Trunk or Treat is just Days Away

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma announced today that this year’s Trunk or Treat will be held on Wednesday, 31 October 2018.  Trunk or Treat offers games and gifts for all children, greetings of God loves you, and plenty of candy.  

This year’s plans include a hayride.  Trunk or Treat runs from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is located at 205 State Highway 44, just north and east of Burns Flat’s traffic light.  Come and be blessed!

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!

I would really like to go to Reunion Sunday, but...

Reunion Sunday – 29 October 2017 – For those who are still holding on to their excuses…

Whatever it was that has kept you away, it is in the past.

Didn’t like the preacher?  It’s not about the preacher.  It’s about worshiping God.

Didn’t like the last sermon you heard?  It’s not about edutainment.  It’s about being with other believers and worshiping God.

Didn’t like the food at the fellowship meal.  Hey!  That just didn’t happen.  Throw out that excuse.

Afraid that people will give you funny looks because you have been away so long?  It could happen, but you should understand that smiles and hugs and handshakes and “Welcome” are our language.

Can’t remember why you stopped coming?  You just stopped and one day you got comfortable not worshiping God with other believers.  Ouch!  The world desires to conform you to its ways.

You like the television preachers better?  Who wouldn’t.  They can polish a message and broadcast it to many.  They are a good supplement to hearing God’s word read live and in the presence of other believers.  The television pastor or listening audience probably won’t visit you when you are sick, pray with you, or do your funeral service.  You belong in a flesh and blood family of faith.  Hint:  DVR for the TV messages.

Didn’t get enough recognition for everything you did for the church?  Maybe it’s time for one of those sermons that you don’t want to hear.

Here’s the thing.  Worship is not a buffet.  You don’t come to worship to be fed or entertained or even educated.  You come to worship God.  You come to give your heart fully to God.  In the process, you are fed and sometimes entertained and educated and feel better than you think you have a right to feel.  Welcome to God’s love.

OK, let’s cover a few buts…

But, the Bible doesn’t say you have to come to church.  Correct!  It says don’t stop coming.

But, I can worship God at home or on the lake or even visiting my grandkids.  That’s exactly what the Bible tells us to do.  Our whole lives are an act of worship; however, those things and more are to be done in addition to gathering and worshiping God.  Most of our worship is done outside the church building.

But I grew up Baptist or Catholic or Pentecostal…    There is one church and Jesus is the head.  We worship the same God, follow the same Jesus, and have received the same Spirit.  While the names on the walls and some of the traditions are different, these bodies of believers as well as every believer since Jesus said, “On this rock I build my church,” and the Holy Spirit kicked it into action are all a part of the same church.

We are the church!  We who have professed Jesus as Lord and Savior are the church.  We who follow Jesus are the church.

And…   

The church is called to gather frequently and worship the Lord together.  Worship gets us a long way to living in one accord.

Worship liberates us from what the world seeks to make us.

Worship helps us enjoy fellowship with one another.

Worship helps us love one another.

Worship helps us put aside our petty excuses (I know they seem huge to you right now) and enjoy the abundant life that God desires.

Worship is something wonderful that God designed us to do. 

If you read this far, why not take the next step and worship with us this Sunday.  The Call to Worship is at 10:55 a.m.  We have a meal after the service.

Come and worship the Lord.

Come and enjoy the fellowship of his people.

Come and be blessed.

Big Yard Sale set to begin this Thursday

The town-wide yard sale isn’t for another month, but in the Sooner State folks are just likely to jump the gun on selling and finding bargains.  The Cumberland Presbyterian Elementary Youth are holding a yard sale at 323 Suwannee in Burns Flat beginning this Thursday and continuing through Saturday. 

Why a 3-day sale?

The answer is because they have too much to sell in one day and bargains arrive new each day. You will want to buy something every time you stop in.

Why should I go to this yard sale?

The answer is that these sales help send elementary youth to church camp this June.  Camp is a place where many transformations take place but it costs $300 per child to go to camp.  It is expensive but well worth it.

