Northeast Oklahoma District Weekly Update

2010-07-30T12:16:00.001-05:00

Dear NEO family,

I hope you are staying cool and enjoying God’s presence and power in your life today. I have been reminded again this week, through many great conversations at Kidz Kamp and the opportunity to meet with four church boards, of how blessed I am to serve alongside the dedicated and gifted people who are in NEO Nazarene Churches. Thanks for the chance to rub shoulders with you and to catch your passion for Christ and people.

Tomorrow we resume the District Service project in Drumright. Here is the latest: The kitchen cabinets are assembled and bathroom renovation is getting close to completion. We need to trim out doors and newly installed windows and put the flooring down throughout the project. We have completed the addition of a couple of electric circuits. We hope to complete the new water service piping by the end of this project day. This project is starting to take shape with the help of the willing folks able to sweat it out with us. If you would like to join in this one please contact Jerry Wilburg at 918-607-8561.

Doug Dawson, our District Prime Time Director and staff member at Broken Arrow First, is dealing with some degerative arthritis in the L-1-5 vertebrae, Consequently, we are cancelling the NEO August Prime Time Event. Let’s pray for Doug and for the doctors who are caring for him.

NEO Pastors share, "I WANT TO CELEBRATE…"

Dan Hazelton, Pryor… two people becoming followers of Christ. One person receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… We held a “One Day Revival” with Randy Dority this Sunday, and a couple came forward to receive Jesus for the first time ever! God is working here!!! We will be transferring in a new member this coming Month.

Geoff Gunter, Tulsa Regency Park…Great VBS. Reached lots of neighborhood families. Raised $830.00 for Scott Riggins in Papua New Guinea. Also had a free pancake breakfast for Regency Park neighborhood.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea…Our Sunday School and Worship attendance have increased compared to this time last year.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… I’m off at Asbury for my next round of classes in my D. Min. program. Be back to Tulsa on Friday, August 20.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… God’s Spirit and Presence in our services and in our people, continued growth demonstrated in the increasing involvement of new comers to our family, nine new babies in our family, 10 teens went to camp, 5 kids went to kids camp, and the 5th anniversary of the continually growing and deepening relationship between pastor and people in this place!

Gerald “J.J.” James, Claremore… Our VBS was a huge success with over 100 kids and 65 adult and teen workers!

Jim Johnson, Barnsdall… Greetings from the Barnsdall Church. We haven't reported recently, but we indeed have reasons to celebrate. Three recent high school graduates have come to the altar and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior . Also, we have accepted 5 new members on their profession of faith. Glory to God! Barnsdall Church is indeed being used to fulfill the Great Commission. Our building improvement projects are still in full swing. Pastor's office has been completely re-modeled and is a wonderful addition to our church. Also, a new sound system has been purchased and installed. Wonderful! New basement doors will be installed this week and speaking of the basement, we have knocked out a wall to accommodate our Wednesday Night service. Our attendance is still growing on Wednesday night with 34 in attendance this week. Our next project is to install new indoor and outdoor carpet in the basement and to insulate our attic. God has blessed us beyond measure. Praise his name!

Steve Davis, Sapulpa…11 attended Kidz Kamp; Increasing unity among the body; New teens attending our student ministries gatherings; Planning baptismal service for August 29th

David Stevens, Vinita…Slight increase over last year’s number this month. The year is going well statistically. Two of the girls who attend Caravans testified that they prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior; one at Church camp and the other based on the first girls testimony, she also wanted to be saved. God is working. We plant the seed, someone else waters it, and someone else reaps the harvest. We all work together on God’s team!

NEO DISTRCT LEADERS in Attendance Growth

Sunday School/ Discipleship
Barnsdall +29
Tulsa Regency Park +22
Tulsa Fuente de Vida +20
Wagoner +20
Nowata +15
Okmulgee +12
Pryor +11
Bristow +10
Chelsea +7
Cushing +6
Mannford +6

AM WORSHIP
Tulsa Regency Park +41
Tulsa Fuente de Vida +25
Wagoner +17
Coweta +14
Okmulgee +14
Barnsdall +13
Mannford +11
Chelsea +9
Sand Springs +9

May the Lord bless you and keep your spiritual heart as warm as the temperature outside.

You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-07-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

I was grieved yesterday morning to hear that Rebecca Jetton, wife of Max Jetton who served as pastor at Broken Arrow First for many years, had died after a seven year battle with cancer. A Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 11:00 am in Molalla, OR. Rebecca’s father, a member of Tulsa Central, recently passed away, so the family has had a lot of loss recently. Let’s remember them in prayer.

I would also ask you to pray for Davenport and Tulsa Southwest as they are seeking God’s direction for their next pastors. A couple of other churches are facing some special challenges and need your prayers.

Two of the best things that have happened on the District this summer are camps and District work projects. Youth camp was outstanding and kids camp began tonight at Cave Springs. As you think of Camp Director Linda Holland and the 200 + workers and campers, lift them up in prayer this weekend.

Our work projects at NEO churches continue to make incredible progress. I received the following report today from Jerry Wilburg:

"We are in need of some guys willing to do the grid installation for the drop-in ceiling at Tulsa Southwest Church. If anyone has expertise in this area of construction we could use your help in getting this one going. This project is part of our effort to get District Work and Witness going in our "Jerusalem". Please let Jerry Wilburg know of your interest in helping out with this project. Cell (918)607-8561. Additionally there will be some forms and concrete work to do for the outside location as well. Once we know who is interested we will begin to decide the timing for the work and let everyone know. Thanks for all your help.

Update on the Drumright project. 17 people got together for a fun and hot work day July 17. Did I mention hot. Whew. Ok we have passed a milestone on this project as we have completed the phase where we are removing and demolishing. Now we only have to put things back together again. A small team is going back this weekend to complete installation of the HVAC unit to get the AC on for our next workday July 31.

Kitchen cabinets are assembled, Bathroom renovation is getting close to completion. We need to trim out doors and newly installed windows. And put the flooring down thoughout the project. We have completed the addition of a couple of electric circuits. We hope to complete the new water service piping by the end of this project day. This project is starting to take shape with the help of the willing folks able to sweat it out with us. If you would like to join in this one please contact Jerry Wilburg at 918-607-8561.

Tahlequah Parsonage
Thanks to the folks who went back out to this project to tidy up some loose ends last week. The new flooring in in and the baseboards are all replaced and stained. And Pastor Jason is moving in.. Welcome to the NEO District pastor!"

Have a great weekend! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-07-14T18:23:00.001-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! The rain is gone and the heat has come! Aren’t you thankful for the wonderful opportunity you have to adjust to change in Oklahoma?

NEO Kidz Kamp is only 9 days away. It is not too late to register!
Where: Sky Ranch at Cave Springs
When: July 23-25
Who: Finished 1st Grade through finished 6th Grade
Cost: Early Bird Special: $115 if sent by July 15th (snacks included)
For Downloadable forms go to http://www.neokidskamp.com/
More Information: Contact Linda Holland, hollandlinda@cox.net

District Work Projects are continuing this weekend at Tahlequah and Drumright. The Drumright project still has much to complete and will begin on July 17 at 8:30am. Another work is scheduled for July 31. The project will involve the following:
Run wiring for some extra electrical circuits.
Replace water piping with PEX tubing
Putting up wall coverings ( exterior siding - not sheetrock)
Assemble Kitchen cabinets and build counter top
Formica laminate on Kitchen counter
Replace windows in three locations.
Remove windows and side over the hole in three locations
Apply flooring (engineered wood and vinyl laminate)
Install HVAC system including floor vents.
Contact Jerry Wilburg for more information: 918-607-8561 or jerryw@thermoflo.net

Season permits for parking at OU football games available from the 2:8 House:
Passes will be available for a $300 donation to the 2:8 House and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who park at the house will be invited to a tailgate party that will begin two hours prior to each kickoff. "We have found that OU football games are a great way to introduce others to our ministry," Dave Kyncl said. "Our hope is that these season passes will allow us to build relationships with others and share with them how God is at work here. We hope to sell all 11 parking spots within the next few weeks."
The 2:8 House is located at 700 Chautauqua Avenue, which is one block south of Boyd Street. For further information, please contact Dave Kyncl at kyncl@28house.org.

A Call to Civility
I was waiting to meet with a Nazarene elder at a restaurant this afternoon. While waiting, I heard a television report on the need for civility in our discourse. The speaker cited recent comments by Jessie Jackson and some associated with the NAACP, as well as statements made by some associated with the Tea Party, as examples of the kind of attacks that are weakening our beloved country.

I would hope that Christians would be the example of how to engage in civil discourse - being quick to listen and slow to anger, telling the truth, doing justice and promoting basic respect for other human beings. After all, since 83% of the American population identifies with the Christian religion, that 83% could make an enormous difference in the tone of American politics if those Christians actually practiced what they profess to believe. They could also make a positive difference in American politics if they held other Christians accountable when they engage in deception and slander in order to score political points. Of course, at times as a DS, I just wish we would practice what Jesus taught in their relations within the church! As my college professor, Dr. Robert Sawyer said often, “You can disagree without becoming disagreeable.” I hope am hearing an "amen"

A Tulsa World Editorial on April 9 told of Senator Tom Coburn’s call for fairness and civility in discussing the important issues of the day during a Town Hall Meeting in Edmond. I couldn’t have agreed with the Senator more. And a host of Christian leaders have also spoken to the issue and drafted “A Covenant for Civility”. See the article below from one evangelical leader.

A Covenant for Civility

The political polarization of our society has now reached a new and dangerous level. Honest disagreements over policy issues have turned into a growing vitriolic rage against political opponents, and even threats of violence against lawmakers are now being credibly reported.

Just a few months ago, a deeply concerned, veteran member of Congress called me to express real despair about the alarming level of disrespect, personal attacks, and even hateful rhetoric that was occurring among her colleagues -- reflecting a degeneration of public debate in our national culture. This month, another member of Congress called to express real fear about threats of violence he and other elected officials had experienced against themselves and their family members. Political debate, even vigorous debate, is a healthy thing for a democracy; but to question the integrity, patriotism, and even faith of those with whom we disagree is destructive to democratic discourse, and to threaten or even imply the possibility of violence toward those whose politics or worldview differs from ours is a sign of moral danger, and indeed, a sign of democracy’s unraveling.

Both members are people of faith and were calling to ask for help from the community of faith to lead in this dangerous moment and to begin to help heal what was becoming an increasingly alarming and frightening situation. I recently had lunch with a friend, a political conservative with whom I both agree and disagree on various policy issues. He expressed his real discouragement over how more and more Americans now get their news and information from only highly ideological and partisan media sources with whom they already agree, and who daily fuel the most passionate emotions of their loyal followers -- on both sides of the political aisle.

So for several months, a group of Christian leaders have been praying, talking, and discerning how the churches might lead by example to help create a more civil and moral tone in our national politics. We have confessed that, too often, Christians have merely reflected the political divisions in the body politic instead of trying to heal them in the body of Christ. People of faith from all our religious traditions could help create much-needed safe, civil, and even sacred spaces for better public discourse at this critical moment in our nation’s history. What has come from our prayerful discernment is “A Covenant for Civility: Come Let Us Reason Together.” Church leaders from across the political and theological spectrum -- who have voted Democratic, Republican, and Independent in recent elections -- have come together around this civility covenant, and the breadth of the signatories is a powerful statement in and of itself. Together we offer what we feel is a strong biblical statement motivated by deep concern about our present situation; we are now inviting thousands of other pastors and lay people in all of our churches to sign this covenant and then seek to implement it in our congregations, communities, and nation.

The Covenant for Civility begins: "As Christian pastors and leaders with diverse theological and political beliefs, we have come together to make this covenant with each other, and to commend it to the church, faith-based organizations, and individuals, so that together we can contribute to a more civil national discourse. The church in the United States can offer a message of hope and reconciliation to a nation that is deeply divided by political and cultural differences. Too often, however, we have reflected the political divisions of our culture rather than the unity we have in the body of Christ. We come together to urge those who claim the name of Christ to 'put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you' (Ephesians 4:31-32)."

I ask our readers and friends to consider both signing on and acting to make the commitments of this covenant in our lives and faith communities -- and offer a much-needed prophetic witness to the nation at this time of crisis.

We need to behave differently, for both the sake of our spiritual integrity and the health of our democracy. We have forgotten some of the key values of faith: respect, truth, honesty, humility, patience, kindness, confession, forgiveness, prayer, and the unity of the body of Christ. It is time to recover them again. Let the change we call for begin with us.

Thanks for being a part of the solution in our great country and in our churches! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-07-09T15:18:00.001-05:00

Day by day, dear Lord, of Thee three things I pray: to see Thee more clearly, to love Thee more dearly, and to follow Thee more nearly. Amen. St. Richard of Chichester

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! Have you had enough rain this week? The weather is always an adventure in NEO. Let’s focus on the positive: The grass is sure looking green for July, the weather has been cooler than normal and we are saving on our water bills.

If you have tried to get on our website, I apologize that it has been down most of the week. The same group that hacked it a few weeks ago got us again. Thanks to our webmaster, Ed Phillips, for his work getting our web site rebuilt and getting more security on our site.

This Sunday we will say goodbye to three of our beloved pastoral staff members: Gary and Jennie Reynolds at Regency Park; John and Moneita Teel at Broken Arrow; Levi and Stephanie Lunsford at Family Church. God’s best to each of them in their new assignments.

The week ahead is a one of celebration for Gloria and me. On Saturday, July 10, 2 – 4 pm we will be celebrating my parents 60th wedding anniversary at Tulsa Central. A 30 minute program will begin at 2:30pm. On July 15, my son-in-law, Scott Dermer, will be ordained on the Dallas District. On July 16, we will celebrate my granddaughter, Ellianna’s, first birthday. Life is just one big party for us this week.

Thanks to Jerry Wilburg, Brian Loderhose and all who participated in our work projects at Tahlequah and Drumright last weekend. An amazing amount of work was accomplished. At Tahlequah - Bathroom floors down, new French doors, counter tops, sink, faucet, gfi outlets, kitchen cabinets and drawers painted, doors hung, windows replaced and more. Pastor Jason is putting down new flooring throughout the house. There is still a lot to be done at Drumright. And projects are waiting at Davenport and Tulsa Southwest. It is great to be a part of a District family that supports one another!

Kid’s Kamp, July 23 – 25 For Downloadable forms go to http://www.neokidskamp.com/
Camp Director, Linda Holland, says we can use a few more campers and there will be late charges until after July 15.

Are youth interested in religion? I read a fascinating article this week (http://www.faithandleadership.com/features/articles/young-adults-open-religious-participation ) which looks at factors which impact youth involvement in religion. In a quiz on Youth and Religion, the question was asked: "What is the weakest predictor of teens remaining religiously active into young adulthood?" Possible answers were: • Frequent teasing about religion • Mission trips • Supportive religious adults.Would you be surprised that the weakest predictor was "mission trips"?

Examining results from the National Study of Youth and Religion in their book “Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults,” researchers Christian Smith and Patricia Snell of the University of Notre Dame identify factors that do predict high levels of religious commitment. They include frequent prayer and Scripture reading, personal religious experiences, highly religious parents, and caring and supportive adults in congregations.

Adult involvement, in particular, should not be underestimated, they say. No slogan or appeal empty of religious substance will have young adults knocking down the doors of houses of worship. But the hard work, starting at an early age, of integrating young people into communities where they are nurtured, cared for and given spiritual direction makes a difference.

This generation is open to being spiritual and religious. In fact, several major national studies show that the core faith of young Americans has changed little in the last four decades. In the Panel Study of American Religion and Ethnicity led by researchers at Rice University and the University of Notre Dame, more than half of respondents ages 18-29 said religion or religious faith was very important, extremely important or the most important part of their lives. Only 14 percent of respondents in this age group, compared with 11 percent of all respondents, said religion was not important. Eighty-two percent of young adults said they believe God loves them and cares about them, the same percentage as the overall response.

There was a good article on Ministering to Young Adults in the last Holiness Today. http://www.holinesstoday.org/nphweb/html/ht/article.jsp?sid=10005102&id=10009244

Have a great weekend! You are loved!
Dave

2010-07-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Hope you have had a wonderful celebration of our nation’s birthday! Gloria and I were at Sapulpa on the morning of the 4th and I was moved by how many veterans were in our service. We are indebted to these men and women who have sacrificed for our country. We sang the third verse of “America, the Beautiful” yesterday: “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.” And I resonated with the prayer that concluded this verse: “America, America, may God thy gold refine; till all success be nobleness and every gain divine.”

On Sunday, Pastor Steve Davis was installed as pastor at Sapulpa. Go to the link below for pictures from this event:
Sapulpa, July 4, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTPCg

Last week 33 of our pastors participated in Pastors and Leaders Conference (PALCON) at Southern Nazarene University. One pastor wrote: “This was probably the best conference that I have been to, in terms of speakers and workshops. Truly enjoyed "Closing the Backdoor" with Woody Stevens, and the Theism class with Crutcher. Informative. Middendorf’s sermon, and MacDonald's wisdom were truly life changing.” Thanks for giving our pastors time and financial support to attend PALCON!

Last weekend we had District Work Projects at Drumright and Tahlequah. Jerry Wilburg shares this report on the work project at Drumright last weekend: We had a successful 2 day work gathering. Churches involved included Southwest, Mannford, Bristow, and BA First. The teams made a huge dent in the work list but much is left to be done. Rain hamperred our work on the second day but we were able to do things inside during the heaviest rain. Thanks to all the churches who have supported this effort.

I was at Tahlequah on Friday for the total makeover of the parsonage, led by Brian Loderhose. A good group from Tahlequah and Owasso Silver Creek were involved and were very productive. The ladies of the church fed us well! New pastor, Jason Powers, arrived on Friday. I will share a more complete report later.

Troy Farmer reports that the Crisis Care Kits collected from NEO were delivered to the warehouse in Fawn Grove, PA, Wednesday AM, June 16th, 2010. Thank you to all who participated in this effort.Two shipments are going out from the warehouse the next week to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

In approximately one year from now, thousands of Nazarene youth from across the stretches of the U.S. and Canada will converge on the city of Louisville, Kentucky, for Nazarene Youth Conference 2011 - A World Unbroken. Youth and youth leaders will be in for a week of spiritual formation, missional outreach, inspired worship, and of course, fun.

Kid’s Kamp, July 23 – 25
For Downloadable forms go to http://www.neokidskamp.com/

More and more marriages represent the forming of a stepfamily. As these families form, often what is brought to the table is "his", "hers" and "ours." This refers to kids, finances, step-relationships, house hold items, and more! Forming a stepfamily brings about some of the same challenges as any relationship, but due to the sheer number of relationships woven into the complexities of stepfamilies there are unique circumstances and challenges. The goal of couples in stepfamilies is to create a marriage and family all at the same time. Let the Forever. For Real. – For Couples in Stepfamilies workshop help! Come and learn the major differences between first families and stepfamilies, be guided through how to develop new step-relationships, and pick up some step-parenting tips. Come away with the communication skills that are the key to a successful remarriage and stepfamily.

Saturday, July 17, 10 am - 4 pm, Tulsa Technology Center – Riverside Campus, 801 East 91st, near the Jenks airport. For more information or to register for this FREE workshop, visit www.ForeverForReal.com or contact Kristin at (877) 435-8033.

I WANT TO CELEBRATE… (shared by pastors from monthly reports)

Cole Weston, Okmulgee…Held my first ever baptism, for a beloved teen in our church. We’re proud of her and hope that many more will join her soon. Also celebrating the 40 year old heaters in the baptistry that are running strong! :) Brainstorming on holding a leadership series in August, and holding our first (to me) VBS next month. Then completely re-doing the kindergarten room, expecting that if we make way for the Lord to work, He’ll fill it up. Also paid everything according to the new budgets this month, and working on catching up with last months too!

Carl Brown, Hominy…Thirteen Baptized June 20th with new lives dedicated to serve Christ as Lord. We start VBS with the theme “The Ten Commandments” Starts July 20 – 23rd

Dwain Young, Horton Chapel…On June 6, we had our second Children's Day Celebration with Del Wilson, who lives in Tulsa. He is serving as president of Fellowship Christian Magicians. Our boys and girls responded to him and the gospel message. We had families in attendance who do not attend regularly. One child responded to the invitation. This day was a highlight for us this month.

H. Gordon Smith, III, Dewey…Thanks to our church family who kindly had a fellowship dinner in recognition of my being ordained an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. I want to also celebrate our Youth Group that went out and volunteered at The Concern Center in Bartlesville painting.
David Stevens, Vinita…In recent weeks I have been asking God to renew our spirits and bring a revival to Vinita. As we pray and prepare ourselves, it is so nice when we have a Sunday when God is particularly close. The last Sunday of June was one of those special days. From the opening worship song all through the final Amen many of us felt God’s presence in a tangible way. He is so good!

Nick Vernier, Tulsa Southwest… We want to celebrate...our attendance is up from last month!!!! God is good and Southwest is resilient.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea…Our Sunday School and Worship attendance have increased compared to this time last year. We also had five teens and a sponsor attend Golden Bell Camp in Colorado! They went with the Claremore Church. Each of our teens had a lot of fun and grew spiritually from the experience.

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection…Baptized an entire family on Father’s Day, with the father dedicating his young daughter; very successful Dadfest (aka, Sweatfest) on Father’s Day.

Randy Schuneman, Bartlesville…21 teens went to NYI NEO Camp. God used this camp to bond our teens together. We had a great VBS this month! Many children came to hear about how our Savior Jesus! Our faith promise weekend went wonderful as well; our speaker Terry Baker did a fantastic job.

Dan Hazelton, Pryor…We received $5000 in pledges and offerings for an emergency fund.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…God is moving here, I don’t know what He’s doing but He’s moving and that is exciting.

Steve Davis, Sapulpa…6 teens saved and several others re-dedicating their lives at Teen Camp; Wonderful VBS with several new families; Being blessed to lead Sapulpa as their new pastor.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central…Our Spanish work is having Sunday Bible studies … an outreach VBS at The Lakes Apartments this past month that looks like it will yield some prospects for us as well as the new Spanish work … some genuine “God stuff” happening in my heart at PALCON … some positive visitor flow in recent weeks … a number of things to be encouraged about.

NEO DISTRICT LEADERS in attendance gain in June, 2010 over June, 2009
Sunday School/Discipleship
Bristow +23
Barnsdall +21
Tulsa Fuente de Vida +20
Pryor +11
Nowata +9
Horton Chapel +8
Cushing +7
Vinita +6
Chelsea +3
Coweta +4
Dewey +3
Drumright +3
Miami New Life +3

AM Worship
Pryor +32
Tulsa Faith +18
Broken Arrow First +17
Sapulpa +15
Barnsdall +13
Vinita +11
Bristow +10
Coweta +7
Miami New Life +7
Dewey +5

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2010-06-25T09:47:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-17T17:38:00.003-05:00

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
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NMI Convention 2010
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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

2010-06-04T18:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-27T15:54:00.000-05:00

Hi, NEO family,

Next Tuesday and Wednesday we will be gathering at Tulsa Central Church for our HOMECOMING 2010: A Celebration of Mission and Ministry. I love it when we get to hang out together – worship together, eat together, play together and serve together. You will love our General Superintendent, Dr. Jesse Middendorf. And our Zone Cluster meetings are becoming a hi-light for our laity as we hear reports from churches on our Zone and pray for one another (notice we had to move the Zone Cluster meetings to after lunch!). I am excited about my report – I quote Angie Bentley, Roger Staubach, Hal Perkins and other great church leaders.

Check out the schedule below. Make plans to attend. Pray that God will use these gatherings to inspire, equip and correct His church so that we can more effectively “make Christlike disciples in the nations.”

NEO Homecoming 2010

A Celebration of Mission and Ministry

Tulsa Central Church

Tuesday, June 1 District Assembly

8:00 am Registration

8:30 am Opening Session.

Message from our General Superintendent, Jesse Middendorf

Welcoming new NEO pastors and spouses

Report of District Superintendent, Dave McKellips

Elections of District Leaders

Vote on Constitutional Amendments

Reports from District Leaders, Boards and Committees

Report of SNU President, Loren Gresham

Noon SNU Luncheon for Lead pastors, spouses and Advisory Board

2:00 pm Zone Cluster Meetings

3:30 pm Concluding Session of District Business

7:00 pm Ordination Service with Dr. Middendorf. In addition to ordaining four pastors, we newly licensed ministers will be challenged and retiring pastors will be honored.

Wednesday, June 2 NYI and NMI Conventions

9:30 am Registration

10:00 am Great Commission Rally – Parade of Flags w/Children and Youth; Youth worship team; Missionary John Williams, speaking; Reports of how NEO is “taking Christ to the Nations”!
11:30 am Lunch for all

12:30 pm NMI Convention in Worship Center; NYI Convention in youth room (203)

2:00 pm Youth and Family Service Projects around Tulsa ; Missions workshops

5:30 pm Dinner together

7:00 pm Closing Service – A Gathering to Give Thanks. In one hour, our DS will preach, we will engage in corporate worship and thanksgiving and join together at the Lord’s table in communion.

See you on Tuesday! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-05-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

NEO Homecoming 2010 is only a few days away – June 1 and 2. I love it when the District family gathers together to celebrate our mission and ministry. The past year has been a challenging one in many ways. We have endured some brutal weather, a troubled economy and all kinds of attacks of the enemy, but God’s church and His truth is marching on. Come join us June 1 and 2 as we celebrate God’s faithfulness and the victories He has given us.

Thanks to the great work of Jim and Christy Thornton and all the NEO leaders who turned in reports, our Assembly Handbook has gone to the printer and we are finalizing plans for the Assembly on June 1. Dr. Jesse Middendorf, our General Superintendent, is an outstanding leader, theologian and preacher. I am excited for our District family to get to catch his passion for Christ and the church. Our time of reporting by Zones and praying for each church has become a hi-light of our assembly. We expect to have four pastors ordained in the evening service, along with recognizing many first time licensed ministers.

I have had several meetings, emails and phone conversations with NMI President, Debbie Martin, and NYI President, Jonathan Odom, and the plans for the combined conventions on June 2 are coming together beautifully. It will be a day of worship, inspiration, challenge, some business and service to our community. Of course, we love to eat and fellowship together and meals for the whole District family are being planned for lunch and dinner.

Troy Farmer will be picking up Compassion Care Kit boxes during the District Assembly and NMI Convention. Please put church name on each box, put 1 CCK box inventory in each box, and tape the box. Manna House can always use peanut butter and jars of jelly. Let’s bring these to registration tables on June 1 or 2.

For the complete schedule and details for Homecoming 2010, go to our website, www.neonaz.com .

Pastor J.J. James reports on the latest on our response to Tennessee flooding: “We sent some ladies out to TN yesterday with a truck load of supplies. They are helping out at a distribution center today. We still need at least one more welder to go with us next week. We are leaving Monday and will be back on Friday. We will be building the bridge that was washed out at the Tennessee District Campground. Do you know anyone who might be able to go with us?”

ThePornEvent.com (http://thepornevent.com ) is a response to the influence of pornography in our community, and you are welcome to participate. From May 23-28, LIfeChurch.tv and XXXChurch.com are offering this event to help people who are caught in pornography’s grip. It’s an interactive 25-minute online experience with segments for men and women. Anyone from any church, any country, and any place can attend. They can be anonymous if they want, they can receive prayer, and they can get connected with a next-steps group that will offer preliminary help and a path to a safe recovery group.

Pastor John Whitsett sent his congregation a wonderful note this week on the power of our expectations, especially focusing on the expectations we bring to corporate worship. Let me share a small portion of the article with you: “I believe our expectations powerfully shape and influence our experience. If we come to church with positive expectations---with the belief we’ll encounter God---then it’s highly likely it’ll happen … not because we willed it so, but because we were open to God’s presence, and He was able to capitalize on that openness. But if we come to church with negative expectations---that we’ll be disappointed, or that the service is a drudgery to be endured---it’s highly likely that we’ll go home dissatisfied and embittered. For our close-mindedness will have significantly quenched the Spirit’s ability to use what happened in a meaningful way.
This Sunday, do me a favor. Come to church with a singular expectation---that you’ll encounter God, and that He’ll speak to us in a meaningful way. I believe it’s going to be a great service---Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the reality and ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. We’ll hear a couple of first-hand accounts of how the Spirit that arrived at Pentecost is continuing to make a difference in people’s lives---just as He did those first followers that were gathered in the Upper Room. It’s going to be a great day!”

I pray that Pentecost Sunday will be a great day in every Nazarene Church in Northeast Oklahoma!

Anticipating,
Dave McKellips

2010-05-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

I have been at Southern Nazarene University the past two days for meetings, first with the SNU Region District Superintendents followed by the SNU Board of Trustees. The school has had another good year. Enrollment was above projections and the school was in the black again (I think it is about 20 straight years!) A hi-light of the trustee’s meetings are always the testimonies from students about how God is using the university to impact their lives. Our own Travis Vernier was one of the students who shared this year. Nick and Kay would have been proud of him, as I was. I am grateful to the impact of Nazarene Higher Education on my life and on the lives of my daughter’s and their spouses. Let’s continue to invest in our school for it is an investment in the future of our church! Let's also pray diligently for Dr. Gresham and SNU. I hope you pray for them regularly, but they can especially use your prayers these next two months.

