Contact, an edition of The United Methodist Reporter

Two Sections, Section A • 039000 • Volume 157, Number 41 • February 11, 2011

THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST

www.okumc.org

The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Prot Drive, Dallas, TX 75247. Periodicals Postage Paid at Dallas.Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275.

Young leaders at Fort Gibson, 5A

Financial classes expand in state, 4A

B Holly McCray

Illness almost took his life at age 9. It did

distort his body, and Ed Lusk became “the

kid everybody picked on,” he said. Then heattended a church youth camp at age 13. Andeverything changed.The prognosis was truly grim for Lusk whenhe developed nephritis, an inammation of thekidneys. Although he survived, the 9-year-oldcould not walk for months. One eye turned in

ward, normal body development was noticeablyimpaired, and adolescent peers were cruel. “Iwas funny-looking,” Lusk said.

His opinion of himself was a poor one when

the teen arrived at Camp Egan in the summer of 1946. A week at camp cost $7.50, and someoneelse covered his fee. Irving Smith, a pastor newly returned from the mission eld, wasfeatured speaker. The schedule included privatedevotional time every morning.Lusk chose a large rock in the creek for hisstudy spot. That week, on that rock, the seventh-grader made the decision to give himself full-time to Christ.His spirit and his body were transformed.

“When I committed my life to Christ, my

eye straightened out, my body lled out, and Igrew 5-7 inches in that one year,” Lusk mar

veled. “I got so interested in youth work andchurch camp that I went home and began load

ing hay to make money to go.”He went on to attend three camps at Eganeach summer as a teen. In adulthood, he becamea benefactor for the campground precious tohim. Now Lusk Lodge will honor that support.

Apportionment support gains in 2011

Buildingfor lifeat camp

Ed Lusk, center, prepares to paint McSpadden Cabin's large meeting room at Camp Egan. Left, from top: tear-out is a rst step for the cabin remodel; the re

strooom addition; and the rst campers to occupy the cabin after the 2010 project was completed. Right, the Camp Egan staff gathers outside the renovatedSharum Museum Cabin. Dave Perrin, on steps, is retiring after more than 10 years as Egan's manager.

B Holly McCray

What happens to a one-dollar bill after it

goes into the offering plate at your church?

Most of the money directly supports the

work of your church. Of that $1, a total of 16cents is forwarded as Apportionment giving,explained Treasurer Brian Bakeman.In 2010, Oklahomans contributed$15,272,755 to the Apportionment, Rev.Bakeman reported on Jan. 26 to the Councilon Finance & Administration (CF&A).That amount is slightly higher than Ap

portionment receipts the previous year. Themoney provided for 94.3 percent of the 2010 budget, compared to 94.17 percent in 2009.In the Oklahoma Conference, the recordyear for Apportionment giving was 2007,with 97.36 percent.“Apportioned funds enable United Meth

odists to do together what no church, district,or conference could do alone,” declares adenominational statement. The connectionalstrength of United Methodists is a distinctivecharacteristic of our Church.Last year, 16 cents of each $1 supported

these ministries and much, much more:

• Camps for all ages• The Circle of Care for at-risk children and youths• Health care for Oklahoma clergy• Missionaries in Oklahoma and around the world• Training for laity leadership• Social justice work at all levels• Education for clergy• Native American churches• Disaster response around the world• New churches in Oklahoma• Oklahoma City University• Communication ministries, including thisnewspaper, videos, and online resources• Oklahoma’s bishop and district superintendents• Outreach to college students

Rev. Bakeman reported Apportionmentgiving reached 99 percent for the churchesin Clinton and Woodward Districts. SouthOklahoma City District was recognized for the biggest improvement in Apportionmentgiving.Of all Oklahoma churches, about four outof ve contributed fully to the Apportion

ment. The Ministerial Support items werenot fully paid by 21 congregations.Giving exceeded 100 percent to bothCookson Hills Center and NeighborhoodServices Organization.Total revenue in 2010, reported by Bake

man, was $15,799, 050, from the Apportion

ment, Advance specials, and other missionalgiving.

