A Prayer of Lament for Racial Division in the Church By Mark Vroegop, lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis, Indiana I think most believers agree that biblical unity is something to pray for and work toward. You probably know that reconciliation between a diverse group of people is a beautiful dream. But is the church marked by a compelling ethnic unity today? Do you know how to make progress toward racial reconciliation? Unfortunately, the kind… Read More ABC’s of Church Change As you think about your local church’s annual goals (due August 15), let me share a few insights from Karl Vaters in Small Church Essentials from the chapter, “Starting, Changing or Stopping a Ministry”. Vaters speaks of the ABC’s of Church Change (Always Be Changing Something). “Messing around with the foundation doesn’t bring change; it causes collapse. Everything except our biblical essentials must be subject to change. Just......

Read More

Dear NEO Family, Our District Advisory Council has called upon us to a year of focus on repentance, individually and corporately. One area which calls for our repentance is our failure to read, meditate on, and memorize God’s Word. We have settled for crumbs of God’s Word when a feast is available. 187 countries have designated 2020 as the Year of the Bible. If ever we need guidance from God’s Word, it is now. Anxiety, fear and division are widespread.  The call to be alert and sober minded is aided by feeding ourselves the Word of God, meditating on it, and memorizing it.  Psalm 1:2 says the person is blessed who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. We must continue to promote and model this within NEO churches!   Read More Making 2020 the Year of the Bible in NEO As we......

Read More

NEO Report for 2019-20  –  Part 3 What One Thing Needs the Greatest Attention as a District? That question consumed your District Advisory Council for over an hour on Monday, June 1. Eight thoughtful  ideas were proposed, including “Helping our pastors and leaders discover a God-ordained dream for their local church”, “Evangelism, Outreach and Church Planting” and “Progress in the Use of Digital Technology”. The idea drawing the greatest support was “Repentance, Individually and Corporately”. In what way do you believe God is calling his people to repent? We discussed repenting for what we have allowed the church to become, for not keeping our focus on Jesus, for being more political than biblical at times, for settling for crumbs of God’s Word when a feast is available and for racism that persists within the church. We discussed the need to hunger for intimacy with God, to eliminate what we......

Read More

NEO Report for 2019-20 – Part 2 Last Thursday I began sending you a summary of the work of NEO churches and leaders from May, 2019 thru April, 2020. What a year it has been!! In this report you will receive the introduction of my report and a summary of five areas to focus on in the year ahead. Intro of the Annual Report of our District Superintendent – June 1, 2020 Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ......

Read More

Northeast Oklahoma Nazarene Family, Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. (Ephesians 1:15-17 NLT) Over the next few weeks, you will see a summary of the work of NEO churches and leaders from May, 2019 thru April, 2020. What a year it has been!! Thanks for your faithfulness and love put on display day by day. I thank God that He is giving you spiritual wisdom and insight to navigate these unusual and challenging days. In this update, you will receive: Video greetings from our General Superintendent in jurisdiction, Dr. Fili Chambo A statistical summary A video report of Southern......

Read More

Congratulations 2020 Pastoral Family Graduates! Bladen Allen Son of Nathan & Kaylan Allen (Miami New Life) Homeschool Future Plans: NEO, Information Technology               Joshua Brown Son of Steve & Kendra Brown (Cleveland) OSU, BS-Mechanical Engineering Future Plans: Career in Engineering               Meleah Marquis Daughter of Marci Marquis (Tulsa Regency Park) SNU, BS-Psychology Future Plans: Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, Counseling               Allison Means Daughter of David & D’Anne Means (Tulsa Regency Park) Homeschool Future Plans: SNU, Nursing             Eli Mueller Son of Bob & Diana Mueller (Muskogee Freedom Fellowship) ICTC & Homeschool Future Plans: Continue in Management, Chick Fil A           Parker Ross Son of Joel & Melanie Ross (Tulsa Central) SNU, Exercise Science Future Plans: Career as Personal Trainer  ......

Read More

Local Churches Can Lead the Way There’s a moment in the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy when Frodo laments that a great evil has erupted in his generation. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” he says. Gandalf responds with compassion and wisdom in equal measure: “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” I imagine President Trump, Governor Stitt and every mayor would echo Frodo’s lament as they face a challenge unlike any we have seen in our lifetime with the Covid-19 pandemic. And NEO pastors and churches may feel the same dread. When my kids were growing up, I regularly communicated to them that “life is 10% what happens to you......

Read More

Communication from Dave McKellips, District Superintendent Dear NEO family, I want to commend you for the ways you are responding to the coronavirus outbreak and the adjustments you are making to continue body life in the church, all while working to protect people from potential exposure. I know that most of you have cancelled services and group meetings for almost four weeks. Cancelling events, especially associated with Holy Week and Easter, is discouraging! Trying to have creative and wise insights and ideas is exhausting for our leaders. And who knows how long these stay at home rules will be in place. I suspect many of you will relate to the sentiments of Karl Vaters: So the church is engaged, active, worshiping and caring for each other. But I miss the gathering. Deeply. You can read his whole article, If “We Don’t Go to Church, We are the Church”, Why......

Read More

A Firm Foundation These are challenging days as our world is dealing with the pandemic of Covid–19. Our churches are considering changes in our worship services, social gatherings and even our sacraments out of concern for the well-being of our parishioners and communities. Churches are contemplating how they might use technology to deliver teaching and preaching, and also to collect offerings.  Precautions are being put into place as we receive updates from our city, state and national leaders. Communication is prioritized. We are thinking about how we will respond if someone in our congregation should test positive for the virus. In the midst of all of the anxiety and fear, which we who have received the first fruits of the Spirit also experience in varying degrees, there is opportunity for the people of God to stand out as salt and light. Like many of you, Psalm 62 was in......

Read More

What kind of legacy are we leaving? I had the privilege of leading the graveside service for Ben Riggins last week. Ben pastored a couple of churches in Northeast Oklahoma several decades ago. He and his family were also active in the Muskogee First Church for 23 years while Ben faithfully worked at Georgia Pacific. One of the notable things about Ben’s life was his passion to see others come to salvation through Jesus Christ. He would feel at home with our emphasis on Organic Outreach. I spoke to someone last week that was led into a personal relationship with Jesus through the ministry of Ben Riggins 50 years ago. The man and his young bride lived a few miles outside of Barnsdall and Pastor Ben, the 28-year-old pastor of Barnsdall Church of the Nazarene, made a “cold call” to their home. Pastor Ben introduced himself, took a few......

Read More