Fun and Fellowship in the Summer Sun (and mud) at Overlap 2016

SUMMER 2016

Fun and Fellowship in the Summer Sun (and mud) at Overlap 2016

Save the date for these events!

Summer Learn2 Course - Kingdom Conversations • June 5- August 28, 9:15 am, Room 2821 • Join anytime • Register at myasburytulsa.org • Taught by David Read and Sarah Pradhan Summer Learn 2 Course: Community Conflict and the Cross • Sundays, 9:15 am, Room 2820, June 5- August 28 • Join anytime • Register at myasburytulsa.org • Taught by Jon Ensor and Jim Lenderman UMW Garage Sale • July 8 (8 am-4 pm) and July 9 (8 am-noon), in the Community Life Center (CLC) • Drop off donations July 6 (4-8 pm), July 7 (8 am-4 pm) 2nd Saturday • July 9, 8:15 am-noon, Venue • August 13, 8:15 am-noon, Venue Church-wide free outdoor movie night • July 10, 8 pm • Concessions will be sold • Bring your chairs and blankets • Contact Jennifer Barnes at 918.392.4582 or jbarnes@asburytulsa.org.

Welcome Brunch, Discipleship Pathway Step 1 • July 24, 9:15 and 11 am, in the Parlor • September 18, 9:15 and 11 am, in the Parlor • Sign up on asburytulsa.org or at the Guest Services desk.

Orientation, Discipleship Pathway Step 2 • July 31 • Sign up after attending Welcome Brunch Bingo!

• July 31, 6-8 pm, Community Life Center (CLC) • No cost, but concession stand (including hot dogs and nachos) available • Contact Kim Broadhurst at kbroadhurst@asburytulsa.org or 918.392.1165 Senior/Grad Trip to Oklahoma City • August 1-2

Good Faith Conference • August 7 – Save the date!

Fall Kickoff 2.0 for All Students • August 10, 6:30 - 11 pm, Venue Restore Hope Sunday • August 14 • 9th year Asbury has helped Restore Hope Ministries • More information coming Bob Goff, Author of Love Does and founder of Restore International • August 28, guest speaker and concert with Stars Go Dim (time TBD) • August 29, guest speaker at Sunday morning services GriefShare and Beyond GriefShare • August 24-November 30, 3-4:30 pm OR 6-7:30 pm, Room 2319 • Child care available for evening only • Cost $15. Register at myasburytulsa.org or call 918.392.1191 Fall Learn2 Launch, Discipleship Pathway Step 3 • September 4 – November 27 • 9:15 am and 11:00 am • Join anytime • Specific courses to be announced Asbury’s Annual Day of Service • September 11 • More information coming What Do I Do Now? Practical and Legal Matters to Know Before Someone You Love Dies • September 15-October 6, 6:30-8 pm, Room 2500 • Cost of $25 includes CDs, ABA/AARP Checklist for Family Survivors, Asbury binder of info • Register at myasburytulsa.org Tulsa Singles Conference • September 24, 12:30 – 5 pm, Venue • Register at myasburytulsa.org. Cost $15. After September 20 or at door $20 • Great lineup of speakers!

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

A Word from Tom Harrison Meet the New Director of Children’s Ministry Discipleship Pathway Student Ministry is Joining the Discipleship Pathway Being a “Connector”

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Making New Friends with Learn2Serve2 12 Wanting to Learn 14 How Should a Christian Vote if They Don’t Agree with Either Candidate 16 Christian Clark: Transformed by Grace 18 Turn the Tables 20 Overlap 2016 22

PASTOR TOM

A Word From Tom Harrison Here’s a quick recap of three 2016 Conferences I’ve been (and will be) part of: 1.) General Conference (global) gathered 864 delegates to edit “The Book of Discipline.” This covenant unites us as a church. The United Methodist Church is growing more orthodox and traditional, globally.

Thirty percent of the delegates are African. Their percentage is rapidly increasing. The UMC is becoming more liberal in many places in the USA and is declining numerically. We celebrate the tremendous good being accomplished by the UMC. There’s also cause for concern.

2.) This Annual Conference (Oklahoma) was the final time Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr. presided. He’s been an incredible force within Oklahoma and the UMC for 12 years. His retirement (end of August) leaves enormous shoes to fill. Our choir and orchestra were magnificent at his reception gala at the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

3.) 216 delegates to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas) will meet July 13-16 to elect three new bishops. Our new bishop will be either newly elected or will come after serving another Annual Conference. Bishops only lead in the jurisdiction from which they are elected. We should know the next Oklahoma Bishop by July 15.

Is it OK to get Angry with God? Prayer in Georgia Cross-Cultural Tulsa Local Outreach Gets Laser Focused Benevolence Packets Special Announcements

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Vacation Bible School is so important.

Pastor Gloria shared her experience growing up in a family that never attended church. God planted a seed in her heart when she was 8 that blossomed years later. We pray that God will use us to reach kids and families like hers. An answer to our prayer was seen when Pastor Jon interviewed a young baptismal candidate, John. The boy’s enthusiasm was clear. He referred to Jesus as being like a superhero (I’d never heard that before). Our 9:15 congregation cheered when Pastor Jon brought the young man up out of the water.

Over 200 students and leaders gathered for our first (only Asbury) student ministry camp. It was incredible! I heard that more than 30 of our students are at least thinking about ministry as a vocation.

We staged our first-ever “Asbury in the Park” summer celebration of freedom and faith. It was an effort to move out of “here” and go “out there” to witness and worship in our community. Thanks to our choir/orchestra for leading us.

We’re here to “help others follow Jesus” because we believe that following Jesus is truly the key to life. Asbury is diligently trying to make disciples of all people. As we implement our new Discipleship Pathway this July, we want to help people get plugged in, grow spiritually and serve others.

Our nation and world live in a time with marvelous science and technology while also living with fear and despair. Thank you for upholding your commitment to Jesus Christ expressed through Asbury by sharing your “prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.” Your life matters! Invite your friends. Make a difference! Pray for your church as we live life together and as we reach out to others with the Good News that Jesus is Lord.

I’m very excited about our upcoming sermon series in August/September: a study of the Book of 1st Peter. Please join us and bring a friend!

In Christ,

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor 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

Editor: Asbury Communications Department, 918.392.1140, kmains@asburytulsa.org Graphic Design: Thomas Bradford, tbradford@asburytulsa.org Photographers: Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net) Guest Contributors: Jim Davis, Darrell Duke, Lucienda Denson, Charlene Giles, Greg Johnson, Marilene Long, Katelyn Moore, Shantel Nelson, Caroline Smallwood, Andrea Stephens

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CHILDREN

Meet the New Director of Children’s Ministry (She has a heart for children!)

By Shantel Nelson

Asbury Children’s Ministry is beginning a new time with a new director. Marsha Baker is returning to Asbury after having served as the director of an orphanage in Africa alongside her husband Bobby.

Some Asburians may remember Marsha when she was in student ministries. But this new role is a great match to the desires of her heart, and she is excited to be back.

“They are the beat of my heart, the pulse in my veins and the energy of my soul. They are children,” said an unknown author. This is the same passion that burns in the heart of Houston native, Marsha Baker, for children everywhere.

She accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at 12 years old during a puppet show at the Methodist church she attended; she never fathomed the journey the Lord had in store for her. During her high school years, the Lord planted a deep passion in her heart for children, youth and orphans.

While Marsha attended college, she was the babysitter for the children of the couple that started Bless the Children Ministries (BTCM). As the years progressed and college came to a close, she lost contact with this couple. In 2004, Marsha met her future husband Bobby Baker.

He was helping with worship, but they did not really begin getting to know each other until they were leaders for the Asbury Junior High Disciple Camp of June 2005. As time progressed, the relationship of Marsha and Bobby developed, and they became husband and wife July 22, 2006, in the Asbury Chapel. They worked at Asbury together with the youth for several years and always felt a mandate to minister together in some capacity. Little did they know a new adventure was right around the corner!

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One particular day there was a divine connection; Marsha ran into that same couple she provided child care services for while in college. She had not seen them in a couple of years, but they asked her to assist them with Bless the Children Ministries. The adventure began! Marsha and Bobby started volunteering with them in 2009 by assembling folders for them at their kitchen table. As Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” They started traveling to Uganda in 2010 assisting wherever necessary.

Initially, Bobby did not want to go to Africa (it is amazing how hearts change when God is involved), but once he started going and serving, his love grew for the Ugandan people, especially the children.

By this time, Marsha had served as junior high youth associate at Asbury for nearly 10 years. But now the Lord was calling them to be the directors of Bless the Children Ministries (BTCM), an orphan sponsorship ministry in Uganda. They never suspected the Lord would take them to a world where so many children lacked the very basics in life: food, clean water, medicine, shelter, safety and a bed of their own. Their mission was to meet the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of orphaned and vulnerable children while bringing them the hope of Jesus. This is the mission they carried within their hearts as they served tirelessly in Uganda. During the past 3-1/2 years, they spent 21 months there. Since the ministry is a sponsorship program, the couple served three months in Uganda and then would come back to the United States to fundraise for a three-month period. During their back-and-forth trips to Uganda, they have hosted eight teams, 17 interns, graduated 20 children and added 175-plus children to the Bless the Children Ministries family.

