Word of Life changes name to Reach Church

Word of Life Church in Sand Springs announced Sunday that they will be formally changing their name to “Reach Church” after 37 years under the former monicker.

Word of Life Fellowship was founded at 619 North 10th Street in 1981 by Senior Pastor David and Sharon Emigh. The church relocated to its current location at 1402 North 81st West Avenue soon after and the church has been pressing onward ever since.

Following Emigh’s passing in 2011, Associate Pastor Chad Stewart took the reigns and ushered the nondenominational church toward a more contemporary feel with modern music, stylish decor, a coffee shop, and a fresh new energy and mission.

At its core, not much has changed. Under Emigh’s leadership Word of Life founded more than a hundred satellite churches in third world countries around the globe. Word Of Life International still supports many of these churches to this day. The church has always participated in local outreaches as well, but in Stewart’s tenure they have had a larger focus on impacting the schools, city, and Sand Springs community.

Officially, the church will still be registered as Word Of Life Inc. due to its large network of affiliate churches in Burma, Namibia, and the Philippines. The Sand Springs headquarters will simply be “doing business as” Reach Church, aligning itself with the official motto of the church.

“We exist to reach people,” has been the official vision statement of Word of Life for several years now.

Sandites both within and outside of the church have felt their reach through community serve days, participation in the Sand Springs Ministerial Alliance, a free community carnival, a backpack lunch program, and more.

“We want people to understand that it’s not just the people at the pulpit that are called to reach people, but it’s all of us,” said Executive Pastor Linda Scott in a previous interview with Sandite Pride. “Whether it’s inviting people to church, or handing someone a ‘bless you’ card because you bought their McDonald’s, or whatever. Just showing that love to people.”

Reach Church has a thriving Sunday morning children’s ministry under Children’s Pastor Alexis Glaze, with separate classrooms for birth through 18 months, 18-36 months, Kindergarten, and Elementary students. The Reach Youth Ministry is led by Chad Ketcher on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for grades 6-12.

Accompanying the name change, the church also announced the hiring of Michael and Baylee Wilson as the Missions Pastors for the church, the promotion of Church Administrator Linda Scott to the new position of Executive Pastor, and the hiring of Administrative Assistant Stephanie Faulkner. 

Reach Church

1402 N 81st West Ave

Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063

(918) 245-0262

Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

https://www.reachchurch.us

Facebook: @Wordoflifess

Instagram: @Wordoflifess

*Disclosure: Word of Life is the home church for three shareholders at Sandite Pride News, LLC including Editor-in-Chief Scott Emigh.  

Broadway Barber Shop hosts "Vets That Matter"

Veterans matter in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

On the first Saturday of each month, The Broadway Barber Shop in downtown Sand Springs hosts veterans and active duty members of the United States armed forces, as well as police, fire, and paramedics whose unique experiences have left them in need of camaraderie or guidance.

Wayne Pait and Warren Hood started the Vets That Matter organization four months ago at Church That Matters in Prattville. Hood is an active duty reserves Sergeant Major and Pait is a retired Navy veteran, eleven years removed from service.

"I've had this on my heart for a few years and didn't know how to kick it off," says Pait. "When I first got out I was really bitter about being a civilian, about my career. I didn't want to be involved in anything to do with the military. The longer I've been out, the more nostalgic I've been."

"It's been a struggle watching the news, seeing some of the guys coming back, and some of the problems their families are dealing with." Pait says the military spends years teaching them to be soldiers, but doesn't spend nearly enough time teaching them how to be civilians again.

Pait met Hood in October of 2017 and the two hit it off instantly due to their military connection. Church That Matters provided a launching point for their meetings, but the church location created a barrier for some vets who didn't feel comfortable meeting in a religious setting. 

Mitch, the mononymous barber, has offered to let the vets use his facility at 29 East Broadway Street for as long as they need it. Eventually they hope to have their own facility in the downtown area where individuals can come by any time for help or fellowship.

"What we do is supply active duty reservists, veterans, and first responders an opportunity to come in, talk with us if they want about what they're dealing with," says Pait. "I don't even care if you got kicked out of the military, there's still things we can do to help you."

"On the outside we don't really like talking about it with our spouses so we kind of hold things in a lot. Some don't want to talk about it to their supervisors either because some of them believe it could affect their ability to get a promotion."

"This is just a platform for them to come in and kind of hang out, meet some guys that are in their field, that have done what they've done, seen what they've seen. We have a connection."

Pait says they have a police officer from their church involved with helping first responders. They are also working with the Disabled American Veterans location in Sapulpa and the American Legion post in Sand Springs. 

Since their meetings began, they have had the opportunity to provide guidance to individuals struggling with drugs, alcohol, and transitioning back into the civilian world.

While Vets That Matter is focused on Sand Springs, they welcome anyone from the surrounding communities. They also hope to meet with local homeless veterans.

Pait says reservists in particular are encouraged to come get involved. 

"Reservists have it the hardest because they do military part time and they're civilians part time. The problem is they deploy for a year at a time and go over to Afghanistan. They fight in the wars over there and when they come back they're expected to transition back into civilian world right away."

"Us full time military guys didn't have to worry about that. We go do what we do, we come back and we're still doing military things every day. So the reservists are having a harder time transitioning. They have more problems with alcohol and domestic violence, and that's where police officers and first responders get involved. They have to deal with us in town."

