The Discipleship Pathway

WINTER 2017

The Discipleship Pathway: A New Focus, Inclusive and Updated.

Worship, Learn and Serve.

Announcement LifeCare Ministry – A New Name for Longstanding Ministries “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ,” writes the Apostle Paul to the Galatian congregation (Galatians 6:2). Since the earliest years of Asbury, providing care across and beyond our congregation has been a hallmark of our life and is in the DNA of our spiritual makeup. Longtime members remember seeing Pastor Bill Mason beat doctors to the hospital with his daily rounds. Twenty-eight years ago, Asbury expanded this ministry to include the office of Care & Marriage ministry with Charlene Giles at the helm. With her retirement in January, we began discussing how we might bring together both those strong care and marriage ministries, but also so many more under one umbrella of leadership and support.

On January 15, more than 300 volunteers gathered to celebrate these many ministries of spiritual and emotional care, marriage support and loving care during some of life’s most trying times. Every week well over 100 different volunteers serve quietly all across our congregation visiting the sick in hospitals, listening to hurts and heartaches of those grieving, holding the hands of those whose health has deteriorated, and walking alongside those going through time of grief.

The new LifeCare Ministry really represents the heart and soul of Asbury’s spiritual DNA. Below is a list of all the ministries it covers.

• Stephen Ministry • Care Card Ministry • Celebrate Recovery • Congregational Care Ministry • Bridging Links • Couple-to-Couple • Divorce Support • GriefShare • Beyond GriefShare

• Healing Hats Ministry • Marriage Ministry • Mental Health Support for Families • Plumbline • Quilting Ministry • SMILE (Support for Single Moms) • What Do I Do Now? • Widows (Stand in the Gap)

The LifeCare Council will continue to provide opportunities for these ministries of care, places of serving, support for all of us during life’s challenges and a voice for those in special times of need.

Want more information about LifeCare ministries? Contact Betty Logan at blogan@asburytulsa.org or Ruth Winn at rwinn@asburytulsa.org or any of our pastors.

Contents WINTER 2017 Asbury Tidings is a quarterly publication designed to tell stories of lives being transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. You may read back issues by visiting www.asburytulsa.org.

A Word from Tom Harrison

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God Prepares You for His Perfect Plan

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We’re Updating the Discipleship Pathway!

Making a Large Church Feel Small

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

16 Charlene Giles, Retiring After 28 Years! 18

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Discipleship and Service

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Middle Schoolers CAN Change the World by Helping Others Follow Jesus 20 Triumph of God’s Mercy and Grace 22

Digging Deeper Roots at Asbury

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Does God Really Love Me? Even With All My Sins and Secrets?

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PASTOR TOM

A Word From Tom Harrison How does Asbury go about “Helping Others Follow Jesus?” Jesus asked (at least) three things.

First, He called people to make a COMMITMENT. Dropping their secular vocation and traveling the land with Him was no small matter.

He didn’t promise fame, political power or wealth. Rather, He invited them to die with Him. Following Jesus was a grave (pun intended) risk with an uncertain future then.

But the benefits they saw in the introduction of the Kingdom of God far outweighed spending a lifetime merely catching fish or collecting taxes. He answered THE essential question of life: “Why am I here?”

Following Jesus provided meaning and purpose. When the disciples saw their return on investment with Him, they became eager disciples.

Second, He called them into COMMUNITY. It wasn’t just a oneon-one with Jesus. They were in the company of others. The disciples, like any small group, had imperfections.

They were competitive, envious, proud and angry. They were ragtag misfits and undependable. They fell asleep and ran away at key moments.

Judas betrayed Jesus for financial

1 Nation 1 Day, Nicaragua 2017

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Upcoming Events Calendar

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Illuminate

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Helping Others Follow Jesus

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Love Your Neighbors

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Special Announcements

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gain. In spite of their dysfunctions, this community became dynamic. I love the scene in the movie, “Risen,” where the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples (especially to Thomas).

After all they’d been through with Jesus, His power and presence literally “scared the Hell out of them.” The resurrection transformed the band of brothers and sisters from a motley crew to a mighty company.

Third, He called them to PARTICIPATE. He needed them to do some things, even if they’d never done it before. They were hesitant.

They didn’t always volunteer. Only Peter got out of the boat to try to walk on the water. Nobody else would wash their rivals’ feet at the Last Supper.

They were often wrong. They couldn’t make Jesus king or prevent Him from dying (thus, “Get thee behind me, Satan!”) and Jesus didn’t need them to build booths (another one of Peter’s clumsy ideas after experiencing the Transfiguration). But He did invite them to suggest solutions to problems (Andrew found a boy with five loaves and two sardines which led to the feeding of the multitude, and Peter discerned the true identity of Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”) Their ability to fully

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

participate was limited until Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. Pentecost gave them the power to be the witnesses He had requested. The Holy Spirit empowered them to love one another, their neighbor and even their enemy.

You’ll read in this and in every “Tidings” how Asbury is doing these three things: COMMITMENT to Jesus as Lord, involvement in His COMMUNITY (the church), and SERVING Christ’s mission. We invite you to join us in “Helping Others Follow Jesus” by making these connections.

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor

Editor: Asbury Communications Department, 918.392.1140, kmains@asburytulsa.org Graphic Design: Thomas Bradford, tbradford@asburytulsa.org Photographers: Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net) Guest Contributors: Guy Ames, Deborah Calhoun, Michelle Carney, Jesse Chambliss, Nancy Eckerd, Stephanie Hurd, Jim Lenderman, Jordan Lenderman, Marilene Long, Katelyn Moore, Sallye Nail, Isley and Heather Steger

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

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arious childhood memories come into mind when I think about how exactly I have arrived to this moment. I am not talking about the previous three years spent studying Arabic at the University of Oklahoma, but I am talking about how I dressed up as the heroine from the “Mummy” for Halloween and dreamt of being an adventurer like Indiana Jones and exploring the world.

God Prepares You for His Perfect Plan

by Michelle Carney

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I am currently curled up on my mattress under four thick blankets to fight off the cold, surrounded by four white walls with photos from home taped up, providing a sort of refuge from the outside, all with the background music of feral cats fighting five floors below in the street. This is home. One of the many: Tulsa. Reynosa, Mexico. Shell, Ecuador.

Meknes, Morocco.

There are 24 of us students here in Meknes for the year. We are all part of the government-sponsored Arabic Flagship Program from five universities across the United States. We came together for this fifth and final year in the city and country of their choosing. I would like to note that Morocco is an absolutely beautiful country with diversity ranging from cultural and ethnic diversity to landscape; however, Meknes has been nicknamed the armpit of Morocco. Every day, I overhear my fellow classmates complaining about Meknes. If it’s not one problem, it’s another. “If only we were in Egypt, we would be so happy…” I would confidently say that in our situation, attitude is the indicator of happiness and not location. And that’s where Asbury Spring Break Missions comes in.

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Surviving the summer was the hardest part of the year and possibly the hardest couple of months of my life up until now.

I had the opportunity to live with an average Moroccan family which meant no air conditioning in extremely hot weather, lots of stomach issues, more family members than you can remember names for and no concept of privacy or boundaries, whether physically or socially. Several sleepless nights were spent on the tile floor, because it was a few degrees colder, but sweat still collected in a puddle. If that didn’t keep me awake, the wave of family guests arriving at midnight for dinner or my host sister watching Indian films until 8 am did.

During the summer, life in Morocco changes completely to accommodate Ramadan hours as well as the heat.

In retrospect, I would happily contribute my summer survival to Asbury Spring Break mission trips, because the church

and people I met during those trips taught me many lessons that I hold very dear to me whether it was a basic lesson about physical circumstances (i.e. mosquitos or the toilet situation) or a lesson about perspective.

So we have arrived at one of my favorite memories as to how I ended up here. I was in 3rd grade. Last minute, my parents were asked to be leaders on a Spring Break Mission trip to Houston, Texas. It was too late to drop me off at my grandparent’s house, so I tagged along with them and the group of sweet and forgiving 7th graders who graciously befriended me. I remember being by myself in a shed in a homeless shelter. I was putting women’s products into bags and handing them out.

I remember thinking that makeup is not a basic need, so why are these women so touched? I realized that the act of caring and serving was more important to them than the actual makeup. That week forever

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embedded a desire to serve within me, as well as the idea that the circumstances and places we live in are only temporary, so we should focus more on the eternal, spiritual and intentions behind our actions.

Finally, I reached the 7th grade and was able to attend the Houston trip again with my peers. Kentucky, Mexico, San Antonio (because of last-minute security concerns), Guatemala, then returning to Kentucky and Guatemala as a leader. I went with my father to Ecuador several times over a few summers with Covenant community group. My loving parents, Mark Fowler and the Asbury community encouraged me in my love for missions and exploration monetarily and emotionally.

When asked by friends and fellow Christians questions about how I can live here or how are the people, I would say… I am very happy here in Meknes, though it was a process. SBM prepared

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

me for an array of experiences from squatty potties, to eating goat heart, to the people that I love so much but whom also are constantly testing my patience.

Whether on the outskirts of Boy’s Town in Mexico, Tulsa, or a Muslim country, a child’s laugh is still the same laugh that is contagious and beautiful. The nosy neighbor and the taxi driver who tells me he has a good friend looking for a wife are still human. The fruit vendor who sleeps every night on the street in the cold trying to provide for his family never fails at making me smile every morning and evening with a warm hello.

I have countless stories of hospitality and kindness: of families who have opened their houses and hearts to me, of numerous free cups of tea and conversation to keep me out of the rain, of people always accompanying me from one destination to another holding my things for me, people offering all they have to make me more comfortable, and my personal favorite, baby kisses. Here in Morocco, there is the environment that we are all family, so there are few personal boundaries when it comes to quickly befriending strangers and children (Does this make sense? Basically, I get to play

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with random kids whenever I want, kiss them, and in return they have to kiss you on the cheeks out of respect.)