While serving in Uganda, they were stretched beyond their abilities and pushed out of their comforts zones. Their faith and trust in the Lord grew by leaps and bounds. They learned to survive with limited power and ice-cold shower water. They acquired a taste for matooke, barcora, ground nut sauce, fried chapatti, African tea and jackfruit. They witnessed healings, numerous children accepting Jesus as their Savior and many Ugandans having life-changing “aha” God moments. It was such a joy for them to have several of the Asbury youth come on teams and be able to watch them pour their hearts out to minister to the Ugandan people.

While serving as the directors, Marsha and Bobby’s job primarily focused on raising children, and developing families and discipleship. The deeper they went into ministering in these areas, the more alive their hearts became. They were honored to be a part of such a lifechanging ministry and watch the children grow closer to the Lord. On several occasions, Marsha took some intentional time to go through the scriptures with four

girls, ages 10, 12, 15 and 17. In the words of Rick Warren, “Sometimes you don’t know God is what you need….until you know that God is all you’ve got.” To these girls, God was all they had, and they devoured His Word. Marsha said, “I would read them one piece of scripture, and they interpreted it in their second language which was English, and we all shared how that particular scripture applied to each of our lives. It was incredible to hear, especially from the young ones, how they could interpret the scripture and hear the Holy Spirit in their lives. So many nights they were teaching me.

“God often speaks through children, and when we can slow down and listen, we can learn so much from them.

As part of Asbury’s Children Ministry, I hope to help encourage and empower staff, parents, and volunteers to have more moments like these with their own children.”

Out of the fruits of their labor, the summer of 2013, they meet a 10-month-old girl name Zelda who weighed only 10 pounds. Marsha said, “We fell in love with this little girl. I noticed she had a condition with her eyes, so she remained with us for two weeks as we located proper medical assistance for her. It was during this time that I felt the Lord calling us to be her forever family. In February 2014, my husband and I became the official parents of little Zelda. She is incredible, loves to travel, adjusted very well and her English is great.”

Early in 2016, BTCM took a big step and changed to a new location. Marsha and Bobby said it became increasingly clear that the Lord was making a change in their family to transition out of full-time missions. It was a very difficult and heart-wrenching decision, but they knew it was the right one for their family.

Now the Lord has opened another door for Marsha to become the team leader in the children’s ministry here at Asbury. She is thrilled to be given this honor and to partner with parents to disciple their children, encouraging entire families to follow Jesus. In the words of Lisa Wingate, “Your children are the greatest gift God will give you and their souls the heaviest responsibility He will place in your hands. Take time with them; teach them to have faith in God. Be a person in whom they can have faith. When you are old, nothing else you’ve done will have mattered as much.”

And in Luke 2:40, “And the child grew and waxed strong in Spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” Remember God speaks to those who take time to listen, and He listens to those who take time to pray.

Marsha is excited to come back home to Asbury with an ignited passion to serve and help children grow in their personal walk with the Lord.

SUMMER SPRING 2016 2016 TIDINGS TIDINGS

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DISCIPLESHIP

If you are new to Asbury or just haven’t gotten connected, don’t worry!

We have your next steps mapped out for you! We want you to grow and develop into a disciple here at Asbury. It’s easy. Just start with Step 1, the Welcome Brunch. This will get you acclimated to Asbury, our vision as a church and how to move along the steps.

So if you are looking to develop a personal relationship with Jesus and grow spiritually alongside others, then Asbury is the place for you! Asbury has designed our Discipleship Pathway to get you started. To register, go to asburytulsa.org.

The Discipleship Pathway: Step by Step Step 1 Welcome Brunch

· July 24, September 18 and November 6 · 9:15 am and 11am

Step 2 Disciple Orientation (must attend Welcome Brunch first)

· July 31, September 25 and November 13 · 9:15 am and 11 am

Step 3 Learn2 Courses and Serve2 Teams

· Summer Learn2 courses started in June. You can still join!

Courses: Community Conflict & The Cross and Kingdom Conversations · Fall courses will begin September 4 and will be announced at the end of July

Step 4 Table Groups

· Coming 2017

Step 5 Missional Communities

· Coming 2017

Frequently Asked Questions about the Welcome Brunch 1. Who should attend? If you are new to Asbury or looking for a deeper connection, this would be step 1 for you on your journey of discipleship.

2. What if I am a member but I have not been plugged in for three or four years? The Welcome Brunch is a good place to start. You will be able to make connections with people at the brunch. However, you have a choice, and you can start at Step 3 with Learn2Serve2.

3. What if I’ve been attending worship for a while but haven’t connected? The Welcome Brunch is a great starting place, but you do have a choice. We recommend starting at Step 1 with the Welcome Brunch. We feel you will gain more information and connections starting at this step.

4. Can I start at Disciple Orientation? Unfortunately, no. The Discipleship Pathway has been designed with Step 1 and Step 2 being connected. You must attend the Welcome Brunch first.

5. What do I do if the Brunch is full when I want to register? Register early because spots fill up quickly.

We only have brunches every six weeks during two different times – 9:15 and 11 am. If a Welcome Brunch is reserved, please sign up for the next available one. Go ahead and begin taking your Learn2 courses.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Attending Learn2Serve2 1. What courses are available for Learn2? At this time, we have two courses available for the summer – Community Conflict & The Cross and Kingdom Conversations. Fall courses will be announced soon!

Helping Others Follow Jesus

A deeper involvement with the church 2. Can I join at any time during the course? Yes, you can join at any time. leads to a deeper connection with 3. Do I have to sign up for both Learn2Serve2? No, but we recommend doing both so you can Christ. Please receive the full benefit of learning and serving together.

If you are new to Asbury or looking for a deeper, more meaningful connection to Jesus, our the Discipleship enjoy stories Pathway is the way to get connected and grow spiritually alongside others. This initiative is our vision in on the action. Asbury exists for ONE reason; HELPING OTHERS FOLLOW JESUS. This is what drives us,following because 4. When courses change, do I change where I am serving? No, Learn2 changes quarterly, but following Jesus is the key to life. Following Him provides direction in our lives, it gives meaning, heals the are 8 pages.

They when serving we ask for a year-long commitment. hurting and secures our salvation and eternity with God in Heaven. Before you can help others follow Jesus, examples ofstep. how you must be a devoted follower yourself. The path has been laid before you. It’s time to take the first the Discipleship 5. What opportunities are there for Serve2? We have lots of opportunities for you to get involved Pathway can have and serve. We want to utilize your gifts in the best way possible and will try to match you with an a positive influence appropriate serving opportunity that fits you! We have openings in hospitality, children’s ministry, on our theDiscipleship lives ofPathway If you are new to Asbury or looking for a deeper, more meaningful connection to Jesus, student ministry, prayer, worship, local outreach and more. is the way to getmany connected and grow spiritually alongside others. This initiative is our vision in action.

Asbury people at Asbury. exists for ONE reason; HELPING OTHERS FOLLOW JESUS. This is what drives us, because following Jesus is the key to life. Following Him provides direction in our lives, it gives meaning, heals the hurting and secures our salvation and eternity with God in Heaven. Before you can help others follow Jesus, you must be a devoted follower yourself. The path has been laid before you. It’s time to take the first step.

The first two steps are designed to help you get started in discipleship and connected with others at Asbury.

The third step combines learning and serving opportunities on Sunday mornings. In addition to worshipping together, we gather in courses to learn and join teams to serve one another.

The fourth and fifth steps call us to greater integration and influence.

Table Groups encourage us to be faithful to Jesus’ teachings.

Missional Communities seek to advance God’s Kingdom in our city.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Welcome Brunch

Disciple Orientation

Learn2 Courses

Table Groups

Take this 5-week course to: • Deepen your understanding of God’s story and your place in it • Connect with others, to a pastor, and to our courses and teams • Obtain information about becoming a member

Pull up a chair every week with 4-5 other people of the same gender to: • Reflect on your lives together • Share honestly and vulnerably with one another • Pray, support, and encourage each other to be faithful disciples

Missional Communities

Make some initial connections and learn about our: • Passion for discipleship • Opportunities for worship • Ministries with children and students • Campus tour

Enroll in courses taught by well-trained teachers and pastors that meet two Sundays a month for three months to discuss: • Social and Missional • Bible • Theology and History Issues • Leadership • Relationships

July 24, September 18 and November 6 at 9:15 and 11 am

July 31, September 25 and November 13 at 9:15 and 11 am

• Christian Practices

Serve2 Teams Join hands with a team that serves together two Sunday mornings a month in: • Hospitality • Worship • Children • Local Outreach • Students • And More!

• Prayer

Sessions begin September 4 and December 4 at 9:15 and 11 am

Link arms with an outpost of 10+ people that meets twice a month for prayer and outreach to influence various sectors of our city including: • Neighborhoods • Workplaces / Industries • Social Issues • People Groups

Coming 2017

Coming 2017

To register for Step 1, visit the Guest Services desk or asburytulsa.org/brunch. Iif you have questions, please contact Robin Brush at discipleship@asburytulsa.org or 918.492.1771.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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STUDENTS

Student Ministry is Joining the Discipleship Pathway!

by Katelyn Moore

On May 25, our student ministry held a very informative meeting for parents and students to discuss some changes that are coming up in our programming structure. Senior Pastor Tom Harrison and Caroline Smallwood, junior high associate, began the meeting by sharing the heart behind our ministry and their excitement over what’s to come.

