Francis Chan: If Everyone Knew How to Read the Bible, It Would Change Church as We Know It Francis Chan shares about the best gift he’s been given. He received it when he was 15 when a pastor taught him “how to read the Bible for myself.” And now, Chan shares, he’s made major, life-altering decisions with just him and the book. Tim Mackie of The Bible Project says something similar about the best gift he’s received. A teacher taught him to see how “every book of the Bible fits together as a unified story that leads to and points to Jesus.” This teacher also taught him to read the Bible for himself and learn from it. Chan says he’s frustrated about all the talk surrounding different speakers and the words they’ve spoken and the lack of talk surrounding what someone has learned for him or herself from the......

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Build on Your Strengths   We’re often told in business that we should work on our weaknesses instead of our strengths, but let me tell you about Jim Kaat, who pitched many years for the Minnesota Twins. Kaat went in to talk to his new pitching coach, Johnny Sain, during spring training before the 1966 season. Sain asked Kaat to name his top four pitches and what pitches he felt he should work on the most.   Kaat said his best pitch was his fastball, followed by his curve, slider and changeup. He thought if he improved on his slider and changeup, he would have a good season.   His coach disagreed. Sain told him: “I want you to take a different approach. Work on your fastball. I know it’s your favorite pitch so go out there in practice, warm-ups and during games and concentrate on your fastball. Throw your......

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If I do as Jesus asked and pray for laborers for the harvest, do I understand that He was asking people for thousands of years to pray for me? Am I willing to be an answer to their prayers?   And he (Jesus) said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2 ESV)   The Value of Encouragement   When Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play major league baseball, was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became a target for racial hate mail and even death threats. Before one game, Robinson received a threatening phone call that left him so shaken that he was unable to concentrate on the game.   Robinson struck out in one inning with bases loaded. In another inning, he committed a fielding......

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The Heart of the Church ​ Every church needs to take an honest look at how they function and discover if there are patterns that are counterproductive to reaching out to those who are not yet part of the family.  Entire congregations can function in a way that says, “We are here for us.  Everyone else stay away.”  Or they can establish patterns that show warmth and an inviting spirit that says, “Everyone is welcome!” In an excerpt from his book, Seismic Shifts, Kevin Harney shares the importance of evaluating the heart of the church.  Read More Raising Highly Capable Kids – July 27 Search Institute has undertaken decades of research with more than 5 million children and found that there are 40 building blocks every child needs to grow and mature. And the more of these assets a child has in her life, the more likely she is to......

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Dear NEO Family,   We are only a few days away from our 2018 Advance. You may want to know more about a few of the speakers from off the District.   Drs. Chuck and Carla Sunberg   Carla Sunberg was elected 43rd general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene at the 29th General Assembly in Indianapolis, Indiana in June, 2017. At the time of her election, Carla was president of Nazarene Theological Seminary. Previously, Chuck and Carla  served as pioneer missionaries to the former Soviet Union, co-pastors of Grace Point Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana and co-district superintendents of the East Ohio District. Carla was born in Germany, daughter of missionaries, ordained on the Russian North District, and educated in the USA (MNU) and England (Masters and PhD from Nazarene Theological College and the University of Manchester). Her heartfelt passion is a life of holiness and service for......

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Congratulations to Graduates from our Clergy Families   Maiya Baker, Homeschool High School   Jerika Brown, Cleveland High School   Braden Heid, Kansas State University   Chandler Heid, Caney Valley High School   Cameron Madaffari, Skiatook High School   Morgan Marquis, Union High School   Owen Mueller, Homeschool High School and ICTC   Shelby Nichols, SNU   Kyler Ross, SNU   Peyton Ross, Broken Arrow High School Schedule Saturday, June 2 8:00–9:00 am               Registration for Delegates / Café open for Coffee & Snacks 9:00 am–5:00pm         Summer Daze for kids  Birth thru Age 12 9:00–10:30 am             IGNITE Service w/ Roger Hahn 10:45–11:45 am            IGNITING a passion for Christ’s Mission w/ Chuck & Carla Sunberg 11:45am–12:45pm    Lunch – Chick-fil-a Box Meal (catered) Meal Worksheet-Delegates & Guests Includes breakout sessions for SDMI, Children’s Workers, NYI Workers 1:00–2:00 pm          ......

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Is Advance a good investment of your time? Here are just a few of the positive comments shared after the 2017 NEO Advance: I thought this “Advance” event was the best thing I’ve experienced while serving on our District. Everyone in our sphere of relationships repeatedly expressed how much they appreciated the spiritual renewal, workshops and District Assembly. … What a beautiful blending of inspirational worship, sharing, teaching and business. Thank you for offering childcare. It makes attending the services possible for my wife and the weekend is far greater when we can go together. Loved, loved, loved the format and content of our district advance!!!!! District Assembly was a huge breathe of fresh air, and my crew and I came away very encouraged. What a tremendous weekend it was! As it was my first assembly on the NEO District, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but......

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Schedule Saturday, June 2 8:00–9:00 am            Registration for Delegates / Café open for Coffee & Snacks 9:00 am–5:00pm      Summer Daze for kids  Birth thru Age 12 9:00–10:30 am           IGNITE Service w/ Roger Hahn 10:45–11:45 am          IGNITING a passion for Christ’s Mission w/ Chuck & Carla Sunberg 11:45am–12:45pm     Lunch – Chick-fil-a Box Meal (catered)  Meal Worksheet-Delegates & Guests Includes breakout sessions for SDMI, Children’s Workers, NYI Workers 1:00–2:00 pm           Workshop Session #1  Workshop Descriptions NMI – Presidents – What Do We Do Next — David Stevens & Council NYI – This is How We Do It — Various Youth Pastors NYI – Students: Sharing your Faith with Others — Eric Hawkinson SDMI/NYI – How to Understand the Bible — Roger Hahn SDMI – Introduction to Love and Logic — Matt Angell SDMI/NYI – NazSafe — Kathy Cott HISP – Estrategias de Crecimiento de la Iglesia — Dannemann/Correa GEN – Best Practices......

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Dear NEO Family, This week is the last week of the 2017-18 church year. I am sure all of us look back on the past year with both thanksgiving and regrets. I am reminded often of the challenge of Paul to the church of Philippi and Northeast Oklahoma: 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 Jesus. When we gather in a few weeks for our annual Advance, we will spend time rejoicing in the way God has helped us this past year and......

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We rejoice in the passion NEO Churches are showing for Christ and His mission. In their monthly reports, Bartlesville, Broken Arrow Core, Chelsea, Cielos Abiertos, Drumright, Fuente de Vida and Tulsa Hills reported salvations. Think of all the parties in heaven! And BA Core and Okmulgee reported baptisms. May God continue to honor our prayers and bless our efforts to scatter the seed of the gospel! Offering of Encouragement for Bristow NEO Nazarenes are such a generous people. Our District Advisory Board recently asked our churches to consider taking an “Offering of Encouragement” to help Bristow accomplish a miraculous purchase of facilities (See Pastor Anthony Beville’s video). Mannford, Sapulpa and Tulsa Central have already committed over $1000 each! Wouldn’t it be great if we could raise at least $20,000 as District churches to match the $20,000 gift from the District (which comes from the sale of the Nowata parsonage this......

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