Don’t miss the opportunity!
Three pastors got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. “I got so mad,” said one, “I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats.” “I tried trapping them alive,” said the second. “Then I drove 50 miles before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church.” “I haven’t had any more problems,” said the third. “What did you do?” asked the others, amazed. “I simply gave them each a pledge card,” he replied. “I haven’t seen them since.” Why spend time talking about money? Because the Bible does. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one out of every six verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money. The apostle Paul taught that followers of Christ owe something to the church. He talked about the love and nurture we receive in the church. He reminded us that the church is the only institution that exists to build God’s kingdom. Paul emphasized giving to new churches like the church in Corinth. He instructed the Christians there to take an offering on the first day of every week. Those beautiful letters in the New Testament by Paul were all written in the middle of a finance campaign! It is important to remember that Jesus is much more concerned about growing
“Put me to the test,” says the Lord, “and see if I will not pour out on you an overflowing blessing.” Church of the Servant | 14343 N MacArthur Blvd | Oklahoma City, OK 73142-9725 www.ChurchoftheServant.com | 405-721-4141 0ffice | 405-728-4774 Fax
disciples than financing the church. One cannot grow without giving—sacrificially, regularly, and joyfully. Giving declares that Christ comes first in my life as surely as my wedding ring declares that my wife is the most important person in my life. My wife would be very unhappy if I started going around without my ring. She would wonder if I still loved her. God feels the same way when we fail to give. Malachi 3:10 is the only place in scripture where we are invited to test God. “Put me to the test,” says the Lord, “and see if I will not pour out on you an overflowing blessing.” Why was Malachi so passionate about giving? It wasn’t to raise money. No, Malachi knew the Savior was coming. He wanted his people to live holy lives in order to receive the Savior. The prophet knew that selfish people simply couldn’t receive Christ. Malachi didn’t want his people to miss the Savior so he preached to them about giving. On the next few pages, you will get to see the ministry of Jesus Christ strong and alive at Church of the Servant! Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of this amazing life-changing church.
Robert Gorrell
Dr. Robert Gorrell, Senior Minister
Dr. Robert and Prudy Gorrell
October 5, 2014 World Communion
Lilies, Birds, Money and Faith Matthew 6:25-34
October 12, 2014
The Hard Truth about Money and Heaven Matthew 19:16-29
October 19, 2014
You Can’t Take It With You… I Timothy 6:3-10
October 26, 2014 Pledge Sunday
Be Generous
I Timothy 6:17-19
CONTENTS 7 - Student
Student Ministries 6
Reflecting back... - Stacey
7
God worked through each of us - Emily
7
I’m extremely grateful - Jake
8 - Children
Children’s Ministries 8
It is important to us that we let God use us... - Brent and Kelli
10 - Missions
Missions 10
12 - Music & Arts
Being at Church of the Servant is my favorite place to be - Robyn
Music & Arts Ministries 12
We weave the true meaning of worship into every area - Chuck
12 - Music & Arts
Worship 14
We could never have imagined the blessings it would bring - Lynne and Keith
14 - Worship
Adult Ministries 16
I am thankful that He is leading me on this journey - Chaille
17
Bible study groups have been the basic building stones... - Delbert and Linda
17 - Adult
Giving 18
God has a plan and we are a part of it! God is calling us to help change the world!
18 - Giving
Student
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eflecting back, what a school year 2013-2014 was for Middle School Ministry. We had crazy food eating, game playing, scavenger hunting, laser questing, and community serving! Best of all we had worship, small group time, community, and summer camp! What a blessing all of this has been for our kids. What a blessing this has been for me personally! I started out last year cautiously optimistic - I had been a group leader for the elementary kids for many years but was not sure what I was getting into with middle school kids. I was worried about all of the bad things that you think of with young teens, but they were great! Yes, there is a little more drama but these kids need adults, in addition to parents, who they can trust, rely on, and can have fun with! That is where I come in. I get to discuss topics relevant to young people from a Christian perspective. We read the 6
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Bible, we pray for one another, we challenge ourselves to memorize verses, and we have some good clean fun. So, it has been a joy for me to spend time with our Church of the Servant kids. I have grown in my faith along side these young people. They have changed my perception of middle schoolers and have restored my hope and faith in the next generation! - Stacey Brim
Student Ministries Small Groups Creating community and building disciples!