I often feel like I have more in common with Moroccans than my classmates from the north, bonded together with a common culture of warm hospitality as well as religion being the driving factor of how I interact with others. SBM showed me that we are all children of God no matter how different the culture, customs, or clothing. The lessons I have learned in Mexico and Kentucky and so on are being tried here in Morocco.

Through these experiences as a child and teenager, I learned that God has called me to be His hands and feet wherever I am, in the simplest of ways. Knowing that His will prevails and seeking joy in hardship helps me through each day. So here in Morocco, God has simply called me to be a diligent student of the Arabic language and Moroccan culture and to do so joyfully in preparation for what comes next.

I do not know what exactly I will be doing the next few years (most likely Peace Corps in Morocco followed by a job in the United States government working with

TIDINGS WINTER 2017

national security), but I am not worried about it. Why? Because I know that wherever I am and whatever job I have, I will be doing the same thing. Spring Break Missions taught me that despite all circumstances, to work as the servant’s hands of God with an eternal mindset and a smile. So, thank you Mom and Dad, for allowing me to go on all these adventures and follow my dreams, as well as for always being my home. Thank you Mark Fowler, the Coopers, Mrs. Crum, the Covenant Community, Santiago Ruiz, and the Asbury community for your donations and support.

Finally, I would like to encourage all of you to trust in God and to take risks.

His will is more perfect a will than what we could dream up. Whether dressing up as my favorite heroine or handing out goodie bags to women, I never could have imagined being where I am today, thanks be to God. Life begins when we get out of our comfort zones and be bold, because it is God who gives us strength. His will for us may seem unclear or unconventional, but fulfill it with an adventurous spirit and an eternal perspective.

DISCIPLESHIP

We’re updating the Discipleship Pathway!

Helping Others Follow Jesus is what we are trying to do at Asbury. There are many ways to say this, but we believe that the reason we exist as a congregation is to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we want to help others follow Jesus, too. We created a Discipleship Pathway to provide clarity and “next steps” for those who are new to Asbury or for those who have yet to make a connection.

We started the Discipleship Pathway last year and are learning as we go. We are excited to share a few updates to the Discipleship Pathway that we believe will engage all generations and provide more clarity.

To reiterate our principles: • We want everyone involved on Discipleship Pathway.

• It is a great place to start if you are new to Asbury.

• If you have been attending Asbury for a while and just haven’t found your place, the Pathway is the perfect way to get connected.

• We want to help you and others follow Jesus as we: • Worship • Learn (Grow) • Serve (Influence)

We broadened Learn2/Serve2 into separate steps so that all who serve in the church are represented. Adult Discipleship Communities are also now included in the learning pathway since many at Asbury are already connected here.

Updated Steps

Many different types of small groups exist at Asbury. Some of these focus upon mission, study and prayer while other groups are more about personal accountability. Having a viable and effective small group ministry is enormously important to us. We intend to create a new form of small groups, too. (This is what has been referred to as “Table Groups.”) The bottom line is we invite you to join the Discipleship Pathway as a means to deepen your relationship with Jesus, develop hospitality and Christ’s love for all, and to serve others in the church as well as locally and globally.

Step 2 Disciple Orientation

We want to introduce the pastoral team and staff involved in providing leadership and support to the key leaders and volunteers as they lead the Discipleship Pathway effort.

Step 1 Welcome Brunch

Welcome, learn of opportunities in the church and next steps

God’s big story, how we fit in his story and getting connected.

Step 3 Learn2 or existing

Adult Discipleship Communities

Growing in faith and fellowship

Step 4 Serve2

Serving on Sunday morning

Step 5 Small groups Coming in 2017

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor

Discipleship Pathway registration links: asburytulsa.org/brunch asburytulsa.org/learn2 asburytulsa.org/serve2

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DISCIPLESHIP

New Discipleship Pathway Team Volunteer led, staff and pastor supported.

Key Leaders from the beginning: These are the pastors and staff taking the lead roles in supporting the discipleship pathway. In the next issue we will be introducing other key leaders and volunteers.

Senior Pastor Tom Harrison Pastor Tom’s vision would be for everyone to be involved with the Discipleship Pathway. It welcomes families into our church and helps them get connected. This is our way of inviting people into the family of Asbury.

“Asbury exists to help people follow Jesus. There are many ways this is done, but we’ve found a wonderful way to welcome new people to our fellowship (and those who have yet to find their place of belonging) is through the “Discipleship Pathway.” You can certainly find a place of connection here. Consider this your invitation to join us.”

Pastor Guy Ames Guy is responsible for building a team that will take the Discipleship Pathway foundation that has been developed and build a stronger more global and inclusive plan that includes existing Adult Discipleship Communities, new people just starting out on the pathway and people who haven’t yet connected at Asbury. ”The goal of our Discipleship Pathway is to help people grow as followers of Jesus by providing avenues for learning and serving whether in one of our new Learn2 elective courses, or by engaging in one of our Adult Discipleship Communities. We hope to strengthen our calling to help others to follow Jesus.”

Pastor Gloria McGee-Denton Gloria is the lead pastor over Steps 1 and 2, the Welcome Brunch and the Disciple Orientation. She will be responsible for maintaining the solid foundation that was designed in 2016 and will enhance any growth opportunities for these two areas. Going forward, she will also work on developing solid and long-lasting relationships with those who start on the pathway.

Pastor Dick Read Dick will oversee the curriculum and instruction of all Learn2 courses. Asbury has long been known as a biblical discipleship church which offers high-level, Christian adult education from a Wesleyan perspective. Learn2 courses are offered on Sunday mornings at 9:15 and 11:00 and topics range from missions to evangelism to relationships to Bible studies. The core courses are on worship, prayer, the Bible and missional living. Pastor Dick has been with Asbury more than 33 years and has served in a capacity of different roles. He is loved and respected by many! Having him teach and oversee the curriculum is a huge win for Discipleship Pathway. He loves the Lord and is so humble, and is very passionate about helping others learn about Jesus, too.

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Pastor Jim Lenderman Pastor Jim is taking the lead in supporting the Adult Discipleship Communities. He will work with our instructor base from our Learn2 courses to expand our offerings in the Adult Discipleship Communities. Pastor Jim is a skilled instructor who makes challenging concepts understandable and finds ways to relate the lessons to our everyday lives. He is compassionate and knowledgeable and will be setting up courses for our existing communities with topics that will inspire great dialogue and discussion.

Pastor Charlie Ryser Pastor Charlie will be available to help during the Welcome Brunch and Disciple Orientation. With his down-toearth personality and kindness, Pastor Charlie will be easy and enjoyable to get to know. He is one of the pastors who is responsible for relationship building and making people feel at home at Asbury.

Robin Brush Robin recruits, trains, equips and empowers volunteers, and develops and supports infrastructure for each step of the Discipleship Pathway. She is the woman “behind the curtain” that makes Discipleship Pathway run. She is involved in every detail of the Welcome Brunch and Disciple Orientation to make sure Asbury is prepared to welcome new people and get others connected. She is also responsible for coordinating the systems that support the Discipleship Pathway.

“I love empowering and equipping volunteers so they’re freed to do the ministry God is calling them to. My favorite moments are when someone says, ‘thank you for letting me serve.’ When they say that, they’re doing exactly what God has called them to and they are thriving there. ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ Ephesians 2:10. There’s life and love and blessings in doing the good things God has prepared us to do. When I help people connect to that, it’s a great day.”

Janet Day She is very passionate about the Discipleship Pathway and has been volunteering as a table host since the beginning.

She has seen the benefits of getting people connected and helping them grow in their faith. Her heart is to help make the transition smooth from Jason Jackson, the prior discipleship leader to this entirely volunteer-led team that is staff-supported. She will make sure there is good communication throughout the process and will support our key leaders and pastors to make sure this initiative is successful and continues to grow.

“I love seeing God transform others, but God is also changing me too through this process.”

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DISCIPLESHIP

Cheryl and Charlie Wood

Making a Large Church Feel Small

By Lucienda Denson

In a world where bigger seems always to be better, Cheryl and Charlie Wood are on a mission to help make Asbury United Methodist Church smaller.

we could help them do that – serve the community, share the Gospel and be part of that part of that work in Tulsa,” Charlie said.

The smaller isn’t in a physical sense.

“One thing we did notice right away was how personable the pastoral staff were. They would really make an effort to remember a name or follow up a prayer request with a phone call. That was something we really weren’t used to.

That was very welcoming to us,” she explained.

The couple, who will be married 30 years this summer, transitioned to Asbury two-and-a-half years ago, in part because of its reputation as a large church that provided a wide variety of outreach programs in the Tulsa area.

“Many years ago, I was working in Tulsa as an engineer and knew Asbury’s reputation. It was always the church that had outreach in the community. They were forever putting on programs that would benefit parts of the city that needed help. When we were transitioning in our church life, it just seemed right to transition to Asbury as a place where

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By the end of 2015, they began to look for a way to get involved but had trouble connecting. While they liked the church, they began to doubt their decision. Perhaps a large church wasn’t what would be the best match for them, after all. Discipleship Pathway came at just the right time, Cheryl said.

“We had been at Asbury for more than a year looking

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for the best way to join in. They had many avenues for service, which was what we were hunting for. …

But they didn’t really have a warm, friendly way to embrace newcomers.

They were super warm and friendly, but there wasn’t a way we could connect individually. We tried some of the community groups and the established ways, but didn’t really feel we had found our home. Then they introduced us to Discipleship Pathway,” Charlie said. Jason Jackson was on staff specifically to help with the program.

