Monday, July 7, 2025

Unfunded Deficiencies

 


The following items are considered necessary, but acquisition was not regarded as urgent. There are insufficient funds for most of these. There are no current estimates as to cost.

Sign

Pews or Chairs

New Van

Van Protection Structure

Youth Center Plus $2M

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Backpack Ministry for 2025

 

For the past 15 plus years, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has provided help with school supplies at the beginning of the school year.  Some years, we have received help from the Ministerial Alliance and occasionally from a special offering at another church body in our community.



That said, funds are scarce this year. We are optimistic that we can pull this off, and we are confident that God wants us to continue this ministry to relieve some of the burden that parents carry these days.

You all know that the past few years of inflation have devastated many family budgets, some more than others. While we all have taken some financial hits, most of us have found a way to overcome.

For some, purchasing school supplies for 2 or 3 children means going without something essential somewhere else.

We have all the money we need to buy these supplies. The problem is that much of it resides in the pockets and bank accounts of our community's residents.

This asks you to consider being generous in a time of scarcity. Yes, the preacher is asking you to put on your big girl panties and see if you might have something to contribute.

Our planning factor used to be $50 per student. I’m not sure how much it has gone up, but the days of significant back-to-school bargains are gone. So please see if you can contribute something.

This may require some sacrifice of self-gratifying purchases, but many families are faced with giving up something essential, not a few trips to McDonald's.

If you can help, please stop by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and see Tom or mail a check to CPC, Box 8, Burns Flat OK 73624. Please write BACKPACKS in the FOR line.

Money is the most helpful as we do our best to match the supplies we give out to the prescribed lists by grade.

This is mainly for our elementary students, but we have always been able to help with something for the junior and senior high students as well.

Dates and times will follow shortly. For now, please examine your situations and be as compassionate and generous as possible.

Blessings!

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Updated Moderator Report for June 2025

   

Moderator Report

Updated

June 2025

 

May was wet. Summer is here. Jesus is Lord!

Seek Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Missions.

In the outreach arena, we, as a church, contributed $100, and the MA contributed $300 towards rent for Susan Kroeker. We helped with food, and Sam McConnell cut her grass. Please put her on your prayer lists. She is trying to make it on her own in Burns Flat. I will share details at the meeting.

Worship.

A worship review was conducted on 4 June. See Report.

Education

VBS is completed. A draft F4 Schedule is included in your packets.

Building and Grounds.

The AC guys came and fixed two units. The invoice will be mailed, so I don’t have an estimate at this time.  Derrick fixed the sink (spray nozzle) in the west kitchen sink. We have a notice from Brotherhood Mutual of a rate change. I contacted them and forwarded their response, including the new rate.

Fellowship

The next fellowship meal is scheduled for 29 June 2025 (Team 2). Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who… Received a call from someone searching for Tom Collins. She was calling for a relative who used to talk to Tom all the time—I passed on the phone number. Hopefully, this will uplift Tom’s spirits.

Other

Elder Retreat. The Elder Retreat is scheduled for 9 August 2025. Please submit your agenda items and any supporting materials to me by 9 July 2025 so as to promulgate the agenda with time to provide all attendees a chance to review them sufficiently beforehand.

Elders. Please begin your prayer and meditation on whom to nominate as our next elders to serve on the session. Please review the Cumberland Presbyterian Constitution 2.70. I have requested those elders not currently serving to verify their intentions towards future service. We typically begin the nomination process in September or October. I will update this list as responses are received; however, the pace of responses should not detract from your prayer time. See Kathy for elder rotation.

Ethan Delp       Yes

Danny Rush      Not at this time

Rick Reeves      No response     

Kathy Stegall     No response   

Larry Walker      No response

Rodney Chilton As a last resort  

Carolyn Murray  No response   

Considering the number of elders available and those willing to serve, we should consider reducing the number of elders serving on the session to 3. This would require a congregational meeting prior to one to elect elders (which may be delayed for a year if we changed); however, the session should first decide whether to pursue this option or not. If we want to do this, the time is now, and the reduction, if approved, would be accomplished by the expiration of two terms at the end of this year. A new rotation schedule to have one term expire each year would be desirable.

Michael Ashmore (580 225 9046) from Dobson stopped by to let us know that they are ready to sign up people and businesses for fiber internet service.

