Seminary Lite: 3 Saturday courses for laity

Three spring courses in "Seminary Lite" begin Feb. 18 on the Oklahoma City University campus, offered by Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU. Each course meets one Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch. Enrollment is per class; a participant may attend only one—or more. The series of six courses, focused on learning for laypeople, made its debut last fall. The program is endorsed by the Oklahoma...

Awards confirm ministries bear fruit

<<< Elaine Robinson, right, accepts the second annual Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr. Racial Unity Award from Glenn Harris, who chairs the Commission on Religion & Race. Rev. Dr. Robinson is dean of Saint Paul ­seminary at OCU and attends OKC-Quayle UMC. ...

Laity from across state TEAM to learn more

At Cross Point Camp, Leon Wilson is at right. By Leon Wilson, Purcell-Trinity UMC One evening, I received a call from the South Oklahoma City District Lay Leader, asking if I was interested in joining a group for some leadership training....

Meeting for laity offers insight about elections

 An informational meeting will be held Nov. 6 at OKC-St. Luke’s for any layperson interested in being nominated as a General or Jurisdictional Conference delegate, and anyone who wants to learn more about the election process. Host will be Oklahoma Conference Lay Leader Judy Benson. "Our goal is to inform interested people about the process of being a delegate, as well as what to expect when elected and what is expected...

Lay Leaders Focus Day set at Tulsa-Asbury

Tulsa-Asbury UMC will host the annual Lay Leader Focus Day on May 1. This free program, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers learning, sharing, and networking with churches’ lay leaders from across Oklahoma Conference. All interested laity are welcome and also are encouraged to include their pastors. The Board of Laity sponsors the event. "The morning will be a time of roundtable discussions with challenging questions and...

Lay Speaker learns about Wesley

Cyvil Burks had just finished reading a book about John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, when he attended bi-district training in Oklahoma City for Certified Lay Speakers. His knowledge of Wesley and United Methodism was enhanced at the event, especially through the teaching of Henry Knight III, a professor from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. "This was over the top to have someone like Dr. Knight...

Districts invite lay speakers to study John Wesley's story

The North and South Oklahoma City Districts, in cooperation with the Wimberly School of Religion, will present advanced Lay Speaking training on Sept. 25-26 at Oklahoma City University. Titled "How To Grow Closer to God — Some Advice from John Wesley," the course will be taught by Henry H. Knight III. He is professor of theology at Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Mo. Classes will be held in Watson Lounge, Smith...

Worship ideas online for Moving Sunday

Online resources for "Celebration of Ministry Sunday" in Oklahoma, to mark a new pastoral appointment or reappointment, are being provided by the Board of Laity. The 2008 Annual Conference approved a resolution endorsing this worship format for what is informally called Moving Sunday. The statement notes: "The process of moving to a new appointment demands much time and energy on the part of clergy and their families." ...

Living the Plan - Leaders huddle to study game plans for healthy churches

Trans•form (verb) Definitions: 1. To change people or things completely, especially improving their appearance or usefulness 2. To change completely for the better 3. To convert one form of energy to another (Encarta® World English Dictionary, 1999, Microsoft Corp.)   More than 100 Oklahomans learned about transformational leadership on Feb. 28 at a training...

Team trains 53 lay speakers in Liberia

In July, Oklahomans will report on the Liberia trip to participants at a South Central Jurisdiction lay speaking conference, at Mount Sequoyah center in Fayetteville, Ark. The conference, July 11-13, will feature James B. and Molly Davis Scott, presenting "Back to Basics With Wesley: Decisions, Meetings, and Communion." For more information: 800-760-8126 or programs@mountsequoyah.org. ___________________________________________________________________ Bishop John Innis of...

April 5 is date for Lay Leadership Focus Day

Strategic Plan among topics for discussion Interest has grown in an annual spring event sponsored by the Conference Board of Laity. That expanding awareness is driving changes this year in the program’s scope and participants, even its name. The 2008 Lay Leadership Focus Day will be held April 5, from 9:15 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., at OKC-St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. The event is free, including lunch and resource materials. The program will center on the Strategic Plan proposal for...

Rush Springs church gets makeover

A "church makeover" at Rush Springs UMC includes landscaping and painting. Volunteer work was coordinated by the Board of Laity. Pastor Dan Fletcher is at right. The United Methodist connection secured success for a workday March 10 at Rush Springs UMC. The Conference Board of Laity partnered with Rush Springs members for a "church makeover." A total of 38 people participated. Another board event, also in March, drew 55 lay leaders for a Focus Day in Oklahoma City. Teams from across...

Lay leaders build networks on March 24

A panel discussion with four district superintendents is planned during Lay Leader Focus Day on March 24 at OKC-St. Luke’s UMC. The free program, 9:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., is sponsored by the Oklahoma Conference Board of Laity. Event Chairman Chuck Stewart said, "If you’re the lay leader of your congregation or a leader in a ministry area—or if you aspire to be a leader—you’ll find information that will help you be a more effective servant leader of your church family." For the special day,...