Prayer Requests

· Dr. Sammy Bonee, former pastor of Claremore Church, passed away on Christmas Day · Rev. Larry Brinkley, long time pastor and leader in NEO, is moving to Kansas to be near his son, Mark · Mandy Alsop’s mom has ovarian cancer

How to Make New Year’s Resolutions that You will Actually Keep!

Harvey Mackey offers the following advice: Making a New Year's resolution is like setting any other type of goal.  You have to choose wisely if you want to achieve something significant.  Remember that a good resolution, like a solid goal, usually has a few definable characteristics: · Focus.  Set a definite target:  "Lose 10 pounds by June" is better than "Lose some weight." · Challenge.  Your resolution should be neither too difficult nor too easy. · Commitment.  Share your resolutions with others - that will help you work on them. · Presence.  Write down your resolutions in detail, and post your list where you'll see it often. · Vision.  Visualize the results you want to achieve every day.

Holy Convocation January 10-12 at Family Church

This is not a conference; it is a time of prayer and fasting, a gathering of people from across the country who are desperate for an encounter with God and for His glory to fall upon them. On Tuesday, January 10th the Holy Convocation will begin at 10:00 am. It will probably wrap up each evening around 6 pm, or as the Lord leads. Feel free to come and go as you would need to. For those of you planning on coming, if you haven't already, would you please email DanBohiMinistry@aol.com  and let them know the number in your group so they get a good count to make sure we have enough room at the Church?  Thank you!

Thinking About Evangelism vs. Compassion

"Engage" is the name of the global missions magazine for the Church of the Nazarene. You may want to look at the article "Mission: Is it Justice or Evangelism?" (at least the intro and conclusion). It is a good exercise to think through your approach of compassionate ministry events and evangelism. We can care for the needs of others in very tangible ways but when and how does proclamation come into this picture? And should it? Can compassionate ministries be evangelistic without compromising the "pure love" value? Is compassionate ministry evangelistic by its nature? Or do we have to be more intentional than just "handing out water", giving away baskets of food, or giving a night of lodging? Give this some thought. It will make a difference in how you do both evangelism and compassionate ministry. How do you blend the two?

Are Your People Orange? by Dr. Don Nations

I participated in a First Experience class at a church this past Sunday.  The class briefly reviewed the history of the church, its values, how to get involved, etc.  During the review of the values, time was spent on the one that stated “We are Orange”. Everyone was asked to say their favorite color on the count of three.  As you can imagine, people had different favorite colors and the result was a confusing garbled response.  Then everyone was asked to say “orange” on the count of three.  The result was quite different.  The group responded with a unified “orange”. The point is this: everyone in your church has their favorite things – songs, styles, traditions, mission projects, etc.  If everyone goes about pursuing their favorite thing, then the result is a confusing garbled message and few things are done in an excellent manner.  If, on the other hand, everyone will surrender their favorites and come together to support the greater purpose of the church, then the church is unified and can accomplish great things. Do the people in your church check their preferences at the door and proudly proclaim “We are Orange”?

Grace and peace,   Dave

Merry Christmas!

It is an honor and joy to serve with you.

Grace and peace,

Dave

Welcome New Staff

David and Frances Smith (Claremore - Youth), prev. Chr. Ed

Dustin Wine (Sapulpa - Youth)

New Pastor Coming to Grove

Pastor Don Engie has accepted a unanimous call to serve the Grove Lakewood Community Church of the Nazarene. We are excited to have Don, Jaci, Lynna, Breana, and new baby, Elijah, coming home to NEO! The Engies first Sunday in Grove will be January 15th.

North American Preliminary Statistics

We have received from the North American Regional office the preliminary statistics for the church year just completed.  Together our 80 districts now have 5,002 active churches in our region.  This is a net gain of 8.  This is good news considering that for the previous two years we had losses-a net loss of 15 churches in 2010 and a net loss of 24 churches in 2009.  72 new churches have been started and 26 new churches were organized.  We have 432 churches in the pipeline moving toward organization.  We must make the starting and organizing of new churches a priority in your ministry.  Your influence in these areas will mean many more souls entering the Kingdom and being discipled into Christlikeness. As you know these are challenging days for the American and Canadian church. However, in the Church of the Nazarene we are rejoicing that there were over 56,000 conversions, over 20,000 baptisms and over 52,000  Nazarenes received (approximately 27,000 by profession of faith). We realized an increase in membership and discipleship ministries.  Our present full membership of 655,286 is an all-time high for our region and is the third year in a row that a record has been reached. The troubling statistic is that this is the sixth year in a row that we have experienced a decrease in worship attendance. Please make this a matter of prayer and your influence to turn this around is critical.

