Newsletter 01.15.14

January 15, 2014

CHURCH OF THE SERVANTBi-Weekly NEWSLETTER

Issue: 14.1

My wife and I have just returned from a mission trip to Maua, Kenya. It was life-changing to join the ten-mem-ber team from Church of the Servant there as we made our home base at the Methodist hospital.

The first Methodist missionaries came to Kenya in 1862. A mission was opened at Meru in 1912, and almost im-mediately a ‘dressers’ school started. Dressers were basically medics. Today, Maua Methodist Hospital is an agency of the Methodist Church of Kenya and serves as a regional medical center in the Maua area of Mere Province.

Serving over a million people, the hospital provides general medical ser-vices including maternity, surgery, den-tal and optical. In addition to the “in

house” services, the hospital has an ex-tensive Community Health Department (CHD) that includes palliative care, op-eration of a clinic at Ndoleli, supervising emergency food relief and feeding pro-grams for children in schools. Through

its programs the hospital cares for about 10,000 orphans.

The area where the hospital is lo-cated is both rural and rough, but beau-tiful. Our team built a house for AIDS or-phans. We also went bed-to-bed every day praying for the sick - including AIDS patients, the children in the burn center, and the terminally ill.

In addition we took extensive visits to the very impressive satellite system. The hospital has established churches and schools throughout the most dif-ficult-to-reach areas. The Methodist church, through the mission of the hos-pital, reaches thousands with the good news of Jesus Christ daily.

The Kenyan people are powerful people of faith despite their poverty. They are energetically sharing their faith every day as they save lives. They are a true inspiration.

I will tell you more in the weeks ahead, but for now let me simply say, “Thank you.” Your support for our Mis-sion to Maua saved souls and saved lives!

I encourage you to pray for God’s direction in your life as you consider where God may be calling you to serve!

- Robert

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Dr. Robert GorrellSenior Minister

“Your support for our Mission to Maua saved souls and saved lives!”

AmAzing mission in AfricA

Kenya Mission Team

Prime Time Valentine Celebration

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Prime Time on Thursday, February 13, 10:30 a.m., in Community Hall. Join your old friends and new friends for a delightful pro-gram as always and a delicious meal. A surprise program for this meeting will be announced later, but as usual it will be superb!

After a short business meeting, we will be served a great meal consisting of chicken Alfredo with peas, garlic toast, green salad, and strawberry shortcake. If you can stay for the program only, the cost is $2.00. But we always advise you to stay for the meal and wonderful fellowship for a total cost of only $10.00.

Make your reservation at the Welcome Center or call the church office, 721-4141, by 4 p. m., Monday, February 10. Remember, if you make a reservation and later find you cannot attend, please call to cancel, as Prime Time must pay for all reservations. See you at Prime Time!

SERVANT January 15, 2014 I Page 3

missionsSTOP HUNGER NOW FISH APPEAL - January 19

To reach our goal, we need 250 families committed to giving $160, which will feed a family of six for a whole month. This Fish Appeal is the opportunity for all of us to be connected and invested in this amazing mission that feeds people around the world. Help us reach the goal and celebrate the work God is doing through our church. Registration begins Sunday, January 26. Come by the table to sign up groups or individual and begin to get excited for this February 23 church-wide day of mission! Thank you for planning ahead how you will be involved in Stop Hunger Now, coming on Sunday, February 23.

Each year we collect Fish funds to do mission right here and around the world through the mission partnerships and experiences in which this congregation serves. These funds are from the weekly offerings that our congregation gives during the Servant Hymn. I want to share with you where Fish funds were spent in 2013.