We LOVE your students. We are so grateful to play a role in their walk with Christ. Our driving passion as a community here at Asbury is HELPING OTHERS FOLLOW JESUS. Everything we do is designed to teach, enable and encourage your students to be followers of Jesus Christ, because we believe following Jesus is the key to life. That is why everything we do – in every ministry and for every age group – must be focused on helping others follow Jesus. Following Him provides direction in our lives, it gives meaning, heals the hurting and secures our salvation and eternity with God in Heaven.

Research has shown that three out of four students who were actively involved in student ministry in high school

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are leaving the faith for at least a year in college. Many of them aren’t coming back. In our setting, we believe that one major factor is the lack of integration of our student ministry into the larger congregation of our church.

It both saddens and frustrates us to see our students graduating from high school, only to realize they feel like they have graduated from everything they’ve known about church, as well. However, this is the state of student ministry all over the country. When we program our teenagers out of the body of the church and then they graduate from the student ministry, they no longer know where they belong.

Research has also shown that students are twice as likely to retain a lasting faith in Christ if they have had an adult who is emotionally and spiritually involved in their lives who is not a parent or youth pastor. We are already doing this very well through small group leaders, Spring Break Missions leaders and Overlap summer camp leaders. We are so grateful for the adults who get involved on that level.

TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

STUDENTS

We treasure and admire the many strong believers here at Asbury, in all generations and in all walks of life, and we think our students are missing out on this weekly aspect of our church family during a critical phase of their spiritual development.

They are searching for belonging, asking the hard questions and deciding what they believe to be true about God and His Church.

Our desire is to harness this phase and bring them into the fold of our community, so that we might all learn from one another and grow together as more committed followers of Christ.

It took a lot of meetings, prayers and constant reevaluation and a willingness to open our hearts to make these changes.

We are thrilled to announce that the high school students will help launch the Learn2Serve2 on September 4. We will fully integrate into the life of the church on Sunday mornings by signing up to join in Learn2 courses as well as Serve2 teams.

Learn2 courses will include at least three options taught by Josh Coats, Katelyn Moore and David Read, so there will be familiar faces. Serve2 opportunities will include volunteering in middle-school programming, Sunday morning hosting, children’s ministry and many more.

We recognize this will be one less chance for total group interaction for our high school students during the week. To make up for that, on Sunday nights at 6 pm we will begin small group programming by meeting together as one group in the Community Life Center (CLC). Small groups will then meet on

their own from 6:30-7:30 pm as we have done in the past. This will also begin in September.

Our middle school program is excited for the influx of Serve2 leaders and high school leaders on Sunday mornings. We will continue to offer Sunday morning programming for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from 9:15-10:30 am for the 2016-2017 school year.

Beginning fall 2017, we will now be offering confirmation for students in the 8th grade. Confirmation classes will also make a move to Sunday mornings and will include 8th grade students as well as their parents. Because our most recent confirmands are now in the 8th grade, we will not have a confirmation class this year.

Our Sunday morning programming beginning fall 2017 will look like this: 6th and 7th grade: Continuous programming in the Venue 8th grade: Confirmation or Learn2Serve2 schedule (main building) 9th-12th grade: Learn2Serve2 (main building) Thank you for your support as we continue to improve our student ministry programs and practice to cultivate a firm and lasting faith in our students. Our goals and purposes remain the same, as will the rest of our programming. It’s our joy to serve our church in this way.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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DISCIPLESHIP

Being a “Connector”

By Greg Johnson God has been calling His church gathered at Asbury to become more outward-focused. That message resonated with me the first time it was presented at Asbury. This call can manifest itself in a number of ways, both inside and outside the walls of Asbury.

Helping others get connected and assimilated into the lives of other believers is one of those ways we can be outward-focused.

We all long to belong. We all desire genuine community. When we experience that belonging and sense of community, we feel blessed and our faith tends to flourish. We rely on those relationships for meaningful fellowship, for care in times of need, for encouragement, for growth and to live the seasons of life together. All that is very good.

But a strange thing tends to happen over time. We begin to turn inward. We gradually - and often unintentionally - form Christian circles that become hard for others to break into and by doing so, deny others the opportunity to experience authentic Christian community that we ourselves are experiencing.

It’s not that we don’t want others to experience the blessings of community, we just aren’t focused on those new people. We are too busy enjoying the community we already have in place to maybe notice there are others that also need this community experience. We may not even realize we are doing this. After all, we think, “We found our way into community; others will do the same.

It’s up to them to take the necessary steps to get connected.” While maybe not consciously, we probably all have been guilty of this attitude and behavior.

Learn2Serve2 has been a fresh opportunity for Penny and me to put into practice this outward-focused life in more intentional ways. We miss seeing many of the people in the community we have been a part of for the past seven or eight years, but we are also meeting many people we have not met before, and we are hopeful this model will help some of them make meaningful connections with God and with others. If you are reading this and you say, “Hey, our community is already excelling in this area of inviting, including, and

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assimilating,” then I say awesome. Keep doing what you are doing.

If not, I encourage you to lead a discussion on what outwardfocused might look like for your community. Whether that’s Learn2Serve2, a variation of it, or just a renewed commitment to pursue those outside your circle and bring them into the awesome experience of genuine Christian community, that’s great. There is no reason we cannot reach 10,000 people for Christ in the Tulsa area. And not just reach them, but help them become devoted disciples of Jesus who in turn go make other disciples.

Now to the primary reason I was asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for a Tidings article. I was asked if I would share some of my experiences with the Serve portion of Learn2Serve2. I share with the hope that after reading this some of you will say, “What Greg described doesn’t sound that difficult. If he can do that, then so can I.” Or maybe it will cause you to think of something completely different that you can start or get involved with that helps Asbury become more outward-focused.

When Penny and I signed up for Learn2Serve2, it was obvious what we would be doing for the two Sundays a month that we were participating in Learn2. We would be attending a class led by Jason Jackson on the Ten Commandments (If you ever get a chance to take this class from Jason, please do.

You will gain a fresh perspective of these very old commandments of God that are applicable to the Christian life in 2016.)

I must say it has been a great experience. What I do is so easy anyone can do it. I just walk around and meet people. That’s it!

I’ve made some great connections. I’m not particularly good with names; in fact, I’ve been known to forget the names of people I have worked with for years. So to compensate, I take a few brief notes on my phone shortly after I meet someone. That way I can review that information from week to week. I have met some wonderful people and have been greatly enriched by some of my interactions. I have met people who haven’t set foot in church for a long time but are seeking to connect with God and others. I have had conversations after the service about the sermon and what it means to apply what we heard to our everyday lives. I have met people going through job transitions.

I have met people struggling with difficult circumstances. I have met some wonderful seniors and singles that worship together before going to community. I met a prayer warrior who arrives early and sits in each section of the upstairs Sanctuary praying for the people who will sit there during the worship service.

Hopefully these people that I meet genuinely feel noticed and valued. I know I enjoy getting to visit with them. I have invited some out to eat or over to our house. I have invited others to Learn2.

All I did was make myself available and pray that God would use me to connect with people He loves.

What wasn’t so obvious was what we should do for our Serve2 Sundays. Penny and I had served in a number of ministry areas through the years including community leadership, youth and children’s ministries and 2nd Saturday, to name a few. I had an idea that the Lord laid on my heart. I discussed the idea with Jason, but the timing didn’t seem quite right. That idea is still percolating in my mind and heart.

In the meantime, Penny and I decided to join the Host Team for the 9:15 service. The role as defined was to greet people that enter for worship, hand out bulletins and help with offering and communion. I must admit that I wasn’t that excited about doing this. It wasn’t that I was apprehensive or thought it wasn’t important, it was just that I wanted something more relational.

It wasn’t fulfilling the passion God laid on my heart, which is to make a deeper connection with people. So, I went to Ron Fletcher, our Host Team Lead, and shared with him what I would really like to do is to just walk around the Sanctuary and meet people. He said that was a fairly new role, and they were calling those people “connectors.” He wanted to put me upstairs in the Sanctuary because he didn’t have any “connectors” up there. I didn’t let him know (but he will if he reads this article) that I was a little bummed because I wanted to be downstairs where most of the people were. But being the compliant Serve2 volunteer that I am, I agreed with a smile.

The entire reason I share this and agreed to this interview was not to bring attention to me but to demonstrate how easy it is to be outward-focused with the people God brings through the doors of Asbury.

I had no training (although I’m sure training can be provided if you feel it would be helpful). All I did was make myself available and pray each Sunday that God would use me to connect with people He loves. I pray before each Serve2 Sunday that I will make at least one meaningful connection that day. I approach these Sundays with anticipation. I have always characterized myself as being friendly. In fact, even before Learn2Serve2, I tried to be intentional about noticing visitors or those sitting alone and striking up a conversation with them. Serve2 has just created an opportunity to take this to a new level. Maybe being an official connector isn’t your cup of tea, but we all can make meaningful connections with the people who sit around us in worship or visit our community. Who knows how impactful your “connection” can be in someone’s life. This is more than just being friendly or shaking someone’s hand; it is the willingness to take the extra step and going a little deeper. It might be a little uncomfortable at first.

