Dear NEO Family, Spring seems like it has been here for a while, but the calendar finally has acknowledged it! With Spring, we think of new life and growth. On the NEO District, it has seemed like a Spiritual Spring through the first three months of 2012. AWAKENING has been our prayer and our experience. One of the ways God is bringing new life is in directing our churches to skilled pastoral staff. Recently the following new staff have joined our team: Kathy Cott – Children’s Pastor, Tulsa Hills Bethany Henry – Children’s Coordinator, Family Abby Armstrong – Children’s Pastor, Miami New Life Robert McLemore – Associate Pastor, Grove Lakewood Compensating Staff Good staff is invaluable! And we need to do our best to compensate them like other professionals in the community.    If your church can do raises-or if it finds itself in a position to hire a pastor or staff member this year-don't forget The 2012-2013 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, which uses pay and benefit data from more than 4,600 churches nationwide to track pay ranges, assess benefit packages, and make competitive job offers." I am aware that often we can not compensate staff as we wish;  so, how do we address the under-compensated staff member? Those who have staff might want to check into the following resource I recently saw which addresses the 7 ways to bless and value staff even when raises are not likely. Here is what the link says... "While the U.S. economy continues to idle, finances undoubtedly remain tight for many. And I wondered: For churches that can offer little-or nothing-for pay raises this year, how can they still honor and reward their employees in ways that bless them, motivate them, and keep them happy? I spoke with Bloomberg BusinessWeek columnist Liz Ryan, a workplace consultant with more than 20 years of corporate experience. She offered seven specific ways churches can bless and develop valuable staff members. Read the first four ways today, and then check back later this week on ManagingYourChurch.com for part two.” Grace and Peace, Dave

Cheering on our Heroes

I just returned from a week of vacation. Gloria and I stayed with Gloria’s sister and her family who live in La Quinta, CA. Part of the reason for the timing of the visit was the BNP Paribas Tennis Classic being held a few miles from their home. I had never before attended a major tennis competition. I spent three days at the tennis courts and saw almost all of the top players in the world. I was not disappointed. One more thing crossed off the “bucket list”.. The top three men’s players of the world – Nadal, Federer and Djokovich – all have a huge fan club. They are unbelievably talented and have winsome personalities. Whenever word leaked out that they may be coming to a practice court, the nearby stands were soon packed. It was not unusual to hear someone cry out, “We love you, Rhapha!” or “We love you, Roger!” I have to tell you it was a huge thrill to see these talented players up close. But I spent some time thinking about who I wish the heroes of our society are. I wonder when the last time a faithful Sunday School teacher heard someone in the audience yell out words of love and appreciation. What about the pastor who consistently brings a word from the Lord to his congregation and who responds compassionately when pastoral care is needed? Or the mom or dad who stays up through the night with a sick child or puts their own desires for a newer car on hold to pay for a child’s braces or college education? There are many heroes in our midst every day! Let’s take time to cheer them on and express our love and respect! Grace and Peace, Dave

Letter from our General Superintendents regarding the Easter Offering

To Nazarenes around the world: As we approach this year’s Easter celebration, the presence of our risen Lord is being felt throughout the Church of the Nazarene. During General Board meetings last week, your passion for missions, your prayers, and your giving made it possible for your church to: Declare our presence in three new world areas—now 159 total. Commission 14 new global missionaries. Continue to make the 737 WEF-funded and contracted missionaries already on the fields a high priority. These decisions underscore our commitment as a denomination to being a holiness and Great Commission church. “Through the Cross” is the theme for the 2012 Easter Offering. We encourage everyone to give, even if you are already participating in faith promise. An extra gift will go a long way toward “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” Would you lead your church in special prayer, asking God how much He wants your people to invest in this Easter offering for missions? The Board of General Superintendents is grateful for your generous and sacrificial giving, Thank you! May God bless you and your church as together we recall the death and resurrection of our Savior— Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the only true and living God. The Board of General Superintendents Church of the Nazarene

February Statistical Leaders

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I Want to Celebrate...

