Tidings - Fall 2020

HELPING

Others Follow TIDINGS FALL 2020

JESUS

TIDINGS FALL 2020

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BAPTISM PAGE

Editor: Angie Brashears

Graphic Design: Belinda Wilson

Photographers: Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net) Deana Spyres (inspyredimages.com)

OUTREACH PAGE

Guest Writers: Tom Harrison, Jim Davis, Rob Loeber, Tracy LeGrand, Lisa Witcher, Lauren Marshall, Lauren Berlingeri, Maddison Barnes, Melissa Ivey, John Vick, Kim Renkema, Shelby Hood, Sarah Johnson

Have you spent 15 minutes in prayer today?

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VOLUNTEER PAGE

FAITH

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PAGE

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STAFFING PAGE

BETTER TOGETHER

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PAGE

Prior to our sermon series on “Resilience: The Art of Moving Forward,” I asked our staff “Spirit Committee” to come up with a fun activity that would relate to it. They came up with a “Health Bingo” card we did for six weeks.

Each week, those who completed the five items on their bingo card could put their name in a drawing for that week (A gift card was given to the one whose name is drawn.) At the end, those with a blackout received a gift and were put into the grand prize drawing (If for some reason someone could not do one of the activities listed on the card due to a health reason, they were given another activity. This way all employees will feel they can participate) Different cards went to the staff, so the entire staff never did the same activity each week.

The idea was to promote resilience. We need to try new things to build new muscle memories and better habits. “Resilience” means to adapt. Failure to adapt results in becoming obsolete and irrelevant. It is a trap that is easy to fall into.

Being creative, energetic, and having fun promotes resilience. I thought you might enjoy seeing how we are trying to move forward from our struggle with Covid-19. Maybe there is an application for you.

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BAPTISM

Isabella Nellis

BAPTISM is a sacrament JESUS told ALL people to do.

Katelyn Duffy 4

Sophia Nalley

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BAPTISM 6

Connor Hammack

Chloe Roberts Hallie Bridgewater

Nathan Bartlett

Rylie Mallory

Roger Carson

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OUTREACH REACHING OUT DURING COVID

by Jim Davis

While most of the world, including Asbury, closed down in March, our Outreach Team dedicated themselves to reaching out to the commmunity. We created low-contact, low-risk outreach events and our congregation engaged wholeheartedly.

Over the next two months, we did a different event every week based on the needs we were hearing from our local partners, intentionally trying to reach different demographics. Over the weeks, we collected school supplies and snacks for Whitman and Grove students, gift cards for St. Francis

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non-medical hospital employees and food items for Bixby Outreach Center, Dream Center, several Hispanic churches and Operation Hope Prison Ministry. In addition, we organized a cheering line for hospital employees at St. Francis South and collected items for Freedom Boxes to go Chaplain Jay Henderson’s battalion stationed in South Korea who were in lockdown from the pandemic.

Asbury’s congregation was amazingly generous at all these events. Many recipients were blessed physically and spiritually.

Then a new opportunity came along, shifting our weekly plans from collection events

to distribution events. The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented the Farmers to Families Food Box program, purchasing produce and dairy from farmers who had lost their markets due to the pandemic. While designed to benefit farmers, this program provided for the distribution of products to the community through nonprofit organizations.

Asbury applied for the program, and we were able to distribute 15

tractor trailers of food on 14 Saturdays to about 7,000 cars. The Asbury parking lot was a busy place on those mornings, with more than 50 Asbury volunteers each Saturday.

Inviting the public onto Asbury property gave us a new way to live out Helping Others Follow Jesus.

While our collection events had largely been Asbury members coming through the line, we now had the opportunity to interact with a broader group, including those who might not know Jesus.

Every car coming into our lot was given a You Are Loved card with a gospel message of Jesus Christ on the back. After making their way through the line and receiving food, recipients had the option to continue to our prayer parking lot, where people were waiting to pray with them and have spiritual conversations.

These food distribution events also provided great hands-on volunteer opportunities for Asbury members. The 50 or more volunteers each week were the face of hospitality and created a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere for everyone who entered our property. One member who regularly volunteers at Asbury said it has been the most fulfilling volunteer event she has been part of.

What a joy to reach out to our community with both physical food and spiritual food.

Through God’s hand, we leveraged a U.S. government agriculture contract to provide for our neighbors and

to lead about 50 people to profession of faith in Jesus!

During the pandemic, Asbury’s reach was beyond Tulsa as well.

We provided financial gifts to provide food and hygiene supplies through our two primary partners in the Middle East, to purchase technology for our church partner in Tanzania so they could meet remotely and to provide funds to Overseas Council’s seminary stabilization fund, which included aid to Juan Wesley Seminary in Monterrey, Mexico.

God has used the pandemic to mobilize Asbury into some great outreach work. Praise be to God! 9

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OUTREACH

SUMMARY OF OUTREACH EVENTS •

April 11 – drive-thru collection for Senior Adult Goodie Bags – 411 bags (goal was 400)

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April 18 – drive-thru collection for school supplies and snack bags for Whitman and Grove – 1,006 bags (goal was 850)

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April 25 – drive-thru collection for gift cards for St Francis non-medical employees – 603 gift cards (550 was goal)

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May 2 – drive-thru collection for hard-to-get food items for Bixby Outreach and Dream Center – approx. 3,000 pounds

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May 9 – drive-thru collection for food for three Hispanic churches – approx. 3,000 pounds

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May 16 – drive-thru collection for food for Operation Hope Prison Ministry and its Hispanic host church – approx. 2,000 pounds

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May 21 – cheering line for St Francis South employees at shift change – approx. 60 vounteers

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May 30 – drive-thru collection for Freedom Boxes to Korea – over 500 boxes (items worth $10,000) plus $3,200 for postage

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June through September – 14 Saturdays of produce and dairy distribution through the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Distributed a full tractor trailer each week (and two trailers one week) as well as offering prayer and spiritual discussion to recipients.

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OUTREACH

• We have seen about 50 people profess Christ in the prayer parking lot.

• Several people have come to the Asbury Newcomer Meal and have attended Sunday worship services.

• We have a group of 24 people who regularly served in the prayer parking lot.

Many of them have been stretched and some have even led their first person to the Lord.

• About 7,000 cars have come through the Asbury parking lot to receive boxes of fresh produce and dairy along with the opportunity to be prayed for and ministered to.

• A case manager for a social services organization has come on many Saturdays – her day off – to pick up food boxes for her clients who were in need.

• Many recipients have made appreciate signs for us in their car windows and have even brought goodies to some of our parking lot volunteers.