A number of the people on the NEO know Glen and Thelma Miller from Work and Witness trips. They will be celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary next Sunday May 16 at Horton Chapel from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.

NEO Students - You don't want to miss the opportunity to meet with 1,000 other teens and adults from around the South Central Region on the beautiful campus of Southern Nazarene University for a weekend of fun sports, talent, and quizzing competition. Plus, we will have some epic worship experiences! Extravaganza is May 28 - 30. Go to www.snuextravaganza.com for more info and get registered today!

Pastor Rodney Amos had a wonderful Faith Promise with Dr. Fletcher Tink from Nazarene Theological Seminary. The good, generous people of Tulsa First Church had a goal of $10,700 and their pledges were $11,025. Rod recommends Dr. Tink ( Fltink@nts.edu )

Work Project on the Tennessee District Campgrounds
Claremore Pastor, J.J. James, writes: Heather and I have been hearing a lot of stories about the devastation from the floods in Tennessee. Many homes, businesses, and churches were flooded and folks out there are saying that it will take months for that area to be fully restored. Yesterday, we finalized the plans that we have been making to go out and help. Some ladies are going out there next week to help in a distribution center. Many people that have lost everything that had. They need basic every day supplies like bathroom supplies and cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, or non-perishable food that doesn’t need to be prepared. A group of men will be leaving a week from Monday (May 24th) to build the bridge that washed out at the Tennessee District Church of the Nazarene Campground. We hope to complete it in time for their camps to begin. Several from the NEO district are going to help build the bridge but we could still use some help. Any men (especially those with welding experience) are welcome to go with us. Call me if you would like to go with us.

We are only about two weeks away from NEO Homecoming 2010! It is going to be a great time of inspiration, positive accountability, training and service. Reserve the dates – June 1 and 2!

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2010-05-05T18:24:00.000-05:00

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 1:2, 3).

Dear NEO family,

By the time many of you receive this blog, we will be in the National Day of Prayer. I hope you will join thousands of your brothers and sisters in setting aside time to pray for our nation, our state our NEO cities and leaders. And pray for members of your own church and our District family that we will be salt and light, speak grace and truth and demonstrate the love and care of God.

One of the ways we put God’s love on display is through simple acts of service. I am sensing somewhat of a “Servolution” in Northeast Oklahoma. Dino Rizzo says that a “Servolution” starts when the church moves out beyond its walls and looks throughout the community for someone in need. I am hearing of this happening more and more in our NEO churches. Following are some exciting opportunities for service:

Burn a Rod for Kids, May 22 at Hope Ranch in Ponca City
Jerry Wilburg reports that we currently have 11-12 welding crews with welder rigs on trucks or trailers to help out at the ranch. We have two runs of 600 feet of pipe rail fence to do and n additional side of about 330 feet. Brian Loderhose from Owasso Church is volunteering to bring a piece of equipment to bring down several dead elm trees that are in the fence row. Other crewmembers are from Miami, Regency Park and Broken Arrow, along with a Boy Scout troop and a boy’s SS Class.
Much to do but it is exciting.

Assistance in Tennessee with Flood Cleanup.
Pastor J.J from Claremore I reports that 9 folks from three different NEO churches have already contacted him and are planning to go with him on Sunday afternoon to help with the flood clean up at the Nazarene Campground in Tennessee. Jim Reeves is helping design a bridge and we will be building it when we get there. There is still some room for many more to go if they want to but J.J. will need to know by Thursday so that he can finalize travel plans. Praise the Lord for the great response!

District Service Projects at NYI/NMI Convention
As you hopefully have heard by now, during the afternoon session on June 2, we will have several service projects in the Tulsa area for children in third grade through Senior Adults.

Zone Service Projects in 2010-11
We are gearing up for work projects at a local church or parsonage on every zone in the year ahead. Plans are in the works for a Parsonage Makeover at Tahlequah on July 2 and 3, a “Sheetrocking the new Facility” Party at Miami, a new paint job for Pawhuska church, finishing up the new Family Life Center at Tulsa Southwest and finishing the youth center at Drumright.

Change a Child’s Forever
Join us for a community gathering to learn the many ways you can help foster children.
Monday, May 17, 2010 Fellowship Bible Church, 5434 E. 91st ST, Tulsa
For more info, call 405-522-0606 or visit www.faithlinksok.org/FeaturedEvents.htm

And God’s call to serve continues throughout our lives. I received an exciting email today from Gary and Elaine Narron. Gary has already retired a couple of times, but he and Elaine are now starting a new church with another couple (the other couple is young – in their 50’s) in Richmond, Virginia. Gary writes, “We have been praying about this for a number of months now and we feel very comfortable this is a calling from God and we are excited about saying yes.” May God continue to raise up people of all ages who are passionate about serving – yes, we need a “Servolution”!

What a privilege it is for Gloria and me to visit the NEO churches. Here are pictures from recent visits:
Sapulpa, April 18, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTN5g

Chelsea, May 2, 2010
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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

2010-04-30T12:49:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

Grace and peace to all of you, especially to our pastors who are completing their Annual Pastor’s Report and all the related forms this week. We sure have a great team of pastors in NEO!

As Churches turn in their last budget payments of the year, I hope they are encouraged by all the good their giving is accomplishing. I received this week the 2009 Benefits Received Report from Pensions and Benefits. In 2009, our District paid $157,367 and our retired pastors received $213,966 assistance. I sure appreciate the faithful giving of NEO Nazarenes to World Evangelism Fund, District Fair Share, Pensions and Benefits and Southern Nazarene University. We are better because we have joined hands and resources in ministry.

Nate Burns, Pastor at Owasso Silver Creek called me last Sunday with great joy and thankfulness. They had a Baptism service planned and 2 people had decided to be baptized last Sunday. During the service the Holy Spirit moved and they baptized 6 people! Praise God! Also they took in 6 new members. I love hearing reports almost daily about how God is working in our churches.

Family Church’s Celebrate Recovery ministry has been graciously hosted by Faith Church the past six years. The ministry is averaging over 250 people on Saturday evening and has outgrown the facilities. Pastor Buddy and Alicia Davis report the Celebrate Recovery Ministry will be moving to the Family Church facilities beginning May 29.

Prayer Requests for parsonage families:
Jennie Schuneman (Daughter of Bartlesville pastor, Randy Schuneman) had her first chemo treatment at M.D. Anderson this week. She is doing well, without any seeming side effects, except fatigue.

Nan Holley (Pastor's spouse at Tulsa Faith Church) had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours and I spoke with her a little while ago. She is doing better and they think it might be due to a low potassium level.

Nina Marroquin (Pastor's Spouse at Tulsa Regency Iglesia del Nazareno) also had to be monitored for 24 hours after blacking out. The doctor working with her thinks it is due to a lack of vitamin D and anemia. We are grateful the Lord protected her as she fell (she said her neck is very sore).

Change It!, an initiative launched by three of Central’s teens, is hosting an officially registered Guinness World Records event! Change It! will attempt to break the world record for the most change collected for a charity in one place this Saturday, May 1, 2010 at the Riverwalk Amphitheater in Jenks, Oklahoma. The event will kick-off at 10 am and will feature local bands between 2-8 pm. There is no charge for the event. Change It! is attempting to collect over $200,000 in loose change in support of organizations combating HIV/AIDS. They would love to have you join them Saturday and bring all of your spare change!

SNU Tulsa is hunting for a good communicator, Christian lawyer to teach the MBA law class.

The Academy of Senior Professionals at Southern Nazarene University is hosting a Senior Adult Conference 2010 on May, 21. Find out more and register at www.snu.edu/senior-adult-conference-2010.

Pastor's "I want to celebrate..."
Wayde Normandin, Chelsea…The last Sunday of the church year was set aside to review the previous 12 months and record God’s faithfulness to our church and thank Him for it. It was a wonderful way to look back at the year and look forward to a fresh beginning. We also praised the Lord for a great Easter Breakfast and Service. We had 39 people attend our breakfast which was held at the Chelsea Senior Center and then we moved to our church for the service. This was our largest attendance for the year. Also, through the obedience of God’s people all allocations were paid and all other financial obligations were met.

Dwain Young, Horton Chapel… I want to celebrate the Family of three children and two adults who joined Horton Chapel this month. The dad was one of our boys who attended Horton Chapel 30 years ago. Our Church reached out to him then and he felt the love and when he moved back they came to Horton Chapel. Praise the Lord!

Brad Farnsworth, Connection…TEN people gave their lives to the Lord on Easter Sunday; baptized two on Easter Sunday, then two teenagers baptized two weeks later who are related to mother who was baptized on Easter; new families continue to attend each Sunday, one family drives one hour all the way from Keystone Lake area.

Claude Guy, Sand Springs…Spirit-filled services every time we gather for worship.
H. Gordon Smith, III, Dewey… A beautiful Maundy Thursday service where the Spirit of the Lord was truly among us! (2) A fantastic Cajun Dinner fundraiser for Youth Missions Trip coming up in July, (3) The blessing it was to have the Lepley’s join us for deputation and to soak in the memories of this last years missions trip to the Dominican Republic, and (4) 10 members joined our church.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… New families finding the church God sending us people who truly need help! New people with new energy to begin new ministries. Additional teens for our youth group!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… We’ve seen much progress in our family life center. We had a work day where we had 30 individuals show up to help construct a connecting corridor for our new building. Conducted a successful review of our worship leader. Areas to be improved upon were discussed and strengths were affirmed as well.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… A number of positive things---an very good Easter Sunday with two stylistically different services with six believers baptized and a combined attendance of over 600 … a deputation service with Dan & Michelle Lepley with an offering of almost $3800 … a wonderful class of twelve new members, most of whom have great stories of how the church has already added value to their lives … a vision-casting Sunday on April 25 that seemed to be well-received and resulted in a number of people stepping forward to volunteer for some key areas of need.

David Stevens, Vinita… I know I am repeating myself, but it is just amazing how God always blesses our Church services. He has answered many prayers, some miraculously. There is a sense of love and care among our people. May He receive all the Glory! Budgets are paid (whew!) and our attendance figures are stable, with small steady growth.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… I want to celebrate: Our senior adult ministry has established a small group on Tuesday mornings at Cedar Ridge (local retirement community) and they had 8 in their group this week.

Jim Johnson, Barnsdall… I am so excited about the way God is working in our Barnsdall Church. We are indeed being blessed! Our church attendance is still growing and our increased finances have enabled us to complete much needed building improvements with several more projects in the planning stage. April 18, the Hominy Church invited our congregation to attend a "Barnabas" service. This was a service to encourage and bless our ministry at the Barnsdall Church--wonderful outpouring of Christian love from both churches. To God be the Glory!

J.J. James, Claremore… We had four amazing weekends this month. The first weekend was Easter and we had our annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt. The next weekend we had a wonderful revival with John and Ruth Briscoe. The next weekend we had Guy Penrod and the Talley Trio in concert. Last weekend we had our annual meeting and we set a brand new vision for our congregation; “Experiencing God’s Power. Sharing God’s Love.” Things are starting to look up for us in Claremore!

Alan McBroom, Davenport… Easter Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus and the baptism of two young ladies!

Angela Bentley, Bristow… So many things! We had a wonderful Easter service with 102 in attendance. We hosted a great community revival service with 140 in attendance and our new worship leader and team were AMAZING! We have a new children’s director and new youth leaders –a husband and wife team! We had a successful annual election with God placing people in just the right positions. We took in 5 new members and have others in the membership class. The Holy Spirit is present in our services – last week we didn’t even have any preaching the Spirit was so powerful! We continue to experience great growth and such a sweet spirit of unity. God is so good – and brings many things to celebrate!

NEO DISTRICT LEADERS in attendance growth verses May, 2009

Sunday School/Discipleship
Tulsa Central +50
Barnsdall +21
Bristow +15
Dewey +15
Miami New Life +15
Wagoner Cornerstone +11
Pryor +10
Okmulgee +9
Chelsea +6
Cushing +6
Sand Springs +6

AM Worship
BA Connection +42
Miami New Life +33
Hominy +21
Pryor +20
Okmulgee +19
Barnsdall +15
Coweta +8
Skiatook +8
Mannford +7
Chelsea +6

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Can’t wait to hear of more “God sightings”!

Dave McKellips

2010-04-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Aren’t you thankful for “God Sightings”? The last two weeks have been very demanding for me, physically and emotionally. But almost every day I see the evidence of God’s activity and care. Let me just share a few “God sightings” this week:

• Claude Guy called Monday reporting on the service Sunday at Sand Springs. After the Board secretary reported on the positive pastoral review, they had special music and the Lord took over the service. Ten people came to the altar, they anointed some for healing and a young couple found help in their marriage. As a D.S., I had no idea how God could use an announcement of a positive pastoral review!

• Cole Weston emailed me on Wednesday. On Sunday he told the Okmulgee Church that the mission of the church is to reach out, and that they would try to find new ways to get to those in our community to help. But Cole didn’t have to find ways to reach out this week. God immediately began bringing some people to Cole that he had opportunity to minister to. Cole wrote, “I feel like I'm doing what this job is all about. You just can't beat Jesus for job satisfaction!”

• On Thursday, Jenny Schuneman was taken on a Cononco Phillips Angel Flight to M.D. Anderson Hospital. Today she was to have an appointment with Dr. Rabi. They will not be admitting her to the hospital, she will be on an outpatient basis. Dr. Rabi will evaluate everything they have on her, run some tests of his own and then determine whether or not they can do anything for her. This is NOT a promise of a cure, nor that they can even treat her, BUT this IS the opportunity we have been praying for - that they would be willing to see her and evaluate her and give her this chance. God is answering our prayers!

• I stopped by and saw the progress being made on the new building at Miami New Life yesterday. The new building is huge and is going to be a tremendous blessing, but even more exciting to me was hearing Pastor Casey Hollingsworth report of the way God is blessing their services and helping this church reach new people.

God is at work in our world. I am blessed to be able to be a recipient and partner in His work!

Tomorrow is Sunday School Training Day, “Building Foundations That Last” at Broken Arrow First. This will be a time of inspiration and practical helps for those who work in children’s, youth and adult ministries. Registration is at 9am and we will conclude by 2:30pm It is not to late for you to decide to come. Hope to see you there.

Continuing Lay Training (CLT) is committed to equipping laity for effective ministry by facing important issues in our culture. On Thursday, April 29, 2010, Dr. Bryce Fox CLT will host an educational conference call on sexuality in young adults and how the church can communicate Christian values about sexuality in our current culture. To join the call, dial 760-569-6000 and enter the access code 793452#. The time of the call will be 7pm Central time zone.

SNU Tulsa’s MBA in Health Care will start its first group on August 10. This master’s in administration is for people who have a bachelor’s degree (accredited and in any field) and who have experience in any aspect of the healthcare field and who would like to fulfill positions of leadership in the healthcare industry. This could also include people interested in medical missions. It might be people who work in health insurance companies, those in allied fields such as respiratory therapy, or physical therapy, for example, or nurses or even doctors who want to go into administration. They do not have to have a background in business such as accounting and finance. We will teach those things to them.

The instructors, all committed Christians who subscribe to SNU’s mission, are MDs and others who are in positions of leadership in Tulsa medical facilities and organizations. For example, Dr. Pat Bolding, family physician, who was an administrator for over 20 years for In His Image, and Dr. Jack Sommers (MD, MBA), who is the Chief Medical Officer for Community Care Managed Healthcare, will both be teaching in the program. So will the HR Manager for Eastern Oklahoma Red Cross, among others. The students in this program will be getting really good “real world” information.

Our General Superintendents recently released this week an important affirmation of belief that I want to share with you. We are to contend for the faith that was once entrusted to the apostles. May those who come behind us find us faithful!

WE BELIEVE

As General Superintendent Emeritus Don Owens suggests, every movement of God has a binding address. We believe that the Church of the Nazarene was birthed in the heart of God and that she continues as an expression of the movement of God in our world.

The church revealed a level of genius a century ago when it expressed the nonnegotiable elements - a binding address - of biblical faith in eight simple yet profound stated beliefs in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene:

Agreed Statement of Belief
26. Recognizing that the right and privilege of persons to church membership rest upon the fact of their being regenerate, we would require only such avowals of belief as are essential to Christian experience. We, therefore, deem belief in the following brief statements to be sufficient. We believe:
26.1. In one God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
26.2. That the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
26.3. That man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.
26.4. That the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.
26.5. That the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
26.6. That believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
26.7. That the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers.
26.8. That our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.

In these days of theological experimentation and inquiry, it seems prudent to the Board of General Superintendents to lay special emphasis on some of these agreed beliefs.

We believe in God. Revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He is holy love and light; eternally existent and infinite; Sovereign of the universe; holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present.

We believe in the inspiration and authority of Scripture. We hold that the Word of God is the primary source of revelation for knowing God. Dr. H. Orton Wiley, who helped shape our theology in our formative years, wrote: "We conclude that the Scriptures were given by plenary inspiration ... in the manner that and to the degree that the Bible becomes the infallible word of God, the authoritative Rule of Faith and Practice in the Church" (Christian Theology, Vol. 1, p. 170).

We believe in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). We believe that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

We believe that, subsequent to regeneration, believers are to be entirely sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit. We further believe that in the work of entire sanctification the believer's heart is cleansed from all sin and that the believer filled with the Holy Spirit is enabled to love God with the whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as oneself. We believe that growth in grace and the disciplines of holy living are a lifelong necessity for a life wholly sanctified to the will and purposes of God.

We believe in the Church, "the covenant people of God made new in Christ" (Manual, paragraph 15), as the visible expression of God's presence and mission in our world.

This is our binding address!

Ephesians 4:12-13 makes it clear that every effort should be made for believers to be "built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." This, the Bible declares, will prevent us from being unsettled by every wind of doctrinal experimentation that blows across the religious landscape.

We call upon our churches, our institutions of higher learning, and our people at large to hold fast to these agreed beliefs. Let us set aside anything and everything that distracts from our mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

--Board of General Superintendents

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2010-04-16T15:55:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

My appreciation for the great lay leaders on the District continues to grow. The last four evenings I have met with the Church Boards of Davenport, Sand Springs, Bartlesville and Sapulpa. The board members are passionate about Christ and the church, full of wisdom and the Spirit, they love their pastors and they want their church to have an impact on their communities. May their tribe increase!

I recently conducted Pastoral Reviews at Sand Springs and Cushing. Both Pastor Claude Guy and Pastor Harold Johnson had very positive reviews and will continue their pastoral ministry as per Manual 121.

Below are pictures of visits to Cushing and Mannford:

Mannford, April 11, 2010 Spiritual Renewal Week
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNog

Cushing, March 28, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNxA

NEO Training Day is fast approaching on April 24th. Your district department heads and SDMI leaders have been working really hard to put together a top quality training/equipping event for our people. You won't want to miss the special speaker - Ms. Sophie Sunday School- and there will even be help for pastors in regards to annual reporting and the new funding the mission guidelines. The early bird price of just $10.00 will expire this Saturday the 17th. Then the cost will go up to $12.00. Registration is very simple. You can complete it by email and bring your money on the 24th. The flyer and registration information are on the NEO website, www.neonaz.com.

Prayer Concerns: Thanks for your prayers for Jennie Schuneman. Her kidneys are now fully functioning so we can focus on the cancer that is enveloping her liver. Bartlesville has given Pastor Randy a paid leave of absence to focus on his daughter and family. Also, keep praying for Southwest Church as it has been a very trying week for these dear people. Tahlequah is interviewing a pastoral candidate this weekend. Sapulpa and Davenport are beginning the search process.

Former pastor and district superintendent James R. "Dr. B" Blankenship of Lubbock, Texas, went to be with the Lord on April 15. During his pastoral career, Blankenship served at Pawhuska (Oklahoma), Tulsa Regency Park (Oklahoma), Austin Grace (Texas), and St. Louis Webster Groves (Missouri).

Manna House is in need of two (2) men to volunteer on Wednesdays from 9:30 am -1:00 pm. They need someone to help carry out groceries, serve coffee, visit with people coming into Manna House and praying for needs. There might be some lifting of boxes of vegetables from refrigerator to pick up table. If you can volunteer a couple of Wednesdays a month, please contact Howard Essary at 274-8242. Thank you for allowing God to work through you at Manna House.

Sunday night, Claremore Church will be having THE TALLEY TRIO in concert.

Pastor Phil and Karen Buck are Grandparents! “Our first grandbaby was born today – Olivia Monroe Buck – 7 lbs 12 oz and 20 ¼ “ long. Our youngest son Nick and wife Rachel are doing great. Papper and Nanna are ecstatic at the wonders of our Heavenly Father. The most precious little girl you ever laid eyes on!! “ PBuck

Hope you have a blessed weekend. You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-04-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

These are busy and exciting days on the District. 100 of us Primetimers met for our quarterly dinner at Broken Arrow a week ago. Doug Dawson and the BA crew did a super job of hosting us and we had a great time.

I have heard wonderful reports from Holy Week and Easter services across the District. Did you hear about the weekend at one of our New Start churches, BA Connection? Pastor Brad Farnsworth and the church family had been praying for weeks for over 150 people that the members were inviting to services. The people worked, and God worked in answer to their prayers. 285 people attended services and 10 made decisions to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord! Isn’t God good! And did you hear about Barnsdall? This church, which has averaged between 9 and 15 for the past decade, had 50 in attendance on Easter. Congratulations to new pastor Jim Johnson and the faithful people of Barnsdall and praise be to God for working in ways beyond our wildest dreams!

We rejoice with one another and we also pray for one another as a District family. Would you remember the following prayer requests:
1. Pastor Kevin Williams’ sister, Tammy Unruh, died suddenly following a heart attack on Wednesday. The memorial service for Tammy will be Sunday afternoon at the Cameron, Missouri Church of the Nazarene.
2. Evangelist Frank Chase passed away on Wednesday.
3. Jennie Schuneman (daughter of Pastor Randy and Bonnie) has been getting medical care all week. Tentative diagnosis from the Pathologist, Dr. Casner: low grade vascular neoplasm (cancer) It will be next week before they have a conclusive diagnosis. Remember Jen and this family in prayer.

Tomorrow is Kid’s Mission Day at Tulsa Southwest. We will learn about missions thru games, snacks, crafts and music. NEO missionaries to the Dominican Republic, Dan and Michelle Lepley, will be speaking. Children ages kindergarten through sixth grade are invited and the cost is only $2. Go to the www.neonaz.com for more information.

Flyers have been emailed to all pastors for the upcoming NEO Training Day on Saturday, April 24. Workshops are planned for childen, youth and adult workers. I will have information for Pastors and treasurers regarding the new plan for funding the mission. District Secretary Jim Thornton will be available to answer questions for pastors regarding completing the Annual Pastors’ Report. A new workshop has been planned for Primetime workers. Cost is only $10 and includes Rib Crib lunch if you register by April 17.. Go to the website, www.neonaz.com, for all the details.

NEO Homecoming 2010 is June 1 and 2. We have lots of changes with Missions and Youth conventions both together on June 2. We will have service projects, workshops and great times of worship and fellowship together. Be watching for details in coming days.

I LOVE Extravaganza and the chance to get our youth from across the region together at SNU for worship, fellowship and competition. You have already know that once again Extravaganza is over Memorial Day Weekend (May 28 – 31), which allows our students to have lodging on campus and not have to be excused from school and related activities. Students will have great opportunities to experience campus life and build friendships from across the Region. Whether you have 1 teen or 100, I hope you will help your kids get to Extravaganza. They don’t have to “compete” to go and have a great time. www.snuextravaganza.com

SNU has a opening for a Chair of the School of Nursing. For more information, the link for this position is: http://www.snu.edu/chair-of-nursing-position

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2010-04-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

Romantic love is blind to everything except what is lovable and lovely, but Christ's love sees us with terrible clarity and sees us whole. Christ's love so wishes our joy that it is ruthless against everything in us that diminishes our joy. The worst sentence Love can pass is that we behold the suffering that Love has endured for our sake, and that is also our acquittal. The justice and mercy of the judge are ultimately one. - Frederick Buechner

Dear NEO family,

It is Holy Week! I love hearing about all the special ways our churches are retelling the wonderful story of Jesus and his love during this most important week on the Christian calendar. Tonight some will be having a Tenebrae service, a somber service that focuses on the suffering and darkness associated with the death of Christ. These words from Christa Klosterman really spoke to me this week: “The darkness in worship reminds me that God walks into the darkest of places. Jesus knows the wounds of betrayal, the sting of rejection, the vulnerability of life. He did not avoid the darkness; He walked willingly into it.”

Gloria and I love to visit the churches of NEO. We haven’t shared some pictures for a few weeks. Here are some from January and February.

Bristow, January 24, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNbg

Broken Arrow, January 31, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNgA

Tulsa Hills, February 21, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNTA

Pastor Alan McBroom has resigned from the Davenport Church to give himself full time to chaplaincy ministry. Alan and Melissa have served in Davenport for eight years and will be greatly missed by their church family. Alan works as a Hospice Chaplain for St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Pastor Casey and Cynthia Hollingsworth report that Abigail Hope Hollingsworth came into our world on Thursday, March 25, a healthy and hardy 9 lbs., 1 oz. and 21 inches long. Abigail spent a short time back in the hospital with jaundice, but Mom and baby are now home and doing great!

Pastor Brad Farnsworth tells in his blog of some radical ways his congregation is reaching out to invite people to Easter services. Check it out! www.bradfarnsworth.org

Below is a link to SNU's Annual Report for 2009 in electronic format. I especially encourage you to look over the videos that are listed on the page. You may even choose to show some of them in your church. I hope you will enjoy them and feel even more "connected" to YOUR university.
http://www.snu.edu/connection

Here are some hi-lights from NEO pastors March report:

I WANT TO CELEBRATE…

David Stevens, Vinita…We had a wonderful day on March 28th. We held a dedication ceremony for a beautiful baby girl, and received 4 new members by profession of faith. In spite of the snow we had good attendance averages for the month. God seems to be closer than ever in my personal walk as well as in the Church services.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… Even though our economy is going through some economic hardships we have been able to pay our budgets in full and meet all financial obligations.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Tremendous foot traffic for our Palm Sunday/Eggstravaganza/Family Day event. Also had our first All-Church Concert of Prayer on Palm Sunday evening … seemed to go very well … surprisingly good attendance (70-80 adults?) … will continue those on the 4th Sunday evening of every month. Our Prodigal God emphasis has been well received, although the small group resources were a bit disappointing.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… Great growth, both spiritually and numerically! People are inviting others to church and having spiritual conversations with unchurched friends and non-believers. We had 78 in our Palm Sunday service. We have 11 currently in our new membership class. We have started a new weekday women’s bible study with 14 involved. We are moving forward with our plans to build on our new property. God is building His church in Bristow and we are blessed that He has allowed us to be a part of His plan!

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills… Ladies Retreat to Branson coming up; our weekly food ministry serves approx. 30-40 people each Friday; Chapel service and food distribution. The men of Tulsa Hills are beginning to grow more convicted about prayer; Increased focus on Children’s Ministry; planning our Spring Edition of “Faith In Action” Sunday.

Gordon Smith, Dewey… (1) Evangelism course has been completed by 10 people, and we have gone out on “fishing trips” as a church family to areas and we have witnessed our faith! (2) Had a great Youth Missions Trip fundraiser! (3) A good amount of people coming for membership class

Jim Johnson, Barnsdall…As we celebrate Holy Week God is indeed blessing our church. The handicap accessible ramp has been completed, thanks to our hard working lay servants.
This week the installation of a new heat and air-conditioning system will begin.
We give God all the praise for the necessary funds to complete this project.
Our Wednesday night services have been wonderful. They have been well attended and our generous ladies provide a wonderful meal before the service begins. To God be the Glory!

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…Our worship this Sunday was awesome, our worship team has been willing to step out of their comfort zone and really focus on worshipping with the whole of their heart, and it showed this week. We also needed a new projector (since the old one died) and a new one was acquired and installed for us at a savings of 50% off of the market value. In addition to this the Muskogee church and Pastor Rod blessed us with VBS materials this month, many thanks to them and to all who offered to donate to us.

Doug Gunsalus, Glenpool SoCo…We had an incredible month! God has really been moving at SoCo. We had several people respond to our series on Rest. We had about 8 adults that said that they have been putting God on the back burner so that they can build their own kingdom. Now they want to get that straightened out. Praise God! Our men’s and women’s small groups are really taking off, too. As far as finances go, God has been taking care of us by sending exactly what we need to continue. Praise God!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… Had many seekers at our altars a couple of weeks ago. One young woman said that she was “tired of trying to do things on her own and failing miserably.” She gave herself over to Christ completely. Another young college student has felt the call to missions. It’s the first of what I hope is many young men and women accepting the call of God in their lives!

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… Our first Sunday School party and drive for more members. Our Sunday School Superintendent who is working hard to grow the church and SS. Steadily increasing attendance at morning service, with a family who seems to be returning among others.

Dan Hazelton, Pryor…112 at our Palm Sunday outreach event, 20 people handing out 500 Easter invitations door-to-door, gravel added for additional parking. I am getting better looking by the day.

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection…Putting together Easter baskets for BA Neighbors; picking up new volunteers and leaders; plan to baptize 2-4 on Easter Sunday.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…(1)The contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings. (2)The fellowship we have at our weekly bowling league. (3)The start of a Men’s basketball league. (4)Beginning of new Life Application Groups on Sunday evenings.

