Conference E-Newsletter
April 2021 - Volume 4, Issue 4
The purpose of the Oklahoma Conference is to 
"Proclaim, Disciple, Live With Christ"
I would like to share two texts with you. First, Haggai 2:8 (NIV) reminds us: "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NKJV) says: "Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

These verses are telling us that God is owner of the resources that this world has and that He is the owner of the resources that He has given us. In addition, God is the one that gives us the health and strength to go to work and He helps us make enough to sustain our families. God called us to be good stewards not only in returning a faithful tithe and being generous with our offerings but also to remember His work with our estate planning. The Servant of the Lord says in Testimonies, volume 4: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. This love is without a parallel, giving to men the relationship of sons to God. Therefore, the Father expects obedience from His children; therefore, He requires a right disposition of the property He has placed in their hands.” 

If you need more information on how to contribute to God’s work with your estate planning, please contact us at 405-721-6110 or contact me at cportanova@okla-adventist.org.

For this month’s treasury report, let me say that the Lord has blessed us with an increase of 13.39% from January to February. See the financial report graphics by clicking on the button below:
Upcoming Events!
Constituency Session
Sunday, April 18
As the Oklahoma Conference Nominating Committee completes its work and prepares to send out its report in preparation for Oklahoma's 70th Regular Session taking place on April 18, we ask for your continued prayers through the process leading up to and for the session itself. All delegates that were selected by each church will receive a packet in the mail containing all the information needed for the session taking place at Wewoka Woods Adventist Center. If you have any questions regarding your role as a delegate or other questions pertaining to the session itself, please contact your local pastors. To learn more about how a Constituency Session works click on the button below.
We are thrilled that Summer Camp is just around the corner. Registration will open April 5. Because of COVID-19 safety we will have less spots available than previous years per camp. The cost is $275, and the Early Bird Discount is $25 (ends April 30); the sibling discount is $25. Reservations will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
We are looking for a couple of nurses to help us out this summer with our summer camp program. If you are a nurse that likes working with kids, and are looking for an opportunity to serve others while in a christian environment this summer, please apply below or contact the Youth Department for any questions at:
youth@okla-adventist.org.
We invite you to make plans to join us this summer for our annual Oklahoma Camp Meeting, July 9-17. We are currently finishing the schedule and already have great speakers and great music lined up. We will share more details in the next few weeks!
Former Pastor Memorial Service Invitation
Cecil Wayne Harlin was born June 17, 1947 in Borger, TX and died peacefully in his home on December 1, 2021 in Lacombe, LA. He graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1965. After graduating from Southwestern Adventist University in 1976, he began his pastoral ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church serving in Oklahoma in Claremore from 1976-1980 and Okeene from 1980-1985. His family is inviting everyone to a celebration of his life which will be held on Sunday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church at 430 N. Center Ave in Shawnee, OK.
The North American Division will be having a virtual “Cactusville VBS Virtual Training” for local church leaders.  Make sure you register for this amazing workshop.

English Training- April 15 @ 6:00 p.m. Central Time
Spanish Training- April 22 @ 6:00 p.m. Central Time
Adventurer Family Camp is designed to create in your young ones the sense of trust, love, and concern, as they and their parents participate in fun family activities, and learn outdoor skills. Our prayer is to create in their hearts a love and desire to have Jesus as their personal friend. Our theme this spring campout is "Working for Jesus." Check with your local Adventurer director for details and registration information.
Out and About ...
Conference Level Pathfinder Bible Experience
OKLAHOMA - This year's Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) tested the Pathfinders over Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, as well as the SDA Bible Commentary Introduction to each study book. On February 6, 14 teams participated in the Area-level PBE held at different locations throughout Oklahoma. Six teams moved on to the Conference level held at Wewoka Woods Adventist Center on Sabbath, March 6: Arbuckle View Warriors, Guymon Hornbills, Tulsa Twisters, Oklahoma City Central Trailblazers, MWC Spanish Solodos de Cristo, and the Muskogee Panthers. Because the pandemic interrupted normal Pathfinder activities, we had fewer clubs that participated. The smaller numbers made it possible to meet in person with social distancing and mask wearing still required.

The Arbuckle View Warriors and the Guymon Hornbills received first place and continued to the Union Level; then, on Sabbath, March 27, 23 teams from the Southwestern Union participated virtually in the Union-level PBE. Arbuckle View and Guymon Pathfinders both placed first place and will proceed to the Division level.  Please pray for them as they continue to study.

We want to commend all the teams who participated this year. With all the restrictions due to the pandemic, it was a challenge to meet together and to study as usual and we want to thank each club that made the extra effort to make sure their team was ready to participate. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15.

By Norma Shepherd
Professing Love For Jesus
GUYMON, OKLA.- Valentine’s Day is a day typically spent showing love to one’s spouse or special friend, but at the Guymon SDA church another way to celebrate Valentine's Day happened this year. Joan was introduced to Seventh-day Adventist church through his co-worker and friend, Khamboih; they started up a conversation on God, and over time started Bible studies. Just as COVID-19 hit the world, Khamboih invited Joan to Wednesday night prayer meeting and to church. He has become a part of the Guymon Church family. Joan gave his heart to Jesus and was baptized on the Sabbath before Valentine’s Day. After his baptism, Khamboih’s three youngest girls sang “Jesus is the Reason” in celebration of Joan’s new life in Jesus. The whole church is praying that his family will join him in his commitment to Jesus. 

By Amy Ward
Go Do It!
Oklahoma Youth Rally
TULSA - Over 230 young people representing over 18 different churches came together on the weekend of March 19-21 to the conference-sponsored youth rally titled “Go Do It” which was held at Adventist Fellowship in Tulsa.

On Friday evening the young people arrived to an outdoor program where they sat with friends on hay bales around a big bonfire. The program opened up with a few ice breakers and door prizes, then led into an inspiring song service by a group of young ladies. Before the message began, the program took a small break for hot chocolate and apple cider to go along with some Mexican pastries on that chilly evening. Following the break, guest speaker Pastor Eliab Quinones from El Paso, Texas, introduced the weekend with an encouraging and engaging message and concluded with a special moment of prayer.

Saturday morning began with an interactive sabbath school. The youth were divided into groups to discuss various questions asked by the emcees regarding the call for young people to serve at their local church. The program led into a church service which consisted of another round of inspiring music led by Larry Seery and a group of young people from Adventist Fellowship. Pastor Eliab continued his series reflecting on the life of Christ, especially as to how he responded to the temptations of the enemy. After the service the young people where gifted with a healthy and filling sack lunch. That afternoon over 100 of the young people met at Turkey Mountain Park to hike down some of the many trails and enjoy the beautiful weather. 

Later that evening, the youth regrouped to close out the Sabbath hours back at the church. After a socially interactive Bible game through Kahoot!, the Zomi church youth worship team led the youth into music worship once again. Pastor Eliab closed out with his final message making an appeal at the end of the sermon, giving young people an opportunity to come forward. Many came forward wanting prayer for challenging situations in their lives, while others expressed a desire to be baptized in the near future. Some of the area pastors were present to pray with and encourage those who had courageously stepped forward. 

After the close of the program, everyone reconvened outside to a nice setup with a stage and round tables where Larry Seery hosted a panel of five young people from different churches and answered live questions that came in through texting from their peers. As the sun set and the Sabbath came to a close, a couple of food vendors set up and made dinner available to the attendees. Many stayed back to play basketball, play social games, 9-square in the air, or simply hang out and chat with friends they had not seen in a while. 

On Sunday, a small group came back once again to put together some food items that the Tulsa Twisters pathfinder club had previously collected, loaded up the vehicles and set out to one of the nearby apartment complexes. The youth went door-to-door offering these bags of food to families in need and praying with them when the opportunities arose until all the bags where handed out. With much joy in their hearts, the small group returned back to the church for a final meal together. As the weekend came to an end, the young people were already asking, “When is the next one?”

