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