Saturday, July 12, 2025
Balance
The life of
the church is important to believers. We share the gospel, encourage and
comfort each other, and do the things that God planned for us to do before we
were born. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we think that we should do
more. I ask that you consider what we are called to do and what we are doing
and see if we have some balance (not equality but balance).
We want to
reach people and see them in worship, education, and fellowship activities, but
we also know that through the ages, God has worked with a remnant. Sometimes we
are to grow. Sometimes we are to strengthen what remains. We want to get it
right. We want the right balance. The
session is likely the only place where balance is discussed much among leaders.
Let’s do a
simple exercise called RAD (Recognize – Analyze – Divide) and see what we
already know. You may want to grow the lists in each area. Let’s start with
what we recognize.
Worship
Sunday
Morning Worship X2
Wednesday
Evening Worship (usually 1 time per month)
Summer
Singing (1 time per month)
Thanksgiving
worship and meal
Christmas
worship and meal
Community
Services (2 times per year)
Come & Go Communion (2 times per year)
CPC
Birthday worship & Fellowship Meal
Fellowship
5th
Sunday Meals (under review)
Summer
Singing (1 time per month)
Christmas worship and
meal
One Pot Meal
+ Activities X2 (sometimes X3)
CPC Birthday worship & Fellowship Meal
Education
Sunday
School
Wednesday
Evenings (7 Months)
Occasional
Bible Studies
Outreach/Evangelism
Walk A Block
for Jesus (or other event/activity to reach those beyond our walls)
Hour of
Power
Broadcast of
services (can be a double-edged sword)
Online Posts
– Life of the Church
Wristbands/Gospels/Other
giveaway items for any occasion
Food
Ministry
Take home
supplies to give to Trick or Treaters
Reserved
for Families
(Typically nothing scheduled for the body other than Sunday morning worship)
Resurrection
Sunday
Mothers’ Day
Father’s Day
Christmas
Day
Days/Times
Unique to a specific family/families
Other
Activities
Meetings
Committee/Commission
Work
Worldly
Competitors – Not
saying these are good, bad, or ugly, but they are competitors for our time and
energy.
Youth Sports
(Traditional boundaries of Sunday and Wednesday are nearly eviscerated).
Travel (We
are a very mobile society)
Livelihood
(You don’t work. You don’t eat or make the car payment)
Other
Areas of Consideration
Salvation
belongs to the Lord, but these belong to us:
Worship
Evangelism
Discipleship
Education
Fellowship
CPC
uniqueness
Known for
our grace
Connectional
(among judicatories, generations, and institutions)
Connectional
(among members. Campers, Presbytery meetings, Youth Retreats, and General
Assembly help with connections)
Tom’s Synopsis for Who We Are
I know that I am a pain in the (pick your part) about this
individual thinking business, but thinking was my business for a while, and
there are dividends to be earned from individual thinking. That said, here are
my thoughts. I don’t expect you to agree, and I am not asking you to. This is input. You are the synthesizers. The
objective is to state concisely in the CIF and expound with potential pastors
about who we are. Do NOT read this if
you have not done your individual thinking.
The Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a small,
family church that has been on the verge of growing for two decades. We have
had some surges, but the losses continue to outnumber the gains. This body is
known for its love. We are involved in our community, and people know it. Some
don’t want to pronounce or spell Presbyterian, so they just call us the love
church.
We are known as Christ’s disciples by our love! Service is
the predominant gift in this congregation. Giving is good for the number of
adults who attend.
Our evangelism—taking the good news to our neighbors and discipling them when they respond—is often stuck in neutral. It is a challenge not unique
to this area, but our challenge nonetheless. We have not given up, but we need
reminders that making disciples and resting in our comfort zones are at odds
with each other.
About 5% of the town’s population attends services here, and
the mission harvest fields sit just across the street from the church building.
We can do more. That said, we are one of two congregations in the Presbytery that
have experienced any growth over the past few decades. Apathy and ambivalence
among the adults we reach are often the most significant obstacles to connecting
many adults in the community with worship and fellowship in this body.
