Contact 1-24-24

THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST

Weekly

Volume 6, Number 4 • January 24, 2024 • www.okumc.org

Members impact their community with creativity and compassion 2 Eden Chapel pastor serves as Boy Scout chaplain to complete interreligious training 8

Get more trauma informed with free trainings 4

ERE , H K bs CLIC ts, jo even for more! and

Save the Date Ministry in a Minute 10

Employment Passages

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Members impact their community with creativity and compassion our community with specific needs that are not being met.

Hands & Feet was born.

The group meets monthly HANDS FEET for a meal and fellowship at he evening circle of United Women in Faith the church, where people signup for the next Hands & Feet at Altus Grace UMC Mission. This mission provides formed in January 2023. From this ecumenical group of working basic personal hygiene items and laundry services for those and retired ladies came the idea that need assistance. Everyone of a mission to assist others in deserves clean clothes and what better way to help those that need the most help than to wash their clothes.

Volunteers from the group take 30 hygiene bags, change, laundry soap, and dryer sheets every Hands & Feet, a ministry of the Altus Grace UWF, provides hygiene and laundry supplies to people in the community. fourth Saturday Photos by Meghan Hull. to White Swan Laundry. There

BY WENDIE JENCKS-WILSON

T

&

Director of Communications: Joseph Harris Multimedia & Web Manager: Andrew Himes Editor of Publications: Jena Barber Communications Specialist: Tabitha Beckman 1501 N.W. 24th, Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Stories and photos by the editor unless otherwise noted.

have been months when the bags were all given out and the change has been spent. Several of the ladies will dig into their own pockets on these days to make sure people are served.

Not only have the people of Altus and Jackson County been served, but it is truly a blessing for the volunteers as well. The ladies have witnessed God sightings and heart-warming experiences every month. The best is that not only do the ladies of this circle fund this adventure, but so do people throughout the community. What a blessing!

MEALS

&MINISTRY

M

eals and Ministry (M&M) began in April of 2023, the brainchild of Meghan Hull.

She wanted a Sunday evening program for every child, ages one through 18. This ministry hit the ground running and has already grown to impact adults as well as kids.

At 5:30 p.m., we have a family

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style meal for everyone. The meal is prepared in the church kitchen, followed by cleanup and education.

There are classes for everyone and the fellowship during the grand exercise is felt throughout the halls.

Children under three are in the nursery with Bethany and Jesper; young people ages four to 12 meet in the library puppets are a bonus - and the rest of the youth meet in the youth room for games, movies and lessons. Adults meet in parlour, but there are plenty of opportunities to help regardless of your age or passion. Right now, Altus Grace adult class is diving into N.T. Wright’s “The New Testament You Never Knew” with Michael Byrd. It’s explosive and challenging and the conversations are great.

The activity currently has from 35 to 40 weekly participants.

Our true vision is to grow this into an outreach into our local community. We would appreciate all the prayers and provisions you can think of because we serve in one of the highest populations of food insecurity in the state. We have a passion to make a difference in the lives of all those around us. And we are just getting started!

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Elliott Hull, Jacob Carpenter, and Ethan Carpenter play with puppets during the Sunday evening Meals and Ministry gathering.

People of all ages gather for fellowship and food during Meals and Ministry, a Sunday evening, all-ages program of Altus Grace UMC. Food insecurity is a pervasive problem in the Altus community, so this weekly meal is a great way to serve the community and get to know neighbors at the same time.

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Get more trauma informed with free trainings

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aith and community leaders are early responders to crises within their communities. The Trauma-Informed Faith Communities project of Crisis Care Ministries can help you be more trauma-informed and prepared in 2024.

Your church can get prepared in three ways.

Register here for the short, live webinar series called Navigating Storm Season. Prepare for spring storm season with brief webinars provided by experienced partners from Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The series goes live on February 6 through 17, Tuesdays, at 10:00 to 11:00 AM Central Time.

Topics include: • February 6, 2024 - Individual and Family Disaster Preparedness • February 13, 2024 - From Disaster Preparedness Through Long-Term Recovery • February 20, 2024 - Faith Community Disaster Preparedness

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•

February 27, 2024 - First Things to Know About Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care

Register only once to sign up for all Navigating Storm Season sessions, attending as you are able.

Pre-register here for the new Caring in Crisis: Effective Interventions webinar series. From initial contact through referral and follow-up, learn practical ideas and skills to assist those seeking your help, along with how to refer them to others who may be better able to meet their needs. It goes live on Tuesdays, April 2 through 30, at 10:00 to 11:00 AM Central Time.

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Topics include: If you’re interested in becoming • Trauma 101 a trainer, please contact Mary • An Overview of Psychological Gaudreau Hughes for more First Aid information.

• Knowing When to Refer • Mental Health Emergencies The Trauma-Informed Faith Communities project is designed Register only once to sign up for to strengthen the capacity of all Effective Interventions sessions, faith and community leaders to attending as you are able. better respond to individuals and communities affected by and at risk Sign up to become a trainer for experiencing numerous crises and for “Talk Saves Lives” (suicide disasters. For the project home page, prevention training you can offer click here. in your own contexts and settings).