• $3000 for our Mobile Meals program serving the elderly here in OKC• $2100 helped send 21 people on mission to the Potter’s House in June• $4000 supported our annual Rebuilding Together House Remodel Day

and $3000 went to a matching grant to continue the work of Rebuilding Together throughout the year

• $2000 for mission scouting trip to Vietnam• $900 for the college mission trip to Tennessee• $1350 for the high school mission trip to New Orleans • $800 for tornado clean-up buckets.• $1500 for children of incarcerated parents to attend New Day Camp• $300 to support a student missionary • $4000 for mission and Bush Clinics in Maua, Kenya• $1000 Grace Fellowship Ministry feeding the homeless of OKC• $1200 Servant Day - 156 members in service around the city this day• $4500 Student Scholarships at Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso• $1000 US-2 Missionary partnership with St. John’s UMC• $250 for emergency groceries bagsBesides the weekly offerings given, we had Several Special Fish Appeals this

year that totaled $128,000 and benefited Stop Hunger Now, Skyline Clothes for

Kids, Skyline Food Pantry, Oklahoma May Tornado Relief, and UMCOR.

Our Annual Fit to Serve Event this September raised $11,909 for our Whiz Kids program which meets 30 Mondays a year and involved 48 inner-city chil-dren and 70 volunteers weekly.

In November and December you supported Hannah’s Promise by pur-chasing the bags and aprons the chil-dren made and gave $1700 to this mis-sion respite ministry for families with children who have special needs.

The Christmas Eve offering of $5798.00 will help to continue our car seat ministry that has given 603 car seats to needing families since February 2011.

I continue to be blessed and in-spired by the generosity and servant spirits of our congregation. As the body of Christ, we put our pocketbooks be-hind the mission ministry of this church and put our lives in the middle of it with our service. Your 2014 Mission Council is excited and ready to discern and lead our church into the mission opportunities that God has for us this year!

With much gratitude, -Dr. Robyn Goggs

Your Fish Funds at Work in 2013:

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WomenWomen’s Winter/Spring Offerings

Begin the New Year in a Bible study group. There are studies beginning the week of January 20 that will last 10 weeks – into April. This is a great way to build discipleship accountability while growing in faith with a community of women. The brochure for new studies is now available at the Welcome Center and registration will be taken until Sunday, January 19. If you are returning to a study this winter, let your facilitator/leader know, so books can be ordered.

Check out the many different studies offered this spring: TUESDAY MORNINGS: Sharing the Kingdom: 1 Timothy In the Dust of the Rabbi Scraps and Scriptures God’s Handiwork Quilting Class Body and Soul Dance Blast (evening)WEDNESDAY MORNINGS: Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make SenseWEDNESDAY EVENINGS: The Journey / The Power of a Whisper Messy Spirituality Finding your Voice in the Psalms The Working Mom’s Group: The Worn-Out Woman: When Life is Full and Your Spirit is EmptyFRIDAY MORNINGS: Mom’s Group: Girls Still Got It

Winter Coats for Skyline Urban Ministries

All year-long we are encouraged to donate clothes to the ministry of Skyline in northeast Oklahoma City, but espe-cially at this time of year there is a great need of coats. Please look through your closets or pick up a new coat that you could donate to keep another person warm this winter. Coats can be left in the blue bins, marked for Skyline, found around the church.

Kindred Community: A Support Group for Widowed WomenInterest and Information Gathering

Tuesday, January 28, 5:30pm, South Adult room 1

Final markdowns on Christmas items at Earthglow. Come in and see what’s new for spring, including unique

gardening items! All profits go to missions.

It is impossible to understand the trauma of being a wid-ow unless one has experienced the loneliness and anxiety of starting over alone. Our society does not know how to care for a widow in her grief. Sure, there are casseroles and sympathy cards for the first few weeks... but what about one year, or three years later? Many widows lose friendships, experience financial hardship, or struggle with illness themselves. Often, the realities of life as a widow bring their own, fresh grief.

Using the Stand in the Gap ministry model, we will be of-

fering a new support opportunity for women through Women’s Ministry. You can check them out by visiting their website at www.sitgm.org. The hope is that creating a community of sup-port will enable others to gather around widows, support them in practical and emotional ways, form small Kindred Commu-nities of widows who can empathize with, learn from, and sup-port each other. Being a widow does not have to mean being alone.

