INTERESTING WAYS TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN
EVANGELISM & SERMON PRESENTATION

Sungsu Hwang is the pastor at Chandler UMC. Here are two examples of his media ministries, one a sermon illustration and one announcing a Lenten ministry. Contact him for ideas!

Tee-ology Video

Seven Signs Video

Resources for A Capitol Campaign

This is developed by congregation of staff working together to raise funds for The Welcome/Hospitatlity Center at Ponca City First UMC, a second phase campaign. It is well done! Call and find out other information that might be helpful for you!

"Let's Finish the Race"!

Signs

Here is a great way to put inexpensive signs in our church buildings. Hope if you are considering new signs you will contact Shannon Freeman, Lay Leader at Chandler United Methodist Church.

"Signs"

Debbie Acord is on the Internet at www.onthewallgraphics.com. Her email is tacord@brightok.net If you send her a picture and the wording, she can superimpose it on the wall and send it back to you. She ships all over the country and is reasonable and quick. These signs can be peeled off without hurting the paint or wall. She will be at Affair of the Heart in OKC in October.

Random Acts of Kindness

"Gaining Momentum To Change The World"

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile" - Mother Teresa

Alton Carter, Youth Director at First United Methodist Church, has developed a Random Acts of Kindness program for his youth group. This group has been active in ministering to the needs of those with ill spouses, providing services to the local school district, providing service to the church, and collecting food for the local storehouses. In addition, the youth members have been commissioned to continue this practice in their own lives and challenged to complete over 2,000 acts within a certain time period. Their experience will end with a meal served to the Faith class, their group home friends, and the church choir.

Doing random acts for people is a great way to build stronger relationships among youth and is an exciting way to reach out to the others. It initiates the beginning of new relationships and demonstrates that God has called us to serve those outside our inner circle. And when we do so, lives change. It may be the one thing that shows them that God loves them, and it may inspire them to get involved and do the same for others. Challenging our youth to do random acts not only helps build character but also trains them how we should live.

Living a life that is pleasing to God is not intended to be complicated. It is simply a matter of doing the right things. When we do nice things for others, it generally makes us feel good about ourselves. Seeing people smile after receiving acts of kindness also brings joy to their hearts and our own hearts long after. We should never get tired of doing the right thing.

"Day as a Disciple"
A walk with Jesus

The "Day as a Disciple" event began on September 6th at 10:00 p.m. Approximatley 34 youth gathered at Sourthern Heights Methodist. At 11:00 p.m. we gathered together to take communion. On this evening we decided to experience communion like the Disciples did with Jesus so we folded the legs under the table and laid them on the floor and covered them with brown paper. We kneeled down on our sleeping bags Steve Roach told taught us the Passover, the last supper and what Jesus life was like before he died.

On September 7th, the day began at 6:00 in the morning with the youth cleaning shelves, tables and washing dishes. After cleaning the church the group of youth and parents walked to Whispering Hills where they picked up trash around the entire aparment complex.

After picking up trash we walked to the fire station located on South Main and pulled weeds out of the flower beds. Next the youth and adults washed several fire trucks and emergency vehicles.

Then walked to the Salvation Army Church located on Lowry Street where the kids sorted and boxed over ten thousand canned goods.

We then walked to couch park where several parents were waiting for us with sandwiches, fruit, and cookies for us to eat. We spent some time together playing football and fellowshipping together before headed back toward the church.

Once we arrived at the church we gathered together for a bible study. We discussed that being a disciple of Christ takes sacrifice and commitments and often leads us to think of others before ourselves. Jesus spent a lot of time traveling to different places meeting the needs of others. We spent the day serving God and tryping to experience what life may have been like walking with Jesus. Although we could not truly experience what it was like to be a disciple years ago, Jesus was with us and we saw him in each other and in those that we werved. Thirtyseven of us walked almost six miles and participated in several acts of random kindness and were blessed by the Day as a Disciple walk.

