Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024

Please welcome our Special Speaker, Reverend Jim Peña, as he brings us the Word of God this Sunday Morning.

Pray for our speaker, that he will speak the truth in love to us and pray for us as a church that the Lord Jesus Christ will open our minds and our hearts to receive His word on Sunday Morning and that we will not only be hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word.

To learn more about our special speaker today, follow this LINK.

As the recovery from Hurricane Helene and Milton continues, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) is committed to acting in compassion, including the long-term needs that go beyond immediate risks and dangers. Click HERE to learn more about Nazarene Compassionate Ministries response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  "May they prosper who love you.  May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces."  Psalm 122:6-7 (NASB)

A series of wildfires devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The Church of the Nazarene in Hawaii is responding to this crisis, with Nazarene congregations on Maui serving as evacuation shelters and providing food, bedding, clothes, toiletries, and other emergency supplies to evacuees. Your gift will support these efforts and a long-term future response as the island rebuilds.

To support, GIVE NOW or GIVE through your local church.  Please include this memo on your check or online giving app to your local church:  Project ID - 140029.

*We Unite in Prayer*

Father of all mercies and God of all comfort,

look with love on all who are suffering during this time of strife and warfare. Protect the defenseless, comfort the children, heal the wounded, and sustain the refugee and hungry. Turn hearts to lay down weapons. Open to all a way of reconciliation and lead us to be peacemakers in our own spheres, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

Select this LINK to learn more about the European Nazarenes are responding to the crisis in Ukraine and how you can help!

Select this LINK for the latest updates on Ukraine.

Nazarene churches in Ukraine are responding to those impacted by conflict and displacement.  To support, GIVE NOW or give through your local church.  Please include this memo on your check or online giving app to your local church:  NCM Eurasia North Field Crisis Fund - 137043.

Thank you for giving to the Lord!

Our hearts ache for those in Afghanistan—those who are in danger, those who are afraid, and those who are hurting. In times of grieving, the Psalms offer lament to cry out to God in prayer.

Click HERE to learn more about Nazarene Compassionate Ministries response to Afghanistan.

There are more people fleeing home than ever before.

As of 2019, 79.5 million individuals have fled violence, persecution, extreme poverty, and increasing climate crises in their home countries without any guarantee of ever returning. They are seeking safety, opportunity, and a chance to live with dignity. Those who flee often end up living in poverty, with insufficient food, clothing, and shelter. On top of physical needs, they are also coping with grief and trauma.

Around the world,

• 82.4 million people are forcibly displaced, a number that has risen exponentially in the last several years
• Half of those living as refugees are children, who often travel alone or in groups, making them especially vulnerable to human trafficking and other forms of violence
• On average, people will spend about 17 years living displaced.

Select this LINK for more information about how to help those seeking safety.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the Church of the Nazarene serves a community embroiled in an ongoing economic and political crisis. Through the spiritual care of churches, scholarships for children to attend Nazarene educational programs, medical and psychological care for those in need, and vouchers to offset the high price of food, the difficulties of daily life are reduced for people born in Lebanon and refugees from other nations. When you give, you’ll help Nazarenes in Lebanon provide hope and encouragement.

Select this LINK to give online to the Lebanon Crisis Response

ENGAGE CHILDREN AND YOUTH-CHRISTMAS

Engaging children and youth is one of the five areas of impacts in NMI. NMI continues to encourage churches to involve children and youth in all missions' endeavors and to nurture them as they seek to respond to God’s call.  NMI encourages every church, every district to be intentional and encourage and engage every child, every youth in the mission of God in your community and around the world. NMI continues to encourage churches to involve children and youth in all missions' endeavors and to nurture them as they seek to respond to God’s call.  We encourage collaboration with Nazarene Youth International and Nazarene Discipleship International to best engage all ages of the church. We believe nurturing and leadership development is best done in the local church and individualized to the needs of each person.

Select this LINK to send a Christmas Parcel.

CARE & CONNECTION

Care & Connection missionaries are from the Oklahoma District to help foster a personal connection between missionaries and the local church. This relationship fosters a sense of involvement with Nazarene Missions through regular correspondence from missionaries, updates from their field of service, and presentations by their Care & Connection missionary when they are on home assignment.

These are our Care & Connections missionaries from our own Oklahoma District.

