Dear NEO family, I’m thankful for our NEO leaders! I love the team of leaders I get to work with in Northeast Oklahoma. Of course, I work most closely with our pastors. I am so impressed with their faith, vision and passion. Many of them work two jobs to make ends meet. They love God deeply and love their people. Have you thanked your pastor lately his/her faithful service? I also get to work with church boards and District ministry teams. We have such gifted and dedicated lay leaders! They offer their time and expertise, joining hands with their pastors to see their communities reached for Christ! Have you thanked your local and district leadership lately? I saw the impact of good lay and pastoral leadership joining hands in ministry last week as I preached at Davenport. This church has made several major improvements to their facilities in the past two years – they bought two houses next to the church, tore them down and made a spacious parking lot; the worship experience has been enhanced with new audio and video equipment; a new children’s playground has been constructed; they moved their clothes closet to a building on main street. New members have joined the faithful core and are helping reach out to their community. Good days are ahead for Pastor Lowell Clark and Davenport! Remember these Leaders in Prayer Hiram Sanders – recovering from Rotator Cuff Surgery Mike Howard – radiation treatment for cancer Jim Thornton – his father, Joe Thornton, passed away on July 17. Don Engie – looking for full time employment How is the Legacy of Tulsa First being continued? The members of Tulsa First faithfully lifted up Christ at 12th and Delaware for 86 years. They left a building in great condition and ready for ministry to continue. On the last Sunday, I told the congregation that I hoped they would be able to take joy in seeing other congregations stand on their shoulders, using the building they cared for as faithful stewards, for on-going ministry in this community. So what is happening through their investment: · Reclamation Church, a new Church of God Anderson congregation, is meeting in the facilities on Saturday evenings. · All Nations Fellowship, a church that focuses on incorporating internationals, meets there on Sunday am. · Open Skies Church, a new Nazarene Hispanic congregation, pastored by Georgina Lopez, will begin services there in September. Georgina has been associate Pastor at Fuente de Vida for a few years and Pastor Otoniel Danneman and the NEO District are sponsoring this new start church. I would like to explore possibilities for a Nazarene English speaking congregation meeting at this location as well. Four or five people have already expressed a desire to be a part of brainstorming options for ministry at this location. If you would like to be a part of this visioning process, contact me:  dmckellips@neonaz.com. Phineas Bresee, leader in our “Radical Together” movement At General Assembly, I picked up the new book, Phineas Bresee, Pastor to the People, by Carl Bangs. The book again reminded me that our founder’s life is a model for the “Radical Together” emphasis we are embarking on this year in NEO. Bresee’s simple desire was to lead a movement that was firm at the center with its doctrine of sanctification while allowing freedom “around the edges.” He stated once that Paul was a “radical conservative”, not merely a conservative. For Bresee, the Christian faith was best conserved by a radical cure of inbred sin. Radicalism for its own sake, he thought, was egoistic fanaticism. (p. 165) Foremost, Bresee sought to lead a church radical in love. As he was dying, Bresee prayed for each of his family by name. He also dictated a last message to the Nazarenes (p.199): “My last message to all my people – ministers and laymen – is that they seek until they have the conscious, abiding, manifesting experience that Jesus insists upon in these verses found in Matthew 5:43 to 46 inclusive; not in word only but in deed and in truth, so shall Jesus be glorified: ‘43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?’”  (KJV) What is working in Adult Sunday School, Small Groups and Discipleship? A few pastors have expressed interest to share best practices, methods and resources. I would like to get together with a group the first week of August. If you would like to be a part of this discussion, contact me: dmckellips@neonaz.com. FURNITURE OUTREACH REQUEST sponsored by International Community Outreach The world is here at our doorstep and you can help touch them for Christ. Your furniture and presence can be a blessing to international students at TU through the FurnitureFest. Used furniture (beds, chairs, desks etc) suitable for apartments will be picked up each week on SATURDAYS beginning July 27 - Aug. 17. Contact Jerry: jerry@icotulsa.org  /  918-345-2062 or Terry: terryligon@gmail.com / 918-504-3489. Gifts are tax deductible. Thanks! (ICO also provides opportunites for hosting or mentoring international students.) NEO supports Missionaries in time of loss The NEO District gave $2270 to help missionaries Harmon and Cindy Schmelzenbach fly home for the funeral of Cindy’s Dad, Joe Thornton. What a District! Thanks to Collinsville, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Tulsa Regency, Tulsa Hills and the NEO NMI for their generous gifts! Children are Valued in NEO! Children are often the most vulnerable, neglected and forgotten. But not in God’s Kingdom. And not among NEO Nazarenes! They are all precious in his sight. NEO once again made kids a priority with our annual Kidz Kamp at Sky Ranch. Under the direction of Linda Holland, 220 campers participated in camp this past weekend. The NEO District is connecting a new generation with Jesus Christ. Linda Holland reports: Kidz Kamp 2013- exciting, awesome, entertaining, great music, learning Gods word, building our faith, crazy and in a word GREAT.  God blessed us with wonderful speakers-The Crummer Family (just ask any child that attended about “Red”) they feed us the word, blessed us and helped us grow in our faith and walk with Jesus.  The music was on target, Remedy did a fabulous job.  The counselors were the best.  Our late night activities were crazy, thanks Central Crew.  Sky Ranch Cave Springs provided tons of activities and excitement. We know “WE are CHOSEN”.  Thanks to every church for every penny you invested and for every prayer you prayed.

