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Enid News & Eagle
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keeping
CUPBOARD stocked
Volunteers distribute food to those in need By James Neal Staff Writer
Two weeks out of every month, hundreds of people flock to Bethany United Methodist Church, at the corner of 10th and Maple. They’re not coming for Sunday services — the small church draws in a Sunday attendance of about 40 people. Nor are they coming to the church for a large Wednesday evening outreach program. It’s a different kind of ministry that draws in dozens of volunteers and about 200 families the third and fourth Tuesday every month — a ministry to feed those in need. Volunteers from Bethany and other local Methodist congregations operate Shepherd’s Cupboard out of the Bethany United basement, handing out more than 800 bags of groceries every month to the elderly, disabled and destitute. The food pantry was started 13 years ago by then-pastor’s wife Tara Foos and a small number of church volunteers. With a small collection of donated and purchased food, the women of Bethany United Methodist began providing food weekly to about 12 people. The pantry has grown steadily throughout the years and now provides food to more than 200 households twice a month, making it one of the largest food banks in western Oklahoma. Ed Neighbors has overseen the pantry’s growth and service for most of the last 13 years, and at more than 80 years old still is a steadfast volunteer, along with his wife, Joan. The couple met on a missions trip to Mexico 17 years ago, and found at
Bethany United Methodist Church the opportunity to carry on their mission work closer to home. Ed said the work at Shepherd’s Cupboard has given them “something to do” in their retirement years, and kept them active. Joan said the volunteer work, helping others in the community, “is just something that really appeals to me.” Their passion for helping others helped grow the Shepherd’s Cupboard mission over the years, drawing in support from other congregations, local businesses and individuals. Ed said there’s been tough times, finding the money and volunteers to supply the growing food pantry, but “God has always provided.” “When all your help and financing is voluntary, there are times when you feel you can’t continue, but something or someone always shows up,” he said. “I can’t help but feel it is a God thing. We get donations from various clubs and organizations, as well as other churches. Somehow, things always work out.” One the sources of help that keeps things “working out” has been Willow View United Methodist Church. The congregation at Willow View has a set schedule for donating its time, and money, to support Shepherd’s Cupboard. The Rev. Lesly Broadbent, pastor at Willow View United Methodist Church, said one Sunday school class each month, about 15-20 people, goes to Shepherd’s Cupboard to help bag groceries. Volunteers from Willow View also help dispense the food and unload the Regional Food
Bank shipment once per month. “We offer a lot of assistance when it comes to volunteers, but we also offer some financial assistance as well,” Broadbent said. He said about half of the communion offering taken up each month at Willow View goes to support the Shepherd’s Cupboard ministry. “Those are all offerings that are above and beyond what they’re giving to support the ministries at our church,” Broadbent said. Broadbent said Shepherd’s Cupboard has become an important ministry for Willow View because it has given the congregation a direct way in which to fulfill God’s mission in the community. “The square mile in which our church is located is the wealthiest square mile in the city, and we know we don’t live among the poor, but our heart is with the poor,” Broadbent said. “We need to go to them, and do all we can do to help them experience God’s love and grace, the way we’ve been able to experience God’s love and grace.” Broadbent said helping Shepherd’s Cupboard has been at least as beneficial to Willow View as it has been to Bethany and the food pantry patrons. “It’s been very good for our church,” Broadbent said. “We hope that Bethany and the clients at the food pantry have been just as blessed as we have been.” Kim Giles, pastor at Bethany United Methodist Church, said she’s overwhelmed each month by the support of volunteers and donors. “It is an awesome ministry,” Giles said of Shepherd’s Cupboard. “It’s kind of one of those things you have to witness to appreciate what goes on.” Giles said the work of feeding
250 families in one morning would people bring us groceries,” Phelan not be possible without the help of said. “But, with the money they volunteers from the churches and spend to buy four cans of vegetables concerned individuals, some of and bring them to us, we could buy a whom drive in from as far away as whole case of vegetables through the Jet. Regional Food Bank.” “For the amount of work that goes on, it’s just amazing,” Giles said. “It’s amazing to me that all of these different churches are working together to make this happen. It shows the unity in the body of Christ.” While dedicated volunteers keep the food pantry running smoothly, the expense of supplying food for its patrons has grown significantly in recent years. Mike Phelan, current director for Shepherd’s Cupboard, said the pantry spent more than $24,000 on groceries last year. In the last eight years the pantry has spent $210,000 to purchase more than 3 million Volunteers fill orders at Shepherd’s Cupboard, the food pounds of food in need pantry at Bethany United Methodist Church, Tuesday. — all funded by local (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON) donations. Phelan said costs are going up, Phelan said the food bank curboth for the groceries and for freight rently requires $1,800 to $2,000 in to deliver the food to Enid. Demand donations per month, just to supply for the pantry services also is up, fur- the food that’s distributed to those in ther straining the pantry’s budget. need. Phelan said Shepherd’s CupVolunteers also are needed. board is more in need of monetary Anyone interested in volunteering or donations than it has been in the past. donating to Shepherd’s Cupboard He said he and the pantry direc- can contact Bethany United tors appreciate donations of food, Methodist Church at 237-6611 or but with the pantry’s purchasing Phelan at (580) 540-6416. power through Regional Food Bank Donations may be made to of Oklahoma, “monetary donations Shepherd’s Cupboard, in care of go a lot further.” Bethany United Methodist Church, “We always appreciate it when 931 E. Maple, Enid OK 73701.
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a cup of
GENEROSITY
New downtown coffeehouse owners invite you to pay what you can, more or less ... By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Forgotten Ministries is more than a church. It strives to be a ministry to the community, dealing directly with residents who need them and becoming part of their lives, someone they can count on. Sarah and Jeremiah Herrian started Forgotten Ministries, which is patterned after some ministries they worked in while living in California. One of the projects they have become known for is providing food and clothing to residents of the New View Apartments area every Tuesday at Don Haskins Basketball Court. But they are in the midst of a starting a new project that will be different than anything they have done before. The Herrians are building a coffeehouse in downtown Enid that will be a “pay-whatyou-can” establishment.
