March 2023 Newsletter

BACK FROM THE HOLY LAND

Dr. Matthew Mitchell Senior Minister

Greetings, Church of the Servant Family!

I am writing this to you on Saturday, March 4, after returning home from my third trip to the Holy Land. When I began to prepare for my first trip in 2019, I could never have imagined how much each trip to the Holy Land would impact me.

While I am still a bit weary from travel, my soul is refreshed, and my walk with the Lord is vigorous. I do not say any of this to boast. No, I confess this to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Upon my return, I quickly heard the good news of all that was happening while I was away. Multiple people informed me about how outstanding the Ash Wednesday service had been and how the Holy Spirit moved people to come down and pray at the end of a Sunday worship service. Others quickly said how impactful the Wednesday evening fellowship and prayer study had been. Finally, on Friday night, I was honored to serve Holy Communion at the Women’s Ministry event. As soon as I entered the building, I could hear the voices of a great gathering of believers. Upon entering the courtyard, I witnessed full tables with beautiful and genuine fellowship. The worship was spectacular too! Listening to the voices proclaiming the glory of Jesus and calling on the Holy Spirit was absolutely amazing!

Friends, I believe God is doing something new at Church of the Servant. What exactly the new thing is, I do not know. However, I know God is moving, and the catalyst of this movement is our

congregation’s focus on prayer. As a body, I implore our family of faith not to be distracted by all the other options for us to focus on. I also invite you to Wednesday night fellowship and study. God is moving in a new way at these gatherings, and I do not want you to miss out! Register for Wednesday night dinners at ServantOKC.org/kitchen . No registration necessary to attend the study.

A particular scripture comes to mind for our congregation. It is from John 15:4-6:

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me, you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

Jesus focuses on abiding in a relationship with him when he speaks to the disciples in this scripture. I invite all of us to continue to abide in Jesus Christ together. Plan to be part of next Wednesday night! We will focus on how to abide with Jesus in fellowship and prayer.

I cannot wait to see you soon,

INVITE: We need your help!

15,000+ Easter Mailers to go out!

Help us spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout our community! On Tuesday, March 21, at 10:30 AM, we need 20-30 volunteers to gather in Community Hall and label 15,000+ Easter mailers! We will meet immediately following Tuesday morning Women in the Word Bible study. We hope you can join us!

The process is simple:

1. Grab a ready-made tray with labels and postcards.

2. Label the postcards and place them in the tray.

3. Grab another tray and repeat until all 15,000+ postcards have been labeled.

4. Grab a few blank postcards to hand out to family and friends.

This is a simple task that will make a huge impact! If you are available to help, please contact Heather DeShazo at hdeshazo@ churchoftheservant.com or call the church office at (405) 721-4141.

April 2 (EASTER JAM)

April 10 (EASTER JAM)

3PM | CENTRUM . HOSTED BY SERVANT KIDS

3PM | CENTRUM • HOSTED BY SERVANT KIDS

Songs, Games, Easter Story, Egg Hunt

Songs, Games, Easter Story, Egg Hunt

April 13 (DINNER & BIBLE STUDY)

5-8PM | COMMUNITY HALL

April 5 (DINNER & BIBLE STUDY)

Dinner - 5-6:30pm | Bible Study - 6:30-8:00pm

5-8PM | COMMUNITY HALL

April 14 (HOLY THURSDAY)

Dinner - 5-6:30PM | Bible Study - 6:30-8PM

7PM | CENTRUM MODERN WORSHIP

Holy Communion Service

April 6 | HOLY THURSDAY

7PM | CENTRUM

April 15 (GOOD FRIDAY)

7PM | CELEBRATION CENTER

Holy Communion Service

Musical presentation of “The Lenten Sketches” Kids will meet in The Point. Nursery available.

April 9 (EASTER SUNDAY)

April 17 (EASTER SUNDAY)

10AM | CELEBRATION CENTER

9:30AM & 11:00AM | CELEBRATION CENTER

Servant Kids will not meet. Nursery will be open for ages 3 and under.

