Everything A Time for
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
I could not have filled this position without the help of some very talented and dedicated people. These include Elizabeth Moon, our district Girls Ministries director and Sherry Whitlow, who served earlier as GM director. I have been blessed dur -Ecclesiastes 3:1 ing these 12 years to have three very capable and loyal Administrative Assistants: Shirley Ophus, Julie Allred, and Christy Wert; many wonderful We are all familiar with this passage of Scripture sectional Women’s Representatives, and my hardwhich goes on to describe different seasons of our working, special events SWAT Teams. They have lives—a time to be born and a time to die…a time made my job much easier. to weep and a time to laugh…a time to keep and a time to throw away, etc. I will add my own times. Please be in prayer for Brother Frank Cargill, “A time to be Oklahoma Women’s Director and District Superintendent of the Oklahoma District a time to retire from being Oklahoma Women’s Council Assemblies of God as he considers who Director.” I fully believe in God’s timing. I have will be the next person to lead the women of Oklathe peace and release that my time in this capacity has come to an end. I will be retiring November 30 homa. of this year. I hope to see many of you at our Women’s Conference, September 18 & 19, at Crossroads Church in For the past 12 years it has been my privilege to direct the women of the Oklahoma District Council Oklahoma City. I am praying that the Holy Spirit’s presence will be felt as soon as you walk into the of the Assemblies of God. I have been blessed facilities and that we will all receive the refreshing to have a ministry that I have dearly loved. It has and renewal that we need from the Lord. I’m lookbeen a joy to get up every morning and come to ing forward to seeing you soon! the office. The Oklahoma District team has been a family to me and I will miss them greatly. I will also miss the interaction that I have been honored to have with all of you. However, I consider you my friends; and friends are still friends whatever the circumstance.
Women’s Director
Linda Stamps-Dissmore stamps.dissmore@okag.org
Remember: Your LIFE Faith Promises are due December 15, 2009! If your church did not make a 2009 Faith Promise, you are still welcome to be a part of Ladies Investing for Eternity by sending in an offering for our missionaries. See page 3 for information on the LIFE Fund. Send your check to Oklahoma Women’s Department, PO Box 13179, Oklahoma City, OK 73113.
2 MEMOS | 2009
Life
Kids have BGMC - Youth have STL - Men have LFTL
AND WOMEN HAVE LIFE stands for Ladies Investing For Eternity. LIFE is the Missions Arm of the Oklahoma Women’s Department. Each month the Oklahoma District Women’s Department sends financial support to many organizations.
Alpha, church planting, Inner City, Muslims, Youth Alive, KidCare America, Rural Compassion, etc.
Save Europe’s Children Africa’s Children Asia’s Little Ones Highlands Child Placement Service
Elite Ladies is also funded from your faith promises. This provides our ministers’ widows with the special recognition they deserve through birthday cards, Christmas gifts, and a special luncheon each year.
maternity and adoption center
Hillcrest Children’s Home
for abused, neglected and abandoned children
OKC Inner City Church
reaching out to the poor of OKC
Freedom House
Teen Challenge for women coming out of prison
New Lifehouse
Teen Challenge for adolescent girls with substance abuse
Sonrise Ranch
Teen Challenge for young men with substance abuse
The LIFE fund also provides scholarships to Oklahoma students attending Central Bible College, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and Evangel University. When a new missionary goes to their place of ministry, the fund helps them purchase household linens, furniture, appliances, etc. After their furlough they receive additional funds to make it possible for them to return to their field of service. Every year missionaries and their families receive birthday and Christmas gifts from the LIFE fund. Our retired missionaries are also blessed by the LIFE fund when they receive cards and gifts for their birthdays and Christmas. This includes our U.S. missionaries to Prisons, the Deaf, Native Americans, Chi
Through your giving to the LIFE fund, we are able to give support to various projects as they arise throughout the year. Examples include building a teachers’ apartment for a school in El Salvador, buying linens for the new boys’ dorm at Sonrise Ranch, helping to send Chi Alpha students to the World Summit where they have opportunity to respond to missionary needs, building the girls’ dorm at the Bible School in Bangladesh, Longdale Indian Camp scholarships, remodeling the kitchen for the Bible School in Brazil, buying a building for ministry to women in the Republic of Georgia, etc. 2009 | MEMOS 3
2009-2010 Coins For Kids Project “Project India – Rescue, Foster Care, Education” Offerings for Project India will assist missionaries Clark and Jennifer Jensen (co-founders of Global Family Care Network) in establishing a refuge center for children in New Dehli, India. You can find out more about the project by logging on to ngmevents.ag.org .
