Newsletter October 2021

THE SERVANT

CONNECT E D I T IO N NO. 21.10

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O CTO BER 2021

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MO NTHLY N EWSLE T TE R

A NOTE FROM OUR SENIOR MINISTER

WALK THROUGH BETHLEHEM 2021

Dr. Matthew Mitchell

Did you know Christmas is less than ninety days away?

Senior Minister With this said, now is the time for Church of the Servant to begin to prepare for Advent, Christmas Eve, and Walk Through Bethlehem! All of this will be here before we know it! Preparations for the Walk Through Bethlehem began on Thursday, September 23, at a set-up meeting to create this year’s Village; the excitement in the room was terrific!

During the first two years of Walk Through Bethlehem, Church of the Servant ministered to thousands of people as we shared the story of the birth of Christ. Last year was a disappointing year for many of us, but this year will be different. Walk Through Bethlehem will take place on December 10, 11, and 12. I hope you will save the dates and also become part of the CREW! Walk Through Bethlehem requires countless volunteers and cast members to make this experience become a reality, and you can take part in many different ways. Here are ways to be involved:

VILLAGE SET UP Making the Village come to life takes weeks of preparations. The City Wall will begin to go up on Tuesday, October 5, at 9:30. Men from Buck and a Bible will be working on Tuesdays starting that day.

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SERVANT CONNECT

Join on any Tuesday this fall if the weather cooperates, and help build the Village.

Wear your work clothes, bring some gloves, and be ready for manual labor.

Also, be prepared for laughter, new friends, and lots of dad jokes.

BOOTHS & VILLAGE CASTING The Village truly comes to life because of the booths and the cast members. The more booths and cast members at WTB, the more interactive the night is for all those who come. If you would like to join a booth team, be a Roman guard, serve as a wise man, etc..., or your Sunday school class/small group would like to host a booth, please let us know online at ServantOKC.org/WTB.

HOSPITALITY Over 1,000 people journey to Bethlehem each night! This year, the crowds could be even bigger! Welcoming everyone to our Church campus is always essential. You can help direct traffic, serve hot chocolate, cook hotdogs, help a family find a restroom, and so much more. At least twenty-five hospitality volunteers are needed each night.

COSTUME CREATION TEAM New to the team this year is the Costume Creation Team.

A group of costume creation volunteers will be making new cast member outfits. A primary goal of this team is to create costumes that will be warmer than previous years’ outfits. Anyone who can sew and be creative is needed!

Of course, you can join alongside our church family as we begin to pray for the Advent & Christmas season at Church of the Servant! Join this great team of volunteers by registering at ServantOKC.org/WTB. Thank you in advance for making this year a special moment for our community!

ServantOKC.org

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Join a Small Group!

I am so encouraged to see the many Sunday school classes and small groups we have here at Church of the Servant growing and thriving. It has been such a joy to witness these groups’ excitement and delight in being together. As apprentices to Jesus, living life in community with other believers is critical to our spiritual formation. It is in this very context that we are challenged to grow, held accountable, supported in times of need, and where who we are on the inside is exposed and brought into the light of Jesus Christ.

In addition to our many existing Sunday school classes and small groups that have been well established here, we have recently added several new options for anyone looking to join a group. We have three new Sunday school classes, a group for widows, and a young adult group. So, if you are ready to take the next step on your discipleship journey and find a community of believers that is intentional in following the way of Jesus together, please get in touch with me, and I will be happy to help you find the perfect group for you.

Jessica King Director of Connections jking@churchoftheservant.com 405-721-4141

New Sunday School Classes!

We are pleased to announce that we have three new Sunday School classes!

If you would like to join a small group, contact Jessica King at jking@churchoftheservant.com and she will help you get connected to the best class for you.

Tuesday Morning Bible Studies Ongoing | Meets in Community Hall Join us Tuesday mornings for Buck and A Bible and Women in the Word.

