June 2011

Outlook

20growth

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St. Luke’s Unitedat

Methodist Church

is to celebrate the growth of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in the past 20 years in a way that captures the essence of the church’s core be-liefs.

St. Luke’s provided a team comprised of stu-dents from Oklahoma City University’s mass communications department with the excit-ing opportunity to create this publication. It’s a chance for us to experience working with an outside client and gain insight into the publishing process.

We divided the magazine naturally into three sections: share, grow and serve. These three words have become so much more than a motto to the people of St. Luke’s: they have become a calling — a response to Jesus’s invitation to spread God’s message of hope to the world.

Dr. Bob Long said he does not take credit for the motto. Instead the words come from his observation of the church family when he arrived. They were already sharing God’s love, growing in their faith and serving their community.

“[St. Luke’s] had been doing this well for over 100 years before I came,” he said. “I felt my responsibility was to help them continue this on.”

To accurately represent the congregation’s growth in these three areas, we have chosen stories that highlight the progress of the church without forgetting its origins. The features range from one about an original Sun-day school class to newly completed construction.

You will find stories from the diverse voices of the congregation, from the youngest to the oldest, the newest members and the founding mem-bers. We chose a family tree for the cover of the magazine as a symbol of St. Luke’s—the church family growing from its roots and flourishing.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with the people of St. Luke’s as they have created a sense of progress and positivity that seems to define their actions. We hope this newest issue of Outlook will serve to commemorate the wonderful growth of the past two decades and create a foundation for what is to come in the next 20 years.

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editor’s letter / table of contents

TOKEN OF FAITHCoin unites congregation

PATRONS OF ARTCommunity connects through performance

SOUNDS OF WORSHIPMusicians explore spirituality through praise

CONSTRUCTION FOR CHRIST Renovations enhance service experience

FOREVER FOLLOWERS OF FAITH

Members attend Sunday school for 60 years

CHILDREN OF THE LORD

Preparing youth for the future

A HEART FOR MISSIONS

Members share message overseas

REACHING OUTMinistries teach others acts of service

purpose

issueof this

Outlookof

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EditorDakoda Smith

Assistant EditorTiffany Howard

DesignersNathan Hatcher

Donald Ashwood

PhotographerSusannah Waite

Copy EditorRosa Conner

WritersAmanda Alfanos

Mary Larsh

Outlook

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The roaring

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church has served as a place of worship in Oklahoma City since the Land Run of 1889. With the mission, “to share God’s love and bring hope to the world,” St. Luke’s is spreading an inspirational message through the heart of Oklahoma.

222 N.W. 15th St. - Oklahoma City, OK 73103 - (405) 232-1371 - www.stlukesokc.org

Contents Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

staff

As chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, I’m excited to help lead in or-ganizing a celebration of 20 years of ministry with Bob and Marsha Long. I know I speak for the entire congregation in expressing our gratitude for the ways in which Bob and Marsha have served God, this congregation and our community (here and abroad) for the past 20 years.

Throughout this special edition of Outlook magazine, you will read about the ministries and missions that have started, grown and flourished during these last twenty years. Together as a family of faith, we are grateful for God’s leading, for the vision and leadership of Bob and Marsha Long, and for the faithful witness of our church members as all of us seek to “Share God’s Love and Bring Hope to the World!”

On June 10, 2011, St. Luke’s will join together for an evening of food, fellow-ship, music and story telling. The purpose of the evening will be to remember. We want to remember all the many ways God has blessed our church and provided opportunities for us to grow in our faith, share God’s love with others, and serve our community.

Each Sunday, we come together as a congregation to hear Dr. Long share stories that inspire us to share God’s love and bring hope to the world. So often we are reminded through his sermons to remember the past and focus on God’s bless-ings on our life. When I remember the past 20 years, I feel a sense of gratitude for the impact St. Luke’s has had on my family and me, personally. Inspired by Bob’s passion for story telling, we will celebrate the past 20 years of ministry with Bob and Marsha Long by hearing stories from many of the individuals impacted by the ministries and missions established here at St. Luke’s. What better way to honor the ministry of Bob and Marsha Long than to share our stories.