By Daniel Ortega
Senior Services by Pathfinders
GUYMON, OKLA.- The Guymon Hornbills have an ongoing elderly service project. The Pathfinders have helped elderly people around Guymon with many different yard and home projects. During the pandemic they have not been asked to come help as much. In November, the Pathfinders were passing out literature and met a man in great need. Later, the spring high winds brought in large armies of tumble weeds and have filled up yards and streets. This man could not take care of the tumble weeds, so the Pathfinders came to help. The tumble weeds were up to five feet high in his backyard, so the kids came up with different ways to flatten the weeds before bagging them up. The Pathfinders jumped on them, broke them, and placed ladders on them and jumped on the ladder. The bags filled with the squashed tumbleweeds filled the dumpster and a truck with a trailer, but the yard was now empty of the tumble weeds. The gentleman was so thankful for the help and telling others that we can help them, also.

By Amy Ward
TLT Retreat
WEWOKA, OKLA - Though weather kept us from our original plan, God blessed us with an awesome Pathfinder Team Leadership Training (TLT) retreat! Thirty-one TLTs attended the retreat at Wewoka Woods on March 12, where we looked into what leaders are. Between sessions, TLTs were challenged with team/leader-building activities. We defined what a leader is, we looked at the responsibilities of a leader, and how we can grow as leaders. The goal is not only to develop these teens as leaders in Pathfinders but to equip them for leadership in any direction that God calls them.

By Sarah Shepherd (TLT Coordinator)
Children's Sabbath at Tulsa's Zomi Church
TULSA - On March 6 the Zomi Seventh-day Adventist Church had an all-day Children’s Sabbath. Children conducted the worship service, the song service, special music and picked up the offering. Sonia Cano (Southwestern Union children’s ministry director) gave a beautiful sermon about the importance of the study of the bible with the family, and Yesenia Ortega (Oklahoma Children’s ministry director) gave the children’s story. Following the worship service, Sonia Cano had a seminar for parents about the importance of family and their needs.

By Yesenia Ortega
Seed Sowers Workshop
EDMOND, OKLA.- On March 6, Deborah Warden, Women’s Ministry Director and Cathy Parker, Oklahoma City area Women’s Ministry Coordinator, teamed up for a presentation at the Abundant Life Church in Edmond, at the invitation of Lisa Amukaya, their Women’s Ministry leader. The sermon was based on the parable of the sower, from the standpoint of spiritual soil preparation, while the afternoon Seed Sowers Workshop focused on the seeds. The men and youth were invited to join us for this sermon and training on how to reach out to their community. A group of about 30 were inspired to begin new ministry projects in their area. May God continue to bless this precious church family and their new outreach efforts. 

By Deborah Crenshaw
TAA High School Students Survive Challenge
WILBURTON, OKLA - "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This was one of the campfire questions posed to Tulsa Adventist Academy (TAA) high school students in late March. At the beginning of each school year, TAA high school students usually embark on a “high school challenge” to get to know each other before the school year sets in. Students have mountain biked and rock climbed in Arizona and clambered through mines and bathed in a freezing river in Colorado but this year was, of course, different ~ this year’s trip was cancelled. At least, that is what the students thought! Looking at our school calendar, TAA teachers found a few days to spare and rounded everyone up for a quick trip to southeast Oklahoma’s Robbers’ Cave State Park.

Surrounded by tall pines in the San Bois Mountains (absolutely ironic), our campground was ¼ mile from the cave where outlaws are thought to have hidden in the mid-20th century. Three high school teachers, two incredible adult volunteers and 20 happy campers (students) pitched their tents before that night’s cold front: high winds and cold rain segued to several “oops I forgot my sleeping bag/blanket/mat” and “my tent is filled with water” fiascoes. Campfires, along with cooking with Dutch ovens and camp stoves, kept everyone as warm as possible the first day but the Oklahoma weather did not disappoint as the next evening brought sunlight and hammocks were once again swinging between tall trees.

