The Edisons, A Family Forged in Faith

FALL 2016

The Edisons,

A Family Forged in Faith

Holiday Events 2016 Adopt a Christmas Child Sunday, November 20

• Join the larger Tulsa community in offering thanks to God for our many blessings.

The Greatest Gift Sunday, December 18, 5 pm • “The Greatest Gift” - Asbury’s living Nativity is a free event on December 18 at 5 pm that is a gift to the members of Asbury and the Tulsa community, providing a meaningful Christmas experience for people of all ages. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served following the performance.

• Asbury will host a joint worship service at 7 pm with our friends from First United Methodist, First Baptist and First Presbyterian. This is the sixth time our four churches have gathered together to ask the Lord’s blessing upon our city.

Peter Mayer December 18 • Join us for the free Peter Mayer concert at Asbury’s Venue on December 18 at 7 pm. Bring your friends and family as everyone will enjoy this concert.

Service of Remembrance Sunday, December 11 • Everyone who has experienced grief due to the loss of a loved one is invited to attend a special service during the Christmas season at 5 pm in Mason Chapel. Come hear a message of comfort with an opportunity for healing prayer and memorial candle lighting in honor of your loved one. Afterwards, consider attending the Rick Fraley concert to rest and listen to beautiful music after the service.

Please join Asbury for our Christmas weekend worship services as we celebrate the season with joyous and heartfelt carol and candlelight traditions. We hope your weekend is filled with His love, and wrapped in His peace as we celebrate the miracle of His birth.

Community Thanksgiving service Monday, November 21 • Hosted at the First Presbyterian Church

Rick Fraley Sunday, December 11 • Rick Fraley, one of Tulsa’s finest pianists, will present an hour long concert in the beauty of our sanctuary on Sunday night, December 11, at 6 pm. His contemporary arrangements of traditional Christmas music will take you from the hustle and bustle of the season to the manger. Please join us for this third Sunday of Advent concert.

Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24 4 pm Kid-Friendly Christmas Service, Sanctuary 6 pm Traditional Service with Carols and Candlelight, Sanctuary 6:15 pm Carols and Communion in Mason Chapel with Chris Cleveland, Modern Worship Leader 8 pm Traditional Service with Carols and Candlelight, Sanctuary 11 pm Carols and Communion in Mason Chapel with Chris Cleveland, Modern Worship Leader Christmas Day Services (One Service Only) Sunday, December 25 10:30 am Family Christmas Service (for all ages). No child care will be available.

Contents FALL 2016 Asbury Tidings is a quarterly publication designed to tell stories of lives being transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. You may read back issues by visiting www.asburytulsa.org.

A Word from Tom Harrison Can I Be a Christian at School or Work Without Saying it Out Loud?

Waiting Experts Generous Serving Starting Over with God

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Letting God Lead in Even the Small Things Asbury’s Day of Prayer Serving at the Day of Service Dressed to Serve Learning to Surrender

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PASTOR TOM

A Word From Tom Harrison Anxiety. With all of our material benefits, we should have less anxiety than ever before. Maybe because we have instantaneous access to information from all over the world, we fret about things so much. We worry about relationships, jobs, money, health, family and politics.

Maybe the best chapter in the Bible is Philippians 4. I love these two verses from that text: 6 Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s antidote to anxiety was prayer.

It was his way to give his concerns to a God who transcends everything.

He received such benefits from this exchange. He prayed, in return, Paul was grateful and found peace in his emotions and mental health.

Philippians 4 is VERY applicable for us, too. Prayer helps us put things in proper perspective because it’s first and foremost letting God be God. Anxiety is replacing God from the throne with our guilt and remorse from yesterday, while moving us away from the dread of tomorrow.

UMM and UMW Scholarship Recipients What Can I Say? Helping Asbury’s Neighbors in Need Why Should I Tithe?

Hope for the Holidays Special Announcements

I’ll always remember asking a retired United Methodist pastor, Rev. Hugh Harrison (no relation to me, but a man I knew from my previous church in Del City): “If you weren’t retired, what would you emphasize in preaching?”

He didn’t hesitate. He said: “I’d preach more about prayer.” I’ll be thinking of Hugh when we make October’s sermon focus on the topic of prayer.

When someone joins a United Methodist Church, they are asked if they will be loyal to Jesus Christ through that church and will they uphold it by: their PRAYERS, presence, gifts, service and witness. There’s a reason prayer goes first. It’s the essential priority. Jesus modeled that, but so did all of the great people in the Bible.

For me, preaching is often a time of speaking to myself and letting the congregation overhear it. As any teacher knows, the presenter is the one who gains the most from the lesson. I’m particularly interested in this subject, not just for you, but for me. I intend to grow and improve in this area.

Prayer aligns us with God’s heart and compassion for lost people. Prayer reminds us that God is in control, not us. Prayer calls us to repent. Prayer emphasizes thinking of others. Prayer We need you! Do you have a story of what God has done in your life? Please contact us and tell us a little bit about what God has done. We will all be encouraged by hearing stories of what God is doing in the lives of those around us.

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Are you a writer or someone who enjoys writing?

The Communications Department is always looking for someone to do an interview and write a story for us for Tidings.

Have you noticed that we’ve been making some changes in Tidings? Please give us your feedback—both good and bad.

Email kmains@asburytulsa.org or call 918.392.1140.

MARCH / APRIL 2016 TIDINGS

calls us to start and finish with the Kingdom of God. In addition to the October sermon emphasis, please join us the day before the election. Asbury will have a special day of prayer on November 7 (Monday).

As the Lord said to Solomon: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) Let’s make this a special season of prayer!

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor

Editor: Asbury Communications Department, 918.392.1140, kmains@asburytulsa.org Graphic Design: Thomas Bradford, tbradford@asburytulsa.org Photographers: Sarah Adams (info@yellowchairphotography. com), Cody Bookout (cody.bookout7@gmail.com), Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net), Andrea Murphy (info@amurphy.com), Brandi Simons and Mike Simons (brandisimons@sbcglobal.com) Guest Contributors: Guy Ames, Marsha Baker, Jenny Conley, Jim Davis, Stephanie Hurd, Jeff Jaynes, Nina Kazarian, Kyle Keeter, Jim Lenderman, Jordan Lenderman, Chris Martin, Shantel Nelson, Caroline Smallwood, Heather Steger.

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PASTORAL

Can I be a Christian at work or school without saying it out loud?

by Pastor Jim Lenderman I guess the short answer to this question is yes, you can be a Christian even if you don’t talk about it at work or school or the gym or on the sidelines at soccer practice. Being a Christian has to do with responding to God’s offer

of salvation through Jesus Christ. But responding to Jesus as our Savior is only part of what it means to be a Christian.

The other part is all about responding to Jesus as the Lord of our life. Jesus doesn’t want to just be our Savior. He also intends on being our Lord.

To me the question above isn’t really about being a Christian or not. It’s about what kind of Christian do you want to be?

Some people who prefer to keep quiet about their faith live by a quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi – “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” The idea is that others will know they’re a Christian by the way they live so they don’t have to talk about it. And given that so many Christians “talk the talk but don’t walk the walk,” it seems like a pretty good perspective to live by.

In some ways I can agree with that quote.

It is incredibly important that we live what we claim to believe. Our actions often speak much louder than our words, especially when our words and behaviors contradict each other. This is especially true when it comes to living out the Christian faith. Research shows that the behavior of Christians in general is not statistically different from the behavior of non-Christians in many ways. This is a big reason why many aren’t open to Jesus. We as His followers aren’t that different from them, so why bother?

In other ways I struggle with that quote.

To begin with, St. Francis of Assisi never said it. Nowhere in his writings does he

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say anything close to preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.

It’s catchy, but it’s not his. Beyond that I think the quote forces a false choice.

Is our only choice to either live out our faith in concrete ways OR tell others about Jesus? It’s a false choice. What about the option of faithfully living out our Christian beliefs AND telling others about the good news of what Jesus has done and is doing in and through our lives? Isn’t that the kind of faith Jesus calls us to?