“This small group changed my life. For six months we have shared at the deepest level. Since all of us have endured the same crippling heartbreak, we can go together

where an outsider, even family members, could not possibly go.”- Kindred Community participant

With this model, widows provide each other with rela-tional, emotional and spiritual support while providing a forum to share wise counsel and brainstorm solutions to problems. If they have questions about specific issues, appropriate re-sources from the community are invited to share or identify needed resources. A successful outcome is achieved when each widow is moving through the grieving process at her own pace, looking to the future with a renewed sense of enthusi-

asm, and able to provide wise suggestions to other widows based on her journey and experience.

Please come on Tuesday, January 28 if this is a need in your life, or invite women inside or outside the church com-munity to join us this day. For questions or to confirm your attendance contact Sherri Price at 748-3111, or [email protected].


Adultello, my name is Jenna Savage and I am the Middle School Co-ordinator here at Church of the

Servant. I would love to share with you the journey God has taken me on to end up here at this beautiful church. I grew up in a very loving, close family. I have very early memories of my grandmother who was a pastor and her love for the Lord. Although my immediate family was very loving, we were not consis-tent in attending church. I do remember visiting my aunt’s church at age eight and feeling the Holy Spirit move. From that moment when I was eight to when I graduated High School, I was not very involved in my church or the youth group. I had my own selfish agenda and sought after things that I thought would bring me joy. After graduating High School, I knew that something was missing in my life. I moved to Edmond to go to UCO. The move sparked the beginning of my journey to truly seek God fully. I realized what a true rela-tionship with Him meant and wanted to make that public. In April 2008, I was baptized. God began to work in my heart those first years of college, pre-paring me for ministry. It was something

that I never had planned for myself and often felt unworthy to do. His grace and mercy showed me my worth in Him and the calling He put on my heart. In 2009 I worked in a Summer Camp in Texas. It became clear to me that I had a passion for students. My summer at the camp was not what I expected though. Going to what I thought was a Christian camp, I was told I could not do nightly devo-tions with my group of girls. God led me to do so anyways, and what a bless-ing that was! I was alone with no fam-ily and barely any friends who had the same beliefs that I did. It was then that I learned to really rest in God. I relied on his strength and He got me through. Even with the hardship I faced, I knew there was no greater joy or love that I had than getting the opportunity to be part of students’ lives and walk with them through some of the most difficult and confusing years of their lives. God has been so faithful and so present in my life. I am very thankful to now be the Church of the Servant Middle School Coordinator and count it as one of my biggest blessings.

- Jenna

Jenna SavageMiddle School Coordinator

H

musicCelebration Choir to ITALY in 2015

We would love for you to Join Us!Members of the Celebration Choir will be traveling

through Italy in June 2015! Some are taking their non-sing-ing spouses, family and friends. Why don’t you join us? The choir will be singing in some of the great cathedrals, includ-ing St. Peter’s Basilica with a massed choir. We will also be providing a few concerts on our own during our visit. Non-singing participants will have the option to join other non-singers on special tours, shopping, etc or you can explore on your own during the time the choir rehearses. Departing from OKC on June 13, we will fly to Rome for several days then travel to Tuscany, Florence, Pisa and Venice before returning to OKC on June 22. Cost is approximately $4,150

and is made in quarterly payments. Included are air fare, hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, and admission to several attractions. Brochures are available at the Welcome Cen-ter, detailing the fabulous trip and highlighting such sites as the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican Museum with its breathtaking art and a tour of Ancient Rome, including the Colosseum. We will also experience the Tuscany region, the beautiful city of Florence and view Michelangelo’s Da-vid, the Leaning Bell Tower of Piza and the historical center of Venice. First payment of $500.00 is due Feb 2! For more information, contact Chuck Weatherford or Rachel Mitchell in the Music Ministry office.

