Dear NEO family,   What a winter we have had in NEO! I can’t remember a time when so many church services were cancelled. Spring has arrived and I hope there is new life and vitality in every Christian and every church. We have one month left in this church year, so let’s finish strong!   It was great to see Pastor Nate and Silver Creek Church on the Channel 6 news last evening!  Watch Pastor Brian tonight on Channel 8 at 5pm and 6pm!   Thanks to Pastor Kathy Cott, Tulsa Hills, for organizing a great Naz Skating Party during Spring break. They had 157 skaters and 42 non-skaters. I hope we can do it again next year!   Dr. Ken and Vickie Pell begin their ministry at Broken Arrow First on April 6. The Pells have previously served the NEO District at Tulsa Faith and Miami. Welcome home, Ken and Vickie!

 

Dr. Ken & Vickie Pell

 

NMI Convention/ District Assembly   Saturday, May 31,  9am Missions Convention with Brian Utter, Jesus Film Director, speaking. President David Stevens will be challenging NEO Churches to engage in missions activity.  Registration opens at 8:30.   Sunday, June 1, 5pm Ordination Service with Dr. Eugenio Duarte speaking. Beckie Richburg and Joel Heid will be ordained. Newly licensed ministers will be recognized.   Monday, June 2, 8:30am–5:00pm Assembly with Dr. Duarte presiding and speaking. Dr. Dave McKellips will give his annual report; Rev. Bill Wiesman will share the way God is working across the USA through new congregations; Dr. Loren Gresham will report on our college, Southern Nazarene University;  Rev. Buddy and Alicia Davis will share about our new compassionate ministries center; Lead pastors will share praise reports regarding God’s work in our churches.

Tonight (March 27) at 5 & 6 pm Pastor Brian from Owasso Silver Creek will be on Channel 8 ABC. He was interviewed today by Kimberly Hulsey. Way to go Pastor Brian and Nazarene Disaster Response! What a great Identity for our Owasso church. A refuge from the storms of life.

 

NEO Youth Camp

 

Register now at neoknyi.com for early-bird rates!

 

 

NEO Kidz Kamp

 

July 18-21 We will be returning to Cave Springs.  Our speakers will be Linda and George Crummer (we loved them last year and by popular demand they will be back).  Our theme is “Walking in His Footsteps”.  Make plans now, begin your fundraising and send the children of your church to a long weekend they will never forget.  Early-bird registration by July 1: only $190. All forms are now on our website!

 

 

M15conference.org   The USA/Canada Regional Office announced that Kansas City, Missouri, will host Mission 2015 (M15), the region's mid-quadrennial conference. M15 is the region's largest all-church gathering between general assemblies and will take place February 9 through 11, 2015. The conference theme, "Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future," will set the trajectory for the event.  M15 planners would like the input of pastors, church leaders, educators, and laity as they begin preparation for the conference. A brief M15 survey can be accessed online or through the M15 Facebook site.

 

 

SNU's library is a contributing partner with the Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library (WHDL), giving YOU free access to this great resource.   The WHDL is a cutting edge liberal arts library that provides free, open-access online resources in multiple languages to support scholarship, research, ministerial development, and life-long learning from the Wesleyan-Holiness perspective. Follow this link and begin exploring this new resource!

 

Steve Hess & Southern Salvation Cleveland Church of the Nazarene April 5, 6:30 PM

Spiritual Renewal Weekend

What a wonderful weekend we had with Chrissy Toledo, Mark Fuller and NEO Nazarenes. Every event and service were blessed by God’s presence. Little did we know that the "radical" theme would also refer to the weather!   There are so many people to thank after a wonderful weekend like we enjoyed:   · Pastor Steven Lester and his Central staff were wonderful hosts for our renewal services. Loyd Olson and Brian Lee are so helpful with all of our facility needs.   · Rick Lepper and Renee Herndon excelled with AV.   · Evening Meals were provided by Mahanaim Hispanic Church led by Pastor Douglas Reyes, and Central Youth, led by Pastor Todd Barker.   · Pastor Geoff Gunter and the ladies of Regency Park were outstanding hosts for the Women’s day.   · Beckie Richburg and our children’s ministry team enthusiastically led our kids services each evening.   · Ushers and Greeters were provided by Regency Park, Tulsa Hills, Sapulpa, Bartlesville, Broken Arrow and Central.   · Marcie Marquis coordinated the talented worship team and band who worked with Chrissy’s team.   · Gloria McKellips and her team planned a very successful women’s event.   · Our workers, Mark Fuller and Chrissy Cymbala Toledo, were powerfully used by God.   ·  Marla Shepherd was her usual exceptional help with every event held throughout the weekend!   Sunday evening I noticed the check on my dresser which I had written in advance to put in the offering on Sunday evening of SRW. I brought the check into the office today to give for SRW expenses. I just had a call from a pastor telling me he would be sending a check from his church that they had planned to bring on Sunday evening. I am so grateful. We usually count on at least $3000 in the Sunday evening offering to cover our expenses. And this year we stepped out in faith to bring in an outside worship leader. If you feel led to help with this expense or to send in an offering you had planned to give, it will be appreciated. We are certainly better together!   Grace and peace,   Dave