Don Engie, Grove Lakewood Community. . . We are just getting started here, but we have already seen some signs of new beginnings. There are people who we are seeing come on a Sunday that we have met during the week. One person considers himself to be an atheist, but spent over two hours talking with me after a service about God and His Word. We have begun Children’s Church on Sundays and now have a steady group of children coming. God is working, and we are simply trying to be faithful and obedient to where He leads. Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills. . . Rev. Kathy Cott has been hired as our new Children’s Pastor - first Sunday is March 4; very strong attendance during February; new families continue to check out THC. David Stevens, Vinita. . . God is blessing our services. My wife, Carol, agreed to lead our Church in prayer during the 40 days of prayer leading up to the District SRW. She went to the Church each Sunday for Prayer at 9AM. Johnny and Debbie Borgstrom joined her. God blessed and answered their prayers, and our Church has been improved. The increase in average attendance is only one indicator of how God is moving in Vinita Nazarene. Joel Heid, Dewey. . . I sense the Lord moving among us more and more.  We continue to emphasis prayer and seek to embrace all its potential as promised by the Lord.  We are finding that prayer brings more faith, and it is faith that pleases God.  We love this quote from E. M. Bounds, “When faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.”  We want our faith to “live” so we must be intimate with Him.  Daniel Henderson said “Ministry that doesn’t spring from intimacy is simply activity without the touch of eternity.” Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life. . . 65 plus New Lifer's accepted my 10/10/10 challenge.  We have committed for the next 10 weeks to spending 10 minutes a day in God's Word, 10 minutes a day in prayer, and increasing our weekly giving (which I encouraged and took on myself to increase by 10%).  We have seen God to be faithful and true in "throwing open His floodgates in blessings!"  I truly believe the best is yet to come as God's people get desperate for Him! Steve Davis, Sapulpa. . . Sent 24 to NYI Winter Retreat 14 people took 3–month tithe challenge Repeat new attendees finding a home here Greater unity in the body Moving of God’s Holy Spirit in our services 2 new small groups started Scott Behm, Chelsea. . . We celebrated and anticipated Spiritual Awakening Services all month, which the Lord blessed in many ways. We had 24 people renew their dedication to walk in the light of Christ and to help lead others to do the same on 2/26/12, almost everyone present.  Knowing no matter how we are lost or hidden that the Lord comes to us just as and where we are, to love and accept us.  (Hannah Whitall Smith references “The Secret of a Happy Life” as having a profound effect in her life.  The Secret is – “It is simply ceasing from all efforts of our own and trusting in the Lord to make us Holy.” “Through the Lord Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors” and our part is “believing, resting, abiding and obeying.”) We celebrated the life of Jim Heriford and praise God, that Jim affirmed his faith, for God’s healing of relationships that occurred in the family through Jim’s profession of forgiveness shared and a family member’s specific request for that forgiveness. Awakening services Two of our people came forward to request a fresh filling, a spiritual renewal, of the Holy Spirit.  A teenage girl and myself. The Lord led three to ask for physical healing of diabetes, neck/back ailments and pain. The Lord led two of our teenage girls to pray for their family members for financial and medical afflictions. The Lord led a young adult granddaughter to be prayed with by her grandparents. Awakening Services Preparation The Lord has blessed our Wednesday night bible study using the Chic Shaver- “For the Spirit-filled and Sanctified Life” series. Our people loved the daily devotional emphasis during the month, which provided many blessings. Brad Farnsworth, Connection. . . First  prayer gathering with Garnett Church of Christ was a huge success; dinner/prayer gatherings on Wednesdays are going great, with good individual prayer participation. Monty Nichols, Muskogee. . . A great February.  We baptized four young people this past week.  God is working in our people.  We are excited about March!