• EMAIL TO ASBURY:

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“We come through every Saturday morning in our white Jeep, and your people recognize us, as we do they. With the boxes for two families that we receive, we share with neighbors in our neighborhood; we share with a lady who lives in West Tulsa who works at my mother's assisted living; she shares what we give her with her neighbors who have been laid off. We took cottage cheese, cream cheese, potatoes, half & half and butter to Mannford yesterday to a couple (she has just had surgery on her back and they are unable to get out, at present). We have shared so much of the fruit with my mother who is in assisted living and she shares with her friends. I say all of this to say that it is so much more than our one Jeep – it is true, I

would think, of most every vehicle that goes through – just think – we don't know how many vehicles come through, but the tentacles that reach out from each vehicle are going city-wide, county-wide, area-wide. Your impact, through the service of your members, is doing exactly what this program was intended to do. We took pictures of the semi with the "Farmers Feeding Families" on it last Saturday to share with those who are unable to come and see what is going on.

Bless all of you, bless the USDA for this program, bless the folks who are packing these boxes, the semi drivers who bring the boxes to you, the farmers who grow and produce these goods, and your faithful members who are out on Saturday morning for a long period of time, hot weather and all, so that this program can flourish and do exactly what it was intended to do.”

• EMAIL TO ASBURY:

“Your food distribution is allowing me to complete my masters degree at Oral Roberts University. The exact amount we had budgeted for food, now pays my monthly tuition and books! Thank you so much! By the grace of God I will graduate with my Masters in Practical Ministry!! Thank you!!”

• EMAIL TO ASBURY:

“Please relay my utmost gratitude to all who have been involved in the drive through pick up for produce and dairy products.

What a blessing it is for farm families as well as others struggling due to the current economic situation. I will continue to pray for all involved as well as for our church. May Godbless each and everyone of you!”

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One of our faithful Saturday volunteers has said everal times that helping on the Saturday mornings has been the most wonderful volunteering she has ever done.

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Food Distribution on Tuesdays and Thursdays Did you know that there is another food distribution happening twice a week at Asbury since April? It is not an Asbury event but is instead operated by Iglesia Cordero de Dios and their Pastor Maria Hermosillo. Their church meets in a storefront building that cannot accommodate a drive thru food pickup, so Asbury lets them use our parking lot. It has been a joy to see them in operation, now serving over 300 cars each distribution day.

E R A U YO D! E V LO G N I Y A R P E R A E W .

U O Y R FO

REJOICE REJOICE REJOICE 13

OUTREACH

NO AGENDA. JUST LOVE.

By Rob Loeber

The neighborhood is easy to miss. There is no main entrance, no signs or gates.

Once considered the outskirts of town, the area has been enveloped on all sides by the sprawl of the city. There is the ever-present hum of the highway to the east. Four lanes of thoroughfare traffic create borders to the north and west. To the south, a church steeple rises above the horizon. It seems almost close enough to touch.

The newest home is decades old. Chain link fences divide large lots and decaying asphalt winds its way around the series of one-story houses. The middle-class residents are as diverse in age as they are in ethnicity. For many, this is the only place they have ever called home.

None of them were expecting a fleet of strangers to suddenly start knocking on their doors.

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Those strangers viewed the neighborhood differently. It wasn’t simply a small section on a map to be overlooked or passed by.

The members of the Journey Community at Asbury looked out the door of the church and saw a mission field. In this case, the mission didn’t require picking up a passport or crossing state lines. It only required a few steps to the north. Out from the shadow of that steeple and into the lives of their neighbors.

The vision started with Lanette Celoni. She shared the idea with Betty Higgins. “As a church, we should know the people closest to us, the people who are truly our neighbors,” Higgins explained. “It just seems like a natural, Biblical mandate to know your neighbors.”

“We were considering how to serve as a community,” stated Jessica Dyer, an Asbury member since 2001. “We decided there’s no need to get on a bus and drive for hours when we pass a neighborhood every day that could use our help.”

Trust needed to be established before service could take place. Last summer, Journey members started showing up in the neighborhood. Admittedly, they were out of their comfort zone. With plenty of doubts as to how they would be received, they all agreed to take a leap of faith and press the first doorbell.

“I’m sure some of the residents were skeptical at first and they probably thought we were trying to sell them something,” recalled Christina Lee. “We just opened by saying, ‘We are your neighbors, and we’re here to help you.’ Once the walls were down, we asked if they needed assistance with any projects or tasks on their property. As soon as they heard the City of Tulsa was bringing in dumpsters, word started to spread through the neighborhood.

Those initial meetings got easier every time.”

The residents were taken aback. These strangers certainly seemed genuine. Could they really be offering this help with no strings attached? As they shared with one another about their encounters with Journey members, the stories all sounded the same. The strangers were warm and friendly. There was no sales pitch, no expectations.

“We were there to let them know Asbury loves them and notices them,” Lee said. “Our church wants to be a good neighbor and ultimately, we want to be a picture of Jesus to them.”

With connections established, relationships formed and the list of projects compiled, more than 150 Asbury members descended on the neighborhood for the Day of Service on the second Sunday of September. Journey members and their children, student ministry leaders and plenty of others showed up with trucks, shovels, mowers and an attitude of humility. In one yard, a crew cleared brush. Volunteers hauled away trash in another, while others figured out how to help one resident replace his ceiling tiles. Whatever the project, large or small, inside or outside, Asbury servants were swarming to satisfy the requests of their neighbors.

“Everyone was extremely appreciative of the help,” recalled David Looney, a member of the Journey Community since its inception nearly two years ago.

“I don’t think many people had taken notice of those families or reached out to them. It meant so much to them to experience that kind of caring, but it was also such a great experience for all of us. I think our group got more out of it than they did.”

“When you choose to love, and put that love into action, the ripple effect is incredible,” Dyer noted.

“To see our community serve this community was truly a beautiful thing. People were donating items to us simply because they knew we were helping others. The reciprocity we witnessed and the service we got to share is what I think Jesus wants this world to look like.”

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OUTREACH

Jesus left no room for uncertainty when it comes to how people are to treat one another. In Mark 12:31 he commands, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and in Matthew 25:40 he says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

“As I watched all of these people working so hard in the blazing heat, filling dumpsters while smiling and laughing, it really felt like we were living Jesus’ mandate to love your neighbor,” Higgins reflected. “We should not overlook the people right in front of us, the people who are directly in our line of vision.”

“This wasn’t intended to be a one-and-done kind of event,” Higgins declared. “It was intended to be a relationship-building event.

Last fall, Journey members delivered Thanksgiving baskets to the homes in the neighborhood. They were remembered. First names were used as they were welcomed inside.

“With a lot of mission trips, people go somewhere to work and serve for a week, but then they’re gone until the next year,” Looney said. “Here we have this neighborhood only a couple of blocks away so we can continually invest in the lives of those people.”

But there is one difference.

The steeple to the south has taken on new meaning. The spire stretching toward the sky represents friends and hope. It is a reminder that they are not forgotten.

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Due to Covid 19, our Annual Day of Service unfortunately was unable to occur this September. We did resume our monthly 2nd Saturday outreach ministry on September 12 and plan to continue that opportunity each month. Please join us for our upcoming 2nd Saturdays in 2020: October 10, November 14 and December 12. We meet in the Venue at 8:30 AM and are finished by 12 PM. Many safety precautions are taken. Everyone wears a mask and is asked to have his/her temperature taken.