Holy Convocation January 10-12 at Family Church

This is not a conference; it is a time of prayer and fasting, a gathering of people from across the country who are desperate for an encounter with God and for His glory to fall upon them. On Tuesday, January 10th the Holy Convocation will begin at 10:00 am. It will probably wrap up each evening around 6 pm, or as the Lord leads. Feel free to come and go as you would need to. For those of you planning on coming, if you haven't already, would you please email DanBohiMinistry@aol.com  and let them know the number in your group so they get a good count to make sure we have enough room at the Church?  Thank you!

Spiritual Renewal Weekend February 24-26 at Central Church

NYI Winter Retreat February 3-5, 2012 Christmas Alive Come along for the ride that tells the true story of Christmas!  Witness Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and a beyond-the-manger look at Jesus of Nazareth. Dec. 3, 10, 17, 22, 23 6 - 9 pm Muskogee First Church

Installation of New Pastors

What a joy it has been to be at Bartlesville and Cushing the past couple of weeks for the installations of Dr. Russell Hosey and Rev. Ned McCarty.  How exciting it is for these churches at this time of new beginnings. Great days are ahead for them!

Installation of Dr. Russell Hosey in Bartlesville

Installation of Rev. Ned McCarty in Cushing

Welcome New Staff

John and Glinda Williamson (Tulsa Central), Pastoral Care Miami Revival with Chad Bohi December 4-7 Christmas Alive Come along for the ride that tells the true story of Christmas!  Witness Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and a beyond-the-manger look at Jesus of Nazareth. Dec. 3, 10, 17, 22, 23 6 - 9 pm Muskogee First Church

Nazarene Safe provides resources to equip local churches of the Nazarene in creating safe environments for God's family. Central to implementing a safety system is the development of sound policies and preventative procedures. You may have recognized that your current plans need to be refreshed or more strongly enforced. Strategies for fulfilling these needs are found on the website: www.nazarenesafe.org. In addition to valuable print and electronic tools, the Nazarene Safe team is available to respond to your questions and assist you in securing the information needed to help your church make a positive impact in your community. We invite you to utilize the info found on the Nazarene Safe website. Let's keep the children safe and not be found vulnerable due to negligence when lawsuits are filed.

November District Leaders

View Full Report

I Want to Celebrate. . .

James Wilson, Pawhuska. . . Children's ministry rapidly approaching 20 kids from birth to 8th grade. Joel Heid, Dewey. . . We continue to learn about and practice prayer.  We are learning to persevere.  We watched a Jim Cymbala video where he shared that sometimes when we pray, situations might get even worse.  But he said that is not the time to quit, but the time to persevere and hold on, to keep trusting and expecting.  God blesses faith, a faith that he does test.  Jesus told the parable of the Unjust Judge, that we would “…pray and not give up.” Brad Farnsworth, Tulsa Connection. . . Partnered with Garnett Church of Christ in serving a free community Thanksgiving dinner with 100-150 being fed; 3 baptisms Steven Lester, Tulsa Central. . . On November 13th, Central Church came together to celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Some who had moved away returned to celebrate with friends and family.  It was a time for looking back at God’s faithfulness.  Also, it was a time for looking forward with eager anticipation of the great things God can and will do through Central Church in the future.  It was a wonderful time of celebration! Steve Davis, Sapulpa. . . Seeing more answers to prayers Repeat new attendees finding a home here Greater unity in the body Adult small group studies going well Moving of God’s Holy Spirit in our services Addition of new Youth Pastor Cole Weston, Okmulgee. . . •     New volunteers coming on board! •     New classes seem to be doing well •     Our teen ministry is exploding – we now have 36 kids who come at different times. We are actually glad at the moment they don't all come at once but we're making more room! The huge SS number is that increase! David Stevens, Vinita. . . Our people are loving and supportive here at VCN. Even when finances are lower, they are giving what they can. Also, we may be starting a new ministry here, a support group for Meth addicts. Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life. . . The New Life Church family God has blessed me with!  A bunch of "jacked up" for Jesus people!  I love them all!  I am proud to say that I attend and pastor the New Life Church! Scott Behm, Chelsea. . . We enjoyed our Thanksgiving celebrations. Our church participated in the Chelsea community wide revival, and we began a new outreach ministry called GUYS. The GUYS ministry provided a free Saturday morning pancake breakfast to anyone in the community that wanted to come and join us to talk about our service to God, each other and the community. NYI Winter Retreat February 3-5, 2012

