E D I T I O N NO. 18 .6 |
JU N 2018
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MO NTHLY NEWSL ET TER
2017-18 YEAR IN REVIEW REFLECTION & CELEBRATION
YEAR IN REVIEW •
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES: 23 on-going classes (average weekly attendance – 471)
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AFFILIATED ADULT COMMUNITY GROUPS: 16 (average weekly attendance – 105)
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he cover of this publication reminds me of the honeycombs I have seen throughout my life. Bees fascinate me – such tiny creatures producing a wonderful product that sweetens our lives and pollinates plants at the same time. Every bee of a colony works tirelessly to create a home and a food source for the survival of the hive. When the bees are working together and go undisturbed, they are able to store up the nectar and honey to provide for those who are part of their family and those who will come one day. Yet, they never truly want to share what they produce. The honey the colony produces is essential for their current well-being and their future success. Did you know one bee colony can produce up to 100 lbs. of honey? And there have been reports of some colonies producing 350 to 500 lbs! Even scientists proclaim that our world would not be the same without the work of bees.
ADULT BIBLE STUDIES MEET THROUGHOUT THE WEEK: 15 classes (enrollment of 275)
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SPECIAL ADULT ENRICHMENT EVENTS (Gunter, Strauss, Oden, Beckham): 9 events throughout the year (average attendance – 150)
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SPECIAL WOMEN’S EVENTS: Attendance for Game Nights (80); Annual Retreat (60); Christmas Crafting (75); Taste of Faith (280); and Anita Renfroe Concert packed the Celebration Center!
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PRIME TIME meets 9 times per year (average attendance – 40 to 60)
Think about this for a moment: a honeybee can seem insignificant, but when seen in the context of the greater whole, it is a mighty and important part of a greater body that makes the world truly beautiful. Now think about this: each and every one of us at Church of the Servant is similar to the bees of a colony. We may feel insignificant, but in God’s eyes we are not! Not at all! In fact, God created us to share the beauty of Christ and
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DR. MATTHEW MITCHELL Lead Minister
the sweetness of Christ’s love in this world. We are also different than the honeybee, because we are called to share what we have to make the world much sweeter and even more beautiful! In my first year as Lead Minister at Church of the Servant, 90,503 people worshipped in the weekly worship services, compared to 68,159 the same time the year before. Some of you worshipped every week in person; some joined together online and some are still visiting and considering membership. God is doing a great and powerful thing in this special place! While we do not produce honey or pollinate plants, I do know we have fed those who were hungry and made life much more beautiful because of the great calling God has set before us. We have joined together in Community Groups, Sunday School Classes, Bible Studies, and many other special events to study God’s Word. We have
laughed and cried together and, of course, we have professed our faith in worship week after week. The past twelve months have been truly amazing! Throughout these pages, you will see some highlights from this past year. Finally, please mark your calendars for the 50th anniversary of our great church on September 9. We will celebrate this milestone at every service that day. Look for more information to come in the weeks and months ahead. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in the journey ahead! Thankful God is using us to produce something sweeter and more beautiful for this generation and the generations to come!
TROOP 177 Troop 177 honored our Vets at the annual veterans celebration with a processional and the Pledge of Allegiance. Troop 177 is our local scout troop that meets at Church of the Servant every week and volunteers for special projects in our church and throughout the community.
SERVANT FOUNDATION
Annual Women’s Retreat to Chickasaw Retreat Center
GOLF TOURNAMENT Our annual church golf tournament raised over $5,000 for The Servant Foundation, Inc and was lots of fun for all who participated!
EARTHGLOW MARKET Church of the Servant’s annual Earthglow Market witnessed record attencance this year! 110 vendors participated in this year’s market. Monies from bake sale, cafe´ sales, booth and table rentals all went to missions!
