Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the name of Jesus, the only God who took upon himself our flesh and our sin, to reconcile us to Himself.

Congratulations to Erin Robinson , Teacher of the Year at Woodlawn Elementary in Sapulpa! Erin is a member of Owasso Silver Creek and makes us all proud.

Marty Crossland, husband of our former office assistant, Vicki Crossland, has accepted a job at Mid-America Nazarene University, starting the first week of January. Marty will hold both a faculty role and the administrative position of Associate Vice President for Technology/Chief Technology Officer. Congratulations, Marty.

Herb and Bertha Carter of Owasso Silver Creek have been picking up food from the Food Bank every Monday for our Manna House Ministry for the past five years. Herb has been diagnosed with melanoma and other issues. We need a driver with a full size pickup to pick up the food on Monday mornings at 10am. Contact Howard Essery if you can help (hveponce32@yahoo.com). And let's pray for Herb and Bertha.

Carrie Wisehart of Family Church had an MRI of a tumor on her ankle on Wednesday. The MRI report showed a strong possibility that the tumor was malignant (cancerous). Surgery is scheduled for Saturday. After the surgery they will test the tumor to finalize any further treatment that may be necessary. Pastor Brady and Carrie write: “Now that is what the human realm knows and is able to do. We know and are strong in our faith that Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer is the one in control. This MRI report give us one more way for God’s healing to be undisputed. We are thankful for this opportunity to be dependent upon God at a new level. We are hungry for God to glorify Himself through this and expecting an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer is, ‘Lord do whatever it takes to start a revival and outpouring of your spirit in our lives, in our church, community and city.’ Thank you for your prayers! God is Good!”

Tuesday night around 6:30, Howard Poe of the Okmulgee Church went home to be with the Lord. Pastor Cole Weston writes, “Howard was a retired minister of many years, and we request prayer for his family, especially Delores who is our music minister. We are leaning upon God heavily during these times.” The funeral will be Friday at 3pm at the Okmulgee Church of the Nazarene.

Ila Mae Gunter, Pastor Geoff Gunter’ mother, has been flirting with death. Let's keep her in our prayers.

The District web site was attacked months ago and our web master has been overwhelmed with other work and unable to help rebuild it. We are looking for others who could assist us in this project in the next month. Advanced computer skills are needed with an above average understanding of the internet. The package that we use to author the web pages is called Joomla, so someone that has worked with this package in the past would be ideal. Other advanced skill sets what would be helpful but not needed would be - LINUX, PHP, MySQL. Contact me at dmckellips@neonaz.com  with questions or offers of help.

For a good Christmas video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk&feature=player_embedded

The Barna Organization has a helpful summary of cultural trends impacting the church: http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010

Nazarenes heed God's call with WEF PLUS giving

The Board of General Superintendents announced earlier this year that in addition to the 2010 Thanksgiving Offering for the World Evangelism Fund (WEF) there would be an additional WEF PLUS offering called Challenge 2010*.

And Nazarenes heeded God's call.

Members of a small Nazarene church in Johannesburg, South Africa, raised $15,000 Rand ($2,164.48 USD) in a Sunday morning offering. Offerings such as Johannesburg's have poured in this month to the Africa Regional Office.

"I am thankful to the local churches and districts that are supporting and encouraging people to give," said Filimao Chambo, regional director for Africa.

Churches have given generously in response to God's grace and mercy, Chambo said.

Thousands of children in the Asia-Pacific Region plan to give 40 coins each to their respective churches for WEF PLUS. Teenagers in that same region promise to spend less each week and give the savings to global ministry.

In South America, the region set a goal of raising $500,000. Regional Director Christian Sarmiento is confident the 250,000 Nazarenes in South America can reach that goal, stating the region had a goal of collecting $50,000 for Haiti relief and for the glory of the Lord they raised $79,000.

Church members in the Mexico and Central America Region plan to give one day's wage above and beyond their normal tithes and offerings, and in Eurasia, churches raised offerings, prayed, and fasted on the message of although the world is in tough economic times, "We know that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us'" (Ephesians 3:20, NIV).

A similar message inspired a local congregation in Detroit, Michigan, on the USA/Canada Region.

"Here at Detroit First, we have been hard hit by the economic downturn. Yet our people responded to the need for world evangelization and gave over $18,000. Praise the Lord!" Senior Pastor Ron Blake said.

The general treasurer reports churches and missions worldwide gave $563,062.54 from October 1 through December 7 for the WEF Thanksgiving offering. During WEF PLUS, Nazarenes gave $421,751.65 for a total of $984,814.19, more than double the $473,719.33 given in the 2009 WEF Thanksgiving Offering.

The offerings, whether in rand, pesos, yin, or dollars, go beyond monetary value. They represent the denomination's continuous efforts to grow God's Kingdom.

Global Ministry Center statistics show the Church of the Nazarene in 1980 had a total of 7,465 churches and missions worldwide, with an average of one new church starting every 2.5 days. Twenty years later, preliminary figures show the church's membership grew from 674,329 in 1980 to 2,078,107 in 2010, with 26,353 churches and missions and a new church start every 3.4 hours.

"The Board of General Superintendents is most grateful for the response of Nazarenes around the world to the WEF and WEF PLUS offerings," General Superintendent J. K. Warrick said. "Initial reports are most encouraging and we want to thank our good pastors and gracious people for standing with us in these challenging days.

"We pray for God's blessings upon each person as we preach, teach, and model Scriptural holiness in the nations. May the Christ of Christmas fill our hearts with unspeakable joy," Warrick added.

You are loved!

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,


Advent. Greetings to you this first week of Advent. Advent is a Latin word meaning “the coming”. During this season we remember Christ’s coming to earth 2000 years ago; we invite him to come in a fresh, new way into our lives and we anticipate his coming to earth to consummate His Kingdom.

I worshipped on Sunday at Drumright church and Tulsa Central. Their sanctuaries were both beautifully decorated for the season. Both used an Advent wreath with candles to symbolize the coming of Jesus – the “Light” in the midst of darkness. I pray that for all of our churches and all of you this will be a meaningful Advent season.

Commission to Mexico. Each year SNU plans a Work and Witness trip into Mexico during Christmas break. Pastor Geoff Gunter will be taking the Regency Park People Mover.They will depart Sunday morning, Dec 26 at 8 am. They have ten seats left at $75 each round trip.The riders will also be responsible for their lodging in Eagle Pass TX that night before we go on into Mexico Monday Morning...and of course will need $$ for meal stops on the way. Contact Geoff by email if interested: pastorg@regencypark.org

New arrival: Noah Brayden Tomlinson was born on Monday November 15 at 12:30 PM in Augusta, GA weighing 6 lbs, 2 oz – 18 ¾ inches long. Papper and Nana (Phil and Karen Buck) got to hold him for the first time last Wednesday night.

