Briefly
 District prepares to go fishing
"Gone Fishing: The Church Has Left the Building" is the name of a one-day evangelism conference offered Aug. 11 by the Ardmore District. A bishop and NFL athlete will be featured speakers, and afternoon workshops will follow a fish-fry lunch. The day begins at 9 a.m. in the Colvert Center of First UMC, Ardmore. Those within and beyond the Ardmore District are welcome to attend. Bishop Scott Jones of the Kansas Area will be morning presenter. He is known for innovative leadership in motivating churches to try new ideas for bringing people to Christ. Bishop Jones is the author of "The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Discipleship and Witness" and many other books, including "Staying at the Table: The Gift of Unity for United Methodists." During lunch, Dan Cody, an OU football player drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, will share his experience of "getting caught in the net of love and grace." Afternoon workshops will focus on creative evangelism strategies. Among the speakers will be Paul Escamillo, D.A. Bennett, David Daniel, Jessica Moffatt Seay, Sherry Kendrick, Temple Diehl, Mark Watson, and Guy Ames. Topics will include preaching, spiritual gifts, hospitality, worship, discipleship, and children’s ministry as they relate to evangelism.
Register: ardmoredistrict@sbcglobal.net or 580-223-2353. Cost, $10, includes light breakfast and the lunch. Class deadline for Re-Ignite Workshops Deadline is July 18 for groups to submit their plans for classes at the 2013 Re-Ignite Workshops (formerly Local Church Leaders Workshops). Find the Online Workshop Submission Form at www.okumc.org/reignite. Theme will be "We’ve Got a Lot of Work To Do." Dates for the training are: Jan. 12—Woodward and Clinton Districts, Jan. 19—McAlester; Jan. 20—Muskogee; Jan. 26—North & South Oklahoma City and Ardmore; Jan. 27—Enid and Lawton; Feb. 9—Tulsa; Feb. 10—Bartlesville, and Feb. 24—Stillwater. Cokesbury introducing children’s resource At 2 p.m. July 17, the Cokesbury store in Oklahoma City will preview new United Methodist curriculum for children: "Grow, Proclaim, Serve!" Charlotte Teel, an outstanding Christian educator and deacon at Yukon-Good Shepherd UMC, will be presenter, and prizes will be awarded. The store is at 7005 N. May Ave. For more information, contact Julie Wise, 405-858-5195. Project Transformation sites host Open House Project Transformation invites any clergy and church members interested in hosting these literacy camps for children in 2013 to visit an Open House at one of this summer’s sites. On July 16, three churches will hold Open House:
On July 18, one church welcomes visitors:
In Mangum, First UMC also is a PT site this summer. For tours at that location, contact Executive Director Lindsey Bryan, lbryan@okumc.org, to schedule a date and time. If you plan to attend an Open House, send your RSVP to aejaynes@gmail.com or call 918-808-1641. |