Stewardship - More Than Just Money

TIDINGS FALL 2018

STEWARDSHIP MORE THAN JUST MONEY

FALL 2018

TIDINGS 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.

CONTENTS Growing God’s Kingdom Through Giving..... 4 We Were Created For Generosity............... 6 First...Pray!............................................................. 8 Tying It All Together........................................... 10 Amy’s Time And Dedication............................ 12 Sewing Stewards................................................. 16 The Emojis of Money.......................................... 17 Our Young Joshuas............................................. 20 A Fund For The Ages.......................................... 24 Asbury Culture of Generosity........................ 26 More than Just Money...................................... 28 Digital Living, Digital Giving............................ 30 Meet The Finance Committee....................... 32 Financial Peace University.............................. 34 Give Beyond Your Life....................................... 36 Special Announcements .................................. 37

CHRISTMAS Eve Services 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm, 8:30 pm, 11 pm

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.

Editor: Asbury Communications Department, 918.392.1140, kmains@asburytulsa.org Graphic Design: Belinda Wilson, bwilson@asburytulsa.org Photographers: Mark Moore (mark moore.photo.net) Guest Contributors: Guy Ames, Russ Arnold, Randy Cloud, Mickey Coats, Daniel Dennison, Ken Hendrick, Burton Howard, Stephanie Hurd, Brett Krieg, John O’Dell, Mike Pregler, Michelle Rafferty, Dick Read, Matt & Sara Rogers, Cheryl Steffen, Andrea Stephens, Lisa Witcher, Brian Zorb

A WORD FROM TOM HARRISON Be More Blessed One verse I have come to appreciate is, “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35) It is better to share abundance than to live with scarcity. Charles Dickens showed how the detestable character Ebenezer Scrooge was redeemed from a scarcity mentality to an abundant perspective. Scrooge was greedy because he was insecure. We can be tight-fisted, miserly, greedy, grasping, materialists OR through confidence in our Provider, we can be generous, magnanimous, big-hearted and wide-open. Those who are stingy with the seed will never have a bountiful harvest.

Dana and I more than tithe to Asbury. We give online through our bank with an automatic deduction each month.

Automation is key. It makes giving a habit. It makes giving “methodical.” We also support other missionaries and groups (Asbury Theological Seminary is one). Inspired by an ORU professor, I have learned spontaneous generosity, too. I now understand what Jesus meant about the giver being more blessed than the receiver. Jesus knows what He is talking about! IT IS SO MUCH FUN! Two dear Asbury friends told me how they became tithers.

They went from giving nothing to giving 1 percent of their income. The next year they gave 2 percent. The third year it was 3 percent, etc. I’m sure they give far more now, but they had to begin somewhere. We all do. Paul talked about being a child and thinking and acting like a child. When he matured and became a man, he put away childish ways (see 1 Corinthians 13).

Every member takes this vow: “I will be loyal to Jesus Christ expressed through Asbury UMC and uphold this congregation by my prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.” Financial giving is part of this. Tithing to the church is an act of worship and a discipleship practice. How are you doing? Are you being faithful? Are you being blessed?

2018 is one of our BEST YEARS at Asbury. We launched a satellite and became a satellite. Cornerstone is doing well, and Asbury Theological Seminary is now meeting at The Venue. We also started an International Adult Discipleship Community. God is doing great things with us and through us. Thanks be to God! And thank you for joining with us in the life-changing work of the church and for being generous. Together, we are truly Helping Others Follow Jesus.

In Christ,

Dr. Tom Harrison, Senior Pastor

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Growing God’s Kingdom Through Giving Asbury Budget Allocations for 2018 Asbury’s operating budget is funded exclusively to the five catergories below in the pie chart with your tithes and offerings. This includes the ministries at Asbury and the salaries of the staff who serve those ministries.

Donations given to a specific ministry are restricted for use identified by the donor and are not used to help us fund our operating budget. Tithes and offerings are extremely important in helping Asbury fund our mission of Helping Others Follow Jesus.

Sales

Congregational Care 12% Worship 16%

Discipleship 19%

Missions and Evangelism 30%

Facilities and Maintenance 23%

Missions & Evangelism: $2,578,000 Financial support of missionaries , our global focus areas, our local partners, Christian organizations, apportionments, staff

Facilities & Maintenance: $2,046,000 Utilities, insurance, maintenance, capital improvements, staff

Discipleship: $1,622,000 Children, youth, and adult discipleship and events, communications, staff

Worship: $1,428,000 Media and tech, equipment, events, communications, staff

Congregational Care: $1,026,000 LifeCare programs, Celebrate Recovery, congregational care, staff 4

Missions and Evangelism 30%

Congregational Care 12%

Facilities and Maintenance 23 %

Worship 16%

Discipleship 19% 5

WE WERE CREATED FOR GENEROSITY

By Pastor Daniel Dennison

As we think about generosity, tithing, stewardship, pledges and the like, there are two questions I believe are helpful to ponder: What does our giving do for God and what does it do for us?

the years, Happy Anniversary.” As I scrolled down I realized that he had booked us a free suite at the Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, along with a gourmet champagne brunch the following morning.

It’s easy to grasp how our giving affects God if we think about it in terms of giving gifts to friends and family.

My friend gave up most of his hotel points, which he could have used for a nice vacation of his own, so that my wife and I could have a great anniversary celebration, and so that he could tell us, “I love you guys and I’m grateful for your friendship.” I have a feeling that’s kind of how God looks at our offerings.

In our first year of marriage, money was tight for Mindy and me. We had several major medical expenses on top of trying to pay for seminary.

When our first anniversary rolled around, I didn’t have much money to do something nice for my wife. I mentioned this to a few of my friends in hopes of gleaning some ideas, but given that they were all single guys without girlfriends, my query rendered little in the way of anniversary gift ideas.

But about a week before our anniversary, I got an email confirmation from Hilton Hotels forwarded to me from my friend Andrew. The body of the email read, “I had some extra Hilton points and I thought you and Mindy would enjoy them more than I would.

Thanks for your friendship and loyalty through 6

It’s not a financial transaction or a business deal, it’s a way of saying, “God, of what I have and what I have made, I offer you a portion of it to say thank you.

I love you and I’m grateful for the love you have for me, and I hope you can use some of this to transform the world that I live in.”

So, what about us? What does our giving do for us?

Our generosity not only changes the lives of those around us, but it changes us as well. We were created

to give and to be generous and when we don’t, we have a problem. Forgive me for the crude analogy, but when we’re not generous, we become spiritually and financially constipated. You keep taking in, but you’re not giving out! And that begins to cause pain after a while. You keep taking in and you begin to wonder why is this not making me happy, why is this not satisfying me? It’s not satisfying because you weren’t made to take and take and never give back.

We were created for generosity.