Again, the real question is what kind of Christian do you want to be? More importantly, what kind of Christian does Jesus call you to be?

If someone wants to be a silent, incognito, camouflage Christian who slips through life without being too vocal about their faith, then they can certainly try to do that. Many people live their faith that way. Their focus is primarily on being in heaven when they die and not taking too big a stand about faith while living day to day. Now when it comes to other areas of their life, they are not nearly as quiet about their commitments. You certainly know who their favorite sports teams are. They wear T-shirts of their favorite bands. They post on social media about their political positions, vacations and children’s accomplishments. And watch out if they have grandkids.

There’s nothing wrong with being passionate and vocal about the things that are most important to you. Most people who know me understand I am

PASTORAL

an often disappointed Razorback fan who is blessed beyond what I deserve by my beautiful wife and two incredible sons.

Many know that I have a garage full of worms — that’s actually a good thing, by the way. But transcending these and all other interests that I’m more than willing to visit with anyone about, what most people know about me is the importance of my relationship with God. Why do they know this about me? Is it because of my job? Maybe for some.

But the reason most people know my faith is central to who I am is because I talk about it. It fills my social media world.

It’s a part of my conversations when I have an opportunity. I don’t beat people over the head with my faith. I don’t force it on anyone. I just talk about it. I plant seeds of faith throughout my day because it’s central to who I am and what’s most important to me.

You want to talk about the Razorbacks?

I’m in. You want me to wax proudly about my family? I’ll be happy to share and then ask about your family. And if you open the door in our conversation where Jesus can be lifted up, I’ll gladly do that as well because Jesus means so much to me I want to share Him with you. Do I talk to others about God every time I have an opportunity? No. Sometimes I don’t take the opening to voice my faith. I usually regret those times later. But when I do share, my heart is warmed, my spirit soars, and Jesus gets an opportunity to touch someone’s life. So why would I

want to remain silent? God places people who need Jesus in my life for a reason.

Do our actions need to line up with what we believe? Absolutely.

Otherwise our words will fall on deaf ears. But that doesn’t excuse us from our responsibility to talk to others about our faith and what God can do in their lives if they will just give Him the chance. After all, we are the ones through whom God has chosen to reach the world.

So CAN I go through life without saying anything about my faith? Sure, but why would I want to? My faith is core to who I am. Take that away or ask me to hide it from others and I’m not really being me. More importantly I’m not being who God has called me to be.

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CHILDREN

Isaiah and Tiffany Edison with Savannah

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The Edisons in the sanctuary with Rev. Jon Odom at Savannah’s baptism

CHILDREN

Waiting Experts

by Marsha Baker Waiting... no matter how difficult or scary it is, is worth it when you are following God’s plan. You could call Isaiah and Tiffany Edison waiting experts. From the day they met the little girl God had planned to be their daughter in Uganda, it took 28 months before she legally became forever theirs.

Isaiah and Tiffany married at Asbury in 2011. Isaiah was Tiffany’s brother’s best friend, and there was no better man Tiffany’s family could have imagined her with. In 2013, they were living the “American Dream” and were steadfast in their faithfulness to God when they sensed Him preparing them for something big. Tiffany always dreamed about an African mission trip, and after three failed attempts, God finally opened the door in December of 2013. Isaiah signed up, too, but with apprehension; he was not so keen on the Africa idea.

Just before they left, they were challenged by the book “Radical,” and the also felt God speaking to them through a sermon themed on “The Spirit of Adoption.”

Tiffany was beyond blessed to grow up in a God-fearing, tight-knit family. This extra special family instilled in her heart a desire to one day adopt. She knew there were children out in the world who would be blessed by this kind of love. Isaiah, who grew up with a much different environment, always desired to have a “normal” family.

The day they met Savannah, both of their worlds were turned upside down. It was Isaiah who saw her first, exclaiming, “That is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen!” Tiffany immediately went to hold her and was completely smitten by her the rest of the trip. Before they left Uganda, Tiffany felt God strongly calling her to add Savannah to their family, but she knew mountains would have to move to convince Isaiah. On the final day, she asked God for clear confirmation—a

physical sign—and for God to move in Isaiah’s heart. Not only did God immediately answer her request three times (Savannah pointing to her), but God also sent a woman named Grace to hand Savannah to Tiffany and say “This baby loves you; she has been pointing to you” just moments after she prayed. But would Isaiah hear God’s voice about the adoption, too? This is when the waiting began. After a month, Isaiah finally said the words Tiffany had been silently praying to hear: “I think we are supposed to pray about adopting Savannah.”

There was confirmation from the Lord, but next came fear. What would people think? Should they have a biological child first? Could they afford it? Could they get through the mental stress of adoption?

It was all very overwhelming. After two months of “what if’s,” Todd Craig preached a sermon about anxiety. As they left Asbury that day, they decided it was time to simply trust God and follow His plan to adopt Savannah. They began the adoption process but continued meeting obstacles. It was an agonizing 18-month wait before they would be able to return to Uganda. There was nothing they could do but wait and watch their little girl grow up on the other side of the world without them. But in the waiting, they could see God’s goodness through His provision in so many areas.

Finally, they got the call… and on July 1, 2015, they got to hold Savannah in their arms again! They couldn’t believe it was actually happening! Unfortunately, their waiting wasn’t over. Just because they were in Uganda with Savannah didn’t mean they would get to take her home. They still had to get through the Ugandan court and produce endless paperwork to the U.S. Embassy. The expected timeframe to complete this process is six weeks; it took them 12. Everything that could be delayed, was. Isaiah had to return to the U.S. after six weeks for work, so Tiffany

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singlehandedly had to care for a little girl who was afraid of sleeping, going potty, and couldn’t even speak English. There was government resistance, spiritual warfare, intense interviews and sleepless nights.

The outcome was unknown, but God was in control. He blessed Tiffany over and over by meeting her needs, He grew the mother-daughter bond, and He was faithful. Tiffany could do nothing but trust Him in such an unfamiliar culture and process. Looking back, they see how God was showing them what it means to really believe and live the Word. Through this journey, Isaiah learned God wants us to engage in His good plan and live the Gospel through our outward actions. Tiffany was forced to deeply trust God in everything and learned that if we seek God in our most challenging times, He will grow us beyond what we think we can handle.

After delayed flights home, Tiffany and Savannah arrived in Tulsa on September 26. They were finally home safe and together as a family—the dream God gave them complete. It took seven more months of waiting before they were able to make the adoption legal in U.S. courts, and then 11 weeks of waiting for her U.S. passport. They got to experience an extra special moment recently when Jon Odom baptized Savannah at Asbury! “It was so special to publicly dedicate her to the Lord at Asbury—we got to show the congregation that blood doesn’t make a family, God does! It was full circle for me; I was baptized here, and it made my story feel complete showing my church family what it means to respond to God’s call and truly care for all His children,” Tiffany said. “Our hope is that our story will help people to stop telling God to wait, and open their eyes to see and respond to the needs of God’s children all over the world!” says Isaiah. Now they are waiting again, this time just nine months to meet their son, Noah, whom they are thankful they get to carry with them during this wait.

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DISCIPLESHIP

Generous Serving

By Marsha Baker When it comes to generous giving, the Knights, one of our AsburyKids volunteer families, really shine. Almost every Sunday you will find them serving in multiple children’s rooms in the downstairs AsburyKids area. If a sub is needed, they are the first to volunteer to work an extra shift—all five of them!

Many Sundays, their family is the reason we are able to open all the rooms and serve more children. My daughter Zelda is privileged to be in one of the classrooms where they serve regularly, and she always recognizes them and loves to greet them in the hallways of the church. This connection makes my heart so confident that other Godly families are impacting her life and the lives of all our children; that’s what being an AsburyKids volunteer is all about!

