First Church of God. Contact Info. Phone Fax Office Hours M-F 8:30am-4pm. Lead Pastor Andrew Rehbein

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1 First Church of God Contact Info Phone Fax Office Hours M-F 8:30am-4pm Lead Pastor Andrew Rehbein Associate Pastor Lynn Higgins Youth Pastor Bob Cheney Children s Pastor Lori Bradshaw As most of you reading this know, Bob Cheney, who has served as our Youth Pastor for nearly six years, has tendered his resignation. Bob, and his wife Alisha will be sharing their last Sunday with us on August 18. Bob will lead the Wednesday Night Youth Meetings through the end of August. Soon after, they will be welcoming their first child into the world, and we look forward to getting to meet Baby Cheney! From there, they are planning to move temporarily to North Dakota to spend time with Alisha s parents, and then transition into a full-time ministry role. Bob is beginning a Master s Degree Program through Wesley Seminary in mid-august. Having worked with Bob for almost 6 years, let me just share a couple of things. First, I am very excited for them and what their future holds. As usual, they have sought the Lord in this decision, and are seeking His wisdom first. Second, it has been a privilege to serve with Bob. I believe Bob is one of the most humble men I have ever encountered. He has challenged me often by the example of his strength of character and integrity. I will miss Bob s sincerity, and his dry sense of humor (thank you Bob for laughing at my cheesy jokes). I will miss his sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the overall goodnatured person he has been on our church staff. Alisha has been a great complement to Bob s ministry, and I know she will continue to use her own gifts and passions wherever God leads them. We will miss her musical talents, fun-loving laugh, and willingness to serve our youth wherever she was needed. We will acknowledge Bob and Alisha and their faithful service on Sunday, August 18 in both of our morning worship services. That Sunday, there will be a card tree set up in the back of the Sanctuary if you would like to bring well-wishes and tokens of appreciation to send them off with. Take time in these coming weeks to thank Bob and Alisha for their service, to pray for their future, and to extend your love to them. Administrative Assistant Jessica Marlin We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. -1 Thess. 1:3

2 Soul Detox A huge aspect to being created in the image of God is that we were made to live forever. When sin entered the picture, it shattered God s perfect plan for us to live with Him for eternity, but the immortal aspect of our being remained. We tend to call this our soul. If our souls are truly the piece of us that outlives our bodies, it makes sense that we ought to care for and be diligent in the health of them. The World is relentless in seducing our souls with things that do not honor God. Our souls can become burdened, tormented and restless when we are not submitting ourselves fully to God s plan. The Psalmist acknowledged that God created our inmost being, forming us in our mothers wombs (Psalm 139). If we are allowing worldly things to pollute our souls, we will not function well, because we are not living how God wired us to work best. Join us for this 5 week series starting Sunday, August 4 at 8:45 & 11am. 4 of our adult Sunday School Classes (Community Life, Challengers, Romans 12:2 & Christian Family) will be doing a corresponding video lesson throughout the series. If you aren t connected into a Sunday School Class, consider joining one of these groups at 10am. All too often we have so much noise in life it is difficult to truly follow the advice of the Psalmist, Be still, and know that I am God. As a part of our Soul Detox, it is important to find quiet moments where we can simply talk to and hear from God. Just like everywhere else, the Church often becomes a place of busyness and hurry. We want to provide an opportunity to slow down, be quiet, and be still before God. Join us for one or all of the Wednesday nights in August (except August 14, see Back to School Prayer Walk), in the Sanctuary for a time of quiet prayer, communion and worship.

3 September Preview NEW Wednesday Night Line-up Starting Wednesday, September 4th! Pastor Andrew will facilitate a 6 week course that helps us develop the ability to share our faith with others. Come learn how to share your faith story, integrate spiritual things into regular conversation, and effective ways to share the Gospel. Bob & Paula Guderian will facilitate the 13 week Financial Peace University Course that helps you develop a 7 step plan toward financial stability. Join us for a delicious dinner each Wednesday night at 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. Adults - $4 Children - $2 Sundays in September Sunday, September 8, Pastor Andrew will begin a new series, Dove Dynasty. We will be exploring what life is like with the Dove Commander...yes, the Holy Spirit. While we will explore this serious topic of a life under the direction of the Spirit, we will have a lot of fun along the way, inspired by the Robertson clan. Stay tuned for more details about Camo Sunday, BBQ & Bluegrass at the Pavilion, and more!

