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CCY CONNECT March 2022

Community is a word we tend to use often and talk about how much it is needed.

Community is defined as “a group of people living in the same place and having characteristics in common”. Another definition is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.

A simple, practical definition might be: A people - a place - living out a purpose. To me this echoes the church family. We want nothing more than to be the Body of Christ in this community. What would it be like if we lived in community with one another for the single purpose of Glorifying God?

I recently read an article written by a pastor in Texas entitled, “We were wrong.” In the article, he challenges us stating, “We followed trends when we should have followed Jesus. We told others how to live, but did not listen to ourselves. We live in a land of plenty, denying ourselves nothing while ignoring our neighbors who actually have nothing. Please forgive us. We were wrong.” He went on to write

“God’s work done in God’s way will always be mutually transformational. We are as changed by the work we are doing, as the people we intend to serve.”

This brings to mind the mission trips many of us have been on and the heart change we experienced and shared with those around us. Sadly, as we settled back into our normal lives – the experience faded and with it the change we had hoped to see reflected in our lives because of the experience. But what if it hadn't!?!? What if we moved forward, living as the people of God? We are the Church...a people – a place – living with great purpose!

As we turn the page into spring, let us allow God to lead mightily, as we choose to follow Jesus even more passionately. I encourage you to be a people involved in this place, living out your life’s purpose…to know and experience God. To love God, to love people, and to share Him with everyone around you.

If you don’t know where God has gifted you – discover it. If you don’t know where to serve in the Body – jump in. Let's be the community of God– living in our community and pointing all to Jesus!

All for Jesus!

Clay

Go to our website www.ccyok.com for resources on finding your gift and opportunities to get involved at CCY!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since our small group has been able to gather and enjoy each other’s company. The pandemic has caused periods of depression, anxiety, isolation, and fear for a lot of us, including me. However, during this time, hopefully, we’ve gained a deeper level of appreciation for each other, our families, and our church family, as well as having more time to study, reflect, and read God’s word. I have to admit, I wasn’t much of a bible reader before the pandemic or never made the time. Now, I read my Bible every night and read a devotion before starting each day. One of my favorite scriptures comes to mind:

Matthew 18:20 – “When two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them”.

The Senior Connection group meets to love and support each other as we age, discusses how to be better prepared in the event of an incapacity or death of a loved one, and even a discussion about the process of down-sizing, which Lyle and I managed to live through. Some topics have included: organization of important papers; beneficiaries designations on life insurance policies and tax-deferred accounts; password lists; contents of your wallet; the process of downsizing, and long-term care insurance- just to name a few.

Hopefully we can resume the first Sunday in April (April 3) immediately following worship, to share in a time of prayer, a potluck meal and making personal connections with each other. Our topic of discussion will be--Essential Health Care Documents, which ironically was our next topic before the pandemic struck.

I invite you to join in fellowship. I have missed you all.

In Christ -

Kathy Stanka

CCY PARENTS' DAY OUT!

With all of the ice and snow, we have had in the last few weeks Fall still seems so far away, but it will be here before we know it. This year when Fall arrives so does an amazing opportunity for CCY to reach out to our community and share God’s love with the families of Yukon. This September we will start our first-ever Parent's Day Out program.

Leading this new ministry will be our very own, Melissa Wrona. Melissa has been working in Parent's Day Out programs for 8 years. She loves Jesus, her family, being outside, gardening, swimming, and reading. She volunteers in the CCY Children’s Ministry by teaching Bible Barn and helping with big events such as Festival of the Child.

Teaching children is something I am truly passionate about, and for me, it doesn’t get much better than teaching them about God. When I was looking for a Mother’s Day Out program for Landon it was so important to me to find one where not only would he make friends but he would learn about Jesus and some basic things too, such as colors and numbers. It’s so nice to go to drop him off knowing that my baby is being taken care of in a safe environment and that is exactly what we want to provide for other families.

When Melissa and I first met about starting a program the one thing we both said from the start is that we want this to be a ministry. A way to reach into the community and love on people. We want this to be a program like none other. Christ’s Church of Yukon is a family and we want the families that come each Tuesday and Thursday to feel like they are part of that family and in turn, would want to come on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.

By having different members of the congregation volunteer to help with things such as chapel, or class parties I think families will see that this is a program supported not only by the staff but the entire church and they will get that family feeling that CCY offers. It would be great if they visited on a Sunday morning and there were already familiar faces to help welcome them to church.

