Changing a Nation with God's Love - 1Nation1Day 2017 - Nicaragua

FALL 2017

Changing a Nation with God’s Love 1Nation1Day 2017–Nicaragua

Announcement Volunteers In Mission 2018 Team Schedule From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

–Luke 12:48b

January 6-13 Reynosa, Mexico, College Construction March Monterrey, Mexico, Mission Bible School & Construction

April 18-22 Rio Bravo, Mexico, Men’s Construction * Spring Beirut, Lebanon, Syrian Refugee Response

April Central Asia, Relationship Building/Prayer Focus

June 7-18 Estonia, Tallinn, Lighthouse Ministry

June 14-23 Brazil, Music Ministry and Missions**

June 10-17 Reynosa, Mexico, Youth Construction

June 21-July 2 or June 28-July 9 Estonia, Camp Gideon, Youth Camp July 13-23 Estonia, Pärnu, Mission Bible School

July Honduras, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua - 1Nation1Day

Summer Beirut, Lebanon, Syrian Refugee Response

Fall Tanzania, East Africa, Construction

Fall Beirut, Lebanon, Syrian Refugee Response

Fall Cookson Hills, Oklahoma, Light Construction

Fall Guatemala, Construction & Serving at Orphanage

Fall Central Asia, Relationship, Teaching & Prayer Emphasis

October 24-28 Rio Bravo, Mexico, Medical

- For more information about these exciting mission opportunities, contact Marilene Long at 918-392-1164 or mlong@asburytulsa.org.

-W e will also plan domestic teams in response to natural disasters, specifically Hurricane Harvey-Houston area.

- Additionally, VIM opportunities are available through our OKVIM offices.

- Some scholarships are available for most teams. We also encourage team members to share support letters with family and friends to enlist financial and prayer assistance. *For information about the men’s Rio Bravo, Mexico opportunities, contact Jim Furman at jnlfurman@cox.net. **For more information about the Brazil opportunity,contact Johnny Fuller at jfuller@asburytulsa.org

Contents FALL 2017 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 Blessed for It Where the Master Is A Serving Heart Who Has Ever Heard of Such Things?

From Cockpit to Pulpit Serving in the Background “Shimowen!” – Shimon and Owen

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Meet Andrea Stephens, Asbury’s New Coordinator of LifeCare Ministries Two Thumbs Up International Worship – Here at Asbury!

Modeling Christian Commitment I Received My Own Copy of the Word of God UMM and UMW Scholarship Recipients

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PASTOR TOM

Candlelight Christmas Eve Services Saturday, December 24

10 am Celebrate the morning together One Service – Carols and Communion, Sanctuary 4 pm Fun Christmas, Sanctuary

5:30 pm Classic Christmas, Sanctuary

7 pm Classic Christmas, Sanctuary

8:30 pm Classic Christmas, Sanctuary

11 pm Quiet Christmas, Mason Chapel

A Word From Tom Harrison Our mission of “HELPING OTHERS FOLLOW JESUS” continues at Asbury.

As individuals, we are personally invited to follow Him. This call happens in many ways. Will Cunningham and Gabe Bryan are two stories of people who have found Jesus. Yet, we are part of a faith tradition that goes back to the New Testament church. They learned to follow Jesus, and they taught others how to do this as well.

The Christian faith is boring if we are not engaged in meaningful aspects of worship, study, generosity, service and witness. I love taking people to Israel because people experience that there was a City of David, there is a Mount of Olives, and there are excavated towns near the Sea of Galilee called Capernaum and Magdala. While geographical sites cannot prove the Bible stories are true, it does show they had a historical

Shoot Your Arrow Helping Kids Follow Jesus Forgiving Yourself and Receiving God’s Forgiveness Kelly Dudney’s Stephen Ministry Journey with Lindsey Beeghly Birthday Calls Tractor Man Special Announcements

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background. When the Ruley family saw the Holy Land for themselves, it was an eye-opening experience like the two disciples traveling on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). I believe every Christian needs to go to Israel at least once in his/her lifetime because it changes the way we read scripture.

how Asbury tries to fulfill this through Stephen Ministry and through our congregational care. You will learn about Andrea Stephens’ redemptive story and discover Pastor Jay Henderson’s delightful family. Asbury has always been a congregation that stresses meaningful relationships with one another.

This Tidings also explains just a few of the vast opportunities we have for service and witness. We go all over the world (1Nation1Day), we have a local outreach (Day of Service) and we serve within the walls of Asbury, too (the Wards serving in AsburyKids).

Be sure to say show your appreciation to our communications team for this terrific Tidings edition!

While Jesus gave us the Great Commission (“Go into all the world” to share the gospel), He also gave us the Great Commandment (“love one another”). This Tidings article shows

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.

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

In Christ,

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor

Editor: Asbury Communications Department, 918.392.1140, kmains@asburytulsa.org Graphic Design: Thomas Bradford, tbradford@asburytulsa.org Photographers: Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net), Inspyred Images (www.inspyredimages.com), Marco Simonelli (marco@photomementos.com) Guest Contributors: Blake Broadhurst, Lucienda Denson, Howard Dunlap, Kristi Ferguson, Jay Henderson, Riley McElwain, Katelyn Moore, Melissa Renkema, Andrea Stephens, John Westervelt, Lisa Witcher, Cheryl Wood, Brian Wortham

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Allison Cass

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Blessed for It

By Lisa Witcher

Few of us would imagine that a single mother of two young children would have the time to serve for missions in a foreign country. Few of us can imagine being a mother of two young children and leaving them for an entire eight days. Yet, despite the demands of motherhood and being a single parent, Allison Cass answered the call to serve with 1Nation1Day (1N1D) in Nicaragua for eight days, and because of that experience, she has a message for all of us.

The 1Nation1Day organization has taken the prep for mission trips to a whole new level. Ahead of the missionaries, the organization built homes, dug water wells and installed filtration systems. Everyone knew that there were missionaries arriving and as a result, the villages threw parties as soon as the missionaries arrived. The trip was historical for two reasons. First, no organization has ever sent as many missionaries from as many different countries to one nation before. Second, this mission trip was Allison’s first. In fact, in 2019, Allison reports, 1N1D will send 5,000 missionaries from all over the world to Peru.

Allison learned of 1N1D through Asbury, and other Asbury members served with her in Nicaragua; consequently, she felt very comfortable, almost at home.

She learned that a language barrier doesn’t keep you from reaching a person. You can still help or bless someone just by hugging them, sitting with them or serving them.

While interpreters were present, there were times that smiles and hugs were the only exchanges the missionaries could depend upon. Allison lamented at times over the eight-day period that she was not bilingual, but feels in the end that God made sure the folks Allison served received what they needed.

Relying on that kind of faith has seen Allison through some challenges in her own life. A single mom to 8 and 9-year-olds, Allison first found God when she attended church with a boyfriend’s family as a young girl. Since her family didn’t attend church regularly, when that young relationship ended so did going to church, and Allison just fell away from God. After being broken by bad relationships and addiction, Allison renewed her faith when her kids were toddlers.

As a result, Allison is excited about the follow-up 1N1D will offer the hearts who became new believers in Nicaragua. Allison and her team of missionaries went into schools – some Christian schools and some not – but many were in impoverished areas. Teachers were very receptive,

20 of whom accepted Christ while Allison’s team was there. Allison says talking to kids about Christ and then talking to the adults who serve those babies was amazing!

Juigulpa, Nicaragua, held a school Allison’s team visited more than once. Translators told the team the area was very dangerous and in the worst area of the city.

Thankfully, Allison reports nine teachers accepted Christ in that school in hopes that they too can spread the gospel.

One young girl, Anna, could not contain the excitement she had for the missionaries coming. She made Allison and the other missionaries glad they were there.

1Nation1Day is following up with these new believers by providing missionaries with youtube videos to leave with people. Allison believes the most important act 1N1D has done – empowering pastors. The pastors can now go into the neighborhoods and continue the outreach and call to Christ. Moreover, 1N1D created curriculum for the teachers, booklets that are 20 pages long. Teachers will be able to use these as resources to build relationships that will encourage the teachers and new believers.

Allison’s voice intensified in excitement as she related the events of her time in Nicaragua. Leaving her babies in the capable hands of family members, not being the one to meet their needs, challenged her while she served in a Central American country, but she and her kids are stronger for it and she cannot wait to go “into all the world proclaiming the gospel” again.

She has been at Asbury ever since she recommitted her life to Christ and has found a home and a place to serve that she loves. “God has changed my life in so many ways – I changed with God’s help, and I am finally living the life that He has always had for me. I am happier than I have ever been, and I am being the parent I need to be. Life is still not easy – it’s never gonna be a cake walk – but it is so much easier with God.” Allison plans on doing more missions. Her son wants to go with her on the next mission trip; he even wanted to go to Nicaragua with her, so she is looking forward to the future and adds, “The fact that God has called us to do this and be there for the fatherless and the widows and children is huge. There are so many things where we say, “yes, I will do that.” A lot of times I think this is the one thing [being missionaries] that we won’t do. But taking care of others – even in downtown Tulsa – that‘s the mission that He is calling us to do, and we will be blessed for it.”

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Where the Master Is

By Howard Dunlap

At the age of 29, a young teacher found herself suddenly divorced with two young children— struggling emotionally, financially, and spiritually. Clinging to what was familiar, the family remained active in their small local church. A year later, it was concluded a larger church might be better suited to offer the support and guidance she and her family so desperately needed.

Beverly Bryan continues the story of how she and her young family ended up finding a new church home in Asbury United Methodist Church. “We tried several area churches but never felt at home. A woman from work shared with me how wonderful Asbury was, particularly their singles and children’s programs. Coming, as we were, from such a tiny church, entering Asbury’s huge sanctuary was overwhelming. I vividly remember walking down the aisle and being seated—and then almost getting up and walking out.