“It seemed exactly the thing the church needed. It was like that warm embrace, that, ‘Hey, we know you’re new, come make some friends and be part of a process where you learn about us. We want you to make a lot of new friends here, and to feel welcome here,’” Charlie said.

But Discipleship Pathway isn’t just for newcomers, Cheryl added.

She compared the new member experience as akin to walking into a family reunion where you knew almost no one. “It wasn’t that the people (in the congregation) weren’t friendly. They were very friendly people who had connected with each other for a number of years.”

That creates a situation that makes it difficult for newcomer to connect on the surface level.

When the Woods were told about Discipleship Pathway, they decided to stay at Asbury a while longer and take part in the program.

They decided to participate even though they were experiencing some personal challenges, helping family difficult transitions. “We were going back and forth to Arkansas, sharing time caring for an elderly relative,” Cheryl said.

Her breakthrough to connecting with the group happened on Sunday when Charlie was in Arkansas.

“I was in a training meeting. We were getting ready to kick off the Discipleship Pathway for the whole church.

Volunteers were talking with each other, talking about how their week went, and sharing things. In the middle of that, I started crying and shared some of what our family was going through. The next week when I went back, it was the first time since we had been (at Asbury) that people remembered who I was, called me by name, and asked me how our situation was.”

That was when Cheryl realized the Discipleship Pathway was working.

“That was just the training part,” Charlie said. “That happened to me, too. During the orientation, there are a series of questions people at the table are to discuss.”

During the discussion time, he realized he had learned a great deal about the people he was volunteering with he had not known before. “I was able to connect with a group of people, something that over the past year and a half hadn’t happened.”

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Cheryl said for her additional reinforcement about the program happened during a discussion with a long-time member who was in her 80s. People would naturally think a long-time member would have many connections within the church, she said. The woman was in many ways as lacking in knowledge about different ways to “plug in” with the church’s different programs and members as the Woods had been before Discipleship Pathway.

The Discipleship Pathway is a sixweek commitment that begins with a Welcome Brunch and transitions to the five-week Disciple Orientation.

Volunteers help direct conversation at each table to help people get to know each other and learn more about the church. Each session lasts about an hour. By the time the six sessions are completed, what began as a group of strangers are as well connected as many long-time friends.

“This isn’t a criticism of Asbury in any way. It’s just that a lot of big churches have trouble being small.

This wonderful Asbury spirit, which I think everybody recognizes and I knew about for years, is able to come down to the individual level with people. … That makes (Asbury) small.” That was what they were really hunting for - they were looking for a way to grow in their relationship with Jesus and gain meaningful connections with people.

“Our culture really doesn’t provide for that. American culture is for the individual. I think people come to church hoping it will be a place where they can be more community oriented and share their lives. Big churches, I think, have to work harder at that.”

“Discipleship Pathway is a way, both for long-time members and those new to the church, to make Asbury, which is a large congregation, feel smaller,” Charlie said.

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Discipleship and Service

Heather and Richard Steger

By Lucienda Denson

For Richard and Heather Steger, Discipleship Pathway isn’t just a way to serve with Asbury United Methodist Church.

It’s also a way to practice what Jesus taught – discipleship and service.

“Jesus practiced discipleship,” Heather said. “He served.”

The couple, who have been members of the church for almost a decade, already knew how to serve on levels that included working with youth. They have two pre-teen

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daughters. Isley is 11, and Mollie is 9. As a result, they were regular volunteers for Vacation Bible School and missions trips as well as other youth-related programs. What the Broken Arrow residents were finding they were missing at Asbury was a way to connect with other members who were not necessarily involved with youth programs, and a deeper involvement in discipleship.

Richard grew up Methodist in Pampa, Texas. Heather’s family, who lived in Wichita, Kansas, attended Church of

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the Nazarene. Richard and Heather met in Wichita, where they both worked. A woman they worked with who also attended First Church of the Nazarene played matchmaker by inviting Richard to attend the church. Richard and Heather met, married and in 2006 moved to the Tulsa area, where Heather is a stayat-home mom. He is a civil engineer with Ingevity Specialty Chemicals Company, a company based in Charleston, SC. During their nine years at Asbury, they have been involved with different programs, but there were things they would have liked to be a little different. That included a way to plug in better with other opportunities to serve as well as with other people.

That happened when the church developed Discipleship Pathway.

Discipleship Pathway is a relatively new program developed by Asbury.

At first glance, it may appear that the program is a way for new people who are coming in or who are interested in joining the church to learn more about Asbury at a Welcome Brunch where attendees get to know not only the church, but also one another a little better.

At a deeper level, it also provides ways for existing and even long-time members to learn more about the church, and how to connect with other members.

The program is under the direction of pastoral staff but run primarily by volunteers like Richard and Heather who function as both hosts and facilitators. The first meeting is a welcoming, getting-to-know-you brunch. Brunches are offered at 9:15

and 11 am. Members of Discipleship Pathway are on hand to make things run a little more smoothly, answer questions, keep conversations going and in general provide information about the program. People who are interested in becoming part of the program commit to meeting on five consecutive Sundays for Discipleship Orientation, including a brief overview of the Bible and what Methodists believe.

“The idea is to get people to come in and meet some familiar faces. We just finished (hosting) a class at the end of the year,” Richard said.

“We serve six consecutive Sundays,” Heather said.

“We act as table hosts. There are several different jobs,” Richard added.

“The purpose of this course is not only to get new people involved but also to reach people who do not know how to plug in to the church,” Heather said. They may not know how to serve, have any type of connection or know how to fit in. They can go through the five weeks of classes that follow the brunch, then go into Learn2 Serve2where participants will learn two Sundays each month and serve the other two Sundays “It’s just for an hour. People can serve in the nursery, in technology and run the video camera, or go to a prayer room and pray,” Heather said. For the session that just began, the Stegers will be table hosts. “Table hosts meet for six (consecutive) weeks with incoming new people. What we do is a little different.

Most people sign up for two weeks, we sign up for six. Then we will go to a Learn2 class. When the girls were little, we volunteered in the nursery and the little kids Sunday School area.”

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But for themselves, they found it was difficult to connect with a community at Asbury. People may have been in the same class, or community, for 25 years, “I connected through volunteering at the nursery, Vacation Bible School and on mission trips. But Vacation Bible School is just once a year, and so is the mission trip.

“When this opportunity came up, we decided it would be a good opportunity for us. We’ve been here for nine years. I’m sure for a new person walking in, it’s very overwhelming,” Richard said. Not only have they walked into a new-to-them church, it is filled with mostly strangers.

In addition to providing ways to “plug in” to Asbury and the different service opportunities the church offers, the program can also sometimes provide unexpected personal growth opportunities. For Richard, that recently presented itself in an unusual manner.

“I’m not a people person,” he said. Each session begins with a Welcome Brunch.

The table host makes sure everyone is introduced, and everyone gets to know one another a little better. Following that is Disciple Orientation, with five weekly meetings. Each meeting is with a different focus and highlights a different service area. On one occasion, Richard’s table was made up of all women, and he was at first a little uncomfortable. By the time the six weeks were over, he said he was much more comfortable talking with them.

You just need to try it. Become a part of The Discipleship Pathway; you won’t regret it.

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Digging Deeper Roots at Asbury

By Jesse Chambliss

As I was finishing graduate school in Norman, Oklahoma, I knew that I had to leave a great church body when I accepted a job offer with The University of Tulsa. Finding a church home, preferably in the United Methodist Church, was top priority for my new life in Tulsa. I reached out to The Vine (Young Adults Sunday School Class) and Gary Fennema emailed me back within a day. I value prompt and direct communication, and Gary’s response meant so much to me. Thus, I decided to give Asbury a try. It was the largest church I had ever attended, and I felt that I needed to get connected in order to make it feel like home. Until the Discipleship Pathway came to fruition and The Vine decided to participate, I did not feel like I was serving a pivotal role in the church. I was making good friends with people my age, sure, but my church experience was missing something. I needed real community of all ages.

When I attended service and only knew my small group of friends, I felt lonely and like I did not have the opportunity to make an impact in a church of Asbury’s size. In fact, the impression I got was that it was hard to break into different groups or service roles because people had staked their claim. Since I didn’t have a direct connection to any of the leadership, what else was I supposed to think? I knew that God was calling me to a more substantial place in Asbury, and I decided to pursue church membership (as I had not been a member of a church since high school). At the time, it was easy. I attended a brunch, met with a pastor, and boom! I was in.

I chose to meet with Jon Odom, and that meeting changed everything for me. I decided to be vulnerable about some aspects of myself, and I was met with nothing but grace.

Jon wanted to know details about my character and other parts of my life. I felt completely affirmed in my decision to pursue membership at Asbury, yet God reminded me that Jon, while a great representation of Christ, could not be my full Asbury experience. I am so thankful that I took a leap of faith and dove in to the Discipleship Pathway.

After a few Learn2 classes, I could not believe how radically different they were from The Vine. We were delving deep into scripture in a way that is difficult for lay persons to do. I began to learn context that was never present in my mind and meet people older than me I had never known. This was exactly what I was looking for! A few people in the class that I attended began to take an

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interest in me because we had an avenue for developing those relationships. I can’t express how much this was intensified once I was approached about joining the Brunch and Orientation Team in the summer of 2016.

In the beginning, I was weary of time commitment and playing such an important role after only attending Asbury for a year and being a member for less than six months. Despite my doubts, I remembered God’s message about digging roots into Asbury and really becoming connected. I decided to attend the training, and I have had zero regrets since.

Brunch and Orientation is a complete evolution from the member brunch I attended just months before. We had a curriculum and a plan. Not only did we welcome new members but also those who didn’t feel connected to Asbury, the exact people I want to help find a home.

