Love is an Action Word, is a 7-part series presented by Reconciliation Ministries and the Office of the General Minister and President. Panelists include Margie Pride, Glen Miles, Judith Guy, and Josh Toulouse. Our very own Jeff Champeau will be the producer! This is a wonderful opportunity to take your pro-reconciliation anti-racism to the next level. Watch the replay!
Register now for this virtual series here.
Woodlands Christian Church has an important outreach ministry called “Shoe-A-Child”, providing shoes to children in their church and local community. We thank Woodlands Christian Church, Verna Bateman and the Outreach Committee for their amazing ministry that serves and blesses so many. We thank God for your important ministry and servants hearts.
Verna Bateman, Outreach Committee says “What a wonderful experience seeing all those beautiful faces lighting up with their new shoes. This year was very different with having to deal COVID-19 virus. But with the Lord’s help, ever thing went amazing well. It was so different this year without having our wonderful volunteers from Woodlands Christian Church helping. We are so grateful for the staff at Encore Shoe Store who helped us this year more than ever. We are pleased to report that we served 45 children with new shoes. We would like to thank everyone who provided financial help with this annual event. It is only possible through your support. Lord willing, next year, will be back to normal.”
Thank you for a job well done.
On behalf of the Regional Board, thank you for remembering the Regional Church in your generous giving to the 2020 Spring Annual Fund. We celebrate that your gifts helped the Region reach 53% of its Annual Fund goal! The Regional Church depends upon your faithful giving to strengthen the ministry to clergy and congregations throughout the Region of Oklahoma, and our next appeal will launch in October.
While all of our in-person events have either been postponed or canceled until 2021, the Region has offered several events and meetings virtually: Vacation Bible School and Camp & Conference, Area Clergy meetings, and Commission meetings. We are grateful for your gifts to allow the Region to invest in the technology to keep us connected.
The first Virtual Regional Assembly will be on Saturday, September 26, 2020. We will be providing opportunities to gather on-line for learning, worship, and business. Registration opens soon. We hope you will join us as we unite as Disciples of Christ in Oklahoma.
In this unprecedented and extraordinary season of COVID-19, we give thanks for your health. We are deeply grateful for your congregation as it continues to gather either on-line or in-person for worship, and for your continued ministry into the community in the name of Jesus. Let all you do be done in love.
Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong, and may God’s blessing of protection, courage, and grace continue to be upon you.
Peace & God’s Grace,
Regional Minister, Pam Holt
The Regional Office received a surprise gift last month when the youth from Oklahoma City New Covenant Christian Church arrived at the Regional Office with tools to trim the very overgrown shrubs! A big thank you to the youth and sponsors from OKC NCCC who spent their day cleaning up the flower beds at the Oklahoma Regional Office. We really appreciate your servant’s hearts. Thank you for blessing us with your time and energy on such a hot day!
Phillips Center for Ministry and Lay Training is excited to offer the upcoming Ministry Training Course Offerings. Click HERE to see the full course catalog and details on how to enroll.
20/21 Session 2: August 17 – October 11, 2020
20/21 Session 3: October 12 – December 6, 2020
20/21 Session 4: January 4 – February 28, 2021
20/21 Session 6: March 29 – May 23, 2021
The Oklahoma Disciples Foundation is excited to host Rev. Barkhauer (co-host) for two one-hour live video presentations on August 17 and August 18. Pick the day and time most convenient for you: Monday, August 17, 2020 at 7 p.m. Central Time, or Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 11 a.m. Central Time.
Pre-registration is required. You must provide your name, church and email so we can email you a link to the Zoom video presentation. There is no cost to participate. Gather your stewardship committee members and logon to learn. (A computer or laptop with a camera is necessary to participate in the Zoom conference.)
Click HERE to register.
How should churches make an annual appeal during 2020? How can the church connect with members while practicing social distancing? People have lost income, so is now an appropriate time for the church to ask for money? What’s next in church finance? How do we prepare?
If you are a pastor or member of a congregation asking these questions, you won’t want to miss a live opportunity to hear Center of Faith and Giving Director Rev. Bruce A. Barkhauer’s take on “Stewardship in a Time of Crisis.” It will be a time of helpful and faithful conversation, questions and suggestions as we examine how to think and talk about stewardship during this global pandemic. Discussion will also provide suggestions for the best use of the “Faithful, Hopeful and Loving” materials provided by the Oklahoma Region as well as how your community of faith can maximize or “start” an electronic giving program.
Over the years, Rev. Barkhauer has graciously traveled to Oklahoma to make various stewardship presentations in conjunction with the Foundation. If you haven’t heard him speak, you’re missing out. Rev. Barkhauer brings creative energy to his presentations and shares real life examples with sometimes-humorous undercurrents.
Rev. Barkhauer was called as the first “Minister for Faith and Giving for Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)” in 2010. For 25 years, he led congregations in Ohio and Indiana in achieving high levels of financial support for local and global missions. He is a noted speaker, educator, consultant and writer.
“His energy, vision and entrepreneurial spirit enhance gifts in both business and ministry,” according to the Center of Faith and Giving website. “He brings a biblical based understanding about stewardship combined with theological integrity and weds them to the current trends and best practices related to spirituality and money.”
