Contact Newspaper January 21, 2011

8/8/2019 Contact Newspaper January 21, 2011

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Contact, an edition ofThe United Methodist ReporterTwo Sections, Section A 039000 Volume 157, Number 38 January 21, 2011

THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST

www.okumc.org

The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Prot Drive, Dallas, TX 75247. Periodicals Postage Paid at Dallas.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275.

nNew Christians: evangelismemphasis begins in prayer. 5A

Tony Campolo headlines Church & Society retreat in March

Doors ofopportunity

Lawton District churches open

Tony Campolo will bring his power-

ful perspective on social justice issues to

Oklahoma when he headlines a United

Methodist program on March 11-12 at

Canyon Camp.

In the Bible, Micah asks, What does

the Lord require? and the overnight

retreat will seek to answer that poignant

question for Christians today.

Social Holiness: On Earth as It Is

in Heaven is co-sponsored by Peace

With Justice and the Board of Church

& Society. The event has funding help

from the Peace With Justice Special

Sunday offering received annually by

Oklahomas churches.

The public is welcome. Register

online and download a brochure at:

www.okumc.org/church_society.

Rev. Dr. Campolo is the author of

38 books and a highly respected media

commentator on religious, social, and

political matters.

Campolo has a long history of intro-

ducing people to aspects of social justice

and letting it t ransform them, said Kirt

Moelling, chairman of Church & Society

Continued on 3A

B Holly McCray

Behind so many doors, hungry

people wait. Churches in one district

united to open those doors by offering

physical and spiritual nourishment.Reports conrm the famished were

fed at Christs table as the result of an

extensive welcoming campaign and

food drives in Lawton District last

year. The project was titled A Life

That Matters.

Bread for the bodyOutside a Duncan grocery store,

Chuck and Nancy Horton handed

empty red bags to arriving shoppers.

They asked each person to purchase

one additional food item, place it in the

bag, and donate it as they left the store.

The United Methodist food drive

on Nov. 6 had started slowly in that

city. District Superintendent Horton

and his wife hoped to boost the effort

by securing the stores OK to give out

the recyclable bags and describe their

purpose.People were so generous, said

Rev. Horton. Upon exiting, shoppers

presented bags lled with food gifts. A

clerk requested more bags to accommo-

date donors at checkout. Bulging bags

of food soon crowded the sidewalk,

and volunteers began shuttling the

donations to nearby St. Pauls UMC,

the designated drop-off site.

A trickle of donations had swelled

into a tsunami of generosity.

Ultimately, 3,120 food items werereceived that day at the church, re-

ported Gerry Rawlings Mortson. Wor-

shippers even found two more sacks of

Continued on 5A

From left, food

was collected

at Lawton-New

Light, Elgin,

and Duncan-

St. Pauls,

among othersites.

Campolo

Bearing prayer requests, the large door shown is at Lawton-St. Pauls. Member Jack Amyx brought it from his

family homestead, and it is at least 80 years old. The doors surrounding it, clockwise from lower left, are dis-

played in Duncan-St. Pauls, Verden, Lawton-First, Fletcher, Lawton-Centenary, Gracemont, and Anadarko-First.


2/8

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact Jan. 21, 2011Page 2A

The Oklahoma United Methodist Phone: 405-530-2075

Fax: 405-530-2093

1501 N.W. 24thokhm Cit, oK 73106

rbet E. Hes J., bishp

Jseph His, diect f cmmunictins

H McC, edit f pubictinsTo subscribe, send mailing information

and $15 to our address at left.

Mving? Send chnge b mi e-mi: [email protected].

N Win, dministtive ssistnt/vide cdint

aici Gn, Web minist/gphics design

amei Bew, The Medi Cente

Sign up online forContact Digest, a fee electronic newsletter. Find information at www.kumc.g.

Send news to [email protected]. Next publication date: Feb. 11.

Each year, January is recognized as

Oklahoma United Methodist Founda-

tion Month throughout our Annual

Conference.The work and resources of the

Foundation are emphasized; churches

and individuals are encouraged to

learn more about the nancial min-

istry it performs and how it can help

them be good stewards of what God

provides.

Especially during this designated

time, the Foundation seeks to create

awareness of the need for proper es-

tate planning.

More than half of all adults in ourcountry do not have a will.

If you die without one, the state

will decide how your estate is dis-

tributed, and who will care for your

minor children or dependents with

special needs.

The Foundation conrms that the

cost of preparing a will is worth the

peace of mind in knowing your desires

will be accomplished. With just a

few words, you can take care of your

family, your friends, and the causes

important to you.

Consider including a tithe of yourwill to benet your church or favorite

ministry. By doing this, you ensure

your passion for ministry continues.

A bequest is perhaps the easiest

and most tangible way to have a last-

ing impact on the people and organi-

zations that mean the most to you. A

bequest also can be an effective way to

make a gift and lessen the tax burden

on your family or your estate.

The purpose of the Foundation is

to ensure and enrich the ministries offuture generations through endow-

ment funds for our United Methodist

churches, institutions, and agencies.

This month, contact the Founda-

tion, 800-259-6863, www.okumf.org,

for information about legacy planning

and establishing permanent endow-

ment funds. Your generosity and

planning today will make a signicant

difference to your churchs future.

The Oklahoma United Methodist Foun-

dation:

n assists churches to establish and

promote permanent endowment fund pro-

grams.

n presents seminars to encourage es-

tate planning and charitable giving.

n assists individual donors, and their

professional advisers, with gifts to their

churches or other United Methodist causes.

n has four planned-giving staff specially

trained in estate planning, endowment

formation, and church nance.

n is a resource for donor recognition

programs; gift acceptance policies; nancial

literacy programs; and seminars on wills/

trusts and stewardship, offered to church

leaders, Sunday school classes, and other

groups.

n provides customized brochures,

will-and-trust guides, and bulletin inserts

to increase awareness about permanent

endowment programs within a church.