We will also exercise safe social distancing.

Questions?

Contact Betty Higgins: Phone: 918.688.3246 Email: bhiggins@ asburytulsa.org Please join us as we make a positive difference in our community.

FINANCE

Financial UPDATE “Despite the pandemic, Asbury United Methodist Church remains in a strong financial position due to the generosity of its members and the diligence of governance and staff to apply cost-saving measures,” says Asbury Controller Andrea Shafer.

“We have remained financially committed to all of our Local and Global Outreach partners and programs despite travel and social-distancing restrictions. We have disbursed almost a million dollars already this year.”

Though income is a bit below expectations – less than 5 percent – a 15 percent savings in operating expenses more than made up the deficit in budgeted income, year to date*, she says.

4,315,678.12

$

received year to date in Operating Income (Tithes & Offerings for the General Budget)

4,540,750

$

Operating Income budget for the same time period

4,353,696.74

$

total operating expenses year to date

5,146,507.10

$

operating expenses budgeted for same time period

935,052.62

$

disbursed in Local and Global Outreach Initiatives since January 1 of 2020 (between Operating and Designated giving)

5,493,472.63

$

received for Better Together since project inception (as of July 31, 2020) *As of July 31, 2020

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ATTENDANCE | MEMBERSHIP

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME TO THE ASBURY FAMILY!

Gavin & Pamela Brady

Hunter Cavanaugh

Richard & Lisa Branham: Kloe & Blaze

Gary & Jana Cook

Chris & Whitney Breiland

Brandon Carner

David & Juanetta Cannon

Frank Casson

Joe & Pam Crowder

Linda Gremore

Charles & Margarita Harrison

Michael & Heidi Kemp: Norah, Benjamin, Violet

ANNIVERSARIES

70 Harold & Lila Merrill 8/5/50

55 John & Jan Crouch 8/28/65

60 Jerry & Jan Champion 8/6/60

55 Jerry & Laverle Graefe 8/28/65

60 Jim & Linda Pat Colgan 9/3/60

55 Joe & Jeanette Hooks 8/13/65

60 Perry & Yvonne Partney 9/16/60

60 Dewey & Oralene Sherbon 9/30/60

55 John & Donna Miller 8/29/65

45- Gary & Suzanne Ruckgaber, 9/3/75 40 - Bert & Dru Johnson, 7/26/80 18

55 Fred & Nancy Starkweather 7/09/65

60 Ron & Betty Wadley 9/2/60

50 Enos & Carol Moore 8/27/70

NEW MEMBERS Deborah Kostek

Tom & Toni Lane

Andrew & Lelia Lyman

Ken Malloy & Maria Seidler

Michael & Ramona McCauley

Justin & Joy Nelson

Gary & Lori Pettus

Tim Rondthaler

Mary Russell

Adam & Neely Scully: Bobby & Margo

Sharon Tate

Marilyn Taylor

Janna Tipton

Mason Miles

Sarah Sparks

GONE HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD...

Paul Sullivan 4-28-17 Bruce Bales 5-16-17 Sam Reece 7-21-19 Spouse of Debbie Reece Margaret Douglass 12-20-19 Ronald Allison 2-13-20 Husband of Phyllis Allison Walt Neary 2-18-20 Ronald Fairchild 2-24-20 Spouse of Anne Fairchild Johnna Himes 2-28-20 Spouse of Jerry Himes Joe & Beverly Spence 3-2-20 Parents of Amanda (& Judd) Reynolds George Dibble 3-12-20 Carla Arrias 3-12-20 Ruth Sowards 3-18-20 Spouse of Al Sowards Arlin Mullins 3-27-20 Spouse of Nancy Arlin Kathie Avey 3-31-20 Spouse of Bob Avey Nancy Lucinda White 4-14-20 Spouse of R.W. “Bill” White Lillian Derrevere 4-25-20 Mother of William , Ross (& Shelia) Derrevere John R Arend 4-26-20 Father of Tiffany (& Stuart) Campbell Fred Gardner 4-26-20 Husband of Nancy Gardner Rae Annis 5-8-20 Mother of Jacque Hickman Freddie Pat Schwaninger 4-29-20 Mother of Lea (& Larry) Wimmer Patricia (Pat) Hillman 4-29-20 Spouse of Leo Hillman

Mary “Pixie” DeWitt 4-29-20 Mother of John DeWitt Winifred (Winnie) Leach 4-29-20 Father of Jill Burscough Gerald (Jerry) Himes 4-29-20 Father of Jan (& David)

Snyder and Jamie (& Larry) Ward Tom Porter 5-6-20 Spouse of Evelyn Porter Gregory Keith Moore 5-12-20 Spouse of Betsy Moore Joe Strow 5-24-20 Spouse of Joani Strow Zagnona Cox 6-1-20 Mother of Caryn Sue Brown & Craig Cox Barbara Wright 6-3-20 Spouse of Don Wright Bill Ladd 6-5-20 Mary Allen 6-7-20 Percy Smith 6-7-20 Spouse of Vesta Smith Mike Ruckgaber 6-18-20 Son of Gary & Suzanne Ruckgaber Sandra Mocha 7-8-20 Sister in-law of Suzanne Brady David Wilkinson 7-29-20 Spouse of Shirley Wilkinson David Henry 7-30-20 Son of Larry & Joan Henry George Talmadge Kiser 7-20-20 Father of Chris Kiser Vera McCloud 8-4-20 Mother of Tom McCloud & Cathleen Early

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VOLUNTEER

THE FAMILY THAT

VOLUNTEERS – TOGETHER

By Tracy LeGrand

For Josh and Becky Williamson, volunteering in various capacities at Asbury United Methodist is a family way of life.

“I grew up Episcopalian which is big on deeds and services,” says Becky. “My father took us to a small church and we mowed the lawns, things like that. But I didn’t keep with it until later when Josh and I found a Methodist church in Denver … and we ended up loving it. After we moved to Tulsa, we were blessed to find Asbury early on.”

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Raised in the Assembly of God, Josh fell away from that church as a young man.

When he and Becky met and married, they began a journey in faith together that continues and thrives today.

“When we first came to Asbury, Lennox was a baby, and she is now

11,” Becky says. Today their children also include Kendrix, 9 and Roox, 5. “So the preschool and Bible study is where I first got to know more people and I became very active in Mothers Fellowship. Now I volunteer with the VBS leadership team, Women’s Ministry and AsburyKids.”

Josh jokes his volunteering resume isn’t as lengthy as his wife’s, “aside from the Day of Service and Bible Study,” but Becky points out he tended their little ones on Sunday mornings so she could volunteer.

“Now Josh drives for the golf cart crew and we have a rotating calendar for which kid gets to ride with him … Basically, our kids have seen us serve and its natural and often thrilling for them to help.”

Volunteering shrinks what seems like a “big church” into a community, says Josh.

“Being in the golf cart has made me be an intentional face for the church rather than just someone coming and going,” he says. “I’m a part of something and so I go into it with a positive, uplifting feeling. When I see the people I know, or whether it is their first time with us, I want them to be comfortable … I get to enjoy bringing them some calm, something personal to the bigness.”