Everyone can get involved in this ministry and here are just a few ways.

  • Pray-this is the most important way to help, and something everyone can do. Pray specifically for the children and families God brings to this program. Pray for the teachers as they share God’s Word with little ones.
  • Donate- we are going to need things such as copy paper, construction paper, play dough, markers, crayons, paint, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, and snacks. If you feel led to donate, these items can be dropped off at the church at any time.
  • Volunteer- if you are interested in volunteering we will have several opportunities as we get closer to the opening day. We will need to get the classrooms and supplies ready. If you are interested in helping lead chapel time we would love to have you. This would consist of telling the Bible story to the children, helping lead them in worship, and/or praying with them. We will have Chapel for the children every week as part of our curriculum.

In the coming days, information on how to be involved will be updated at www.ccyok.com.

One thing I realized last year at the festival of the Child is that we can’t just assume children know the Bible stories we all know. I thought for sure the children that came to our booth would know the story of Jonah and sadly most of them did not. That is why it is so important to Melissa and I that we focus on sharing with the children these stories. Can you imagine how neat it will be to see the look on a child’s face when we tell them the story of Daniel getting thrown into a den of lions and not getting harmed at all? Each week we will start the morning with Chapel and go over our Bible story for the week. When the children are in the classroom they will learn more about the story through play, crafts, music, and games. Even our babies will hear the Word and learn about God’s love. Throughout the year we will have special activities and parties for the different holidays and seasons. How fun will it be to celebrate the birth of Jesus with a room full of little ones! I can not wait!

The first year we plan on having two classrooms. We will meet in the nursery and the Veggie Tale room on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The ages we will enroll are 6 months-2 years old. As we grow our goal is to eventually have more classrooms for children up to 4 years old.

This month Melissa and I are finalizing the cost of tuition, hours we will meet, and creating an enrollment form and handbook. On April 1st we will open enrollment to CCY members and then open it to the public on May 1st. We also plan to really promote it at the Festival of the Child.

Thank you church family for all the prayers and support as we start this new adventure.

Ms. Tori

“Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.” Romans 12:13

UPCOMING EVENTS

Finally! The Chili Cook-Off day is here! Join us on Wednesday, March 2nd starting at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in the South building for a Chili Cook-Off!! We have over 15 entries that will compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place along with a Crowd Favorite award. Donations will be accepted and each participant will get a set number of tickets to place towards their favorite chili. In addition, we have some AMAZING desserts at a silent auction, so come ready for some friendly competition. Invite a friend!!!
Child dedications are scheduled for Sunday, March 6th during our 10:30 service. If you would like to dedicate your child on this day, please email a couple of photos, your child's name, and parent names to Tori at tori@ccyok.com by February 28th. Invite your friends and family to this special service where we dedicate our children to the Lord.
Stay after church on Sunday, March 13th, 2022 as we work together to swap over the winter clothes for the summer clothes at Christ's Closet. Many hands make light work and free pizza!! See you there!
Spring break is just around the corner and we have some fun times planned. We will be heading to the Wichita Mountains on March 15th through the 17th for a time of reconnection with God and nature.
All 1st-5th graders are invited to join us for a fun day at the Zoo on March 16th. We will be meeting at CCY at 9:15 am and returning to the church at 2:30 pm. The cost is $9 for children and $12 for adults. Lunch will be provided. The deadline to sign up is March 13th, 2022. Let us know you will be joining us by registering below.
Mark your calendars! It is time for the all-church clean-up/workdays. Everyone is invited and encouraged to help, on March 26th, 9 am to 12 pm. We will be cleaning the church from top to bottom. All supplies will be provided. There is a lot to do and many hands make the work go much faster (it’s more fun too!). There will be jobs for all ages and abilities.
We have some exciting plans in the works for improving our current kid's playground and creating an interactive outdoor gathering area for all ages to enjoy! Please save the date for a fundraiser lunch on March 27th, 2022 after church in the South building.
Participation at CCY

RESOURCES

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  • Facebook Group - Join our Facebook group by clicking here.
620 W. Vandament Ave, Yukon OK 73099

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Created with images by pab_map - "Bench in green park" • Serghei Velusceac - "Sunrise in beautiful park"