We take them through a Brunch and then five weeks of Orientation with no preconceived notions of who might walk through the door. It’s designed to feel welcoming and important for new Christians and seasoned Asbury attendees alike. From there, we present these individuals with opportunities for further connection through the Discipleship Pathway by outlining the Learn2 Serve2 process and plans for the future of bringing Asbury from inside the walls out into the world. Not only is this beneficial for the attendees, but it has been a powerful catalyst in the hearts and minds of the facilitators. Those of us conducting the presentations, setting up the rooms, and acting as table hosts have become like family. I have met so many sweet people who are too numerous to count, but the true beauty of Christ was shown when some particular members of the team wanted to engage me as a person on a deeper level.

Although this may embarrass them, I want to mention a few people who have taken extra time to invest in me and show me how valuable I am to the team and to the church body. First, Jeff and Jonna Polk have been wonderful. Jonna and I realized during one of our Brunch and Orientation trainings that we had met before because her daughter was a student I recruited to TU. We had been sitting in the same room and never realized it! She insisted

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DISCIPLESHIP

that I join their whole family for dinner, and it actually happened. The food was great, but some of the stories I heard were even better.

Furthermore, Bob Skaggs was another member of the team who took a personal interest in me.

Bob is a mover-and-shaker that has the inability to sugarcoat anything. He essentially told me that he wanted to invest in me and asked me to pray about how he might need to do that. Now, we have weekly meetings in my office before work starts. We study the Bible and share things about our lives together. Lastly, Jason Jackson is a man I trusted from the moment I met him. Without hesitation, he met with me about a particular time in my life that I needed to work through.

The Discipleship Pathway is something that has been, for lack of a better word, controversial. It represents change, and sometimes change can be a difficult pill to swallow. I want anyone reading this to know that it’s worth it. Brunch and Orientation have become my church within a church. My relationship with Christ has grown exponentially since I joined this team. I have been able to find comfort in people with life experiences much different than my own; I have seen healthy families chase Christ together. I hope that everyone in Asbury feels the charge to find their meaning in church besides sitting in a pew and going home. Believe me, the Discipleship Pathway can be the avenue that God is calling for you to utilize in order dig your roots in at Asbury.

Jesse Chambliss leads a Welcome Brunch discussion.

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PASTORAL

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

by Pastor Tom Harrison If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, loving and good, then why does He allow evil and suffering? This is a common question among those who argue against God’s existence.

From a Judeo-Christian perspective, the question should not be threatening.

We know God did not create evil and suffering because Genesis 1:31 says: God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. 1 John 4:16 says: God is love. Therefore, the law of love rules the universe. But true love always involves free choice, so God gave us free will. That freedom came with the potential for sin.

Free will and sin opened the door for evil and suffering to enter the world. All of God’s good creation now exists in a “fallen state.” We, along with creation, wait for God to make things right again.

Paul explained in Romans 8:18-21: Our present sufferings aren’t worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

The creation waits in eager expectation

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for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. The question of evil and suffering is less an argument about God’s existence and more about God’s nature—especially when tragedy affects us personally.

As followers of Jesus, we know God can bring healing, protect us, keep us from harm and deliver us from difficult circumstances. We wonder why sometimes He chooses not to. Nobody knows God’s thoughts. Nobody knows why one is shielded from harm but not another. Paul acknowledged our limitation well (1 Corinthians 13:12): Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Yet, in the same paragraph Paul also said, Love never

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fails. Again, the law of love still rules the universe.

In the face of evil and suffering—we anchor ourselves to the truth of God’s character and the truth found in Scripture. Whatever God does or doesn’t do—we have to remember He is just and He is love. In the end, His justice and His love will reign. All wounds will be healed, all hurts will be mended, all evil will end, and everything that is wrong will be made right. Justice will prevail.

All suffering will be eclipsed by the broad expanse of eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 puts it this way: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Until then, we cling to the assurance of Romans 8:28-29 that God can redeem any situation and draw something good from the pain: We know that in all things

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God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. It may be hard to believe, especially in the midst of suffering, but God took the worst thing that ever happened in the history of the universe– the death of the incarnate God on a cross–and worked it for greatest good in the history of the universe: the salvation of the world. Because God achieved this great reversal, we can trust this One. In chapter 13 of John’s Gospel, Jesus tries to prepare His disciples for the events leading to His crucifixion. He knows His disciples will weep and mourn. While intense, their sorrow will be of a very short duration. Jesus explained (John 16:21-23): A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. He promised to prepare

a better place for them. He promised to return for them. Until that time, He would send help through the Holy Spirit.

He prayed for them, and promised to be so closely entwined with them that they would be as one. Jesus gave them (and us) coping mechanisms!

Jesus has a “theology of suffering.” He did not desire pain. As He prayed in Gethsemane on the eve of His arrest (Matthew 26:39): My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

But He trusted His Father. He finished His prayer: Yet not as I will, but as you will. Jesus is the truth. He tells us the truth about earthly suffering (John 16:33): I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

worse) than others. In comparison with God, however, we are all sinners who fall far short of His glorious standard of holiness (Romans 3:23). Furthermore, we will all die. The wage of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). But the best news is that our gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23b). Jesus came to us, was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead, gave us His Spirit and His mission, and will someday take us to heaven to be with Him. Until that day comes when God wipes away every tear from our eyes and crushes death, mourning, crying and pain – we can trust Him. No matter how much suffering we endure – we must always remember the great victory we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.

We shouldn’t be surprised when bad things happen to good people. As a matter of fact, nobody is really “good.” On the human continuum, we are better (and

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LIFECARE

Charlene Giles and Ruth Winn

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LIFECARE

Charlene Giles, Retiring after 28 Years!

By Deborah Calhoun On January 3, Charlene Giles, Asbury’s Director of LifeCare ministries, formerly Care and Marriage, retired. Through her enthusiasm and direction, Asbury has been blessed with growth in the Care and Marriage Ministry through a variety of ministry opportunities, like Couple2-Couple, 50+ Anniversary celebrations, GriefShare, Stephen Ministry, and various support groups and ministries to hurting people. Charlene attributes these ministry successes to God’s faithful presence, dedicated volunteers, and detailed coordination by Ruth Winn.

A little more than 28 years ago when Charlene’s youngest child was in kindergarten, she began working at Asbury 10 hours per week counseling women. Her role in Asbury Care Ministry quickly expanded, and within her first year, she became a Stephen Minister. This was a pivotal moment for her as she recognized

the impact of a strong, volunteer-based care ministry. When asked about one of her favorite accomplishments at Asbury, she was quick to respond with how remarkable it is that 27 of the last 28 years, new Stephen Ministers have been trained at Asbury. As a result, hundreds of people have received quality, Christlike support in times of need.

Stephen Ministry training opened the door to many new ministry opportunities within Asbury. Many Stephen Ministers through the years have felt God calling them to a special focus, a specific passion.

Rooted in this passion along with Charlene’s direction and encouragement, many support groups have been birthed, like the Mental Health Support Group, part of Divorce Support, Cancer Support, and GriefShare, just to name a few.

At a staff meeting 25 years ago, Bill Mason felt Asbury needed some type of program for connecting with engaged couples. Charlene was a natural to head this up. A team spent the next year researching ideas and programs, and thus, began Asbury’s Marriage Ministry. Charlene, along with the help of Scott and Kelly Luttenberg and Paul and Toni Melton, wrote a manual for engaged couples entitled Preparing For A Marriage That Lasts A Lifetime. Couple2-Couple launched in January 1993, an Asbury premier program and a core component of the Marriage Ministry.

Charlene beamed when she said that since Couple-2-Couple’s inception, more than 1,000 couples have gone through Asbury’s program. Now this program is even available to engaged couples outside of Asbury.

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Through Asbury Marriage Ministry, Charlene has overseen some major marriage events. Many remember the Neosho River Ranch weekend retreats.

Then several years ago, Asbury hosted a Friday evening/Saturday morning event using Mark Gunger’s comedic video series, “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage.” more than 600 people attended. She has also been responsible for the 50 or more Anniversary Banquet celebration held every year honoring Asbury couples who have been married 50+ years. This is no small task since Asbury is blessed with more than 200 couples in this category. In addition, she helped bring Family Life’s Art of Marriage program to Asbury and has been instrumental in promoting Family Life’s Weekend to Remember each year.

Charlene is very skilled at recruiting, equipping and encouraging volunteers.

When approached with an idea, she would first ponder it. Then, if it was truly a good idea, you could expect a response like, “That’s a great idea. How can I help you get that started?” Jackie Carter, volunteer on Asbury’s Marriage Council, said, “Charlene has such appreciation for her volunteers…Hmmm… I think that may be her secret weapon in getting us to do all those things we didn’t even remember volunteering to do.” For instance, several years ago, she recruited Michael and Traci Owen to coordinate more than 70 volunteers to serve at the 50 or more marriage banquet, which they faithfully did for eight years.

She has touched so many lives through ministry at Asbury, and we know she will continue to do so. We all wish Charlene the best!

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STUDENTS

Middle Schoolers CAN Change the World

by Helping Others Follow Jesus

by Isley Steger and Heather Steger

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 Yes, I am young. I am an 11-year-old 6thgrade girl at Oliver Middle School. I’m too young to have a real job, but my current job is as important as any career. My job is to spread God’s love to people who don’t know Jesus. Mark Fowler tells us weekly that “middle schoolers can change the world.” In fact, he believes this so much that at our middle school retreat he gave each of us a dollar bill with those words written on it. I still have mine and that’s exactly what I did. That’s exactly what I am doing. I am changing the world by helping others follow Jesus.

I didn’t know that I was changing the world but now I know I am. In the spring of 2014, my mom received a phone call from one of her friends who worked in the children’s department at Asbury. Her friend was approached by the missions team to join a group of people going to Estonia to help with Vacation Bible School. She thought my mom and I would be great additions to this team. After talking it over with my dad and praying about it, my mom and I said yes.