You might even feel a little awkward sometimes, but it is worth it if just one person moves closer to Christ and His family because of your willingness to be used by God. I hope what I shared is an encouragement to you. I pray that we will all find ways to reach beyond our comfort zones and circles for the cause of Christ and the expansion of His Kingdom. And if your schedule permits, come upstairs some Sunday before the 9:15 service and say hi to me. I would love to make another new connection!

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DISCIPLESHIP

Making New Friends with Learn2Serve2

By Darrell Duke

Tommy Keeter was busy exploring the multiple opportunities Asbury has to offer when he came upon the Learn2Serve2 discipleship training class and decided to enroll. He had heard the positive remarks about the class from others and was curious what these lessons might hold for him. Tommy took the course because he felt compelled by the message that we need to do things differently if we want to reach younger generations and keep them involved and attending church - but more importantly - in order to keep them following Christ.

The Learn2Serve2 discipleship orientation class was divided into two parts. Tommy would take classes for 10 weeks (a three-month commitment) while serving somewhere for the other two weeks. The class was a Biblebased study from a biblical point of view, as opposed to a world view. These classes challenged his longstanding opinions and caused him to deeply inspect each aspect of his opinions to arrive at a more solid foundation of his faith and beliefs.

The class studied the Ten Commandments and was transformative for Tommy. It challenged his belief system as he filtered through what God’s Word was teaching him.

He walked away changing some of the beliefs he had most of his life.

Tommy commented, “The teaching was some of the best Bible teaching I’ve ever been exposed to. Whether you’re just starting your journey with Christ or have been a longtime Christian, you will learn so much.”

The class members were from all walks of life with a wide range of ages and backgrounds. As they got to know each other, the group openly shared their life stories and experiences as disciples of Christ. These class participants,

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who probably wouldn’t have met under any other of life’s situations, developed a bond of friendship and transformed into a new model of multi-age comradery.

And it worked out great. Tommy, who is in his 40s, met and became friends with group members in their 20s, 30s and 50s. And his experience was the same during the service portion of the class where he met friends in the group in their 60s and 70s.

Birds of a feather usually flock together. As human beings, we tend to gather in groups where we feel we fit in best. We naturally gravitate toward people we feel we have a lot in common with, then assimilate. Now imagine a bold new model where people of all ages and backgrounds as diverse as possible form a small community, with representatives from each faction creating a microcosm of the Church as a whole. It would be like creating a miniature version of the existing familiar large church.

Imagine young and old, working side by side, sharing their life experiences, molding understanding and bonding to each other and all of those around. Imagine the strength of the weave in the fabric of that new model community. Well, we don’t have to imagine any more. Learn2Serve2 is here and accomplishing that goal, and we are grateful for people like Tommy Keeter who are spreading the word and leading the way.

Tommy also commented, “I would encourage every member and guest to embrace the new Learn2Serve2 model. It will deepen your faith through excellent Bible study, help to exercise your faith by serving and help assimilate the younger generations into the greater church.”

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DISCIPLESHIP

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DISCIPLESHIP

Wanting to Learn

By Andrea Stephens Though she loves basketball, she wouldn’t call herself a star on the basketball court when she plays guard. Maybe something more like “benchwarmer MVP.” But you will see her shine on the soccer field. March and April, you can find her playing center mid-field position. She loves the feeling of working as a team to win a game, especially the excitement of combination play. Recently she hit the ball with her head to her best friend playing forward, who then set it up for another player to kick it in for the goal. Yet Kaitlyn Fitzmorris, a senior at Wright Christian Academy, will pursue her first love when she goes to college: Jesus.

Kaitlyn, the youngest of four kids, grew up occasionally going to church with her aunt or grandmother. She gave her heart to the Lord when she was in 8th grade, while attending a discipleship weekend. As she learned Scripture and discovered more about living for Jesus, she found herself wanting more. It was Kaitlyn’s love for God and thirst for solid, Bible teaching that eventually led her to Asbury’s new Learn2 courses.

One morning, on her own, as she was looking for a new church experience, she decided to visit Asbury’s modern service.

Being a fan of contemporary worship music, she really enjoyed the worship team’s style and Chris Cleveland’s leadership.

Equally appealing was the way communion was served and the invitation to come to the railing to pray. Seeing the pastors praying for people seemed very real and genuine to her.

The next day at school, Jon Ensor, the Bible teacher and Asbury member, was pleasantly surprised to hear Kaitlyn had visited Asbury. Kaitlyn explained that she really wanted to learn, not just play games and have fun like her former youth group. She shared that she understood their need to maintain the attention of teens, but she wanted more. Impressed to see a high school student truly desiring to grow, he invited her to Learn2. The topic was the Ten Commandments, specifically adultery and stealing. Over the two weeks, teacher Jason Jackson dug into the meaning behind these two commandments.

When asked what she gained from the lessons, Kaitlyn quickly responded, “A totally new perspective!” She went on to explain

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that she had always viewed the Ten Commandments as a strict list of things not to do, the law of no’s, a bunch of negatives. Now she could see them in a positive light.

“Yes, they tell us what God does not want us to do, but if you turn it around, they tell us what He wants us to do.” This fresh way of looking at God’s commands, taught Kaitlyn that God’s motive was love and that He always wants what is best for children.

Pertaining to stealing, her main takeaway from the teaching was that God wants us to avoid coveting by being happy and grateful for what we have, then be genuinely happy for others and what they have. This is how we grow to be content. Contentment trumps coveting and therefore keeps us from wanting to take from others what we think we lack. This turned “Do not steal,” into “Be grateful and content,” a positive spin.

So, will Kaitlyn be returning to Learn2? Definitely, yes!

Becoming part of Asbury as an incoming senior, she hopes to be part of Pastor Tom and Pastor Todd’s class just for seniors on Wednesdays. This small discipleship group will help prepare her for the future. Kaitlyn plans to attend a local university where she will major in pastoral or global ministry. She was bitten by the missions bug several years ago and was able to go to Ethiopia on spring break. Kaitlyn feels called to Africa but never wants to overlook those in need right here in Tulsa. She volunteers feeding the homeless with Under the Bridge Ministry and reaching out at local apartment complexes. She has heard about Asbury’s 2nd Saturday and plans to volunteer. This is not surprising coming from a soft-hearted girl whose favorite scripture is James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Kaitlyn has come to Asbury to learn. Perhaps we can learn something from her as well.

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DISCIPLESHIP

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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PASTORAL

E P NO

:-[

ING O D ’RE ONG U YO T WR I

How Should a Christian Vote if They Don’t Agree with Either Candidate?

GIVE M A BRE E AK!

By Pastor Guy Ames This presidential election season has left many people of all persuasions with a serious dilemma. Neither presumptive presidential candidate seems acceptable. More and more I hear people asking whether they should bother to vote. For others, the current presidential choices underscore the plain truth that America can no longer claim to be a “Christian nation.” What seems clear is that neither candidate takes seriously traditional Christian values and morals. What’s a Christian citizen to do?

Without a doubt these are serious concerns, and principled Christ-followers want to be able to support candidates that represent our moral convictions, whose lifestyles show evidence of a clear moral core. This presidential election cycle, more than at any time in my life, calls into question our role as citizens and Christians. How do I support my country when my beliefs are at serious odds with those who will be our national leaders?

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have wrestled with these questions. Jesus’ words and works were challenged by governmental leaders, and the early Christian leaders were often in conflict with political leaders. Jesus was challenged

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by a Jewish debater who questioned whether the Jews of Israel should pay taxes to Caesar. Taking up a coin with a likeness of Caesar’s head on it, He simply said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God, what is God’s.” (Luke 20: 25, NIV) Christians have quite often lived as a minority in their nations.

In the early days of the Church, Christians faced serious persecution, and often laws were established that did not support Christian values. The Apostle Paul wrote to the young Church in Rome (the capitol city of the Roman Empire) about these concerns. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13: 1. NIV) Certainly we question this notion from time to time.

Governing authorities who behave in a corrupt or unjust or immoral manner hardly seem to be “established by God.” What Paul is pointing out is that the very creation of world order and authority flows from God’s ultimate creation.

Paul believes that God’s grace is active in our world even among people who have not acknowledged God’s existence.

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PASTORAL

C’MON MAN!

WH

NON THE E OF ABO VE I CAN’ T EVEN

ATE V

ER

This grace has helped to create in humans a conscience which helps create leaders who seek justice and good will among others. This grace in all humans enables people of all nationalities and religions to love and nurture their families.

The Bible speaks optimistically that it is God who is working through history to bring about good progress.

On another occasion, Paul reminded young Timothy to pray for our leaders: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2: 1-6 NIV) Our faith is not in the governmental authorities but in the One whom we believe and trust holds this world together. Our calling as God’s people is to be people who sow peace and justice in our world. When our leaders fail to do this, we still continue to do our work. When the culture has lost its way, we hold up an example of a better way.