Contact the Foundation at 800-529-

6863, www.okumf.org.

Did you know?

January is Oklahoma UM Foundation Month

Special Sundays

Brightly wrapped packages and other gifts streamed into

the OCU Chapel during December, as the OCU commu-

nity provided for the Angel Tree families at Skyline UrbanMinistry.

Chapel Administrator Sarah Krivy coordinated this proj-

ect that has become an annual occurrence. She reported 25

families, representing 112 people, received gifts this year.

In addition, food donations were collected through the

Light the Campus holiday event. This made it possible to

distribute food baskets to each of those families as well.

The baskets contained provisions for a complete holiday

mealturkey, stufng, vegetables, desserts, and many non-

perishable foods. Staff from across campus joined efforts to

put the baskets together and deliver them to Skyline. Food

baskets and bags of personal hygiene items also were pre -

pared for every household at Exodus House.

Those who participated in the Angel Tree project this

year were faculty and staff from: nancial aid, administra-tive services, the law school, nursing, campus police, teacher

education, student affairs, university-church relations, busi-

ness ofce, music school, presidents ofce, facilities, and

the business school.

Robert Taylor, the site director at Skylines McKee Center,

expressed his appreciation for this shared ministry.

The students, faculty, and staff at OCU exemplify what

the Christmas spirit is all about, and we could not be more

happy with the partnership we share. Because of the gener-

osity of our friends at OCU and through their Angel Tree

Program, 25 needy families in Oklahoma City were able to

experience the joy of Christmas, he said.

Photo by Leslie Berger

From left, OCU staff Diana Silver, Blythe Ben-

son, and Joey Croslin help sort toys donated inDecember.

Benjamin Sommer, a re-

nowed professor of Bible and

ancient Semitic languages, will

present the 2011 Neustadt Lec-

tures on Feb. 17 on the campus

of Oklahoma City University.

The theme is: Psalms in

Modern and Ancient Perspec-tives: Notes from a Contem-

porary Jewish Commentators

Workshop.

Dr. Sommer will make his

rst presentation at 1 p.m., in

the weekly chapel service, and

also will lecture at 3 and 7. All

events are in Bishop W. Angie

Smith Chapel; they are freeand open to the public.

He teaches at Jewish Theo-

logical Seminary of America,

in New York City. Previously

he directed the Center for Jew-

ish Studies at Northwestern

University, Evanston, Ill.,

where he taught from 1994

through 2008.He also has authored a num-

ber of well-received books. He

is editor of the Psalms volumes

of the Jewish Publication Soci-

ety Bible Commentary Series

OCU participates in Skylines Angel Tree ministry

Neustadt Lectures feature eminent scholarNeustadt Lecture topics will be:

n Reections on Psalm 137, 1 p.m.

n How Do We Know About God?

Psalm 19 in Light of Archaeology

and Karl Barth, 3 p.m.

n A Little Higher Than Angels:

Psalm 29 and the Genre

of Heavenly Praise, 7 p.m.

Sommer

and is writing the rst of that ve-volume set.

Professor Sommer and his wife, Jennifer Dugdale,

have three children. The family attends Congregation

Beth Sholom, Teaneck, N.J.

Recommended for 2011 by the Council

on Finance & Administration:

JanuaryOklahomaUnited Methodist Foundation Month

Jan. 16Human Relations Day

Feb. 13Circle of Care Sunday

April 3One Great Hour of Sharing

May 1Rural Life Sunday/Camps Day

May 15Native American Ministries Sunday

June 19Peace with Justice Sunday

Oct. 2World Communion Sunday

Nov. 27United Methodist Student Day

(Call to Ministry Sundayset by your church)

Oklahoma Conference Journal


3/8

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact Jan. 21, 2011

Bishop Hayes

Page 3A

Strength for the journey: Ideas and thoughts from our bishop

What do you lack?The young man said to Jesus, All these

things I have kept from my youth up. Whatlack I yet? (Matthew 19:20, KJV)

B BISHoP roBErT HayES Jr.

Do you feel you are living on

the outer edge of the good life

you have always wanted? For

some reason, you sense that you never have

reached the fullness of your lifes center. I

believe this is a common

predicament of our time.

You know the ultimate

goal of living is to become

a citizen of that special place

where life makes sense and

existence has purpose and

meaning. But for some rea-

son, the passport in your

possession is unable to get

you there.

It is my sincere belief

that you can, indeed, nd

that measure of happiness

and wholeness that evades so many people.

Its closer than you think.

Examine your visa that allows you to

enter 2011. As your spiritual customs

agent, I feel I must ask you these questions

as you do so:

nWhat are you looking for?

n What have you to declare in the way

of joy and contentment?

nWhat do you feel you are you lacking?

Matthew writes that the young ruler ap-

proached Jesus and asked him a question

about eternal life. He was looking for some-thing. Scripture tells us he was richyet,

in spite of having everything he needed, he

was in search of what his wealth could not

bring him.

How are we like this young man? Some

of us live on the surface. We build our enjoy-

ments around physical things, and we mea-

sure our security by material possessions.

Despite things that should bring us

satisfaction, our lives remain hectic

and confused.

At times we are carried awayby wild enthusiasmsand brought

back to earth by dreary monotony.

It seems our days are lled with

sequences of non-related events.

The great weakness of this kind of

life is it carries no inner reserves

to meet the demands placed upon

us. When difculties and crises in-

vade our lives, there is no depth of

strength from which we can draw.

In this simple but profound teaching,

Jesus taught that the full life is centered onan idea. In fact, he pleaded for singleness

of intention.

He exposed the confusion of multiple

purposes, which result in multiple visions.

He advocated the focused life, and he decried

attempts to serve twoor moremasters.

