Muskogee District

Class Descriptions

1-1 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.

1-2 Evangelism - It's NOT a 4 Letter Word

James Graham
Come rediscover the joy of sharing the Good News of our faith with others! With this relational approach to outreach, we'll help you with concrete ways you can train, equip, and inspire your laity. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave us the Great Commission, commanding us to "Go into all the world." We'll help you put the GO back in the Gospel!

1-3 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.

1-4 The Use of Demographic Information for Your Local Church

Diana Northcutt
Looking a census data and other information to help local churches make healthy decisions for the future of their church. Preregistration will enable local churches to look at their particular data and recommended for this class.

1-5 Social Media and the Local Church

Conference Youth Team
Social Media is everywhere! Our neighbors, family, friends, youth, former classmates, and many companies use social media to connect with others. Facebook and Twitter are seen everywhere! What is its place in our church? How can it be used to communicate and announce our ministries and events to our members and the general public. We will cover how to set up Facebook groups for the local church.

1-6 "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.

1-7 Making a Difference: Starting a New Ministry

Judy Benson
Is God calling your church to expand your 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.

1-8 Advancing Hope Around the World: UM Missionaries & Their Ministries

Karen Distefano
"Missionary" is one of the oldest and most honored offices of the church, with origins found in Paul's writings in the New Testament. UM missionaries witness and serve in 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 UMC makes a difference around the world!

1-9 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.

1-10 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 UMC?"

1-11 May the Poor Be With You!

Jeff Jaynes
We know the church is called to ministry with the poor (Jesus says "you will always have the poor with you") but we may wonder sometimes how to do this crucial ministry in effective ways. This class will explore the biblical importance of ministry with the poor: how the church is called to help the poor, and how ministry with the poor helps the church. Outreach/mission committees, pastors, lay leaders and others will hear 1) a biblical perspective on ministry with the poor, 2) the impact of ministry with the poor on church health, and 3) innovative and effective strategies for starting/improving the church's ministry with the poor. We'll also talk about what Restore Hope Ministries does to help both the poor and the church.

1-12 Membership Matters

Cindy Robertson
When members join our church the congregation promises to support new comers in their spiritual life. This class will offer ideas for newcomer assimilation, including several ideas for Basic Christian/United Methodist Beliefs Classes perfect for new Christians or Methodists or those who have been apart of the UM Church, but who have never gone through confirmation.

1-13 Congregations working with Veterans

Joseph L. Lynch
With so many of our fellow Oklahomans being deployed with the military, including the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard units and Reserve components, how can congregations faithfully serve those in the armed forces, their families, and the religious professionals who care for them, especially those deployed overseas? This will cover congregational and pastoral care for veterans and their families.

1-14 S/PPRC

Emery Mason, Shannon Davis & Mark Jardine
Best practices for a S/PPRC, process of becoming a pastor, Caring for the clergy and family, dealing with conflict

1-15 Show Me the Money - Stewardship in the Local Church

Trevor Smith
Does your church have all of the money you need for ministry? Are the members of your church inspired to give one tenth of their income to your church? Stewardship in the church is unique and challenging. Dr. Smith has done extensive work on the challenges of stewardship in churches of all sizes and has helped many churches make a vital connection between faith and money.

2-1 Successful Children's Programming

Charlie Ludden
An open forum where we will discuss the most successful programming we have had in our children's ministry programs. I will bring my favorite ideas, and I hope you will bring yours to share as well! This class is for anyone who works with or supervises those who work with children, and are interested in bringing back new ideas for their congregations children and families.

2-2 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.

2-3 Making Disciples: In and out of Prison

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 3 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 Youth 101

Conference Youth Team
Basic understanding of youth ministry. UMYF, curriculum, answer and questions

2-6 The Communications Connection

David Karges
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.

2-7 It Worked for Us Ideas/Models

Judy Benson & Chuck Stewart
One of the beautiful things about the UMC 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 receive 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.

2-8 The Doctor Says It's Cancer

Karen Distefano
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. Having a cancer care ministry in your congregation can help bridge that abyss of despair and suffering. We need to be very careful in how we interact with people who are experiencing a serious diagnosis.

2-9 Trustees, More Than Just Buildings

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

2-10 Re-Ignite the Go-Go's, Slow-Go-s and No-Go's

Darrel Maddox
Discussions on how local 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.

2-11 What Every Church Member Should Know About Poverty

Rev. George Warren
We will be exploring the book by the same name by Dr. Rubye Payne and Bill Ehlig. We will see why poor people behave in ways that seem strange to the mostly middle class folks in our churches. We will receive ways to effectively seek them out, minister to them, truly help them, and share the Gospel with them.

2-12 College and Young Adult Ministries

Andy Henson
College ministry to young adults (18-40) takes place on college campuses, but also in local churches and communities. Andy, serves a church and has also been a Wesley Foundation minister on a college campus. Bringing both of these experiences to the fore, attendees will gain a greater appreciation of ministry to young adults in different ways and in different settings, and will learn how to become more involved in ministry to this age-group.

2-13 Transformational Preaching

Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr.
Bishop Hayes will provide guidance on what it takes to prepare and give sermons that make a difference. The class is designed mostly for clergy and lay speakers.

2-14 United Methodist Men

James Bond
What does it mean to be a man in the UMC? What opportunities for fellowship, for service, for worship, for outreach? What formal and informal channels for connections beyond the local congregation? Join us to share specific ideas and actual possibilities.