Should Christian citizens vote? Yes. Though you may choose to write in another candidate or select the “lesser of two…” Besides, there are many other names on that November ballot than merely our presidential candidates. This is not a time for the Church to retreat from our society, but instead, our world needs to see the fruit of Christian citizenry living our lives of helping to build our society. In a day when more and more outside the Church see Christianity as irrelevant and even dangerous, we need serious-thinking Christians who live out our faith in winsome, loving and peace-filled ways, always remembering that we are citizens of another nation. Let these words of Peter lead us as we go to the polls this year: “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, …Live such good lives among the (unbelievers) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God …Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2: 11-17 NIV)

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CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Christian Clark, Transformed

by Grace

By Darrell Duke Christian Clark grew up in a middle-class family and was a troublemaker at an early age. He was diagnosed with ADHD, and his mother was divorced from his estranged father. At age 7, his mother married again. Christian never knew his father well, and at age 12 his mother took him to see his dad who sold vintage Levi jeans out of the back of a van and initially made a decent living; later, he lived on government subsistence. Christian was 13 when he learned his father died of a methadone overdose. His dad was never around much, but Christian didn’t harbor any grudges against his homeless father. His grandmother was the guiding force throughout his young life, and he visited her frequently. At age 14, his beloved grandmother died in a terrible car accident. It left him devastated and afraid to get too close to anyone, because he thought if he did, they would die.

Eventually, family life became more difficult because his mother and stepfather would come home drunk and would argue and fight while Christian was forced to listen. Christian often ended up in physical fights with his stepfather, defending his absent father and protecting his mother. Christian physically fought with a much bigger stepfather many times over the course of the next two years until finally he couldn’t take it anymore. He vowed next time would be different and purchased a can of bear mace.

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TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

One night, the stepfather ordered Christian inside, grabbing, pushing and shoving him; in between punches to his ribs, Christian managed to hit his target with the bear mace and then ran to his neighbors for help. The stepfather called the police and Christian was arrested for domestic assault and battery; the charges were later dropped. Afterward, they stayed away from each other as much as possible. His mother decided not to go to church anymore, but Christian managed to attend church by himself for a couple of years.

While in middle school, Christian was issued a disorderly conduct ticket which led to his attending Hope Harbor in Claremore, a Christian-based school and home for children with anger issues. Christian then attended Thunderbird Academy during his junior year of high school but only lasted 15 days until he got in trouble and refused his punishments, forcing them to expel him. He returned to high school but was promptly expelled and stopped going to school. He wondered around aimlessly and indulged in smoking pot. Christian felt like his mother and stepfather no longer cared for him because there were no longer any consequences for his actions.

Then, his parents went on a trip to Colorado. While they were gone, Christian decided to throw a party with alcohol, marijuana and some unwanted troublemakers. Christian left the party for a short while and returned to find the house torn to pieces and many items stolen. Returning home the next day, he found multiple police officers standing around his parents. Christian recognized his belongings placed in bags in the front yard, so he loaded up his car and thought he was leaving home for good.

This started 10 months of homelessness where he lived in 24 places during that time. He stayed with a neighbor for a week while he helped paint his house. His mother gave him some funds she had saved for him, and he blew through it very quickly. A friend borrowed - without permission - Christian’s car which was on loan from his parents. The friend managed to totally wreck the car by hitting a brick wall, and the police could do nothing about it. Christian moved back to his parents’ house only to endure more arguing and fighting.

Shortly afterward, his mother left his stepfather and took all of her belongings. The stepfather gave Christian 15 days to leave with all of his belongings. With help from his church family, he managed to move from place to place, but the condition of his dwellings became worse and worse. He even ended up in a shed for a while with a bucket for the bathroom. Christian would often stand out on corners with a sign that read, “Need work.”

Through the kindness of strangers, he managed to get enough money for a room to rent and something to eat. Occasionally people would hire him for odd jobs and churches would give him food and bus passes. A friend picked him up and made a huge impact during breakfast by suggesting temp agencies for work and arranging a cheaper place to stay.

Looking for jobs, Christian went to the Marriott Hotel for an interview, but it did not go well. Discouraged, he looked up; through the glass of the hotel, he saw the steeple of Asbury UMC, and without really knowing why, was drawn to go to the church.

He entered the church office not realizing how much his life was about to change. He had a long talk with Associate Pastor Guy Ames who aided him in securing a motel room; a year-and-a-half later, Pastor Ames recommended he talk to Glen Gruesendorf with Asbury Celebrate Recovery. Glen immediately placed Christian with Michiel Conner who introduced him to everyone.

Michiel Conner is one of those unsung heroes who has mentored men for years and years. While Michiel is in many leadership roles, a lot of people don’t know the countless hours he spends mentoring people behind the scenes.

Christian had found a home at CR and was soon in a 12 Step class.

He found a sponsor and began serving as sound man for the CR band. Life changed almost overnight when he began to shed his toxic past and was on fire for serving God. In the 12 Step group, he met a bunch of great men who were struggling just like him and learned it was a safe place to share his story. He discovered who he really was and that gave him courage. With the help of his sponsor, he began the transformation from denial to a new vision of himself. As he grew, he became more honest with himself and others and got very close to his CR friends. Christian continued his meetings and began having meals and going places with real friends and eventually joined a Wednesday night men’s group. He began tithing whenever he was able to make income and became devoted to working in service to others.

Christian had a difficult life and struggled to make sense of it. But along the way, the seemingly random acts of love and kindness from strangers guided him to the next step. It was no accident that caring people guided him toward Asbury Celebrate Recovery. Christian didn’t just hear about grace; he actually swam around in a big CR room full of it. He learned that sharing in an accepting, safe environment would lead to the healing life transformation he needed. Christian now has a job and will attend college classes this next semester. Meanwhile, he continues in Celebrate Recovery, works with joy serving others and glorifies Christ by telling others of his incredible story of transformation.

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CARE & MARRIAGE

Turn the Tables

by Charlene Giles

Zach Magnuson and Audrey Keeling had no idea how they would be put to work when they signed up to serve at Asbury’s annual banquet to honor couples married 50 years or more. They mostly just needed the service hours.

Plus, they thought it was a nice thing that Asbury was doing. Zach is 14 and will be a Jenks freshman in the fall while Audrey is 16 and about to be a junior, also at Jenks.

Audrey remembers wondering, “Will I be able to relate to people in that older generation?” Audrey noted that the couples who attended might have also been nervous about being able to relate to students. Once there, she could tell by the smiles and comments that the honored couples appreciated all the attention and service. Zach sees his great-grandparents pretty often, so he wasn’t concerned about being around people many decades older. However helping with the banquet reminded him, “It is beautiful to see the interconnection between the generations, even with a huge age difference.” He was really surprised with the large number of Asbury couples attending. The CLC was packed! Asbury honored 216 couples at the 9:15 worship service on Sunday, April 17. The banquet was the evening before and featured excellent wait-staff service from 30 students and adults.

Both Zach and Audrey had a fear they might spill food in someone’s lap, but they made it through with no mishaps.

Students helped by placing salads and desserts on the tables before the banquet began, then during the event they poured water and iced tea, and carried full plates of food to the tables. Later, they carried empty plates and glasses to the kitchen. The one thing Audrey wished someone had told her was that wearing high heels was a big mistake. All that running around all evening took a toll on her feet!

Chances are that many of the honored couples also had sore feet that night, since many wore their best shoes. Still, several took advantage of the big band music by the Mike

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Bennett Orchestra and danced a bit in the aisles. Special guest Rev. Bill Mason was even seen kicking up his heels along with some good friends. The teens who served enjoyed that. As Audrey put it, “It was fun to see the older generations have fun dancing just like younger generations!”

When asked what he learned about himself from this service experience, Zach said it helped him realize that he still has a long way to go in life. “Those couples have enjoyed marriage four or five times the amount of time I’ve even been on this Earth! It made me excited for that kind of attachment to a person, and for the future.” He wondered if some of them might have felt a little nostalgic, maybe even thinking, “I wish these students knew some of the things that are still coming in their lives.”

How do couples stay married so long? While both Zach and Audrey have goals of being married 50 years, it’s really a hard concept for them to grasp.

Both think it must be about choosing well. Zach mentioned that it’s probably important to see how that person handles hard times before you marry them. Likewise, Audrey commented, “I can see that long-term marriage is less about love when everything’s good and it’s all happy. It’s about when you love each other, but right then you truly don’t even like each other.”

What were some good things about helping at this event? Audrey’s favorite type of serving is direct and relational, so it makes sense that she enjoyed herself at the party. Zach says he really enjoyed himself. “Adults are usually the ones working so that we get what we want, but the dinner was more of a give-andtake situation, and not just a take. I know those couples appreciate what we did, and it was nice to turn the tables on them, and give them a chance to take a load off.”

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CARE & MARRIAGE

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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STUDENTS

“Overlap” Where Heaven and Earth Meet

By Caroline Smallwood

The rain poured down while we floated the Illinois River. We laughed hysterically as our friends slid into second base at kiddie pool kickball. Small group discussions grew deep, especially after learning about authentic community. These are just some of the memories that have come from the first year of our new summer camp, Overlap.

This is the first year Asbury Student Ministry has done a summer camp all alone with 6th through 12th grades. On May 31, all of the leaders went to Camp Egan to prepare for the students. Each student was prayed for by name, the whole campground was covered in a prayer walk, and of course, leaders bonded through Mad Gab and Phase 10. The next afternoon, the students arrived, and God began moving immediately. On the first night, our speaker, Matt Porter, talked about being aligned with God and realigning if necessary. Students and leaders alike were suddenly ready to surrender whatever was in the way of a strong relationship with Him. Confessions, praises and prayers filled the tabernacle as we responded to the call to realign. This was only the beginning of God’s power that week.