We do reach many children and youth!
We are blessed to have a rotating session with elders who
are both young and old, male and female, and dedicated to bringing glory to
God.
The congregation loves each other—a bunch. Over a decade
ago, our passing of the peace was moved to the end of the service because we
enjoy each other so much. The fellowship of believers continues well after
Sunday morning's last amen.
This is a church body that purchased a building it could not
afford and made it a place of worship and fellowship while without a pastor.
This church body paid off the loan for this building in
record time.
This church body purchased an additional three acres of land
during the worst part of the recession of the first decade of this century.
Trends and tendencies.
·
We like to sing (Y2K Survey)
·
We like to eat (Food with almost everything—early
2000s). Backed off some a few years later.
·
We help with physical needs (Food for the
hungry, school supplies, help with some bills, host for addiction recovery
meetings, host many drug court community service people, help via MA, other
help—last 17 years).
·
We don’t like to sign up but will often show up
for events and ministries.
Our biggest outreach ministries are VBS and the Backpack
Ministry.
For a time, our SEO for the church website attracted a
higher ranking on most search engines than our denomination’s placement. We
received calls from all over the country with CPC questions.
I would characterize the last three decades of pastoral care
like this:
Jim – Coffee Shop Ministry, venturing into established
circles. Letting people know we were here. Coffee Shop.
Duawn—Youth and Fellowship, to include more food in more of
our activities. Walmart ministry for ambulatory elderly for a time. F4
Feasts.
Tom – Missions and Evangelism, to include ongoing challenges
to fulfill our commissions and make disciples. Walk A Block and Walking
Ministry. First overseas mission for this body (X2).
Other turnover notes not related to the CIF.
Domains owned by Tom. See separate page. I expect to
retain the Burnsflat.org domain for a while. The cumberlandpresbyterianchurch.net
domain is scheduled to renew in July of this year, but I plan to release this
domain. I have never transferred a domain to anyone before, but if you want it,
let me know as soon as possible so I can figure out the how part.
The other Cumberland domains don’t expire until 2026, but if
you are interested, let me know. My initial plan is to retain .com and release
.org.
Another option if you have not worked with domain ownership
before is to start from scratch. I’m sure that there wouldn’t be much competition
for BurnsFlatCPC.
Turnover List
First Steps
Moderator Pro Tempore. By the first of the year,
elect a moderator pro temp. This will help run meetings and routing items for
discussion/decision.
Action/Decision items
Website. Develop a website. The one we have now is
part of my account without severability options. I did this without paying for
a service. If the session wants to continue a website, it must first decide to “make
or buy.” I don’t know how many in our congregation use our site. Most of the
calls and emails in response to our site were from people outside our
congregation. This was their first exposure to us.
You will need a domain name. These are currently available:
·
Burnsflatcpc.com
·
Burnsflatcpc.org
·
Burnsflatcpc.info
·
Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.com
·
Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.org
·
Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.info
·
Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.us
Cost? When I created and managed our web page for the first
10 years, I spent between $30 and $50 per month. Since we didn’t use all the
bells and whistles, I opted for a blog-based site at no cost (June 2016).
Facebook page. The church needs to set up a new
Facebook page if it wants to continue visibility in this way. I might be able
to separate the page from my personal stuff, but you will likely want something
more to your liking than what I have. This is an easy to do. Set up the page,
and I will put a redirect link on the one tied to my account for a few months.
World Vision Child. If the session desires to
continue this, I would suggest a different child. Someone will need to register
with World Vision. I would adopt Jesus as my own. He is on my credit card now,
so his support continues even if the offering is short. So far, we have stayed
in the black for both children.
Voting site. If the session wants to continue hosting
a polling place, someone will need to be assigned to be in charge. When Gayla
did this, it was easy. We gave her a key; she was on the site team and knew her
way around the building. The liaison does not need to be here for the entire time
the polls are open but would ensure that the building is available at 6 am and
was put back in order by 8 pm.