Paying it forward Five80 Coffeehouse at 122 E. Randolph, the site of the old Cliff’s Camera Shop, should open in May or June, Sarah Herrian said. “It’s a dual purpose place: to create an environment that is accepting to everyone and the profits will go back into the community,” she said. They plan to donate to a different cause each month. Ninety percent of their profits will go to those causes, and 10 percent will go to participating churches in town that, in turn, will be asked to donate the money to a ministry within their church. “We have an incredible team of people,” she said. “Volunteers and
businesses have given.” The coffeehouse will have three paid staff, a manager and two baristas, with remaining work accomplished by volunteers. Anyone who would like to volunteer can contact Herrian at sarah@five80coffee house.com. The shop will be open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Doing the research The project is a step in faith, and it has reaped rewards, Herrian said. The Herrians have been thinking about the coffee shop idea for two years. They have studied business models of similar endeavors and have tasked themselves with extensive research about successful operation. They have attended a number of conferences and meetings to study how to operate a coffeehouse and how to be a barista. They also have talked to people around the nation who have successful coffee shops that operate on a donation basis. “We don’t owe a mortgage (on the business), and we will have only three paid staff and the rest are volunteers,” Herrian said.
Faith and dedication They purchased the former Cliff’s Camera Shop and the adjacent building that previous owner Cliff Morton used for storage. During remodeling, the Herrians removed the interior wall and created about 5,000 square feet for their coffeehouse. Herrian said one of the keys to success is creating a friendly atmosphere that will make all types of people feel comfortable. The concept is similar to one called
Panera Cares, created by the owner of Panera Bread, at which people pay what they can afford for their food. Herrian recently graduated from barista school, where she learned operate a coffee business, and how to prepare coffee in the correct way. She called it an exceptional experience. Jeremiah and Sarah both attended the America Eats summit, sponsored by the One World Everybody Eats foundation. The foundation originated the pay-what-you-can model. Panera Cares is established under that model. The concept is people who can afford to pay the listed price of the items will do so, and those who cannot will pay what they can. By some people paying it forward, there will be enough funds to continue operating and to donate toward the announced missions. The project has required faith and dedication by both Sarah and Jeremiah. But they have had a little help along the way. They will complete renovation of the building, estimated at a $400,000, for less than half the cost. “The community has been very generous to us,” she said.
Sarah Herrian (above) holds a new light fixture created by Forgotten Ministries’ volunteers for Five80 Coffeehouse. Sarah and Jeremiah Herrian (top) stand in the new shop. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)
It’s an Open House at
Emmanuel Christian School and you are invited!!! Who: Families desiring Christian education in Pre-K - 5th Date: Monday, April 3rd Time: 9am - 5:30pm Where: ECS of course! Come see our school in action from 9:00-3:00 or tour later until 5:30. The main ECS entrance is located on the south side of Emmanuel Baptist Church at 2505 W. Garriott.
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HEALING and happening Church, members of Westminster Presbyterian Church and others who are not affiliated with any church. The tutoring also has developed into a mentoring session for some of the students, he said. “It’s good for the student and the tutor,” Long said. Many tutors have been volunteering for eight years or longer, he said.
Churches take different paths in their walks of faith, come together to help community By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Westminster and First Presbyterian churches are healing after a split divided the two last October, and both are reaching out to help the Enid community.
A more moderate stand The Rev. Bill Stephens became pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church Feb. 12, 2012, and the group now meets in Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Purdue. Stephens said the church pays rent and in the future hope to erect a joint sign. “We hope it will be a symbiotic relationship, benefiting both churches,” Stephens said. The biggest focus is on missions, and half of the church’s budget, or about $186,000, goes to that end. Half of that $186,000 is put into local missions, he said. They supply funding for a wide variety recipients in Garfield County. Stephens said they have been funding existing ministries, rather than starting new ones. Stephens explained there are six denominations within the Presbyterian Church, and Enid now has two of them. Those denominations are Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church USA and Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), which is the largest denomination. The Westminster group joined Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Stephens said they left PC (USA), which he said is the most theologically and socially liberal denomination, and joined a more moderate one. Both theological and social
issues determine where the denominations stand. Westminster has 134 members, and Stephens said the church as lost and gained about a dozen members. Some families have been split, as well, with part going to the new church and another generation of the same family staying at the old one. “Our hope is for two healthy churches,” Stephens said. “For the folks who left — it had nothing to do with the people who stayed. It had to do with what is happening at headquarters in Lexington, Ky.” In the future, they will need different facilities and whether or not they will build or purchase an existing building is still undetermined. “We are praying, searching, looking. But right now we are happy where we are. But it’s not permanent,” Stephens said.
Community partners The church also offers financial support to other organizations, mostly Loaves and Fishes. Gail Wynne, director of Loaves and Fishes, is a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church. The organization used First Presbyterian facilities for several months until its building was complete. First Presby- First Presbyterian Church (top) and Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and terian is a part- School, (above) are healing after a split divided the two last October. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK) ner and member of the food bank and helps to intake The church sent assistance to became a Presbyterian because he and help people obtain food. It has Presbyterian Relief after Hurricane could ask questions without being an ongoing collection of peanut but- Sandy struck the East Coast. Long made to feel stupid, and disagree ter, which is taken to Loaves and who originally is from Baltimore without being ostracized. and graduated from Princeton, said “Reformed theology is about Fishes. First Presbyterian also supports this summer the church may send a inclusiveness. Everyone is welcome Community Development Support mission team to help with clean up. at the table,” Long said. “We can disagree. Our task here is to remind the Association. congregation that is possible.” “I think they identify the needy It will take time First Presbyterian Church is planbeyond what I can,” Long said. There are now 168 members of ning a special Palm Sunday worship They also support Horn of Plenty First Presbyterian Church, he said. by collecting food and assisting with “We’re healing and happening,” service that musically will trace the organization’s semi-annual food Long said. “It will take a long time. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The drives. We have conversations, and people music of Samuel Barber, Eugene Recently, the executive board talk about it. They are voices being Gigout, Johann Bach, Sigfrid KargElert, Stephen Elgar, John Purifoy, of 4R Kids used the church’s facil- heard,” he said. ities for a meeting. Long said one Long said the church is growing and John Stainer will be featured. of the ways the church benefits the physically and spiritually and has Rhonda Russell will be the pianist, community is through use of its returned to traditional Presbyterian Long will play the organ and First facilities. There are a number of worship and education, understand- Presbyterian Choir will perform. Bible study classes meeting at ing who they are and what God is Eddie Lou Strimple will be the calling them to do. Long said he director. First Presbyterian.
