Prayer is no panacea, no substitute for action. It is, rather, like a beam thrown from a flashlight before us into the darkness. It is in this light that we who grope, stumble, and climb, discover where we stand, what surrounds us, and the course which we should choose.
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, from his book Man's Quest for God
Dear NEO family,
310 pastors from the South Central Region are registered for PALCON (Pastors and Leaders Conference) next week, June 28 – July 1, on the campus of Southern Nazarene University. Please pray for our pastors that God will use this to encourage, equip and inspire them.
In my report at Assembly, I shared a portion of an email I had received from a member of our District family. She was writing regarding her concern for a co-worker that needed a relationship with Jesus. “I long for a deeper and more effective walk. It isn't enough to be able to see the sickness if I can't take them to the Healer. It isn't enough to feel the bleeding emotions and quiet desperation if I can't introduce them to the Comforter. It isn't enough to know of a financial crisis if I can't lead them to the One with unlimited resources and a different perspective. It isn't enough to observe them being completely lost if I can't connect them with the Shepherd. If all I do is see, and feel, and know, then I just get crushed with the load. I want to see these poor injured lambs walk in wholeness and joy. I want burdens lifted. I want the bondage broken. I most of all want the blood that covers sin to flow over these sin-scarred lives and purify their hearts."
I praise God for the passion my sister in Christ shows for those who don’t know Jesus. I have been praying that I would have a similar passion, and that every church in NEO would have at least a few folks with this passion. Will you be the one in your church and community?
On July 2 and 3 we are going to have work days to give a makeover to the Tahlequah Parsonage and another to fix up a house bought for a youth center in Drumright. Could you give a day to one of these projects?
In Tahlequah, the following tasks need workers:
• New Ice Maker Line
• New Counter Tops
• Paint Cabinets
• Replace /Paint Hardware
• Install New Stove
• Install New Dishwasher
• Install New shelf Under Kitchen Sink
• Install New Sink and Faucets
• Remove all Linoleum (carpet is already up)
• Tile Bathroom Floor Master Bath w Marble Tile from another project
• Replace Floor and Tile Main Bathroom w Ceramic
• Pull All Tack Strip and Nails in Floor From Old Carpet Pad
• Cut Trees back
• Clean and Repair Gutters
• Install New French Doors
• Then…New Laminate Floors
Much of the prep work (pulling nails, tack, strip; cabinet doors off and sanded; pull up linoleum and stools, etc.) can be done in the evenings prior to the July 2 and 3. Call Project Manager, Brian Loderhose at (918) 520-1361 for more information or to sign up.
Jerry Wilburg is Project Manager of the Drumright project. Mike Howard has gotten the project on the front page of the local paper and has many city officials behind the project. Contact Jerry (jerry@thermoflotulsa.com ) for information on how you can help.
Below are links to pictures from recent visits by Gloria and me:
BA Connection Church, June 13, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOfA
Tahlequah Ladies Day, May 22, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOO
Family Church, May 30, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOXg
Kids Kamp is July 23- 25
For Downloadable forms go to http://www.neokidskamp.com/
Have a great weekend? You are loved!
Dave McKellips
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night; waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Riches I heed not, nor earth's empty praise; thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and thou only, first in my heart; high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
Dear NEO family,
Almost 300 of the NEO family are at youth camp this week. I was with them Monday thru Wednesday morning. Camp Director, Jason Isaacs, has put together an outstanding camp. You would be proud of your sponsors and campers. Camp WOW is incredible, especially its recreation facilities! That made my conversation with a young lady on Tuesday evening even more special. When I ask her about her favorite activity that day, she told me it was the worship service. She said she could really relate to the message on the broken places of our lives. Let’s pray that the closing services tonight and tomorrow morning will be powerfully used by God in the lives of our students!
The pictures are now available from HOMECOING 2010. Thanks again to all who made our annual gathering such a rewarding time.