Sermons were not the only avenue God used to speak to us. In recreation, through the worship band, even in the mud pit during free time, God was glorified, and He sure made Himself known. There is story after story of students and leaders being healed by God’s presence and love.

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TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

STUDENTS

We learned at camp that our stories are for God’s glory and being authentic helps build the church. So, the following students were excited to share their story about Overlap 2016.

Ashli, a 10th grader, experienced God’s healing when she was able to pray with her younger brother and talk to him about the Lord. God used her to lead him in his faith. God used her to encourage him to keep pursuing. God used her to disciple him. But, God also discipled Ashli this week. When she wasn’t talking with her brother, she was busy confiding in her friends and leader. She was able to listen to their godly counsel and experience His love through them. She was being filled as she poured out to her brother. God is cool like that. He fills us and empties us, and it is all for His glory. I have already received a text from Ashli, since we have been home, about using her newfound power to demand that the devil get away from her and be filled with the Holy Spirit instead. Camp is not just a one-week experience; it is a training for this spiritual race that will last a lifetime.

praise God together. These brothers decided to let their walls down and begin confiding in each other at home. They have made a pact to encourage each other in their faith. This began when the older brother prayed for the younger brother before he shared his testimony with the entire camp. Healing, boldness, unity and love were all displayed between these two young boys because they let God take over. Again, camp is not just a week to have fun and play, but a time and place for God to move in ways that will impact us forever.

Again, a relationship between siblings was mended when a 9th grade boy and a 7th grade boy were able to cry together and

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

Lastly, God spoke in such a unique way to one of our 7th grade students, Cora. At camp, we put a lot of importance on sharing testimony, which we all know can be terrifying. Cora took courage and decided to write hers out and consider sharing it with the camp. As she began to work out her story on paper, her nerves rose and the lies got louder. Surely a 7th grade girl couldn’t make a difference by telling her testimony.

Surely her age should hold her back from doing anything life-changing. Just as she was starting to listen to these discouraging lies, would you believe that a Dove chocolate wrapper fell from the top of her bunk bed?

(Let’s be honest, it is a common occurrence at camp.) It read, “Be proud of your age.”

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STUDENTS

Right then Cora knew she had to share her testimony and stop listening to the lies about being too young. That night she told all of the middle schoolers what happened and encouraged them to be proud of their stage of life. Coming home, Cora is determined to “not let anyone look down on her because she is young but set an example for other believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in unity.” 1 Timothy 4:12. God changed this middle schooler’s mindset via a chocolate wrapper. Praise God for His uniqueness.

One thing about writing articles is that you get to put your two cents in whenever you want, so now I get to share my perspective of Overlap 2016. God can do anything.

Nothing is impossible with Him. He equips us for that to which He calls us. He gives us the Spirit without limit and works through us. These were all truths that I knew before camp this summer, but they have never been more tangible than this past week. I saw high schoolers ministering to middle schoolers, leaders having the perfect words for students they have never met, energy that is not natural for such a small amount of sleep, and laughs coming from students who have all the reason to be void of joy.

God came in this past week and completely took over camp. He did it in a personal way and in a corporate way. He transformed and healed hearts that have been lost and broken. He led students to boldly share their stories and ask questions to leaders and peers.

He gave confidence and a feeling of belonging to students who would previously describe themselves as not good enough or an outcast. He also reminded leaders that when they are willing to serve, He will equip them with what they need.

But not only did He heal and transform individuals, He made Himself known to the youth group as a whole. Grades and ages were no longer segregated, but interacted with love and acceptance. Students raised their hands and said “me too” when peers shared their struggles. Groups of people heard messages from God about projects to start once they arrived home. At the end of the week, we all knew our identity as a son or daughter of God and as a brother or sister of each other.

We say that camp is where heaven and earth overlap, and this past week could not have proven that to be any truer. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for letting your kingdom come.

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PASTORAL

Is it OK to Get Angry With God?

By Pastor Charles Ryser I don’t know historically when “religious” persons were made to feel that anger was somehow unholy or that getting angry at God was out of bounds. There are some not-so-subtle hints of God’s own anger with Adam and Eve in “The Fall” narration, God’s dialogue with Cain observing his anger issues towards his younger brother, Abel, and thus Cain’s anger toward God for looking favorably on Abel’s sacrificial gift while overlooking his own. The good news in the narration is that God confronts him (a teaching moment here) and tells Cain that, in his awareness of his personal anger, there were ways available to him to manage his anger, if he so chose.

Unfortunately, Cain chose poorly and experienced tragic consequences. Similarly, God’s anger towards unfaithful nations is on full display as well.

Perhaps the most protracted narration of anger and confusion directed at God in the Old Testament is found in Job, but there are plenty of other persons and prophets who wrestle with God not just physically but emotionally and verbally. Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son tells us the story of a son who thought he could do better than living within the boundaries of his father’s house and raises questions about rebellion toward God as Father and the troubles we get into when attempting to live self-directed and apart from God. I would contend that anger is one of many emotions that God breathed into humanity that identifies us as being fully made in the image of God. How we respond, manage or utilize our anger makes all the difference within God’s creation. Some psychologists have suggested that much depression is simply “frozen anger” in disguise and causes me to wonder if that may have been what Job was experiencing in his grief after losing all that was personally meaningful to him. Some persons seem to have “short fuses” and spew their anger on anyone and everyone while others hold their anger in and implode when the internal dam they’ve built to restrain their emotions is finally breached.

The Apostle Paul noted that it was his experience that there are at least two types of anger. The Greek words he chose to describe anger depict volcanic anger, which explodes but then dissipates rather quickly, while the other type of anger returns repeatedly, sucking the energy or life-giving elements out of us as it becomes the justifying focus of our life. As a pastor

who works within the hospitals and the recovery sides of my own and people’s lives, there are frightening and yet freeing, healing possibilities that a person can experience when they find permission to acknowledge, explore, and wrestle with and (hopefully) eventually safely release their anger toward God and other persons in times of loss, loneliness and suffering. The challenge is to recognize it is best not to stop there, since there is still work to be done - confessing, repenting and seeking reconciliation for the victims of our anger.

Often in acting out of one’s anger, we forget others are watching, evaluating and possibly believing they, therefore, have a right to act out like their parents or someone else they look up to.

Even as Jesus had justified, angry thoughts, He practiced something that counselors have studied and offered as help to countless persons. He recognized that his FIRST response might NOT be the best response! Scientists in brain studies have noted that people with “road rage” type issues appear to have developed rather short fuses when it comes to encounters with other people. The key is what follows: with their heightened brain activity, neuropathways become shortened and scientists have found that quick responses to a situation lead to poor decision making, thus increasing frustration and anger rather than alleviating the problem. Maybe the old adage of counting to 10 or stepping back to take a couple of deep breaths has a lot of truth in it because it holds a better possibility for us to make a more informed/ truth-based response.

There is a distinction between righteous anger and reactive anger but that is only discerned through a personal dialogue with our loving Creator. Self-evaluation is a good place to start but makes us vulnerable to our own rationalizations and justifications. Job dared to state his case before God but was also willing to stand there and listen for God’s reply to his complaints. God was enough of a friend to Cain to confront him about his anger and expressed confidence in Cain’s ability to hopefully get his anger under control. Jesus didn’t allow himself be bullied into off-the-cuff responses; rather He chose momentary contemplation or withdrawal to think and pray before speaking or acting. He used prayer as a means of dialogue with God, and, in so doing, let His first thoughts go so He could choose more Godly actions with those around Him. We can learn to respond like Jesus as long as we listen to God and enter into dialogue with Him before taking action.

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Prayer in Georgia

By Jim Davis and Marilene Long

Marneuli

Asbury is a church deeply involved in global missions, and one of our focus areas is a region near the Caspian Sea. We are engaged there with an unreached people group (typically defined as an ethnic group that is less than two percent Christian) spread over several countries in the region. This is a part of the world where missionaries are not allowed.

As long-term work in the region has become more difficult, we have directed much of our involvement to the nearby Republic of Georgia, which is an Orthodox Christian nation with full freedom of religion. There are several hundred thousand of our unreached people group there, who are Georgian citizens living there because of how the borders between countries were drawn following World War I. Ethnically, they fit better with the country next door. However, with Georgia’s freedom, we can minister quite openly there with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Recently, a team of six from Asbury was in Georgia, and our primary purpose was to pray. While we always incorporate prayer into our short-term trips, this was the first time it was the main purpose. We provided prayer support for an annual ministry meeting for the region, but we also went out to pray

over towns and villages of our people group.

One day, we went out to the village of Garachirp (although the Georgian name to find it on a map is Iormughanlo) to pray over it and its people. This village (actually seven villages that have grown into one) is 100 percent our people group and is where an American worker has rug weavers as part of a business project which also provides a ministry platform. He has had many spiritual conversations with these families, and there is definite interest in Jesus. We pray these weavers will be the first believers in the village.