NEO DISTRICT LEADERS
March 2010 (weekly average verses last years monthly averages)

Sunday School/Discipleship
Broken Arrow First +60
Barnsdall +16
Tulsa Southwest +15
Bartlesville +11
Bristow +10
Okmulgee +7
Cushing +5
Vinita +5
Wagoner +3
Cleveland +2
Pawhuska +2

AM WORSHIP
Broken Arrow First +30
Tulsa Central +17
Bristow +11
Barnsdall +10
Okmulgee +9
Vinita +9
Pryor +6
Sapulpa +5
Cushing +4
Sand Springs +4

Have a blessed weekend as we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord! He is risen!

Dave McKellips

2010-03-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the majestic name of Jesus! We are only a few days from Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, the most important seven days in the church calendar year. It begins with the commemoration of Jesus riding into Jerusalem to a cheering crowd and being crucified five days later. I know that our pastors and lay leaders are working hard to plan services and sermons that help us tell again the wonderful story of Jesus and His love. Let’s invite our friends and pray, expecting God to again break into our services with His forgiveness, hope and power.

I love how our churches are keeping the main thing the main thing. I was at Tulsa Family last Sunday (Pastor Brady Wisehart moved here from Ohio – the snow doesn’t faze him!). Family Church is using the Salvation Candle. They light the candle when someone becomes a new follower of Christ through the ministry of the church in the previous 7 days. It was great to see Brady light the candle and hear the story of someone who was saved this past week.

Connection Church and Pastor Brad Farnsworth are intent on sharing the good news with people in their sphere of influence. Brad asked the members to turn in names of people they are praying for and inviting for Easter. Over 150 names have been turned in! Let’s join them in prayer that the Connection Church people will have an opportunity to give invitaitons and those they ask will be open to the Holy Spirit.

Chandler will begin Spiritual Renewal Services with John Juneman this Sunday. Pastor Keith Cole says, “Sunday Morning will be evangelistic in nature. We are praying to have guests of our church family that been cultivated through “Each One, Win One” present at the opening service. We will have a fellowship dinner following the service. A prayer cell has been ministering in prayer on Sunday nights just for these meetings and praying for individuals who need Jesus.” Services will continue nightly through Wednesday, March 31. A half-hour before each evening service a prayer room will be open. And following each evening service we will have a chat room for people to gather with our evangelist for an extended communication and fellowship.

Thanks to those who participated in the free delivery of Crisis Care Kits. 60 boxes (360 Crisis Care Kits) from NEO are on their way to Haiti. Troy Farmer reports, “I met the shipment on its way to Florida in Durant on Tuesday morning (3-9-10) and loaded 60 boxes of CCk's plus 2 boxes of supplies on the truck. I hope we will have enough CCk's to make a trip to the warehouse in PA after District Assembly.”

SNU students partner with NCM to work on Haiti project in Port-au-Prince
Students and sponsors from Southern Nazarene University (SNU) have partnered with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) to work and serve those who suffered devastation from the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. A trip to Port-au-Prince has been set for May 14 -23.The SNU students who are participating in the Haiti project went through an interviewing process and have been chosen, along with student alternates. SNU pre-med and nursing students will be able to partner with Heart to Heart International and go out on rounds with them during the day while serving in Port-au-Prince. The cost for SNU students and participants is $1,200. In addition, the group is working hard to raise $18,000 for project costs. During the visit, team members will stay on property owned by the Church of the Nazarene which is located on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.For more information about the work NCM is doing in Haiti, visit www.ncm.org/haitiearthquake/.

It is a joy to be a partner in the mission of God with you! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-03-09T15:24:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

What a joy it was this past weekend to gather with the NEO family for Spiritual Renewal Weekend. Susie was fabulous and it was truly a time of encountering God and His life-changing and life-renewing power. I rejoice in all of the great reports I am receiving about the weekend. God is good!

While we are sharing good news, let me pass on some things our pastors are celebrating:

David Stevens, Vinita… Our services have been blessed. New attend-ers are growing and learning how to walk with the Lord daily.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… A renewed focus for Pastor and the Board with renewed energy for Pawhuska in 2010. New small group formats.

Gordon Smith, Dewey…(1) Evangelism training is going well – many people are learning to step out of our comfort zone and witness their faith. (2) We had a great youth fundraiser dinner for a future Youth Missions trip in July! (3) Although I am sad to see him go, I also want to celebrate that Don Engie has taken a church in Norwood, MO as Sr. Pastor. I am so proud of him!

Don Cowan, Sapulpa… The contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings; the fellowship we have at our weekly bowling league; the start of a Men’s basketball league; beginning of new Life Application Groups on Sunday evenings.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… Broken Arrow’s amazing commitment to servanthood--they make me want to be even more devoted to our Lord; a great retreat and a much needed time away to gain focus on my ministry; wonderful people in my church who worked hard in my absence.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… Our Sunday School and Discipleship ministries are exploding. We are striving to live out our mission statement to “Love God and Serve Others” and God is richly blessing our labors and adding to our numbers weekly. The Spirit is present and active in our services and there is a wonderful sense of love, unity, and community among the people. We have decided as a united body to move forward and begin the process to build a new church on our property! God is so good.

Jim Johnson, Barnsdall… God is blessing the Barnsdall Church of the Nazarene. Physical improvements have been made in the form of a new roof and the installation of a guttering system. Also, a wheel chair accessible ramp is currently under construction. Our Wednesday night service is proving to be a powerful instrument in proclaiming God's glory. The services have been well attended and we meet with a sweet spirit and comradery, laughter and praise. Glory to his name!

Alan McBroom, Davenport… Our Wed. night service, “Food for the body and soul” has been a great Bible study and fellowship time.

Gerald Burch, Coweta… We are having some new families attend, some on a regular basis, we are seeing a good potential for growth, numerically and spiritually for our congregation. God has blessed us so that we are financially stable; which is a wonderful blessing during this financially stressed period we are experiencing in today’s economy worldwide. Someone has expressed an interest to come and work with our Youth, this would be an answer to prayer, especially with the increase we have seen in this area, and the diversity of age with in this area of ministry that we have been experiencing. We are looking forward to some great things a head as God continues to provide.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Angie and I had a wonderful trip to Korea in conjunction with my studies at Asbury Seminary. It was unbelievably cold, but incredibly stretching and challenging. In spite of the exhaustion from busy days and a 15-hour time change, it was renewing to my spirit.

Below are our pace setters in attendance growth this past month:

NEO Leaders February 2010

Sunday School/Discipleship
Bristow +26
Dewey +25
Barnsdall +15
Wagoner +13
Hominy +11
Skiatook +8
Tulsa Southwest +6
Bartlesville +5
Horton Chapel +5
Sand Springs +2

AM Worship
Wagoner +11
Barnsdall +10
Hominy +8
Owasso Silver Creek +7
Cushing +6
Sand Springs +4
Coweta +7
Davenport +3
Bartlesville +2
Mannford +2

We rejoice in good news and cry with one another through loss. Three pastors in NEO have resigned recently:
Don Cowan, Lead Pastor in Sapulpa, will be moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas to be lead pastor there.
Darren Melton, Worship Pastor in Bartlesville will be taking a lead pastor job in Independence, Kansas
Ken Wheeler, Pastor to Families with Children at Broken Arrow First, will be taking a similar position at Denver First.
These three gentlemen have not only served their local churches well, but they have been tremendous team players and assets on the District. We will greatly miss them and their families.

NEO Kidz Kamp
Where: Sky Ranch at Cave Springs
When: July 23-25
Who: Finished 1st Grade through finished 6th Grade
Cost: Early Bird Special: $115 if sent by July 1st (snacks included)
More Information: Contact Linda Holland
hollandlinda@cox.net

The Dallas district is serving as co-sponsor with NCS for the 2nd Cowboy University Training event, April 23-25, 2010 in Red Oak, Texas. This 3-day event provides information and training relative to those interested in learning more about the Cowboy Church movement, and or starting cowboy churches as part of the Church of the Nazarene. Go to the following website for details: http://www.newchurchspecialties.org/Cowboy_Church_Planting

The 2:8 House, our Nazarene Student Ministry at the University of Oklahoma is behind budget for the new year. The budget is set at just over $7000/month and they are receiving about $3500/month. On April 23, 2010 there will be a Tulsa area fundraising/thankyou dinner at the Silver Creek Church of the Nazarene in Owasso. Contact Nate Burns (918.633.6082) for more information.

It is great to be a part of the NEO Team! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-03-03T17:31:00.000-06:00

Never the Same…
A Life Changing Encounter with Jesus Christ
NEO Spiritual Renewal Weekend
March 5 - 7, 2010

It is always a delight when Nazarenes and friends from across Northeast Oklahoma gather together to worship and pursue God. Our confidence is that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Because of His presence, we will be encouraged, corrected, challenged, equipped and transformed. We are so thankful that you have chosen to “make space” for God to work in your life this weekend. Join us in prayer right now that this will be a time of absolute openness, absolute honesty and absolute obedience.

Service Times: Friday, 7pm * Saturday, 6pm * Sunday, 6pm

Leaders in Worship: Our evangelist is Rev. Susie Shellenberger. Susie is known nationally as editor of Brio and now Susie magazines, author, speaker for youth and women’s events and evangelist. She is an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Our worship leaders all serve NEO Nazarene churches : Collin Campbell - Tulsa Family; Rev. Steve Davis - Sapulpa and Rev. Aaron Horton – Tulsa Central.

Kid’s Revival. Rooms open 15 minutes before each service. Sign your child in and pick up a number card. Pick up children immediately after service.
1st – 6th Graders Rm. 104, 105, 106 Josh Turner, speaking
3 yr. – K W-2 “Lil K’ with Rachel Bess
Babies – 2 yr. Nursery in Family Life Center

Youth Break-the-Fast Party: Friday after the service at Regency Park Church. Breaking fast of 30 hour famine at 11pm. Cost is only $5 and a small jar of jelly for Manna House.. Students are to be picked up by Midnight.

Primetimer’s Gathering: Come and enjoy good fellowship and food. Saturday, 4:30pm, Central Fellowship Hall; $5 at the door. RSVP requested but not required.

Offering: Our SRW budget is almost $7000 to cover evangelists, musicians, children’s and AV workers, publicity, utilities and janitorial cost. We know many are encountering financial difficulties and we are not trying to add to your overwhelming load. But for those who are able to help, we are not ashamed to ask for the generous financial support of every church and every individual. Thanks in advance for your support!

Thank you!!
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL BOARD
Elders: Nathan Covington, Otoniel Dannemann, Jim Kent, Gary Reynolds, John Whitsett
Laypersons: Gwenan Childress, Joanna Majka, Jay Richburg, David Stroup
Ex Officio: Dave McKellips (District Superintendent), Angela Bentley (Sunday
School/Discipleship Ministries International Chairman), Debbie Martin
(Nazarene Missions International President), Ken Wheeler (Children's Ministry
Director), Jonathan Odom (Nazarene Youth International President)

A huge thanks to Kent Clagget for his help filming and editing the SRW promo videos; to Autumn Lew of Graphic Minion Studios for the design of our posters and inserts; to Central Church for hosting our services; to Angela Bentley, Nathan Covington, Joanna Majka, Dave McKellips, Larry Morris, Gary Reynolds, Susie Shellenberger and Ken Wheeler for writing daily devotionals; to our weekend evangelist, worship leaders, children and youth workers.

2010-02-25T15:39:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

Fifty seven of our pastors and spouses will be joining Gloria and me in Branson this weekend for our annual Ministers and Mates Retreat. I have been praying that this would be a wonderful time of renewal for our pastors. Would you join me in this prayer throughout the weekend? Run-away thoughts, sleepless nights and fatigue can become a standard routine in the life of a pastor. The Lord promises us rest. That rest comes as we turn our problems and fears over to Him. Pray that God will bless our pastors and spouses with true rest and renew their strength and passion for their calling. Pray that God will use our speakers, Bob and Carol Broadbooks, and our worship leader, Gary Reynolds as His instruments. Pray for safe travel. Thanks so much for your love for our pastors and allowing them this time away to connect with one another and our loving Father.

The following weekend, March 5 – 7, we will have our long awaited Spiritual Renewal Weekend. In January I sensed great anticipation for this weekend. I am sure the enemy of our souls would like to see the weather issues we had in January stifle the sense of holy discontent among our District family. Let’s commit ourselves to not let that happen. As we draw near to God, he promised to draw near to us ... and his touch brings about life change. For all the details of the weekend schedule, go to www.neonaz.com . If you have not already done so in January, be sure to get your reservations in for the Ladies’ brunch and the Primetimers’ dinner by Monday.

Do you have people in your church you would like to see our nominating committee consider for District office – Advisory Board, Missions and Youth Councils, Sunday School/Discipleship Board, etc. Send me the names and tell me why they should be considered and I will share the information with our Nominating Committee.

Have a blessed weekend! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-02-12T15:02:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus. I had the privilege this past week of attending meetings with District Superintendents from across the USA and Canada. The sessions were insightful, challenging and uplifting. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to attend. I purchased a few DVD’s and will be communicating soon about opportunities to view them.

College and Career Retreat: A college and career retreat has been in the works for a long time. We are proud to offer this event for all of the college students and young adults connected to the NEO District. The event takes place on 2/19-21 at Cave Springs Camp Ground in Quapaw, OK.

Spiritual Renewal Weekend with Susie Shellenberger is now scheduled for March 5 – 7, 2010. Let’s keep praying for a mighty move of God in our lives.

NEO Pastors – “I Want To Celebrate. . .”

Dan Hazelton, Pryor…$1790 dollars donated for our Teen House; insurance covering 100% of re-roofing Teen House and now the building has heat; Church being responsive to not being a church just for church people.

Gordon Smith, Dewey… Started our evangelism training – people are being challenged to share their faith with those around them!

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection… Online giving has increased; held our first webcast on January 31 due to the inclement weather; 31 families signed in and listened to Pastor Brad’s message

Randy Schuneman, Bartlesville… Our Letters from Dad Kickoff went well. We have 28 men who are starting the process tomorrow night!

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…We have had a few new visitors this month and some old friends back from travels.

Jim Johnson, Barnsdall…The Church of the Nazarene in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, is alive and well! Our attendance is growing and we have re-instituted Wednesday night service. Jan and I have been blessed by our call to the Nazarene Church; there is a sweet spirit and ever-growing presence of the Holy Spirit - Glory to his name!

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… Our volunteers are working hard on the new church office and our teen center; Received a new visitor who has made our church their home. Broken Arrow First is coming to work with us on the teen center.

Alan McBroom, Davenport… We opened our clothes ministry this month in which we were able to help many people get Winter clothes. Out of this ministry, two families visited our church the next Sunday.

Rodney Durr, Muskogee First… being able to pay our apportionments in a timely manner and WEF in full in February, and this on the heels of one of the worst year’s Muskogee First has had in a long, long time. Last year I did not take a housing allowance for 7 months, we failed to pay all budgets in full, and we did not meet our first level goal for our capital stewardship campaign for debt reduction. Finances are still tight, but what an improvement from last year! God is good!

Don Cowan, Sapulpa… The beginning of a new early worship service on Sunday mornings: Averaging almost 100. The fellowship we have at our weekly bowling league. The start of a Men’s basketball team; utilizing our facility for Eagle Point Christian School for their athletic program.

David Stevens, Vinita…The ice storm did not shut off the power this time, at least not in Vinita. We were able to have services but the attendance was effected. Still I have to say these are the best folks I have ever had the pleasure of serving with. Lately we have made contact with several young families. We are reaching out to them for the sake of the gospel and the Church.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… The presence of the Lord in our services and with our people! We are growing daily- spiritually and numerically. This month, after attending for several months, a young mother of some of our Wednesday night children gave her heart to the Lord. Now this entire family; children, mother and grandmother are a regular part of our services and the newest members of our family. God is still saving the lost and growing the saints!

NEO DISTRICT LEADERS for increases in weekly average attendance January, 2010

Sunday School/Discipleship
Wagoner +23
Bristow +17
Fe y Esperanza +5
Okmulgee +5
Vinita +5
Cushing +3
Broken Arrow +2
Coweta +2
Horton Chapel +2

AM Worship
Fe y Esperanza +15
Bristow +13
Sapulpa +13
Cushing +7
Okmulgee +5
Owasso Silver Creek +5
Horton Chapel +4
BA Connection +3
Glenpool South County +3

Pastor J. J. (Claremore) and Jeff Easter taking a pie in the face (what we will do to raise money for our youth!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzK6zAYm07g

April 28-30-PREP 7.0 Workshop Leader Training, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tulsa-Location TBA. Discover how you can help Oklahomans build strong marriages – free.*Submit training application at www.okmarriage.org if interested in attending.

Have a blessed weekend! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2010-01-28T11:21:00.000-06:00

This nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who cry out for help. When we bless the fruits of the harvest, let us at least realize that blessed fruits need to be shared.
- Henri J.M. Nouwen, from his book The Genesee Diary

Dear NEO family,

I feel kind of like a kid who has been told that Christmas has been postponed! We have been planning and praying for months for our Spiritual Renewal Weekend with Susie Shellenberger. Anticipation has been building. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating. This morning I have been doing a "Best/Worst Analysis". What is the best that can happen if we go ahead with our plans this weekend? What is the best that can happen if we postpone it? What is the worst that can happen if we go ahead or postpone? In doing so, it seems like a no brainer to postpone our District Spiritual Renwal services and events (youth, ladies and primetimers) for this weekend and reschedule them for March 5 - 7. Susie and our facilities are available that weekend. Let's just adjust our plans and expect God to work in the change for the good of his people who love Him!

You are invited to attend the annual Forever. For Real. program. Whether dating, engaged or married for years, this event is for you! More than 200,000 Oklahomans have already experienced an Oklahoma Marriage Initiative program, and we invite you to set aside time during the Valentine’s season to focus on your own relationship. This is a free workshop designed to help couples like you strengthen your relationship. Through this one-day event you can learn simple, hands-on, fun ways to improve communication and enhance fun and friendship. We will offer the program at multiple sites so that you may participate in a location close to you. Come be a part of this statewide event!

College and Career Retreat: A college and career retreat has been in the works for a long time. We are proud to offer this event for all of the college students and young adults connected to the NEO District. The event takes place on 2/19-21 at Cave Springs Camp Ground in Quapaw, OK.

Although our weekend activities are canceled, you can use the following section from the Wesley Coventant Renewal Service to renew your own relationship with Christ:

I throw myself upon Your grace and mercy. I cast myself upon Your blood. I trust your saving death alone to save me. I have nowhere else to go, so here I will stay. I’m trusting You ... resting in You ... risking everything on You. On You I’m placing my hope for pardon ... for life ... for salvation. If I perish, I perish on your shoulders. If I sink, I sink in your vessel. If I die, I die at your door. Don’t ask me to go away, for I will not go.

Leader: In the first covenant, God chose Israel to be a special people and to obey the Law. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, has made a new covenant with all who trust in him, and we stand within this covenant and bear Christ’s name. God’s part of the covenant is to keep his promises to give us new life in Christ. Our part of the covenant is to live, not for ourselves, but for God.
So, friends, let us claim the covenant God has made with his people as our own this morning. Let us give ourselves unreservedly to the Lord.

Leader and People: I am Yours, O God; I reverence You. I dedicate myself to Your service.

Leader: In giving yourselves to the Lord, you are affirming that you will be content with whatever it is He asks you to do.
Let us allow Christ to guide all that we do and are this coming year. Christ has many ways for us to serve him. Some will be easy, others will be difficult. Some will receive applause; others will bring only reproach. Confessing Christ and His name is never easy when it costs us shame and ridicule. It is never easy to sail against the wind, swim against the tide, or surrender our rights and privileges because Jesus Christ is our Lord. See what it is that Christ expects and then give yourselves totally to His will, without bargaining and without reservation. Do not think of making your own terms with Christ, for that will never be allowed. Rather, trust Christ to strengthen you and give you the power to do all these things.
Therefore let us make this covenant with God this morning. Let us give ourselves completely to Him, trusting in His promises and relying on His grace. Join me now in praying . . .

Leader and People: Lord Jesus, if you will welcome me into Your house and own me as Your servant, I will not insist upon conditions. Impose on me whatever terms You wish, and direct me in any way You deem appropriate. Assign me to my proper place in Your creation
Make me what You wish, set me wherever You want, and rank me wherever You choose. Put me to doing; put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You. Give me many tasks, or have me step aside while you call others. Let me be full; let me be empty. Let me have all things; let me have nothing. I freely give all that I am and all that I have to you.

Hymn: I Surrender All

Lord Jesus, if you will welcome me into Your house and own me as Your servant, I will not insist upon conditions. Impose on me whatever terms You wish, and direct me in any way You deem appropriate. Assign me to my proper place in Your creation
Make me what You wish, set me wherever You want, and rank me wherever You choose. Put me to doing; put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You. Give me many tasks, or have me step aside while you call others. Let me be full; let me be empty. Let me have all things; let me have nothing. I freely give all that I am and all that I have to you.

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2010-01-23T12:52:00.000-06:00

God, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me whatever you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. Into your hands I commend my spirit. I offer it to you with all the love that is in my heart. For I love you, Lord, and so want to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve and with boundless confidence. Amen. A prayer of Charles de Foucauld

Dear NEO family,

Next week at this time we will be in the middle of our Spiritual Renewal Weekend. I had a call this morning like many I have received during January. The caller told me how excited she is about having Susie Shellenberger here next weekend and expressed appreciation for the devotions that have been sent out daily.

There seems to be more anticipation of this weekend of renewal than I have sensed in years. I sense a holy discontent among our District family – we are not all that God wants us to be; some are not abandoning ourselves into God’s hands; some have allowed the devil to have a foothold in their lives through flirting with sin or through bitterness and unforgivenss; there is a growing hunger for God’s life-changing touch on our lives. I don’t know all that God wants to do in me and in our District churches, but I am praying and longing for his life changing touch. For all the details of the weekend schedule, go to www.neonaz.com. Be sure to get your reservations in for the Ladie’s brunch and the Primetimer’s dinner by Monday.

I have been so proud of the churches of NEO as I have seen you respond to the human suffering in Haiti! Thank you for being the church! Elizabeth Johnson sent me the following prayer that may express your thoughts:
Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!

Congratulation to Don and Jackie Engie, staff members at Dewey. Don has accepted the lead pastor position at Norwood, MO Church of the Nazarene.

The blog immediately below gives all the details of our recent District Children’s Quiz. Thanks so much to District Quiz Director, Rachel Bess, and to all the local church quiz leaders and parents who helped our kids study and learn God’s Word. Every participant is a winner!

See you next Friday! Anticipating,

Dave McKellips

2010-01-20T09:47:00.000-06:00

Children’s Bible Quizzing held their District Quiz on Saturday, January 16. We had 12 Red Level and 20 Blue Level from six churches to compete. We had 21 to qualify for our Regional Quiz on June 12 at SNU. Those who qualified are:

Red Level – Luke Macomber and Lindsey Magness from Borken Arrow
Kenzie Huffaker and Nora Nelson from Tulsa Central
Jonah James from Claremore
Lauren Force, Sierra and Sienna Busking from Owasso
Blue Level – Nathan Dautermann from Bartlesville
Isaiah Jared, Abby & Drew Magness, Jason Morris and Madeline Pratt from Broken Arrow
Lauren Gilley, Carley Huffaker, Bryce Nelson and Avery Winfield from Tulsa Central
Jesse Ewton from Family Church
Amber and Clayton Smith from Pryor

Those who received trophies for being the Top Ten Quizzers for the year are:

Red Level – possible perfect score 675
1. Sienna Busking 665 Owasso Silver Creek
2. Sierra Busking 665 Owasso Silver Creek
3. Nora Nelson 645 Tulsa Central
4. Luke Macomber 630 Broken Arrow First
5. Kenzie Huffaker 625 Tulsa Central
6. Lauren Force 615 Broken Arrow First
7. Jonah James 595 Claremore
8. Liondsey Magness 565 Broken Arrow First
9. Mackenzie Hundley 565 Cleveland
10. Riley Thomasson 550 Claremore

Blue Level – possible perfect score 90
1. Bryce Nelson 870 Tulsa Central
2. Isaiah Jared 860 Broken Arrow First
3. Jesse Ewton 855 Family Church
4. Abby Magness 865 Broken Arrow First
5. Lauren Gilley 850 Tulsa Central
6. Madeline Pratt 840 Broken Arrow First
7. Drew Magness 840 Broken Arrow First
8. Carley Huffaker 830 Tulsa Central
9. Levi Ewton 825 Family Church
10. Avery Winfield 825 Tulsa Central

We have two Fun Quizzes planned before we attend Regionals on June 12. Our first Fun Quiz will be on March 7 at Bartlesville from 2 to 4 pm and our second Fun Quiz will be held at Family Church on April 25 from 2 -4 pm. A special thanks to all the quizzers, parents, directors and coaches who have worked so diligently with our study from Joshua, Judges and Ruth.

Submitted by Rachel Bess
NEO Bible Quizzing Director

RED LEVEL Regional Qualifiers - Left to right - Jonah James,

Nora Nelson, Kenzie Huffaker, Luke Macomber, Lindsey

Magness, Sierra & Sienna Busking, Lauren Force.

BLUE LEVEL Regional Qualifiers - Standing: Avery Winfield,
Lauren Gilley Abby Magness, Madeline Pratt, Amber Smith.
Kneeling: Jesse Ewton, Bryce Nelson, Nathan Dautermann,
Clayton Smith, Isaiah Jared, Drew Magness.

2010-01-15T13:29:00.000-06:00

Lord Jesus, if you will welcome me into Your house and own me as Your servant, I will not insist upon conditions. Impose on me whatever terms You wish, and direct me in any way You deem appropriate. Assign me to my proper place in Your creation
Make me what You wish, set me wherever You want, and rank me wherever You choose. Put me to doing; put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You. Give me many tasks, or have me step aside while you call others. Let me be full; let me be empty. Let me have all things; let me have nothing. I freely give all that I am and all that I have to you. From John Wesley’s Covenant Renewal Service

Dear NEO family,
10 minutes ago I was starting to have a pity party. I was the only one I was inviting to the party. Who else has time to hear of my challenges? Who doesn’t have enough troubles of their own? Who really cares? But God showed up…. without invitation … and reminded me of what I have been viewing on the television screen the past two days regarding the earthquake in Haiti. I suddenly realized that my troubles are very small in the big picture.

I also was reminded of the covenant I renewed last Sunday evening (see a portion of the liturgy above). I told God he could do with me whatever He wants, including many tasks and suffering. I freely gave all that I am and all that I have to Him. I renewed that commitment again today. …Do you need to do the same?

I praise God for the wonderful reports I have received from the Zone Prayer Cluster meetings last Sunday evening. Let’s continue to pray and place ourselves in God’s hands, seeking His renewing and purifying touch.

Tulsa Zone Cluster Worship and Prayer
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNKg

In addition to a few pictures from one of the Zone meetings, I have pictures from recent visits to Miami and Dewey. I praise God for the passion for reaching their communities these churches display.

Miami, December 20, 2009 Ground Breaking
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTM9g

Dewey, January 10, 2010
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTNCA

Last Wednesday evening I was at Tulsa Southwest. They took an offering that night to send to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries for Haiti. I appreciate the generosity of the Nazarene family for those who are hurting. We have amost 120,000 Nazarene brothers and sisiters in Haiti. More information concerning Haiti relief efforts and additional reports will be posted to ncnnews.com as it is received. Persons and churches wishing to make a donation for Haiti Earthquake Relief online can do so through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries at ncm.org. Checks can be marked "Caribbean Disaster Response ACM1204 " and mailed to Global Treasury Services, PO Box 843116 Kansas City , MO 64184.

Congratulations to Jason and Jessica Hill, former staff members at Tulsa Family. Jason has accepted the pastorate at Cape Girardeau, MO Church of the Nazarene.

Our Spiritual Renewal Weekend begins two weeks from today. I look forward to seeing you at the services. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us!

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

2010-01-07T17:32:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration, despite the snow, ice and cold temperatures.

Marion Guy, beloved pastor and evangelist, and father of Pastor Claude Guy, went home to his eternal reward on Wednesday, January 6. Marion pastored in Claremore, Coweta and Tahlequah on the NEO District. His funeral will be on Monday, January 11 at 11am at the Sand Springs Church of the Nazarene.

January is Spiritual Renewal Month in Northeast Oklahoma. The theme is “Never the Same; A Life Changing Encounter with Jesus Christ.” I hope you are profiting from the daily devotionals. This Sunday evening at 6pm we will have gatherings for worship and prayer on each of our five Zones. We trust these times of corporate prayer will be another opportunity to encounter the living Christ. Then we will gather for services for renewal with Susie Shellenberger on January 29 – 31. Go to the website for all of the details (http://www.neonaz.com/)

I love the opportunities of a new beginning a new year brings. Let’s make it a great year: set some goals; write them down and place them where you will see your goals at least weekly; develop plans to help you fulfill your goals; and tell a few trusted friends what you are attempting to accomplish so they can encourage you throughout the year.