District Assembly/Ordination, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTO9A
Homecoming 2010: Closing Service/Commuinion
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTO1g
NYI Convention 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOsA
NMI Convention 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOkg
There are many transitions on the NEO District:
I just received notice from Bartlesville – “our precious, beloved Jennie has gone to be with Jesus. She passed away about 3:50 this afternoon.” Please keep the Schuneman family and the Bartlesville church in your prayers during this time of loss.
Gary Reynolds has accepted a call to be the lead pastor for the Yukon OK Church of the Nazarene. Gary and Jennie’s last official Sunday as Worship/Admin Pastor for Regency Park will be July 11.
Levi Lunsford, youth pastor at Tulsa Family, has accepted a call to Detroit First Church.
Jason Powers has accepted a call to be the pastor of our church in Tahlequah. Jason and three of the kids (Hudson Taylor, Hope and Halee) plan to get to Tahlequah on July 2 with his wife, Kim, and daughter, Hannah, coming later in July.
Steve Davis has been nominated by the Church Board to the Sapulpa Church to be their next lead pastor. Steve has been Associate Pastor/Music Director at Sapulpa for 20 years but has recently sensed God redirecting him toward a preaching ministry. The Sapulpa Congregation will vote on June 27.
Lowell Clark is now serving as interim pastor at Davenport.
Tulsa Southwest is beginning the process of finding a new pastor.
A big THANK YOU to Ed Phillips, our web master. Our web site was recently hacked and Ed quickly worked to get it repaired and back up and running. Ed is Church Board secretary at Collinsville.
Speaking of the website, the 2010 journal is already completed and available on the website: (http://www.neonaz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=39 ). Thanks to Jim Thornton, our District Secretary, and his lovely bride, Christy, for getting this done so quickly. (This involves an incredible amount of work, detailed work!)
In the past two weeks I have conducted very positive pastoral reviews for Pastor Nate Burns at Owasso Silver Creek, Pastor Tim Odom at Collinsville and Pastor Rodney Amos at Tulsa First. Congratulations to these pastors and churches.
A couple of pastors turned in “I want to celebrate” comments after the last publication.
Rodney Durr, Muskogee First…the cooperative let’s-do-what-it-takes-to-make-it-happen attitude when we recently needed to make some adjustments in classrooms and age groupings in the children’s department.
Cole Weston, Okmulgee…We held my first membership class and SEVEN people became members! How wonderful! We also had a new family with three teens come, who are now part of the youth group. Very excited about how nice the Youth Center is coming together
Have you ever had a student come up to you and tell you that God was calling him or her into full time ministry? Helping a student sort out that call can be a challenge. Six years ago the South Central Regional NYI council had a dream to put together a conference designed specifically for students in high school that felt a call to full time ministry. We call it the YES conference. YES stands for Youth Equipped to Serve. This year's YES conference is July 6-9, 2010 on the campus of Southern Nazarene University. The YES conference is a four day conference that is designed to help students understand what it means to be called, understand the preparation that is inherent in that calling, and explore possible areas of ministry. There are general sessions each day when we all meet together to learn about what it means to be called. This year's speaker is Kendall Franklin who is a SNU alumnus and currently pastor's College Church in Bourbonnais, IL. Throughout the week, we also have breakout sessions in several ministry areas: senior pastor, youth, children, music, urban, and missions. We also have a special session for women in ministry that deals with specific challenges our young ladies may face. Registration is already available online at www.nyi-snu.org.
The early registration deadline is June 17th, so be sure to register as soon as possible.
You are loved!
Dave McKellips
Riches I heed not, nor earth's empty praise; thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and thou only, first in my heart; high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
Dear NEO family,
Almost 300 of the NEO family are at youth camp this week. I was with them Monday thru Wednesday morning. Camp Director, Jason Isaacs, has put together an outstanding camp. You would be proud of your sponsors and campers. Camp WOW is incredible, especially its recreation facilities! That made my conversation with a young lady on Tuesday evening even more special. When I ask her about her favorite activity that day, she told me it was the worship service. She said she could really relate to the message on the broken places of our lives. Let’s pray that the closing services tonight and tomorrow morning will be powerfully used by God in the lives of our students!