Generosity changes our hearts, because when we are generous with our money and our possessions, we find that we only want to be more generous!

You may become generous very hesitantly at first, but something happens in the midst of that generosity. When we are generous, even a bit hesitantly, we find that our hearts become more generous and generosity begins to define us.

Through the act of being generous, we often find blessings flowing back into our lives: Luke 6:38 tells us, “Give, and it will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you give back.” And in Malachi 3:10, God says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

The faith healers and prosperity gospel preachers will tell you that the above scriptures mean that

when we give to God, He will give back to us tenfold and we will be blessed beyond our wildest imaginations. But I think these guys have it all wrong.

Let me show you what these passages really mean: On November 26, 2012, we picked up McKenna at the hospital when she was five–days old.

We fostered McKenna for 10 months before adopting her on September 30, 2013.

We didn’t feel led to adopt to fulfill our own needs; we sensed God calling us to do this as an act of service and love for someone else. Our willingness to adopt completely changed McKenna’s life for the better, but Mindy and I would tell you that we were the ones who were forever blessed and changed by adopting McKenna. This, I believe, is what Jesus had in mind when He said, give and it will be given to you. This, I believe, is what God had in mind when He said, “see if I will not pour down for you an overflowing blessing!” We do not give to God so that God will give us something back. But here’s the amazing thing that happens when we give to God and others: the blessings always seem to come back to us in some form or fashion. Whether it’s generosity of your time or money, I believe you will find this to be true in all aspects of your life.

Cultivate a spirit of generosity in your life and do it out of a selfless call to serve others, but don’t be surprised if you end up being the one who is blessed and served in the process.

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FIRST...

PRAY!

By Cheryl Steffen

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 When we join Asbury, we take membership vows promising first to uphold Asbury United Methodist Church by our PRAYERS… This is a promise we make to God before the congregation.

So Asbury Church …

LET’S PRAY FIRST! In my prayer life, there are times of focused prayer followed by times of distracted prayer, followed by times of much prayer, followed by times of little prayer, followed by times of purposeful prayer, followed by times of struggle and dryness in prayer followed by times of joy and intimacy in prayer. No matter the season you are in, the time is NOW for us to INCREASE the level of our prayers. Missionary Elisabeth Elliot is credited with saying, “Pray WHEN you feel like it, and pray WHEN you don’t feel like it, and pray UNTIL you feel like it.” The principle is this: that prayer will not happen without intentionality no matter the season you are in. So let’s be more intentional to PRAY faithfully and boldly for our church and see what the Lord will do in response to our prayers. Discover the many ways you can plug into prayer at Asbury by visiting the web page at asburytulsa.org or by picking up a prayer ministry brochure at any of the information racks located near the entry doors.

There is no limit to prayer, and there is no limit to what God can do in answer to our prayers.

As Jesus modeled a lifestyle of steadfast prayer for us and as scripture commands, let’s continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

The prayer guide on the next page is an easy way to begin praying intentionally for others as we live into our mission of “Helping Others Follow Jesus” while also fulfilling our membership vows to uphold Asbury by our prayers.

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HELPING OTHERS ...

F aith

Lord, help _____ to have believing faith in God. (Mark 11:22)

O bedience

Lord, help _____ to be obedient and holy in their conduct. (1 Peter 1:14-15)

L ove God

Lord, help _____ love God with all their heart, mind and soul. (Matthew 22:37)

L ove Others

Lord, help _____ love others as themselves. (Matthew 22:39)

O vercome

Lord, help _____ overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

W orship

Lord, help _____ worship God and serve Him only. (Luke 4:8)

J oy Lord, help _____ be filled with all joy and peace in believing. (Romans 15:13)

E ternal Life

Lord, help _____ to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life. (John 3:16)

S eek

Lord, help _____ to seek first the kingdom of God and His ways. (Matthew 6:33)

U nity

Lord, help _____ have unity of mind with fellow believers. (1 Peter 3:8)

S upplication

Lord, help _____ pray about everything by supplication. (Philippians 4:6)

PRAYER GUIDE

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Tying It All Together

By Pastor Tom Harrison

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The graphic we are using in our services illustrates the nature of the Church.

First, foremost and forever, Jesus’ Church is about WORSHIP. Worship is THE appropriate response to what God has done and is doing. God is creator, sustainer and redeemer. God is known as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is Three in One. This profound mystery leaves me with a sense of awe, wonder and amazement. The only proper response—is worship.

We will enjoy God forever.

It will NOT be boring! Heaven will be the best thing we’ve ever known magnified by millions of times, and it will never end.

Until that glorious day when we all get to heaven, the Church has three earthly functions:

3.) We BECOME SERVANTS of Jesus. It’s often through serving that we build friendships which strengthen our faith. This happens on Sunday mornings through Adult Discipleship Communities and through hundreds of ministry opportunities we offer.

We belong with our hearts, believe with our minds and serve with our hands.

If we only love our friends and grow our faith, we are internally focused and self-absorbed.

If we love others and serve them but have no doctrinal beliefs, we are a civic club. If we have strong beliefs, spiritual gifts and serve but have not love, we are disqualified (see 1 Corinthians 13). Spiritual habits make the difference: First is prayer. Second is having a biblical worldview (learning and applying scripture to daily life).

Third is generosity.

1.) We BELONG to the Body of Christ. We are loved, accepted and forgiven. This is SO important. We show hospitality, kindness and grace to others.

Most people come to faith in Christ because they are loved into the Kingdom of God.

Over the last few months we have been exploring Life’s Biggest Questions. The answers to these questions shape our worldview and inform our faith. Who or what we worship is most transforming. The Incarnation changes EVERYTHING.

2.) We BELIEVE in Jesus Christ. We trust Him for salvation. We do not believe whatever we want because it makes us feel good, no matter how sincere we may be. John Wesley famously said, “I am a man of one book” (the Bible). Pastor Dick Read says, “If you come to Asbury, you will hear sermons and teachings from the Bible.” The Bible is the revealed word of God. It is the foundation of our faith and doctrinal beliefs.

Worshiping Jesus does more than transform us. It transfigures us.

Our Advent series will tie this all together.

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Amy’s

Time and Dedication

By Pastor Andrea Stephens

Amy Payne and her mother, Edith Barrett

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By the young age of 16, Amy Payne witnessed first-hand the raging effects of cancer as it took the lives of her two close friends.

As with anyone, young or old who encounters cancer, many questions burdened her restless spirit.

How could this have happened? What causes cancer? Aren’t there drugs that can cure it? How could God allow my friends to die so young?