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’m Emily and I’m a senior. I’ve been part of the Servant youth for a little over a year. I really saw God this past year at Dayspring. About a month before school ended, I felt called to Guatemala. I went. After returning from Guatemala I went to camp praying about my experience, and God really showed me that missions are where my life is heading. Not only did I see God in my own life, but also in the people around me. My friends and I just recently got a small group together on Wednesday nights. Because of this, most of us had the opportunity to go together to Dayspring. God worked through each of us in different ways and it was absolutely incredible to see each other change, and to have someone who understands how it feels when God changes you. We’re a thousand times closer since we got back and if it hadn’t been for Sang letting us start the small group, I don’t think we would have been able to see all that God wanted each
of us to see this past summer. Since I’ve been part of the youth I’ve realized that I would be really lost without all of the people who have become more than just friends to me. They’re my family too. - Emily Jordan, Senior
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y name is Jake Schultheis and I’m in 8th grade at Deer Creek Middle School. I’ve been in the church’s Middle School Ministries for three years now. I was really lucky to be put into a group of such amazing people. They have been welcoming to me from the very start, and I’m extremely grateful for that. Before Middle School Ministries, I was going through some tough times with the death of a close cousin. Everyone in my small group and in the ministry as a whole helped me through that by welcoming me, and I’m very grateful for that. - Jake Schultheis, 8th Grade
Children
ManyOpportunities It is important to us that we let God use us...
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e both grew up attending small town churches in Oklahoma. The relationships we had with church members was more like that of a family. The local pharmacist taught Sunday School, a favorite school teacher led VBS, a lady in the choir made the best chicken and dumplings for Potluck Sunday, an insurance agent sat in the row in front of my family (regulars had their “spots”) and expressed interest in our activities, even making sure to attend a few. While we were not aware of it as children, we now realize the impact that people in our home churches had in molding us and showing us who Christ is. It is important to us that we let God use us to show His love to children, and that our children are
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exposed to the love God has to share with them through others. Church of the Servant is the place where those two goals are achieved. Brent and I have had the privilege of volunteering with Children’s Ministries for ten years. Our daughters are in the midst of experiencing God’s love not just from us, but from so many other amazing people who care about them. I will never forget while walking Avery into Warm World for school one morning, she looked up at me and said, “They love
me here!” Alice couldn’t be more disappointed than she is when the Wednesday night programming season is over, and the fact that VBS lasted only four days was inconceivable! We could write separate stories about numerous church members and how they have impacted our family. Our kids love being at church. We love being at church. I can’t imagine our lives without Church of the Servant. - Brent and Kelli Lay Avery (9) Alice (4)
For more information about Children’s Ministries, contact: Cathy Hersom, Director of Children’s Ministries 405-721-4141, chersom@ churchoftheservant.com
Brent and Kelli Lay
Missions
GettingInvolved I
Shawn pictured
with Robyn
Shawn Hinkel
Being at Church of the Servant is my favorite place to be... 10
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t was a Sunday morning three years ago that I was standing at the Welcome Center greeting people when a ruggedly handsome man with a big smile and bright eyes came up and introduced himself. He said, “Hello, my name is Shawn and I heard you are in charge of missions. I am ready to serve and if you ever ask me to do something I promise I won’t say no.” Wow, these are conversations of which pastors dream!!! This day began my friendship in the church with Shawn Hinkel and an experience of watching God’s transformative power unfold in someone’s life. Shawn is in the construction business. Therefore his natural inclination to serve was related to what he knew he was good at doing. He made himself available to go help at the homes of people in and outside the church. He volunteered for Servant Day, and side by side with my husband, built an outdoor chalkboard and painting center for Celebrations Preschool. When the first year of Rebuilding Together came around, he worked on two homes from sun up to sun down. The following year, he was one of our project coordinators for Rebuilding Together. In those first years, I watched as Shawn responded to a growing faith with his hands in service, while he also endeared himself to those who sit around him with his heart that is overflowing with love for Jesus. I began to notice he had this group of women who were all his “pew buddies” and they all hugged each other and seemed to keep up with each other’s lives. Then there were weeks Shawn introduced me to new friends, co-workers,