The Knight family has touched many children’s lives, and they hope their story encourages others to take the next step and get plugged into Serve2 and give generously of their time. Russ and Debbie Knight began serving in 2002 when their son, John, was born. They served for many years even after they had their twin daughters, Sarah and Katie. When John turned 12, he decided he wanted to start helping too and was placed in a 3-yearold room. “He loved it! He would tell us great stories of the kids on our way home from church, and instead of being on a rotation, he wanted to volunteer every Sunday. Sarah and Katie wanted to start volunteering too, but at age 9 could not volunteer without a parent, so Russ and I joined them so they could begin serving.

And that is how we began serving on Sundays as a family,” states Debbie.

The Knights see big purpose in their volunteer roles each Sunday. It was

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important to Russ and Debbie when their children were young to know their children were safe and learning about Jesus while they went to worship, connected with other believers, and had community time on Sunday mornings.

Now their family desires to provide the same sense of peace of mind for young AsburyKids families by loving and nurturing the children. “We want to help lay the groundwork for the foundations of faith for Asbury kids. The children may not retain everything we share with them, but seeds of truth are being sown.

The number of little lives they have impacted and continue to impact is a result of the time they have dedicated as volunteers to these young children.

We want them to feel loved, accepted, safe and have fun so that they will associate all those feelings with the love of Christ,” says Debbie. When asked, “What’s their favorite part of Sunday mornings?”

Debbie exclaimed, “The kids! We truly love these precious ones, and we talk about them, and we pray for them and their families throughout the week. They have become an extension of our family.”

They really enjoy coming together as a family at the end of each Sunday and sharing funny and touching stories about their time with the children. “We love that we have found a place where we can serve together. As parents we hope to

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be an example to our kids and model a servant’s heart to them, but we find that we learn just as much from them as we see them joyfully invest in the lives of these little ones,” shares Debbie.

After 14 years of generously giving, the Knights have learned, “AsburyKids is not Sunday morning child care; it is an investment in our future as a church.

Our prayer is that these children will not follow the statistical norm of leaving the faith when they grow up and are on their own. This is where those foundations are being laid.” The number of little lives they have impacted and continue to impact is a result of the time they have dedicated as volunteers to these young children.

Janie Reed, AsburyKids Panda room staff member, shares about her time with the Knight family, “I absolutely adore the Knight family! I have the privilege of serving with them on Sunday, and they are amazing. They are the most selfless people, always wanting to do more, and the children here adore the entire family! I am so lucky I get to share God’s stories to these children with them every week. They are such a blessing in these children’s lives and to AsburyKids; I don’t know what I would do without them!”

Together as a family each Sunday morning, the Knights are changing lives. “It is our privilege to spend Sunday mornings with AsburyKids. Our family has been richly blessed by our time there, and we are truly grateful,” concludes Debbie.

AsburyKids volunteers are always needed. To join the team and help to change kids’ lives, email Marsha Baker mbaker@asburytulsa.org.

DISCIPLESHIP

Russ, Debbie, Sarah, Katie and John Knight

FALL 2016 TIDINGS

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STUDENTS

Starting Over with God

By Kyle Keeter Hello, my name is Kyle Keeter, and I am a junior at Union High School. I know it may seem strange that you are reading something that only a 17 year-old kid has typed, but I hope that my story can make an impact on your day or even life. I will start from the beginning.

I was born and raised in a Christian home by both of my parents, Tommy and Kristen, alongside my brother Rett (19) and my sister Claire (13). We began coming to Asbury when I was in the 3rd grade, and to be completely honest I don’t remember hardly anything from the childrens ministry. I lived a normal life all the way from 3rd grade to 7th, I went to church every Sunday and Wednesday, and I accepted Jesus as my Savior multiple times. But I never really understood the sacrifice and commitment it truly is or what I was saying.

I was very involved in Asbury’s youth group all the way throughout my 8th grade year but started to realize that I wasn’t really there for God. My motivation to come was more about the social aspect. I was introduced to many things my 8th grade year that before, I would’ve considered morally wrong.

Everything in my life that seemed so important, and these strict rules that I had lived by meant nothing to me anymore. Toward the end of the third quarter of my 8th grade year, I began using drugs and alcohol. At first I saw it as an occasional thing, and I knew it was wrong but continued to make these bad decisions. I transferred schools and repeated a grade after my 8th grade year at Union. I moved to Lincoln Christian, and the first thing I had to do when I got there was sign an honor code promising to refrain from certain behaviors.

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As the early years of high school went on, my decision-making became worse and was affecting me much more than I could realize. Toward the middle of my freshman year, I was at an all-time low on a spiritual level, but at an all-time high on a worldly level. This conflicted me a lot, and I felt bad, but had no drive to fix this, so I continued to live selfishly and make decisions that would impact me and my future.

By the time spring break came around, I didn’t care anymore about how my actions affected others and made others look. I decided to go on the Jamaica Spring Break Mission trip for the wrong reasons and only because my closest friends were going. When I got back from the trip, I listened to everyone talk about how impactful the trip was on their faith. I felt like I missed a really good opportunity. I didn’t realize that was the Lord speaking to me and decided to keep shutting Him and others out, and my problems only got worse. That summer I became completely reliant on partying and drugs and alcohol for fun, and I didn’t care for anyone except for myself.

I got in trouble toward the end of the summer for some awful decisions I made and then lied to my parents’ faces, even after they extended a generous and kind approach to help me. I was arrogant and self-centered and continued to go behind my parents’ and school’s back to party.

November 4, 2015, is a day I will never forget. This is the day my school found out everything I had done, which broke about every rule on the honor code I signed when I was admitted. I was dismissed as a result of my actions and had failed my parents’ trust again. I remember riding in the car on the way home and still being so focused on myself thinking “How can I lie may way

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out of this?” and “Who would tell on me?”

You would think after having all of this happen to me I would learn my lesson, but sadly that wasn’t true. I hit rock bottom at this point and was the most selfish and arrogant I have ever been. I thought I was untouchable, and then I just lost everything. I continued to struggle with partying, and drug and alcohol abuse.

This past March, finally, something shifted. I decided to go to Belize with Asbury’s Spring Break Mission. This trip changed the course of my life. I met so many great people who helped me learn how to mature in my faith and become the person and young man I am today. One of those people was Delwyn, a Praying Pelican staff member, who helped me discover that I was on the wrong path in life and needed to make a change. He told me it wasn’t going to be easy, but it would be worth it. With his help, among many others on the trip, I learned that you are never too far from God’s love and that you can always start over. I am now someone who lives with integrity, honesty and humility. I can admit that I have made many mistakes, but I have learned from every one of them. I wouldn’t be the man of God that I am today if it wasn’t for the trials I’ve been through.

I would like to thank Katelyn Moore and Josh Coats for mentoring me in my life and giving me the opportunity to share my story.

STUDENTS

Kyle Keeter

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STUDENTS

Letting God Lead in Even the Small Things

By Caroline Smallwood Doing things for the first time is always exciting, but that excitement can also be accompanied with fear of the unknown.

This August was the first time Asbury Student Ministry took 6th, 7th and 8th graders on our Middle School Retreat.

Previously, 7th, 8th and 9th graders attended this retreat, so we knew the atmosphere would change with the younger crowd, and we prepared accordingly.

Looking back two days later, I can say that the Lord handpicked this group of 130 students and 40 leaders. There is no question about it; these young students and faithful leaders are seeking Christ and building God’s kingdom one day at a time. You have heard us say it before and we will say it again - middle school students can change the world!

That is why we decided to use the theme “What If?” In our big group time, we answered three questions: What if you believed God loves you? What if you believed you have gifts? What if you believed you could change the world? This was perfect for this age group and for all the Lord is doing in their hearts right now.

From jumping with joy during worship to dressing up like cowboys for recreation, these students gave their all this weekend.

Their faith and passion for life are both extremely encouraging and challenging.

I knew on the first night that this retreat would be exceptional. We taught the students God loves them unconditionally, and, therefore, they can be freed from any chains that society puts on them.

Afterward, they had the opportunity to write down the specific things God’s love has freed them from, like “self-doubt,” “stress from school,” “self-judgment,” “depression,” “wanting to be popular,” and many more heart-felt confessions.