4 FCOG Kid s Ministry Join us on August 14 as we go as families to pray for the upcoming school year. We will meet at the church at 6;30 to divide into teams for each local school. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21 6:30 7:30 Let s hang out and celebrate the beginning of school! Games, music and snacks! FUEL PARENT NIGHT Wednesday, August 6:30pm Our new Wednesday night children s program, FUEL, is about to fly off. Come and follow your child through Flight Time, Scripture Memory, and Bible teaching at the Flight Deck. See where Wednesdays nights will be traveling to this fall. For the month of August, our Kdg. 4th grade kids will be joining the adults in the 11am service for the worship & praise time on Sunday mornings. If your child goes to Sunday School, Pastor Lori will walk them to the designated rows downstairs. If your child only attends children s church, please send them to the designated rows in the sanctuary when you arrive. After the offering, Pastor Lori will then walk the children upstairs for children s church. You may pick up your child upstairs after the service. Stay tuned for our new Sunday Morning Kid s Worship, Flight 252, coming this September!

5 Student Ministry Lake Come wish Bob & Alisha the Kemps! Pool Party on Sunday, August 18 Details TBA Want to help? Call Mary Parker at August 3pm August Calendar August 11th Lake the 3pm 6:30pm in Student Center August 18th August 25th- August 7th Words August 21st Thoughts August 28th Fears

6 Connection Min- If you have lost a spouse, child, family member or friend, you have probably found that there are not many people who understand the deep hurt you feel. GriefShare is a support group where you will have the opportunity to interact with others who have experienced loss. Each session includes a video seminar and group discussion. A GriefShare notebook assists you with note-taking, journaling, and grief study. The videos feature top experts on grief recovery and real stories of people who have experienced losses like you. Join us for this 12 week Journey on Monday, Sept 9th at 6:30 pm Cost $10, includes workbook To register, call the church office at It has been a great month at FCOG. With weather like this how could we go wrong? Attendance has been great for the summer. We hope you have enjoyed our Summer in the Psalms series. You will be hearing more about Connection Groups. Several of these groups are preparing for their next gathering, while others groups are about to launch their first event. You will find more information about these groups in the Sunday bulletin. Be watching for information on our Grief Share class beginning in September 9th. Perhaps you or someone you know could benefit from meeting with this group. This group will be meeting on Monday evenings at 6:30. You must preregister for this class so that we can order your book. Registration can be done by calling the church office. Pastor Lynn Senior Adult Ministry Mark Your Calendars Fellowship Dinner & Gospel Sing Friday, September 6pm ROMEO & Juliet Thursday, September; 12 Fin & Feather Day Trip Saturday, September 28 Senior Fall Foliage Trip Friday, October 11

7 Birthdays & Anniversaries 1 Chris & Tammy Lowe 4 Bob & Betty Ballard 4 Tom & Athena Bradley 6 Greg & Jean Arnold 15 Kevin & Jessica Marlin 19 Bill & Kelly Scott 19 Bill & Donna Olson 21 Joe & Joyce Petty 21 Mike & Susan Maslen 25 Sog & Sue Cobler 25 Ron & Linda Daniels 31 Mike & Pam Peters 3 Mike Fuller 4 Joe Peters 6 Casie Summerlin 6 Jay Jackson 6 Nina True 6 Roy Peters 7 Taylor Arnold 7 Paula Sherman 9 Kelly Yoder 11 Tony Grubbs 13 Barbara Sisson 14 Nickolas Marlin 15 Vicki Scott 15 Stewart Arnold 17 Andrea Mead 17 Andrea Mead 17 Chase Summerlin 19 Velma Day 19 Steve Scott 19 David Whitenack 23 Bill Gage 24 Greg Arnold 24 Donna Bauer 24 Lin Owing 25 Candice McCuistion 26 Carman Silas 27 Ruth Lamb 29 Abby Summerlin 30 Kelly Scott If you want your Birthday or Anniversary added to the list please call the Church Office at Thank You! July Stewardship Update Average Sunday School Attendance 153 Average Worship Attendance 221 General Fund Giving $21, General Fund Budget Requirement $34,659.42