Servant Kids will not meet Nursery will be open for ages 3 and under during both services

APRIL 9 • 10AM

CONGREGATIONAL CARE

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP AT CHURCH OF THE SERVANT

Have you experienced the death of a loved one? If so, we invite you to be part of our Grief Support Group, which meets each week and continues through May 11. We’ll meet each Thursday afternoon (1:30-3:00 PM) in the South Conference Room at Church of the Servant. Perhaps it was just recently that you experienced the loss of a loved one...or maybe you’ve been on your journey of grief for a long time. Either way, we think you’ll find it quite helpful to connect with others and benefit from mutual support. We utilize the Grief Share curriculum, which is Christian based. There’s a helpful video each time, and there’s always plenty of time for sharing and discussion. There’s no cost for the course, and each participant will receive a complimentary workbook. If you’d like to register for the group, just call (405) 728-4738 and speak to Vicki Roberds, our Coordinator of Care Ministries. Or you can send her an email at vroberds@churchoftheservant.com. Registration never closes, so you can join us for any or all of the meetings, and it’s never too late to sign up.

Tim Travers Minister of Congregational Care

During hard times in life, we need all the love and support we can get – both from God and others. In fact, God often manifests His presence through others! Being “God’s heart and hands” is the very purpose of our Care Ministry.

We have many ways to minister to Church of the Servant’s families:

• Our Care Chaplains

• Various support groups

• Hospital and home visits

• Encouraging care notes

• Intercessory prayer

We also provide care and support during joyous times when a new baby is born, such as gift basket!

PURCHASE A LILY!

Purchase a lily for $20/ea in memory or honor of a friend or loved one. Orders can be made online by credit card, and by check at Guest Central or in the Church Office. The lily will bring our worship areas to life on Easter Sunday! Lilies will be available to take home after service on Sunday, April 9. Deadline is Sunday, April 2nd! Go

WE ARE READY FOR TAKE-OFF!

Mission Fort Myers, our high school mission trip for 2023, will occur from March 11th through the 17th. We are greatly looking forward to what is ahead and what God is going to do in and through these students. Please be in prayer for our crew of leaders and students for this transformational experience: pray for safety, peace, joy, and perseverance; pray for lives to be impacted and the power of the Gospel to be shared; pray for goodness and grace; pray for a bonded team; pray for Jesus Christ to be seen out of all.

OUR MISSION TEAM INCLUDES:

Macey McFarlane

Micah Walsh

Tyler Bilyeu

Caleb Weber

Hayden Rodriguez

Kazden Koehn

Julie Myers

Kingsley Funk

Kendall Funk

Blakely Russell

Zayna Snipes

Sarah Sahmaunt

Caroline Flurry

Dominic Trupiano

Anna Traynor

Nathan Aller

Noah Aller

Kendall Arnold

Luke Mosley

Samuel Mosley

Max Greene

Avery Sullivan

Kaden Ross

LEADERS:

Kourtney Aller

Ryan Aller

Sarah Mosley

Skyler Rodriguez

Heather Winner

Would you like more information about Servant Students? Contact Heather Winner at hwinner@ServantOKC.org or Skyler Rodriguez at srodriguez@ServantOKC.org

Heather Winner Director of Servant Students

SERVANT STUDENTS SERVANT STUDENTS

Skyler Rodriguez

Assistant Director of Servant Students

SERVANT STUDENTS

CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2023

There is HOPE: Our Confirmation Journey Continues

We are officially halfway through Confirmation 2023 but we know the journey is just getting started. Amidst our sessions on God’s story through the Bible, we took students to the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum to remind them that God is at work in this time just as He was in biblical times.

