A Belated Thank You...and more to come!

The Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church sends a belated “Thank You!” to many in our community that supported this year’s Easter Egg Hunt.  A few years ago, the church took over the community event deciding to make it a mission of the church.

What’s hunting Easter Eggs have to do with the real meaning of Easter?  That’s a good question that deserve a straightforward answer.  It’s an ambush!

Yes, the church took on this pagan-like, surely secular ritual as an ambush.  Children and their parents would be lured onto the church grounds with hopes of finding candy and prizes and then they would be ambushed with love.  We just call it Love Ambush #1.

Ministry members just love telling others that God loves them.  That often leads to a conversation about Jesus and how much God loves us. 

Make no mistake about it, the children all received enough candy to keep them in cavities for years to come.  The also received Bibles or Gospels of John or Mark, stickers and pencils that say God loves you or love one another, and other reminders that last longer than the stomach ache which follows the candy.

The church budgets a significant amount to support this event; however, the community donations make this an extraordinary event.  The Businesses and Individuals who have donated this year are:

Rudy’s Superette

L&S Equipment

R-N-R Roofing

Great Plains Bank

Washita State Bank

Crown Geochemisty

Pendleton’s Truck Stop

Gret’s Convenience Store

MODA

Ace Hardware, Cordell

S&T Lawncare

Individual donations were received from Donna Townsend, Carl & Marcee Hose, Kendra Walker, Monica Lovell, Tom & Sharman Spence, Heather Spence, Dean & Angie McConaha, and others who donated anonymously.

Next on the God’s Love in Action agenda is Chewy Tuesdays.

OK, time for one FAQ.  If the Easter Egg Hunt is Love Ambush #1, what’s #2?  That would be Trunk or Treat held in October.

Chewy Tuesdays is gearing up for its 8th season

Chewy Tuesdays kicks off its 8^th summer season in just a month.  Tuesday, 5 June 2018 marks the beginning of another season of love delivered in a paper sack.  What is Chewy Tuesdays?

It is a ministry of the Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church conducted on every Tuesday in June and July to feed children in Burns Flat.  This year the ministry will include Dill City if there are sufficient volunteers to deliver to that area.  Chewy Tuesdays is more than a food ministry.  It is a chance to tell children that God loves them.  Children do not heart that simple message enough.

Among the kid-friendly lunch, fare are hot dogs, ham and cheese sandwiches, and the longtime favorite—peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  There are some simple sides to go with this meal delivered in a decorated paper bag but among them, the most valued is fresh fruit.

Fruit is something that many children simply do not get in the course of the summer.  Prices have precluded many families from purchasing grapes and bananas and even apples.  Regardless of the main course, each meal always includes fruit.

Ministry members have been contacting families that they know have children that might enjoy the Tuesday lunch but so many just don’t know about Chewy Tuesdays.   The only requirement to receive the meals is that the parents contact the church or the ministry leader, Don Foust and report any food allergies for any of the children receiving meals.  It’s just that simple.  Income level does not matter.  Every child needs to be told that God loves them, so it is important that the children are present to receive the meals. 

Ministry members also appreciate a phone call if the children will be out of town on any given Tuesday.  If you would like your children to receive these meals and this wonderful reminder of God’s love, please contact Don Foust:  (580) 660-6666.  If you would like to help support this ministry, you may contact Don or the church at (580) 562-4706.  If you can’t participate directly but would like to donate, please make your check out to CPC and put Chewy Tuesdays in the “for” line. 

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is located at 205 State Highway 44 in Burns Flat, Oklahoma.  The mailing address is PO Box 8, Burns Flat, Oklahoma 73624.  The church motto is God’s Love in Action!