March 26, 2014 CHURCH OF THE SERVANT Bi-Weekly NEWSLETTER
Issue: 14.6
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Saying Goodbye to Dr. Matt Judkins…
Dr. Robert Gorrell Senior Minister
It is with mixed feelings that I share with you that Matt Judkins will receive a new assignment this year at Annual Conference. Matt will be appointed as the Senior Minister at First United Methodist Church of McAlester, Oklahoma. I have sad feelings, because I am seeing a friend and colleague move far away. It’s sad, because I rely on Matt for so many things here at our church. It’s sad, because Matt has had such a profound effect on the lives of many people here. But its happy too, because Matt is fulfilling his calling and he is moving closer to his home. About a year ago, Matt shared with me that he felt called to be the Senior Minister of a church. He also expressed a desire to move closer to his home in southeastern Oklahoma. I promised to support him in his decision. We shared that information with the district superintendent. The pro-
If you love Matt, Nanci and the children like I do, you can’t help but be excited for them... even if it means we are losing a great minister. cess worked and now Matt will have the chance to live out a dream. If you love Matt, Nanci and the children like I do, you can’t help but be excited for them... even if it means we are losing a great minister. Matt helped start a new worshipping community here and he is directly behind many of the innovative things we do.
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But I can tell you personally that when a minister feels God’s call to move on, it is essential that we submit to that call, as Matt has done. Many of you will ask, “Who is coming next?” And I have to be honest and say, I don’t have a clue. We will work through the process with the district superintendent and cabinet. Remember, this is the same process that brought Matt and all of our United Methodist clergy to us. Also remember that the Matt Judkins we send out is not the same Matt Judkins we received. He has grown tremendously while serving here. Chances are the new person will be inexperienced and just starting ministry. We will again have the chance to help mold and shape an entire ministry career. That is a calling for our entire congregation…and we are pretty good at it! Please keep the process of locating a new minister and Matt’s move in your prayers. And please say thank you to Matt and share in his joy. - Robert
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Missions Special Fish Appeal to Save Lives! Sunday, March 30
Over a million people depend on one Methodist outpost in Africa for all of their medical needs! Maui Methodist Hospital not only cares for them when they are sick and injured, it also operates many community ministries to care for their souls. Our church has supported the ministry there and we have helped save hundreds of lives. And just as importantly, we have offered Jesus Christ to some of the poorest people in the world. Now you can be part of God’s work in Africa through our Fish Appeal on Sunday, March 30. Missionary Jim Monroe was asked in his visit to Church of the Servant on March 15-16, “What does the hospital community need the most from Church of the Servant?” He paused, smiled and said, “Money and lots of prayer.” Through Rev Monroe’s visit we were made aware of just how far a dollar can go at the Maua Methodist hospital in Kenya, Africa. He shared with us how people walk for hours to receive treatment if they even come at all, as most of them decide to go without food to receive medical treatment. As Christians and Methodists we never turn anyone away from care. So we minister to some of the poorest people on the planet in a place others dare not go. Our Fish Appeal will offset cost of medical bills, and will set up bush clinics to support malaria prevention and de-worming treatment for children. Your gift of $200 can pay for a woman to deliver a baby in healthy conditions. A gift of $3500 will build an AIDS orphan house where an older couple and young children live and care for one another. A $20,000 gift can build a well in an area that will change the whole culture of a village, giving children space and time for education, rather than walking miles for water. You can help save someone’s life Sunday, March 30. Become a part of God’s work to change the world!
Rebuilding Day Saturday, April 12
Are you willing to give a few hours on a Saturday to change someone else’s life? Each spring, Rebuilding Together OKC hosts a one-day, city-wide build called “Rebuilding Day.” On Rebuilding Day, thousands of volunteer teams from local businesses, churches, corporations, hospitals, etc. join together to provide free home repairs for senior citizens living across the Oklahoma City metro. Since 1992, Rebuilding Day teams have restored more than 2,000 homes! Teams complete ChildSHARE Easter Party repairs, including: general cleaning, interior and St. Andrews UMC, April 12 exterior painting, laying carpet, repairing kitchen Would you support this day for foster families by bringing plascabinets and countertops, repairing floors, hanging tic eggs, candy, and cookies here to the church by Friday, April 11? new doors and windows, and many more necesTraditionally, COS has hosted the ChildSHARE Easter party sary home remodels. for North-side foster families, but this year there will be one large We are sponsoring one house this year. There party for all metro-area foster families at St. Andrew’s UMC on Satwill be two shifts available for service - 8 a.m. to urday, April 12, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Pam Turner, ChildSHARE director, noon and noon to 5 p.m. Register for our team at still needs our support and service. Your generosity in bringing www.churchoftheservant.com or come by the regcandy, filling eggs, and baking cookies to support this day will show istration table in the Concourse on Sunday, April 5. the 200 people in attendance Christ’s care for them in their commitment to these children. Come by the table in the Concourse over the next 2 Sundays to participate. Cookies and filled eggs will be taken to St. Andrew’s on Friday April 11. SERVANT March 26, 2014 I Page 3
Missions Vietnam Mission Team Report
Our Church of the Servant Mission Team has returned from two weeks in Vietnam! On this journey, our team traveled 1,000 miles through the country, paired with a group of ten Vietnamese United Methodist pastors, as together we visited churches scattered from DaNang to Ho Chi Minh City. At each stop, we had the opportunity to sing, pray and worship with Christian sisters and brothers as they shared their stories of how Jesus Christ is impacting their lives. The “Good News” is being spread across their land and the church is thriving! In the weeks and months to come, we look forward to the opportunity to share the experience with the congregation and explore how we can build upon the relationships that have been established.
The Mission Work of Friendship and Fellowship A Night Out at the Philharmonic Friday, April 25
Safe Kids Day April 12th, 2014 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
COS volunteer teams of 2-3 persons will escort our guests to the OKC Philharmonic that night, featuring Neil Sedaka. Our guests are church members and friends who would enjoy an evening out but might not have someone to attend these events with them, or they might just need help getting there with Christian friends. If you would like to host a guest or be a guest, contact David Hedrick for more information at david.hedrick@guernsey.us.
Celebrate kids. Prevent injuries. Save lives. Church of the Servant 14343 N. MacArthur Blvd Oklahoma City, OK
In partnership with Safe Kids Oklahoma, we are 3/19/2014 11:12:10 AM hosting this event for families. All of our families and families in the community are invited for a day of safety events and giveaways.
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The Gallery Arts and Tutoring Program at St. John’s Second Session Begins This Week
One of our mission partnerships is with St. John’s UMC as the church is reaching into the community to connect with families through the local schools. The Gallery, an after-school program, has now reached 15 families through the students, and begins its second session this week. Kristina Thorson, our US missionary directing the program, is hoping for more volunteers this session, as she has begun to envision the needs and roles for volunteers. The program meets Monday thru Thursday. Volunteers are needed one or more days per week, depending on your availability. Volunteers come each day from 2:30-5:30 to prepare a meal for children, spend an hour helping with homework, and being a helper during the art medium time. Please contact Dr. Robyn Goggs, rgoggs@churchoftheservant.com, if you are willing to be a volunteer or would like to see the calendar of themes and events for this 9-week session.
Adult Sabbath Time in a 24/7 World Rev. Marjorie Thompson Tuesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Do you ever feel like you or the world around you is moving at warp speed? As we move more deeply into the 21st century, the pace of life and momentum of change continue at an exponential rate. Thus our hunger to be spiritually centered and grounded in God grows more urgent as well. How might reclaiming the ancient wisdom of Sabbath guide us? In an era marked by fewer boundaries and constantly expanding technologies, what spiritual disciplines are most important and which seem most realistic for our day? Come join us as we consider the relationship of Sabbath time to spiritual survival in a 24/7 world. Reverend Marjorie J. Thompson brings to us her ministry, which spans over 25 years of experience in retreat work, teaching, and writing in the area of Christian spiritual formation. For 12 years, she served as director of Pathways in Congregational Spirituality with Upper Room Ministries. The author of Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life (Westminster/John Knox Press, 1995/2005) and Family, the Forming Center (Upper Room Books, 1989/1996), she considers writing a central dimension of her calling as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Marjorie has served two congregations in pastoral ministry, and as adjunct faculty for six seminaries. Her educational path includes Swarthmore College, McCormick Theological Seminary, and a research fellowship at Yale Divinity School, where she was deeply influenced by her mentor, the late Henri Nouwen. In her years with Upper Room Ministries, Marjorie worked closely with all facets of Companions in Christ, an innovative small-group resource series for spiritual formation. Designing the foundational 28-week resource, writing participant books and leader’s guides for various titles in the series, and training Companions trainers, she helped guide and shape this smallgroup ministry for more than a decade. Her words for us will be deep and rich, and each of us will leave changed by sharing this gift of this evening. Open to men and women, there is no charge or reservations needed for Rev. Marjorie J. Thompson this event, held in the Centrum. Pastor/Author/Speaker
New Sunday School Class - S.M.I.L.E. Single Moms In our Lord’s Embrace North Adult room 6, 10:45
Do you know a mother raising children on her own, who is looking for a place to connect and share life with others with similar life circumstances? A community is in formation here to support the single mother in her journey. This new Sunday school class has begun at 10:45 in North Adult room 6. The class is studying the book, God Loves Single Moms and it is given to moms when they come to the class. Dr. Robyn Goggs will teach and lead the lively discussion for moms, as we become a community of support for each other.
FAITH IN REEL TIME The First Grader Friday, April 11, 7pm, Centrum Discussion led by Dr. Curtis Nigh
Our Mission Team recently returned from Kenya, so this is the perfect movie to let you see the country in all its turmoil and its triumphs. In a small, remote, mountaintop primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. He is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his 80s, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. He fought for the liberation of his beloved country and now feels he must have the chance at the education so long denied—even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-yearold children. Full of vitality and humor, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with classmates some 80 years his junior. Through Maruge’s journey, we are taken back to the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier, when Maruge fought for the freedom of his country and eventually ended up in the extreme and harsh conditions of the British detention camps. The First Grader is a heartwarming and inspiring true story of one man’s fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education. The movie is free. Sign up at the Welcome Center today!
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Children Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt
Come One, Come All - The Annual Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 13. The event will be held from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Special activities include: EASTER EGG HUNT 3:15 p.m. – 2 and under 3:35 p.m. – 3s – Kindergarten 4:00 p.m. – 1st – 3rd grades 4:20 p.m. – 4th & 5th grades The Easter Egg Hunt will be outside (weather permitting) on the playground. If it is rainy or too cold, the hunt will be held inside. •
Photos with the Easter Bunny – please bring your own camera
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Easter Crafts
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Pottery Painting with Brush Fire - a small fee for this activity
• Refreshments Please complete a registration form and return to the Children’s Area by April 9. With your registration form, include 12 stuffed eggs (individually-wrapped candies) that are taped shut. Registration forms are available on the church website and at the Welcome Counters.
EARTHGLOW:
Got spring fever? Enjoy the nice weather and curl up outside with a good book from Earthglow’s selections. Choose from a variety of great titles including “Jesus Calling” (Sarah Young), “24 Hours that Changed the World” (Adam Hamilton), “Whispers in the Tropics” (Glenda Potts), “Driven: The Real Life Journey of a Minister” (Tim Travers), just to name a few. Come in and browse around. Thank you for supporting missions with your purchase!
Volunteer for Weird Animals VBS 2014 June 9-12, 9:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Are you ready for Vacation Bible School? Come be a volunteer and experience it right along with the kids! At Weird Animals VBS, kids discover that Jesus’ love is one-of-a-kind. Weird Animals is a habitat filled with incredible Bible-learning experiences for kids to see, hear, touch, and even taste! Sciency-Fun Gizmos™, teambuilding games, cool Bible songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the stand-out activities that help faith flow into real life. Plus, we’ll help kids discover how to see evidence of God in everyday life—something we call “God Sightings”. Get ready to hear that phrase a lot! To sign up to volunteer, visit https://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ ez/servant/. If you have any questions about open volunteer spots, please contact Martha Stone at marth@hotmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ VBSCOS. Page 6 I ChurchoftheServant.com
Our Life Togther Our Prayers
Our Prayers continued...
u Bert and Peggy Akins as Peggy deals with health issues.
u Tricia Waugh as Tricia’s son, Joey, recuperates from outpatient surgery.
u Donna Armstrong as Donna’s sister, Shirley Muller, is hospitalized in Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa; and Donna’s daughterin-law, Marge Armstrong, faces surgery in Houston, TX.
u Linda Wright as Linda deals with health issues and is hospitalized at Integris Edmond Hospital.
u John and Genny Brewer as John recuperates from injuries from a fall and tests. u Dan and Cathy Bush as their daughter, Nancy Sanders, asks for our prayers. u Don and Doris Cline as their great grandson, Gavin Tate, asks for our prayers. u Jim and Barbara Gayle as Barbara’s sister and brother-in-law, David Lamica and Norma Skinner, both deal with health issues. u Bob and Jo Gentry as Jo deals with health issues and recuperates from surgery. u Jim and Christeen Gregath as they both deal with health issues, and Christeen undergoes rehab and is hospitalized at Mercy Rehab Hospital. u Donnie and Shellene Guerra as Donnie deals with health issues and undergoes treatment. u Ed Latham as Ed deals with health issues. u Ted and Sue McCourry as Sue deals with health issues and recuperates from surgery in Texas. u Sue Park as Sue deals with health issues and is hospitalized at Deaconess Hospital. u Jack and Louise Pebworth as their son, Ross Pebworth, deals with health issues. u Dale Putnam and Jolene Ingram as Jolene recuperates from injuries from a fall and outpatient surgery; and Dale recuperates from a test. u Bob and Nancy Smith as Nancy recuperates from a test. u Lizette Stephens as Lizette deals with health issues, undergoes tests, and is hospitalized in Ada, OK. u Eric, Jeanna, and Amelia Stewart as Jeanna recuperates from outpatient surgery. u Stan and Kathy Templeton as Stan deals with health issues and recuperates from tests.
Celebrating
u Jim and Lisa Fansher at the birth of their grandson, Tucker Arrington Wood. The proud parents and brother are Philip, Neely, and Thomas Wood of Texas. The proud aunt is Aubree Fansher. u Judy Raulston at the birth of her granddaughter, Olive Margot Eastham. The proud parents are Nathaniel and Annie Eastham. The proud great-grandmother is Winona Madison. The proud uncle and aunt are J.E.B. Raulston and Elizabeth Raulston.
Our Sympathy
u Gene and Susan Brantley and Family at the death of Susan’s mother, Fay Katherine Francis. u Jim and Barbara Gayle and Family at the death of Barbara’s brother, Frank Halse. u Family and Friends at the death of Alice Grinstead. u Family and Friends at the death of Lenorah Polk. u Joe and Shirley Rolston and Family at the death of Joe’s brother, Maynard Rolston.
PRIME TIME
Skeeter Hall and Friend Present:
“Cowboy” and “Humor of the American Cowboy” Church of the Servant Community Hall Thursday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Menu: Fried chicken, mashed ‘taters, corn, salad, campfire cobbler
Skeeter Hall, longtime friend of Prime Time, book reviewer and entertainer, will present our Prime Time program on Thursday, April 10, at 10:30 a.m. in Community Hall. Come for the time of your life as you find yourself envisioning the days of the cowboy, brought out in a book review presented by Skeeter and a surprise guest. The books, “Cowboy” and “Humor of the American Cowboy,” take you on a trail drive, as the cowboys face many perils along the way, but also incorporate cowboy humor, which was a vital part of their heritage. Lots of laughter will be included! Skeeter’s background includes years of bringing the art of ventriloquism to all ages. Skeeter also is a bus coach tour director, having toured with travelers (including Prime Time) throughout Oklahoma and other states, bringing laughter on and off the buses. Her entertaining way of presenting book reviews will be a day to remember! Following a short business meeting, we will enjoy a fried chicken dinner with cobbler for dessert! Cost for the program is only $2.00, but we always recommend you stay for the meal and outstanding fellowship with old and new friends for a total cost of $10.00. Make your reservation at the Welcome Center starting March 23, or call the church office before 4 p.m., Monday April 7. Remember, if you make a reservation and later find you cannot attend, please call to cancel. Prime Time must pay for all reservations.
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Church of the Servant
14343 N MacArthur Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73142-9725
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 99 OKLAHOMA CITY 73125
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