your meal and enjoy some fellowship time together over tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, whatever you like!

FroYo Fridays: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. @ Orange Leaf (506 N Main St) FroYo Fridays are back! Bring money for a frozen yogurt to cool you off on a hot summer day. You can top your FroYo with your choice of fixin’s! It’ll be a new creation every time!

Nooma Video Sundays: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. @ the Youth Suite Every Sunday in July, we will be watching and discussing Nooma Videos in the Youth Suite. This will be a fun way for us to unwind, and have some great conversations. We will also be welcoming our incoming 6th graders to join us for this fun weekly event.

Movie Nights (July 10, July 24, and August 14)

Come watch a movie with your PYG friends. We will be watching various fun movies through out the summer. Watch your weekly email and our Facebook/Twitter for more information!

MidHigh Rangers/Hurricane Harbor Lock In @ FPC Grapevine, TX (August 15 & 16)

At the end of the summer, all Mid High youth (and any other PYG friends that would like to go) are invited to a Lock In, baseball game, and a day at Hurricane Harbor. Watch your email for more information!

It's not too late to register for 2013 camps at Dwight Mission.

Go to www.dwightmission.org.

The Ambassador 9 First Presbyterian Church

Love Feast Our church serves Love Feast on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:00-6:30 p.m. at the south campus of First United Methodist Church, 2823 S Husband. If you are interested in helping serve or cook, please e m a i l C y n t h i a G e d r a a t clmg@suddenlink.net.

DEACON’S CORNER

Home Communion Please notify Deacons Gerrit Cuperus or Brandi White if you or someone you know would like Communion brought to their home.

Deacons Food Offering Basket Your gifts of non-perishable food and personal items to the shopping cart in the Narthex are more valuable and more

appreciated than ever during these difficult economic times. The items are distributed to local agencies who help those in need. All items are appreciated but please consider bringing a sack with items that could create a meal for a family (such as spaghetti sauce, noodles, vegetable, and fruit.) Look for items that are simple to prepare and shelf stable.

Providing these simple, inexpensive things

Community Brunch Update: After successfully building a brand new ministry where she faithfully served over 15,000 hot meals during a three year period, Terry Henley is feeling God's call to serve in other areas within our congregation. The Brunch Ministry asks for your continued prayers as Terry transitions out and others are transitioned in over the next six months. When you see Terry, please take a moment to extend your gratitude for the thousands of hours she has worked to make this a solid and successful ministry. We give God thanks and praise for her servant heart and for the love and care she put in to building this ministry. Summer Tuesday Lunch program is off to a great start. Tuesday Lunch is served weekly June-August from 12:00-1:00. If you would like to volunteer, please call, text or email Tony or Missy Wilkinson. Their email is arwilk@aol.com and cell number is 405-880-0245. Join us for food, fellowship and fun!

BRUNCH KITCHEN MANAGERS NEEDED Have you ever secretly wanted to be on Top Chef? Do you possess secret culinary skills...or are you someone who feels called to the Brunch Ministry and have no cooking skills at all? The bottom line is this: we need you. Regardless of whether you owned and managed your own restaurant or you consistently burn toast--we have a kitchen manager position for you. Remember God doesn't always call the equipped--but God will always equip the called. Duties would include one Saturday a month from 8am-1pm for one year, some menu planning, food service training and testing to fulfill Health Department requirements (paid for by church), and a heart to serve. Come join the Brunch Family--we would love to have you on board! For questions, please feel free to contact Terry Henley or Tony and Missy Wilkinson.

Home Energy Makeover Program Goal: Help persons that are struggling to pay utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. What we do: Install weatherization materials such as, caulking, weather-stripping, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and foam sealers for outlet and light switches. We check water temperature coming out of the hot water tank and advise whether thermostat adjustment is needed. We also check attic insulation and suggest the depth to add, if needed. There is no cost for this service. Five homes have been improved this spring. We are seeking more homes to work on this fall. Many thanks to our FPC volunteers on this project. Gerald Stangl, Deacon

The Ambassador 10 First Presbyterian Church

Isaac Johnson has attended FPC for 7 years. His favorite memories are of going to Triennium and having fun with people at FPC, playing dodge ball at the lock-ins, looking deeper into scripture during Bible studies with Riley. He will always remember how he grew as a person through Youth Group activities and gained a deeper understanding of the Bible. Isaac played the trombone in SHS band and orchestra, studied piano, pitched on the baseball team, participated in Youth in Government and the National Honor Society. He and Isaiah have a lawn mowing business. He received a Gold National Scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota and will participate in the honors program while studying engineering.