8 Relief effort update $2,241 Was collected and sent to Shartel Church of God. This sister church in South OKC has been active in providing needs for their own effected church members as well as others in Moore area. See the letter from their Pastor, Steve Chiles. Thank you so much for your support of the victims of the Moore tornado. The tornado on May 20th changed our lives forever. 24 lives were lost and thousands were affected. These are moments when you realize how temporary the things of this world really are and faithful God is. His hand has been seen in so many ways through all of this. One of the most obvious has been through the compassion of people around the world...people like YOU! Because of your generosity we ve been able to fill the gaps financially for many. We ve bought used cars for people who had liability only insurance. We ve bought refrigerators and grills. We ve provided clothes, food and tons of household items. We ve paid rent, deposits and deductibles. We ve paid for fences, roofs and car repairs. We ve helped pay for funeral expenses. We can t remove the trauma, but, with your help, we ve lessened the burden of getting to the other side. I ve cried a hundred times through all this. I ve cried for those who have lost so much. I ve cried for what could have been...the tornado missed my granddaughter s school by only half a block. I ve cried in guilt because my house and my church were not touched. And I ve cried because I m overwhelmed by the compassion that has come pouring in form all over the globe. You love has been a buoy that has kept our heads above water and touched us here in a profound way. You have made me cry with gratefulness. So thank you again for you concern and support. We are forever in your debt. Continue to pray for our families here whom are trying to find a new normal for their lives. Pray that God will help us to heal and keep moving forward. May God return to you the incredible blessing you are. Sincerely yours, Steve Chiles Shartel Church of God August Bible Reading Plan We began this year with the E-100 challenge (reading through 100 essential passages of Scripture). Throughout the summer we have explored the Psalms. Let s stay engaged in the Word, and explore the book of Proverbs during the month of August. If you read one chapter of Proverbs each day, you will complete the book of Proverbs by the end of the month. As we embark on a new school year, let s allow God s Word to school us through the great wisdom literature of Proverbs. Pick up a reading note guide at the back of the Sanctuary to help you record the wisdom you are gleaning from the Book of Proverbs.

9 Chase & Brittney Perkins We are excited to announce that Chase Perkins and his wife Brittney will be joining us the last weekend in August (23-25) in view of a call as our Student Ministry Pastor. Chase and Brittney are originally from Ohio, but both attended and graduated from Anderson University (Anderson, IN). While in school, Chase served as a ministry intern at Park Place Church of God, and then after graduating has served as an Associate Youth Pastor in Princeton, WV. While in West Virginia, Chase has created an after school program that has fostered growth and enthusiasm within the youth ministry. Chase is an avid sports fan and former high school athlete. He is excited about integrating athletics as a component of the student ministry. He also has developed musical interests and abilities, playing the guitar, bass, and even the ukulele! Building the aspect of praise and worship within the youth ministry is of great importance to Chase as well. Brittney graduated with a degree in Social Services and has been working with people who have developmental disabilities. She loves cooking and yoga. They both love their poodle, Charlie, and doing life with the people they serve in ministry. We look forward to getting to know them better and providing opportunities for them to interact with you the last weekend in August. Stay tuned for more details, and continue to be in prayer as we seek to fill this vital role of ministry leadership.

10 new here? meet & greet Come enjoy a time to meet the pastors, learn more about the ministries here at FCOG and ask any questions you might have. sunday, august 4 10am pastor andrew s office PO Box 1091 Pryor, OK Presorted Standard Non Profit Organization U.S. Postal Paid Permit No. 81 Pryor, OK Love God. Love others. Live out