On behalf of the Christian Education Committee we would like to say Thank You to all our amazing teachers at Okemos Community Church for your commitment, creativity, and gifts that you share with our congregation. "For Every Lesson You've Prepared...The Love of God Has Been Shared!"
Elementary School Teachers:
Lora Pence
Lauren Zoleki-Polzin
Sarah Beck
Allie Williams
Middle and High School Teachers:
Sarah Beck
Marci Hooper
Allie Williams
Adult Study Teachers/Leaders:
Jay Cook
Pastor Rick Blunt
Allie Williams
* A generous donation was given to the Christian Education Committee in order to make a gift of $300 to Ele's Place to honor the work of our teachers at OCC.
Each Sunday you can view a video message from Pastor Rick
written to bring the comfort, strength, and hope of God's Word
to our current circumstance.
Sunday videos are available beginning at 9am.
Pastor Rick is also recording a mid-week devotion every Thursday.
Shorter and simpler, these talks are a source of encouragement
and designed to uplift your spirits.
Thursday devotions are available beginning at 7pm.
We need your help!!! Every time there is Facebook post and/or a YouTube post,
please do THREE things:
LIKE or love the post.
SHARE the post to your page. You have influence and likely have many friends who are not receiving news and posts from OCC. Please share. It multiplies our visibility greatly.
COMMENT. This really helps with the algorithms used by Facebook and YouTube and helps people find our page more easily. Comments can be a single word, such as "Amen" or "Great" or a simple comment like "I loved this."
Click the Button Below to view past OCC Sermons and
Mid-week Devotionals
Zoom Fellowship Time with OCC Staff Members
Do you miss the conversations and talking with church friends during Coffee and Fellowship Time after worship? Want to touch base with people you’ve not seen or talked with for weeks? Here’s your chance. There will be a Zoom Fellowship Time from 11:30am until 12:30pm beginning on Sunday, June 7.
Contact the office for the link and password to join the gathering. We can host up to 100 people, so there is room for you. If numbers get large, we’ll break into smaller groups—like the Chapel group, the Patio Group, the Couch Crew, and the Rotunda Roundtable.
Pastor Rick, Allie Williams, Jon TenBrink and Cwen Homa will be there and welcome you.
Remember, you can connect with Zoom gathering by phone, as well as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The office has the phone number to connect by phone.
Sanctuary Available for Private Prayer
On Monday, June 15, the sanctuary will be available for prayer between 2:30—4 pm. This is a time to be in this sacred and familiar space to pray, commune with God, and find the peace which comes in a sanctuary, literally “a refuge.”
There are several restrictions
Masks must be worn.
Social distancing must be observed (6 feet apart).
Use the automated door opener coming and going to avoid touching door handles.
Avoid touching surfaces.
Limited to 10 persons in the sanctuary at a time.
Disinfect your space in the sanctuary when leaving. Disinfecting wipes provided.
Avoid use of restroom and drinking fountains. (Paper cups available for water.)
There will be quiet piano music played intermittently and Pastor Rick will offer prayer.
Communion to Be Celebrated Sunday, June 14
Pastor Rick is planning to celebrate communion on June 14. He will consecrate the elements during his video message for that day. Then the bread and juice will be available for drive-thru pick-up on Sunday afternoon from 12 noon until 2pm. They will also be available on Monday, June 15 from 4—6pm.
The element will come in a sealed, pre-filled container of grape juice and a soft wafer for an individual worshipper. These individual containers will be placed in zip lock bags with a printed prayer to use when taking communion.
Drive up to the main entrance during the assigned hours on Sunday or Monday and Pastor Rick will be there with the elements. If you know someone who cannot get out to pick up their communion elements, please contact them to arrange dropping them off on their porch.
We Want Your Input: OCC Survey
Help OCC know how to best help you and minister to you during these unusual times. We have a short, 4-question survey that will take about 2 minutes to complete. It will provide us valuable information for planning. Please take a couple of minutes to complete it now.
We want to know which communications and events you are currently connecting with; which are most helpful; whether you would participate in some new ideas being considered; and when you think you will be ready to return to in-person worship.
Thursdays at 2:00pm, you are invited to get a cup of coffee (or tea, or Coke, or your favorite drink) and a cookie or snack and join Pastor Rick for coffee and conversation via Zoom. You’ll need to let the office know you’re attending so that you can be sent the link and password to join the gathering. This is a no agenda gathering. Informal and relaxed, like gathering at a local coffee shop. We’d love to have you join.
Need help navigating Zoom? Click the button below for helpful tips and information on getting started.
Did you miss the Live-Hymn Singing This Week?
Don't worry! You can still listen to Cwen and Lindsay as they share some favorite hymns from their Live-Hymn singing session on Facebook.
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If you enjoyed either participating in or listening to the Live-Hymn singing session this week and would like to do more--please let us know by clicking here!
To read the most current messages from Pastor Rick about some of the considerations and factors being looked at in deciding when to safely resume worship and other in-person activities
at OCC see the links below. Click Here for May 22nd Update Click Herefor May 28th Update & Devotional
The building is officially closed....Please be aware of the following guidelines:
The primary things happening in the building are the Food Pantry and staff work to keep things going.
Do not expect to enter the building. Beyond staff, others entering the building must be pre-authorized by Pastor Rick or Office Manager Beth.
In compliance with an Ingham Country order, everyone entering the building must check-in and complete a health screening.
