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CHURCH OF THE SERVANT’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Rev. Kyle Anderson Senior Pastor
Pastor's PERSPECTIVE
EMBRACING FAITH & COMMUNITY
Servant Faith Family,
It is hard to believe it is time to say this, but Happy New Year! We stayed up to watch (or slept through) the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve, the calendars have been switched, and though it’s likely weeks before I’m accustomed to writing and typing 2024…2025, the new year has arrived.
The start of a new year provides each of us with an opportunity to look back over the past year and spend some time highlighting what we’re thankful for, examining areas of our lives where growth may be achieved, and looking
forward to what the new year has in store for us. It is this last piece that I am exceptionally excited about, not just personally but communally, for us here at Church of the Servant. As I write this, my whiteboard in my office is covered in sermon ideas for 2025; our staff will soon be meeting to plan out the calendar for the year for our respective ministry areas, and others (such as our Leadership Team, the Servant Foundation, and more) will be meeting in the coming weeks to ask the question, “God, how do you desire to use us in the year to come?” Beyond a time of dreaming together, January also marks the launch of several new ministries as some of our dreams from the past year become reality: Handbells for all ages and skill sets, Confirmation for the youth of our church who seek to commit themselves to Christ, Grief Share to offer support to our faith family within and beyond the walls of this church, and so much more! While it’s hard to believe 2025 is here, I am excited for all that its arrival brings.
How about you? As you enter this new year as an individual, as a child of God, as a member of this faith family…
• What are you thankful for from the past year?
• In what areas of your life do you see growth potential?
• What dreams do you have for how God will use you and this faith family in the coming year?
Whatever your answers, I look forward to celebrating, growing, and dreaming alongside you in 2025 and beyond.
See you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Kyle
Sunday Worship 10:00
AM
Join us for worship this Sunday. We will be gathering together to celebrate and give thanks, to connect with one another, and to seek guidance and inspiration for the week ahead.
Sunday service time is 10:00 AM and includes uplifting music, prayer, and a message that I believe will speak to your heart. Whether you are a longtime member of our community or are joining us for the first time, we welcome you and look forward to seeing you there!
"INSPIRE"
My daughter-in-law, Taylor Barnett Lashley, inspired me to pick a word each New Year rather than try to come up with New Year’s Resolutions. I had quit even doing those because I never kept them. They always had to do with diet, losing weight, or getting in better shape, and well, that never worked for me. So now, I try to concentrate on one word that will change my life, hopefully for the better.
This year, I’ll share my word... Inspire I did a little research on this word. Not only can it change my life, but perhaps I can help, with God, to change the lives around me for the better. I believe that we should learn new things every day, and it’s by learning new things in life that makes us grow.
The dictionary is where I got the definition, “To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence, to fill with enlivening or exalting emotion, to stimulate to action, motivate, encourage.” I like this word for my New Year word, for what I want in my life, and for the life of this church for 2025. I promise to encourage us to be hospitable and missionoriented, seek out new friends in our community, and find ways to be in discipleship for the glory of God and further the Kingdom.
I am so excited to be at Church of the Servant. I am ready to inspire and to be inspired. Thanks for the last six months, and I am ready to look forward to the New Year. I am ready to go!
Pastor Sheri
Pastor
INSPIRE
“To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence, to fill with enlivening or exalting emotion, to stimulate to action, motivate, encourage.” "
Rev. Sheri Lashley Associate
SERVANT KIDS
FAMILY MINISTRIES
The children had a fun and exciting time putting on the Children’s Pageant for the congregation. They were spectacular! On January 8, the children resume Wednesday night programming from 6:30-8:00 PM in the children’s area (downstairs). Ms. Dayna and Ms. Vickie teach a lesson, and the children play games, do crafts, and have fellowship time.
On Sundays, after the Children’s Conversation in the 10:00 worship service, the children go to the children's area (downstairs) to learn a Bible lesson, do a craft, and play games together. At 11:00 AM, we continue with the lesson and more fun! For more informaiton about Servant Kids, contact Chris Ward at cward@churchoftheservant.com
On January 25, we are hosting our first-ever pickleball clinic for children from 1st through 8th grade. Spaces are limited, so sign up soon! Sign up at ServantOKC.org/events .
CHRISTMAS JOY
Jesus! Others! You!
