Conference E-Newsletter
November 2019 - Volume 2, Issue 11
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The purpose of the Oklahoma Conference is to
"Proclaim, Disciple, Live With Christ
"
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Conference President Elder James Shires shares part two of his message on stewardship.
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Dear Conference Family,
The Oklahoma Conference Executive Committee met on October 24 for its regularly scheduled meeting. Below are some of the highlights from that meeting:
- A report for Summit Ridge was given. The lagoon system project is moving along. There has been progress, but it would be great if the weather holds out for a while to allow the completion of the project.
- Wolfe Living Center has a new administrator, Valerie Smith-Hubbartt. The administration is working on establishing Wolfe Living Center as a five-star facility. Summit Ridge is working on some upgrades that include government programs that will be made available to the residents of Summit Ridge. They have also voted to lower the age to be a resident of Summit Ridge from 65 to 55 years of age.
- It was reported that a high percentage of our churches are not turning in their attendance reports; therefore, we cannot give an accurate count of the ministry for church participation. We are encouraging local leadership to help us out in this area.
- The Committee voted to invite Rex Shepherd to the Executive Committee as an Invitee as Oklahoma Conference Pathfinder Director.
- A very minor update in the Employee Handbook was made to the holiday section and minor adjustments were made to the format.
- It was voted for the Oklahoma Conference to have Dr. Brown begin a Feasibility Study for the Wewoka Woods Campaign. Thirty people will be selected from around the conference for an interview for this study.
- The Committee voted to ask Lonnie Carbaugh to serve as the pastor of the Hugo/Antler/Coalgate District.
- Carol Chadwick was voted in as the administrative assistant to the president and executive secretary.
Pastor Apple Park,
Executive Secretary
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Make plans to attend one of the ministry opportunities taking place throughout Oklahoma both at the conference and local church level.
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Sunday, November 2 time will "fall back" and return to Standard time. Make sure you set your clock back one hour Saturday night and enjoy the extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning.
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Join for a weekend of study in God’s Biblical Calendar. Come for just the meetings, or plan to stay in one of the rooms. Accommodations and meal tickets available online.
Visit www.messiahsmansion.com for more information. Register online or call (405) 454-3590
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El Ministerio de de Varones tendra un retiro en Noviembre 8-10 en el Centro Adventista Wewoka Woods. "Hombres de Honor" sera el lema de este fin de semana. Con el orador invitado Pr. Tomas DeGives. También estarán ofreciendo talleres de salud con el invitado Joel Armenta Jr., torneos de futbol y mucho mas. Esperamos ver a todos nuestros hermanos en este esperado evento. Para mas información favor de contactar al Pr. Ciro Castillo a ccastillo@okla-adventist.org.
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In Honor of Their Service
The Southwestern Union is sponsoring this special service to celebrate military personnel, peace officers, and firefighters in our community with a day of encouragement, information, and appreciation.
When: November 9, 2019 9:15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Where: Mansfield Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1951 N. Main St., Mansfield, TX
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As the end of time grows nearer, we must be ever more diligent in sharing the Three Angels' messages to a hurt and dying world. Native Ministries wants to partner with each member of the Oklahoma Conference to share the good news of the Gospel to the Native population and all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples.
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"Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Taking 20 minutes out of your day to reflect upon the people and things you’re grateful for can make you happier than anyone else," says Ky Huang. As we celebrate "Thanksgiving" we might get caught up in with the holiday celebration. Let's not forget to stop and reflect on the abundance and blessings that our Heavenly Father has provided for us. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
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Lonnie and Sarah Carbaugh started their ministry in the Kansas-Nebraska conference serving the Fort Scott district (1990-1995) and the Pittsburg/Galena district (1995-2001). One of their highlights was working with the Fort Scott congregation and Maranatha Builders to complete a new sanctuary in Fort Scott in 1994. Lonnie was ordained to the Gospel ministry at that time. This past summer Lonnie and Sarah went back to help celebrate the 25
th
anniversary of the completion of the sanctuary.
For the last 18 years Lonnie has worked in various roles for Lifestyle Center of America/Full Plate Living and, more recently, as Outpatient Director of the Lighthouse Behavioral Wellness Center in Ada. He and Sarah also served in lay ministry in the Durant Church and the Arbuckle View Church. They are now looking forward to full time ministry in the Antler, Hugo, and Coalgate churches.
Sarah is a graduate of Weimar College, where she received a B.S. degree in Health Science. Lonnie has a B.S. in Personal Ministries and a B.A. in Religion from Atlantic Union College. He also has a Master’s degree in Community Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.
Sarah and Lonnie met in Paradise (California, that is) and have been married for 34 years. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.