Unlike her peers who were spending their free time pursuing sports, hanging at the mall and going to the movies, Amy was instead doing research on childhood leukemia, chemotherapy and bone marrow/ stem cell transplants to help her better understand this killer called cancer. Gaining information and self-educating herself had become her passion. Upon graduation from college, her intent was to become a pediatric hematologist/oncologist. Her sister and brother-in-law, both doctors, encouraged her to consider a slightly less demanding career since she desired a future family. She listened and pursued a graduate degree in epidemiology (the study of distribution and causes of disease) from the University of Arkansas.

Several years later, Amy’s passion for cancer patients became more intensely personal when a series of tests revealed that her very strong, steadfast mother had breast cancer.

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“I never thought those words ‘you have cancer’ would be said to anyone in my family. To me, it was the worst thing I could have imagined. I couldn’t fathom losing another person I loved to this horrible disease. Suddenly our world was spinning with medical terminology, treatment options, and a quick timeline to make these decisions – all concepts that were not comprehensible during such an emotional time.”

In the months following her mom’s diagnosis, Amy traveled to northwest Arkansas on business quite often, allowing her to be with her mom during this critical time. Most importantly, she was there when her mom asked for a prayer meeting to help her discern the direction from God regarding her treatment options. With her type of breast cancer, she had to weigh the pros and cons between a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy plus radiation.

Family and close friends came together under the leadership of the church pastor to seek the Lord’s direction.

After this meeting, Amy’s mom had peace with the surgical treatment option she chose.

It was very difficult for Amy to watch her “tiny but mighty” mom, who was the rock of the family and the first to care for others, struggle to care for herself. This once resilient, optimistic woman experienced intense weakness and fatigue, accompanied by an inability to eat due to extreme side effects of chemotherapy, eventually landing her in ICU fighting for her life. Praise God, 15 years later, Amy’s mom is alive and well (and cancer free!), has recently moved to Broken Arrow, and sits in the pew next to her daughter here at Asbury every Sunday.

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What does this have to do with stewardship?

Everything.

It is the motivation that caused Amy to approach me months ago on a Sunday morning after I had spoken about LifeCare here at Asbury. Amy had a burden on her heart: our members who have cancer need support from their church family just like her mom did. Little did she know that the Lord had laid this same burden on my heart. Week after week of reading the prayer requests related to cancer, the desire to do something stirred within me. Amy’s desire met mine, and the CancerCare Support Team was created.

Amy, along with several who are cancer survivors, leads this ministry that offers support and resources to help patients through the cancer journey.

The team has created a gift bag that includes the comprehensive guide called Cancer—Now What? (a Stephen Ministry book), an Asbury scripture booklet, and a magnet that reads “Be Still and Know That I Am God.” Offered twice a month, the support group provides encouragement and personal prayer for those who attend. Amy gives her time and her passion to this ministry. This is a form of stewardship. Giving includes money, time and talents.

A recent visitor to the CancerCare group was especially encouraged by the prayer support that was offered. He had just recently been diagnosed with a very rare cancer that was spreading so quickly there was nothing that could be done for him. Being given just two months to live, the support group prayed over him, anointed him with

oil (inviting the healing presence of the Holy Spirit to be upon him), spoke scriptural truth over him and listened to him process what was happening in his life.

Thanks to Amy’s leadership, this is just one person being touched by this new ministry.

Amy and her husband Matthew (an Asbury orchestra member) are the proud parents of Madeline (age 9) and Caroline (age 5). She works for a biotechnology company that’s focus is on

cures for various types of cancer. As a senior oncology account manager for Seattle Genetics, an oncology drug developer and manufacturer, Amy finds herself in every cancer center in Oklahoma.

Her role is to educate physicians, nurses, and pharmacists on the efficacy and safety of cancer drugs and to help with financial options for patients in need of treatment. It is imperative to Amy that people get the medical treatment they need for their individual diagnosis, and also that they get the emotional support they need during this challenging time. What an awesome way to give of oneself!

The CancerCare Support Group meets the first Wednesday at 1:30 pm in the Parlor and the third Tuesday at 6:30 pm in Room 1508.

For more information contact Amy Payne at amycpayne@cox.net or Rex Powell at jazzbanjorex@gmail.com.

Patients and families are welcome to attend.

Let us know your opinion! asburytulsa.org/cancercaresurvey

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Dotti Westerberg and Karen Weiss

By Pastor Andrea Stephens What might happen if you asked the Lord to make you a better steward of the time and talents He has given you? Might He prune an activity or two from your current schedule in order to allow time that you could invest elsewhere? It is a question worth asking.

Today, Dotti Westerberg co-leads Asbury’s Quilting Ministry with Carol Fisher. Along with a team of women, she gives of her time and talent to create lap quilts that are given to those in our church family who are experiencing an especially difficult situation. In most cases, they are given to members who are recovering from an illness, going through chemotherapy or who have lost a loved one. The quilts are a comforting way we let people know they are loved and are being lifted up in prayer. In fact, prayer is an important part of this ministry. As they cut fabric, sow strips or squares of cloth, they intentionally pray for the person who will receive the quilt.

A new focus of the quilters is making blankets for newborns. Karen Weiss, a recent member of Asbury, championed this idea. Karen grew up in Pennsylvania where she attended a United Methodist Church.

She came to Tulsa in 2009 for a new career.

When searching for a church home, one criteria Karen looked for was an active care ministry.

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The first baby quilt Karen created was inspired by a friend who roped her into making “all things baby” in anticipation of her first grandchild. Searching through Pinterest, she found a pattern with a heart in the center—the perfect design for either a boy or a girl.

She lined the quilt with a soft flannel fabric making it cozier for the little one. The soft flannel triggered

the idea of sewing baby blankets. These are less labor intensive and moms can just toss them in the washing machine. Karen is leading the way on this new project.

The baby blankets are being added to the new mom gift basket given out by our children’s ministry team.

They carry a label that reads Covered in Jesus’ Love and ours, The Asbury LifeCare Ministry.

The beautiful art of quilting is definitely a labor of love. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes planning.

Yet this is not duty but a delight. Quilting is a pleasure these women have turned into a ministry that blesses others with the reminder of God’s loving care for them. It puts an eternal twist on what could have been turned into a business or just kept to themselves.

God has given each of us the same 24 hours in a day.

Those who find themselves with unscheduled time have a choice about how they will use it. Sometimes stewardship is about taking something you love to spend time doing and turning it into ministry to others. What might happen if you take something you enjoy doing and offer it up to the Lord for His service?

Whether you already sew or would like to learn how, you are invited to join the quilting ministry.

That’s right—no experience necessary, just a desire to be creative. The lap quilters meet every odd month on the second Wednesday in Room 2821 at 1 pm. Those wanting to join in with the baby–blanket project meet the second and the fourth Monday of each month in Room 2821 starting at 10 am. This will start in January 2019.

Bring your supplies and enjoy the fellowship along with the fun of doing something you enjoy that will be a blessing to someone else.

