Adult Education
new minister
1
10
new small groups added
Mitch East joined our staff as the Education Minister earlier this year. On August 30, he led a Summit to talk about our small group program. The momentum is rising with 9 new groups meeting weekly to share God’s word and life.
building & grounds
1
New Welcome Center
40
security cameras from grant funds
34
locking sets to more secure classroooms
105,142 sf
resurfaced East parking lot
5
staff offices renovated
+
continued effort to convert fluorescent lights to LED
Campus Ministry
400
welcome bags given to Oklahoma Christian freshman
259
students went on mission trips | retreats
3000
meals served to students
100
students in Sunday lunches at member’s homes
3rd
annual Friendsgiving
3
houses built in Honduras and 100 children taught Jesus at VBS
Care & Counseling
2
Deacons assigned to help our ministry
Counseling opportunities
January-November 2023 MRCC members
700+
Sessions
CARE programs
- MERGE Marriage Prep Class
- Alzheimer’s Caregivers
- Grief Support
- Divorce Support
- Pain Management Support
30
Backpacks full of school supplies to families
50+
Holiday gifts to children at MRCC
$2,000
Spent per month on benevolence for members
1,000’s
Lifted in prayer
Celebrate Recovery
4
Step step studies running this year
5
Attend annual CR Conference in California
A small group of elders participated in a step study
Children’s Ministry
Back At It
It is so good to see so many familiar faces back in our preschool Bible classes and Creation Station. Our classes are back to pre-Covid numbers and growing!
Our Journey Land children continue to invest financially and relationally with the children at Village of Hope. In 2022-23, Journey Land families raised enough money to completely furnish the new baby houses built at VOH in Ghana.
Our children ages Birth – Kindergarten and their families are invited to participate in special events throughout the year including our new event this year, Monday Funday. Monday Funday is a monthly event for parents/grandparents and children to spend time together playing in the MRCC building. Our biggest attendance for this event was in Feb 2023 when we had 55 children and adults. New families and community members often attend and connect with our MRCC members.
We are extremely grateful to an eldership and congregation that makes Biblical education for children a priority and is willing to dedicate funds to that experience. Each week, we have the privilege of watching the fruit of that investment.
Activities:
- Family Blessing
- Princess Tea
- Cowboy BBQ
- Inside Out Overnight Camp
- Inside Out Day Camp
- Back to school B.L.A.S.T. (Bible Learning and Sharing Together)
- Trunk or Treat
- Polar Express Drive In
- Sensitive Santa
Church Stats
New Members
169
Baptisms to Date
66
Children Born/Adopted to Date
44
General fund contributions are around 98% of budget.
Community Outreach- our town
500
served the homeless of OKC
Thanksgiving Day in the City
320 meal boxes packed
1,164 people fed
125 packers
40 delivery drivers
Disaster Relief
2000
people fed each day at the Amory church with funds donated to help Mississippi
- Donated funds to help the Cherry’s in New Zealand for outreach and recovery fromt he floods and damaging storms they experienced earlier this year
- Donated funds for tornado relief in Mississippi
- Members assisted tornado relief in Little Rock, AR
- Members assisted tornado relief with Central & Northridge churched in Shawnee.
International Ministry
We hosted our 32nd annual International Thanksgiving Dinner.
English classes continued to grow during the summer. On Wednesday nights, ladies learning English began using Bible story books to read and improve their English and Bible knowledge.
The Sunday morning International Class added Persian and Russian language table discussion groups in addition to Chinese, Spanish, and English.
Clay performed a brief wedding ceremony for two of our class members on Wednesday, September 27th after Bible class.
We continue to assist new arrivals seeking refuge, including four brothers from Afghanistan, a family from Russia, and a Tunisian-Libyan single mom from California who left Islam to follow Christ.
leadership training for christ (LTC)
100
students participated
245
members attended the Dallas convention
460+
candy bars awarded to students for years of LTC participation
On any given Sunday, starting in November, you’ll find dozens of students:
- studying the current year’s text in Bible Bowl and Bible Quiz
- practicing in a chorus
- creating an application-themed drama or puppet presentation
- demonstrating artistic abilities through photography, sculpture, or writing
- and many other events that help students identify and grow their talents.
Lighthouse Ministry
In Matthew 25:40, we are told that “whatever you do for the least of these, you did it for me.” There are many stories of blessings this year at the Lighthouse Medical Clinic.
God is always working at the Lighthouse!