When asked about the first night of retreat, Julia Wasson, an 8th grader at Jenks, said she learned that “something that is weighing me down should not keep me from God, and that I shouldn’t care what other people think about me because the only opinion that matters is God’s.”

She also explained that being freed from this allows her to focus on her relationship with God more. She said, “Middle School Retreat also brought me back closer to God. I feel like I’ve been going a while without thinking about Him, but the retreat really pushed Him back into my life.” On that first night, it was hard to believe that we still had 24 hours left with these amazing students.

The next morning, the students focused on the gifts and talents God has given them.

They listed everything they are good at and then focused on one thing they can use to glorify God this school year. Some of their responses included: showing compassion, art, protecting others, sports, singing, being outgoing, languages, counseling others, loving everyone, caring for others, and leading. Darcy Lybarger, a 7th grader at Union, says she was freed from anxiety about school and comparison, and she is now free to use her gifts of swimming and playing the French horn. She will lay down her fears and now focus on loving her teammates and other band members for God’s glory.

With two very important lessons behind us, Saturday afternoon was for free time and recreation. Although these are not intended to be serious, God’s beauty

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shines through the students while they are playing as much as when they are worshiping. There was a constant attitude of inclusiveness. Boys from older grades were welcoming the younger boys and showing them around. Girls from different schools were spending time together and encouraging one another. Laughs, screams of joy and deep conversations could be heard in the cabins, at the waterfront and in the mess hall. It is safe to say that no minute was wasted, and God was the center of it all.

Our last worship service together was focused on using our gifts to change the world. We specifically dialed in on changing the world in small ways. In the Bible, Naaman is asked to obey God in a small way by dipping into the Jordan River seven times. Mark Fowler used this story to remind the students that changing the world does not always look glorious. It could include picking up someone’s trash, sitting with the loner at school or letting your sibling sit in the front seat of the car. At the end, each student took home a dollar bill that said “Go change the world.”

They had time to think about the ways in which one simple dollar could change the world, but also about how, if we put it all together, we had $170 and could make a greater impact. Changing the world does not have to be a huge thing, but together we can make huge differences.

Through all the games, sermons, worship services, meals and small groups, we were all able to spend 48 hours without distractions, focused on the Lord. Zac Henley, a 7th grader at Jenks, summarized it best when he said, “I learned that God gives us grace no matter what we do and that grace means getting something you don’t deserve.” At the end of the day, because of grace we can be freed, we can use our gifts, and we can change the world.

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PASTORAL

Asbury’s Day of Prayer

By Pastor Jim Lenderman And God said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Look around and you will see trouble at every turn.

Global: terrorism, wars, failing national economies, environmental abuse and devastation, nuclear proliferation, starvation/famine National: unsustainable debt, government corruption, upcoming presidential election, inner city violence, violence against police officers, natural disasters, unfettered political correctness, racial tension, lack of civility between people and groups, family breakdown Community: generational poverty, school funding, inadequate education system, hunger, fatherless homes Personal: fears, worries, health troubles, financial struggles, relationship problems, unemployment/ underemployment, addiction, loneliness, no/poor relationship with God Church in America (including Asbury): declining attendance, lower giving, decreased passion and energy, divisions, complaining, general malaise The church in the western world has grown increasingly secular rather than godly.

As the book “Good Faith” describes,

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American culture increasingly views Christians as “irrelevant and extreme.”

The changes in western civilization have impacted the church in North America and Europe. The United Methodist Church illustrates this, too. Asbury is not exempt.

While we are doing some truly wonderful things, we are struggling in ways we’ve not experienced before.

In an environment like this, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and throw up our hands in surrender. We think the challenges out there are too daunting and numerous to do anything about them. After all, what can we do about global terrorism? What about our national debt and the upcoming presidential election? What about poverty that affects generation after generation?

What about your personal struggles?

What about the general spiritual malaise so many in our church experience these days? What can be done?

For those things you can directly effect by engaging in a personal way, then by all means engage. Get involved with ministries at Asbury and organizations beyond our church that work to solve issues you particularly care about. Put skin on God in and through those efforts to bring help and healing and justice in our community and throughout the world.

But what about those concerns that seem beyond your ability to influence? What can you do there? As people of faith in Jesus Christ, we can pray. And pray we will.

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A CALL TO PRAYER Our senior pastor, Tom Harrison, is calling our church to come together for a focused season of prayer specifically for our nation and our church. In October, Tom and Jon Odom will lead us in a special sermon series on prayer.

Throughout October, we will hold special times of prayer in Mason Chapel each Sunday afternoon. It is our conviction that if we who follow Jesus Christ will humble ourselves before God, seek the Lord’s face in prayer and turn from any ways in which we turn from God that God will be faithful to hear our prayers and move to begin healing and restoring our world, nation, community, church and personal lives. Special attention will be given to focused prayers for revival here at Asbury.

This season of prayer will culminate with a special Day of Prayer on November 7 when our church will come together as one to pray specifically for revival at Asbury and the national elections that will take place the next day. Final plans are still being developed at the time of this writing. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks on how you can get personally involved in this vital effort.

If you would like to answer Tom’s call to pray for our church and nation then contact us at DayOfPrayer@asburytulsa. org. Our desire is to deploy the people of Asbury in a season of prayer asking God to move through our church in revival and through our nation in renewal.

PASTORAL

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Serving at the Day of Service

By Chris Martin I had the opportunity to serve for Asbury’s Day of Service and want to share with you the story of Rosa Parks Global Garden and the impact Asbury members have on this neighborhood and community.

Our Day of Service site this year was Global Garden at Rosa Parks Elementary School. The site leaders were Jeff Thomas and Art Alltizer. This site has been visited numerous times by our 2nd Saturday crews and has a great relationship with us. When we were visiting the site last month, we were told that the main project that would benefit the garden would be clearing of overgrown grass and weeds.

Clearing the narrow paths between the dozens of large planting boxes looked to be quite a challenge, and we wondered how we could efficiently accomplish this task.

We talked about bringing in backhoes

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and bulldozers, small front-end loaders, tractors, shovels, wheelbarrows, and a variety of other farm implements. It looked to us as if we would need 50 volunteers working in shifts in the summer sun for the full day to make a dent in this project.

To humor ourselves, we went ahead and made a list of other projects to do when we “finished” this primary goal of the Rosa Parks site. The two other big projects on the Rosa Parks dream list were to install barrels to catch rainwater from their gutter downspouts so that they could use the rainwater to fill their watering cans and thus hand water the vegetable gardens. The other project was to repaint/stain the 50 yards of weathered picket fence that separates the garden from the parking lot which lets people know where Global Garden is located.

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On Friday, September 9, the site was to be visited by a Day of Caring group. Part of our plan was to go by the site on Friday afternoon and see where that group had left off and adjust our plans accordingly.

As our Day of Service approached, we had not been getting the volunteer response we had hoped; with 12 people signed up, we knew it might be a long, tough day.

When we arrived on Friday, we learned that Day of Caring sent nearly 100 people to work at the site for a full day.

They accomplished the herculean task of raking and shoveling up the gravel paths between the planting beds, pulling up the landscape cloth, using torches to burn back the grass and weeds that were growing up, and re-laying the cloth and gravel. We are talking about tons of gravel and rock. Global Gardens does

LOCAL OUTREACH

not condone the use of pesticides and weed killer sprays, so volunteers with propane torches physically burned the weeds back to the ground.

Armed with this knowledge, the site leaders re-tooled their plan and showed up Sunday morning with 16 souls to do what they could to make a difference. Our volunteers consisted of a few adults and several families with their children. The kids may have outnumbered the adults with the youngest about 6 years old.

Jeff (Tom Sawyer) Thomas had purchased a five-gallon drum of bright blue paint and began to organize a painting party. Looking down the 50 or so yards of picket fence, the project came alive. It started slowly, but soon most of the kids and adults had a cup full of paint and a brush. We quickly learned that Jeff is not a painter, spilling some paint here and there, getting paint on his hands and clothes, and generally having a bit of fun with it. Just enough fun so that everyone wanted to be a part of it. We had enough paint and manpower to finish that picket fence on Sunday.