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2017-18
YEAR IN REVIEW 3
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RISE AGAINST HUNGER MEAL PACKAGING EVENT This year, 1,370 volunteers worked together over five hours to package 157,032 meals; our original meal goal was 151,000 meals. This brings us to a grand total of 1,319,824 meals that friends and families of Church of the Servant have packaged since we partnered with Rise Against Hunger in 2010! Rise Against Hunger has become a part of who we are at Church of the Servant! For many of us, it is one of our favorite Sundays of the year! It is impacting and shaping our world, our church, and our families in ways we could not have foreseen!
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SERVANT KIDS’ FALL FESTIVAL Number of people that attended this year’s Servant Fall Fest?? So many people we couldn’t count them all! Over 35,000 pieces of candy were donated through the church-wide candy drive! Over 500 hot dog meals were sold; Hot Dog Cafe´ raised $1,100! Bake sale, sponsored by Music Ministries, raised over $300! Lots and lots of people brought baked goods for the bake sale and the cake walk. Many people volunteered their cars and time to make our first Trunk-or-Treat a HUGE success! And the firework show was a perfect way to end a fantastic evening!
DEBT FREE – Note Burning As of October 24, the mortgage on the Church’s property was paid in full! This has been a multi-year effort on the part of the entire congregation and the achievement of this goal opens new possibilities for the years to come!
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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL In June 2017, 550 kids and 150 leaders spent four days at Vacation Bible School, which kids say was “the best week of their summer!”
THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL The Christmas Festival, featuring the choir, orchestra, bells, our own Darci Lynn Farmer, elves, and even Father Christmas, was once again a huge success! Over three nights we shared with our church and our neighbors the joy of the Christmas season.
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SUMMER MISSION TRIP Our parent/student mission trip where we partnered with Manos Juntas to build a cafeteria for a school in a rural area outside of Rio Bravo. We had 19 total people impacting over 10 families!
PRODUCTION SUITE & VIDEO UPDATES This has been an exciting year for media, technology, and video at Church of the Servant! We updated the screens and video equipment in the Centrum, added “screens” (LED walls) to the Celebration Center, and updated our Production Suite that houses all of our recording and streaming equipment. These updates have tremendously enhanced the experience of our services and special events, and have given us the opportunity to simulcast our 9:30 Celebration Service! None of this would be possible without the 30+ loyal volunteers that show up week after week! Thank you!!
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2018 CONFIRMATION 39 eighth-grade students, along with their family members, gathered together to kick off Confirmation. Confirmation is an opportunity for students to discover what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to explore the uniqueness of the United Methodist Church. 4 high school students also participated in Confirmation this year.
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A CHURCH
IN MISSION “I AM SO GRATEFUL TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW THE CHURCH BODY IS IN MISSION, SEEKING TO SERVE AND SUFFER ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO SUFFER. IF I CAN ASSIST YOU, A GROUP, OR FAMILY FIND YOUR WAY INTO THE MISSION LIFE OF THE CHURCH, PLEASE CONTACT ME!” - DR. ROBYN GOGGS, MINISTER OF MISSIONS/WOMEN/DISCIPLESHIP
Rise Against Hunger ® FISH FUND Each Sunday during every worship service, there is an opportunity to give in missions. The funds given throughout one year are used to facilitate the mission work of our congregation in the year ahead. Most years, we begin with around $35,000, which helps a stranger in need who walks through the door throughout the week, and helps our members have mission experiences around the world. The fish funds help our partnerships in the work we do in our community and worldwide. The funds also facilitate our ministries, like: Whiz Kids, Mobile Meals, and Hannah’s Promise.
FISH FUND – The funds given throughout the year that are used to facilitate the mission work of our congregation.
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SPECIAL FISH OFFERINGS This year so far, we have had three special fish offerings for three of our partners.
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In January, the Rise Against Hunger offering was $34,000 which helped our congregation make 157,032 meals that landed in Nicaragua.
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In March, the Rebuilding Together offering was $20,000, which helped to repair 15 homes in the southeast part of the city. Ninety-one of our members came to work together on Rebuilding Day.
