To Restore and Redeem
10/1/2022
There’s no denying the joy and laughter around a close community around a common meal at church. Friends and families gather together in faith and fellowship, enjoying one another’s company and ...
All Saints Day
10/21/2021
November 1 is All Saints Day, a sometimes-overlooked holy day in United Methodist congregations. It is not nearly as well known as the day before, All Hallows' (Saints') Eve, better known as ...
Laity: The Lifeblood of the Church
10/20/2021
When the pandemic hit, the conference’s lay servant training was unable to meet safely in person. The topic, lay pastoral care, was timely and relevant to dozens of churches across the state. However,...
COVID and Campus Ministry
10/1/2021
Reading the campus ministry reports across Oklahoma, a common theme begins to emerge: students are craving connection now more than ever. A year in quarantine took its toll on students and ministry ...
Celebrating Juneteenth
7/1/2021
By Rev. Bessie Hamilton What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved in the United States. The matter becomes rather complex ...
Funding HOPE
7/1/2021
If anybody doesn’t have power, my house is open. Please come over for a warm meal, shower, and power.” It was a simple offer, but it was an offer Rev. Victoria Lee knew would make a difference to ...
Methodism and the Tulsa Race Massacre
7/1/2021
By Travis Ewton "Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right ...
Methodists and Mental Health
7/1/2021
There are four principal factors that John Wesley believed Christians could use to understand their faith. Built on the Anglican theological tradition of including scripture, tradition and reason, ...
Restoring economic & spiritual vitality
7/1/2021
Restore Hope had one of its busiest years on record in 2020. Since 1978, the Tulsa nonprofit has sought to “restore families in financial crisis to economic and spiritual vitality.” One of the ways ...
Beyond Christmas
12/12/2020
The pandemic caused by COVID-19, or coronavirus, has resulted in a great sense of loss this holiday season. Beloved gatherings have been cancelled or moved online, routine errands now involve a litany...
Leaving the Comfort Zone
12/12/2020
Exploring a Call to Ministry Outside the Church Living out an active faith has always been a part of ViaFaith McCullough’s life. The 22-year-old daughter of Revs. Nancy and Victor McCullough said ...
Monastics in the Heartland
12/12/2020
For some, the term monasticism may bring up images of chanting monks or helpful nuns. For Rev. Matt Scraper, monasticism is an important part of his life and expression of faith. Scraper, an elder in...
100 years of NSO
9/11/2020
If your heart broke every time you went to work, what would keep you going every day? For Stacey Ninness, the answer is simple: seeing people’s lives change for the better. Ninness is the president ...
Online Giving
9/11/2020
Start, improve & refine your online giving practices Before COVID-19 led to church closings in March 2020, only 33 percent of surveyed United Methodist churches in Oklahoma offered some form of ...
The Bare Minimum
9/11/2020
Why Rev. Dylan Ward considers his response to a racist message on Instagram "the bare minimum." Rev. Dylan Ward thinks it’s ironic to think that people are asking him, a “29-year-old white guy,” about...