IA Connection May-June 2015

Independent Assemblies

May/June 2015

uniting ministries worldwide

independent

assemblies by: Mindy Wood

NATIONAL MINISTER’S CONFERENCE

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calendar May

Interstate Fellowship Meeting May 11, 2015 Calvary Temple Edmond, OK Rev. Dale Drain North Texas Fellowship Meeting May 22, 2015 True Life Fellowship Seagoville, TX Rev. Joel Reyes

June independentassemblies.org

Interstate Fellowship Meeting June 8, 2015 Vassar Full Gospel Church Mulhall, OK Rev. Ralph Yost Interstate Fellowship Meeting June 15, 2015 Life Community Church Ada, OK Rev. Mickey Keith

July Current Members

Membership Payment

National Minister’s Conference July 20-22, 2015 Embassy Suites Norman, OK Register online at www.independentassemblies.org See more on page 6

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CONTENTS

f 2 Calendar

Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222

4 Payment Technology May Increase Giving 6 National Minister’s Conference 8 Building Strong Families in Christ

10 From the Office to the Pulpit 11 Board Members

Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 www.independentassemblies.org Produced by Layers Media, Inc. www.layersmedia.com connection • 3

Payment Technology May Increase Giving by: Mindy Wood

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“We now have about 25 percent of our giving come in electronically each month” Churches have long been taking advantage of technology to enhance everything from the worship experience to administration. Now churches are using technology to accept money for tithe, offering, events, and special funding occasions.

IA Pastor, Charles Barton of Grace Chapel Worship in Lexington, Oklahoma said since they installed a payment kiosk giving has risen. “I think it’s because it’s more convenient. You can even register your kids for camps and pay for it right there.

You’d think it would be mostly young people using it but the bulk of the dollars comes from older people.”

IA President Mickey Keith said they have offered giving online through the website for years at his Life Community Church in Ada. Last September they started used Square Up which is an app that allows iOS and android users to pay from their smart phone or tablet devices.

“We now have about 25 percent of our giving come in electronically each month,” said Keith who also said giving is up. “It’s hard to point to electronic giving as the sole reason (for that), however. With that said, I believe that the percentage coming in would not probably be there if not for the electronic capabilities.”

SQUARE UP seems to be a seamless payment method for both payer and payee.

Funds are withdrawn almost instantly and credited within hours. Square Up charges 2.75 percent on all credit or debit transactions. Small businesses use a small

square credit card reader plugged into their smartphone that will accept a card swipe. The data is encrypted and is not stored locally.

FREE CHURCH KIOSK is a faith based company who provides free iPad kiosks to churches or ministries but with a few perks too. It includes children’s church check-in, event registration, volunteer sign-ups in addition to online giving, mobile giving, and for a monthly fee a customized app. Churches pay for a merchant account, but Free Church Kiosk claims to save users 40 percent on processing and gateway fees.

PUSHPAY offers an eChurch Giving service which boasts that it takes just 10 seconds to complete a church transaction via smart phone, tablet, kiosk or online. Even more enticing is that it offers database integration that a church’s administration can import into their software programs. The information is stored against the user’s profile in real time.

Pushpay performed a 6 month case study which found a California 1,100 member church saw an annual budget increase by $94,272 after offering the service to their members.

While some parishioners feel giving is too private or too strange for this method, they can still pay with cash or check. For the techsavvy in attendance it’s a huge convenience to choose whether they want to pay with credit or debit card, and pay while out of town or if they can’t get to church.

For each provider’s complete list of options, see their websites for more information. •

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2015

independent

assemblies NATIONAL MINISTER’S CONFERENCE by: Mindy Wood

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JULY 20-22, 2015

WORKSHOPS

EMBASSY SUITES JULY 20-22, 2015

MARK MAYNARD

NORMAN, OK

► Keys to Effective Ministry

ROBERT JOHNSON ► What I Wish I had Learned in Bible School

JOSH BARTOMOLUCCI ► Your Ministry and the Internet

KEYNOTE SPEAKER GARY KEESEE As an author, speaker, daily television host, and successful entrepreneur for more than 33 years, Gary Keesee has helped thousands of families and businesses realize their God-given potential. As a graduate of Oral Roberts University, president and founder of Forward Financial Group, founder of Faith Life Now, and founding pastor of Faith Life Church, Gary has committed his life to helping people realize they can (and should) DREAM BIG! His message will motivate, educate, and inspire you to pursue success, walk out your purpose, and leave a legacy for your family.

www.independentassemblies.org Youth Leaders Fellowship - Monday, July 20 (after evening service) Biennial Business Meeting will be held Wednesday, July 22 at 9:00 am connection • 7

Building Strong Families in Christ by: Mindy Wood

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“Fathers are very important in the ministry of a church, but if a father is not a ministry to his family it’s pretty tough to get that family turned in the right direction,”

Ray and Jean Grantham are committed to building strong families at Living Word Center, Inc. in Okemah, Oklahoma. Their vision is to see each family member find healing, wholeness, and strength as they apply the Word of God to every wound and weakness.

Ray Grantham spent 32 years teaching in public schools followed by 7 years in private education. It didn’t take long to see that broken homes create broken children.