We were on our way to Estonia. I was on my way to change the world.

Since then I have been back to Estonia one other time. My love for Estonia has

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grown since the summer of 2014. I now have friends who live there, I pray daily for them; I think about Estonia often and can’t wait to return.

My entire family went to Estonia this past July with my mom leading the team. She was asked to lead the 2017 team as well.

I wanted to go back with her. I couldn’t imagine not being able to go; this would make my heart so sad. My mom told me that if God wanted me to go, He would let me know. My parents also told me that if I was serious about going I had to pay for part of this trip. Wait!! What?!? How am I going to raise money? I have no job and I am too young to start working. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to go.

At school the next day, I started a list of ways to earn money like walking dogs, mowing yards, card making, selling some of my stuff, and garage sales were some of my top choices. That night I thought I would first try card-making. My Nana makes cards for fun and has given me some supplies and has shown me how to make them. I also called a card-making friend of mine, Kim Broadhurst, to ask her to help me get started. I spent an afternoon with her making cards and talking about

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Estonia. Kim suggested to my mom that we should post a video on Facebook about my card-making business and see if anyone would want to buy a card or two.

So we did. Within minutes of posting my video I had my first order, and it was for three cards. Then here came another order for two more cards and then another for nine. It was crazy. Within 24 hours I had more than 30 orders placed, and I was busy making 80-plus cards! I remember looking at my mom and saying, “I guess God really wants me to go back to Estonia.”

Over the last month I have posted a second video on my mom’s Facebook page and have made several hundred more cards.

My cards have been sent all over the US, and I have had people my mom barely knows buy my cards. It’s pretty awesome to see God working through my little business. All of the money that I have earned thus far has been given to Asbury for my mission trip. I have a long way to go to make my goal but I know God is going to get me there.

See, middle schoolers can change the world. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, or how important your job is; God can use you to change the world.

STUDENTS

Isley Steger with some of her card creations

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LIFECARE

Sallye and Lindsay Nail

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LIFECARE

Triumph of God’s Mercy and Grace

By Sallye Nail To give all of the details of the 10-plus years that our family lived in a wretched hell created by the chaos of drug addiction would certainly take a book, which I may someday write, but here I will share just some of our story.

There is a most beautiful young woman with blond hair and brown eyes who has a heart overflowing with love and respect for her family. She cares about and has the softest heart for babies, children, old people and animals. In 2011, our daughter, Lindsay, lost a sweet baby boy, Roman, to a rare disease called biliary atresia. He had a liver transplant at the age of seven months, and before leaving the hospital at 10 months, he died from an infection contracted in the hospital. She doesn’t want to talk about that time. We all loved him beyond belief, and the loss was dreadful. I thought I would not live through that pain that tore my heart and my soul, but there would be more pain to come, so much more.

Her dad and I were married in the little chapel at Asbury on Sheridan 30 years ago this coming May 15. A year and a half later, we had this precious baby girl. She was “spirited” as some would say about her even when she was very young. We have always attended Asbury, and we brought her to Sunday school most every week.

She went on mission trips, first in Tulsa, then to Houston, Mexico and Kentucky.

She was a cheerleader for several years at Union and very “popular.” We thought we were raising her right – in the church, in a good school, and with lots of love. In the 6th grade, her teachers gathered in a circle and told me they believed she was ADHD. We had her tested, and she was put on medication.

As time went on, her behavior often would be troubling, and we took her out of Union for a year after she got in trouble in 9th grade Spanish class and was sent to the office. The principal called me in and said she had a note on her and it had to do with drugs. He asked where I thought she might be getting drugs. What? I was not believing what I was hearing. We took her out of Union, and she went to Victory Christian School and cheered there, but things were certainly not any better there.

There was still turmoil. When she came back to Union, we put her in the alternative school because we thought she would have fewer distractions with smaller class sizes.

There she met a girl who seemed quiet and nice. She would go home after school with this girl on occasion; then it became more often. I met the girl’s mother. I knew where they lived. Then I began to get very bad feelings about the situation. Our daughter finally told me that that mother did meth and had allowed her daughter and my daughter to do meth at their house. She was sorry. We were devastated. It was like a grotesque nightmare. This drug began dragging her into a dark, dark place. She would go off for days and not come home.

She would call, but we had no idea where she really was.

We decided to send her away to a wilderness rehabilitation program in Utah. She was gone for three months. We missed her very much, but at least we felt like she was safe there. When we went to Utah to get her, she was so beautiful. She was tan, her hair bleached from the sun, and she had gained weight back that she had lost while on meth because they ate a carb-loaded diet to give them the energy and strength to hike for miles a day, make

camps, and put up tents, etc. She was also dirty from living in the wilderness.

But she had never looked so beautiful to us. We brought her home with hope in our hearts. Two days after coming home, she climbed out her window, and the nightmare continued.

She would come home and then go out and be gone for days. We would find out now and then where she was by doing our own investigating. We would go to a house and literally drag her out and bring her home.

She would be high on something, and she would scream and cry and try to jump out of the car. We couldn’t tie her down at the house, so she would find a way to leave again. This went on and on.

I helped her and encouraged her with an online senior year program so that she could graduate from high school. I had to quit my teaching job at Union High School because of the stress; there was no way I could do that intense job that required day and night work and dealing with other people’s children knowing my daughter was going in such a sad direction. We took her to a rehabilitation center in southeast Oklahoma. She gave away all her things, walked out of there, met strangers and lived with them for months. We were very afraid. We drove there looking for her, but to no avail. She finally called and asked us to come get her. She was thin and looked tired, and we knew drugs had taken a toll on her.

She would be home some and gone a lot.

We then found out she was doing opiates.

Opiates are everywhere, but they are expensive. People who are sick with cancer or other illnesses will sell them to those continued on next page

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LIFECARE

who are addicted. And she had become addicted. Because of the cost of opiates, this led to shooting up heroin because it is less expensive, and we realized we must certainly be in hell. Four out of five heroin users were first addicted to opiates. You see stories on the news or on TV shows about heroin and the terrible epidemic that is growing in our country, but we never dreamed our child would or could be living in that very world. We felt like we were fighting some evil, dark entity.

Things were out of control. We went to one Al-Anon meeting. They told us to lock her out the next time she came home. Tough love. We absolutely would not do that.

That was not an option for us. She would come home for a day or two at a time. We would think maybe she’s going to stay this time and turn her life around.

She would tell us how much she loved us and that she hated what she was doing to us, but she couldn’t stop. She would get money from us – she would steal from us (computers, laptops, phones, cameras, jewelry, lawn equipment, and the list goes on). The police were called more than once, and we were called by the police more than once. She took our cars without our permission. At least two were wrecked; one was stolen. We were called to the emergency room several times. We knew that something had to be done, or she would surely die.

One awful day, she had been at the mall terribly impaired, so the police were called. When we arrived and walked into the emergency room where she was, she was in a terrible state. Her face was bruised and bloody, a front tooth had been broken from her falling flat on her face while her hands and feet were cuffed, and she was handcuffed to the bed. Blood was dripping down the side of the bed because the handcuffs had cut into her wrists. The police had pepper sprayed her, so when we got her home and I got her in the shower, she was screaming because the pepper spray was coming off of her hair and into her eyes. When all of this was done, I put her in bed and laid beside her and held her as tight as I could, crying with my heart

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in pieces. Even now I shudder and want to cry thinking of her falling on her face and screaming because the pepper spray burned her eyes. This was my little girl.

Another time in a hospital room, I was sitting beside her bed. She was being given a medication to counteract the drugs she had done, so she was quiet and still. She looked up and stared at the wall where a crucifix hung with Jesus on the cross. She quietly and seriously said, “He’s moving.”

I told her yes, I was sure He was moving because He was hurting because of what she was doing to herself after He paid such a price for her.

Our children are His children and He wants their lives to be good, peaceful and productive, just as we want those things.

We loved her with all of our hearts, and we would never give up on her. In one horrific scene with her screaming and crying, her hair messed up, and black eye makeup all around her eyes, her dad was trying to hold her down so that she would not leave, and he screamed at her, “I am NOT going to let the devil have you – I am NOT!!!!”

That was one of many dreadful scenes.

We simply could not believe that we were actually in the middle of this bad, bad dream or that we or she would survive it.

For some time, she went to a methadone clinic – where they give patients methadone to try to help them with opioid addiction. That is just another addiction that they have to withdraw from. Around this time, she met a young man, Tyler, and they fell in love. With them both on drugs, their relationship was volatile at times. Later she had her beautiful baby daughter, Sadie. After a bit, I had to make the difficult decision to get custody of Sadie. They had always

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lived with us since her daughter’s birth so the baby was never in danger, but I just felt I needed to take custody until she could find her way out of the drug world.

Our daughter, in a calm demeanor said she understood why we did this.

If you have been through times like these (and we do know those at Asbury who have), you know that often you feel alone in your turmoil, and you know that it rips your heart to shreds – it hurts you to your very soul and the pain is worse than excruciating. It drains you – mentally, physically, financially, and every other way. We were always so afraid for her and scared when she was gone. There was absolutely no peace. It was difficult to sleep – the worst scenarios would go through our heads when we closed our eyes. We’d hear sirens and get literally sick with fear and our hearts would sink. We would get so tired and overwhelmed, and sometimes we would feel like our prayers were just not getting through. But God was listening, and I believe that He hurt along with us.

Our children are His children and He wants their lives to be good, peaceful and productive, just as we want those things.

When one of these is lost to the darkness of drug abuse or more horribly to death because of drugs, it isn’t because God didn’t hear the prayers. I believe in my heart that He will cry with those families.