Continued on page 4A

Dates District Youth Camps

June 6-8 Ardmore District Sr. HighJune 6-10 Clinton-Enid-Woodward Jr. HighJune 6-10 Stillwater DistrictJune 8-11 Ardmore District Jr. HighJune 20-24 Bartlesville DistrictJune 27-July 1 Muskogee DistrictJune 27-July 1 Lawton DistrictJuly 18-22 North & South OKC DistrictsJuly 18-22 Tulsa DistrictJuly 25-29 Clinton-Enid-Woodward Sr. HighJuly 25-29 McAlester District

Also offered each summer are specialty camps,such as programs for the youngest elementarystudents. Find information about all the campsonline at www.okumc.org/camps.

The Oklahoma United Methodist ContactFeb. 11, 2011

Beginning Feb. 20, a “progres

sive revival” will move throughseveral Oklahoma churches, cul

minating at the Wesley Foundationat Langston University on Feb. 27.Plans include a “Back Together Again Celebration Ball” on Feb. 26at Oklahoma City University.The week-long evangelism cru

-sade is coordinated by the WesleyFoundation’s board and students,in honor of campus ministry di-

rector Cecelia Brooks, and also toraise funds for the Wesley.All events begin at 7 p.m.

Feb. 20—OKC-Chapel Hill,featuring the Quayle UMC Choir and Rev. Brooks’ preaching.

Feb. 21—Cushing UMC;Dan Pulver, preaching; and theMount Bethel Baptist Choir.

Feb. 22—Ponca City-St.Paul’s UMC; Calvin Miller, preaching; and the Stillwater-Mount Zion Baptist Choir.

Feb. 23—OKC-QuayleUMC; Frankye Johnson, preaching;and the Guthrie-First UMC Choir.

Feb. 24—Guthrie-First UMC;Ed Cook, preaching; and Crescent/Mount Vernon UMC Choir.

Feb. 25—Stillwater-MountZion Baptist Church; Roger Pitt, preaching; and the choirs of Langston-New Hope Baptist andStillwater-Highland Park UMC.

Feb. 26—Celebration ballat OCU. Mistress of ceremonieswill be Langston University Presi

dent Joanne Haysbert. For ticket

information, contact Lois Lyons,

405-466-9242.

Feb. 27—The Wesley Foun

dation in Langston; Robert Roseand Guy Ames, preachers; andthe Langston University Choir.

The center’s baptistery will be

dedicated in memory of TravisChubbuck.For details, contact Lyons.

Page 2A

The Oklahoma United Methodist

Phone: 405-530-2075Fax: 405-530-2093

1501 N.W. 24thokhm Ct, oK 73106

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To subscribe, send mailing informationand $15 to our address at left.

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Contact Digest

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electronic newsletter. Find information at

www.kumc.g.

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. Next publication date: March 4.

On Jan. 20, the Oklahoma CityUniversity community woke up to

icy streets and the announcement

that school was closed until noon.However, that news didn’t deter

those in the Wesley Center and

OCU Athletics from their spirited plans for that evening.They were co-sponsoring a

fund-raiser for

Nothing But Nets

during the OCU Stars’ basketballgames with Oklahoma BaptistUniversity teams.

Nothing But Nets

is a joint

campaign between The UnitedMethodist Church and the NBA to

supply mosquito nets to malaria-

prone areas in Africa.

The metro’s professional bas-

ketball team, the Oklahoma CityThunder, donated prizes includinga pennant signed by the playersand tickets to an upcoming game,to support the fund-raiser. TheOklahoma United Methodist Foun

-dation contributed to the effort

by donating $150—$10 for eachthree-point basket scored duringthe games.During halftime of the men’sgame, the crowd cheered the

leaders from a number of student

organizations in a “celebrity”free-throw shooting contest. Par

ticipants were: Tessa Stutzmanfrom Kappa Phi, Trey Witzel fromDelta Alpha Chi, Seth Williamsfrom Lambda Chi Alpha, DannyPham from Kappa Sigma, JarredJohnson from Phi Gamma Delta,Sara Catherine Johnson from Al

pha Phi, and Karen Aguilar fromAlpha Chi Omega.Karen and Seth tied for the win;each went 4-of-5 on free-throws.

