Thanksgiving in Uncertain Times Have you read Psalm 118 lately? If not, you may want to read it today. As we prepare for an election in a deeply divided country, as fighting and killing continues in Ukraine, the Middle East and even Africa, we are prone to anxiety about the future of our country and world. But in the midst of much that is not good, the Psalmist gives thanks for one certainty – The Lord is good and his loving kindness endures forever! In verse 5, the Psalmist declares, “In my anguish I cried to the Lord and He answered by setting me free.” All who trust in Jesus can testify that at one time we were dead in our transgressions and sins; we were literally slaves to sin. When we called out to the Lord in the midst of our anguish and handed Him the reigns of......

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Little is Much When God Is in It! I remember often singing the song, “Little is Much When God Is in It” as a child. I heard my parents tell of the first time they heard the song. It was at the 1956 General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. God broke in as Verne Mullins sang. People were shouting, waving hankies, crying, running the aisles and reveling in the simple truth of the song: “Does the place you’re called to labor Seem so small and little known? It is great if God is in it, And he’ll not forget his own. Little is much when God is in it; Labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown, and you can win it If you’ll go in Jesus’ name. Amen.” I think most of us have a tendency to think what......

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  Blessing Our Community Webinar Join us on September 10 at 12 p.m. as we are joined by special guest, Kristen Donavan. Kristen is a mom, pastor, and the executive director of Jubilee Partners Compassionate Ministry Center in Oklahoma City, OK. Jubilee Partners’ mission is to support youth in their communities through education, fostering healthy relationships, and developing life skills. They currently run four programs in three different communities for children in preschool to twelfth grade. Kristen will share her experience partnering with both local schools and churches. She will discuss how churches can start small and build relationships with schools to make a Kingdom impact in their community. If you have ever wondered how you can be a blessing to both children and school employees in your community, you will not want to miss this conversation! She knows Oklahoma and resources available… and is actually starting some work......

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District Discipleship Day District Discipleship Day is just over 3 weeks away, and it’s time to think about…food! While DDD itself is free, on-site meals will cost $10/person. Lunches will be provided by Chick-fil-A, with the following options available: (1) Chick-fil-A sandwich, (2) 8ct. Chicken Nugget, (3) The Cobb Salad, (4) The Market Salad (Gluten-free). Box lunches will include chips, a cookie, and bottled water. Salad lunches will include bottled water. We are sending the lunch link to churches instead of individuals so that there is not confusion from people getting registered multiple times and so that each church can gather and submit payment together. All lunch orders are due by August 11th and payment for lunches needs to be postmarked by August 12th. Please send payments to Central Church of the Nazarene, 7291 E. 81st St, Tulsa, 74133. What else will we do during lunch at DDD? Let......

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Are You Ready to Bless Your Community? Are you ready to start blessing your community? Not sure where to start? We have created a series of training videos to help you feel confident in blessing your community! You can get them here. Be sure to gather a group of leaders to experience these together!     Additionally, we have created some free resources to help you discover the gifts and assets of your community and congregation so you can bless your community as a congregation in ways that make sense in your context. You can grab the Community and Congregation Assessment Guide here.         Regional Quiz 2024 Report Our NEO Children’s Quizzers traveled to SNU on June 15 to participate in the Regional Quiz 2024. Despite the heat and space challenges created by a failed a/c unit in the SNU auditorium, they had a fun day......

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Thank God for an Awesome Assembly and NMI Convention!   2024 District Assembly Highlights Our speakers, Amanda Petit and Dr. Gustavo Crocker, challenged and inspired us. Ragan Schubert and the Worship Teams modeled and led us in wholehearted worship. Pastor Brady Thelander, Anthony Beville and the SapNaz family were outstanding and gracious hosts! NEO Nazarenes showed up, but most importantly, God met with us! There was ample time for fellowship over coffee and meals! Videos of Pastors Reports, Services and Business Meetings are on the NEO Website: https://www.neokdistrict.org/resources/media and some are also on our Facebook Page.   On Saturday, August 17, we will gather at Regency Park Church of the Nazarene in Tulsa to have God shape us in His image and make us disciple-makers who journey with the people in whose lives He is working. A collaboration of Nazarene Youth International (NYI), Nazarene Missions International (NMI), and Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI),......

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! Pastor Tim and Sharon Odom Pastor Tim is retiring after 20 years at Collinsville Church of the Nazarene. The church is alive and growing. An amazing part of Pastor Tim’s tenure is that their three other pastoral staff members have all served at least 15 years with Pastor Tim at Collinsville. The Church is hosting a retirement reception for Tim and Sharon on Saturday, April 27, 2:00 – 4:00 pm at their facilities, 1118 W Broadway.   David and Lisa Frisbie Due to health limitations following a heart attack, David Frisbie retired after one year at Miami New Life. David and Lisa have previously served NEO as Pastoral Staff at Family Church (now Core Church). Of course, David and Lisa have served NEO and the global church as Directors of Marriage and Family Ministry for many years.       Additional Assembly Information: Lodging.......

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Dear NEO family, It is April 1. Those of us who follow our crucified and risen Savior are no fools! The Apostle Paul says it this way to the church at Corinth: 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”  I Corinthians 1:26 – 31......

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Find Us Faithful Dave McKellips On any week we could print the names of some who have modeled faithful service to God and the church in our update. We stand on the shoulders of a cloud of witnesses, lay and clergy, who have followed Jesus faithfully and whose devotion has lit the way for us. In the last couple of weeks, I have been reminded of the impact of three special ladies – Dell Brock, Joyce Smith and Sheryl Renfro. Dell D Brock, age 98 of Tulsa Southwest Church, met her Savior face to face on February 25th. Dell became a devout Christian and got involved in the Nazarene church in the late 1950’s. She taught Sunday school, was the missionary president at her church (Yes, she rolled a lot of bandages to send to the mission field! Many of us old timers remember doing that!) and a board......

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  Blessing Our Communities Stan Reeder, USA/Canada Regional Director Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Recently, I was pondering this verse and how I might live it out in the city I live in. There are many people around the world living in exile, and I am not one of them. But I do feel the tension of living as a Jesus follower in a world that lives much different than I do. That wants to pull us into its orbit. It would be easy to just socialize with people in our churches, who think the same way as we do and close ourselves off to the world. But that is not what we are called to, and as leaders we have to set......

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