One of the five dreams of our annual conference is the dream of Communities Impacting Poverty. This comes out of the Council of Bishops’ request that each annual conference reaffirm and work toward its commitment to the Pan Methodist Campaign for Children in Poverty. In Oklahoma, we are calling our initiative, “Let’s Do This, Oklahoma.”
Data from the Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey shows that the poverty rate in Oklahoma is 15.7 percent, which puts us as the eighth poorest country in the US. For children, it’s even more dismal. The data show that poverty is especially concentrated for Oklahoma’s children, with 19.5 percent - or almost 1 in 5 childrenliving at or below the federal poverty level.
In many of our communities, the United Methodist Church is responding with community food banks, weekend backpack programs, and many other outreach ministries which are making a difference across Oklahoma.
The Mission and Service Ministry Team and the team working on “Let’s Do This, Oklahoma,” will host a conference-wide Day of Learning on Wednesday, May 29, the day before the annual conference begins. If you are a member of the conference, you will have a chance to register when you register for the conference session.
However, this day of learning is for ALL leaders in churches around our state. Whether you are coming to the conference or not, you are encouraged to participate in this important day. You can register here for the day, for which a $15 registration fee covers
lunch and the material for the day. The day begins with registration at 8:30 a.m., with the seminar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a lunch break. The workshop will be held in the Gardner Conference Room at the Meinders School of Business on the campus of Oklahoma City University.
The presenter will be Treasure McKenzie, director of Muskogee Bridges Out of Poverty. She will focus on a framework for understanding poverty in your communities. McKenzie is affiliated with the aha! Process and the Ruby Payne Organization.
A series of district workshops will be held in the fall to follow up on this important event. If your church is interested in future grants for impacting your communities regarding poverty, this workshop will be required.
Muskogee Bridges Out of Poverty focuses on empowering those in poverty to investigate the barriers that keep people from getting ahead and educates the entire community on the complexities of poverty.
The initiative seeks to empower those in poverty to identify and use the abilities they already have to solve their own problems through
analyzing their realities.
This Community of Practice brings together community leaders, faith communities, employers, community organizations, social service agencies, and individuals address and reduce poverty in a comprehensive way.
Graduating over 400 families in 10
years, Muskogee’s Bridges program has become a national model for success in moving the needle on generational poverty.
In 2012 the General Conference called upon Church and Society to initiate the process for revising the United Methodist Social Principles. In 2019 Church and Society unveiled a revised draft of the Social Principles that had been created by a team of writers from Africa, Europe, the Philippines and the United States. These will be submitted for approval to General Conference 2020 in April of 2024. The Revised Social Principles include expanded content on the need for Christians to protect and care for all God’s creation. These changes come at a time when the impact of global climate change is being felt more and more around the world.
“Our work was framed on the idea that the revision should both be more succinct and theologically-grounded. We also wanted to make sure they were reflective of the worldwide nature of our denomination. I think all three of these conditions are evident in the content concerning creation care,” said Interim General Secretary of Church and Society John Hill.
One of the most notable changes in the document involves the title of the first section, which was revised from The Natural World to Community of All Creation. The section is divided into two subsections titled Creation in Peril and Stewardship of Creation.
“Historically, we have tended to perceive ourselves as somehow apart from creation. The old language talks about our responsibility for the natural world as though we are not a part of it. In the new document we are setting ourselves more within the community of all creation to show our interdependence with the earth,” said Hill.
The Community of All Creation section begins by describing the dire threats creation is facing at this time including climate change, overdevelopment, and use of unsustainable energy sources. The document then calls on Christians to adopt more sustainable and just practices. The Revised Social Principles also acknowledges the ways unjust environmental policies
touch other social concerns such as racism, classism, and the historic mistreatment of indigenous peoples.
“We brought in voices and perspectives from a lot of different countries, cultures and backgrounds who helped us create a more holistic approach to creation care,” said Church and Society Director of Communications Jeffery Corey.
“We’ve incorporated language and themes around environmental stewardship and climate justice into other parts of the document such as the Preamble. This is reflective of the way creation is connected to everything. When we talk about creation, we can’t stop talking about other forms of justice. I hope when people read the Preamble they will see how our responsibilities to God,
to our neighbor and to creation are all interconnected,” said Hill.