I know you won’t want to miss this special time to celebrate as a congregation, to share our gratitude, and to be inspired to continue these ministries into an exciting future!

Sincerely,Cara Nicklas

Special ThanksThis magazine was produced for St. Luke’s as part of a service-learning class in the Mass Communications Department at Oklahoma City University. The church staff and congregation are extremely grateful for the students hard work and dedication!

20 Years

19MODELING GROWTHHispanic ministry breaks barriers

Dakoda SmithEditor

TRUE DEDICATION | Mary Billings holds a coin she received from St. Luke’s

United Methodist Church. Members began to receive the coin with a one-on-one blessing

on Palm Sunday in 2006, said the Rev. Linda Brinkworth, pastor of care ministry. Billings has

been a member for more than 80 years.

Round, metallic objects accumulate in her handbag’s coin purse, but among the pennies, nickels, quarters, and dimes is an object Mary Billings cherishes — the coin she received from St. Luke’s.

Billings keeps the coin in her purse at all times. It serves as a constant reminder of her church, which means so much to her.

“I remember one time it gave me assurance in whatever I was asking God for or talking to Him about,” she said. “It gives me a lot of comfort sometimes just to hold it.”

The coin, engraved with St. Luke’s mission statement, “Sharing God’s love and bringing hope to the world,” is given to members upon joining. Senior Pastor Dr. Bob Long encourages members to carry the coin with them as a tangible

reminder to live out the church’s mission. The tradition began on Palm Sunday in 2006, said the Rev. Linda Brinkworth, pastor of care ministry.Unlike the majority of St. Luke’s members, it wasn’t until a few years ago that Billings received her coin. The tradition

hadn’t been established when she became a member more than 80 years ago.Being a lifetime member, she has witnessed the church’s growth.Billings grew up attending The Tabernacle, the first location of St. Luke’s. The building, where Billings was married, was

located for more than 40 years at Northwest 8th Street and North Robinson Avenue.“When I was growing up, we probably filled the sanctuary of the old church,” Billings said.In 1951, the church moved to Northwest 15th Street and North Robinson Avenue and grew to be a 10,000-member

church by 1960. “I’ve seen so much growth,” Billings said. “I’ve gone through many, many preachers. I think our Bishop of our annual con-

ference knew that St. Luke’s had to grow. I think that’s one reason he brought Bob Long in, because he could see the future and what it would take to be a growing church.”

St. Luke’s membership had decreased to 4,000 by the time Dr. Long arrived in 1991 as many Oklahomans moved to the sub-urbs.

Long was one of four St. Luke’s pastoral candidates interviewed for the senior pastor opening in 1991. He previously had served at a new congregation in Houston, Texas, which grew to be more than 700 members within five years.

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Coin unites congregation By Amanda Alfanos

TokenOFfaith

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photography from poteet theatre archives

When Long accepted the position with St. Luke’s, he said he knew the church had to grow.Some initiatives Long has overseen to foster growth include broadcasting on TV and radio, and adding new services,

Billings said.Under Dr. Long’s leadership, membership has increased to more than 6,000 people. “Bob is fun,” Billings said. “He just makes everyone feel comfortable. It’s kind of like family. And I love the staff. They

make you feel special.”The welcoming nature of St. Luke’s employees draws many people to the church, Billings said.Jean Parham received her coin when she joined the church in 2008 after moving from Little Rock, Arkansas. Her husband,

David, received a suggestion from a coworker to visit St. Luke’s because of the choir.“People were very friendly,” Parham said. “We did love Robert Fasol, who is the choir director. “And he introduced us to people and the people in the choir were just so welcoming and inclusive. They just made you

feel right at home.”After becoming a member, Parham became more involved in the church by joining the choir with her husband and be-

coming a part of a Sunday School class. Billings and Parham said they stayed at St. Luke’s for a combination of two reasons: their involvement and their familiarity.“My theory is: you join the church,” Mary Billings said. “So many people leave when they change ministers.“But that’s not my theory. The minister leaves you, but this is your church. This is where you need to be.”Billings said, of all the pastors that have served at St. Luke’s during her time, she appreciates how much Dr. Long has

watered the church’s family tree within the past 20 years.