The Emojis of Money

By Stephanie Hurd Money is a highly emotional subject. Money problems consistently rank in the top four causes of divorce and can lead to physical problems, too. According to an Associated Press report, money stress increases the chance of heart

attack (doubling it), digestive disorders, headaches, depression and muscle tension. The article also states these health problems can be avoided. Those who took an active role in learning about their finances, by participating in a financial training class, felt more in control, more confident and less stressed.

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Other emotions related to money are less about what you have or don’t have but what you give. An article from a UC Berkley magazine reports that “giving” makes people happy by activating parts of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust; it is good for health—even prolonging life, primarily because it reduces stress; it evokes gratitude which is a key to personal happiness; and it is contagious—

research shows one person’s generosity can inspire others to be generous which can ultimately affect dozens if not hundreds of people by degrees. According to the article, giving supplies oxytocin, a hormone also released during sex and breast–feeding which induces feelings of connection and empathy with others, feelings of warmth and euphoria. These feel-good feelings can last for hours. In this one short article on the mental, physical and emotional benefits of giving, I counted 16 references to scientific research, studies and expert testimony. I thought, “Congratulations, scientists.

You are proving what Scripture has always said to be true. “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25) Or, as Jesus so brilliantly summarized, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) When I think about my family’s financial journey and our relationship to money, I associate a range of distinctive emotions. In my conversations with friends and family who have traveled a similar money journey, I discovered we share much in common.

This handy little emoji chart is used to help people identify and communicate their feelings. Since money is highly emotive, I thought it would be helpful to identify some of the feelings money can evoke:

Embarrassed – From missing a mortgage payment, utility payment or some other bill when you have too much month at the end of your paycheck.

Frustrated – When an annual bonus, small inheritance or some other unique financial gift comes in, but it is already 125 percent spent and cannot be enjoyed.

Bored – When working on finances, retirement planning and just about anything related to money management.

Scared – When drowning in debt and not knowing what to do.

Annoyed –Owing people money for something and realizing they expect to be paid. This is a hard one to explain.

Quiet – When reading scripture on sharing, giving, tithing, generosity or open-heartedness. The same response happens when the pastor broaches these subjects in a sermon. It is usually followed by internal rationalization.

Angry – At yourself for repeating the same financial mistakes over and over.

Sick and Tired – The tipping point.

When being a slave to debt becomes intolerable and you (and your family) decide to do something about it.

Funny – Looking back on bad financial decisions and seeing the folly.

I already confessed to this on video, but I wrote a hot check to Asbury for the Financial Peace University class.

It wasn’t funny then, but it is now.

Nervous – When taking the first step toward financial freedom, because most people think they are the only ones who are struggling.

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Surprised – Realizing LOTS of people are struggling and need help learning how to manage money. It is also surprising to discover how far a paycheck can stretch when you tell every dollar where to go.

Goofy – When your behaviors start changing to reflect your new determination to take control of your finances. Some examples: Bringing your lunch when coworkers are eating out; having to stop the checker at the store because you hit the grocery budget for the week; sending your kids to school with off-brand shoes or clothing because you choose to use your money in different ways. This is what it means to make sacrifices now for a better future. Dave Ramsey calls it living like no one else, so you can live like no one else.

Happy – When the first credit card gets paid off (and the second, and the third).

When the washing machine gives out and you have an emergency fund to cover it. When Christmas comes and goes, and every gift was bought with cash. When financial giving statements from church arrive in the mail and you know your dollars are being used for a greater purpose than eating out (again).

Which of these emojis best identifies your feelings about money today? The good news is you are not alone. The better news is, Asbury can help. Financial Peace University is a biblically–based, financial program with practical steps that truly work. From personal experience, I can attest that learning to tithe (which came first) and paying off debt (which came second) changed our lives and our future more than anything else we have ever done. Being good and generous stewards of what God has entrusted to us is His wisdom for a peaceful, joyful and abundant life. It won’t always be care-free, of course, but it is the way God designed life to work—so it gives us a better chance at peace, joy and abundance than anything else.

My family can identify with all the emotions above, but the one emoji that best communicates our family’s feeling about money today is:

Excited – When a charitable need arises, and you have set aside money for the sole (soul?) purpose of being generous.

Proud – That you are taking control of your financial future. That your children know more about money management as teenagers than you did in your 40s (because you are teaching them). That you are driving a car you own free and clear.

Cool – That, by God’s grace, you have become debt–free.

Sad – When you look back and realize it took so long to swallow your pride and get help.

Gratitude for God’s gracious provision.

Gratitude for His mercy when we lacked wisdom. Gratitude for His patience as it took us many years to learn good stewardship habits. Gratitude for the Spirit’s help as we learned to give, save and spend in more God-honoring ways. Gratitude for opportunities to be faithful. Gratitude for the way being generous makes us feel.

Gratitude for our church—which we love to support with our tithes and offerings.

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OUR YOUNG

JOSHUAS

1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.

2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they

BY LISA WITCHER

make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,[a] and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

Joshua 6:1-5 Each spring hundreds of our Asbury youth travel to neighborhoods in Tulsa and as far away as Guatemala to serve on missions. Sometimes they repair roofs; other times they mix cement, pour foundations, and build cinder block buildings, but always their travel and their work build inroads to their hearts.

For three of our newly graduated high school seniors, a trip to Guatemala and service to Engadi Ministries meant they would give more than just spring break of their senior year.

In Guatemala, poverty, corruption and gang violence steal young boys first from the safety of their families and then from a productive future. Boys as young as 14 join a gang or are forced into a gang. Most don’t live to see their 24th year; yet in that time they will murder at least 10 other people, father six children and steal the innocence of others. Engadi Ministries seeks to offer these young men an alternative.

In March of 2018, Trent Smith, Mallory King and Madeline McTigue, all then seniors in high school, traveled to Guatemala as members of a spring break mission team. Together with their team, they worked construction in a village known as “Paradise” in Zone 18 of Guatemala City. To say that they observed life unparalleled to their own in Tulsa, Oklahoma, grossly understates their experience.

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On their final day, the leader of Engadi Ministries, Nathan, invited them to take “Jericho laps� around the soccer field, encouraging them to pray for the families in Zone 18, provision for Engadi, protection from the dangers of Guatemala City, wisdom for the leaders of Engadi and for the boys with whom Engadi works. Our high school young men and women prayed individually and in small groups as they walked around the soccer field in obedience, much like Joshua did around the walls of Jericho.

Our students were the small army, the anointed priests, the faithful hearts who petitioned God the father that the walls of gang violence would crumble, that peace would reign and provisions would multiply. This is also where Trent, Madeline and Mallory learned that the Engadi Ministry was facing financial crisis as the change in currency would soon result in more than a $20,000 shortfall.

