Dear NEO family,
What an absolutely wonderful week this has been weather wise! Whenever we have rain and temperatures in the 80’s during the last week of July, we feel blessed in Oklahoma. I hope the week has also brought showers of blessing to your life, your family and your church.
Some have asked about pictures of that beautiful girl born in Dallas on July 19. I just happen to have a few pictures of Elliana Nicole Mitchell that I can share:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerimitchell/sets/72157621690238657/
At one of the workshops I attended at General Assembly, Merritt Nielson spoke of the need for small group gatherings (Sunday School, home groups, etc) that compliment the large congregational assemblies. In the smaller groups people make friends (otherwise they make tracks…out the door); in the smaller group, people’s input is valued; the smaller group- Sunday School in most of our churches – is the church organized to carry out the Great Commission in tangible and practical ways.
Whatever you call these small gatherings, they need to…
Provide opportunity to study God’s word
Encourage life change
Cultivate relationships
Promote participation
Reproduce leaders
Provide care
Multiply and divide
District Boards meeting this month: Your input needed. Our District Sunday School/Discipleship Board, our District Nazarene Youth International Council and our District Nazarene Missions International Council will all be meeting in the next three weeks. How can these District teams resource ministry in your church? How can they serve as catalysts for growth at the local level? We welcome your input.
I want to celebrate… (from Pastor's monthly reports)
Stephen Hundley, Cleveland...we had a great Baptismal Service, this month. Having Spirit-filled services every week. Praise God!
David Stevens, Vinita… “There are no little people, no little places.” Francis Schaefer. There are so many wonderful things about serving as Pastor in the smaller group. We really enjoy the closeness and fellowship of Vinita Nazarene. During July we had the usual Sundays with low attendance because of vacations. On those Sundays there is a strong sense of closeness and fellowship. We also had a couple of Sundays with higher than average attendance, and so our average increased over last year. We have every indication that the growth trend will continue with new people attending, and everyone saying they love this church.
Alan McBroom, Davenport...8 kids going to Kids Kamp and having an eternal impact on their lives! Vacation is good! We served dozens of people this month with our clothes ministry, the “Clothes Closet.
Jim Wilson, Barnsdall…Many of those suffering physical ailments in the church are making full recoveries.
Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…Attendance has been up, a new order of service is helping us connect in worship, and Pastor Jim received an encouraging review.
Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills…Dedicated two more children.
Dwain Young, Horton Chapel… Horton Chapel provided a Sponsor for Children's Camp and we sent and paid the way for eight girls to attend. Next week, August 5,6 and 7 we will be having VBS.
John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Harold McKellips is feeling remarkably better in the wake of getting the injection in his back! And---although numbers have been down with people on vacation, we’ve had really good services marked by a sense of God’s presence. The Sunday of our VBS program had a number of guests present.
J.J. James, Claremore…On July 19th we dedicated our new Family Center and Parking Lot. We are all glad to be at the end of this project and look forward to using these tools to reach out to others in our community.
Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life…The church overwhelmingly voted to accept the building committee’s 3 phase building plan. This has helped to create much excitement and unity around a central purpose in our church. We can’t wait to get things going!
Angela Bentley, Bristow… a great hunger for God, a burden for the lost, and persevering spirits in our people, even in the midst of many trials. The Holy Spirit has been present in mighty ways in our services with the entire family gathering at the altar for anointed times of prayer. We are anticipating great things from God in our future. God miraculously provided funds for 11 teens to go to camp. Only one of these teens had ever been to camp before. He continues to do amazing things in our youth. Our commitment to reaching the lost and ministering to the “least of these” provided us an opportunity to minister to a segment of people we might not have interacted with before through the tragic death of a young man connected to our youth outreach. We are hearing reports in the community that we are becoming known as the church where people can go when they have nowhere else to turn. Praise the Lord!
H. Gordon Smith, III, Dewey…The Wilson family joined our church this month, and have been ongoing faithful attenders, and it is great to have them committed to our church. I would especially like to celebrate a man who 2 months ago was so far from the Lord, and his marriage, family, and life was falling apart. He re-committed his life to the Lord this last month, and he is on fire for the Lord, and his marriage is being restored! The transformation has been tremendous! Praise the Lord!
Don Cowan, Sapulpa… New Children’s program – Boomerang Kids; Decisions for salvation made at Kidz Kamp; New families coming to the church .
Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… This past month we had four teenage young ladies make a commitment to God, themselves, their friends and their future mate to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence until the day they enter a biblical marriage relationship.
NEO TOP LEADERS (in attendance gain over last year's averages)
Sunday School/Discipleship
Tulsa Family +251
Fe y Esperanza (new start) +25
Sapulpa +17
Sand Springs +13
Bristow +12
Hominy +7
Skiatook +7
Davenport +1
Tulsa Hills +1
AM WORSHIP
BA Connection (new start) +96
Fe y Esperanza (new start) +30
Bristow +16
Wagoner +6
Pawhuska +5
Tulsa Central +5
Cleveland +3
Miami New Life +3
Vinita +3
Collinsville +2
Sapulpa +2
Tulsa Living Hope +2
Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips