May 4, 2016
CHURCH OF THE SERVANT Bi-Weekly NEWSLETTER
Issue: 16.9
NextGen Ministries
One of our major areas of ministry is what we call NextGen ministries. NextGen is all about helping children, students and families live into their calling to serve Christ together. NextGen celebrates the connection between the church and families, students and children. A very clever training program called the Orange Conference puts it this way: On MONDAY some kid will . . . Sleep through an alarm, Ask for an iPhone, Take a pop quiz, Get invited to a party, Try out for the team, Break up. On MONDAY some parent will . . . Miss the carpool line, Meet a neighbor, Ground a teenager, Forget a permission slip, Start a new job, Read a bedtime story.
Dr. Robert Gorrell Senior Minister
MONDAY is when reality hits. MONDAY is when Sunday is tested. MONDAY is when faith has to work. So what if what you do every Sunday could matter more if you remember what really matters to most people on Monday? What if our ministry began to rethink every message, every environment, every program and every relationship through this one idea? - Robert
In our last article, I began to establish the immediate steps we as a congregation are going to engage to move us into a vital and abundant future. Those next-steps are oriented around four strategic imperatives, which are as follows: • To develop a Culture of Integrity • To develop a comprehensive NextGen Ministry (Children and Students) • To have a clearly defined Discipleship Plan for our congregation • To strengthen and refine our Worship Life as a Church
Rev. Randy Shrauner Executive Minister
This week, I hope to say more about NextGen Ministries. At our heart, Church of the Servant is a family ministries church. That truth is evident from the long celebrated history of ministries, such as Warm World and all of our work in early childhood education. Our weekly Children’s Ministries program leads to an annual Vacation Bible School and camps caring for hundreds of children from the congregation and the surrounding area. Our Middle School Ministries program has Confirmed over 1,500 youth in the Christian faith! Our High School Ministries program has prepared our children for adult life as Christian disciples through worship, service, and retreats to great effect! Continued on page 3
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Sun, May 8 – Special Fish Appeal, Clothes for Kids Sat, May 14 – Hannah’s Promise - 5-9 pm
Sun, May 15 – Edgar Cruz Free Concert - 4pm
Missions
Month of June – Church-Wide Food Drive for Skyline
Free Edgar Cruz Concert to Benefit Mobile Meals Sunday, May 15, at 4:00 p.m. Our church partners with Mobile Meals here in Oklahoma City to deliver meals weekly to older citizens in our community who are struggling to stay in their own homes. These meals bring not only nutrition, but a reminder that they are not forgotten. Edgar Cruz not only is a guitarist extraordinaire, named the top performer in the city for the last 10 years, but he is also a Mobile Meals driver and is passionate about supporting this organization. Every year, Edgar gives a free concert, with all the donations going to continue the work and ministry of Mobile Meals in Oklahoma City. Come hear him play a wonderful concert with his Amigos in the Centrum on Sunday, May 15 and support the work of Mobile Meals! Invite a friend to come with you!
NextGen Ministries ... Continued from page 2 Moving forward, our hope is to provide a seamless and cohesive ministry, supporting not only our children and students, but also equipping our families with the tools necessary to face the challenges of raising the next generation of disciples. Taking the lead in this effort will be John Gilstrap. A long-term staff member here at Church of the Servant, John just celebrated his twentieth work anniversary with the congregation. For years, John has been deeply involved with Student Ministries, as well as anchoring musical aspects of our 923 worship community. Along with his wife, Dawn, the Gilstraps are raising two children, and as such are keenly aware of pressures faced by families like their own. I believe John is a perfect match as the leader to move us forward in this critical ministry. Cathy Hersom will continue to oversee our Children’s programs from nursery to fifth grade. Cathy’s love for our children, her deep connections and
relationships with their extended families, and her desire to provide a safe environment where our children are introduced to the Christian faith make her an indispensible part of our Servant ministry staff. Sang Nguyen, Jenna Smith, Rachel Gillespie, Cindy Brackenbury, Pam Adams, Dayna Slater, and Jenny Kincaid round out the group assembled to support our NextGen Ministries. While weekly programming is an important part of our ministry to children and students, it is necessary that we recognize that the Church can only provide a portion of the resources needed to help our children and their families live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in the contemporary world. It is estimated that an elementary-age student within a family that is active in a local congregation will spend approximately 65 hours in the course of a year in church related activities. In comparison, they will
spend over 1,400 hours in school, and over 3,000 waking hours in the home. A quick glance at these numbers make the realization clear that while the local church plays a significant role in the spiritual development of our children, it is the family that must be equipped to carry the majority of that responsibility. As a congregation, what can we do to help our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors and family friends, become both competent and comfortable in aiding the spiritual growth of their children? As we work together to answer this question, we will find not only a renewed sense of purpose and passion for all our ministries, but we will also be living into the highest hopes God has for us as a Church. I look forward to exploring with you God’s dreams for the Next Generation of disciples as they arise within the walls of Church of the Servant. - Randy SERVANT May 4, 2016 I Page 3
Missions Spring Cleaning? Remember Skyline! Remember that the blue bins located in the Concourse are for Skyline. Clothes, household items, and appliances are received to help individuals struggling in our city. Food is also appreciated for the pantry and can be placed in the grocery cart. Thank you!
Women
Clothes 4 Kids Special Fish Appeal Offering this Sunday, May 8 during all worship services! $85 will put a child in uniforms for the 2016-2017 school year. For many years, Church of the Servant has partnered with Skyline Urban Ministry to provide two pairs of pants, two shirts, shoes, socks, and underwear to children in need for the upcoming school year. Approximately 89% of children in the Oklahoma City School District are eligible for free or reduced school lunches due to incomes at or below poverty. ALL Oklahoma City Public Schools require children to wear uniforms, but no financial assistance is offered for the uniforms through the state. It can be a financial burden on families that are already struggling to make ends meet It is such a blessing to be able to serve these children so that they can attend the first day of school wearing clothes and shoes that are just as shiny and new as the clothes that all the other children are wearing. Skyline begins fitting uniforms the first week in July. Thank you all so much for your support and for helping us, help those in need in our community.
Ladies-
Thanks for a great spring session for our classes. Many are winding down for the summer. Sharing the Kingdom’s last day will be Tuesday, May 17, but many groups will continue to meet through the summer, with some new ones beginning soon. You are invited to be a part of either of these studies: Upper Room Study and The Best Yes. See more information about these opportunities on this page. And the crafting groups that meet on Tuesdays will continue through the summer. Check out our Website for ways to connect with other women this summer – www.churchoftheservant.com.
Summer with the Upper Room Study – Wednesdays 9:30-11:00 a.m., beginning May 11, in South Adult Room 1/2. Led by Patricia Hocker and Debbi Marshall. Looking for a place to connect with other women and the Word this summer, but know you might be out of town a week or two? Then this group is a perfect one for you! Using the Upper Room Daily Devotional, women gather to discuss with guided questions how the daily scripture readings of the last week have intersected with everyday life. Each week is a stand-alone week of learning and sharing in the Word. It is a great way to be connected to others this summer in study and prayer. Just show up with your Bible and the Upper Room Devotional which can be purchased in Earthglow.
Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? Come join a study for Moms offered in two different groups beginning soon. Lysa Terkeurst, best selling Christian author, is learning that there is a big difference between saying “Yes” to everyone and saying “Yes” to God. In The Best Yes, she will help you: • Cure the disease to please with a biblical understanding of the command to love. • Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no. • Overcome the agony of hard choices by embracing a wisdom based decision-making process. • Rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your best yes today. This new study kicks off: Sunday, May 15 10:45 a.m. – The SMILE Sunday Group – North Room 6. This is a class for Moms, single or married, who are looking to connect with other Moms seeking to raise children with strong faith by growing and living it ourselves. Class is led by Kelly Bugg. Friday, June 17 for 6 weeks – Friday Moms Group in the 13:2 Coffee area. Meets 9:45 - 11:30 a.m. for fellowship, sharing, prayer, and this new study. Childcare provided. Class led by Kim Bilger and Meghan Thompson. Page 4 I ChurchotheServant.com
Children We Are Ready to Shine Bright with CAVE QUEST VBS! Vacation Bible School (VBS) is coming to Church of the Servant Monday, June 6 through Thursday, June 9, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. each day. Kids from age four to those entering 5th grade are invited to take part in this FREE week of fun! And we also need lots of adult volunteers to make this incredible week happen. Registration is free and available online NOW. Go to VBS2016.ServantOKC.com. VBS T-Shirts and Music CD’s will be available to purchase for $10 each at the table in the Concourse starting May 8. Sign up and invite your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, neighbors, and friends! Our VBS theme for this year is CAVE QUEST: Following Jesus - the Light of the World. Kids will see the church transformed into an amazing cave as they experience God’s love and learn to watch for God in everyday life. Each day, the kids will sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, eat treats, learn to watch for God all around them with God Sightings, experience electrifying Bible adventures, collect Bible Memory Buddies to remind them of God’s Word, and do wild experiments in the Imagination Station. CAVE QUEST is an exciting way for kids to learn about God’s love. Each day concludes at the CAVE QUEST Finale – a celebration that gets
all participants involved in living what they’ve learned. We hope CAVE QUEST will get everyone thrilled about God in our community. Each year, we wrap up the VBS fun with a family night. This year, we will meet at 6:30 on Thursday June 9, for a closing program in the Celebration Center. Following the program, we will have an Ice Cream Sundae Party in the Community Hall. Mark your calendar now and plan to join us!
Kids will have the opportunity to participate in a mission project during the Vacation Bible School week. Each year we collect supplies to benefit an organization. This year, we will support the Skyline Food Resource Center. We will collect canned goods and other items
for the center that serves families within the community – that includes more than 10,000 children per year. These donations really have an impact in the community! Can you help make an impact on a child’s life by volunteering with Vacation Bible School? We need help with a variety of tasks and are sure to have an area that corresponds to your particular talents! Participating in VBS is guaranteed to touch your life as well as that of the children involved. You can help out even if your children are too young or old to participate in VBS. We can always use teen helpers, and nursery care is available for children of volunteers that are younger than four. Please prayerfully consider how you can help support this tremendous ministry. If you have any questions at all, you may email me at marth@hotmail.com or call/ text (405) 822-7484. Volunteer registration is also on the Website – VBS2016. ServantOKC.com. I hope to see ALL of you at Vacation Bible School this year! Martha Stone VBS Director
Come help us create the decorations for CAVE QUEST VBS! No special skills are needed, just come with helping hands. May 4 – Meeting at Chapel Hill UMC – 2717 West Hefner Rd OKC ** Special Saturday Morning Create Day** – Sat., May 7, 9:30am- 11:30am at Chapel Hill UMC – 2717 West Hefner Rd OKC May 11, 18, 25 – Downstairs in children’s ministry area May 29-June 2 – VBS Load in week. Come help decorate the church with all the great stuff we have created. 9:30-Noon Mon through Friday. 6pm-8pm Wed and Thursday. **All Wednesday create nights are from 6pm-8pm and include pizza at 6pm and nursery. Please RSVP each week to jill@splatcat.com or by phone or text at 401-330-7136 (mind the area code, that really does say 401).
SERVANT May 4, 2016 I Page 5
Children
UPCOMING EVENTS
5/18 – 5TH Grade Circle of Support 5/20 – Parent’s Night Out 5/22 – Move Up Sunday
WOW CLOSING CELEBRATION
6/2-6/6 – Disciple Camp (upcoming 6th graders)
Over 200 kids and their families joined together on Wednesday, April 20, to celebrate another year of JESUS Learning Time, at the WOW (Welcome on Wednesdays) Closing (WOW sessions have ended until September 2016). Families were treated to a hot dog buffet before the program began in the Centrum.