Men’s Bible study meets at 6:30 a.m., and women’s Bible study meets at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays in Community Hall. One difference this fall is that the classes will no longer have an online option. Plan to attend this Tuesday!

See you at Bible study!

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SERVANT CONNECT

EARTHGLOW MARKET NOVEMBER 13 | 9AM - 3PM After a hiatus due to COVID last year, our Earthglow Market

Invite your friends and neighbors! Come and shop, have

is BACK! To date, we have around 90 booths. There will be

lunch, check out the bake sale (rumor has it that there will

handmade and commercial artwork, books, wood designs,

be pecan pies at the bake sale....) Wouldn’t baked items that

glass, jewelry, kitchen tools, pottery, cards, fashions,

can be frozen for the holidays be an additional bonus? Of

personal products, coffee, wreaths, fairy hair, and so much

course, this will also be a great day to shop in Earthglow.

more to peruse this year. What an opportunity to purchase unique and special gifts for you or for loved ones.

As always, there will be convenient parking, food and bake sales, and ADMISSION IS FREE!

Proceeds from the booth and table rental, food/bake sales, as well as Earthglow profits go to local missions in order to help the least, the last, and the lost in our own community.

We are grateful for your support and attendance on November 13, 9am-3pm! See you then!

ServantOKC.org

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M I S S I O N S 06

WHIZ KIDS Monday, September 20th was a great day! We started our tutoring/mentoring program with 24 awesome tutors and 24 wonderful 2nd-5th grade kids f rom Ralph Downs Elementary School. Meeting our new kids for the first time was very special! New Hope and Servant volunteers teamed up to make the day perfect. Our transportation team made a smooth run to the school to pick up the kids. Before everyone arrived, our set-up team put out snacks and supplies on each of the tables, rolled down book carts, game carts, and set up extra card tables. Our cookie team brought delicious homemade cookies for the kids to take home. We have about 40 people each week involved in some way. We are looking forward to building relationships with each other, our families and kids. It’s not too late to step up and join us, because we have kids on the waiting list who need tutors, and we need subs. It’s a great program!!

Please contact us if you would be willing to help: Shirley Rolston jsrolston@cox.net Carolyn Hays chays25@cox.net

SERVANT CONNECT

COME JOIN THE “MAKING PEOPLE SMILE” TEAM AT THE 13.2 COFFEE SHOP! Do you like…

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Getting to church on time?

Seeing people you know?

Meeting new people?

Earning a f ree drink of your choice?

Then come hang out behind the counter at the coffee shop! It’s ONE Sunday a month, for TWO hours!

Shifts are 7:30–9:30AM and 9:30–11:30AM. We Need You! Contact MJ Means at mmeans@ServantOKC.org.

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er drinking her 13.2 freshly -brewed co ffee!

THANK YOU NOTE: On behalf of our family, I wanted to thank Church of the Servant for the gracious outpouring of love and support for Jenny and me, as well as our extended family, in the wake of our son Will and daughter-in-law Courtney’s deaths early last month. We are deeply grateful for the cards, the food, the hugs, and the prayers.

Each has been an instance of grace in the midst of a challenging season.

The way forward is clouded and uncertain at the moment. But, being surrounded by such a great “cloud of witnesses” as we are, we have no doubt we will make our way through.

In Christ, Randy and Jenny Shrauner

ServantOKC.org

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SERVANT KIDS Report LOOK WHAT WE DID...

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN SEPTEMBER Kourtney Aller Director of Servant Kids

This school year is off to a great start! We have been learning about Super Heroes from the Bible in the Old Testament. We also started a 5-week Bible Boot Camp series for kids in 3rd-5th grades. We are having fun and learning about Jesus. Join us DOWNSTAIRS each Wednesday night from 6:30-8:00. We will be off on October 13th for Fall Break.

SEPTEMBER 24TH FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT We spent a Friday evening with friends as we watched a movie together in the Centrum.

The “concession stand” was open for snacks, and we had a great time!