Still working together The Rev. Andrew Long, pastor of First Presbyterian Church talked about their missions and how the church actually puts people in the community to help. The two biggest missions of First Presbyterian are Saturday manna, a food kitchen that welcomes anyone, and Wednesday afternoon tutoring, which currently helps 21 Enid students. “We see a lot of Enid’s homeless and some low income. We also give away clothing, books and toys for children. And it has become a gathering place. We keep the doors open as long as someone is here,” he said. The elementary students who attend tutoring have a family type of meal, then math class taught by Jan Robinson. Then there is play time, followed by one-on-one classes with a number of volunteer tutors. Long said the tutors are comprised of members of First Presbyterian
HOLY WEEK 2013
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 502 W. MAINE
“PALMS to PASSION” PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP and CONCERT MARCH 24 10:50 am MAUNDY THURSDAY TENEBRAE and COMMUNION MARCH 28 7:00 pm COMMUNITY GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE MARCH 29 12:00 pm
PRAYER
PRAISE & WORSHIP
THE REV. ANDREW PHILIP LONG
BIBLE BASED MINISTRY Resurrection Sunday Service
Sunday: Sunday School Worship Experience Extreme Kidz Worship & Toddler Class CareRings - small groups
THE RISEN
9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
CHRIST
Wednesday: Children (age 4 thru 6 grade) Student Ministries - (grades 7-12) Adult Bible Study
6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
th
Sunday • March 31 10:45 a.m.
- Nursery provided -
LIFE’S NEVER HOPELESS NEVER GIVE UP!
God
With All Things Are Possible
COME, EXPECTING SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN! Sunday School ....................9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service ....10:45 a.m. Sunday Children’s Church ..10:45 a.m. Sunday Evening Worship ......6:30 p.m. Sunday Evening Youth..........6:30 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study........7:00 p.m. Wed. Royal Rangers..............6:45 p.m. Wed. Girls Ministries ............7:00 p.m.
EASTER MORNING WORSHIP MARCH 31 10:50 am
2929 N. Emerson
Easter Morning Brunch 9:30 am - Breezeway
(Corner of Cornell & Emerson)
HOLY WEEK Maundy Thursday Communion Service March 28 7:00 p.m.
open hearts open minds open doors Palm Sunday – March 24th
Easter Egg Hunt March 30 11:00 a.m. Easter SonRise Service March 31
7:04 a.m.
Easter Breakfast to follow SonRise Service Easter Worship Service March 31 10:30 a.m.
Christian Church of the Covenant 1205 S. Cleveland • 580-237-0894 www.enidcovenant.org
9:30 a.m. Worship 10:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:45 a.m. Pot Luck Luncheon 12:30 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt
Lenten Breakfast March 25th & 26th 7:00 a.m. Breakfast with Devotion
Good Friday Service March 29th 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Service March 28th 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday March 31st
9:30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Fellowship 10:45 a.m. Sunday School
Christ United Methodist Church “The Pumpkin Patch Church” 2418 W. Randolph • 237-3938
www.enidchristumc.org • enidchristumc@sbcglobal.net
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FLOWER BED of God
FMB church home to diverse garden of faithful in Enid By Jeff Mullin Senior Writer
In the wake of tragedy came a glimpse of hope. After the former home of First Missionary Baptist Church was destroyed by arson in June 1996, its pastor, the Rev. Alfred Baldwin Jr., had a vision. “The Lord gave me a vision of a flower bed. And in that vision the flowers were white, black, brown, red, yellow,” said Baldwin, tapping his finger on a table to punctuate each color. “And when I came to myself the spirit of God said, ‘That’s what your church is going to be like.’” And so it is. The church was rebuilt, and today, nearly 17 years after the blaze, First Missionary Baptist has a multi-ethnic congregation echoing the many-hued blooms of Baldwin’s long-ago vision. “We started putting emphasis on evangelism and witnessing, inviting people to come,” Baldwin said. “We have all ethnic groups attending. I’m pleased and happy with that end of it. I still want to see more people coming, but we are fulfilling that part of the vision.” Baldwin has been pastor at First Missionary Baptist Church since 1978. He preached his first sermon there on the fifth Sunday of January of that year, as a visiting pastor. At the end of that sermon he asked the congregation to pray for their pastor. “Three ladies came up and said, ‘We’re going to pray for you,’” he said. “I said, ‘No, that’s not what I said.’ They said, ‘We’re going to pray for you,’ and I’ve been here ever since.” His 35 years in the pulpit at First Missionary have been a mixed bag, he said. “It’s been a joy. We’ve had some headaches, we’ve had some tears, we’ve had some smiles, we’ve had some frowns, but it’s been a rewarding ministry thus far,” he said. When Baldwin first became its pastor, First Missionary Baptist was known by a far different name. “The legal name was The First Baptist Church, Colored, of Enid, Okla.,” he said. “We sought to get rid of the stigma of being a black church. We wanted to be known as a church that entertains and will help all groups of people in many areas.” Baldwin has five associate ministers working with him, just as he did when the church burned nearly 17 years ago. Four of those men have gone
The Rev. Alfred Baldwin II stands inside the sanctuary at First Missionary Baptist Church, for which he’s served as minister for 35 years. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)
on to pastor their own churches. He hopes the five young men currently working under him will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. Baldwin once dreamed of moving on to pastor a large church in a big city, and had the opportunity to preach in some prominent churches in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. “At the time I thought to say yes to them, the Lord said, ‘Stay in Enid, remain in Enid and raise up leaders,’” he said. “That has been the gist of my ministry, raising up leaders and training them.” Baldwin also serves as moderator over 26 churches in western Oklahoma and is state director and dean of Oklahoma Baptist State Congress of Christian Education. In addition, he is president of Southern Heights Ministerial Alliance and spent seven years as a member of the Oklahoma State Board of Health. The illness of a volunteer coordinator has prompted the church to temporarily discontinue its Lord’s Kitchen ministry, but Baldwin said plans are to resume it. That involved serving meals to the indigent on Friday evenings. “It didn’t matter who they were, we didn’t ask for any identification, you just come in and just sign a list saying that you wanted to eat,” he said. The church also has a ministry that provides clothes for the needy. That involves the young adult women of the church collecting clothing from various sources to distribute to anyone needing it.
“When individuals need something, all they do is come in and pick out what they want and walk away with it,” Baldwin said. The pastor said he is particularly proud of the church’s youth ministry, which includes some 40 to 50 young people. Last year 25 of them traveled to St. Louis for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education. First Missionary Baptist has more than 300 members,
has a regular attendance of 200 to 225 and is growing. “We’re not growing by leaps and bounds, but we are growing, and it is a kind of growth that will lead to further growth,” said Baldwin. “What we’re trying to prevent is coming in one door and going out the other door. “I think when we first came here we had about 25 or 30 in regular attendance, so we are still growing,” he said. “I’d love to say we were
growing much faster, but as long as you’re growing, that’s the important thing.” Over the years, Baldwin said, First Missionary Baptist has played a role in a number of local issues, including the naming of Enid’s city hall for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the hiring of more minorities by Enid Public Schools, helping keep open and refurbish Longfellow Middle School and construction of a new Garfield Elementary School.