The children and teachers of Warm World School celebrated the birth of Jesus by JOYfully donating toys and books to the Integris Children’s Hospital. Children brought items and placed them near Baby Jesus, sleeping in his manger. As one Kindergarten child stated, “We are going to make some sad kids in the hospital so happy!”
The Warm World School enrolls children from ages 3 years old through kindergarten and is under the direction of Mallorie Moore and Wendi Humes. For more information about Warm World School, go to www.warmworld.com.
SERVANT YOUTH
December was a great month for the Servant youth! They did a fabulous job in the Live Nativity! Children and adults of all ages enjoyed the meaningful telling of the story of Jesus coming into the world.
January is sure to be busy! On January 8, the youth will resume Wednesday night fun from 6:30-8:00 PM in The Point Student Center. We have fun learning a Bible lesson, playing games, and having fellowship time!
On January 12, Sunday school for the youth will resume at 11:00 AM each Sunday. We will begin with a curriculum called “Don’t worry!” Does your youth ever worry or have concerns? We will discuss what to do and how to rely on God instead of ourselves.
YOUTH CONFIRMATION
Servant Youth grades 7-12 are invited to become part of the 2025 Confirmation Class at Church of the Servant! Classes will begin on January 15 and will continue each Wednesday 4:30-5:30 PM . These classes will be led by Pastor Kyle and Chris Ward. We will meet for an hour, and then you are welcome to join your child for dinner, or they may stay and eat with Pastor Kyle and Chris and then attend youth group! Please let us know if your youth will be attending by emailing Chris Ward at cward@churchoftheservant.com.
PRIME TIME
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
JANUARY
PRIME TIME LUNCHEON
Thursday, January 9th, 10:30 AM
Community Hall
Special Guest: Rev. Sheri Lashley
Join us for a special time with Rev. Sheri Lashley as she shares her gifts of music and storytelling surrounding the theme of the birth and life of Jesus. Rev. Sheri Lashley was born in Missouri, but came to Oklahoma when she was 6 months old. Her family of six lived in Elk City, Ok. Since then at one point in her life, she moved back there to raise her own children. Her family was always at church, and Sheri was very involved in music, youth, and at one time, as a junior in HS, even served as vice chair of the Administrative Council in Elk City. She has been involved in church life, all of her life, and then started the Seminary process in 2003. Sheri was ordained an Elder in the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2011, and has served in churches as Senior Pastor since then until coming to Church of the Servant as Associate Pastor in 2024. Of course, as she has a degree in music, music is a passion of hers, and her ministry has always been wrapped in music. For more about Pastor Sheri, go to ServantOKC.org/prime-time.
FEBRUARY
PRIME TIME LUNCHEON
Thursday, February 13th, 10:30 AM
Community Hall
Special
Guest: Matt Schinske
Michele Snow will provide us with a yummy meal that includes an entrée, vegetable, salad, bread, beverage, and dessert. The cost for the program and meal is $15 ($5 for program only).
No stranger to the Church of the Servant family, Matt Schinske is known for an exquisite touch on the piano that comes from a warm spirit. Blending elements of classical, jazz, and pop, Schinske has a distinct sound that is instantly recognized. His performing and composer career continues with seven recordings, nine books, and over 100 individual piano compositions and arrangements. His works have been recognized nationwide, receiving Editor’s Choice awards. Come join a performance at Prime Time that will leave you refreshed and at peace.
Rev. Sheri Lashley
Photos by Carl Shortt
Photos by Carl Shortt
M I S S I O N S
EDGAR CRUZ
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 3:00 PM
CONCERT TO BENEFIT MEALS ON WHEELS
YOU ARE IN FOR A REAL TREAT! Join us for a benefit concert with world-renowned musician Edgar Cruz on Sunday, January 12, at 3:00 PM. All ticket sales and 50% of Edgar's merchandise sales will support Meals on Wheels of Oklahoma City! Tickets are $10. Purchase your tickets today at ServantOKC.org/events or at the concert on January 12th. Donations for Mobile Meals are also accepted. Click on the QR code for more information.
MEALS ON WHEELS
We are excited to announce our January Special Fish Appeal will support Church of the Servant’s Meals on Wheels ministry. This deserving program has been delivering meals to homebound seniors for over 30 years!
Our participants were once again very happy to be included in the Christmas Grace program. They are always grateful for the gifts they are given by our church members.