High School Graduates

Justin Fowler has attended FPC since he was 3 years old. He has been very active in PYG activities and was a member of the SHS band. Justin plans to attend OSU and study engineering. He is working at Dwight Mission this summer.

Kade Shelton has attended FPC 12 years. His favorite memories are of Sunday School with Kay and Rusty. He will always remember the people. He likes to play disc golf, go kayaking, camping, hiking and everything outside. He recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 20. He is a member of the Beta Club, Disc Golf Club, and NTHS. Kade will attend OSU and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering.

As of press time we did not have a senior questionnaire from Trevor Wilson. We hope to share it with you in the future.

Presbyterians Caring for Chaplains and Military Personnel As Independence Day approaches, we need to think of our military personnel ~ the men and women who have made the commitment to defend our nation. Whether in harm’s way and far from home or back home with debilitating injuries or psychological

problems and hospitalized veterans, we need to know who is there for their spiritual needs. With the support of the Presbyterian Church (USA) there are Presbyterian Chaplains who lead worship services, serve communion, counsel our active personnel, and comfort the wounded and veterans around the world and here at home. We have been asked by COL Barb Sherer, our former Associate Pastor, to have a special offering to help the Presbyterian Chaplains as the federal government’s sequester has significantly cut the budget for military chaplains. The Session authorized a special offering. The organization Presbyterians Caring for Chaplains and Military Personnel (PCCMP) based in Washington, D. C., is the bridge between the Presbyterian Church (USA) and our chaplains. We at first Presbyterian have strong ties to Presbyterian chaplains. Colonel Barb Sherer, currently Head Chaplain at the Chapel at West Point Military Academy, was Associate Pastor at our church from 1982 to 1990. Major Jennifer Rogers-Cooper, currently stationed at the U. S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, served as Youth Ministry Assistant at FPC while she attended OSU in the 1990’s. We can help. Look for bulletin inserts in the Order of Worship June 30 and July 7. Special giving envelopes will be in the pew racks. Please help.

The Ambassador 11 First Presbyterian Church

May 2013 Year to Date % of

Budget

Giving $ 42,343 $ 220,574 40.9

Other Income $ 2,520 $ 17,955 54.9

Total Income $ 44,863 $ 238,529 41.7

Expenditures ($ 53,375) ($ 217,861) 38.0

Net $ (8,512) $ 20,668

MONTHLY INCOME REPORT:

The website's address is: www.cimarronpresbytery.org

Giving Statements If you have questions regarding your giving statement, contact Ben DeWalt, FPC’s Financial Secretary, at 372-5580 or accountantfp@swbell. Remember: he wears dual hats~ Financial Secretary and Office Assistant. If he is not in the Accounting Office, he is probably in the 2nd floor Balcony Office. Ben’s work schedule this summer is: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

Caring Conversation Cards FMC will be placing a Caring Conversation Card on each table in the Fellowship Hall during each brunch fellowship after worship this summer. The card will contain one or two conversation starter questions, and will change each week. Our hope is that this will encourage and facilitate caring conversations among church members, especially between those who may not know each other very well.

Taking Faith Home How do we carry each Sunday's message into the rest of life? FMC is resubscribing to Taking Faith Home, a weekly ½ page resource to help individuals and families keep up faith conversations and actions throughout the week. This resource can now be distributed electronically! Email Lhrachovec@swbell.net and include "Subscribe" in the subject line of the email.

From the Trustees The following items have been attended to by the Board of Trustees:

• Converting the audio/visual system to digital in the Fellowship Hall

• Installing hand railings in the Sanctuary on the center stairs to the Communion Table

• Approving bids for removal of elm tree on the east side of the Sanctuary and for east courtyard fence replacement

• Consideration of removal of paper recycle bins on 5th Street once all of Stillwater has curbside recycling

Session Summary The Session met in its Stated Meeting on Tuesday, June 11, and conducted the following business:

• Read a letter from Josh, Tara and Kellan Kerr (see “From the Mail Box”)

• Held a discussion of “The Parish Paper,” Making Informed Decisions

• Referred to the Finance Committee consideration of online contributions

• Changed the designation of our 40% of the Pentecost Offering from Coyle Headstart to Stillwater Headstart (Coyle lost its federal funding and had to close)