“Those are just some of the issues that we believe, over the years, we have been involved with and had some positive impact,” Baldwin said. “One of the things we’re trying to do now is to make our mark.” Baldwin and his wife, Vicki, who heads First Missionary Baptist’s music program, are retired teachers, so it is no surprise education is an emphasis of their ministry. “We encourage our kids to attend college and improve their grades,” he said. “We want to see as many individuals improve themselves educationally as possible.” A scholarship program run by the Baldwins’ son, Alfred III, provided awards to students who improved grades, as well as small scholarships. First Missionary doesn’t forget its older members, either. If any senior church members need something done around their home, volunteers will do it for them. “We have various things that we think are missionminded to help improve the conditions of our neighborhood and our city,” he said. The church’s primary mission, Baldwin said, is evangelism, “To get out there and bring anyone and everyone we can to the church.” First Missionary Baptist’s mission statement includes this promise: “To help First Missionary grow, first spiritually, numerically, financially and physically,” Baldwin said. “Everything we do is geared toward helping this church reach those goals.”
Holy Week and Easter Schedule BRECKINRIDGE, OKLAHOMA
A Family-Oriented Country Church
LCMS
Sunday School and Bible Class at 9:30 A.M. Worship at 10:30 A.M. every Sunday
Maundy Thursday Service March 28 • 7:30pm Good Friday Service March 29 • 7:30pm Easter Vigil Candlelight Service March 30 • 7:30pm Easter Sunrise Service • 7:00am Easter Breakfast • 8:15am Easter Egg Hunt Sunday School Classes and Adult Bible Class • 9:15am Easter Day Service • 10:30am
immanuel.breckinridge@juno.com
Weekly Schedule Sunday School and Adult Bible Classes • 9:15am Sunday Worship Service • 10:30am
From 30th Street and Hwy. 412 in Enid, we are located 6 miles East and 3 miles North on 102nd Street.
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH
4324 N. 102nd Street Enid, OK 73701-5006 (580)446-5521
507 Fairmont Road, Fairmont • 580-358-2291
The Catholic Parishes of
Saint Francis Xavier 110 N. Madison - 237-0812 www.stfrancisenid.com
Rev. Joseph M. Irwin, Pastor Rev. Rajesh K. Mankena, Associate Pastor Holy Thursday, March 28 Mass ..........................................7:00pm Good Friday, March 29 Ecumenical Way of the Cross ..(Noon) Bilingual Liturgy ......................7:00pm Holy Saturday, March 30 Easter Vigil Mass ......................8:30pm Easter Sunday, March 31 Mass 8:00am (English) Mass 11:00am (English) Mass 1:00pm (Spanish)
Saint Gregory the Great 1924 West Willow - 233-4589 www.stgregoryenid.com
1223 W Maple Ave • 237-1424
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Good Friday, March 29 Liturgy ......................................7:00pm Easter Sunday, March 31 Mass ..........................................9:00am Mass ..........................................11:30am
215 S. Cleveland Enid, OK 580-234-6622
Saint Michael - Goltry
Easter Sunday, March 31 Mass ..............................................7:30am
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Rich in
HISTORY
Enid Mennonite Brethren has a long tradition of providing activities and assistance in region By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Enid Mennonite Brethren Church is one of the oldest churches in Enid, with more than 110 years in its history. The current church at 2500 N. Van Buren is involved in a number of community programs, as well as teaching its youth about the Bible. Forgotten Ministries is one of the groups in which the church is involved. Each month, members of the congregation are active in Forgotten Ministries’ efforts to serve meals to residents in the area around Don Haskins Park near St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. The meals and clothing giveaways at those events reach a number of low-income individuals. The church also has adopted Monroe Elementary School, assisting with the winter carnival and pooling resources to provide coats, hats and caps to lowincome students who attend the school. Enid Mennonite Brethren church has assisted with an annual backpack giveaway at Crosslin Park along with a number of other churches in the north area of Enid. That is in conjunction with the large backpack giveaway at Government Spring Park that involves other Enid churches. The crowd at Crosslin Park totaled between 1,000 and 1,500 last year. They also regularly offer nationally known motivational speaker Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University at the church, said associate pastor Chris Regier. The church’s AWANA program also is part of Mennonite Brethren Church. The program involves Bible training and memory work for youths through
fifth grade. Those kids learn Bible verses and recite them to volunteers and teachers. It also includes games and a way to learn practical life lessons from the verses. “It makes them familiar with God’s work,” Regier said. There are various denominations of Mennonites, Regier said. Mennonite Brethren are not married to the conservative dress and hairstyles as are some denominations. Those are often confused with Amish, Regier said. The church usually has between 260 and 280 in attendance on Sunday mornings, and Regier put the actual church membership at more than 300. The Mennonite Brethren understanding of God comes from the Bible. Members believe Jesus calls the people of the church to live in community (being), to serve God and others (doing) and to communicate to the world that God reigns over everything (telling). Their Mennonite Brethren beliefs can be condensed into those three ideas, according to a Mennonite Brethren website.
Enid Mennonite Brethren Church is one of the oldest churches in Enid and is involved in many projects that raise money for its missions, including Oklahoma Mennonite Relief Sale (above and left), Feed The
Neighborhood (top middle) and a Penny Power fundraiser (top right) that raises funds to be used by victims of disasters such as earthquakes, floods, violence and war. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
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Enid News & Eagle
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SMALL
church,
Faith Center attracts crowds to its worship events in Meno By Bridget Nash Staff Writer
Faith Center Fellowship is in the small town of Meno, Oklahoma, but its impact is not small at all. The church has been in operation since 1990 and in Meno since 1992. Although the town of Meno is small, Faith Center brings families from more than 16 different communities into Meno to worship. The church, in addition, hosts special events several time each year that bring large groups of people into Meno from all over the area and state.
Some of those big events include famous speakers such as Jerry Savelle. Savelle has traveled the world since 1969, speaking in various churches including churches in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Tanzania. He has delivered messages in more than 3,000 churches and authored more than 40 books. Another big name who has brought people to Faith Center is Jared Anderson, a well-known Christian worship musician. Faith Center Fellowship renovated its facility in 2007, creating a large worship center, and now has 22,000 square feet of space to host its activities and ministries.
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message
Special services at Faith Center Fellowship often will double or triple the population of Meno as members and guests drive from many miles away for inspiration. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)
Willow Road Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Celebrate The Miracle of Easter with us! Easter Cantata palm sunday MARCH 24 9:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Church School Worship & Cantata
Children’s Palm Procession Canata “It Is Finished”
maundy — Thursday March 28 7:00 p.m.
Christ In the Passover
Saturday March 30 2:00 p.m.
