Dear NEO Family, What a great day to be a part of the Church of the Nazarene! In the forward to Carl Bangs' book, Phineas Bresee, Pastor to the People, Scott Daniels says he hopes we will glean from Bresee’s life: 1) Bresee’s passion for the poor. “We can get along without rich people, but not without preaching the gospel to the poor.” 2) Bresee’s Wesleyan optimism of grace. Bresee  led Nazarenes into many of the darkest corners of sin in his day because he was convinced of the transforming power of God’s grace and Spirit to bring light into darkness, to bring holiness out of sin, to bring life out of death. 3) Bresee’s commitment to unity on essentials while negotiating and leading an incredibly diverse group of people. Bresee’s spirit is alive and well in NEO. I was at Cushing Sunday and saw the way this church is reaching to the poor and broken members of their community. The Food Pantry has been a door of entry into the lives of those in need. Because of the love of Pastor Ned McCarty and the Cushing congregation as they extend a cup of cold water in Jesus name, many in the community have begun attending the church and found hope and healing in their lives. They are witnessing the power of God’s love to transform lives and relationships. I was with Pastor Steve Brown and the Cleveland Church on Tuesday evening for revival services with Elaine Pettit. Evangelist Pettit preached a challenging message on end times, acknowledging the diversity of interpretation allowed within the Nazarene church while giving a clear Biblical presentation on her viewpoint (unity with diversity). At the conclusion of the service, the altar was lined with people seeking salvation, sanctification and healing. Every week I am hearing reports of revival and renewal from our pastors. God is at work. I also love the spirit of teamwork I see across our District. A good group from Pawhuska, along with their Pastor, Tony Siebels, was at Cleveland nightly for the revival. We are better together! In Sympathy Funeral for Jeff Holland Jeff Holland, a member of the Tulsa Southwest Church and a member of the District Missions Council, died unexpectantly early Tuesday morning. His funeral will be Friday, Oct. 25 at 2pm at the Southwest Church. Continue to pray for mother, Linda Holland, and siblings Todd, Rebekah and Ryan.

This Friday evening starting at 7:00pm (doors open 6:00pm) Central Church is hosting a concert with The Digital Age (formerly David Crowder Band) and Bellarive (they were our camp band this past year for NYI camp).  We are pleased to add an additional guest artist, Lexington Heights.  We still have plenty of tickets available for our Nazarene family and would love youth groups, college groups, and anyone who loves worship music and worship experiences at their finest to come out for this event. Purchase Tickets

New Starts

One of the Key Initiatives of the USA/Canada Region is Multi-faceted Church Planting. A key component of implementing that initiative is the training provided by Dynamic Church Planting International. I have been hearing wonderful reports of the impact this training if making on Districts across the US. We are closing churches faster than we are starting them in NEO. We need pastors and leaders helping us start new churches in the next three years. Dynamic Church Planting International is offering training nearby in Carthage, MO on Dec. 9 – 13. I would love to see 10 people in NEO joining me in attendance at this conference. Eventually, I hope every pastor in NEO will receive this training. The registration is only $35 and the Carthage Church is offering free housing (either with a family in their church or sleeping on an air-mattress in a classroom.) More Information / Register

Our denomination provided another helpful parenting webinar last Monday evening. Dan Martin with PUREHope gave the parents on the call a great tip for getting a FREE filter for your router. You can get this filter here. This is just one of the excellent things we learned. Click here to watch the recording and learn more. We have one parenting webinar left: The Legacy, Monday, October 28th at 7:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. This webinar will discuss what parents are handing down to their children.  God has specifically called us as Christian parents to instill in our children love and knowledge that will lead them into deeper relationship with Him.  Many parents today have bought into the message of our culture, that the most important thing they can do for their children is to give them a good education leading to financial security and well-being.  Our hope and prayer for parents is that raising disciples of Jesus Christ will be their number one objective. Click here to register. Once you register, you will receive an email with all the information you will need to join the webinar. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at DiscipleshipPlace@nazarene.org. NEO NYI Spring Break Mission Trip Sign up to participate in Northeast Oklahoma's 'Radical Experiment' mission trip during spring break 2014. Space is limited to 80 students and 20 adults. You must have adult representation from your church to attend. Cost is $480 (this is down from $580 because the NEO Missions council has given each student that signs up a $100 scholarship!) A $30 deposit is required to secure your spot.  Register Parenting Seminar at Tulsa Hills Church Tickets are $25/person. Groups of 10 or more receive $2 off per ticket. To register, call Tulsa Hills church office: 918 445-1793 November 8-9 Info/Register current newsletter

