Class description

Class Descriptions

1-1 Vacation Bible School Preview

Becky Price
This class is directed to persons who prepare and lead VBS in their church. Come preview the wonderful activities for VBS that will lead your children to a closer walk with God, experience new songs, and form bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime.

1-2 Web Ministry

Dr. Charles Neff
Discover the online tools your church or ministry can tap into to harness the marketing power of the internet. Topics will include effective website design, using Facebook to connect your members, and strategic text messaging.

1-3 Making A Difference: Starting A New Ministry

Donna Heldermon
Is God calling your church to expand its ministries? All laity who see a need or feel the heart tug for making a difference and desire methods for success in beginning new ministries are welcomed.

1-4 Advancing Hope Around the World: UM Missionaries and Their Ministries

Tom Hoffman
"Missionary" is one of the oldest and most honored offices of the Christian church, with origins found in Paul's writings in the New Testament. United Methodist missionaries witness and serve in dramatically different locales and cultures and engage in a range of professions and activities. In this workshop, find out how your church can be actively involved in the work our missionaries do on our behalf. The class is great for anyone who wants to know more about how the United Methodist Church makes a difference around the world!

1-5 Guiding People into Ministry

Chuck Stewart
This class will help pastors, PPR members, youth directors and other interested laity have conversations with people who are hearing God's call for a future in lay or ordained ministry. Did you know we have at least 17 possibilities for specific ministries in the United Methodist Church?

1-6 Re-Ignite the Go-Go's, Slow-Go-s and No-Go's

Rebeccah Kingsbery
Discussions on how congregations can minister to people based on mobility rather than age in the areas of spiritual development, health, fellowship, education, life transitions, service, intergenerational interaction, daily assistance, and National Grandparent's Day. This is directed towards anyone interested in ministry by, for, to, and with the growing numbers of older adults in our communities.

1-7 Our UM Social Principles and Advocating for Justice

April Coates
Learning more about the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church and how you can be a voice for United Methodists through the UM-CAN network and their work to be an active voice for Oklahoma policy makers and beyond.

1-8 Focus on General & Jurisdictional Conference

Rev. Darrell Cates
In an informal Q & A format we will look at the big issues coming to the 2012 General Conference to be held in Tampa, Florida, April 24-May 4, 2012 and the South Central Jurisdictional Conference to be held in Oklahoma City, July 18-21. All delegates and interested persons are welcome to participate in this session.

1-9 Belonging Hospitality in the Small Church

Jim Hollifield
How to make family of visitors.

1-10 Effective Financial Leadership

Brian Bakeman
Are finances running your church or is your church running the finances? This class is designed for the chairs of finance committees, new and old, to discuss the leadership role of the chair.

1-11 Who Cares?

Bonnie Cates
Do I, as a Christian, have anything unique to offer my friends and family when they are hurting? What makes the care that Christians offer different from that offered by everyone else? I know someone who is going through a very difficult time in life. I want to help, but I do not know what to say or do. Have you ever asked these questions or felt afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing in a time of crisis? Too often the pastor becomes the sole care giver of the church. There are many people in each church who have gifts of mercy and service.

2-1 Children and Creativity

Becky Price
Designed for those who work with children.Did you know that by the age of 40 we are operating on only 2% of our creativity? Children are growing their creativity - how can we help them continue to grow and develop their creativity?

2-2 UMW: What's It About

Kathy Caldron
This class is for anyone interested in learning more about United Methodist Women. We will discuss who is a member and what does it mean in today's world. We will cover coming events and how they relate to the purpose.

2-3 Making Disciples: In and out of Prison

Gary Wilburn & Stan Basler
The workshop will present opportunities for person to live out their faith in ministry with incarcerated persons, formerly incarcerated and their families. The class is directed to lay and clergy looking for ways to be in ministry. The three main points are that ministry is possible to families of incarcerated, with formerly incarcerated in the community and in prison ministry.

2-4 Small Membership Congregations

Diana Northcutt
We will look at the great things small membership churches can do. What are the key indicators for healthy small membership churches. Network with one another. What is some of the new research saying about the viability of the small membership church

2-5 It Worked for Us Ideas/Models

Donna Heldermon & Chuck Stewart
One of the beautiful things about the United Methodist Church is that we are connectional. Because we are connectional we are open to allowing the Holy Spirit to help us learn from each other. This class will provide an opportunity for the sharing of what ministries and or events worked for your church and then in turn you will recieve information on what worked for other churches around our Conference. To attend this class, we ask that you bring with you at least one ministry that has worked for your church to share with others. This will be a time of constant discussion, brain storming and question and answering. We are the Church, together!

2-6 The Doctor Says It's Cancer

Judy Connor
A cancer diagnosis is a frightening experience. The individual may feel fear, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, anger, isolation and hopelessness-sometimes all at once! Family and friends, too, go through a wide range of feelings, including helplessness: we want to help, but we just don't know how. Having a cancer care ministry in your congregation can help bridge that abyss of despair and suffering. As Christians, we are called to minister to the sick. At the same time, however, we need to be very careful in how we interact with people who are experiencing a serious diagnosis.

2-7 Trustees, More than just Buildings

Brian Bakeman
The job of the Trustees includes managing the buildings, risk management, other legal issues, and bequests.