Lois Nichols. Our precious friend, Lois Nichols, went to be with Jesus Monday morning; her long battle with lung cancer is over. She bravely fought this battle with Don at her side. Please be in prayer for Don, Dennis, Monty, Courtney and their families as they walk through these days. The funeral for Lois Nichols will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 2, at Muskogee First Church with committal at the National Cemetery in Fort Gibson.

Hispanic Churches: I met with our Hispanic Director, Rev. Otoneil Dannemann, and our five Hispanic Pastors on Monday evening. I wish all of you could have been there to hear how God is moving in our churches. Fuente de Vida recently had a weekend outreach event and had a record 220 in attendance for one service. Regency Park Hispanic Church had 70 in attendance last Sunday. Fe y Esperanza had 67 in attendance last week. God is moving and helping our churches reach this important people group.

Prayer. I mentioned last year at District Assembly the growing emphasis on prayer in NEO churches. I praise God that the tide of prayer is continuing to rise. There is a desperation for God that I am sensing among our pastors and people. In January we will be calling all of our churches to join in corporate prayer, prayer and fasting days and District Concerts of Prayer as we express our hunger and thirst for God. Our Spritual Renewal Weekend will be on Jan. 28 – 30 with Dr. Tim Stearman preaching and Collin Campbell leading worship.

Grace and peace,

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and we all have so much to be thankful for. W.T. Purkiser once said: "Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." The apostle Paul seems to acknowledge the truth of that when he wrote: "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). Thanksgiving is about being grateful for our blessings, and blessing others through them.

In light of that, I want to encourage you in a way you can be a blessing to others this Thanksgiving season.

Thanksgiving Offering. Every year Nazarene Churches receive a special offering the Sunday before Thanksgiving to support the World Evangelism Fund (WEF). This is over and above our normal giving through tithes. Some of our people have chosen to support this endeavor through regular and ongoing World Mission giving throughout the year. Others have chosen to give once a year through the Thanksgiving and Easter offerings.

However, this year is unique in that the Church of the Nazarene is challenging every Nazarene church around the world to a WEF PLUS Offering:
OUR OPPORTUNITY:

• Something absolutely amazing is happening within the Church of the Nazarene!

• We are experiencing unprecedented growth around the world through numerous miraculous movements of God.

• In the last 3 years alone, we have recorded a net gain of over 300,000 new members. This is unlike anything we have ever experienced in the history of our church.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY:

• We must fully mobilize our resources for evangelism so that we can continue to take advantage of this extraordinary circumstance, i.e., we must strike while the iron is hot.

THE BARRIER:

• However, we are caught in the unavoidable financial crisis of a profound and extended worldwide recession.

• This crisis is compounded by the reductions that have resulted from our new World Evangelism Fund (WEF) formula.

• The effect of this crisis is that we are faced with an economic reality that threatens the very ability to even sustain our current mission efforts.

THE CHALLENGE:

• As God's people, we are unwilling to accept retreat in the midst of such astounding mission successes.

• Our general superintendents, with an unshakeable faith in the great generosity of our people, have issued a challenge to Nazarenes worldwide to raise the single largest offering for World Evangelism in the history of our church.

OUR RESPONSE - CHALLENGE 2010

• All across the globe, this WEF PLUS offering is being scheduled on and around November 21 (The Sunday before the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the United States).

I appreciate all the NEO Nazarenes for their support of this offering!


I WANT TO CELEBRATE...

Tulsa Southwest..."we have a new pastor--Rev. Wayde and Jena Normandin!!!!!"

David Stevens, Vinita... There are those Sundays that can dash a preacher’s hopes. On those days God is faithful. This month we had one Sunday in particular that was so low in attendance that it makes you wonder what is going on. The weather was fine. There was no reason. Now as I tabulate the numbers for the month we had an increase in both Sunday School and Morning Worship averages. It reminds me not to look too closely at the numbers and to instead focus on Jesus. We had a great Trunk-or-Treat with hundreds of people from the community coming through the Church property, and helping our Visibility in the Community. Several have testified that our revival services really helped them. Thanks to Dr. McKellips for his wonderful ministry to us in our Spiritual Renewal Weekend.

Claude Guy, Sand Springs... We began our new Sunday night ministry called “Sunday Night Life” – Worship for families this month. This ministry is focused on kids PreK-6th grade and their families. While are hopes are for families to discover life in Jesus Christ, what a great ministry it has been to our own church people by opening ministry positions for them to actively serve. It has also opened up wonderful opportunities for times of group prayer and fellowship.

Bartlesville Nazarene... The arrival of our new children’s pastor and her husband, Jan & Bob Wilton. What a special addition to the team!!

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska...We held Trunk or Treat on Oct 30, gave away 500 hot dogs and made contact with over 700 people. Revival Services with Rev. Randy Dority and Sufficient Grace starts Wed night and runs through Sunday.

Angela Bentley, Bristow... the joy of watching the church in action. Even with the pastor out ill, the ministries of the church have continued uninterrupted. In the midst of all of this, the church surrounded, loved and cared for two children who were basically abandoned by their mother, providing a home with a church family and meeting all their needs. Our church family is an active place of hope in our Jerusalem!

NEO DISTRICT LEADERS in Weekly attendance in October

Sunday School/DiscispleshipCollinsville +30
Barnsdall +27
Wagoner +25
Owasso Silver Creek +24
Dewey +19
Nowata +17
Drumright +12
Pryor +10
Cushing +9
Bristow +8

AM Worship
Wagoner +21
Collinsville +19
Barnsdall +19
Owasso Silver Creek +13
Coweta +7
Cushing +7
BA Connection +5
Collinsville +2
Tulsa Central +2
Tulsa Living Hope +2

I thank God for the wonderful partners in ministry I have in Northeast Oklahoma. You are loved and appreciated!
 
Dave McKellips

Dear NEO Family,


Happy Veteran’s Day! How grateful we are for the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the armed services.

Last Sunday Gloria and I had the chance to worship with Pastor Angie Bentley and the Bristow Nazarenes. It was great to see Pastor Angie able to be at church and making steady recovery from her recent surgery. And the church is alive and growing. They are praying fervently for God to provide a way for them to construct a new building on the land they own.

On Sunday evening over 200 youth and sponsors gathered for “Like Totally 80’s” event which included roller skating, food, fellowship and worship. Thanks, Nate Burns, Ryan Amey and our NYI Council for putting together a great event.