Art (The Mechanic) Alltizer had developed a design to connect the catch barrels to the guttering system of the protective shelter. He had also brought his pickup truck full of tools and materials. The plan was to raise the barrels high enough that the kids could get their watering buckets underneath them to more easily fill them. He had a design to install valves at the bottom of the barrels for ease of use and reliability since this would be all gravity-fed. After a few minor design changes, the downspouts, barrels, raised stands and valves were in place and looking good. The last valve was installed just minutes before the bus was ready to leave.

Once again, we were provided with the time, talent and resources to make an impossible task not only doable but done while having fun. I am not surprised by this. As a matter of fact, I have come to expect this from our service projects because I have seen it and been a part of it for several years. If you put yourself out there in faith, you can accomplish more than you could imagine. It’s not always according to my plan, but it is God’s plan.

The reason I am sharing this story is because of what happened next. I had become concerned that the rain barrels might tip over when they got full. We had not been able to test them on Sunday. I called Markie at Rosa Parks on Monday and expressed my concern. I told I would like to come by Tuesday evening after work and make some adjustments on the barrels so that they would be safe. We were expecting rain in the next day or so, and I felt that it was important to get it taken care of quickly.

I showed up Tuesday evening with some supplies and my dog. (I hadn’t had the chance to walk my dog yet, so I hoped she could run around the empty, fenced area while I got a little work done.) When I pulled into the parking lot at Rosa Parks, there were a number of cars parked by the garden and

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LOCAL OUTREACH

people were in the garden area. I parked the car and carried some supplies over to the shelter area. I introduced myself and let them know that I was from Asbury and wanted to finish up the project we started on Sunday. I was welcomed and told that it was Community Dinner Night at Global Garden. All of the students, families, teachers and volunteers were invited to sit at the shelter tables and share the bounty of their garden plots with each other. I was invited to fix myself a plate as there was plenty left. (I had arrived after the dinner.) People were scurrying around washing dishes, bagging vegetables and working their plots, and kids were running around playing. I asked if I could bring my dog in and tie her down near me while I was working.

I was answered by a teacher who told me that Rosa Parks Elementary School loves dogs and animals of all types. She said that the animals get treated better than anyone around here.

Soon, kids were lining up to pet my dog and asking hundreds of questions about her.

As I went about my work, several of the parents and volunteers wandered over to see what I was doing. When I told them that I was from Asbury and was just finishing a project leftover from Sunday they smiled and said “Asbury? Thank you guys, we really appreciate what you do here.”

Later, when people were starting to leave, a woman came up to me and asked me if I realized what Global Garden meant to her; I asked her to share it with me. She told me that she has four children, and her family has been participating for several years. She said she has been able to feed her family healthy, home-grown food for little or no cost. Her children love to eat vegetables because they have a stake in growing and tending their plants. Everyone participates in the process including washing the dishes after a meal and cleaning their gardening tools and around their plot. She said that Global Garden has made a significant difference with her family, the school and the neighborhood. I told her she should be proud of her commitment to her family and community and that we are happy to contribute where we can. She very firmly said, “Thank you, thank you very much!”

Many times we serve and feel good about our efforts. Sometimes we serve and wonder what difference it makes. When we serve in the Name of Jesus, I believe there is a ripple effect for a greater goal, one that we cannot fathom. Our Asbury families, those who served on Sunday as well as on 2nd Saturdays and go into the world every day, have a ripple effect on the world at large.

We now know that a 6-year-old kid who lives in east Tulsa likes to eat fresh vegetables because a 6-year-old kid from Asbury helped paint a picket fence a bright blue color on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon in September.

This is why we do what we do.

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Dressed to Serve

Parnu, Estonia mission team

By Heather Steger

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 A random Sunday morning in the summer of 2015, Richard and I were sitting in church when he passed the bulletin to me. Inside the bulletin was a simple gesture inviting anyone interested in learning more about leading a mission team to contact the church.

I read this, and the Holy Spirit took this simple invitation and planted it into my heart. For the next several weeks, this little seed grew and grew, and I couldn’t quit thinking about it.

After many prayers, I finally called the church to speak with Marilene Long, Asbury’s Mission Team Coordinator.

I’m sure it was a funny phone call from her side, and it probably sounded something like this “Hi, I’m not really sure why I’m calling you.

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This may be a complete waste of time, BUT I feel like I need to be trained to lead a mission team. I’m not sure I am qualified for it, but I think God wants me to do it.” And with that mumbled dialogue, Marilene’s love for people, and Jesus, the seed continued to grow.

As I prepared to go to this training in OKC, I asked Richard if he would attend with me. To give you our history, I have been on several mission trips before, starting when I was in high school and as recent as 2014 when I served in Pärnu, Estonia, with an Asbury team which included our older daughter Isley. Though Richard had never been on a mission trip, he was completely supportive of ME going but not sure it was for him. But as we sat in this training, God had a plan, and it would forever change our family.

Once back home, God started unfolding His plan for us. We felt God wanted Isley, now 11, and me to

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return to Estonia to help the church there in Parnu lead a VBS. For the past year, Isley’s love for Estonia has grown and has become part of who she is. As parents, Richard and I have seen a difference in her since serving on the previous team, and we wanted our entire family to experience Estonia together, including our 8 year-old Mollie. But I started becoming a doubting Thomas.

There was no way I was equipped to lead a team. Why would God choose my family; we didn’t have the funds to support this mission; there are so many people out there who would do a better job. With my head swirling I called my mom, and she simply said “Heather, where is your faith?” These five simple words brought me to my knees and tears started flowing. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

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With a mom like mine as your cheerleader, you pick yourself up, stop the negative talk and start honoring God with all that you have. The Stegers were all in, and VBS mode was ignited in our entire family. The team had already been hand-picked by God, and it was time. Our time. His time.

Let me be honest; the doubts didn’t just disappear. If fact, they reappeared over the next several months. This was one of my biggest struggles. I doubted myself and my ability to lead such an amazing team, let alone doing it while being a mom and wife.

But looking back, God knew exactly what He was doing, and He needed each one of use there to do His work.

While Estonia has a great range of historical churches, less than 5 percent of the population is considered evangelical, making Estonia one of the least Christian nations in Europe. Our mission was to support our sister church, Agape, while they conducted VBS to the community of Pärnu. God needed each and every one of us to love and shine Jesus’ light onto these precious Estonian children. We are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. As instructed in Colossians 3:12, we clothed ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Throughout the week of VBS, I noticed that the Asbury team, as well

as the Estonian team, were not only demonstrating compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience to the Estonian children, but also to one another, and to my children. My heart was so overwhelmed that the team was living this verse out–making it theirs–taking what we thought were our weaknesses and turning them into blessings. My family was there to serve, yet we were being served in a way that only could have been led by the Holy Spirit. It rocked my heart to see the blessings being poured into my family.

Unbeknownst to Isley and Mollie, their faith was growing stronger by the day as they were sharing their love for Jesus to those who didn’t yet know Him. This experience as a family cannot be topped. We are a stronger family because of serving together. I am proud of my girls for trusting God and going 5,000+ miles away from the comforts of their home. I am so thankful that Richard chose to step out of his comfort zone, and, because of this, we have grown as a Christian couple and are trusting God more than ever to lead our family. I challenge each one of you to see what can happen when you as God’s chosen people, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Nina Kazarian in Estonia

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Learning to Surrender

By Nina Kazarian This summer, I had the privilege of spending 11 weeks in Estonia, a small, northern European country that borders Russia. While flying into Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, I felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation in my chest. In this country, the Lord would teach me that my heart ultimately and entirely belongs to Him, and a life following Christ is a life of utter surrender, even when it hurts.

I began the trip not knowing how my world was about to change. One week down, and every aspect of life that I thought I had a right to was uprooted.