I was reminded this week how our attitudes and actions can make even the unpleasant experiences of our lives an opportunity for growth. Pastor Otoneil Dannemann told me yesterday how Gloria used her time of confinement in Argentina to grow physically and spiritually stronger. She exercised daily, including doing hundreds of sit ups; she studied the Bible and read many helpful books; she developed a wonderful intimacy with God, deeper than she had know before; and she saw God work in miraculous ways for her release. Was it an easy year? Definitely not. But we rejoice at the way Gloria placed herself on the potter’s wheel and allowed God to shape her and work in her trials for good!

Many of our other pastors share reasons for celebration in their churches:
I want to celebrate. . .

Harold Johnson, Cushing…We had 41 in attendance for our Christmas Program.

Brad Farnsworth, Broken Arrow Connection…messages are reaching people’s hearts and making changes; people are being challenged with each message.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…We were busy this month with Christmas celebrations and outreach. This time of year is stressful, but the looks on the faces of those impacted are so worth it.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… I want to celebrate the many blessings of the Lord showered on us in this year of great growth and transition. We are a comeback church experiencing the Presence of the Lord in our services, a renewed passion for Sunday School, increased – almost doubled attendance averages at our Sunday worship services, an excitement in the people about what God is doing in our congregation, and a genuine and growing bond of love amongst the people for the Lord and one another. God is so good!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… We broke ground on our ‘New Life’ family center. It has created much excitement and unity within our church. We have had $120,000 committed to the building project and are looking forward to having many more ministry opportunities which we believe our new building will help to create.

David Stevens, Vinita…The wonder, hope, and impossibility of the story of the birth of the Son of God always makes me pause. In all the thinking, exploring, and understanding that mankind seeks, there is no way to completely understand this cosmic paradox. “God made in to flesh.” Is what the Magi said in the “Nativity Story,” “The greatest of Kings born in the humblest of places?” And as Gaither put it so well, “Maybe, so that we would come to Him and not be afraid.” The gospel “Good News” is still so vital! God loves us enough to die for us, and all we have to do is accept His free gift: “A cradle in the shadow of a cross.”

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek…We gave to others this Christmas and raised $8,000.00 to build a well in the Solomon Islands. This well will give water to over 300 people.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… We have three new people over the past month attending, and I’m hoping that we can start a membership class soon. I’ve spoken to one about it, and hoping for enough to make a class.
Work continues with BA to do a work project at the Youth Center, which would be a great benefit to our dilapidated facility. Our Christmas children’s program went well, and the cantata was great also. I love seeing my folks excited again about doing things for their church and the glory of God.

Gordon Smith, Dewey… Our emphasis for Christmas was, “All I want for Christmas is for ________ to be saved!” We are praying for the salvation of many souls. We are gearing up to train ourselves in evangelism, and we are church moving beyond the walls of our church proclaims the words of Christ to “Repent and Believe in the good news!” God is doing a new thing at D-Naz!

Dan Hazelton, Pryor… some forgiveness taking place in some individuals, offering for fixing up teen house at $1150 with a goal of $1500, good teamwork in pulling off an outreach event called "A Night in Bethlehem", a lot of love shown to my family from the congregation.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…The beginning of a new early worship service on Sunday mornings. The blessings of connecting with our community through Community Care, Angel Tree & Freedom House

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Our “Light of Hope” Arts Ministry Christmas worship experience, our Children’s Christmas program, went extremely well and contributed to our higher than normal numbers. Plus, our Small Group Christmas Communion was very well received.

NEO Leaders in Average Attendance Gain (over December, 2008)

Sunday School/Discipleship
Bristow +25
Broken Arrow First +21
Hominy +17
Horton Chapel +14
Owasso Silver Creek +14
Wagoner Cornerstone +13
Collinsville +10
Skiatook +9
Vinita +8
Okmulgee +5

AM Worship
Tulsa Central +108
Bartlesville +41
BA Connection +36
Bristow +35
Wagoner +20
Miami New Life +14
Collinsville +12
Okmulgee +11

Children’s Bible Quizzing: We held our 3rd Area Bible Quiz this past week end, Dec. 12. We had 23 Red Level and 29 Blue Level quizzers. We had eight churches participating – Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Central, Claremore, Cleveland, Family, Owasso Silver Creek, and Pryor. Jesse Ewton from Family Church had three perfect rounds!!! Our District Quiz will be on January 16, 2010. This quiz will qualify them for Regionals on June 12. Congratulations to all the quizzers, parents, coaches and directors for their work in teaching our children the Word. Rachel Bess

Forever For Real, Feb. 6, 2010
Encourage your congregants and friends to join Oklahoma Marriage Initiative for a FREE relationship strengthening workshop for couples that are married, engaged or dating on Saturday, Feb. 6, 9am - 3pm at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Tulsa. See the link below for details or to register. http://www.foreverforreal.com/about/index.html

Southern Nazarene University is launching a new online MBA in Health Care (MBA - HC) program starting Feb. 20. 2010, designed to reach professionals who desire to pursue a career in management in a health care organization or are currently working for health care organizations and desire to increase their effectiveness as managers and/or professionals. You can earn an MBA in Health Care online in as little as 19 months or on-campus in as little as 22 months. Gain the knowledge and skills health care professionals need to lead organizations and secure your future with an MBA in Health Care. For more information call 405-491-6358 or log on to http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102900226979&s=852&e=001vM89uBwb7oJO7q8NHb3MbQCOVMQZfnBGZmZNutoi8kvnH5ZTCHt5f77t97c4Nlqd0NURf72rXwjLRqtl901WFTOjaicdQvvyrnUKeHb4yIXtGxIuOCsUmA==.

The late Jim Rohn's inspiration lives on from his writings ("Idaho Farm Boy Makes It to Beverly Hills."):
"If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree."
"Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It is something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming."
"A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better."
"Failure is not a single cataclysmic event. You don't fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day."
"Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness—great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation and great joy."
"Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins."
"If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary."
"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better."
"Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said."

Keep warm …especially your heart!

Dave McKellips

2009-12-09T15:26:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO Naz family,

I hope you are enjoying the season of Advent. It is wonderful to tell the old,old story of Jesus - God moving into our neighborhood to redeem us. It is crucial that we again invite him to come into our lives in a fresh way to shape us as Christlike disciples. And we look forward with hope to the return of Christ when his rule and reign will be manifest throughout the earth.

The return of Christ takes on new meaning to our family this week after the passing of Gloria’s father, Rev. Bobby G. Robison, on Dec. 2. A friend sent me this sentence: May the anticipation of heaven be greater than your grief. As the people of God longed for the coming of the Messiah, we long for his return and a day when there will be no separation, no sickness or Alzheimers and no tears.

Southern Nazarene University will be offering an MBA Health Care, both online and on ground, starting after the first of the year. Participants will have their choice of which modality they would prefer. The on ground program is still just one evening per week. Anyone interested should contact Dale Young at 664-1949 X235.

Luke Olson, a member of Family Church and a student at SNU in Bethany, was selected as Central States Football League All-Conference defensive back, as well as Academic All Conference. Congratulations, Luke!

January, 2010 is Spiriutal Renewal Month in Northeast Oklahoma, culminating in our weekend of services with Rev. Susie Shellenberger on January 29 – 31. We will have daily devotions sent out electronically during the month of January and special events for children, youth, women and primetimers. All Zones will have a service of worship and prayer for Spiritual Renewal on Sunday, January 10, 6pm. For more information about this exciting month, go to http://neonaz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=52

I love reading the reports of our pastors celebrating God’s work in our churches!
I WANT TO CELEBRATE…

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek...We gave 8 baskets full of thanksgiving groceries to families who otherwise would not have had a meal. Several new families coming and talking about how much Silver Creek feels like home. We had a fantastic Thanksgiving Banquet led by Pastor Brian & Sally Loderhose, and two incredible testimonies of God's amazing grace. We have also found a pianist! Praise God for all His blessings!

David Stevens, Vinita…The Lord is faithful! His Love and Mercy endure forever! A lady and her husband started attending our evening services a few weeks ago because the church they were attending does not have evening services. On Wednesday night 2 weeks ago she requested prayer for her eyes. She testifies today that God has touched her eyes and here vision has cleared. On Sunday morning a few weeks ago the Lord specifically touched a young man so clearly that it startled him. That morning the message was about God’s call of ministers today. I am praying for him that God will clearly reveal His will for him and his family.

Harold Johnson, Cushing… We have had a significant number of visitors over the last several weeks with about 20% of our attendance being first time and/or returning visitors. Most of these people come from an addictive life style.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… A Great Trunk or Treat, Hanging of the Greens, and New faces since my last report.

Gordon Smith, Dewey… God is doing a new thing at D-Naz. Services have been tremendous and challenging our hearts, and people are getting motivated to witness their faith. Step by step God is doing something new! We have been going out into our community on Wednesday nights instead of doing a traditional service. We are getting into groups and going to the homes of people in our church to pray, and we are going door to door to see if there is anything we can pray for with people in our community. God is helping us to minister beyond the walls of our church!

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection… Moving volunteer service to be included in 11am service has been very successful; a new attendee said she was driving home wondering if she had ever asked God into her heart, so she asked Him into her heart and “instantly got goose bumps all over her body and felt God had come into her heart.” This individual is now active as a volunteer in our service.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… Even though our economy is going through some economic hardships we have been able to still stay current on budgets and other financial obligations.

Dwain Young, Horton Chapel…A highlight for this month was having the Steve Young Family Singers on Sunday morning November 22. Steve’s wife, Cathy Maynard, grew up attending Horton Chapel. The Young's and their five children aging from 10 to 25 blessed our church family with Blue Grass and Gospel music. Pastor had a short message. We followed this with one of our famous potluck dinners. We enjoyed a beautiful day and an increase in the attendance.

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life…Welcomed 11 new members into New Life Church membership. Many have already begun to get involved in the ministry here at New Life. Can’t wait to see what kind of impact these individuals will have on God’s ministry.

Keith Cole, Chandler…We are thrilled to have three new families regularly worshiping with us in recent weeks. God is good all the time!

Gerald “J.J.” James, Claremore… We had an incredible Fall Festival called G.L.O.W. (God Lights Our Way) with more kids attending than ever. New families are beginning to get involved in the life of our congregation. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving our church family was able to share dinner with everyone together in our new Fellowship Hall. We’ve had two people receive Christ in the last couple of weeks.

Doug Gunsalus, Glenpool South County… Our services have been well received and there seems to be a stir among our people about Sunday mornings, even when we don't have all the attendance we would like to see. Glenpool Schools asked us to come and help them shovel pea gravel in their playground area. We did this for Be The Church Sunday this last week. They are talking about SOCO at their meetings!!! How wonderful! We also helped Cassidy "feed December." Last year we did a project and collected canned food for our local pantry. This year, one of our students was convinced that we could fill the church trailer with canned food. Her name is Cassidy. So, we let her run with that and supported her with our feed December campaign through feeddecember.com. Check it out sometime! We raised over 4,000 cans of food in November! Praise God!

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…Greatest Christmas Ever; New excitement & vision for student ministries; New families coming to church; Launching new worship venue on Sunday evenings

Angela Bentley, Bristow… We continue to have new families coming into our church. They testify to the love and acceptance they receive from the body of Christ here. There is also a continual increase in people becoming involved in the ministries of the church. We hosted a community Thanksgiving service, led by our new pianist and worship team, which resulted in 151 in attendance and 10 churches participating. It was a great service!

Dan Hazelton, Pryor… some making spiritual advances...decision to fix up house across the street for teens...a storage shed being purchased for my house.

Alan McBroom, Davenport… God allowed us to provide over 75 people with clothes last month. Many people donate quality used clothes in Davenport, which are then organized and offered to anyone.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… The further work on our teen center – we’ve almost got the heat fixed and the pipes no longer leak! We’ve launched a kid’s play for the first time in years (according to the church). All the sets are done and the play is Sunday! A wonderful love offering for Christmas from Broken Arrow Church. We’re able to do so many things we’d put off. An experienced former Sunday School Superintendent is stepping forward to take over the position.

NEO District Leaders in attendance gain over 2008

Sunday School/Discipleship
Bristow +22
Wagoner +19
Horton Chapel +10
Skiatook +8
Chandler +7
Miami New Life +6
Tulsa Family +6
Drumright +5
Vinita +5
Hominy +3

AM Worship
Bristow +24
Owasso Silver Creek +23
BA Connection +19
Wagoner Cornerstone +16
Miami New Life +14
Horton Chapel +13
Barnsdall +8
Cushing +5
Tulsa Regency Park Hispanic +5
Mannford +3

Thanks for all you are doing in your church and community to bear witness to the Kingdom that is here now and yet to come! It is a joy to be a partner with you.

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

2009-11-20T16:50:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

I received an email today from a friend whom I have not seen for 30 years. He was trying to locate a former pastor to see how he was doing and to thank him for being such an encouragement to him as a teenager. I was challenged by what he was doing. Who are people who have helped shaped me and make me who I am today that I need to take time to locate and say “thanks”. Wouldn’t it make for a great week of thanksgiving if each of us took time to not only thank God for his abundant and amazing grace, but also to thank people who invested in us? Let’s do it!

Last Sunday was a wonderful day at Tahlequah. We thanked a wonderful couple, Don and Lois Nichols, for 30 years of pastoral ministry in the Church of the Nazarene, 14 of them at Tahlequah. Enjoy the pictures. Tahlequah, November 15, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMsg&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

We come to God with our thanksgiving, but also our petitions:
Nick Vernier’s brother-in-law, John Griffis, fell off the roof last Saturday and died yesterday. John was only 43 and leaves behind a wife and four children.

Linda Gresham, wife of SNU President Loren Gresham, had two surgeries last week to remove cancerous tissue. A pathology report after the second surgery showed what the surgeon calls 'adequate margins' of healthy tissue surrounding those sections extracted on which to focus radiation for preventing return of the malignancy. She started the treatments Tuesday and is tolerating the effects of the beams well. If this protocol of treatment is successful she will complete 10 rounds of radiation on Monday the 23rd, and then will be monitored regularly in the future.

Diane Howard and Laura Farnsworth are still recovering from surgery.

Jerry Hollingsworth, Casey’s Dad, is in a difficult struggle with pancreatic cancer.

My wife Gloria’s Dad, Bob Robison, has pneumonia and is on oxygen.

People in our communities need Jesus.

Thanks for lifting up our brothers and sisters in prayer.

I saw a great column this week from Harvey Mackay. He is writing about business, but if you substitute the word “church” for “business”, I think it all applies. See what you think.

Building on the past to secure the future
One of the fastest growing hobbies today is genealogy—tracing your roots. It is fun to find out where you came from, how you got here, and what happened along the way. It can also help you determine your legacy.
I would submit that tracking your family tree is not just for families. It's also a good idea for businesses—how you got started, what accounted for your success, and where you are today. What is the root of your corporate culture? How did you become so successful from such humble beginnings? Or, on the other hand, when did the big happy family start to splinter?
If this sounds like an exercise in futility, consider this: Businesses come and go every single day. If businesses don't know why, or don't know how to adapt to changing requirements, the statistics will include them sooner rather than later.
Knowing the reason you are in business and what you plan to accomplish will help keep your doors open. Keeping an eye on long-term goals will help you build a solid foundation and stay in business when others are failing. Understanding your starting point, successes and failures helps prevent repeating mistakes. Remember the George Santayana quote: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

2009-11-13T14:48:00.000-06:00

May this weekend be one of rest and recentering, refreshment and rejuvenation, and most importantly, refocusing on you. Give me eyes to see where you are leading, ears to hear what you are saying, and a heart that follows wherever you may go. Amen.

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the majestic name of Jesus! How appropriate that this Sunday, the Sunday after Veterans Day, is Don and Lois Nichols Day at Tahlequah. Don, a Marine and a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, has pastored for 30 years in the Church of the Nazarene, the last 14 of these in Tahlequah. Don has served our District as a member of the Ministerial Studies and Credentials Board, Chairman of the Sunday School Ministries Board and a member of the Advisory Board. Don will preach on Sunday morning at Tahlequah with a reception for Don and Lois at 3pm at the church. The District family is welcome.

Following are pictures from some recent visits:

Collinsville, Nov. 8, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMfg&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

Cleveland, Nov. 1, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMXA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

SNU Hall of Witnesses Induction Ceremony, Nov. 7
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMkA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar
Tom Brown, Max and Rebecca Jetton, H.M. Curtis (Lyle’s Dad), Justine Knight, Revs. Spurgeon and O. Fae Hendrix (Christy Thornton’s grandparents), and Nina Gunter were among the 28 recipients.

The SNU Board of Trustees met Nov. 5 and 6. Here are a few hi-lights:
Fiscal year closed with a small surplus, an amazing accomplishment this past year. 20 years in a row SNU has had black ink budgets.
Jernigan Hall and Garey Dorm have been demolished and the new A.M. Hills Residential Complex is under construction.
Fall enrollment is up 2.8%, with a headcount of 2,110.
This is a year for accreditation visits. The North Central Association and their representatives of the Higher Learning Commission had a three day visit at SNU this fall and it went well.
Our Spiritual Development office has provided a busy and interesting Fall lineup of programs and activities. The theme for the year is “Sacred Stories,” and students, faculty and administrators have been challenged to find their story in the story of God.

We thank God for His on-going leadership of and provision for our University. We also are extremely grateful for the wise spiritual leadership of Dr. Loren Gresham, who has served as our President for 20 years. We have a great administrative team, faculty and staff. Let’s continue to pray for and support our university!

Jim Johnson, a local licensed minister from Hominy Church, has been appointed as pastor of the Barnsdall Church. We welcome Jim and look forward to his service to this congregation.

Primetime Director Doug Dawson reports that 89 have already signed up to attend the Primetime Dinner on Nov. 19 at Broken Arrow.

Manna House Update from Director Howard Essary:
We had our highest total attendance day of clients (families) on October 21, 2009, forty-six (46) families, which represents 142 people we assisted. We prayed with six to eight people.

It is a joy to serve alongside you in Northeast Oklahoma.

Dave McKellips

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000-06:00

We begin, sometimes without realizing it, to worship things, to relate to them as persons. And in the process, we inevitably relate to other persons as if they were things.
- Edward J. Farrell, from his book Gathering the Fragments

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

I had the privilege of meeting with the Cleveland Board on Saturday for a Church/Pastor Review. This is a church navigating its way through change and I appreciated the Board and pastor’s willingness to work through some tough issues together, speaking the truth in love. They affirmed their pastor, Stephen Hundley and voted to continue the church/pastor arrangement. I was back on Sunday for worship and God met with us in a powerful way. God is working among the people of Cleveland and I rejoice.

I also met with the people of Barnsdall Church on Sunday afternoon. They have called a pastor and are waiting on confirmation that he is coming.

October was a tough month for many of our churches, especially with so much flu and sickness. Yet, our pastors still have found much to celebrate:

I WANT TO CELEBRATE October 2009

David Stevens, Vinita…God is faithful, even when all men fail. There is always a strong sense of His presence in our services. A couple who were members of the church in the past have returned and have been very faithful.

Gerald James, Claremore…Our church was blessed in being able to pray for and support our sister church in Chelsea. Our praise team went to worship with the Chelsea Church and then they had a great lunch afterwards. It was a great day! Enoch, Timothy, and Lydia (three leaders from the underground church in China) came and shared there story on Sunday, October 11th. They gave our church a tremendous blessing. We are still dealing with the aftermath of several challenges but I want to celebrate the fact that God is helping us to overcome!

Brad Farnsworth, Broken Arrow Connection…Messages are speaking to people’s needs; over 300 names of people who are far from God to pray for during current series, submitted by congregation; baptized an individual who has been struggling in his life to make things right.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…Completion of the Family Life Center Gym floor; new excitement & vision for student ministries; renovation of Teen House; addition of new doors in main building and a new sign under construction; new families coming to church

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life…Sunday worship services have been fantastic! God’s presence has been very real in our services and we’ve seen much obedience among God’s people. Had a board member come forward in one of our services and commit his life entirely to God’s work.

Nate Burns, Owasso Silver Creek…We have had lots of people with H1N1 or the regular flu this month. Not to mention all of the folks out of town! God is faithful, and in Jesus name we press on! Our Home Teams (small groups) are coming along. We are open sourcing a sermon series entitled "HELP" and we have invited the church to submit questions they want answered from scripture. We are also joining with Central Baptist Church and doing a combined Fall Festival at the 6th Grade Center. Finally, several of our ladies will be attending Women Of Faith in OKC, we praise God in advance for what He will do in the lives of those who go! Continuing to learn and to serve!

Pastor Dan Hazelton, Pryor ... 12-15 kids coming on Wednesday nights.

Pastor John Whitsett, Central…Serve People Sunday II went extremely well. The numbers above do not reflect the following relevant to SPS---approximately 250 participants … a service at Clarehouse Hospice facility w/ roughly 50 in attendance … a concert & cookout downtown that served approximately 350 people … 145 who returned that evening for the wrap-up fellowship … plus a number of other work projects across the metro area (landscaping for Hardcastle House, renovated children’s room at Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, oil changes for single moms, extensive renovation of a preschool for underprivileged kids in north Tulsa, etc.)

Carl Brown, Hominy... This month was the 100th Year Anniversary for Hominy Church of the Nazarene and we had over 200 people attend our Sunday morning worship. It was filled to overflowing with God’s Family and Love. It is with a great love of God that we are starting our next 100 years fully devoted to the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus, all Praise, Honor and Glory we raise to Him.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee…Our ongoing Nobucks Ministry, drawing in around 6-7 college age each week, with new faces each week; the delivery of a projector from Broken Arrow to help in our Teen Ministry; the renovation (ongoing) of our youth center to begin moving services for them and better serving them; my wonderful church family who is helping every step of the way

Gordon Smith, Dewey…Pastor Alberto from the Dominican Republic joined us. In August, our Work & Witness team went on our first ever missions trip to the DR, and then God extended our missions trip, as he allowed for Pastor Alberto from Nueva Luz (the church we helped build on to their church) to come and preach, for fellowship, and to get a warm Oklahoma welcome!

Pastor Phil Buck, Grove…Our averages are not that good this month, we have had a lot of sickness going around. I do want to celebrate however, we had one of the best services ever in my ministry yesterday and I didn’t even get to preach. I started a series on James last week and had a second sermon prepared from chapter one. Several prayer needs were presented during the Sunday School hour and during the prayer chorus I felt God saying do a healing service from chapter 5 of James. That is the first time I have changed directions from my message in 15 years of preaching. We anointed 6 people and prayed over them and the Spirit of God was in this place. We had an unplanned prayer service and it was so unique to see the Lord move on this congregation. My shirt was wet with tears and I think nearly everyone else was the same. This service is in the record books as the best!

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea...We are so appreciative of the Claremore Nazarene Church for sending their worship team plus other members of their church (28 to be exact) to provide the worship on Sunday morning October 4th. We had a wonderful time of worship and had fellowship afterward with a cookout. It was a special time of connection with one of our zone churches as the church was filled with special music and laughter. A special thanks to Pastor J.J. and his congregation for their willingness to share their people with us.

NEO Top Leaders , October 2009

Sunday School/Discipleship
Broken Arrow First +27
Bristow +27
Wagoner Cornerstone +23
Skiatook +8
Dewey +6
Owasso Silver Creek +6
Reg. Park Hispanic +6
Horton Chapel +4
Miami New Life +4

AM Worship
Hominy +46
Collinsville +22
Bristow +17
Tulsa Family +15
Wagoner Cornerstone +11
Broken Arrow Connection +7
Cleveland +7
Chelsea +6
Chandler +1
Dewey +1
Hominy +1

Gloria and I will be hosting the South Central Region District Superintendents in Tulsa on Tuesday evening thru Thursday morning. Then we have SNU Board of Trustees meeting. I know your week will be full and I pray it will be full of grace, peace, hope and love.

Blessings,
Dave McKellips

2009-10-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

By your Spirit, God, may we speak the truth in love. Keep us unafraid to tell the truth and to call for your justice; but keep us also gracious and loving, remembering that we too are broken sinners, redeemed only by your grace. Help us to walk this line, trusting you all the way.

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! It is a joy to share with churches across Northeast Oklahoma. Last week I attended Connection Church, one of our NewStart churches in northeast Broken Arrow. Pastor Brad and Laura Farnsworth and providing excellent leadership and the church has had a new surge of visitors in recent weeks. This Sunday I get to preach at Cleveland in the morning and meet with Barnsdall in the afternoon.

Attached are pictures from our recent visit to Tahlequah. Continue to pray for Tahlequah and Barnsdall as we search for new pastors.
Tahlequah, October 18, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMOg

The SNU Crimson Storm Men’s Basketball team playing at TU against the Golden Hurricane men on Monday evening, Nov. 2, 7pm.

Our mission as a denomination is to make Christlike disciples in the nations. I love the focus and clarity this gives to our task. But how are we really doing?

The words below from Gallup’s “Engaged Church” newletter need to be pondered:

If we surveyed the people in your church - how many people would say that one of the main purposes in their lives is to be a disciplemaker?

According to comparable studies by Gallup and the Barna Group - not many.

Both organizations confirm that while churches are busy doing a lot of things, there is one thing that the majority of them are failing to do and that is to "make disciples".

Can you imagine any other business in the world that failed at something so core to it's very existence?

"Hi welcome to McDonald's, would you like to try our new Pilates class?"

"Coach, what did your team practice this week in light of the upcoming World Series?" "Well, a number of the guys worked on their vocals for the post season family get together. A few of them were enjoying our new swimming class and a few others were - "

Silly?

Absolutely.

Too many of our churches are so busy "playing church" and "doing church" that they have forgotten what it means to "be the church". It's about making disciples. It's about leading people to spiritual maturity (Ephesians 5:1-2).

In March, 2009, Barna released the results of a study that showed churches were high on "pep talks and motivation" but light on actually defining spiritual maturity and a process for spiritual growth with over 80% of churches having no working definition of Spiritual Maturity.

That is the equivalent of a Football coach yelling at his players to "put it in the end zone" without even telling them what direction the end-zone is - not to mention the nearest First Down marker.

Gallup's study, highlighted in Growing an Engaged Church shows that less than 20% of church members have been asked about their spiritual growth in the past 6 months - you can't manage what you can't measure and our churches are not giving members a measurable pathway for spiritual growth.

Churches need to be about the business of making disciples as much as McDonalds needs to be about the business of hamburgers and Baseball teams need to be about the business of Baseball.

It is great to be on the team with you. Let’s spur one another on as we take our discipleship task seriously!

Dave

2009-10-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

We are building the church on the foundation someone else laid. The Church of tomorrow will be built on the foundation we are laying. – Ark Noel, Retired DS and a native of Hominy, at the Hominy Centennial Celebration

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

The statement above by Ark Noel makes me grateful for the saints who paved the way for you and me…and reminds me of the importance of what we are doing today for this generation and generations to come. May all who come behind us find us faithful.

Pastor Appreciation Month Affirms Ministry Leaders
You may not know it, but there individuals who have spent most of their lives in preparation to serve you and others like you. When God tugged at their hearts, they responded by dedicating their lives to meeting your needs—and thanked God for the opportunity. It is for awareness of our pastors’ dedication and service that October has been named “Pastor Appreciation Month.” Our appreciation of our pastors should not be limited to one month out of a year, but designating that month for that purpose gives us an opportunity to ponder the special ways our pastors bring a blessed friendship into our lives. Thank you, NEO Nazarene Churches, for the ways you have remembered your pastor this month

We are praising the Lord that Gloria Dannemann, our pastor’s wife from Fuente De Vida, was released on Thursday after 14 months of confinement in Argentina! Gloria must remain in Argentina for several more months as she faces an additional charge and as she works through the issues to related to the adoption of Gloria and Oto’s son, Marquitos. Otoneil will be able to go to Argentina in November to see Gloria and Marquitos. God is so good. Let us now pray that He will continue to help them and give them emotional and physical strength as they continue to work with their lawyer and authorities to resolve all issues.

SNU Crimson Storm Men’s Basketball team playing at TU against the Golden Hurricane men on Monday evening, Nov. 2, 7 pm.

I read an excellent book a few days ago – Walk with Me, A Biblical Journey in Making Christlike Disciples, by Hal Perkins. The book is about getting and giving the help needed to walk the way Jesus walked. It is insightful and practical and could help us rethink the goal and methodology of Sunday School/ Discipleship. I agree wholeheartedly with what Perkins says is “the best of what Sunday School ever was –a group of people who meet together weekly to care for each other, to seek God and His will together, and to help each other make progress in following Jesus.” (p. 56) Does this sound like what is happening in your SS and discipleship groups? If not, it is time to change our methods. I need that kind of group…and so do you.

Have a blessed weekend! You are loved!

Dave

2009-10-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

Christian discipleship requires being held in love and being held accountable. We simply cannot follow Christ apart from a community that holds us in compassion and calls us to accountability. Solitary discipleship is a misnomer. We cannot be Christian alone.
- Kenneth Carder, Duke Divinity School professor and retired United Methodist bishop

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the matchless name of Jesus. I hope you are walking in His presence and sharing His love and joy wherever you go on this beautiful fall day.

How blessed I have been this past week to share in so many positive experiences:

Last Saturday I was present when the Church of the Nazarene Foundation, through the generosity of the David Green family and Hobby Lobby, presented the deed to a large historic home to the Nazarene Student Center at the University of Oklahoma. David and Rhonda Kyncl are serving their 12th year as the ministry directors. The local ministry is known as the 2:8 House, based on 1 Thessalonians 2:8: "We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News, but our own lives as well." The ministry initiatives include small group Bible studies, International food and game nights, and a free lunch for students every Tuesday. Students from more than 34 countries and 28 states have participated in some type of ministry event here in the past few years.