He is always with us.

One of my very favorite songs is Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) by Hillsong.

“All these pieces broken and scattered in mercy gathered mended and whole; empty handed but not forsaken; I’ve been set free.”

Hearing that at church, my mind always went to her, and I would cry and pray that God would touch her heart and that she would be set free. And if you don’t know the story of Horatio Spafford who wrote the beautiful hymn “It is Well with My Soul,” please Google his story. All of this is about faith. It is about feeling God with you in the depths of despair and heartache.

By the grace of God, after many tortuous years for us all, the hell came to an abrupt end. She realized she could not continue on this road. She loved Sadie, and she

LIFECARE

wanted to make a good life for her and work to get custody back, and she knew that this had to be the end of the madness.

She checked into Rose Rock Rehabilitation Center in Vinita. She stayed for about a month and came home and went directly to the Center for Therapeutic Interventions (CTI) where they have counseling, meetings, drug testing, etc. on an outpatient basis. She finished a long program there. She and her daughter lived with us during this time.

She has become the most amazing daughter and mother. Her sweet heart and soul that we always knew was there beneath the tortuous mask of drugs is alive and well. She began to look healthy and act normally. It’s like she walked out of the deepest, darkest, demented fog and into the sun. We had been through times before when we thought she was going to be OK, but it but it would be a false hope.

There has even been a previous story in “Tidings” about her during one of her short periods of sobriety. But we knew this time was for real.

At the same time, Tyler turned things around. He went to a rehabilitation facility, got on the right track, and has a very good job. A neighbor of ours realized they were doing better, and he said to me, “See – that’s what happens when you don’t give up on someone; you love them through it.”

I have to say that love is an answer – and prayer – literally “crying out” to God for his intervention. Asking Jesus to speak to her heart and to touch her soul.

There is one more part of this story that is amazing. A while back, my husband Matt and I were sitting in church. He filled out the attendance book, and I passed it on to a couple who had sat down beside us. After the lady opened the book and sat there a minute she leaned over and whispered to me, “Are you Lindsay Nail’s parents?”

I was a bit taken aback, wondering what on earth she going to tell me, and meekly said, “Yes – How do you know her?”

She said that she had been on a mission trip with Lindsay years ago (probably 9th grade), and she could tell there was

perhaps some trouble brewing. She said she had followed her and had prayed for her. I cried through the entire service, and when the service was over I hugged her and told her how much what she had said had meant to me and told her that Lindsay was now doing very well.

So now you know who our daughter is and who we are. But you need to know who this mystery lady is because as I’ve said, we often felt alone in our pain but that really wasn’t the case. God was listening to all of the prayers and was watching the story unfold and was with us. We had our family and our Harvest friends praying,

All of this is about faith. It is about feeling God with you in the depths of despair and heartache. and this wonderful lady – she said they call her “FooFee.” Her real name is Ruth Brower. You may know her or will have the opportunity to know her. I understand she is quite loved by the kids she accompanies on mission trips, and I’m sure by many others. To us, she is such a very kind and special person.

Addiction is a brutal and often deadly disease, and Lindsay and Tyler have fought very hard and won some battles, but they haven’t won the war. For the rest of their lives they will be addicts, so we will never stop praying or thanking God for the blessing of their sobriety. They will always need our prayers, our support, our encouragement and our love. They have two very special reasons to never use again – a beautiful little 4-year-old princess, Sadie, who is a joy that cannot be put into words, and a sweet 6-month-old baby boy, Micah, with a smile that melts our hearts.

Micah was born on May 29, 2016. That was Roman’s birth date. I was worried this would be a sad thing for our daughter.

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Instead, she says it is a sweet thing. And our family believes it is a sort of spiritual message. This young woman is a wonderful and amazing mother and daughter.

Lindsay and Tyler are sober, have been working hard, and they have a very nice home for their family. I feel with all of my heart that they will continue to grow and flourish in their sobriety. She has met all requirements to get back custody of Sadie.

I am sure that some people will ask, “Why would you tell this story to the world – aren’t you embarrassed and ashamed?”

No, I’m not. Drug addiction happens in all types of families – rich, poor, highly educated, poorly educated, the best neighborhoods, very bad neighborhoods, in the cities and in the country.

I don’t mind sharing our story because drug abuse, especially opiates and heroin, is an epidemic of enormous proportions right now in this very town, in our state, and in our country, and it is on your side of town as well as mine, and most likely in your very neighborhood. I feel that God has allowed us to go through all of this for reasons unknown to us – that only He knows. But we believe it was in order to strengthen us, to make us grateful for what has come to pass and for what we have now, and to use us so that our story might be a bit of hope to others or even one family or one person.

If we can give hope or encouragement to even one family or hurting parent who has a child or loved one in the grips of addiction so that they know they are not alone, we gladly put aside pride.

I hope if there are those in similar circumstances, they will not be afraid to ask for prayer or to discuss what they are going through with friends, family, and others going through the same things – because there are many. I also pray that they will never forget, no matter how alone they feel, that even though He may often be quiet, He hears our prayers. We must continue to have faith and know that He is the one and only God, we are His children, He loves us, and He is always and forever with us.

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PASTORAL

Does God Really Love Me (Even with all My Sins & Secrets)?

By Pastor Jim Lenderman That’s a great question. It’s one that many people wonder about. After all, we have some experience with this in our everyday lives.

• You disappoint a friend, and they pull back from the relationship.

• You make a big mistake at work, and your coworkers distance themselves from you.

• You get mad and say something hurtful to your spouse or child, and there is silence and a chill in the air for some time.

It’s kind of how things usually work in this world. We’ve all been on both the giving and receiving ends of those reactions.

Since that’s how we have all experienced relationships over the years, that must be how it is with God as well. Right? Well… not really.

Eugene Peterson says, “the mistake we so often make is thinking that God’s interest and care for us waxes and wanes

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according to our spiritual temperature.”

In other words, we make the mistake of thinking that God relates to us in the same way we often relate to our parents, our spouse and others. The thinking goes something like this: When we’re doing well in our life and faith, then God loves us more. When our prayer life is strong and we’re giving generously back to God and worshipping regularly and helping those in need and in general getting more things right in our faith than we’re getting wrong, then God snuggles up closer to us and loves us more. But when we fail, when we sin, when we fall short in any number of areas in our lives, then God gets frustrated and takes a step back and withholds a little (or a lot) of His love.

When we get stained with obvious and secret sins, then God keeps us at arm’s length until we clean things up.

We think that since that’s how almost everyone else treats me when I mess up surely that’s what God does as well. But is that really how it is with God? Does God love me more when I’m doing right

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but gives me the celestial silent treatment when I sin and fall short of who I’m supposed to be in Jesus Christ? To answer that question we need to take a look at how Jesus related to people — folks who often sinned in ways that make most of ours look like child’s play.

So how did Jesus see people? One clue is seen in Matthew 9:36. “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus’ initial reaction to seeing people like you and me who mess things up in this life was to have compassion on them.

Compassion is a wonderful mixture of genuine love and mercy. God’s starting point is one of tenderness toward us because He knows we are prone to mess things up. Jesus understands that all of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So He responds with compassion. That is such a defining response to our failures and sin that Jesus’ brother wrote, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:11d)

PASTORAL

Don’t just take my word for this. Look at specific examples in Jesus’ life when He responded to people who had really messed up: • Woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11) — We can all agree that’s a pretty big sin. How does Jesus respond to her? Rather than throwing the first stone at her, He stands beside her, ready to take any stone hurled her way. Then He tells the woman that He doesn’t condemn her for her sin.

Instead He tells her to stop sinning like that because it was not what she was created for. Jesus’ response?

Compassion and mercy.

• Matthew the tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13) — Matthew was a hated tax-collecting thief who lined his own pockets with other people’s money. Everyone hated tax collectors and had nothing to do with them.

Everyone except Jesus. Jesus called Matthew to follow Him. He ate in Matthew’s home (an unheard of act with someone like that). Not only

did Jesus associate with Matthew, but many other sinners ate with Jesus and His disciples. Why would they do that? Because they felt something different from Jesus than from everyone else. From Jesus, they experienced compassion and mercy.

They knew Jesus loved them in spite of themselves.

• Healing of the leper (Matthew 8:1-4) — Though leprosy wasn’t caused by sin, notice the love and compassion Jesus showed this man. No one else would get within 10 feet of this diseased man.

However Jesus had compassion for the man’s plight and was not only willing to heal him of his disease, He was willing to touch the leper as He was — and immediately the man was cured.

If we look at the life of Jesus, we see the answer to the question, “Does God really love me even with all my sins and secrets?” is a resounding yes. Jesus sees us with a longer perspective in mind — seeing us through His redeeming grace as a work in progress.

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

If you have any doubt, then look no further than the cross. Ponder Romans 5:5-8. “Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. The cross is how God demonstrated His love for us once and for all. He gave His life for you — not because you have it all together but because you don’t. Our response to the love, compassion and mercy of God is to do what Jesus told the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. “Go and sin no more.” With God’s help, turn from anything that causes you to separate yourself from God.

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GLOBAL OUTREACH

Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Isaiah 66:8b

1Nation1Day, Nicaragua 2017

By Nancy Eckerd Registration for 1N1D 2017 is open!

This isn’t a normal missions trip– it’s 1Nation1Day. 3,000 passionate missionaries, one huge day of training on South Beach in Florida, over 120 teams holding over 2,400 outreaches, 17 stadium events in every state capital–we’d like to call it epic, but this is so much bigger.

Before the trip, you’ll meet up with your team to prepare, pray and train with your friends and family. The Missions.Me online tools and training materials are built to work alongside the leadership of our church. Jump online (missions.me) to quickly fill out paperwork and customize your very own, easy-to-share, fund-raising page. We’ll take you from signup to take off faster than you can say, “I’m in!”