This being the third group of students we have taken through this journey to the memorial, I stood back looking at one of this city’s symbols of resilience: the Survivor Tree. This tree stands as an incredible glimpse into the power of God’s creation and the resistance to face darkness with hope. Skyler and I pray that this time of bringing our learnings to the present day and witnessing how God is still at work in our world impacts the students to carry us through our journey ahead.

STUDENT LEADERS:

Caroline Flurry, Anna Traynor, Avery Sullivan, Noah Aller, and Tyler Bilyeu.

ADULT LEADERS:

Sarah Mosley, Brad Traynor, and Chandler Winner.

CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2023:

Grace Barrios-King, Samuel Mosley, Trey Afonien, Brooklyn Weber, Sophia Byers, Dominic Trupiano, Oliver Berry, Maegan Solomon, Mackenzie Clark, Bailey Mitchell, Harrison Mitchell, Taber Traynor, Alexander Marmen, Logan Cravens, Hayden Rodriguez, Onesimus Garner, Matthew Swindler, Katie Taylor, Reagan Lykes, Grace McKinney, Kaden Ross, and Colton Finney.

WINTER RETREAT SERVANT STUDENTS

This was our commission at the end of Winter Retreat from our speaker, John Holland. His message on taking the light of Jesus Christ into the world in confidence, knowing that this light is unmatched. For this retreat over February 17-19, our focus for the week was on Ephesians 2-6 as we gathered in worship, in the hearing of God’s Word, in small groups, in service projects, and in fellowship. There were so many incredible ways our students bonded over the weekend.

Through this time, students and leaders were given the chance to breathe, to take a moment to rest away from the busyness of school and work and sports and extracurricular activities and the many other things that fill our lives. This holy time was recognized by many as necessary in our faith journeys to retreat and spend time deepening our relationships with one another and our relationship with God.

To send us out, a group of leaders anointed each person present. This was to empower them to go forward, to be the light, to follow Jesus, to know they are called by God, and to know that Christ makes them worthy of the goodness of God. It was a sweet weekend we all needed as we head into the rest of the school year.

• When? Sundays at 11:00 AM

• Where? Student Lounge

• Who? 6th - 12th Grade

Servant Students is all about helping 6th through 12th-grade students become fully committed followers of Jesus Christ. We provide opportunities for students to worship, fellowship, serve, and just be together as they learn more and more about their Creator. Servant Students meet Sunday mornings at 11:00 in the Student Lounge.

“Go punch holes in the darkness.”

WINTER RETREAT SERVANT STUDENTS

Kourtney Aller Director of Servant Kids

SERVANT KIDS Report

SUNDAY MORNINGS WITH SERVANT KIDS

Servant Kids meets in person each Sunday morning at 10:00 and/or 11:00am! Elementary kids (grades 1-5) will meet in The Point Student Center on the south side of church. Kids in kindergarten and younger will meet downstairs. Two-hour programming is available. The same topic will be covered all morning long, but each hour will have different activities and videos to reinforce the lesson. This is a great option for parents who want to attend both a class and worship service on Sunday mornings. Drop your kids off between 9:45-10:00 and pick them up again at noon! Virtual options are available on our website each week. If you can’t make it in person on a Sunday morning, check out the lessons and videos online at ServantOKC.org/kids

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.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! WE POST UPDATES, INFORMATION, PICTURES, AND MORE, SO DON’T MISS OUT! GO TO @SERVANTKIDS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM! SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS BY TEXTING @SERVANTKI TO 81010.

LOOK WHAT WE DID…

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS WITH SERVANT KIDS

This semester we will DIG IN to the life of Jesus and what it means to really know Jesus and His heart, not just to know ABOUT Jesus. We will lead kids in walking Jesus’ footsteps through a chronological look at his life from birth to his death and resurrection. Join us in the downstairs children’s area from 6:30 to 8:00 pm!