Abba Compassionate Ministries

Manna House, our first District Compassionate Ministries Center, is in its 14th year of service! Quarterly Manna House statistics are amazing: 949 families served, representing 2,434 individuals; 44,223 lbs. of food distributed along with 4,815 pieces of clothing: 31 volunteer serving 1,687 hours. Thanks to our Director, Howard Essary,  the NEO family for your vision and support, and to God for his provision.   The NEO District Advisory Board has been praying and discussing ways to expand our Compassionate Ministries for months. Part of being “Radical Together” involves following Christ in concern for “the least of these”. We want to build on the success of Manna House, which gives immediate, direct help to those needing food and clothes. We believeour next step is to expand into ministries that touch the life issues that have contributed to poverty. We want to provide assistance to individuals seeking to become self-reliant and capable of securing and holding employment.    Abba Compassionate Ministries is slated to launch May 3, 2014 under the direction of Pastor Buddy Davis. Tulsa Southwest Church of the Nazarene has graciously offered to house the ministries. Buddy and Alicia Davis are trophies of God’s grace, authentic examples of what Jesus Christ will do in the lives of all who seek His face and surrender to His will. Since 2003, Buddy and Alicia have directed Celebrate Recovery at Core Church. Southwest Church, led by Pastor Wade Normandin, has a deep heritage of compassionate ministries to its neighborhood and is thrilled to see that ministry expand exponentially through hosting this District Compassionate Ministries.   Mission Statement of Abba Compassionate Ministries (ACM): We exist to serve, encourage, and empower the least, the last, and the lost, through the power of the one true King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Buddy and Alicia write, “We will serve throughLife Launch, a resource center for those who are in need of a restart in life.Life Launch will attempt to connect individuals with job openings, food and clothing pantries such as Manna House and overnight shelters. Life Launch will also offer essential bags like our Crisis Care Kits. We will be gathering items from the district to put in ‘Street Survival Packs’ for the Tulsa area homeless. We plan to have this as a bi-annual project with a summer pack and a winter pack. We are believing that in the near future we will be serving the children and the youth in this area by providing a safe place for them to play, learn, and be exposed to the Gospel.”   “We will encourage through prayer, testimonies, and by walking alongside those who we encounter along the way. We will empower through Celebrate Recovery Ministry and Abba Homes Ministry, a transitional housing facility. In addition, we are planning a computer lab designed to teach basic computer skills and to aide those applying for jobs.  We also plan to have classes designed to teach parenting skills, life skills, and healthy cooking on a food stamp budget.” These things are only the beginning of endless possibilities and ways we as a district can show God’s love. The District has already made a donation of $50,000 for Abba Compassionate Ministries. The Radical Together emphasis has challenged us all to do more for the lost and least in our world. We would challenge every church and individual to give a special offering to Abba Compassionate Ministries as we end our Radical Together Challenge and to schedule Buddy and Alicia to come speak in your church.

 

From the Annual Report of the Board of General Superintendents to the General Board, Church of the Nazarene, February 23, 2014

 

Compassion is one of the primary results of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that has been a part of Nazarene DNA from the beginning.   One of our church’s founders and the first general superintendent, P. F. Bresee, wrote in his journal, “It had been my long-cherished desire to have a place in the heart of the city, which could be made a center of holy fire, and where the gospel could be preached to the poor.”   Several years later he preached a sermon in which he referenced Acts 4, “The first miracle after the baptism of the Holy Ghost was wrought upon a beggar. It means that the first service of a Holy Ghost-baptized church is to the poor; that its ministry is to those who are lowest down; that its gifts are for those who need them most. As the Spirit was upon Jesus to preach the gospel to the poor, so His Spirit is upon His servants for the same purpose.”   In the face of nationalistic politics, leaders of the church must continue to promote our distinct value of biblical compassion and justice for the poor and needy. It is at the heart of who we are.   EASTER MISSION'S RESOURCE This year's Easter Offering resources are now available on the Nazarene Generosity website,nazarene.org/generosity. The site features many free resources that your church can download and use to promote this year's global Easter Offering for the World Evangelism Fund. Resources will include:  Leader's Guide, Videos, "New Life" - Sermon assistance, Children's Activity Sheet, Posters, Bulletin Inserts, Prayer Reminder Bookmarks, PowerPoint Presentation, Logos, Children's Quarter Collectors, World Evangelism Fund Envelopes.

 

 

Registration now open!

Dear NEO family,

What a wonderful weekend we have had with Chrissy Toledo, Mark Fuller and NEO Nazarenes. Every event and service have been blessed by God’s presence. It is painful for me to do so, but with counsel from our Advisory Board, I am cancelling the final service of Spiritual Renewal Weekend tonight. The three ladies staying in our home from Chicago think this is T-shirt weather, but we do not want to put anyone in danger trying to get to our service or back home.

Thank you so much for supporting our renewal efforts with your attendance and prayers. Let’s finish the 60 Day Radical Experiment strong and allow God to use us as impact players for Christ in our communities in the months ahead.

Grace and peace,

Dave