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In May, you gave $25,000 to Skyline’s Clothes for Kids program which will help to put 220 children in Oklahoma City Public Schools into new uniforms and shoes for the coming school year. We will have volunteers at Skyline throughout the months of June and July registering children and fitting their uniforms.
Christmas Grace helped 950 people!
Our MOBILE MEALS ministry, led by Cherie Dennis, delivers meals twice a week to over 22 clients, and 23 of our members serve on the delivery team.
SERVANTS IN ACTION In any given week, countless Servant members are about mission in this community. I recently visited Skyline and four of our members were serving in the food resource center and eye clinic. They told me they are there every Thursday! Sunday School classes have ministries and agencies they work with to build relationships of service in the community. Every small group and Sunday School class is encouraged to have a focused service ministry together. One of our newest classes, the Prayerenting (praying and parenting) Class, has made the children’s ministry of our church their mission – they teach Sunday School and create family opportunities for our church families. WHIZ KIDS serves 40 children, 32 weeks a year to address literacy. Under the leadership of Carolyn Hays and Shirley Rolston, 70 volunteers weekly make this ministry possible.
HANNAH’S PROMISE, led by Lola Burgtorf and Nancy Collins, serves 40 special needs children and their families to offer safe respite one Saturday evening a month. This one-on-one ministry has over 50 faithful volunteers who come and share their Saturday.
CHRISTMAS GRACE, under the leadership of Susy Wilson and Carolyn Clark, each November helps our church partner with agencies to provide Christmas for their clients. Last year, we helped 950 people. OKLAHOMA BLOOD DRIVES are facilitated by Nancy Collins and JR Wolfe. Each year, we host four Sunday morning blood drives with 2435 people donating at each drive. An easy way to change a life!
BLESS OUR SCHOOLS, led by Amber Neaves, partners weekly with Hefner Middle School to pack weekend backpacks of food, and to support teachers with special care packages and luncheons throughout the school year. We will do teacher blessing boxes again in August.
Whiz Kids served 40 children.
CHURCH OF THE SERVANT HAS A MISSION PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD! ChurchoftheServant.com
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In March, Fish Funds raised $20,000 for Rebuilding Together, which helped to repair 15 homes in the southeast part of the city. Ninety-one of our members came to work together on Rebuilding Day.
United Methodist Advance Special Giving We have two mission projects through the United Methodist Church: •
My Heart’s Appeal in Liberia provides respite and vocational opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
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Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya provides health and education to people in rural Kenya.
Both of these are places we visit on mission trips as well.
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EARTHGLOW GIFT SHOP Every purchase made from Earthglow, our wonderful gift shop, is your opportunity to participate in missions, because all profits from Earthglow are distributed to local missions. In the past year, $38,000 was shared with Skyline Urban Ministries (Clothes for Kids, Food Pantry, and Eye Clinic), Neighborhood Services Organization, Exodus House, Circle of Care ,and Penn Ave Redemption Church. The gift shop is staffed by a team of 43 dedicated volunteers.
Ongoing Drives for Resources in our City With Skyline Urban Ministries, TEEM, Exodus House, and Infant Crisis Service as local partners, there are always ways for each of us to do good with our money, donated items, and time – which can be done all year long.
Kenya Trip: Getting to know the local villagers. Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya provides health and education to people in rural Kenya.
Mission Trips We have not had as many trips as in years past and part of that reason was having trained Volunteers in Missions (VIM) Leaders to lead them. This February, 9 of our members were trained as VIM team leaders with the idea that 2019 will hold many more opportunities for local and international mission experiences.
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SERVANT KIDS Ministry Recap
Kanakuk KampOut ® What can happen in one year, 52
The week’s activities are led by
weeks, 364 days, 8736 hours in
the Kanakuk ministries staff.
a ministry that serves families for Jesus Christ?