Simple Turnover Tasks
Bulletins – Sourcing, preparation, printing, and
distribution
Liturgists – Scheduling and promulgation
Prayer List – Compilation and promulgation
Mail pickup/open—I have one key. I think Phil has the
other. You will want someone to determine what to do with the mail (route,
reply, discard, post, or otherwise promulgate). This duty is less than a
signatory. The most likely candidate is the clerk.
Ministerial Alliance Representative—I suggest that
one of the other MA churches host meetings, but you should select a
representative to attend and be the contact for the times between meetings.
Read Board—Keep and maintain or discontinue. Few
elders use it to stay current on items that do not demand a place on our
session agenda.
Thanksgiving Baskets and Angel Gifts: Someone to keep
the pulse of those in need on a year-round basis and those who need/would
benefit from these blessings.
Some Caretaker Duties
·
Sunday Open and Close (Usually 8 am until
all leave [normally by 12:30 pm]).
·
Church Building Key Manager
·
Thermostat Manager
·
Oversee Janitorial contract, supply requests,
and performance
·
Property Manager for the Manse.
Already in Place (decision to continue)
Copier Maintenance and Replacement (includes
supplies)
Pulpit Supply—Session
Requiring Immediate Action (Early 2025)
Annual Report—The clerk and treasurer should be able
to compile this report. All information should be available by mid-January 2026.
Form attached.
Church Number: 6301
Clerk: Lines 1-8
Treasurer: 9-11
Line 12: Currently valued at about 2.1M for insurance
purposes.
Session Minutes for 2024 are due at the end of
January 2025.
Looking Forward
Form a Search Committee. Hopefully, the meeting(s)
you conducted about what you wanted in a pastor will contribute to your guidance
to this committee. I suggest putting your guidance into writing and meeting
with them to share this counsel and begin the process with prayer. A Napoleon’s
Corporal review of the guidance before issuing would be profitable.
Update the Church Information Form (CIF) and send it
to Cordova.
Budget Authority
Why now? To effectively manage church funds, there
must be a meeting of the minds (agreement) on what authority the budget
carries. As we look to bolster our fiscal accountability, we should
concurrently shore up some areas where we have operated on individual
presumptions for decades. I have included various perspectives for
consideration, including my draft and a prompt for yours.
From the Federal Perspective. Budget Authority (BA)
is the authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in
immediate or future outlays. It may be classified by the period of
availability, by the timing of congressional action, or by the manner of
determining the amount available.
Family Budget (many, not all). This is a strict to-the-penny
layout of how every cent with be allocated. There is no debate or discretion to
alter the budget, well, until the first time someone uses the phrase, but we
need it. Typically, this is a set-the-numbers within the expected income,
and hope it works, and there is nothing unexpected ahead. Multiple revisions
are often needed.
Cavalier Budget. Words and numbers are used for the
sake of display, but at best, they are a guide. This is often the first draft
of a family budget when the family is reluctant to do the budgeting work.
From the Oklahoma Municipal League.
Budgets,
Do I really have to have one? Who is responsible for creating the budget? Are
there legal deadlines?
Who is
responsible for creating the budget? Are there legal deadlines?
Developing
a Budget is a never-ending process. It begins the moment you begin your fiscal
year and ends, only to begin again.
There
are two basic budget options for Oklahoma municipalities. The Municipal Budget
Act (11.O.S. §§ 17-201 through 17-216) and the Estimate of Need Law ( 68 O.S.
§§ 3001 through 3033 & 62 O.S. § 461). You will need to determine which one
is Applicable to your municipality.
It will
depend on your form of government on who prepares the budget.
Aldermanic
form of Government - Mayor prepares the budget
Council-Manager
form of Government - City Manager prepares the budget
Strong-Mayor
form of Government - Mayor prepares the budget
Town
form of Government - Council prepares the budget
The
legal deadlines for municipalities under the Municipal Budget Act are as
follows:
Chief
Executive Officer must submit the budget to the Governing Body thirty (30) days
prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. (June 1st)
Governing
Body must hold a public hearing on the proposal no later than fifteen (15) days
prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. (June 15th)
Notice
of the date, time and place of the hearing together with the proposed budget
summary shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the
municipality not less than five (5) days before the date of the hearing. (June
11th)
Governing
Body must adopt budget by resolution at least seven (7) days prior to the
beginning of the fiscal year. (June 24th)
Adopted
budget must be filed with the State Auditior & Inspector and Municipal
Clerk on or before the first day of the fiscal year. (July 1st)
Within
fifteen (15) days after filing with the State Auditor & Inspector, any
taxpayer may protest alleged irregularities.