We have been delivering meals to Roberta for several years. She received these meals while her husband was alive and continues to receive them since he passed away two years ago. This year, Roberta included one of her coloring pages (see image to the right) and a note with her gift request. She says “Thanks ya’ll for thinking of me. I love when the girls bring me food. What a blessing! God bless all of ya’ll.”
Meals from the program allow our folks to remain living independently in their homes. Please give generously to our mission's fish fund so that this wonderful mission can continue.
CHRISTMAS GRACE 2024 RECAP
This year’s Christmas Grace program included 5 local agencies: Meals on Wheels, Infant Crisis Services, Exodus House, Skyline Urban Ministries, and Neighborhood Services Organization. Our tables were staffed by dedicated volunteers and a big thanks goes out to them: Cathy and James Maxwell, Amy and Adam Johnson, Carolyn Clark, Shirley Rolston, Sandy Ratzlaff, and Dana Baze. They were always happy to help out each Sunday. We also send a huge thanks to every person and class who sponsored a person or group of requests!!! This program could not succeed without your participation and joy of giving. Thanks to your generosity, our 88 forms easily provided over 200 gifts which will brighten Christmas morning for local recipients aged birth to 100!
THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.
2024 ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE RECAP
Rev. Kyle Anderson, Senior Pastor
On Sunday, November 3rd, members of the Church of the Servant faith family gathered in our Community Hall for our annual Church Conference. During the conference, I gave a report on the “state of the church” from my perspective as Senior Pastor, and our Associate Pastor, Sheri Lashley, gave a report on her own celebrations from her time serving alongside you. You can find written versions of both reports on the church website.
Next came the business portion of our meeting. On behalf of your Nominations and Leadership Development Committee, I shared the slate of nominees for 2025. As a reminder, earlier this year, you voted to move to a Single Accountable Structure (commonly referred to as SAS) model. This means that instead of tying up dozens of church members in serving three years or more on one of a large number of committees, the primary administrative and lay leadership is handled by a single board we refer to as the Leadership Team. This team of nine Church of the Servant members serve as the Pastor Parish Relations Committee, Trustees, Finance Committee, and Church Council, and they provide the overall vision and goals for our church. From there, the Senior Pastor is charged with meeting that vision and those goals as they provide leadership to paid staff and ministry teams made up of faithful church members like you! See a visual breakdown of the current organizational chart on page 13.
With that understanding in place, the Nominations and Leadership Development Committee recommended the following individuals to serve in formal leadership roles in the year to come. The Church Conference approved the slate of leaders.
LEADERSHIP TEAM 2025
2025
Brian Dickerson (T/F/PPR)
2026
2027
Todd Neaves (C/LL/LD/T/F/PPR) Julie Kriegel (LD/T/F/PPR) Ron Hendricks (T/F/PPR) Dana Renner (T/F/PPR)
Jeff Knight (T/F/PPR)
Carolyn Clark (T/F/PPR) Clarke Farmer (T/F/PPR) Kara Mitchell (T/F/PPR)
Staff Liaison: Senior Pastor (Kyle Anderson)
KEY
COS = Church of the Servant
LT = Leadership Team
C = Chair
LD = Lay Delegate to Annual Conference
LL = Lay Leader
T = Trustee
F = Finance Committee
>> Continued on page 14
PPR = Pastor Parish Relations Committee
Leadership Team 2025 Schedule
Please Note: Dates are subject to change. Congregants will be notified of any changes via the weekly e-news and pre-service announcement slides.
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, January 26
6 p.m., Room 12
Quarterly Listening Post – Thurs, February 20
7 p.m., Community Hall
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, February 23
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, March 23
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, April 27
6 p.m., Room 12
Quarterly Listening Post – Thursday, May 15
7 p.m., Community Hall
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, May 18
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, June 22
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, July 27
6 p.m., Room 12
Quarterly Listening Post – Thursday, August 21
7 p.m., Community Hall
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, August 24
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, September 28
6 p.m., Room 12
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, October 26
6 p.m., Room 12
Annual Church Conference – Sunday, November 9 (Anticipated Date) 12:30 p.m., Community Hall
Monthly Meeting – Sunday, November 23
6 p.m., Room 12
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
2025 2026 2027
Carl Shortt Andi Neaves Don Wentroth
Dana Murphy Harli Reeves Cindy Fast
Misty Farmer
Ex Officio & Chair: Senior Pastor (Kyle Anderson)
Staff Liaison: Senior Pastor (Kyle Anderson)
THE SERVANT FOUNDATION, INC.