“When you’re in the field watching families struggle, it gives you a clear understanding and makes you understand why the youth are having the problems they do today,” said Ray. Research shows an alarming lack of fathers in American families, and the Granthams say that gap in the home is the source of much pain and consequences in society. Poverty, teen pregnancy, adolescent crime, substance abuse, and even poor health are much higher fatherless homes than those with fathers. The number of single mothers raising children tripled between 1960 and 2000, according to a US Census Bureau report in 2001. A 2012 U.S. Census Bureau report predicts only 68.1 percent of children will spend an entire childhood in an intact family.

When the Granthams pioneered their church in 1997, they went to work with a vision to change those statistics one family at a time.

They split up men from women for classes

and opened up a children and youth program on Wednesday nights to feed and teach them as well.

They now see almost as many fathers in church as they do mothers.

“Fathers are very important in the ministry of a church, but if a father is not a ministry to his family it’s pretty tough to get that family turned in the right direction,” said Ray. Discipleship is a strong focus at Living Word Center and the pathway to seeing families find stability. “We see the lack of Christians that are discipled long enough,” said Jean. “People are not committed to one thing much anymore.

We’re seeking to help people understand that it takes commitment to God first then it leads to commitment in their marriage, and to their church.”

They are committed to the growth of their church, but they don’t bother with the numbers. “It’s hard for pastors not to become discouraged because we have a mega-mentality today. We think if you’re not seating over 50 people, you’re not doing anything but growth has to be determined by the strength of each life and where they’re coming from. Growth isn’t numbers; it’s discipleship,” said Ray. With the preaching and teaching of God’s word and relationships, the Granthams watch God put broken families back together, one household at a time.

For more information, call 918-623-1883 •

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From the Office to the Pulpit by: Mindy Wood

Charles Barton spent his career as a high level executive in a utilities company, but when it was time to move up or move out, he traded his briefcase for the pulpit.

A passion for teaching drove his early ministry in the church, but ten years ago he started preaching at Grace Chapel Worship Center in Lexington, Oklahoma. Former Senior Pastor Buck Jordon, who still actively preaches alternate Sunday nights, passed that office to Charles and Jo Barton in January. Buck and Juanita were founding pastors for 19 years.

The Jordons and the Bartons unique gifts and vision blend together in remaining harmony.

Barton carries on the vision to yield to the Holy Spirit and operation of spiritual gifts, and ministry to the people. He places a strong emphasis on worship and encourages believers to minister to each other.

“I’m real strong on body leadership; although you have to have a pastor as a leader, you need the people ministering to each other as much as and wherever possible,” said Barton.

The ability to minister to each other, Barton said, also means they will be equipped to reach people they meet outside the church as a way to evangelize people he would never encounter.

He reflected on how touching it was to see an elderly widow, shy though willing, to pray for two young women who were seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “We prayed for several people to receive the Holy Spirit and I felt the Lord quicken my spirit to have her come up and pray. She laid her hands on a couple ladies and they were touched, but she was touched more because she got to participate.”

Following the Jordon’s example, the Bartons see themselves as servants to the church as

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Christ demonstrated to his disciples when he washed their feet. “The primary question we ask every person is, ‘how can we be a blessing to you, what can we do to serve you?,’” said Barton.

But that servant leadership doesn’t mean they will tickle ears with lopsided doctrine or diluted Scriptural interpretation. “We’re going to peach God’s Word and we’re not going to pick and choose what people think we will want to hear, but what God’s laid on our hearts,” he said.

In addition to a growing youth program, more families are coming to church and it’s a welcome blend with older saints.

Missions are an important aspect of their ministry as well. They started an IA affiliated non-profit charity called Destiny of Hope to support local, regional, and worldwide missions.

It is a separate entity from the church and will provide help with missionary activities such as orphanages, water wells, women shelters and any needs God directs them to meet.

The Bartons are excited about the future and thankful for the Jordan’s strong foundation of the church. “We hope to continue with their work of having a strong spirit-filled church where people can come and have God meet their needs.”

For more information, call 405-527-5726. •

executiveBOARD Mickey Keith

President PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 mickey.keith@gmail.com www.life623.com

Dr. Ted Estes

Vice President PO Box 2248 Claremore, OK 74018 (918) 341-8344 pastorted@lifechangerchurch.com www.lifechangerchurch.com

Ken Anderson

Secretary/Treasurer PO Box 1120 Lexington, OK 73051 (405) 527-6030 kda@valornet.com www.libertygospelok.org

Robert Johnson

Director of World Missions PO Box 978 Blackwell, OK 74631 (580) 363-2734 roj@clarionmissions.org www.clarionmissions.org

Jerry Edmon

Board Member PO Box 862 Elgin, TX 78621 (512) 281-5316 Jedmon1234@aol.com www.fwcelgin.com

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Southeast Oklahoma District Rev. Billy Hunter Antlers, OK (580) 298-2740 Southwest Oklahoma District Rev. Donnie Miller Cyril, OK (580) 464-2224 (580) 512-3657 North Texas District Rev. Marc Jones Denton, TX 75751 (903) 675-6011 Southeast Texas District Rev. Herb Hawthorne Baytown, TX (281) 723-2278 South Central Texas District Rev. Jerry Edmon Elgin, TX (512) 281-5316 Midwest Regional District Rev. Mark Maynard Granite City, IL (618) 931-4106 Arkansas Regional District Rev. Charles Kendrick Alexander, AR (501) 303-0831 Ozark Regional District Rev. Terry Fletcher Aurora, MO (417) 678-2310

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