The pictures are now available from HOMECOING 2010. Thanks again to all who made our annual gathering such a rewarding time.
District Assembly/Ordination, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTO9A
Homecoming 2010: Closing Service/Commuinion
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTO1g
NYI Convention 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOsA
NMI Convention 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTOkg
There are many transitions on the NEO District:
I just received notice from Bartlesville – “our precious, beloved Jennie has gone to be with Jesus. She passed away about 3:50 this afternoon.” Please keep the Schuneman family and the Bartlesville church in your prayers during this time of loss.
Gary Reynolds has accepted a call to be the lead pastor for the Yukon OK Church of the Nazarene. Gary and Jennie’s last official Sunday as Worship/Admin Pastor for Regency Park will be July 11.
Levi Lunsford, youth pastor at Tulsa Family, has accepted a call to Detroit First Church.
Jason Powers has accepted a call to be the pastor of our church in Tahlequah. Jason and three of the kids (Hudson Taylor, Hope and Halee) plan to get to Tahlequah on July 2 with his wife, Kim, and daughter, Hannah, coming later in July.
Steve Davis has been nominated by the Church Board to the Sapulpa Church to be their next lead pastor. Steve has been Associate Pastor/Music Director at Sapulpa for 20 years but has recently sensed God redirecting him toward a preaching ministry. The Sapulpa Congregation will vote on June 27.
Lowell Clark is now serving as interim pastor at Davenport.
Tulsa Southwest is beginning the process of finding a new pastor.
A big THANK YOU to Ed Phillips, our web master. Our web site was recently hacked and Ed quickly worked to get it repaired and back up and running. Ed is Church Board secretary at Collinsville.
Speaking of the website, the 2010 journal is already completed and available on the website: (http://www.neonaz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=39 ). Thanks to Jim Thornton, our District Secretary, and his lovely bride, Christy, for getting this done so quickly. (This involves an incredible amount of work, detailed work!)
In the past two weeks I have conducted very positive pastoral reviews for Pastor Nate Burns at Owasso Silver Creek, Pastor Tim Odom at Collinsville and Pastor Rodney Amos at Tulsa First. Congratulations to these pastors and churches.
A couple of pastors turned in “I want to celebrate” comments after the last publication.
Rodney Durr, Muskogee First…the cooperative let’s-do-what-it-takes-to-make-it-happen attitude when we recently needed to make some adjustments in classrooms and age groupings in the children’s department.
Cole Weston, Okmulgee…We held my first membership class and SEVEN people became members! How wonderful! We also had a new family with three teens come, who are now part of the youth group. Very excited about how nice the Youth Center is coming together
Have you ever had a student come up to you and tell you that God was calling him or her into full time ministry? Helping a student sort out that call can be a challenge. Six years ago the South Central Regional NYI council had a dream to put together a conference designed specifically for students in high school that felt a call to full time ministry. We call it the YES conference. YES stands for Youth Equipped to Serve. This year's YES conference is July 6-9, 2010 on the campus of Southern Nazarene University. The YES conference is a four day conference that is designed to help students understand what it means to be called, understand the preparation that is inherent in that calling, and explore possible areas of ministry. There are general sessions each day when we all meet together to learn about what it means to be called. This year's speaker is Kendall Franklin who is a SNU alumnus and currently pastor's College Church in Bourbonnais, IL. Throughout the week, we also have breakout sessions in several ministry areas: senior pastor, youth, children, music, urban, and missions. We also have a special session for women in ministry that deals with specific challenges our young ladies may face. Registration is already available online at www.nyi-snu.org.
The early registration deadline is June 17th, so be sure to register as soon as possible.
You are loved!