First United Methodist Church Youth Activities

1. Day as a disciple walk
   1. Cleaned Church
   2. Picked up trash at low income apartment complex
   3. Pulled weeds at Fire Station
   4. Washed fire trucks
   5. Sorted and boxed up canned goods at Salvation Arm Church
2. Cleaned desks at Stillwater Middle School
3. Visited a lady with terminally ill spouse
4. Washed and cleaned church vehicles
5. Wrote letter to parents
6. Help Adult Sunday school class with pumpkin patch sale
   1. gave away free coffee and water at pumpkin sale
7. Organized hotdog cook-out for Stillwater Group Home clients and staff

Examples of Random Acts

• Sincerely compliment a stranger.
• Write a thank you note to someone.
• Look for something around you that can be fixed up, picked up, or attended to, put shopping carts up, pick up some trash laying around, pick up something that has fallen over.
• Send handmade cards or a letter to someone you care for.
• Write a note to management or someone who has treated you nice while doing their job (waiter, clerk, sales person...etc).
• When you go somewhere to eat or do something, ask someone around you if you can pick up, drop off or do something for them while you do.
• Cut coupons out and leave them at the grocer register for others.
• Cut an article out of the newspaper that would interest a friend and mail it to them.
• Leave a "Have a nice day" sticker at a front desk.
• Put together a writing kit with stationery, envelopes and stamps, pen and give to hospital/ursing home residents.
• Put a comment on someone's webpage that you really like...let them know you enjoy it.
• Send a card to someone in the military overseas.
• Start a conversation up with a co-worker that you don't know.
• Leave something cheery or nice for all your co-workers (in spring bag of seeds, fun post its, fun office supplies).
• Put change in a row of vending machines.
• Visit a nursing home. Spend time visiting with someone who doesn't get visitors.
• Put something you no longer need on Craig's list free spot for your area.
• Leave something for someone at an area where it most might be used, (book in reading area, umbrella near door on rainy day).
• Leave a book you have already finsihed somewhere for someone else to read.
• Drop off a toy or game at a hospital.
• Drop off a toy or game at a homeless shelter.
• At post office leave some extra stamps at the stamp machine.
• Send a picture you have taken which includes a friend and send it to him or her with a note remembering when it was taken.
• Buy a phone card and give to a homeless shelter for them to give to someone.
• Open the phone book, pick a name and sned them something (movie tickets, thank you card, you are appreciated car, book, etc.) anonymously.
• Take flowers to a hospital ward and give them to someone who hasn't had any visitors.
• Take some cake, chocolates, flowers etc, to the neighbors, or a senior citizen nearby.
• Send someone a small gift anonymously.
• Make a CD of your favorite songs and give to a friend.
• Donate one hour of your time if you offer a service for a living, or one product, or one seminar, or one class, or just one of whatever it is thta you do as a gift to someone else.
• Invite someone who is alone over for dinner.
• Share a comic strip or something funny with someone else.
• Leave a chocolate for a co-worker.
• Write a note, send a e-greeting "just to say hello" to someone who might need a pick me up.
• Visit hospitals with smiles, treats and friendly conversation for patients.
• Send a thank you to the employees at a hospital, or anywhere else that a cheerful thank might add a smile.
• Put a quarter in a parking meter that has expired.
• Write a thank-you note to a person from your past who has made a difference in your life.
• Drop off a plant, flowers or apple pie at a public service organization or your neighbor's house.
• Send someone an animated greeting card on the internet.
• Write a note to the boss of someone who has helped you, praising the employee.
• Drop off teddy bear to police department to give to traumatized children.
• Drop a few coins in an area where children play, where they can easily find them.
• Copy a favorite recipe and give it to someone.
• Buy a copy of your favorite book and donate it to your local library or hospital.
• Write letters of appreciation to groups who are helping the community, the environment, etc.
• Send a card to a friend or relative you haven't seen for some time. Include a photo of yourself and/or your family.
• Make a point of introducing yourself to someone you see all of the time but never say hello to.
• Send an anonymous scratch card, lottery or theatre ticket to someone you know - or a gift voucher, a funny card, a chocolate bar, or whatever you feel they would enjoy.
• If you know someone who is having a hard time financially, pop a $5, $10, or $20 note in an envelope, disguise your writing or type the envelope, and post it to them.
• Offer to baby sit.
• Donate clothes to goodwill.
• Put change in a chairty change bottle.
• Bring cookies or some snacks to work for office.
• Drop off cookies at a random establishment.
• Tape some change to a payphone with a card saying it is for whoever needs it.
• Write anonymous, loving post-its for strangers to find.