The meetings last from 9:00 a.m. to noon and donuts and coffee are provided. The meeting opens and closes with prayer, but the rest of the session is informal.

"I'm new in my faith," says Pait. "But without God, I would not have been able to do what I do now."

"We're not trying to thump them in the head with a Bible, but just make them understand that we had the same problems until we decided to make a change. Most of us decided to make that change by getting involved with Christ and following Him. It's made it better for a lot of us."

"But mostly what we're trying to do is have a place for them to come in and hang out. With military people, we can know each other five minutes and it's like we've known each other all our lives. A lot of guys are just missing the camaraderie of talking with people that know what we do."

Additionally, Pait wants to help bring attention to the 20.6 veterans on average who kill themselves every day in the United States. "Our job is to try and stop that. We've already stopped one in our group. It's a beginning."

Vets That Matter have a new t-shirt available at the Broadway Barbershop. Additionally, they plan to host a car show in September and will be having a free food for homeless vets outreach. 

Find Vets That Matter on Facebook, or at www.vetsthatmatter.org

HillSpring Church holds community Serve Day across Sand Springs

HillSpring Church invaded Sand Springs Saturday morning, undertaking dozens of projects to show the love of Christ for the community.

On their annual summer “Serve Day” more than a hundred volunteers in Sand Springs joined with hundreds of churches across the nation to make an impact both physically and spiritually.

“We’re doing this so we can make a difference,” said Lead Pastor Brent Kellogg. “To show the love of Christ and show the power impact of the church.”

At the Sand Springs Care Closet volunteers helped Katie Acuna sort clothing in preparation for an upcoming outreach. On August 6 & 7 the Care Closet will partner with Clary Sage College to provide children with free haircuts and a free outfit to start the school year. The organization opened last July and offers free diapers, formula, toys, clothes, and more at 3417 South 113th West Avenue.

Helping schools was a big part of the day. Volunteers painted at Lake Country Christian, Angus Valley, and Limestone Elementary schools. At Lake Country they also repaired appliances like sinks. At Pratt Elementary they mowed the lawn and worked in the flower beds.

Kellogg led a team at American Legion Post 17 painting the exterior, replacing old caulking, and serving the community’s veterans. HillSpring volunteers have plans for additional work at the Legion in the near future. 

Workers cleaned up and organized storage rooms at the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum and Sand Springs Community Services. At SSCS they cleaned out the basement and sorted through food and clothing donations. 

"Folks from the Sand Springs area are connecting with the agency in a way that allows for us to better utilize the donations and the items that we have," said SSCS Director Nathan Woodmansee. "It really is meaningful to us. We really appreciate the work they're doing, it's going to help us serve our clients better."

Just down the road from the those two teams was a group including Vice Mayor Phil Nollan and State Representative Jadine Nollan. The crew completely moved the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce from their old location to a new facility around the corner. 

At the Salvation Army campus workers cleared hundreds of yards of brush along their back fenceline. They also picked up trash in downtown, cleaned up overgrown areas obstructing City traffic signs, did home and lawn improvement for the elderly, and painted the front gate at the Keystone Ancient Forest.

One group constructed a raised wooden walking path at Hamalot Pot Bellied Pig Rescue to keep the organization volunteers from having to walk in the mud and risk getting knocked down by the pigs at feeding time.

Another team spent the day making blankets for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

Associate Pastor Matt Barnett said that they had around 130 volunteers, up from 100 the year before. He hopes to see HillSpring team up with other churches for a city-wide service day in the future. 

HillSpring meets at 8801 West 41st Street on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. They can be found online at http://www.hillspring.tv/

Sandite Michael Wilson publishes first book, "Hello, My Name Is..."

Sand Springs evangelist Michael Wilson published his first book this week. Hello, My Name Is... is a Christian nonfiction guide to finding your identity in a world of labels.

Wilson and his wife Baylee recently returned to the United States after spending eighteen months in Haiti as full time missionaries. 

In March the couple attended a conference at Port-Au-Prince and Michael was given a "hello, my name is..." sticker to wear. 

"I was sitting in that conference, and I couldn't even pay attention to what they were talking about," says Wilson. "I was thinking about who I was and about all the labels I use to have and that I still carry. The labels that have been put on me by the world and the ones I put on myself."

"There's a lot of people that are being held back from achieving what God is calling them to do because they're telling themselves 'I'm always going to be an alcoholic, or I'm never going to get married,'" says Wilson.

"You're training your mind every time you tell yourself that. If you do what the Bible says and renew your mind with scripture, telling yourself what God says you are, you're able to walk in that identity."

Wilson also says that the book isn't only beneficial to Christians. "It is a Christian book, but if you apply what is in the book, no matter what you believe, I think you can be successful in whatever you're wanting. Whether you're Christian or not, you're going to get labeled something. So being able to overcome that, you can learn that from the book."

Right now the book is only available in e-book format on Amazon and can be downloaded for $2.99 through the Kindle app, which is available for free on most smart phones. After a 90 day period on Kindle Unlimited, Wilson will be able to begin selling physical copies. 

Wilson graduated Charles Page High School in 2009, attended Tulsa Community College, Northeastern State University and Victory Bible College School of Missions before marrying Baylee Slankard and moving to Haiti.

While living in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the Wilsons would serve both the physical and spiritual needs of the communities they visited. Michael feels a calling specifically to help the elderly, a demographic often neglected in the poverty-ridden nation. They also preached the Gospel to a country that is 40% illiterate and often unable to read the Bible on their own. 