In 2011, if we are going to get off the edge

of life and get into the heart of signicant

living, the central idea on which we must

focus is the understanding that God is the

rst and great loyalty in our lives, and thatby creating us in His image, we are sons and

daughters of the Spirit.

God has given us hungers that riches

alone cannot satisfy. Only when we acknowl-

edge God, praise Him, and commit ourselves

totally to Him will we move from the edge

of life into the fullness of it.

The writer W.P. Merrill says it best:

You want to enter into life? You want to

nd the real secret of joy and zest and heart-

contentment? Very well! Let commandments

go, forget about rules; do something vital,original, daring, costly, generous, devoted.

Gather up your whole self and throw it into

some venture. Find some cause, some person,

something you will love so much that any

sacrice for that adored object seems triing.

Lose your heart, fall in love, with God, with

humanity, with a cause, with an ideal, and

beggar yourself in its service.

Gen. William Booth, the founder of

the Salvation Army, is one of the people I

most admire. I often speak about him in my

sermons because his life was shaped by thefocused idea of helping the poor of London.

When asked about his success with the

Salvation Army, Booth said: I will tell you

the secret. God has had all there was of me.

There have been men with greater brains

than I, men with greater opportunities. But

from the day I got the poor of London on my

heart and caught a vision of what Jesus Christcould do with them, on that day I made up

my mind that God should have all of William

Booth there was. And if there is anything

of power in the Salvation Army today, it is

because God has had all the adoration of my

heart, and all the power of my will, and all

the inuence of my life.

God stands outside the door of many

lives, seeking entrance. If you will open your

life to Him unreservedly, if you will yield

your questing pride and bow in adoration

for all you have received, if you will loseyourself in some breathtaking pursuit for the

sake of the One who died for your sinsI

can promise you will move from the edge

and into the very heart of life itself!

Pray with me:O gracious and loving God, it is with no

sense of right or worthiness, with no aware-

ness of merit or achievement, that we lift this

prayer before You this day. We come before

You because You have so fashioned us that

we are restless until we rest in You. Help

us to keep life simple, yet face it whole, byresting quietly in Your power, Your wisdom,

and Your unfailing love. May Your peace

descend upon us in this new journey of 2011,

understanding that the deepest and fullest

expression of our essential selves can only

be found in You. Amen.

and pastor at OKC-Lakeside UMC.

We hope this event will highlight some of

our pressing social justice issues in Oklahoma

and also encourage and equip individuals and

congregations, said Rev. Dr. Moelling.

He noted the denominations mission:

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the

transformation of the world. And he pointed

to a guiding question within the Oklahoma

Conference Strategic Plan: How does your

congregation encourage and support people

to step outside their comfort zone and get

involved in acts of justice?

We believe this retreat is about ways

disciples can engage, Moelling said.

Campolos work draws interest from

people across a wide theological spectrum.

He pushes the Church to get out of old

habits, Moelling said.

In 2010, three books by Campolo were

released: Stories That Feed Your Soul,

Connecting Like Jesus, and Choose Love

Not Power.

He is founder and president of the Evan-

gelical Association for the Promotion of

Education, and professor emeritus of sociol-

ogy at Eastern University, Pennsylvania. He

has served American Baptist churches in that

state and New Jersey.

Also providing leadership at the March

retreat will be Bishop Robert Hayes Jr. and

the presenters of eight workshops:

nDealing With Controversy, Neal Chris-

tie, UM General Board of Church & Society

(GBCS)

nDomestic Violence, Chrislyn Sperry,

Hope Center, Edmond

n What Our State Budget Says About

Us, David Blatt, Oklahoma Policy Institute

nPredatory Gambling, Les Bernal, Stop

Predatory Gambling

n Caring for Creation, Mark Davies,

Oklahoma City University

nImmigration, Richard Klinge and Mar-

gie Solis, Catholic Charities

nRestorative Justice, Stan Basler, UM

Criminal Justice & Mercy Ministries

nHow To Advocate for the Least, the

Last, the Lost, Jim Winkler, GBCS

The retreat begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Early-bird registration is due by Feb. 1.

For more information, contact Bruce

Davis, pastor at Altus-Grace and Blair,

[email protected], or Rev. Dr.

Moelling, [email protected].

Continued from 1AMORE: Church & Society

AppointmentsSteven and Wanda Littrell to Carnegie/

Mountain View Senior Pastor and Associate

Pastor, respectively, (Lawton District) from

Hunter/Garber (Enid), effective Jan. 15.


4/8


Ministrys

napshots

n lIVE NaTIVITy IS WIlBUrToN'S WIT-

NESSFor three days in December, members of

Wilburton UMC braved cold weather and tem-

peramental animals to create a live Nativity in the

parking lot for the Chamber of Commerce ofce

in the southeastern Oklahoma town.

Donning thermal underwear as well as cos-

tumes, children, teens, and adults rotated through

the roles, while other volunteers offered treats to

passers-by.The message of the event was simple, said

Pastor April Coates. Jesus is the reason for the

seasonno more, no less.

She provided photos to Contact, noting she had

promised to share how, even in the remote parts of

our Conference, congregations are seeking faith-

fully to witness to the Gospel in creative ways.

n PaNHaNDlE GroUP rEaDS BIBlEIn Goodwell, Pastor Alex True chal-

lenged members of Centenary United Methodist Church to join her and read the Bible

in 90 days.

Her proposal was offered as

the fall Bible study program at

the church in the Oklahoma Pan-

handle. And 14 people signed up

for the effort. Church memberssupported the readers through

prayer.

Participants were encouraged

to attend weekly video lessons,

always followed by discussion.

The curriculum was from www.

biblein90days.org.