Children’s Egg Hunt
Easter Day march 31
7:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 9:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Sunrise Worship Breakfast Church School Resurrection Service
729 W. Willow Road (580) 234-2119 Regular Sunday Schedule Contemporary Worship 9:00 a.m. Church School 10:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 11:00 a.m.
March 24 March 28
5:30 p.m.
March 29
8:00 p.m.
March 30
6:00 p.m.
March 31
- Seder
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Enid News & Eagle
STRONGin the Lord Christian youth ministry provides place for the teens By Cass Rains Staff Writer
Each week Taylor Clark meets with pre-teens and teens and invites them to KLife. “It’s a community-wide Christian youth ministry,” Clark said. “We are not a church. We focus on middle school and high school students and their families in the community.” He said K-Life provides a connection for kids who may not regularly attend a church. “We try to do this as more of a thing for kids who don’t have a church home and or don’t have a youth program at their church,” Clark said. The group meets from 78:30 p.m. twice a week at PJ’s, 220 N. Washington. The middle school group meets Tuesdays, and the high school group meets Thursdays. “K-Life is free for the kids. We never charge kids to come to any of our programming,” Clark said. “We try to cover all the costs for the kids so the finances aren’t a burden for the students and doesn’t keep them from coming.” The group’s website further explains, “K-Life works alongside churches and families in the community to teach and encourage kids to be strong in the Lord in spite of all the negative pressures they face as teenagers. K-Life networks kids from different churches, and those without a church affiliation, to build
Taylor Clark (above) leads a game of true or false during a meeting of K-Life, a teen ministry. A sign (left) proclaims the youth ministry that meets weekly free of charge for students in middle and high schools. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
positive, Godly relationships that can withstand the negative peer pressure so prevalent in today’s youth culture.” Clark said the program is fully funded by families and local churches in the Enid community. Clark meets with students at schools during lunches, and kids often learn of the group through word-of-mouth, by attending weekly events or monthly programs or through other community events. “We do an event each
To accomplish this goal, Clark said the group is always looking for more participants, volunteers and sponsors. “Just people who want to come and spend time with the kids, helping with month,” he explained. “At games and help activities the end of February we had go well with worship,” he a dodge ball tournament.” said. “We’re always lookK-Life began as a following for new sponsors to help.” Those wanting further information I’ve got a heat and passion for ministry with the kind of younger generation about the group or and felt Enid would be a great fit for that kind of a career.” how to join can visit K-Life’s website at Taylor Clark, lead minister of the Enid chapter of K-Life enid.klife.com. Those wanting to He said K-Life is not in church, helping get them volunteer or offer a sponsorup ministry to campers from Kanakuk Kamps, in Branson, Enid to compete with local and their families plugged ship can contact Clark at in as well.” taylor.clark@klife.com Mo. Kanakuk is the K in K- churches. Life, and the two are directly connected, he said.
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He attended the camp and learned there was an opportunity for him to minister through the Enid chapter. He and his wife moved to Enid last summer. “I’ve got a heat and passion for ministry with the kind of younger generation and felt Enid would be a great fit for that kind of a career,” he said.
“One of our goals is to encourage kids and families to get connected with churches here. ... We are here to partner with churches,” Clark said. “We’re looking for churches to come and speak, or have contact with our kids. We really want to do our job of helping churches and getting kids into
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Members of the Emmanuel Baptist Church mission group and African residents from Kollo react as they flush the site of a new community water well during church members’ mission trip to Africa in January 2013. (Photo Provided)
It is
WELL
with my soul
Emmanuel Baptist Church discovers mission stretches beyond borders of its community By Jeff Mullin Senior Writer
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well a drink of living water, saying, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Proclaiming the promise of that living water is one of the goals of Emmanuel Baptist Church’s mission in Niger, west Africa, but so is providing sources for good, clean H2O. John Stam, Emmanuel’s missions’ pastor, has made a number of trips to Niger as part of the church’s ongoing mission there.
International, based in Houston. “We ended up buying a small, portable drilling rig they had helped design,” Stam said. After sending several people to Houston to be trained to use the rig, Stam negotiated to purchase everything the church would need for two 100-foot wells. With the help of other churches, including Enid Mennonite Brethren, Emmanuel raised the money. “We brought it here and practiced with it up on Bill Ward’s land,”
said. “We’ve probably treated over 10,000 people in the past 10 years.”
Caring for the sick
Besides treating patients, the medical teams have engaged in training local people. Enid physician Dr. John Provine, for example, provided instruction in resuscitation of infants. “We’ve worked our way into the health system over there,” Stam said.
Life-changing visit Emmanuel’s ties to Niger began more than a decade ago when Yacouba Seydou, and his wife, Renate, visited the church and asked for help in his efforts to improve life in his native country through their ministry, Hosanna Institute of the Sahel. “Pastor Wade (Burleson) asked me into his office, and I met the two of them,” said Stam. “It was just one of those amazing visits. You don’t realize it’s going to be life-changing, but you know you’ve never run into something like this before.” Emmanuel committed to helping Yacouba and Renate with their ministry. The first medical mission team from the church traveled to Niger in January 2004. During that trip, Stam was confronted by Niger’s desperate need for clean water. “We were waiting for a ferry, this archaic old ferry over the Niger river,” Stam said. “This young woman, probably 16 or 17, went out into the Niger river, squatted down, did her business in the water, then washed her face and then drank out of the river.” When he returned to his office, he found on his desk an alumni magazine from his alma mater, Wheaton (Ill.) College, which contained an article about one of the school’s professors drilling water wells in Africa. Stam spoke to the professor, Jim Clark, who referred him to an organization called Living Water
said Stam. “Of course, none of us knew anything about drilling. We shipped it to Africa, and it was there waiting for us. We got two wells done on that first trip.” That was in 2005. Since then a new drilling rig has been sent to Niger, and the church is in the process of completing “our 35th or 36th well,” said Stam. “Some of those wells are really the primary water source for between 1,000 and 2,000 people,” Stam said. The wells are communal affairs at which the water is drawn by simple hand pumps, which are easily repaired by in-country technicians. Four drilling teams have been sent to Niger in the past year, and every year at least one medical team travels to the country. “We’ll treat somewhere around a thousand people each year,” Stam
Among Emmanuel’s other partners is Humedica International, a German-based health organization similar to Doctors Without Borders. “They’ve actually built a birthing clinic,” said Stam. “When we first started going over there the infant and child mortality rate combined was around 25 percent.” When the medical teams first traveled to Niger, members learned quickly that crowd control was one of their biggest concerns. “We’ve had machetes pulled on us, we’ve had doors pulled down, we’ve had babies pushed through
