Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes will be the guest speaker at the September meeting of Disciples Women’s Ministry at Central Christian Church in Dallas.

Deborah is the Senior Pastor at East Dallas Christian Church.  She is a native Dallasite with many ties to East Dallas.

Deborah graduated from Bryan Adams High School in 1980.  She attended Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth where she received her Bachelor of Science in Education.  After graduation, she spent three years teaching public school at L. G. Pinkston High School in West Dallas.

During her time as teacher, Deborah acknowledged her call to ministry and made her way to Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee where she completed her Masters of Divinity degree. 

Deborah was ordained in 1990 and served at First Christian Church of Waynesboro, Tennessee and at Saguaro Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona.

She began her ministry at East Dallas Christian Church in 2006 and loves her work with the historic “congregation-in-transformation,” and the call that brought her back home to Dallas.

She currently serves on the boards of Lakewood’s Juliette Fowler Communities and Literacy Archives.

Seven years ago, Deborah married Don Stokes.  The union brought together a blended family of four cats. Deborah is an avid reader of fiction and when time permits, she loves to travel.  She especially loves to hike the desert southwest, which she fondly refers as “my heart-home.”

The 2018/19 Disciples Women’s study program topic is “Called for God’s Purpose” and Deborah chose the lesson: Positioned for Purpose, the story of Lydia.

“I chose Lydia because she was a rarity in her time—a woman who was a successful merchant during a period when women rarely had access to economic power,” Deborah said. “She made her money by excreting the color ‘purple’ from shells which she sold to Rome’s elite.”

“As a TCU alum, the color purple is important to me,” Deborah quips. “But not only did Lydia make money—she was generous with her earnings, sharing with the first Christian Church, supporting the apostle Paul,” Deborah said.

The lesson states that because Lydia took time away from the busyness of her life to worship God, she was positioned to hear the gospel, become a believer in Christ, transform her entire household and offer hospitality to Paul and his traveling companions. She was positioned for purpose, just as women can be today.

The Disciples Women of Central are excited to welcome Rev. Stokes as the first speaker in the “Spectacular Fall Line-Up” of exciting programs for the coming year.

Following the presentation, as always, lunch will be served in fellowship hall.  The cost for lunch is $5.00 per person and lunch requires a reservation.  Call the church office at 214-526-7291 or email shelia0806@sbcglobal.net. Central is located at 4711 Westside Dr. between Lemmon Avenue and Mockingbird Lane.

The meetings are open to the public (you do not have to be a member of Central or any church for that matter) and all are welcome.

Do you work from home?  If so, you probably love the flexibility and freedom that working from home allows. Additionally, work from home employees and entrepreneurs site traffic, out-of-sight gasoline prices, parking, dress codes and even company politics as great reasons to work from home.   And for many, an added pleasure of working from home is that you have your dog right by your side!

It’s all great, right?  But, bet you never thought you’d miss the conversation around the water cooler and the camaraderie of the weekly lunch bunch.

You can have the best of both worlds! Check out the co-working space available in the Mid-Century Modern building of Central Christian Church of Dallas.

Just like home, there is a fully operable kitchen for preparing a home-made lunch, plenty of dining tables for enjoying it and cozy sofas for when you need a break from the desk.

With “co-working” you can still have the pleasure of chats around the water cooler and at the Keurig coffee bar. And you have the much-coveted benefit of bouncing ideas around with others when you need a second opinion.

Work areas includes modular spaces with freshly painted walls in designer colors and light-filled windows looking out on mature Live Oaks. You may take a break from your lap-top with a walk around the manicured four-acre grounds or spend some quiet time in the meditation garden.  Or de-stress watching the dogs play in the one-acre dog park. If you are still not refreshed and relaxed, there is a Yoga studio.

Tuesday’s community lunch is a “bring and share” pot-luck.  Stop by for lunch and check out the atmosphere. Or call for an appointment to tour the building and discuss prices.   Day passes, two-week passes, monthly passes and more let you customize the plan that suits you best.

And yes, at this dog-friendly church, you can work with your dog by your side!

The members of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) enjoyed a “Hymn Sing” and a hamburger cook-out followed by a patriotic sing-a-long to celebrate the Fourth of July Sunday morning.

For Sunday’s gathering, rather than a “traditional” church service, members had been asked to list their favorite hymns the previous Sunday. “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Just A Closer Walk With Thee,” “Blessed Assurance” and “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” were among the most requested songs tallied.

Led by Music Director, David Aston, and the chancel choir, the congregation had the opportunity to sing those special tunes–so dear to their hearts. 

Soloists Marsha Anderson performed “The Lord’s Prayer” and Amelita Facchiano “He Lives.”  Pianist Tim Caffe,  guitarist Erik Stolpe and organist David Aston accompanied the choir for a beautiful musical ministry.

Following morning worship, everyone gathered in fellowship hall to enjoy delicious hamburgers grilled on -premise by elders Frank Whitington and Jim Archer as well as home-made picnic sides like baked beans, potato salad, black bean and corn salad, watermelon and more prepared by the Disciples Women. Banana pudding, peach cobbler, brownies and Million dollar Pie were among the dessert choices.