Mallory and Madeline comment that their hearts attached to this need as they listened to the call of the Holy Spirit, and they and Trent petitioned their college leader for ways to help. They left Guatemala carrying pieces of that city and soccer field with them and brought those pieces back 21

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to our church. After talking with their college leader, Dave Read, these three sweet souls toured our Asbury communities telling the stories of Engadi through the spring and summer, each time collecting a love offering for the ministry in Guatemala City. Moreover, the threesome told an Engadi story each Tuesday night at College Church and took an offering there as well, praying over the gifts as if they were still walking their “Jericho laps.”

They spoke of a ministry that captures small boys before the streets can and offers the boys a safe and nurturing environment. Engadi also serves the boys’ families and the whole community trying to offer a healthy choice and create a sustainable life apart from the gang violence that threatens it.

As a result, Madeline, Mallory and Trent raised $3,400 in a very short seven weeks. That kind of obedience and initiative from three young 18-yearolds humbles this old woman. Their hearts listened; their minds engaged, and they refused to be thwarted believing like Joshua that if they did as the Lord commanded, the walls of violence that threaten Guatemala City would fall just as Jericho did.

First Timothy instructs us,

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” While Trent and Mallory and Madeline’s conduct creates immense admiration within us – it is the purity of their intent that invokes a great pause within me; it is their love for others that moves me to tears and their faith – such rock solid and unwavering faith - that convicts me. It is one act of faithfulness to travel to a foreign land and give up spring break of your senior year; it is a whole other level of obedience to stay on the Jericho prayer walk even in your home town in an effort to change the lives of others’ thousands of miles away.

Neither their high school graduations nor their impending college plans kept them from being faithful, loving servants, still on a mission.

I don’t believe it is a coincidence that these 18-year-olds were chosen to serve in 22

Zone 18, in a village called “Paradise.” They were sent to make a difference, to serve others with the love of Christ, and to let the lives of others touch their own – to be open to the love of God. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that Joshua marched around Jericho for seven days and these student leaders marched around Asbury for seven weeks.

I believe that Madeline and Mallory and Trent are our Joshuas: 15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord.

Joshua 6:15-17 There’s an old song, “…and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” How much we can learn from our kids, so very, very much.

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A Fund for the Generations

By Pastor Guy Ames

During my college years, I heard about the incredible vision of Pastor Bill Mason, the young pastor of the growing South Tulsa Asbury United Methodist Church. According to the student rumor mill at ORU, Pastor Bill had challenged his church to become a church that did more than tithe but might give away a significant portion of the donations that came into the church. This inspired me. A church that would focus not on receiving but on giving!!

From the earliest days of Asbury, our DNA has effused the stuff of giving.

So, it was not a surprise when after Pastor Tom arrived he helped to encourage the initiation of the Asbury Foundation to advance Asbury’s mission of helping people to know and follow Jesus Christ.

With a very quiet launch, the first trustees dreamed of a day when the Foundation would continue to serve Christ and the church well beyond our lives.

The Foundation’s purpose is to endow and support the future needs of Asbury’s ministry and mission by encouraging members to remember Asbury in their planned giving including wills, trusts, life insurance designations, retirement accounts or through current gifts of cash, stocks, etc. in honor or memory of a loved one. The several funds our Foundation supports are endowed funds that we invest and seek to grow so that only the earnings of those donations can be used. The gifts given to these funds will continue growing and giving long after the lives of the donors.

Not long after kicking off the Foundation, our church honored Pastor Mason by establishing the

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Bill Mason Scholarship Fund to support Oklahoma students attending Asbury Theological Seminary.

With seminary education costs somewhat like law school or medical school costs,

new pastors may easily find themselves trying to manage a $100,000 student loan on a $30-40,000 salary.

The impact of the Mason Scholarship Fund cannot be understated. Since the inception of this amazing fund, our Foundation has helped support more than 40 individuals find their way into full-time ministry.

These next–generation pastors will be filling the pulpits of Oklahoma churches for decades to come.

WHO SHOULD DONATE TO ASBURY’S FOUNDATION? Everyone! Every donation adds up. There are many ways to give to support Asbury through the Asbury Foundation. No matter how you give, or how much you give, your generosity will make a difference.

Charitable gifts to the Asbury Foundation endowment programs provide an opportunity to make a difference in the Kingdom of God, not just for the moment but also for the years ahead, leaving a lasting legacy.

HOW CAN I GIVE? You can give an outright gift of cash or other assets such as stock, real estate or personal property.

Outright gifts offer the distinct advantage of being immediately available to assist in ministry opportunities through the Asbury Foundation.

You may choose to give a “planned gift.” Planned giving is normally a term used for the activity of planning contributions to charities that will happen in the future. Planned gifts typically require more planning and counsel than an outright gift; but by working with your attorney, accountant or financial advisor to make a donation, planned gifting will allow you (1) to support causes which you care about in your estate plans and (2) to make a tremendous difference in the world you leave behind. Contributions may be used to expand an existing ministry, create a new ministry or provide an opportunity for mission work at home or abroad.

When making a planned gift, you could consider donating securities (stocks and bonds), business interests, cash, life insurance policies or even a retirement plan or IRA.

FOUNDATION FUNDS Our Foundation supports several endowments which provide help to many Asbury ministries as well as ministries beyond Asbury. One of those funds, the Mary Ann Smith Global Outreach Endowment, has been established to both honor the work of long– time Global Outreach Director Mary Ann Smith, and to expand the work of global missions. In recent years, this fund has supported International Student Outreach on the TU campus, the Baltic Theological Seminary, One Nation One Day, and various other global mission projects.

Very recently I received phone calls from two separate families who shared with me that their mothers have left a legacy gift to the Asbury Foundation. When I asked where they would like for those funds to be placed they both responded, “Mom was passionate about global outreach, and wanted to make sure that her gift would continue to serve in missions.” Those two gifts of $10,000 and $17,000 will be added to the Mary Ann Smith Global Outreach and together will enable us to serve Christ and the Church in places that none of us have ever traveled.

Our most recent endowment, the Capital Endowment, supports long-term building and maintenance needs of our Asbury campus.

the repair and maintenance needs of Asbury for years to come. With more than $2 million in assets, we can provide at least $100,000 in support every year for as long as Asbury continues in ministry. These gifts enable us to protect our beautiful sanctuary, organ, Mason Chapel and the like.

Our other funds such as Children’s Endowment, the Hammond Trust, the Choir Endowment and the Bill Elliot Scholarship Fund provide assets to support our children, students, and music ministries, year in and year out. Our General Fund has been used to provide support to Eagle Scout projects, OSU Wesley Foundation Campus ministry, Operation Hope and a wide variety of other significant projects.

King Solomon in his wisdom wrote: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children...” (Proverbs 13: 22a) The work of our Foundation is that inheritance we leave for our future generations.