- Jean Parham

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“Theyjust madeyou

feelrightat home.”

share

Teachers in St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s arts ministries impact students by improving their dancing, singing and acting abilities.

Jay Prock, executive director of Arts @ St. Luke’s and artistic director of the Poteet Theatre, said he is passionate about the arts ministries as he got his start participating in the program.

In 1994, a group of people who participated in Sum-merfest decided to cap off the event with a musical.

“That kind of gave birth to the whole Arts @ St. Luke’s program,” Prock said.

The arts program blossomed during Dr. Bob Long’ ten-ure. Long has a life-long passion for the arts which began with his involvement in high school drama productions.

The Poteet Theatre was built and opened in 1999. Prock said he credits the late Cindy Poteet with founding the arts program. In the Christian Life Center the Poteets put on a production of “Nunsense.” During the show, Poteet found out she had cancer. They started construction on the theater and, just before it was finished, she died, Prock said.

“The theater was named after her because she was the creative force behind Arts @ St. Luke’s and the Poteet Theatre,” he said.

Jason Johnson, Prock’s predecessor, “took the program to the next level” by starting a community theater and cre-ating a Poteet Theatre series with a five-show season of three musicals and two plays, Prock said.

“It was more than just a church theater when they start-ed their first season,” he said.

Sarah Phoenix, one of the directors from “Scrooge the Musical,” started a free weekly dance and theater class. From that class bloomed the arts and education program

Community connects through performance By Mary Larsh

Patrons artof

that St. Luke’s has today. Dance classes consist of a full line-up of ballet, tap, jazz,

modern, hip-hop, and Irish dance, Prock said.Shawna Linck, director of arts education, leads the chil-

dren’s arts program. The children perform in two or three productions a year and participate in workshops and a voice and acting cabaret performance. They also perform an annual dance showcase to demonstrate what they have been learning, Prock said.

“We’re a young program, and I believe in 10 years we’re going to have some well-to-do performers out there in the world,” he said.

The Poteet Theatre Arts Education Program also has a class on Saturday mornings for special needs children. It provides an opportunity for children with mental and physical disabilities to participate, Prock said.

“We have some autistic children that do tap and jazz,” he said. “They perform in their own recital and integrate some of their stuff into the children’s recital.”

The program focuses on developing students’ skills, Prock said.

“We train students to be the best they can be so it can be a very fulfilling pastime,” he said.

Prock said his work inspires him when he watches stu-dents who are insecure in their abilities gain confidence through art.

“We’re a young program, and I believe in 10 years we’re going to have some well-to-do performers out there in the world.”

Jay Prockexecutive director of Arts @ St.Luke’s

get connected: poteettheatre.com

ACTINg OUT | Actors bring Disney’s famous High School Musical to life on the Poteet Theatre

stage in Summer 2010.

MUSICAL PRAISE | Left: Robert Fasol, organist, plays during the traditional service. Center to right: Bandleaders sing during the LifeLight service. Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 10:50 a.m. in the Sanctuary and LifeLight is at 9:40 a.m. in the Christian Life Center.

The sounds of worship at St. Luke’s vary from the electric guitar in LifeLight to the booming pipe organ in traditional worship. But when it’s comes to the sermon – it will always be the same.

Senior Pastor Dr. Bob Long preaches the same sermon in all three services. The sermon also is the focus of the weekly televi-

sion broadcast at 10:30 a.m. Sundays on KOCO Channel 5. Long continues a long legacy of senior pastors who were well-known for

their preaching. Musicians in both the traditional and contemporary services work to make sure the worship experience reflects the theme of Dr. Long’s sermon series.

Robert Fasol, organist and choirmaster, coordinates the inspiring and uplift-ing music for the traditional worship service.

The literature and scripture from the sermon impacts the compilation of the music, Fasol said.

Musicians explore spirituality through praise By Mary Larsh

SoundsOFworship

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“We join many voices to become one.”

Robert Fasolorganist and choirmaster

get connected: music@stlukesokc.org

“We’ll pick a theme and we’ll pick hymns, choral anthems or music that will help tie them together,” he said.

The organ is a key component of the traditional worship service. There are 5,557 pipes on the organ that engulf the sanctuary every Sunday to begin and conclude the traditional worship services. The 54-year-old Aeolian-Skinner or-gan was installed in the new sanctuary in 1957.