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Children's Ministry Training
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TULSA, OKLA. - On October 5, 27 members of the Tulsa Spanish, Broken Arrow Spanish, Independence, Claremore, and Garnett churches received their Understanding Children (Track 1) Certification Graduation. Guided by Damaris Prieto, coordinator of children's ministries for the Tulsa area, the individuals received their certification at the Tulsa Spanish Church.
Congratulations to all teachers for their dedication and effort in attending the three seminar sessions held during 2018-2019. I appreciate the support I had from Sonia Cano, Children’s Ministry Coordinator of the Southwestern Union; Paula Mitchell, Norma Shepherd, and Yesenia Ortega from the Oklahoma Conference; the wives of our pastors in the Tulsa metropolitan area; and the team who helped me as an instructor of the classes. It was definitely a wonderful team effort! I trust that God will reward you with great personal blessings and extend that blessing to our churches.
By Damaris Prieto
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BRISTOW, OKLA. - On October 6 the Oklahoma Pathfinders and Adventurers gathered together for Presidential Fitness Day. The forecast for this event was rain all day long, but the Youth Department decided to go forward and trust that God would take care of the weather and that's exactly what happened. It was a cloudy day with a few drizzles but nothing to stop the exercise activities. In all, 341 youth attended. God is good, all the time!
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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OKLAHOMA CITY - Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Many of our Spanish-speaking churches celebrated. Shown above are some from each country represented by colorful flags, cooking traditional dishes and of course, wearing their traditional outfits.
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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OKLA.- One Mustard Seed Ministry has a primary goal to
focus on finding fun, creative ways to teach young and old the evidence from our planet that God created everything. Rich Aguilera a/k/a "The Mud Guy" visited Oklahoma City, Siloam Springs, and Tulsa to present a wonderful presentation, "What Does the Bible Says About Dinosaurs?" The presentation included a section with 3-D glasses, enhancing the images so they appeared life-like. Many Pathfinder clubs took part in this educational and amazing event.
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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OKLA.- On October 26, the area coordinators for the Oklahoma Pathfinder clubs organized a one-day event for the Pathfinders. Each area had different activities such as gathering at a park and doing nature honors, while others planned a special sabbath program at a church followed with honors. Some of them love camping so much that they did just that! A big thanks to all of our Pathfinder leaders for your time and dedication to the Pathfinder ministry.
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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Community Watermelon Feed
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ARDMORE, OKLA.
- On Sunday, Oct. 27, anyone who drove into the AAA parking lot was met with several tables of cut watermelons and various stations that gave information about our school, our beliefs, and our garden. There were eight humongous tubs filled with watermelons to give away, and as people loaded up their cars, more melons were brought in. There was a whole field full of melons and everything was free due to the untiring, faithful efforts of our farm education manager, Mr. Shawn Speidel, and his wife, Chelsea. The students were particularly interested as they had worked with the crop in several ways. Some had helped planting the melons. When the days were so hot, all of the older students had worked to keep the irrigation system going. Students now joyfully helped harvest extra melons and transport them in a cart or wheelbarrow to the watermelon feed. We all ate our fill! It was a very, very enjoyable event!
By Mary Burton
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ARDMORE, OKLA.- On September 8, 2019, from 2 - 6 p.m., the Ardmore Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted a Health Expo at the Ardmore Convention Center. In the exhibit area, we provided: health screenings, fitness evaluations, glucose testing, BMI calculations, lung testing, a children’s health booth with multiple activities, seated massage, food samples, and health-age appraisal with consultation for risk factors.
The Health Expo was sponsored by Mercy Hospital, Air Evac Lifeteam, Ideal Home Care, Pulmonary Medical Clinic, Southern Oklahoma Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Implants, Walnut Ranch Dental Spa, Prohab Therapy Specialists, Shockey Internal Medicine, Gerkin Orthodontics, Veggies Health Food Center and Vegetarian Restaurant, Oklahoma Academy, Marcum’s Nursery, and the YMCA.
By Jill Carlson, MD
Photos by Pastor Rich Constantinescu
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Better Vision Better Hope
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GUYMON, OKLA.- After Pastor Mang Sawn Lian heard about a vision clinic going on at Okeene, he had the desire to have one at his church to better serve his community. He contacted Better Vision Better Hope, Inc., a non-profit organization that is dedicated to making vision care accessible to those who are in less than desirable circumstances (shelters) and resource-poor communities. The pastor spoke with Andrea Shellenberg and Tasha Shellenberg and filled out the paperwork necessary to make this desire a reality. Three weeks before the clinic day, appointments were already booked.