Rev. True said 13 people

completed the challenge and

overowed with positive feed-

back about their experience. I

am so proud of their achieve-ment, she said.

n aSBUry SEWS For CaNCEr PaTIENTSMore than 1,000 Healing Hats

for chemotherapy patients have been knitted and crocheted by a new group at Tulsas

Asbury United Methodist Church. Sue Fisher started the ministry last summer. Kenley

Hayes, age 10, is one of the members. The group was spotlighted in TV news reports

Dec. 8. View the video at: www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=13640228.

n Try CHUrCH IN BarTlES-

VIllEAn advertising campaign is

raising awareness for Bartlesville-FirstUMC. It is built upon the tagline Try

church.

Feeling taxed? Try church. (Ap-

propriate for April)

Take a break from the madness.

Try church. (A nod to Marchs college

basketball playoffs)

Looking for di-

rection? Try church.

(A Christmas star

points the way)

Looking to con-nect? Try church.

(An online banner ad)

First Churchs Ad-

vertising Committee

drives the campaign

series that uses multiple media platforms.

The purpose is to change peoples

perceptions about church, said com-

mittee member Mark Pinkerton, 21. The

college student and part-time church staff

member is majoring in Strategic Com-

munications.These are clever reminders that

stick in peoples heads. Seven words is

optimum, he explained.

This is about external communica-

tions. Bartlesville-First is developing

brand recognition in its community.

The campaigns appeal is reach-

ing beyond the city, too. Try Church

earned a 2010 It Worked for Us award

from the Oklahoma Conference Board

of Laity.First Church budgets $20,000 for

advertising, according to Pastor Kevin

Tully. He values the committees work

and its results.

Pinkerton explained the group pur-

chases specic time slots on cable TV

networks and rents billboard space in

prime locations. TV ads are fairly

cheap on cable in Bartlesville, he said,

although that may not be the case in

larger markets.

I think multiple platforms are impor-

tant. You cant catch everybody on one.Bartlesville-First welcomes inquiries

about Try Church from other United

Methodist congregations. Were willing

to share, Pinkerton said.

Contact him at: mark.pinkerton@

fumcbville.org. Visit the churchs web-

site, www.fumcbville.org, to see the

latest design.

n a MoBIlE WITNESS A new

ministry by Glencoe UMC is refurbishing

motorized wheelchairs and scooters to as-

sist people who face mobility challenges.

The name of the program is

GUMMMGlencoe United Methodist

Mobility Ministries. Its mission in the

name of Christ is to provide mobility

devices to non-ambulatory persons whohave few resources, in order to encourage

a more active lifestyle.

The target population includes elderly

or disabled people who lack nancial re-

sources but do not qualify for assistance

from government, private insurance, or

other agencies or sources. GUMMM will

aid in nding and acquiring mobility de-

vices for them, at little or no cost to them,

according to a letter from the ministry

team at the Glencoe church.

The team is seeking used powerchairs and scooters, in any condition.

Our volunteer members will refur-

nish and repair these units for recycling.

We will gladly pick up donated units and

issue a receipt for the value of the chair,

for tax purposes, the letter states.

Often the power chair is taking up

space in a storage unit or garage. How

wonderful to know these can take on a

new life by helping someone in need.Kenneth Brake, one of the GUMMM

founders, has used a power chair for

years and serves as the resident expert

for this project.

Retired pastor Harold Wheeler also

was key in establishing the ministry. In

early 2010, he shared with the Church

Council at Glencoe UMC his concerns

for people unable to afford such devices,

his research, and his idea for ministry.

The council agreed.

Phone contacts are: 580-478-6496,405-377-3954, or 405-831-2379.

From left, among those at Goodwell

who read the Bible in 90 days are: bot-

tom row, Pastor Alex True, Jean Mee,

Sue Lark, Jolene Strong, Nikki Stork;

and top row, Moylene Davis, Norma

Strain, Doris Looper, and Gayla Mull-DeWitt.

Photos by Holly McCraynFaSHIoNaBlE FUND-raISINGAn upcoming Volunteers In Mission project

in Liberia benetted from the International Fashion Extravaganza & Tea held Dec.

11 at Oklahoma City University. The show began with Rachel Howard, modeling a

vintage powwow stomp dress made by her grandmother 50 years ago, and included

Bishop Robert Hayes Jr., whose shirt was a gift from South Africas Nelson Mandela.

In February a VIM team will help build a school on land given by Bishop Bennie and

Anna Warner of Oklahoma City. In the group photo, the young models include Howard,

right, in the Muscogee-Creek dress. At right, two hostesses complete their costuming.

PhotocourtesyofKOTV,

Newson6,

Tulsa

Michael Moore portrays

Joseph in the live Nativ-

ity scene at Wilburton.


5/8


food outside St. Pauls doors the next morning. All the food

was transported to Christians Concerned, a local aid agency.

(Four UM churches minister in Duncan.)The Hortons experience reected the success of the day to

benet feeding programs in the eight-county area.

David and Jana Gardner said food collected during a

scavenger hunt at Grandeld helped ll backpacks for local

elementary students without enough to eat on weekends. The

Gracemont congregation of about 20 collected 292 items. In

Marlow, some UM youths trick-or-treated for cans of food. The

Snyder church set up a collection trailer at a football game.

Verden UMC converted an unused room in the church

into a community food pantry; the town previously had none.

In Lawton, live radio appeals helped promote donations,

which replenished supplies at the Lawton Food Bank. Anagency ofcial told Tom Sutherland of Lawton-Centenary

UMC, These Methodists really mean business. Sutherland

said he is proud to be part of a Church that serves.

Motivated to do more

Duncan-St. Pauls Lay Leader Mortson wrote later, As a

congregation, we were blessed! It was an overwhelming feel-

ing to do this for the community. It was also humbling to hear

stories of people who brought food because they had received

help in the past (from Christians Concerned).