• Noted our membership as of May 31 is 534 – an increase of 19 from April 30

• Received a report of Tri-Presbytery and Cimarron Presbytery Meetings in Norman June 7-8

• Learned that our congregation has been designated by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program as the lead for their work in Carney, OK

• Pastors Edwards and Hrachovec and Director of Children and Youth Ministries Burgoon excused themselves from the meeting; Scott Foster, Cimarron Presbytery’s liaison with FPC during the process of nominating a Head of Staff, conducted the rest of the meeting (see article)

• Named a Visioning Task Team to lead the congregation in identifying its vision for the coming years (see article)

“Labels for Education” and Betty Crocker Labels Bring your Campbell’s Labels for Education and Betty Crocker points to the Hospitality Area Kitchen.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Stillwater, Oklahoma

Permit No. 143

Deadline for Next issue: Thursday, August 8

Gordon Edwards .....................BGE41340@swbell.net

Leah Hrachovec ....................Lhrachovec@swbell.net

Katie Burgoon ...........childrenandyouth@swbell.net

Church Office & Cathy Fairbanks ................ fpchurch1889@swbell.net

Ben DeWalt ..................accountantfp@swbell.net

Rebecca te Velde .....................rgtevelde@brightok.net

Heather Lanners ...........heather.lanners@okstate.edu

Margy Knox ....................mhknox@sbcglobal.net

Peter Thomas

....admin@childrensbookmarket.com Kristina Earl ..........................kdearl@okstate.edu

Dana Brown ............... prespreschool@gmail.com

Worship at First Presbyterian

Visit us on the web at www.stillwaterfpc.org

Morning Prayers - 8:45 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Worship Center

Midweek Communion 8:30 a.m. Wednesday

Worship Center

Summer Sunday Schedule (through August 18)

Worship - 9:30 a.m. Fellowship Time following Worship

June 30

Worship – Communion in Fellowship Hall

Bring finger food to share with your table.

The Ambassador 13 First Presbyterian Church

From the Mailbox

Dear Presbyterian friends, I would like to thank all of you who expressed condolences through word, thought, prayer, emails and cards when Dad died in May. Also, thank you for the prayers throughout his illness. He was 90 when he was diagnosed with cancer and opted to forego any treatment. For the next year, he laughed with us, travelled, and met new people! I know all your prayers contributed to the joy of his last year and the peace of his passing. Sincerely, Denise Gaden Rex, and family

Church Family Thank you so much for the birth basket Sawyer received. We love everything that was in it! Thank you! Alison & Sawyer Aresco

Dear First Presbyterian, The whole Kerr family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our Stillwater church family. The countless cards and well-wishes, lovingly made prayer blankets, and the abundantly generous financial gift have all made us feel surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses all praying on our behalf. We can never adequately thank you all! This experience with cancer has made us more and more grateful for one of God’s greatest gifts to us: community. Community reaches out when we need a helping hand, celebrates our joys, mourns our losses together. We have definitely felt the love of our cherished community in Stillwater throughout this experience. We look forward to visiting the congregation as soon as we can. FPC Stillwater has been and will continue to be a part of our family wherever God leads us. We love you all and once again thank you for your overwhelming generosity and love. With Love and Gratitude, Josh, Tara, and Kellan Kerr

Dear First Presbyterian Church Thank you for your generous gift to Dwight Mission. Through this gift, your congregation is investing in Dwight’s future ministries and the children, youth, and adults who will be transformed by those ministries. The campers are just set to arrive at Dwight for a summer of faith growth and fun (many from Stillwater are already signed up!) And the summer staff has already arrived, answering God’s call to be a mentor and guide in the life of a child this summer. These children, youth, and staff are part of Dwight’s important story – a story that is told through countless lives that are being changed by the Spirit through their time at Dwight. It is our hope that through gifts like yours, joined by the generosity of others, Dwight Mission can continue to tell the story in a big way. We are grateful for your partnership and support as together we seek to be faithful to God’s call in our settings. Thank you! With sincere gratitude, Peter Newbury, Executive Director Dwight Mission. (FPC gave $6000 to the Dwight Capital Campaign from 2012 surplus funds)

On behalf of the 2013 graduating class, we would like to thank you for your support. You helped make Project Graduation a success! Thanks Susan Dermer Co-chair, Project Graduation

