Briefly

Starring roles From left, medical professionals Mary and Stanley Imunya of Kenya tour the United Methodist Ministry Center in late 2009 with Prudy Gorrell of OKC-Church of the Servant. Funds from churches support the Kenyans’ healthcare work through Maua Methodist Hospital, an Advance second-mile-giving project. In Oklahoma, the brand-new All-Star award program salutes churches that excel in missions, such as through the Advance. Karen Distefano of Bartlesville is the new Conference secretary of Global Missions, kririe@aol.com,  918-336-0351.

First online class is for trustees

"Trustees" is the title of the first class in a new series of free online training opportunities—called e-training—for leaders in Oklahoma’s churches.

The class made its debut in January at /e-training.  Designed to help educate and inform members of any church’s Board of Trustees, the content originally was created by the Florida Conference and adapted for Oklahoma’s churches.

The PowerPoint presentation is now available for viewing by PC computer users, and it is being adapted for Mac computers. Development of e-training is a joint effort by two Conference ministries: Local Church Leader Workshops and the Department of Communications.

March concerts benefit Bolivia ministries

In March, concerts and banquets at five Oklahoma churches will feature musicians from Bolivia and will raise funds for the work of The Methodist Church in Bolivia.

Performers will be with the fair-trade project Ayni-Bolivia. Donations will support church construction as well as Engineers In Action projects. The Oklahoma Conference is in partnership ministry with the Church in Bolivia. The schedule is:

• March 5 at McFarlin UMC in Norman;

• March 6 at OKC-Chapel Hill;

• March 7 at Owasso-First;

• March 8 at Muskogee-St. Paul’s; and

• March 9 at Tulsa-First.

Ayni-Bolivia appears in several YouTube videos. David Stephenson, pastor at Skiatook, chairs the Bolivia/Oklahoma Partnership Committee.

Workdays for Wilderness Camp

Volunteer church teams and individuals are encouraged to sign up for workdays in the Wilderness Area at Canyon Camp during March 13-20.

Help is needed for about 20 projects, in preparation for the 2010 Wilderness Camp. Workers will eat and stay for free in heated cabins; you must provide your bedding. Contact Montie or Galeda Jones in Lawton, 580-355-1549, galedamontie@sbcglobal.net. 

 Welcome to Willow View

For the second year, Willow View UMC in Enid has earned certification by United Methodist Communications (UMCom) as an official "Welcoming Congregation."

The church received the national recognition for meeting criteria about embracing newcomers and providing opportunities in discipleship. Pastor is Lesly Broadbent.

The "Welcoming Congregations" program is interwoven with the denomination’s campaign to Rethink Church, www.rethinkchurch.org.

Free communications classes online

"Tuesdays @ 10am Central" presents free 30-minute Webinars, hosted by UMCom, on ways to enhance church communications ministry.

Coming in March is "Mastering the Multimedia Maze," a series of five classes. Go to: www.umcom.org.

‘One Great Hour of Sharing’ set March 14

Gifts to the Special Sunday offering titled "One Great Hour of Sharing" lay the foundation for all the work of UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) by covering the agency’s administrative costs. This means 100 percent of all donations to specific UMCOR relief projects go to those projects. Learn more at www.umcgiving.org/OGHS.