Now that they are back in the U.S. they plan to form a nonprofit organization that focuses on global and local missions. In addition to the local work they do with Word of Life Church in Sand Springs, they will also be leading teams into foreign nations like Haiti for both short and long-term missions. They will continue to work with the elderly here in Oklahoma.

Sandite Isiah Smith plans to preach the Gospel in 11 countries in 11 months

Isiah Smith has never left the country before, but from 2018-2019 he plans to visit eleven foreign nations in eleven months. It won’t be a vacation, it’ll be hard work, but he counts himself blessed for the opportunity.

The World Race organization will be sending a team of 42 Americans to Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Vietnam, Albania, Serbia, Cambodia, Romania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda in October of this year. Only three of Smith’s crew will be from Oklahoma.

On the trip, the travelers will do things like preaching, praying, and sharing their testimony, as well as providing for the physical needs of the communities they visit. They will prepare food for the hungry, paint schools, build churches, harvest firewood, teach English lessons, and whatever else is needed of them.

Every race is different, but one thing every racer has in common is the opportunity to experience true poverty and oppression in ways not often seen in the western world. They will stay in villages for weeks at a time with no electricity or plumbing, and will visit regions where preaching Christianity is illegal.

To get there Smith will need to raise $18,200 to pay for his airfare, lodging, food, and other cost of living expenses. Donations can be made towards his fees at this link. Additionally, you can keep up with his journey with daily blog postings. He is working full time and mowing lawns on the side to come up with the money. You can find his lawn care service at this link.

Smith is also selling raffle tickets for an August 3rd Friday night limousine ride with a 30% discount at Texas Roadhouse. For information on the raffle, or on the mission trip in general, you can reach Smith at 918-850-1820.

Smith graduated Charles Page High School 2012 and RHEMA Bible College in 2017. He attends Harvest Church in Sand Springs and works with the youth ministry at their West Campus.

Angus Elementary students raise $1037 for Make a Wish Foundation

Lots of wishes will be coming true this year thanks to the efforts of students at Angus Valley Elementary in Sand Springs.

Lilli Searcy, Allie Bradshaw, and Caryss Upton recently held a coin drive at their school to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The drive lasted less than two weeks and raised over $1037. 

The fourth-grade girls participate in a life group at HillSpring Church which makes fleece blankets for Make-A-Wish kids. Searcy leads the group together with her mother, Lindsey, who introduced her to the organization. The money will go to providing supplies for the group.

Make-A-Wish aims to grant the wishes of every child diagnosed with a critical illness. The kids often spend a lot of time in hospitals and a homemade blanket can provide a source of warmth and comfort to children with way too much on their plate. 

Sand Springs minister Darin Shipley releases new studio album

Sand Springs's Darin Shipley released Hunger Rising March 15, 2018. (Photo: Niki Counce Photography). 

Sand Springs artist Darin Shipley recently released his second studio album, titled Hunger Rising, on Spotify and in compact disc format. The seven-track contemporary Christian album has been the product of several years of writing and recording.

Shipley speaks and performs at churches throughout Oklahoma, and proceeds from those events have funded his recording sessions at The Closet Studios in Tulsa. “The whole time I was working on this, the theme I would speak on everywhere I would go is drawing near to God,” says Shipley.

A nineteen-year officer with the Tulsa Police Department, Shipley lives in Sand Springs and serves on the worship team at Word of Life church. He and his wife of nineteen years, Pam, have three children.

Shipley’s daughter, Kristin, also appears on the album in background vocals, as does fellow Word of Life worship team member Holly Pace.

Through his career in law enforcement, Shipley has had the opportunity to minister to Tulsa’s most vulnerable, meeting the needs of homeless and mentally ill Tulsans in need of a hand up. He also has an extensive background in Youth Ministry, having previously served in Word of Life Youth Ministries.

Shipley has several shows booked currently, including the Second Annual Unity Praise event at Charles Page High School Memorial Stadium this Friday, March 30th. He also plays periodically at the 5 West Outpost nonprofit event center in Sand Springs, and will be holding a CD Release Party there in the near future.

To download Hunger Rising, visit this link, or visit his Facebook to purchase a physical copy. 

918-361-1092
Facebook
http://www.darinshipley.com/

Selfless: Youth groups spend Spring Break serving Sand Springs

The City of Sand Springs held its annual Clean Up Day on Monday and more than a hundred youth volunteers came out to participate. Approximately 125 teenagers filled up 300 bags of trash and two dumpsters with debris across downtown, the Highway 412 corridor, Katy Trail, River West, and the Early Childhood Education Center area. 

The youth groups from HillSpring Church, Angus Church, Broadway Baptist Church, First Assembly of God, Olivet Baptist Church, Fisher Baptist Church, and Osage Hills Christian Church are sacrificing their Spring Breaks to serve the community of Sand Springs, and Clean Up Day was just the first stop.

The volunteers will be working with Sand Springs Care Closet, Salvation Army, and Sand Springs Community Services later this week, and doing projects at individual homes of families in need. 

The #SELFLESS2018 program brings together the seven churches for four days of church service and service to others. The youth play dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, video games, putt-putt and more, and attend daily church services. 

