Teachers take children to safety after a tornado destroyed Briarwood Elementary School in Oklahoma City on Monday.I'm writing to bring you up to speed on our Heartland response to the tornadoes here in Oklahoma City and the devastation left behind.

1. One family in our conference has lost a nine-year-old son. We have one child in our conference family that remains unaccounted for. Please continue to pray for these families.
2. We have families in our churches whose homes are a total loss and some that are partial loss.
3. None of our Heartland churches are damaged.

Our Dream Boldly Experience March 8 – 9, 2013 was an exciting time for all who attended. Eight churches were represented with 56 registrations and 5 visitors.

Our four centers encouraged all to "Be Bold."

"Esther's Story" was told by Debbie Little and what a story teller she is. All left with a better understanding of who Esther was and what she went through as she was bold for her people. At the end each girl received a tiara.

Next the "Feast of Purim" was celebrated. Sherry Whitlow had very interesting food items to eat. Special recipes were used to make ears, fingers, and a rope. All represent Haman and how he ended up. A unique drink was also served.

From there you went to the "Light Catcher" craft center hosted by Teresa Gates and Hannah Little. Each person made their own light catcher. We are to be reflections of God, to catch The Light and shine for Jesus.

Our last stop was to the "Be Bold" center. Piper Hall, and those in attendance, shared constructive ideas how we can Be Bold in our Christian walk. Each girl received a ribbon wand to represent the scepter King Xerxes held out to Esther.

Worship leader, Chris Korstjens, did an amazing job. It was, WOW, very energetic! The girls used their ribbon scepters in worship as Chris showed them different movements. Chris did slow it down, instructing that worship is all about God.

Guest speaker, Holly Cox, encouraged all to take down the barriers that keep us from being bold. Her personal experiences from her elementary years challenged us to live boldly. Even in the face of opposition she shared her faith and love for God. I believe she left them with a concrete example of how they can live boldly right where they are.

Watch the video posted on Facebook at IPHC Heartland Conference Girls' Ministries.

BIG: Believe In God

Kids' Camp is going to be BIG this year! There's fun to be had and friends to be made — all in a place where meeting with Jesus Christ is the number one goal!

June 13-17, 2013

March 8-9, 2013

Heartland Retreat Center

We are privileged to have Miss Holly Cox as our guest speaker. She is the recipient of the “Who's Who among Students in College and Universities” award; and the “IPHC Women's Heritage Scholarship.” Holly is a junior at Southwestern Christian University and is looking forward to evangelism and market place ministry.

February 8-9, 2013 — Heartland Retreat Center

Special time of refreshing, fun, networking, worship and training for all children and youth workers in the Heartland Conference.

• Learn how to gauge the true effectiveness of your ministry
• Find out what keeps so many of our young people from becoming true disciples

A Few Suggestions for Advent

Like me, you have probably lamented the fact that Christ is so far removed from Christmas in our society. I can remember years pastoring when we struggled to find creative ways to keep Christ at the center of our congregational life. I maintained that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” but felt that I had not done enough to make that seem real.

One way that many Christians have made Christ the center of their experience is by following the liturgical calendar and celebrating Advent. Raised in a Pentecostal home, and mentored in Charismatic circles, I was unfamiliar with Advent. However, this year I feel the Lord has led me to explore it, and I have looked for some resources to help in this journey. 

November 2 was a wonderful evening as fathers, daughters, grandfathers and granddaughters gathered for the first-ever Men's Ministries Father/Daughter Banquet. The decorations by Melody Barnard were exquisite, and the food catered by Carino's was top-notch. Barbara Knight shared how she was raised without her earthly father in her life. That openness touched every man present.

Some people asked for The Blessing I led at the Father-Daughter Banquet. Look into your daughters eyes, hold her hands and declare:

March 2-3, 2012

This year's Heartland Conference Girls' Ministries event, Spring Awakening March 2nd and 3rd, was a huge success! We had an amazing Friday evening with four fun Venture Centers for the girls to visit. These included activities ranging from drama, crafts, games and food all the while learning about our Lord Jesus Christ! Saturday morning we wrapped up our time together with an anointed time of worship featuring Grace Boehnlein of Fervent Fire Ministries. Finishing the service with an encouraging and challenging message from Reigning Miss Oklahoma Outstanding Teen, Clytee Burchette. All of those who attended were blessed and refreshed by this fun time of learning, growing and sharing. SPRING, new growth, AWAKENING, to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, was our goal. We believe we made it.

We hope that you will make plans to attend next year's annual Heartland Conference Girls' Ministries event. Don't miss out.

Spiritual Formation

November 17, 2012, 9:00 – 1:30

Chris Maxwell

With Chris Maxwell

Calling all pastors, leaders, teachers, workers, helpers, etc.

We are excited to present a special Day of Training in conjunction with the Heartland School of Ministry. Chris Maxwell, Emmanuel College Campus Pastor, will be sharing his insights on Spiritual Formation. Everything we do in Discipleship Ministries is to help those we minister to become more like Christ. This workshop is a chance to let another gifted leader help you work on yourself!

Rev. Dick Goad, whom I recently appointed pastor of Senior Ministers in the Heartland, sponsored a Hawaiian luau at the Heartland Retreat Center Friday evening, October 12, attended by about 75 seniors from across the conference. Pastor Goad is an excellent chef and prepared a meal of pulled pork and beef with all the trimmings. It was a festive evening that included a hilarious highlight with Don Burchett organizing a hula dance. Charlene West was the guest speaker and James and Thelma McDowell were crowned king and queen. The food was excellent and the fellowship was rich.

Congratulations, Dick and Esther! You're off to a great start in senior adult ministry in the Heartland.

-Pictures below-

The camping season this year began with the dedication of a newly constructed canteen, in memory of Caroline Callahan, who went to be with the Lord six years ago. She was a Godly mother who loved young people. Her husband, Wayne, son, David, and grandson, Channing (three generations) were present for the occasion. Dan Manning, a multi-gifted Heartland pastor, did the construction. 

he Heartland now has a nice canteen to complement the goal to reach children's hearts for God. "Thank you, Wayne, and your family for helping make this new facility possible."

Pastor Debbie Burpo led her congregation Sunday morning in their first service in the lovely facilities of what had been Lighthouse Praise and Worship Center in Kingfisher, OK. The Lighthouse closed as a church about three weeks ago.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit on the service Sunday morning was powerful and the enthusiasm of the people was electric. The attendance climbed to 227, making it a full house.

Dr. Dick Honaker, MD, ordained in July 1970 as a Heartland Conference minister and as an IPHC medical missionary to South Africa. He is the recipient of the Heartland Conference Lifetime Achievement
Award for 2012.

Dr. Honaker (born 1935) grew up in Clinton, OK. The family later moved to Bethany, OK. Dick gave his heart to the Lord at age 16. "My sole commitment " he said, "was to follow the leading of the Lord for my life." What an eventful journey it has been!

Retired Army Chaplain (Colonel) Jerry L. Jones, of Lawton, OK, a Heartland ordained minister, is the new director/ecclesiastical endorser for IPHC. Colonel Jones assumed his duties October 1. He succeeds Retired Colonel Hugh Morgan, who served IPHC in this role for 15 years.

Colonel Jones is a graduate of Southwestern Christian University and is the first Southwestern chaplain to climb to the rank of colonel. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree at Midwestern Baptist Seminary in Kansas City.