One of the beauties of our Foundation is the ability to continue the long-standing witness of Christian stewardship beyond our lives. I think often of the lives of those who went before me so that I might come to know the joy of Jesus Christ. What sacrifices did they make to build churches? What hours did they give to minister to those who would become my spiritual predecessors? How many times did those individuals give sacrificially so that the gospel could travel from the 1st century Roman Empire to 20th century Oklahoma so that I might be able to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus? Thank God for those incredible pioneers who gave so that we might have faith. I am proud to be part of a church that maintains that same legacy of passing our faith.

Would you like to know more about the work of our Foundation? Contact Pastor Guy Ames, games@asburytulsa.org or 918.392.1125.

Established during Asbury’s debt reduction campaign of 2013, the Capital Endowment has become our largest fund through which we will be able to support 25

CULTURE OF GENEROSITY

By Pastor Dick Read

Earlier this summer, Jim* and Mary* bought a new car and called me to ask if I knew someone could use the gift of their older car which still ran wonderfully despite its 150K miles. It just so happened that just two days before, another Asbury family told me of their pressing need for a new vehicle which they could not afford. One phone call later, the gift had been arranged, but not before Jim hesitated momentarily, “But we need to wait until next week. I want to do a couple of things to the car and clean it up real good before we pass it along.”

Wow! Jim and Mary didn’t just want to get rid of their car to someone else. They wanted to give the gift of their car in its best condition. They chose to give out of their generous spirits.

Asbury’s history expresses a consistent descriptive of generosity.

In our teaching, in our values, in our very culture as a family of faith, generosity has been an expression of our love for the Lord and our passion to see the reality of our mission in Helping Others Follow Jesus.

Do you remember?

• For each of the past 30 years, Asbury has generously undergirded our students financially in their mission efforts particularly on their annual Spring Break Missions.

• Each of Asbury’s building campaigns, including our 2004 relocation to our Mingo campus has exceeded expectations. And because of the generous giving of Asbury members, we owe nothing on our assets – Asbury is debt-free.

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*names have been changed

• Asbury tripled our goal in providing indigenous

language Bibles to pastors and fellow Christfollowers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Through our Friendship Fund, critical needs of Asbury members are met on a regular basis.

• More than $1,000,000 of volunteer labor has been contributed to our Tulsa community through the first eight years of Asbury’s 2nd Saturday and our annual Day of Service was again undergirded by 1,600 volunteers contributing 6,400 hours of service throughout the city just last month.

• Asbury’s investment with the Kami people in Tanzania has resulted in the planting more than 100 churches.

• Asbury is committed to insure that our partner schools – Walt Whitman and Grove Elementary Schools – are equipped with the resources they need to thrive. Asbury’s partnership with Union Schools has resulted in dozens of young adults earning their GED (General Equivalency Diploma) in the past four years.

Such accomplishments would not be celebrated with obligatory giving. Feats like these are only done out of generous hearts, hearts of vision, purpose and determination.

Our Scripture teaches us the principle: Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully reaps bountifully. (2 Corinthians 9:6) What Asbury continues to discover is that as we sow our investments of prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness into the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are seeing God do amazing things in us and through us.

To the extent that we invest ourselves in the advancement of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, so will we bear witness to the advancement of God’s Kingdom. If we invest in God’s Kingdom sparingly, we can expect to see the advancement of God’s Kingdom sparingly. I don’t know about you, but I can guess you are like me: I don’t want to see a “sparing” advancement of the Kingdom of God in my lifetime.

I want to see a “bountiful” advancement of God’s Kingdom with my own eyes my own lifetime. Isn’t that also what you want!? So you know what that means, don’t you? Yes, we must then commit ourselves in bountiful ways to the Kingdom of God in order to see a bountiful advancement of the Kingdom of God. Engage in the generous heart of Asbury by engaging your heart generously. See what wonderful things the Lord is doing in and through our life together at Asbury and participate in the work of the Lord in an attitude of abundance, generosity and cheerfulness.

No wonder our Scriptures say, For God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) Serving the Lord is a great joy in life and serving the Lord with a heart of generosity enhances that joy in multitude.

That same text of Scripture reads, You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. (2 Corinthians 9:11) The truth is, I DO want to be enriched in every way! And if I’m reading that right, being generous in every way enriches me in every way. I’ll take it!

May the Spirit of God anoint the people of Asbury Church with a spirit and discipline of generosity so that we will see an incredible advancement of His Kingdom in our midst in our lifetime.

May the prayer of Habakkuk (3:2) be realized before our eyes:

Lord, we have heard of your fame; We stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day, In our time make them known.

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Growing up, I remember my grandfather giving me a quarter before church started so that I had something to put in the offering plate. That was my introduction to giving to the church. I began earning an allowance in elementary school, and like most American Christians, I would occasionally toss some change or a few bucks into the offering plate. During my junior year of high school, I began to get serious about my faith and taking ownership of it. As I continued growing in my faith in college,

I learned how our giving is an integral part of our personal discipleship.

I learned about the tithe, and in my junior year of college I began tithing.

In the Old Testament, we learn about tithing in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It comes from a Hebrew word that means to give one 10th of our possessions. Often people use the term tithing 28

synonymously with giving. That’s not really accurate unless you’re giving 10 percent. The other thing we consistently see in

scripture connected to the tithe is that it should come from our “first fruits.” In other words, we don’t give from what we have left over.

We prioritize tithing and give before spending on anything else. One example is Deuteronomy 26:2 which says, “you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there.”

As I mentioned earlier, I began tithing in college and continued tithing through the early years of my marriage. But about eight years ago, I felt God challenging us in the area of our finances. This led me to dig into the scriptures.

As I read all of the New Testament passages on giving and generosity, what I found was that nowhere did Jesus command us to tithe.

He refers to the tithe on a few occasions, but generally his teaching revolves around the idea of being radically generous and sacrificial.

Think about the story of the poor widow who gave her last two mites. Jesus tells this story to teach His followers how we should view our money. Here’s what He says in Mark 12 at the end of that story: “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Passages like this one are what led us to believe that tithing is just a starting point. What the Lord told me and what I hope He might speak to you is that we should never get content with our levels of giving.

If you only give 2-3 percent of your income, like the vast majority of American Christians, why not consider what it might look like to raise your level of giving to 5 percent and then eventually 10 percent?

If you have been faithfully tithing for years, why not consider how God might be calling you to give even more? The more I read Jesus’ teachings, the more I have become convinced that tithing would actually be easier than giving to the level Jesus challenges us.

As God began to convict me, He was also convicting Mindy because we both knew how blessed we were.

This led us to decide that we wanted to increase our level of giving every year. Instead of being content giving away 10 percent, we now raise that percentage every single year. This year we will give away a larger percentage of our money then we gave last year and next year we will give a larger percentage then we gave this year.