Training and launch preparation on Saturday, July 22, will prepare us for an unforgettable worship experience at the Fillmore Theater alongside 3,000 other passionate world-changers. Dynamic 28

training and speaking concludes with an extraordinary moment of commissioning.

On the morning of July 23, over the course of the day, 18 chartered jets will depart Miami International Airport and fly nonstop to Managua International Airport.

When you hit the ground in Nicaragua, you’ll be placed on a team of 25 trained and capable leaders. Together you’ll claim an entire state. The challenge: bring the love of Jesus to every square inch.

Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, doctor, nurse, businessman, pastor or just someone overflowing with the love of Jesus - there is a SPECIAL and UNIQUE role for you on this team. 1Nation1Day will place missionaries in more than 20 types of ministry opportunities. We’ll help you find something suitable for your unique gifts and talents.

Be a part of history! July 29, 2017, a day that will shine bright in Nicaraguan history. On this night, hundreds of TIDINGS WINTER 2017

thousands of people will gather in 17 stadiums in 17 states, along with 3,000 short-term missionaries to celebrate God and the nation of Nicaragua. The national event will be broadcast across the country and region of Central America, reaching millions of people with a message of hope for the future of Nicaragua. You’ll be there–hands joined together with local political leaders, spiritual leaders and influencers to declare transformation over the nation. When God shows up, anything is possible. Be part of history - join Asbury’s 1N1D team.

Asbury is hoping to send 100 short-term missionaries. We would love for you to consider this opportunity for you and your family.

Please contact Marilene Long for more information 918.392.1164 or mlong@asburytulsa.org.

GLOBAL OUTREACH

Volunteers In Mission 2017 Mission Team Schedule From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48b March 4-11

Monterrey, Mexico, MBS & Construction

April 22-29 Central Asia, Relationship Building/Prayer Focus

1Nation1Day! Serving by the numbers!

Spring

Beirut, Lebanon, Syrian Refugee Response

Spring

Cookson Hills, Oklahoma, Light Construction

June

Estonia, Tallinn, Lighthouse Ministry

June

Rio Bravo, Mexico, Youth Construction

Six million people live in Nicaragua; the land mass is 50,000 square miles.

June 22-July3 Estonia, Camp Gideon, Youth Camp

80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day.

September Guatemala, Construction & Serving at Orphanage

We will send 17 teams on 18 chartered flights to serve 17 states and fill 17 stadiums.

Estonia, Parnu, MBS & Light Construction

July 21-30

Nicaragua, 1Nation1Day, Multi-focused

September

Tanzania, East Africa, Construction

October 25-29 Rio Bravo, Mexico, Medical

Be a part of 3000 missionaries with a mission to change this nation.

There will be 120 ministry teams with 2,400 outreaches

July 6-16

Fall

Cookson Hills, Oklahoma, Light Construction

Fall Central Asia, Relationship, Teaching & Light Construction For more information about these exciting mission opportunities, contact Marilene Long at 918.392.1164 or mlong@asburytulsa.org.

Men’s Rio Bravo, Mexico, construction teams dates are April 26-30. For information about the men’s Rio Bravo, Mexico, opportunities, contact Jim Furman at jnlfurman@cox.net.

VIM Team Leader Training September 23. (Additional dates may be added) International Opportunities We plan to have some opportunities available for missionminded persons to serve on a vision or exploratory team.

Disaster Relief Teams We are planning to build domestic teams in response to needs due to natural disasters.

More Opportunities Additional VIM opportunities are available through our OKVIM offices.

Financial Assistance Scholarships are available for most teams. We also encourage team members to share support letters with family and friends to enlist financial and prayer assistance.

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

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Upcoming Events Calendar From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48b

February

10-12 Weekend to Remember Valentine Getaway

11 2nd Saturday

17 Kid’s Night Out

5:30 – 8 pm

19 Welcome Brunch 19 Boy Scout Spaghetti Lunch

11 am–2 pm

March

1 Ash Wednesday Services

7 am and 6 pm

5 Spring Break Commissioning

5 New Sermon Series Begins: Remarkable

11 12 13-17 17-19

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2nd Saturday Daylight Savings Time Spring Break Missions Dr. Tennent ATS Visit

Kid’s Night Out

5:30 – 8 pm 31-April 1 Family Camp

(3rd-5th Graders)

April

8 9 14 15

2nd Saturday Palm Sunday Good Friday Easter Celebration 10 am – 1 pm

16 Easter Sunday Services

8, 9:15 and 11 am - Sanctuary

21 Kid’s Night Out

5:30 – 8 pm

23 Welcome Brunch

23 Refugee Sunday Visit asburytulsa.org to learn more about these and more exciting worship and service opportunities.

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TIDINGS WINTER 2017

Helping Others Follow Jesus Sermon Series February 5-26 Invite a Friend

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

31

STUDENTS

Illuminate High School Retreat

By Katelyn Moore

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord… Everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. –Ephesians 5:8-10, 13 On a cold weekend in December, under a stage filled with dimly lit Edison bulbs, 130 high school students and small group leaders welcomed the Light of the World in to the room and into their hearts.

children of light, and what it might mean for us to be light to this dark world.

One student stood out to me throughout the weekend. Lexi Stallings is a junior at Jenks who, a few weeks prior, had confessed to me that this trip was totally out of her comfort zone this year.

to open up with one another in small groups, many found healing and comfort in being vulnerable in a safe environment, among trusted friends and emotionally healthy leaders.

After the retreat, I asked Lexi what the We were back at New Life Ranch in Colcord, most impactful moment was for her and Oklahoma, for the high school retreat this she told me this story: year. The weekend was filled with “I was going into it without very many of everything from a mac n’ cheese bar, to a my school friends, and I was nervous that I “One night after worship I sat in my cabin snowball fight, to gingerbread houses and wouldn’t be able to open up or find a group. surrounded by three of the wisest women in rapping snowmen (during something that But I was expecting the Lord to show up.” can only be called “Christmasplosion.”) my life. Just minutes into the conversation, I We ate s’mores, we sang our hearts out, and was in tears as the Lord used them as vessels Lexi she said she had no doubt that God we stayed up way too late. My personal to open my heart to His desires for me. It would be faithful if she would just be open. was crazy how clearly Jesus spoke truth into theme for the weekend turned out to be “I knew that if I went with a heart seeking laughter, and I can easily say I’ve never me through them, and we sat for almost an Him, I would find Him. So I was expecting hour dissecting God’s will.” laughed so much on a retreat. (Girls cabin, Jesus to enlighten areas of my life that can I get an “Amen”) were consumed in darkness.”

This moment epitomizes my heart for Along the way, I got to see God move in discipleship in a way that could bring me One of those areas was insecurity. It’s the hearts and minds of students and to tears. This is how we do student ministry. a difficult task for any of us to willingly leaders alike. Our theme for the weekend Leaders. Mentors. Godly men and women go beyond where we’re comfortable, was Illuminate, and we talked about the who are a little further down the road, and in the high school setting, it can be juxtaposition of our darkness against the coming alongside teenagers to walk with especially difficult. But as students began light of Christ. We contemplated life as them and draw them closer to Jesus.

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Lexi Stallings

STUDENTS

Moments like this happened in such abundance that I don’t have room to tell you about all of them here, but I’m so grateful for each one. In His grace, God even blessed me with a few of these moments among mentors and friends. I’m eternally grateful that leaders would say “yes” and sacrifice a weekend out of the busiest month of the year to come shepherd students and enlighten them.

When I asked Lexi what impact this trip had on her relationship with God she said, “I spend a lot more time in the Word because in order to be illuminated, you have to be reading the Bible. I have had some great conversations with my friends about the light I see in them. Also, I have a new found trust in the mentors in my life and have been able to be more vulnerable about where my personal darkness hides.”

And that is the power and depth of discipleship: the connection of experiences and vulnerability, as God knits our hearts together. May you find such light and grace in your life, as these students and leaders have brought into mine.

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PASTORAL

Helping Others Follow Jesus

By Pastor Tom Harrison and Stephanie Hurd

If life’s primary question is “Why?” then we need a compelling answer to the question: “Why should anyone follow Jesus?”

Our answer to the “Why?” question is truly all about Jesus. Jesus said He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” His statement is definitive. He did not claim to be a way, a truth or a life. He used exclusive terms. He didn’t provide options of being one among many paths to the mountaintop. As Paul said (1 Timothy 2:5-6): There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time. Either Jesus is who He claimed to be, the only way to God, or He’s not.

There is no middle ground. Acts 4:12 insists: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

This is related to one key belief: the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are

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lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. If Jesus was raised from the dead, then our faith is placed in someone who can and will resurrect us. The resurrection validates all of Jesus’ words for all people for all time.

From the centrality of Easter, we work backward. Christmas (the Incarnation) is also an astounding claim. Jesus wasn’t merely a good man or teacher or someone God adopted, but Jesus is God in the flesh. As John 1:1-2 relates: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Jesus is God Himself as Creator, Author and Sustainer of Life.

Because of the resurrection, “Good Friday” is truly “good.” The Romans crucified many people, but Jesus was unique among them. The New Testament says Jesus bore our sins upon the cross.

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He redeemed those who believe in Him from the tyranny of sin and from our helplessness to fulfill God’s law. Through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus Christ set the captives free. He removed our condemnation. From the handful of people in history who were raised back to life by the power of God, no one else was resurrected into an imperishable body suited for eternal life. Jesus is the only person who died and was raised—who never died again.

Jesus’ central message was the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus is fully God, fully man and fully resurrected. He redeems us from the kingdom of darkness and the dominion of sin, so it benefits us to pay attention to His words. Hebrews 2:14-16 says that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Jesus made God’s kingdom available to all. His is a more life-giving

PASTORAL

approach than the enemy/adversary: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) Any discussion of Jesus and His effect upon believers would be incomplete without mentioning that Jesus’ followers receive the same Spirit that directed His life. The Holy Spirit helps us experience God’s kingdom on earth. John’s gospel (14:26) tells us Jesus provides for us internally while simultaneously sending us on mission: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples in Matthew’s gospel (28:16-20) came after a post-resurrection appearance. The disciples immediately worshiped Jesus. Worship is foremost for a Christ-follower. We see this emphasis in the book of Revelation, which depicts a war over worship. All people are

free to choose whom they will worship: The Lamb of God or the powers of evil. We know the Kingdom of God will prevail, but every day we must decide to whom or what we will bow.

Then they received the Great Commission: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This isn’t called “The Great Suggestion.”

This is a mandate. The resurrection is validated, all authority is given to Jesus exclusively (not another religious leader), and He gives the marching orders to His followers: Go and make disciples.

Helping others follow Jesus is modeled after Jesus’ invitation to discipleship:

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

(Matthew 4:18-20) To answer the question, “Why should anyone follow Jesus?” we offer a one-word explanation: LIFE. Jesus gives us eternal and abundant life. Those who follow Jesus are promised a life in heaven and a meaningful/purposeful life on earth.

Once we know this truth, we have a responsibility to share it. A responsibility for which we will one day be held accountable. It’s not enough that we follow Jesus because the abundant life is not just for us. We are compelled to help others follow Jesus so they too will be saved into a life that is truly life.

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LOCAL OUTREACH

Love Your Neighbors

by Stephanie Hurd

O

nce Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment.

His reply: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Jesus, in His teaching, had a way of making things simple and practical. According to our Lord, the summation of the whole Bible comes down to one word: Love. Love God and love people.

Approximately five years ago, the principal of Grove Elementary (located a few blocks away from Asbury) approached our local outreach committee asking for help. Some individuals immediately responded to this need with small efforts such as teacher appreciation gifts but quickly realized the school’s needs were many, and our capacity to meet those needs was barely being tapped. The original volunteers liked helping the teachers and wanted to do more.

Grove Elementary is a Title 1 school which means it receives government funds to

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TIDINGS WINTER 2017

LOCAL OUTREACH

help bridge the gap between low-income/ at-risk students and other students.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.” Schools with large concentrations of low-income students receive funds to assist in meeting students’ educational goals. Low-income students are determined by the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. For an entire school to qualify for Title 1 funds, at least 40 percent of students must enroll in the free and reduced lunch program.

One Asbury mentor describes it this way, “These kids didn’t get to choose where they would grow up, but education is their ticket to a better life. When people care for them, it allows them to dream of a better life for themselves. In some cases, no one’s ever told them what they can accomplish.” Three years ago, Grove was rated an F school. Last year it ranked a Cand showed the greatest increase in test scores among Union elementary schools.

The administration has implemented numerous effective changes, but they are quick to credit Asbury’s mentors for helping them improve.

While the children need the academic help, many also need the attention of a caring adult, someone to be a positive influence and role model. In correlation to being a Title 1 school, many Grove students come from difficult circumstances and environments where the parents or caregivers must work multiple jobs and simply don’t have time to give their children help with homework or abundant one-on-one attention at home. The majority of low-income and at-risk kids are from single-parent homes, have a parent who is incarcerated, or are being raised by grandparents and other extended family. Additionally, with class ratios as high as 29:1, the teachers are stretched to provide individualized help to their students on a daily basis.

From a place of deep care and compassion for their student’s education and wellbeing, the school’s administration has opened the doors for Asbury to enter and walk alongside the kids, parents and teachers. Asbury’s partnership with Grove provides opportunity for one-on-one interactions that are helpful in multiple ways–offering academic, emotional, spiritual and material support.

The tutoring program is really about relationship, and the volunteers believe they get more out of the experience than those whom they are serving.

“Anyone who can read can tutor. Anyone who can listen, can help,” explained one mentor. Sometimes it’s listening to the kids read, and sometimes it’s just listening. The conversations may lead to questions about faith as one child recently asked, “When did God turn bad?” And a question the kids often ask is, “Why are you here?” Asbury’s mentors are free to answer questions about God and their faith in Jesus, but always try to be sensitive to the child’s background and religious affiliation. A pair of impassioned volunteers explained how attached they have become to the students and how invested they are in helping each one succeed. The male mentors fill a particular void in the student’s lives, as many are being raised in homes without fathers or positive, male role models. When a boy isn’t able to concentrate or seems troubled about something, they may spend the first part of their tutoring session just shooting baskets and talking. One male mentor learned his student was anxious because it was a long break, and he didn’t know what his family would eat when the food in the backpacks, which the school provides, ran out. The mentors explain how those kinds of stories are heartbreaking and, unfortunately, frequent. The mentors, along with the faculty, care about the students in a way that forms a sort of familial bond. Some mentors become like grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings to these students.

As the relationship with Grove through the tutoring has grown and as Asbury’s local outreach has sought to become more

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

strategic in its approach, certain ministries have been designated as “focus areas” and our partnership with Grove Elementary is one of them. In 2016, Asbury “adopted” faculty and staff as prayer partners. Again, it’s about relationship. Some of the prayer partners take the time to get to know the teachers and their needs, often supplying material goods along with their prayers.

One teacher, an Asbury member, likes to announce to her class, “Look what our prayer partners brought us! This is from my church.”

This past Christmas provided broader opportunities for Asbury members to share God’s love in the name of Jesus with the students of Grove Elementary.

Members adopted 72 students whom the administration and faculty recommended as being those who would benefit most.

The Christmas gifts included coats, clothing, toys and gift cards for food and groceries. Our children’s ministry also got involved, providing 70 additional coats in the sizes Grove students needed. As the temperatures plunged into the teens, parents were crying as they picked up these coats for their children, some of whom were going to school in nothing but a T-shirt because they didn’t own anything else.

Additionally, through 2nd Saturday, Asbury was able to engage with even more of our Grove neighbors as we hosted a Christmas party with 300 people. The party included Asbury’s puppet ministry, Christmas carols, games and crafts. All the kids who attended received a pair of gloves or mittens which our children’s ministry provided. While all the teachers have been adopted for this school year, and the next Christmas party is 11 months away, there is always a need for more tutors.

“Anyone who can read can tutor. Anyone who can listen, can help.” Become a mentor at Grove Elementary and apply Jesus’ teaching to “love your neighbor as yourself” in a way that is simple, practical and life-changing.

Call Ann Zenthoefer at 918.230.1809 or Linda Furman at 918.740.0323 to get started.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Milestone Anniversaries 65 YEARS

50 YEARS

Claude & Ellie Oyler 2/23/52

Fred & Claudia Montross 1/3/67 Jim & Margaret Harmon 3/11/67

60 YEARS Ed & Jan Hines 1/19/57 Arlyn & Shirley Daering 1/26/57

45 YEARS

55 YEARS

15 YEARS

Clark & Judy Walton 2/3/62 H.L. & Florence Moore 3/6/62

Bill & Beth Shores 2/22/02

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Ed & Jan Hines

Fred & Claudia Montross

H.L. & Florence Moore

Claude & Ellie Oyler

Clark & Judy Walton

Vic & Kathryn Holmes 12/4/71

New Members

Deaths Betty Jane Bailey died 9-13-2016.

Wife of Jim Bailey Kay Doss died 9-24-2016.

Ed Rammel died 9-26-2016.

Husband of Amy Rammel Betty Bender died 10-8-2016.

Gene Carson died 10-26-2016.

Husband of Dina Carson Joy Disler died 10-29-2016.

Jack Gale died 10-30-2016.

Father of David Gale Jim Randle died 11-4-2016.

William (Bill) Brown died 11-9-2016.

Husband of Barbara Brown Rose Anne Tohlen died 11-13-2016.

Wife of Herb Tohlen Velma Dudding died 11-14-2016.

Juanita Orchard died 11-23-2016.

Rosemary Ellison died 11-26-2016.

Grandmother of Katie Egan.

Arlyn & Shirley Daering

Jim Williams died 11-28-2016.

Husband of Rhonda Williams.

Herbert Maresh died 11-30-2016.

Nell Pool died 12-12-2016.

Louise Starkweather 12-12-2016.

Mother of Fred (Nancy) Starkweather.

Joanne Setser died 12-14-2016.

Judy Bomar died 12-15-2016.

Jackie Redmond died 12-18-2016 Mother of Debby Farve.

Carol Glass died 12-31-2016.

Mother of Leslie Edwards.

Nell Parsons died 1-1-2017.

Mother of Rusty Fields.

Ruth Potts died 1-2-2017.

Mother-in-law of Jeri Potts.

Carole Greaves died 1-4-2017.

Greg & Wendy Brooks

Macy Hula

Arlene Keim

Dolores Lee

Jacqueline (Jackie)Long

Toniv Reed

Jonathan & Catherine Renner

Ben & Maggie Rosenheck

Malcolm Tracy

Richard Vaughan

Brandon Worley

TIDINGS WINTER 2017

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 Sheryl Cory-Martin at 918.492.1771 and she will help you make arrangements for your loved one. Sheryl will also work with your family to arrange the memorial service at Asbury. www.myasburytulsa.org This website is available to all members as a way to update your contact information, register for events, give online and indicate ministries you would like to receive communication from.

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

WINTER 2017 TIDINGS

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

Get on the Path!

Sign up to attend a Welcome Brunch.

Slots are available for the February 19 and April 23 sessions.

Discipleship Pathway registration links: asburytulsa.org/brunch asburytulsa.org/learn2 asburytulsa.org/serve2