She added, We are motivated to do it better. At our

Strategic Planning meeting, we talked over ideas to remindparishioners to bring food. We decided to tie a monthly food

drive to our Fellowship Dinnerwe might remember to bring

food if we are going to be served good food.

A Day Without Hunger was one aspect of the overallA

Life That Matters evangelism endeavor. More important to

the Kingdom was the accompanying challenge to open 10,000

doorsto invite people to join in the life of the Church. That

delivered the feast that satises hungry souls.

Food for thought

Ryan United Methodists collected 100 pounds of food

and the church grew by three new members.Each church was urged to be part of opening 10,000 doors

across the district by inviting friends, neighbors, and newcom-

ers to experience what United Methodists were doing to show

that every life matters to God and to the Church, explained

Norma Quinn, the programs coordinator and senior pastor at

Lawton-Centenary UMC.

Superintendent Horton recalled a biblical story about

opening a way to Jesus: a lame mans friends made a hole in a

roofa door of sortsand lowered him into Christs presence.

Gods got a door just right for every person. People are

looking for places to dig in and make a difference, he said.

Doors displayed in some churches promoted action. Mem-bers placed on them pictures and notes with names of people

invited to visit and for whom they were praying.

On Nov. 7, hundreds of United Methodists traveled to

First UMC in Lawton to celebrate the impact of the district

initiative. Other reports of answered prayer joined the one

from Ryan UMC.

Four couples had visited the Apache church. More than 20

newcomers were counted at a Lawton church.

Eight new members had been welcomed that morning at

Lawton-Wesley Chapel.

This begins a new eraThroughout the months of this campaign, churches have

experienced growth and new levels of vitality as they go be-

yond the walls of the church, reported Rev. Dr. Quinn.

This begins a new era. It is one thing to attract new wor-

ship attendees and members. It is entirely different to engage

them and help their discipleship take root. Because of that,

each church will be encouraged to adopt and rene a path

of discipleship; this will be discussed at the Local Church

Leaders Workshop (Jan. 30). In addition, each church will be

encouraged to revisit their Day Without Hunger outreach and

execute similar events at least twice during 2011.

District connects with UMCom

Endorsed by the District Council early last year,A Life That

Matters was undergirded by an Impact Community Grant from

United Methodist Communications (UMCom), the denomina-

tions media and marketing agency.

Its a great example of the Churchs connectional strength.

The partnership of a district and General Church agencyis unusual, Horton said, but UMCom provided phenomenal

support and materials.

This grant enabled the prole of the district and the food

drive to be raised to unprecedented levels through all kinds of

media exposure, Quinn said.

The grant totaled more than $46,000 for media purchases

and marketing, including newspaper and radio ads. Promo-

tional materials were created and customized by UMCom,

and included those red shopping bags, T-shirts, postcards, door

hangers, and more. A website was launched.

An extensive 10,000 Doors ministry is part of the

denominations Rethink Church initiative, based on theChurchs Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors brand.

More information about these is available online; the denomi-

nations website is: www.umc.org.

This is a wonderful moment, Horton summarized.

One of our clergy spouses has been fasting and praying for

this and the impact it can have for our churches and in peoples

lives. That struck me to the core, because that person believes

whats at stake here is eternally important.

Photo by Holly McCray

At the Lawton District Conference on Nov. 7,

Pastor Ken Baden of Lawton-Wesley Chapel UMC

collects gift bags for eight new members. Each

bag contains a New Testament, red wristband

imprinted with A Life That Matters, and booklet

summarizing United Methodist beliefs, among

other items.

Continued from 1A

MORE: Doors

New Christians, an evangelism emphasis in Okla-

homa, launched a weekly prayer program this month

that calls United Methodists to focus on growing their

lives and churches in spirit and in number for God.

Some 150 laity and clergya total of 14 groups

last year began developing New Christians. They are

working through the Oklahoma Conference Disciple-

ship Ministry Teams evangelism task force.

The weekly prayer calendar will be accessible at

www.kumc.g. These are the selections for the next

three weeks:

n Week of Jan. 23Focus: Humility. Scripture:

Luke 18:4. Prayer: Gracious God, humble us in order

that you may receive all the glory.

n Week of Jan. 30Focus: How can we prepare

hearts to accept Jesus? Scripture: Matthew 3:3b.

Prayer: Lord, prepare our hearts to make paths for those

who need to nd you.

n Week of Feb. 6Focus: What message is God

giving us to share with the lost? Scripture: Matthew

11:10b. Prayer: Like John the Baptist, send us to prepare

the way to you for those who are lost.

The goal of New Christians is to compile and

share a comprehensive set of resources and program

suggestions for churches, of all sizes and situations,

to reach more people for Christ. Various media will be

used, and one-day training events will be offered. The

rst of these will be March 5 at OKC-Chapel Hill UMC.

Each congregation can draw from the materials

to design an approach to evangelism that reects its

distinctiveness.

Task force leaders identied key words for this

two-year emphasis: resources, training, motivation,

and encouragement.

Temple Diehl and Ben Williams chair the Prayer

Subcommittee. Others are leading evangelism classes at

Local Church Leaders Workshops this winter. Recogni-

tion for Magnetic Church and Welcoming Congrega-

tion are in development. A Lenten initiative is planned.

Here is the full list of subcommittees and leaders.

Hospitality congregations programBob Johns

Plans for evangelism that are more effective

in a smaller churchJim Hollield

Plans for evangelism that are more effective

in a larger churchRay Crawford

Social networking and evangelismBecky Pierson

Assimilating new membersJanelle Brammer

and Jim Stilwell

TrainingBob Pierson

Ministry to young adultsJames Lambert

Older Adult CouncilFrank Nelson

Children/youth ministry evangelism programTBD

Lenten emphasisBrad Humphrey

Home for ChristmasDavid Daniel

Follow-up to Advent and LentChris Buskirk

Local Church Leaders WorkshopsRandy Scraper PrayerBen Williams and Temple Diehl

New Christians seeks to reinforce the Oklahoma

Conference Strategic Plan, evangelism leaders noted.