MARCH HAPPENINGS…

CONFETTI TOSS

SUNDAYS IN MARCH

AGES 3 YEARS THROUGH KINDERGARTEN

Preschoolers love trying to do things like grown-ups. They like to press buttons on computers and jump high to throw the basketball or stir the food to make something yummy to eat. Being able to say they can do things like Mommy or Daddy is a big deal!

This month, we are teaching preschoolers something else they can do that’s a really big deal. They can love like Jesus! We want preschoolers to know that they can love like Jesus, and when they love like Jesus, it’s like tossing confetti everywhere! Serving others, showing kindness, helping and loving everyone—these are things that even our youngest children can do. And when they do, they love like Jesus.

Our memory verse this month comes from Proverbs 17:17 which says, “A friend loves at all times.” This month, we will learn that we can love like Jesus, be kind like Jesus, share like Jesus, and love everyone like Jesus. Who can love like Jesus? I can love like Jesus.

WORK IN PROGRESS: REDO, REWRITE, RESTORE

SUNDAYS IN MARCH

GRADES 1-5

This month, we will learn about the connection between FORGIVENESS and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story. Forgiveness is deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay.

No matter how much we mess up, God will always forgive us. Jesus even chose to forgive those who were crucifying Him. Because God forgives us, we should work hard to forgive others. We can decide that someone who has wronged us doesn’t have to pay. With God’s help, we can free ourselves from the weight of anger and bitterness, while giving the other person an opportunity to rewrite the story.

Our memory verse comes from Colossians 3:13 which says, “Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.”

We will learn that everyone needs forgiveness and that when you forgive others, it can change them. We will discuss how we forgive others because God forgives us, and God will always forgive us.

STILL TO COME…

APRIL 10TH AT 3:00PM

Get Ready for an Egg-stra Special Easter Jam 2023

We’re hosting an event for your family to experience together, where you’ll sing songs, play crazy games, laugh until your sides hurt, and hear the Easter story told in a way that engages every age. This fun experience will be followed by an egg hunt. We truly cannot wait to experience Easter Jam with you!

KANAKUK KAMPOUT!

June 5-9, 2023

Mark your calendars now for the return of Kanakuk Kampout next summer! The dates are June 5-9, 2023. Registration is now open, so make sure to register early before the spots fill up like last summer !

https://kanakuk.com/kampout/

EARTHGLOW GIFT SHOP

There’s an abundance of bunnies in Earthglow!

Bright bunnies, round bunnies, sweet bunnies, hanging bunnies, bunny towels and pillows…. Whew! You get the idea. So, if you need a bunny for your house or a special someone, we’ve got you covered! We are open 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Monday-Thursday, and 9:00 AMNoon on Friday and Sunday mornings. All proceeds go to missions. Come shop today and help us help others!

GIFT SHOP HOURS:

• Monday - Thursday 9 AM - 3 PM

• Friday - 9 AM - Noon

• Sunday - 9 AM - Noon

I S S I O N S

WHIZ KIDS MARCHES INTO SPRING

Our kids celebrated God’s love and each other for Valentines Day. They decorated their sacks (some decorated themselves) and the tutors brought Valentine’s and candy for each child.

MBill White graciously provided pizza for everyone. Thank you Bill!

When birthdays are celebrated, each child receives a sack full of things that remind them about staying connected to God and how they are a blessing. The picture below shows the tutors and kids using their blessing balm to anoint each other. They choose a heart or cross to be drawn on their hand or forehead and look each other in the eyes and say, “‘Name,’ you are a blessing.” It is a very special moment.

Carolyn Hays (chays25@cox.net)

CHRISTMAS GRACE UPDATE

Christmas Grace was a huge success due to our generous church family!

WE SERVED SIX AGENCIES: Meals on Wheels, Infant Crisis Center, Circle of Care, Exodus House, Putnam City Care Share, and Neighborhood Services (NSO).

Gifts and gift cards were given to seventeen families with a total of 139 family members, including adults and children at Putnam City Care Share. Gifts were given to an additional sixty-six individuals at Meals on Wheels, Exodus House, and NSO. Thirteen gift cards were given to Circle of Care for $50-$100 each. A full pickup truckload of diapers and wipes was delivered to the Infant Crisis Center.