The three of us were so scared.”

As if by divine intervention, a family sitting in front of Beverly and her two young children turned around and engaged them in light-hearted Beverly Bryan

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conversation. It quickly became apparent the family’s children were of similar ages to Beverly’s two, Gage and Claudia. In no time, smiles replaced frowns as the frightened newcomer’s concerns were put at ease.

Years later, Beverly’s eyes well up as she speaks, “I’m still thankful for this family. For this broken down, single momma whose confidence was shattered and for my two terrified children, 7- and 9- years old at the time, this family (in the pew in front of us) was used as God’s hands to lovingly guide us into our new church home. For them, the kind gesture may have been routine, but for us, it was a God-sized gift. I’m blessed to say Asbury has been our church home since February 2007 and has been an integral part of God’s healing in our lives.”

Fast forward a decade, past a blessed wedding to a Godly man named Brian Bryan and a new addition to the family—a boy named Boaz, now 6-years old. Beverly’s life has undergone an amazing transformation.

Earlier this year Beverly and Brian were asked to serve as squad leaders for the 1Nation1Day mission team. As such, the couple would be called upon to develop and train a team of young, inexperienced missionaries as they traveled to the politically troubled and poverty-stricken country of Nicaragua. Beverly shared, “Leading alongside my husband was an answer to prayer, and being joined by my 16-year-old daughter, Claudia, completed the miracle.”

The passion and exuberance of the youthful team clearly showed through as they presented the Gospel through skits and games to the school children of Nicaragua. Beverly’s squad was scheduled to deliver their presentation to four schools each day, in addition to attending evening church services, women’s conferences, baseball outreach, etc. The tightly scheduled programs proceeded without a hitch, but this did not last. These are the times when God takes over.

After a long and bumpy bus ride to a neighboring town, Beverly’s team was met by a dozen or so Nicaraguan team members consumed in fiery, alarmed conversation. The locals had been informed by the school district the squad would not be permitted in the schools that day. Hidden in the confusion of the moment was a perfect example of what Beverly had experienced all week—the majority of the Nicaraguans desperately wanted to share the Gospel alongside the visiting missionaries in hope that their nation could experience a spiritual awakening. Acting on their own initiative, the local team sprang into action.

They took the flyers and fanned out, covering all the area schools, announcing to the school children they could

meet the 1Nation1Day group at a local park in 30 minutes.

The excitement on the bus was quickly squelched as Beverly’s team reached the park—it was much too muddy for what they had planned. Desperate for a nearby alternative, they set up on a street corner across from the park. Before they had time to lament what could have been, they looked up to behold a beautiful sight—a hundred or so children in school uniforms walking down the hill towards them.

Later in the day, as traffic became snarled by the large crowd standing in the street, the local police appeared.

Beverly fully expected to be shut down, and the crowd ordered to disperse. Everyone was shocked when the policemen blocked off the street, diverted traffic, and remained through the presentation. Beverly recalls the unforgettable scene. “During our redemption skit and as Melissa Renkema gave the salvation message, God’s presence was truly palpable. At the conclusion, we even were able pray with the police officers.”

The day was not over, however. Within the hour they had an invitation to meet with and perform their presentation for the mayor and her entire staff. As the team had an hour to spare, they divided up into small groups and prayerwalked through the entire town. As Beverly explains it, “La Libertad, like the majority of the towns we saw during our stay, was truly beautiful. After our prayer walk, we arrived at the city hall. There we were able to share Jesus not only with the mayor but with her staff and numerous city leaders as well. “ The stories of the Holy Spirit working in Nicaragua are plentiful, but for Beverly, the most meaningful aspect of the trip was seeing God use the team members to minister to each other and to the translators, who were an integral part of the team. Not only were lifelong friendships created, but as they laughed and cried together, the group members had melded into true brothers and sisters in Christ.

Looking back on the experience, Beverly states how the Lord was able to use her in an unexpected way. “It was beautiful to see how God used both the good and the challenging experiences in my life to prepare me for this moment in time. I couldn’t have imagined how God was going to stretch me and push me while in Nicaragua— allowing painful times in my past to be resurrected for the benefit of others.”

As to heeding the Lord’s call to partake in a mission, Beverly is quick to quote Henry Blackaby. “Find out where the Master is, then that is where you need to be.”

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LOCAL OUTREACH

A Serving Heart

By Melissa Renkema Brian Beauchamp is an incredible man. He is loving, kind, caring and humble. He is a man after the Lord’s heart. Day of Service was special for Brian, this year being his first to participate. He was able to serve alongside his family and close friends at Restore Hope, and enjoyed the fellowship and muscle that went into his time serving.

After interviewing Brian, I felt the raw interview was powerful enough and all we needed to hear. His thoughts beautifully describe why we do Day of Service and sing the joys that come with helping others. Here’s what he had to say: What is your current job and what do you do there?

I currently work in biomedical quality control (nerd work) for the American Red Cross. We make sure that the blood and platelets that we collect are safe and have the desired purity and potency for transfusion to patients. I’ve been with the Red Cross for over six years and held various positions during that time.

What is your history with Asbury?

My wife Morgan grew up in Asbury and I joined shortly after we moved back to Tulsa to start our family. We are both members of the Covenant community, a really good group of people in the same stage of life as we are.

Brian Beauchamp

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What are you involved in?

I have three beautiful and very lively boys – Griffin (5), Thomas (3) and Josh (1) - that fill up much of my free time. The time that isn’t spent at work, cooking, cleaning, soccer practice, playing with the kids, mowing the yard, transporting the kids here or there, or grooming the dogs usually leaves me a couple hours a week to build. I enjoy woodworking as much as I can when time allows. It’s nice to have a task that you can singularly focus on for a time then have something tangible to show for your effort at the end of the process. I love to fix things or build things; there are always any number of projects going on.

What has been your most meaningful service opportunity?

I took an English literature class my sophomore year of college that was partnered with Habitat for Humanity as a service learning project. When I started, I thought that I was doing a nice thing for charity. It was a couple weeks in before I realized that one of the people I was serving with, building this house, was going to be the future owner. Habitat for Humanity requires the future owners of the home to contribute toward the build. The sweat equity that the family puts into the house caused my perspective to shift from “I’m helping a charity” to “I’m helping this family build a home.” That was the point when my mind shifted from helping others to make me feel good about myself into helping others because they need help.

General thoughts on serving and helping people?

Serve where you are. So often we think that service should have defined parameters such as Day of Service, missions or volunteering somewhere. We can serve our coworkers, our families, neighbors and people we meet on the street. Service is a daily practice and habit, not necessarily something we schedule to go do.

What does service mean to you?

When you serve others, you get past the charade of everything looking pretty and can get down to real human interaction.

Everybody needs to be served in some way. Everybody has some need that isn’t being met. Even if it’s not some tangible need like food or water, it can be their emotional health that needs to be lifted. For example, take any random dad in the congregation.

He’s a good father, a good husband, a good employee, has a good relationship with his parents, he helps those that need help, seems like everything is going well. He has no tangible needs but the simple act of serving him or with him provides emotional support to help him realize lots of people are in the same place in life.

What has God taught you through serving?

Humility. We all know the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus told us to serve one another together. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done.” (John 13:15).

Doesn’t matter your perceived, relative stature to another person, Jesus called us to serve as He did, and we should.

In what ways do you continue to serve?

Daily practice. Some days are clearly better than others, but it’s taking on the difficult tasks for others or the tasks that others might think are below you. Help wherever you can; there is always something that can be done to help those around you. For me, it’s more about the small daily tasks than big, orchestrated efforts.

If you could say anything to the Asbury congregation, what would you like them to know?

We should support and pray for our pastoral staff more as a church. So often, we think they are there for us (which they are), but we should be there just as much for them. Pastors listen to the most heartbreaking stories on a weekly basis, they care for and serve the church while constantly studying the Word and seeking guidance for the direction of the church. Then they are still there Sunday morning smiling, shaking hands and teaching. That is a lot to ask of a person. Yes, service in the ministry may be a calling, but it doesn’t mean it is easy. There’s remarkable strength in our pastors to protect and nurture the flock, and I for one am grateful for whomever answers the call to ministry. They have to make difficult decisions regarding the direction of the church, and given the size of our congregation, some of those decisions are going to frustrate or even anger a portion. We should be there to support their decisions whether we agree or not and trust in the Lord and our pastors that they are making the right decision.

If you could teach the next generation one thing, what would you teach them?

This is going to sound corny given the context of this interview but the next generation should learn to serve more. It’s easy and common to groan about the ignorance and arrogance of the upcoming generation, but it’s harder to lead and shape them for what will inevitably be their world. I know I was much more arrogant, selfish and foolish a decade ago, and I suppose in a decade I will still say the same thing about present me, though maybe not as harshly. Everyone should have a Paul and a Timothy in their life, be mentored by someone ahead of you while mentoring someone else whom you can teach. I believe that serving allows you the opportunity to find those mentoring situations where we can learn to work through the issues together rather that criticize them from the sidelines. Serving develops the humility to be taught and the strength to teach.

Kristen Fennema

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Who Has Ever Heard of Such Things?

By Howard Dunlap As a cardiologist, practicing in Tulsa and other outlying Oklahoma communities, the workings of the heart are Dr. Gregory Hill’s specialty in medicine. A very busy physician, Dr. Hill’s 14 years of schooling and training have not resulted in a life of leisure. It is not unusual for him to work long days and also be on call numerous days and nights during the week and on weekends— tied to the hospital by his ever-present pager.

Dr. HiIl’s relationship with Christ was formed early in life in accordance with his Catholic heritage. As is often the case, Dr. Hill’s faith and spirituality wandered through his college years.