So what are those who can’t afford it to do?  Raise money!  Selling hotdogs at Atwoods, silent auctions, and yes—a 3-day yard sale helps these youth earn their way to camp.

These youth belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma.  You may have seen them handing out Gospels of John or blue wrist-bands that say:  God loves you – Love one another.  This week they need a little boost to get them to camp.

Donations are being accepted starting Monday and continuing through the week.  The sale begins on Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m.  Donate something that you don’t need anymore.  Buy something that you can’t live without.  Send a kid to camp!

Yard Sale

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday

11-13 May 2017

323 Suwannee

8 am to ???

Burns Flat, Oklahoma 73624

Easter Egg Hunt Blesses Many

The weather cooperated and more than 150 egg hunters arrived from places near and far, mostly near, as over 5,000 colored eggs full of candy and prizes awaited children up to the age of 12.  Supplies were gathered and eggs were stuffed in the weeks preceding the event.  At 8:30 on Saturday morning, over a dozen volunteers under the direction of Missions Team Leader Heather Spence assembled at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and distributed the eggs into four age specific sections.

This was a community event sponsored by the church but it was not about honoring the Easter Bunny.  Prizes included children’s Bibles, wristbands, erasers, and other prizes with messages reminding the recipients that God really does love them.  Volunteers circulated among the adults and children with that same message:  God loves you!

The methodology was to lure the children to the event with eggs of all colors, candy, and prizes; then to ambush them with God’s love.  Several years ago, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church adopted the Easter Egg Hunt as a mission.  It has been embraced by the community.  This year, monetary donations exceeded $1,100.  There were also many gifts-in-kind.

Local Businesses that donated were Crown Geochemistry, Washita State Bank, Great Plains National Bank, Gret’s, Burns Flat Hardware, Pendleton’s Truck Stop, and Long John Silver’s of Clinton.  MODA once again donated prize baskets.  Individual donations included the Leon Williams family, the Donna Townsend Family, the Robert Wascom Family.  Donations in the form of Memorials were made in the names of Tonia Duncan and others in the names of Barbara and John Wascom.

(Above:  Drew Walker finds many treasures).

(Right:  Libby Spence helped sort and stage prizes for Saturday morning.)

(Left:  The youngest children seemed to have the most fun.)

Community Easter Egg Hunt set for Saturday at 10 am

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat announced that it would once again host the Community Easter Egg Hunt.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, 15 April 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
15 April 2017 on the church property.

The Easter Egg Hunt is for the youngest of children all the way up to those 12 years of age.  Many in the community have been quite generous and there will be many eggs and many prizes.  The Cumberland Presbyterian Church invites you to come and be blessed!


Where is the Cumberland Presbyterian Church?  It is at 205 Highway 44 (Just north and east of the traffic light).

What if my child doesn't have an Easter Basket?  Not to worry, there will be baskets on hand just for that purpose.

What should I wear?  Check the weather that morning, but the current forcast is for temperatures in the 70's and some clouds.  Please wear shoes not sandals as there may be an occasional grass burr in the field.

WARNING!!!  Someone will tell your child that God loves them!

Scouts and Students Kick off Fall Food Drives

Saturday, 12 November 2016.  Gathering at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning may be a challenge for some but not for all.  Over two dozen students gathered with a few adults at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat to go out into the community to collect food to begin the fall food drives.  This event was sponsored by Scout Troop 310 but truly was a community event because of the student involvement.

In less than two hours, food was collected, checked for expiration dates, and sorted by type.  Food drives at Will Rogers Elementary and the BFDC High School typically add to this so that the needs of those who might otherwise go without are met.  Participation of the students not only made the tasks of the morning go quickly, it is also training in service and helps to promote compassion in the generations to come.

Much more food is needed, so please support the school food drives or bring your donations in person to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat.

Calling all volunteers this Saturday!

Looking for a short term volunteer opportunity?  We need labor, muscle, smarts, tools, and great attitudes to converge at Christi’s at 10 am this Saturday.  You heard that we were fixing some things.  We need to move furniture and merchandise, do some painting, and a few things that we don’t even know need done until we get started.