Joe and Amy Hall.  Select this LINK for more information.

Dr. Harland and Barbi Moore.  Select this LINK for more information.

Matthew and Hannah Lawrence.  Select this LINK for more information.

Dave and Kim Hane.  Select this LINK for more information.

Jonathan Daugherty.  Select this LINK for more information.

Family #1.  Even though no information can be given on Family #1 and Family #2 because of security reasons, please include these missionary families in your prayers because God knows their situations better than they do and He is in control!

Family #2

Please pray for all of our Care & Connection and L.I.N.K.S. missionaries.

L.I.N.K.S.

Loving Interested Nazarenes Knowing and Sharing is a network of personal connections between missionaries and Nazarene districts around the world.

Participating missionaries are assigned to districts and, then on the district level, connected to local churches. This gives each church an opportunity to become personally acquainted with a missionary family and their field of service. A L.I.N.K.S. relationship fosters a sense of involvement with the global mission's enterprise of the church through regular correspondence from the missionaries, updates from their field, and even through deputation services while the missionaries are on home assignment. 

Missionaries and churches experience close relationships built over time linking them through a common bond.

Select this LINK for more information.

Our L.I.N.K.S. missionary for this year is Heidi Bowes.  Select this LINK to read Reverend Bowes biography.  Select this LINK to find out more information about Reverend Bowes.

CRISIS CARE KITS (CCKs)

Preparing for a rainy day.  Preparing Crisis Care Kits before a disaster occurs, can facilitate a much faster response time for those that need help as soon as possible, which might be you.

For more complete information about the Crisis Care Kits from the Oklahoma District Nazarene Missions International, please select this LINK.

CARE & CONNECTION

CARE & CONNECTION is provided to every global and sponsored Nazarene missionary who is on contract with Global Missions, from our Oklahoma District.  Global missionaries have global assignments which are long-term assignments whereas sponsored missionaries are usually short-term missionaries and are sponsored by a local Oklahoma District church.  Select the picture of the missionary or the missionary family to find out more information about each one.

GLOBAL MISSIONARIES:
     

Select this LINK to view a video from Kurt and Holly Johnson.

SPONSORED MISSIONARIES:

L.I.N.K.S.

Loving Interested Nazarenes Knowing and Sharing is a network of personal connections between global missionaries and Nazarene districts around the world.  

A participating missionary is assigned to our district for one calendar year and is not from the Oklahoma District. This gives all the churches on the district an opportunity to become personally acquainted with the missionary family and their field of service. A L.I.N.K.S. relationship fosters a sense of involvement with the global mission's enterprise of the church through regular correspondence from the missionaries, updates from their field, and even through deputation services while the missionaries are on home assignment. 

Missionaries and churches experience close relationships built over time linking them through a common bond.

Select this LINK for more information.

Reverend Heidi Bowes was our L.I.N.K.S. missionary for the Oklahoma District for this past year and is currently serving in Germany, Eurasia District.  Select this LINK to find out more information about Reverend Bowes.  Select this LINK to view a video from Reverend Bowes.

Please pray for all of our Care & Connection and L.I.N.K.S. missionaries.

CRISIS CARE KITS (CCKs)

Preparing for a rainy day.  Preparing Crisis Care Kits before a disaster occurs, can facilitate a much faster response time for those that need help as soon as possible, which might be you.

For instructions on the Crisis Care Kits, please select this LINK.  For the Crisis Care Kits shopping list, please select this LINK.

Hand Crafted Items from the wood of the old First Church of the Nazarene building in Durant, Oklahoma.  Click LINK for pictures and detailed information for ordering.

These hand-crafted items are made out of wood from various selections of the old Church, now "The Monterey."

Donated proceeds will go towards our new church building project.

Please email Carol Smith at this LINK to get information about each item or call or text her at (580) 916-5778.

ONLINE DONATION METHODS: Can be processed here  using a Personal Computer or here  using a tablet or mobile device.  Please specify your order in the "other" tab.

Help us by sharing your students ' information.  We need information for any student attending ANY college or university in State of Oklahoma.  Please scan the OR code in the graphic or select this LINK to complete the information form for your student.

The form is intended to provide college pastors within the Nazarene community with information about potential students in their respective areas.

JOIN A LIFE GROUP AND GROW

Who holds you accountable spiritually?  Who lifts you up?