For Becky, volunteering gives her new and varying perspectives.

other people all the time, to be humble and a servant in showing love. When you see someone walk in the door, you just don’t know what their story is, what they may be dealing with.

With her third-grade class, Becky says she’s so moved and happy to be another adult in a child’s life that is teaching them, being a friend and respecting them, being a positive influence and even just listening.

“It strengthens my faith journey and I remember it’s not all about my own life, it’s about helping others,” she says.

The Williamsons particularly look forward to Asbury’s yearly Day of Service, because, Josh says, ” It’s that very special day when services are combined into one and several dozen buses take church members all over the area to serve those in need.”

“I love that song my sorority sang in college, Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” Becky says. “Seek God first; I try to remind our kids of that. Seek God, seek God in others, then in yourself. By serving, it shrinks a big church into something much smaller. Josh now has the same people he looks for; I have the same little girls I’m talking to. We know who we’re praying for and it shrinks it all down to a feeling of a very large family when you recognize more people and get connected.”

“It helps me remember to think outside myself,” Becky says. “It reminds to love on other people.

We all can have a tendency to compare and tear each other down. It’s a good reminder to lift up

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VOLUNTEER 22 22

UNPREDICTABLE

JOY

By Lisa Witcher

Teens are unpredictable. At any moment, their world is the most awesome, amazing place, smacking with coolness; but within seconds, the ceiling is crashing around them, hysterics prevail and they become inconsolable. So yeah, when people like Christy Tolar, a mother of two teenagers volunteers to hang with Asbury’s lovable but erratic yahoos, there are those who sit back and wonder.

But, Christy Tolar would say our young people are just that: a wonder!

A life-long Methodist, Christy and her family came to Asbury when her son and daughter were small. The Tolar family enjoyed Asbury’s children’s programming and when her children graduated into a youth group, Christy said yes to being a small group leader.

She shepherds a dynamic group of high school sophomores and has missioned with them in Houston.

One day while driving through the streets of that city, the van packed side-to-side with the teenagers, she was struck by their instant awareness. In one moment, they silenced the lyrics of the latest pop chorus they were singing.

Having fasted that day as they were slated to serve at a food bank, one girl asked another, “Have you thought about food today? Are you hungry?”

Christy marveled at their answers. These scrubbed-faced, lip-glosssharing youngsters realized the hunger they felt did not measure up to the hunger faced by those they served. In the midst of their normal,

raucous joy, they prayed for the hungry. The moment marked Christy’s heart, showing her the necessity of working outside Asbury’s four walls.

“Our teenagers really do want to make the world better,” Christy says. She enjoys watching each young person emerge into a unique individual. While there are many life responsibilities that make being a small group leader “one more thing to do” on Sunday, Christy finds joy and hope in serving Asbury’s teens.

“I know I am needed. The line between the kids I brought into this world and the kids I get to love in this world just blurs ….” and love just takes over, providing joy and boundless energy. “Working with these students is a gift – don’t be afraid of it. Run to it. It is life-giving; it is soul-saving. I wish I hadn’t waited until my kids were old enough to be in youth group. I wish my kids would have had surrogate brothers in sisters in the youth group.”

Christy has learned a great deal working with these unpredictable, sometimes irreverent children of God. “These kids have taught me more about unconditional love; they have solidified that notion. They have taught me how to be resilient and reminded me how hard you work sometimes just to keep moving forward.”

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COMMUNITY

GET OUT OF THE BOAT!

By Lauren Marshall

If you had met me a year ago, you would not have met a sadder or wimpier Christian than I. Thankfully, some major

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avoid hell. I basically checked it off a spiritual “to do” list and went on with my life.

things have happened to me over the course of one year and I want to give the Holy Spirit the credit He deserves.

I got married, had two sons, moved to Tulsa and we became members of Asbury 16 years ago last March.

I grew up in church, a good ole Baptist girl from Texas. My dad was a deacon and my mom played the organ, so you know when I say I went to church ... I went to church! I accepted Jesus into my heart at a young age.

I knew I was going to heaven when I die. But if truth be told, I mainly accepted Jesus to

I knew I was to find a community but I didn’t want to do it alone. My husband also grew up in church, but his church was very judgmental and he got badly burned. Though he sees no need for church for himself, he never stopped

The reason I know this is because we were one of the first families to join at this location.

GOD IS SO GOOD! me or my boys from coming. I’m also very shy, so the thought of walking into a classroom by myself and making small talk just sent anxiety right through me. So I would go to church and sit in the back. One day, silent tears just started rolling down my cheeks and I didn’t understand what was happening.

I’m a very strong person, the ‘Christian example” for my family. I do not typically cry easily; but whenever I was in church, the tears just seemed to come out of nowhere. This happened month after month and I grew so tired of crying. It wasn’t until I put my stupid pride to the side and asked God to help me that things began to change. Until then I had been telling God what He needed to do so I could be happy. Fix this, fix that... but now I know those tears were the Holy Spirit doing two things: 1. Giving me a release and telling me I didn’t have to carry this burden by myself, and 2. He told me I needed to put Him first and that He was also crying for me.

Once I finally put Him first, before my husband, before my children, before everything, He began to move in a powerful way.

He led me to call the Stephen Ministry, one of the best resources this church has to offer. I needed to talk and to shine a light on everything I had hidden away. At the end of the first session - when my counselor prayed with me - I knew it was the beginning of an emotional healing that had to take place.

It was my Stephen Minister who told me about Solo Sisters, a new community for women who are either single, widowed, divorced or who are married but who go to church alone. I had tried to find a community and had told God I would try three different ones and that one of them would just have to do. God had the final laugh because Solo Sisters was my fourth!

My first experience with Solo Sisters wasn’t even in a classroom.

Andrea Stephens was having a get-together at her house and I invited myself over. Though shy about it, I went to a stranger’s house, met more strangers and made small talk—when the Holy Spirit tells you it's time, then it's time!

All good things come from God and this community is my “good” thing!

We laugh, we cry, we pray together and after our class, a group of us sit together in the sanctuary.

I literally sit down front: I have become “planted” by the waters and my spiritual life has taken off. I look forward to coming to church and I have never felt that way before. It was always done out of an engrained feeling of guilt rather than a desire to worship our God. Now, when tears flow, they are happy, grateful tears.

I encourage everyone to find a community where they can do life together with other Christians.

If one good thing comes out of this pandemic, it has shined a light on how valuable a community can be.

There are countless examples of answered prayer that have occurred in Solo Sisters because we are continuously lifting each other up in prayer.

The world tells us to “isolate,” but the world needs us to be the light and to reach out to help others.

Don’t do life alone! The Holy Spirit will lead you where you need to be if you will just let Him. It wasn’t until I stepped out of the boat and did things His way - not my way - that life became richer and fuller. God is so good!