“There’s been a real involvement in Enid.” The church is branching out, beginning work in Poland with disadvantaged children. “We’ll be taking one of our first mission trips there this summer,” he said. Another trip is planned to Guatemala, where Emmanuel has an ongoing involvement with vacation Bible school. Emmanuel also is involved in a ministry in New York City, targeting the homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics in some of that city’s most troubled areas. “We have been involved with that ministry on and off for about 20 years,” he said. Mission work is rewarding but challenging, Stam said. “About halfway into the trip, when everything has gone wrong, you say, ‘What am I doing here?’” Stam said. But he recalled a time four or five years ago on a welldrilling trip to an area near Niger’s border with Mali and Burkina Faso. There were myriad problems with drilling the well, but it was finally finished. “I was sitting out in the desert drinking a Coke and I just thought, ‘I cannot think of An American trainer (above, anywhere I’d rather be, than left) assists with respiratory right here.’ It’s a headache, it’s instruction for registered nurses hard, but everything we do is from Africa in January 2013. on behalf of the ministry.” Dr. John Provine (far left), a pediatrician from Enid, and his Walking through wife, Laurel, were among the doors God opens members of the Emmanuel Stam’s roots in the mission Baptist Church mission group to Niamey and Kollo. Dr. Provine field run deep. His father, a was instrumental in arranging physician, planned to become the respiratory and resuscitation a missionary doctor before his classes. A typical family home children came along and (left) is seen in Kollo, Africa. changed his plans. Stam’s (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK uncle was a missionary in Africa, his aunt a missionary / Africa Photos Provided) in Ecuador. One of Stam’s sickest babies and the sickest great uncles was martyred in China adults,” said Stam, “then we’ll see while on a mission there in the your family members and last of all 1930s. In 1993, while a member of the we’ll see the guards. Usually the toughest woman of the village is at Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, the gate, and she lets in only people Stam traveled to Russia. “That was a life-changing experiwith tickets. We can see 200, 250 ence for me,” he said. “That was people in about six hours.” kind of my introduction to misBranching out sions.” Stam said Emmanuel’s missions The ministry has grown to the point they are close to having have exceeded his expectations. “I’m not smart enough to have enough money to purchase a ever foreseen any of this,” he said. $500,000 office complex in Niger. “That has come from some major “God opens the door and we’ve donors here in Enid,” he said. walked through it.” windows,” said Stam. “What we learned was that the aggressive young mothers were bound and determined to have care for their babies, and if that meant pushing the elderly and the infirm to the back, they’d do whatever it took to see that their baby was taken care of.” Now before holding a free clinic, the team hands out 200 tickets to the local mayor or leader, Stam said. “We tell the mayor we want the
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Enid News & Eagle
Twice a year My Child To Yours consignment sale raises money for missions at home and abroad. The most recent sale, held at Grace World Outreach Church, wrapped up last weekend, with proceeds from the sale going to help Agape Mercy Children’s Center in Kenya. The orphanage is home to 35 at-risk children ages 7-18. Many have been orphaned or rescued from child labor and exploitation. The center provides shelter, food and clothing, pays school fees and medical bills and offers spiritual nurturing and training. Other programs assisted include Food for Kids, Feed the Neighborhood, Enter His Gates Horse Camp, Earn as you Learn parenting program, Our Daily Bread and children’s missions. Search for “MyChild ToYours” on Facebook. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
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Finding Christ
BEHIND BARS Ministering to inmates not Philbrick’s first choice, higher power was calling By Phyllis Zorn Staff Writer
Every Wednesday morning, most Saturdays and some Sundays, R.J. Philbrick sets aside his plumber’s tools, goes to his other office in Garfield County Detention Facility and shares the Lord with those who need it most. Inmates at the jail can sign up for a time to meet with Philbrick, or he can ask to see the inmates. They typically meet for 45 minutes to an hour, but he has met with some of them as long as two or three hours, depending on the need. During his meetings with inmates, he’s there for one thing and one thing only. “I call them in, and we don’t talk about anything but the Lord,” Philbrick said. He doesn’t allow inmates to discuss the legal case against them or complaints about their conditions at the jail. That’s not the reason he’s there. “I’m there to see their hearts change,” Philbrick said. “We talk about the work of God. We try to see it change their hearts.” Often enough, the work can be discouraging, Philbrick said.
Surrender to a call While in jail, inmates truly want to change their ways, but when they get back out, they slip into their old ways. But Philbrick sticks with it. “I’ve been doing this about 11 years,” Philbrick said. “The Lord called me into jail ministry — laid it on my heart when I got right with God. I kept rejecting it, but you just can’t reject the Lord when he calls you.” When he surrendered to the call and set about getting started, he quickly found it wasn’t going to be as easy as showing up at the jail and ask-
ing to come in. There were hurdles to get over first. “I became part of the Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministry,” Philbrick said.
The credentials OJPM chaplains receive credentials through the state to go into jails and Department of Corrections facilities. For prison ministry, there are other credentials that must be met. According to Oklahoma Jail Ministry website, the program is active in eight jails and currently has 10 chaplains to serve them. These include Oklahoma County Detention Center and Juvenile Detention Center, Midwest City Jail, Canadian County Jail, Garfield County Detention Facility, Payne
“
The Lord called me into jail ministry — laid it on my heart when I got right with God. I kept rejecting it, but you just can’t reject the Lord when he calls you.” R.J. Philbrick, Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministry chaplain
County Jail, Muskogee County Jail and Rogers County Jail. But OJPM chaplains are not limited to only those 10 facilities. “We can go to any jail facility in the state of Oklahoma,” Philbrick said. The philosophy of OJPM is to work for reconciliation, transformation and restoration in the lives of the inmates.
Rewards, heartbreak Philbrick also meets with inmates at Enid Community Corrections Center. Philbrick said he is aware
jail ministry isn’t for everyone. “I’ve had a lot of people come and want to help me,” Philbrick said. “It’s not a fun deal, really. It’s very, very rewarding but very difficult. It’s a very rewarding ministry, and then again it’s a lot of heartbreak. You want these guys to go right, and you think they are and then they don’t.” But if he sees just one out of 100 get their lives straight, that’s the reward in the work, Philbrick said. “I get letters from prisoners who have gone to other
parts of the country who h a v e d o n e right,” Philbrick s a i d . “That’s my payday.” Philbrick has found himself making differences he didn’t expect to make. “I’ve actually taught some to read from the word of God,” Philbrick said. “One of them in particular, he said, ‘I’m illiterate.’ I taught him to read from the Bible, and today he’s a pastor in another state.”