USA/Canada Regional Director, Bob Broadbooks, reports: We just received the preliminary statistics for the church year recently completed and have discovered some very good news. As the research department puts all of our 80 districts together, we see that our 4,993 churches in the United States and Canada have been experiencing productive days. During the last 12 months 64,647 people found Christ in our churches. Praise the Lord! That is an increase of almost 5,000 people over last year. Of these new believers, over 30,000 became members. God is helping us to be evangelistic and our pastors and people are serious about “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” 79 new churches have been started and 27 new churches were organized. We have 431 churches in the pipeline, many of them moving toward organization. This year we have a net loss of 15 churches but that is an improvement over last year when we had a net loss of 24. Research tells me that this declining number is slowing. This year we have seen an increase of 1,850 in membership and a decrease in worship attendance of 1,158.

Study Reveals Strong Giving to Religious Causes During the Recession
While the dominant headlines during the recession have focused on the decrease in giving to nonprofits, this is not the entire story. The first Annual State of Giving Report released today by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) reveals that the change in giving to its members was imperceptible during the recession. Pre-recession giving compared to two years later was $12.11 billion in 2007 and $12.10 billion in 2009. Large churches fared slightly better than parachurch organizations between 2007 and 2009. Cash giving to churches was up 0.2%. "It is very significant that this segment of the giving world was resilient and maintained itself during a difficult economic time," according to Dan Busby, ECFA's President. "The study suggests a strong commitment of givers to the Christian faith and the generosity of God's people."

The Board of General Superintendents is calling for a special Challenge 2010 World Evangelism Fund (WEF PLUS) Offering. We are asking that each member/regular attendee of the churches on your district be encouraged to give $10 to this special offering. This would be over and above Faith Promise and/or any other Thanksgiving Offering they might have committed to give.

We need every pastor to prayerfully lead their church to give generously and sacrificially in WEF PLUS. Again, this offering is in addition to Faith Promise and planned Thanksgiving Offerings, and it will provide immediate funding to Nazarene mission fields globally.

You are loved!

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,


Greetings in the majestic name of Jesus! I pray you are walking by His Spirit today and experiencing his joy, peace and hope.

I am encouraged by the reports of those who attended the Prayer Conference at Crossroads Tabernacle in Fort Worth last week. Those who attended from Tulsa First, Sapulpa, Regency Park and Tulsa Central seemed to be carriers of revival in their home churches last Sunday. I pray that the wind of the Spirit would spread the fires of renewal across the District.

A message from our General Superintendents: The Board of General Superintendents is calling for a special Challenge 2010 World Evangelism Fund (WEF PLUS) Offering. We are asking that each member/regular attendee of the churches on your district be encouraged to give $10 to this special offering. This would be over and above Faith Promise and/or any other Thanksgiving Offering they might have committed to give.

We need every pastor to prayerfully lead their church to give generously and sacrificially in WEF PLUS. Again, this offering is in addition to Faith Promise and planned Thanksgiving Offerings, and it will provide immediate funding to Nazarene mission fields globally.

For information and inspiration, click here: http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10005004&id=10009562> http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10005004&id=10009562>http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10005004&id=10009562

Prayer Requests:

Dr. Russell Human, District Superintendent Emeritus, has Spinal Stenosis (a shrinking of the spinal cord), which is causing him much pain. Surgery is being considered.

Angie Bentley is continuing to recover, but in a great deal of pain still with the magnitude of the surgery. Her newborn grandson is continuing to slowly gain weight and make some progress, but is facing possible surgery for the hole in his heart in the near future.

Jade Rogers has accepted a call to serve as Lead Pastor at Joplin Calvary Church of the Nazarene. Jade’s last Sunday at Bartlesville First, where he currently serves as Youth Pastor, is November 28.Let’s pray for the Rogers and the Bartlesville Church during this time of transition.

Marty Crossland’s mother, Lillie Fay Crossland, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday evening. Marty is the husband of our former office assistant, Vicki (who will be filling in for us again this next week).

Haiti is experiencing a cholera epidemic that already killed around 250 persons and more than 2000 are infected. The cholera is moving around the country and is killing more and more people. God is more than able to change the situation.

Elections in our cities, state and nation! For whom should you vote? You know that I can’t answer that. It’s your decision.. But I can urge you to vote. Every Christian should do the research, learn what issues are at stake, and then vote.

Have a great weekend!

Dave McKellips

"So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."    - Matthew 5:23-24

Dear NEO family,

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful day in NEO! Like many of you, I wish I was working outside today … or better yet, playing outside today.

Gloria and I had a wonderful time last Sunday at the Davenport Church this past Sunday. We installed Lowell and Marilyn Clark and the people are so excited to have them. The church has done a major remodeling on the parsonage and the Clarks hope to be moving in within a few days.

This seems to be a season of transition in NEO. Here are some new announcements:

• Henry and Bess Reed are serving as interim pastors at Cleveland Church of the Nazarene.

• Scott and Sarah Behm are serving as interim pastors at Chelsea Church of the Nazarene. Thanks to the Claremore church for sharing these members of their pastoral staff.

• Aaron and Becky Horton are moving to a small town in Illinois where Aaron will serve a dynamic church as Spiritual Formation Pastor and one of the Teaching Pastors. Aaron has served Central Church as Worship Arts Pastor/Executive Pastor for five years and has served with excellence at many of our District gatherings. The Hortons last Sunday will be Nov. 14.

• Rodney Durr has accepted a call to Family Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. Rodney has served Muskogee for seven years and led them through a building program, relocation and several capital campaigns. Rodney has also been a great team player on the District, serving as Adult Ministries Director and Zone Coach, while leading Muskogee Rodney and Cindy’s last Sunday at Muskogee First will be December 5.

We also still have many prayer concerns for our pastors:

• Pastor Dwain Young (Hominy) continues to make progress in dealing with his back pain. He is not currently a candidate for surgery, but the injections and treatments are helping.
• Pastor Angie Bentley (Bristow) had major surgery on Monday, October 18. We rejoice that the surgery went well and they found no cancer.
• Jody William’s mother had surgery on her hand on Tuesday, and the recovery is quite extensive. Jody will be staying with her mom in Nebraska to help her with the recovery. Kevin Williams’s mother was in the Hospital in Kansas City this week with chest pains Please keep the whole family in your prayers.