Sept. 25-26
National GM Sleepover Sect. 1 | Sept. 25/26 Sect. 2 | Sept. 25/26 @ Poteau Calvary Sect. 3 | Sept. 25/26 Sect. 4 | Oct. 16/17 Sect. 5 E/W | each church hold their own Sect. 6 | each church hold their own Sect. 7 | Sept. 25/26 @ Lindsay First Sect. 8 | Sept. 25/26 @ Ponca City Sect. 9 N/S | Sept. 25/26 @ Omniplex Sect. 10 | Sept. 25/26 @ Chickasha Grand Ave A/G Sect. 11 | Oct. 2 @ Woodward Sect. 12 | TBA
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Sept. 13-19
National and Oklahoma Girls Ministries Week Along with promoting Girls Ministries in their congregation, churches are encouraged to take up an offering. This offering assists the national Girls Ministries staff as they provide field ministry, develop new materials and products, provide training and leadership materials, process training certificates, and process orders for materials and offerings for national projects.
A Message From Liz
be our focus for Coins For Kids in 2010/2011! This National GM Awesome and exciting happenings missions trip will be quite an in Oklahoma Girls Ministries this Inner City A/G Church, Pastor experience as we will be ministersummer and fall! Deborah Burke, is launching Girls ing to girls in the red light district Ministries on Sept. 10. Section 9S in Antwerp. On August 14 & 15 we crowned Girls Specialist, Tonya Pember, is 148 Honor Stars at the Western helping to recruit ladies to serve If you would like to help by & Eastern Region Celebrations. as mentors and leaders. sending an offering to help with There were also 32 Friends Gradthe ministry expenses or small uates and 7 Girls Only Graduates, Several sections are hosting a Na- gift items for the girls in Antwerp, 78 Bronze, 18 Silver and 5 Gold tional Girls Ministries Sleepover please email me at lizmoon@ Medal of Honor recipients. We on Sept. 24-25. Don’t miss the sbcglobal.net . are so proud of these Oklahoma fun! Girls Director young ladies and what God is goElizabeth Moon ing to accomplish in their lives. On October 3-10 I will be travel- elizabeth.moon@okag.org We also honored 22 ladies for ing to Belgium with the National their work to earn the title Honor Girls Ministries. Belgium will
Chartering time again!
Coordinator and Honor Sponsor for their clubs.
In September you will receive a chartering packet for the 2009/2010 year. Thank you for returning the application and fees immediately. Remember, to be able to participate in the District Celebration your church must have a current charter. 2009 | MEMOS 5
SECRETS YOU NEED FOR THE
MARRIAGE YOU WANT “With Secrets, you’ll discover things you can do, with God’s help, to make your marriage better. Expect a miracle!”
Gary Smalley Relationship Expert
ww w.S ecr ets Bib leS tud y.c om
6 MEMOS | 2009
CREATIVE WAYS WOMEN ARE USING “SECRETS” Four women share how they’re using the Secrets Bible study outside of a typical church setting!
“My niece lives in Arizona, so we both ordered a book and we are reading each chapter together. Throughout the week, we e-mail our feedback and our answers to the questions. And we chat on Facebook at least once a week.”
“I’m inviting all the women in my neighborhood to have dessert at my house one night each week. We will watch the Secrets DVD and have a group discussion based on the book.”
“The young women at my church always have questions about marriage and relationships. I plan to use the Secrets Leader Kit to help me host several Ladies’ Nights on their college campus, where we’ll tackle the issuses.”
“My daughter is struggling in her faith and in her marriage. I know she won’t read a book, but I’m giving her the Secrets DVD because I know she will watch it. I believe it will minister to her and open up conversation with me.”
2009 | MEMOS 7
“Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” Ephesians 5:17