Holy Convocation January 10-12

Spiritual Renewal Weekend February 24-26

Thanksgiving

In this season of Thanksgiving, I realize anew how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for God’s amazing grace and love, for my incredible family, for friends to play and pray with on the journey. And I am grateful to be a part of the NEO Nazarene family. We are partners together in the ministry of Christ. We join hands and hearts in the most exciting thing happening on our planet! It is my joy to work and pray alongside you. Gloria and I deeply love and appreciate you! May God bless you with a wonderful season of Thanksgiving. Grace and peace,  Dave

Welcome New Staff

Diana Meuller (Muskogee First) Children's Pastor with husband, Bob and children Erica, Adam, Ian, Owen, Eli, Olivia, and Abigail

Arlin and Jeannie Tyler (Tulsa Central) Worship Arts Pastor

Todd and Holly Barker with son, Easton (Tulsa Central) Youth Pastor

David and Kay Rogers Leaving Mannford

After much prayer, listening and evaluation, Pastor David Rogers has resigned as pastor of the Mannford Church. Pastor David and Kay have served the church for 6 ½ years.  David’s last Sunday as pastor will be Dec. 25, 2011. Join us in expressing our love and appreciation to this fine couple!

SNU Board of Trustees Meeting Recap

Geoff Gunter, Bud Lauhon, Kevin Lewis and I represented NEO at our recent SNU Board Meeting. The meeting was one of the best I have participated in for two reasons: 1. We participated in several stimulating sessions regarding Good Governance led by Dr. Robert Andringa. He shared many “best practices” that challenged us to think how to be more effective in our role as Trustees. 2. The innovative initiative adopted by our Trustees to create a Nazarene College Consortium with MNU (See announcement below). This is a significant step toward greater collaboration among our Nazarene Universities. Other highlights include: 1. Lives continue to be transformed at SNU! We are blessed to have a university that values and seeks a Christ-centered community. 2. SNU had a balanced budget for the 22nd consecutive year. 3. New facilities were opened in Tulsa and Bethany Campuses. 4. Everything is progressing smoothly for SNU’s move from NAIA to NCAA, Division 2. 5. Financial giving is up this year in educational budget, SNU Fund, Endowed Giving, etc. 6. With a recent grant of $800,000 from the Mabee Foundation to the Science Initiative, we hope to break ground on the 26,000 sq. ft. laboratory addition early in 2012. Phase I is estimated to cost $5.5 million.

MNU and SNU agree to form Nazarene College Consortium

November 17, 2011 In separate meetings this week, the boards of trustees of Southern Nazarene University and Mid America Nazarene University voted unanimously to form the Nazarene College Consortium (NCC) for the purpose of collaborating to create stronger and growing delivery systems for Nazarene higher education for the North Central and South Central regions. This follows conversations that have taken place across the past six months between representatives of each board. The goals of this collaboration are to increase enrollment significantly among students from Nazarene congregations and to generate significant cost savings in several areas of operational structure, with those savings redeployed primarily toward generating the intended Nazarene enrollment growth. While development of the NCC has been spearheaded by trustees, the administration of each school will be deeply involved in further planning and implementation.   Joint processes and structures will be developed to ensure significant new collaborative initiatives are in place.  However, the trustees have stressed that each school will retain its own identity, educational region, governance, administration, and finances.  The intent has been described as “forging a new collaborative model that responds to trends in higher education while honoring our educational mission and history.” Following the NCC’s formation, the presidents and boards of each of the other six Nazarene universities in the U.S. were invited to participate in any way and at any time they see fit.  All expressed affirmation and support, and several have already indicated strong interest in getting involved with the NCC soon. Representatives from each of the two boards – and possibly representatives from other Nazarene schools – will meet in December.