The
legal deadlines for municipalities under the Estimate of Need Law are as
follows:
Governing
Body must begin preparing Estimate of Need and report of revenues, the first
Monday in August. (1st Monday in August)
Excise
Board convenes July 1, to set schedule for public meetings. (July 1st)
Prepare
Estimate of Needs. (by September 1st)
Submit
financials and needs of estimate to county excise board.
Incorporated
towns by August 22nd. Cities by August 27th
Publication
affidavit filed at least 5 days after budget filing.
Presbytery Budget is formulated by committee input
(generally formed in the summer meetings), the moderator, and the finance
committee. Committee requests should be
as detailed as practical. Unlike the local church sessions, the finance
committee will apportion the budget expense among the several congregations of
the presbytery.
For the Church Budget (Tom’s Draft)
The budget is the authority for designated individuals to
obligate and expend funds. It is in effect for a prescribed period, typically
12 months. It may be changed or modified by the same authority that established
it (in this case the session).
The budget organization is the line item. Many line items
are the sum of other line items. Budget amendments typically are addressed by
the line items affected and the total. While funds may be obligated absent the
presence of funds, all expenditures are subject to the availability of funds.
It is binding upon those authorized to expend funds, but
recognizes that sometimes, the dynamic nature of the organizational mission
creates gaps in reconciliation, and expenses may unintentionally exceed the
authorized funds. The overspending need not result in punitive action, but
further expenditure must cease until more funds are authorized.
To best manage a budget, Fund Administrators (FA) should be
assigned where possible. All expenditure within a specific line item should be
routed through and approved by the FA. In the small church, the FA expends most
of the funds authorized by the budget line item.
Funds may not be moved from one line item to another unless
approved by the session, even when the same FA manages both/all. Some purchases
involve multiple line items. In those cases, FAs need to be especially
attentive to those obligations and expenditures within their purview while
coordinating with other FAs. In practice, most FAs are just managing a check
register as they are also the exclusive expender of the funds authorized.
Your Draft
Priority-Based Budgeting
In the following synopsis, substitute the word “church” for
the word “community” as you consider the process.
Priority-based budgeting is a budgeting approach that
prioritizes programs and services based on their relative importance to the
community. Here are some key aspects:
Principles: It emphasizes prioritizing services, questioning
past spending patterns, and ensuring transparency and accountability.
Resource Allocation: This method focuses on efficient
resource utilization by directing funding towards higher-value services while
scaling back or eliminating lower-value ones.
Process Steps: The budgeting process involves identifying
available resources, defining priority results, evaluating programs, and
comparing them against these priorities.
Community Focus: It allocates funds based on community needs
rather than previous expenditures, ensuring that the most critical services
receive adequate funding.
This approach helps organizations make informed decisions
that align with community priorities and improve overall service delivery.
Priority based budgeting
https://mrsc.org/getmedia/CB4C52F4-29D5-4D6B-93F4-512795BF0A9B/gfoa-priority.aspx
https://envisio.com/blog/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-priority-based-budgeting/
Plan of Action & Milestones for Pastor Turnover
Plan of
Action & Milestones
Pastor Turnover
This covers the broad approach to the turnover business. It
lists major items and events but not details such as who should be on what
committee, though it does include general guidelines. In my experience with the
CPC, pastor turnover has always been something of a surprise. While I don’t
have an exact date in mind, I will plan based on the current calendar year in
hopes of minimizing surprise and turnover turbulence. Concurrently, I ask the
elected elders of the session to review the Turnover List I provided at the
last meeting. Determine session preferences early, realizing that there will
always be some give and take with your new prospect.