He would have remained rooted in the Catholic tradition to this day, but as life would have it, he fell in love with and married a strong-willed Southern Baptist. His life was about to change, in more ways than one. It was agreed a compromise was necessary in order for him and his new bride to find a middle ground where they could both be fed and their spiritual needs met.

Asbury United Methodist Church seemed to fit the bill perfectly and has been a satisfying church home for Gregg and Cindy over the last 20 years. They have watched their faith grow with the encouragement of an “amazing family of Asburians.”

Physicians, if they aren’t busy enough, are universally in demand for medical missions. Benjamin Franklin said it well, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Providentially, Dr. Hill shoulders a huge heart for the needs of the less fortunate. He has provided his valuable expertise on no fewer than 20 mission trips. Dr. Hill’s wife Cindy, who is a nurse, has been a valuable asset on many medical missions over the years too. She has also been a welcome participant in many Asbury Spring Break Mission trips.

As Dr. Hill was researching his next mission trip, he was intrigued by the vision statement of the sponsor, 1Nation1Day, which is based on Isaiah 66:8.

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1Nation1Day is sponsored by Mission.Me, a nonprofit organization set out to spread the love of Christ across countries and empower people to make impactful change. Through 1Nation1Day, they have accomplished great things in Honduras (2013) and the Dominican Republic (2015). The current trip to Nicaragua was their largest venture to-date, bringing in more than 2,500 missionaries. The goal was to provide one week of medical care and ministry culminating on the final day with worship services located throughout the entire country.

Televised nation-wide, thousands upon thousands of people met in 12 cities across the country in order to unite the nation.

Dr. Hill admitted to having been on numerous meaningful mission trips with the Holy Spirit leading the way, but he had to rank this one to Nicaragua as one of the most amazing. As he tells the story, “The people of Nicaragua displayed such a strong hunger for Christ. Their desire for guidance and care was immense in this economically deprived country where 80 percent of the population live on less than $2 per day. The locals had a hard time understanding how we would spend thousands of dollars, traveling thousands of miles to minister to their needs. They had embraced our endeavors with hugs, smiles and applause nearly everywhere we visited. I have never experienced the warmth and appreciation from the people being served on this large a scale. 1Nation1Day reached over three-quarters of a million people in one week—nearly one out of seven Nicaraguans.”

As he asked and answered his own question, Dr. Hill could not be faulted if he sounded like an echo of Isaiah 66:8, “Could the nation of Nicaragua be changed in such a short time?”

Emphatically he answered, “Yes, it already has been changed!”

Who has ever seen things like this?

“Who has ever heard of such things?

Who has ever seen things like this?

Can a country be born in a day Or a nation be brought forth in a moment?”

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Dr. Gregg Hill

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PASTORAL

From Cockpit to Pulpit

By Jay A. Henderson

I think I’ve always had an adventurous spirit.

Growing up, I found Boy Scouts to be a great outlet for that energy. “You mean I get to go camping, hiking, rappelling, shooting, and I get to use pocket knives and learn how to start fires? Sign me up!” I loved it so much, I followed it all the way through to Eagle Scout. On that journey, I had some wonderful mentors who taught me all kinds of cool stuff. But in addition to the woodsmen skills, they also instilled virtues like personal and civic responsibility.

Enlisting in the U.S. Army followed rather naturally. I joined at age 17 and pursued my military career with the same zeal that I had for scouting. By the time I was 19, I found myself approximately 10 miles west of Fallujah, Iraq, serving as the battalion intelligence sergeant with a top secret clearance. I was proud to serve. But over the course of the deployment, I began toying with the idea of moving on with civilian life. I had plans to ask my high school sweetheart, Jamye, to marry me, and I wanted to attend college. I had served my time, now I would move on with life. Then my cousin died.

Chief Warrant Officer Lawrence “Shane” Colton was shot down by an SA-16 rocket west of Baghdad on Easter Sunday 2004 while providing gunship support to an ambushed convoy with his AH-64D Apache helicopter. Shane and his co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Chuck Fortenberry, allowed the trapped and outgunned soldiers to escape by eliminating the threat, consequently saving the lives of every person in the convoy.

Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Shane and Chuck gave the ultimate sacrifice that Easter morning for

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their fellow soldiers. Following in his footsteps became my mission. I became a Warrant Officer, attended flight school, and deployed for a second time to Iraq in 2010 as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

However, something interesting and unexpected occurred on my journey to Army aviation. In flight school, I began discerning a call into ministry. In a panic, I consulted two wise chaplain friends. “What should I do?” I asked. “It took a lot of effort to get into flight school! Am I supposed to just drop out or what?” They told me, “Calm down. It is quite normal to receive a call to ministry long before it is time to step into a formal role.

Your job now is to obtain wisdom and discern what this call to ministry means.”

As it turns out, the sage advice of those two chaplains has served me well. It was a privilege and a real thrill to fly helicopters and serve in the same capacity as my cousin Shane, but I have known all along that God was calling me to a different kind of service.

When I first started investigating this “call to ministry,” I thought I would get a narrower and narrower sense of what specific ministry God wanted me to pursue. But I thought wrong. At the time, my wife, Jamye, and I were leading the praise band for the post chapel. So initially I thought, “Maybe God’s calling me to music ministry.” But after a while, I began thinking about how military chaplains helped me through some very challenging times. I have witnessed with admiration how chaplains can help bring order and peace to soldiers’ lives

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during chaotic circumstances. So, I thought, “Of course!

God’s definitely calling me to the Army chaplaincy.”

But as I continued to explore “the call,” I found that God continued to broaden my horizons. For a couple of years, I taught 9th and 10th grade Sunday school – and I loved it! Maybe God wanted me to work in youth ministry. Later, I was asked by the pastor at a church I was serving to focus on bolstering young adult participation. I found that a very fruitful season as well.

Then I had the privilege of running the chapel at Restore Hope Ministries in Tulsa for a little more than a year prior to attending seminary. As a result, I developed a passion for serving people enduring economic hardship. And over the last four years, I served as a solo pastor for three rural churches while I attended seminary at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I did a little bit of everything during my time in Texas: hospital visits, weddings, baptisms, funerals and plenty of pot-luck dinners.

Now I have the privilege of serving at Asbury – a completely new setting in many ways. And that’s part of what makes it so exciting. Presently, one of my focus areas is ministry with young adults. But I’m hesitant to refer to my role as “minister of young adults” – and I’ll tell you why. Each of my experiences in ministry have taught me something different about the church.

It’s a place where we sing praises to God in worship. It’s a place where the elderly pass on wisdom to the young. It’s a place where we serve the marginalized and forgotten. It’s a place where the sick and dying find comfort and peace. I’m beginning to realize how much bigger God’s vision is than my own. As I got involved with different ministry settings to help discern where God was calling me, it took me by surprise to realize that I was already serving where God would have me in each of them. Much like my Boy Scout leaders, while on my journey towards ordination, God had been instilling lessons in me on several different levels simultaneously.

As a pastor at Asbury, I will indeed focus on how we can most effectively connect with young adults. But I intend upon doing this by promoting a very ancient idea: “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 John 3:16, NRSV). The good news of Jesus Christ and His love speaks across every generation and every culture.

And I have found sharing that message, no matter the setting, has been the greatest adventure of all. I hope you will join me.

Post Script – Jay also serves as a chaplain with the Oklahoma Army National Guard. He and his wife, Jamye, approach ministry as a shared calling. Jamye is a certified lay servant through the United Methodist Church and also participates in music ministry. They have four children: Jade (11), Jakob (9), and identical twin daughters Jenika and Julliana (7).

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Serving in the Background

By Melissa Renkema

Kristen Fennema is the quintessential example of an unsung hero. She has been a part of Day of Service for three years now and is a valuable asset to the day as a whole.

Kristen has been going to Asbury since she was young, being baptized in 1991. She even met her husband, Gary Fennema, during the Spring Break Mission trip to Guatemala her junior year of high school.

Last year for Day of Service, Kristen was a site leader, jumping in at the last minute to help fill a vacancy. The year before that she helped at registration tables, similar to what she did this year. However, this year she not only helped on the day of registration, but she also was a vital team member during Sunday morning registration and t-shirt hand out days leading up to the Day of Service.

As we talked about serving, Kristen was very quick to state she has “always loved serving in the background.” Kristen looks for ways she can help, but not in the glamorous and obvious ways. While in college, she found herself with some free time on her hands. Kristen reached out to Todd Craig and asked him how she could help. Kristen then spent a good deal of her time helping to organize the accounting side of 2nd Saturday. She used her Excel skills to set up a spreadsheet and blessed our church, even while she was studying at OU. Kristen has a knack for finding ways to use her skills in ministry and this has been beautifully shown in her work for Day of Service.

Kristen’s desire to serve in the background however she is needed expresses the true heart of service. She keeps her perspective Christ-centered, making sure she isn’t looking for perfection or the good story, but is there to truly do what is necessary to help out. She has made a practice of “lowering her expectations and raising her commitment” to the church and to those around her, and it is beautifully shown through her demeanor and heart for others.

Kristen’s favorite part about Day of Service are the connections and friendships she has made from it. She

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most enjoys getting to know new people and learning more about those at her church.

Kristen believes that community works best when there is diversity. She has a hunger for the wisdom that comes from prior generations and always looks to make more of those connections. Kristen loves conversations with different perspectives and knowledge and craves that influence in her life. She loves how intergenerational Asbury is and is ready to meet many more people who she can learn from and grow with.

As Kristen talked about community throughout the church, her love for her neighbor became more and more obvious. She truly sounded like Jesus as she talked about her heart for serving others.

When Jesus was here, His mission was people. He didn’t come to work all the time and build chairs; He didn’t come to fix the environment or even the political strife. Jesus came for the people--the lost, the broken, the hurting. Kristen has followed this example and takes care of people. She knows, at the end of the day, the most important thing is the people around us.