Dear NEO family, These are exciting days on the NEO District. Every week I hear new reports of God’s work among our churches and I am encouraged! I can hardly wait for our District Thanksgiving Service, November 24, 5pm. We will attempt to incorporate some of what Phineas Bresee did in his “love feasts”. Because he believed Christian testimony was a key element in “getting the glory down”, these accounts of God’s transforming work were the cornerstone of the love feast. Our District worship arts team is already working on a service of praise, scripture, testimony and the Lord’s Supper. Bresee shared bread and water at the love feasts – we may go all out and have soup and cornbread! Put this event on your calendar. Speaking of our founder, in his book, Phineas Bresee, Pastor to the People, Carl Bangs tells that Bresee had a progressive spirit regarding worship songs. In his final years in Iowa, Bresee introduced “modern gospel songs.” This new music was a turning point for Bresee and American Protestantism generally. Bresee regarded the new songs as an alternative to sober, less optimistic hymnody. He used choruses in prayer meetings, particularly, interspersing songs and prayer. (p. 71 – 72) Of course, some today may think we are being true to Bresee if we sing the gospel songs of Bresee’s era. No doubt some of them are still helpful to the people of God in expressing their praise to Him. But the spirit of Bresee would challenge every era to incorporate new songs that fit the culture of the day and help the people respond in heartfelt praise and worship. I sure do love our heritage!

WORSHIP -   CAMP MEETING STYLE OCTOBER 23, 10:30 A.M. CENTRAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE SANCTUARY 7291 E 81st Street, Tulsa, OK FELLOWSHIP LUNCH TO FOLLOW PRE-PAID RESERVATION NECESSARY - $6 PREACHER: DR. STAN TOLER, GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT, EMERITUS SINGER: REV. MONTY NICHOLS, MUSKOGEE FIRST PASTOR PREPAID LUNCH RESERVATIONS MAY BE MADE BY CALLING / EMAILING JOHN WILLIAMSON – 918-859-3600 johnw10021@yahoo.com

Lunch reservations due by this Sunday, October 20

Following are some great quotes from David Platt’s book, Follow Me. These are from chapter 2, “The Great Invitation”: ·  “The reality of the gospel is that we do not become God’s children ultimately because of initiative in us, and he does not provide salvation primarily because of an invitation from us. Instead, before we were ever born, God was working to adopt us. While we were lying alone in the depth of our sin, God was planning to save us. And the only way we can become part of the family of God is through a love entirely beyond our imagination and completely out of our control. Christianity does begin with our pursuit of Christ, but with Christ’s pursuit of us. Christianity does not start with an invitation we offer to Jesus, but with an invitation Jesus offers to us.” P. 29 ·  “Jesus is not calling these disciples because of who they are, but in spite of who they are.” P. 36 ·  “Do we realize the weight of the one who has invited us to follow him? He is worthy of more than church attendance and casual association; he is worthy of total abandonment and supreme adoration.” P. 38 ·  “So how can God show both righteous wrath and holy love toward sinners at the same time?... This is the climactic question of the Bible, and the answer is the cross of Christ. At the cross of Christ, God shows the full expression of both his wrath and his love, as Jesus is stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, crushed, and chastised for the sake of sinners.” P. 43

Parenting Seminar at Tulsa Hills Church Tickets are $20/person before 10/19; $25 after 10/19. Groups of 10 or more receive $2 off per ticket. Seating is limited so buy early! To register, call Tulsa Hills church office: 918 445-1793

