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United in Ministry Through our Apportionments
Written: 4/8/2005
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is sixth in a series of articles written by JoAnn McNaught, our Conference Treasurer, explaining how apportionments unite us in ministry and extend the impact of our local churches around the world.By JOANN MCNAUGHT
The Urban Ministries total amount budgeted for 2005 is $135,000.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if there was nothing in the house to eat and no way to feed your family? Where would you go for help if you were working and making ends meet each week-but just barely-and your car would no longer get you to work? Who could help if you, as a mother, found yourself in an abusive and dangerous situation? If you had no church home and family, where would you look for spiritual nourishment?
The two Urban Ministries that receive support from this apportionment face these issues and many others with astonishing regularity and in different and creative ways. Skyline Urban Ministries in Oklahoma City and Restore Hope Ministries in Tulsa seek ways to meet physical, spiritual and social needs of hundreds of individuals and families each year. They do it in the name of Jesus, the Christ, and on behalf of the United Methodists of Oklahoma.
These two ministries, under the direction of Dale Tremper in Oklahoma City and Larry Johnson in Tulsa, provide spiritual counsel, prayer and worship experiences regularly. Tulsa's Restore Hope ministers to more than 8,000 each year through their Chapel Ministries program. Every Saturday evening approximately 100 low income and homeless people come to Skyline Ministries' Eighth Street sanctuary to worship and stay for dinner. Not all the people served by these ministries are unemployed-many are underemployed. They work regularly, but receive such low pay that they cannot meet extraordinary expenses.
Many local churches collect and contribute both non-perishable foods and good used clothing to these Urban Ministries. This helps make it possible for these ministries to provide emergency food to more than 12,000 families each year, and clothing for approximately 50,000 families yearly.
The apportionment for Urban Ministries is divided between the two ministries in an unusual manner. All apportionment dollars received from churches in the Tulsa District go to Restore Hope Ministries. Those received from churches in the North and South Oklahoma City Districts go to Skyline Urban Ministries. Receipts from the other nine districts of the Conference are divided equally between the two ministries.
No one familiar with the teachings of Jesus can doubt that He calls us-as His servants-to these ministries.