“WHAT REALLY MAKES THE
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WORK OF SERVANT KIDS MINISTRY SO IMPORTANT IS THE 52 SUNDAYS A YEAR WHEN 125 ADULT LEADERS SHARE THEIR SUNDAY MORNINGS AND FAITH WITH SERVANT KIDS. ” – CATHY HERSOM, DIRECTOR OF SERVANT KIDS
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•
The Servant Kids Leadership Team researched, selected,
550 kids and 150 leaders spent
promoted and coordinated a
4 days, which kids say was “the
mission project that Servant
best week of their summer”, at
Kids supported during the school
Vacation Bible School in June.
year. In April, the Leadership
65 kids participated in the Servant Kids Musical Project in June.
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Team presented a check for over
$1,000 to the OK Kids Korral. This organization supports fami-
Church of the Servant hosted
lies whose children are receiving
Kanakuk KampOut in July. Over
cancer treatments in the metro
300 kids participated in a week where they are taught Jesus is the center of their everything.
area. Leadership Team members are 4th and 5th graders.
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Servant Kids Wednesday Nights kicked off in September. The evenings included worship, small group time with adult leaders and lots of fun games.
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Quarterly Family Worship evenings also began in September. Families were treated to dinner and worship in the Centrum.
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75 campers and adults spent a weekend in September at Servant Kidz Camp at Canyon Camp near Hinton, OK. The focus for the weekend was how God expects us to be “encouragers in our faith to others” (Romans 1:12).
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45 third graders received their Bibles on September 24. They were celebrated by the congregation in all services and with a congregational continental breakfast.
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Elementary children singing on Palm Sunday
Also in September, 15 new acolytes were consecrated and joined the acolyte team of 4th and 5th graders who have chosen to serve HIM every Sunday.
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The annual Servant Fall Fest was held in October with the addition of Trunk or Treat. Over 1,000 members of our congregation and community were treated to a fun, safe and memorable evening. The Lenten season began with a special Ash Wednesday service for children and their families. On Palm Sunday we hosted the annual Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt for our congregation and community with hundreds attending. Also on Palm Sunday, elementary children performed an Easter musical “BECAUSE HE LIVES”.
Water Funday Sunday
These special events along with memorable learning experiences are offered to our families to encourage SHARED FAMILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, such as: Water Funday Sunday; swimming parties where faith, family and fun are present; celebrations of the Old School Year and welcoming in the New School Year; honoring our moms and dads; participating in the Acts of Kindness for Advent; and YOU’VE BEEN EGGED at Easter. But what really makes the work of Servant Kids Ministry so important is the 52 Sundays a year when 125 adult leaders share their Sunday mornings and faith with Servant Kids. Sunday morning is when our Intentional Programming comes alive: when we are focused on teaching our children TO KNOW & LOVE GOD – learning who God is and how to love Him with our heart, soul, mind and strength; TRUST AND ACCEPT JESUS – as their Lord and Savior; GROW IN THEIR FAITH – engaging in community life and developing habits of spiritual growth; and SERVE GOD AND OTHERS – understanding the call to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. ChurchoftheServant.com
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SERVANT STUDENTS
OUR GOAL IS TO LEAD STUDENTS TO BECOME FULLY COMMITTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST.
SERVANT HIGH SCHOOL “WHAT AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR SERVANT HIGH SCHOOL. OUR GOAL IS TO LEAD STUDENTS TO BECOME FULLY COMMITTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST. WE DID THAT BY PARTNERING WITH OVER 56 VOLUNTEERS, MANY BEING PARENTS. WE GOT TO EXPERIENCE SOME INCREDIBLE EVENTS, MISSION TRIPS, AND PROGRAMS THIS PAST YEAR!” – SANG NGUYEN, DIRECTOR OF SERVANT HIGH SCHOOL SUNDAY MORNING SUNDAY SCHOOL 11 volunteers; Averaged 32 students WEDNESDAY EVENING SMALL GROUPS 21 volunteers; Averaged 86 students SUMMER MISSION TRIP TO RIO BRAVO Our parent/student mission trip where we partnered with Manos Juntas to build a cafeteria for a school in a rural area outside of Rio Bravo. We had 19 total people impacting over 10 families! DAYSPRING (our big summer camp with other United Methodist Churches in Oklahoma) – This camp impacts over 400 people! We brought 6 volunteers and 53 students! FALL RETREAT (our weekend retreat) – Our theme was “PAUSE”. We focused on pausing so we can experience Christ in a fast-pace world. We had 25 volunteers and 73 students! SPRING BREAK MISSION TRIP TO MEMPHIS – We partnered with Praying Pelican Missions as we served inner city Memphis with 8 volunteers and 32 students!