The emphasis uses proven concepts from the denomi-

nations programs such as Rethink Church, Welcoming

Congregations, etc.

Further information will be shared in future issues of

the Contact. Holly McCray

Weekly prayerslaunch year

New Christiansevangelism emphasis


6/8


Iving Smith

Rev. Dr. Irving Lee Smith, 92, of Enid died Jan. 1, 2011.

He was born Feb. 18, 1918, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He married

Saleta Wentworth in 1942; she preceded him in death in 2001.

He held degrees from Northwestern Oklahoma State University

and Perkins School of Theology, including an honorary doctorate.

Smiths ministry career began in 1943. He was a superintendent

for both Enid and South Oklahoma City Districts. In Oklahoma,

he was a pastor at Lamont, Wetumka, Seminole, Tulsa-University,

Stillwater-First, OKC-St. Lukes, and Enid-First. He also minis-

tered in the nation of Cuba, in the 1940s. He retired in 1988.

Survivors include children Marilyn Rudebock of Denver, Colo.,

Lawson Smith of Estes Park, Colo., and Roger Smith of Albu-

querque, N.M.; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial service was Jan. 15 at Enid-First UMC.

Bnne nd len Teete

Memorial service for Rev. Bonner Earl Teeter and his wife,

Lenora Rackley Teeter, was held Dec. 30, 2010, in Neil Chapel at

Carillon senior living center, Lubbock, Texas.Rev. Teeter died Dec. 21, and Mrs. Teeter died Dec. 25.

Both of them were born in Pottsville, Ark. Bonner was born

Feb. 14, 1919, and Lenora was born Feb. 18, 1916. They were

married for over 71 years.

Rev. Teeters ministry career spanned half a century. He

directed the Oklahoma Conference Council on Ministries from

1984 until his retirement in 1987. He was superintendent for two

districts: Muskogee and Ardmore. He received an honorary doctor-

ate from Oklahoma City University.

In Oklahoma, he was pastor at Boswell, Soper, Chickasha-

Epworth, Sulphur-First, Guthrie-First, Tulsa-Sheridan Avenue,

Tulsa-University, Ponca City-First, OKC-Nichols Hills, and theRoff circuit. He also served churches in North Texas and New

Mexico Conferences. He was a chaplain during World War II.

Mrs. Teeter spent the majority of her life as a homemaker.

Their survivors include sons Eddie, of Lockney, Texas, and

Lara, of Webster Grove, Mo.; daughters Paula Marshall of Trini-

dad, Colo., Bonnie Payton of Lubbock, Nancy Edwards of Owasso,

and Vicki Rogers of Mechanicsville, Va.; 16 grandchildren and 18

great-grandchildren.

Mget Hendesn

Margaret Ann Henderson, 87, of Stillwater died on her birthday,

Dec. 23, 2010. She was the widow of Rev. Herbert Henderson, a

Local Pastor who served from 1960 until his death, in 1981.Margaret was born in 1923 and married Herbert Leon Hender-

son in Antioch, Calif., on July 3, 1943. She was a homemaker, a

lifelong member of United Methodist Women, and a member of

Lost Creek United Methodist Church.

Survivors include a son, Marvin Henderson of Broken Arrow;

daughters Susan Brock of Coyle and Nancy Osburn of Oilton; six

grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Service arrangements were by Palmer Marler Funeral Home.

Fnkie Geg

Frankie Eugenia Gregory, 93, of Enid died Dec. 22, 2010. She

was the widow of Rev. Alvin Darl Gregory.

Frankie was born March 10, 1917. She was a homemaker.

Survivors include sons Darl, of Grove; Jerry, of Ashville, N.C.;

and Len, of Altus. Also, daughter Joy Wille of Newkirk. Also,

several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Rev. Gregory died in 1997. Mrs. Gregory was also predeceased

by daughter Judith, son Richard, and a grandson.

Service was Dec. 27 at the United Methodist Health Care

Center, The Commons, Enid.

In memoriam

In McAlester on Dec. 19, the members of First UMC

broke ground for the construction of a new church facility.

The ritual was held one week after a vote by the congre -

gation to move forward with construction.

The contractors are eager to get started after the rstof the year, said Charles Neff, senior pastor, and so, with

Christmas and New Years occupying the last two weeks

of the year, we thought it best to break ground right away.

It ended up being a beautiful day for mid-December, and

the ceremony was very well attended.

The start of construction comes two years after the

merger of the Grand Avenue and Wesley UMC congre-

gations, which formed First UMC of McAlester on Jan.

1, 2009. The new facility is being built on the former

Wesley site.

The building will include a Family Life Center,

classrooms, and ofce space, totaling 22,000 square feet.A sanctuary and more classrooms will come in future

phases.

This rst phase will allow us to completely relocate

from downtown to the new site, said Rev. Dr. Neff. Our

new home will provide wonderful new opportunities for

ministry in our community, and everyone is very excited

to see it started. God is doing great things in McAlester!

McAlester United Methodists launch capital project

In Oklahoma City, Wesley UMC marked its 100th

year during special moments throughout 2010.

Pastor Diana Cox Crawford wrote in the churchs

newsletter:

This year we have baptized babies and conrmed

young people. We have rejoiced in our centennial with

a renewal of vows, worship on the lawn, an ice cream

social, reunions, and a glorious celebration on Nov. 7.

We have gone to Kenya and Bolivia, and next we

go to Mexico and Liberia. Our community outreach

served over 120 families with Operation Backpack. Wehave served families in Project Noel. We have had great

fellowship and fun trips with our seniors and served at

Youth Force. We have completed the fellowship hall.

