Dear NEO Family, I trust you had a wonderful celebration of the coming of Christ and are preparing for an exciting and purposeful 2013. As 2013 begins, we immediately move into our focus on AWAKENING 2013. · On January 4 we begin our 21 Days of Prayer with Fasting. The AWAKENING 2013 Journal may prove helpful for these 21 days. Every local church pastor should have copies available and it is also available to download. I have included some thoughts on fasting below. More resources on prayer and fasting, especially the 21-Day Daniel Fast are available at www.awake21.org. · On Sunday, January 13, 6pm we will have Concerts of Prayer on each NEO Zone. · NEO Spiritual Renewal Weekend will be January 25 – 27 with Dan Bohi, Evangelist; Kyle Tyler, Children’s Evangelist;  and Marci Marquis, Worship Leader.

Visit the NEO website for more information.

Prayer Gathering at the Global Ministry Center All Nazarenes Welcome January 3-9, 2013 We invite Nazarenes globally to pray six months January-June 2013 for God to renew the Church of the Nazarene in the Holy Spirit. Please inform your church. Read more about If My People Pray: http://nmi.nazarene.org/10203/story.html in five languages. Breaking News: As we launch this initiative, several Nazarene leaders agreed that we urgently need and desperately desire an extended meeting with Jesus. We covenanted to plan a prayer gathering for renewal throughout our denomination. We will gather at the Global Ministry Center (GMC) in Lenexa, Kansas on January 3-9, 2013 for this prayer gathering. We will begin on January 3 at 12:00 PM and conclude on January 9 at 12:00 PM Central time USA.

Thoughts on Fasting from Bill Keller

Fasting has been one of the most misunderstood and misused practices in the Bible.  The basic premise of fasting is giving up a normal daily activity, as a sacrifice, to spend that time in prayer and seeking the Lord.  It is NOT supposed to be a physical endurance contest to see how long you can go without eating.  It is an act of sacrifice.  It can be as little as skipping one meal, or not eating for 24 hours, or even three days. Fasting does not always have to be food.  You can "fast" by not watching television for a period of time, or giving up any number of others things that you may do during the day.  There is no magic formula.  Let me warn you that fasting can be very dangerous to your health!  Anytime you fast over 24 hours, you need to be very careful.  ***I would strongly suggest that you contact your doctor to make sure you do it correctly. The reason you fast is to sacrifice the nourishment to your body, and spend that time nourishing your soul.  It is a way to focus solely on the Lord and to seek Him.  Often fasting is done at times when there are major needs, and you need to really zero in spiritually on the Lord, seeking Him for answers. I routinely fast one day a month, but during major events or times of great need, I will fast for 72 hours and try to spend much of that time just in prayer.  I keep living my normal life, but use the time I would normally be eating to spend time with God. Fasting does not make you more spiritual than someone who does not fast.  It is not a way to prove how spiritual you are.  Again, it is a simple act of sacrifice to spend that time in prayer with the Lord.  It allows you to hear God more clearly.  It is a time to really get serious about praying over a certain situation or circumstance.  It is a sacrifice on your part to get closer to God. I would suggest that if you've never fasted before, start with one meal.   Use the 20-40 minutes that you would normally be eating, go to a quiet place and just pray.  Talk to God about those things in your life He needs to clean up.  Talk to God about problems that only He can fix.  One powerful way to use fasting is to fast and spend that time in prayer for someone else. Sacrifice that meal and spend the time praying for the needs of someone else.  That is powerful!

February 22-24 Speaker: Philip Rodebush Stone Castle Resort Branson, MO Sponsored by the Joplin District Singles flyer The NEO NYI 2013 camp website  is up.  Bookmark this page and watch for more info to be posted soon!   Greetings from Manna House Our quarterly newsletter (October, November, December) is on the NEO website for your review. You can see from our report that many people are helped thru Manna House and God has blessed in so many ways. Volunteers, donations of food, clothing, money and small yard sale items are welcomed.  Just call Manna House on Tuesday from 11am to 1pm or Wednesday from 10am to 1pm or bring them by during those hours. Manna House 918-836-5541

Christmas Alive Fridays & Saturdays Nov 30 - Dec 22 6-9pm Join us for a free hay ride that will take you on a trip through time and witness the story of Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and a beyond-the-manger look at Jesus of Nazareth.   Muskogee First Church of the Nazarene 2700 E Peak Blvd.   Call 918-682-2592 for more information. Thank You Thanks to the following churches for adopting neighboring pastors at Christmastime: Bristow Miami New Life Sapulpa Tulsa Central Tulsa Regency Park February 22-24 Speaker: Philip Rodebush Stone Castle Resort Branson, MO Sponsored by the Joplin District Singles flyer The NEO NYI 2013 camp website  is up.  Bookmark this page and watch for more info to be posted soon!   Click HERE to read the latest news in the Manna House quarterly newsletter.

Check out Tom Nees' postings on leadership at www.leadingtoserve.com . Here is an excerpt from a recent post: "Every leader I have known or read about has had to weather storms.   They are often caught by surprise.  Which raises the question - how prepared are leaders for trouble, if not opposition? What if leaders would take time to anticipate what might go wrong and plan in advance to deal with potential problems.  That's not negative thinking. It's prudent personal risk management. Too often leaders have no one to turn to. They try to manage their risks and challenges alone. Go-it-alone leaders miss the value of a coach or mentor - someone to confide in - someone with an outside perspective willing to give feedback. In his book Mentoring: The Promise of Relational Leadership, Walter Wright compares the Nepalese Sherpas who guided his mountain climbing group in the Himalayas to the role of mentors and coaches.  The Sherpas went before and followed behind, attached to the climbers with a lifeline. For Wright, leading, like mountain climbing, is exhilarating but full of danger.  As a mountaineer or as a leader, he would never go it alone.  The Sherpas offered him life-saving advice that he recommends for leaders: 1.  Walk your own pace. 2.  It's the journey that matters, not how high or how far you can go. 3.  The people you serve are more important than the summits you climb. Leaders don't need to fall off the cliff." Now a question I want to ask you...and need you to ask of yourself. Reliable studies indicate that pastors who have a peer group with whom they discuss, share, question and reflect have greater incidences of success in every desirable and measurable category of ministry. So, WHO IS YOUR PEER GROUP? Cheering for you, Dave

The 2013 Awakening 21-Day Journal is now available to download to begin using on January 4th.  Visit the NEO website for more information.

Southern Nazarene Key Advantages for the RN to BS with major in Nursing program · No prerequisites- Apply and start with the very next class. Classes starting twice each year: Fall and Spring · Transfer friendly. We accept up to 88 general education hours from accredited  universities and colleges. · Flexibility to meet your needs. Full time program that meets one evening a week for 14 months. · Accelerated course format: One course at a time over 5-8 weeks for 3 to 5 cr. hr courses. · Program cost includes: tuition, fees, all books throughout the program, laptop and graduation cap & gown. Call or email for an information/application packet today!  Bethany campus- Contact: Eileen Stephens MS RN (405) 717-6202 or email: estephen@snu.edu Tulsa campus starting in spring 2013. Contact Corina Holtzhauer (918) 970-4628 or email choltzha@snu.ed