2025 2026 2027
Clarke Farmer James Maxwell Julane Borth
2028 2029 2030
John MacDonald Carl Shortt Monica Wittrock
Ex Officio: Chair of the Leadership Team (Todd Neaves), Senior Pastor (Kyle Anderson)
Staff Liaison: Financial Controller (Steve Johns)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• The above individuals are nominated by the Committee on Nomination and Leadership Development and approved by Charge or Church Conference on an annual basis.
• Service begins January 1st and ends December 31st. The year designates the “class” of each individual and the final date of their service is December 31st of that year.
• Members of the Leadership Team serve as the Trustees, Pastor Parish Relations Committee, and Finance Committee.
• A name in italics indicates the individual is newly nominated for this year.
• “Ex Officio” members have both voice and vote on their assigned committee.
• “Staff Liaison” is a member of the Church of the Servant staff who is the primary contact and support person for the committee. They have voice but no vote unless also part of the committee via their role.
• Church of the Servant also has multiple short term and long term teams (Missions, Facilities, short term project teams, etc.). The teams consist of volunteers organized by a member of the LT or COS staff to carry out a specific purpose as delegated by the LT. Participation on these teams does not require Charge or Church Conference approval.
Following the nominations report, the compensation package for your pastoral team was presented by LT chair Todd Neaves. It was also approved. On behalf of Sheri and myself, know that your generosity is greatly appreciated. It is not lost on us how privileged we are to be compensated in a way that allows us to make service to the Lord, his Kingdom work, and Church of the Servant our full-time endeavor. Thank you!
As we closed out our annual Church Conference, I greatly appreciated our District Superintendent Rev. Kim’s request. Rev. Kim stated that he hopes when he returns next year that very little of our Church Conference will be spent on the business of the church. Instead, he looks forward to hearing numerous ministry reports of the great work God is doing through Church of the Servant. Know that when I build the agenda, I’ll leave plenty of room for representatives from our ministry teams to share so that we can celebrate together how God is transforming Northwest Oklahoma City and beyond through your efforts. In the meantime, I’m excited for how we will be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in the year to come.
Blessings,
Pastor Kyle
CARE MINISTRY
ALZHEIMER’S & DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS’ SUPPORT GROUP
Do you have a loved one who is dealing with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia? If so, we invite you to come to our support group, which meets on the third Tuesday of each month (3:00-4:30 PM) at Church of the Servant in the Library. The meeting dates for the next few months are: January 21, February 18, and March 18. Our group is an official support group offered by our local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and our group facilitators have been trained by that same local chapter. The group is open to anyone in our community whose family has been affected by dementia. You can register by contacting Vicki Roberds at vroberds@churchoftheservant.com or (405) 728-4738. Whether your loved one is living at home, or if they’re a resident at a care facility… either way, we hope you’ll consider attending. If you need care for your loved one during the time you’re at the meeting, you’ll need to make your own arrangements for that care. There is no cost to register for the group. We hope you’ll consider staying connected with others who are going through a similar experience that you are. A burden that is shared is always a burden that becomes lighter. Come and see what kinds of blessings come your way when you become part of the giving and receiving of support.
Many things cause humans to grieve. Of course, losing someone by death is seemingly the most difficult. We grieve because we have loved. At Church of the Servant, we want to offer a safe place for those who need support through the grieving process, a place to talk, listen, and support one another.
We will be offering a support group using the curriculum GriefShare. A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this 13-week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief (in all its unpredictability) and gain solid support each step of the way.
“Each weekly GriefShare group begins with a 30-minute video featuring respected experts on grief-related topics and helpful stories from people who have experienced loss. Their insights will help you manage your emotions, gain clarity, and find answers to your questions as you walk through the grief process.”
Mary Garrett, Marge Carmichael, and Rev. Sheri Lashley will lead and facilitate this 13-week course. We will meet on Thursdays at 1:30 PM starting on January 23rd in the office library. If you know someone interested, please contact Vicki Roberds at vroberds@churchoftheservant.com or (405) 728-4738.