BLUE BULBSIf you placed a blue bulb on the Tree of Remembrance

during Advent and would like to have your bulb, please come by Care Ministries

office by the end of January.


u Benton Ashabranner and Laura Win-chester as Benton recuperates from surgery; and Laura’s mother, Georgia Winchester, deals with health issues.u Geoff Baker and Susan King-Baker as Geoff deals with health issues.u Patsy Brock as Patsy’s granddaughters , Jesse Stuber and Tasha Libby, both deal with health issues.u Sandy and Kathryn Cashion as Sandy recuperates from a procedure.u Susan Dage as she deals with health issues.u Bill and Lilly Dunlap as Lilly recuperates from injuries from a fall.u Robert and Joyce Ezell as Joyce recuper-ates from a surgical procedure.u Joyce Gaige as Joyce’s son, Matthew Gaige, deals with health issues; and Joyce’s granddaughter, Ashley Davis, deals with health issues.u Dennis and Sally Gilstrap as Dennis undergoes tests and is hospitalized at the OK Heart Hospital.u Leon, Debbie, and Sean Gold as Debbie’s brother, Billy Scott, deals with health issues.u Annette Gonzalez as she recuperates from surgery and is a resident at Northwest Nursing Center.u Denene Harper as Denene deals with health issues and undergoes tests.u Barbara Holland as she recuperates from outpatient surgery.u Mary Jessup as she recuperates from outpatient surgery.u Matt and Nanci Judkins as their friend, Robin Cannon, is hospitalized in Kentucky.u David, Sarah, and Jackson Krivy as Sarah’s father, Larry Seward, undergoes treatment in Little Rock, AR.u Jim and Marcia Massey as they both deal with health issues and Marcia is hospital-ized at the OU Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital.u Tate, Gina, Ryan, and Jaeden Musae as Gina’s father, Glenn Meriwether, recuperates from surgery.

uRoger Burton and Family at the death of Roger’s mother, Faye Burton.uRoy and Linda Chappell and Family at the death of their son, Blake Chappell.uDon and Maurie Cole and Family at the death of Don’s brother, Casey Cole.uDon and Shelly Coleman and Family at the death of Don’s mother, Frances Coleman.uAnthony and Bethany Gonzalez, Lia Lea Richmond, and Family at the death of Anthony’s and Bethany’s son and Lia Lea’s grandson, Noah Gonzalez.uYsleta Hansen and Jim and Serena Evans and Family at the death of Ysleta’s husband and Serena’s father, Duane Thomas Hansen.uLarry and Suzy Lemon and Family at the death of Larry’s mother, Irene Lemon.uJohn and Kay Martin and Family at the death of Kay’s father, George Todd.uDorothy Mulholland and Family at the death of Dorothy’s husband, Charles Mulhol-land.uSherri Rector and Family at the death of Sherri’s son, Donald Jameson.uPaul and Patti Teague and Family at the death of Paul’s father, J. B. Teague.uCharles, Alaine, Brian and Temple Thig-pen and Family at the death of Charles’ mother, Alaine’s mother-in-law, and Brian’s and Temple’s grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Thigpen.uLloyd and Sue Williams and Family at the death of Lloyd’s stepfather, Wayne Shoptaw.

our life togetHerour PrAyers

our symPAtHy

celebrAting memoriesuA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Music Ministry in memory of Carl Brock by Robert & Opal Warren.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Music Ministry in memory of Martha Hardin by Bill & Mary White.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Memorial Fund in memory of Dorothy Adams by Marty & Dorothy Chris-tensen.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Music Ministry in memory of Dorothy Adams by Bill & Melba Howard.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Music Ministry in memory of Carl Brock by Bill & Melba Howard.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Care Ministry in memory of David Landrum by Anthony & Sharon Howard.uA contribution has been made to Church of the Servant Missions Ministry in memory of Carl Brock by Dick & Leah Beale.

u Jo Ann Pace as she recuperates from surgery and undergoes physical therapy.uEric, Jeanna, and Amelia Stewart as Jeanna deals with health issues.uJim and Lynda Talkington as Lynda recu-perates from surgery.uWillie, Lynsey, Karter, Kate, Koleton, and Karson Thomas as Lynsey undergoes treat-ment.uDenver and Yvonne Woolsey as Yvonne deals with health issues.

