January 2021 Newsletter

THE SERVANT

CONNECT E D I T I O N NO. 21.01 |

MISSION HIGHLIGHT:

JA NUA RY 2021

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MO NTHLY NEWSL ET TE R

Sixteen Servant volunteers of all ages put on their masks and coats to help Skyline during one of their Grocery Days. They stocked shelves with food, bagged groceries, and loaded cars for more than 100 families. Mission Council donated $2,000 from Fish Funds to cover the cost of groceries for that day. Details on page 8.

A NOTE FROM OUR SENIOR MINISTER

THE HALFWAY POINT

Dr. Matthew Mitchell Senior Minister

06-10 Missions at Servant

12-15 Servant Kids

16-17 Servant Students

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SERVANT CONNECT

H

appy New Year! I have waited a long time to say these three words. We are hopeful with anticipation of what 2021 will become compared to 2020. I have heard from many in the church who have already scheduled their first round of vaccinations. When speaking with these friends, I listen to their excitement, hope, and relief. These voices encourage me, and I, too, am excited, hopeful, and relieved that a vaccine is available.

In the book of Nehemiah, we learn the story of a crucial and challenging moment in ancient Israel’s story. The walls of Jerusalem and the Temple has been leveled. The people’s lives are in disarray. Thankfully, God empowers Nehemiah to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the Holy City. The task seems impossible, and even Nehemiah’s enemies laugh at him. Nonetheless, Nehemiah begins his work to rebuild the city walls.

One of the realities Church of the Servant will face in the coming months is the vaccine’s timing for the entire church family. By the time you read this, some will have already had their first of two shots. However, it will still be many months before most of our congregation has received both vaccine doses.

Just look at the staff. There are staff members in their twenties and some in their sixties. Once we have received both doses, the temptation to get back into a regular flow will be strong. Yet, many amongst us cannot join in the vaccine’s relief due to timing. Some will have to wait a bit longer.

At the halfway point of the rebuilding project, an important issue arises. The people become tired and want to give up, and their enemies are ready to pounce and destroy their hard work. Nehemiah realizes this and asks the people to keep going. He reminds them that God is with them and what they are doing is essential. Nehemiah also realizes the project is only at the halfway point. The halfway point in any excellent task is a dangerous tipping point. I believe our households, church, community, nation, and the world are also at the halfway point in our battle against COVID-19.

Pastor Nate Holdridge wrote a blog in 2017 titled The Dangerous Place of Halfway. In his blog, Nate speaks about the dangerous place of halfway in three distinct points.

First, the halfway point is hazardous because of “sloth.”

Holdridge states: “A sense of accomplishment can begin to overcome us. We look back and realize how far we’ve come. ‘Good job,’ we tell ourselves. But then our feeling of accomplishment turns into deception. We begin to believe the job is done. But the child has not yet been raised. The church has not yet felt revival. The mission is not yet accomplished. In our deception, however, sloth enters in. The progress we’ve experienced is in danger.”

The second danger of the halfway point is “discouragement.”

Holdridge states: “A forward glance points to the obvious — there is much work still to be done. We process the amount of work in front of us, remembering how hard it was to come this far. Discouragement seeps in, filling our hearts with dread. The trials and pains and sweat of the future work are too much to bear. Mistakenly, we feel the second half of the job must be done in a day. It does not. Step by step, day by day, the work will get done. Let not your heart be discouraged.”

The third danger of arriving at the halfway point is “fatigue.”

Holdridge closes by stating:

To help us begin to focus on a date we will all be able to look forward to, I am circling Sunday, September 12, 2021, on my calendar in red. September 12th is the day I am planning and preparing! This is a day of significant focus for the leadership, the staff, and I hope each of you. On this day, Church of the Servant will begin to write a new chapter in our great journey.

Yes, the temptation to lose our vigilance and forget our neighbor’s struggles will be real in the months ahead. Sloth, discouragement, and fatigue will all be a reality each of us will face.

Take heart; we are closer to the end than the beginning. Let each of us press on to the goal that is before us in 2021. The three simple rules of John Wesley come to mind.