Josh Snodgrass Assistant Director of Servant 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.

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OCTOBER HAPPENINGS...

SUPER KIDS

SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER AGES 3 YEARS THROUGH KINDERGARTEN Preschoolers love to show adults how BIG they are... “Look at my BIG muscles! Look how BIG I can jump! Look at this BIG bite!”

We don’t have to teach a preschooler to show everyone how big they are.

And, if we’re all honest, there’s something deep inside us that wants to do something big, too. We want to show the world that we can do things that matter— things that really matter. Could it be that we were all made to do big things? We think so.

That is why we have planned an entire month around what being a Super Kid really looks like—doing the things God made us to do. God made us to do BIG things!

Our memory verse this month comes from Deuteronomy 31:6 and says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…for the Lord your God goes with you.” This month, we will learn that God has big things for us to do. He made us to do big things anywhere and to help others. We can celebrate that God made us to do big things. Who made you to do big things? God made me to do big things.

CUSTOM CREATIONS: THERE’S ONLY ONE YOU SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER GRADES 1-5

This month, we will learn about the connection between INDIVIDUALITY and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story. Individuality is seeing what needs to be done and doing it.

God is one of a kind, with no beginning and no end. Everything God has created is unique and one of a kind, including people created in God’s image. Every person is an original reflection of God in how they love, care for others, imagine, create, and solve problems. To see how we can do this well, we should look to Jesus. Jesus showed us what it means to be created in God’s image in the way He loved all people and helped people feel like they had value—no matter who they were or what they had done. We can reflect on this as we discover who we’re meant to be and live out the individuality God gave us.

Our memory verse for October comes from Psalm 139:14 and says, “How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.” We will discuss we were made in God’s image. Knowing Jesus changes how we see ourselves. We will learn about using our gifts to help others and how we can make a difference right now. We can use our gifts together to make a greater difference. We can’t wait to see you this month to learn about individuality!

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SERVANT CONNECT

SUNDAY MORNINGS WITH SERVANT KIDS Servant Kids meets in person each Sunday morning at 9:30 and/or 11:00am! Two-hour programming is available once again. 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 9:15-9:30 and pick them up again at noon! Elementary kids in grades first through fifth meet in The Point Student Center (south side of church), and kids in kindergarten, preschool, or who are nursery-aged (2 and under) meet downstairs. 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!

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS WITH SERVANT KIDS Wednesday night programming is back this fall! The dates will be September 1 through November 17, but we will not meet on October 13th due to Fall Break. Each week, there will be classes and activities for all ages! Before programming begins, dinner will be served in Community Hall from 5:00-6:30pm. Reservations are encouraged and can be made at ServantOKC.org/KITCHEN. The doors will open DOWNSTAIRS at 6:30 for kids from birth through fifth grade. For the fall semester, kids will be learning about Heroes of the Bible from the Old Testament. We will conclude our time together on these nights at 8:00pm.

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.

ServantOKC.org

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STILL TO COME...

SAVE THE DATE FOR SOME FUN EVENTS HAPPENING SOON!

HONK HONK!!!

SERVANT TRUNK-OR-TREAT IS JUST A FEW WEEKS AWAY! Join us on Sunday, October 31, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., for Church of the Servant’s annual family-friendly Fall Fest.

We have started collecting candy for the event this month and would love to have your help with this! Please consider donating bags of individually-wrapped candies in any of the drop boxes around church or in the front office by Wednesday, October 20.

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CAN YOU HOST A TRUNK? We would love for you to host a trunk! All skill levels of trunk decorators are encouraged to participate! You will have a blast getting to see the kids in their costumes and to see the excitement on their faces as they drive by. Sign up online at ServantOKC.org/EVENTS.

VETERANS SUNDAY November 14, 2021

On Sunday morning, November 14, during the 9:30 service, we will be celebrating the service and recognizing the sacrifice of the 92 veterans of the Church of Servant. This group of individuals compiled a combined total of 892 years of service to the United States. That is an amazing accomplishment in and of itself, but on top of that we have members that stretch from the time of WWII to the current conflicts overseas, that’s over 75 years.