Who do you help hold accountable spiritually?  Who do you lift up?

To find out more information about our LIFE groups follow this LINK.

To find the places and times of your Life Group, please refer to the Regular Schedule on the home page of this website or the Calendar page on this website.

Date:  To Be Announced Later
Day:  Sunday Afternoon
Time:  2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Place:  Worship Center, 200 West Beech Street, Durant, Oklahoma
Lead:  Pam Blankenship

The New Life Group will continue our study in the book called "SACRED REST," by Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D.

This Life Group is open to all who want to attend.

Select this LINK to get more information about how to join our group, obtain the book the date for the next schedule meeting, and get more details about our group.

Please join us every other Saturday afternoon at the Worship Center located at 200 West Beech Street, Durant, Oklahoma.

Day:  Wednesday
Time:  Evening Meal:  5:00 PM; Service:  6:00 PM
Place:  Worship Center:  200 West Beech Street, Durant, Oklahoma

Please join us every Wednesday of the month as we pray together that God will lead us as a church in the way we need to go concerning our ministries, for a new church building on our new plot of ground, our Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene leadership, and our Half-Million Mobilization:  Prayer Journal "Call to Prayer:  Easter to Pentecost."

A light meal will be provided before the service.

Date:  December 29, 2024

Follow this LINK for information on The Lord's Supper.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6

Follow this LINK for suggested questions to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.

Those that plan to view our live streaming service online and participate in Communion with us should obtain and prepare their Communion Elements as soon as possible.  Then on the Sunday that we serve Communion, please have your Communion Elements available at the being of the service so as not to be rushed when the Church takes Communion.

Date:  January 5, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

We will be assembling Crisis Care Kits on Sunday afternoon after we enjoy lunch together and have a missionary lesson at the Worship Center after the Sunday Morning service.

If you would like to make a contribution, please use this LINK to go to our "Ways We Donate" page and choose your method of contributing to this worthy endeavor.  If you contribute using a check or cash in an envelope, please write in the memo portion of the check or the blank portion of the envelope "Crisis Care Kits."  If you want to donate using our online giving application, please select the GivePlus+ button of your choice and input the amount that you wish to donate in the "Other" category and then input "Crisis Care Kits" in the note/memo next to the amount and complete the rest of the required information.  Thank you so much for your offering to purchase the items needed for these Crisis Care Kits so that these kits can be ready and available when an emergency arises!

For more complete information about the Crisis Care Kits from the Oklahoma District Nazarene Missions International, please select this LINK.  For the List to include in each box, please select this LINK.

Date: January 18, 2025
Coaches Meeting Time:  9:30am-10:00am
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

This year's children's quizzing will be over the book of Acts. This quiz will be over digsites 11-15. If you have any questions, please contact Martha Wilson.

If you want to get started in quizzing but do not have the funds in which to start, PLEASE call Mrs. Selena Kyzer (Oklahoma District Quiz Director) at (405) 789-9411 or email her by selecting this LINK.

For more information about children's quizzing at LifeSong, please follow this LINK to our Children's Quizzing webpage

USA/Canada Region Pastor and Lay Ministry Leaders Conference
Date: February 10-12, 2025
Place: Kansas City, Missouri 
Select the graphic to see more information.  Select this LINK for more detailed information.  Select this LINK to visit the conference website.

Speakers include Stan Reeder, Carla Sunberg, Lamorris Crawford, Kevin Jack, and John Maxwell

Select this LINK to register for the conference.

Dates:  April 23-29, 2025
Deposit:  $250.00
Total Cost $1,575.00 per person (includes lodging, transportation, most meals, entertainment)

SNU is announcing our first opportunity to travel with SNU Alumni & Friends and the launch of Storm the Road travel program.

Join us for our trip from Bethany, OK to Asheville, NC with stops in Memphis, Nashville, and the Gatlinburg-Area. Tennessee’s limitless entertainment options, North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and the people of SNU will make for an unforgettable week together.

Select the graphic to enlarge it for easier reading.  It can be enlarged even more by selecting the icon at the top right corner of the graphic.  To close the graphic, select the X icon at the bottom right corner of the graphic or simply select anywhere outside of the graphic.

Select this LINK or the QR code on the graphic for more detailed information and to register online or download a registration form to mail in.