‘A great asset’ “Lay ministry is very important,” said Garfield County Sheriff Jerry Niles. “It’s another source of counseling and release for the inmates. It’s also faith-based. It’s all volunteer and nothing is forced on anyone. They can
R. J. Philbrick ministers to inmates at the Garfield County jail. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
ask to meet with him — it’s an expression of the rights they do still have.” Niles said jail ministry provides inmates some measure of comfort, accountability and support. Besides Philbrick, members of The Gideons and inmates’ personal ministers make jail visits. Ministers must bring their credentials, and if the sheriff’s office does not know them, a background might be done before they are permitted to enter. “He’s a great guy and a
great asset to us,” Niles said of Philbrick. “We’re very fortunate to have him there to carry on the work,” said Don Duncan, senior chaplain for OJPM. Duncan said jail chaplains come from diverse Christian denominations and must undergo the organization’s mentoring and training program before getting their credentials. When Philbrick isn’t inside the jail being a chaplain, he operates Red’s Plumbing. That’s been his work since 1969. Philbrick is a member of Bible Baptist Church, 11th and Maple.
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
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Page 13
through the
STORM Catholic community finds way to meet 2 churches’ needs By Phyllis Zorn Staff Writer
Father Joseph Irwin (above) kneels as he prays during the Stations of the Cross service at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church March 8. Sebastian Coleman and M.E. Brooks (front row, from left, at right) stack completed meals for Kids Against Hunger at St. Joseph Catholic School March 15. Students, teachers and staff packaged more than 10,000 meals during the first day of their Lenten project. Parishioners at St. Gregory (far right) listen as Irwin presents Stations of the Cross. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
Both Catholic churches in Enid are thriving and vibrant two years after it appeared one would be closed. St. Gregory the Great Church sailed through the storm of a closure announcement made two years ago and emerged on the other side intact, despite a shortage of priests to serve just that parish. The Rev. Joseph Irwin and the Rev. Rajesh Mankena, both officed at St. Francis Catholic Church, serve both Enid congregations as well as St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Goltry. This gives the pair seven masses each weekend. Once a week, Irwin spends time in the office at St. Gregory’s. Irwin said St. Francis has about 1,100 active families in the church, and St. Gregory has about 300 active families. There has been little change in the outreach ministries run by each church, Irwin said, but St. Gregory’s no longer operates a food bank. “We are one of the parishes that stopped our regular food bank and are supporting Loaves and Fishes,” Irwin said. Beyond that change, the other roles of both parishes continue as before. St. Gregory’s still supports Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting. St. Francis still has Our Daily Bread and St. Joseph Catholic School. Families of both parishes are involved in outreach, Irwin said. “I found them as a congregation to be very faithful and very loving,” Irwin said. “They love their church, they love their faith and they love giving of their time. That’s what I found in both churches.” The parishes continue to have individual programs for religious education and separate parish councils. Both work through the different issues of the parishes and maintain separate bank accounts, Irwin said. Each congregation
is autonomous even though the pastoral leadership is shared. Yet, having shared pastoral leadership has its advantages. “If I decide to do something like bring in a speaker, I’ll just do that for both parishes,” Irwin said.
The children’s summer program is now shared between the parishes, Irwin noted. Irwin praised the leaders in the congregations. “The leaders at both places are very good at taking initiative on their own,” Irwin said. “That’s kind of impressive to me.” He believes things are going well all the way around. “I get the sense that people are happy, excited about the future of the congregation, and they’re really interesting in putting everything behind them.” Then-Archbishop Eusebius Beltran had announced two years ago St. Gregory’s would cease to operate when its priest, Father Larry Kowalski retired in June 2011. But Beltran was about to retire himself, and the next archbishop, Paul S. Coakley, changed the verdict.
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Enid News & Eagle
Davis Park Christian Church pastor Alan Seibel (above, left) and Oakwood Christian Church pastor Eric Keller stand inside Oakwood Christian Church. The congregations of both churches merged into the Power of One: One God, Family, Church. Zachary and Heidi Ritchie (left) enjoy a meal at Oakwood Christian Church March 13. Seibel (above middle, right) greets members of the congregation. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
SPIRITleads churches to merge By Cass Rains Staff Writer
When two churches merge it can sometimes bring about conflict and strife. Eric Keller, pastor of Oakwood Christian Church has some experience in the matter. Last year, Oakwood merged with Davis Park Christian Church. Keller said a pastor in Tulsa who’d gone through a church merger shared horror stories about his troubles. However, he was impressed with the merger in Enid. “He wouldn’t believe how well it went. He went through two different ones with some heartache and pain,” Keller said. “When you’re merging churches it’s hard to tell how its going to come because you’re blending two families.” The two churches merged
last August, when Davis Park was lacking space and Oakwood Christian Church was lacking staff. “It was really just God’s spirit leading people,” Keller said. “It’s been really positive. “You see what could have happened: turf wars, lots of feelings hurt, lots of preferences,” he said. “We just really didn’t have any of that. It was just: Focus on the Lord. This is His church. It’s not my church or your church.” In May 2012, Oakwood was featured in Christian Standard for being one of the fastest-growing, mediumsized churches in the country, with average Sunday attendance of nearly 500 and 16 percent growth in 2011. The elders at Oakwood were in the process of interviewing candidates to hire a second pastor when Keller and Davis Park Pastor Alan
Seibel devised a simpler solution — merge the churches. Keller said the merger went smoother than he expected, for which he credits both churches’ members. “I would lend it to the spiritual maturity of the people,” Keller said. “It was very peaceful. There’s just a sweet unity about the family.” The church merger is a full-circle development in nearly nine decades of church expansion. Davis Park was founded Nov. 7, 1926, at 11th and Chestnut, as a result of evangelical expansion by Central Christian Church and University Place Christian Church. Davis Park later departed the Disciples of Christ denomination and became an independent Christian congregation but continued the legacy of “church planting”
by founding Oakwood Christian Church at 401 N. Oakwood in September 1978. The two churches operated as “one church, multiple locations” under leadership of Davis Park’s elders for the first year. Then, in 1979, Oakwood became a separate congregation. Keller said the past connection played a role in how easy the transition was. “A lot of that had to do with we were together before. Our roots were with Davis Park,” he said. “It kind of felt like it was coming back together not just coming together.” God’s grace also played a part, he said. “It’s amazing how when God brings something like this together you really feel like it’s Him doing it.” Keller said Davis Park members were able to fill
gaps at Oakwood Christian and brought some new ideas with them. “It was really a win/win for us, and them,” he said. “It felt like we could accomplish His kingdom purposes faster and better by coming together.” Keller said several programs have been done since the churches merged, each successful. He said the programs are likely to continue. “We did the living Christmas outreach in December,” he said. “We broke 1,000 people for the first time that day. Everybody was involved with that. This is something we’re offering that’s a Christmas gift to the community and we’re coming together to do this. “We just saw a lot of people come to church after that. It just blesses a lot of people.”