We would like to gather all the Veterans together in Community Hall at 0830 hrs (8:30 AM for the civilians) to have coffee, fellowship, and provide information about how the parade will proceed.

We look forward to seeing all the Veterans and their families here at the Church of the Servant on Sunday, November 14 at the 9:30 service so we can give each of you a sincere “THANK YOU” for your service and sacrifice to and for this country.

We will have a parade of Veterans that will be accompanied by the “Highlanders of Oklahoma City” Pipe and Drum Corps at the start of the service. Each military service will have a flag bearer representing and preceding their respective service and service members.

A “Missing Man” table will be set up in the area across from Earthglow. This table will represent the 1,458 service members still officially listed as “Missing in Action” or “Prisoner of War” from all military engagements since WWII. The static display will have a recurring video playing describing the table itself and the symbolism of each item on the table.

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SERVANT STUDENTS 6TH - 12TH GRADE

CONFIRMATION: HOW IS IT GOING AND WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

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.

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On September 19, fifteen students began their Confirmation journey. During the 11:00 service, these students were prayed over and sent off to begin learning about their journey to confirming their faith and membership within the United Methodist Church. We know – this isn’t the normal time of year for Church of the Servant’s Confirmation. That is because these students are currently ninth graders who missed out on going through a Spring Confirmation due to the pandemic this past school year.

Students have begun their journey by dipping their toes into the story God has been writing since the beginning of time. This journey has taken us through interactive lessons learning about the Hebrew people, along with taking a biblical history tour from Creation to just before the birth of Christ.

These teachings have helped in guiding students to understand not just the reality of our faith woven into the world’s history, but, most importantly, our world’s need for a Savior. In the weeks ahead, students will learn about who this Savior really is and the goodness we find when we choose to follow Him. This will work in conjunction with talking about this very story and how they uniquely and purposefully fit into the story as a whole.

The following is the list of our Confirmation 2021 Class including their fearless leaders.

Please be in prayer for each of them during this journey: Joshua Bird, Kathryn Decker, Luke Mosley, Tyler Afonien, Georgia Byers, Katherine Russ, Macey McFarlane, Will McFarlane, Caleb Weber, Max Greene, Will Brinkman, Kade Wienstroer, Wade Tully, Garrett Tully, and Kendall Behring.

Leaders: Beth Russ, Wendi Humes, Leahla Barrett, Chuck Mosley, Skyler Rodriguez, and Heather Winner.

RECAP: WE ARE KICKING OFF THIS YEAR RIGHT! We are over a month into the school year, which means we are over a month into Servant Student programming. And man, God has been showing up and showing off! Students have gathered in small groups on Wednesday nights - hearing messages, playing some awesome games, and joining in discussion around scripture. These nights have been a blast and we’ve seen so many new faces who have joined in on all the fellowship. Sunday mornings have also been a fruitful time of learning as students have learned about the Beginnings of time, along with how God has continued to stand by His creation, guiding them, teaching them, and loving them even in our downfalls. It has been great to see these students throughout the weeks on Sundays and Wednesdays, and we look forward to seeing what else God has in store ahead.

One of the most recent gatherings our students have enjoyed was our Fall Kickoff on September 22nd. Students created teams to play a little game of football with a fall twist.

Rather than a normal football, students played this hilarious game with items like pumpkins, ears of corn, scarecrows, and apple pies. Though it got a little messy, the night was one to remember as around 100 students and leaders filled the South Lawn playing this goofy game, along with corn hole, pumpkin painting, and gaga ball. It surely was a great kickoff to begin the Fall!

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HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR FALL RETREAT?!

Make sure your student signs up for this unique experience as we take some time away to worship God and grow in friendship with one another.

All middle and high school students are welcome to join us as we head to Oakridge in Anadarko. OK on October 15–17. It will be a blast that your student will not want to miss!