And when you’re in over your head, the only place you can go to is the Throne.

Are you familiar with the story of Mary and Martha? In the story, Jesus is in the sisters’ home. While Martha runs around irritably, trying to prepare a meal worth Christ’s attention, Mary simply sits silently and eagerly at Jesus’ feet, hanging onto every word He says.

It’s a story that speaks volumes, and after nights of pondering, I realized I was much more similar to Martha than I cared to admit. In her huff of anxious

emotion, Martha completely misses an encounter with Jesus. In an effort to control everything around her, Martha is blind to the treasure standing right in front of her. Can you believe it?

The Lord revealed to me the places in my life that I was not surrendering to Him and how my desire for control was leading to a damaged heart. It took eight weeks of being overseas to realize that I was still trying to be the author of my life. God, very gently, emptied me over and over again, steadily taking control from my white-knuckle grip. Don’t be fooled; this process hurt - a great deal. I went through a season of home sickness; I went through a season of being so burnt out that I ended many nights in tears. I’m telling you the honest truth because I’m not ashamed of it anymore. Jesus was simply pruning the pieces of me that weren’t singing His glory, and we were all created to sing His glory.

As my time in Estonia began drawing to a close, God took my hand and told me I’d been doing life the hard way. He pointed me, again, to the cross, reminding me that the hard part has already been done.

I’d been scrambling anxiously, fretting

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and fighting for control when my Father had already overcome the world.

Family, I learned a lot in Estonia.

I learned that Russian saunas are hilariously intense (it involves hitting one another with eucalyptus leaves to exfoliate the skin); ice is in fact a luxury; Americans are much less noisy than Swedes; and no one appreciates cheap ice cream like the Estonians. But the very most important thing that I learned during this journey was that Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said we’d have to deny ourselves in order to follow Him. He’s not an “occasionally” sort of guy. Jesus is an all-the-time, constant, powerful current.

You can’t be halfway invested. Following Jesus will require all of you. But I believe we can do it. Because Jesus is more than a trailblazer. He’s more than the selfhelp spokesman we make Him out to be, and He’s more than a watered down social catalyst. Jesus is the one cheering us on, the one who feels what we feel, the one who severed Himself from His glory in order to redeem us. A life fully surrendered to Jesus is a life in love. All He’s asking you to give up is someone you were never meant to be.

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STUDENTS

Resting in God

By Jenny Conley, UMW scholarship recipient For me, senior year was all about reclining into the Lord. In Guatemala, David Read showed me John 13 in which the disciple whom Jesus loved reclines beside Him and asks what He is thinking.

This sort of relationship, full of comfortable love and rich closeness is all about quieting the world and resting in our Father’s unworldly peace and presence. Resting requires all worries to be surrendered, all expectations to be let go and trust in His stability. This was difficult for me senior year because I spent a lot of time comparing myself to others and feeling insignificant. To counter this, the Lord taught me to root my identity in my pursuit of Christ.

As a freshman on a college campus with a hundred new friends and just as many ways to spend my time, the pressure to make the most out of every minute caused me to worry until I had enough fun plans to get me to the next day. However, instead of living this worthless life seeking the empty praise of humans, I found true living in spending intentional time with people that the Lord brought into my path and finding quiet time alone with God to learn more about our Father’s character.

Here’s what I learned: this world looks at our appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7, VBS verse from recent years).

This world may validate us because of something like a GPA, a set of Greek letters, a big job or an even bigger house, but at the end of the day if our little human hearts are not seeking wisdom and peace from our Creator, we will only grow weary. We were not made to accumulate achievements or build a name for ourselves. We were made to be in community with the Lord! We were made to surrender our efforts and let His plan prevail here.

As we grow older, more and more organizations, jobs, and relationships try to define us. Going into college is prime-time to “create a new me,” but as Christians, we are called to lay our earthly crowns at the feet of Jesus and follow Him. When we realize that we can “boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me,” (2 Corinthians 12:9) then we can get out of the way and let the Lord use His strength in our lives. Bob Goff tweeted recently, “We’re fully loved by God. Quit trying to earn more.” (@bobgoff)

Healing Faith

By Jordan Lenderman, UMM scholarship recipient I am a man of great faith which has contributed to my integrity and helped shape my identity as a man of God. Growing up, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in mission trips with Asbury. My faith in Christ came to life in an amazing way when I went on a mission trip to Jamaica where we developed a Vacation Bible School curriculum for the kids and built the foundation of a new church in the area.

Before I went on the trip, I felt God calling me to pray for healing for a man that I had met the year before. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but I did know that God had put this idea on my heart. We went to the infirmary where I had been to the year before, and I began to look for the man again. His name was Calvin, and he sang hymns to us the entire time that we were there the first time; he was silent this time around. He was bedridden with horrible pains in his chest and throat which hurt me deeply because I had such a special connection with him through singing the year before. I began praying for his healing. Healing is a strange concept but I believe in it wholeheartedly. As I ended my prayer with amen, this man burst out into a joyous song thanking the Lord for healing him. This experience changed my outlook on hard times realizing that God is in control of every situation, and trusting in Him is what we need to focus on. Knowing that God was willing to use my hands as a vessel for His glory let me know that I am obedient and useful to God. God has unique plans in my life for His kingdom.

From that incident, I understood that the Bible isn’t being anecdotal when it talks about miracles. My faith in Him has flourished ever since then. I find my identity in Christ, knowing that He has a purpose for me, and that I will faithfully follow his plan for me.

Without Christ I am nothing, but in Christ I have a purpose. My mission at all times is to love and obey God and love others.

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COMMENTARY

What Can I Say?

By Stephanie Hurd When I told my politically-minded daughter I was asked to write a lighthearted article about the election, she leveled her gaze at me and said stoically, “Mom. There’s nothing light-hearted about this election.” Not wanting to give up at the first rebuff, I shared a couple of ideas with her—she just stared at me, stone-faced. I decided to ask someone else. I broached the subject with a friend at work, “One thing I’ve noticed from Scripture,” I said, “is a lot of times God gives people the leader they deserve.” My friend blanched. “Oh! Don’t write that!

Even if you’re right, that’s not encouraging.

And it’s certainly not light-hearted.” I kept searching. I thought about telling some political jokes, making fun of both candidates equally, but the problem with political jokes is, they get elected. I began to wonder why I agreed to this.

So I tried a different approach. In the Adventure Bible, which Asbury gifts to every 3rd grader, is a handy chart detailing the kings of Israel and Judah. This chart is useful for a couple of reasons—first, because it takes the overlapping histories of the split

kingdoms as recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and organizes them in linear fashion. Second, it shows the type of reign each king had.

According to the chart, 30 of the 43 kings are listed as “bad,” while three are listed as “mostly bad,” and only 10 are listed as “good” or “mostly good.”

Imagine what the campaign rhetoric might have been if these kings had run for office. David’s platform, “I believe in a strong military.” Solomon’s promise, “Elect me, and I’ll make your daughter a queen.” Ahab’s policies, “With the help of my wife, Jezebel, we will increase national prophets by 800 percent.” And Herod’s slogan, “Make Israel ‘Great’ Again!”

Reading the history of these kings, we learn some more things. Israel’s king, Jeroboam, son of Nebat, was the worst of the worst. His name was most likely a title meaning something to the effect of “bites the people.” His contemporary in Judah was called Rehoboam, also a title, which means something to the effect of “good for the people.” When a biblical scribe compared a king to “Jeroboam, son

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of Nebat,” it was a scathing indictment of his character and reign, like comparing someone to Hitler today. We also learn one “bad” king reigned for 55 years.

Think about whichever president you consider “the worst” and imagine him retaining the highest office in the land for more than half your lifetime. The people couldn’t look forward to an election— they had to wait for something to happen, something like war, invasion or death.

Ronald Reagan captured the beauty and essence of our elections in his first inaugural speech, “To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place . . . and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this everyfour-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.” So the most light-hearted thing I can say about this election? Miraculously, my friends, in four years’ time, this too shall pass.