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COMMUNITY

COMING HOME

By Tracy LeGrand

“I was baptized

by Pastor Tom as a baby,” Joe says. “I

remember going to church just because my parents wanted me to. But as I continued to grow, I decided on my own to be more involved, especially through my friends at church and it grew from there. I was plugged in with the help of former youth pastor Mark Fowler. I joined the junior high worship band and ended up volunteering with the media team.”

Then came life beyond the family home and a more fast-paced college life, first at Oral Roberts University and later at Oklahoma State University.

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At the conclusion of his undergraduate degree, Joe got plugged back in with The Vine, an Asbury community. “While it wasn’t ultimately the right fit for me, I stayed involved with media for the church.

I realized while I was going to church, at least sometimes, I wasn’t furthering my relationship with God. I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be in life, at that time.”

He took a multi-year break from his Asbury community to focus on his graduate studies.

After concluding his academic career, he decided to give the

FEAR NOT groups another shot and started attending Chainbreakers.

greater community, I have more of a sense of belonging to the church as a whole. I like to spend time with friends in or out of church – and I also try to help my mother who is sole caretaker for her mother and my dad.”

“With Chainbreakers, I had friends from when I was younger that I’d always kept in touch with.

With their influence and friendly new people, I just naturally began to get more involved.”

The 23-35 age group are like-minded and enjoy spending time together.

Joe shares Luke 12: 6-7 as the Bible passage he finds most meaningful. “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

“We’re a non-traditional group,” he says, “in that most community groups are more focused on families or couples. We have single adults and couples, as well as smaller groups in our subgroups including girls with their own (group) and a guys group. We all do social events together every month. In terms of growing in faith, I feel it’s good to also grow in friendship and fellowship with believers of the same gender so we feel more comfortable in sharing.”

Many Chainbreakers volunteer in the areas of Communion and mission trips for young adults; some lead youth ministry small groups.

Joe has been getting involved with the media team again. “We’re all over the place,” Joe says. “We all get to do our own thing. And when we have 2nd Saturdays, we try to partner and encourage everyone to do whatever it is they’re led to do. Being part of communities within the

27

FAITH

ASBURY

WAS MEANT FOR ME

By Rob Loeber It only took one visit.

One Sunday morning in January 2017, Salomon and Audra Dionicio were greeted with a genuine hospitality and warmth they had never encountered in any other church. In the span of a few hours, they knew they had found a place where they would be accepted. They knew they had found a home.

“It just felt right,” remembered Salomon.

“It’s really the only way I can describe it. We visited a few other churches, but we never experienced the kind of feeling we had when we stepped into Asbury for the first time. We knew it was our church. We knew it was where we were meant to be.”

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“We wanted to plug in right away,” remarked Audra. “We were able to connect with people so easily because every single person we met was so welcoming. Asbury is a place where you can come just as you are. It doesn’t matter what you have in your past or where you come from.”

Married for 16 years with three daughters – ages 15, 9 and 6 – the Dionicios arrived at Asbury together. Their path to faith in Christ wasn’t quite so synchronized.

Growing up in Mountain Home, Arkansas, Audra attended church regularly. Faith was

always a part of her life and the life of her family.

Salomon, born in Peru and brought to the United States at a young age, was raised in a Catholic household. Church visits were rare. Talk of a personal relationship with Jesus was non-existent.

Much of Salomon’s childhood revolved around playing soccer. In his early professional life, the focus was on law enforcement and starting his own bail bonds business. He was not a believer when he married Audra. What he witnessed in his wife on a daily basis would eventually lead him to redemption.

“About three or four years ago I started opening up to the idea of faith,” Salomon recalled. “I looked at my wife and I saw the way she lived and the way she interacted with people. I wanted to be more committed to God because of her. I’m so grateful because now I’ve experienced how much faith has positively impacted my family, my work and every aspect of my life.”

“It gave me so much joy – it still gives me so much joy – to see him give his faith a chance,” declared Audra. “I am so happy he decided to take our family in this direction. An abundance of blessings has come our way over the last couple of years and I know the Lord is changing our family for the better.”

stated. “What we see gives us confidence, and what we hear gives us courage.”

“I feel like Asbury was meant for me and my family,” Salomon admitted.

“Asbury feels like it is a part of us now. When I’m worshiping there, it feels like the worship is meant just for me. It seems like the sermons are meant to connect with me. Having this faith and being able to grow at Asbury has leveled out everything in my life.”

The Dionicios are quick to tell people where they go to church. They hope friends, relatives and colleagues can easily see the peace they have in their lives stems from a strong faith and a place where that faith can be fed. Salomon and Audra know there are other couples out there searching for something similar, desiring something life-giving for themselves and their families. For many, like the Dionicios, the first step may be finding a church.

It might only take one visit.

Three years after walking through Asbury’s doors for the first time, the Dionicios continue to see and feel the love of God in their lives through the unconditional support of their Asbury community and the ever-deepening relationships they have developed.

Salomon and Audra would have no trouble starring in an infomercial for the true power of the church body and the benefits of finding a place where the experience of praising God and learning His truth isn’t just powerful, but personal.

“Every time we are at Asbury, we come away feeling uplifted and ready to face the week ahead,” Audra

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FAITH

A PERSISTENT A PERSISTENT

PEACE PEACE

By Rob Loeber

God is real. God is personal. God can transform people’s hearts.

Some would argue those phrases are an over-simplification. A person’s faith can’t be summarized so easily.

Packy Cowan would disagree.

“I believe the Word of God is clear and direct,” stated Cowan.

“Proverbs tells us very simply to acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.”

A member of Asbury for 16 years, Cowan has not only experienced God on a deeply personal and powerful level, she has seen Him completely and radically change the lives of every person in her immediate family.

Cowan’s childhood was anything but ordinary. The daughter of a nomadic oilman, Cowan, along with her Spanish mother and sister, followed her father across the globe.

She lived in nine countries before turning 18

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and arrived in Tulsa as a senior in high school.

“It was the first time I ever lived in a place with snow,” Cowan recalled with a smile.

While abroad, Cowan attended American schools with many children of missionaries. She sampled several missionary churches and even gave her life to Christ at the age of seven.

“When I was in Ecuador, I listened to Bible stories on shortwave radio,” Cowan remembered. “They would recite Psalms and I thought I was listening to this beautiful poetry. The people talked about not only hearing the Word but applying it to your life.

I had no idea how to do that.”

The belief was there from an early age, but a true awakening did not occur until one night, a teenage Cowan gave God an ultimatum.

“I was praying for something I really wanted, and I said, ‘God if you don’t give me this, I’m never praying to you again.’ At that moment, I could feel all the air being sucked out of the room. I felt a void in the room. I immediately

T

E

got on my knees and repented. I said, ‘Jesus forgive me. I believe you are the Son of God.’ As soon as I did that, I felt an overwhelming peace surround me.”

The peace in Cowan’s life has persisted since that night in Ecuador. Eventually, her family landed in Tulsa and a neighbor invited Cowan to church. She began to discover what it meant to have a real, authentic relationship with Jesus. Finally, she was able to apply Scripture to her circumstances. Her parents thought she was going through a phase, but Cowan knew it was something more. She doubled down.