For more information and to sign up, use the QR code below!

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PRIME TIME LUNCHEON S P E C I A L G U E S T: E D G A R C R U Z T H U R S D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 4 A T 1 0 : 3 0 A M COMMUNITY HALL We welcome back Edgar Cruz as our special guest for Prime Time on Thursday, October 14, at 10:30 a.m. in Community Hall.

Oklahoma virtuoso guitarist Edgar Cruz has performed professionally for over four decades and has played throughout America, Europe, Mexico and South America. He has been a headliner at the prestigious Chet Atkins Guitar Festival every July in Nashville since 1995 and has been a strong icon at major art & music festivals in his home state of Oklahoma since the late 70’s.

Those who have witnessed Cruz’s performance immediately become entranced at the precision, speed and complexity with which his fingers strike the strings of his guitar to create a symphony of sound unusual to just one instrument. Cruz offers an incredible versatile repertoire and performance with selections like “Malaguena”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Classical Gas”, “Hotel California”, Classic Rock, classical, jazz, standards, country & western, Beatles, original and a complete Latin/Spanish concert.

Audience interaction, participation, clapping, singing, dancing and “OLE’s” are all encouraged.

Edgar celebrates 30 years of recording with 19 CDs covering a multitude of genres and two Award Winning DVDs. He has acquired millions of hits and grateful comments on his You Tube channel. He has two active Facebook pages as well as his official website www.edgarcruz.com.

Michele Snow will provide us with a yummy meal: Salisbury Steak, Garlic Mashers, Baby Carrots, Rolls, Salad, and Dessert.

The cost for the program and meal is $10.00.

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 anytime at Guest Central in the concourse, or online at ServantOKC.org/Prime-Time.

Join us Thursday, October 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Community Hall. Hope to see everyone there!

MAKE A RESERVATION TODAY!

ServantOKC.org/PRIME-TIME

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WOULD YOU CONSIDER BEING A PRAYER BUDDY! Warm World School at Church of the Servant is looking for Prayer Buddies for our 2021-2022 Kindergarten Class!

What would I do?

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Pray for your kindergarten buddy from now through May 15!

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Write a letter to your kindergartner once a month.

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Provide a book for Christmas by December 1, with a special note from you.

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Provide a book for their Kindergarten Graduation by May 1, with a special note from you. Why we need YOU!

We would be honored to have a prayer buddy paired up with each individual student so our sweet kindergartners would have someone praying specifically for them.

This is a great opportunity for our students to practice their writing skills as they pen a special note to you, their buddy, each month!

Interested or have questions? Contact the Warm World Kindergarten teachers!

Misha Knight: ofc22mom@gmail.com or Leigh Hood: leighhood3@gmail.com Just send us an email with the following: •

Your First and Last Name

(the information below will only be used by the teachers)

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Address

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Email

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Phone Number

DOWNLOAD THE CHURCH APP #ServantOKC

CONNECTING WITH SERVANT JUST GOT EASIER! UPDATED DAILY! To download the church App: 1. Go to the App Store and search for “ServantOKC” 2. Press “Get It” or “Install” 3. OPEN the App and enjoy!

Direct link to download App: https://subsplash.com/churchoftheservant/app MORE WAYS TO VIEW LIVESTREAM: There are now more ways than ever before to view the church livestream and worship together! View our services ONLINE in the church App, or on our website (ServantOKC.org). Livestream is also available on Apple TV, Roku, Facebook, and YouTube! Simply search for “ServantOKC”!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Chat with us during the livestream. Link in church App! BULLETIN: Open the digital bulletin and follow along with the service. Link in church App! CALENDARS: Stay connected with the day-to-day life of our church.

GIVE: Giving online has never been easier! Give a one-time donation, or setup a reoccurring gift.

Download the App today!

ServantOKC.org

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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

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

U.S.POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO 99

OKLAHOMA CITY 73125

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