Designated Giving Policy Needed

Dr. McKellips joins with Stewardship Ministries in  recommending  that every local church adopt a designated giving policy that discloses how you plan to use designated funds. The way you handle them is your decision, but should be disclosed up-front to potential donors. Whether you decide that a portion of all designated contributions will be used to support denomination-wide ministries, or that you will use 100% of designated funds for the purpose designated and will donate toward denominational and district giving goals solely with general operating funds. A sample policy may be found at www.fundingthemission.org. Saturday, November 19 @ Claremore District Children's Invitational Quiz #2 Coaches meeting @ 9:30. Quizzing will begin @ 10:00. Please RSVP pastorjan@bfcnaz.org with number of Red Level and Blue Level quizzers and how many lunches for adults and children from each church. Awards will follow lunch. Welcome New Pastors Dr. Russell Hosey will be installed as Lead Pastor at Bartlesville First on Sunday, Nov. 27. Russell began his pastoral ministry in NEO, serving the church in Tahlequah. We welcome Russell and Linda back to NEO! Rev. Ned McCarty will be installed as Lead Pastor at Cushing on December 4.  We welcome Ned and his wife, Janet, and daughters Heather and Lindsay to the District!  UPDATE With the resignation of our SDMI Chairperson, Rev. Angela Bentley, I have appointed Rev. Steven Lester,  Lead Pastor at Tulsa Central, to be the new SDMI Chairperson, effective immediately. In 2011 we have already had turnover in our Children's and Adult Directors. It may take us a few days to get our bearings, but I am confident in Rev. Lester and believe he will help us begin to regroup and serve our churches in our mission of "making Christlike disciples" in NEO. Grace and peace,   Dave Thanksgiving Offering November 20th More information

From NYI President Ryan Amey

I would like to express my appreciation to all of you that came out and joined us Sunday night, Nov. 6, at our Fall Event!  We had a great turn out and a great time of fellowship!  Thanks to Rev. Michelle Proctor and Ken Thomasson for their hard work in putting this event together.  We had 172 attendees!  It was great to get together and laugh and have a great time with my NEO Friends!  What a blessing all of you are!  Happy Anniversary Please join us Sunday, November 20, 2011, for our 80TH Anniversary Celebration. We will celebrate with music, memories and our mission. Following the service we will have a buffet luncheon. We hope that everyone will be able to join us as we mark this historic event in the history of Silver Creek Church of the Nazarene.

The 212° concept is powerful. If you are not familiar with it, here’s the idea: At 211 degrees...water is hot. At 212 degrees...it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive.        And, it's that one extra degree that...   Makes all the difference. So many times, in church and in life, it's that one extra degree of effort that separates the good from the great.  Attention NEO District NYI, we will be meeting together February 3-5, 2012 at New Life Ranch for a Winter Retreat! This will serve as a time for us to grow spiritually, develop deeper relationships with our students, and to get away from the daily grind and have some fun! Speaking will be Craig Shepperd, a youth/young adult pastor from Norman, OK. Leading us in worship will be Robert Click, our district admissions rep from Southern Nazarene University. The cost for each student will $100, the cost for each sponsor will be $75. Checks can be made out to NEO NYI. The deadline to register is Sunday, January 22nd. Church youth leaders, you can return the filled out forms one of two ways: 1) scan and email the completed forms to kenb@banazarene.org 2) mail the completed forms to 401 W. New Orleans, Broken Arrow, OK 74011. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at the address above or call me on my cell at 918-971-8205. One last thing, please join me in praying for this event and those who will be in attendance as we retreat to hear from our creator and build relationships with one another! --Ken Behrens, Youth Pastor   Broken Arrow First Church of the Nazarene click here for download