"Love Wraps"
program of Kellyville UMC

“Love Wraps” is an outreach to our surrounding community, providing clothing for anyone with that need. The program is headed up by Patsy Hollingshad and her daughter, Tiffany Beem. Various other ladies assist with regulars being Darlene Watashe, Judy Romine and Alice Widdoes.

Clothing donations are accepted from the community, sorted and displayed for “shoppers”. (This is much more work than it sounds like.)

At the beginning of each school year we especially focus on needs of school age children, providing all essentials including underclothes, socks and coats with much of this being financed through our Benevolence fund.

This program was began in the early 1990’s, being set up weekly in our fellowship hall. It soon outgrew that and in 1994 we added about 800 square feet on to our main building for this program. The program has been quite successful, growing to serve 50 to 85 individuals every Saturday, making the available space difficult to operate out of.

So, this year, we have constructed a 1900 square foot building (see photo's) to be dedicated to this outreach. With the opening of the new facility, plans are to serve to public twice weekly, (Wednesday and Saturday).

A majority of the construction was accomplished by volunteer labor from our Church family and assistance from a few community friends.

In addition to the Clothing program, Patsy and Tiffany organize a “Christmas Basket” program each year, out of this facility, providing, literally a “pickup load”of food and other necessities to each of 12 to 15 of the neediest families in our community.

Kellyville UMC New Building

Youth Ministry Report
Ponca City Asbury

A couple of years ago, when I was asked to take on our youth program at Asbury UMC, I said two things: “I can’t do it alone”, and “kids are messy”. Since that time, I have drawn the distinct conclusion that no, I can’t do it alone, and yes, kids are messy.

We began building our youth program by canvassing the neighborhood around the church in order to meet all of our neighbors. Eventually, our youth group grew from just a handful of kids, into an average attendance of just over 40. Of these kids, 80% of them do not have parents who go to church, over 50% of them live with either mom or dad – not both.

We have become friends with students facing so many struggles in their lives. More than one girl has been molested. One girl struggles with bipolar disorder, has thoughts of suicide, and cuts herself. One of our boys is struggling to get off of drugs. Another won’t accept a ride home because he’s embarrassed for anyone to see where he lives. Many kids have been sexually active. All of them call Asbury home.

This year, we have given these kids several opportunities to deepen their relationships with Jesus Christ. In April, we took 30 kids to Acquire the Fire in Tulsa, OK. This was the first time many of them had seen so many Jesus seekers in one place. In the summer, we held our third-annual Reality Weekend Extreme Retreat. During this weekend, we spent our time doing devotions, worship, and as a service project, we painted the Kaw City UMC parsonage.

Our ministry goes beyond our Wednesday evening service and special activities. We also use the internet to communicate with our students. We have developed a website and myspace page in order to share news, prayer requests, and special announcements. Our main objective is to stay in contact with the teens throughout the week in order to further support them in their commitments. Our volunteer staff has also become versed in other technologies such as text messaging in order to better communicate with our teens.

The most important thing we have done this year is with commitment. Several kids have deepened their relationships with Jesus Christ as evidenced through our many baptisms and professions of faith. We have also had several kids join our church membership.

Our youth program has grown immensely since our small beginning. We have done it as a church. Many of our church membership have stepped in to help us grow our youth ministry in many ways. And, I’ll say it again…yes, kids are messy. But it is worth it.

RTC Highlights 2008

Our Sanctuaries Decorated for Christmas

Cleveland's Chancel for Christmas

Prague's Sanctuary for Christmas