5 Reasons I Can’t Share My Faith
by Kevin G. Harney
As a kid growing up, I was a master of excuses. When I forgot to do my school work, lost another jacket because I left it at the park, or got in a fight, I had my reasons and rationalizations. I was creative and passionate as I explained to my dad and mom why things turned out as they did. But my parents were very smart. They did not buy my excuses. They did not let me get away with childlike rationalizations. Instead, they lovingly corrected me and consistently disciplined me.
As I look back, I am deeply grateful for their firm rejection of my lame excuses!
District Discipleship Day – Bringing People to Jesus
August 12
Hey Pastors and Church Leaders:
What would your church look like if a few people were inspired to be disciples who make disciples?
The Path Forward Conference will inspire your church to embrace Jesus’s forgotten way and become disciples who make disciples.
This Conference is designed for Pastors, staff, church board members, and laity!
Registration Deadline is Tuesday, August 8th!
How to Register
*The best way to sign up for the event is to scan the QR Code or visit the website at – loveservego.com/pathforward
What: Path Forward: Embracing the Forgotten Way – 1-Day Conference
When: Saturday, August 12th, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm
Cost: $15 – covers lunch and printed materials
Where: Central Church of the Nazarene (7291 E 81st St. Tulsa, OK 74133) We will meet in the gym, so come in the north or northeast entrance to Central.
To Register for Childcare – in the Comments or Questions section of the registration, list names and ages of children and any allergies.
Childcare will include an additional $10 charge for lunch. If you plan on bringing your lunch, add that to the registration form.
Pastors “I Want to Celebrate…”
Brian Loderhose, Owasso Silver Creek: Post NYC, RJ and Ang Droese, with Nick Williams, NEO NYI President, had the 16 students share their NYC experience. Each student took the time to share a story from NYC and how God impacted them through the event. After their testimony we baptized 6 and shared in communion together. With family, friends, and church members we hosted just over 140. We took one family into membership. Our student Hunter Ortiz leaves this weekend for Marine boot camp, and Abegail Cole for SNU later this month. Silver Creek has four students attending SNU as Freshmen and two returning as Sophomores. We had four new families this month and August 20th will be our Sunday School kick off campaign inviting our people to return to the Word, life together, and family groups. This event theme is “Dive In.” Praise the Lord for salvation and His sanctifying Spirit who teaches us to love and serve one another.
Jim Thornton, Tulsa Hills: This summer we hosted a Spiritual Gifts workshop, with over 30 people in attendance. Components included: Ministry Interests, Spiritual Gifts assessment, Unique Personality discovery and Bandwidth/Season of Life awareness. Some people have been able to affirm the areas of ministry that God is using them in. Others have sensed God’s leading as they are stepping into brand new ministry opportunities. It is exciting to see how God continues to raise up new ministries at Tulsa Hills Church.
Rod Thelander, Sand Springs: We were so blessed to have Missionaries Phil and Katy Rodebush come and share with our people during one of our Wednesday evening “Mid-Week Fill-Up Fellowships.” Our people were so excited and blessed to hear of how God is moving through the Church of the Nazarene on a global scale, and responded with great generosity with a deputation offering as well as a special love offering for the Rodebush Family. It was a double blessing for us when a friend of the Rodebush Family showed up, and they are on their way back to the field in one of our non-disclosed areas of ministry in South Africa. It was really cool when Phil and Katy asked us if they could give a majority of what we were going to give to their deputation offering to this other missionary friend of theirs. Of course we did, and what a blessing to be able to support and encourage these two missionaries from our denomination. God is good and He is still moving through our great denomination … The Church of the Nazarene International!!! To God be the glory!!!
CCK Work Day
Tulsa Hills Church
August 19 / 8:30am
NMI is having a work day to assemble and organize Crisis Care Kits that were collected at Convention. We could also use more banana boxes and CCKs! If you are able to assist or would like to bring more CCKs, we would appreciate your help at Tulsa Hills Church on August 19th. If you would like to give a donation for CCKs, please contact Elva Hann. Scan the QR code above or click HERE for CCK instructions.
SNU-Tulsa is starting a Concurrent program just for high school homeschoolers aged 14+. They will attend classes at SNU-Tulsa only with other high schoolers in accelerated five-week/three-credit courses.
Open House: Tuesday, August 8 / 3pm-7pm or Saturday, August 12 / 11am-1pm
Scan the QR Code above or click INFO