Services also might feature the brass, string and woodwind ensembles, which make up the orchestra.

Musical selections include congregational hymns, a choir, and an instrumen-tal solo or ensemble performance.

Visual elements are important in setting the tone for the music in the service. Tangible objects, including fabrics and candles, are used to decorate the altar. Music and decoration create a stronger ambience for the theme, Fasol said.

Because the music program can share its gifts with the church weekly, it

enables the members of the congregation to participate and to grow spiritually, Fasol said.

“We join many voices to become one,” he said. “We have to work, re-hearse and learn music but at the same time everybody must have fellowship with one another.”

Stephanie Greenwald, director of LifeLight ministries and education, facili-tates the music for the contemporary worship service.

“I help to organize the service each week,” she said. “I also help with the overall vision by doing the technical things, getting the music ready, organizing the ushers, and helping the flow of the service.”

Greenwald said she also leads the “LifeLight” band, comprised of about 20 members.

“Like the traditional worship services, we like to do hymns,” she said. “They’re just put to a different genre.”

They add their own flavor with a band and drums to create a contemporary

sound, Greenwald said.“We also like to do very contemporary music,” she said. “If you turn on K-

Love, you’ll hear what we’re doing in ‘LifeLight.’”Like the traditional services, decorations are important in creating ambience

for the contemporary worship service. For one sermon, “A Light in the Dark-ness,” 50 lit candles were placed over the stage, Greenwald said.

One of the benefits of the contemporary service is the ability to use media in a lot of different ways, Greenwald said.

“In our new space that’s just been renovated we use two very large screens,” she said. “There won’t be a moment during the service where there won’t be something on the screen.”

The screen will play some type of motion or sensory experience that will add to the service including video, images and words to songs.

With the new renovations to the Christian Life Center, members of the con-gregation are close to the leaders of the service from any seat in the room, Greenwald said.

“We like to use the more casual setting to do things that really bring the ser-mon and message to life,” she said.

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Jim Keating never dreamed he’d worship on a basketball court.

Keating spearheaded the building cam-paign for the Christian Life Center more than 20 years ago. Church leaders wanted

to transform an unused patch of dirt into a multi-purpose space that could be used for church dinners and a new sports ministry.

“We thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could use that space?” Keating said. “It never crossed any-body’s mind that it would be used as a permanent place for worship – maybe for basketball – but not worship.”

The Christian Life Center opened in 1991 as Se-nior Pastor Dr. Bob Long was arriving. In its first few years it was frequently used for it’s original purpose – dinners and basketball. Then, in 1999 a new con-temporary worship service started.

In its infancy, LifeLight adapted to the room. However, as the service grew, church leaders knew something had to change.

“LifeLight is what is driving the CLC now,” Keat-ing said.

Two years ago, Management Council formed a committee under Dr. Long’s leadership to explore renovating the Christian Life Center. The committee also discussed updating the adult education hallway and classrooms, and the Preparing the Way Cam-paign began.

As part of the $2.6 million capital campaign, the

Renovations enhance service experience

ConstructionChrist

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CLC was transformed with a new wider stage, state-of-the-art sound equipment and a new layout that increased seating by 50 percent.

But the CLC wasn’t the only area to change. The capital campaign also funded updates to several adult Sunday School classrooms as well as a new granite and marble floor in the Narthex.

Renovations to the Narthex fountain are underway and the Watchorn Chapel will be updated later this year.

Keating said the building isn’t the same as when he first starting attending St. Luke’s about 30 years ago.

“It had to be transformed,” Keating said. “I credit Bob and his leadership. These building projects couldn’t have happened without him.”

Preparing the Way was the second major capital campaign during Dr. Long’s 20 years at St. Luke’s.

The Growing the Dream campaign provided ren-ovations to the children’s education area, an updated organ console, renovated restrooms and new parking lots.

Keating said as he walks around the building today and worships each Sunday in LifeLight he can’t help but see God’s guiding hand going all the way back to the original conversations about building the CLC.