We need volunteers who can move things large and small, disassemble, clean, paint, take out trash, put down drop cloths or just pitch in where needed.  We need people with tools or people without tools who can do some grunt work.  We are calling for volunteers.

If you have wanted to be a part of this wonderful ministry, now is the time to gather with board members and volunteers and help us move towards our grand reopening at Christi’s.

10 am

Saturday, 8 October 2016

Christi’s Bazaar

110 S. Main Street

Elk City, Oklahoma

If you can’t make it exactly at 10, stop by as soon as you can.  Having a second and third wave of help would be fantastic.

Backpack Ministry Helps 101 Local Children

The generosity of the Burns Flat-Dill City community reached 101 children this year with a full complement of school supplies.  This Monday, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church gave out 98 backpacks to children of families that needed a little extra help this year.  Another 3 were helped the next day.  If annual patterns hold true, a few more will come seeking assistance over the next two weeks.

How does this all come together?  First the Cumberland Presbyterian Church budgets $1000, then the Vacation Bible School dedicates its offering to the Backpack Ministry, and then local businesses and individuals are led to add to that amount.  In the end, every child that came for supplies was given a new backpack and a grade specific bag—and sometimes tub—full of supplies.

While the economy may still be a little rocky in these parts, generosity still prevails among those who remain.  The Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church wishes to thank all donors and helpers.  We have once again been blessed to be a blessing!



... A little post script.  As of 15 August 2016, the number of children helped was 105.

Backpack Ministry kicks off in Burns Flat – Dill City

For the past decade, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma has helped needy children with school supplies.  The church consistently helps between 75 and 100 children.

This year, the church plans once again to help all of the local elementary children who need supplies but can’t afford them.

Concurrently, the church is asking the community to respond to this need with money, supplies, and other gifts-in-kind.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church offerings taken up at Vacation Bible School were dedicated to purchasing school supplies.  If historical trends continue, several individuals in the community will find Pastor Tom sometime over the next two weeks and give him a donation for this much-needed ministry.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church will also take up special offerings over the next two weeks to support this ministry.  Historically, it costs about $50 to outfit a child with supplies.  That means that the need is $5,000.

Registration to receive supplies will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday 3 August 2016.  Dates and times for issue will be provided at that time.

Parents must come in person to register.  There are no “qualifying conditions” to receive supplies for households with children enrolled in the Burns Flat – Dill City School System.  All are reminded that these are not “free supplies” available for the taking, but supplies for those who need them and cannot afford them.  Parents are asked not to register for supplies just because there is no charge, but to assist the ministry in stretching the supplies and funds available to those who need them most.

Groups and individuals desiring to donate to this local ministry may stop by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church or mail checks to CPC, Box 8, Burns Flat, OK 73624.  Please note “Backpack Ministry” in the for line of the check.

The church is located at 205 State Highway 44 in Burns Flat.  That is immediately north and east of the town’s only traffic light.

Frequently Needed Supplies

Crayons (both 48 and 24 count)

Colored pencils

Large bottle of Elmer’s Glue

Jumbo Glue Sticks

Markers

Pencils (#2) Box

Pencils (#2) Box of pre-sharpened

Washable Classic Colors Markers (Box)

Water colors

Disinfecting wipes

Blunt tip scissors

Fiskar sharp-pointed scissors

Kindermat

Big Yard Sale for a Great Cause begins Thursday

The town-wide yard sale does not officially begin until this Saturday, but nobody told the Cumberland Presbyterian youth that.  They are holding a yard sale at 323 Suwannee in Burns Flat beginning this Thursday and continuing through Saturday. 

Why a 3-day sale?

The answer is because they have too much to sell in one day.

Why should I go to this yard sale?

The answer is that these sales help send elementary youth to church camp this July.  Camp is a place where many transformations take place but it costs $300 per child to go to camp.  It is expensive but well worth it.

So what are those who can’t afford it to do?  Raise money!  Selling hotdogs at Atwoods, silent auctions, and yes—a 3-day yard sale helps these youth earn their way to camp.

