Advocating Justice for the Poor and the Environment
Please join us on March 6, 2017 for the 34th annual Day at the Legislature! This important event is a rare opportunity to network and learn from the brightest speakers today on a variety of topics related to two of OCC's focus areas: Poverty and Environment. Individuals, schools, civic organizations, and church groups are all encouraged to participate.
For those wishing to stay beyond the closing session (and hopefully miss rush hour traffic), St. Paul's Cathedral is offering an evening reception from 4:30 to 5:30 in the foyer of the Education Building. An invitation to all State Legislators has been extended. This will be followed by a Worship Service in the St. Nicholas Chapel from 5:30-6:00 p.m.
A wonderful array of speakers has been lined up to educate, motivate, and encourage you! We are excited to present Rev. Peter S. Sawtell, executive director of Eco-Justice Ministries, as the closing speaker in the sanctuary at St. Paul's Cathedral at 3:45 p.m. Additionally, Rev. Sawtell will present an afternoon breakout session. Sawtell has a diverse background in academics, professional work, and community involvement. He is based out of Denver, CO.
Oklahoma Commissioner Terri White and the Rev. Dr. Mark Davies of Oklahoma City University are also featured speakers. Commissioner White has
addressed this body during the last two years and is always in high demand as a speaker. She heads the Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the State of Oklahoma. Davies is
the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics at OCU and is heavily involved in environmental issues both in Oklahoma and in national-wide organizations.
The entire event, including lunch, afternoon workshops, closing session with Peter Sawtell, the evening reception and worship service will be held at St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th St., OKC, due to ongoing renovations at the State Capitol.
Free parking is available around the Cathedral on 7th Street and on Robinson, as well as in the parking lot on the south side of the Cathedral.
Complimentary transportation has been arranged from Tulsa, Lawton, Enid, and Stillwater via church vans. To reserve your place, please call or e-mail the contacts listed below:
Tulsa -
East Side Christian Church: Evan Taylor at etaylor@escc.org or 918-744-1377.
Lawton -
Cameron Campus Ministry at 580-699-2004.
Enid -
Lynne Bussell at 580-233-7061 or lbussell@enid.com.
Stillwater -
First Christian Church: Rev. John Bain at 405-372-7722.
Check-in (with coffee and pastries) begins at 8:30 a.m.
The
Religions United Committee of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches organized and conducted an International Interfaith Tour to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, January 4-11, 2017. Twenty-two persons participated in the tour: seven Jews, ten Christians, and five Muslims. Twelve participants came from Oklahoma City or surrounding cities and ten came from the Tulsa area.
OCC is grateful to the
Zarrow Family Foundation for generous financial support which helped to make the tour possible.
Those who went learned a great deal about the land which all three Abrahamic faiths call "Holy" and about the current geopolitical situation. Carla Hinton, religion editor of
The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com, participated in the tour and has published a number of stories and interviews about the group's experiences.
Click here: http://newsok.com/article/5537582
Throughout the year members of the Religions United Committee and other participants will be presenting their own reports, including stories and visuals, at various locations. The next presentation will be held between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on March 5, 2017 at Temple B'nai Israel (4901 N. Pennsylvania, OKC).
For Dr. Tabbernee's report on the trip, please click
HERE.
For more information on
Israel and Palestine A Chance For Peace, see below or visit the JewishMuslimFilmInstitute.com.
Spring 2017 Disaster
Spiritual Care Academy Trainings Continue
Last chance to register for
March 9 Duncan "Local Spiritual Care Responder Training" -- registration deadline is March 6!
Oklahoma has experience a new disaster, on average, every 7.5 weeks since March 2015. Although the new year has just begun, we are preparing for the upcoming 2017 storm season by scheduling a number of trainings, organized into three "Academies."
Last chance for spring "Local Spiritual Care Responder" training!
Local Spiritual Care Responder training: Duncan, March 9, 2017
This training is designed for those who want to be prepared and creden-tialed to respond to disasters in their local areas. Trainings are open to clergy and non-clergy, although only clergy qualify for credentialing at this level. (This training is required for ALL additional courses and Provider categories.)
Intermediate Disaster Spiritual Care Academy
These trainings are for clergy and non-clergy seeking credentialing as "Deployed Spiritual Care Responders" who are trained and prepared to respond to disasters outside of their local areas. The Local Spiritual Care Responder training is a prerequisite for trainings in this category.