and even his ex-wife that he brought to church with him. Once he said to me that “being at Church of the Servant is my favorite place to be and I just want everyone to experience it. “ Shawn had grown up Catholic and over his adult years really strayed away from the church and from God. His story is a profound one of darkness that found the light. He has always been a nurturing presence in the lives of his nieces, like a father figure to them, and when his niece Lindsey invited him to church, he came and joined. When the call for volunteers in the hospitality ministry came, in the next few weeks, I noticed Shawn was now wearing a vest for our parking ministry to open doors, park cars and escort people into the building. Last year I was dropping off my eight year old on a Wednesday night at WOW and there was Shawn helping in our children’s programs. I said, “Shawn are you doing WOW?” He said, “ The girls (his nieces) said they needed new volunteers and I thought I could do that.” About the same time he and a co-worker started serving at the Regional Food Bank every Thursday night. In talking to Shawn, he said he is so grateful for what God has done in his life and that serving was his way of not forgetting it. Earlier this year, a wonderful, committed family in our church was considering
leaving the church because their son with special needs had moved from the children’s area to the youth area and needed someone special to be with him in the transition. We as a staff were really struggling to respond with the right person for this family; we knew it was crucial to the worship experience and life in the church for them. I prayed for a week that God would just give me an idea of who the right person might be. In the office, I heard that Shawn had expressed an interest in our Hannah’s Promise ministry for families who have children with special needs. When I heard his name, I knew he was the right person for this family. And he said YES! What a blessing it has been over the last few months to watch a beautiful friendship form. Every Sunday, he is one of the first people to walk in the building and can be found sitting in 13.2 drinking coffee, talking to all who walk by. Every Sunday, he is one of the people I most look forward to seeing because I know I will get a, “Good morning, Sweetie,” and a big hug. I look into Shawn’s bright eyes and I see a person who loves Jesus so much that it makes me so glad to be here serving with him. Thank you Lord for moving in Shawn’s life and doing it here at Church of the Servant. - Dr. Robyn Goggs, Associate Minister
Music
rford
e Weath Chuck
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orship at Servant is more than music, more than a gathering, more than brief moments together in a service. Worship at Servant is a lifestyle that is lived out in spirit and truth with every opportunity presented. Worship is offering all that I know of me to all that I know of Him. It reveals the inner heart and the recognized value that we place upon God in our lives. Worship is more than just something we do. It is an attitude that we carry with us day by day, an attitude of genuine praise to God. It’s fueled by corporate worship - the times we gather together. We are incredibly blessed to have one of the most dynamic Music & Worship Ministries in Oklahoma Methodism. From our littlest ones to preteens, students and adults, we weave the true meaning of worship into every area. Thank You for your ongoing support!
We weave the true meaning of worship into every area.
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- Chuck Weatherford, Director of Music and Arts Ministries
Music & Arts Ministries
Worship
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” - Luke 9:23
We have attended
Church of the Servant for nearly 30 years. In 2003 we started teaching a Sunday school class for five-year-olds. All the preschool children gathered for a worship time with songs and prayer before class, and that gradually became church for us. Eventually, we stopped attending a worship service, and just came to teach our Sunday school class. We worshipped with our five year olds, but not in a regular church service. Servant 923 brought us back to worship. We could never have imagined the blessings it would bring to our lives. In the verse from which we get the 923 part of our name, Jesus says that if we want to be His disciples, we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. Worship in 923 prepares us for that. We have a fantastic band with extraordinary musicians and singers. What a joy to have John Gilstrap, our son’s youth minister, lead us in praise and worship! We are blessed with a minister who is genuine, who challenges us to take responsibility for our actions by living our faith, and is helping us build and maintain a caring community. We are grateful for Servant 923 at Church of the Servant, which has brought us new friends and new opportunities to grow in our faith and serve others. - Lynne and Keith Roller 14
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SUNDAY SERVICES 8:15 • 9:15 • 9:23 • 10:45
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o grateful to Church of the Servant for all it offers us, including super ministers, many learning opportunities, and lots of people to love! - Michelle owerful worship and insightful message this morning at Servant! Love my church! - Heather
andlelight service on Christmas Eve was beautiful and worshipful. So thankful our family made the time to come. - Cindy grew up Catholic and my wife is Baptist. We decided to try something that would make us both happy, and we found just that at Servant. - John
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was nervous coming to such a big church for the first time, but everyone made me feel so welcome. And after finding a Sunday school class, it really doesn’t seem that big anymore. I have a great support group through my class and we all worship together. - Tom
Adult
I am thankful that He is leading me on this journey and that He has blessed me to be a part of His many ministries.