7 Laws of the Teacher Broken Arrow First July 26 & 27 Contact Warrior Marshall: warrior.marshall@magellanlp.com or 918-381-2604

Join us at Clary Fields Golf Club on September 23, 2013 in support of sending our district students on a mission trip to Nazarene Indian Bible College in 2014. All proceeds of this tournament will go to supporting that mission. Info / Register

Guymon Church of the Nazarene

Guymon Church of the Nazarene is inviting any and all to a Prayer Encounter on September 19 – 22. Cory Jones and Daniel and Carol Ketchum are facilitating and leading this Encounter as we pray: “Lord, Teach Us to Pray.” For more information, go to www.guymonnazarene.org.

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Dear NEO family, Are you enjoying the cool front today? I guess the high may only get to 99 degrees! I know several of our churches are having VBS this week. Aren’t you thankful for air conditioning? Kidz Kamp is only a week away!

Kidz Kamp July 19-22, 2013 Sky Ranch at Cave Springs More Info

Church/Pastor Review in Muskogee

The Church Board of the Muskogee First Church of the Nazarene met with me on July 9, 2013 to conduct the pastoral review as set forth in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene, Paragraph 122. We discussed recent accomplishments, major decisions facing the church, and strengths of the pastor and board along with areas needing attention. Pastor Monty Nichols received a very excellent evaluation and review by the board and his pastoral relationship shall continue according to the Manual provisions.  It is sure fun to see a board and pastor united in love and mission!

General Superintendent in Jurisdiction for Northeast Oklahoma

In harmony with action of the Board of General Superintendents, Dr. Gustavo A. Crocker will be the general superintendent for the Northeast Oklahoma District, effective August 1, 2013, until December 31, 2013. Beginning on January 1, 2014, Dr. Eugénio R. Duarte will assume jurisdiction until December 31, 2015.

Pensions and Benefits Giving Continues to benefit NEO!

I want to thank NEO churches for their faithful support of our retired pastors through giving to Pensions and Benefits. In 2012, $134,534 was collected from NEO Churches that were added to the P & B Trust. But NEO retirees received more than we paid in! Benefits paid out to NEO in retirement, insurance and benevolence assistance totaled $197,377! Let’s continue our faithful and generous giving - we are better together!

NEO June Statistics

Attendance for June                                              2012-13               2013-14         SDMI                               3014                            2500         Morning Worship            3872                     3473

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I Want to Celebrate. . .

David Stevens, Vinita. . . A great General Convention and Assembly! Thank God for His faithfulness. I also want to celebrate faithful Church attenders and members who take care of the Church business when the Pastor is away. Bill Hilton, Tulsa Living Hope. . . When prayer time came today, after receiving requests, I was interrupted by 2 of our young girls who have been attending. One sometimes has a request. Today they were wanting to be allowed to lead us in prayer as several adults sometimes do. And so they did. How often do we get interrupted by someone actually wanting to pray? I'm sure Jesus was proud of the little children whom He has invited to be brought to Him.  We are planning our first VBS in many years for the end of the month. Scottie Behm, Chelsea. . . We had our first VBS in approximately 13 years, and it was a fantastic success. We are using a mission focus, tied to the international Nazarene effort associated with the Kids Reaching Kids mission offering. We would like to say thank you to Pastor Mark Hiehle and the Claremore church for their Barnabas type of encouragement. Their participation and efforts made the difference in our first VBS being such a great success. Claremore sent an awesome group of 11 leaders, 4 children and also lent us the use of their bounce house for the VBS children to enjoy. We would also like to thank Lowes and Stonebridge nursery for their products made available at significant discounts. My 9-year-old son, Andrew, my wife Sarah, and I went door to door in our neighborhood on Thursday and Friday to invite children to this Saturday morning VBS event. We had eight new neighborhood children respond from those invitations by coming and participating. There was a free pancake breakfast, a wonderful worship service and message, pony rides, crafts, tomato plant transplanting/pruning and a water balloon toss and catching game. Brad Farnsworth, Broken Arrow Core Church at Aspen Creek. . . We received 7 new members this month.

Why You Should Quit Listening to Your Pastor

by Ben Reed I’m done listening to my pastor. D.O.N.E.  Done. All this talk on believing the Gospel. Trusting God through pain. Loving my kids with all of my heart. Believing God’s way is better than my way. I’m done. Will you join me? Quit listening to your pastor talk about how much he loves you. About how God has a plan for your life. About how you need to link arms with other people and join a small group. Quit listening to him when he says that it’s good for your heart to give generously. Quit listening when he talks about turning your back on your sin. About trusting the God who loves you. About your need to repent. And when he prays for you … stop listening then, too. Don’t listen when he encourages you to step up and serve others. Or to spend a week this summer at student camp. Or going overseas to share the love and hope of the Gospel. Stop listening. Please. Stop listening and start doing something. Take what your pastor says and start living it. Let it resonate so deeply in your soul that it pushes you to action. Listening alone is worthless. When the act of hearing Truth doesn’t end in some form of action, it’s not done you any good. As James puts it, "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." — James 1:22 If we listen and don’t do, we’re fools. James goes on to compare us to the person who looks in the mirror to make sure everything’s straight … and as soon as they look away, they forget what they looked like. That’s dumb. So let’s quit wasting our pastor’s time by listening. It’s not doing either of us any good. A storm’s brewing, and we’ve got to be ready. The question is not whether we will have enough knowledge or not. The question will be whether we can do anything about it. "But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." — Jesus, Luke 6:49 Stop listening to your pastor. And start doing.

Guymon Church of the Nazarene

Guymon Church of the Nazarene is inviting any and all to a Prayer Encounter on September 19 – 22. Cory Jones and Daniel and Carol Ketchum are facilitating and leading this Encounter as we pray: “Lord, Teach Us to Pray.” For more information, go to www.guymonnazarene.org.

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