Dear NEO family,
Greetings in the strong name of Jesus. I hope you are enjoying these beautiful fall days! For many of our churches, September has been a month to focus on revival and renewal. Sand Springs Church is having revival services with John Juneman and Phillip Phelp this week (7pm each evening, 6pm Sunday). Pawhuska had a wonderful revival week with Dr. Chic Shaver on Sept. 4 – 11. Miami and Sapulpa just finished revival services with Chad Bohi. I believe their reports will encourage you:
Report from Pastor Casey Hollingsworth and Miami New Life Church: It's hard to put into words and especially into a short paragraph the things of God I've been a part of this past week in our revival. Our people were very receptive to God, hungry for His Word, and very obedient to the Spirit's leading in our services. What a recipe for the Spirit to break out and do His thing! And that's exactly what He did! It was not uncommon for our services to go some 3 plus hours. We were not in a hurry to leave as we knew we were a part of something special. Seekers lined the altars and pews each and every night. Chad Bohi even stayed for another night for an "unscheduled revival" service. I had the privilege of baptizing 15 people in Sunday's "New Life Celebration “service (This was a spontaneous/unannounced baptism service. Very awesome!). I was also baptized as a testimony to God's transforming work in my life. I also had the privilege of leading 5 totally unchurched young adults to the Lord. I hope to have the opportunity to share their stories at some time! God is leading myself and the New Life church into uncharted waters and it's a great place to be! For the first time in my life, I truly feel and understand what true ministry is all about! Thank you God! Chad is coming back in December because we both feel and believe in what God is doing and is going to do in the New Life Church.
Report from Pastor Steve Davis and the Sapulpa Church: What an incredible time with the Lord. God used Chad Bohi in a powerful way, using the flow of God's word to pierce our hearts, God brought us to a place of brokenness and humility. The altars were full each service and many received great help. It was exactly what we needed at Sapulpa Church. One lady reported that God healed her knee during one of the services. May God be continually praised for all he has begun in us.
Other brief updates:
· We had a wonderful day in Dewey last Sunday as we installed Pastor Joel Heid.
· Wednesday evening I led the Pastor/Church review for the Okmulgee Church and Pastor Cole Weston. The review was positive and instructive and we look forward to more fruitful days of ministry for Cole and Ambre in Okmulgee in the years to come.
· I met with the Bartlesville Board twice this week and they have extended an invitation for a candidate to meet the congregation.
· Muskogee First will celebrate their 90th Anniversary this Sunday with Dr. Harold Graves speaking.
· Sam Book and the Claremore Church did a great job of hosting our Men’s Skeet Shoot last Saturday.
· The first Children’s Bible Quiz of the year is this Saturday, Oct. 1.
· Kid’s Mission Day is Saturday, Oct. 8.
· Our NMI President, David Stevens, received the following note from Richard Sowder, Coordinator of Nazarene Disaster Response: Thanks for your leadership in NMI in northeast Oklahoma! Thanks especially for the 115 cases of Crisis Care Kits that NEO sent to Texas!!! The timing was perfect.
· NYI President, Ryan Amey reports: We have the dates of June 15-18, 2011 at Camp Bond with our speaker being Jim Chapman! We are pumped!
Jim Cooper, my friend and Superintendent of the Southwest Oklahoma District, sent the following words of exhortation to his pastors this week
I hope it is very clear that I believe when it comes to church purpose and methods that our motto should be, "Mission First". Everything should serve the mission of Jesus, His commission to us....which I summarize by "seek, save, serve, disciple".
However, this is not to exclude the quality of life within "the four walls". What happens "inside" the church is important too. In fact, in a world where the Church suffers from a poor image among the populace (not a new thing since the Early Church was known in the Roman community as cannibalistic, incestuous atheists because they regularly consumed the body and blood of Christ, married their "brothers" and "sisters" ) ...but in this world of negative views of the Church it is important that even the relational quality of the insiders is about our mission...and has a powerful voice. It would serve each of us as pastors to assess the relational quality of our congregations and apply ourselves to raising the positive vib and depth of love expressed within the Body. "Loving Relationships" is one of the eight characteristics of a healthy church determined by the study of Natural Church Development and "Fellowship" is one of the five core values of any church....but of more import is this word by Jesus, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). Might be time to check the Body's relational quality...for the sake of the Jesus mission. Mission first, but....settling conflicts, connecting people, stimulating caring, even a Pastor's relational warmth...the "inside" of our churches speak to the "outsider".
May God help NEO churches to be known by their love for one another. That is one of the marks of genuine revival.
You are loved!
Dave
Dr. H. David McKellips
District Superintendent, Northeast Oklahoma
6705 E. 81st St., Suite 130
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133
918.496.0022 Office
918.810.7095 Cell
918.496.0022 Office
918.810.7095 Cell
www.neonaz.com
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