HillSpring Church
8801 West 41st Street
(918) 446-9273
www.hillspring.tv

First Assembly of God
501 N Wilson Ave
(918) 245-4413

Olivet Baptist Church
155 N 65th West Ave
Tulsa, OK 74127
(918) 245-2241
www.olivetonline.com

Osage Hills Christian Church
4500 W Edison St
Tulsa, OK 74127
(918) 583-9482
www.http://osagehills.com

Angus Church
4401 South 129th West Ave
(918) 245-0266
www.anguschurch.com

Broadway Baptist Church
1000 North Adams Road
(918) 245-7513
www.broadwaybaptistchurch.com

Fisher Baptist Church
4008 S 137th W Ave
(918) 245-7875
www.fisherbaptistchurch.org

Sand Springs Care Closet
3417 S 113th West Ave
(918) 269-8434
www.facebook.com/careclosetsandsprings

Sand Springs Community Services
114 West 4th Street
(918) 245-5183
http://sscsok.org

Word of Life church holds Serve Day, paints Limestone Elementary cafeteria

Word of Life, a non-denominational Christian church in Sand Springs, held a "Serve Day" Sunday afternoon, and more than sixty volunteers donated their time to various organizations around town.

Following their 10:00 a.m. Sunday service, the church members headed to Limestone Technology Academy, Sand Springs Community Services, and Green Tree Assisted Living & Memory Care. 

At Limestone Elementary, the workers painted a large cafeteria in the district colors. They also cleaned up an outdoor classroom area. Another group visited with elderly residents at Green Tree Assisted Living, leading them in praise and worship.

At Sand Springs Community Services, volunteers helped to spot clean the facility to get it ready for its annual Tulsa Area United Way Panel Review. According to SSCS Director Nathan Woodmansee, the organization served over 1000 households from the Sand Springs community in 2017. The nonprofit can provide families with a full week’s worth of food up to six times a year, or more if there is a verifiable emergency. They also offer clothing, household items, a computer lab and job-search assistance, utility and rent assistance, and other client-specific assistance.

“SSCS does not receive government funding,” says Woodmansee. “It depends fully on donations and partnerships from churches like WOL, local coprorate sponsorships, individual donations, partnerships with Sand Sprigns Public Schools, local foundation grants, and its partnership with the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.”

Word of Life, whose motto is "we exist to reach people," has a long history of serve days, most recently partnering with local schools. In August they painted the Limestone gymnasium and auditorium, and improved the grounds and landscaping. In October they painted the gym, a classroom, and a pair of bathrooms at Angus Valley Elementary. 

Founded in 1981, Word of Life has been serving Sand Springs for 37 years. Lead Pastor Chad Stewart has led the congregation since 2011.

Word of Life
1402 North 81st West Avenue
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com
Facebook: @Wordoflifess
Instagram: @Wordoflifess

Sand Springs Community Services
114 West 4th Street
(918) 245-5183
Hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Friday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
http://sscsok.org
Facebook: @SanditesHere2Help

*Contact SSCS by phone or web to volunteer.

New Saint Francis Warren Clinic receives blessing, opens in Sand Springs River West

Saint Francis Health System held a grand opening and blessing ceremony Monday morning at the new Warren Clinic location in the Sand Springs River West development. The new facility will house the primary care services previously located at 796 Charles Page Boulevard, and will add an urgent care clinic as well. 

Sand Springs native entrepreneur-philanthropist Mike Case, who serves on the Saint Francis Board of Directors, spoke at the event, as well as CEO Jake Henry Jr. and Vice President Charley Trimble. 

Sister Mary Benedicta led the blessing rites and Father Todd Nance, Pastor of Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Sand Springs, gave the prayer of blessing and consecrated the facility with holy water. 

Primary Care and Pediatric services will open Monday, March 5th at 1:00 p.m. Urgent Care will also be open with limited services. Urgent Care will be available Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Warren Clinic joins El Maguey Mexican Restaurant and ALDI grocery store as the latest newcomers to the River West development, which also features an IHOP, Starbucks, and Holiday Inn Express. Colten's Steak House is also under construction and will open later this Spring. 

Warren Clinic Sand Springs
102 South Main Street
Sand Springs, OK 74063
918-245-2286

Church of the Month: Word of Life Youth Ministry

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Word of Life Youth. (Courtesy). 

*Note: Word of Life changed their name to Reach Church in August of 2018.

Last week Sandite Pride introduced readers to the Children’s ministry at Word of Life, our February Church of the Month. Today we look at the Youth Ministry under Pastor Chad Ketcher.

SEE RELATED: 

• Church of the Month: Word of Life exists to reach people
• Church of the Month: Growing up at Word of Life

Word of Life’s youth ministry has been called by many names over the years. Harmony, Lighthouse, the Depot, and Forward. The church recently moved the youth services from a building at 10th and Washington to the church’s main campus and took on the simple moniker of Word of Life Youth.

Having the youth on the adult campus has always been a goal of the church, but until recent years the main church also held a Wednesday night service, so there wasn’t room.

Ketcher took over the ministry full time in January of 2016. The only lifelong Sandite to ever hold the position, he felt called to return to Sand Springs again shortly before that. He and wife, Heather, were previously involved in a church in downtown Tulsa.

While still attending church in Tulsa, they were also participating in a small group hosted by Will and Amberly Bell, a couple heavily involved in Word of Life. “I thought that was kind of cool that they opened it up to somebody that didn’t even go to church here,” says Ketcher.

“In August (of 2015) we thought we were going to go somewhere else. But someone asked us to come visit (Word of Life). We had already been going to the life group for almost a year, so I said ‘let’s at least go check it out.’”