We have performed White Christmas and Honk.

We have had marvelous worship, with music that could

make angels weep. And, each Sunday, we have wor-

shipped in a beautiful, holy place where God is so close.

In all of that, what is the most exciting and impor-

tant task we have accomplished? We have shared the

good news of the love of Jesus Christ with transformed

lives, strengthened journeys, and mended broken hearts.

Thanks be to God!Co-chairing the centennial planning were Melodie

Toland and Jim Rice. More than 300 people attended the

Nov. 7 event.

In 1910, the Oklahoma Conference set aside $300

for a new church in north Oklahoma City. Using the

money almost exclusively for lumber, volunteers built a

small tabernacle, dedicated by the bishop on Christmas

Day.

The pews were rough planks, the dirt oor was cov-ered with wood shavings and sawdust, and some chairs

were reclaimed from a park pavilion after a re. This

rst building was affectionately called the cow shed,

according to church history.

By 1921, in a larger structure, church membership

was 815, with Sunday school attendance of about 1,200.

The current building, at Northwest 25th and Classen,

was constructed during that decade.

Photo by Katie McCauley

More than 70 members attended the Dec. 19 groundbreaking for McAlester-First UMC.

Building on unity

The women at OKC-Wesley sold donuts to pay

off the church mortgage in 1947. Burning the

note in a ritual that year are, from left, Wallace

Wood, Mrs. S.D. Bennell, C.S. McCreight, and

Mrs. R.J. Potts.

OKC-Wesley celebrates 100 years

WeddingP a s t o r s C h r i s

Stinnett and Laurie

Long married Dec. 26,

2010. In Lawton Dis-

trict, Chris ministers

at Apache UMC, andLaurie is appointed to

Cyril and Cement.

Births Eliab Alba was born Jan. 12,

2011. He is the son of Eunice and

Rev. Obed Alba, pastor of Heavener

Hispanic and Howe churches.

Caedmon David Penny was born

Jan. 10, 2011. He is the son of Leanneand Rev. Kel Penny, campus minister

at United Campus Ministries in Ada.


7/8


OpportunitiesDiect/Mnge Cmp

Egn retet Cente: Full-time.

Randy McGuire, 1501 N.W. 24th

St., Oklahoma City, OK 73106;

[email protected], 405-530-

2016. Deadline Jan. 25.

Executive Diect: Full-time.

Restore Hope Ministries in Tulsa.

Clarence Zitterkob, clarence@

clarencezitterkob.us; 7820 E. 101st

St. Ste. E, Tulsa, OK 74133. Dead-

line Feb. 1.

administtive assistnt:

Part-time. Canyon Camp in Hin-

ton. For application, 405-542-

6967.

yuth Diect: Part-time.

Norman-St. Stephens UMC,

[email protected].

yuth Ministe: Part-time.

Jet UMC, P.O. Box 218, Jet, OK

73749, jetprairievalleyumc@

yahoo.com.

administtive assistnt/

Cmmunictins Cdint:

Part-time. Staff Parish Relations

Committee, OKC-First UMC,

[email protected],

405-239-6493.

yuth Diect: Part-time.

Roland Youngberg, Clinton-First,

[email protected], 580-

323-3179.

Will You Join the Growing Ranks of the

1000

To make your pledge today, please call 405-530-2078

or visit our website at:

http://www.circleofcare.org/1000.html

DearFriends:IwouldliketomakeyouawareofanewcampaignthattheCircleofCareisundertaking.Itisanefforttotaketheministrytothenextlevel,topursueag

randvisionofextend-ingh

elp,healingandhopetoevenmorechildren,youthandfamilies.ItiscalledProject1000.Weareseekingtorecruit1000newdonorswhowilleachpledge$1000peryearforthreeyears.Project1000isanambitiouscampaignthatwillallowCircleofCaretolookahead:HowmanymoreChildSHAREfosterfamiliescanbeliftedup?HowmanymoreyouthscanbeservedattheBoysRanch,theChildrensHome,theIndepen-dentLivingProgram?HowmanymorefamiliescanbehelpedthroughPearlsHope?Howmanymorelivescanbeforeverchanged?Injustsevenshortyears,CircleofCarewillcelebrate100

yearsofministeringtothoseinneedinOklahoma. Ourboardofdirectorshastakenthisboldstepforwardtoenvisionafutureinwhichevenmorelivesareimpa

ctedbyCircleofCares

programs.Ihopethatyouwilljoinmeandtheotherslistedhereinsup-portingCircleofCare,andourministrytothechildren,youthandfamiliesofOklahoma.FortheChildren,

LissaWrightBoardChair

Anonymous

Donald & Cheryl Baker

Don & Lynn Batson

David & Laura Beal

Clara BrownMary Wheeler & Spencer Brown

Mary Butler

Dr. Ralph & Midge Coffman

Lloyd Cole

Dr. John & Jamie Crooch

G. Michael Crooch

Bobby & Shirley Darnell

Gregory & Mary Ann Edwards

Robert & Prudy Gorrell

Rev. Linda & Ralph Harker

Bishop Robert & Dee Hayes

Jenny & Jono Helmerich

Robert & Ann Ivester

Keith & Patricia KennedyGreg & Anita LaPat

Dwight Maulding

Robert & Doris McKown

Billy & Lora Meade

Christy & Mike Mordy

David & Laura Morrison

Lenert & Bobbie Pfeiler

John & Helen Riley

Gary & Sharon Roth

Shannon Nakvinda Self & Mike Self

Martha & Bill Smith

Rev. Craig Stinson & Dr. Krista Jones

Ken & June Tucker

J.M. & Patricia Vanderwiele Jr.Lissa & Bill Wright

Barbara & Donald Wright

Circle of Care Staff:

*OKC/Communications/

Pearls Hope

*UM Boys Ranch

*UM Childrens Home

*Independent Living

*Child SHARE

Sias

Next LEAD seminar: Feb. 18

Feb. 18-19 are the dates for the sec-

ond seminar of the clergy

LEAD series.Stewardship and

Leading the Laity are

the topics for the pro-

gram, to be held at the

Meinders School of

Business at Oklahoma

City University.