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is offering a Train-theTrainer event for our constituents and partners. Details are coming soon.

RESCHEDULED

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Shifting the Culture

Mediating Healthy Relationships through King’s Model of Nonviolence

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sunday, February 04, 2024 at 4:00pm Quayle United Methodist Church 5001 N. Everest Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

GUEST SPEAKER

Rev.17thDr. Candace Lewis President Dean of Gammon

Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC)

COMMUNITY-WIDE MLK WORSHIP SERVICE

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is remembered because he played a pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement, advocating for racial equality, justice, and nonviolent protest. His efforts led to significant societal changes.

We desire to impact the Oklahoma Conference, the ecumenical church and the larger community in transformative ways.

Event Sponsored by: The Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church

For More Information Contact Rev. Dr. Bessie Hamilton, Associate Director of Connectional Ministries for New Faith Communities and Multi Ethnic Initiatives - bhamilton@okumc.org

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Want to advertise with us? Email Jena Barber at editor@okumc.org for sizing, rates, and more.

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Eden Chapel pastor serves as Boy Sc interreligious training

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t the meeting of the Clergy Orders and Fellowship on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Bishop Jimmy Nunn, on behalf of the Council of Bishops, honored Rev. Katie Paul with a certificate of completion from the United Methodist Ecumenical and Interreligious Training: Young Adult Network (UMEIT: YAN). Paul is the pastor of Eden Chapel UMC outside of Stillwater.

The two-year, monthly cohort meetings were usually via Zoom meetings, but two in-person meetings took place - first in Atlanta in September, 2022, and again An average night of worship for the protestant group of Boy Scouts of America at at Cliff College in the United Philmont adventure camp in New Mexico. Photo by Chip Turner.

Kingdom in September, 2023.

The students met camp for scouts and staff as well as project to promote ecumenical and/ together online for devotion, a few worship services a week in the or interreligious engagement in their learning and actively leading. Those backcountry. context. who were able also met in person “One of the other frequent jobs was The chaplaincy work was Paul’s two times. Each student created a conflict resolution between scouts and project, as all participants committed to passing on what they sometimes with their adult advisors, and seeing the power of reconciliation had learned through the work of a made a huge impact on me. Serving ministry project. as a chaplain to scouts was a great Paul shared of her experience, opportunity to encourage spiritual “I served as a protestant chaplain growth and curiosity in today’s teens for three weeks at Philmont -and young adults.” one of the BSA high adventure The chaplain corps is made up of a camps -- in New Mexico. I was coordinator plus a Jewish chaplain, an able to put my ecumenical and LDS chaplain, three Roman Catholic interreligious training to work chaplains, and three protestant interacting with scouts from a chaplains of various mainline and variety of faith backgrounds or Rev. Katie Paul preaches during evening evangelical backgrounds. Each has no faith. As a chaplain, we would worship at a BSA adventure camp. Photo to be comfortable interfacing with lead daily worship services at base

by Ken Barrett.

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

cout chaplain to complete scouts of any denomination and faith background (or no faith background).

Paul is working with the coordinator on a short preaching guide offering tips on how to connect well during the evening worship services held for scouts and staff daily.

Paul reflected, “One of the highlights was baptizing a teen girl whose faith had deepened through online worship with a congregation she’d never be able to visit. Another highlight was hearing the call to ministry from two young adults on staff and encouraging them to keep listening and discerning.”

The preaching guide takes into account that there are often people who have never been to church before alongside those who go frequently, as well as those of different faith backgrounds than the service that they are attending to expand their horizons.

The goal is to help the preacher to make connections with an average 15 year old, the unusual setting that they are in, the challenges that await them or that they are just returning from, and God’s living word.

Paul plans to return this summer.

“Serving as a chaplain to scouts was a great opportunity to encourage spiritual growth and curiosity in today’s teens and young adults.”

RIGHT: The Chaplain Corps of Philmont Scout Ranch.. Photo by Philmont Scout Ranch staff.

Watering the Earth :

S TA R T W I T H V I S I O N A N D A P U R P O S E

CONTACT US TODAY TO PROVIDE FOR THE MINISTRIES OF YOUR CHURCH AND LASTING GOOD IN YOUR COMMUNITY

OKLAHOMA

METHODIST

F O U N DAT I O N

405-525-6863

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W W W. L AST I N G G O O D.O RG

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

Ministry in a Minute

Wesley United Methodist Church El Reno reached out to those neighbors in need by leaving scarves on poles in the blocks around the church. As the tag explains, anyone feeling cold could take any of dozens of scarves. The church collected the scarf donations over the last month, and put them out just before the expected arctic air. Within a few days, not only were all the scarves taken, but residents and businesses also expressed warm hearts by the kind gesture of the church.

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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact

January 24, 2024

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