Our Prayers continued...

DEAR FRIENDS,I want to thank you for your support

and prayers in the sudden departure of sweet Dorothy to the home of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I also want to thank you for the cards and your personal concerns. I know that with your great help and a faith in God, I made it through the transition of Dorothy’s end of life. With all my love and God bless all of you. - Robert Adams

WOODCARVING CLASSWoodcarving class taught by Bob

Gentry will start Wednesday, January 29, and continue through Wednesday, April 16. You will learn basic woodcarving tech-niques and create your own work, using carving tools, sharpening devices, and sim-ple whittling. You choose your project from pattern “cutouts”. No previous experience is required, but you need to call Bob at 721-2569 to learn the necessary type of knife to bring to class.

Join Bob January 29, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Television Studio (downstairs). Cost is $15.

www.facebook.com/ChurchoftheServantOKC

twitter.com/servantchurch


AdultTwo Six-week Studies

In Thirteen WeeksBeginning Tuesday, February 4 through March 18,

John Farr will lead a study from John Ortberg’s book, “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.” Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspir-acy, writes about this study, “John Ortberg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you out-side your comfort zone. Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God.” It will be a challenging study, but one you will enjoy.

John Farr will begin the second study, 3:16 by Max Lucado. It begins March 25 and ends April 29. Experi-ence the essential truth of the Christian faith as Max Lucado unpacks one of the most beloved scriptures in the entire Bible - John 3:16. Timeless and powerful, these words proclaim a message of love, a source of hope, and a promise of life.

Both of these incredible studies will be held in North Adult room 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday each week. You may register at the Welcome Center or online at www.churchoftheservant.com. Be sure to buy the book(s) at an area Christian book store or online.

BUCK and a BIBLEBuck and a Bible resumes on January 21 in Community Hall.

Dr. Matt Judkins leads this men’s Bible study that meets Tuesday mornings, 6:30-7:30 a.m. in Community Hall. Anyone who wants to attend is welcome!

It’s Not Too Early or Too Late to Make Your Marriage Better

Admittedly, the hard part is staying in love - that is, keeping intimacy alive, even growing closer - through the years. Whether you are entering the “empty nest” stage of life, or are newly mar-ried, couple life is always teetering on the brink of new challeng-es, obstacles, and opportunities for growth. From the baby/tod-dler years, with their endless miles of diapers, wall-to-wall Legos and peanut-butter-covered doorknobs, through soccer leagues, skinned knees, and water balloon fights, to the sometimes exas-perating and always-challenging adolescent years - life can cer-tainly zip by!

With the changes that this new year will bring to us all, our marriages will change - hopefully for the better. In our fast-paced world, our marriages can move from a partner-focused marriage to a child-focused and activity-focused relationship exclusively. Ei-ther couples will guard their relationship and continue to nurture it; or by lack of attention, will put their relationship on the “back burner” and give each other bottom-of-the-barrel energy, bottom-of-the-barrel time, and bottom-of-the-barrel priority.

If your deepest desire in your marriage is to finish well, as Paul speaks of finishing the race - “We have fought the good fight, we have finished the race, we have kept the faith…” (2Timothy 4:7) - what do you want your marriage to look like? What about making a list of things you hope will describe your marriage when you’ve been married fifty-plus years? Do you know couples who are fin-ishing well? Where are you in your marriage journey? Are you in the middle of the diaper days, adolescent years, empty nest? Let us encourage you to reinvent your marriage if you need to, to hold onto the best from the past, to discover new and exciting ways to build an enriched marriage, or if you’re just getting started in mar-riage, use the scheduled marriage workshop at Drs. Curtis and Linda Nigh’s home to help you accomplish your marriage hopes.