On Sunday morning I attended the Centennial Celebration at Hominy. Pastor Carl and Sandra Brown and the Hominy Church family helped us rejoice in the local and worldwide impact of the Hominy Church. I was moved to tears as I heard stories of laymen who sacrificed to see the church grow (e.g., three families mortgaged their homes so the Hominy building could be erected) and as letters were shared from former pastors recounting how the church’s love and support had helped shaped them. My guess is that every church on the NEO District has some wonderful stories like this. How grateful I am for sanctified, Nazarene laity.

On Sunday evening I conducted a very positive review for Pastor Gerald Burch at Coweta. It is such a joy to see a church united in Christian love and committed to the mission of making Christlike disciples!

Last night I had a chance to attend the revival at Cleveland with Rev. Bobby Huffaker speaking. The Holy Spirit’s presence was manifest throughout the service, which climaxed with the altars full, primarily with men. I am always encouraged to see men leading the way in seeking God with all of their hearts.

I am way behind in sharing pictures from our visits, so let me give you several today:

Hominy Centennial Celebration, Oct. 11, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTL4A

South County Community Church's One Year Birthday, Oct. 4, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTMGA

Pryor, Installation of Pastor Dan Hazelton, August 23, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLSg

Okmulgee, Installation of Pastor Cole Weston, August 30, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLaA

Muskogee, August 16, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLhg

Nowata, August 23, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLwg

Locust Grove, July 26, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLpA

You may have students at OSU in Okmulgee. If so, let me tell you about something new there for college students (a student sent this to me on Facebook): Nobucks Coffee house night for OSUIT students; Wednesdays from 6:30 - 8:30pm; 1st Church of the Nazarene, 711 North Okmulgee. To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=182794095791&mid=13dfe0aG5113e251Gf517b5G7

Are you ready for the Red River Shootout tomorrow? Whoever wins (and I do have a strong preference!), I have great respect for their starting quarterback! Did you see the You Tube video featuring Colt and Sam? It is powerful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnx2MungsGI

I pray that you will have a blessed weekend, especially on the Lord’s Day! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-10-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

I am your message, Lord. Throw me like a blazing torch into the night, that all may see and understand what it means to be a disciple.
- St. Maria Skobtsova, Orthodox nun and martyr (1891-1945)

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! One of the great joys of being a DS is that I get to rejoice with pastors and churches in times of victory. Let me share a few of the things I am rejoicing in this week:

Stephen Hundley was one of the NEO pastors who attended the Holiness Summit last week. I received a call from Steve this morning. He preached Sunday on entire sanctification and had six seekers at the altar. Steve was able to personally pray with three of them and reports victory. PTL!

Brad Farnsworth reports that attendance is up 20% over last year at Connection Church. They sent a mailer to the community and had 20 new people show up on Sunday.

SoCo celebrated their one year anniversary last Sunday. For those not able to be there, the following video was shared in the service: http://vimeo.com/6946673

Nathan and Linda Covington are in Cali, Columbia for the Master’s Plan Conference. Nathan reports awesome prayer and worship.

Larry Morris told me that last Sunday morning God blessed them with one of the best services they have had since he began pastoring at Broken Arrow.

The Claremore and Sapulpa Churches are going to have leaders from China this coming Sunday. The following article from a Sapulpa newspaper reports on the Sunday evening service that some from across the District may be able to attend.

Sapulpa area residents have a rare opportunity to hear how God is working in China. Three outstanding leaders from the persecuted church in China will be sharing their testimonies and bringing up-to-date news of their work in this five thousand year old nation. The Sapulpa Church of the Nazarene is sponsoring a community-wide service at the Church of the Nazarene at 302 S. Elm Street on October 18, at 6:00 p.m. featuring three speakers.
Enoch was formerly director of the Far East region of “Every Home for Christ.” Enoch, and his partners, Timothy and his wife Lydia, are involved in training leaders in China. (For safety reasons their last names are withheld from this newspaper announcement.)
Timothy is a former leader of the Communist Youth Organization and a brilliant young leader. At one time he and Lydia, a powerful leader in her own right, were responsible for a network of Christian believers that numbered over 500,000.
These believers worship God at great risk, and what is happening in China today is one of the stellar events in global evangelism.

I not only share joys, but also burdens. I have spoken with many of our pastors about financial challenges they are facing, forcing some to reduce staff and mininstries. Others are struggling with declining attendance. Pastor H.B. London’s article this week was helpful in facing our numerical struggles:

WHERE IS EVERYONE?
I am sure many of you receive the Parade Magazine with your Sunday newspaper, but, most likely, a lot of you don't get to read it because of your busy schedule. So, if you did or if you didn't, let me share with you the results of a survey that appeared in Parade Magazine, October 4, 2009.
The survey polled 1,051 adults and asked questions related to one's spirituality. Let me spotlight several findings — knowing that this survey may appear more liberal than, say, one from Barna Research.
· Twenty-seven percent said they do not practice any kind of religion.
· Fifty percent said they rarely or never attend religious services.
· Twenty percent said they attend religious services anywhere from once a month to a few times a year.
· Thirty percent said they attend religious services once or more in a given week.
The real truth, according to some, is that only about one-half of those who claim to attend weekly actually do. You know how I estimate who goes to church? I just walk out into a neighborhood and take a look at the houses on a given block. Most are not in church.
What is the point of a survey such as the one Parade Magazine published? It just points out what we all know — that fewer and fewer people are attending church these days. How do we stem that tide?
1) I think each local church must take responsibility for its own "turf," so to speak, and develop creative ways to stimulate its people to become genuine salt and light.
2) Next, I believe the church must be built on a foundation of biblical truth rather than spiritual entertainment.
3) And, finally, I really believe we must be working hard to close the "back door." We need to know why people do not or no longer attend just as much as we need to know why they do attend.
Honestly, the Parade Magazine article was troubling, but it really was not surprising.
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25).
Be blessed and be a blessing. —HBL

Hope the rain ends but the showers of blessings pour this Sunday at your church! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-10-02T15:48:00.000-05:00

God of mercy, we confess that we tend toward selfishness and pride over selflessness and humility. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. Have mercy on us and forgive us; restore us and enable us to live more fully for you. (adapted from The Book of Common Prayer)

Dear NEO family,

What a beautiful day it is in NEO! This week many of us basked in the beauty of holiness as we attended services at the SNU Holiness Summit. For those of you who missed it, I bought four of the DVDs. How could these be utilized? I am wondering...would it work to have a quarterly Holiness Summit on each NEO Zone? We could have a combined service with lively music and a chance to experience one of these challenging and hopeful messages on holiness. Let me know if your Zone is interested.

I encourage you to let me know about significant days of celebration or revival emphases in your local church. Here are a few I know about:

South County Community Church will be celebrating their one year anniversary with worship and a birthday party on Sunday, October 4 at 11 a.m.

Claremore Church has called this Sunday “Chelsea Sunday.” They are sending their praise team along with many of their members to be an encouragement and blessing to this neighboring church. (I rejoice in our “connections” – we really do need each other!)

Hominy Church invites you to join them for their 100th Anniversary Jubilee Celebration. The Homecoming will be on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m., Come and Go, Visiting and finger foods. The Jubilee Celebration Worship Service will be on Sunday, October 11, 10:30am, followed by lunch and fellowship. Call Pastor Carl or Sandra at 918.885.6262 with questions.

Tulsa Central and Tulsa Hills are both having a “Serve Sunday” on October 11, seeking to impact their communities through loving service in Christ’s name.

Cleveland is having Rev. Bob Huffaker for revival services on October 14 – 18.

Tulsa Regency Park is having Lennie and Joy Wisehart for revival services on November 15 – 18.

Tahlequah Church of the Nazarene will be celebrating the ministry of Don and Lois Nichols on Sunday, November 15. Don and Lois are retiring. A reception for Don and Lois will be held at 3pm at the church so those from other churches can join in honoring this dedicated couple.

I WANT TO CELEBRATE. . .

H. Gordon Smith, III, Dewey…A couple of new families have been coming and they are on fire for evangelism!

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek… On Sept 20th we began our new Home Teams (small groups) and we have 30 more adults in these groups than we did with traditional Sunday School.

Saul Ramirez, Fe y Esperanza… I want to celebrate our first Anniversary was the last week and we have 50 persons celebrating with us the mercy of our God in the last year.

Oto Dannemann, Fuente de Vida… I want to celebrate that the church is encouraged. The new families are coming with regular attendance and some of them are taking responsibilities like make a breakfast each Sunday morning before Sunday School. Others decide to change the carpet for tiles in the kitchen and the entrance of the sanctuary. Others are going to care for the yard of the church. Really God is God with us.

John Whitsett, Central… An incredibly well received local church Women’s Retreat … a very positive staff/board planning session on Saturday 9/26 where a number of board members committed to lead by example when it comes to more fully establishing a culture of corporate prayer in the life of Central.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…Nine (9) new members (8 – Profession of Faith; 1 – transfer); Associate of Families/Students (Mark and Ashley Sanford & two daughters ) have begun ministering; New families coming to Church

Dwain Young, Horton Chapel…We had a very good week end with Rev Stan and Pat Meek with the focus on Missions, renewal and revival.

Harold Johnson, Cushing… We had the largest Alabaster Offering in years with the offering totaling $293!

Stephen Hundley, Cleveland…Having Spirit-filled services every week. Praise God!
Looking forward to an excellent Fall Revival with Rev. Bobby Huffaker!

Angela Bentley, Bristow… A very successful VBS! Due to our summer basement disaster, we had to postpone VBS until now. We had over 42 kids and teens attend, which yielded many new contacts. Thursday night 18 children and one teen accepted Christ as their Savior and Best Friend. Praise Jesus! Our VBS program, which happened to be the final Sunday of an equally successful Sunday School drive, was attended by 88 people, our second highest attended service in four years. Our church board has decided it is time to hire a bi-vocational youth pastor to help us grow and develop our children and youth. The Spirit is moving in Bristow and we are privileged to be a partner in what He is doing.

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… Held our first ever ‘New Life Men’s Retreat’ in Branson, MO. The men were able to connect with God and with one another in an amazing way. We saw some life transformations take place during the time we were together.

Gerald “J.J.” James, Claremore…We hosted the Isaacs in concert and had the biggest crowd we have ever had on our property. Six hundred and forty three people came out that night. It was quite a night for our church! My wife and I were able to enjoy a seven day spiritual retreat last week. We spent the week just enjoying the Lord and resting. It was wonderful and very much needed.

David Stevens, Vinita…Two former members of the church have been attending for over a month and are asking to renew their membership. The sense of God’s presence in our services is strong and a great blessing. The Holiness Summit at SNU helped me step back and review my own beliefs and to remember why I choose to be a Pastor in the Church of the Nazarene. If a person really is a disciple who obediently follows Christ in all areas of his or her life, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, that disciple will have peace in all circumstances, victory in their faith-walk, and hope everlasting. Not only that, but that disciple will also have a High-Impact life.

Randy Schuneman, Bartlesville…I baptized a young man Sunday Morning who I had worked with for the last four years. Jimmy's story is amazing! Before coming to our church, he had only been to church when he was 7. The pastor decided to baptize every child that day in an old stinky creek. Jim is 6 foot 5 now, but he cried like a baby after the baptismal service.

Rodney Durr, Muskogee…over $25,000 committed to Faith Promise, exceeding our goal of $18,000 by more than $7,000. The amount promised was about double our World Evangelism Fund.

Doug Gunsalus, Glenpool South County Community…We have had such a wonderful month. The spirit of the lord had been with SoCo. We have seen 2 more come to christ and several raised their hands their hands when asked if they wanted Jesus to be lord of their life. We also have had around 20 respond to our first membership classes. We will be having our membership ceremony this Sunday as we celebrate our first year! We also have several that will be baptized at the end of October. I am really looking forward to that. Like I said,
God is blessing SoCo and he is really continuing his work in me! I love him with all my heart and I wait in eager anticipation for what he is going to do next.

Cole Weston, Okmulgee… Our wonderful prayer group, faithfully attended by 12 folks each week; my mother’s delivery from a tumor, which was removed by capable surgeons; our Teen/Youth Group event which brought 9 teens. The Youth Group functionally did not exist prior to this, so starting a new one is a big priority.

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection…Sept. 13th we celebrated our one year anniversary. What an incredible day of celebrating what God has done. 150+ gathered to celebrate, 3 were baptized, and we raised $2,800 for the Kenya Water Well project (we needed $2,500). The stories of life change were amazing.

NEO TOP LEADERS (in average attendance over September, 2008)

Sunday School/Discipleship
Broken Arrow First +34
Bristow +25
Wagoner +21
Sand Springs +14
Skiatook +10
Hominy +7
Miami New Life +7
Okmulgee +6
Horton Chapel +5
Mannford +4

AM Worship
Bristow +25
Horton Chapel +16
Sand Springs +16
Hominy +8
Miami New Life +8
Collinsville +7
Okmulgee +7
Mannford +5
Wagoner +4
Broken Arrow First +3
Muskogee +3

It is a joy to be a part of the NEO team! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-09-22T12:49:00.000-05:00

Lord, let the thick skin that covers me not be a hindrance to you. Pass through it. My eyes, my hands, my mouth are yours. This sad lady in front of me: here is my mouth for you to smile at her ... This smug young man, so dull, so hard: here is my heart, that you may love him, more strongly than he has ever been loved before.
- Madeleine Delbr’l, Missionary and activist (1904-1964)

Dear NEO Family,

It is great to be back in Oklahoma for a few days! Gloria and I just returned from a 19 day trip that was a mix of business and vacation. Here is a brief synopsis:

We started out in Rochester, NY at the home of my sister, Leah, and brother-in-law, David. It was our first ever visit to her home and the city. We toured the George Eastman home and Kodak museum, took a short cruise on the Erie Canal, visited Letchworth State Park and enjoyed conversation, laughter, food and dominoes.
Next we went to District Superintendent’s Leadership Development Program in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This was the first time for Gloria or me to see the Niagara Falls. They are spectacular! The meetings were very helpful. Michael Henderson was the keynote presenter, leading us in several sessions focused on methods of making disciples. We also had workshops on pastoral reviews, innovations in District Assemblies and case studies dealing with legal and disciplinary matters. Dr. Jess Middendorf made a presentation on the new methods of “Funding the Mission”.
We then flew to Boston for a week of vacation. Eastern Nazarene College was our base of operation. We were tourists to the max - walking the Freedom Trail, riding on the Duck Tour, seeing baseball at Fenway, touring Harvard Square, the Adams Historical Homes, and the JFK Library and Presidential Museum, driving to the North Shores, Plymouth and even Maine. While in Portland, Maine waiting to be seated at D’Millo’s floating restaurant, President George and Barbara Bush walked right by us on their way to their table, so Gloria and I shook President Bush's hand. What a full and fun week we had!
We flew back to Dallas in time to dedicate our newest granddaughter, Ellianna Nicole Mitchell, at Richardson Church of the Nazarene. How thankful I am to have children who are passing on the faith to the next generation.

Thank you for providing me time away for vacation and for making it possible for Gloria and I to attend the DSLDP each year. We are blessed to be a part of the NEO team!

Holiness Summit
Southern Nazarene University
September 27-29, 2009

Schedule of Services and Speakers:

Sunday September 27, 6:00 PM – Dr. Stan Toler. Dr. Toler, prolific writer, pastor, leader, and newly elected General Superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene.

Monday September 28, 9:00 AM – Dr. Cliff Sanders. Dr. Sanders is a professor at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City, OK.

Monday September 28, 10:30 AM – Dr. Louie Bustle. Dr. Bustle is director for World Mission for the Church of the Nazarene

Monday September 28, 7:00 PM - Dr. Robert (Bob) Broadbrooks. Dr. Broadbooks presently serves the Church of the Nazarene as the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism Director

Tuesday September 29, 9:00 AM – Dr. Talmadge Johnson. Dr. Johnson, General Superintendent Emeritus currently serves as District Superintendent for the Southwest Oklahoma District of the Church of the Nazarene.

Tuesday September 29, 10:30 AM – Dr. Nelson Perdue. Dr. Perdue is a tenured evangelist in the Church of the Nazarene

Tuesday September 29, 7:00 PM – Dr. Tom Hermiz. Dr. Hermiz serves as the General Superintendent of the Churches of Christ in Christian Union based in Circleville, Ohio. .

Evening services will be conducted in Herrick Auditorium / Morning sessions will be held in Cantrell Hall

The stats and sharing from our pastors are a few weeks old, but let me go ahead and pass on words of celebration and a list of our statistical leaders in August.

I WANT TO CELEBRATE…

Don Nichols, Tahlequah… Four People were baptized at our Baptismal Service.

Phil Buck, Grove Lakewood Community… We have some new couples coming and they have been a couple Sundays in a row. We had a southern gospel concert today with The Tulsans and it was another great day. They are a wonderful quartet with beautiful harmony. Of course I cooked BBQ and we had a typical Nazarene pot luck dinner!! We had 42 in church today!

Claude Guy, Sand Springs… Continual Spirit-filled services. 3 baptized and 7 brought into membership. To God be ALL the glory!

Jim Wilson, Barnsdall… Many of those suffering physical ailments in the church are making full recoveries.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…We baptized two people this month and received one new member with 2 more to come.

Harold Johnson, Cushing… I do want to praise God. We are seeing new people in our church. Last Sunday, five of those in attendance were new people who started coming in Aug.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Numbers held up very well during the weeks I was away. I heard a number of reports about a powerful move of the Spirit on Sunday, August 16.

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills… Five families in their 20’s (plus the pastor and his beautifully youthful bride) came together for a great time of grillin’ and chillin’ on a Sunday night. Lot’s of fun. We are now enjoying the newly redecorated foyer space with a Starbucks theme. The goal is to nurture an atmosphere for Casual Fellowship.

Otoniel Dannemann, Fuente de Vida… This month we had an outreach and we had revival and thanks be to God we have 12 new conversion as the fruit of this activity.
In the same way we in the Morning Worship the last Sunday of August we have a new family receiving Jesus like a personal savior.

Alan McBroom, Davenport… In September the church will have a work day to improve the looks of both the Fellowship Hall and the Parsonage.

David Stevens, Vinita…Slow steady growth is best in the small community. Again this month we have gained in our average attendance over last year. A new lady has requested baptism. Our Caravans program is starting up with great interest and excitement again this year. We have a new leader for the Wednesday Night Teen class. Ben Stevens (Teen Pastor) started his college classes this Fall and is doing well.
A year ago I was reporting that Carol Stevens was in therapy for her broken leg. Today she hardly notices the leg, mostly she feels it when the weather is changing. Thank God for a good recovery!
I felt God was leading to have a special emphasis service on Divine Healing. At the close of the 8/23/09 morning worship service 10 people came forward to be anointed. One lady was facing a risky surgery; doctors were afraid she could not handle the stress of anesthesia. The surgery went without a hitch or problem! Another of our members was anointed to represent a family who had a terrible car crash in our community. Early reports said that the 12-year-old boy had no brain activity. The next week we had a report that he was recovering and they were do facial reconstruction surgery. We are expecting to hear more wonderful reports of healing! God is faithful!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… Great services! I’ve been preaching a series on Holiness asking the question, “Is it dead or alive?” Have had great responses to our services and lives are being transformed!

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…14 People who have completed the Membership Class; hiring of a new Associate of Families/Students (Mark and Ashley Sanford & two daughters ) Starting the first Sunday of October; New families coming to Church.

NEO TOP LEADERS
(increase in weekly attendance over August, 2008)

Sunday School/Discipleship
Wagoner +27
Fe y Esperanza +25
Hominy +22
Sand Springs +20
Regency Park +8
Collinsville +7
Horton Chapel +6
Chelsea +5
Mannford +4
Grove Lakewood Community +1

AM Worship
Fe y Esperanza +34
Sand Springs +23
Wagoner +21
Broken Arrow First +15
Collinsville +14
Mannford +8
Horton Chapel +6
Chelsea +5
Dewey +5
Okmulgee +5
Owasso Silver Creek +5

Saturday, Sept. 19, was our first Area Bible Quiz. We had 8 churches (Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Central, Claremore, Cleveland, Family, Owasso, and Pryor) participating with 35 Blue Level quizzers and 23 Red Level quizzers. We had three children with perfect rounds!!! We are learning some interesting things about Joshua and the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. We have a new study this year from Joshua, Judges and Ruth; very interesting and challenging. Thanks to all the churches, volunteers, parents and children for working so hard.
Thanks, Ms. Rachel Bess

Our District Marriage and Family Coordinators, David and Lisa Frisbie, have just released a brand-new Leader’s Guide for small group study of "The Soul-Mate Marriage: The Spiritual Journey of Becoming One." The Leader’s Guide is COMPLETELY FREE; download it from the landing page of the Frisbie’s website:
http://www.marriagestudies.com/

I leave this afternoon for Nazarene Bible College Trustees’ meeting. It will be a joy to be with our former DS, Harold Graves, who is serving so capably as President of NBC. I will give Harold and Cheryl greetings from the NEO family.

You are loved and appreciated!

Dave McKellips

Where is the District Superintendent?

2009-09-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

The DS has been attending DSDL meetings in Niagra Falls. As you can see, he is working really hard to be able to come home and minister to pastors and churches on the District.

Gloria also attended these meetings with Dave. She has a heart to minister to Pastors wives!

They are working tirelessly and attending meetings to learn and grow in the Lord. Rarely taking time to eat ....

Or meet important people....

But when they do meet new people they are gracious and humble and never make a scene.

It will sure be nice to have the DS and Gloria back home soon. Maybe he'll be bringing something from his meeting to share with everyone on the District......

Dewey Mission Trip Pictures

2009-08-31T09:47:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,
Here are some pictures of our Work & Witness Trip to the Dominican Republic. It was the first Work & Witness trip that has ever been done here at Dewey Church of the Nazarene that has been in existence since 1924! We are excited! I hope you enjoy the pictures! The project we did actually coincided with Compassion International to provide more space for the children that they are serving through Compassion! That was truly a joy for me! Talk to you soon! DR-412 is the church we served at!

In Christ's Love,
Gordon

2009-08-27T18:35:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

August has been a tremendous month here in NEO, and I’m not just talking about the weather. August has been the month to install new pastors. On August 2, we installed Brady Wisehart at Family Church; on August 23 we installed Dan Hazelton at Pryor; and on August 30 we will install Cole Weston at Okmulgee. We welcome these pastors and their families to the NEO family!

What a great team of pastors we have in NEO! This past Monday and Tuesday, 40 of the pastors gathered for BREAKAWAY at New Life Ranch. The focus was on refreshing our relationship with God and with one another. I enjoyed the sand volleyball, playing Farkle and the waterfront activities, but I especially enjoyed the worship and prayer times led by Gary Reynolds and Jim Thornton.

Let me share some pictures from earlier this summer:

Claremore Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for new facilities, July 19
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTK0g

Tulsa First, July 19
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLDg

Family Church, Installation of Pastor Wisehart, August 2
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTLLA

Two of our New Start Churches will be celebrating their one year anniversaries soon. Connection Church, led by Pastor Brad Farnsworth, will celebrate on September 13 and South County Community Church, led by Pastor Doug Gunsalus, will celebrate on October 4. Starting new churches is not easy, but God is blessing both of these churches. Pastor Doug recently said to me, “I almost forgot to tell you that last Sunday was our largest attendance to date. We had 108 total people here for our 11am worship. I think God is really moving at SoCo. Not sure why, but I love him so much and thank him for blessing! I know that every Sunday can't be our best day of worship or our largest attendance or whatever, but I love the fact that he keeps giving us something to praise him for each and every week. He is truly my deliverer. I am ecstatic about the work that we get to be a part of here.”

Bartlesville First Church is growing the church the old fashioned way – with a Baby Boom this year. And the pastoral staff is leading the way! Children’s pastor, Josh Turner and his wife, Rachelle, are proud parents of Hila Marie Turner, born August 18. And Levi Allen Rogers was born to Youth Pastor, Jade Rogers and his wife, Michelle, on August 21. I expect announcements any day from the Meltons and Schunemans! If we are going to “Strive for Five” with the Pastoral Staff, the Dennisons may need to join in.

As we welcome new life, we also say goodbye to those who have gone on to their eternal home. Rev. Harold Morgan passed away on Monday, August 24. His funeral will be on Friday, August 28, 2pm at Mercer/Adams Funeral Home in Bethany.

Holiness Today, a Publication of the Church of the Nazarene. September is subscription month. We encourage you to subscribe to our Denominational Magazine through your local church or call 1-800-877-0700.

Don Cowan told me this week that a new associate pastor will be coming to Sapulpa beginning October 4. Mark and Ashley Sanford and children Olivia Cooper (2 ½) and Emma Grace (1) will be moving from Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Lois Nichols has some fluid removed from her lungs last week and they found cancer in it. On the positive side, Don says that the medicine they are using to fight the cancer has been effective in the past with Lois, so they are hopeful again. Let’s continue to pray for Don and Lois as they serve the Tahlequah Church and battle cancer.

Otoneil Danneman reports a major breakthrough in the legal battle Gloria is going through in Argentina. There are still other battles to be fought, but we are hopeful for her release in a few months. Let’s continue to pray.

Background checks help uncover criminal history:
Some 450 churches have requested more than 5,000 background checks since LifeWay Christian Resources teamed up with Backgroundchecks.com last year to offer discounted background checks to ministries around the nation, reports ChristianPost.com. As a result, 80 screenings uncovered serious felony offenses and more than 600 people were found to have had some type of criminal history that may have disqualified them from volunteering or working at a church.
That means around 13.6 percent, or roughly one in seven, of applicants were found to have a criminal history. "Good guys don't wear superhero capes, and bad guys don't always have shifty eyes and devious-sounding chuckles. In real life, discerning the heroes from the villains often requires more than a visual assessment," commented Brooklyn Noel Lowery, a spokesperson for LifeWay. "That means you can't know whether someone is 'good' or 'bad' by looking at them when they walk through the front door of your church and volunteer to serve," she added. [Christianpost.com]

Have a great week! You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2009-08-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

PASTORAL CHANGES/ REVIEWS
Rev. Dan Hazelton received a unanimous call to be the pastor at Pryor. Some modifications are being made in the parsonage and Dan, Dannel, Cassie, Austin, David and Emily will be moving there soon.

Rev. Cole Weston will be voted on by the Okmulgee Church this Sunday.

Rev. Jeff Wooten had a very positive review last Sunday at Wagoner and he and Christie will continue their service there.

SNU NAZ NITE AT SIX FLAGS
Enjoy an evening of Fun, Fellowship and Friends at Naz Nite 2009! September 4, 2009, 6pm – midnight. Tickets are only $28.99 each + tax when purchased by August 20, 2009 ($49.99 each + tax if purchased at the park’s main gate.) One free return ticket valid any operating day in September 2009 will be automatically issued for every ticket pre-purchased. Every local church has been sent brochures with more details, or you can visit http://www.sixflags.com/. Promo code: SNUNAZNITE

HOLINESS TODAY
I always find inspiration, insight and challenge in Holiness Today. I encourage you to subscribe to our Denominational Magazine through your local church or call 1-800-877-0700.

CRISIS CARE KITS FROM NEO DELIVERED
The Crisis Care Kits and School Pal-Paks from Northeast Oklahoma were delivered to the warehouse in Pennyslvania, Wednesday, July 8th, 2009. To the best of my knowledge these boxes are being sent to Ethopia. Churchs participating in this years shipment are: Bristow, Broken Arrow, Chelsea, Claremore, Cleveland, Collinsville, Grove, Mannford, Okmulgee, Pawhuska, Tahlequah, Tulsa Hills, and Tulsa Central. If you haven't sent your $10 per box shipping fee to Phyllis Mayberry yet please do so as soon as possible. For the calander year 2008 the warehouse made 14 shipments of 17,000 boxes with a value of $2,300,000.00 US dollars. The next delivery to the warehouse will be made after the next District Assembly unless we get an emergency appeal for kits. Thank you for all you do for Missions. Little is Much when GOD is in it. Troy Farmer

KENDRA HANSEN BACK FROM YOUTH IN MISSION SERVICE
Kendra, member of Tulsa Central and a Junior at SNU, closed a recent letter with these words: And now I’m back in the U.S. where it’s much less humid, much easier to understand people, and a much different culture. I am beyond glad and grateful that I was able to have this experience and be a part of God’s global kingdom. I saw the beauty of God all around me in such an amazing landscape that is indescribable, and I saw the corruption and mismanagement of humans coming through in corrupt governments, disparity and poverty, but mostly and most lasting I saw God work through me and my teammates to minister to others and to be ministered to, in ways we never expected.