Dave McKellips
Friday, June 4, 2010
Dear NEO family,
What a joy it was to meet as a District family this week for HOMECOMING 2010. I will be sharing about portions of our meetings in coming weeks, but today let me just hi-light one aspect of my report. The theme of my report was “Engagement”. The first priority I hi-lighted for our churches in the year ahead is to help people engage with God.
Today I was reading H.B. London’s letter to pastors and he emphasized this priority. He told about his reaction years ago when he first saw the movie “Dead Man Walking”:
“As I was walking out of the theatre after the showing, I was quiet. Beverley, my wife, said "What's wrong?" I then burst into a response that even to this day troubles me. I said, "Didn't you hear the prison guard say, 'Dead Man Walking'?" She nodded. Then I said, "We are surrounded here by dead men and women walking. Without Jesus in their lives, they are all dead men walking."
I still believe that. But, I wonder in this day, when it appears evangelism has taken a back seat to style and programming — where is the passion? Where is the urgency?
I am probably talking to the choir today. But, if we are surrounded by "dead men and women walking," what are we going to do about it? What am I going to do about it? We just cannot leave it to chance.”
"He is patient ... not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"
(2 Peter 3:9).
"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
(1 Cor. 9:22).
With the holiday weekend and HOMECOMING, several of our churches did not turn in their monthly reports, but of those who did, the following reasons to celebrate were noted:
I WANT TO CELEBRATE…
Steve Davis, Sapulpa…The contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings. Beginning of new Life Application Groups on Sunday evenings.
Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… Our Sunday School and Worship attendance have increased over last year at this time.
Jade Rogers, Bartlesville… How the church has gotten behind our Pastor and his family. This tragedy God has used to make us one as a church. Our prayer is for this to continue and for the Schuneman family to know they are loved!
David Stevens, Vinita...A great District Assembly! Pastors are able to report successes in spite of the economic slowdown. We praise God that we were able to pay our budgets, several new people are taking their place as contributors and helpers in the work. One new member was an ordained Lay-Minister in the Methodist Church. I plan on using the CLT training for lay ministers for her and others who are interested.
Dan Hazelton, Pryor… 1 teen new believer...Wahoo!
Prady Thimmaiah, Nowata… Praise God we had a new convert. Tanya accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior!
John Whitsett, Tulsa Central…Some really good services during the month of May---a service of worship led by our Arts Ministry on May 1, Mother’s Day, Graduation Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday. I believe we have strung together a number of successive weeks of positive worship experiences.
NEO DISTRICT LEADERS in attendance gain in May
Sunday School/Discipleship Ministries
Barnsdall +26
Nowata +12
Coweta +8
Bristow +6
Cleveland +6
Owasso Silver Creek +6
Pryor +6
Cushing +5
Drumright +5
Mannford +5
AM Worship
Tulsa Faith +17
Barnsdall +17
Tulsa Hills +12
Drumright +10
Manford +9
Owasso Silver Creek +7
Miami New Life +5
Pryor +5
Chelsea +4
Cushing +4
Troy Farmer, our Crisis Care Kit Coordinator writes: I plan to leave for the warehouse Monday the 14th. If anyone has boxes to go and will get in contact with me ASAP, I will try to arrange to pick them up. Contact me by phone 918-207-0617--home, cell 918-650-2064, or e-mail tvfarmer56@hotmail.com .
Abba Homes and Ministries is sponsoring a fundraising golf tournament Saturday June 19th. Abba Homes and Ministries is a Christian Sober living home for men who have a desire to begin a new life in Christ. Buddy and Alicia Davis of Family Church's Celebrate Recovery Program recognized a great need in the community and began to pray that God would make a way. God is good and Abba opened it's first home in June of 2009. If you would like to sponsor a hole or play golf, contact Buddy (buddy@familychurch.tv ).
An SNU student whose father is a Nazarene preacher in Ponca City will be in an 8 week internship at the OU Schusterman Center beginning on June 14. Call me if you would like to know more about helping with this need.
You are loved!