Another noticeable change from the old Social Principles is the presence of more direct references to scripture and Christian theology throughout the document. The Community of All Creation section opens with the following excerpt from one of John Wesley’s sermons. It also references Genesis, Matthew, Romans, Psalms and Isaiah.
The great lesson that our blessed Lord inculcates here…is that God is in all things, and that we are to see the Creator in the glass of every creature; that we should use and look upon nothing as separate from God…who pervades and actuates the whole created frame, and is, in a true sense, the soul of the universe. (John Wesley, “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 3”)
“The Bible begins with the creation story and our covenant with God to care for the earth. In Micah 6:8 we are told God requires that we ‘seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.’ Often when it comes to creation care we emphasis justice and kindness, but neglect our humility by forgetting we are part of creation and dependent on it,” said Hill.
Proponents of the Revised Social Principles believe its adoption by General Conference would be an important step in helping The United Methodist Church become more just and conscientious in its collective responsibility to love and care for all God’s earth and all creatures, great and small.
To learn more or read the Revised Social Principles in one of seven languages go to umcsocialprinciples2020. org.
Philip J. Brooks is a writer and content developer on the leader communications team at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Skyline celebrates 50 years of service to the Oklahoma City community this year. Incorporated in 1974, Skyline has a long history of meeting needs within the metro. In 1964, the United Methodist Conference launched a pilot program to advance downtown focus and support of urban city centers.
Skyline’s founder and first director, Reverend MacKenzie Thompson, outlined the original focus of Skyline’s service to the community by saying, “Skyline seeks to relate any youth in this particular downtown scope of life to Christian young adulthood and to help youth ‘through the complicated process of putting away childish things and becoming an adult.’”
Rev. Thompson’s commitment to making a difference in the Oklahoma City community has carried along throughout Skyline’s storied history.
In 1973, Skyline launched a program that is now the Food Resource Center, entitled “Cup-Board.” As Skyline’s services expanded, the programmatic focus shifted to respond to ever-changing community needs.
In 1979, Skyline provided food support to more than 13,000
Oklahomans.
While serving the Oklahoma City community, the team at Skyline learned of the importance of bridging resource gaps in food, community relationships, and healthcare.
The Skyline Eye Clinic was established in 1989 and provides free eye exams and glasses for more than 1300 Oklahomans each year.
Food support has been a large part of Skyline’s service to the community throughout its storied history. In 2014, we built the current 6500-square-foot Food Resource Center to enable all of Skyline’s programs to operate under one roof.
Fast forwarding to today, Skyline’s Food Resource Center, Mobile Pantry, and Garden program serve more than 26,000 households accounting for nearly 60,000 service deliveries each year. To put the broad reach into perspective, Skyline provides enough service deliveries to fill the Paycom Center more than three times.
Need within the Oklahoma City community is growing and we are fortunate to partner with incredible churches, volunteers, and donors who help meet community needs every day. We would love to find a place for you or your ministry group to volunteer in any of our programs.
We also want to extend a formal invitation to join our fundraising luncheon 11:45 to 1 p.m., Thursday, May 9. We would love to have you join us to learn how partnerships and support from our donors ensure that we continue meeting community needs. Visit our website for more details.
Skyline Urban Ministry was founded by the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church. Though it has changed over the past 50 years, it stays true to its roots, focusing on food insecurity in the OKC metro. Serving over 26,000 households per year, Skyline is making a difference. They’re looking for ministry partners and local churches to help continue their ministry.
CONTACT US TODAY TO PROVIDE FOR THE MINISTRIES OF YOUR CHURCH AND LASTING GOOD IN YOUR COMMUNITY
The 2024 Special Sunday kit provides a full package of ready-to-use resources to help your church celebrate native American Ministries Sunday and define how we give, why we give and the impact we make through connectional efforts. The official date for Native American Ministries Sunday is April 14, 2024, but you are encouraged to celebrate on a day that works best for your church.
For suggestions on how to use the material, check out the How to Guide
or for those who value a schedule, the planning calendar is the perfect way to consolidate all the opportunities.
For those who appreciate print resources, special envelope and pew cards that can be ordered here or you can call at 1-800-991-6011 to place an order. The resources are free and available for you to promote this ministry.
YOU change the story!
An offering is taken on this Special
Sunday to support vital ministries and churches in the Native American communities. The offering allows us to partner with existing native ministries to develop new programs on behalf of Native Americans. Last year, your generosity delivered over $243,000 toward this ministry.
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