Lastly, thank you, thank you, and thank you. Thank you for your prayers, your support, for listening, for caring and for making a difference in my life. God always proves his faithfulness to me through the people in my life and this summer was no different. Thank you for investing in my summer and for sharing it with me. Kendra

“The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us.” Oswald Chambers

"I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ." Count Zinzindorf

ANSWER TO PRAYER FROM DEBBIE MARTIN, DISTRICT NMI PRESIDENT
Praise God from whom all blessing flow, Praise Him all creatures here below! The Martin family is rejoicing today! We serve a mighty God. We serve a God of tender mercy, love and grace. We serve a God of miracles! We spent the majority of today at the pulmonologist office. Johnathan was retested to see how effective the infusion treatments he has received the past two months have been. ALL HIS BREATHING TEST WERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE! PRAISE GOD!!! The doctors were amazed at the results of his treatments. I'm always amazed to see what God does when His children call on the name of Jesus and stand of God's word. God is faithful! We were told that the progression of lung disease has been stopped at this time, and Johnathan can begin to taper off his oxygen during the day and only required to use the oxygen at night. He will continue to need the treatments for the rest of his life. We stand on Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Thank you for your prayer support and words of encouragement. We will continue to pray for complete healing and trust God in all things.
Debbie and Phil Martin

MUSKOGEE PASTOR AN UNASHAMED FOOL FOR CHRIST
(From The Pastor's Pen, a publication of Muskogee 1st Nazarene)
This past Sunday morning I took a Nazarene vow. Not a Nazarite vow. That is something entirely different. (You can google it.) No, the Nazarene vow that I took was that if we have 200 or more for worship on August 16, I will shave my head. The last time I had a crew cut was in early elementary school, but I vowed to go further than a crew cut.
In my Sunday evening message entitled, "What Kind of Fool Am I?" I suggested that we are all a fool of some type: an unbelieving fool, and unprepared fool, or an unashamed fool for Christ. I am actually looking forward to the witnessing opportunities that it brings my way when people ask why I did it. I will simply tell them that I did it not because of the August heat, but because I wanted more people to learn how they can escape the eternal heat of hell.
I am really not looking forward to being bald, but I hope that you will plan to be here and contact as many absentees as you can and invite as many people as possible to church that day. I am willing to shave my head. Are you willing to take a risk and invite someone to church? Are you willing to be an unashamed fool for Christ?

What a great team we have in NEO! It is a joy to serve alongside you!

Blessings,
Dave McKellips
NEO District Superintendent

2009-07-31T12:10:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Last evening I had the privilege to attend Kids Kamp II. I was refreshed immediately after arriving at the camp with a second baptism (ask the campers for details). I enjoyed watching our kids do Bible Quizzing, ate dinner and took a walk to “Inspiration Point”. But the hi-light of any camp for me is the worship service.

It was interesting how last night’s worship touched me. As the speaker challenged us to find ourselves in God’s story and to offer ourselves and our future in surrender to God, I encountered God in a fresh way and offered myself anew to him. It brought me back to many camp experiences, especially a youth camp at Roaring River State Park in 1969, where my encounter with God was life changing.

Let’s pray that encounters with God by our children and youth at camps the past two weeks will continue to bear fruit. And let’s renew our own commitments, offering ourselves and our futures to God. Last night Monty Nichols led the kids in singing the following song. Why don’t you pray it right now?

Lifesong ------Casting Crowns
Empty Hands held high
Such Small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you

Chorus:Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign your name
to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You

LORD, I give my life
A Living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be your hands and feet
So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

We are a part of a great team! Youth and Kids Kamps remind us of the joys of being a part of a district team. We need each other. We are better together.

This morning two checks came in the mail from churches that were not able to pay all of their budgets in 2008-09. I opened the envelopes with thanksgiving for churches who work so diligently to pay their fair share of our team budget. It is a joy to serve alongside you.

New grandbaby. Gloria and I are the proud grandparents of little Elliana Nicole Mitchell; 6 lbs., 4 oz.; 18 1/2 inches long. All is well...everyone is fine even though she came two days prior to a scheduled C Section. Keri was in labor all day and they delivered her via a c section around 7 pm Sunday evening (19th). Keri, Damien and Elliana went home on Thursday and Gloria is there helping. Thanks for your prayers and support. Let me know if you want to see pictures.

Church News: Brady Wisehart has arrived to be lead pastor at Tulsa Family. The Okmulgee Board has interviewed Cole Weston and are recommending him to the congregation for a vote on August 16. Pryor is interviewing Dan Hazelton this coming Wednesday. Tulsa Southwest has asked Nick Vernier to serve as Interim Pastor, anticipating around a six month interim.

Praying that my lifesong will bring a smile to His face!
Dave McKellips

2009-07-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

I had the privilege to be a part of our youth camp, “Enigma”, from Monday through Wednesday this week. We had 355 students and sponsors representing 21 different churches at the camp. Your students are awesome! What a joy to interact and worship with them. Let’s pray that the spiritual breakthroughs of camp will bear lasting fruit in the lives of our youth and in our churches.

The camp sponsors are heros in my book. Many of them take a week of vacation to work at camp. They are involved with the kids 24 hours a day and show amazing energy, patience and love. Help us say "thank you" to all of our sponsors when they get home from youth and kidz camps!

Kidz Kamp I and II are next week. We have over 300 enrolled as campers or workers. Steve Miller has created a website for the camp www.NeoKidsKamp.com. The user name is "parent" and the password is "neonaz" (without the quotes). We are going to keep a daily update going with comments from Kamp Director, Linda Holland, and pictures of our activities.

Linda Holland writes, “Please pray for Kidz Kamp. My prayer is that everyone from the youngest camper to the oldest worker will Meet the LifeSavior---some to give their heart for the first time, some to give their heart back to Jesus and some to draw closer in their daily walk with him. Please pray for Dave Mowry (our speaker) and Monty Nichols (who will do our music). Pray that God will let us be a reflection of Him this week.”

Pictures:
Living Hope Church, June 21, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKtA

General Conventions in Orlando, June 21 - 25
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKlg

This Sunday, July 19, 6:00pm Claremore Church will celebrate the dedication of their new Family Center and Parking Lot.

Kay Hilton, the District NMI Publicity Chairperson, fell and broke her arm a week ago. The bones were separating instead of growing together, so they surgically implanted a plate in her arm. Please pray for complete healing of the arm.

Transitions:
After almost nine years of youth ministry at Sapulpa, Rev. Kay Vernier has left Sapulpa and is exploring new options.

Rev. Jim Kent has resigned from the pastorate at Tulsa Southwest. Pray for Jim and Kim. They have worked hard on their marriage, but some major problems persist.

Dr. David Frisbie has announced his resignation from the staff of Family Church. David's last Sunday will be July 19

Carl Brown’s brother, Kenneth, died on Friday, July 10 in Hyden, Kentucky.

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2009-07-08T17:29:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

It was a privilege to represent you at the General Assembly and Conventions in Orlando. What a treat it was to rejoice with our extended family over the continuing work of God around the world. Our votes in Orlando continue to make us more of an international church with a General Superintendent elected from Africa, a General NMI President from Jamaica and approval of a Global Manual. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to go to www.nazarene.org and watch some of the inspiring services and read daily reports on the action of your church.

NEO was honored at the Sunday School/ Discipleship Ministries Leadership Luncheon with the 2005- 2009 SDMI Quadrennial Growth Award! Way to go NEO!

Rev. Brady Wisehart has accepted the call to pastor Tulsa Family Church. Brady, Carrie and their daughter, Kayden, will be moving to NEO in two weeks with their first Sunday on August 2. We welcome the Wiseharts to the NEO team!

July is camp month in NEO. Kid’s Kamps are held the week of July 19. The youth head to Windermere next Monday for “Enigma”. NYI President, Jonathan Odom, tells me that we already have 325 people registered for camp! Isn’t that exciting! Let’s pray that God will manifest himself in a powerful way and those young people’s lives and destinies will be changed. Church camp was used by God to greatly impact my life. Do it again, Lord!

Speaking of our youth, I love to see the way they get involved to impact our world. Brittany Brown, the young lady from Tulsa Family Church who shared at the Great Commission Rally gave me information this week on the next event planned to raise money for Water Wells in Kenya. I will print the information below, but if you need posters, contact the District Office.

2009 II KENYA Do It

Friday July 31st, 7 PM, $2 Entry Fee
5205 S. Aspen in Broken Arrow, (918)455-8094, www.familychurch.tv

Featuring Music By: Collin & Scott Band, City Static, The Dancing Bear & More!

There will be: food, fundraising games, karaoke, old time pictures, throw eggs at people!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO DRILLING A WELL IN KENYA!

…and if any one gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth he will certainly not lose his reward; whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst…

The service for Dr. L. Paul Gresham, father of President Loren Gresham, will be Friday, July 10, at 11:00 a.m. at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. There is no scheduled visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Daniel K. Gresham English Scholarship fund at SNU. Let us continue to lift the Greshams in prayer during this time of loss.

SNU Tulsa. Here are the upcoming groups starting at Southern Nazarene University in Tulsa and their targeted start dates:

Master's of Science in Management--August 6th
Master of Business Administration--August 6th
Bachelor's of Science in Family Studies and Gerontology--August 18th
Bachelor's of Science in Organizational Leadership--September 14th
Master's of Science in Nursing Education--September 28th
Master's of Science in Nursing Leadership--September 28th
Master's of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy--October 19th

"I am Celebrating..." We monthly ask our pastors to share what they are celebrating. Many were celebrating being in Orlando... but we did hear from a few:

Dr. David Frisbie, Tulsa Family…When the dust settles, it looks like we will take in about 70 new members from January through June of this year. Most of these are brand new to church-going; they aren't simply Nazarenes leaving some other church. GOD IS GOOD. We'll get a new building and a new pastor and we'll be ready for God to do some new things!

John Whitsett, Central…A very positive conclusion to our 40 Days of Love emphasis. Great material!!! Highly recommend it to any church that is wanting something that can help them launch new small groups.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… Pastor Jim and family had a great vacation while Pawhuska enjoyed the ministries of Rev. Dean Ferguson and Elizabeth George.

Jim Wilson, Barnsdall… Barnsdall enjoyed the ministries of Ed Buguire and Elizabeth Johnson in Pastor Jim's Absence.

David Stevens, Vinita… Thank God for the wonderful services at the NMI Convention and General Assembly. It was a time of revival for my wife and me. We returned weary, but determined to pray and work even harder to “Make Christ-Like disciples” in our mission field of Vinita, OK. I also want to thank the District NMI Convention for allowing me to serve as delegate. I will be reporting in the near future about sessions I attended. On the home front we are excited about our Wednesday Night VBS classes. We want to say thank you to Dee and Scheneista Proctor for the new kitchen remodel and appliances.

Alan McBroom, Davenport… Praises: We had 21 kids to attend our VBS last Wed-Fri evenings. The leadership team really stepped up to the bat by preparing for a funeral after Friday’s VBS that would occur Saturday morning!

NEO TOP ATTENDANCE LEADERS for JUNE

Sunday School/Discipleship
Broken Arrow First +22
Fe y Esperanza +20
Wagoner +15
Bristow +14
Chandler +14
Drumright +11
Sand Springs +10
Hominy +9
Horton Chapel +9
Skiatook +8

AM Worship
BA Connection +96
Glenpool SoCo +70
Collinsville +36
Horton Chapel +21
Fe y Esperanza +20
Sand Springs +17
Bristow +16
Claremore +13
Fuente de Vida +10
Broken Arrow First +8

It is a joy to serve alongside you in NEO!
You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2009-06-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Some of our District families are already in Orlando. Many others will be joining them in the next week as the international church gathers for General Conventions and Assembly. If you are not able to attend, articles, updates, and photos will be available online at ncnnews.com throughout the event. You can also follow our news at Twitter.com/ncnnews.

Have you been to the NEO website lately? Youth and Kid’s Kamp information and registration forms are available there, along with lots of other helpful items. Check it out at www.neonaz.com.

Last Sunday, Gloria and I had the privilege of worshiping at Horton Chapel. Pictures are below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKeA

This Sunday morning I will go to Family Church to conduct the vote on calling Pastor Brady Wisehart and then go to worship and preach at Living Hope church. We have a diverse family in NEO. What a joy it is to worship and serve alongside you.

And this Sunday is Father’s Day. How blessed I am to have a loving, godly father! I will be forever grateful for the example and influence of my dad. And now I have the privilege of trying to pass on the baton of faith to my children and grandchildren.

Have a blessed weekend!

Dave McKellips

2009-06-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

We are only a week from our Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry and Jim and Christy Thornton and Vicki Crossland already have the Journal completed and emailed to the General Secretary’s Office! This may be an NEO record! We are blessed to have a great District Secretary, Jim Thornton, a wonderful team of ministry leaders and pastors who got everything turned in promptly and tremendous assistants in Christy and Vicki.

Tulsa Family Church will be hosting a candidate for their Lead Pastor postion this weekend and voting on June 21. Let's continue to pray for Family Church, Pryor and Okmulgee in this time of transition.

In the midst of the busyness of Assembly, we still had good reporting of our May statistics. I always love the pastors telling us what they are celebrating:

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska…We've seen our children's ministry expand from 8 to 18 this month. We had 60 Bikers at our bi-annual Biker Breakfast, and 32 kid's at our Children's Crusade with pastor Rob Deihl.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… The 40 Days of Love emphasis has generated 3-4 new small groups. It really is outstanding material---not only the DVD based small-group curriculum, but the sermon resources are outstanding as well. We are also assembling a team to begin to look at the design for the inside of our Multipurpose Wing so that we don’t lose momentum on this project.

David Stevens, Vinita… A wonderful District Ministry Celebration. The Pastor’s Reports I was able to hear were all positive and inspiring. We begin our new year with a very positive attitude and renewed dedication to reach new people for the Lord and do an even better job of ministering to our church people. Our people are catching the vision of being disciples and making disciples in Vinita. Caravans and teens are vital, growing ministries that we are going to continue to work to improve and encourage. Our new web site is going well http://www.vinitanazarene.com .

Jeff Wooten, Wagoner Cornerstone Community…we were blessed in the month of May with 4 baptisms. God has changed the lives of many, but 4 needed to publically share their new life walk with an on purpose display of their changed lives. The water was warm and the hearts of God’s people are on fire by the power of his Holy Spirit. Prayer needs consist of facilities expenses. We had ice damage to our roof and some parking lot issues that will cost in full around $7,000. God will provide with his house and all will be taken care of. For specific prayer needs see our website at www.wagnaz.org . At Wagoner CCCN we are seeing ALL ages at our altars and growth through birth and re-birth. Our members are awesome, our pastor FINALLY got ordained, and a sense of urgency is brewing. Our new church board in not bored at all, and is ready for our best year ever. We have a new name, a new vision, and a new hope. God has a purpose for us and we will be a vital spiritual force in our community, PERIOD. As the song writer stated well, “We are determined that we are invincible, until God has finished his purpose in us”!!

Angela Bentley, Bristow… continued numerical growth from many directions, great spiritual growth – especially in our young people and a growing sense of unity and fellowship within the body. Our new pianist and worship team has enriched our worship tremendously and God’s spirit has been powerful in our services. We also celebrated many faithful years of dedication and service with Bill and Barbara Weaver as we honored them with a Distinguished Service Award.

Mike Howard, Drumright…This year 26 were saved. We are seeing some of the mothers, from our Kids Wednesday Night "God's Time", come to Church with their kids. We are averaging close to 60 with our kids and workers on
Wednesday nights. This last Wednesday night our total attendance was 76. Another victory, we are seeing people who do not go to church here, coming to help with the renovations on our Teen House.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… The dedication of a baby and young child from our church on Mother's Day.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa… We had a great year and we have so much to be grateful for as God allowed us to see others and needs as never before. We see the evidence of lives being changed. We saw a 30% increase in tithes this year. We had a part helping in two churches this year, Bristow Church of the Nazarene and South County Community Church. We have a great new children’s director and the new life in our children’s ministry.

We rejoice with those who are experiencing numerical growth:

NEO TOP GROWTH LEADERS FOR MAY, 2009

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Fuente de Vida +35
Wagoner Cornerstone +22
Bristow +18
Tulsa Central +17
Drumright +14
Pawhuska +12
Horton Chapel +11
Tulsa Hills +9
Reg. Pk. Hispanic +5
Dewey +4
Locust Grove +4

AM WORSHIP
Glenpool SoCo +66
Bristow +29
Owasso Silver Creek +29
Bartlesville +25
Tulsa Family +22
Wagoner Cornerstone +16
Horton Chapel +12
Tulsa First +5
Tulsa Fuente de Vida +5
Locust Grove +4
Pawhuska +4

I loved the interviews of five of our students who are making an impact in the Great Commission Rally. We have great youth on the NEO District. Here are reports I have received from two of our college students serving overseas this summer:

Youth in Mission Report from Saipan where Kendra Hansen (Tulsa Central) is serving: “Hafa Adai,” as they say here on the islands! We made it to Saipan after a few stops in Houston, Tokyo, and Guam. In Guam we had the pleasure of meeting up with the pastor of the Nazarene church in Guam and his wife and son for dinner. We had about a 5 hour layover, so they picked us up and we saw a little of Guam, ate dinner, and spent some time at their house. We finally did get to Saipan at 3:30 in the morning, but we've done really well with the transition and time changes.

We jumped right into everything this week so that we will be prepared once the Buchers (our missionaries) head back to the states in about a week. The people in the church and really just the island are so wonderful and welcoming. We’ve visited the local high school a couple times and talked to the teens and have started to build relationships with some. Kendra and Emily attended the street market for local culture and food while Julianna performed this past weekend in the local band that the Buchers are a part of.

The kids from kids’ club and Sunday mornings are great, and we have all really enjoyed working with them. We all are teaching a different age group, and our first week of Sunday school was somewhat of an adventure, but it was fun. Julianna played keyboard and helped lead music this week for Sunday morning, Emily is trying to learn the route to pick up the kids and how to drive stick shift for the jeep that picks them up, and Kendra has been learning how to take care of the house and find out where supplies are.
Prayer Requests: We can see there is a lot of need on the island, and we all want God to use us in the best possible way to help these people in a way that will long outlast our actual stay here. Please continue to pray for our team as we learn to work together and how to best serve the people we are quickly learning to love. Also, Kendra has had an allergic reaction this weekend to something. She went to the doctor and received medicine, so please pray she will continue to feel better. We hope everyone is doing well and are praying for you all!Kendra, Julianna, and Emily

Austin Snowbarger (Tulsa Central) writes regarding his mission work in Amsterdam: Shelter Christian Hostels operate two hostels in Amsterdam, and I have come here to serve in the Shelter City. There are a handful of full time paid staff, however the majority of the hostels workers are volunteers, like me. We live together, eat together, pray together, learn together, and serve together. It is an international staff, so countries such as South Africa, New Zealand, Germany, England, Netherlands, and the United States are represented here…
The first night I was in Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to go to a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) worship service. YWAM does many cool things in the city, so it was great to spend an evening with those folks. The highlight of the evening turned out to be the demographics. In the group of 20 or so people there that evening, six continents were represented. All together, all worshipping. It was like nothing I had experienced before! A former YWAM staff member shared about the power of a blessing. At the end of the evening, we had an opportunity to give a word of blessing to each other. Iraqi to American, Indian to Irani, Japanese to English. A young man named Jens from Germany and I exchanged blessings, and what he said to me was so encouraging, nearly prophetic. He spoke blessings over my time in Amsterdam and over all the other places in the world God will take me to meet the needs of the hurting. He touched my legs and my arms and blessed my body because of the mountains in life I will climb. I was blown away. If worshipping with brothers and sisters from all over the world was not enough, receiving such an incredible blessing from someone I had never met before really took me back. All of this on my first night in Amsterdam..wow!

May the Lord continue to use you in your corner of the world!

You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-06-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

What a joy it was to be with the NEO family this week for our Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry! My congratulations to NYI President, Jonathan Odom, and NMI President, Debbie Martin, for outstanding conventions. And thanks to Jim and Christy Thornton and Vicki Crossland for all you did to make Assembly go so smooth. Don’t we have great leaders in NEO!

What will be your favorite memories of the three days of meetings and services?

Rev. Monte Cyr’s messages calling us to join Christ’s mission.
The Central youth worship and drama team picturing Christ’s pursuit and protection of us.
Aaron Horton and the Central Church choir reminding us of the “Happy Day” when Christ began his transforming work in our lives.
Five NEO youth sharing the incredible ways God is using them.
Debbie Martin calling us to let Christ be our vision.
Celebrate Recovery Ministries sharing “Cardboard Testimonies”.
Collin Campbell and the Family Church Worship Team leading us in heartfelt worship.
Dr. Nina Gunter challenging us that the holiness movement is in our hands to keep alive.
The ordination of Jason Hill, Stephen Hundley, Michelle Proctor and Jeff Wooten.
The Minister’s Choir singing “In Christ Alone” or Darren Melton singing “I Will Not Forget Thee”.
The reporting and prayer in the Zone Cluster meetings.

I invite you to relive some of your memories as you look at pictures from the three days:

Great Commission Rally/ NMI Convention
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKHg

District Assembly and Opening Service w/Cardboard Testimonies
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJ4g

NYI Convention, May 31
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJwA

Ordination Service
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKWg

Yesterday, Gloria and I had opportunity to have lunch with 15 of our retired elders and their spouses.God is still working in and through them. Six still serve on staff in local churches. Others teach Sunday School, minister in their homes and via the phone and internet. What a great group!

Last Sunday, Gloria and I enjoyed worship and a barbeque luncheon with Pastor Jim Kent and the Southwest Church. We always enjoy their hospitality.

Tulsa Southwest, May 31, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTKPA

We have many prayer needs as a District family:

Debbie Martin’s son, Johnathan, received his first treatment for his AAT Deficiency-related Emphysema this week. Debbie reports: “Everything went well with no allergic reactions. Praise the Lord!The cardiologist report came back with no apparent heart damage. Praise the Lord! Pulmonologist report; lungs sound clear, tremendous improvement over the past month. Praise the Lord! It will take several weeks of infusion treatments before we know how successful this will be in treating his emphysema. We have been told Johnathan will need these infusions for the rest of his life on a weekly basis. I am standing of Gods' word for complete healing. Thank you for praying in agreement for healing, but also asking God to have His will. Johnathan will remain on oxygen for another month and then begin tapering off as he continues his treatment. This has been as exhausting week, however, tonight I am resting in Gods' peace and trusting in Him. Psalm 91: 1.2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
Our sympathy to the family of Nazarene Elder, Bailey Cantrell. Bailey had been in a nursing home for some time and passed away this past Wednesday. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 6, 10 am at Bartlesville First.
District Treasurer, Bud Lauhon, is having an echocardiogram this week to try to determine source of dizziness and heart trouble he is dealing with.
Sally Loderhose (wife of Elder Brian, Associate Pastor at Silver Creek) is now home from the hospital after dealing with arrhythmia.
Jack Bess (spouse of Rachel, Children’s Pastor at Central) had surgery because of infection in his hand from a spider bite. Jack is now recovering at home.
Jesse Madaffari, pastor in Skiatook, had to miss Assembly as he is recovering from his recent hernia surgery.
Family Church, Pryor and Okmulgee are in times of pastoral transition.

In case you have not heard, Dr. Stan Toler was elected yesterday to be District Superintendent of the Southwest Oklahoma District. He has accepted.

Hope you have a great Lord’s day with your church family! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-05-21T18:31:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

What a beautiful week in Northeast Oklahoma! Hope it stays that way over the holiday weekend! What do you have on the schedule for the weekend? Many of our students will be with a thousand other students at Extravaganza 09 at SNU. Whatever else you do (yard work, round of golf, etc.), I hope you have a barbeque with family or friends and an energizing worship experience with your church family.

Can you believe we are only 9 days away from our Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry? I know we will have hundreds of delegates and guests for the three days of conventions and assembly. I hope those who cannot join us for the business will make a special effort to join us for the three evening services. I am so excited about the services. Besides great music and preaching, we will stories of God’s work in our midst – youth making a difference, progress of three NewStart churches; “Cardboard Testimonies” from Celebrate Recovery (you will be talking about this for weeks!) and more.

My experience in two churches this week lifted my spirits. Sunday I had the privilege of attending one of our NewStart Churches – Connection Church, led by Pastor Brad Farnsworth. Do you ever wonder if our new preachers know how to communicate the holiness message to a young audience? If so, I wish you could have heard Brad preach on purity of heart in his “Happy Don’t Live Here” series last week! The message was compelling and clear. Thanks, Brad.

Wednesday night I went to the Wednesday night community dinner at Skiatook. After dinner and Pastor Jesse Madaffari’s devotional, I met with many of the congregation to discuss what God is doing within the congregation. I heard new families tell of coming and experiencing love and acceptance. I heard may ways this small church is making a big impact in this community with their love and sacrificial service. There is unity and harmony as they join hands in mission. Thanks, Jesse and the Skiatook family!

Here are pictures of recent visits: (I don’t have Skiatook yet!)

BA Connection, May 17, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJag&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

Owasso, May 10, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJSA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

Drumright, May 3, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJLg&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

And don’t forget to check out our website: http://neonaz.org/

Thanks to all of you who gave so generously to make sure our connectional budgets were paid! Do you ever wonder if paying your Pensions and Benefits budget really impacts anyone in NEO? Well, it does. This past year, as usual, we received more benefit dollars than we paid. NEO churches paid $155,315 this past year, but received benefits totaling $213,036. $143,514 was paid in Basic Pension benefits to our district ministers and widows; $53,500 was deposited in our minister’s Nazarene 403(b) accounts; $8,972 was used to pay life insurance claims and $3790 was given in emergency medical assistance.

THANKS FOR PAYING YOUR P & B BUDGET! IT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

AN OLD FARMER'S ADVICE

(provided to me by Mollie Myers)
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

*Keep skunks and bankers at a distance. (sorry Josh, Mike and others!)

*Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

* Don't judge folks by their relatives.

* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.--
Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

Have a blessed weekend! You are loved!

2009-05-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Have you taken time to praise God for His blessings today? Today, we can thank God for sunshine….and for the recent rain. We can rejoice that God is real and really cares about us, and has promised that He will not abandon us. As I count my blessings, my partners in ministry in Northeast Oklahoma are also high on my list!

I want you to share in my joy that the new NEO Website is almost complete. It will soon be switched over to our old web address, but for now it can be found at: http://neonaz.org/. Check it out and let us know any suggestions you have. A HUGE thanks to Ed Phillips, one of the lay leaders at Collinsville, for his work as our webmaster. Ed has voluntarily given his expertise and time and we greatly appreciate it. Gloria McKellips and Vicki Crossland have also worked hard to get info entered on the site.

We rejoice with Rhonda Kyncl of the OU Nazarene Student Center on successfully defending her dissertation a few days ago. She will be graduating on May 15 with a doctorate in English Composition, Rhetoric and Literacy. God has provided a full-time position on the OU campus. She will continue to work at the Writing Center on campus, but she also will be involved new faculty orientation and orientation for all new international graduate teaching assistants. Check out the 2:8 House and the OU Nazarene Student Center at http://www.28house.org/

Jim Kent pulled some ligaments around ribs last week.

Jesse Madaffari will be having double hernia surgery on Friday, May 22.

Ken and Diane Book have resigned from Okmulgee and are moving to Lubbock. Pray for the Books and the Okmulgee church during this time of transition.

Jonathan Martin, son of Phil and Debbie Martin (District NMI President) has been diagnosed with AAT Deficiency-related Emphysema. This is an inherited condition that is usually not diagnosed until a person is in their 30s or 40s. Jonathan has suffered severe damage to one of his lungs and there are signs of damage in the other lung. Specifically, we can pray that his body responds to the treatment. Usually, it is evident in the first transfusion whether the treatment will be effective. For more specific information on this disease, you can go to the website - http://www.alphaone.org/. Siblings Joy and Jarod will also be also be tested to see if they have the same condition.

Word in Due Season (from Family Research Council newsletter)
It was a speech so powerful and uncompromising that those in attendance couldn't help wishing that it had been broadcast to every church in America. With the nation in moral crisis, Christians everywhere are hungry for the kind of spiritual leadership that Archbishop Emeritus Raymond Burke brought to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Friday. With many from FRC in attendance, one of the most distinguished Catholic leaders delivered a call to conscience that deserves repeating.
"I come to you, not as someone who stands outside of our nation but as a citizen who... takes responsibility for the state of our nation and, therefore, cannot remain indifferent and inactive about what most concerns the good of us all... Over the past several months, our nation has chosen a path which more completely denies any legal guarantee of the most fundamental human right, the right to life, to the innocent and defenseless unborn. Our nation, which had its beginning in the commitment to safeguard and promote the inalienable right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" for all, without boundary, is more and more setting arbitrary limits to her commitment... With unparalleled arrogance, our nation is choosing to renounce its foundation upon the faithful... love of a man and a woman in marriage, and, in violation of what nature itself teaches us, to replace it with a so-called marital relationship, according to the definition of those who exercise the greatest power in our society... What those who were so enthused about the strong message of change and hope in the United States, delivered during the last election campaign, are now discovering is a consistent implementation of policies and programs which confirm and advance the culture of death, which can only finally leave our world without the Great Hope... The change which brings hope can only be the renewal of our nation in the divine love which respects the inviolable dignity of every human life...and which creates and gives growth to new human life through the love of man and woman in marriage. Any hope which is incoherent with the Great Hope is truly illusory and can never bring forth justice and its fruit--peace--for our nation and world."

Have a great weekend! You are loved!

Dave

2009-05-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

I want to thank all the local church leaders, especially our pastors, who are getting their annual reports in this week. It will only be a few days until we gather for our Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry.

Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry
May 31 – June 2
Tulsa Central Church of the Nazarene

NYI CONVENTION – Sunday, May 31, 3:00 – 5:00 pm

President Jonathan Odom is planning a time of inspiration, challenge and fun. Monte Cry, Global NYI President will speak.