“We fell in love with (Word of Life) in the first week,” says Ketcher. “We loved everybody. We knew a lot of the people because we lived in this town our entire lives.”

Ketcher wasn’t looking for a full-time ministry job, despite having graduated Rhema Bible Training College in 2003. At the time he worked at the OSU Medical Center in Tulsa. He visited Forward to look into volunteering as a youth leader and found out that the pastor job was open.

Ketcher has a history with the Word of Life youth, having attended services in his teenage years under the late pastor Terry Scott. Going on mission trips to Mexico with the youth is part of what first inspired him to go to Bible College after graduating Charles Page in 2001.

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Word of Life Youth Pastor Chad Ketcher. (Courtesy). 

After a few weeks of prayer and contemplation, he decided to apply for the position. Ketcher is the fourth Word of Life Youth Pastor since 2010. “All they need is consistency,” thought Ketcher. “They just need someone to ride this thing for a long time.”

“When we started, my goal in the first year was just to let these teenagers know I’m not going anywhere. My goal in the second year was to get them involved in doing stuff and get them here on Sundays, enjoying church. My goal this year is all about ‘how can we reach other people?’”

Ketcher looks to the example set by former Youth Pastor Tim Earnhardt, who left the church in 2010 and currently pastors Occupied Church in Tulsa. “He always had teenagers with him, all the time,” says Ketcher. “Honestly, as a youth pastor, you should always have a teenager with you. That’s your life. That’s why you exist. It shouldn’t just be a Wednesday night or Sunday morning thing.”

He also wants to make sure the kids are there for the church more than for him. “Whenever you leave, you don’t want everyone to quit coming to church because they were so tied to you. We try to encourage that they come on Sunday and to small groups and that they serve in our children’s church. I don’t need you here for me, I don’t get paid per student.”

“I want you to enjoy church because of what you bring to church. The benefit that you can bring. That even as a teenager, you are valuable. You have your own personality type, you have your own set of skills. Our worship team is all teenager-led. I let my teenagers preach on Wednesday nights. How do you expect to grow a leader if you don’t give them the chance to be one?”

“We try to keep it real with the teenagers. Don’t ask them to live a lifestyle that you don’t teach them how to live.” The youth will be doing a series coming up in April on sex and how to date in a manner that’s consistent with biblical teachings. “That’s what we expect sometimes. A youth kid should be perfect or least act right when he’s at church. You’re asking someone to not cuss, who hears cursing all the time in their house. That’s not fair. Maturing is not an age thing, it’s someone being taught how to grow up.”

According to Ketcher, Wednesday night should be the most fun night of the week. Forward has their own party bus with hardwood floors, limousine-style seating, lights, and surround sound. They plan to use it to pick up kids for church and take them home if they need rides as soon as Ketcher gets his Commercial Driver's License. 

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Word of Life. Stock Photo.

The youth plan on going on a mission trip to Arlington, Texas over Spring Break. Then they’ll take a trip to Haiti next year where they’ll work with fellow Sandites Michael and Baylee Wilson who live there full time. Ketcher also plans to get the youth involved at Gable Hills, Highland Crossing, the Sand Springs Home and Colony, and local nursing homes.

“Your community has enough serving opportunities, it’s just a matter of finding them. It’s fun to go out to different places, but if there’s that much need in your own town and you can get thirty kids to show up and serve, that’s just crazy not to serve your own community. One of the people that I think is absolutely the best at this is (HillSpring Associate Pastor) Matt Barnett. I love that his heart is where his community is. That rubs off.”

Ketcher participates in One Network, a coalition of local pastors who work together to reach Sand Springs youth. “How can we all come together? If we stop competing and start just working. Yes we want people, and yes we want the same town, and we want the same community, but every church brings something completely different.”

Ultimately Ketcher wants students to know that they’re the church, not him and his fellow pastors. “I’m not different than anybody else, I just love what I do. I think sometimes we get so caught in ministry as preaching. It’s not preaching. Ministry happens in conversation. It just happens."

Word of Life Youth
1402 N 81st West Ave
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com/forward-youth
Facebook: @theforwardyouth
Instagram: @wordoflifess_youth

Word of Life
1402 N 81st West Ave
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com
Facebook: @Wordoflifess
Instagram: @Wordoflifess
Twitter: @mywordoflife

Church of the Month: Growing up at Word of Life

Courtesy. 

*Note: Word of Life changed their name to Reach Church in August of 2018.

Last week Sandite Pride introduced readers to our February Church of the Month, Word of Life. This week we learned about the church's children's and youth programs. 

SEE RELATED: Church of the Month: Word of Life exists to reach people

While children are always welcome in the main service, the church does provide several children’s classrooms on Sunday morning. The nursery provides care for babies from birth through 18 months old. 18-36 month olds have their own classroom, as do Kindergarteners and Elementary students.

The 18-36 month room does a couple of praise and worship songs, reads a picture story, and does brief lessons with props. The Kindergarten class expands on what the kids have been doing, adding longer lesson periods. They also join with the Elementary students for worship before heading back to their own class.

Word of Life Children’s Pastor Alexis Glaze. (Courtesy).

"I'm a firm believer that anything adults can do, kids can do better." - Alexis Glaze.

Children’s Pastor Alexis Glaze oversees the whole children’s program from infancy till middle school, and teaches the First through Fifth Grade class each Sunday.