“I completely rededicated my life to Christ, and it changed me forever,” Cowan declares. “Having Jesus is everything.”

Cowan’s heart was full, but hurting for her family. She prayed fervently for her mom, dad and sister to embrace the truth of God’s Word and open the doors of their hearts to the Risen Savior.

Through Cowan’s prayers, her example and the power of the Holy Spirit, all of the people she loved the most professed faith in Jesus.

Once they started attending Asbury together, Cowan and her parents felt a true sense of belonging within the body of Christ.

“Asbury felt like home back then, and it feels like home today,” Cowan stated. “The sense of community here is so rich and so genuine. These people truly care about me and family. No matter what I’m facing, I know there is always someone I can talk to or someone I can call. I’ve heard that if someone knows seven people at a church, they are not going to leave that church. Believe me, I know a lot more than seven people.”

Cowan credits the community at Asbury, as well as the pastors and the worship experience, with allowing her to meet hardship with hope. Her

father passed away in 2016 and her 87-year-old mother has been diagnosed with dementia. Cowan is the primary caregiver. Even in the midst of this trial, the peace persists.

For Cowan, the words of Philippians 4:7 ring as true today as they did on that night in Ecuador so many years ago.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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ASBURY STAFFING 32

MADDISON BARNES

My name is Maddison Barnes and I am the new kindergarten and firstgrade associate.

Being part of the AsburyKids team is the biggest blessing I could ever ask for. Before serving in this position, you may have seen me around the church in other areas, like the Bluebird’s classroom downstairs or at Harvest Hayday. I have been attending Asbury for as long as I can remember. My parents became members in 2002 when I was just two years old. I have been to countless VBSs, children’s events, student events and everything else in between.

This is the place I call home.

Being an Asbury kid not too long ago, it is easy for me to remember the all the things that created who I am today. I was baptized at Asbury, confirmed at Asbury and attended Asbury’s graduation celebration. My goal as the new member of the team is to help kindergarteners and first-graders start their journey with the Lord with a strong foundation just like I had.

our focus as a children’s ministry team is to equip families with the perfect tools to enable their spiritual development outside Asbury’s doors.

Throughout my life at Asbury, the impact children’s ministry made on my life was by far the greatest. I remember all the volunteers, the worship songs and the fun that came with Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.

Discovering what the Lord has in store for these kids is what I am all about. In my goal to live more like Jesus, I am brought to the Scripture, Matthew 19:14 that says, “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”’

What a joy it is that we have these sweet little faces to remind us of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Helping Others Follow Jesus starts right here in the children’s ministry, and I love being there to watch those first steps.

Since I was 14 years old, I knew I had a call to ministry. Helping kids grow in their faith is the most rewarding thing you can experience. I believe children are the church of today, as much as adults. There are many Sundays I walk away learning a new perspective because of something a child tells me. My focus with each child will be to meet them where they are and help them experience the joy of the Lord. Along with that,

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ASBURY STAFFING

MELISSA IVEY

Hi friends! I am Melissa Ivey and I am the pastor of Young Adult Ministry. I first came to Asbury in 1997 as a toddler and never left. I got my undergrad from Oklahoma State University and graduated from Asbury Seminary in December 2019.

I love to ride and write. In 2017, I wrote and published a book, and I am always working on other books I hope to bring to publication at some point. I have been riding horses since grade school and was able to finally purchase my own horse in 2017.

I came on staff at Asbury the summer of 2017 and began shaping and creating a Young Adult Ministry. It was a long process and there is still plenty of work to do, but it is so exciting for me now that we have a community of passionate, Jesus-following, young adults here who make my job loads of fun. As I spent more time working in ministry, going through seminary and learning more about myself, I began to discern a call to pastoral ministry. I have been working through the candidacy process and am honored to continue serving Asbury in a pastoral role.

My regular duties have not changed too much since becoming a pastor, more so I am now taking on the pastoral responsibilities along with what I do in Young Adult Ministry.

In my role I work to create, implement, sustain and grow the young adult generation here at Asbury. I work with seniors in high school to help them transition to college, then stay connected to our college students who leave Tulsa.

I also build a community for those 18-22 in Tulsa. I also work hard to help everyone 22-35 find meaningful connection and community here through Discipleship Communities, social events and weekly home groups.

Big picture, I work across departments to help Asbury learn about the needs and wants of the younger generation and do things to help us - as an entire church - be able to grow younger. This includes teaching in various communities, sharing insights into the younger generation of believers, working closely with the 11 am worship team, connecting with people and dreaming big about what the future can hold.

I am eager for what is next for Young Adult

The various groups and communities continue to see new people attend and join the fun, making things always new and exciting. I do what I can to get to know Ministry.

more people who attend the 11 am service and have been making wonderful connections.

If you see me around, come say hi and introduce yourself, I’d love to get to know you. I continue my podcast - the Asbury Deep Dive Podcast - and would love for you to listen sometime on Spotify or Apple podcasts. I am always working on new initiatives to bring more people to Asbury and into connection, and to make this a place where believers are filled and ready to follow Jesus every single day of their lives.

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JOHN VICK

36 36

ASBURY STAFFING

About 30 minutes east of Tulsa is a lovely small town called Inola. That’s where I grew up.

far from Asbury, I was often encouraged by the good ministry taking place at the church. I would hear testimonies and watch news stories of the tremendous work God was doing at Asbury. I also grew up hearing Pastor Tom’s Perceptions on the radio. It truly is a dream getting to serve such a wonderful, Spirit-filled congregation.

That church nurtured me in the faith and was there for me when I first felt the calling on my life into pastoral ministry as an eighth-grader.

My position here is the Associate Pastor of Evangelism and Prayer. Evangelism and prayer are two of my greatest passions, so I am grateful for a position that incorporates both.

As a child, you could find me in the pews of the Inola United Methodist Church every Sunday morning.

We were blessed to have a pastor, Michael Shepherd, who poured into me and gave me countless opportunities to grow in my calling. I also went on my first mission trip in the eighth grade. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. On that trip, I began to develop a love for sharing the Good News of Jesus with others.

Throughout high school, I was blessed with many opportunities to travel Oklahoma (and sometimes out of state) and preach at different churches.

Now many of those churches were very small, but I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.

After graduating Inola High School, I attended Oklahoma City University where I received my bachelor of arts degree in religion. During my time at OCU, I went through the process of becoming a pastor within our denomination, called “candidacy.” Toward the end of my junior year, I received a call from a district superintendent and was asked to serve a church in Edmond,

As a 20-yearold at the time, I became the youngest pastor within our conference. After serving almost two years in Edmond, I was appointed here at Asbury UMC. known as Acts 2 UMC.

Asbury is blessed to have Cheryl Steffen as our prayer coordinator. She has been faithful in leading in our prayer ministries and I am glad to work alongside her. We have three prayer teams at the church: Acts 29, Intercessory and Email.