Kristen looks a lot like Jesus. She serves in the background, not needing any recognition. She desires community with everyone, and looks for ways to engage those around her. And she loves radically, feeling extremely blessed to be able to help people in their journey and learning how to step closer to the Father. She truly embodies our mission here of “helping others follow Jesus.”

Kristen is a valuable asset to us and a wonderful disciple. Her work at Day of Service has been irreplaceable, and she plans to continue serving however she can throughout the year.

Her heart is magnificent, and we all can learn many things from her, just as she seeks to learn things from all of us.

Day of Service is designed for people like Kristen to be able to do what they love, and her stories and heart for service are what make the hard work completely worth it.

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Kristen Fennema

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CHILDREN

“Shimowen” – Shimon and Owen!

By Melissa Renkema Family vacations are always an exciting thing, but when you invite God to be a part of it, incredible things are bound to happen. This is exactly what the Ruley family did this July, as the six of them packed up and headed to Israel.

rides, and almost added Egypt to the itinerary since Katie was sure they wouldn’t find anywhere in Israel to do it. But by chance and with great joy, they were able to mark every one of their “to do’s” off the list while they were there.

Greg Ruley, the father of this little clan, grew up Jewish, so it has always been a dream for him and his wife Katie to be able to go to Israel. As time passed, they never quite got the chance, and as their four beautiful kids were born, life got busy. As the kids got older, they were finally able to take the trip to Israel this summer, right before their oldest headed off to college.

The temperature was over 113 degrees, even melting their flip flops, and yet the kids never complained. Katie even said that every morning the kids were up and ready to go, while last year at Disney World they had to drag them out of bed. Every single member got something significant and life-changing on this incredible journey, and Katie loves that her children now have something tangible to always look back to and to lean on as they figure out their faith for themselves.

One of the reasons the family wanted to make this long trek was to have the blessing of being baptized in the Jordan River. This experience was beyond incredible, and all of them spoke with reverence as they remember being baptized in the same river where Jesus Himself was baptized. This was what the family thought would be the highlight of their time in Israel, but God far exceeded their wildest expectations.

As Katie talked about their time away, it was beyond evident that the Lord’s hand was all over this trip. She discussed the favor and grace they found, never feeling unsafe despite the conditions. One example of the kindness and favor the Lord had is store is when they went onto the Mount of Olives and happened upon camel rides! They had been wanting to do camel

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Will, her oldest and a freshman at OU, had one such incredible experience while there. During their trip, they went to the Western Wall. This wall is the only remaining wall that was closest to the old temple, making it the closest standing material to the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies housed the presence of God until Jesus came and the veil tore, releasing the Holy Spirit and the presence of God to live in us. People now congregate there to pray. Will took great initiative to make this encounter as meaningful as possible. He took the time to text all the students in his grade at Asbury, asking for prayer requests. In return, Will received many deep and raw requests from his classmates.

He then wrote out a long prayer including all of them, prayed

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CHILDREN

over it and placed the prayer onto the wall as is tradition. Will was deeply touched by this opportunity and said the thing he learned is how important real and serious prayers are.

The youngest brother, Owen who is 10, also had another story to tell. As I met with Owen to hear about his trip, he excitedly and intellectually began to tell me all about the places they went.

This family had a jam-packed trip and experienced pretty much everything there is in Israel. Owen told me all about their days and what they saw, including all the facts and figures to go along with them.

The thing that impacted Owen, and the entire family, the most was not a thing at all, but a person. Their tour guide, Shimon, is what made their trip so impactful. As they discussed their trip, the conversation always came back to him. Shimon was knowledgeable and insightful. He knew all that was required and more, but what set him over the rest was his love for Jesus.

Shimon loved everything about Jesus and lit up as he got to reveal the ministries of Christ’s time on earth to this family.

Shimon also took a special liking to Owen, giving him special privileges, like taking him out for special lunch every day. The bond that Owen and Shimon found far surpasses any culture and distance barriers, and they continue to regularly talk through email. They even expressed their bond through picking a joint name, “Shimowen.”

There is a far greater reason that the Lord deemed fit for this family to spend their time in Israel with Shimon. He is Jewish and does not necessarily claim Jesus as the Messiah. Greg, a Messianic Jew, and Shimon spent a lot of time discussing Jesus, digging into the identity of the Savior. And sweet Owen declared that he hopes to go back to Israel to spend more time with Shimon so that he can accept that Jesus Christ is the Messiah we were waiting for.

Shimon may not be an official Christian, but he undoubtedly loved Jesus. He taught about Jesus, and sang worship songs to Jesus, and wanted to help other people love Jesus more. Shimon is definitely connected to the Savior, and Katie and Owen assured me that when Jesus returns, Shimon will recognize Him without a second thought.

The bond and love that was formed between their guide Shimon and the Ruley family is beautiful. Their entire trip helped make the Bible come alive, and something has clicked for this family after spending time together in the Holy Land. It is truly incredible what God can do when we invite Him to be a part of every area of our lives.

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LIFECARE

Meet Andrea Stephens, Asbury’s new Coordinator of LifeCare Ministries.

by Andrea Stephens

It would be easy to look at my life as one filled with loss. It started in elementary school when my family was transferred from small-town Fostoria, Ohio, (where my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins lived) to big-town Madison, Wisconsin. This was a good move for my father’s career, which later brought us to Tulsa, but painfully hard on a superskinny, shy fourth grader who wore pink, horn-rimmed glasses and missed her grandma!

Fast-forward several years to high school graduation. All I wanted to do was pursue a modeling career. Obviously I had worked past my shyness. My very wise parents required me to attend college for one year, then I went to NYC and was offered a contract with Wilhelmina Models, Inc. What started out as a dream come true, ended 18 months later when I returned to Tulsa shattered from a brutal industry that left me feeling that everything about my looks and personality were all wrong. I had lost my dream career and my confidence.

Fast-forward. I was married to a pastor, very involved with church ministry, missions, mentoring students and writing books for teen girls. I was also broken-hearted over a very long infertility struggle. I always wanted my own troop of kids to raise up to be little warriors for Jesus. After seven surgeries, that dream was lost, and I remained childless. Not long after that, my older sister who had been my closest friend and had also struggled with infertility, conceived and gave birth to an adorable little girl. Each day following her birth, my sister felt worse and worse. Six days later, she died from a raging infection. I was in shock. I couldn’t understand what God was doing and had to work through a crisis of faith while I grieved the loss of the one person I could always talk to.

The next big loss came just four years ago. After several years of painful situations in ministry, my husband of 30 years announced he was leaving the ministry, leaving our marriage, and going away to live the last quarter of his life differently. Our marriage had not been an easy one, but I never imagined being discarded. I found myself alone, without income or health insurance, and needing to move from Florida back to Tulsa to be with family. A year-and-half later, I had a new identify I never wanted—divorced.

So a person could look at my life as one with loss after loss.

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Yet to have this perspective might cause us to miss an absolute truth: From every loss there is a gain when you put it in Jesus’ hands. He is the One who works all things together for our good and for His glory when we commit to loving Him in spite of the storms of life that come our way. I’ve grown to see Him as the Master Designer who takes the broken pieces of our lives, arranges them into a beautiful pattern, and binds them together with His healing balm—like a stained-glass window. When the light of His faithfulness and love shine through, the colors are vibrant and life-giving.

Let me share the gains, the unique ways the Lord has taken my heartaches and turned them to good for His glory (Romans 8:28). One of the reasons chasing a modeling career was so disappointing to me is that I realized having my face on an advertisement or walking a runway in some funky designer clothes was very empty. I wanted my life to count for more than that. I wanted to help people. I wanted to make a difference for the Lord.

Soon after my return from The Big Apple, the Lord led me to attend a Bible training program. I discovered the purpose for which I was created—to share the love of God and the gospel of Jesus. He gave me a burden for teen girls who emulated models, actors and entertainers. I wanted them to realize that real beauty is not about what you look like on the outside, it is all about the inside—the heart! From this came a ministry to teen girls that included creating a message specifically written for them: In Christ, You Are a B.A.B.E., which is an acronym for “Beautiful, Accepted, Blessed, and Eternally” significant.

The Lord gave me the opportunity to present this theme through seminars and the publication of 16 books. This led to the opportunity to become a columnist for BRIO Magazine, a Focus on the Family publication.

The infertility struggle had a huge impact on my spiritual life.

The Lord used it to teach me that I am not in control of my life.

He is. He is Lord. He is Sovereign. He changed a self-focused heart into one that was willing to surrender and trust Him—no matter what. One way He filled my desire for kids was through teaching etiquette classes to hundreds of children, something I still do. This has been a way for me come alongside parents who want their children to have good manners and a considerate heart. I always enjoy the laughter that fills my home while learning to fold napkins or create a thank-you note.

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Though I will never understand the death of my sister this side of heaven, the Lord used it to teach me two important things.

First, to value my family and others by being intentional about developing closer relationships with them, always walk in love and forgiveness, and see them as a gift from Him. Second, as I dug into the Scriptures asking the Lord to give me His perspective on death, I discovered that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His loved ones (Psalm 116:15) and that in the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). There is one appointed time for us to pass from this life into the next (Ecclesiastes 3:2) and that no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand (John 10:28). These truths helped me work through my grief.

And the divorce? It drove me to my knees seeking God on what to do next. I’m grateful that nothing takes Him by surprise, that He never wastes a hurt, and that He always has a plan. I soon sensed God leading me to further my education so I could serve Him full time in church ministry and was drawn to the master of divinity degree with an emphasis in pastoral care and chaplaincy. I felt God was going to change my focus away to helping people through the heartaches of life, in other words, life care. I earned my M.Div. in May of this year.