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SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL Servant Middle School has had a great year filled with laughter, fun, and learning about who Jesus is and who He calls us to be. Each Wednesday, we have an amazing opportunity to reach our students through small groups. Then on Sundays, we are able to come together for games and a lesson. Throughout the year, we have a variety of special events that take place with the purpose of fellowship and growth. We are blessed by all the students in this ministry and by the leaders that volunteer. These incredible volunteers that serve each week make Servant Middle School Ministries possible. On Wednesdays, we have volunteers that lead each week and discuss what it means to follow Christ in Small Groups. We have volunteers that help with checking in our students and starting them off right with an encouraging smile and greeting on Sunday mornings. We even have volunteers that help with games and getting the kids excited for a time of fellowship and building relationships.
“THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS THROUGH OUR DIFFERENT MINISTRY PROGRAMS IS A BLESSING.” – JENNA SMITH, DIRECTOR OF SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL SUNDAY MORNING Average 32 students; 3 leaders SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL WEDNESDAY NIGHT Average 72 students; 13 leaders SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER MISSION 2017 37 students; 11 leaders SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL FALL RETREAT 2017 52 students; 16 leaders SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIRMATION 2018 31 students with 7 baptisms; 14 leaders SERVANT MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP 2018
42 students; 11 leaders
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1,200+ PRAYER REQUESTS
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BAPTISMS
SUNDAY SERVICES AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
1,687*
*LIVESTREAM = 74
RAISED $44,000 PACKAGED 157,032* MEALS *1.3 MILLION TO DATE
1,200+
VOLUNTEERS
133
NEW MEMBERS
$229,434* RAISED FOR
MISSIONS *This amount is above the $550,000 also paid in apportionments to the United Methodist Conference.
SERVANT KIDS/STUDENTS AVERAGE SUNDAY ATTENDANCE SUNDAY VOLUNTEER LEADERS
139
AVERAGE SUNDAY ADULT ATTENDANCE 14
160 471
DEBT FREE
Church Mortgage PAID IN FULL
CARE MINISTRIES
Congregational Care & Support “WE ARE HUMBLED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNI T Y TO MINISTER TO THE CONCERNS – AND SHARE IN THE JOYS – OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR CONGREGATION AND BE YOND!” – REV. TIM TRAVERS, MINISTER OF CONGREGATIONAL CARE
During this past year (June 2017 through May 2018), our congregation reached out to numerous families and individuals who encountered difficult times. Our Care Ministries department had more than 1,200 prayer requests come in during that time, many of which have been on the prayer lists for our whole congregation to keep in their prayers. In addition, more than 150 deaths affected our congregation’s people (family members and relatives), and we have supported them with cards, letters, and phone calls. Pastors from Church of the Servant officiated approximately 40 of those memorial services and funerals--many of those taking place at Servant, while others were at funeral homes or gravesides. We have ministered to 36 individuals who have participated in our Grief Support Group. Specially trained laypersons, called Care Chaplains, aid us in reaching out to people in ministry. Beginning in June of 2017, we welcomed 10 newly trained Care Chaplains who began their duties in calling, visiting, praying with, and supporting individuals and families in our congregation. Currently, we have 34 Care Chaplains. They support people during difficult times, like: grief, loss of a job,
illness, injury, or surgery. On a regular basis, we also visit about 70 members who are in nursing homes and retirement centers or are living at home but unable to attend church. We currently have 31 note-writers, who are specially trained to write meaningful notes of encouragement and prayer to people who are on our prayer lists. We’ve had the joy of welcoming 9 babies into our church family (born to parents who are our church members). We also shared in the joy of dozens more of our members who experienced the birth of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Many of our members underwent surgery or were hospitalized during this past year, which means that hundreds of visits, phone calls, and contacts have been made by our clergy and laity since this time last year. In November 2017, we began a monthly Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers Support Group, which has provided support to 40 people who have family members experiencing the disease. We are humbled to have the opportunity to minister to the concerns — and share in the joys -- of the people in our congregation and beyond!
