13 churches prepare to multiply

Craig Stinson, left, passes a microphone to Pastor Max Rudd of Lost Creek UMC, who is ready to share the rural church’s progress. By Holly McCray A leadership experiment launched this year, with 13 Oklahoma churches as...

Opportunities

Director of Christian Education: Full-time. St. Stephen's UMC, Norman. Send resumé and cover letter to ststephensumc@coxinet.net Organist: Part-time. Weatherford UMC, firstu@sbcglobal.net. Organist: Part-time. Claremore-First UMC, Linda Pollock, 918-341-4580 ext. 306, lpollock@claremorefumc.org. Administrative Assistant/Office Manager: Full-time. Nursery Worker: Part-time....

Briefly

Grant will expand kitchen for NSO Residents of the Carolyn Williams Center, a program of United Methodist-related Neighborhood Services Organization (NSO), soon will have a new kitchen, thanks to a $100,000 grant from Impact Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City center will gain additional food storage space and industrialized appliances to teach more young men how to prepare, cook, and store their food. ...

Clergy Family

Passages Rev. Daniel Dean Wynn, 83, of Amarillo, Texas, died April 21, 2013. Dean was born July 3, 1929, in Frederick. He married Darla Reckard on Aug. 1, 1967, in Oklahoma City. His ministry career began in 1952. He served at Hollister-Sanford, Chickasha-Frisco Avenue, Lawton-Highland, Turpin, Gage, Atoka, New Zion, Hinton, Red Rock, Laverne, Rosston, and Hooker. He officially retired in 1995....

Advice to youth workers:
Involve teens in meaningful ways

From left, Stephen Cady, Claire Smith of Saint Paul seminary, Conference Youth Ministry Director Diana Northcutt, and Kenda Creasy Dean. A hailstorm punctuated bold teaching at the 2013 Youth Workers’ Gathering in late April. The...

Foundation welcomes 4 new trustees

With retiring Board of Trustees member G.T. Blankenship are Board Chairman Robert Long, left, and Foundation President Bill Junk, right. Visit the Foundation’s display at the Oklahoma City University Freede Center...

Embrace those wrinkles
Event educates older adults

Ann Sherrod is anointed with oil as worship concludes a retreat for older adults in April. Photos by Holly McCray Robert Oltmanns receives the blessing of oil. ...

Children take lead at Verdigris

Katie Mathis, 5, hands a Sunday worship bulletin to Brenda Scrivner. Verdigris UMC encourages children to ...

Jesus' command echoes in all - Annual Conference 2013

Annual Conference TOPICS Registration details Wednesday missions Worship services Extend hospitality to choir Bishop Weaver preaches ...

Cokesbury shuts Oklahoma stores

Steve Stuttman helps load a shelf unit on closing day, April 13, at the Cokesbury store in Tulsa. Photo by Shari Goodwin Diane Doughty, Tulsa Cokesbury store manager, receives a shawl April 13 from Margaret Johnson, left, OIMC Northern...

Advance info on health, pension costs

A full house asked few questions at the first pre-conference meeting, April 14 at Anadarko-First. Crucial changes in clergy healthcare and pension benefits drive the discussion at these district meetings, which continue through May 9. Conference Treasurer Brian Bakeman urges each church’s financial officers to attend, as well as clergy and Annual Conference delegates. "We want the laity...

Missionaries arrive in state this summer

Students at Asbury College, Anda, the Philippines, surround missionary Marsha Alexander, originally from Oklahoma. A 15-member Claremore-First VIM team served there in February and presented Rev. Alexander with a cross. They also gave soccer balls for each classroom. Team leader Alon Bruce...

World Religions Expo engages conversation

Right: At the World Religions Expo on April 7, Jalisa Ross, who is Miss Indian OCU, leads a Native dance. Above: Buddhist nun Jian Gai Shi poses with Dann May, a professor in OCU’s Wimberly School of Religion. The two collaborate on service learning projects, May said. OCU students helped build a meditation path at Buddha Mind...

Opportunities

Organist: Part-time Claremore FUMC. Contact Linda Pollock 918-341-4580 ext. 306. lpollock@claremorefumc.org Director of Children & Youth Ministry: Full-time. Warrensburg-First UMC, Warrensburg, Missouri. Send resume to: 141 E. Gay Street, Warrensburg, MO 64093, Questions. 1-660-747-8158 Director of Youth Ministry: Part-time. Director of Children’s Ministry: Part-time. Director of Little...

Briefly

OIMC meets June 6-9 Theme is "No New Face — No More Church!" for the 2013 Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conference, set for June 6-9 at the OIMC Northeast Region Center near Preston, which is north of Okmulgee. The conference opens with a parade of tribal flags at 7 p.m. Thursday. Bishop Hayes is preacher, and Marcus Briggs-Cloud will lead worship. The spotlight is on children in Saturday...

Clergy Family

Birth Margot Louise Hunt was born April 10, 2013. She is the daughter of Hilary and Rev. James Hunt, associate pastor at Broken Arrow-First UMC. Passages Vicki Lyn Fleming Hall, 65, of Piedmont died March 26, 2013. She was the wife of Rev. Andrew Martie Hall Jr., retired elder, who served in the Oklahoma and North Arkansas Conferences. Vicki was born Nov. 6, 1947, in Little ...

Schedule shortened for Summer School

'Come if you want understanding of how our merciful God can love us even when we cannot love one another.' – David Gordon A significant format change is planned for the 2013 Summer School on Chemical Dependency. Dates will be June 16-22. The school will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday and conclude at noon Saturday in Oklahoma City. This shorter, one-week program is a change from the previous 12-day...

Tutoring adds up for pair of churches

Teryl Parker, from OKC-Church of the Servant, tutors young Katie Kujac at OKC-Wesley.Photo by Carolyn Hays Jane Anne Slane, from Church of the Servant, tutors a young student on...

Cache nets goodwill by organizing kids' games

Cache-First UMC experienced its version of "March Madness" when the church hosted the Cache community basketball league, for grades one through six. More than 160 youngsters signed up for the eight league games, played during four successive Saturdays. The recreational opportunity almost didn’t happen, said Pastor Bryan Tener. Two weeks before the season, a community notice declared the league was...

BACKPACK PROJECT -Stigler-First UMC

The Choctaw Nation donated $1,000 to Stigler-First UMC to help fill backpacks for school students at risk of hunger. The church packs 34 bags weekly with food and a coloring Bible lesson, which the children take home for weekends. Shown Feb. 11 are, from left, church member Charles Parks, tribal councilman Ron Perry, project leader Flo Conklin, and Pastor Larry Gaston. Photo by Linda Lamb ...