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LOCAL OUTREACH

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees tour the new Restore Hope South Tulsa Facility at Asbury’s Venue while volunteers with shopping carts deliver donated items to stock the shelves of the new space.

Helping Asbury’s Neighbors in Need Restore Hope and Asbury Partner to Serve

By Rev. Jeff Jaynes

She wasn’t the first in line, but she was close. Patiently waiting in the lobby, she talked quietly with her son in the stroller at her feet. Any other day, someone might guess she was one of the many young mothers dropping off children at preschool at Asbury. Except it was not just any other day, and she was not near the children’s area. It was the first day Restore Hope South Tulsa was open in the Venue building, and she was there for some help.

This young mother is a perfect example of the people Restore Hope Ministries has helped for 38 years. Restore Hope’s mission is to help families in financial crisis move to economic and spiritual vitality. Most often, the crises we see are like the one the young mother on that first day shared with our volunteer caseworker. Her husband works, she said, but his work is dependent on good weather. When the weather is good, they are able to make it. Unfortunately, the weather in Oklahoma is not always so ideal.

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She would love to work herself, but her son is just 3 years old–too young for school–and they cannot afford child care. Her husband’s average income (thanks to those good days) is too high for any child care subsidies. She didn’t need much. But she did need food to feed her family.

After only two days of serving, Restore Hope’s Asbury location helped 35 families just like this young woman. To a person, these families have been patient as we have all learned how to live in our new space. To a person, they have been exceedingly grateful for the help. I loved being there on the first day to hear these families say thank you as they left. Many took care to let me know how grateful they were. Most of them never thought they’d need to ask for help from a food pantry. They were all glad we were there.

We are very glad to be there, too. Years ago, when we were rebuilding our

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warehouse, we contemplated what our needs would be for our building on Charles Page Boulevard. We discussed options that might lead to expansion on that site at a later date. I was never comfortable with those ideas. Growing at that location did not seem to me to be the future we needed to pursue. A few years later, when our board and staff entered into a time of strategic planning, we discussed those options again. This time, I was not the only one who was thinking beyond our current campus. In fact, the board unanimously approved exploring satellite facilities– especially in local churches.

At the same time at Asbury, the pastors and the local outreach team were getting to know the neighborhood around 6767 S. Mingo.

And they did not have to look very far to see the needs. The Union School District was already deep into its own transition from a suburban wealthy district to ever-growing poverty. With more than 60 percent of its students

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eligible for free or reduced lunches, Union began to explore how best to help their families–including the hiring of full-time staff members for the homeless children in their schools. Grove Elementary, just north of Asbury’s campus, was already deep into this transition–with nearly 90 percent of its students in poverty– becoming a “community school” to add wraparound care for their families. Many of those families live in the apartments to Asbury’s north, many of them ride the Tulsa Transit bus that loops through Asbury’s parking lot several times a day.

Asbury has a rich history of looking beyond its walls--often beyond borders as well.

Many Asburians (including me growing up) went across the globe on mission–to places like Estonia, Tanzania, Azerbaijan and more. Just walk around the building, and you can see the impact those global missions have made. In fact, you can still see one of the Frisbees™ our group took to Estonia in 1999–a trip that changed my life as that’s when I met my wife! Asbury’s work has changed many lives around the world.

Now Asbury is looking not only across oceans but also across the street.

Meanwhile, Restore Hope was also looking at how (and, more importantly, who) we were serving. We even did a “heat map” of those who came to us for help over an entire year. Areas where more of our clients lived had big circles representing many families. Some places barely showed as a dot on the map. The north and west portions of Tulsa were covered in circles. South and east Tulsa had more of the little dots. It was clear where we needed to expand.

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On this side of that decision—and on this side of the amazing grand opening with balloons and fanfare—it is clear that we made the right choice. New volunteers who could not easily travel to our main campus are serving their neighbors in need. Space that once collected odds and ends now contains green beans, cereal, peanut butter and pineapple. Families, who previously did not have time to make the hours-long bus ride to Charles Page Boulevard, can come down the block to get the food they need.

But we are not just sharing food at Restore Hope South Tulsa. We are sharing hope. The young mother who came in with her son did not just leave with some cans to put in her pantry. She left with the idea that tomorrow might be a better day. The young father who needed prayer had time to meet with a prayer worker–while his daughter rested in the arms of a volunteer who showed off his grandpa skills as well as helping with food. Those we serve are not “the poor.”

They are the neighbors we are called to love, our brothers and sisters in Christ’s family who just need a little hand up... and a little hope. Thank you for your help in sharing that hope. I look forward to watching how our partnership will bless our neighbors and so many more!

Rev. Jeff Jaynes is the Executive Director of Restore Hope Ministries.

Currently the Restore Hope South Tulsa office, located just south of the main building in Asbury’s Venue, is open on Tuesdays from 12:30-3:30 pm.

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PASTORAL

Why Should I Tithe?

By Pastor Guy Ames Talking about money and church can be a very sticky and tense subject. For many people, there seems far too much talk about money and church, not to mention the fact that far too many church leaders have shown a lack of integrity when it comes to the use of funds that have been donated by well-meaning givers. When we talk about money and the Christian life, too often instead of listening to the words of Jesus, we get lost in the words of the preacher.

Frequently, there is a misunderstanding about why followers of Jesus give to the church in the first place. God doesn’t need our money! God doesn’t need anything; He is completely self-sufficient.

What God does want from us is first place in our lives and in our hearts.

God’s Word teaches that He knows that we cannot give first place to God until He has first place with our money and possessions. The reason the Bible gives so much attention to our attachment to money is that He understood that we can only have one God in our lives, and that our attachment to money and things tends to compete with our love for God. Jesus put it this way in the Gospel of Matthew, “Your heart will always be where your treasure is.” (Matthew 6:21, CEV). In other words, wherever we put our money, our heart will automatically give greatest attention to those things.

Because of this, God gave some instructions so that we might always put God first in our finances. This is where God gave “the principle of the tithe.” The word tithe does not mean “donation.”

Rather, the word tithe simply means one tenth or 10 percent. The principle of the tithe teaches that when we are paid,

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we have the privilege of returning the first 10 percent of our income to God through the local church. The thought behind this principle has never been because God wants something from us, but rather because God wants something beautiful for us. The Apostle Paul passed along another one of Jesus’ quotes on this subject, “More blessings come from giving than from receiving.” (Acts 20:35) Giving provides three important benefits.

First, our giving acknowledges that everything we have comes from and belongs to God. Second, our giving demonstrates to God in a tangible way that He is first place in our lives, especially in those areas of our lives over which we prefer to have full control. Third, through our giving we demonstrate that we believe what the Bible teaches, that if we bring to God that first tenth, God will provide for us through the other 90 percent.

The principle of the tithe, from Old Testament teaching, emphasized the importance of putting God first in giving so God’s people would trust God for all their needs. The principle of the tithe continued with Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament where He acknowledged this as a basic principle of giving for God’s people, but still He went even further. On one famous occasion, Jesus praised a poor widow who gave about two cents, which was all she had. Jesus pointed out that she actually gave more than those who donated large sums, because her two cents was all she possessed.

He pointed out that the purpose of giving is to honor God, not merely to meet a particular financial equation.

TIDINGS FALL 2016

Some people have asked if a tithe is before or after taxes; or do we factor in our benefits and/or pension. Others have asked what to do when you can’t afford 10 percent. Faced with these questions of our bottom line, I like to remember Paul’s words to the Corinthian Church when he reminded them, “Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.”

(2 Corinthians 9:7, CEV).

The Philippian congregation was small and poor, but when they heard that the mother congregation of Christianity in Jerusalem had fallen on hard times, they would be expected. Paul writes that even though they were going through tough times they actually, “gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God’s people…They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.”

(2 Corinthians 8:3-5. CEV) Giving to the local church is giving to what is nearest to God’s heart; and when we give to the local church, we have the opportunity to give to something that has an incredible rate of return - transformed lives. Our hope is that people discover God’s intent that in giving we learn the joy of generosity. Someone has said that we are never more like God than when we give.