Students from the Wesley Cen-

ter—the United Methodist campusministry at OCU—staffed a table in

the atrium, where they shared in-formation about

Nothing But Nets

and received donations. Each $10

donation netted a T-shirt for the

giver, and all of the money wentto the cause.OCU Athletics donated $3 of each game ticket purchased by

those who mentioned

Nothing But Nets

.With money still coming in, thesponsoring groups were condentof exceeding their goal of $2,000.“Even with the bad weather, wewere thrilled with the fund-raisingevent. It was a great night and

an important way to connect our students with mission beyond our

walls,” said Rev. Jennifer Long,OCU director of Religious Life.Lindi Jones, a sophomore, wasstudent leader for the event.

Nothing but Nets scores support at OCU

Jennifer Long

rallies the

group for

the free-throw

contest.

Appointments

Sharon Cochran to Prairie Chapel

from Kremlin (Enid District), effectiveJan. 15.Jim Harvey to Kremlin (Enid), ef

fective Jan. 1.Paul Babiak, new, to Garber/Hunter (Enid), effective Jan. 15.Robert Montgomery to Blackwell(Enid) from Fairfax (Stillwater), effec

tive Jan. 15.Kristen Brown to GBGM Mission

ary –Jerusalem from Blackwell, effectiveJan. 15.Save these dates: March 5-6 brings twospecial programs by the Oklahoma ConferenceCommission on Religion & Race (CORR).Both a training event and a free multiculturalconcert are scheduled for the CORR weekend.Events take place at OKC-Quayle United Meth

odist Church, 5001 N. Everest. Both clergy andlaity are encouraged to attend.

Class to battle addictions

Churches that want to start chemical de-

pendency ministries can sign up for “Back toGod (Good Orderly Decisions)” on March 5,facilitated by the Addiction Ministries leader

ship of the Conference.The CORR-sponsored training will be from9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Quayle UMC Café. Partici

pants can earn six Continuing Education Units.Cost is $25 per person to attend the

1st Chemical Dependency Leadership Competen-cies Luncheon Series.

Call 405-424-2770 for more information.

Concert boosts campus ministries

At 4 p.m. March 6, the eighth Umoja-UnityPraise Concert will begin.Open to all, this free CORR program cel

ebrates the multicultural diversity of UnitedMethodists. Music, mime, and poetry will be performed.

UM campus ministries across the state will

be highlighted, with performances by their students.CORR Chairman Glenn Harris explained

that

umoja

is the Swahili word for

unity

. Ini

tially these concerts, held on the rst Sundayof March, extended the national observance of Black History Month, which is February. Sincethe event expanded to encompass all cultures,Harris said, it has generated more enthusiasmas well as diversity in the audience.

CORR offers diverse events on March weekend

OCU mascot Starsky wears a Nothing But Nets t-shirt whilestudents show their school spirit with the sign of a star.

7 locations for crusade sponsored by Langston campus ministry

The Oklahoma United Methodist ContactFeb. 11, 2011

Bishop Hayes

Page 3A

Strength for the journey:Ideas and thoughts from our bishop

If not us, who?

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Trough our new partnership with Quality Lie Hospice, EpworthVilla is committed toexpanding its ministry beyond the borders o ourbeautiul 40-acre campus.Our proessional, compas-sionate and understandingsta take pride in payingclose attention to theindividual needs o eachhospice patient and theiramily members.Please contact us or additional inormation about our not-or-proft hospice,serving the needs o those living in central Oklahoma. Volunteer opportunitiesavailable.