Concept
Confirm/Modify the POA&M.
Target: 1 March 2025
Define who we are for those who do not know us. The
vehicle for this is the Church Information Form (CIF). The work that precedes
the form is the time-consuming part of the process. The actual submission of
the form does not need to be made until the search committee is formed, but the
thinking process involved in compiling the form will favorably impact
subsequent steps.
Target: 1 April 2025
Define our expectations of a pastor. Hopefully, the
guides that I gave you for reviewing my contract should put you ahead of the
game if you went beyond days and money. Consider your self-assessment of the
small part of the body of Christ entrusted to your care. What do you think we
need from a pastor to know Him and make Him known? Defining who we are
and what we expect now gives us time for consideration and revision.
Target: 1 May 2025
Budget for Search Committee. Today, long-distance
charges are not really a factor. Email and shared drives have reduced postage
costs. Zoom and other video links bridge distances further. This budget is mostly for travel and lodging
of candidates who are considered worthy of an in-person meeting. This is
usually on our home turf with the candidate taking the pulpit for one or more
messages. Travel has costs. How much do you want to budget?
Most of the travel costs are not forecasted until fiscal
year 2026 (FY 26). Thus, you may have little or no need to modify the current
FY budget.
Target:1 June 2025
Form Search Committee.
The optimal number is Chair/Vice/Sec plus 2-5 others (men
and women, young and old, elders and laypersons).
Notify RRP (Wes Johnson) and the denomination (Mike Sharpe)
that the search has begun. Obtain other contacts.
Request PIFs.
Meet with the Search Committee and define their mission.
Define constraints and restraints. For
example: Should they contact other CP pastors already serving a congregation?
Target: 1 July 2025
Monitor Committee Progress.
Let the committee do its work but stay informed. A monthly
report would be the minimum oversight involved. Including session members on
the committee would also increase session awareness.
The session must know when the committee might be close to a
recommendation. This match-making process should not be rushed by the session
being caught off guard.
Target 1 October
2025
Select a viable candidate.
Reach agreement. Work out a start date.
Or:
Negotiate an extension on the current contract if viable.
Develop pulpit supply plan sans pastor.
Target: 31 December
2025
Friday, July 11, 2025
Smart Pack
This is a quick reference guide to recurring tasks and standard practices for dealing with the less-than-common ones. It covers a variety of topics and is generally arranged alphabetically by topic.
Archives. These are collections of previous
bulletins, reports, sermons, correspondence, Read Board contents, and more and
are generally stored by year. The archives better serve the historian over the
one looking for documentation.
·
Stored in Attic.
·
Staged for storage in copy room.
Attic. The attic has various supplies stored in it.
It hasn’t been reorganized for a decade. The main space consumer is VBS.
Bibles. We usually keep some Bibles in the Missions
Room. Kathy keeps track of who we give them to as far as the youth go.
Cards and Correspondence. There are a variety of
cards in the upper part of the computer desk. We don’t use preprinted
letterhead; we generate one from the computer.
Committees. There are no standing committees. The
Smart Pack binder provides a general description of committees and their
functions.
Computer. The church does not have a computer ready
for use.
Copier. Leave on all the time. It has a sleep mode. It
can be configured to order toner for you.
Unplug if severe electrical storms are anticipated. Spare cartridges are
stored in the upper cabinet to the south of the copier.
Contact Information for the Burns Flat CPC.
Phone: (580) 562-4706
Physical Address: 205 State Highway 44
Mailing Address: PO Box 8, Burns Flat OK 73624
Website: cumberlandpresbyterianchurch.com,
cumberlandpresbyterianchurch.org, burnsflat.org (through December 2022). All
redirect to website on blogger.
Contact Information for Tom.
Home Phone: (580)
562-4531
Cell Phone: (580) 515-2995
Email: tomspence0302@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Burnsflatcpc (through
December 2025).
Contracts. The ICAs for the pastor and janitor are in
the Smart Pack binder.