Financial. I attempted to negotiate a lower rate for our church's phone and internet service. Kinetic did not authorize me to conduct business on this account. Many here in Burns Flat have received substantial rate cuts since Dobson’s arrival. The worst Kinetic can say is no.

Session Meetings. I suggest two December meetings. The first would be our regular December meeting on 21 December 2025. We would conduct the normal session business. The second would be on 28 December 25 with the Moderator Pro Tempore as a confirmation meeting for what is ahead.

Pastor Turnover. 1 January 2026 remains the target date for a seamless turnover, though some time without a pastor is not necessarily a bad thing. I suggest that serious searching begin about 1 October 2025.

Tom Personal, I will be away for two consecutive Sundays in August/September.  My last Sunday in the pulpit is scheduled for 21 December and my last day as pastor is 31 December 2025.

 

Projects in Search of a Champion.  

Dates for Planning Purposes.

Unfinished Business.

Previous Reports

 

 

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Worship Meeting Report - 4 June 2025

 

 

Kendra Walker, Kristy Denbo, Laci Stegall, Mike Kiser, and Tom Spence met in the Pastor’s Study at 6 pm on Wednesday, 4 June 2025 to discuss worship.  Tom had previously promulgated an agenda via email. 

Tom opened with prayer.

The first item addressed was the order of worship. This was left mostly intact with a few minor adjustments. The songs/hymns would be reduced by one. A time of Praise and Celebration would be offered before the worship warmups. The warmups were retained with 3 phrases being set as optimal.

The Monthly memory verse would be led by the liturgist beginning with 3 times on the first two Sundays and reducing the repetition to one time by the last Sunday of the month.

Once or twice a month (maybe more), we will ask Mike to play during the offering. The other Sundays will remain with singing Give Thanks – 359 concurrently with the offering.

Special Music would not be scheduled every Sunday, but remain in the bulletin in case someone was led to offer a special. Some new songs might also be introduced at this point, but mostly it is for those who have a song that God has placed on their heart.

A Time of Testimony would continue at the current rate of 3 or 4 times per year.

We will vary the Hymn of Invitation more but retain Step by Step (494) as a standing hymn of departure.

Tom asked for input on hymns that we know and received a substantial list that will be incorporated for the remainder of the year.

A draft order of worship for 15 June 25 is attached. Tom selected a Words on the Wall song—Good, Good Father—as the special as it is Father’s Day. Future selections will mainly come from those in the meeting.

The questions of how do we get more specials and get back to short messages in drama remains a challenge for the group. We will also consider recruiting someone for a more traditional Christmas Program/Play. While all missed their children having the experience of a Christmas program; landing a director being the sine qua non.

F4 was touched on and the possibility of getting some of our own youth to help lead was considered as well as looking to college students who may be led to partake in this ministry, at least on occasion.

The clipboard and candy for children were considered acceptable.

In the course of general discussion, Mike proffered something of a Youth Chorus/Choir for those who were interested in a little more. This would probably land in the F4 arena with a time between 5:45 an 6:00 pm (just before F4 starts).

It would culminate most likely in something for the F4 Finale and might even migrate to a Sunday morning service. Mike is working on the basics and we can add some meat to the bones as we go and see what response we have.

This would not be a general music time or class, but working with a few who are called to do more. It is a skin-in-the-game sort of deal with the commitment of those involved essential to its success.

Other things such as Cantatas were discussed with some inquiry with other church groups to follow.

Other topics were discussed on an ad hoc basis and may resurface again at a later date.

Tom thanked all for the two plus hours set aside for this meeting. It was very fruitful.

Kendra closed us in prayer and the meeting was dismissed. A time of fellowship ensued.

Worship Meeting Report


4 June 2025

 

Kendra Walker, Kristy Denbo, Laci Stegall, Mike Kiser, and Tom Spence met in the Pastor’s Study at 6 pm on Wednesday, 4 June 2025 to discuss worship.  Tom had previously promulgated an agenda via email. 

Tom opened with prayer.

The first item addressed was the order of worship. This was left mostly intact with a few minor adjustments. The songs/hymns would be reduced by one. A time of Praise and Celebration would be offered before the worship warmups. The warmups were retained with 3 phrases being set as optimal.

The Monthly memory verse would be led by the liturgist beginning with 3 times on the first two Sundays and reducing the repetition to one time by the last Sunday of the month.

Once or twice a month (maybe more), we will ask Mike to play during the offering. The other Sundays will remain with singing Give Thanks – 359 concurrently with the offering.