1. Do no harm.

2. Do good.

3. Stay in love with God. We can do this, friends! We are halfway there! We have the Lord and each other. Let us continue to press on with the hope of Christ,

You can read his entire blog at https://www.nateholdridge.com/blog/186.

“At the beginning of the work, your energy level was high. Your gas tank was topped off, and you were rearing to go. But not at the halfway point. The journey has been long. You are tired. It would be so easy to quit here, but we must press on.”

ServantOKC.org

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CONNECTIONS R

Jessica King Director of Connections Questions about membership, Bible study, or how to get involved? Contact Jessica at jking@ServantOKC.org.

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SERVANT CONNECT

ecently, someone called and asked me a question that took me by surprise. They asked me, “What does your job title mean? Are you connecting electronics or something?” I laughed it off at the moment because it was funny.

Later, as I was thinking back through the conversation, I wondered if there was a bit of genuine curiosity there. Surely they did not think I was really connecting electronics, but maybe they didn’t quite understand what it means to direct the connections within our church. I wished I had taken the opportunity in that moment to explain to them exactly what it is I do and to express to them the joy it brings me. I wished I would have told this person that not only do I get to help connect visitors to our church family through membership and belonging, but I also connect them through community and discipleship. I get to connect people to people and hearts to God. It is exhilarating to meet someone new and let them know they are loved and seen, to invite them into the fold, to help them establish long-lasting

friendships within our community, and best of all, to help them find a path to discipleship where they can go deeper into their spiritual journey with the living God who knows and loves them.

Last week, I reached out to a family who recently decided to make Church of the Servant their permanent church home. I asked them to write about what that process was like for them so that I could share it with you. Every person in our church family has a different and unique story about how they came here and why they remain committed to doing life together as apprentices of Jesus. You will have the opportunity to read their testimony on the following page, and as you do, I hope you will reflect on your own journey to Church of the Servant and how a life lived in community here has pushed you closer to God. Jessica King

BECOMING A MEMBER After over twenty years working at and serving our previous church, the time came for us to move on. We had no idea where we would go or ultimately end up, but we knew God would go before us. It was hard and uncomfortable trying new churches, especially visiting large churches like Church of the Servant, where we knew no one. When we first visited Servant, there was something special about this place, and we immediately fell in love with the preaching, the staff, and the direction of the church. Our entire family quickly decided Servant was where we wanted to make our new church home! It would have been easy to go to a place where we already knew people. I believe God sometimes calls us out of our comfort zone and into uncomfortable situations, and when you are obedient, show up, and are available, God will move in ways you never expected. We wanted to be involved, plugged in, and connected. To plugin and connect, we had to reach out, show up even when we didn’t want to, volunteer even if it wasn’t convenient, and be present even if we didn’t know anyone. In a sermon that stuck with me, it was said, “what if we often miss out on answers to prayer or even ways God would want to use us because the opportunity doesn’t look how we thought it would, and justify our way out of it; I am too busy, I don’t know anyone, etc.” Last fall, I had an opportunity to go on a camping and hiking trip with a small group of women from church. I immediately began to think of excuses not to go, but I knew in my heart I needed to go. I am so glad I got out of my comfort zone and went. We reached out to pastors to meet for lunch, and we made an effort to connect. It has been an unusual time during COVID to get plugged in, but we have taken advantage of some of this season’s benefits. Smaller crowds in person have allowed our kids to connect and get to know the staff and other people in the children’s department and youth group. Reaching out and connecting with staff members and hearing their hearts about ministry confirmed we were right where we needed to be, which gave us opportunities to ask how we can serve! God continues to call us to press into Him and to trust Him. He is so good!

Welcome

NEW MEMBERS! Teresa McLawhorn Shane Daniels Tracy Wright Nathaniel Wright Muriel Johns Steve Johns Joshua Snodgrass Skyler Rodriguez Chuck Mosley Sarah Mosley Cathern Paulette English Edward Monatoboy Ann Monatoboy Sheila Clark Alyssa Flesher

-Chuck and Sarah Mosley

ServantOKC.org

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M I S S I O N S 06

2021 MISSION COUNCIL MEMBERS Please feel free to contact any of council members directly with ideas/concerns/questions about missions at Servant or email us Missions@ServantOKC.org.