So why do we do it? The easy answer is that we believe God’s Word is very clear and that we are called to be radically generous with our money.

Moreover, we have learned that by giving to the local church, Wesley Foundations, World Vision, Circle of Care and other wonderful Christian organizations, our giving becomes a form of God’s grace for others.

The passage I quoted earlier from Deuteronomy ends this way in v.11,

“And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”

Why will the Levites and the sojourner rejoice? Because it’s Israel’s offerings, their first fruits, that will help sustain and care for the Levites and the aliens and the widows and the orphans. Here’s what this means: If we are shaped by the love and grace of God so much so that it drives us to give sacrificially, then our money becomes a form of God’s grace for others!

When God’s grace liberates us to the point that we are able to give sacrificially, then our money becomes a form of God’s grace in the lives of young children living in foster care and being supported by Circle of Care. It becomes a form of God’s grace in the lives of people living in Tanzania who now have access to clean drinking water through Asbury’s partnerships there. It becomes a form of God’s grace in the lives of college students who are hearing the Gospel through vital ministries like Wesley Foundations. Your giving becomes a form of God’s grace for people in this community who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. By supporting Asbury, we are able to do more to reach out and meet and care for those people.

Our money becomes a means of God’s grace by which people are transformed and liberated both spiritually and physically.

When we give sacrificially and joyfully, our money becomes something way more than just money.

It becomes a vehicle of God’s grace, and the Levites and sojourners among us will rejoice.

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How Can I Give? Electronic Giving!

We can Help Others Follow Jesus by giving‌ electronically. It is a convenient and secure way to provide consistent financial support to our church.

We know that physical cash and checks will still be used for many years to come, but a growing number of people desire the automation and consistency that online giving provides.

One of the great things about online giving is that it ties our giving directly to our earning; in other words; as soon as I receive from God, I immediately give back to God. This can also happen when we give by check or by cash, but what often happens is that we don’t make it to church that week or we forget to bring the checkbook or simply get busy.

Consider scheduling a recurring electronic contribution, and you will no longer need to write out checks and prepare envelopes every week. Even when you’re traveling, ill or other circumstances prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received.

We want to make giving to Asbury easy through electronic giving to encourage you to grow into your path of financial stewardship. Not only are we being good stewards by giving, but also being good stewards and saving on postage and printing of envelopes.

If you are giving weekly, you will no longer need to write out 52 checks a year. The advantage of online, recurring giving is that your giving is directly attached to your income rather than your church attendance, and it ensures that your financial stewardship is truly a gift of your income on a consistent basis.

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We have three easy ways to give 1

Online Giving – Our website asburytulsa.org offers you a way to set up recurring payments from your checking or savings account with no fees associated with online giving. Setting up a myAsburytulsa login is where you can manage your pledges, scheduled giving and track your giving history.

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Mobile Giving – Our Asbury app is a convenient way to give straight from your device while you are sitting in the worship service or traveling and watching online.

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Text Giving is an additional convenient way to contribute as a one— time gift. Text the word asburygive to 73256 and then follow the prompts.

Scripture doesn’t stipulate a particular method of giving; however, if it did, then we would all be bringing sheep or barley to church. Giving has changed over the centuries as culture has changed. We are in another period of transition with the advances of technology. Nothing is better or worse about online giving from a biblical perspective; it is just a new way of implementing a timeless discipline.

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MEET THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Finance Committee: (front, left to right) John O’Dell, Burton Howard (back, left to right) Mike Pregler, Mickey Coats, Ken Hedrick, Brian Zorb

Russ Arnold

Why do you serve?

I serve because I believe church governance is important. We all have various gifts, and church governance is one avenue where we can utilize those gifts.

Randy Cloud

Why do you enjoy finance?

With prayer and planning, money becomes a tool to be used to build the Kingdom of God. What brought you to Asbury?

The beautiful building Asbury met in on Sheridan Road in 1991 got us in the door and the great people we met once inside kept us at Asbury.

Mickey Coats

Why do you serve?

We are all called to serve, and my background is in the financial industry.

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Ken Hendrick

Why do you serve?

In Matthew 20:28, Jesus tells us that He came to earth, not to be served, but to serve others. This is a template I try to follow and hope we all encourage each other to look for opportunities to serve.

Burton Howard

Why do you enjoy finance?

A church is a complex entity which requires constant oversight and flexibility in the “finance” area. Asbury leadership has been remarkably responsive when the “chips” were down and action needed.

Brett Krieg

Why do you enjoy finance?

Monitoring, overseeing and working with church staff to plan for how best to utilize these gifts feels like a great way to participate in Asbury’s mission: Helping Others Follow Jesus.

What brought you to Asbury?

My wife and I were raised in different Christian denominations (neither of which were Methodist), so it was difficult to find the right place for both of us.

Eventually we recognized that Asbury was best place for us, after lots of church shopping. In just the last couple of years the youth ministry really captured our older daughter, an 8th grader. She is on fire for Christ and the church.

John O’Dell

Why do you enjoy finance?

I’m not sure I do!! More of a math guy.

What brought you to Asbury?

We came to Asbury in 2005 when our kids were in junior high and we quickly recognized the opportunities for our kids to be involved in missions and small groups.

Mike Pregler

Why do you serve?

I think it is important to be involved in your church, and this is a way I can serve and also see first–hand how our tithes are used to support God’s kingdom.

What brought you to Asbury?

We moved to Tulsa 11 years ago and were looking for a Methodist church. Seeing the large steeple while driving on Highway 169, we decided to give Asbury a visit.

Brian Zorb

Why do you enjoy finance?

Finance taps into my love of problem solving, analysis and numbers. It is both an interest and a vocation, and seems like a perfect area in which to focus my service.

What brought you to Asbury?

The selection of Asbury became easy when we jumped into the new Learn2Serve2 group and quickly found a welcoming community and involvement that drove a sense of belonging.

Our Finance Department

Finance Department: Dean Hatch, Lisa Thomas, Debbie Wilson, Denise Jeter

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Living in Financial Freedom and Contentment

By Matt and Sara Rogers, 2017 FPU Graduates

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Truth be known, we didn’t expect to get much out of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) course when we signed up in fall 2017. We couldn’t have been more wrong. We volunteer as a support couple to engaged couples for Asbury’s Couple-to-Couple Ministry and thought if we took FPU, we could encourage our engaged couples to benefit from the financial information and utilize it in their marriages. Rather, that FPU experience transformed our own relationship with money and launched us into an exciting journey.

We lacked intentionality with our money. While we were never fiscally irresponsible, we weren’t deliberate about our budgeting and spending either. Each month we would do a “sniff test,” hoping that our monthly expenses weren’t greater than our monthly income. FPU revolutionized our thinking so that we now purposefully spend, save, invest and gift our money. Previously, the thought of having a detailed budget seemed both overwhelming and unnecessary because we always managed to spend less than we made and saved a little along the way. Again, we couldn’t have been more wrong. Creating and adhering to a budget, once a seemingly restrictive and constraining idea, became a tool that freed us.