Getting the Glory Down

Dear NEO Family, Praise God for his renewing work. Almost every week I hear reports of God breaking in on one of our churches. And then on Feb. 24-26 we had a powerful AWAKENING weekend! Thank you for your prayers and support. There was a powerful sense of anticipation from the first song of the first service. Attendance was great and children and adults all encountered God. Our altars were lined with young people on Friday; on Sunday evening  there were 56 children who responded to the altar call in our elementary age service! And adults responded in every service in obedience, surrender and faith.  Our workers – Marci Marquis and worship team, Lenny and Joy Wisehart and the Raeburns and Big Blast Kidz Ministries were all anointed and just what we needed. Central Church was again a wonderful host. Praise be to God for a time of refreshing. Where do we go from here? Our expectation is that we would be “awakened by His Spirit” so we can “live in His Spirit” and “walk in His purposes.” As one of our pastors told me this weekend, this is only the beginning! In December I was reading an old book Getting the Glory Down. In it I found an address made by E. O. Chalfant to a gathering of District Superintendents in 1944. The address was entitled, “How Can We Keep the Church Deeply Spiritual”. Chalfant wrote: “It was never easier in the history of the world to get souls saved than it is now if we will pay the price to make it possible to get the souls saved. It is easier now to get souls saved than it was in the first century of the Christian era. They had no printing presses then – they had no automobiles then. The world had none of the modern conveniences then. We have about everything now to promote the gospel with one exception. We do not have enough of the burning, consuming passion of the first Pentecost or deep spirituality. Here are the simple things that we must do: 1.  Keep up our devotions. 2.  Keep aggressive. 3.  Keep awake to lost souls. 4. Keep doing something about the great white harvest field of the earth’s unchurched millions. 5.  Keep kind and humble, keep away from criticisms, keep a forgiving spirit. 6.  Keep the love of God dwelling richly in our hearts. 7.  Keep your passion life up. 8.  Work hard, study hard, pray without ceasing. 9.  Keep Jesus Christ first in everything. Sounds like good counsel in 2012 if we want to “keep the glory down.” Remember in Prayer · Hispanic Coordinator, Otoniel Danneman, whose mother has had a heart attack in Guatemala. · Chelsea Pastor, Scottie Behm, whose mother died recently in Florida. The funeral was in Illinois. · Davenport Pastor, Lowell Clark, whose sister, Karla Lesslie, passed away in Topeka 10 days ago. · Retired Pastor, Clint Mitchell, who had triple by-pass surgery on February 23. · Lou Burch, Coweta Pastor's wife, recovering from surgery · Tahlequah Pastor, Jason Powers, suffering from asthma

General Board Report

I drove to Kansas City on Sunday night following AWAKENING to participate in the last day of the General Board of the Global Church of the Nazarene. It was exciting to hear the reports of growth from every region of the world. For example: In Africa, our members have grown from 233,006 to 549,463 in the last decade, a 135% decadal growth rate. The church is now ministering in 42 of 54 countries across Africa. In Eurasia, we have 562 new churches in the past year with a net gain of 12% in attendance. We have had 7 straight years of double-digit growth! Sunday School/Discipleship reports 16% growth worldwide this past year. We concluded our meeting by commissioning 14 new global missionaries. Praise be to God for leading us in making Christlike disciples in the nations.

Day of Prayer - March 26

The following is a portion of a letter from SNU President, Dr. Loren Gresham. In view of this wave of the gay activist movement to normalize a destructive lifestyle and to threaten religious freedoms please do all you can to help your people observe a day of prayer for SNU....MARCH 26. We would like to support our administration, professors and students in prayers of intercession during this stressful time. Please plan a prayer effort for this! Here is a portion of President Loren's letter: "Dear Friends of SNU: Because we value your trust and prayers, I wanted to make you aware that a gay advocacy group will be visiting our campus this Spring to protest our biblical position on homosexuality. Early this semester an organization called Soulforce contacted us to say they would be bringing  'Equality Ride' to our campus on the afternoon of Monday, March 26, 2012. Soulforce is a 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer' group (their self identification)  founded by Dr. Mel White, former ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham, that exists to promote, in their words, 'freedom from religious and political oppression' for homosexuals. The 'Equality Ride' is a national bus tour of selected college campuses to challenge policies that they claim discriminate against homosexuals. They target colleges and universities that maintain a biblical stance on the issue of homosexuality, as SNU and the Church of the Nazarene do, and attempts to generate media attention to these institutions." This group's visit to campus is NOT by invitation. It is meant to attract media attention. President Gresham has appointed a team of Dr. Hal Cauthron, Dr. Terry Toler, Dr. Brad Strawn and Dr. Scott Strawn to lead our response effort. Please pray for these men on that day! Grace and peace,   Dave