Dave McKellips
What a joy it was to meet as a District family this week for HOMECOMING 2010. I will be sharing about portions of our meetings in coming weeks, but today let me just hi-light one aspect of my report. The theme of my report was “Engagement”. The first priority I hi-lighted for our churches in the year ahead is to help people engage with God.
Today I was reading H.B. London’s letter to pastors and he emphasized this priority. He told about his reaction years ago when he first saw the movie “Dead Man Walking”:
“As I was walking out of the theatre after the showing, I was quiet. Beverley, my wife, said "What's wrong?" I then burst into a response that even to this day troubles me. I said, "Didn't you hear the prison guard say, 'Dead Man Walking'?" She nodded. Then I said, "We are surrounded here by dead men and women walking. Without Jesus in their lives, they are all dead men walking."
I still believe that. But, I wonder in this day, when it appears evangelism has taken a back seat to style and programming — where is the passion? Where is the urgency?
I am probably talking to the choir today. But, if we are surrounded by "dead men and women walking," what are we going to do about it? What am I going to do about it? We just cannot leave it to chance.”
"He is patient ... not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"
(2 Peter 3:9).
"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
(1 Cor. 9:22).
With the holiday weekend and HOMECOMING, several of our churches did not turn in their monthly reports, but of those who did, the following reasons to celebrate were noted:
I WANT TO CELEBRATE…
Steve Davis, Sapulpa…The contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings. Beginning of new Life Application Groups on Sunday evenings.
Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… Our Sunday School and Worship attendance have increased over last year at this time.
Jade Rogers, Bartlesville… How the church has gotten behind our Pastor and his family. This tragedy God has used to make us one as a church. Our prayer is for this to continue and for the Schuneman family to know they are loved!
David Stevens, Vinita...A great District Assembly! Pastors are able to report successes in spite of the economic slowdown. We praise God that we were able to pay our budgets, several new people are taking their place as contributors and helpers in the work. One new member was an ordained Lay-Minister in the Methodist Church. I plan on using the CLT training for lay ministers for her and others who are interested.
Dan Hazelton, Pryor… 1 teen new believer...Wahoo!
Prady Thimmaiah, Nowata… Praise God we had a new convert. Tanya accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior!
John Whitsett, Tulsa Central…Some really good services during the month of May---a service of worship led by our Arts Ministry on May 1, Mother’s Day, Graduation Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday. I believe we have strung together a number of successive weeks of positive worship experiences.
NEO DISTRICT LEADERS in attendance gain in May
Sunday School/Discipleship Ministries
Barnsdall +26
Nowata +12
Coweta +8
Bristow +6
Cleveland +6
Owasso Silver Creek +6
Pryor +6
Cushing +5
Drumright +5
Mannford +5
AM Worship
Tulsa Faith +17
Barnsdall +17
Tulsa Hills +12
Drumright +10
Manford +9
Owasso Silver Creek +7
Miami New Life +5
Pryor +5
Chelsea +4
Cushing +4
Troy Farmer, our Crisis Care Kit Coordinator writes: I plan to leave for the warehouse Monday the 14th. If anyone has boxes to go and will get in contact with me ASAP, I will try to arrange to pick them up. Contact me by phone 918-207-0617--home, cell 918-650-2064, or e-mail tvfarmer56@hotmail.com .
Abba Homes and Ministries is sponsoring a fundraising golf tournament Saturday June 19th. Abba Homes and Ministries is a Christian Sober living home for men who have a desire to begin a new life in Christ. Buddy and Alicia Davis of Family Church's Celebrate Recovery Program recognized a great need in the community and began to pray that God would make a way. God is good and Abba opened it's first home in June of 2009. If you would like to sponsor a hole or play golf, contact Buddy (buddy@familychurch.tv ).
An SNU student whose father is a Nazarene preacher in Ponca City will be in an 8 week internship at the OU Schusterman Center beginning on June 14. Call me if you would like to know more about helping with this need.
You are loved!
Dave McKellips
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