We discovered there is bounty in budgeting.

By implementing some of Ramsey’s FPU principles, we are living a life of financial peace and freedom.

Before the course started, we had substantial student loans and a car loan, which have since been paid off. In taking debt reduction even a step further, we are now mortgage-free after having sold our too-large-for-us house and moving to a right-sized downtown apartment. We also took Ramsey’s concept of the cash envelope

system for budgeting and adapted it to our preferences, finding an awesome free app for our phones that would track our expenses for eating out, groceries, entertainment, vacations and other miscellaneous purchases. Applying this methodology keeps us accountable and provides a daily visual guide of how we are aligning with our budget, which encourages us to spend for our needs and prioritize our wants.

Contentment has become a central theme and core value in our lives. Contentment is not just a philosophical outlook but real dependence on the sufficiency of Christ. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 reminds us that true godliness with contentment is itself great gain and wealth. In God’s economy, we actually have “great gain” when we’re not driven for the quest for more. Rather, we should endeavor not to become so consumed with any pursuit that overshadows our pursuit of God Himself. Contentment allows us to thoughtfully consider the purchases we make and therefore have money left over to save, invest and give.

We encourage you to read Chapter 6 of the book of 1 Timothy; Paul gives us some powerful guidelines for avoiding the common trap of loving money. Like Paul, we can choose to be content without having all that we want.

We would highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s FPU program to anyone seeking financial freedom. Financial Peace University truly gave us peace with our finances. Now we can focus on being better stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

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GIVE BEYOND YOUR LIFE

By Pastor Guy Ames HAVE YOU TITHED YOUR WILL? “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children.” Proverbs 13: 221

Most American adults have not prepared a will, either because they haven’t gotten around to it or because they believe that their assets are simply too few to consider.

Another looming consideration that keeps many of us from planning is the fact that most of us simply do not want to consider our own death.

Not long after our mother’s death, we discovered that our father had developed a fairly advanced stage of Alzheimer’s. Still in his mid-70s, we had never discussed his estate or final wishes. For the 10 years prior to Mother’s death, Dad had been consumed with her care; as a result, our family had not really stopped to consider what would happen when Dad’s health failed. Thankfully, as I began going through his personal papers, I discovered that Dad had made plans for such a time; and with a durable power of attorney and a clearly written will, we knew his wishes.

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About 10 years into Dad’s ministry, he discovered the power of tithing. Ask him how he came to know Christ, and he would tell you that when he learned the joy of tithing to Christ’s church, he met Christ.

When he let God have his wallet and checking account, he let Him have his heart.

So, when we opened his Last Will and Testament, we were not surprised to see that he had left a tithe (10 percent) to God’s work. With that gift, he has been able to continue serving Christ and His Church, even after his death.

To tithe your Will be sure you contact your attorney. For more information contact Guy Ames at games@asburytulsa.org or 918.392.1125

MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES

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65 Cleo & Frankie Warren

Ken & Carmen Finch

55 Tyrone & Jackie Davis

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60 Otis & Ann Winters

Gene & Barbara Graves

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55 Dennis & Kay Ghram

Mel & Brenda Martin

55 Ed & Brenda Stockard

65 YEARS Cleo & Frankie Warren Ken & Carmen Finch

11/26/53 12/27/53

60 YEARS Otis & Ann Winters 10/18/58 Gene & Barbara Graves 12/28/58

55 YEARS Dennis & Kay Ghram Mel & Brenda Martin Tyrone & Jackie Davis Ed & Brenda Stockard

10/12/63 11/30/63 12/7/63 12/30/63

40 YEARS Mike & Alicia Knapp

10/6/78

35 YEARS Mark & Betty Higgins

9/17/83

5 YEARS Andrew & Linda Allen Jerry & Gina Hoffman

10/19/13 11/2/13

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NEW MEMBERS

Geane Akin

Richard and Linda Arend

Lacey Arend

Nick Ary

Sallye Atkins

Steven Beane

Dave Berns

Mike and Janet Billings

Courtney Cash

Mara Core

Jennifer Dodson

Kathleen Duren

Michael Flaherty with Ethan and Owen

Mona Flaherty

Brooke Freeman

Lisa Gonzales with Bernadine and Asher

Cassie Harpe

JaNett Hunsberger

Jeff and Beth Ann Jensen

Larry and Bobbie LaRock

Jeff and Madchen Leenerts with Emma

Scott and Lisa McWilliams

Pam Morrison

Bryan and Kari Mullins with Emory and Teddy

Melissa Murphy

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Mike Nix

Joseph Nowicki and Melinda Broyles with Eloise Nowicki

Janet Pierce

Mike and Millie Rhoads

Jensen Santino

NEW MEMBERS

Mike and Amy Shaw

Anakin Stellarini

Parker and Mary Smith with Isabella, Alexander and Dexter

Peter and Jan Thavornrat with Jaylen and Peyton

Rod and Jackie Smith

Sophia Thundu

Tim and Tina Smith with Micah

Terry and Mary Toole

Rick and Kathy Stellarini

Jeff Turcott with Peyton

Austin Stellarini

Otis and Ann Winters

DEATHS Betty Jean Goodknight Died 7/6/2018 Wife of Vic Goodknight

Lou Ann Costello Died 8/15/2018 Wife of Tom Costello

Pat Chandler Died 9/4/2018 Mother of Caron McClosky

Beatrice (Kay) Northcott Died 7/14/2018 Mother of Cindy Northcott and Kathy Estes

Joe Michalcik Died 8/17/2018 Husband of Sandy Michalcik

Wayne Dirks Died 9/14/2018 Husband of Nancy Dirks

Phyllis Shackles Died 8/17/2018 Mother of Becky Jackson

Ronald Roe Died 9/24/2018 Father of Tuesdye Fletcher

Fran Herndon Died 8/23/2018 Mother of Liz Mitchell

Janice Schwier Died 9/25/2018 Wife of Sig Schwier

Robert (Bob) Summers Died 8/27/2018 Husband of Beverlyn Summers

Ruth Markley Died 9/26/2018

Laneer L Ham Died 7/26/2018 Father of Susan (Barry) Oyler Lena Greer Died 8/5/2018 Mother of Dr. Jerry Greer Claudine Blough Died 8/8/2018 Mother of Terri Lynn (Craig) Dahlquist Bill (William Walter) Knight, Sr Died 8/14/2018 Husband of Janet Knight

Darlene Mann Died 8/22/2018

Lee Roles Died 10/6/2018 Husband of Oneta Roles

Tommy Keirsey Died 9/4/2018 39

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