Witnessing Without Fear Seminar conducted by Dr. Chic Shaver
Saturday October 23, 8:30 am to 1:00 PM (hourly breaks)
Regency Park Church of the Nazarene
(there is no charge but we need to know who is coming. Call the church office 918-663-9717 to register

Dr Shaver is the former Professor of Evangelism at NTS. He has taught evangelism all over the world and his evangelism resources are used all over the world. Since retiring from teaching he continues to travel almost weekly to preach and teach.

GORDON MOTE IN CONCERT - OCTOBER 24, 2010
CLAREMORE, OK NAZARENE CHURCH - 6:00 PM, DOORS OPEN 5:00 PM
claremorenazarene.com  918-260-4478

I will install Pastor Wayde and Jena Normandin at Tulsa Southwest this Sunday. I hope it is a powerful day of worship and preaching at your church this Sunday. May God be glorified in our midst.

Blessings,

Dave McKellips

Good afternoon, NEO family,


I am sending out my weekly update a couple of days early because I will be at a Board of Pensions and Benefits meeting on Friday. Last weekend I had the wonderful privilege of preaching at a revival at the Vinita Church. David and Carol Stevens are doing an outstanding job shepherding this loving group of disciples. This Sunday I have the privilege of installing Pastor Lowell and Marilyn Clark as pastors in Davenport.

One of the most exciting things happening across NEO is the Work and Witness projects.  I love the way members and churches  are coming alongside churches on our District needing assistance. Jerry Wilburg, our NEO Work and Witness Coordinator, has started a Facebook page specifically for NEO Work and Witness topics. He invites you to follow the link below to see pictures of projects this year and to contribute to the discussions about what has been done and could be done in the future.
http://www.facebook.com/n/?pages%2FNazarene-Work-and-Witness-NE-Okla%2F114034518656175&mid=3134b3bG5113e251G23d4e59G4c&n_m=dmckellips%40neonaz.com


Our next “Theologically Speaking” session will be on Monday, October 18. The topic is an important one, “The Word of His Power: Our views on the Bible and Science.” What do we mean by the sola scriptura? The infallibility or inerrancy of scriptures? The Wesleyan Quadrilateral? Are science and Christian faith allies or adversaries? The session will be at Tulsa Central, Room 104 at 6:30pm.

Witnessing Without Fear Seminar conducted by Dr. Chic Shaver
Saturday October 23, 8:30 am to 1:00 PM (hourly breaks)
Regency Park Church of the Nazarene
(There is no charge but we need to know who is coming. Call the church office 918-663-9717 to register)

Dr Shaver is the former Professor of Evangelism at NTS. He has taught evangelism all over the world and his evangelism resources are used all over the world. Since retiring from teaching he continues to travel almost weekly to preach and teach. Dr. Shaver will also be preaching at revival services/lay witness services at Regency Park on Oct. 24 – 27.

GORDON MOTE IN CONCERT - OCTOBER 24, 2010
CLAREMORE, OK NAZARENE CHURCH - 6:00 PM, DOORS OPEN 5:00 PM
claremorenazarene.com 918-260-4478

Prayer requests:

• The Broken Arrow Church Board has voted to give Pastor Larry Morris a paid leave of absence as he deals with the grief associated with the loss of his mother. We love and appreciate Larry and want to lift him up during this time where he is emotionally and physically drained.
• Bristow Pastor, Angela Bentley, is having some tests and faces possible surgery. She and Terry’s grandson also faces open-heart surgery.

• I meet with Chelsea Board tonight and Dewey Board next Tuesday as they search for new pastors.

• Pray for Pastor John and Angie Whitsett as they step away from ministry at Tulsa Central and seek God’s direction for the next step in their lives and ministry. Pray for the healing and unity in the church.

• Pastor Lowell Clark’s sister, Karla Lesslie, has cancer tumors in her liver and stomach.

• Rev. Curtis and Lesta Martin recently moved back to NEO in the Kelleyville area. Curtis fell trying to get from the roof to the ladder and has fractured his wrist and also broken his pelvis. Curtis had surgery yesterday on his wrist.

God’s best to you!

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO Family,


Greetings to you on this beautiful, fall day! This Sunday seems to be full of special services across the District. Since it is 10/10/10, some have planned special outreach events; others are having missionaries speak; and some are in revival. I will be speaking at a Revival in Vinita beginning tonight. Ark Noel will be speaking at a revival at Hominy beginning on Sunday and concluding on Wednesday the 13th. I pray every church will experience the manifest presence of God this weekend!

Our next “Theologically Speaking” session will be on Monday, October 18. The topic is an important one, “The Word of His Power: Our views on the Bible and Science.” What do we mean by the sola scriptura? The infallibility or inerrancy of scriptures? The Wesleyan Quadrilateral? Are science and Christian faith allies or adversaries? We will meet at Central Church, Rm. 104.

Our speaker and location for District Men's Retreat, scheduled for October, both cancelled. Watch for a new time and place in the near future.

Since it is Pastor Appreciation Month, I want to share with you the new model that has been developed for a model pastor. It is guaranteed that he/she will please any church that calls him. He preaches exactly 14 minutes and then sits down. She condemns sin, but will never hurt anyone's feelings. He works from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in every type of endeavor, from preaching to custodial services. She makes $60.00 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, has a nice family, drives a fine car and gives $30.00 a week to the church. He also stands ready to contribute to every good cause with which he is confronted.

She has a burning desire to work with the young people and spends all her time with the old folks. He smiles all the time with a straight face, because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work. She makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all her time evangelizing the unchurched and is always available in the office. He gives every organization and group in the church his total leadership and never discourages the initiative of the lay people.

Hope you have a great weekend! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,


I was in Colorado Springs this week for the Trustees Meeting of Nazarene Bible College. President Harold Graves is doing an wonderful job leading our college and NBC continues to do an outstanding job of helping ministers in training. Harold and Cheryl send greetings.

Barbara Hornbeck Welch, who has been our NBC Board Secretary, but has stepped down because of a brain tumor, gave a devotional for us on “Peace Like a River”. She attributed some of the thoughts to Beth Moore, who reminds us that a river is a moving stream of water. God’s Word doesn’t say “peace like a pond.” It is a peace when life twists, turns, rolls over rocks and cliffs and through narrow places. The peace comes from our continuous connection with the One who is the source of peace as we move through the current of life. Aren’t you thankful to be connected to the Prince of Peace? I sure am.

Tomorrow is the District Work Project at Miami. You are invited to join the crew for work in their new multi-purpose facility. Approximately 25 – 30 workers are needed. Work will start at 8:30 am and continue through the OU/Texas game, which will be on the big screen, along with snacks, beverages and good fellowship. Call Jerry Wilburg at 918-607-8561 if you need transportation from the Tulsa area.

Pastor Brian Loderhose from Owasso Silver Creek had surgery on his knee on Wednesday and is still planning on being a part of the work crew at Miami tomorrow and going on a Work and Witness trip to the Dominican Republic in two weeks. These NEO Nazarenes are tough!

October is Clergy Appreciation Month. I trust that every local church will take time to recognize the contribution your pastor, your staff and their families make in the local church.

Pastor John Whitsett has resigned at Tulsa Central. His last Sunday will be October 31. Let’s pray for Pastor John and Angie and the Central family during this time of transition.

NEO Pastors’ “I WANT TO CELEBRATE…”

Carl Brown, Hominy… How good God in and He is truly working in Hominy Church of the Nazarene. God has been busy in Hominy we have had a tremendous Sunday School Drive and have seen a great answer to the call to come with an increase in attendance that was fantastic. We have had three people baptized and lives changed. We cannot wait to see what He has in store for our future – God Is In Control!

Cole Weston, Okmulgee…• The completion of our “Right Now” series
• A good turn out for our Romans Bible Study

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills... Started 3 new Connection Groups; Two people from my work have started coming to church; Raised $1000 towards NYC at desert auction

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… Had 14 men from our church attend our church’s second annual men’s retreat at Branson, MO. God did some amazing things during our weekend retreat. Many giants were conquered with God’s power leading the way. Am looking forward to seeing the fruits of God’s work in the life of these 14 men.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… A wonderful third installment of Serve People Sunday on September 19. For those that participated, it was a wonderful expression of God’s Kingdom in action. Also, a powerful sense of God’s presence in our services in spite of the tension in the congregation.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… the love of the Lord as seen in our people as they love others in very tangible ways and get more involved in the ministries of the church. I also want to celebrate the very successful launch of our new Caravan program. We have already had family members of new children visit our Sunday morning services. Our current SS/discipleship numbers are higher than our morning averages because we are ministering to two different groups of people weekly.

Randy Schuneman, Bartlesville… We have hired a new Children’s worker Jan Wilton from Arizona. Jan and her husband Bob will first Sunday will be October 17th. All of us are very excited to have them join the team!

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection…9 Salvations and 7 baptisms on 2nd Birthday Bash, Sept. 12, Record attendance of 180 on 2nd Birthday Bash

Jason Powers, Tahlequah… Sunday night we have started the "Truth Project" from Focus on the Family...we have been having awesome attendance of around 35, with a high of 38! We also would like to share we have had three people saved, two teenage girls and a 7 year old girl! God is doing some amazing work! The girls names are: Chelsie, Taylor and Hope! Please pray for them and us as we disciple them. By the way, the 7 year old Hope is my daughter. We were working in the sanctuary arranging chairs etc. and she was crying by herself and we were wondering what happened. She had been singing with the mic, some iWorship praise songs with the dvd/projector...She told mom, "mom, would you forgive me for all the bad things I've done...I asked Jesus too!" Wow!!! how cool is that?

Steve Davis, Sapulpa… The kick-off of reading through “the Bible in 90 Days” New Bible studies for men and women

David Stevens, Vinita… God has been with us and blessed our services. We are praying for Revival in our Church. We have a Spiritual Renewal Weekend planned with Dr. H. David McKellips October 8-10.

Nate Burns, Owasso Silver Creek... We had a great family camp at MarVal Ranch, over 70 people joined us during the weekend! We also had a great yard sale and pancake breakfast for our Work & Witness team to the Dominican Republic, we almost raised $1000. And our new Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting is making a difference!

Dan Hazelton, Pryor... I want to celebrate... three adult new believers that are in the 8 week follow-up study. Five students accepting the Lord or making a new commitment to be Christ-followers. The church supporting a trip to Mexico for work & witness. New believer working with children on Wednesday nights.

NEO Leaders in September, 2010

Sunday School/ Discipleship Attendance Growth over Sept., 2009
1. Sapulpa +50
2. Broken Arrow First +33
3. Bristow+14
4. Sand Springs +14
5. Tulsa Central +13
6. Tulsa Hills +9
7. Pawhuska +7
8. Miami New Life +6
9. Pryor +6
10. Cushing +5, Horton Chapel +5, Fe y Esperanza +5

Worship Service Attendence Growth
1. Broken Arrow Connection +20
2. Wagoner +17
3. Sand Springs +16
4. Drumright +10
5. Hominy +10
6. Pryor +6
7. Tulsa First +6
8. Fe y Esperanza +5
9. Okmulgee +5
10. Sapulpa +5, Tulsa Central +5

Pastors also share with me what they are doing to be a High Impact Church. Let me share what two shared this week:
Tulsa Hills - Encouraging everyone to get involved in “1X3” One worship service, One Discipleship Group, One Area of Ministry; Faith in Action Sunday, October 10

Sand Springs - We are gearing up for our new Sunday night ministry - Sunday Night Life. SNL begins Sunday, October 10th and features music, lesson, drama, games, crafts, food and more. Our mission is to bring kids K-6 and their families to come worship and discover together life in Jesus Christ. This is an all hands on deck ministry that incorporates all ages in our congregation to help with activities, administration, preparation, food, cleaning, teaching, music, prayer and outreach. We are excited and praying that lives will be changed through this ministry!

It is great to be a part of the NEO family!

Grace and peace (like a river),

Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,


Greetings in the matchless name of Jesus! I trust you are walking in the grip of his grace and love today.

We have been reminded in recent days how our lives can be turned upside down very quickly. Last Sunday, Family Church Pastor, Brady Wisehart, was on the way to church to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Church. Someone ran a red light and broadsided his vehicle. We rejoice that Brady did not have more extensive injuries or broken bones, but he is dealing with significant bruising and pain. Let’s continue to lift him up in prayer.

On Tuesday, a huge crowd gathered in Mustang, OK to honor the memory of Maxine Morris, mother of Broken Arrow Pastor Larry Morris, and to celebrate the hope we have in Christ. Pastor Larry and his wife, Christy, both shared and helped all of us in attendance to laugh and cry. Let’s continue to pray for comfort and strength for Larry and his family.

The Tulsa Southwest Church has unanimously called Rev. Wayde Normandin to be its pastor. Pastor Wayde has served the Chelsea Church the past three years. The Normandin’s last Sunday at Chelsea is Oct. 10 and they begin work at Southwest on the 17th.

The Davenport Church has unanimously called Rev. Lowell Clark to be its pastor. Pastor Lowell and Marilyn are on the job and already deeply loved by all ages in the congregation.