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hen God led me back to Oklahoma in 2012, I looked forward to rebuilding my relationship with Him. I prayed for His guidance in becoming, once again, an active part in His ministries at Church of the Servant. He led me to the Journey of Faith Sunday school class where I was welcomed with the open arms of a loving family of faith. Together we laugh and cry and together we feed our faith through prayer, scripture, and fellowship. This uplifting energy feeds my spiritual growth and encourages me to share my faith throughout the week.
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He also led me to share my time with children who attend Hannah’s Promise. Spending those few hours with kiddos to whom God truly has given child-like faith, warms my heart and feeds my soul. Each time I go home with a renewed sense of spiritual fulfillment. My spiritual growth has expanded through TV ministry as well. This wonderful group of individuals combine their talents to share Sunday morning worship and other church-related programs. I am reminded that each one of us plays an important role in His plan. As my daily relationship with God has grown, I am able to view adversities as blessings in disguise and to accept each day as He opens it to me. I am thankful that He is leading me on this wonderful journey and that He has blessed me to be a part of His many ministries. - Chaille Burgtorf
“Bible study groups have been the basic building stones of our worship experience at Church of the Servant.�
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e have come from two different faith backgrounds and for many years did not really give our spiritual life much attention as a couple. We were invited to attend a series of classes being taught for Contemporary Studies about prayer and your personality. After class, we were invited to stay for worship. That experience began our faith journey together. We now attend both Contemporary Studies and Christways Sunday School classes. These classes have given us a place to study and learn together as our faith journey has developed. Christways Class focuses on mission and our servant responsibilities. Contempo-
rary Studies selects books and articles that both challenge our thoughts and strengthen our faith. Over the past 20 years, friendships formed in these classes have grown as we have shared personal highs and lows, family joys and sorrows. We have traveled with class members on local, state and foreign missions. We have studied together in the Disciple series. Sunday school and other Bible study groups have been the basic building stones of our worship experience at Church of the Servant. - Delbert and Linda Simmons
Giving
WHO WE ARE... We exist to LOVE and SERVE people as we SHARE Jesus Christ!
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hat an exciting year this has been at Church of the Servant! We have made new friends, shared special times, grown in our walk with Christ, and witnessed many lives being transformed! And now, it is that time again when we evaluate our commitments to Christ and to the
many areas of ministry at Church of the Servant. As good stewards, we are to be fruitful and prosper through our prayers, presence, service, witness, and our gifts. Paul 18
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to thousands of people who have now been led to Christ. Hallelujah!! And none of this would have been possible without your faithful commit-
told the believers at Corinth that they are to give generously from a cheerful heart to all that are in need, and God will always provide enough to supply that need. We have witnessed Christ’s hands at work within our many areas of ministry. We have clothed the poor and fed the hungry. We have taught children how to read. We have provided a safe haven for healing from addiction and abuse. But most importantly, we have opened our doors and our hearts
ments year after year. Our theme for the coming year is The LIFE. Over the course of the next several weeks, members of our church family will be sharing stories about their personal experiences and the blessings they have received through their experiences within the ministries at Servant.
During the last week of October, you will receive an estimate of giving commitment card in the mail. On a practical level, we ask our members to turn in estimate of giving cards each year so that our Finance Committee is able to set an accurate ministry budget for the coming year. This allows us to make the most of every dollar given to the church. On a personal level, the commitment card is an opportunity for you to spend time in prayer and reflection, considering what offering you would make to God through our church in the coming year. Please be watching for the mailing to come the last week of October. Then fill out the card and bring it with you to worship on Sunday, October 28. If you would like more information about our annual stewardship pledge campaign, or if you have questions about your giving, contact Rev. Randy Shrauner at 405-721-4141 or email at rshrauner@churchoftheservant.com
God has a plan and we are a part of it! God is calling us to help change the world!