5/31 – VBS Decorating Week
6/6-6/9 – VBS (Vacation Bible School)
6/20-6/24 – KIDS MUSICAL PROJECT Music Camp 7/15-7/17 – KIDZ Camp 7/31 – Water Day
Highlights of the evening were a performance by the KIDS MUSICAL PROJECT, thanking the 30 leaders that spent Wednesday nights with our kids, and the presentation of a $3,400 donation to the Water4 organization – funds raised by our very own children! Thanks to parents who supported the Children’s Ministries Water4 mission project. Since September, the Children’s Ministries Leadership Team has led the children in raising money for Water 4. Many things about the Water4 project are amazing, but our favorite is that it “teaches people to help themselves,” says Cathy Hersom, Director of Children’s Ministries. A special thanks to the leaders who served on Wednesday evenings! These disciples are: Laine and Dustin Baker, Becky Bowen, Merrin Bryant, Becky and Steve Disney, Tiffany Glenn, Michelle and Patrick Gregory, Karen Henderson, Tyler Hensley, Lindsey and Lee Henson, Shawn Hinkel, Vickie Lacy, Nicole and Joe McFarlane, Amy and Jeremy Patman, Nicole NelsonPigg, Martha Snyder, Mike Todd, Stacey and David Trupiano, Deb Tuls, Amy Vanderkooi, Tiffany Watters and Blair Young. VIEW WOW CLOSING PHOTO GALLERY at https://servantokc.smugmug.com/ChildrensMinistries/WOW-Closing-2016/n-RZ7Tds
Move-Up Sunday – May 22 Move-up Sunday for all grades (Kindergarten through 5th Fall 2016) will be Sunday May 22nd. Come join in the fun, meet your new teachers and check-out your new classroom. 9:15
KOW (3 year olds – 3rd grade) Grapple (4th and 5th grade)
10:45 Sunday school 3 year olds – 5th grade Threes – Fives will move into their new Sunday school class on their birthdays.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE! Our whole wonderful Church of the Servant family participated in making Earthglow’s 40th Anniversary Auction and Celebration a tremendous success! An enormous “thank you” goes to the many volunteers who set about acquiring the auction items, to those that organized the Courtyard into a beautiful and inviting shopping mall, to those that baked the cookies to share with the shoppers, to those that manned the tables, collected the money and made the shoppers feel welcome. Special thanks to the wonderful “village people” that came out on a rainy Sunday morning to shop for treasures and bid and bid and bid. What were the results of this village effort? Over $9,000 has been collected thus far! That means Earthglow can couple these receipts with those collected in the store and from Earthglow Market this year, and then share this bountiful blessing in its mission outreach to the community. What a spectacular 40th anniversary! Page 6 I ChurchoftheServant.com
Our Life Together Our Prayers
u Bob and Mary Austin as Bob recuperates from surgery. u J. Robb Bartlett and Linda Foster as J. Robb deals with health issues. u Don and Judie Ellis as Judie’s friend, Vicki Nichols, deals with health issues and undergoes treatment. u Roger and Dorothy Erickson as Roger recuperates from an illness. u Frank and Fran Esch a Fran recuperates from surgery and is hospitalized at Mercy Health Center.
Our Prayers Continued u Chad, Kelli, Ella and Edward Keffer as their nephew, Sage Peyton, deals with health issues.
u Brad and Robin Krieger at the birth of their grandson, Maximo Luca Krieger. The proud parents are Chase and Mariana Krieger.
u Elizabeth Large as her brother, Tom Large, recuperates from surgery in Houston, TX.
u Jim and Carolyn Clark at the birth of their 1st great-grandchild, Griffen Halliday. The proud parents are Riley and Kris Halliday.
u Al and Carolyn Lowery as Al undergoes treatment. u Bruce Lowrance and Leigh Ann CampbellLowrance as Leigh Ann deals with health issues. u Stan and Marcia Mortimer as Marcia deals with health issues.
u Charles and Ann Evick as Ann deals with health issues and faces surgery.
u Brad, Lisa, and Taylor Rodgers as Brad’s uncle, Roy Rodgers, deals with health issues.