CLASS OF 2021 Ann Knutson, Chair – annknut@gmail.com Stacey Brim, Secretary – cbrim@cox.net

CLASS OF 2022 Sidney Barton, Communications – sambiam@cox.net Dave Hammons – dzhammons@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2023 Troy Weber – Troy.Weber@hotmail.com Leni Burrow – Lenib@cox.net Staff Support – Rev. Randy Shrauner

SERVANT CONNECT

2021

BLOOD DRIVE • February 7 • May 9 • July 25 • September 19 • December 5 Register TODAY at OBI.org!

END OF 2020 FISH FUND DISTRIBUTIONS Due to the generosity of the congregation in 2019, Mission Council was able to make end-of-the-year contributions to the following organizations. In addition to the usual criteria, we chose these organizations because the people they serve were hit exceptionally hard by the COVID Pandemic. In 2021, Mission Council will distribute funds which were donated in the fish baskets in 2020. The websites for these organizations have been provided in case you would like more information.

Infant Crisis Services

$5,000

https://www.infantcrisis.org/

Restore OKC $2,000 https://www.restoreokc.org/ Regional Food Bank

$2,000

https://www.regionalfoodbank.org/

Putnam City Share Care $2,775

https://www.pcf4kids.org/programs/careshare/ ($75 gift cards to Target & Walmart)

Skyline Eye Clinic

$2,000

https://www.okcskyline.org/eyeclinic

Circle of Care

$2,000

https://circleofcare.org/

Exodus House $2,000 https://www.facebook.com/ExodusHouseOkc/ Penn Ave Redemption

$2,000

https://www.umc.org/en/find-a church/church/?id=73578

Neighborhood Services

$2,000

https://nsookc.org/services/

CJAMM $2,000 https://www.cjamm.org/ Meals of Wheels

$2,000

Skyline Food Distribution $2,000

https://www.endinghungerokc.org/meals-on-wheels https://www.okcskyline.org/frc

TOTAL $27,775

MEALS ON WHEELS

NOT EVEN COVID DETERRED THE DELIVERY OF MEALS ON WHEELS (aka Ending Hunger OKC)

I recently spoke with James and Cathy Maxwell about Meals on Wheels. The couple took over the stewardship of it about ten months ago, along with Jim and Lynda Talkington.

Did you know that one in 12 senior citizens in Oklahoma City live in poverty, and 16,000 lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle? That is where the 24 Servant volunteers come in. They deliver, on a rotating basis, 58 meals to 24 clients each month. They deliver every Monday, every other Wednesday, and three Saturdays a month. Cathy said that their clients look forward to seeing the same volunteers’ smiling faces each time, which is one reason they could not suspend service even in the midst of the pandemic. When I asked Cathy and James if there is a need for more volunteers, they said there was a remarkably low turnover in their volunteers!

Ending Hunger OKC is headquartered at St. Luke’s Downtown, and they notify Cathy and James if a new client comes to the geographic area that Servant covers. The meals are prepared at Concordia (each meal costs $4.50), and the volunteers pick them up there.

Funds from the Fish Fund provide most of the funding for the meals each year.

After our phone call, I thought, what a remarkable organization and group of people! They don’t need headlines, they don’t need a lot of money, and the same people, despite rain or shine or pandemic, feed the hungry as Jesus commanded us to do.

Ann Knutson ServantOKC.org

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SKYLINE URBAN MINISTRIES FOOD DISTRIBUTION ON DECEMBER 23 OKCSKYLINE.ORG

While most of us were finishing last-minute Christmas preparations, 16 Servant volunteers of all ages put on their masks and coats to help Skyline during one of their Grocery Days. They stocked shelves with food, bagged groceries, and loaded cars for more than 100 families. Mission Council donated $2,000 from Fish Funds to cover the cost of groceries for that day. The cost is usually $1,600, but with COVID sending families to seek food in ever larger numbers, Mission Council decided to give a little extra.