I have been a member of Asbury for three years, involved in communion, 2nd Saturday and Discipleship, and now as Coordinator of LifeCare.

God is faithful. He is true to His Word. He makes all things work together for our good and His glory as we continue to love and trust Him through all that life brings our way. Together we can weather the storms and share the joys of life.

Andrea Stephens

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CHILDREN

Two Thumbs Up

By Lisa Witcher

Will Cunningham

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CHILDREN

“God can make you breathe under water if [he wants to].

He can make Jesus walk on water; – we can’t, but a basilisk lizard can-” and the sweetest 7-year-old rolled his eyes before making his black mamba Lego creation fire another plastic torpedo.

When you are 7, the world holds so much to explore and Will Cunningham is up to the challenge. Eager to share the book he wrote, Will confidently flipped through the pages of his story explaining the plot and celebrating the original illustrations by his twin sister Lindsey. Immediately, his crystal blue eyes danced beneath the boyish waves of his sandy blonde hair. As quickly as he made the book appear, he and it are off again, leaving the dining room table for another treasure to share. He returned with a book about everything and proceeded to show me the interesting facts and the word play within its pages. Nothing gets by this kid.

His teacher often remarks that she loves Will’s sweet spirit, one that exudes empathy for others in his classroom. An artist, an avid reader, and an inquisitive thinker, Will enjoys the Oklahoma State Cowboys and being a brother to his sister, Lindsey. He can tell a story with his eyes as well as any author.

Between books and Legos and meeting his dog, Max, Will also shared his story about Jesus.

As a 6-year old, Will attended Vacation Bible School at Asbury last summer. He likes VBS because “all of his friends get to come back to church.” The music, the games, the crafts all rank with meaningful memories and a careful nod of his smart little head. He paused ever so slightly as a memory captured the table. Laughter moved across his blue eyes as he relayed a memory about him and his friends at church. It may or may not have involved eating donuts they had thrown that may or may not have landed in the trash can. Oh, to be a 7-year-old boy! However, in the midst of donuts and all, Jesus gained another forever friend at VBS last summer when Will asked Christ to come live in his heart.

Eventually in our conversation, his mother, Anne, and I caught a glimpse of this smart, creative young man’s serious thinking. When asked about Jesus, Will replied, “I thought God was special; He let Jesus come down from the heavens, and Jesus had power to revive someone from the dead – I just think that’s really good.”

Making a decision to follow Christ is important at any age.

When we asked Will how having Jesus with him made him feel, he gave us two thumbs up.

Sometimes the simplest gestures speak the loudest truths; as natural as if his mother had just said she was making his favorite dish for dinner, Will’s organic, albeit non-verbal response, spoke volumes – two thumbs up for Jesus.

He and his sister read Bible stories nightly with their parents before saying prayers making Jesus as much a part of the household as the beloved dog, Max. Jesus is not something special on a shelf, but Someone as attainable as the Legos and the books, that a little heart can just run and go get.

Will, a slight young man who is one the verge of being all arms and legs, loves the story of Jesus’ birth calling him the “King of all the Heavens.” He shared a big word the morning of our visit with his mom after he built a wall at which his catapults could propel objects – “impenetrable.”

Anne marveled at such an adult word coming from such a little guy. However, it compliments Will’s favorite song, “All things are possible with God” as His love for us is just that – impenetrable.

We asked him about being Jesus’ forever friend and Will matter-of-factly answered, “I think it’s a good thing to do.” In fact, Will thought Pastor Tom needed to know immediately about his decision and asked to speak with Tom. We adults sometimes ask the silliest questions, but I did want to know what Will thought about his discussion with Pastor Tom. So, I asked. Will paused ever so slightly before giving me multiple thumbs up and many nods of the his ever-thoughtful young head. I mean, it’s Pastor Tom – does the answer really require words? Will’s sincerity brought smiles to his mamma’s face and mine.

“What’s one cool thing about Jesus, Will?”

“Jesus has a brother who wrote a piece in the Bible, and it said, ‘Don’t play favorites. Don’t judge people by their looks.’” James, Christ’s brother, was a pretty smart guy, but I do believe Master Will is ready to give him a run for his money. Will goes to school with children of different faiths from his; however, Will believes “Jesus would want us to be kind no matter what.”

By the way, I had to Google the basilisk lizard – the one that can walk on water even though we humans cannot that young Will mentioned in the first five minutes of our new friendship. Such a smart kid. He loves the challenge of learning and already is wise enough to offer a simple answer to a complicated question – “Jesus would want us to be kind no matter what.”

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INTERNATIONAL

International Worship – Here at Asbury!

By Brian Wortham

Stephen and Ivonne Romero

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TIDINGS FALL 2017

INTERNATIONAL

A few months ago, Pastor Tom read a list of almost 30 countries people have journeyed from to make Asbury and Tulsa their home...how amazing is that!

Stephen and Ivonne Romero are one of those families. Both grew up Lima, Peru, active in their faith and churches.

Stephen’s dad was the senior pastor of a large church that had grown to more than 2,000 members while he also served as the president of the Peruvian Council of Churches where he worked with church leaders across denominations.

As the church grew, it founded one of the larger and more prominent seminaries in Peru. Ivonne studied at the seminary; after the two met, they were soon married in the church and began ministry together.

and one in Howe. As they worked, mentors around them counseled them to come to Asbury. Stephen says, “I never planned to be a pastor, but I keep finding myself in ministry positions! The Lord was using us in pastoral capacities as we supported the ministries with which we worked.”

A few years ago, the Romeros and Pastor Dick Read started a conversation about what an international ministry might look like at Asbury. “We knew this needed to be more than a Hispanic ministry. We have so many internationals at Asbury and so many more in Tulsa! We have helped pull together the beginnings of an International Fellowship at Asbury. It’s goal is to help connect people from different parts of the globe to encourage one another in their faith and lives and provide support in what can Perhaps you cannot sometimes be a lonely transition.”

In June of 1999, the Romero family came to Tulsa to study English, pastoral leadership and worship. go overseas or speak “When we arrived in the USA with “Every believer is a missionary in another language, our two children (then 4-years old the sphere of influence where God and 5-months old), we didn’t know but you can be part of has placed them. Tulsa is a mission anything about the culture or what We are seeing the fulfillment of reaching the nations as field. it took to live here. A Filipino pastor prophecy of pastors who said that the shared his experiences with us of United States would one day have to they come to Tulsa. coming to the United States, and be re-evangelized. The Lord spoke to we soon found ourselves involved us that the time is now. Perhaps you with people from over 70 different cannot go overseas or speak another countries and cultures!” It was this group that helped them language, but you can be part of reaching the nations get settled and find the things and places they needed, as they come to Tulsa. There are students, families and everything from the supermarket to the driver’s license business professionals who are making Tulsa their home.” office. During this time, the Romeros worked to develop outreach to internationals in Tulsa. “We began to see that If you are someone that has come from another country an opportunity existed in this area to reach out to others, or is connected to another country, Stephen and Ivonne through the church, to meet the international people would welcome you contacting them. “Reaching out to at their point of need. Imagine how it must feel to be a the international community is a mission field we can be student arriving in Tulsa with only two bags of luggage, a in the middle of now.” With the emerging International small amount of clothes!”

Fellowship, there are easy ways to connect monthly and quarterly for anyone wanting to know more. Contact In 2014, God opened the door for Stephen to pastor two Stephen Romero at sjromero.gomez@gmail.com or go to Methodist congregations in Oklahoma, one in Heavener Facebook and search “Asbury International Fellowship.”

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Modeling Christian Commitment

By Cheryl Wood

Every Sunday, the bulletins are ready to be handed out by a greeter welcoming people attending one of Asbury’s services. The offering plates are in place to collect gifts and tithes, allowing the church to impact our community and world. The shuttles are running, bringing those parked on the perimeters of the church’s property to the building.

While it might seem that these things just happen or fall

into place, much work has gone into ensuring that these familiar aspects of a typical Sunday are there as we gather.

The Fletcher family is a big part of that. Self-described as “quiet,” preferring to work behind the scenes, they have found a perfect fit and sense of belonging through volunteering in Guest Services.

Ron and Tuesdye Fletcher with Dalton

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TIDINGS FALL 2017

GLOBAL OUTREACH

Ron and Tuesdye Fletcher have worked in a number of roles in Guest Services and other areas at church. Their son Dalton, a sophomore at Broken Arrow, has served alongside them for as long as he can remember, and is also part of the Guest Services team. On Alpha weeks, Ron volunteers as Host Team Captain for the 9:15 service. He is the go-to person if volunteer hosts need anything during that service. On Omega weeks, Ron serves as Shuttle Team Captain for the 11 am service. He recruited Tuesdye to join him as a host shortly after he moved into the position as captain of that team. Dalton spent most Sundays by his mom’s side as she passed out bulletins and greeted people entering the S anctuary. People got to know him from a young age and asked about him when he wasn’t there. Then one Sunday, Ron was short-handed on volunteers and asked Dalton to not simply stand by and watch but become a host himself.

Ron grew up in a family that was very involved in a Methodist church in St. Louis. He watched his dad serve and became a volunteer himself while quite young. His mom’s death when he was just 11 was pivotal for him, causing him to really turn to God. Tuesdye did not grow up in church with her family. However, she was invited to a crusade by a friend when she was in 6th grade. It was there that she committed her life to Christ. From that day, she attended church with her friend’s family and watched them give of their time. When she had a family of her own, she was determined it would look like this family who modeled Christian commitment and servanthood. She never forgot that desire to have a family who was close to God and involved in church. Moving to Tulsa from OKC shortly after they were married, they made finding a church top priority.

Someone told them about Asbury, and they had heard Tom’s “Perceptions” radio program. That seemed like a good place to start. As it turns out, that was not only the start of their search, but the end as well. Asbury felt like a fit.