Elders. List of current elders in the Smart Pack
Binder. The clerk keeps track of terms and rotation.
Fellowship Hall Personal/Group Use.
·
Must be approved by session.
·
No charge for members (they clean).
·
$400 deposit for nonmembers. ($200 returned if
cleaning is satisfactory).
·
Session may insist upon shared usage (e.g.
Graduation Reception).
Fellowship Teams. The current list of teams is in the
Smart Pack binder, posted on the bulletin board, and in the fellowship hall. Sometimes
Carolyn Murray updates the list.
Financial (NE Corner of admin office).
·
Reimbursement forms for authorized purchases.
·
Tax Exempt Forms (Not suitable for all
requirements).
·
Session is the purchasing authority, but Fund
Administrators have been assigned and can spend based upon the budget and
availability of funds.
Files. We keep few hard copy files, but what we have for
files and forms is in the bottom left drawer of the pastor’s desk. Minutes are maintained by the clerk.
Financial Reports are maintained by the treasurer.
Food. We keep
food in the Missions Room. Some is in ready to issue baskets. It is sourced
through the food baskets in the foyer (often presented for blessing by the
children), one or two school drives, and the Postal Carriers Food Drive.
Sometimes we get leftover food from the schools and their feeding programs.
Keys. The admin office has a key locker on the wall. Outside
door keys have been issued and are recorded in the Smart Pack Binder. There is
one loaner in the binder. The keys to the bulletin board and the key locker are
on the back of the small bookcase in the pastor’s study.
Library. Usage is minimal and the size has been
reduced.
·
Located in Copy Room.
·
Honor System for check out and return.
Manse. The manse is located at 305 Potomac. It is
currently rented to Tate and Kristina Bacon for $500 per month.
Newsletter. Our Facebook page has supplanted the
newsletter.
Prayer Blankets. These are kept in the upper cabinets
in the admin office. A log is kept in the pastor’s study.
Printer. The printer in the pastor’s study is a good
laser printer, but it is over 17 years old. Replacement cartridges are in the
copy room.
Reimbursement of Authorized Expenditures. There is a
form for the purpose of making copies in the Smart Pack binder.
Van. Log & Key are in a notebook in the admin
office. PM should be recorded in the log. Back up registration and insurance
forms are in the log.
Weather. We generally use Facebook, texts, and calls
to announce closures for weather, but we also have access to
oklahomaclosings.com for posting on the local channels.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
F4 Dates - Fall 2025 through Spring 2026
F4 Dates
2025-2026 School Year
FALL 2025
|
17 Sep |
WORSHIP |
10 MINUTES IN
CLASSROOM |
|
24 Sep |
CLASSES |
|
|
1 Oct |
CLASSES |
|
|
8 Oct |
WORSHIP |
10 MINUTES IN
CLASSROOM |
|
15 Oct |
NO F4 |
FALL BREAK |
|
22 Oct |
CLASSES |
|
|
29 Oct |
CLASSES |
|
|
5 Nov |
CLASSES |
|
|
12 Nov |
THANKSGIVING
SERVICE |
10 MINUTES IN
CLASSROOM |
SPRING 2026
|
7 JAN |
WORSHIP |
10 MINUTES IN
CLASSROOM |
|
14 JAN |
CLASSES |
|
|
21 JAN |
CLASSES |
|
|
28 JAN |
CLASSES |
|
|
4 FEB |
CLASSES |
|
|
11 FEB |
CLASSES |
|
|
18 FEB |
WORSHIP |
ASH WEDS (10
MIN IN CR) |
|
25 FEB |
CLASSES |
|
|
4 MAR |
CLASSES |
|
|
11 MAR |
CLASSES |
|
|
18 MAR |
NO F4 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
25 MAR |
CLASSES |
|
|
1 APR |
WORSHIP |
RESURECTION
(10 MIN IN CR) |
|
8 APR |
CLASSES |
|
|
15 APR |
CLASSES |
|
|
22 APR |
CLASSES |
|
|
29 APR |
F4 FINALE
(PIZZA PARTY) |
FINALE |
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.
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