* Intermediate Disaster Spiritual Care: Oklahoma City, Mar. 23, 2017 * Religious and Cultural Competence: Oklahoma City, Mar. 23, 2017 * QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer): Oklahoma City, Mar. 24, 2017 * Psychological First Aid: Oklahoma City, Mar. 24, 2017
* Intermediate Disaster Spiritual Care: Duncan, Apr. 5, 2017 * Religious and Cultural Competence: Duncan, Apr. 5, 2017
Team Leader Academy
Team Leaders are trained and prepared to coordinate and direct teams of trained responders. Local Spiritual Care Responder and the Deployed Spiritual Care Responder trainings are pre-requisites for this category.
* ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training): Oklahoma City, March 29-30, 2017
* Team Leader Training: Oklahoma City, April 27, 2017
"Israel and Palestine: A Chance for Peace," a review of the OCC International Interfaith Tour, 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Temple B'Nai Israel, 4901 N. Pennsylvania, OKC.
March 6, 2017
Day at the Legislature, 8:30-4:30 p.m., plus optional reception from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and Worship Service from 5:30-6:00 p.m. To be held at St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th, OKC.
April 19, 2017
Evening of Listening, 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th, OKC. Topic: Islamophobia: Islam, Christianity, and America.
May 11, 2017
Evening of Listening, 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th, OKC. Topic to be announced.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
March 2, 2017
Muslim Day at the Capitol
Sign up to support this event at this link for Interfaith Alliance Foundation Oklahoma.
March 3, 2017
Faith Community Nurses Association Conference
"Collecting the Wisdom: Harnessing the Power of Faith Community Nursing."
For nurses, health professionals, health ministers, clergy, and anyone interested in gaining skills in a caring ministry in their faith community. Crossings Community Center, 10255 N. Pennsylvania, OKC. Details at www.fcnaok.org. or contact Brenda Rice at 405-642-1512, brenda@rice. net.
March 9, 2017
Relating the Holocaust to Issues of Today. Dialogue Institute Luncheon Forum with author Michael Korenblit. 11:30 a.m. 4444 N. Classen, OKC, www.dialogueok.org
March 26, 2017
The 2 Windows Project
A discussion panel on Creation and the Environment with Fr. Richard Rohr. 6:30 p.m. Tickets $5 in advance and $7 at the door (if available). Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.
March 26-28, 2017
Young Clergy Conference: a conference for clergy under 40. Complete information and schedule: www.youngclergycon.com.
World Religions Expo at Oklahoma City University. 2:00-5:00 p.m. Contact Lisa Wolfe with questions at LWolfe@okcu.edu
or 405-208-5286.
March 28, 2017
Art Show Benefit -Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry
at the Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center, 2021 E. 71st, Tulsa.
April 11, 2017
Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Care Coordination in Oklahoma. Sponsored by PsychU. 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Embassy Suites Downtown/Medical in OKC. Register at this link PsychU.
May 10, 2017
Interfaith Security Conference
sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater OKC. Contact Roberta Clark at roberta@jfedokc.org or call 405-848-3132 for more info. Register for 9:00 a.m. session OR 1:30 p.m.session.
May 25, 2017
Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Annual Awards Dinner at Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center, 2021 E 71st, Tulsa.
SAVE THE DATE!
The
2017 OCC Annual Dinner has been scheduled for
November 9 in the
Sam Noble Special Events Center at the
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd Street, Oklahoma City. Please put this date in your calendar
now. More details to come as they are available.
First 2017 Evening of Listening on Dialoguing about Climate Change
The popular Evenings of Listening series co-sponsored by OCC and St. Paul's Cathedral presented"How to Open Dialogue on Climate Change"on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
Nathaniel Batchelder and Pat Hoerth, members of OCC's Committee of the Environment, along with Jane Wheeler gave a highly practical and effective presentation in a kind and respectful manner.
Changes we see in the weather or nature around us cause a mixture of emotions. These may include fear, disbelief, denial, anger, passion, and even helplessness. Everyone has questions about our climate. The best way to educate others is to meet them where they are on this topic in a non-threatening way.
This presentation was a user-friendly, interactive approach to facing, expressing, and acting on our love for our planet home, our concern for the changes happening, and our desire to do things that will make a difference. It has been successfully presented around the state by the
Oklahoma United Methodist Environmental Coalition. The goal is to replicate the presentation in as many local congregations as possible.
To read the OCC Statement on Climate Change, please click
HERE.
Free and open to the public, the Evening of Listening series is a bimonthly presentation of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches in cooperation with St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 N.W. 7th St., Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Conference of Churches
301 N.W. 36th St.
Oklahoma City
73118
The Oklahoma Conference of Churches connects, motivates, and empowers the witness of Christian communities and individuals through-out Oklahoma on issues of faith and social justice.