We prayed in a variety of places and ways. The village is about a two-hour drive each way from where we were staying, so we used much of that time to pray over the country and the ethnic group as we drove. As we approached the village, we stopped on a hill across the valley and prayed over it with prayers and scriptures as we looked upon it. We did some prayer walking through the streets, praying for the village and those we met or saw. We prayed over two mosques, a school and over the rug-weaving families. We had lunch with one of those families, tea with another and visits with others. The hospitality was

Pastor Jeanne Jeffers, Bill Abernathy, Debbie Young, Bill Jeffers and Jim Davis praying over the town of Marneuli

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TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

GLOBAL OUTREACH

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 abundant, and lunch was delicious and plentiful. We were not outwardly obvious in our prayers anywhere, but since no one spoke English we could pray aloud with our eyes open as if we were just speaking to one another.

Jesus to come to trust Him. Pray scripture over people.

Our prayer focus for this village is that it will be a center of faith with the whole village following Jesus. We long for the day when we can return and worship with a group of believers there! We also pray that this village will send out workers to bring people to Jesus in other towns and even in other countries. How much more effective they would be in doing so without the language and cultural barriers we face.

You can also walk around Asbury’s building and use the prayer stations along the sidewalks to pray for our city. Come serve at 2nd Saturday and choose the prayer van, where you will go to each of the service sites to pray for those ministries. Go to one of Asbury’s partner elementary schools – Grove near the church or Walt Whitman in north Tulsa – and pray for transformation in the lives of the students and their families. The possibilities for praying are endless.

We know from history that every major movement of people coming to Christ starts in prayer, so we are praying that this village will be the beginning of a movement. What better work could we do on a week-long mission trip than to pray for God to move? What if the people in this village come to Christ?

What if a neighboring village sees the transformation in people’s lives and God moves there too? What if a movement starts and keeps going, even in to other countries? Join us in praying this will happen.

So, can this have implications for us here in Tulsa? Absolutely.

While a Muslim village in Georgia may look more like a mission field, there is no less need for Jesus to transform lives here in Tulsa. We can prayer walk here in Tulsa in the rhythm of our everyday lives. Do you walk or run for exercise? You can pray while you do, even for the people you pass in your neighborhood or along the walking trail. Pray for businesses or churches you pass. Pray for those in Tulsa who don’t know

We based much of how we did things during our Georgia trip on Marveling at the intricate work the book “Prayerwalking” by Steve of the women weaving rugs in Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick.

Garachirp We encourage you to take a read. You can also connect with Asbury’s global outreach, local outreach or prayer teams to learn more about how and what you can pray. We would also love for you to join us on a trip to Georgia to pray if that is where God is leading you.

Praying over the village of Garachirp

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Cross-Cultural Tulsa

Jim and Rachel Davis with Isaiah & Gil

By Jim Davis

How well do you know your city? Do you know what nationalities are represented in Tulsa? Maybe you’re well versed in the history of Tulsa, but you might find there are some places and cultures in Tulsa you don’t know.

I love going out exploring to see what I can find, and I also love a good scavenger hunt. Adapt these ideas to your own family and your time available, or use these as ideas to discover other people and places.

Be sure to incorporate a bigger picture of why you are going and why you are learning new cultures. As Christians, we know God desires the nations to worship Him, a theme throughout scripture. Jesus demonstrated this by ministering to all those around Him, including Samaritans and Romans. The Apostle Paul purposely went through the city of Athens to learn culture and religion (Acts 17, particularly verse 23) in order to engage in meaningful discussions. We should know our city, including its variety of cultures and people, and practice seeing it through God’s eyes. The world has come to Tulsa, and because of that, we have the opportunity to show Christ to nations without leaving home.

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Go out into Tulsa as a learner, and look through the lens of this Christian worldview. What prompted people from another culture to come to Tulsa? Ask about their home country or city. Learn how to say thank you in their language. More importantly, pray for those you meet.

Pray for people, nationalities, and those of other religions to come to know Jesus Christ. Learn to be a globallyminded Christian.

In my own family, seeing the Hindu temple in town prompted some interesting discussions with our 4-yearold boys about why not everyone worships Jesus. They know that Jesus loves them and that we give him thanks and praise, because they have seen and learned that at home and at Asbury. Therefore, they were perplexed that some people go to a temple to worship a different god.

We explained that some people have never heard of Jesus, some choose not to love Him, and some believe other gods are true. We have the ability to tell people why we love Jesus. We were also able to add that in some countries, you get in trouble for worshipping Him. These discussions have been simple but profound.

TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

GLOBAL OUTREACH

See what you and your family can learn from some of these suggestions: 1. Let’s start with some great food! I’m sure many of you have a list of favorite restaurants, but maybe it’s time to branch out and discover some dishes that bring a global flair to lunch or dinner. Go try some phở if you never have – maybe even find some Vietnamese folks to ask where their favorite phở in town is. Do you know where you can get shawarma and what it is? Try a Korean or an Indian restaurant. Be sure to learn a bit about the country and how you can pray for that country.

2. Speaking of food, go check out some grocery stores too.

Make a point to go to Nam Hai International Market at 11528 E. 21st St., just east of Garnett. Buy something that you’ve never heard of before. Bonus points if you ask someone in the store how to prepare it.

3. There are three synagogues in Tulsa. You can get a good treat at one of them – the Tulsa World says the best chocolate chip cookie in town is from the Altamont Bakery at Congregation B’nai Emunah.

4. Did you know there is a Hindu temple, four mosques and a Buddhist temple in Tulsa? Do a little research and learn their histories. How long have they been around? Find out where one or two are and go on a discovery trip, or maybe even schedule a visit. Go as an observer and a learner. However, this is not the time to tell them about Jesus or to say their religion is false or wrong. Also, be aware it is possible to

encounter spiritual forces, but that Jesus in your heart is more powerful.

5. Tulsa has a large Burmese population. Actually, that’s a bit of a misnomer, because although they are from Myanmar (previously known as Burma), most aren’t ethnic Burmese.

Find out which ethnic groups are represented here in Tulsa.

What is their predominant religion, and why is that related to the reason they are here? Visit one of the two stores run by this population – the OK Asian Market and the Hornbill Oriental Market.

5. Did you know The University of Tulsa is more than a quarter international students, including many from oil-producing countries because of TU’s petroleum engineering program?

International Community Outreach, a ministry supported

by Asbury, hosts a dinner for international students every two weeks during the summer. Contact Jim Davis in Asbury’s Global Outreach office at 918.492.1771 if you would like to join them on July 6 or 20, or August 3.

6. Ride the Tulsa Transit bus. While this isn’t necessarily a global experience, see how life is different if you don’t own a car here. Do you know how to plan a ride? Do you know how to pay or transfer buses? Be sure to observe the environment around you and see what you notice and learn.

Please share your experiences! Email a photo or story to Jim Davis at jdavis@asburytulsa.org or stop by his office for a visit.Have fun, and better yet, strive to become a globally-minded Christian.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Local Outreach Gets Laser Focused

By Lucienda Denson Assistance, empowerment and refocusing aren’t usually considered to be synonyms. That is, however, what Asbury’s Local Outreach Department hopes to make happen.

Helping can also hurt if it doesn’t include resources that can lead to personal empowerment and lifestyle changes, according to Radhika Aussieker, Asbury’s Director of Local Outreach. In far too many instances, help can become a bandage instead of a remedy for the recipient, she said.

Radhika has been involved with working with area nonprofit agencies that provide assistance to people and families in need in the Tulsa area for 11 years. For the past six years, her work has been through Asbury’s Local Outreach Department.

Christian churches, and often many nonprofits, usually include some version of a benevolent ministry, frequently in the form of food banks, emergency assistance or clothing closets. Asbury’s now multifaceted benevolence ministry began when the church was a smaller, neighborhood church in the 61st Street and Sheridan Area, Radhika said.

Bigger is usually considered to be a good thing. For Asbury, it was two-fold. It brought increased opportunities to provide services. But it also brought challenges in how to provide services along with ways to help people get out of the situations that made receiving the services necessary.

If just the help is provided, it’s a handout, and doesn’t necessarily help people find the solution to what made the assistance necessary, she said.

It’s also the reason why, approximately a decade after Asbury’s relocation, the church’s benevolence ministry is undergoing a transformation that includes fewer recipient assistance programs offered by local outreach. To balance the reduced assistance, the church is partnering with more area nonprofits for everything from in-the-hand assistance to programs that help empower people to make needed changes possible.

Asbury’s “hands-on-help” focus has been narrowed to two neighborhoods instead of almost the whole of Greater Tulsa, and there is an increased attention to results.

“One is in our backyard - the area surrounding Grove Elementary and the 71st Street corridor. The second is our 12year partner in North Tulsa -Walt Whitman Elementary and the 36th Street North corridor,” she said.

By increasing the direct focus on these areas, Radhika hopes the program will have a positive impact on everything from neighborhood crime, to high school graduation, to helping people live successful financial lives. “We want to empower them to change their circumstances,” she said.

It’s a little like going back to the outreach’s beginning, Radhika said.

That small, neighborhood church is now housed in the beautiful, cathedral-style building at 71st Street and Mingo Road. As the church grew in size, so did its benevolence ministry – often in the form of partnering with area non-profit organizations to provide needed help but also through an increasing number of church members who, as volunteers, help provide services.

“A factor in Asbury’s Local Outreach’s expansion to most of the Greater Tulsa area was the new location’s increased access to major highways and the church’s continually growing membership,” Radhika explained.

