Letting Go of the Workshop

For many years Garnett has partnered with the Memorial Church in hosting and directing the Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop. God has been very good to the workshop during this time. He has used many of you to help put on an event that has challenged, encouraged, and changed the lives of many.

It has been a blessing and an honor for Garnett to be a part of this ministry. We love the workshop and we support its mission and vision. We also recognize that it is time for us to let go of our leadership responsibilities in this area so that we can direct our energy in other directions.

Memorial has graciously accepted full responsibility for the Workshop. Their passion for and commitment to the workshop is unsurpassed. Letting go of the workshop was a relatively easy decision to make because we know that we are leaving it in good hands. Please continue to support, encourage, and pray for Terry Rush and the leadership of the Memorial Church as they shepherd the Workshop into the future.

If in the past you’ve been a part of the huge base of volunteers it takes to pull off the workshop, we thank you for all of your effort. The workshop would have never happened without you. If you want to continue to help out with future workshops, you can contact Danna Townsdin: danna0215@cox.net. We’ve been assured that she will put you to work.

So what are the “other directions” into which we’ve chosen to direct our energy? Right now we have three main areas of concentration:

1. Leadership development. We’re focusing more and more of our time and energy on identifying and developing new leaders who can help Garnett step into God’s future with energy, passion, and hope.

2. Being good neighbors. We’re going to continue to explore ways to engage our increasingly multi-cultural neighborhood. We believe that the event center and bi-lingual preschool are but the tip of the iceberg.

3. Planting new churches. We’ve been dreaming about it for several years now and we still believe this is something God wants us to be a part of. As we make progress in areas #1 and #2, we hope it will lead to opportunities to plant new churches.

God has always taken care of His church. We believe he will continue to guide us down this path and provide for us what we need to accomplish his mission. Please join us in praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in our church, in our community, and in the world.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned in this letter, please speak with a staff member or shepherd.

Blessings,

Garnett Leadership Team

Save the date!

Save the date! January 19, 2008
Garnett is hosting a Crown Financial Freedom Seminar January 19, 2008.

Do you want to get out of debt? Want to understand more about biblical principles for handling your money? Did you know the Bible contains more than 2,000 verses related to money? This is not a get rich quick seminar and Crown is not selling a product or service at the seminar. We do use their curriculum, which participants purchase, and Crown brings in excellent guest presenters.

After the seminar, starting in February, Garnett small groups will be encouraged to use a 10-week curriculum from Crown on Financial Freedom. Imagine the positive impact on your small group and your family as small groups share the journey away from debt bondage and toward financial freedom. To lead a small group, leader couples first attend a small group leader seminar December 8, 9 am – 2 pm at a local church. For more details, contact Pam Rushmore 607-6775.

Food Pantry and Clothes Closet Thursday, November 8

Thursday, November 8, 9:30 am - 11:30 am is our Food Pantry and Clothes Closet and is open for all in need who live within a few miles of the church. We are connected with the Tulsa Food Bank and distributors around the city have certain regions they cover.

Would you like to come and volunteer? Or are you in need of warm clothing or food right now? Know someone who is? Tell them about the Food Pantry and Clothes Closet.

We also typically take orders for Angel Food during this Food Pantry/Clothes Closet time and open our prayer center for those who would like to spend moments of peace with God. This month, because of Thanksgiving, ordering is already done. There is an Angel Food link to the right of this page. While Food Pantry and Clothes Closet is a free service to those in need, Angel Food is a way of helping people reduce their food expenses by offering nearly $100 worth of groceries, meats, frozen foods for $25. You order early in the month and pick it up the last Saturday of the month.

Ask a question about Food Pantry or Clothes Closet: click here
Ask a question about Angel Food: click here

Habitat House is already finished!

All are invited to the Home Dedication Ceremony this Sunday, Nov 11 at 2:00 p.m. The owner and her daughter are very excited and so are we. Many were able to get to know Cat and her daughter and we enjoyed working with them on their home.

Address is 3707 W. 54th Street. Go I-44 West to 33rd St. W. Ave exit and go back under I-44 and immediately turn right along feeder that runs along I-44. Take either second or third street on left and within a block you’ll see neighborhood with lots of Habitat homes and people there for dedication.

From Paul Kent at Habitat Tulsa

THANKS for the gift of service and love that you have shared with
Cat and Mary Catherine through the building & funding of their new home.
You are LIFE-CHANGERS!

Habitat for Humanity International is compiling materials to include in a
scrapbook that will be presented to the family that funds the Open Door
Foundation that graciously made available the grant for building the Tulsa
Habitat/Willow Creek home this fall.

I'm looking for letters that might express what your church's participation
in this project did for you and your people, as well as a "thanks for the
grant funds" ($25,000 matching gift)-HANDWRITTEN LETTERS SEEM TO CONNECT
BETTER THAN TYPED ONES.

If you have a picture that you would like to donate to the cause, that would
be great.

Please let me know if you would like to share something. You can bring it
to me at the Home Dedication Ceremony this Sunday, Nov 11 at 2:00 p.m. or get it to me at the Habitat office by next Wed, Nov. 14th.

Blessings to you!

Paul J. Kent
Director of Development & Chaplain
Tulsa Habitat for Humanity
6235 E. 13th Street Tulsa, OK 74112
(o) 918.592.4224 ext. 203 FAX 918.592.0607
The ReStore 918.592.7904
www.habitat-tulsa.org

How do I spread the word?

Important events and ministry is always happening around Garnett. For example, this Saturday, Oct 27 is Angel Food distribution. It's also the second to last Saturday for building the Habitat House with Cat Darwin and her daughter over in West Tulsa. Warren Barfield is coming to Garnett Monday, October 29.

If you are involved in these events and want to get the word out, how do you do it?
Here are some steps:

1. You must own the responsibility -- that's the first step. Do what it takes to get the word out by word of mouth, phone calls, flyers, emails.

2. Send an email to Garnettinfo@gmail.com
with the exact wording of your announcement and when you'd like for it to go out.

3. For a possible spoken announcement about an event, email Greg Taylor, gtaylor@garnettchurch.org and make your request and deadline for a Sunday announcement is Thursday 4 pm.

4. If you want to put something on the Garnettchurch.org web site, you can also email Garnettinfo@gmail.com and make a note that you'd like for it to go on web site.

What we're reading

The leadership team (shepherds and staff) are reading The Leader's Journey right now. If you'd like to read along and talk to us about it, you can order through Amazon.

Habitat Saturday, October 13

Saturday morning, October 13, 8 am is our next Habitat build time.

We're building the house with a woman named Catherine Darwin, who is buying the house and has done 450 hours of community service. We are not only partnering with about eight other churches but also with Habitat and with Catherine. Catherine has a great outlook on life and is a great joy to be around. Look for her at the build times.

Can you come? If so, please email Charlene Towsley krtowsley@yahoo.com and let her know so we can know if we have enough. We need about 10 to work.

ADDRESS & DIRECTIONS
3707 W. 54th St. South (South Haven neighborhood)….take I-44 west of the Arkansas, take the 33rd W. Ave exit and go south. Just after going south under the interstate, turn right/west on the service road and go to S. 37th W. Ave and turn left/south. This will take you to W. 54th and the site is on the south side.

--Greg Taylor