“We knew that it needed to be built and God had put that task on several of our hearts,” he said. “We just didn’t know the primary reason would come al-most 10 to 15 years later.”

photography from st. luke’s archives

UNDER CONSTRUCTION | Above: Senior Pastor Bob Long preaches in the newly renovated Christian Life Center. Below: Rev. Wendy Lambert welcomes the congregation to LifeLight during construction phase of Preparing the Way. LifeLight was displaced only one Sunday during the entire nine-month construction period. Right: Cardboard cut-outs of Bob Long as “Bob the Builder” decorated the building during the construc-tion phase of growing the Dream campaign.

photography by susannah waite

IN SESSION | The “Triquetra” and “Clyde Harrison” classes meet on Sunday mornings for discussions.

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St. Luke’s has a long tradition of strong Sunday school classes.

Three of these classes were founded more than 60 years ago and still exist today: “Wedding Ring,” “Clyde Harrison” and “The Triquetra.”

The class members were some of the first people Se-nior Pastor Dr. Bob Long met after arriving at St. Luke’s in 1991. Dr. Long attributes the church’s growth and success to St. Luke’s strong Sunday School program and long-time members he frequently refers to as “the saints on whose shoulders we stand.”

For the Wedding Ring Class, Room 210 is the place where believers have created a lifetime bond. They were all newly-married couples that shared the same joys in having children and building families, said Marvin Schlegel, presi-dent of the class.

“This group began in September in 1950 during Labor Day weekend,” he said. “Mrs. Deborah Wallace started the group for married couples, and helped teach each year along with Dr. William Wallace Jr., who was the minister during this time.

“They helped us during tough times.”Schlegel said he and his wife have seen the “Wedding

Ring” group grow through the years.“My wife and I, along with Mary and the late Bob Bill-

ings, were original members of the group,” he said. “We started off with over 100 members, and now they have 30 members that are there on every Sunday.”

Members attend Sunday school for 60 years By Tiffany Howard

13stlukesokc.org

grow

Foreverfaithfollowers of

9:40 a.m.Agape, Believers, Builders, Circles, Coffee Talks, Cornerstone, Discovery Bible, Fellowship, Founda-tions, Genesis, Harrison, Horizons, Insight, Open View, Pathfinders, Promises, Searchers, Triquetra, Unity, Upper Room, Wedding Ring, Word by Word.

10:50 a.m.Afterglow, Crossroads, Footsteps, Journeys, Life-Quest, Perspectives.

12:00 p.m.College Class

SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE

get connected: adults@stlukesokc.org

The group members stuck with each other through life’s obstacles, and the bond they created became strong. They still meet once a month for dinners and have done so for 60 years now, Schlegel said.

While the “Wedding Ring” was primarily for newly mar-ried couples, the “Clyde Harrison” class was for servicemen and their wives, who focused on other members of the military who were serving, member Bettie Raulie said.

“The name of the group came from the man who spon-sored it, which was founded in 1946,” she said. “This is the oldest group of the three Sunday schools and consisted of 125 members.”

Raulie said she has been active in the group since 1962 and still remembers what influenced her to become in-volved.

“The friendliness of the people made me join,” she said. “They want their tradition to live as long as it can at St. Luke’s.”

The friendly St. Luke’s spirit continues today. Dr. Long continues to stress the importance of Sunday School and encourages new members to get involved in a class. During the past 20 years, 15 new classes have started.

Raulie said she is proud of the way her Sunday School class provides leadership for the church.

“It is a part of their lives,” she said. “They do anything they can for the church.”

The children’s ministries at St. Luke’s strive to cre-ate an environment that fosters growth into adulthood. Brittany Stanley and Charlie Ludden, children’s ministry directors, work together in transitioning children at St. Luke’s through different stages of their childhood and adolescence in the church.

The core of St. Luke’s children’s programming is a rotational Sunday School program that moves children to the next stage of Christian life, Stanley said. On average, about 200 to 250 children will attend Sunday morning programs.

The rotional Sunday School program was created as part of the 2004 Growing the Dream Capital Campaign spearheaded by Senior Pastor Bob Long. During Dr. Long’s tenure, St. Luke’s ministry to children and families has has expanded through the creation of the Great and Wee Adventures as well as the establishment of two new children’s ministry positions

“We forget how many milestones occur in the first 20 years of life,” Stanley said. “I think that St. Luke’s did something really right by having specific positions that allow for those milestones to be covered.”