One of the reasons they liked Asbury was because of its size.

They could jump right in or take a “fly on the wall” approach.

Attendance at first was “hit or miss,” but upon becoming members in 2004 Tuesdye was ready to jump in and began volunteering in the nursery (which she still does twice a month). Ron was asked shortly afterwards if he would help with communion. In the process of ushering rows to partake of the elements, he sent people the wrong way and caused something of a traffic jam in the aisle. He thought they would not want him to help again, but Ron was asked to become a Communion Team Captain, and so began this family’s

deeper involvement in the life of the church.

Today Dalton is actually part of the church staff, arriving at 7:30 am each Sunday to work as assistant to Lauren Brown (Asbury’s Guest Services Coordinator). He makes sure that volunteers have the needed supplies and helps clean up after services. Like his parents, Dalton’s favorite aspect of Guest Services is meeting a variety of people.

Volunteers in this area range from 15 years old to almost 90! Dalton does not consider himself outgoing, but he uses that quiet temperament to identify with new people attending for the first time, trying to interact with them in a way that makes them feel comfortable in a large setting that can seem overwhelming. During Lauren’s absence while she and her husband led a missions team to Tanzania, Dalton took on the additional role of heading up the pre-service meetings for all the volunteer team captains. This was quite an accomplishment for the boy who tried to climb out of the door of the nursery in his early days at Asbury!

Their habit of regular involvement makes them feel like they are part of a family here. This family is made up of friendships with other volunteers as well as with the pastors and staff with whom they interact at church.

Recently, they experienced a difficult family situation but knew right away they could turn to Lauren Brown for care and resources. They’ve learned from years of serving alongside Lauren that she and the pastoral staff would be a source of needed help and comfort. As hosts, they realize that people walk through Asbury’s doors with weights and burdens on their shoulders. They try to keep this in mind as they welcome and greet each person. It was a blessing when they themselves were the recipients of this kind of care. This was just one great reason they were glad they decided all those years ago to jump in instead of maintaining a “fly on the wall” status.

When asked what they would say to that person who still feels new or uninvolved at Asbury, Tuesdye answered, “You don’t really feel connected until you get involved.”

For her, Guest Services has been a tremendous place to get connected and involved. Ron encourages people to take that first step. In fact, he is actually looking for more ways to get involved. What would motivate someone who is already volunteering to want to do more? Perhaps it is because the Fletcher’s goal is the same as Asbury’s itself... helping others follow Christ.

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CHILDREN

“I Received My Own Copy of the Word of God!”

By Kristi Ferguson

Through the wide blue eyes of a 9-year old child, walking down the aisle to the front of the church, stomach full of butterflies, yet feeling incredibly special to be receiving this most precious gift, I was amazed to realize I was receiving my very own Bible. I remember feeling the front cover with my fingertips, gently opening my Bible to the first page, and hearing the crackling as I turned the new page. There it was, in plain sight, but yet, I still stopped and stared at it for a minute. It was my name! The pastor had even signed it! Wow! I couldn’t believe it was my very own.

I no longer had to use the church Bibles. I had my very own to keep forever.

This precious gift has been through 26 years of major life events and milestones. It has stayed by my side through accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. It has been my rock through at least 10 moves in three states, a

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marriage to my high school sweetheart, four beautiful children, church services (more than I can count), and Sunday school classes. It remains and always will be the most precious physical gift I could have ever received from my church.

Three out of my four children are now able to enjoy this precious gift; and in two years, my last baby will join them.

I cannot wait to hear their stories 26 years from now about how their precious Bibles have been by their sides! Thank you, Asbury and Pastor Tom Harrison! I cannot fully express how amazing these gifts have been for my family. I can only imagine how many other lives have been touched by the thousands of Bibles you have handed out over the years to children who have also been wide-eyed, nervous, yet felt incredibly special to receive their precious gifts!

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STUDENTS

UMM and UMW Scholarship Recipients UMW Scholarship Recipient, Riley McElwain My name is Riley McElwain, I have been attending Asbury my entire life. I have been through baptism, confirmation, small groups, Bible studies, retreats, Vacation Bible School, mission trips and graduation while at Asbury. I have a lot of memories associated with being a part of this beautiful church. Some of my favorite memories have to be through my mission trips and small groups. Crazy, beautiful things have happened through these opportunities. I have seen the Holy Spirit present countless times while on the Asbury youth mission trips. I would have to say one of my favorite Holy Spirit moments was on our last mission trip to Guatemala. It was one of our last nights in Guatemala, and our college leader Dave Read had a beautiful message about how God is not just placing us at college to get an education but also to spread the gospel with people on our campus. We need to make a choice to say yes to Jesus and continue to faithfully serve him while in college. That is the moment I decided that I wanted my college town to be my mission field. My small group is something else that was very special to me.

It was a great place to grow in my faith and be supported by some other amazing girls.

When I received the United Methodist Women scholarship, I was overwhelmed with how grateful I was for this opportunity because of the godly girls that have either applied for or received this award before me. This scholarship has encouraged me to actively pursue ministry at Oklahoma State. I will be majoring in human development family services with the option of child and family services. I am pursuing this major because of the experiences I had with Spring Break Missions and some of the personal challenges I have faced. I have a desire to help families and children during a time of need. I want to thank Asbury and the United Methodist Women group for their constant love and support.

UMM Recipient Blake Broadhurst Hello, my name is Blake Broadhurst, and I am a freshman at Oklahoma State University. I am majoring in sports media and plan to graduate in Spring of 2021. I have been extremely blessed with the the countless opportunities Asbury has provided me. I first started to attend Asbury when I was only 5 years old when I was in kindergarten. Asbury started blessing me early by allowing me to attend VBS every single summer, first as a child, then as a teen volunteer. My life truly changed when I had the opportunity to attend every single Spring Break Mission trip provided by our youth program. I was able to be a part of amazing mission trips to places as far away as Guatemala, Belize, and Jamaica, as well as places closer like Houston. The amount of good work done as well as spiritual improvement truly changed my life for good.

Through Asbury, I have found my passion for missions and international evangelism. This summer, I was able to go on a 10-day mission to Parnu, Estonia.

This trip blessed me in numerous ways through serious spiritual experiences as well as giving me a passion for the entire country. Through Asbury’s wonderful opportunities and staff, I was able to become the man I am today. My spiritual walk has been encouraged and cultivated through the youth leaders in Asbury as well as the adult ministry pouring so much into the youth. It has prepared me to walk into a university and know the real reason that I am there is to spread the gospel. I hope to make a difference in those lives I come into contact with just as Asbury made a difference in my life.

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STUDENTS

Maddie Barnes

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TIDINGS FALL 2017

STUDENTS

Shoot Your Arrow

By Katelyn Moore

Senior Maddison Barnes has been a volunteer in AsburyKids since the seventh grade. “I got involved as soon as I possibly could. I knew they would let me start volunteering in seventh grade, so I’ve been doing it literally two Sundays a month since then.”

absorb a lot, but they really do. It’s cool to be teaching the lesson and have one of them respond with the right answer.

You just know that what you’re teaching them, they’re actually paying attention to.”

Sometimes they don’t even need to know the verse to engage in memory work. Maddie tells me her favorite story: “One time there was a kid visiting and we were reciting our memory verse. In unison, the class says, ‘You have made everything beautiful…’ and the kid In unison, the class goes, ‘Like pizza!’ And you know, don’t want to shut a kid down, so says, ‘You have made you I was like, ‘YES!’ I mean, God kind everything beautiful…’ of made pizza too. The kid wasn’t wrong.” and the kid goes,

Maddie and I are sitting at dinner on a Wednesday night before student programming starts. She is super involved in high school ministry, so I’ve had the honor to invest in her life over the last three years.

Maddie is passionate about a lot of things. I would be willing to bet that her top three in order are (1) her Shorkie puppy Hollice, (2) her family, and (3) all things fall. But I can also ‘Like pizza!’ tell you that Maddie is the most Sitting across the table from Maddie, passionate about children’s ministry.

I almost emulate her reaction.

Her heart for serving in AsburyKids YES! That’s the secret to ministry! is authentic and beautiful. She Someone once told me that in recently confessed to me that she may be feeling God call ministry, you shoot your arrow. Whatever you hit, draw her into children’s ministry as a vocation. Amidst my a target around it and celebrate it. I tell Maddie that when squeals of excitement, Maddie told me how grateful she is you work in ministry, any win is a win. You celebrate the for the experience she’s gained by working here. big wins, and you celebrate the little wins too.

“I feel like I wouldn’t have really known that I wanted to do anything with kids if it wasn’t for interning on Sunday mornings, or being given the chance to lead big group throughout August. If Asbury wouldn’t have let teens volunteer, I seriously don’t think that I would’ve known that I want to be a children’s minister, or a teacher, or anything like that.”

It’s not so much the “ready, fire, aim” mentality, as it is the “ready, fire, claim” mentality. Let’s claim the moment a child understands that God made pizza, because God first made the world. And let’s claim the moment a high school senior feels a tug on her heart to dedicate her life to ministry for the Kingdom of God, because the Kingdom belongs to such as these.

I have watched Maddie’s heart for ministry grow deeper every year, along with her skills. She says her favorite part is watching the kids understand more about God; her eyes light up when she talks about it. “You don’t think they

Are you so caught up in hitting a target that you’ve stopped shooting your arrow? Maddie gets it, and she’s going for it.

Let’s follow her lead.

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STUDENTS

Kaylynn (seated) and Sami Ward

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TIDINGS FALL 2017

STUDENTS

Helping Kids Follow Jesus

By Melissa Renkema Holistic discipleship is key for spiritual growth, and a perfect example of that are the lives and stories of Kaylynn and Sami Ward. You can see their love for one another as they joked and laughed and smiled together. Kaylynn is two years older than Sami, but they claim that they are basically twins.