Glaze came to the church in the summer of 2016, immediately after graduating from Oral Roberts University. Originally from Texas, Glaze married Golden Eagle pitcher Grant Glaze this past July and the two are currently expecting their first child. She is also a part-time substitute teacher for Sand Springs Public Schools while attending graduate school through Liberty University.

Each Sunday morning, the Elementary classroom starts with playtime, then brings in the Kindergarten class for worship. Each lesson is structured to address questions the children may have. Glaze recently posed the question “Does God still love me when I do bad things?” and spoke on God’s unconditional love. “We don’t want to do bad things, because we don’t want to make God sad, but he’s going to love us no matter what,” says Glaze. Children’s teachers also incorporate animated bible stories to keep the kids interested.

The church hosts lots of activities for children outside of Sundays. This Spring Break, parents and kids will be invited to a Chick-fil-A picnic at Ray Brown Park. Ages seven through twelve will spend several days this June at Victory Christian Camp in Mannford. In July they will hold Vacation Bible School for Kindergarten through Fifth grade students. The church will be having two services for Easter this year, and each service will have an egg hunt with 1,500 eggs.

Word of Life
1402 N 81st West Ave
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com
Facebook: @Wordoflifess

Instagram: @Wordoflifess

Church of the Month: Word of Life exists to reach people

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Lead Pastor Chad Stewart preaches at a Sunday Service at Word of Life. (Courtesy).

*Note: Word of Life changed their name to Reach Church in August of 2018.

"Go to Sand Springs, raise up a New Testament church, and from there you will touch the world."

Like most nondenominational churches, Word of Life started as a handful of friends with a vision and a prayer. A dozen evangelicals meeting in a downtown Sand Springs storefront for prayer and bible study. They held their first official service on January 4th, 1981 in a twenty-year-old QuikTrip building near the intersection of 10th Street and Adams Road. 

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David, Sharon, and Amanda Emigh. 

Pastor David Emigh founded the church at the age of 28 after a one-year stent in Rosebud, Missouri. During his tenure out of state, Emigh felt called by God to return to Sand Springs, raise up a new testament church, and from there he would touch the world. Together with wife Sharon, and their infant daughter Amanda, the Emigh family packed up and returned to their roots.

For thirty years, Emigh led the church. He published three books and aired an AM radio broadcast that reached tens of thousands. His team founded over a hundred churches on multiple continents, established a bible school, and ran an international ministerial organization.

By their 25th anniversary in 2006, the church had grown to over 800 members. They never got to celebrate their 30th anniversary. On June 15, 2011 Emigh died following a motorcycle accident. 

Word of Life founding pastors David and Sharon Emigh pray over current pastors Chad and Sarah Stewart.

“Without the Thirty, there wouldn’t be the Seven.” – Linda Scott

On September 11, 2011 the church took its first step forward. Word of Life members voted more than 90% in favor of confirming Chad Stewart as the new Senior Pastor.

Stewart arrived at Word of Life as the College and Careers (Young Adult) Pastor. He worked his way throughout the church, briefly running the bookstore, custodial duties, and serving a year as interim youth pastor. He was promoted to Associate Pastor a few months before Emigh’s death.  

Moving a church forward after the death of its founding pastor was far from an easy task. Stewart had to honor the legacy of the church’s founder, maintain the church’s existing identity, while simultaneously following his own passions and calling.

“That was a rough transition,” says Church Administrator Linda Scott. “The message never stopped being preached. The missionaries that we supported eight years ago, are still being supported today. They have never missed a payment since David died. We cut staff, we cut salaries, we did all kinds of stuff right here, but they never had a loss. That value of what was important to David has been important to Chad.”

Wednesday night service was dropped, and instead an emphasis was put on creating small groups, both ministerial, and shared interest groups. For four years the church hosted a carnival that offered rides, food, snow cones, backpacks, and haircuts all for free. In 2017 the church decided to forgo the one-day-a-year festivities and invest even more into the community throughout the year.

REV. TERRY SCOTT WITH HIS 2012 SUMMER INTERNS ON A MISSION TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS. (PHOTO SCOTT EMIGH)

Scott has been a member of the church since 1986 when she and her late husband Terry were invited by then-youth pastor Tom McCaslin. When McCaslin left Word of Life to start a church in Midwest City, the Scotts took over as Youth Pastors and served there for more than a decade. Under the Scotts, the Youth transitioned from the main church campus back to the old QuikTrip building where it all began. They continued meeting there until 2016 before rejoining the main campus.

Terry Scott stepped down as Youth Pastor to focus on FutureVision Ministries, but the two stayed plugged in at the church and Terry took on a part-time Missions Pastor position. Linda took on the Administrator position in 2011 and Terry took over as Associate Pastor soon after. Terry continued to travel the world, supporting Word of Life satellite churches, ministering, and leading missions until his death in 2016. He died doing what he loved, on a mission trip in Guatemala.

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Volunteers from Word of Life church put in a work day at Limestone Elementary, painting and gardening. (Photo: Micah Felts).

“We exist to reach people.” –WOL Vision.

“We exist to reach people. We want to reach people with the love of Jesus Christ,” says Scott. “Sometimes to reach people, if we can reach a physical need in their life, that can help to bring them to the knowledge that God is a loving god and God is a caring god. We exist to reach people wherever they’re at in whatever condition they’re in.

