The Pastor’s Column

By Rodney Newman

A Time of Celebration

A sustained sense of excitement and celebration permeated our recently concluded Annual Conference. Conversations in the hallways, reports to the delegates, and the worship services all seemed to buzz as United Methodists gathered from across the state for our five-day meeting.

Here are some of my personal highlights:

•      The testimony of a recently released prison inmate. He told of how Redemption Church, sponsored by our Criminal Justice Ministries, supports him and gives him a greater basis of hope for the future. All the while he had his arm around the shoulder of his 10-year-old son whom he invited to read from the Scripture at the end of his report.

•      The morning devotion where Ginger Howl’s sermon noted that the opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty. The mystery is what keeps our faith from becoming static and keeps drawing us to God.

•      The ordination and commissioning service where we received 33 new clergypersons.

Bishop Hayes, presiding over his first Annual Conference, expressed his appreciation for our common ministry and motivated us with his positive attitude. He gave direction by listing his priorities for Oklahoma United Methodists this next year:

•          Increasing membership by 5%

•          Starting one new church

•          Starting a satellite church from one of the major churches

•          Funding major improvements at our camps

•          Completing the fund-raising campaign for the Wesley Foundation at Langston

     Through prayer, Bible study, and issuing invitations, exciting days lie ahead.

 

This Month in Worship

July Revival

This July we will once again enjoy a summertime revival. We will sing old favorite gospel songs and learn some new ones. The old revival meetings were known for intense preaching on challenging biblical themes. I am giving a nod to this style by preaching a series of sermons on the Ten Command­ments. We’ll look at the events sur­rounding the initial giving of these words and how they guide our living today.

 

Sermon Titles & Texts

 

 

          July 3      To Whom Honor is Due

                        Exodus 20:8-12

                        Seventh Sunday of Pentecost

                       

        July 10      We Live in God’s World

                              Exodus 20:13

                        Eighth Sunday of Pentecost

 

          July 17      Sacred Sexuality

                             Exodus 20:14

                        Ninth Sunday of Pentecost

 

          July 24      That All May Have Enough

                        Exodus 20:15-17

                        Tenth Sunday of Pentecost

 

          July 31      Guest Preacher

                        Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost

                       

Weddings

 

Tasha Arnett & Scott Kane were married

on June 25, 2005.

 

New Members

 

Marion Dinsmore joined the church by transfer on June 12, 2005.

 

New Sprinkler System

 

The Trustees of our church continually work to improve the beauty of our church property. A vital component in that endeavor is the installation of a new sprinkler system currently underway. This is made possible by gifts from the Lem Wall and Maxine Dinstbir Endowment Funds.

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Music Ministry

by George Massey 

Missions

Annual Peanut Butter Drive

 A summer without peanut butter is really not a true summer, especially

for those of us at Crown Heights UMC. For several years now the people

of Crown Heights have used the week of Vacation Bible School to bring much needed peanut butter for the food closet at Skyline Urban Ministries. Last year 95 jars of peanut butter were collected and given to the food closet. During the summer the food closet serves their maximum number of people almost daily. Many of those served are children who need and love peanut butter sandwiches. Help provide for their needs this year by bringing jars of peanut butter to church with you the week of July 17-24.

Missions Teams Preparing to Leave

Two mission teams are in the process of planning, getting their tickets, and collecting materials & funds to go to work in August and September.  Glen, Bridgette and Aaron Gean, and Janet Kingsolver recently met their team going to London in August. They are collecting VBS and painting supplies to take with them.

Evelyn Phyffer and Taffy Fellingham have collected all the supplies they

can carry and are now looking for financial donations to take with them

to the Budaburum Refugee Camp in Ghana, Africa, in September.

Medical supplies are less expensive to buy there and school

scholarships are needed to prepare the refugees to return to their

native homeland of Liberia. If you'd like to be a part of either of these

missions with your donations. Your prayers are appreciated for both trips.

 

Prayer Bracelets Available

 

Want to be a part of the mission ministry at Crown Heights but can't go on a trip, or are not available during the daytime to work in missions? You can be an important

                       part of each mission by being a 'Prayer Partner'. There is a Prayer

                       Bracelet Tree in the back of the sanctuary. Ask an usher to show

                       you the tree on Sunday. On it are bracelets with the names of

                       people currently in mission from Crown Heights. Some may be

                       involved in Mobile Meals, some on mission trips, and some are

                       Whiz Kids tutors. The bracelets change as new mission projects

                       come up. There is a note on each to explain the mission and the duration of time that prayers are needed for that mission. 

 

To be a 'Prayer Partner' take a bracelet, pray for the person daily for the duration of the mission, then return the bracelet to the tree to be recycled for other missions. Prayer is the foundation of any mission done in the name of God. Consider being part of that foundation.