This outreach project came together at the last minute through the leadership of 2020 Mission Council Chair Stacey Brim. There was a late call for volunteers, but the Servant congregation stepped up and filled the need as usual.

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SERVANT CONNECT

LETTERS TO HEROES DECEMBER PROJECT REPORT In early December, the CDC Director Robert Redfield said that the next three months (Dec/Jan/Feb) might be the worst in our national health history due to expected COVID numbers going up exponentially because of the holidays. Mission Council undertook a quiet activity to ask people to write letters to specific departments at our four leading area hospitals. Every person in every department within a hospital setting is dealing with COVID patients.

Think of the housekeeping crews who clean up and change linens, inpatient rooms; the custodians who remove all kinds of PPE and other items that have come into contact with COVID; the orderlies who take a patient to get a chest X-ray, and on and on. Additionally, why not look up a local fire station and send them a note?!

Sidney Barton, Mission Council member, tasked her Deer Creek Middle School students with writing letters as the Christmas vacation neared (see photo). January and February are usually a bit bleak, so let’s all get out pens and notecards and write short notes of encouragement and hope to our local hospital heroes!

OU Health – University of Oklahoma Medical Center 700 NE 13th, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 Mercy Hospital 4300 W Memorial Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center 3300 NW Expressway Oklahoma City, OK 73112 SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital 1000 N Lee Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 DEPARTMENTS Custodial

Orthopedics

Housekeeping

Mental Health

Surgery

Cancer Care

Lab

Mental Health

Radiology

Lung Care

Gastroenterology

Home and Hospice Care

NeuroSciences

Pediatrics

Cardiology

ServantOKC.org

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Now’s the time to clean out your closet! Mission Council is planning a coat drive at the end of January/early February. The details are still being worked out, but for now, drop off coat donations at the church office. While donations of new or gently used coats are plentiful prior to Christmas, the Homeless Alliance and other agencies are still in need of coats. All size coats will be accepted, but the particular need is for XL or larger. We ask that the coats are clean.

EARTHGLOW GIFT SHOP WE’RE OPEN! COME SEE US! What a year we’ve had in Earthglow. Despite so many challenges, YOU, our loyal customers, have supported us while we were closed due to COVID concerns. We’ve been supported while we are open, on modified hours. We’ve had customers make appointments, as well as process and pick-up curbside. And we are so GRATEFUL for your support despite obstacles. Thank you. Thank you!

Our Christmas merchandise is now selling at 75% OFF, unless marked otherwise. We still have lovely items available!

(Christmas and regular merchandise) Thank you for your support! We continue in our mission to raise funds to support the least, the last, and the lost in our community.

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SERVANT CONNECT

ServantOKC.org

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SERVANT KIDS Report LOOK WHAT WE DID...

Kourtney Aller Director of Servant Kids

WOW! December was an incredible month for Servant Kids! At the end of November, our kids and their families picked up a bag filled with supplies for the Jesse Tree Advent Experience. Each day in December leading up to Christmas, kids and their families read a devotion and scripture, prayed together, then decorated an ornament relating to that day’s story. There were also some additional service opportunities for families to serve others around them during this special time of year. Families were invited to participate in a social media challenge by sharing a picture of one of the day’s activities and tagging Servant Kids. Congratulations to the Afonien family! Their name was drawn out of the participating families, and they received a family fun pack with movies, games, popcorn, candy, and other fun goodies to use while they spent time together during Christmas break. We are thankful for everyone who participated in this Advent experience and hope it gave you meaningful family time each day before Christmas.

On Sunday, December 19, we had two special events at church. The first event was the Happy Birthday, Jesus! Party during the 11:00 worship service. Kids and their families worshipped together and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. After the service, we had a live drive-thru nativity in the parking lot. As cars drove through the parking lot, they had the opportunity to revisit the nativity story and to see camels and other animals, shepherds, wise men, and Mary with Joseph and baby Jesus. It was a fun experience for all ages as we spent time focusing on the Christmas story.