Stanley supervises the “Wee Adventure,” a birth through preschool program. Ludden works in the “Great Adventure,” a kindergarten through fifth-grade pro-gram.

This allows the children to become familiar with him as they transition into Ju-nior High, the fourth through eighth-grade class which he directs.

“When we have the ‘Little Bitties’ move up to the ‘Great Adventure,’ they’ll get to know Charlie before they move into youth,” Stanley said.

The directors share responsibilities and seek help from each other. Stanley said she views Ludden as a teammate.

“The job entails getting volunteers, writing curriculum, coming up with special events for those ages, and being a pastoral care source for the children and their families,” she said.

One of the team’s goals is to equip par-ents to minister to their children at home. They achieve this by helping parents answer their children’s questions, Ludden said.

“We also get things ready for parents,” Ludden said. “We provide things for the kids to take home to continue the education in the household — not just at the church.”

Children in the “Wee Adventure” learn Bible stories through their play and experiences in the church’s nursery. When they begin kindergarten, they move upstairs to the “Great Adventure” where they begin their learning through arts, crafts, cooking, and technology, Stanley said.

“They remember me when I was downstairs with them in the ‘Wee Adven-tures,’” she said. “When I move upstairs with them, it gives them a sense of familiarity.”

These life stages are changes for all children. Having familiar faces throughout the transitions is beneficial, Stanley said.

“There’s something that’s lost when children don’t know who’s in the next ministry,” she said. “This prevents any of that, and it’s always better when you get to work with other people.”

Paid staff members are present in classrooms in the “Wee Adventure.” Their duties consist of changing diapers, feeding and fulfilling the needs of the chil-dren.

Teachers receive blessings in the “Wee Adventure” for teaching lessons, Stan-ley said.

“They are nurturing our children and helping them begin those basic founda-tional beliefs in God,” she said.

In the “Great Adventure,” the teachers are volunteers. Volunteers tend to be

church members. There are also a few student volunteers from Oklahoma City University: religion majors, those who enjoy working with children and those wanting to get involved with St. Luke’s, Ludden said.

Every month, teachers are given a new Bible story. They spend a month teaching the class about that story. The directors provide a Biblical background to prepare the teachers for the lesson, Stanley said.

“We make sure they know where their supplies are going to be, that they have a copy of the lesson and that it’s an enjoyable experience for our volunteers,” she said.

Stanley and Ludden hope the students build relationships with the volunteer teachers, Ludden said.

“They get to meet different congregation members and college students that they can hopefully one day look up to,” he said.

Working with children is more than a job—it is a rewarding experience, Lud-den said.

“There’s that same child on Sunday mornings that runs up and grabs your leg,” he said. “That’s why I do my job.”

Ludden enjoys watching the children learn to derive meaning from Bible les-sons.

“It’s a satisfying moment because the kid was so excited about it,” he said. “You really get choked up because you weren’t ready for it.”

Stanley said children are sponges, absorbing more than adults realize.“What happens all the time is that volunteers don’t think they’re doing some-

thing right, but then you ask the kids,” she said. “It’s special when you ask them what they learned and they can tell you everything.”

Children accept the message of the lessons with faith and without question-ing, Stanley said.

“In the Bible, it says we should have faith like a child,” she said. “I think that’s the most rewarding thing.”Preparing youth for the future By Mary Larsh

ChildrenLordof the

CHILDLIkE FAITH | Children participate in the 2010 Vacation Bible School. The children’s education space was renovated during the growing

the Dream capital campaign. The renovated space is now used for rotational Sunday School and other children’s programs.

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photography from st. luke’s archives

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“In the Bible, it says we should have faith like a child.”

Brittany StanleyDirector of Younger Children’s Ministry

get connected: children@stlukesokc.org

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SOUL SISTER | 1) Children participate in a Youth Camp in Ulyanovsk, Russia. 2) Pastor Nadezhda Nushtaeva leads a worship service at the Ulyanovsk church. 3) The Ulyanovsk United Methodist Church shares a building with a Lutheran church. 4) Members from the sister church in Ulyanovsk, Russia, led a song during LifeLight on March 27. The group was visiting for a Russia conference from April 7-10.