2-8 Married to the Minister: Life in the Fishbowl

Bonnie Cates
Clergy spouses are first and foremost married to the minister, not the church, yet many in a congregation still hope that they are getting "two for the price of one" when appointments are made. This discussion based class will explore and seek answers to questions that we have in common: How do we care for our mates, our families and ourselves when we live in a fishbowl? What do we wish church members understood about relating to the parsonage family? How can we communicate that in love? What are healthy boundaries and how do we set them? What are healthy ways to deal with conflict and/or criticism? What are the unique challenges of being a male spouse?

2-9 Leading Through Conflict: Cooling the Hot Spots

Claudean Harrison
Every congregation faces times of crisis, disagreement and sometimes serious conflict. At those occasions, what's a leader to do? This discussion format session will focus on some of the key elements in handling" conflict in the church. Our leader brings experience in public service, administration, teaching, and local church leadership to this important subject. Who should attend? Anyone who finds themselves in positions of leadership in the church will benefit from this important session.

2-10 Building Congregational Esteem

Jim Hollifield
We will investigate this foundation on which all other congregational success is build. Methods to build will be discussed and destructive practices will identified.

2-11 Congregations working with Veterans
Part 1

Joseph L. Lynch
This two-part class will cover congregational and pastoral care for veterans and their families. Part 1 will cover congregational care, including acknowledging and celebrating the veteran's return; with the veteran's permission, conducting a welcome home celebration; using caring listening skills in communicating with the veteran; if needed, providing a safe place for the veteran to be able to debrief about his or her situation; taking care of the veteran's family during deployment; providing free marriage enrichment retreat for the veteran and spouse; being sensitive to and alert for signs of distress with the veteran and family members; and acquainting the veteran and family with resources available to them.

2-1 2 S/PPRC Primarily for Staff / Pastor Parish Relations Chairs and Members

Rev. Darrell Cates
We will look at the year around work of the S/PPRC in the context of how the United Methodist Church is organized, our commitment to itinerant ministry and how appointments are made to our churches.

3-1 McAlester District UMW

Jerrie Lindsey
All UMW officers of the District come to this time of getting to meet one another. You will receive information about your new/old office, as we inspire each other to serve our units. Come and bring all of your great ideas and inspiration to share.

3-2 Precious Memories: Oral Interviews and Local Church History

Ella Wenman
Local church historians and other laity interested in their church's history and church staff involved in maintaining official records and historical documents will benefit from this session. Information and materials about traditional programs and guidelines for preserving local church history will be provided. New this year will be a video presentation and discussion of oral interviews as a simple and yet compelling way to capture the history and heritage of your church and the "stories" of individuals who lived and helped shape its history.

3-3 Congregational Based Youth Ministry/Sustainable Youth Ministry

Conference Youth Team
This class will be for churches who want to look at long-term youth ministry and what that means to the congregation. This is not a 101 class. We will look at youth job descriptions, youth ministry as congregational ministry. What is the sustainability of youth ministry with the youth minister lasting longer that 1-2 years.

3-4 Should Faith Mix with Politics?

Stan Basler
This workshop will address issues of systemic sin and explore biblically and theologically the role the church should play in forming public policy as a matter of authentic discipleship. The class is for anyone. The main points include discussion of systemic sin (corporate sin), enculturation of the church, and prophetic ministry,i.e. "Thus sayeth the Lord to powers and principalities.

3-5 "Who are THOSE people"...and how do we minister to them.

Margaret White
Interacting discussion on holistic and healthy approaches to addiction ministry for the whole congregation.

3-6 Leading Through Conflict: Cooling the Hot Spots

Claudean Harrison
Every congregation faces times of crisis, disagreement and sometimes serious conflict. At those occasions, what's a leader to do? This discussion format session will focus on some of the key elements in "handling" conflict in the church. Our leader brings experience in public service, administration, teaching, and local church leadership to this important subject. Who should attend? Anyone who finds themselves in positions of leadership in the church will benefit from this important session.

3-7 Safe Sanctuaries

Linda Baggett
With children, youth and vulnerable adults as our most valuable assets, every UMC will want to protect those most precious to us and to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow. We can begin by being aware of the obstacles before us the obvious, the hidden, and the often overlooked ones. This class is for members of administrative boards/councils, trustees, and PPRC, as well as for workers with children and youth; especially if you have child care facilities or programs at your church or want to have them.

3-8 Congregations working with Veterans,
Part 2

Joseph L. Lynch
Covering pastoral care issues, including the emotional cycle of deployment; PTSD; traumatic brain injuries; suicide prevention; end of life issues, including bereavement and loss; chemical dependency, including self-medication, substance and alcohol abuse; domestic issues, including arguments, verbal, and physical abuse; military sexual trauma; crisis ministry; reintegration and resiliency.

3-9 S/PPRC Primarily for Staff / Pastor Parish Relations Chairs and Members

Rev. Darrell Cates
We will look at the year around work of the S/PPRC in the context of how the United Methodist Church is organized, our commitment to itinerant ministry and how appointments are made to our churches.

3-10 The Communications Connection

Communications Board Member
Though our mission to go and make disciples remains the same today as it was for the first disciples, we live in a more broadly connected world. It is ever more challenging to make connections to effectively share our good news. This workshop will offer an interactive setting to introduce you to multiple media tools to enhance your church's ability to engage diverse communities. This class will use discussion, handouts, and video to highlight key components of effective Christian communication in our time.

3-11 Transformational Evangelism

Rev. Dr. Elaine Robinson
A Wesleyan approach to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in today's society.