Announcing All-Star church award program

For years, the Oklahoma Conference has celebrated The Five-Star Church Award, honoring churches’ excellence in missions.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, the Conference’s Mission and Service Ministry Team (MSMT) will launch a revision of the program. It will be named The All-Star Church Recognition and Award Program.

Why the change?

Two reasons. First, we wanted a way to recognize significant missional efforts made by churches that could not always complete all five stars in a single year. Second, we wanted to give churches more choices in how they responded to missions.

With the new program, a church can be recognized for earning a minimum of three stars—and awarded as many stars as it sets its heart and hands to!

A church acquires "stars" by supporting selected United Methodist missional emphases and ministry opportunities within a calendar year.

• Conference recognitions will be given to churches that achieve a minimum of three stars.
• Conference awards will go to churches that achieve a minimum of five stars.
• Churches that report exceptional work in missions can receive additional Gold Star or Stellar Church awards.

The criteria for the program will be reviewed annually by the MSMT and will periodically change, to reflect General Church and Conference emphases. Changes typically will be announced at the Annual Conference session prior to the year of implementation.