“It’s not about the lights and all that. You have those things because you’re drawing people in, and we live in an age that people like that kind of stuff. But it’s more about getting to the heart of people. How can we impact them? How can we help them to get from Step A to Step B in their spiritual life? And sometimes it’s how do we get them from A to B when they’re going through a massive change in their life. It’s a divorce, it’s a death, it’s a crazy teenager, a crying baby. How do we help them in those hard times of life to stay on their feet and know that there’s a community behind them that cares about them and the whole time just reminding them what the Word of God says about those things, that He’s there to help them.

“We want people to understand that it’s not just the people at the pulpit that are called to reach people, but it’s all of us. Whether it’s inviting people to church, or handing someone a ‘bless you’ card because you bought their McDonald’s, or whatever. Just showing that love to people.”

Word of Life
1402 N 81st West Ave
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com
Facebook: @Wordoflifess
Instagram: @Wordoflifess

HillSpring Church celebrates 10 years under Senior Pastor Brent Kellogg

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Mayor Mike Burdge speaks at HillSpring Church, recognizing Brent and Jeri Kellogg for ten years of service as the Senior Pastors. 

HillSpring Church recently celebrated a decade under Senior Pastor Brent Kellogg and wife Jeri. The church held a surprise banquet in the Kelloggs's honor Sunday evening with guest speakers including fellow community pastors and Sand Springs Mayor Mike Burdge. 

Kellogg came to HillSpring, then known as Cornerstone Church, in 2003 as the Youth Pastor before taking over Senior Pastor duties in December of 2007. He and Jeri have a son, Landon, and a daughter, Kalei. 

"Pastors have always been my heroes," said  Burdge. "I have had opportunity to sup with a few governors and senators and congressmen, and I'll leave all of them to come sit with the pastors in Sand Springs."

Burdge talked about his efforts to increase involvement in the Sand Springs Ministerial Alliance, and how crucial Kellogg's involvement was. "Now the Ministerial Alliance has come together. The (Thanksgiving) Community Service that we have here, I've been going to for forty years. We've had some good ones and some not so good ones, but even the best of them I saw did not hold a candle to what when on here (at HillSpring) that night." 

Kellogg, an Oklahoma State alumni, is blindfolded and dressed up in Oklahoma Sooner gear.

He also spoke on the level of cooperation that has been going on between different denominations in Sand Springs recently. "God spoke to me thirty years ago and He said His desire in these last days was to bring the body of Christ together over denominational barriers. It has been burning in my spirit ever since then to see congregations like you guys. This is a special place." 

Burdge read aloud a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing Kellogg for his success as a Christian Radio broadcaster, his service to HillSpring in various capacities since 2003, his volunteerism within the Sand Springs community including ministerial service, as well as serving on the recent Citizens' General Obligation Bond Committee, and for continuing "to share the love of Christ each and every day, in word and deed throughout the city."

Kellogg's mother told stories of his childhood, how his first word after "momma" and "daddy" was "Hallelujah." When he was about three years old, he would line up his teddy bears and stuffed animals and preach to them using a plant stand as a pulpit. 

She also spoke highly of Jeri, saying "you can't separate a man from his wife and recognize his accomplishments without recognizing her too. She has such a heart for God, a passion and love for him. I'm so proud of how she serves the Lord with her talents and how she serves her family."

Church That Matters Senior Pastor Rusty Gunn and Harvest Church Lead Pastor Steve Allen also spoke highly of Kellogg. 

"Church, you are blessed by having this pastor," said Gunn. "His leadership here is phenomenal in our city. He steps up to the plate at every opportunity to make a difference in the name of Jesus. He is a uniter. I know that he has united you as a church body, but not just that. He has united the greater body of Christ here in our city and I'm so excited to continue to follow on this journey that we're on together as the Lord continues to bless our city because of you and your leadership."

Allen diverged from the high praises and cracked jokes instead. "I understand you've been here for fourteen year. Four of those were as youth pastor, but we know we can't count those because youth pastors don't really work."

"I appreciate the great advice you've given me...things like 'it's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission,' 'what your congregation don't know don't hurt them,' and 'never let your congregation know as much as you or they'll think that they're your equal,'" joked Allen. 

HillSpring has been heavily involved in community events such as the Salvation Army "Army of Stars Banquet" and "Boo on Broadway," as well as contributing to the Ministerial Alliance's annual Christmas Bonus donation to the Sand Springs Fire and Police Departments.

HillSpring meets on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and on the first Wednesday night of the month at 6:30 p.m. They are located at 8801 West 41st Street and can be found online at www.hillspring.tv

Word of Life Church blesses Walmart shoppers

Shoppers at the Walmart Supercenter in Sand Springs got a pleasant surprise Sunday morning as hundreds of Word of Life church members poured into the store to bless people with free money. 

Following their 10:00 a.m. service, Word of Life distributed $5.00 bills to every church-goer in attendance to take to Walmart and give to anyone they wanted. The church members could give someone $5.00, or could pool their money with others to take care of a patron's entire cart. This is the second time this year that Word of Life has held such an event.

Word of Life meets Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at 1402 North 81st West Avenue and is pastored by Chad and Sarah Stewart. The nondenominational church has met in Sand Springs since 1981. 

SSPS presents Word of Life Church with Sandite Spirit Award

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Left to right: Limestone Principal Karen Biggs, Board of Education President Rusty Gunn, Word of Life Children's Pastor Alexis Glaze and husband Grant Glaze, Angus Principal Angelia Noel. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Sand Springs Board of Education presented Word of Life Church with a Sandite Spirit Award Monday evening in recognition of their recent contributions to the school district. 