Southern Nazarene University to open campus in south Tulsa. See the link below for details. http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10009558
Work and Witness Opportunity: MIAMI NEW LIFE CHURCH; OU-Texas Weekend, Oct. 2
OK it is a big game day and we still want to enjoy helping out at Miami church….sooo we will have the
game on the big screen and have a hard working, but fun, time. Chips, popcorn, beverages and a little
friendly fun. We will be doing the following tasks:

• Assemble the Kitchen and place new tile down in this area.
• Remove old kitchen area and construct a wall in the existing fellowship hall.
• Install tile floor in Kitchen.
• Help with general cleanup.
• Make cookies for the hard working folks.

We think we can accomplish this in a single visit if we have enough help. (Apx 25-30 folks needed).
We will meet at the church at Miami on October 2 at 8:30 am game kickoff is 2:30PM. Some may want
to group up in cars/ trucks in Tulsa area and carpool or caravan up there. I can help coordinate this if
you will call me at 918-607-8561,or better yet, e-mail me at Jerry@thermoflo.net

The NEO “Hit The Mark” District Men’s event, held on September 18, had 30 in attendance. Thanks to Pastor Jeff Wooten for coordinating this first time event and for all who participated. We hope this will be an annual event. I understand tomahawk throwing may be added next year.

1. Top 5 in hand gun will receive a certificate that enables Top Shot bragging rights for the next year.
      1st Shannon Rasmussen Muskogee
     2nd Jeremy Rasmussen Muskogee
     3rd John Cochran Claremore
     4th Brock Lewis Wagoner Cornerstone Community
     5th J. J. James Claremore

2. Top 5 in Rifle will receive a certificate that enables Top Shot bragging rights for the next year.
    1st Daniel Brewer Wagoner Cornerstone Community
    2nd Amanda Brewer Wagoner Cornerstone Community (Yes we allowed some ladies in and they placed)
    3rd Roger Malchow Claremore
    4th Wayne Metzger Claremore
    5th Rodney Rasmussen Muskogee

3. Top 5 in shotgun clays will receive a certificate that enables Top Shot bragging rights for the next year.
     1st Daniel Brewer Wagoner Cornerstone Community
    2nd John Cochran Claremore
    3rd Roger Malchow Claremore
    4th Brock Lewis Wagoner Cornerstone Community
    4th Lyle Rasmussen Muskogee
    5th J. J. James Claremore
    Carl Brown from Hominy made it to the 2nd round but left before it started. He did look like a contender.

Deputation Schedule for Missionaries in NEO this Fall.
Bob and Rosa McCroskey (Indonesia)
Oct. 10 a.m.----Regency Park------p.m. ---Miami

Scot and Jill Riggins (Papua New Guinea)
Oct. 17 a.m.---Sapulpa--------p.m. ---Claremore (NE Zone)
18-----------Coweta-Wagoner
19-----------
20-----------Tulsa Hills (Zone)
21-----------Pryor
22-----------Vinita
23-----------
24 a.m.---Muskogee-----------p.m. ---Broken Arrow (SE Zone)

Jim and Kay Williams (China)
Oct. 9------------Drumright
10 a.m.---Tulsa First------------p.m. ---Tahlaquah
17 a.m.---Owasso--------------p.m. ---Okmulgee
Nov. 7 a.m.---Bartlesville-------p.m. ---Sapulpa (SW Zone)

Steve and Brenda Heap (Brazil)
Oct. 24 a.m. ---Pryor (Faith Promise)--p.m.______________

George and Nancy Miller (Solomon Islands)
Dec.. 19 a.m. ---Owasso---------p.m.______________

There are still a few open dates. Please let me know if you would like to schedule one of these missionaries for your church.  Naoma Hemphill, Deputation Coordinator, 224-8204

Hope you have a great weekend! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

Are we doing it? Are we giving the world a symmetrical, authentic, fully-formed image of Christ? There is still time. Spiritual growth is not a matter of chronology alone. It’s a matter of spirit. Of heart. Of who you are to the next person you meet. In the next crisis you face. In the next moment you live.    - Lloyd John Ogilvie, from his book The Magnificent Vision

Dear NEO Nazarenes,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! I pray that all of are being shaped daily more and more into the image of Christ and letting our light shine before a watching world.

Transitions on the District:

• Pastor Steven Hundley’s last Sunday at Cleveland is Sept. 19. Steven and Debbie and family are moving to Victoria, TX where Steven will serve as lead pastor.

• Pastor Mark Sanford, Associate Pastor of Students and Families at Sapulpa, has accepted the call to serve as lead pastor at Van Buren, Arkansas. We wish Mark and Ashley God’s best in their new assignment.

• Rev. Marci Marquis and Rev. Randy Marquis have accepted pastoral staff assignments at Tulsa Regency Park and are off to a great start.

• Pastor Sam Book’s grandmother (Ken’s Book’s mother) passed away Wednesday morning. Aren’t you thankful for the hope we have for the ultimate transition!

Celebrations on the District:

• Pastor Brad Farnsworth recently sent out a video report on 2nd birthday celebration of Connection Church! 250 names were turned in by members of the congregation of people they were praying for and inviting for the celebration. They had one of the largest crowds in the history of the church with 180 present. More importantly, 9 people accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord that day and 7 were baptized. 20 first time guests were present. To see the video report yourself, go to http://vimeo.com/14940245   To see the two year highlight reel, go to http://vimeo.com/14942341

• This Sunday, September 19, Family Church will be celebrating the Church’s 10th birthday!!

• Mike Howard called on Monday to celebrate that Drumright welcomed 15 new Nazarenes into their membership last Sunday.

Work and Witness Opportunities

MIAMI NEW LIFE CHURCH –OU-Texas Weekend

OK it is a big game day and we still want to enjoy helping out at Miami church….sooo we will have the
game on the big screen and have a hard working, but fun, time. Chips, popcorn, beverages and a little
friendly fun. We will be doing the following tasks:

• Assemble the Kitchen and place new tile down in this area.

• Remove old kitchen area and construct a wall in the existing fellowship hall.

• Install tile floor in Kitchen.

• Help with general cleanup.

• Make cookies for the hard working folks.

We think we can accomplish this in a single visit if we have enough help. (Apx 25-30 folks needed).
We will meet at the church at Miami on October 2 at 8:30 am game kickoff is 2:30PM. Some may want
to group up in cars/ trucks in Tulsa area and carpool or caravan up there. I can help coordinate this if
you will call me at 918-607-8561,or better yet, e-mail me at Jerry@thermoflo.net


If you have an interest in the discussion over the Emergent Church, you may want to read the recent blog by Dr. Scott Daniels. http://drtscott.typepad.com/pastor_scotts_thoughts/2010/08/the-death-of-the-emerging-church.html  

Prayer Requests:

• Dwain Young is having injections in his spine to deal with some excrutiating pain.