CARE AND MARRIAGE

Hope for the Holidays By: Shantel Nelson

Are you dreading the holidays, knowing everything has changed and that happy memories from past years can’t be recreated? We know grieving the loss of a loved one is a difficult challenge at any time, but the holiday season has a way of magnifying the pain.

This was precisely the thoughts that Katelyn Moore pondered for months and weeks. In January 2015, Katelyn lost her grandmother, better known as Marmee, which left a hole in her heart. Katelyn had this to say about her grandmother, “She was not just an ordinary person, but an extraordinary woman of God. Her spiritual convictions were the spiritual foundation for our family, she was our ‘Rock’. I attribute my passion for youth ministry and my family’s passion for the church to my grandmother. Losing her was awful, and it devastated my whole family; we did not know how to move forward.”

By the world’s standards, it seems like there is a timetable of how long it takes for someone to move through the grieving process, which sometimes causes a person to stop the grieving process before they are ready. We have to understand that everyone grieves differently. Ten months after Marmee’s passing, Katelyn’s grandfather, better known as Papa,

encouraged the entire family to attend a grief sharing class entitled “Surviving the Holidays,” now entitled “Hope for the Holidays.” Even though Katelyn and her family were initially reluctant to accept the invitation, amazingly, it was through this class, that they learned how to press the reset button on their grieving. Katelyn had this to say about what she observed and experienced while attending, “We learned how to cope; it gave us the permission to ask for what we needed during the holidays and not get so focused on the traditions.

With the help of this class, we were able to talk openly about what we would be missing and the great role Marmee played in our holiday traditions. We were able to decide on new, special memories that we could start in her honor.

Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known the power of asking the right questions, which gave us the opportunity to open up and talk freely about our emotions. This class drove home the point of talking about traditions before- hand, deciding what you want to keep, change, and recommendations for doing something new and/or different.”

Katelyn was impacted the most through the message given by one of the facilitators, Dr. Paul David Tripp.

He shared, “Christmas is, in fact, a holiday made for the sufferer. We are celebrating the day that Jesus came to earth willingly, to take on our suffering as His own, to share with us in grief, and to overcome all of our pain and suffering with the promise that one day, we will join Him.” Katelyn’s perspective on Christmas and finding hope for the holidays was forever changed in that moment. She is grateful to Asbury for offering this class; now she has the necessary tools to not only help with her own losses, but since she works with high school students at Asbury on a daily basis, this material has been a vital tool for her to support them through their time of grief as well.

How beautiful it is when a family can push through their feeling of loss over what the holidays used to be, in turn, having the strength to recreate what it will be now. What a comfort to have the assurance that it is perfectly fine to celebrate and grieve at the same time during the holidays.

If you are mourning a loss of a loved one you do not have to go through it alone, “Hope for the Holidays” is a great class that will give you the necessary tools and support to get you through the grieving process.

Hope for the Holidays Grief Workshop Presenters: David & Claudia Thomas Saturday, November 5, 12:30 - 2:30 pm, Parlor, No cost.

Register online or 918.392.1191 Katelyn Moore

FALL 2016 TIDINGS

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Milestone Anniversaries 60 YEARS

35 YEARS

John & Jo Keil 12/8/56 Tom & Lou Ann Costello 12/29/56

Kirk & Tammy Cleveland 12/19/81

55 YEARS

Steve & MaryPat Fennema 9/6/86

Phil & Jan Lakin 11/24/61 Don & Barbara Wright 12/17/61

50 YEARS Darrel & Phyllis Dammann 8/6/66 Dale & Patsy Hair 10/15/66

45 YEARS Dale & Linda Schaffer 12/30/71

40 YEARS Scott & Marilene Long 10/23/76

30 YEARS

Darrel & Phyllis Dammann

Dale & Patsy Hair

Don & Barbara Wright

New Members

25 YEARS John & Julie Fulton 8/17/91

20 YEARS Greg & Katie Ruley 8/17/96

Bradley & Amber Burdette with Jacob & Luke

Mike Coats

Rich Elmore

15 YEARS Dave & Jan Snyder 10/25/01

Photo not available

5 YEARS Luke & Anna-Maria Garcia 8/6/11

Jerry and Carolyn Ehlers

Blake & Lashelle Givens with Adrielle

Olga Keles with Melis, Eva, Selin and Daniel

Greg and Julie Kohlbacher

Suzanne Patterson

Tom and Donna Reed

Virginia Reedy

Louis and Kelli Sanchez with Katherine Forte

Michael Smith with Callie

Yevgeniya Smith

Jeff Sossin

Deaths Norma Lou Kraft died 6-26-2016.

Mother of Kathy (Bob) West.

Phyllis Givens died 7-14-2016.

Mother of Blake Givens.

Bill Ruth died 7-24-2016.

Husband of Olivia Ruth.

Jim Logan died 7-25-2016.

Husband of Betty Logan.

John Shields died 7-25-2016.

Husband of Brenda Shield.

Ralph Scroggins died 7-26-2016.

Billie Winham died 7-30-2016.

Charles Maddin died 8-5-2016.

Husband of Dorothy Maddin.

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Louis Lasiter died 8-10-2016.

Spouse of Gloria Lasiter.

Vickie Bales died 8-10-2016.

Margaret Ann Kohl died 8-20-2016.

Wife of Bill Kohl.

Tom Reedy died 9-2-2016.

Spouse of Virginia Reedy.

Floyd Bruntzel died 9-6-2016.

Spouse of Vida Bruntzel.

Bonnie Nuding died 9-7-2016.

Mother of Sandie (Tom) White.

Clark Eldridge died 9-8-2016.

Husband of Sally Eldridge.

TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

Worship Times 8:00 am Traditional Service in Mason Chapel

Looking for Tidings Opportunities?

9:15 am Traditional Service in Sanctuary

We’ve moved that information to Asbury’s Resource Area located in the main lobby.

11:00 am Modern Service in Sanctuary

You can also find information online at www.asburytulsa.org.

General Information Surgery or Hospitalization When you enter the hospital, please designate Asbury as your church. Otherwise, we will not know you are there and a pastor will not know to visit. Some hospitals in the Tulsa area do not ask for this information, so you will need to alert Asbury at 918.492.1771, Monday–Thursday from 8:30 am–5:00 pm and Friday 8:30 am–noon. The after-hour hospitalization and surgery line can be reached at 918.392.1198 and is checked each weekday at 8:30 am. If you know ahead of time and would like a pastor to do a pre-surgery visit, please call 918.492.1771.

We encourage you to use the Hospital Visit Online Form. This can be accessed at any time and is a great way to get your message seen in a timely manner. (Go to www.asburytulsa.org and click on “Get Help” in the center of the page. Next, you will see “Hospital Visits” as the second option where you can click on the “submit a hospital request” link). If this is a surgery, please let us know the date and time of surgery in the comments section. Please know that Asbury pastors want to be in prayer for you and your family.

After-hour Emergencies If you have an emergency or death to report after hours, please call

918.392.1192 and leave a message for the pastor on call. You will be contacted as soon as possible.

Prayer Line If you would like for Asbury’s prayer team to pray for you, please call 918.392.1142 to leave your prayer request which will be included on Asbury’s prayer list.

Death in the Family When a family member dies, you should make one phone call automatically. Contact Victoria Williamson at 918.492.1771 and she will help you make arrangements for your loved one. Victoria will also work with your family to arrange the memorial service at Asbury. www.myasburytulsa.org This website is available to all members as a way to update your contact information, register for events, give online and indicate ministries you would like to receive communication from.

Make sure you have an account and check it out. If you have any problems setting up your account, call Kim at 918.392.2159 or email her at krenkema@asburytulsa.org.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Tulsa, OK Permit #2439

The

Gr e at est Gif t Asbury’s Living Nativity

December 18, 5 pm, Sanctuary For more information, contact Jennifer Barnes at 918.392.4582 or jbarnes@asburytulsa.org