Recently, a youth pastor friend of mine was passing by a middle school girl late one evening during a youth retreat. He noticed she had bread crumbs all over the front of her shirt. Curious and making conversation like youth ministers do, he asked her, “Tiffany, what are those crumbs all over your shirt?”

In His Name, a trio of Christian vocalists, will minister through their inspirational music and testimony at a special Christmas luncheon for all Shawnee area women Saturday, Dec. 6, at Wesley United Methodist Church.

 University Baptist Church has will celebrate its annual Thanks for Giving service at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The children’s choirs of University Baptist Church will sing and guest speaker, Larry Guest, director of community ministries for Mission Shawnee, will speak at the service.
For more information, call 275-1990.

First Baptist Church, 10th and Union in Shawnee, will celebrate the season with Hanging of the Green and the Giving Tree at 10:25 a.m. Nov. 30.

During the season of Advent, beginning Nov. 30, members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee will light a new candle in the Advent Wreath each week to prepare for the coming of Christ on Christmas.

A gospel singing will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Liberty Baptist Church cafeteria. The event is sponsored by the Liberty Singles.

Pastor Larry and Genia Norris of Trinity Baptist Church in Shawnee will be honored Sunday on their 42 wedding anniversary.

Shawnee First Christian (Disciples of Christ) will celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday. The special worship service will include a blessing of hats knitted by members that will be donated to the Angel Tree Project, the annual business meeting of congregation and a fellowship meal.

Deb and I were married less than a year and had settled into our home in northwest Oklahoma when the first cold front blew the threat of snow through Fairview. My young bride handed me a list and said, “Please go to the store.” This is when I learned that in Oklahoma, when a meteorologist says, “it might snow,” we run to the store to stock up on provisions. This is different than my home state of Wisconsin where, when the weatherman says, “snow,” we fire up the snowmobile because it is time to play. As I was leaving for the store, I checked the list and noticed that dried pinto beans were on it. I could not remember eating dried beans before, but I had played with beanbags, so I asked if she was planning a craft project in case we got snowed in. “No, it is going to be cold and we’re having beans, fried potatoes and cornbread for supper. Yum!” she said. Not only do people respond differently to the weather in Oklahoma than they do in Wisconsin, they also eat differently.

“Sometimes when we struggle, we wonder, ‘Where is God in all of this?’” said Dr. Emerson Falls, newly appointed president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Falls, the first Native American to lead Oklahoma’s Baptist convention, challenged Oklahoma Baptist University students to realize, “Sometimes God is near in the ‘far away.’”

Shawnee First Indian Baptist Church presents “Basketweaving with Sue Fish” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the church, corner of Minnesota and Darrow streets.

“I once was lost, but now I’m found,” newly appointed Oklahoma Baptist University President David Whitlock told students and faculty at OBU’s weekly chapel service Wednesday. Whitlock explained how the infinite wisdom of God bridges the gaps of life.

Golden Hearts, the senior adult group of Fairview Baptist Church, met for its monthly luncheon last Friday and  enjoyed a non-traditional Thanksgiving menu and devotion by James Conley.

New Hope Baptist Church in Tecumseh will hold its eighth annual Thanksgiving dinner at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The meal is free, and the public is invited.

Singer Phil Stacey, a finalist on Season six of “American Idol,” will perform during a “Night of Praise” at 6 p.m. Sunday at Evangelistic Center Church, one-half mile south of Hardesty on U.S. 177. Admission is free. Children’s church and a nursery will be provided. For more information, call 275-3038 or visit www.evangelisticcenter.org.

The year was 1517 when an Augustinian monk, a professor of theology, nailed the 95 points of his document to the door of a church in Wittenburg, Germany. It was Oct. 31 when this monk by the name of Martin Luther placed his thesis there for the public to read. Reading some biblical passages opened his mind to the fact that there was conflict with the medieval state church. It was a common proclamation that religious deeds were necessary for salvation.

A clothing giveaway will be 11 a.m. to 2p.m. today at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 519 S. Union. Clothing is available in children’s, men’s, women’s and plus sizes. Housewares also will be available. For more information, call 878-9306 or 273-8063.

Wesley Radio, a broadcast service from the AV Department at Wesley United Methodist Church in Shawnee, has given its Internet radio station a facelift for the holiday season.

Linda Osteen will speak at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the meeting of Aglow International, Shawnee Lighthouse Fellowship. It will be held in the Garden Room at the Cinderella Great Western Motel on Kickapoo Spur.