On behalf of Judith Karman Hospice, I would like to thank the church for allowing us to use your church as the site for our national hospice video conference, “Improving Care for Veterans Facing Illness and Death.” You have such a convenient location and excellent accommodations for DVD viewing. Cathy Fairbanks was gracious in making the arrangements. We express appreciation to the staff for setting up our tables and to Peter Thomas who is so helpful in setting up the DVD player and showing us how to use it. The program was well-attended. We are inspired by the video to continue to develop our “We Honor Veterans” Program. Thanks you for you hospitality, Gladeen B. Allred, Ed. D. Spiritual Care Coordinator Judith Karman Hospice

What a wonderful surprise! Thank you so much! Your donation of $1000 will certainly help us help those in need. Since January of this year we served 767 Clients, 43 were new patients. We filled 2,854 prescriptions (amazing!). We really appreciate your help in making this happen. Sincerely, Debbie Traugott, Director Stillwater Community Health Center

The Ambassador 14 First Presbyterian Church

Thank you for your generous gift to the Stillwater Family YMCA. We appreciate your support. The Stillwater Family YMCA is a 501(c)3, not for profit organization that depends on the generous support of people like you who support our mission to build strong kids, strong families and a strong community. Your charitable gifts of $500 assists us greatly in providing scholarships to children and families allowing the Y to be a safe haven for Stillwater’s youth and provide programs for young people to grow into responsible adults. Your gift also helps the YMCA with our sustaining budget needs to continue our mission in the Stillwater community. This last year the Y provided over $200,000 worth of scholarships in Before and After School Care, Youth Sports, Membership, Day Camp, and Swim Lessons. The Y subsidized over 500 youth during 2012. Your donation will allow the Y to provide these programs and hopefully expand our current services. I appreciate the great support today and over the years for the Y especially the day camp. Stop by this summer 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to see the Y in action for Day Camp. Dan Carman Executive Director, Stillwater Family YMCA

From the Mailbox (continued) Vacation Bible School 2013 Everywhere Fun Fair: Where God’s World Comes Together was a huge success. First Presbyterian Church welcomed 93 children to share in the fun of Everywhere Fun Fair with the help of over 48 volunteers. Our VBS children were taken to a global celebration with the look and feel of a world’s fair. Children made friends with neighbors around the world and discovered that God’s love can be found everywhere, including their own neighborhoods. Children were introduced to special places from all over the world and discovered that we are all neighbors and all children of God. Everywhere Fun Fair campers experienced exciting attractions such as interactive Bible storytelling, global games, rockin’ music, super science, cool crafts, and yummy snacks! Our church was able to expand our outreach for VBS due to the generosity of an anonymous donor in 2012. This donation made our VBS free of charge to all children for another year including a t-shirt and sack lunch every day. We also were able to celebrate the end of VBS with a fun pool party for all families of VBS and FPC! Our volunteers received their cool t shirts free of charge and James and Susie Causley generously donated the kids their t shirts! Thank You VBS Angel and Causley’s!!!! The great success of VBS was due to our awesome volunteers and church staff. Each day began with an opening assembly featuring Associate Pastor Leah Hrachovec, Godwin the Duck (Katie Burgoon) and a world traveler (Bennett Frohock). The rest of the morning was divided among the workshops. We continued our four day schedule with closing celebration for families held on Thursday, the last day of VBS. Children and volunteers wore their official VBS t-shirts, shared what they had learned in the workshops, and sang their favorite VBS songs. That evening we were able to cool off and celebrate the end of our week together at the Colvin Center Pool for our VBS families and our church families. It was a great evening of fun and fellowship. On Sunday, our congregation was treated to a performance of our Everywhere Fun Fair songs during worship. We were able to share a slide show of pictures and an iMovie during the fellowship brunch. We had an overall bible verse for the week, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature.” Mark 16:15. In that spirit we know that our VBS glorified God, and blessed our community!

Kristen Kulling & Leslie Baldwin, VBS Directors

We just wanted to thank you to all the volunteers for putting together such an amazing VBS. Our kids, Avyn and Dawson came home every night singing Gods praise and sharing God's word. It is such a treat for them to attend and feel the love of God.

I am sure that we can speak for the rest of the parents, when we say, that your time and effort was much appreciated by the Stillwater community and families that will have the VBS songs memorized this summer during family car ride vacations. :) Thank you again! Megan and Justin Hazzard

Thank you for a great week of VBS. My son, Rhett has had a blast. He keeps asking why he can't go longer! Please pass on a big thank you to all of the volunteers. You all have done a wonderful job! Alyson Dawson