1,200+
Prayer Requests
150+
Deceased Relatives of Servant Members
40
Memorial Services Officiated by Our Pastors
36
Grief Support Group Participants
34
Total Care Chaplains
10
New Care Chaplains in 2017
31
Note-Writers
70
People Visited Regularly in Nursing Homes, Retirement Centers, etc.
9
Babies Born to Parents Who are Servant Members
40
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers Support Group Participants ChurchoftheServant.com
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C I S U M T N A V R SE – s t r A & c i s u M –
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FINANCIAL YEAR-IN-REVIEW
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s a part of our “year-in-review” newsletter, we thought it important to include an overview of the financial condition of Church of the Servant. Each monetary contribution to the ministries of Church of the Servant is a commitment on the part of the giver to the advancement of the mission of the Church. As such, those of us responsible for the oversight of the congregation’s finances view our work as a sacred duty, as we work to ensure each ministry and outreach has the resources necessary to accomplish the task at hand. That commitment, coupled with the profound generosity of our members, translates into a local congregation in Church of the Servant capable of making an impact for the Kingdom of God around the world. 2017 gave us much to celebrate on the financial front, foremost of which was the total elimination of the church’s debt. As of October 24, the mortgage on the Church’s property was paid in full! This has been a multi-year effort on the part of the entire congregation and the achievement of this goal opens new possibilities for the years to come! But while we are excited about the money available to be spent “within” the congregation – electric bills and mortgage payments – it is the money we are able to pour into the community and the world about which we are most passionate.
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“2017 GAVE US MUCH TO CELEBRATE ON THE FINANCIAL FRONT, FOREMOST OF WHICH WAS THE TOTAL ELIMINATION OF THE CHURCH’S DEBT.” – REV. RANDY SHRAUNER,
EXECUTIVE MINISTER Beyond the over $550,000 Church of the Servant will submit to the Oklahoma Annual Conference in apportionments in 2018 (the bulk of which will fund United Methodist missional activities), our congregation raised $229,434 for missions in fiscal 2017. Within that number is over $44,000.00 for Rise Against Hunger as we continued our work to prepare meals for hungry children; over $70,000 for international mission support in Kenya, Vietnam, Guatemala, and Liberia; almost $40,000 in hurricane relief for our brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast; and $40,000 for Skyline, Rebuilding Together, Whiz Kids, Infant Car Seats, and Mobile Meals here in Oklahoma City. We are a congregation committed to making a difference for the Kingdom, and our checking account bears witness to that truth. Thank you for the part you have played in making these ministries possible. May God continue this great work in and through us all in the year to come. Rev. Randy Shrauner Executive Minister ChurchoftheServant.com
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Church of the Servant 14343 North MacArthur Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73142-9725
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S.POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT NO 99
OKLAHOMA CITY 73125
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
OVER 500 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN 2018 “SHIPWRECKED” VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!! The theme was “SHIPWRECKED – Rescued by Jesus”. The kids learned that when they are lonely, Jesus rescues; when they worry, Jesus rescues; when they struggle, Jesus rescues; and when they do wrong, Jesus rescues. Kids went home every day with another example of how Jesus is their EVERYTHING and will take care of them. Many thanks to those who donated via the VBS wishing tree, to the 100+ volunteers, and to the parents who shared their children with us for the “best week of their summer”!