If you are curious about one or are interested in joining one, let me know. We also hold a monthly prayer gathering on the first Sunday of each month called United in Prayer.

Asbury, thank you for the warm welcome. I look forward to “Helping Others Follow Jesus” together and getting to know each other better in the days ahead.

May the Lord bless you.

To say I have admired Asbury for many years would be an understatement. Growing up not 37

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS 2020

BIBLES and

BLESSINGS

38 Bibles

Confirmation

48

Confirmations

38

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

550 People

39

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS VBS 2020

314

CHALLENG E ILY

S VB

FA M

Kids particated in Family Challenge 2020

2020

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148 65 101 Preschool packets handed out

Elementary packets handed out

Student packets handed out

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

pairs of new socks

CHALLENG Y E L I

S VB

574

FA M

Family Challenge VBS Mission

2020

110 pairs of new shoes

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BETTER TOGETHER

We have already received almost

5.7 million

$

by mid-August. The incredible thing about that number is that our new student ministry building, without our contingency, is expected to cost $5,572,724.

That means that we have already received enough to pay for the student building! How incredible is that?

However, this is more of a marathon than a sprint and we are only about 1/3 of the way into our three year campaign with a pledge total of $13,401,789. The work on the North Portico has already begun, which will require just over an additional $1 million dollars by the end of 2020.

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r e t t e B together

NEW STUDENT MINISTRY BUILDING

by Shelby Hood

There’s something exciting about anything new! How excited were you as a kid to get a new toy or a brand-new pair of shoes? I was probably not the typical child, but I still got excited over new things. Specifically, I couldn’t wait to get brand new spirals, binders, and school supplies. Yes really, I loved new school supplies. I would count down the days until the planned day for school supply shopping and would probably exhaust my mom with my indecisive comparison of binder types and colors. One year, she created a rule that she would not return me to a store we’d already been to just because I had liked the previous store’s selection better.

Getting something new gives you a fresh start and a new outlook! In student ministry, we are anxiously awaiting a fresh start in the brand-new student ministry building. Thanks to the amazing people at Asbury, our students will have an INCREDIBLE new facility that is on target to be paid for in full when we move in. One of the incredible parts of the new building is that students will have so many access points to student ministry, and so will their families. Whether a new family has come to visit Asbury for the first time and entered in one of the other church entrances, or a student is being dropped off for the hundredth time at the student ministry entrance, there is easy and clear access to student ministry facilities like we’ve never had before.

Another awesome part of the new build is our small group spaces are built right into our existing space. Small groups now have the ability to meet inside Asbury Students’ areas in pods that were specifically designed for their life-giving conversations.

Every detail of this new building has been planned with our students in mind. This will be a place where laughter can be heard echoing throughout the gym and songs of praise will be proclaimed in our auditoriums. And finally, Asbury Student Ministry will be housed again in the same walls as the rest of the Asbury congregation. Without a parking lot to separate us, we finally get a chance to be truly Better Together!

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COMPUTERS TO COVID

An Asbury Staff Member’s Journey with COVID-19

By Lauren Berlingeri Earl Stutzman, Asbury’s Facilities Associate, thought he was back to work for good on June 1 once he recovered from his February heart bypass surgery.

Think again.

Earl had a slight summer cold on Sunday, July 12, but didn’t think much of it. That changed when he woke up on Monday morning feeling like he had all three types of flu at once. His wife spent the day giving him a typical “sick day” liquid diet – Jello, pudding and Sprite – yet nothing would stay down. By Tuesday, they both knew it was time to get a COVID-19 test. After driving over to St. Francis - Broken Arrow and waiting in line, both Earl and his wife Donna had experienced their first “tickle of your brains” (Earl’s description of a standard COVID-19 swab test).

Wednesday passed… and so did Thursday. Friday rolled around. The weekend came and went. By Monday, July 20, Earl’s 102.8 ºF fever broke, but without knowing the results of his COVID-19 test.

It wasn’t until the following Tuesday when St. Francis - Broken Arrow made a phone call Earl never imagined answering. “You tested positive.”

Since his high fever broke, Earl remembers thinking everything was okay now… or so he thought.

Waking up Wednesday with the sole ambition 44

to have a normal day, Earl mustered up strength to get ready for the first time in a week. After showering and sitting down, Earl and Donna noticed something that wasn’t quite “normal” at all.

Earl’s toes were blue.

The doctor didn’t hesitate on his orders, yelling over the phone “GO TO THE ER RIGHT NOW!” Once again, Earl and Donna loaded into the car and drove down to St. Francis - South. Even though he tested negative upon arrival and his problem was related to severe dehydration, his hospital experience was one many hear on the news – hazmat suits, clear shields, goggles and face masks galore.

There was no way COVID-19 (and God) was going to stop Earl from maintaining Asbury and hopefully one day, serving on his 15+ Asbury mission trip to Tanzania, Africa.

“I was sure to wear my mask because of my age. I’m almost 70, with a heart condition, diabetes and kidney problems. I’ve got A note from Earl:

a lot of strikes against me. I am in the high risk category – 65 and older! I also lost 20 lbs through that COVID battle. I don’t recommend that as a way to lose weight. It’s something you don’t want, I’ll tell you that.”

Luckily by noon on Friday, pumped full of fluids, Earl was discharged and returned home. Though he still felt weak and fatigued, Earl was itching to get back to work.

By the grace of God, a few more COVID-19 tests and an official “okay” from his primary doctor, Earl returned to Asbury a month later – Monday, August 10.

His rest breaks are a bit more frequent, but you can still find Earl climbing up and down ladders to fix ceiling light circuits, maintaining Asbury’s emergency broadcast system and fixing doors throughout the entire building.

Earl has been through many significant experiences throughout his 21 years at Asbury – Y2K, teaching Hart Morris how to use a computer to write bell music, ACL replacement surgery, heart bypass surgery and more stories than one could count.

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GIVE GRACE

by Lisa Witcher

At first, the COVID-19 virus infected people thousands of miles away. Then, like a wildfire, the virus was everywhere. Months later, as we try to navigate living with the virus, our communities wrestled with decision of sending our children back to school. Debates have split our hometowns right in two.

In truth, there is no right answer. There is only a community of individuals -a collective body and a tribe of singular souls trying to persevere.

Educators, too, struggle to know the right thing.

Ashlee Tselee, an administrator in a local school district shares similar thoughts in her role as a mother of two and an educator. “I want parents to know when deciding on an educational option, there is no wrong choice.” Everyone has to do “what is best for their family. Each family is different; each student's needs are different.”

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Yet, many challenges remain. For the teacher who has spent decades in education who is now teaching virtually, this is her first year again.

For the learner, the anxiety associated with his circumstances limits his ability to process learning.

In distance learning, educators and families face the following challenges: • inequity of reliable internet connections, • lack of knowledge regarding the learning management system, • language barriers, • lack of student supervision, • lack of student understanding or progress, and • limited ability to form healthy teacher-student relationships.