The Russian ministry is a mission close to John and Noma Miley’s hearts.

The couple traveled together to Russia as part of a St. Luke’s partnership with the people of Ulyanovsk, Russia. In 1992, Senior Pastor Dr. Bob Long and a group of St.

Luke’s members were some of the first Methodists to travel to Russia after the fall of communism. Today, the Russian Ministry continues to offer members a variety of opportunities to become involved in the min-istry, from traveling to Russia to perform mission work to joining the domestic prayer team.

Noma Miley has traveled to Russia five times and the couple visited Ulyanovsk together once in 1997.

On the trip, John said he was interested in the similarities of Oklaho-mans and Russians.

“The people of the town actually reminded me of people from Okla-homa, except they spoke Russian,” he said. “They were good people from the middle of the country.”

The Russians also had an interest in sharing the Christian faith, John said.

“Once we got over there and started talking to them, there was really a lot of interest,” he said. “That really surprised me how much interest there was in Christianity and Methodism.”

The city had many churches before the Russian Revolution. John said the most inspiring part of Russia was seeing churches that had been closed down and started up again.

“Actually, the church building before the revolution was a Lu-theran church,” he said. “The revolution occurred in 1917, and the church was closed down around 1930.”

After the revolution, the Lutherans sent a pastor, the Rev. Friedrich, back to the church from Germany to revive the fallen services, John said.

“He had started it, but needed some help getting the build-ing done,” he said. “We helped him build another building on the church property that held offices and classrooms.”

The church building is legendary, Noma said.

Members share message overseas“The legend is that Vladimir

Lenin, the leader of the Rus-sian Revolution of the Com-munists, that his mother had been Lutheran and they were from that church,” Noma said. “They supposedly never tore that church down in honor of her.”

St. Mary’s Church survived the communist years and reopened in the 1990s.

When Dr. Bob Long made his first trip to Russia in 1992, he ac-companied 40 church members with the goal of making contacts and relationships. They also attended government, city and university meetings, John said.

“Many of the people they stayed with formed the nucleus of the new church,” he said. “This trip was more of a dignitary type, getting to know you thing.”

During later trips, the mission focused on forming relationships with the Russian families, Noma said.

“The first church was not big,” she said. “The First United Method-ist Church was held in the Transportation Department.”

For several years the church service was hosted there. The Methodists’ donations from the United States and the Luther-

ans’ donations from Germany reopened St. Mary’s Church. By 2000, the classroom building was constructed, John said.

“The church is thriving over there now,” he said.Currently, the Lutherans have their church services on Sunday

mornings. The Methodist church services are at 4 p.m. Sundays.“God works in interesting ways,” Noma said.Noma said she stayed with Marina Volkov and her family during

her trip in 1993. When John and Noma returned in 1997, they stayed with Marina again.

Noma said she visited the Volkov family on her returning trips to Russia, bringing back hearing aids and batteries for Lena, Marina’s daughter.

“These people have become like our family,” she said.

By Mary Larsh

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photography by susannah waite and st. luke’s archives

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“These people have become like our family.”

Noma Mileypatron of Russian ministries

get connected: missions@stlukesokc.org

Interested in going to Russia?

Join Dr. Lauranne Harris and the Russian Missions team December 28, 2011-January 8, 2012.

Approximate cost is $3,000. Contact Dr. Lauranne Harris at lauranne18@msn.com if you are interested.

go to stlukesokc.org for video footage of Harris describing her experience in Russia.

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CELEBRATORY SERVICE | Students at Emerson High School, located at Northwest 6th Street and Northwest Walker Avenue, gather with Marsha Long, director of hospitality ministries. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church throws birthday parties for the women in the school’s leadership class.

Members of St. Luke’s are spreading the share, grow and serve mission to the local community.

Founded by Marsha Long, the Emerson School program provides

support for teachers and students at Emerson High School.

Emerson is Oklahoma City’s alternative high school. It is located at Northwest 6th Street and North-west Walker Avenue.

Twice a year, students from Emerson High School sell knitted scarves they’ve made at St. Luke’s. Their craft wouldn’t be possible without church volunteers.