Thank you, faithful Servants, for making all of this possible!

KENYA DONATION BOX

We are still receiving donation items for Kenya. Our team will be traveling to Kenya in June of 2023, and with us will be any donated items we have received. Requested items include #2 pencils, blackboard chalk, and light blue medical scrubs... just to name a few. Each year, the hospital compiles the list based on their needs. We are very grateful that Servant has been so faithful in fulfilling their requests in years past.

If you would like to donate items for Kenya, simply drop your donations into the red and green box located in the concourse outside Earthglow Gift Shop. For a complete list of donation items requested, go to https://servantokc.org/global or click on the link below.

DISCOVER SERVANT

Whether you’ve been attending Church of the Servant for months, or you’re planning your first visit, we would love to meet you and get to know you better. When you arrive at a big church, we know that it can be really difficult to figure out how to get involved and how to connect with other people. It can be especially difficult to move beyond Sunday morning to know others and to be known by them.

If you’re new to Church of the Servant and want to learn how to get involved, we want to invite you to join us for Discover Servant. We would love the opportunity to meet you and get to know you a little better. We will meet for about one hour and introduce you to some of the staff and leadership, tell you about what we believe and how to get connected, and answer any questions you have. To register, head over to our website at ServantOKC.org/discover-servant and fill out the short form. We look forward to connecting with you!

Our next meeting will be Sunday, March 26, 2023, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Lunch is provided!

REBUILDING TOGETHER 2023 - 31 HOMES FOR 31 YEARS!

Our annual workday with Rebuilding Together will be SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 .

TWO SHIFTS AVAILABLE: 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. AND 12:00 - 4:00 P.M.

Thirty-one years ago (1992 to be exact), an organization was created to repair Oklahoma City homes, one at a time. Church of the Servant has been part of this wonderful organization for about 20 of those years. Saturday, April 29, will be the date this year when all ages and skill levels can come together to make a huge difference in the life of someone in our city.

Mark your calendar - April 29th!

Registration available soon!

PRIME TIME

APRIL PRIME TIME FELLOWSHIP LUNCHEON

Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. In Community Hall

Mr. June Carter is always a crowd pleaser and will once again bless us with his baritone voice at Prime Time on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss it!

June Carter is an energetic and talented baritone vocal soloist who has been singing ever since he was a little boy at St. Jude Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. June has been the lead singer for many gospel quartets, as well as one the tenor singers with the Ambassador Choir at St. John Baptist Church. He sings a variety of sacred and secular songs at churches, weddings, civic groups, retirement centers, and other venues throughout the southwest. June is the director of music at Classen Blvd Baptist church in Oklahoma City and thanks God for giving him a gift to share.

June was in the United States Air force for 4 years where he met his lovely wife (Lula Mae Carter). They have been married for over 40 years, have been blessed with 2 daughters and one son, and now have 6 grandbabies. June retired from Tinker Air Force Base after working for 35 years as an inspector on aircraft engine parts and an Aircraft electrician on the B1 and the 135 aircraft. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS MONDAY, APRIL 10th!

REMINDER: MARCH PRIME TIME FELLOWSHIP LUNCHEON

Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. In

Community Hall

We are thrilled to welcome back Major General Rita Aragon. In honor of “Empowering Women” month, the Major General will be speaking on “Wonder Woman: God Empowering Women.”

Church of the Servant has an active group of Senior adults that participate in small groups, Bible studies, and other activities throughout the year. On the second Thursday of each month, a special Prime Time Fellowship Program with a luncheon is held in Community Hall.

There’s no membership fee, just a warm invitation to anyone who would like to have a great morning of fun, food and fellowship! You can sign up any time at Guest Central in the concourse, or online at ServantOKC.org/Prime-Time