Dear NEO Family, I have told a few friends in recent days that my life feels a little out of sync right now. The last two months have included the death of my dad and all the upheaval that such an event brings, a long vacation to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary, and the holiday season. I have been looking forward to a new year and a time to get back into a “flow”. In the midst of this uneasiness, twice in the last 24 hours I have been challenged to make room in my heart for God to write his story. I think it is a message God has for me as I begin 2019. And maybe it is a message for you as well. Jeffrey Johnson, my friend and the District Superintendent in South Texas, wrote beautifully on this topic to his pastors. I share his words......

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May your Christmas be blessed with peace, joy, hope and love!   From your NEO District Office Staff,   Dr. Dave and Gloria McKellips, Marla Shepherd and Sharon Gunter Electronic Version Hard Copy NEO November Reports I WANT TO CELEBRATE…11/2018 Steve Brown, Cleveland. . . We had great revival services with the Wrights filled with the presence of Holy Spirit. Cary Tipton, Mannford Grace Family Worship Center. . . Nearly 300 attended our Trunk or Treat Wednesday night activity! We felt blessed as we took our first communion together as a church family this month. Yalmi & Norma Izaguirre, Tulsa Regency Iglesia. . . God is blessing us with the commitment to pray in our congregation, and each Saturday we pray together. Austin Troyer, Tahlequah. . . Our young adult small group is really doing well. We meet at the local coffee shop. We do not have many there, but we......

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How Can You Tell If A Church Is On Offense Or Defense? By Karl Vaters   There are two types of churches. Those on offense and those on defense. In recent years, I’ve been in hundreds of rooms with thousands of pastors from both types of churches.   Churches on offense are not different from churches on defense in any external way. They and their pastors struggle with the same challenges of facility, finances and attendance. They’re in rural communities, suburbs and inner cities. They come from all denominational (and nondenominational) traditions. But a room full of pastors on offense is a joyous, hopeful place, while a room full of pastors on defense feels sad and hopeless. The difference is so stark you can almost literally smell it in the air. So what makes the difference?   The Difference Between Defense And Offense   Churches on defense talk about the......

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Dear NEO Family, Words cannot express how much your expressions of love and prayer have meant to me and our family as we deal with the loss of my Dad. Your stories and words of concern have led to many tears of joy and gratitude. My thanksgiving is not only for the wonderful father I have had and his impact on so many, but also for the privilege of sharing this journey with all of you. THANK YOU just hardly seems adequate. We love you and consider it a joy to be on this journey together. We will celebrate Dad’s home going this SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, at 10:30 AM; Tulsa Central Church of the Nazarene. Much of who I am – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – is because of the influence of my dad. He taught me to live a life marked by faith in Jesus Christ,......

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We will celebrate the home going of Rev. Harold Monroe McKellips (aka “Pastor Dad”) this SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, at 10:30 AM; Tulsa Central Church of the Nazarene. In lieu of flowers, any who would like to give a gift in memory of Rev. Harold M. McKellips are encouraged to give to either the NEO District Pastors’ Fund or to Collective Humanity. The pastors’ fund is one that he gave to while he was living. It provides help with counseling for pastors and their families and assistance in times of need. Collective Humanity is a nonprofit organization founded to empower marginalized communities around the world to rise above poverty through dignified economic opportunities....

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Living with Evangelistic Passion Northeast Oklahoma was blessed to have Paul and Ann Stubbs move to Northeast Oklahoma after they ended their active years of ministry to the global church and its missionaries. They have served several churches as interim pastor and spouse in retirement and were deeply loved wherever they labored. I don’t know if I have ever known someone to continue to serve so tirelessly and fervently in retirement as Paul Stubbs.  In the 84th year of his life,  in his “Annual Report of Retired Minister”, he reported an incredible level of activity: Times Preached Nursing Homes – 156 John 3:16 Mission – 12 Fill-in at Churches – 9 Visits to Shut-ins – 206 Prayed with People to Accept Jesus – 346 I would say Paul helped a lot of people have a “fantabulous” day! Who would think that Paul himself was battling lung disease while he......

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“How about those Chiefs?” This was the greeting on my voicemail on Tuesday morning. The KC Chiefs had defeated the Denver Broncos the night before and my Dad was calling from his rehab center to rejoice in the win. Many of us will be greeting one another with “Boomer…Sooner” as we get ready for a Cotton Bowl win against Texas (I sure hope I don’t have to eat these words!). The truth is, when we are zealous about something, when we really love it, we talk about it. We invite others to experience it. We want to share the joy. Why is it that we can be more enthusiastic about a football team, a new restaurant or a new TV show that we are about Jesus? Almost a year ago, Kevin and Sherry Harney came to our District to help us learn to share our passion for God naturally.......

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The role of the District Sunday School & Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) is to promote the work of making disciples through Sunday School/Small Group growth on the district, as well as for program-oriented ministries of outreach, evangelism and Christian nurture for all age levels. I am excited to be working with a great group of godly men and women across our district to fulfill this role and our church’s mission “to make Christlike disciples” here in Northeast Oklahoma and across the nations. The SDMI ministry teams are working diligently to bring opportunities for us to gather, learn and be equipped for this calling. Our Children’s Ministry Council, headed by Beckie Richburg, is getting ready for Kids Mission Day coming up on Saturday, October 13. They are also working with kids across the district and going deeper into God’s Word as they prepare for many upcoming Bible quizzes throughout the......

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Hello NEO Churches! Now that summer is coming to an end, NYI can catch their breath for just a moment and get ready for fall and winter events. The fall is my favorite time of the year because it’s football season. I love going and spending time together at our high school football games hanging out with our church people, our teenagers, and our community. This is my passion – living outside the church and being with the community that needs us. Wouldn’t it be great if we, the church body, get out and support our football teams and get to know the people around us so we can have a better idea of how to minister in our city? What is neat about this is that this is something that the different generations can do together. When different generations get together outside the church and do things together,......

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CHANGE This is the season that brings a lot of changes.  Children start a new grade, the weather is cooling down, trees are starting to change color, and the list could go on and on. I want to share about changes in NMI.  On the District NMI, one change is that President David Stevens asked me, Linda Holland, to serve as interim president. David is not leaving, but he needed a break, a sabbatical, to refresh himself.  If you need to contact me, send me an email. Another change in our District NMI is that Cynthia Hollingsworth is our new Work and Witness director.  If you have questions or want information, contact her through email. There are also changes from the General NMI Convention. We have a new logo, we changed the constitution a little, and we tried to make it easier for you in the local church to share......

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