Since the merger, a ladies’ retreat has been held, vacation Bible school is planned for summer and a family carnival will be held the fall. “We’ve got several annual events we do here,” Keller said. “Just having the churches together just helps us serve better, just accomplishes more.” Although the merger resulted in a few members leaving, some of it could be attributed to the larger size of the church post merger. “There were a few people that left ,but there really wasn’t any animosity or negativity,” Keller said. The church’s attendance now averages about 650, sometimes more. Services are at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at the church, 401 N. Oakwood. Easter service are set for 9 and 10:30 a.m.
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Enid News & Eagle
Sunday, March 24, 2013
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TRAUMA
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Emergency basis
Former volunteer firefighter filling a void with his service for Enid Fire Department By James Neal Staff Writer
Ministering to those who regularly are exposed to trauma and levels of stress seldom experienced in the general population requires a chaplain with a special background and skills. Enid Fire Department recently found such a chaplain in the Rev. Tom House, an experienced volunteer firefighter, Lutheran minister and now volunteer EFD chaplain.
Path to ministry House’s path to ministry began while he was serving in the Air Force in the early 1980s. He enlisted in the service after graduating from high school in Marquette, Michigan, and served four years on active duty. It was during that service a Lutheran chaplain encouraged House to pursue a career in ministry. In order to attend divinity school, House first had to earn a bachelor’s degree, which led him to attend Concordia Teachers College — which is now Concordia University — in Seward, Neb. House said he studied teaching for his undergraduate degree because he thought “an education degree would provide a decent background for the role of a pastor as teacher.” After earning a teaching degree in 1989, House took a detour from his path to ministry and accepted a teaching position for two years in Miami, Florida. He said it did not take God long to get him back on track to service in ministry.
“Sometimes the Lord just needs to hit you with a two-byfour to get you headed back in the direction you need to go,” House said. “Through a series of events, he drew me back to the ultimate goal of attending seminary and moving on from there.” House returned to his alma mater and completed divinity school at Concordia Theological Seminary, followed by a one year internship in Denver. He served his first seven years as a minister in Texas, including postings in Brownsville, Dallas and Plano, then moved on to serve nine years at his first Oklahoma assignment, in Hooker.
Path to Enid House moved to Enid last September to become pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church and started volunteering as a chaplain at Enid Fire Department in February. House said his desire to volunteer as a chaplain for EFD is rooted in past volunteer work and past service as a firefighter. He served as a chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol during his time in Texas, providing ministry for members of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary. When he moved to Hooker, House found there was no local CAP squadron but there was a need for volunteer firefighters. He signed up first to serve as a firefighter. “I was primarily a firefighter, and then a chaplain,” House said. “When guys find out you’re a pastor they will talk to you and open up to you about the things they’ve seen.” House said his service as a
The Rev. Tom House, the new Enid Fire Department chaplain, pauses inside Station One. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)
volunteer firefighter and as a chaplain to fellow firefighters gave him experience in ministering to the traumatized — both firefighters and victims. He said it is a challenging but rewarding ministry. “The ministry to first responders of any kind is very challenging,” he said. “The need arises often for first responders to talk and discuss and work through traumatic incidents.”
House said often the best support a chaplain can provide is simply to be there to listen to those in need. “You’re there when the personnel need you to be there,” House said. “The challenge is knowing how to talk to them and what to listen for when you’re dealing with traumatic events, whether you’re talking to firefighters or to victims and family members at an incident.”
House said he’s there to provide “emergency care” to first responders and victims, not to replace other ministers or counselors. “I do not replace any of the guys’ pastors, but I have immediate access to the scene of an incident, as well as knowledge about what the guys are going through.” House said he will be taking refresher courses in fire chaplain service, critical incident stress management, suicide prevention and ministry to the traumatized to better serve the EFD firefighters. EFD assistant fire marshal Todd Hays said EFD hasn’t had a chaplain since former chaplain Darrell Moore retired several years ago. “Having him (House) here will definitely fill a void in the fire department,” Hays said. “It’s always good to have that kind of support, and he will be a good fit here with his previous experience as a firefighter. That helps build a rapport with the guys.” House said he is looking forward to serving Enid’s firefighters, and he has enjoyed settling in the community. House’s wife, Audrey, is a teacher at Monroe Elementary School. The couple’s oldest son, Caleb, is a student at Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, and their younger son, Nate, is a sophomore at Enid High School. “I love Enid,” House said. “It really has the best mix of the things you would find in a larger city, but it’s also not like Dallas or Oklahoma City, where people don’t look you in the eye and stop to talk to you. That’s the kind of small town stuff you don’t find in a larger city, and it makes Enid a great place.”
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
Enid News & Eagle
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PRAYER
united in Enid’s ministerial alliance brings churches together to meet community needs By Bridget Nash Staff Writer
There are a great many denominations and churches to serve them in Enid, but one group exists to unite them all under the belief that Jesus saves. Enid Ministerial Alliance is a local group that brings together churches and pastors to work together to meet community needs.
“There is a lot of collaboration with the churches in the community,” said Brad Mendenhall, Ministerial Alliance president and pastor of World Harvest Church. The alliance is a way, Mendenhall said, for churches to network and discover things that are needed in the community. “One of the last events we worked together in was blessing the Enid schools with funds,” said Mendenhall. The alliance meets with Enid Police Department to pray for Enid and inquire how they may see to the needs of the citizens. Enid Ministerial Alliance also hosts the National Day of Prayer each year and hosts five-minute devotions each Monday at Garfield County Court House and at Autry Technology Center’s board meetings. The alliance also provides prayer for the city
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council meetings. “Every other year we host the Enid High baccalaureate,” said Mendenhall. Enid Ministerial Alliance also takes part in the Feed the Neighborhood event in Enid each August. When the alliance isn’t working in the community, they are praying for it. “We have a monthly prayer meeting,” said Mendenhall. The alliance meets the first Wednesday of each month at P.J.’s Teen Center. “We open (the alliance) up to any church that wants to participate,” said Mendenhall. “We’re stronger together.” Currently Mendenhall is the president of the alliance, Alan Seibel is the vice president, Howard Deunk is secretary and Kevin Ward is treasurer.
World Harvest Church pastor Brad Mendenhall holds one of the bottles of hand sanitizer the community of believers donated to Enid Public Schools’ classrooms. Mendenhall is the current president of Enid Ministerial Alliance. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)