Kaylynn, a college freshman, has been volunteering in children’s ministry for six years and Sami, a 10th grader, has volunteered for three years. Although they both work along with volunteering, they choose to spend any free time serving children. Both girls have always loved serving, and have experienced great growth through it, but it didn’t necessarily happen overnight.

Kaylynn has recently begun to help teach and direct other volunteers, something that you would never have suspected from this sweet girl a few years prior. Kaylynn used to be extremely shy and quiet, hoping to blend into the background. She struggled with self-worth for years and had very little confidence. She didn’t feel she was good enough, but with her head down she continued to serve because she loves kids.

Through mission trips and retreats, learning more about Jesus, Kaylynn began to blossom. Her favorite times with Jesus are quiet times in the mornings and small groups. In her senior year of high school, she really began to learn to love herself, and this transformation did not go unnoticed.

Watching Kaylynn transform has been a blessing. She went from shy and unsure to knowing her value and being a leader.

She readily admits now that she is fully confident to pursue her passions of being a children’s pastor. She is ready for whatever life may bring, but it didn’t happen in a moment. Kaylynn has put years into her relationship with Jesus. Many people have spoken life into Kaylynn, and she relishes the encouragement from those around her. As she learned her worth through Bible study and fellowship, her serving has been enhanced and strengthened.

The transformation in Kaylynn’s life has also made her a leader in her family, something that Sami has encountered. Sami saw the connection Kaylynn had with kids, how they would remember her and want to spend time with her, and figured she could do the same. Because of Kaylynn’s example, Sami began to volunteer as well.

Sami’s favorite part about serving is leading worship. She loves to be able to get on stage, teaching the students what real and authentic worship is. Sami is not concerned about how the music sounds, or how they look. She genuinely chases after the presence of the Lord in worship and hopes to teach the students that same passion, making her an outstanding leader. She wants to lead worship for children’s ministry for many years and possibly make it her career.

Sami finds strength in her sister’s growth. Her sister’s leadership and confidence has inspired Sami to pursue such things herself.

Her favorite time of growth is in one-on-one discipleship, and she often finds that with her sister. The way these two spur one another on is a wonderful example of discipleship. Kaylynn and Sami’s growth has inspired others and helped teach the children of our church.

Both Ward sisters have beautiful hearts for children’s ministry.

Kaylynn focuses on how she can “be Jesus for the kids,” and Sami focuses on how she can get Jesus into the kids through worship. It is evident both these girls are impacting lives.

As they discussed their hearts for serving and teaching kids, one verse stuck out as a theme for both. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) Kaylynn and Sami have both clung to this verse over the years and desire all the kiddos at Asbury to understand it. Just because these sisters are young does not mean they can’t make an impact, and just because their students are younger doesn’t minimize their impact as well.

The kids at Asbury are our future, and we have wonderful people investing in them. Both Kaylynn and Sami lead by example and are excellent models for living out their faith. They describe their time with kids as “little pieces of Heaven.” Through their time in children’s ministry, the biggest thing they have learned is that we need to start living for Christ now. The Christian life isn’t about just going to church. The Ward sisters are making disciples by helping the kids follow Jesus everywhere they go.

We are truly blessed to have Kaylynn and Sami spend time with our children. The world will never be the same.

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STUDENTS

Forgiving Yourself and Receiving God’s Forgiveness

By Lucienda Denson

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

–1 Corinthians 12:11, New King James Version

The oft-quoted verse has gained more meaning for Gabriel Bryan.

He’s 18, and is experiencing that transition. This past year was one of change for him.

Gabriel, who goes by Gabe, graduated from high school, began making decisions about preparation for the rest of his life, and had a life-altering experience while on a Spring Break Mission trip to Guatemala.

Church has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember.

His parents, Jeremy and Kelley Bryan, are regular churchgoers. For several years, they were members of Heritage United Methodist Church in Broken Arrow. The church was under the direction of the Rev. David Daniel during most of that time.

Daniel and Gabe became close. Even though Daniel has now been assigned to another church, the two stay in touch.

“His and his wife Ginger’s twins were born on my birthday,” Gabe said. He believes his ongoing association with Daniel testifies to how important the relationship of pastors and younger churchgoers can be.

When the family moved to Coweta, they joined a local church.

The family, which includes an older sister, Zoe, moved their membership to Asbury eight years ago when Gabe was in fourth grade. “My parents weren’t unhappy with their church,” he explained. There was simply not an age-appropriate class for them.

The transfer of membership to Asbury opened up opportunities for Gabe to participate in the church’s student ministry. Although a part of the student ministry team, he doesn’t consider himself a leader. He played sports in school, including football, but in his junior year, decided to not to continue with the team. His “team” affiliation is now participating in the sports programs with Asbury’s students.

One of the things he encourages youth at Asbury to do is go on mission trips. There are many reasons to go on mission trips, he said. One thing in particular that has impacted Gabe is seeing how people in other countries live.

“Every one (of the trips) has left a different impact on me.” His trips have included Houston, Kentucky, Jamaica, Belize and Guatemala.

He has seen poverty and need in all the places, but the biggest surprise for him was finding surprising levels of need in the United States, including not having enough to eat.

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Gabe will always view this year’s mission trip to Guatemala as a pivotal point in his life.

One of the most significant, and difficult, phases in beginning his passage from boy to man has been learning self forgiveness. “I was hanging out with the wrong people. I had some bad habits. I was partying too much and drinking some,” he said. With that environment also came the danger of getting into trouble. He made some hard decisions and decided to commit himself to a different path.

But there was a problem. He knew he was right to make the transition, but he was having trouble forgiving himself for what he considered unacceptable choices. “Self forgiveness is hard,” he said.

In spring 2017, the trip was to Guatemala. Shortly after arriving, he was approached by a girl he knew, Nina Kazarian. She was a little older. “She said I have some words for you,” Gabe said.

They talked, and “she shared some pretty hard wisdom.” Soon afterward, he publically committed his life to Christ. He said he now fully believes that Christ did die for his sins, that He is the only Son of God, and that He will return. Through Him, believers are given forgiveness of sins. “I’m saved,” Gabe said. The experience has helped Gabe finally forgive himself, and move forward in his life.

Gabe said he realizes he is just beginning his journey from boy to man. He’s aware that it’s a transition that is life-changing, and he will have challenges along the way. But his commitment to follow Christ in Guatemala is making that transition easier. He looks forward to attending the University of Oklahoma and plans a career that involves sports. While in high school, he was able to do some broadcast interviews along with some videos.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said. He added he was good at it, which are two good reasons to consider it as a career choice.

Gabe plans to stay active in Asbury’s student programs. By interacting with younger participants, he believes he can make a difference in their lives. He has his own earlier role models to use as a guide.

Some of his self-imposed rules are to tell young participants things using words and phrases they understand. “Talk to them on their level,” he said. “And always remember to be positive, and not tear them down.”

TIDINGS FALL 2017

STUDENTS

Gabe Bryan

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LIFECARE

Kelly Dudney’s Stephen Ministry Journey with Lindsey Beeghly

By Andrea Stephens For 16 of the 27 years that Kelly Dudney has been a member of Asbury, she has served in a ministry that has impacted the lives of many individuals dealing with things like grief, a difficult marriage, a stressful job situation, being a single mom, financial troubles, facing a health issue or terminal condition, balancing the demands of life, loneliness and other life difficulties. Kelly has been there to listen, encourage, love and pray. She has helped people move through their struggles by trusting the Lord and seeking Him as their source and forever friend who loves and empowers them to move forward.

Kelly is a Stephen Minister.

Stephen Ministers are Asbury members who have gone through 50 hours of training to provide one-toone, Christ-centered care. They are volunteers who are available for those needing to talk to someone other than a family member or a personal friend, someone who offers a nonjudgmental listening ear coupled with a caring heart. Someone who is not there to give advice nor to offer platitudes like it is what it is, this too shall pass, or just suck it up and get over it. Someone who is OK with the expression of tears or fears, anger or frustration. Someone who honors confidentiality and the value of creating a safe place. This is a Stephen Minister.

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Kelly Dudney (left) and Lindsey Beeghly

TIDINGS FALL 2017

LIFECARE

What drew Kelly to this ministry? “I was so impressed with the purpose of Stephen Ministry. It is about giving care to another person; walking alongside him/her to give strength and encouragement to help that person get through a tough time.” Kelly has been the recipient of this kind of care. After having kids and several major surgeries, she had friends and family bring meals, water her plants, walk the dog or come for a visit. “I so appreciated these acts of love and service and through these examples have been able to provide strength and encouragement in Stephen Ministry. Then my best friend recently sent me a cool book called ‘Alongside: A Practical Guide for Loving Your Neighbor in Their Time of Trial’ by Sarah Beckman. Everyone should read this book!”

For Kelly, coming alongside someone is a response to God’s love given to her through others.

anything without being judged. She had a huge impact on my life.” Lindsey found Kelly to be the one person she didn’t have to be strong with—she could be honest with her struggle and allow her emotions to be raw and shared.

Kelly most recently was paired with Lindsey Beeghly. “It was definitely God’s plan that Lindsey and I were placed together. I was just wrapping up with another carereceiver when a friend called to tell me about a precious young woman named Lindsey. At the same time, Lindsey heard about Stephen Ministry and was going through the application and interview process, and we were matched. I had no idea my life was going to be so blessed by her.”

Kelly watched as Lindsey’s relationship with the Lord weathered the storm of anger and unanswered questions.

“Sometimes she struggled with the Lord’s plan for her life and was simply angry at the Lord for the situation at hand. We prayed through each struggle and asked for God’s guidance.”