Over a thousand couples have gone through the “Getting the Love You Want” Workshop presented by Linda and Curtis Nigh over the last 28 years. Brochures are available at the Welcome Center, Care Center, or the Nigh clinic. For information, you can also call Curtis at 848-2181. The workshop is set for Friday, April 4, 7-10 p.m., and Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Nigh home. Upon your registration, you’ll be provided a map to the Nigh home. The workshop is limited to ten couples. Register today!

Confirmation 2014 Is Almost Here!

On February 7, 8 and 9, Confirmation 2014 will kick off with an absolutely incredible weekend retreat! Con-firmation is for all seventh- and eighth-grade students who have never been confirmed. This great ten-week experience is an opportunity for students to discover what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to ex-plore the uniqueness of the United Methodist Church. And in the end, it is a chance for those students to pro-fess their faith in Christ and confirm the work God has been doing in their life. Confirmation is an incredible opportunity that we hope every student will have the chance to experience.

If you know a seventh- or eighth-grade student who has never been confirmed, we hope you will invite them to take part in this amazing experience. Registra-tions are available at the Welcome Center, outside the Point Student Center, or at https://servantokc.wufoo.com/forms/confirmation-2014/. Forms are due Sun-day, January 19 at our Parents Meeting, noon in the Student Center. If you have questions, please contact Jenna Savage, Coordinator of Middle School Ministries at [email protected] or 728-4775.


cHildrenWOW IS BACK!

WOW – Welcome on Wednesdays – will begin the Winter/Spring session on February 15. The kids and leaders will join together for another session of fun Jesus-learning time. Bible stories and their life applications are taught through sto-ry-telling, games, snacks, music, drama presentations, small group time and more.

Because we believe that teaching the kids the principles of missions and doing for others, a mission project is always included as part of the WOW activities. During the Fall session, the kids raised over $400 in support of the Church of the Servant Mission Team that just returned from Kenya. The kids voted to use their donations to buy beans and corn for meals. These two items are mixed together to make Githeri, which is the main meal of many people in Kenya.

During the Winter/Spring session of WOW, they will be bringing canned goods for the Food Pantry at Putnam City Methodist Church. Items especially needed are spaghetti sauce, vegetables, pork and beans, chili, stews and fruit.

If a child has not been participating in WOW, we invite them to join us. We do ask that a registration form be completed for every attendee – this is in addition to the personal information provided for the family ID cards (RALF card). Registration forms can be found at the Welcome Counters and on the church website.

Meeting dates for the Winter/Spring session are: January 22 and 29; February 5, 12, 19 and 26; March 5, 12, 26 and 30; April 2. We will celebrate the year on April 9 with our WOW Closing which includes the entire family. There will be no WOW on March 19 because of Spring Break.

Do we need adult volunteers? OF COURSE! If you are interested in spending

Spring Soccer Sign-ups are on the Welcome Center upstairs and at the Children’s Counter downstairs for any-one ages 3 to 12. Please return them to Cindy Brackenbury in Children’s Ministries no later than February 2. You can also find them on Church of the Servant Website under Children’s Special Events and Programs. We are always looking for interested coaches!

BSA Troop 177Troop 177 is going to have a fun and exciting month! First off, Troop 177

wishes everyone had a great Christmas and an even better New Year. Troop 177 will be camping in Kansas this month for Trapper’s Rendezvous. Trapper’s is an event each January where over 6,500 Boy Scouts from across the Midwest travel near Hutchinson, Kansas, to get together at a local park and trade items from patches, to fur, to knives. The saying, “Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure” works great at Trapper’s as you can trade almost anything.

Also this month, Troop 177 will be having its Court of Honor. A Court of Honor is a ceremony where the troop hands out awards such as rank advancements, and earned merit badges. At the Court of Honor, Troop 177 also thanks every-one for their support including Church of the Servant, parents, leaders, and even

the scouts for their hard work on improving the troop.