GREAT COMMISSION RALLY- Sunday, May 31, 6:00 pm.

This service for all ages will feature lots of uplifting music and a focus on youth and mission. High School Graduates are asked to gather at 5:40pm to help carry in the flags of the nations. NEO Youth will be sharing about their involvement in God’s global mission. Monty Cry will be preaching.

NMI CONVENTION – Monday, June 1, 8:30 am.

President Debbie Martin is going to have many reports by video to keep everything moving and to celebrate accomplishments. Our Missionary, Monte Cyr, who has served in Africa and the Caribbean, will be featured.

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY –

Monday, June 1, 7:00 pm. This service will include exciting reports about how God is working through our three NewStarts of 2008-09. General Superintendent Nina Gunter will challenge us with a fresh look at the mission of the Church of the Nazarene.
Tuesday, June 2, 8:30 am. Dr. Nina Gunter, presiding and preaching. Report of our District Superintendent, Dave McKellips. Zone Cluster meetings where pastors will share accomplishments in 2008-09 and mission action plans for year ahead. Report of SNU President Loren Greshem. Brief but important business will also be conducted.
Tuesday, June 2, 7:00pm, Ordination Service. All those receiving their District license for the first time will be recognized. Those retiring will be honored. Dr. Nina Gunter will preach and we anticipate four pastors being ordained.

Many of the churches in NEO had an outstanding April statistically. Below are churches that led the way in numerical growth over last years stats:

NEO TOP LEADERS FOR APRIL

Sunday School/Discipleship
Family +138
Broken Arrow +79
Regency Park +61
Owasso Silver Creek +41
Muskogee First +37
Fuente de Vida +30
Drumright +23
Wagoner +21
Sand Springs +19
Bristow +15

AM WORSHIP
BA Connection +132
Broken Arrow +68
Glenpool SoCo +68
Regency Park +37
Muskogee First +36
Claremore +31
Fuente de Vida +30
Owasso Silver Creek +24
Bristow +23
Sand Springs +23

When asked what they are celebrating this month, pastors wrote:

I WANT TO CELEBRATE…

Don Nichols, Tahlequah…We want to celebrate Native American Camp Meeting. We partnered with 4 local churches to hold Native American Camp Meeting. We have experienced a great sense of community. The Corporate church is alive and well in Tahlequah, OK. God has visited our services and we have experienced Camp Meeting. People have been saved, friendships renewed and a Powerful sense of Community has developed.

Jeff Wooten, Wagoner…As most know our name has changed and is awaiting the assembly approval from Wagoner Church of the Nazarene to Cornerstone Community Church of the Nazarene. We now have an associate pastor and another young man that has just been locally licensed. We have 8 adults and 4 youth now helping in our growing children’s church program, and 3 more adults added for Wednesday night. We have had to add more people or the nursery because we can have up to 7 babies in there, another one just born, and another one will be here soon. I have been a part of and have been the pastor of growing churches, but I believe that we are doing it right. Steady and consistently. We actually had 15 signed up for the “HUGE” training day. Only 11 made it, but that has been unheard of in the past. God is healing marriages, touching hearts, blessing those who are ill, bringing em’ in, and finally going to ordain their pastor. Prayer requests: Good days come with good battles. Unspoken requests: Ball family, Long family, and Fontenot family. Spoken requests: Matt Wooten age 17 has two huge kidney stones, new baby “Ryland” mom is 44years old, Pat Keyes back surgery on the 28th, and Alan Robertson begins 44 days of radiation for prostate cancer on the 27th.

Jim Kent, Tulsa Southwest… receiving 5 more new members by profession of faith for a total of 14 new Nazarenes this year. I also want to celebrate a fantastic Easter service; the spirit of God was so evident. Many said it was the best Easter service we’ve ever had.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa… The baptism of 4 believers. An encouraging pastoral review and commitment to a bright future.

Gordon Smith, Dewey…We are assembling our first ever, in the history of our church, a missions trip. We are going to the Dominican Republic, and has provided above and beyond the money that we need for the trip. We had a fund raiser selling Indian Taco’s to the community, and many other fund raisers that have exceeded our expectations. We are looking forward to what God is going to do, and we are thankful for what he has already done! We had a tremendous Maundy Thursday Service that we call “In the Valley of the Shadows”. It was a very intimate, meditative, and moving service that greatly prepared our hearts for Easter! It was truly a beautiful service! We had a men’s camping retreat on the farm of one of our members, and the men just had a refreshing time of fellowship.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Great services every Sunday of the month, plus during Holy Week as well. Visitor flow seems to be picking up (which is what we were hoping for with our invite3 emphasis), and it appears we’ll be able to close year with all denominational assessments met w/out tapping any emergency or contingency funds. I know I keep saying this, but I really feel we are about to turn a corner to where the sense of God’s presence with us is going to be more obvious and apparent instead of being somewhat behind-the-scenes.

David Stevens, Vinita… I thank God for all His blessings! He has been with us and helped us through difficult times in the past year. Budgets are paid. The spirit and attitude of the people of Vinita Nazarene is great. Our children’s ministries and teen ministries have grown and become more effective in the past year. The Sunrise Service on Easter helped our attendance be a little higher.

JJ James, Claremore…God moved in a powerful way in our revival services with Dr. Chic Shaver. In fact, people have been standing up and testifying in every service since the revival. In the past several weeks we have heard over 20 testimonies of how God has changed lives. One of those is from a man who was an atheist. He attended our church for two months just to explore the claims of Christianity. He was saved during revival. There is another couple who were jobless, homeless, and without a car. We helped them find a home, job, and car. They came to my office a couple of days after revival. They asked Jesus into there heart and decided they wanted to start there walk with the Lord right, so I married them that same day. We had another record attendance on Easter Sunday and six people were baptized. Then we had Jeff and Sheri Easter in concert the next Sunday PM with a record attendance of 450! God is sure blessing!

Angela Bentley, Bristow… I want to celebrate a wonderful Easter season. We had a beautiful Good Friday service and attendance at our Easter worship service was 98. There is a new sense of expectancy and anticipation of what God is doing in and through us. We are experiencing a spiritual renewal, there are visitors in almost every service, and an atmosphere of excitement and eagerness to serve has become absolutely contagious! God is so good and faithful!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life…Two ‘New Life’ baptisms and receiving 4 ‘New Lifers’ into membership.

Stephen Hundley, Cleveland… Averaging in the mid 40’s in our Community Groups. Seeing new families come and get involved in our groups. Deeper spiritual growth happening with many in our Community Groups! A sense of community.
Rodney Durr, Muskogee First… We received 17 new members this month, 15 of whom are new Nazarenes, bringing the total new members to 22 for the year, 20 of which are POF. Three new families started coming since Easter, and two of them have had their names added to the contribution record.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… We had a list of goals for our church this past year and we have accomplished most of them.

It is great to be a part of the NEO team! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-04-29T13:29:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

The District training day last Saturday was a HUGE success!!! Our thanks to Tim Odom, SS/Discipleship Chairman, Rodney Durr, Adult Ministries Director, Jonathan Odom, NYI President and Ken Wheeler, Children’s Ministries Leader and their gifted teams for an outstanding day. I have heard positive comment after positive comment from the children, youth and adult workers who attended. It is wonderful to exceed expectations!

Next year’s training event is scheduled for Saturday, April 24. Give us your suggestions for how we can make it beneficial for you and your church.

Gloria and I took some pictures at the Training Event and at recent church visits. I hope you enjoy them:

Family Church, April 19, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTI0A&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

Pryor Church, April 26, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTJDA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharshar

District Training Day, Broken Arrow, April 25, 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTI8g

Pastor Jake Reese has resigned from the Pryor Church and will be moving to Kansas City in June. Pray for Jake, Christy and their beautiful girls as they move and for the Pryor Church as they search for a new lead pastor.

Report of Jerry Wilburg, District Work and Witness Coordinator, regarding recent trip to Ukraine:
During our work and witness trip we were pleased to be working at the Church of Vinnitsa, Ukraine. We worked hard, slept little, and ate great Ukrainian food. Each day we would start out with a sharing time, our team along with the guys from the Nikiforovski rehab center working with us and the girls from the Cellishe Rehab center who were there helping with meal preparations. We would share a testimony and then they would share one of theirs.

What we heard and saw was an amazing outpouring of God's grace and power to redeem us from Habits of Chemical dependency and the crimes it brings. Time and time again, we were just blown away by the work that God is doing in a group of people who we might consider to be "new" Christians. They have been empowered by the Missions team on location (Cliff Wright and Bob Skinner) and turned loose to do a mighty work. They are going back to the prisons, by-ways, slums, sewers, and whereever to find those victims of this ugly problem. And God is showing them His awesome power to set these people who are desperately searching for a God shaped hole to be filled in their lives but looking in the wrong places. Everyone was deeply touched by the experience

Pastor Roma wanted to send a note of thanks to all the churches of our district, since all have contributed to sending this District led team out to their location. This is the letter:

Dear Jerry and brothers and sisters in Christ!
Vinnitsa Church of the Nazarene greets you with love in Christ.We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you. This April we were honored to host a Work and Witness Team from Oklahoma state. It was a big blessing to us. These people have shown us a genuine example of Christian life in their love, gentleness, devotion and labor.We thank our Lord Jesus Christ that we can be part of such a wonderful big family, as Church of the Nazarene is. We are grateful to you that you keep us in your prayers and support us financially.We believe that our fruitful fellowship will continue. We love you and pray for you all.May God bless you.
Sincerely yours,
Pastor R.Lebedev and Vinnitsa Church of the Nazarene, Ukraine.

Pastor Don Nichols reports on the recent Native American Camp Meeting in Tahlequah:
What a Great Camp Meeting we have been enjoying. We have partnered with four churches in our community to Host Native American Camp Meeting. I have experienced what the early pioneers of our church must have experienced in Camp Meeting. God Is Real!!!

Southern Nazarene University's Extravaganza for students is fast approaching (May 22-25). Early ONLINE registrations are due May 1st. After May 1st there are late fees. All information can be accessed at extravaganzamerge.com. There are some changes to Extravaganza, so you should go there and check it out. For example, this year’s Extravaganza is offering housing in the SNU dorms (first come, first served). Also, there are lots of other new things to make it a really fun weekend. We plan to compete as Northeast Oklahoma NYI in as many sports as students are interested in. So far, we have students committing to Senior High Girls Basketball, Senior High Boy’s Basketball and Senior High Girl’s Volleyball. If pastors or youthworkers know of any other students who will be attending Extravaganza and who are planning to play a sport, please let me, or District NYI President, Jonathan Odom, know as soon as possible. This will help us to secure coaches and prepare for a great time!

Thanks very much,
Kay Vernier
Extravaganza Puttin’-It-Together-Person
Sapulpa Church
224-0300
Email – kvernier@sbcglobal.net

Or Jonathan Odom
District NYI President
Broken Arrow First
455-3550
Email – JonathanO@banazarene.org

God's best to each of you!
Dave McKellips

2009-04-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO Nazarene family,

I was at Nazarene Publishing House this week for our Annual Board of Directors meeting. NPH is committed to becoming the leading provider of innovative biblical solutions for the changing church. I was impressed to hear of the innovations being made in Word Action Curriculum and Lillenas Music to deliver products in a way that appeals to a contemporary audience. I brought home a few new products that you may want to check out from the Resource Room: Christianity 101 and Articles of Faith are two new small group series; the kingdom experiment is a new product of The House studio, “publishing the conversation”.

Speaking of Lillenas Publishing Company, did you realize Lillenas is a winner again this year at the 2009 Gospel Music Association's (GMA) Annual Dove Awards. This is the 40th year the GMA has held its annual Dove Awards competition.Lillenas received a Dove Award for its Youth/Children's Musical, "An Island Christmas." The musical was created by Wayne Haun, Shelby Haun, and Joel Lindsey.Lillenas also was named a co-recipient of a Dove Award for best Southern Gospel Recorded Song. "Reason Enough" appears on the Dream On album, which was produced by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. The words and music were written by Ernie Haase, Joel Lindsay, and Wayne Haun. It was co-produced with the Gaither Musical Group. Wayne Haun, Lillenas' exclusive songwriter, won 12 Dove Awards this year. Tim Curtis, director of Lillenas Publishing Company, said, "We are thrilled to be a winner at the Dove Awards again this year. Lillenas is blessed to have talented people creating tremendous music, and it is an honor for our company and these people to be recognized."

Sunday is Southern Nazarene Sunday. I was on the campus last Monday and give thanks for the dedicated faculty, staff and administration who are shaping minds and hearts at SNU.

Jeremiah Matthew Lawrence was born on 4-19-09 at 4:40AM. He is 19" tall and was 7lb 5oz at birth. Mother and baby are doing fine. Parents are Gaylen and Corrie Lawrence. They live in Houston, TX. area. This makes grandchild # 3 for David and Carol Stevens. Grandmother Stevens is in Houston to help out for several days. God is good all the time!

Looking forward to a great training day tomorrow at Broken Arrow with over 110 preregistered.

Sunday is the last day of our statistical year. I appreciate the effort of our pastors, church treasurers and departmental leaders to get the report completed by May 4.

Grace and peace,
Dave McKellips

2009-04-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

These have been exciting and busy days. I have heard and read many wonderful reports of your Easter celebrations. Aren’t we grateful for the cross and the price paid for our redemption! And aren’t we thankful for the victory over death that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Our HUGE TRAINING DAY on the District is less than a week away - April 25 at Broken Arrow Church. Wouldn't it be great to have 100 children's workers, 30 youth workers and 100 adult workers and 20 church treasurers from across NEO experiencing the fresh ideas, encouragment and inspiration that this day is planned to provide? Wouldn't it be awesome if you were there? The advance registration fee is only $6 and includes lunch. Register with Pastortodom@Collinsville-Nazarene.com

Our Work and Witness group in Ukraine sends this report: Just a quick update to let you know how things are going here. First of all, everyone is safe and the work is progressing well. The building won't be finished while we're here, but we're working on the construction of a 4-story area that will be the extension to the church. The facility will be used to house the women from the Celishe women's rehab center and provide an additional room (basement) for a prayer room. We participated with them tonight in a Good Friday church service (this is an Orthodox church area, so Easter is celebrated a week after ours). Sunday is Easter Sunday and we'll participate with them for their Easter service. The ladies from the Celishe center are preparing our meals and the guys from the rehab center here in Vinnitsa are helping us with the construction. We've heard testimonies from several individuals, each one is very powerful, some of those we will bring back on video. In short, the trip is very successful at helping us learn what is going on in the Ukraine church.

Let me give a word of encouragement to all of you who present Missionary lessons to your church. You never know how God is going to use your lesson. I heard Dr. Ben Carson, renowned Pediatric Neurosurgeon, speak last week at the Peer Learning Network of Southern Nazarene University. Dr. Carson was asked why he wanted to be a doctor growing up? He answered that as a kid, he listened to missionary stories. Missionary doctors seemed to be the most noble people on earth -offering life and hope back to people – and a dream was born in his heart while living in a poverty and crime filled inner city.

Troy Farmer writes: Would you remind churches that I will be picking up Crisis Care Kits at the District Assembly. I will deliver them to the warehouse in PA in July.

6th ARMM (Association of Retired Ministers and Missionaries) Retreat, October 20 – 23, 2009 in Branson. I encourage local churches will be support these wonderful and deserving servants of Christ and the church. Go to http://www.armmnaz.com/ for details on the retreat.

CCN PRESENTS “TOWN HALL FOR HOPE” WITH DAVE RAMSEY!

This is a FREE LIVE EVENT!

April 23, 2009 at 7:00pm at
Claremore and Central Churches of the Nazarene.

What is Town Hall for Hope?
It is your opportunity to sit down with people in your community for a nationwide town hall meeting led by Dave Ramsey. Thousands of venues across the country will host the event, broadcasting Dave's live presentation. In the opening half hour, Dave will offer straight talk about the economy, recession, foreclosures and more. He'll carefully explain where we've come from, where we are now, and what we should be doing with our money during this time. Then, Dave will spend an hour answering your questions live! Go to http://www.townhallforhope.com/ for more information.

Did you see Sam Bradford on the 700 Club this week? If not, check it out at this link: http://www.cbn.com/media/index.aspx?s=/archive/club/700club041509

I made it through March Madness and was so proud to have my bracket only be beaten by 201, 288 other people (tough on a guy who is competitive!). Several others do have significant events to celebrate:

Pastor Jim Thornton and Pastor Rodney Amos will be graduating with a Masters in Ministry from Southern Nazarene University on May 9.
Heather Bryant will receive her Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary on May 10.
Duane Cox had knee replacement surgery this week. It went well and he is already home.
Caden Adams Lauhon was born last week weighing 8 pounds, 1 oz and was 20 inches long. Caden, Cassie (Mom), Chris (Dad) and grandparents, Bud and Linda are doing fine.
Don Cowan had a positive pastoral review at Sapulpa.

Our District Secretary, Jim Thornton, will be going to be with his Dad in New Mexico as he has a very serious surgery. I know Jim would appreciate your prayers.

It is great to be a part of the NEO team with you! Have a blessed weekend!

Dave McKellips

2009-04-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

Wasn’t last Saturday exciting! Rain, sleet, and 6 – 8 inches of snow following an 80 degree day; Kids Mission Day with almost 50 brave souls getting out despite the conditions; Nominating Committee and Coaches meeting; pastors facing questions about having services on Sunday! Want to try it all again tomorrow?

It is great to read about all the exciting plans being made for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday in NEO churches. I pray that God will bless your efforts to reach out to your community during the next 9 days! I pray that you will have many seekers at your services and that they will be exposed to clear teaching on the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection! And I pray they will sense the power that raised Christ from the dead in your lives and services!

HUGE DISTRICT TRAINING DAY, April 25 at Broken Arrow. Outstanding workshops planned for those who work with Children, Youth and Adults. In addition, there will also be a workshop with helps for Local Church Treasurers and another for Pastors as they prepare their Annual Report. We encourage churches to load up People Movers, Vans and Cars for a wonderful time of enrichment, encouragement and connection with others who are trying to make a difference in local church ministry. Lunch is included and the registration is only $6 if received by April 17.

The session for Treasurers will address the following:
1. Church Reporting Requirements: Basic Tax Forms
2. Receipting for Charitable Contributions
3. Accountable Expense Reimbursement Plans
4. The Pastor's Report and Fund Assignments
4. Understanding Housing Allowances
5. Reporting to the Church Board
6. Structuring Advantageous Ministerial Compensation Packages
7. Proper accounting procedures ; division of responsibilities; checks needed to prevent misuse of funds.

I hope you are planning to bring your youth group to Regional Extravaganza at SNU May 22-25! It is going to be an awesome weekend of fun competition, incredible worship experiences with special guest OneTimeBlind, and the chance to connect with others from the NEO District and South Central Region.

Many of you have had questions about the schedule since the timing of the event is going to be a bit different this year. Extrav will take place Friday night (22) – Monday morning (25). A schedule of the event will be posted on the website soon. You can access the Extravaganza webpage by going to http://www.nyi-snu.org/ or http://www.extravaganzamerge.com/.

Following is a list of NEO attendance leaders in March, 2009 verses April, 2008:

Sunday School/ Bible Study
Tulsa Family +108
Bristow +22
Wagoner +19
Tulsa First +16
Drumright +13
Hominy +11
Dewey +8
Horton Chapel +7
Skiatook +6
Chelsea +5

AM Worship
BA Connection +103
Claremore +26
Drumright +26
Wagoner +16
Bristow +13
Dewey +13
Skiatook +9
Bartlesville +9
Owasso Silver Creek +7
Chelsea +5

I WANT TO CELEBRATE. . . . . (from Pastor's monthly report)

Gordon Smith, Dewey…“Fireproof Your Marriage” series is still going really well, and we have had tremendous turnout for it. People are growing, marriages are being strengthened. Mike Ellis became a member of our church this month.

Jim Kent, Tulsa Southwest… receiving 9 new members by profession of faith.

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek…We have a family going through a difficult time. Our church has stepped up and poured out God's love in an amazing way.I am privileged to Pastor this great church.

David Stevens, Vinita… Several we were praying for were back in church March 28, including one member who has been home-bound for months! God is faithful to answer our prayers. Our teen group attended Acquire the Fire in Tulsa and more than one said, “It was a life-changing experience.” Our Wednesday night Caravan and Teen groups are going very well and we had 51 total attendance on Wednesday night March 4. Teen sponsors are also excited and are planning a Spin Lock-in. The board voted to call Ben Stevens as Youth Pastor.

Gerald “JJ” James, Claremore…. Construction on our Family Life Center and Parking Lot is moving along well. Our Celebrate Recovery Program has been accredited and is now a nationally recognized Celebrate Recovery. This week we are enjoying the ministry of Dr. Chic Shaver in our Spiritual Renewal Services.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Really good services, even though Spring Break and snowstorms clobbered us numerically. We’re also starting to get some visitor flow as part of our invite3 emphasis.

Stephen Hundley, Cleveland…Our Community Dinners are ever growing with 86 and 96 the last to events. Also, our Sunday evening attendance has grown, since moving to a small group format. We have gone from around 25 in attendance to mid 40’s. Praise God!

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… Life Groups continue to be an amazing success. We’re almost averaging the same attendees at Life Groups as we have on our Sunday morning worship service. Hearing reports how God is using these small groups to develop connectedness with God and between life group attendees.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… our church has been focusing on several financial goals this year. We met another one of our financial goals this month by fully funding our emergency fund. We also collected $201.08 for the Alabaster offering. Some members thought this was one of the highest amounts for our church in recent memory. We also met our goal of missionary books read for the year.

Jim Wilson, Barnsdall… Looking forward to celebrating Easter with the Pawhuska Church. No service last week due to inclement weather.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska….We are preparing for a children's crusade in May, Biker Breakfast in May, and an additional Bible study has formed on Wednesday night.

Claude Guy, Sand Springs… No matter what our circumstances may be, loss of a loved one, decrease in health, crazy weather, trying economic times, uncertainty of the future - one thing we can be certain of is the power and strength of the One who holds our hand. The Spirit of Christ has filled our services and touched our hearts. By the grace of God, prayers have been answered, new ministries started and financial giving remains strong. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and for His people who continue to be faithful to Him and the work of His Church.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… God’s goodness and faithfulness to us. We now have a new pianist and a new worship team is forming! Our services have been blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit and there is a great sense of love and unity within our body. Many are involved in projects or programs aimed at fulfilling our purpose this Easter season – bringing others to Christ!

Alan McBroom, Davenport…We had a great inaugural kids initiative Wed, Mar. 25th called "Healthy Habits For Healthy Kids". We've set it up like a VBS programs with different stations the kids go to. We teach exercise, nutrition, and spiritually healthy habits in a fun way. My daughter Sabrina even wanted to have it again (which is a huge endorsement!) everyday. The kids were excited, the workers were excited, and we even got positive feedback from parents. For instance, all the kids, even the picky eaters, went home saying they tried and liked zucchini! Isn't this a program every Mom and Grandmother would be proud of?!

Don Cowan, Sapulpa… Crazy Love Spring Harvest, salvation of the lost, and Community Love projects. Continued presence of God in our worship services.

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills… Lots of new babies. (none of which are in the Thornton house!) I graduate with a Masters of Arts in Church Leadership next month!

Hope you have a blessed (and sunshine filled) weekend!
Dave McKellips

2009-03-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

Dear NEO family,

What a great time to be a Christian! In the midst of so much uncertainty and shifting sand, isn’t it great to build our lives upon the Solid Rock!

What a privilege it is for me to visit the wonderful churches in NEO! The past two Sundays I was at Miami New Life and Tulsa Hills. I conducted pastoral reviews with both churches and Pastor Casey Hollingsworth and Pastor Jim Thornton had excellent reviews. Pastor Thornton spoke during the review of his desire for God to be big in his life, in the lives of the Board and the whole church. What a great pursuit! What would that mean in your life? Your church? May God be BIG in our lives today.

Witnessing Without Fear Seminar
Saturday, March 28, 9am – 1pm
Claremore Church of the Nazarene
Dr. Charles “Chic” Shaver

Topics include:
How to get close to unsaved people
How to tell when people are open to your witness
How much do you say?
How to approach people with confidence.

Naomi Hemphill has sent the following schedule for Missionaries speaking in NEO:

Daryll and Verna Stanton (Kenya)
Mar. 22 a.m.------------Miami New Life
22 p.m.-------------Cleveland
24------------------Tahlequah
25------------------Horton Chapel
26------------------Sand Springs
27------------------Claremore (zone)
28------------------Kid's Mission Day (9 a.m.-12 noon)
29 a.m.,p.m.--------Sapulpa

Don and Cheryl Cox
Apr. 26 a.m.------------Collinsville
26 p.m.-------------Owasso Silver Creek

Caring for Your Congregation’s Mental Health
The 3 D’s: Depression, Dementia and Delusions
Friday, March 27, 8:30am – 2pm
University Village, 8555 S. Lewis, Tulsa
Free seminar and lunch

Men’s Iron Man Breakaway
Friday, March 20
Break-A-Way will include a meal, music, ministry, and games.
Times: Golf Tournament – 11:00am til 5:30pm
Meal time: 6:30 – 7:30pm
Music & Ministry: 7:45 – 9:00pm.
Games: 9:00pm until whenever (includes: Volley ball, basketball, dominoes & board games) “bring you own dominoes or board games”
Location— BROKEN ARROW CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 401 W. New Orleans, Broken Arrow, OK 74011
Cost ‐‐ $15 per person
Dead line for entry – Wednesday, March 18th.
Golf Tournament entry deadline – Monday, March 16th.

God's best to you!
Dave McKellips

2009-02-28T12:46:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

These are exciting days on the NEO District. I spoke with a pastor today who told me they have had the altars filled in their church every Sunday for weeks. A layperson at another church told me their pastor had preached one of the most memorable sermons he had ever heard last Sunday. He told me God’s presence was all over the service. Another pastor texted last week to report encouraging trends in worship attendance.

I know these are challenging days in our world and many of you are experiencing financial, health, or relational stressors, but God is still on the throne and working in the midst of his people! Read the “I want to Celebrate…” comments of our pastors to have additional reasons to rejoice:

I WANT TO CELEBRATE. . . .

David Steven, Vinita …I am thankful to be able to serve God in the Church of the Nazarene. I am thankful for the people of Vinita Nazarene. The Pastoral Review was overwhelming and humbling. These are great people and I pray that God will use us to make a great impact on Vinita.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… In addition to a positive review with the board, I’m really excited that a number of our people stepped up and committed to giving one Sunday every three months to prayer during the Sunday School hour. Joel Heid is going to coordinate this effort, as we are taking tangible steps to develop a tide of corporate prayer as a part of the ministry DNA of the church.

Gordon Smith, Dewey…Virgil Stevens asked Jesus Christ into his heart! We have been praying for him for some time now. “Fireproof Your Marriage” series has really gone well, and we have had tremendous turnout for it. We have had a number of people from the community attend and people are growing in Christ. “Dinner with Jesus” Communion Service. This is an intimate communion service that we do during Valentine’s weekend where we decorate the sanctuary like an elegant restaurant and it is a very intimate setting to get in touch with Jesus, and so many people were touched and strengthened. It was very touching.

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills…13 people being trained for the Congregational Care Team. VERY proactive steps having been taken by the board to bi-vocational philosophy.

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea… our church has been focusing on several financial goals this year. We met one of our goal of paying our budgets in full by February.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… We have had a number of new children in church for Sunday School.

Casey Hollingsworth, Miami New Life… This is a celebration and also something we’re doing to be a high-impact church. We finally kicked off our ‘Life Groups’ this month with all groups meeting on Sunday nights. Our goal was 80% attendance and we had 85% attendance the first night of our small group ministry with 97 in attendance. Had several in attendance who would not normally come to Sunday School or a Sunday evening church service. The early reports were very positive with relationships between God and each other being strengthened. We’re very excited about Life Groups and look forward to the things God is going to do through them!

Stephen Hundley, Cleveland… Our Community Dinner, every other Friday, has grown from averaging 45 to averaging 70. We only began a little less than a year ago.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… Many in the Bristow family have been praying for Elton Roberts, the husband of one of our members, for years. On Feb. 13th I had the privilege of praying with Elton in his home as he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior! We have joined the rejoicing in heaven for Elton. I also want to celebrate the amazing growth we are experiencing, both numerically and more importantly spiritually. God is faithful and good!

Phil Buck, Grove Lakewood Community…We had the best crowd last Sunday that we have had all winter. Our new Thursday morning midweek service is going well too. We had 19 last week. Compared to the Wednesday evening service, that is more than double.

J.J. James, Claremore…We started construction on our new Family Center and Parking Lot this month!!!

Don Nichols, Tahlequah…We want to celebrate the Native American Camp Meeting scheduled for April 20 to April 26, 2009.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa….Crazy Love Spring Harvest and continued presence of God in our worship services.

Brad Farnsworth, Connection Church… We have organized Connection Groups, beginning with 5 initial groups which will meet in homes during the week, and the beginning of our Connection Youth Ministry on March 1.