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“We started out with a number of partnered organizations – about 40 nonprofits that Asbury has supported over its 50 years of existence. They include Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses from the bottom up; Sacred Heart, which provides mentoring for at-risk kids; Happy Hands, which is a special needs children program; and Project Transformation, which bridges the learning gap in the summer for at-risk kids who don’t have the same opportunities as more privileged kids because school’s not in session,” Radhika said.

“Global Gardens is also a partner, and they’re in our back yard at Asbury Corner. Global Gardens is an after-school program for Union Middle School kids.”

TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

LOCAL OUTREACH

Hopefully, students will have good one-on-one experiences with the volunteers who make the program possible and benefit from the skills the program helps them acquire.

“They learn science and math through gardening,” she said, adding that will help them in school and in other life situations. “But it’s actually about empowering them to overcome their circumstance and become productive citizens. It’s more like a pastoral ministry than say, a food bank. You really get to know the people.”

E Pine St

E 11th St

E 21st St

E 31st St

E 41st St

S Sheridan Rd

E 51st St

E 61st St S 129th Ave

S Garnett Rd

S Mingo Rd

E 71st St

S Memorial Rd

S Yale Rd

S Harvard Rd

S Lewis Ave

“2nd Saturday is the second Saturday of every month.

They provide little mission trips in the Tulsa area, and it is open to anyone who would like to have the opportunity to serve for three hours on a Saturday.”

“For example, Harvest Food Pantry in east Tulsa may be able to accommodate 20 Asbury workers with three hours of service work. There may be 250 Asbury volunteers who desire placement. We must coordinate with other nonprofit partners to accommodate our remaining 230 eager volunteers.

E 36th St N

S Peoria Ave

Another significant partner is 2nd Saturday, and what Radhika believes is an excellent example of how Asbury’s Local Outreach is meant to serve both the people in need, and those who want to provide help.

area service providers and nonprofits). Depending on the size of the partner organization, the volunteer opportunities may be limited in scale as well as management for both the volunteer coordinators on the giving and receiving ends,” Radhika said.

Asbury Local Outreach has concentrated their energies to two areas of Tulsa; Walt Whitman Elementary near 36th St. N. and Peoria Ave., and Grove Elementary near E. 62nd St. and Mingo Rd.

The transformation is intended to not only provide more situation specific assistance to those who are helped, but to also put them in touch with resources that will allow then to become self-sustaining.

What, at first glance, appears to be a downsizing of the ministry is also an expansion through actively networking with other organizations. Radhika views the changes in the program as positive.

The restructuring of the ministry is, in part, a result of its success.

“The downside to our local outreach expansion all over the city is the inability to see and know how an individual life or an area is impacted by our involvement. Therefore, a move to a focused, synergistic partnership approach is critical. Transformed lives is our goal and our Christian mission,” Radhika said.

The ministry isn’t just for those who need the services provided; it also provides a way for Asbury members to serve the community.

“To mobilize a congregation of our size for local service is not an easy task. Serving opportunities outside the four walls of the church must be created through strategic partnership (with

“We will continue to heavily partner with all nonprofits, schools, churches and residents in our two focus areas. Asbury Local Outreach will communicate all manner of service opportunities to our congregation ranging in size and scope of volunteer commitment. Some of these opportunities will happen on 2nd Saturday and Day of Service but the majority will be throughout the weekdays and weekends that school is in session.”

The programs Asbury is cutting will not necessarily go away.

Networking has long been recognized as a highly effective form of teamwork. That, Radhika said, is one of her areas of expertise.

With 11 years experience networking with Greater Tulsa nonprofits, one of her goals with Asbury is to create what amounts to a clearing house for service providers. Working with other area agencies will allow Asbury to provide more - not less - critical assistance to people and families in need of a hand up.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Benevolence Packets

By Lucienda Denson Sometimes, a person needs just a little help to get through the day. That’s the purpose of Asbury’s Benevolence Packets. The recently redesigned packets were created to provide just a little help for folks who needed it.

“The idea was birthed originally by a good friend of mine who is a prominent business man in Tulsa. He was very moved to help those who were struggling that you would often see on the street corners... He shared this idea with me probably 10 years ago. When I came to work at Asbury six years ago, I remembered that,” said Radhika Aussieker, Asbury Director of Local Outreach.

provide the opportunity for the recipient to be connected with a case manager who could help them by delving into their situation and getting them to the next stage. Each organization’s locations and hours of operations are included on the list.

For immediate help, the packets provide a listing of places individuals can get assistance and support, she added.

In addition to the filled packets, Radhika plans to offer empty packets that people can fill themselves. She is looking toward Christmas when she will promote them as stocking stuffers. The gift, she said, is the actual gift of giving.

The area where Asbury is located seems to attract people who are asking for help, Aussieker said. She speculated they could be anything from homeless people to people who just needed a little help getting through the day.

That’s why Asbury’s benevolence packets were created. The small packets will usually provide a cold drink at QT, two bus tokens that include two transfers, perhaps a coupon for something to eat, and a list of places that can provide more assistance.

She emphasized that just providing assistance without a list of resources that can end the reason for needing assistance is a potential for hurt instead of help. In addition to the beverage and bus token, the packets have the potential to be a hand up.

“We have packets that are updated, I would say, twice a year, and they are available in English and Spanish. They are available to the congregation if someone wants to keep a few in their car. If they encounter a need, they have a way to respond to that need,” she said.

Radhika said she has an inquisitive toddler. It is reassuring to her that when they encounter someone on the road who is obviously forlorn, the child realizes something is wrong for that person. Radhika’s glad she has something she can give them.

Donations can be sent to Asbury for this particular outreach, Radhika added.

If you are interested in having some of the benevolence packets to use, please come by the local outreach office at Asbury and meet Radhika. She, or a member of the missions team, will gladly hand you some.

Radhika said some of the referrals in the packet could

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TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Milestone Anniversaries 60 YEARS

45 YEARS

Rey & Betty Spence 7/8/56 Jerry & Pat Russell 7/21/56 Milton & Patricia VanDerwiele 9/1/56

Hap & Pam Parrish 7/10/71

55 YEARS Ron & Sue Baucom 7/8/61 Wade & Donna Floyd 8/25/61 Don & Mary Herrold 8/26/61

50 YEARS Ben & Pat Long 7/9/66 Kent & Joanne Miller 7/30/66 Jim & Marilyn Cinocca 8/3/66 Reece & Sue Hembree 9/3/66 CF & Betty McGee 9/10/66

Deaths

40 YEARS Logan & Joyce Boltz 9/11/1976 Rob & Linda Marshall 7/24/76

Ron & Sue Baucom

Jim & Marilyn Cinocca

Wade & Donna Floyd

Reece & Sue Hembree

Don & Mary Herrold

Ben & Pat Long

CF & Betty McGee

Kent & Joanne Miller

Jerry & Pat Russell

35 YEARS Doug & Nancy Baumunk 7/11/81

25 YEARS Greg & Kim Renkema 8/17/91 Charles & Cheryl Welch 9/21/91

Robert Bainbridge died 3-8-2016.

Ken Ruffin died 3-8-2016. Brother of Lynn (Kathy) Ruffin.

James Allen died 3-25-2016. Father of Debra Allen Nicholas.

Doug Wilson died 4-26-2016. Spouse of Laura Wilson.

Marjorie King died 4-7-2016.

Betty Kelsey died 4-8-2016.

Joy Hatch died 4-22-2016.

Toney Phillips died 4-30-2016. Brother of Annette (Carl) Novinger.

Milton & Patricia VanDerwiele Mollie Achterberg died 5-16-2016.

Rosemary Wiles died 5-16-2016.

Julius Chapin died 5-17-2016.

Ruth Johnston died 5-18-2016. Wife of Harold Johnston.

Blake Ziegenhorn died 5-18-2016. Son of Mike and Lisa Ziegenhorn.

Bruce Barton died 5-18-2016. Husband of Nancy Barton.

Gloyd Dixon died 5-21-2016. Father of Steve (Tammy) Dixon.

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

Joanne Weatherford died 5-22-2016. Mother of Mike Weatherford.

Regina Stanley died 5-24-2016. Daughter of Ella Broyles.

Christene Tom died 5-28-2016.

Christine (Chris) Gresh died 5-30-2016.

Morgan Burgin died 6-5-2016. Husband of Carolyn Burgin.

Ann Schulz died 6-5-2016. Wife of Jim Schulz.

David Cowan died 6-5-2016. Husband of Maria Cowen.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Members

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Sharon Ball

Amanda Benn

Charlotte Benn

Karen Blankenship

Don & Evelyn Boyer

J.R. & Cheryl Clonts

Debra Cooper

Richard & Marilyn Dirickson

Sammie Durrett

Steven & Jennifer Fitter

Richard Gilbert

Michael & Cara Hall, with Joseph and Alexander

Danny & Kelsi Hernandez

Fred Hook

Bill Kimmel

Karen Laxton

Madison Miller

Patti Parrish

Charlie & Lisa Prickett

Ed & Amy Rammel

Tom & Pam Rink

Steven & Laura Terry

Ginger Torner

Tuli Tulikangas

Victoria Ziegler

TIDINGS SUMMER 2016

Worship Times 8:00 am Traditional Service in Mason Chapel

Looking for Tidings Opportunities?

9:15 am Traditional Service in Sanctuary

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

11:00 am Modern Service in Sanctuary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUMMER 2016 TIDINGS

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SAVE THE DATE

Day of Service 2016

September 11