1150
total patients seen
200
sports physicals
2920
prescriptions given to help patients
1000’s
given hope and prayed for
men’s
The Men’s Sharpen Dinner had over 110 men in attendance to hear David Duncan from Houston, TX speak about how men can truly sharpen each other in fellowship and accountability. A great meal and a valuable time of sharing each other’s life experiences made the evening very special.
On-Call Service Ministry has had 6 work projects this summer and fall with over 60 men helping with projects of tree branch cleanup, debris pickup, furniture moving, and mulch spreading.
The Men’s Mission Trip went to Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home in September with 12 hard-working guys to help build rooms, pour concrete, remodel and repair parts of the school and enjoy fellowship with the students, teachers, and church there.
“First Light” weekly devotional message goes out to over 1100 men at MRCC and literally around the world! Men in our fellowship contribute these rich, spiritual insights of faith and encouragement each Wednesday morning as the sun comes up!
The Men’s Silverleaf Shotgun Shoot involved 32 guys on a crisp beautiful fall Saturday morning. Teams had fun and enjoyed making new friendships.
110
attended Sharpen dinner
6
on call service projects
1 100
men receive First Light devotional each week
12
attended Men’s Mission trip
Missions
$758,188 raised on Missions Sunday
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” Isaiah 52:7
Missions Sunday 2023 was a wonderful reminder of who we serve and why he put us here in this time and place. We continue the New Testament story of sharing the Good News to make sure the message of the gospel continues to be heard near and far.
306 Magi Boxes sent to children in Mexico for Christmas
Prison Ministry
Mailed out 16,000 Bible lessons this year.
Second Chances Story:
Tyler was a homeless skateboarder who mentally could not handle working more than 2 hours a week. Delisa encouraged him, helped him get counseling, and never gave up on him. Fast-forward 5-years, Tyler is now renting a home and working 8 hours a week, 5-6 days a week. He was recently baptized into Christ and has married his longtime girlfriend, who was also a homeless skateboarder.
Prison Ministry Story:
In May 2021, 59-year-old Tyrone began taking our Bible Correspondence lessons. He learned about salvation and wanted to be baptized. The jail he was in did not permit immersion. 2 years later, while in prison, he met Bishop, who was baptized by this ministry while in the Oklahoma County Jail. After a lengthy conversation, the two men met with the chaplain of the prison. On August 15, 2023 they gained permission for Tyrone to be baptized by Bishop. Jerry Way is now leading a group Bible study at that facility.
transportation
10
fleet vehicles
59,346
miles driven
1,700+
people transported
1
deer hit
Where we’ve been:
- Arlington (Winterfest)
- Albuquerque (multiple times for Campus and Men’s Ministry)
- Russellville, Arkansas (Christeens)
- Branson (Senior Adults)
- Brownwood, TX (ministers)
- Broken Bow (Campus)
- Dallas (LTC)
- Downtown OKC (Campus feeding homeless, multiple times)
- Madill (every vehicle we have plus 3 charters over 2 camps)
- Memphis (Youth)
- Monarch, Colorado (Youth Ski trip)
- Norman, OK (Camp Rock Creek at least 5 times)
- OKC Metro (Serve OKC)
- Red River, NM (Campus)
- San Antonio (Youth)
- Searcy (Howard Norton funeral)
- Tahlequah (Youth float trip)
- Tulsa (Youth JH Mission)
- Will Rogers World Airport (Campus – Honduras, Ghana trip, International students)
Women’s ministry
There is a lot of good being done individually and behind the scenes!
287
at Skills Night
900
women attended a fellowship event
10
Unpacking the Boxes students meeting for a Bible study
40
members of Women in the Word Sunday class
2
evening CWBS classes started
Young Adults
The young adult ministry created a new Bible class called “Dwell”. Greg and Carrie Schaefer, along with several seasoned Launch class members, gathered to form this new young adult class. Dwell met for the first time on January 8, 2023 and has held strong attendance all year long. Tony and Jessica Tate took on their new role as the shepherding couple of the Launch class, which has also been holding strong attendance.
Youth Ministry
225+
students actively engaged in Sunday DGroups
47
baptisms
35,782
miles driven for trips and events
777
donuts consumed
Recap
- In August we hosted an area-wide student gathering with over 30 churches and 1200 students in attendance. It was an incredible end to the summer.
- DGroup kickoff in August was a great day with over 250 students and 100 adult leaders in attendance.
- Our youth were very active over the summer with camp and serving in San Antonio at Medina Children’s Home, Memphis Mission trip, Tulsa Mission trip, and Serve OKC.
- Bailey Lauxman joined the youth staff full-time. She is a rockstar!
- Emily, one of our ministers, married Jarrett Carter.