The day finally came and the Guymon Seventh-day Adventist Church opened its doors at 7:30 a.m. and worked until 4:30 p.m. In all, the clinic served 74 people, providing vision screening, corrective lenses, and frames free of charge. Aside from vision care the group also offered to pray with people and passed out literature like “The Great Controversy” and “Steps to Christ.” The majority of the people who came were Hispanic and that’s where Pastor Robert Perez helped by translating. He also spoke to them about Jesus Christ. People where very open to pray and study the Bible and many accepted Bible studies at their homes. Pastor Mang Lian was very pleased with the outcome as he was able to do the same with the Zomi non-Adventist community that came and were open to hear from the Lord and receive literature and set up Bible studies. Every member of the church helped in different ways. Pathfinders helped with registration and under the leadership of Amy Ward provided meals for the volunteers. The Lord has greatly blessed the Guymon community and expanded His work in this area.
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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Students at Various Adventist Schools Receive Scholarships
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Ardmore Adventist Academy and Tulsa Adventist Academy both received a visit in late October from Rob Sellers, the Director of the Opportunity Scholarship Fund. Sellers presented each school with a "check" representing the donations. TAA had 10 seconds of fame on several Tulsa-area channels, including kjrh.com (
TAA OSF) and AAA on KTEN.com (
KTEN News). Multiple students at each of the schools were beneficiaries of these scholarships, making it possible for them to attend an Adventist school where their educational, social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing is prepared for God's work. Parkview Adventist Academy is expected to receive a similar visit and presentation soon.
During the 2018-2019 school year our eight schools received over $250,000 from Opportunity Scholarship Fund donations. You can learn more about the Opportunity Scholarship Fund in the Resources section below.
By Oklahoma Communication Department
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Identifying Your Cyber Risk and Preventing Cyber-Attacks
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In today's technology-driven world, cyber risk is everywhere. Website administrators must remain vigilant about the risks as churches and schools are not immune to hacks. Church organizations worldwide have been the victims of cybercriminals seeking money or personal information. Learn how you can keep your ministry safe.
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November Offering Schedule
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2nd - Local Church Budget - General operating expenses of the local church.
9th - Annual Sacrifice Global Mission - S
upport frontline evangelism in unentered countries.
16th - Local church Budget - General operating expenses of the local church.
23rd - Onward Oklahoma 2%- Wewoka Woods, Education, Conference Operating.
30th - Local Church Budget - General operating expenses of the local church.
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Communicating
With Generation Z
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Did you know that public educators are quitting their jobs at a faster rate than some schools can replace them? As of last year, “public education employees are leaving their jobs faster than ever recorded,” reports government data
reviewed
by
The Wall Street Journal
.
“Teachers, janitors and other education professionals departed their jobs at an ‘average rate of 83 per 10,000 a month’ in the first 10 months of 2018. It’s the fastest resignation rate since the Department of Labor began measuring these statistics in 2001.” Why is this happening?
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The Opportunity Scholarship Fund (OSF) is a 501(c)(3) scholarship-granting organization providing scholarships for lower-income families to attend accredited private K-12 schools in Oklahoma. Established in late 2014 under the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act, OSF is the premier scholarship granting organization in Oklahoma. OSF offers scholarships to students in grades K-12. Participating donors and sponsors are eligible for state tax income credits and charitable contribution deductions when taxpayers itemize their deductions. Under Oklahoma’s program, a tax credit of 50% is offered for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations such as OSF, and a 75% tax credit for equal pledge amounts for two consecutive years. Credits are capped at $100,000 for qualified business entities, $2,000 for taxpayers filing a joint tax return, and $1,000 for individual tax filers. For more information on how you can participate check with your local Adventist school or go to
http://osfkids.org
.
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Annual Council Takes Action
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During the Annual Council meetings of the General Conference executive committee, which concluded last week, delegates from around the world voted on important issues, including: A new statement on the biblical view of unborn life and implications for abortion; a plan to bring all world church divisions into tithe parity; an official warning to several unions considered to be out of compliance with church policy. The
2019 Annual Council Presentations can be viewed
here
.
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SWAU to host screening of "The Dig"
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Southwestern Adventist University invites you to the North American premiere screening of “The Dig” at 7:00 p.m. on November 16. The series, which is set to air on the Hope Channel in January 2020, will explore the experiences of the Dinosaur Science Museum’s annual fossil dig in Wyoming.
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Bristow Adventist Academy Open House 1996: Back row from left:Steven Trujillo, Luke Fisher, David Gentry, Jennifer Johns, Elisa Fisher Millea, and Jordan Johns. Front row from left: Denny Sein (guitar), Emily Fisher, Allyson Fisher Lambert, Alex Weber Seery, Andrew Fisher, Tuskannie Inlow, and Judith Miller.
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- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 c. chopped onion
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
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Please share your church and school activities by emailing pictures and stories to
Communication@Okla-Adventist.org. Invite others to sign up to receive our
E-Newsletter by visiting our conference website at
www.okadventist.org. The sign-up form is at the bottom of the home page.
Daniel Ortega,
Communication Director
Yesenia Ortega,
Newsletter Manager
Caroline A. Fisher,
Newsletter Editor
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Communication@okla-adventist.org
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