All clergy are welcome, and meals are in-

cluded. Attendance at the previous event is not

a prerequisite.

On Friday evening, presenter will be Mi-

chael Reeves, pastor of Financial Discipleship,University UMC, San Antonio, Texas.

Speaking Saturday will be David Carmichael,

retired dean of the Meinders School, and David

Bennett, senior pastor of Kirkwood (Mo.) UMC.

Joining Bob Spinks of OCU in a panel discussion

will be Oklahoma pastors Cindy Havlik, Bob

Long, Victor McCullough, and David Wilson.

It is important to note that several deadlines

apply in the registration process. Sign up online

at: www.okumc.org/registrations/register/18.

Also, brochures will be mailed soon to all clergy.

Questions? Contact Jan Polson, 405-530-2064, [email protected].

More than 60 clergy attended the rst LEAD

seminar, last fall.

Conference calendars correctedCheck your copy of the 2011 Oklahoma Con-

ference programming calendar. If you nd pages

out of order or months missing, you can receive a

free replacement copy. Contact Barbara Venable

in the Conference ofce to request a corrected

version: [email protected], 405-530-2019.

Sias to receive OCU awardThe Societies of Oklahoma City University

will honor Jeannette Sias, a member of OKC-

Nichols Hills church, during the annual Awards

of Excellence dinner Feb. 26 at the Skirvin

Hilton Hotel. She will receive the OCU Distin-

guished Philanthropist

Society Award.

Her volunteer activi-

ties include serving as

president of the Land-

mens Wives Associationand the Ladies Music

Club, volunteering at the

Oklahoma City Speech

and Hearing Clinic, and

participating in Oklahoma City Arabian Horse

Shows. She taught pre-school children in Sun-

day school at Nichols Hills UMC for almost 40

years. Sias owns Joullian Vineyards, and she

taught speech therapy in Oklahoma City schools.

Licensing school dates setThe dates are June 20-July 1 for the 2011Local Pastors Licensing School. Pastor John

Breon of Eufaula is dean for the annual training,

held at Oklahoma City University.

Learn about church property issuesNow available for viewing online are all of

the webinars on church property issues that were

presented in 2010 by United Methodist Property

and Casualty Trust (PACT).

Some of the topics are listed here.

Affordable IT Security for Local Churches

CyberSafety for Families Emergency Preparedness for Your Church

Ministry Protection Tips for Your Churchs

Summer Activities

VBS and Safe Sanctuaries Online Training

(www.umcpact.org)

T.E.A.M. is for laityEnrollment has begun for T.E.A.M. 2011, a

laity leadership opportunity sponsored by the

Board of Laity and Leadership Development

Ministry Team.

Each district is encouraged to identify twolaypersons to attend this program. During the

year, T.E.A.M. members will attend four over-

night sessions. They will grow in their disciple-

ship and become better equipped to be servant

leaders within and beyond their churches.

Leon Wilson of Purcell attended the program

in 2010, its debut year. He said he benetted

greatly and wrote, T.E.A.M. 2011 may be that

next step for you as a Christian, as this years

class has been for me.

The schedule is: March 4-6, Cross Point

Camp; May 30-31 and Sept. 9-10, OklahomaCity; and Nov. 18-19, Camp Egan.

For more information, contact Judy Benson,

Conference lay leader, [email protected].

Briefy


8/8

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact Jan. 21, 2011

Congress has extended the

legislation allowing donors to

make tax-free gifts from their IRAs(Individual Retirement Accounts).

Because Con-

gress acted so late

in the year, individ-

uals can complete

an IRA rollover

through Jan. 31,

2011, and still elect

to have it count as

a 2010 IRA chari-

table rollover.

If you are age 70 or older andreceive these distributions, you can

make tax-free gifts, totaling up

to $100,000, until Dec. 31, 2011,

from your traditional IRA to quali-

ed charities such as your United

Methodist church or ministryWhile you cannot claim a

charitable deduc-

tion for IRA gifts,

your gift amount

will reduce your

taxable estate, and

you will not be re-

quired to pay fed-

eral income tax on

any amounts you

distribute to qualified charities.

The Oklahoma United Method-ist Foundation can help you make

your gift; contact the Foundation at

800-259-6863 for details.

Giving Trough Your

IRAEnjoy the benefts o giving

through your IRATe rules have changed or charitablegits made rom IRAs. I you are overage 70, the ederal governmentnow permits you to rollover upto $100,000 rom your IRA toa qualiied charity such as yourchurch or United Methodist ministry

without ederal tax impact. Contact

the Foundation today about makingyour IRA rollover git!

www.okumf.org 800-259-6863

Many significant things can

happen in a year. It is suggested

you consider reviewing your will or

estate plan every four years. Below

are several life changes and other

noteworthy reasons to update yourwill or estate plans.

You give birth to or adopt a child

Your children reach adulthood

You inherit or are given new

assets

The needs of your beneciaries

change

Marriage

You give away or sell assets

mentioned in your current will

Signicant change in your assets

value

Purchase or sale of real estate

Relocation A named beneciary dies

Death, relocation, or disabled

executor or trustee

Death of a spouse

Divorce

You wish to make a gift to your

church or United Methodist cause

Is it time to update your will?

Law extends tax-free option for some charitable IRA gifts

Page *A

Contact Newspaper January 21, 2011

Documents

Transcript of Contact Newspaper January 21, 2011