Over time, Kelly got to witness Lindsey grow into a joyous and peaceful young woman and enjoy a really neat relationship with her Heavenly Father. Whether they were meeting in the Asbury Prayer Room or lacing up their shoes to go walking, their weekly talks were a positive factor in Lindsey’s ability to move forward trusting God with each step.

Lindsey was experiencing what most young wives rarely ever think about. At age 33, she was a widow. Lindsey and Eric met at the wedding of a mutual friend. Once Eric gathered up the courage to ask her to dance, their love story began. For over nine years, they built a deep bond while sharing the ups and downs of their careers, volunteering at sporting events for kids and spending time with family, friends and their two black Labs.

Lindsey and Eric dreamed of the day they would start their family and grow old together. During their ninth year of marriage, Lindsey and Eric experienced the discouragement of infertility and Eric’s job loss. These, coupled with the everyday stressors of life, began to take a toll on each of them. These trials began a journey they never expected. Eric became overcome with depression and anxiety and chose drinking to cope with these day-to-day emotions. Despite his efforts and positivity, his months of destructive choices caught up with him. He was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital on a Tuesday and passed away on Friday evening, three days later.

Kelly had never worked with someone in Lindsey’s situation.

Eric had passed away only eight weeks prior to their first meeting; Lindsey’s pain was still very fresh. Even though she was well trained, Kelly said she was on her knees asking for the Lord’s guidance before every session.

Lindsey found Kelly to be just who she needed. “Kelly was a mentor and a friend—someone I could talk to about

At first, Lindsey tried to zip through her grief by staying very busy—almost hoping it would go away. She poured herself into her work and volunteer activities. But Kelly encouraged her to slow down, to allow herself to feel her pain to fully heal her broken heart. “She needed to walk through the process of grief and trust God’s timing.” And Kelly was there to help her by listening, praying and loving on her. “We prayed about many things like God showing her the need to tackle her grief little by little and helping her to see which activities in her life needed to stay or go.”

Stephen Ministers are often called the AFTER people.

They are there after a relationship falls apart, after a layoff, after a new baby arrives, after a diagnosis, after a move to a nursing home, after the last child moves away, after a funeral when everyone has left and the emotions held at bay come crashing down. This was Kelly’s role in Lindsey’s life.

Stephen Ministry has enriched the lives of many care-givers and care-receivers. Perhaps it might enrich your life as well.

Have you ever been a caring friend who listened? Or, have you experienced having a caring friend who took the time to hear your heart? We would like to talk with you about becoming a Stephen Minister. Call 918.392.1183 to learn more about our confidential, one-to-one Christian care ministry.

If you are dealing with life’s difficulties and need to talk, call 918.392.1183 to leave a confidential message requesting a Stephen Minister. We have someone who wants to support and encourage you!

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PASTORAL

Birthday Calls

By Pastor Tom Harrison Soon after returning from the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in May of 2008, I somehow found a list of every Asbury member’s birth dates. I called someone I knew and wished them “Happy Birthday.” The random call was so enjoyable that I called someone else on the list with the same result. I called everyone on the list that day. I got a list for the next day’s birthdays and again called everyone. I’ve been calling Asbury members ever since.

Today I spoke with Barry Ewy and learned he is the C.E.O. of “Blessings International.” This mission agency provides the medicine given to people who are served on mission trips. I told Barry, “Of course there is that need!” But I’d never thought of how medicine gets to the people who need it most.

Yesterday, I spoke with Mary Jane Harper. She was our U.M.W. President when we came to Tulsa in 1993. She and her husband, John, moved to the Chicago area. He went to be with the Lord four years ago. Mary Jane moved back to Tulsa this past year.

We got to visit on her birthday.

• My calling list begins when someone turns 30 (other pastors call younger adults).

• I seldom call if people have not attended or given in the past year. I don’t want a birthday call to be perceived as scolding them for not attending. However, I always try to reach those who are homebound or unable to come to church for physical reasons. These are often some of my most meaningful calls.

Increasingly, I leave more voice messages because people don’t answer. Of today’s 13 calls, I left five voice messages (that’s far better than average).

I make about 250-300 calls per month. When I’m out of office, another pastor will make the calls. It takes about an hour a day to make the calls.

• Birthday calls link names and faces (this is a huge reason that I like for people to get their pictures made – if we don’t have your picture then you will be “name only” to most of our pastors and staff).

I have felt badly when some of our pastors make calls when I’m out of office and they hear an Asbury member ask, “Why isn’t Tom calling me?” That’s not affirming if you’re another pastor. I wish people would be more sensitive.

• Birthday calls provide helpful information. I’ve made many corrections about our folks. Sometimes people ask me questions (about all kinds of things). They know they have my full attention.

This has been a source of joy for me through the years. Here’s a good way to end. On John’s “April Fools” birthday in 2009, this lawyer asked if our oldest son, Josh, who was graduating from law school in May, had a job. He did not. John mentioned his nephew was looking for a lawyer. Josh called Jason, and he got the job that has totally changed his life. If nothing good ever came from another phone call, that one made the thousands of hours I’ve spent making these calls worthwhile.

• These are opportunities for me to honor people by saying, “thank you!” And “we care about you.”

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• There usually seems to be at least one person I really needed to talk to that day. I pray for discernment and wisdom in these conversations.

TIDINGS FALL 2017

ADULTS

The Tractor Man

by John C. Westervelt

You may have never seen the Tractor Man, but he has roamed the Asbury properties along south Mingo since the day they were purchased.

The Tractor Man’s story began in 1934 in the middle of the Great Depression on a farm near Watonga, Oklahoma, where a healthy boy was born and given the name Mel. Mel Pearson grew up working the land in western Oklahoma.

He graduated in veterinary medicine from Oklahoma State University. Mel and Mary were married when Mel was a first-year veterinary student. While Mel was in school, Mary worked at the Agricultural Extension Service.

The hard work of the farm carried over into Mel’s veterinary practice. After Mel retired, Mary told me how nice it was to have Mel home all morning on Christmas, for you see, he wouldn’t ask his employees to check the dogs and cats on Christmas day, so he checked on the animals himself.

I tell you about Mel’s work habits to help you better understand why God chose him to be the Tractor Man. Soon after Asbury purchased the Mingo property, Mel asked Mary what she thought about buying a tractor to keep the Asbury land mowed for a few years before construction would begin. Mary, who has a servant’s heart as well, approved the expenditure.

In the spring of 2000, Mel was ready to mow. First, there were heavy rocks to move before the tractor could safely mow the 35 acres. Later, Mel found some other men to help him remove posts left from an abandoned fence.

On February 29, 2004, the people of Asbury worshiped in their new church. Most did not know that the Tractor Man

had ridden his tractor for two years caring for the land while waiting for construction to begin.

The Tractor Man’s work was not finished. A group from Asbury formed a partnership to buy vacant lots across the street north of Asbury. The 13 acres would be available to Asbury when needed. Mel cleared rocks, moved dirt and mowed the grass.

Fourteen years ago, Mel and Mary sold their home and moved to Methodist Manor. Soon after the move, someone stole Mel’s tractor and trailer. Mel and Mary decided to buy another tractor and trailer, for their work was not done.

Jeff Polk, Asbury’s manager of facilities, shares his story about the Tractor Man: In January of 2004, I had just joined Asbury’s staff and began meeting so many delightful, kind people. When I met Mel, I knew right away there was something special about him–his wonderful easy personality and great sense of humor. Mel, like so many other Asburians, care deeply about serving others, and he has found a special way of giving back to his church. Mel once told me he is at his best when he is on his tractor; so for as long as I’ve known him, he has maintained Asbury’s property north of 66th Street. Mel and his tractor have helped transform the raw acreage to what it is today; no task was too great or too small. Further, it goes without saying, on many occasions Mel and his tractor traveled to the south side of 66th Street to help us maintain the main campus.

Thank you, Mel, for your giving heart and years of selfless service!

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Milestone Anniversaries

Dean & Regina Daniel

Dale & Pat Davidson

Ron & Peggy Hanna

Danny & Karen Mecher

Jerry & Dixie Mitchell

Mike & Jean Mosley

Jerry & Colleen Sharp

Al & Ruth Sowards

Jim & Mickey Toney

Deaths Tom Monahan Died 6-22-2017 Husband of Helen Monahan.

New Members

Dorothy Schneider Died 6-25-2017

Tom Cummins Daniel and Cindy Fugatt Jeff Harmon John and Tracy Leak

Clark Walton Died 6-27-2017 Husband of Judy Walton

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Helen Price Died 7-30-2017 Norma Hogg Died 8-7-2017 Glen Scarbrough Died 8-14-2017 Husband of Elena Scarbrough

Lillie Hardcastle Died 7-13-2017.

Wife of Tom Hardcastle

Jeanie Bernbaum Died 8-15-2017 Mother of Debbie Firestone

Russ McBroom Died 7-27-2017 Husband of Marty McBroom

Patricia ‘Pat’ Davis Died 8-16-2017 Mother of Michelle (& Jerry) Taber

TIDINGS FALL 2017

Randy Kuhn Died 8-24-2017 Husband of Helen Kuhn Harold McCloud Died 8-25-2017 Husband of Vera McCloud Lyle Irby Died 9-1-2017 Joy Greer Died 9-8-2017 Wife of Jerry ‘Lewis’ Greer

Worship Times

Looking for Tidings Opportunities?

8 am Traditional Service in Mason Chapel 9:15 am Traditional Service in Sanctuary

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

11 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 make 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.

Need Prayer?

If you have a prayer request and would like it to be included on Asbury’s prayer list, please call 918.392.1142 to leave your request, or go online to asburytulsa.org/adults/prayer/prayer-request. Many prayer warriors will be lifting up your concern in prayer.

Death in the Family When a family member dies, you should make one phone call automatically. Contact Sheryl Cory-Martin at 918.492.1771 and she will help you make arrangements for your loved one. Sheryl 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.

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