NEO TOP LEADERS in Attendance Growth (Feb. 09 over Feb. 08)
Sunday School
Tulsa Family +103
Tulsa Fuente de Vida +55
Claremore +39
Sand Springs +16
Bristow +15
Dewey +15
Drumright +15
Owasso Silver Creek +14
Tulsa First +13
Locust Grove +10

AM Worship
Connection Church + 130
Claremore +50
Fuente de Vida +40
Owasso Silver Creek +32
Collinsville +27
Sand Springs +24
Bristow +22
Dewey +20
Broken Arrow +17
Tulsa Central +8
Horton Chapel +6

And for those of you who like pictures, following are pictures from some recent NEO events:

Pastor's/Spouses Breakaway
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTIlA&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

Chandler
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTIeg&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

Tomorrow I will be at Miami and will meet with their Board for a Pastoral Review. Then on Monday thru Thursday, Gloria and I will be speaking at the Joplin Distict Ministers’ and Mates’ Retreat. This is a new experience for us and we welcome your prayers. On Thursday evening I will begin teaching a nine week class on “History and Polity of the Church of the Nazarene” in our Oklahoma School of Ministry. Contact me or Bill Hilton if you want to attend.

It is a joy to serve alongside you! You are loved!

Dave McKellips

2009-02-19T22:36:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

It is 10:30pm on Thursday evening. I am sending out emails following a 4 ½ hour District Advisory Board Meeting. A highlight of this meeting was reports by several of our NewStart pastors.

Brad Farnsworth of Connection Church shared of the recent surge in attendance as they reach out to the unchurched and dechurched with a message of hope. Brad will be baptizing 5 – 6 people in a few weeks. The church had 177 in attendance two Sundays ago.(Connection Church has a 24 foot U-Haul truck they would like to sell. Contact Brad if interested.)
Doug Gunsalus of South County Community Church shared stories of recent conversions and of 5 people responding to a sanctification message.
Our Hispanic Coordinator, Otoniel Dannemman brought Pastor Saul and Rosa Ramirez, pastors of our new Hispanic Church at Faith. The church has grown to 30 people in just a few months. Pastor Melissa King and her husband are working to make contacts for a new Hispanic Church in Claremore. There are 21 students in training to be pastors and leaders in our Hispanic churches.

Each year, the Church of the Nazarene sends a number of college and university students to minister cross culturally in areas around the world through the dynamic ministry of Youth in Mission. Kendra Hansen, a member of Tulsa Central, is one of 70 students selected to participate this year. Kendra will be serving in Saipan.

District Women's Ministry Director,Gloria McKellips, sent me a wonderful video Lynne Peterson created for the BA First Church to help advertise our district women's retreat, "Fill My Cup, Lord"!

http://www.banazarene.com/water.wmv

Gloria says, "I met yesterday with Pam Wheeler and Kelli Odom who are enthusiastically leading our fellowship time after the first session. We are going to have a huge bunko party with added surprises! I think it'll be great fun. If you've never played bunko...it's easy. Trust me. I have to refresh my memory every time I play it because I don't very often, and it's easy to learn.

"After meeting with Pam and Kelli and then speaking with Cyndi this week and the Lord gave me a fresh excitement for the retreat. Cyndi has such a message of hope...and is a wonderful communicator. You will be glad you came! I needed that fresh excitement. Sometimes when I'm covered up in details or feeling the weight of the signed contracts, I forget to remember that God is doing His thing in the midst of all the preparation and commitments. I hope to see all of you there!"

Women's Retreat 2009
March 6 & 7
Doubletree Hotel Downtown Tulsa
Speaker: Cyndi Lamb
Early Bird Registration: February 23, $40
After February 23, $50
www.centralchurch.tv/connect2central/adults/women/documents/FillMyCupLordRegistrationFormandSchedule.pdf

http://www.centralchurch.tv/connect2central/adults/women/documents/2009RetreatPoster.pdf

Dave Kyncl, Director of 2:8 House and the OU Nazarene Student Center writes: Anyone interested in receiving monthly updates can sign up for the newsletter by visiting our website at http://www.28house.org/.

Congratulations to Pastor John Whitsett of Central Church and Pastor David Stevens of Vinita Church on positive Pastoral Reviews this month.

Lou Burch was going home today after having surgery early this week.

We will have a Pastor's Breakaway on Saturday at Tulsa Family Church. Pray that it will be refreshing and rewarding for our pastors!

Next week I will be at Nazarene Bible College for the annual Board of Trustees meeting. Pray for President Harold Graves and our NBC leadership team.

Let's also pray for Family Church as they search for a Lead Pastor.

You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2009-02-09T10:07:00.000-06:00

Women's Retreat 2009

March 6 & 7

Doubletree Hotel Downtown Tulsa

Speaker: Cyndi Lamb

Early Bird Registration: February 23, $40

After February 23, $50

http://www.centralchurch.tv/connect2central/adults/women/documents/FillMyCupLordRegistrationFormandSchedule.pdf

http://www.centralchurch.tv/connect2central/adults/women/documents/2009RetreatPoster.pdf

Dear NEO Family,

I got back from the Denominational Leader's Conference Wednesday evening. We enjoyed good services with our General Superintendent's preaching on different aspects of holiness. B J Johnston did a wonderful dramatization of John Wesley, "The Man From Aldersgate". We had presentations on the Nazarene Future, especially related to the stucture of the Global Ministry Center and the General Board, and on changes in Pensions and Benefits so that we can continue to "Honor the Trust, Serviing Those who Serve" in these changing economic times.

I met with Tulsa Family Church Board for the fourth time on Thursday evening. What a great Board and Staff we have at this church. Continue to pray for them as they search for a new Lead Pastor.

Connection Church had 170 in attendance last Sunday. We rejoice in the way God is blessing and using Pastor Brad Farnsworth and this congregation that is only about six months old!

Pastor Geoff Gunter and Jenny Reynold’s mother, Ila Mae Gunter, will be having some surgery on her arm on Tuesday. She has an infection in it and they are going to clean it out.
Pray for her and that it will heal after the procedure is complete.

Lou Burch will be having major surgery on Monday. Pray for succesful surgery and patience and strength for Lou, Pastor Gerald and the boys during the recovery.

Here are some pictures from recent events or visits by the DS:

Family Church Feb. 1 http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTHzg

Spiritual Renewal Weekend http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTH7A&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

Tulsa Zone http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTIPg&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview

Northwest Zone http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTIHA

Annual Report for 2008
Of Manna House Ministries
4921 E. Admiral Pl.
Tulsa, OK 74115
918-836-5541

The Nazarenes of Northeast Oklahoma are passionate about making a difference in the world. We believe in serving others. Contributions from Nazarenes make possible the administration of NEO Compassionate Ministries (dba Manna House Ministries). Following the example of Jesus, Manna House seeks to clothe, feed, counsel and offer a prayer ministry.

We have given out Bibles, Christian books, magazines and other gospel literature provided by the Nazarene Church. Some of the individuals we pray with are Christians and they also pray for us. We refer individuals to the Nazarene churches. Most of our Manna House staff will pray with individuals. We have Rev. Doug Dawson and Rev. Debbie Simpson working with Manna House as pastors.

During 2008 our staff prayed with 139 people (actually more as we forget to note the situation). We had 3 people accept Christ. We gave out 77 bibles. Truly we are making a difference in people’s lives and the Tulsa community. We are giving a cup of “cold water” in Jesus name.

Our clients come in, and many are in dire need of food, clothing, and sometimes it is dishes or other household items. It gives our volunteer staff the opportunity to tell them about the goodness of God, they are loved, and Christ answers prayers.

We had a child’s bicycle provided to us and we gave it to an 8 year old boy who didn’t get a bicycle for Christmas, as his parents couldn’t afford to buy one. We invite you to come and visit with our clients, see the needs and maybe pray with them.

I appreciate your kind support. As 2008 has come to a close I often look back and realize how faithful God has been to us. The people we are able to help and pray with is rewarding. Pray for Manna House, our staff, the people we serve and our finances.

For 2008 we served a total of 3,449 families or households. We served 11,137 individuals, this is an increase of 2,447 individuals over 2007. We share the love of Christ as people grapple with grim economic news and search for answers.

You can understand with this increase we need our volunteers and your donations. Yes, we also need larger facilities.

We are very appreciative of the individuals who bring food from the grocery store two days per week. They are with the Broken Arrow Nazarene church. We have a couple who are faithful to go the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for weekly picking up of grocery items. We have volunteers who work with the clothing and household items. Our dedicated staff performs many duties. We praise the Lord for their perseverance and faithfulness.

If you know of an individual, business, or church that has a pick-up truck to donate, we need one. The pick-up I use is a 1987 and 23 years old. We need a replacement. The pick-up bed must be a standard width to accommodate the pallets loaded at the food bank. A small pick-up (ie: Ford Ranger) will not handle a standard size pallet. Would you please make this a matter of prayer.

Manna House Ministries thanks the children’s department of Broken Arrow Nazarene church for their assistance several times in 2008. Our thanks to Sapulpa Nazarene church for the 172 pairs of jeans donated in celebrating the Nazarene 100 Year Anniversary. The financial aid from the churches and individuals is a must – otherwise Manna House would cease to exist.

If you would like for the director, Howard Essary or one of our volunteers to come to your church or a Sunday School class and speak, please let us know.

Manna House – 836-5541
Howard Essary – 274-8242 (home – the easiest way to reach us)

“Praise God from whom all Blessings flow”.

In the service of the King,

Howard Essary Director

As I recently re-read Pastor Rick Warren's inauguration invocation, I was impressed, and blessed. Here are some excerpts from his prayer:

Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of You.
We celebrate a hinge point in history with the inauguration of our first African-American President of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility ...

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You, forgive us.

... May we have a new birth of clarity in our aims ... humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

May we never forget that, one day, all nations and all people will stand accountable before You.

Amen! Have a blessed weekend!

Dave McKellips

2009-02-03T17:15:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

I want to make sure you are aware of the fact that General Superintendent Emeritus John A. Knight died in his sleep February 1, in his home in Daytona Beach, Florida. Click below for more information on this giant man of faith:

http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=16859812&msgid=264695&act=REA5&c=254762&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncnnews.com%2Fnphweb%2Fhtml%2Fncn%2Farticle.jsp%3Fsid%3D10000023%26id%3D10006758

I want to thank you for your support of Spiritual Renewal Weekend. Our attendance, offering and public response to the altar calls were all excellent! Many have reported how helpful the Devotional Guides and Zone Prayer Clusters were. I remind you that SRW is designed to benefit our local churches. Please contact me or a member of the SRW committee to let us know what was helpful and what you would like to see changed, added or deleted to make the SRW more beneficial to your local congregation. Next year we have Susie Shellenberger scheduled for January 29 - 31, 2010. Worship leaders and children's workers have not been selected.

As you probably know, our NYI had a 30 Hour Famine event along with SRW. NYI President Jonathan Odom report the following:
We had 243 students and 25 sponsors, which totals 268.
We raised a total of 3,369.11 for the Famine.
We had 15 churches involved.
We collected 7 boxes of grape jelly, spaghetti noodles, and beans.
Way to go, NYI!

Did your team win the Super Bowl? I was cheering for the underdog Cardinals, but it was sure a great game. Most of the Super Bowl ads were not that impressive to me. Did you see the Super Bowl ad that was rejected by NBC? The 30-second ad can be viewed at CatholicVote.org.

The church must continue to battle for the dignity of human life.
"Upon knowing God, I realize that my case, which legalized abortion on demand, was the biggest mistake of my life. You read about me in history books, but now I am dedicated to spreading the truth about preserving the dignity of all human life — from natural conception to natural death." — Norma McCorvey, the former Jane Roe of the infamous Roe v. Wade, in a current television commercial speaking out against abortion.

We have some wonderful reports from our pastors this month. Let me share the top numerical gainers, along with some of the ways God is working that numbers alone cannot tell.

NEO TOP LEADERS JAN 09

Sunday School/Discipleship
Collinsville +76
Tulsa Regency Park +66
Claremore +41
Bristow +15
Sand Springs +13
Owasso Silver Creek +10
Muskogee +7
Chelsea +6
Tulsa Central +3
Tulsa First +3
Vinita +3

AM WORSHIP
BA Connection +103
Claremore +52
Owasso Silver Creek +30
Sand Springs +16
Collinsville +14
Wagoner +11
Bristow +9
Sapulpa +6
Mannford +4
Vinita +4

I want to celebrate…

Don Nichols, Tahlequah…We want to celebrate the Block Party we are hosting on March 14, 2009

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea…One of our shut-in's health is strengthening which is a blessing. We had almost half of our congregation in attendance at the Spiritual Renewal Weekend in Tulsa. I celebrate the opportunity to experience as a congregation the impact Rev. Nathan Covington can make on individual lives as they grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek …Our biggest loser campaign has 27 participants and we have lost over 300 lbs. in January. We have had several new families, praise God! It is truly a marvelous blessing to serve Silver Creek each week! God is moving and we are anticipating an awesome outpouring of His Spirit!

Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills…Growing momentum in the lives of our young married group. They have started a small group Bible study and are connecting in their lives. We’ve dedicated more babies over the past 6 months than I can recall in our history here.

Brad Farnsworth, Broken Arrow Connection … During our series, “I’m Rich”, we gave each household free money. Each envelope contained $10. The 24/7 Experiment is to take that $10 and invest it in people in need. Ch 6 and Ch 8 news came out and did a feature story. You can watch the video by clicking on the link. http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=9729508

Gordon Smith, Dewey…Our “Invest In a Child” Service. We had a number of kids, and some guests, and we were able to appreciate and value our children. Currently we are in a 40-day series that we do every year called “On Bended Knee” where we as a church begin to pray together for specific needs! Had a person ask to be a Sunday school teacher for our children.

Harold Johnson, Cushing…We have started a men's discipling group that chose to meet every other Saturday morning. We meet for an hour to an hour and a half and share what God is doing. I am also using the time as an opportunity to give practical helps in growing deeper in their relationship with the Lord.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa…A gift of $1500 to Freedom House. Continued financial blessing allowing us to be up to date and current on monthly budgets. Continued presence of God in our worship services

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska… We have had a busy and productive month here in Pawhuska. The board and department heads met early in the month to plan for the coming year, and we began several new programs that are lending to renewed excitement here. A result of this has been an increase in attendance and offering for Sunday morning.

Jim Wilson, Barnsdall… We have had consistent attendance every Sunday.

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central… Really good a.m. services during the month ... Kevin Lewis shared about being a “legacy Christian” on the 4th ... I recast our congregational vision on the 11th ... talked about the Holy Spirit as the “power source” of the church on the 18th ... and culminated with Nathan Covington’s ministry to us on the 25th where some first-time guests came to the altar at the end of the service. Very encouraging!

David Stevens, Vinita… Looking back over 2 years here I must say this is a great group of people to work with. They have great compassion, care and concern for Others, and they support their pastor. The Lord has blessed us with His presence in our services, and we have reached new people with the message of salvation and becoming an effective disciple.

Angela Bentley, Bristow… Because our people were willing to be obedient to God’s call to minister to the “least of these,” He is doing amazing things in us! He is shaping us into a family that knows no racial or generational boundaries and it is unbelievable to experience. He has been so faithful with His presence in our services and His provision and direction for our ministry. God has revived and is re-building His church in Bristow! There is an air of joy and excitement as we anticipate what He is doing in and through us.

Mito Marroquin, Tulsa Regency Park Hispanic… We are praying and fasting, to grow in numbers. We are going to evangelize this Saturday if weather permits and we still want to do the kids church. This month we have started a women’s bible study and it has been a blessing. We are only 4 but we have faith in our Lord that more are to be added; please keep us in your prayers.

Have a blessed day. You are loved!
Dave McKellips

2009-01-21T13:20:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

This is a week we have been anticipating for weeks and months. And not just because of the incredible inauguration events yesterday. We have been looking expectantly toward this week because of our longing for Spiritual Renewal. Through insightful and penetrating devotional thoughts in the Devotional Guide we began using January 1, Nathan Covington has reminded us of the basics of spiritual intimacy with Christ. As we have prayed individually, corporately and at our Zone Clusters, our hunger for God and his righteousness has grown. And now we anticipate more times of refreshing as we gather together from across this District for Spiritual Renewal Weekend.

I have been hearing reports of how God is already at work in our lives. Pastor Angie Bentley sent me this note a couple of days ago: We having been praying and fasting here in Bristow for individual, local, and district renewal. God is already doing great things here - we had 52 in church Sunday - 25 of which were youth! Two of our young people, recent converts, came to the altar asking God to help them quit drinking and smoking. We believe we are about to see the power and blessings of God blow this place wide open!

Let me remind you of the details for this weekend:

Spiritual Renewal Weekend, January 23 - 25.

We will gather at Tulsa Central Church seeking a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our midst.
Services will be Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 5pm.
Our guest speaker will be Evangelist Nathan Covington
Worship led by “Leaving 99” from Southern Nazarene University.
1st – 6th graders will have their own services led by Ken Wheeler;
3 year olds – Kindergarten will be led by Rachel Bess
Nursery will be provided for those 2 and under.
Youth lock-in after Friday evening service with games, worship and food. Registration is at 9pm at Regency Park Church. Breaking fast of 30 hour famine at midnight. Cost is only $5 and a 16 oz jar of grape jelly, bag of spaghetti noodles or beans. Students are to be picked up no later than 6am Saturday at Soccer City.
Primetimer’s gathering on Saturday, 4:30pm; $5 at the door for good food and fellowship: Registering in advance helps us plan, but whether you register or not, we welcome all senior adults to come.

Let me tell the Senior Adults how excited I am about our dinner on Saturday. Yesterday President Obama challenged all of us to look for ways to make a difference in our communities. Some churches have neglected to see their older adults as valuable resources full of life experience and wisdom. I sense that is changing. Across the nation, both secular organizations and churches are recognizing the invaluable resource resident in older adults. Many older people are looking for significance and purpose and are finding it through service. Saturday, as we eat we will talk about ways our churches are involving seniors in the life and mission of the church. How are we enabling fellowship, spiritual growth, service and fun?

Saturday, Jan. 17, NEO hosted our 2nd Area Children's Bible Quiz at Central Church. There were 35 quizzers from seven churches (Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Central, Family, Owasso Silver Creek, Pryor and South County). The children quizzed over Dig Sites #8-13 from the Book of Exodus. There were four Red Level quizzers who had three perfect rounds. They were Austin Ogden (Central), Nora Nelson (Central), Levi Ewton (Family), and Sierra Busking (Owasso). Out 3rd Area Quiz will be on Feb. 28 over Dig Sites #14-20. Please remember to pray for our quizzers, parents, coaches and directors as they Journey Through Exodus.

Pastor Brett Rickey, founding pastor of Tulsa Family Church, is moving to Lakeland Florida to pastor Highland Park Church. We are so appreciate of the courageous, faith-filled leadership of Pastor Brett. We are a better District family because of his example and leadership in our midst. We pray God’s blessings on Brett, Mindy and their three precious girls as they embark on this new journey. Brett’s final Sunday at Family Church is January 25.

A major part of the outreach of Family Church has come through the Celebrate Recovery ministry which meets every Saturday evening at Faith Church. Pastor Buddy Davis reports that they have a big 6th anniversary celebration planned for CR on Saturday, Feb. 7. Feel free to drop in to check out this ministry God is using to bring life-transformation.

Dates for your calendar:
Saturday, February 21 – Pastor’s (and spouses) Breakaway. Objectives: Discover, Affirm and Apply Something About You!
March 6 -7 – NEO Women’s Retreat; Cyndi Lamb Curry speaker
Saturday, April 25 – Huge NEO Training Day!
Sunday, May 31, 3pm – NYI Convention
July 13 – 17 NEO Youth Camp
July 20 – 25 NEO Kid’s Camps

Registration is now open for the Feb. 7, 2009, “Forever. For Real.” programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Please visit our Web site at ForeverForReal.com or contact Kristin at 877-435-8033 for more information and to register.

See you this weekend!

Dave

2009-01-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

Dear NEO family,

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus. What a treat it has been this past week to be on four of our Zones (This coming Sunday evening the fifth zone, Tulsa, will gather at Regency Park at 6pm). The Pastors reports have been inspiring and the times of corporate prayer have helped all of us connect to our source of power, purity and all spiritual blessings. It is such a privilege to serve alongside the wonderful believers who make up our NEO family.

At the Zone gatherings, many have told me you enjoy the pictures from churches across the District. Here are a few pictures from recent visits:

Cleveland, January 4, 2009:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTHZA

Southwest Zone Cluster Prayer Meeting, January 3, 2009: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTHig

Sapulpa, December 21, pm service http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Abt2TZizYsWTHRg

Many of our churches are experiencing exciting days of as they call people to Christ and His rule and reign. Below are a few of the items they wrote about in their monthly reports:

I want to celebrate…

Rodney Amos, Tulsa First I want to celebrate an awesome young people’s lock-in with over 20 participating. I want to celebrate the salvation and baptism of a 19 year old young man. I want to celebrate the “coming home” of a precious young woman in our congregation who has renewed her commitment to the Lord and her church. I want to celebrate an astounding children’s production with the participation of 20+ kids, an increase of double digits over last year. I want to celebrate a fresh new movement of the Holy Spirit breathing across our congregation; a new energy, enthusiasm and sense of expectation is beginning to arise among our people. I want to celebrate that ALL this happened just in December 2008!

Don Nichols, Tahlequah We will begin a season of fasting and prayer after the first of the Year. The Fasting and Prayer is for Block Parties, Native American Camp Meeting and Veterans Appreciation Day.

Harold Johnson, Cushing For Christmas we did a “Christmas Tapestry” with contributions from our church family. The service went well with a large number of people contributing a song, poem, reading or testimony.

Jim Wilson, Pawhuska We had a productive month in Pawhuska with all the holiday celebrations. We adopted four families for Christmas and the donations from the congregation were enormous. In addition to this the Church Board continued its annual tradition of putting together treat bags for the congregation, but this year we added a twist to it by assembling over 100 more bags as usual. 50 bags went to the congregation and an additional 125 bags went out to our neighbors and our community businesses. The gratitude from the community has been a real blessing. This is phase one of an effort on Pawhuska Nazarene's goal to reach out to the business' and their owners in our community. We have an annual planning meeting scheduled for January to plan for the coming year.

Jim Wilson, Barnsdall We enjoyed a holiday dinner together and a Christmas Eve service this month. We are forging ahead, and plans are being made for a large push into the community.

Claude Guy, Sand Springs December was a great month of "firsts" here in Sand Springs. It started with our Holiday Dinner the first Sunday of the month. Although this wasn't the first time to have a church holiday dinner, it provided a "first" time connection with parents and families to our children that come in through our van ministry. The second Sunday was our Christmas program which combined our adult choir and for the first time at Sand Springs, a children's bell choir of over 20 kids! The third Sunday was another first as we introduced a combined orchestra of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments to play a Christmas special. This orchestra combined the talents of first year band members, to high school band members, to adults bringing out their instruments from their earlier years to our regular praise and worship instrumentalists. God certainly blessed us this Christmas season with His presence and His presents!

Brad Farnsworth, BA Connection During a recent message series we featured a Wall of Prayer. Over 200 names were submitted. These names represented family and friends that are far from God. Many prayers were answered as husbands, children, and neighbors attended church for the first time! In November we held a Starting Point Class where we shared the vision and values of Connection Church. Several people, who attended, indicated that they do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Gordon Smith, Dewey A lady who accepted the Lord shortly following our Sunday morning service. Her children have been coming with their grandma for a couple of years now, and her little girl kept asking her to pray with her in the evenings before bed, and finally on December 7th this lady accepted Jesus into her heart. Children still lead today (Isa. 11:6)! Our Medical Lodge outreach: We raised money to bring gifts to those at the Medical Lodge nursing home, we also brought with us candy goodies, we sang songs bringing Christmas cheer, but most of all we prayed and showed the love of Christ! This was the second year we did a one night Christmas VBS outreach to our community and we doubled from last year, and had 53 children! We spoke about the best gift of Jesus Christ and the kids just had a lot of fun, the church family really stepped up and made it a wonderful experience!

Wayde Normandin, Chelsea The completion of the Quest, which was one of our spiritual goals. Each person grew in their own way spiritually which in turn allowed us to grow together as a church family. Giving has continued to be consistence in this time of economic uncertainty. On a personal note, Jena and I were blessed by the Collinsville Church with a very generous money gift and food pounding as well as the Chelsea Church. We were overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of both churches.

Dwain Young, Horton Chapel The highlight for December was the Children's Christmas program which we do on a Wednesday night. We had a good number of the parents attend the program and to stay for fellowship afterwards.

Nathan Burns, Owasso Silver Creek We had our first Christmas Compassion Project and adopted a Parsonage Family from the District and a local family from Owasso. Our people gave both families a tremendous Christmas. We survived our flood and had over 40 different people help with cleaning up in some way. Praise God! We had a fantastic children's musical on December 14th. They did a great job! We are starting a Biggest Loser Campaign to get our bodies in shape this year...our goal for the men of our church this year is to lose 2000 lbs. It is a blessing to serve this wonderful Church Family called Silver Creek.

Don Cowan, Sapulpa The giving of $20,000+ to our NewStart South County Community in Glenpool. Our giving to others which God has given back to us in substantially increased offerings. Our giving to the Angel Tree Project, the African Well Project, Community Care and Freedom House – Praise the Lord for His provision.

Angela Bentley, Bristow God’s overwhelming faithfulness to us in a difficult year! He has not only sustained us but has birthed a vital new ministry in the midst of several losses. We have completed the first year of our new children’s and youth ministry strong! Our Wednesday night numbers are often almost double our Sunday morning attendance and we anticipate that God will do great things in our students and in our servants this next year!

John Whitsett, Tulsa Central A really great Advent emphasis with over $22K raised as part of the Advent Conspiracy emphasis. According to our treasurer, no real big checks, so it indicates a broad base of participation from the church family. That is exciting!

Alan McBroom, Davenport For Sunday, 21st, instead of the traditional children's play of Christ's birth, we had a "Christmas Talent Show" where everyone was invited to participate. We had special songs, poems read, drama, and even an imitation of Paul Harvey by your's truly. It was a refreshing participation celebrating Christmas

David Stevens, Vinita We actually increased the monthly average SS and AM for December over last year. Our Wednesday night average is 37 for the last 2 months. On Wednesday we have Caravans and our new youth group has had attendance as high as 12. Vinita Church has a passion for Others in Compassionate Ministry and in outreach locally and around the world. As we prepare for the pastoral review next month we have much to thank God for.

NEO Leaders in Average attendance gain in Dec., 2008 over Dec., 2007

Sunday School/Discipleship
Regency Park +50
Claremore +36
Broken Arrow +35
Sand Springs +34
Sapulpa +27
Owasso +18
Drumright +16
Tulsa First +12
Dewey +9
Hominy +9

AM Worship
BA Connection +84
Glenpool SoCo Community +68
Claremore +54
Regency Park +36
Owasso Silver Creek +33
Sand Springs +30
Dewey +26
Fuente de Vida +20
Tulsa First +17
Tahlequah +14
Hominy +10

The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) is celebrating ten years of serving Oklahomans by offering more exciting workshops with new skills and activities for couples at all stages of their relationships. This year, the annual Forever. For Real. program will be held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa on the same day! Join us at whichever venue is closest to you!

Anticipating renewal,

Dave

2008-12-22T15:07:00.000-06:00

Spiritual Renewal Emphasis, January, 2009

Theme: "BACK TO THE BASICS" Joe Montana was one of the speakers at the recent "Get Motivated" event in Tulsa. He spoke of the importance of preparation and mastering the fundamentals if one was going to have a winning team. He said whenever his football teams went through a tough time, once again the coaches would focus on the fundamentals. The church is certainly facing challenges from within and outside the church. We need to return to a focus on the fundamentals, the basics of intimacy with Christ.

A Devotional Guide: Devotional booklets have been distributed to each church to give to every family. Our evangelist, Nathan Covington, wrote most of the daily lessons, so this guide will help you connect with him and get a glimpse into his heart.

Zone Cluster Prayer Meetings: Let’s bombard heaven on behalf of spiritual renewal, in the firm belief that “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Evangelist Nathan Covington will join us at the first four of these prayer times, sharing and leading our time of corporate prayer.

Saturday, Jan. 3 Southeast Zone, Muskogee, 3pm
Sunday, Jan. 4 - Southwest Zone, Bristow, 5pm
Tuesday, Jan. 6 - Northwest Zone, Skiatook, 7pm
Wednesday, Jan. 7 - Northeast Zone, Claremore, 7pm (also planning children and youth activities at 7pm and a dinner at 5:30pm)
Sunday, Jan. 11, 5pm – Tulsa Zone, Regency Park, 5pm

Spiritual Renewal Weekend, January 23 - 25. We will gather at Tulsa Central Church seeking a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our midst.

Services will be Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 5pm.
Our guest speaker will be Evangelist Nathan Covington*
Worship led by “Leaving 99” from Southern Nazarene University.
1st – 6th graders will have their own services led by Ken Wheeler;
3 year olds – Kindergarten will be led by Rachel Bess
Nursery will be provided for those 2 and under.
Youth lock-in after Friday evening service with games, worship and food. Breaking fast of 30 hour famine at midnight. Cost is only $5.
Primetimer’s gathering on Saturday, 4:30pm; $5 at the door for good food and fellowship: RSVP to vicki@neonaz.com.

Don't miss this time of refreshing!