These youth belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma.  You may have seen them handing out Gospels of John or blue wrist-bands that say:  God loves you – Love one another.  This week they need a little boost to get them to camp.

Donations are being accepted now.  The sale begins on Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m.  Donate something that you don’t need anymore.  Buy something that you can’t live without.  Send a kid to camp!

Yard Sale

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday

9-11 June 2016

323 Suwannee

Burns Flat, Oklahoma 73624

Chewy Tuesdays is Underway!

Chewy Tuesdays kicked off its 6^th summer season today—Tuesday, 7 June 2016.  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 has expanded to include Dill City.  It 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 long time 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 simple 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!

Fantastic turnout for Community Easter Egg Hunt

Burns Flat, Oklahoma, 26 March 2016:  The sun was shining, the wind was light, and helpers were plentiful as the final preparations were made to host the Community Easter Egg Hunt.

For the third consecutive year the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma hosted the event.   Thousands of eggs, hundreds of prizes, candy a plenty, and hunters galore were all in place by 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

Following a prayer of thanksgiving, hunters were grouped by age and led to their respective areas and then the fun began.  Thousands of colored eggs full of prizes and surprises filled hundreds of baskets to overflowing.  Children and adults alike enjoyed the event.

But wait a minute—a church is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt, really?  I though the church had a different Easter message.   Not sure if that is a dichotomy, an oxymoron, or a paradox?  Don’t decide until you hear a little bit of the story. 

Three years ago the Cumberland Presbyterian Church stepped in at the last minute and with the help of several donors, put on an Easter Egg Hunt that had previously been sponsored by the now defunct Chamber of Commerce and then by various individuals.  It was not going to happen otherwise.

Then, the real story began. The church session voted to adopt the Easter Egg Hunt as a ministry.

Hold your holy horses!  Hunting Easter Eggs is not about the real Easter story. Why is a church adopting this pagan pageant for kids?  Why indeed?

Does this church not know that the world is invading Christianity? How could they do this?

Actually, the world is not invading Christianity. Christianity is invading a lost world. The truth that Christians carry is being marched in to community after community around the world. That invasion has been underway for 2000 years.

It is not carried out with tank divisions and air strikes but with messages of how much God loves you.  In addition to the many prizes the children received, they also received a Gospel of John, stickers with a message of love, and pencils proclaim how much God loves us.

Heather Spence, the missions committee chair, engaged every helper with not only specific assignments, but the charge to convey the love of God in every encounter.  Robert Wascom and Don Foust roamed among the children with stickers and pencils and messages of “God loves you.”  Susan Manuel and Nora McCullough took names of children that might be blessed with a bicycle.  Adults and children put in names other than their own of children that might not ever have a bicycle otherwise.  Two bikes were delivered shortly after the egg hunt concluded.

Many worked for weeks in advance stuffing eggs and staging donations among them were Alice Callahan, Dora Westreicher, Buffy Westreicher, Victoria Glover, and Tom Collins.

This event truly reflected the generosity of the community. Linda Wascom was the donation coordinator.   Among the many donors were Burns Flat Auto Service Center, Washita State Bank, R-N-R Roofing, Heavenly Bodies, L&S Equipment, The Shop, Crown Geochemisty, Inc., Keith’s Butcher Shop, MODA, Advance America, Burns Flat City Hall, Great Plains National Bank, Bessie COOP, Rystic Star, Rudy’s Superette, Gret’s, Walmart Elk City, and many individual donors.

Church to host Easter Egg Hunt for 3rd consecutive year

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma announced today that the community Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, 26 March 2016 at 10:00 a.m.  That’s correct; the church is sponsoring the Easter Egg Hunt.

Not sure if that is a dichotomy, an oxymoron, or a paradox?  Don’t decide until you hear a little bit of the story. 

Three years ago the Cumberland Presbyterian Church stepped in at the last minute and with the help of several donors, put on an Easter Egg Hunt.  It was not going to happen otherwise.

Then, the real story began. The church session voted to adopt the Easter Egg Hunt as a ministry.

