Dear friends, what a balm you have been to me in the last few weeks! Thank you. I am so grateful for your prayers and your care for me. I wanted to let you know that I am healing. My path forward is feeling more certain every day.

For those that haven’t heard, my body has been fighting an infection (abscess) in a location that I generalize as my “sitter.” I have undergone two surgeries to address the infection and have been on antibiotics since Sept. 9. After the first surgery, I thought everything was fine. The infection recurred in a slightly different place the next week and required a second surgery that was more extensive and has meant a more difficult recovery.

Through it all, I’ve had an amazing care team – from my primary care doctor to Stillwater Surgical Associates to Stillwater Medical Center. They have responded quickly when I needed treatment and genuinely cared about me. It is surely humbling to experience such pain and feel scared about what will be ahead. Everyone on my team has been supportive and amazing.

My return to work has been slow and I appreciate your patience. I am particularly grateful for our staff who’ve taken on many of my responsibilities so most everything happened without interruption. So many have offered to support Kurt and me with anything we’ve needed. We are blessed in that the need (room to breathe, lots of naps, and pain medicine) has been provided. I don’t take that for granted. I’m grateful, ever so grateful, for the Conference insurance plan you fund each month that meant I could return for a second surgery and not worry about how we would pay for it. So, thank you for your care for me.

I will not be ready yet to lead on Sunday morning, but I know Pastor Corey has been leading you well. Next week, he and I have a trip planned to Church of the Resurrection, to attend their annual Leadership Institute. We are hopeful we can make it as we’ve been looking forward to what we will learn for some time. In the meantime, I am checking my email, texts and talking on the phone. Those are easier activities because I can do them as my body allows.

I look forward to the next time we see each other, giving thanks to God for healing.

We will be hosting a blood drive October 5th from 8:30am-12:30pm in the FLC during all three services. You blood helps to save lives all across the state and beyond! To sign up, or for more information, please CLICK HERE

The FUMC Missions Committee has authorized a mission to the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference Northeast District camp for October 30 - November 2.

We still have openings for team members who want to engage with our brothers and sisters in the OIMC. The NE District camp is located at Preston, Oklahoma, about 5 miles north of Okmulgee on Highway 75. We have sent 2 previous teams to this location, and everyone had a great time, plus we accomplished a lot of good work during our few days there.

It is not necessary to commit to the full 4 days; team members are welcome to come for just a day or two if that works out better for your schedule. We do plan on attending a local OIMC church on Sunday before returning to Stillwater, which is an experience worth the whole trip. The work will consist of insulating and sheet rocking the new bathroom in the children’s center. Specific skills are not required; there is always something for everyone to do. Even if you are not skilled at construction there is always cleanup, socialization with our hosts, and moral support.

Cost of this trip is $75 for the full 4 days or $30 for part time participation. Scholarship funds are available to offset up to 75% of the cost. Accommodations are in an air-conditioned dormitory with bunk beds and showers for every 4-person room.

If you are interested in joining our team, or just want more information, please contact Doug Valley at 405-747-8580 or via email at: doug.dvllc@gmail.com

The Annual Family Picnic was a blast! Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a delicious potluck meal and thanks to Momentum Youth for hosting!

Every fall, our nominations committee engages the work of creating a slate for the coming year’s leadership. We’ve been preparing for this work through the spring and summer. We are now actively recruiting those who will lead us next year.

We’ll be nominating for the following positions: Church Council, Staff Parish Relations Committee, Finance Committee, Trustees, Missions Committee and Worship Committee. In addition to the work of this committee, I am also working on building out several task forces. If you’d like to be considered for a leadership position in the coming year, please CLICK HERE and use this response form and let me know. This is the time to raise your hand!

Thanks,
Pastor Charla

Our church choir is thrilled to announce a special collaboration with First Baptist Church to present a Christmas cantata on Saturday, December 7. This joint musical celebration will bring together singers from both congregations to share the joy and hope of the Advent season.

Rehearsals for the cantata have begun and take place at the end of our regular choir rehearsals from 8:00–8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. As we move closer to the presentation date, rehearsal time will expand to allow for more focused preparation.

This is a perfect opportunity for anyone in the community who loves to sing to be part of a larger collaborative choir without making a long-term commitment. New singers are welcome to join us through Tuesday, October 8. Whether you are a current choir member or someone who simply wants to lend your voice for this special season, we invite you to join us. Together, we will prepare music that celebrates the coming of Christ and creates a meaningful worship experience for all who attend.

If you have ever thought about singing in a choir, this is the ideal time to step-in and experience the beauty of making music in fellowship.