Over the four days we camped, everyone cooked, everyone cleaned, everyone smelled like a smoke pit; we were soaked, freezing, sunning, cooking, hammocking, hiking, biking, splitting wood and swimming. We were challenged to read as much as possible from a gospel of our choice. Each night around the camp fire we discussed teens’ concerns: dealing with conflicts, Jesus’ character, thankfulness and more. We also shared "warm fuzzies" by writing three positive things about each high school student, teacher, and volunteer (in envelopes, above). Over and over I keep hearing, “let’s go again” and “I needed that!” from our students. It wasn’t just a “good time” for our students either; it was a chance for us teachers to be "real" with our students and strengthen our relationships with them and Jesus, also.

By Caroline A. Fisher
Resources
Heroes 2 - Free App
Heroes 2: The Bible Trivia Game. Heroes is a free app that allows youth to engage with the Bible narrative while playing. Following Jesus’ method, this app finds people exactly where they are and speaks their “gaming language”. An international team has been working tirelessly for over two years designing the beautiful 3D characters, composing the original soundtrack and writing the Bible studies and trivia questions.
10 Keys to Raising a Great Teenager
Raising teenagers is hard. There are many parents that fear the teenage years. That fear may be merited because these are the years that the relationship between the teen and the family is being redefined. The importance of friends rises for them, while the parents and siblings fall. The fruit of your labor is not as easily seen as it used to be. In some cases, it may even seem like your influence is outright rejected.
If so, hang in there. Your work is not in vain. This period can prove to be the most rewarding and most vibrant phase of parenting. Here are 10 keys to raising a great teenager.
VBS Starter Kits Available to Loan for OK Churches
We know that the time to start planning for Vacation Bible School is approaching. We have five different VBS programs at the Oklahoma Conference office that are available to loan to Oklahoma churches. Following are the kits available:

  • Jamii Kingdom: Where we are all part of God’s family.
  • Sea of Miracles: Where kids get caught by Jesus.
  • Cactusville: Where kids are called to follow Jesus.
  • Heroes: Making a big difference in small ways.
  • Investigation Station: Galactic Quest
Each kit comes with a large backdrop and all the tools needed to organize and successfully run a VBS. These kits available in both English and Spanish versions. Please call the Youth Department at the conference office to get more information or save your date (first-come, first-served basis)!
3ABN+
3ABN+ has arrived, featuring over 1,500 hours of on-demand video and radio programming from 3ABN's family of networks plus live streaming! You're sure to enjoy this platform with no ads, new weekly content, and so much more!
Adventist World
Southwestern Adventist University President Ken Shaw Announces Transition
Southwestern Adventist University president Ken Shaw has announced that he has accepted an offer to serve as the 27th president of Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee. His transition will take place at the end of this academic year.
Adventist Church Expresses Love For Asian-American Community
The leadership of the North American Division (NAD) is condemning recent acts of violence and hate against the Asian-American community. A statement has been released by the NAD president, secretary, and treasurer calling for members to unite in support of their Asian brothers and sisters as they face undeserving animosity.
It Is Written Celebrates 65 Years of Soul Winning Ministry
On March 25, 2021, Pastor John Bradshaw held a Facebook Live broadcast to mark the 65th anniversary of It Is Written. The first It Is Written television program entered people’s homes via television on March 25, 1956.
Thou Shalt Smile...
Scrambled Tofu
Ingredients
  • 8 oz extra firm tofu
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 Cups kale loosely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
Please share your church and school activities by emailing pictures and stories to Communication@Okla-Adventist.org. Invite others to sign up to receive our E-Newsletter by visiting our conference website at www.okadventist.org. The sign-up form is at the bottom of the home page.

Daniel Ortega, Communication Director
Yesenia Ortega, Newsletter Manager
Caroline A. FisherNewsletter Editor
Communication@okla-adventist.org