Hold your holy horses!

Hunting Easter Eggs is not about the real Easter story. Why is a church adopting this pagan pageant for kids?  Why indeed?

Does this church not know that the world is invading Christianity? How could they do this?

Actually, the world is not invading Christianity. Christianity is invading a pagan world. The truth that Christians carry is being marched in to community after community around the world. That invasion has been underway for 2000 years.

It is not carried out with tank divisions and air strikes but with messages of how much God loves you.  Strategy and tactics still play a role.

Sometimes people don’t answer their doors when they see the Christians coming with their good news, but they will bring their children to the community Easter Egg Hunt just like they bring them to Trunk or Treat on Halloween.

Church members give out plenty of candy at both events. Parents need not worry. Their children will still receive enough candy to give them stomach aches all night long and keep the dental profession in business for decades to come.

But the kids and adults will receive more than candy eggs or hollow chocolate bunnies. They will receive gospels, Bibles, Bible story books, God Loves You books, and more.  It will still be a blast for the kids, but in the midst of all the egg hunting, the message of Easter will be given to all.

Back to 2016:  Be at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 26 March 2015.  The hunt is for children up to age 12.

Donations by organizations, businesses, and individuals may be delivered to the church any time during March or mailed to Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Box 8, Burns Flat OK 73624.  Helpers will be needed to place the eggs at 9:00 a.m. that Saturday morning and to help give out prizes during the hunt.

Be God's love--ring a bell for an hour or two

Did you ever consider ringing the bell for the Salvation Army?  Because of the close association of the WOFCC with the Salvation Army, we coordinate bell ringers for the Elk City Walmart.

As it turns out, we need volunteers, some for as early as tomorrow.  If you could man a bell for an hour or two, please call 580 225-5500 and ask for Tim.  This is an easy way to be a part of God’s love here in western Oklahoma.

Please support Christi's--get a bargain and help people in need

To all of the saints living in Western Oklahoma,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Many of your congregations already know of the Western Oklahoma Family Care Center and what we do as God’s love in action in four counties in western Oklahoma.  Some, however, may not realize that we also operate a thrift store.

Christi’s  Bazaar is located at 110 S. Main Street, Elk City, Oklahoma and proceeds from the store support the Family Care Center.  We ask your help in letting your congregations know about us.  We need not only to generate revenue to support the center but need volunteers and donations as well.  Perhaps there are some within your families of faith that are led to volunteer.  They may stop in Christi’s and ask for a volunteer application Tuesday through Saturday.

To help promote traffic to Christi’s among the faithful in western Oklahoma, please announce that anyone that brings their church bulletin into the store will receive an extra 10% off any purchase through January 2016.

If you already have an allegiance to an area thrift store, we do not want to disrupt that in any way, but if anyone has not considered shopping at or donating to a thrift store to support local ministries, please consider Christi’s in the coming weeks.  Christi’s also has a Facebook page where we announce sales and specials.  Please help us be God’s love in western Oklahoma.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Backpack Ministry helps 125 children

In the course of just 2 hours this past Wednesday evening, 122 children received backpacks, grade appropriate school supplies, gospels, and wristbands that read:  GOD LOVES YOU – LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  Within the next 24 hours, 3 other children were given supplies.  Some other latecomers are anticipated in the days ahead.

The Backpack Ministry is a ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma but engages the entire community.  Individuals and business alike augmented the amount budgeted for supplies by the church.  Savvy shoppers made the most of off season bargains to maximize the funds available.  That savings was essential as the number of children helped increased by almost 50% over previous years.

Despite the throughput, this was a relaxed and deliberate process where helpers were able to talk with parents as children picked out backpacks and other helpers brought them the supplies to fill them.  Everyone received a Gospel of John.  Many adults and children received Bibles, and anyone who was hungry took home food.

What’s next on the horizon for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church missions team?  Trunk or Treat on 31 October 2015.  The motto of the Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church is God’s Love in Action.

Backpack Ministry underway--seeking donations

For teachers, school is just a month away.  Students have a few days longer before their return to the classroom, but for those involved in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Backpack Ministry, school is in session now.