u Janet Ewing as Janet’s friend, David Dillender, deals with health issues.
u Allen and Carrie Schlegel as Carrie recuperates from surgery.
u Jim and Lisa Fansher as their daughter, Neely Wood, deals with health issues; and as their friends John and Cindy Evans ask for prayers for John who is hospitalized at the OU Medical Center.
u Linda Shaw as Linda’s son, Daniel, recuperates from surgery in Texas.
u Rick and Connie Fitzgerald as they ask for prayers for Thomas and Cathy Keller, as Cathy undergoes treatment. u Norma Gallagher as Norma’s brother, Delbert Felts, recuperates from surgery. u Jewell and Peggy Garrison as Peggy recuperates from an illness. u Don and Pam Germany as Don’s brother, Ron Germany, recuperates from surgery. u Joe and Nancy Harris as they ask for prayers for their friends, Mike and Pat Castellow, as Mike is hospitalized at the OK Heart Hospital. u D.A. Heggie as D.A. deals with health issues and is a resident at Quail Ridge Assisted Living Center. u Mark and Linda Hill as Linda recuperates from surgery.
Sundays in the Kitchen Full Breakfast - $6; Lunch - $9; Kid’s Plate - $3.50
u 5/8 – Enchilada Casserole, Rice & Beans, Chips & Salsa, Dessert. u 5/15 – Grilled Onion Burgers, Chili Cheese Burgers, French Fries, Onion Rings, Dessert.
Celebrating
u Clodus and Paula Smith as they both deal with health issues. u Bill and Mary White as Mary’s uncle and aunt, Norman and Gloria Fuhrmann, ask for our prayers.
u George and Jane Ann Slane at the birth of their grandson, Evan Slane. The proud parents are Eric and Megan Slane. The proud aunt is Heather Slane.
Our Sympathy
u Susan King-Baker and Family at the death of Susan’s husband, Geoff Baker. u Max and Debbie Colclasure and Family at the death of Debbie’s mother, Paris Osborne. u Roy Gillett and Family at the death of Roy’s wife, Martha Gillett. u Charlotte Smith and Patrick, Karla, Sydney, Will and Drew O’Hara and Family at the death of Charlotte’s brother-in-law and Karla’s uncle, Jim Babka.
Summer Sessions of Grief Support Group
Have you experienced the loss of a loved one? If so, you might benefit from our upcoming Grief Support Group at Church of the Servant. The group will meet each Sunday afternoon (1:30-3:00 p.m.) starting June 5 and continuing through July 31. We will not meet on June 19 (Father’s Day) or July 3 (Independence Day weekend). We’ll meet at Church of the Servant in the Library, which is in the office area just behind the waterfall. Each session will include watching a helpful video, as well as time for discussion and sharing. Whether you have recently experienced the death of a loved one, or if you have been on a grief journey for a long time, we hope you’ll consider joining the group. Each participant will receive a complimentary workbook. RSVP by contacting Vicki Roberds at 728-4738 or vroberds@churchoftheservant.com.
PRIME TIME
Thursday, May 12, at 10:00 a.m. Prime Time will finish the season with a double-header on Thursday, May 12, in Community Hall at—and don’t miss this—not at 10:30, but at 10:00 a.m. That’s because we have a very busy morning planned. First, there will be some special entertainment—our very own G3 (Gospel Guitar Guys), who will bring us their own brand of “American Gospel” - a combination of blue grass, rock and roll, country, blues, and jazz. If you haven’t heard them yet, believe me, you are in for a treat! Then, we’ll get to the important business of BINGO! Prizes will be provided. Lunch is a picnic meal of BBQ, baked beans, potato salad, and peach cobbler. And all this fun is for the same price as usual - $10 for program and meal, $2 for program only. You don’t want to miss this double-header morning lined up for you at Prime Time on Thursday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m. So sign up now at the Welcome Center! SERVANT May 4, 2016 I Page 7
Church of the Servant
14343 N MacArthur Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73142-9725
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Register your child(ren) today at www.churchoftheservant.com/events.