• Doug Dawson continues to heal from back surgery.

• Tulsa Southwest and Davenport will vote on calling new pastors this Sunday.

• Dewey and Cleveland are beginning the search process for new pastors.

• Larry Morris’ Mom has stage four lymphoma and is home under Hospice care.

• I will be preaching at a Revival this week in Mustang, Oklahoma.

• A couple of our churches are in need of major healing and renewal.

I have listened many times this week to Selah’s rendition of the great, old hymn, “Be Still, My Soul.” I commend it to you as you go into prayer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zHn4QSH-8&feature=player_embedded#!

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

Dear NEO District Family,

Has anybody told you “I love you” today? God loves you and I do, too.

Cole and Ambre Weston welcomed a 7 lb, 8 oz, 19 ½ inch girl, Caroline, into their world a week ago today. Cole says, “Looks very Choctaw (my side)”. I am excited to get to help in the dedication of Caroline this coming Sunday.

Maxine Morris, mother of Pastor Larry Morris (BA 1st), has been hospitalized and diagnosed with stage four lymphoma.

Don’t forget the Teen event at Sapulpa this Sunday night and the Pastor’s Training Day at SNU on Monday.

Our next “Theologically Speaking” session will be on Monday, October 18. The topic is an important one, “The Word of His Power: Our views on the Bible and Science.” What do we mean by the sola scriptura? The infallibility or inerrancy of scriptures? The Wesleyan Quadrilateral? Are science and Christian faith allies or adversaries?

A statement on the Emergent Church by our General Superintendents
http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10009517

TU Football Parking for home games at First Church of the Nazarene located at 12th and Delaware. Donations accepted- -all funds go towards resurfacing parking lot and other unexpected repairs.

Pastor’s “I Want to Celebrate…”

Mike Howard, Drumright…Drumright Church of the Nazarene is so excited and Praising God every day for the exciting time we are having with our thriving Youth Ministry. Last Wednesday evening we had 36 kids and 24 Youth and 8 Adult Leaders. Our Adult Class had a great study time with 9 in attendance. Thanks to the District Work and Witness Ministry led by Jerry Wilburg, our Youth House/Game Room for the Youth of our community is almost finished; some flooring still to be installed and painting and trim work. We are very excited to be able to give the youth in our small community a safe place to gather.

David Stevens, Vinita…We had a great month! God has blessed our services with His inspiration and presence. Don Aldridge and his Country Gospel band from Muskogee First Church helped us have a wonderful worship service on our Annual Western Sunday Service. God has raised up different ones of our group who had illness or surgery. He is faithful!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life…3 baptisms this month and received 2 adults and 2 teenagers into membership with more to come!

Steve Davis, Sapulpa…9 baptized and 8 members being received into membership; growing sense of unity among the body.

Dan Hazelton, Pryor... a two-day, three-service mini-revival with people receiving spiritual help and one person becoming a follower of Christ. I have started meeting with two new believers to take them through an eight-week discipleship course. We purchased Screenflex dividers, video projector and cart to use our fellowship hall for children's church.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… wonderful prayer times and a very powerful sense of God’s presence in our services since the church was called to prayer a few weeks ago. God is helping us negotiate some difficult and ticklish circumstances.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… healing in our midst! Three members have received what can only be described as remarkable if not miraculous healing in the last two weeks.

Gordon Smith, Dewey...Troy Thomas being issued his Local Minister’s License.

NEO District Leaders (in attendance gain verses August, 2009)Sunday School/Discipleship
Barnsdall +30
Wagoner Cornerstone +12
Tulsa Regency Park +10
Drumright +7
Bristow +5
Vinita +5
Chelsea +2
Coweta Point of Grace +2
Pryor +2
Skiatook +1
Worship Service(s)
Tulsa Regency Park +25
Collinsville +21
Barnsdall +20
Coweta Point of Grace +13
Hominy +7
Chelsea +4
Tahlequah +4
Wagoner Cornerstone +1

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! We had a great group come out last Monday for the “Theologically Speaking” session on “The Pure in Heart: Our Views of Christian Holiness”. Ten churches were represented with laypersons accounting for almost half of the participants.

Our next “Theologically Speaking” session will be on Monday, October 18. The topic is an important one, “The Word of His Power: Our views on the Bible and Science.” What do we mean by the sola scriptura? The infallibility or inerrancy of scriptures? The Wesleyan Quadrilateral? Are science and Christian faith allies or adversaries? I would love to have you put the session on your calendar and join us.

It was a joy to be at Cornerstone Community Church in Wagoner on Sunday. One of the exiting things for me was to see all the new teens and young adults since I last visited this church. Pastor Jeff Wooten and Youth Pastor Ryan Alsop and the wonderful laypersons of Wagoner are doing a great job.

It is always difficult for us to see a church struggle, go on life support and eventually close. A faithful core has kept the doors of Locust Grove Church of the Nazarene open for the last few years but now they have decided to disband. Thanks, Pastor Dana Pelton, and the faithful core for your service.

District Work and Witness projects are continuing in Drumright, Tulsa Southwest and Miami. We would love to have a key lay contact in every church for these projects. Send names to Jerry Wilburg, jerryw@thermoflo.net .

Harvey Mackay shared the following regarding “life lessons” in a recent email that is worth repeating: Gordon Dean was an American lawyer and prosecutor whose distinguished career was fairly typical for Washington types. He went to work for the Justice Department under President Franklin Roosevelt, taught in the law schools at Duke University and the University of Southern California. He was appointed as one of the original commissioners of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1949 by President Harry Truman, eventually becoming its chairman from 1950-53.

When Dean died in a plane crash in 1958, it's said that among his personal effects was an envelope with nine life lessons scribbled on the back. These lessons aren't about the law, or atomic energy, or foreign relations. Rather, they represent wisdom that should be shared and used by people everywhere. These are his superb lessons:

1. Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.

2. Never lose your capacity for indignation.

3. Never judge people -- don't type them too quickly. But in a pinch never first assume that a man is bad; first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is in the gray area between bad and good.

4. Never be impressed by wealth alone or thrown by poverty.

5. If you can't be generous when it's hard to be, you won't be when it's easy.

6. The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something -- almost anything -- well.

7. When confidence comes, then strive for humility; you aren't as good as all that.

8. The way to become truly useful is to seek the best that other brains have to offer. Use them to supplement your own, and be prepared to give credit to them when they have helped.