Learn more about BSA Troop 177 by visiting www.BSAtroo-p177ok.org or by following us on Facebook at BSA-Troop-177.

Scott KincannonLife Scout

BSA Troop 177 Scribe and Troop Guide

SAVE THE DATE2014 KIDZ CAMP

July 18-20 - Canyon CampBIBLE BOOT CAMP

A camp for children entering 1st grade – 5th grade in the fall of

2014. Registration forms will be available in early February.

some time sharing your faith with a child, please contact Cathy Hersom, Director of Children’s Ministries at Church of the Servant, 728-4715.


student

FALL RETREATThank you so much for your support during this long awaited weekend. We had a lot of speed bumps, but this last weekend

went very smoothly. It was one of the most incredible weekends I’ve experienced here at Servant. This wonderful weekend couldn’t have been possible without our phenomenal leaders. A special thanks to Amy Hammons, Dave Hammons, John Lingo, Linda Barnett, Jessica Keyser, Jeremy Black, Ashlee Adams, Hurst Jones, Micha Edwards, Mike Gentry, Rachel Gillespie, Levi Clark, Julie Croak, Makenzie Norman, Taylor Barnett, Brice Dickerson, Jacob Gillespie, Rachel Ratliff, Leighann Parham, Taylor Dickerson, Cody Carson, Ryan Mobley, and Tyler Smith! - Sang Nguyen, High School Coordinator

Fall Retreat was a great time for me to fo-cus on God. One thing that popped out at me was sin. The simplest sin you commit is just as bad as committing murder. The best part is that God forgives you no matter what, and has ever-lasting love for us. This has helped me through a lot of things at home and school. One of my favorite activities at fall retreat was breaking a pot that represented our sins! This really helped me let go of some sins. Fall retreat was an amazing experience for me, and I can’t wait until next year! -Kendall Carpenter, Freshman

Considering that I’m a senior and this would be my last fall retreat as a student, I went into this fall retreat wanting to get as much out of it as possible. I made new friends, restored broken relationships, and got to hang out with some of the best friends I could ever ask for. We played football, sang, danced, and experienced commu-nity in ways that I would have never been able to if I had not gone on this retreat. I’m so glad to be a part of such a loving and caring youth group. Although this was my last fall retreat, I will carry these amazing memories and friendships with me for the rest of my life. - Chandler Cook, Senior

I have had a small group of girls since they were in 7th grade. They are now SENIORS and I can’t believe it. I am so excited that I got to go on the fall retreat with them this weekend. I saw God moving in these High School kids in so many ways. They were amazing how they worshiped and sang out the songs. They opened up in small group and reached out to everyone there. I saw God’s presence in everything they did, whether they were playing “Just Dance” game or in wor-ship. I saw them praying silently and with each other and praying about what God has planned for them. I got to lead a small group of seniors and juniors this weekend. I learned so much from them and was amazed by their strong faith. I was blessed in so many ways this weekend and I am excited to see what God has in store for these wonderful High School students. I was also able to see my college son, Jacob, lead his first High School small group at the retreat. I was able to see Jacob giving back to our youth that he has always been such a big part of. God was working in so many ways at the retreat and I was blessed to be part of it. - Rachel Gillespie, Leader

After being postponed due to the ice storm, High School Ministries finally got to go on the long awaited Fall Retreat. This year, our theme for the Retreat was “Break.” During small groups, and in worship, our focus was on asking God to break our chains and set us free of our sins. It was really neat seeing God work in the lives of each and ev-ery one of the students, including myself. Person-ally, God spoke to me by giving me a greater un-derstanding of how the Holy Spirit works through me and in my life. I saw God impact other lives in things as simple as giving them the courage to pray in front of a small group--to things as large as helping them recognize their passion to work with kids. There is no doubt that God was at work in the lives of our students at the retreat. - Abbey Renner, Junior

cHurcH of tHe servAnt14343 N MacArthur BlvdOklahoma City, OK 73142-9725

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Documents

Newsletter 01.15.14