Friends of ChildrenFundraising BanquetsMarch 31: Tulsa Asbury UMC April 7: OKCChurch of the ServantFeaturing:Bishop Robert Hayes

Table Sponsorships Start at $200Contact: 405.530.2078

“The angel of God appeared to Gideonand said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, Omighty warrior.’ Gideon replied, ‘If God is

with us, why then has all this happened to

us? And where are all the miracles which our fathers told us about?’ Then the Lord turnedto Gideon and said, ‘Go in this might of yours… I’ll be with you.’ The Spirit of the Lordtook possession of Gideon.”(Judges 6: 12, 13, 34)

B BiSHop roBErT HayES Jr.

t was James WeldonJohnson, a gifted Af

rican-American writer

of the 1920s, who best de-

scribed the futility of gettingupset with God. In his sermon

The Prodigal Son

, he wrote:

“Young man, young man, your arms are too short to box withGod!”Someone should have told

that to Gideon, who was toldthat God had chosen him to

lead the nation of Israel back to God.The angel of God said, “The Lord is withyou.” But Gideon responded, “I doubt it! If

the Lord is with us, then why has so much

trouble come to Israel? Where are all thesewonderful deeds our parents and grandpar

ents told us about? Did God bring us out of Egypt to forget us and forsake us?”Strong words, from a man who had seenmuch suffering.When Gideon nished ranting, the angelsaid, “This is precisely the reason I’ve come.You have been chosen to be the person todo something about it! You are hereby com

missioned!”Then, perhaps, Gideon got a sinking feel

ing and wished he had kept his mouth shut.He started making excuses: “Me? How couldI ever save Israel? My clan is the weakest in

Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s

house.”That did not deter God. The 34th verse

says it all: “The Spirit of the Lord took pos-

session of Gideon.”

This Scripture speaks to us today because,like Gideon, we question God’s whereabouts

when we look at events in the world, our nation, our churches, and even our personallives.Why not blame it all on God? Where areyou, God? Why do you allow evil to prosper and good to suffer?Miracles are not always found in burning bushes, lion dens, and ery furnaces. God’smiraculous work is also found in lives likeyours and mine. Gideon’s story reveals howGod uses all of us to bring about change.God has chosen you—

yes, you

—to be achange agent, to make the world better. Godis always reaching out and commissioningsome Gideon to be the means of change.

“The Spirit of the Lord took possession of

Gideon.” This truth is exciting! If lives aregoing to be transformed and churches reborn

and renewed, we must allow the Spirit of God

to take possession of us.Every person is possessed by some spirit,serving some idea, contributing to some re

sult. The differences between people are inwhat and whom we serve.In an often-quoted passage, Australiantheologian F.W. Boreham brought up thisconcept of God taking possession of some

one. He pointed to the year 1809. Napoleonwas on the march. It seemed everyone in theworld was thinking of war.But in that same year, Bore

-ham noticed, God was at work in a quiet and most unusual

way.Babies were being bornwho grew to influence the

world far more than the battles

of Napoleon.Charles Darwin, the natu

ralist, was born in England.Abraham Lincoln was born inKentucky; Frederick Chopin,in Poland; and Felix Mendelssohn, in Ger

many. William Gladstone, the great statesmanand prime minister of England, was born inLiverpool that year, as well as Alfred LloydTennyson, the great poet and laureate, bornin a parsonage in Somersby.The news of that year reported nothingabout them. All the world was concernedwith Napoleon. However, the babies born in1809 included those who were possessed byGod to do God’s work.So Boreham wrote, “When a wrong wantsrighting, or a work wants doing, or a truthwants preaching, or a continent wants open

ing, God sends a baby in the world to do it!”

I understand! God chose to send a baby

wrapped in swaddling clothes to change theworld! Now I comprehend the words Jesusused when he began his ministry, as recordedin Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is uponme because He has anointed me to bring goodnews to the poor; He has sent me to proclaimrelease to the captives and recovery of sightto the blind, to let the prisoner go free, andto proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This leads me to a question that I hope

lingers in you:Are you willing to allow the Spirit of the

Lord to take possession of you, so that you

may receive a revelation of what God is call

ing you to do?God already has gifted you for somethingno one else can do. Is your life open andavailable for God to put your gifts to use?

God needs you now for such a time as this!

My fervent hope is that generations not

yet born will open a journal someday andread this truth: “In the year 2011, the Spiritof the Lord took possession of the people

called United Methodists in Oklahoma, andthey changed the world.”I truly believe it can happen! If not us,who?