9. The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem from misunderstandings. So communicate!

The reason I'm so impressed with Dean's lessons is that -- besides being written on an envelope - they apply across the board, to all ages in every profession. They are simple yet profound.

All of these are helpful, but #5 stood out to me when I first read it. If you can't be generous when it's hard to be, you won't be when it's easy. How true it is. Let's choose to be generous ...that is a part of being a Christlike disciple.

Hope you have a great weekend and Lord’s Day. You are loved!

Dave McKellips

And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.  -Philippians 1:9-11


Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus. Summertime 2010 on the NEO District has been a time of heat, vacations, work projects in our "Jerusalem", VBS, Camps and transitions.

Regarding transitions, this Sunday we officially install Pastor Jason and Kim Powers at Tahlequah. At the same time, we begin saying goodbye to Gordon and Stephanie Smith in Dewey. Pastor Gordon has accepted a position as Associate Pastor of Heights First Church of the Nazarene in Albuquerque, NM. His last Sunday in Dewey will be August 29 and his official start date there will be on September 1st. We also will be saying goodbye to our wonderful office assistant, Vicki Crossland. Vicki’s husband, Marty, has taken a job in Austin, TX and for some reason thinks Vicki should join him there. Vicki’s last day in the office is August 13.

Well, how about an update on the Southwest Zone project at Drumright. Jerry Wilburg reports:  We met up with some of our brothers and sisters in Christ to get after the project again on Saturday. Temperatures were peaking out at 100° but not inside …we snuck in a team of guys on the previous Saturday and installed a brand new central heat and AIR CODITIONING system…woo-hoo. Temperature still got warm as we got busy putting up the wall sheathing and trimming out the windows. We started installing the kitchen cabinets after making a few repairs to the floor. Things are starting to take shape.


Thanks to all who have participated during the month of July. What a job you guys are doing. We plan on getting together a couple more times to try to finish this project up. Next team gathering here will be August 14th at 8:30am. The yellow house is located behind the church at the north end of the parking area.

This summer has also been a time to have problems with our communication tools. Our website has been hacked twice and is still down. Our calendar on our blog was locking up every time we tried to access it, so Vicki has designed a new blogspot for us. Thanks, Vicki.

“I’m not meaning to be critical. I’m just speaking the truth in love.” What usually follows is “the truth” – as that person sees it – delivered with little love in evidence. The article linked below, by Carl Leth, looks at the biblical call to build others up, to unify, and to honor Christ in holy community.
http://www.holinesstoday.org/nphweb/html/ht/article.jsp?sid=10005084&id=10009243

Taking a Break (if you care for your pastor, keep reading!)

While we read in Genesis that God rested on the seventh day, a growing number of ministers are finding that there is more work — and stress — than ever before, and fewer opportunities to unwind. The result has been a myriad of health problems among the clergy — from a lack of exercise, poor eating habits, more hypertension, a rise in obesity, problems of depression and substance abuse, higher rates of arthritis and asthma, and all of the ills of modern life that pastors spend so much time trying to help their congregants tackle. And many of these are at higher rates than most Americans.

A national survey in 2001 of more than 2,500 Christian religious leaders conducted by Duke Divinity School showed that 76 percent of Christian clergy were either overweight or obese, 15 percentage points higher than for the general U.S. population. And other research has shown that clergy across all faiths are succumbing to higher rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other ailments than their congregants.

What are some of the reasons for this decrease in health?

• Some experts say the situation may be aggravated by the recession, with donations down and more financial challenges for pastors on the job.

• The culture and economy are also causing many difficulties for the members of their congregations, which pastors feel they must try to address.

• Clergy routinely work 60-hour weeks and often have just one day off — and not the day everyone else is off. That makes it hard to develop friendships and creates a lot of loneliness.

• Nearly every function a pastor attends is likely to have food — and not necessarily healthy fare — that he or she is expected to share.

• A clergy shortage in many faiths leaves pastors overworked, overstressed, underpaid, and too often a lone ranger with little support from other ministers or the congregation.

• Like other service professions, pastors are expected to be available at all times, whether it is the dinner hour or on vacation. They have "boundary issues," which means they are too easily overtaken by the urgency of other people's needs.

• Pastors are often designated the holiest member of the congregation, who can be in all places at all times. But unlike doctors or police, they are supposed to be people who have dedicated their lives to a spiritual goal and are not expected to focus on themselves, their own welfare or their families.

• The root of the stress is that, for a minister, work centers around so many different relationships and the demand that he or she be all things to all people.

• Pastors start thinking that things like their church will be their legacy instead of their families, which knocks them out of balance and "whacks" their own relationships with Christ.

As cell phones and social media expose ministers to new dimensions of stress, and as health care costs soar, some of the country's largest denominations have begun wellness campaigns for their spiritual leaders. At the center of nearly all of these programs is more rest.

"We had a pastor in our study group who hadn't taken a vacation in 18 years," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, an assistant professor of health research at Duke University.

A United Methodist Church directive proclaimed, "Time away can bring renewal and help prevent burnout." Episcopal, Baptist and Lutheran churches have all undertaken health initiatives that place special emphasis on the need for pastors to take vacations and observe "Sabbath days," their weekday time off in place of Sundays.

A program called the National Clergy Renewal Program, funded by the Lilly Foundation, has been underwriting sabbaticals for pastors for several years. The program will provide up to $50,000 to 150 congregations in the coming year. And places like the Alban Institute are studying the topic and offering expertise and resources to denominations trying to make their clergy healthier.

But experts say the solutions have to start at the congregation level. Congregants can encourage pastors to take time off, and not view everything in the church as his or her responsibility. They can provide healthy foods at church events. But clergy themselves must find time to exercise and to relax, even if it means saying no to some requests. Otherwise, they will not be healthy enough to serve their flocks later. They must recognize that long hours and porous boundaries between one's work life and personal life is an occupational hazard.

Rev. Peter Scazzero, pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y., begins his advice by rejecting the constant-growth ethic that has contributed to the explosion of so-called mega-churches. He also advocates more vacation time for members of the clergy, Sabbath-keeping, and a "rhythm of stopping," or daily praying, that he learned from the silent order of Trappist monks. He was forced to make a change to live more consciously and less compulsively by his depression and alienation from his wife and four children. "The insight I gained from the Trappists is that being too 'busy' is an impediment to one's relationship with God." [The New York Times, PoliticsDaily.com]

Hope you all have a wonderful Lord's Day! You are loved!
Dave McKellips