Josh Snodgrass Assistant Director of Servant Kids

SERVANT KIDS IS OPEN! UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND OTHER INFORMATION, SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON COMMUNICATION ABOUT EVENTS! CONTACT KOURTNEY TO CHECK OR UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION AT KALLER@SERVANTOKC.ORG OR 405-728-4715.

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Kid’s Ministry is meeting in person at 9:30 and 11:00 each Sunday morning. Grades 1-5 will meet in The Point Student Center on the south side of the church. Check-in stations are located at the entrance to The Point, and parents will need to be present to checkin their kids and get name tags and parent security tags. Temperatures will also be taken during check-in. The kids need to bring a mask with them to wear, but they will have opportunities once we are socially distanced from others to take a mask break to get some fresh air. We will have a lesson and games, and a craft activity, and all will be conducted with safety and social distance in mind. You can check them out after the worship service outside by bringing your parent sticker.

Preschool, Kindergarten, and nursery aged kids will meet downstairs for check-in and for their activities. For those younger kids, temperatures will also be taken, but masks are optional.

ServantOKC.org

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JANUARY HAPPENINGS...

OUT OF THIS WORLD FRIDAY MORNING DEVOTIONAL TIME! Josh and Kourtney will share a short video devotional each Friday for you to watch with your kids! These videos are typically around three or four minutes long and a great way to open discussion about different topics with your kids. The videos can be found on the Servant Kids Facebook page and also on our YouTube channel (a link to the channel is available on the website under Kids Ministry).

SUNDAYS IN JANUARY AGES 3 YEARS THROUGH KINDERGARTEN

This month is going to be Out of This World! We will use this fun and exciting theme to help teach preschoolers about the most amazing thing ever, which turns out isn’t a thing at all. No! He’s a person! You know who I’m talking about – Jesus! We are teaching preschoolers that Jesus is amazing! And, we’re doing it by sharing stories about some of Jesus’ amazing miracles.

Jesus displayed an amazing understanding of God when He was at the temple as just a young boy. The people who heard Him were amazed! Jesus calmed a storm with just a word. Amazing! Jesus filled fishermen’s nets with fish. Amazing! Jesus healed a blind man with mud and spit. Amazing!

This world, well, this universe, is filled with amazing things, but nothing will ever be more amazing than the One who created it all. Jesus is amazing, and we want our preschoolers to know it!

Our memory verse this month comes from Luke 2:47 and says, “Everyone who heard him was amazed.” We will learn that Jesus’ teaching, healing, power, and miracles are amazing.

Who is amazing? Jesus is amazing!

RULES FOR LIFE: PLAY WELL. FINISH STRONG SUNDAYS IN JANUARY GRADES 1-5

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! WE POST UPDATES, INFORMATION, PICTURES, AND MORE, SO DON’T MISS OUT! GO TO @SERVANTKIDS ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM! SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS

BY TEXTING @SERVANTKI TO 81010.

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This month, we will be learning about the connection between RESPONSIBILITY and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story. Responsibility is showing you can be trusted with what is expected from you.

The psalmist wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (NIrV). God is the author of creation, and God has entrusted us to care for and cultivate it. We do that by taking responsibility. From the work we need to accomplish to people we meet to the words we use, life is filled with moments where we can decide to reflect God’s character, take responsibility, and use what we have wisely. When we follow through and do what needs to be done, we can point others to Jesus, the One who took the ultimate responsibility for us and made it possible for us to be with God forever.

Our memory verse this month comes from Luke 16:10a and says, “Suppose you can be trusted with something very little. Then you can also be trusted with something very large.”

We will discuss how you are supposed to love God and love others, as the Greatest Commandment tells us to do. We will learn about working hard, sharing what we have, making the most of what we’ve been given, and using our words wisely.

SERVANT CONNECT

STILL TO COME...

SAVE THE DATE FOR SOME FUN EVENTS HAPPENING SOON!

KANAKUK KAMPOUT AUGUST 2-6, 2021

Mark your calendars now for the return of Kanakuk Kampout! next summer! The dates are August 2-6. Registration won’t be open until early next year, but we will let you know when it’s time to register!

