Dear NEO Family,
Gloria
and I want to thank you for the many expressions of love we received at the
District Thanksgiving Service and through the Christmas season. The cards and
expressions of love have meant so much to us! We hope you realize how much we
love you and how blessed we feel to work alongside you in the work of Christ
in Northeast Oklahoma.
We
invite you to share our joy in the arrival of our newest granddaughter,
Everly Blythe Mitchell! “Evie” was born December 11th, at 8 am, and was
6 lbs., 8 oz., 20 inches long. Evie is blessed with wonderful parents,
Keri and Damien, an excited big sister, Elliana, a wonderful church family in
Dallas, an extended family that will seek to bless her and love her.
We
rejoice that Evie enters a world that has been redeemed by a Savior born in a
stable in Bethlehem. Because of Christ’s coming, Evie can have life full and
never ending. In the midst of all the challenges and trials she will
encounter, she can have hope, love, joy and peace.
My
prayer is that you will encounter Christ in a fresh way this last week of
Advent. Jack Hayford says, “This day, the summons of the Spirit is to open
your heart as a child: to welcome the expectation of God’s promise and power,
to transform what needs to be, to forgive what failed to be, to heal what
yearns to be, and to restore what cries out to be.” May you experience His
fresh touch today.
The
Board of General Superintendents sent Christmas greetings to our pastors. I
think you will enjoy what they shared. http://medialibrary.nazarene.org/media/bgs-christmas-thank-you
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NEO
District News
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Five of us from the District attended training provided by Dynamic Church Planting
International last week in Carthage, MO. We were stirred and
challenged to be about the Savior’s mission of reaching the lost. Some ask,
“why should we be planting new churches?” The most important single argument
for making new church development a high priority is that it is still the
most effective means for reaching unchurched persons. Pray with us for God’s
vision for planting new churches in NEO.
·
The District was recently given translation equipment with 36
radios and a transmitter. This will be a huge help for us in providing
Spanish translation during District gatherings. If your local church needs
this equipment for a special service, please let us know.
·
Two families connected with the NEO family recently lost their
homes in fires. Jeremy and Amy Johnson, son and daughter-in-law of Pastor Jim
and Jan Johnson of Barnsdall lost
their home in a recent fire. A family from Fuente de Vida lost
their trailer and possessions and had no insurance.
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NEO NYI
Mid-Winter Retreat will be held January 31 - February 2.
More details and registration information coming soon.
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Don Engie has resigned from the
pastorate at Grove and plans to move to Neosho, MO. Don and Jaci have
incredible hearts for the mission of Christ. They are going to take a break
from leadership in local church ministry but not from the mission of Christ.
Pray for their family during this time of transition.
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Our
theme as a District this year has been “Radical Together”. We realize how
easy it is to drift to what is comfortable, so together we are seeking to
hear Jesus’ words and settle for nothing other than radical obedience to him!
A key
point in our emphasis is rapidly approaching as we together embark on a 60
Day Radical Experiment, January 13 – March 13, 2014. The NEO Radical
Experiment involves six specific challenges. These action steps are
adaptions of the challenges David Platt gives in his book Radical for
a yearlong radical experiment. More than that, they are a call for us to
renew our heritage as Nazarenes. These action steps challenge us to follow
way of Christ, the way of Wesley and the way of Bresee.
1. Pray
for the world. The early Nazarenes were energized by a vision of worldwide
ministry. Every day for 60 days, NEO Nazarenes will pray that the glory of
God would fill the earth. Sign
up for the 60-Day prayer experience.
2. Read
through the entire New Testament. Nazarenes believe that the
Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all
truth necessary to faith and Christian living. Studies continue to show that
that the most significant catalyst for spiritual growth, with no close
second, is engagement with the Bible. During these 60 Days, NEO Nazarenes
will be asked to read through the New Testament, asking God to give us
understanding and obedience to His Word. You Version has
a 60-Day
Plan for reading through the New Testament that could prove helpful.
3. Commit
your life to multiplying community. The Nazarene Sunday School
and prayer meeting were vital to early Nazarenes as they “watched over one
another in love” (phrase John Wesley used about the ministry of his small
groups). NEO Nazarenes will commit themselves wholeheartedly to the local
church. But even deeper than that, they will be asked to commit themselves to
a small group that is intentionally sharing, showing, and teaching the Word
while serving the world together.
4. Sacrifice
your money for a specific purpose. Early Nazarenes gave
sacrificially of their resources to start new churches at home and to
evangelize the world. They also stood shoulder to shoulder with the poor and broken,
funding orphanages, homes for unwed mothers and rescue missions. During
these 60 days, NEO Nazarenes will be asked to look at all of their expenses
as a church, as individuals and as families through the lens of the needs in
the world. We will be challenged to set a cap on our lifestyles so that we
can free up as much of our resources as possible for the sake of the
glory of Christ in His church, among the lost, and among the poor.
5. Spend
your time in another context. The Nazarene mission statement
is to “Make Christlike Disciples in the Nations”. All of us are called to
leave the comfort of our community. During these sixty days, opportunities
will be given for individuals, families and small groups to give one day of
your time in Gospel ministry outside of your community for the sake of God’s
glory in all the world.
6. Live
the Spirit Filled Life. The uniting core for Nazarenes has
always been belief in a real cleansing grace that conquers sin. If we try to
carry out the mission given by God in our own strength and efforts, it will
end in utter and complete failure. But as we live the Spirit Filled or
Sanctified Life, God works in common people to display uncommon power and
purity. Participants will be asked to daily pray the “Exchanged Life Prayer”.
I
trust that you will join with others in your local church in January as we
embark on the 60 Day Experiment.
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