St. Luke’s has partnered with the high school for about 15 years, said Randa Pirrong, Emerson teacher and St. Luke’s member.

“It started out with some mentors and has grown into some school supply drives and supporting a leadership class there on a monthly basis, and knitting,” she said.

A volunteer from the church’s knitting group began visiting Emerson four years ago to teach the students how to knit. It has grown into sales twice a year at the church. This teaches students life skills needed to sustain their families, said Marsha Long, director of hospitality ministries.

“We want them to feel supported by their community and be encouraged to graduate from high school,” she said. “A lot of these students — not all of them — but a lot of them live in homes where they might be the first person to graduate from high school. Some of them receive a lot of encourage-ment from their families, some of them don’t.”

The students receive a portion of their profits from the knitting sales and the rest goes back into the Emerson mission fund, Long said.

“We never knew what seeds it would plant for the future,” she said. “It’s really interesting to teach them the entrepreneurial side of it.”

Church members also help to support Emerson by donating supplies to the school and working with students in a leadership class, which sponsors “girls night out” events, Long said.

“We want them to understand how important education is in being able to support a family and de-velop their own life skill needs,” she said. “But we also realize that these girls are still teenagers and need to have fun.”

Ministries teach others acts of service By Amanda Alfanos

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photography from st. luke’s archives

stlukesokc.org

serve

reaching out“We never knew what seeds it would plant for the future.”

Marsha Longdirector of hospitality ministries

photography from st. luke’s archives

Building spiritual foundations in the community starts with bridging cultural gaps. Uniting through diversity began with spreading the word of God.

When two culturally diverse churches merged in 2006 to become Hillcrest Fuente de Vida, it wasn’t easy.

The two churches, Hillcrest United Methodist Church and Fuente de Vida United Methodist Church, were more than ethnically diverse, said the Rev. Tino Espinoza, pastor of the church.

“The Hispanic Church had very contemporary music and worship, but the Anglo church was used to the traditional high-church setting,” he said. “We had to find a happy medium.”

About 30 Hispanic members and 15 English-speaking members initially con-tinued with the church, Espinoza said. Last year, Bishop Robert E. Hayes was exploring ways to help the congregation to grow and approach Dr. Bob Long about having St. Luke’s partner with Hillcrest Fuente de Vida.

“St. Luke’s is a very mission-based church and they’re willing to invest time, hands-on ministry and money,” Espinoza said.

The partnership with St. Luke’s has allowed Fuente de Vida to provide week-ly broadcasts on Telemundo as well as translation devices for English-speaking members. The congregation has almost doubled from December to March 2011, Espinoza said.

“Few churches double their attendance in three months,” he said. “This gives us a clue that we’re going in the right direction.”

Espinoza said he hopes to share his church’s model with other churches striv-ing to grow.

“This is an experiment that is proven effective,” he said. “We have a good method or process that we may be able to share with other districts or churches that want to adopt Hispanic ministries.”

Hispanic ministry breaks barriers By Amanda Alfanos

Modeling growth

18 get connected: missions@stlukesokc.org

MISSION OPPORTUNITIES

Mobile MealsMobile Meals prepares and delivers 100 meals each Saturday morning for the home-bound and elderly. St. Luke’s United Meth-odist Church operates seven driving routes in southwest and northwest Oklahoma City. Volunteer opportunities include cooks, des-sert cooks, drivers, and substitutes.

Project TransformationEvery summer St. Luke’s United Methodist Church partners with Project Transforma-tion, a summer literacy day camp for educa-tionally under-served children. Volunteers read one-on-one with elementary-age children.

Studio 222Studio 222 is an arts-based after-school program targeting inner city middle school-aged youth with limited means to participate in extracurricular activities. Studio 222 runs Monday through Thursday during the school year with some summer activities. Volunteers are needed to drive vans, provide snacks and light dinners, as well as, assist in the classroom

REACHINg OUT | Above: The Hillcrest Fuente De Vida Congrega-tion sings during Worship. Bottom: A volunteer reads to a child during Sunday School at Fuente de Vida.

Congratulations Bob and Marsha on your 20th year of ministry at St. Luke’s. Thank you for your dedicated service and leadership!