More pictures from Drive-Thru Nativity...

ServantOKC.org

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SERVANT STUDENTS WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON? Wrapping up the year 2020 was something we’re sure many people were looking forward to. Even in the midst of one of the most challenging years, Servant Students were still able to do so much. Unfortunately, due to rising COVID-19 cases throughout the state, we had to turn to predominantly virtual ministry.

Instead of gathering every Sunday night for fellowship and every Wednesday night for small groups, Heather and I decided to do online devotionals sent out weekly through emails and over social media. Rather

Heather Winner Director of Servant Students

Skyler Rodriguez Assistant Director of Servant Students

Would you like more information about Servant Student Ministries? Contact Heather at hwinner@ServantOKC.org or Skyler at srodriguez@ServantOKC.org.

than taking off those weeks, Heather and I still wanted the students to have an avenue of connection with their leaders and with one another.

Before going into our Christmas break, Servant Students got together for one last gathering. Our Christmas party was full of games, competitions, prizes, cookie decorating, and so much more. We turned The Point into a bowling alley for our first-ever Turkey Bowl. It’s quite literally bowling, but with turkeys. The students were able to have a wonderful night together, but one of the highlights did not come from the gathering itself. Servant Students partnered with Earthglow Gift Shop to provide socks for homeless individuals throughout the community. As we advertised for our event, we also encouraged students to donate pairs of socks for Earthglow. There were moments where we wondered if we had advertised enough for the occasion, but by the end of the night, our students had donated a full Christmas tree of socks! Earthglow was so happy to see that all of those socks would go toward their outreach.

We find so much joy in the fact that our students are willing and able to step up to the plate and be mission-minded.

Skyler Rodriguez

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SERVANT CONNECT

CHRISTMAS SWING-BY 2020 was a year like no other, and with all of that came with December, we wanted to leave students with a blessing as they finished off their finals and headed into Christmas. In hopes of protecting them, our leaders, and all of their loved ones, we decided to limit the number of Servant Student in-person gatherings during December for the sake of reducing the risk of exposure. Christmas is an incredibly important time of year, one spent in celebration with young and old. Because of this, Skyler and I returned to the drawing board as we prayed to end the year uniquely, safely, and well.

So what did we do? Skyler and I found ourselves making ornaments, ordering hot chocolate bombs from our beloved Andi Neaves, and putting together a Christmas Challenge for students to give back before the big day. All of this and more made up a gift for students to swing by and receive on December 16.

It was a night to remember as middle and high school students and their parents drove through the front portico with their masks in place to the sounds of Christmas music playing. Skyler and I bundled up in hopes of one last “Merry Christmas” and “We are praying for you” as Servant Students received their swing-by gifts. It was relieving to hear so many of them say they were right at the end of their crazy semester. This night, for them, offered a chance to spark joy and remind them that though these times are tough and potentially very stressful, they have many people who love them and who are praying for them.

Though this night may seem small in the grand scheme – a simple bag with a few goodies inside – we hope a message of love was received more than anything. Skyler and I care for these students so very much, and as we finished off our very first semester with them, we are praising God for each and every unique moment. This same care for these students pales in comparison to the love of Christ – a love we will continuously point to, whether it’s standing in the cold under the front portico, preaching in the Centrum, or in a coffee shop with an individual student. We feel our Christmas Swing-By was everything we hoped it would be and more, and as we look ahead, it excites us to know it is only the beginning.

There is so much good instore; we cannot wait to see what God does in 2021.

Heather Winner

ServantOKC.org

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Church of the Servant 14343 North MacArthur Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73142-9725

Follow Us! A United Methodist Congregation @ServantOKC SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE TIMES

9:30 • 11:00

CONTACT US: 14343 N MacArthur Blvd.

Oklahoma City, OK 73142 ServantOKC.org 405.721.4141

LIVE STREAM Sunday Mornings @ 9:30 & 11:00 servantokc.online.church Also on Facebook @ServantOKC