Following lunch was another sing-a-long.  Patriotic tunes like “Grand Ole’ Flag” and “The Star Spangled Banner” reminded everyone how fortunate we are to live in a country that allows us the freedoms that we enjoy. 

Central Christian Church wishes everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July. Join us anytime.  All are Welcome! All means all!

Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a church of many hats.  Yes, the mission is loving God and loving each other, spreading the Good News, changing the world for the better and reaching out into the community to those who are suffering and in need due to circumstance and events. 

But Central also recognizes the daily needs of those among us who are seeking new friendships, new purposes and new experiences.  The “Fall Line-up” will offer something for everyone—a chance to get involved in fulfilling activities.

The Disciples Women’s Ministry will resume monthly meetings on Tuesday, September 4 with Rev. Dr. Debbie Chisolm sharing the story of “Hulda and Anna” from the study guide "Purpose and Call."  If you had the opportunity to hear Debbie speak in person or on WRR:  Classical 101 Radio you know that the program is one you won’t want to miss.

And that is only the beginning.  The “line-up” includes a variety of wonderful professional speakers like Rev. Deborah Morgan Stokes, Senior Minister of East Dallas Christian Church and Dr. Katie Hays of Galileo Church that prides itself on being the “quirky church for spiritual refugees.”

Always following the program is a “five-star lunch” in the dining area of Fellowship Hall. The cost for lunch is $5.00 and the meetings are open to everyone.  Just call the church office for a reservation.

Beginning in September, Tuesday mornings at 8:30 you will have the opportunity to stretch your body and relax your mind in a Vinyasa Flow Yoga class. Vinyasa is a type of yoga that links movement and breath to attain balance in the mind and body. From the Sanskrit “to place in a special way,” vinyasa aligns a deliberate sequence of poses with the breath to achieve a continuous flow.

Classes are $10.00 for a one-hour session and they are “drop-in” enrollment, so no contracts or fees if you miss a day. The class encourages all ages and all levels of participation—you may sit in a chair if that is what you need.  Enrollment will begin in August.

Dance Idea is a newly formed company with a studio on the second floor of Central’s building.  Liz Owens teaches contemporary and Flamenco-inspired dance for children and adults.  Visit the website http://www.danceidea.com/ for more information.

Sack Lunch Bible Study will resume on Wednesdays in September.  Bring your lunch and learn as Dr. Ken Crawford, lead pastor of Central shares his biblical knowledge in an informal, round table Bible Study class.  The class is free and everyone is welcome.  Call the church for more information.

Church in the Dog Park meets the first and third Sundays of the month at 9 o’clock in the morning.  Imagine how “cool” to enjoy coffee, donuts and fellowship with your dog at your side when the weather welcomes Autumn.

These opportunities are only a few offered at Central Christian Church.  Visit the church website and Facebook page to stay tuned to “what is going on” at this progressive church that embraces community.

Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) said “hello summer” at a salad luncheon Sunday afternoon in the church fellowship hall.  The hall was decorated like a garden party and the buffet table featured an array of creative salads from summer’s bounty of vegetables and fruits.

Often people comment that Central is “the ‘eatinest’ church I’ve ever seen.”  Why is church fellowship important? Throughout the Bible, when the people of God ate and drank together, they expressed social solidarity.

Tuesdays at noon Central’s hall is again open to the community for lunch.  All are welcome, there is plenty of seating, no waiting in line and no Dallas prices.  You may bring a dish and share if you like.

Wednesday evening, Jun 6, the church will host Ramadan.  Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by fasting and self-discipline. The fast is from dawn to sunset, with a pre-dawn meal known as suhur and a sunset meal called iftar.

This dinner is an opportunity for Christians to better understand the Islamic faith.  Following the day of fasting, there will be prayer before the main meal, iftar, is served at 8:34 p.m.

Muslim faithful greet one another by saying, "Ramadan Mubarak." This greeting, which means "Blessed Ramadan," is just one traditional way that people welcome friends and passersby alike during this holy time.

All are welcome to come at 7:30 p.m. to take part in this special Ramadan dinner. There will be home cooked food by the Islamic community. For more information, call Central's office at 214-526-7291.  

There is no shortage of great cooks in Central's congregation. Holly Puig's Asian Slaw and David Aston's frozen fruit salad were hits at Sunday's salad lunch. The recipes follow.

ASIAN SLAW

1  medium head cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Chill the above 

8 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted

8 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

2 (3oz) pkgs Top Ramen noodles, broken up 

Dressing:  Mix together and chill  

6 tbsp Rice vinegar

4 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 cup Grapeseed oil LESS 3 tbsp

3 tbsp Toasted Sesame oil 

When ready to serve, toss ingredients together.

Frozen Fruit Salad

1 carton whipped cream cheese

1/2 cu mayo

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

Beat until smooth

Drain fruits well

1 large can Mandarin oranges (22 oz.)

2 cans dark sweet cherries (15. oz. each) 

1  large can crushed pineapple (15 oz.)

1/2 cup chopped pecan

Fold into cream mixture. Place  in a 9 x 13 inch pan or 2 loaf pans and freeze.

Thaw just before serving.