We hope to see you there!
Virtual Regional Assembly is scheduled for September 26, 2020. Congregations will soon receive important information on selecting delegates and registration by mail.
In 60 Days of Faith for Women, Rev. Cameron Trimble writes: I have no sense of direction. That should probably alarm you since I am a pilot. Because of this, I get lost quite a bit unless I am using my GSP to guide me to my destination. I usually just end up on small detours, though occasionally I can find myself way off course.
I used to get anxious about these deviations and would carefully follow my GPS for themes direct route from point A to point B. But soon I found myself missing the adventure that comes with not being entirely sure of where you are going. I realized that I saw more awake, more aware, and more curious about the journey when I wasn’t certain I was on the proven path. I had the potential of flying a new route that no one else had traversed before. It’s the subtle shift from being a follower to being an explorer–and it’s the only path I know to a fulfilling life.
Author Martha Beck once said, “A good Wayfinder is someone who’s comfortable losing the way.”
Given all of the challenges we face as a community, especially . . . with a pandemic threatening people we love in mighty forces, when the safety of our children is at stake by a potential return to school mandate, when the need for justice around systemic racism rises to protests, when the poor are run out of resources, when divisiveness is so prevalent, when the medical community is putting their lives and families at risk to save our lives, it seems we are being issued a new call to adventure. We must chart an original path forward to a sustainable future. We don’t have any templates for getting us there — no one has figured this out yet — so it’s up to us to get comfortable feeling lost while we find our way.
Where should we begin on this adventure? We could be anxious. We could be paralyzed. Or, we could be courageous. How about fixing our eyes upon Jesus?
Our 2020 Virtual Regional Assembly will focus on a few verses from Luke 4. This scripture was chosen for our Regional Assembly almost a year ago, and it seems ever more relevant today as we weather the storms in this unprecedented and extraordinary season.
Here’s what it says. Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been raised. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
God’s Spirit is upon me;
he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s time to shine!”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”
Jesus, delivering this inaugural sermon in Nazareth, had every eye fixed on him, in awe! In awe!
Jesus had something to say to the people gathered. Jesus had something urgent for them to hear and see. I wonder what Jesus just revealed. I am not sure it was just the words from Isaiah.
In this unprecedented time and extraordinary season that we are living in, it is easy to lose sight of Jesus and what Jesus comes to reveal. It is so easy to lose our way. How do we keep our eyes and our hearts fixed on Jesus, in awe?
Join us virtually on September 26, 2020 at the Regional Assembly to find out more!
Always Picking Up the Peaces,
Pam Holt
Footnotes:
Rev. Cameron Trimble, 60 Days of Faith for Women: A Devotional to Deepen Gratitude, Praise, and Prayer. Emeryville, California: Rockridge Press, 2020. p. 76.
Quoted scripture is from The Message, interpreted by The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II from We Are Called to be a Movement. New York, NY: Workan Publishing Co., Inc. 2020. pp. 4-6.
National Benevolent Association (NBA) invites social entrepreneurs and Disciples who want to learn more about the world of Social Enterprise to our virtual SENT Seminar. Participants will experience online education on the importance of impactful work in our communities and lessons on how to plant and grow new faith-rooted social enterprises.
Topics Covered:
• Fundraising 101
• How to Build a Board
• Church and Social Impact
• The ‘Why’ of Faith-Rooted Social Enterprise
• Congregations Pivoting for Social Impact
• Social Service vs. Social justice
• Communication Strategy
Join us online for the Virtual SENT Seminar, Sept. 16–18, 2020. Register HERE
For more information, contact Rev. Darnell Fennell, Director of Social Entrepreneurship, DFennell@NBAcares.org, (314) 993-9000 ext. 6845
Congratulations to Western Oaks Christian Church for receiving the “Certified Excellence” award from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. We congratulate you on your award and accomplishment to become a certified healthy congregation. Thank you for going above and beyond to serve your church and community.
I am sure that you are well aware that out of concern for the health and well-being of our constituents, the 2020 EXPERIENCE IT’S REAL! had to be postponed to 2022. The work of the National Convocation goes on. Our Executive Committee and Board of Trustees have been meeting and making plans to handle our business. We are in the process of planning a Virtual 26th Biennial Business Session on August 15, 2020. We want to handle our business for 2020 in order to keep moving forward.
Event: 2020 Virtual 26th Biennial Business Session
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2020
Time: 11am – 1pm – central time
Where: Online – Zoom Meeting
We do have several pertinent items on the agenda. At the Virtual Biennial Business Session, we will want to:
a. Install new Officers;
b. Install new At-Large Members;
c. Receive the Strategic Plan and Vision Statement;
d. Approve the Amendments to the Articles of Operation;
e. Receive the Advisory Committee report;
f. Receive the Nominating Committee report;
g. and receive the Time & Place Report.
Once you registered for the 2020 Virtual 26th Biennial Business Session, you will receive an email with more information, including the materials you need to review before the meeting. Registration is now open.
If you have questions or need assistance email Brenda Rossy at brossy@disciples.org