During this time, even staff members are coordinating their time in the building to avoid being in the building at the same time, and observing strict disinfecting practices.
Thank you for your gifts. Even though we are not meeting in the building, all staff members are working their regular hours. Payroll, utilities, and expenses continue. Your faithful giving will help us avoid a financial crisis. Thank you for continuing to give.
There are three ways to give:
1. Mail your gift to P.O. Box 680, Okemos, MI 48805. (Note the zip code for P.O. boxes is different. Do not send to the street address. We do not have a mailbox on site and therefore the Post Office will send your mail back to you, and that can take 3-5 weeks.)
2. EFT giving (Electronic Fund Transfer). See the authorization form below. We use Vanco services for this. It makes giving automatic. Choose your giving pattern (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, annually). You may also designate gifts to special offerings, renovation, monthly missions, etc. Contact the office or treasurer Marci Hooper for more information.
3. Online Giving Suspended. We have not received enough response from online giving to sustain continuing the platform at this time. We are working on other ways to give online. Please continue to mail in your contributions.
May Financial Update
INCOME:
Average monthly income per budget: $ 40,868 (revised after additional campaign)
Income received- this month: $ 31,468
Thank you for your 2020 prepayments which we will use monthly to best reflect our financial position.
Please keep mailing your donations throughout the summer. Thank you!
EXPENSES:
Average monthly expenses per budget: $ 41,731
Expenses- this month: $ 33,225
The asbestos abatement in the kitchen was completed on Friday and the air quality testing was completed on Saturday. The kitchen is now a bare room waiting for construction. Thanks for your support for the renovation.
Our normal June mission focus is the Simple Summer Lunch program that is part of the Okemos Public Schools Summer Recreation program. Any funds received above and beyond what is needed for that program would go to the Weekend Survival Kits Backpack Program which provides food for children in food insecure homes. Unfortunately, the recreation program has been cancelled due to COVID-19. At this time it is not known whether lunches will be provided. The Missions Committee is committed to using any funds collected this month for feeding school children. Even though at this moment we do not know which program will receive the funds, please know that any money received will be used for that purpose. Thank you for your support.
--Deb Hallgren
OCC Missions Chair
Please note "June-feeding children" on your check memo.
The shelves are in and stocked. This move will eliminate many up and down trips from the lower level to the main level. Bags of food can be packed in Room 104 and taken out to the parking lot for pick up by families.
The eventual goal, in 2021, is to move to self-select, where families will choose their own food items according to guidelines based on family size.
The lower level Food Pantry area will continue to house Judy's office and additional food stock.
Thank you for your continued support for the Food Pantry. Our usage continues to increase and the need for financial support grows.
Special thanks to Mary and John Gardner for assembly shelves and helping stock them, to Judy Moore for her expert advice on how to arrange shelves and where to place food items, to Deb and Jim Windsand, Mary Lovik, Rick Farris, Stacey Nill and Beth Baldwin. Each person has put in extra time to assist the pantry.
Donations needed! If you would like to help donate items to the food pantry, we are in need of personal needs items.
Please leave items on the black cart outside of the main doors, M-TH 9am to 12pm.
Items in need are:
Laundry Detergent
Shaving Cream
Dish Soap
If you have any questions, please call the office or email Beth at office@okemosocc.org.
Thank you for helping the Food Pantry!
Responding to the Historic Flood in the Midland Area
The news of the 500-year flood in the Midland area are devastating. Over 10,000 people have been evacuated and many homes destroyed and damaged. One dam broke and a second was breached, causing two lakes to drain into rivers, creating massive flooding.
If you would like to respond, know that UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is already at work coordinating response with other agencies. Gifts through UMCOR go 100% to the response with no funds deducted for overhead or operating expenses. You may give directly using the link below or you can send your donation to OCC at P.O. Box 680, Okemos, MI 48805, noting “UMCOR Floods 2020” in the memo area.
An alternative date and location for the Spring Blood Drive is scheduled for
Monday, June 22, 11 am - 5 pm, at Red Cedar Church, 550 W Grand River, Okemos, out near VanAtta Rd. Click Here to register for this date.
American Red Cross Social Distancing measures:
Availability of Donation Appointments
To support social distancing, appointments are now required. With thousands of blood drives cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working hard to open new donation sites. If you don’t see available appointments near you in the near future, please search 7-10 days out. The need for blood is constant - patients need your help.
Click Here for a special message from Allie Williams regarding our discussions of Race and Faith with our children, youth. and families at OCC.
We will continue our YG Tuesday & Thursday Sessions and Wednesday Bible Story Time for Kids through June 11th and then we will switch over to a summer schedule!
*SUMMER Youth Sessions: *SUMMER Sunday Morning Devotionals for Youth: *SUMMER HS Only Chats: TBD--coming soon! *SUMMER Bible Story Time & Lesson for Kids:
Meetup for Moms: Wednesdays at 9:00pm Elementary Sunday School at Home Videos and Resources sent via e-mail on Fridays *all sessions are conducted via ZOOM Meetings
Our mailing address is:
PO Box 680, Okemos, MI 48805 e-mail: office@okemosOCC.org
phone: 517-349-4220 www.OkemosOCC.org
Pastoral Care Emergencies
(Use this number after office hours, evenings, weekends)
517-258-1275
Responding to the Historic Flood in the Midland Area
