NEO Team Update

Message from the DS
I love Pastors! And NEO has tremendous Pastors!
In the last few weeks I have shared breakfast or lunch with most of our pastors. What a treat for me! On more than one occasion, as we were sharing blessings and prayer requests, pastors shared that their church was getting older. That is certainly a blessing, for with age spiritual maturity often follows. Of course, there is also concern. -if we don’t begin to reach a younger crowd, what will happen to the church in 10 to 20 years?
I looked in the files this week and saw an article by Thom Rainer on “Five Ways Some Senior Adult Churches Became Younger.” Let me share part of it below:
Hear me clearly. I am not suggesting there is anything inherently wrong with a congregation of senior adults. But I have been asked on numerous occasions how these churches can possibly reach younger families. Rather than give you my own subjective opinions, let me share with you five different ways some churches have actually accomplished this feat.
1. They prayed for younger people to come to their church. Sometimes in our quest to find methodological solutions in our churches, we neglect the most important Source of our needs: God through prayer. Some senior adult churches have done just that. They have subsequently seen young families and young singles come into their churches.
Click HERE to read the complete article.
Our Board of Ministry will be interviewing those recommended by local churches for a District License and Ordination in March. Check out the licensing and credentialing process on our website. MIT Instruction LINK.
Pastor Joe Gschwandtner let me know that Wagoner Church will be celebrating their 75th Anniversary on Saturday, March 29, 1 – 4pm.
District Assembly 2025, including Ordination, will be in Bartlesville on Saturday, June 7. Our Global Missions Convention will be on June 6, along with an evening service featuring Dr. Gustavo Crocker speaking.
You are loved!
Dave McKellips
NYI NEO Retreat RESCHEDULED, February 7-9, 2025
EVERYONE WHO WAS ALREADY REGISTERED IS STILL REGISTERED! Drew Dinnel (revdinnel@gmail.com) has sent out the previous registration list to each church; we need confirmation for EVERY camper! If a student is unsure, please don’t mark them as “confirmed.” If a student or adult can’t attend now, please mark them as so.
- The schedule for the event that was originally sent out in the promotional materials will remain the same. Dinner on Friday, Feb 7th, will still be on your own!
- Please pray for Winter Retreat! We are trusting that God is in control and is moving through this event to impact and shape our students and our churches. Pray for the speakers, worship team, adult leaders, and students, and that discipleship may be first and foremost!
Register Here for the Winter Retreat
NEO KIDS & FAMILY NIGHT OF WORSHIP is Cancelled (due to Flue & Covid Outbreak)
M25 Gospel, Feb. 10 – 12, Kansas City M25 is a quadrennial USA/Canada Nazarene conference focused on evangelism, advancing the regional vision, the Cycle of Resurgence, and the 2025 emphasis on Bringing People to Jesus. Featuring plenary speakers, workshops, affinity group meetings, and worship, the conference will equip pastors, lay leaders, and students to engage in fresh approaches to evangelism. The District is ready to invest in you and your lay leaders by giving each person a post event scholarship of $50 to help with the registration cost. We already have 50 people registered and hope to have 100! If you need housing options, some on our district have room in an Airbnb rental.
M25 is a USA/Canada regional quadrennial Nazarene conference focused entirely on evangelism. It will further the regional vision, our CoRe Strategy (Cycle of Resurgence), and in particular our 2025 emphasis of Bringing People to Jesus. The agenda will include plenary speakers, break-out workshops, affinity group meetings, and corporate worship times. Pastors, lay leaders, and students will leave this conference encouraged, equipped, empowered, and ready to engage in new ways of Bringing People to Jesus.
Check out the excellent line up of exhibitors that will be ready to support you in ministry here!
Kids’ Ministry
Is Going to be Exciting in 2025
SAVE THE DATE:
NEO Kids’ Camp, Jul 14 – 17, 2025
Bringing People to Jesus Webinar
March 11, 2025
12:00 CST
Topic: Multiplying Churches by Cultivating a Culture of Missional Evangelism
Guest Speakers: Jad and Jamie Levi, pastors of Trinitas Church
Description: It’s been said that in the West, “we don’t plant churches—we start services.” Join us as we explore practical ways to plant the gospel and establish Christ-centered communities by living out foundational Kingdom principles rooted in prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit.
4th Annual Half Million Mobilization Call to Prayer
Save the date for our 2025 Bringing People to Jesus Half-Million Mobilization. This initiative will run from Easter to Pentecost, so save the dates of April 20th to June 8th, 2025. Resources will be coming soon and will include the following:
– Sermon Series
– Prayer Journal
– Children’s Resources
We invite Nazarenes from across the region to PRAY together for our communities and opportunities to share the GOSPEL this year!