Register NEO NYI Spring Break Mission Trip Sign up to participate in Northeast Oklahoma's 'Radical Experiment' mission trip during spring break 2014. Space is limited to 80 students and 20 adults. You must have adult representation from your church to attend. Cost is $480 (this is down from $580 because the NEO Missions council has given each student that signs up a $100 scholarship!) A $30 deposit is required to secure your spot.  Register November 8-9 Info/Register Cleveland Teaching Day/Revival Services Rev. Elaine Pettit will teach on intercessory prayer and Rev. Benjamin Pettit will teach on Holiness on Saturday Oct. 19 starting at 9AM. This will be followed by Revival meetings Sunday Oct. 20, 10:45AM and 6:00PM, and Monday thru Wednesday at 7:00PM. All are welcome and encouraged to come experience what God wants to do during this special emphasis. It is exciting to watch what God is already at work doing as we prepare for these services. I just know that it is going to be an extremely important time in the life of His church when He is working in great ways already. Tuesday night service is scheduled to conclude with a healing service.  If you cannot attend, we would greatly appreciate your prayers for the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on the people. If you plan on attending the teaching day Oct 19, we would like to have some idea of how many might be coming. It will be worth the drive. -Steve Brown, Pastor

Dear NEO family, October is Clergy Appreciation Month With the shepherd doing so much to encourage the flock, wouldn't it be nice if the flock returned the favor?  As teachers, counselors, comforters, and the ones who unselfishly serve, your pastoral staff and their families could use an extra pat on the back.  So go ahead and find your special way to say thanks.  You'll be glad you did. One of our pastors told me this week, “My people think it is clergy appreciation month all year long. “ I hope that is the case in every church.  We have an outstanding team of pastors in NEO!

Radical Together I receive confirmation every week that our theme for the year, “Radical Together” is right. I recently read Francis Chan’s book, Forgotten God, Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. Let me share a couple of examples of his call to radical Christianity in the book: When we are referring to God, balance is a huge mistake. God is not just one thing we add to the mix of life. He wants an invitation from us to permeate everything and every part of us. ... Let me be clear. This is not a call to misinformed extremism, but an acknowledgment that as believers we can never be 'done' with God. He is infinite and we are finite; there will always be more of His character to discover, more of His love to experience, and more of His power to use for His purposes. (p. 21-21) It is a call to radical faith. Jesus is calling us to be willing to suffer anything and forsake everything for the sake of the gospel. His call is to love those who have cheated us in business; those who have spread nasty rumors about us; those who would kill us if they could; those who disagree with us politically, practically and fundamentally. His call is to consider everything a loss for His sake. His call is for total surrender. He calls us to give up all that we have, to give even to the point of offering up our lives as living sacrifice. His call means realizing that His power is made perfect in our weakness, that when we are weak we are also strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

I Want to Celebrate. . .