For the past several years, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has helped children with school supplies.  Normally, between 80 and 100 children are helped each year.  The church budgets a significant amount of money each year for this ministry.  The Vacation Bible School offering goes to purchase school supplies for children in our own community.  Often the Burns Flat – Dill City Ministerial Alliance makes a contribution, but most of the funds that make this ministry possible come from the generosity of individuals in the community.

If historical trends hold, the Backpack Ministry will need $5,000 to accomplish the mission this year.  For the past 7 years, every child that has come for help received help with almost 100% of their required supplies.  That means that many who have been blessed chose to bless others.

That will need to continue this year if those in need are to receive help once again.  For those parents who are able to purchase school supplies for their own children, please consider purchasing supplies for 1 or 2 more children.  It costs about $50 to outfit a child with a backpack and the supplies to fill it.

If you would like to donate to this local mission, you may make a check out to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and note “Backpacks” in the “for “ section of your check.  Drop the donation by the church building at 205 State Highway 44 in Burns Flat or mail it to PO Box 8, Burns Flat OK 73624.

Sign up dates for those needing help with school supplies will be announced soon.  Now is the time to call upon the generosity of the community once again as the school year approaches.

A genuine thank you to the Elk City Walmart

Sometimes I get upset at the lines in Walmart.  Sometimes I complain that the prices don’t ring up right at the register.  But sometimes, I just have to give a shout out to some genuine generosity on the part of our local Walmart.

Such was the subject of a letter I posted today to the manager and employees of the Elk City Walmart.

Dear Elk City Walmart Supercenter,

Thank you for your recent donations to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma.

You recently helped us to feed our Wednesday night crowd with several cooked pizzas.  This was a blessing in that the several volunteers that typically cook our Wednesday night meal received a much needed break, and let’s face it, clean up after pizza is just outright easy.  Thank you.

There’s a little more to this story that I want to share with you.  You did not just donate to a church.  You helped a community.  Most of our Wednesday night attendance is children.  Sadly, if it were not for the school lunch that many received, they would go hungry most every day.  Many of the children we feed on Wednesday night before our classes and services are children that are actually hungry. 

That may seem hard to believe, but we feed kids that don’t get much love or food in their homes.

Some of the parents of these children do not even know that they are at the church and many of these parents don’t care.  That could just be a sad statement, except when they come to the church on Wednesday evenings, they run to the front door.  They know they will be fed, and loved, and at least for a couple hours, brought up in the way they should go.

You see that you did more than donate pizzas; you helped us connect with children that are disconnected from the love they should know all the time.

The story doesn’t end here.

Recently, you donated some bicycles to the Burns Flat churches.  Pastor Dwight Shephard picked up some and distributed 2 girls’ bicycles to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Their arrival was perfect timing as the church recently adopted the community Easter Egg Hunt.  One of the bicycles was put up for a special sort of drawing.  Adults and children were not allowed to enter their own names in the drawing, but were asked to think of a child who could really use a bike but could not afford it.

You might be thinking, “He should have specified a ‘girls’ bike.”  That was the original intent; however, prompted by the generosity of your donation, a church member donated a boy’s bike just in time for the egg hunt.

We were blessed to draw both for both and boy and girl’s bicycle.  Want more?

The reaction of both adults and youth when the names were read was one of divine providence.  I knew neither child, but it seemed that many did and these were perfect selections.

The bicycle that you donated was presented to a young lady who will not be named in this article.  She lives in Burns Flat and received quite the surprise on Easter Afternoon.  The Cumberland Presbyterian Church added several boxes of food and 2 gift cards so that the entire family was blessed.

Want just a little more?

The bicycles that you donated were picked up by the pastor of the local Assembly of God Church, given away by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and delivered by three members of the First Baptist Church of Burns Flat.  How’s that for connecting with a community.

We thank you for your donation.  I hope that you realize it’s more than pizzas and bicycles by the time we put your gifts to use.  

Blessings to you and your employees,                                                                   

Tom Spence

Pastor