Challenges remain during in-person learning as well:

• requiring compliance with social distancing, • requiring masks, • facilitating in-person learning and at home learning for those students quarantined, • teaching both in-person classes and virtual classes at the same time, • the virtual curriculum is new, and • feelings of inadequacy haunt some of our best teachers.

The list can continue, but our goal in the midst of a pandemic is to persevere. Perhaps the greatest lessons we can pass onto our children are lessons of grace, compassion, and doing hard things in our fear. Ashlee adds, “I would like to ask everyone to have patience and give grace, patience with the schools as they continue to navigate the unknown, ever-changing sea that is Covid….and grace for students as they get frustrated with changes, uncertainties, and missing traditional school experiences.”

Our kids will “play like they are coached." If we express anger because of fear, we will see that in our kids’ behavior. If we demonstrate an acknowledgement of fear, combined with steps of wisdom, prayer, and diligent efforts to rely on faith, we will see the same in children (Let’s acknowledge that this is hard.)

Ashlee shares, “...kids, teens are resilient…more resilient than adults when it comes to just about everything...They are wired this way during [their] formative years.”

Keeping verses like Colossians 3:12-13 in mind, we can support our children who are attending school by: • communicating often with teachers, • thanking them, and • asking your child about the best thing that occurred.

Asbury Academy provides oversight for children who are engaged in distance/ virtual learning through their own schools, but are too young to be left home alone or who still need assistance to complete their schoolwork. All those attending are children of Asbury staff.

Three AsburyKids staff are engaged in the project, assisting between five and 15 students depending on the day of the week and the status of each student’s school. Only elementary students attend Asbury Academy. The academy does not require licensing; the children are completing curriculum as assigned by working virtually with their school’s teachers, assisted by the academy.

Director Sarah Johnson says the academy will continue to operate as long as it is needed.

If your children are at home: • create a routine, a regular space and time to learn with regular breaks, • ask to see student work, • have a parent sign-on to virtual program,and • encourage studying with a peer over the phone or through zoom.

Remember to give grace.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

48

I discerned a call to full-time ministry after my third year of teaching. Prior to that, I never thought I would leave the classroom - I planned to fight the good fight in public education for the rest of my career. But as so often happens, God called me to something entirely different.

And I love ministry, contrary to believing I would never love anything more than being a teacher.

If you had told me just months ago that I would dip back into everything I know about education as part of my job at Asbury, I would not have known what to tell you. I certainly would have had trouble believing it; what could possibly cause me to go back to setting up desks and tracking down pencil sharpeners?

My answer is the same for so many of us who have found ourselves doing things we never imagined: COVID-19.

Because of the risk of COVID, everything we know about education is shifting, from the littlest kindergartner to a graduating senior. As the summer progressed and it became clear that school was going to look anything but normal by the time August came around, we at Asbury began to roll up our sleeves and figure out how we could help our staff navigate the rapidly approaching school year. Our executive and lay leadership told us what we were hoping to hear: Find a way to help the staff and take care of these kids who cannot go to school as usual.

program that would allow children of Asbury staff to have a “modified” school day in which to complete their virtual learning while their parents continued the work of serving our church. Suddenly, I was using skills I thought I had left in the classroom years ago.

But as so often happens, God made His presence continually known in the midst of our overwhelming circumstance. He provided us with amazing, passionate teachers to run the program. An Asbury Foundation grant gave us the ability to keep tuition low enough to make the program feasible for all our personnel who needed it; we are grateful to attend a church that cares so deeply about its staff.

We are a few weeks in now, and I have been amazed by the resilience, focus and phenomenal behavior of each of our little students. This can truly, only, be God! Ultimately, this is further proof that God is constantly weaving our lives together for the good of His Kingdom. I can see now how my teacher training is being used to serve our church in such a hard season for so many moms and dads. I can see how He has equipped us to meet the needs of His people and made a way through obstacle after obstacle.

And I’ll say this: It feels really good to have kids back in our building again!

With only a few weeks to spare, we set about designing a 49

DECISIONS, DECISIONS An Asbury Parent’s Choice between In-Person and Virtual School in the COVID-19 Era

By Lauren Berlingeri

With the 24-hour news cycle and COVID-19 updates changing daily, it’s difficult for anyone to make a decision about social activities... let alone parents deciding between virtual and in-person schooling for their children.

“Will my kids’ emotional and social wellbeing be affected if they don’t go back?”

“Am I not considering their health and actual physical wellbeing?”

“Will my kids keep their masks on if they do attend in-person?”

“Would their grandma, who lives with us, end up being exposed?”

“How can we juggle our jobs if we can’t work from home and our kids have to stay virtual?”

These are a few questions that ran through Madalyn Gudmundsson’s mind when praying and discerning whether her daughters, Isabel (7) and Mackenzie (7), should attend virtual or in-person “distance learning” through Jenks Public Schools.

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“Initially when they gave us the options, I was hesitant,” said Madalyn Gudmundsson.

“Every night, I’d try to say prayers and listen in for those cues. I would have things not necessarily happen, but I would have a feeling that this is better or things would get answers to how it was going to be done. It gave me more reassurance and I felt that was God guiding me to say, ‘Okay, this is what you need to do.’”

Those “God cues” started first and foremost with asking the girls’ opinions. “I wanted to know what they felt. Yes they are children and it’s ultimately my decision, but they are seven and I want them to have their involvement.” Though Isabel was a bit nervous about wearing a mask, both girls immediately agreed, “I want to go back to school!”

Gudmundsson is a full time St. Francis nurse and a part time TCC nursing instructor, so she brought home kid-sized masks until the girls could find personalized ones with their favorite colors, patterns and specific styles. Being both a mom and a nurse, Gudmundsson also sat down and explained the coronavirus in-general and the tough decisions other families were having to make.

“Being a nurse, I tried to explain things more logically to them and use words that were more normal, instead of trying to hide or cover it up. I also said, there will be kids in your classrooms that their parents don’t make them [wear masks] and that’s okay. That’s their choice, but this is mine.”

Gudmundsson’s second “God cue” was not only from her profession, but that of her husband (an American Airlines mechanic) and the girls’ grandma (a medical office worker) who lives with the Gudmundsson family.

Both agreed they were exposed just as much as everyone else.

The third “God cue” came from the Gudmundsson’s pediatrician, who reinforced the importance that every family’s situation is different. “If it’s not conductive for your family, then that’s your choice.”

As the Gudmundssons’ returned back to church, it was apparent that the lack of major questions or doubts about the girls’ faith was a “God cue” in itself.

After two and a half weeks of “distance learning,” the girls finally returned to school-person on September 10. Everything was “mostly” normal, with lots of excitement from seeing friends and teachers, to choosing the perfect first-day-ofschool outfit.

Gudmundsson’s constant prayer in this season is for the people that are trying to lead and guide us into making the best decisions for the whole country and world. “Sometimes I get nervous when I think about all the devastating things happening all over the country – the wildfires, hurricanes, etc. – I just pray that we can progress, grow and learn even more to rely on God and really focus on him. He’s the ultimate guidance through it all.”

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