It has been so encouraging for me to visit with pastors across NEO in the past week. I love hearing the reports of how God is working, from one end of the District to the other - Country Faith to Miami New Life; Pawhuska to Tahlequah. We serve a great God and he is interested in dwelling in and working through a people who are sold out to His kingdom. Let’s be that people! Here are a few words of celebration that our pastors wrote in their monthly reports: Larry Allen, Bristow. . . Since we have begun a voluntary Prayer and Fasting day once a week at Bristow, God has been marvelously answering our prayers. We have seen people healed, saved and sanctified. Our worship service is spirit-led and spirit-filled and new people and old members keep showing up each Sunday. We have gone from barely making it each month to having a surplus to get long overdue projects done. "To God be the Glory great things He hath done." Jason Powers, Tahlequah. . . (1) We started a "Night of Prayer" that focuses on our church being radical followers of Christ!  We are averaging 10!  (2) We took 12 men to Promise Keepers and are using it to launch our men's group using some great material from Gene Getz!  (3)  We are taking 9 teens and 3 sponsors to Winter Xtreme "Hide God's Word in Your Heart" in Branson over the Christmas break! (4) God is doing some great things as we refocus our church on: reaching the teens of this generation and young families; developing radical Christ-like leaders who develop others to be Christ-like leaders!; discipling our church through SALT "Seven Areas of Life Training" on Wed. nights! Lowell Clark, Davenport. . . Accepted 2 new members in September. Brad Farnsworth, Core Church at Aspen Creek. . . We had an awesome anniversary service with 430 in attendance (including 116 kids in the children’s ministry, 33 first-time visitors and 4 salvations) celebrating 13 years of history and baptizing 5 people. Nearly 600 hotdogs were catered by Gnarly Dawg for the tailgate party afterwards. We have also sold 20 acres of our land and restructured our loan to a manageable situation. God is so good! Carl Brown, Hominy. . . We have seen a wonderful increase in our children in Sunday School as a result of VBS last month. God is rebuilding and we are trusting Him to lead and teach. We desire to be Radical for Christ and we Celebrate his great love for us. Can’t wait to see what he will do. Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life. . . God's continued blanketing of our congregation by His Presence!  We continue to draw near to God and He continues to be faithful in drawing close to us! Gerald Burch, Coweta Point of Grace. . . 16 children accepting Christ in a three-week event involving our Children’s Ministry. David Stevens, Vinita. . . Our MIT Shea Barr has been giving the devotional for Caravans. This past week he felt led to present the gospel and give an invitation. Eight of the children raised their hands and prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ God is so good. In the small town Church we do not get to see very many get saved on a regular basis. This encourages the entire congregation. Curtis Martin, Mannford. . . (1) The city of Mannford gave the final approval for us to "build".  The outline of the building has been marked off by our builder.  He plans to move dirt in the next week. (2) Several new families have begun attending and we hope this will be regular attendance for them.  (3) We are hosting our first major car show with a carnival to raise funds for Mannford Elementary’s five third-grade classes.  It is this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 9-1 with trophies being presented at 1:00 p.m.  This project is to serve and support our community.  Will report the results in October. (4) We appreciate the donation of additional padded chairs by the Sapulpa Church for our sanctuary. Steven Lester, Tulsa Central. . . We baptized 11 people and received 31 members. Tony Siebels, Pawhuska. . . Two people have made commitments to the Lord and will be baptized soon.  We also have a few people who will be going through a new member’s class.  Praying that we continue to grow and reach this community. Scottie Behm, Chelsea. . . We had a great month -- very missional in our focus. (1) Our kids reaching kids and leaders had a short service and then went out to witness to over 100 people at the first night of the Chelsea Jamboree. (2) Cheyenne, the mother of a new family coming to church, presented our church with “her best work ever” -- an original colored pen artwork depicting the moment of salvation. We praise God for His blessings He is sharing with Cheyenne and her family. (3) Our people who are very generous in providing for the community mission hotdog event we hold during our local Jamboree. What a blessing to serve with so many wonderful people! The rain kept most of our visitors away from the Jamboree and our service, but we were blessed through showing the Jesus film four times that day. (4) Annie and Brandon Gaffney came and shared their witness from their most recent mission trip. What a joy it was to hear them share their stories of entire families coming to know Jesus. (5) Pastor Paul Stubbs shared with great joy his personal witness of receiving healing. We praise God together for the power of prayer and His healing touch!

NEO September Statistics

Attendance for September

2012-13        2013-14         SDMI                                         2944               2671         Morning Worship                3731               3632

view full report

WORSHIP -   CAMP MEETING STYLE OCTOBER 23, 10:30 A.M. CENTRAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE SANCTUARY 7291 E 81st Street, Tulsa, OK FELLOWSHIP LUNCH TO FOLLOW PRE-PAID RESERVATION NECESSARY - $6 PREACHER: DR. STAN TOLER, GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT, EMERITUS SINGER: REV. MONTY NICHOLS, MUSKOGEE FIRST PASTOR PREPAID LUNCH RESERVATIONS MAY BE MADE BY CALLING / EMAILING JOHN WILLIAMSON – 918-859-3600 johnw10021@yahoo.com

Parenting Seminar at Tulsa Hills Church Tickets are $20/person before 10/19; $25 after 10/19. Groups of 10 or more receive $2 off per ticket. Seating is limited so buy early! To register, call Tulsa Hills church office: 918 445-1793

Simulcast live at SNU Tulsa Register

Register November 8-9 Info/Register info