Special Music would not be scheduled every Sunday, but remain in the bulletin in case someone was led to offer a special. Some new songs might also be introduced at this point, but mostly it is for those who have a song that God has placed on their heart.

A Time of Testimony would continue at the current rate of 3 or 4 times per year.

We will vary the Hymn of Invitation more but retain Step by Step (494) as a standing hymn of departure.

Tom asked for input on hymns that we know and received a substantial list that will be incorporated for the remainder of the year.

A draft order of worship for 15 June 25 is attached. Tom selected a Words on the Wall song—Good, Good Father—as the special as it is Father’s Day. Future selections will mainly come from those in the meeting.

The questions of how do we get more specials and get back to short messages in drama remains a challenge for the group. We will also consider recruiting someone for a more traditional Christmas Program/Play. While all missed their children having the experience of a Christmas program; landing a director being the sine qua non.

F4 was touched on and the possibility of getting some of our own youth to help lead was considered as well as looking to college students who may be led to partake in this ministry, at least on occasion.

The clipboard and candy for children were considered acceptable.

In the course of general discussion, Mike proffered something of a Youth Chorus/Choir for those who were interested in a little more. This would probably land in the F4 arena with a time between 5:45 an 6:00 pm (just before F4 starts).

It would culminate most likely in something for the F4 Finale and might even migrate to a Sunday morning service. Mike is working on the basics and we can add some meat to the bones as we go and see what response we have.

This would not be a general music time or class, but working with a few who are called to do more. It is a skin-in-the-game sort of deal with the commitment of those involved essential to its success.

Other things such as Cantatas were discussed with some inquiry with other church groups to follow.

Other topics were discussed on an ad hoc basis and may resurface again at a later date.

Tom thanked all for the two plus hours set aside for this meeting. It was very fruitful.

Kendra closed us in prayer and th

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Moderator Report June 205

 

Moderator Report

June 2025

 

May was wet. Summer is here. Jesus is Lord!

Seek Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Missions.

NTR

Worship.

A worship review is scheduled on 4 June.

Education

VBS is completed. A draft F4 Schedule is included in your packets.

Building and Grounds.

We have one AC unit not functioning. It was not a factor for VBS. Derrick fixed the sink (spray nozzle) in the west kitchen sink. We have a notice from Brotherhood mutual of a rate change. I contacted them and forwarded their response.

Fellowship

The next fellowship meal is scheduled for 29 June 2025 (Team 2).

Other

Elder Retreat. The Elder Retreat is scheduled for 9 August 2025. Please submit your agenda items and any supporting materials to me by 9 July 2025 so as to promulgate the agenda with time to provide all attendees a chance to review them sufficiently beforehand.

Elders. Please begin your prayer and meditation over who to nominate as our next elders to serve on the session. Please review the Cumberland Presbyterian Constitution 2.70. I have requested those elders not currently serving to verify their intentions towards future service. We normally begin the nomination process in September/October. I will update this list as responses are received; however, the pace of responses should not detract from your prayer time.

Ethan Delp       Yes

Danny Rush      Not at this time

Rick Reeves      No response     

Kathy Stegall     No response   

Larry Walker      No response

Rodney Chilton No response    

Carolyn Murray  No response   

 

Michael Ashmore (580 225 9046) from Dobson stopped by to let us know that they are ready to sign up people and businesses for fiber internet service.

Session Meetings. I suggest two December meetings. The first would be our regular December meeting on 21 December 2025. We would conduct the normal session business. The second would be on 28 December 25 with the Moderator Pro Tempore as a confirmation meeting for what is ahead.

Pastor Turnover. 1 January 2026 remains the target date for a seamless turnover, though some time without a pastor is not necessarily a bad thing. I suggest that serious searching begin about 1 October 2025.

Tom Personal, I will be away on Sunday, 22 June 2025.  My last Sunday in the pulpit is scheduled for 21 December and my last day as pastor is 31 December 2025.

 

Projects in Search of a Champion.  

Dates for Planning Purposes.

Unfinished Business.

Previous Reports

Friday, May 9, 2025

Moderator Reports

 

Moderator Reports

Instead of repeating information from one report to another, I have elected to post previous reports for handy reference and reduce the verbiage in the current report.


 June 2025 - Updated

May 2025

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025

2024 Annual Report

December 2024

November 2024

October 2024