In August the church held a work day at Limestone Technology Academy, painting the gymnasium and cafeteria, and cleaning up and improving the landscaping. They held another work day at Angus Valley Elementary in October and painted the gym, a classroom, and bathrooms.

SEE RELATED: Word of Life church paints, cleans up Limestone Elementary

"Word of Life first came to Limestone, and when I heard people were doing free work I called them immediately," joked Angus Principal Angelia Noel. "I can't even say enough nice things about them. They continuously ask 'what are your needs? What do you need us to do?'.

"They contacted us back in May," said Limestone Principal Karen Biggs. "They showed up, there's eighty-plus people. It's just been awesome. They come every month and ask what else we need, 'what else can we do for you?'"

"They even collected paper for us," added Noel. "A thousand reams of paper, which is just amazing. There's nothing that I've said to them that they aren't willing to help us with. It's just such a blessing to have people that understand that our jobs are difficult and they want to make it easier for us."

Slideshow: 35th Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade

Click here to view the full gallery at SmugMug.com

Local authors host book-signing in downtown Sand Springs at Christmas Parade

Rod's Books and Relics and the Yesterday Shop in downtown Sand Springs is hosting a Parade of Books to coincide with the Chamber of Commerce 35th Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade on Friday. 

The antique and used book store will host their first-ever book signing event with former Sand Springs Leader Editor Tara Lynn Thompson and several other local authors. The writers will be set up on the 2nd Street sidewalk in front of The Yesterday Shop from 4:00 p.m. till the conclusion of the parade. 

"As the news editor in Sand Springs for four years, as well as simply a resident for about a decade, I fell in love with Sand Springs," says Thompson. "(I want) to reconnect with Sand Springs and give back to the town that helped me so much in my career." Thompson is the author of the Another Series and has published two books with a third on the way. She released Not Another Superhero in 2015 and Just Another Sidekick this year. 

Michael Staires (Tulsa) will be signing copies of A Long Ride Home, a western novel following Billy Christian and his journey into manhood.

Robert E. Parks will be signing copies of his adventure novel MID Knight. TC Stevens leads a team of undercover FBI agents to prevent an old nemesis from acquiring a weapon of mass destruction. 

Peter Biadasz (Tulsa) will be signing copies of Write Your First Book, a self-help guide to turning good ideas into great books with sections on crafting a story, publishing, marketing and sales, and turning speeches into books. 

Brandon Baumgarten (Oilton) will sign copies of Caught Up & Called Out, a self-help book on how to become the leader you were meant to be. 

Jeff South (Broken Arrow) will be signing copies of children's book Kilroy Was Here, the story of a security guard for a private space portal who has to rescue his coworker and prevent aliens from turning the Earth into a resort. 

Anna Myers (Chandler) will be signing copies of her children's book, The Grave Robber's Secret. Set in nineteenth-century Philadelphia, the novel tells of Robby Hare, son of a grave robber, as he tries to expose a fiendish plot involving his father.

Selena McCroskey (Stillwater) will be signing copies of her children's book Patch, the story of a lonesome little scrap of fabric that ventures across the sewing room floor, looking for a place to belong. 

Peggy Perry Anderson (Tulsa) will be signing copies of her Green Light Readers Level 1 children's books. She has published a dozen titles, including Joe on the Go, Let's Clean Up, Out to Lunch, and Chuck's Truck. 

"Rod, his wife Cyndi, and I area all hoping this becomes the first of many years to come of holding a Parade of Books," said Thompson. Each author's table will be decorated with Christmas lights and authors will be answering questions, shaking hands, and offering their wisdom and advice to other aspiring writers. 

The Christmas parade will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the authors will be on hand throughout the event.

Organizers call Inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony a success

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Mayor Mike Burdge speaks at the Inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Holiday Season kicked off with a bang Tuesday night in downtown Sand Springs as larger-than-expected crowds turned out for the first known Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in town history. 

The inaugural event drew more than a thousand attendees to shop local, eat local, and watch Mayor Mike Burdge flip the ceremonial switch to kick off the 2017 Christmas season. 

The event grew from seed to harvest in a mere three weeks after local cosmetologist Joni Sporleder invited fellow business owners to her shop, Joni's on the Triangle, earlier this month. Representatives from Blush Hair Salon, YellowHouse Market & Boutique, Rod's Books and Relics, the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce, Sandite Pride News, Dog and Duck Antiques, and Yesterday To Now Antiques were joined by realtor Jennifer Barretto and Santa Claus entertainer Glen Burkett to brainstorm and begin the rushed planning process.

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More than 3,000 lights illuminate a tree at the downtown Triangle for the Inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Sand Springs Parks Department graciously and meticulously decorated a tree on the Triangle with more than 3,000 lights, wrapping every single branch. 

Mrs. Marshall's Voice Studio and Olivet Baptist Church choir led the town in Christmas caroling while Three Feather's Catering, Lee's Charburgers, Monie Horsechief Indian Tacos, and Kettle Treats fed the crowd. 

Many downtown members of the newly-formed Small Business Coalition will be open later hours on Tuesdays from now on, and the success of the event has the organization planning future entertainment on the Triangle. In addition to looking at festivities for the holidays, they also want to host concerts throughout the year. 

The Christmas festivities will continue downtown this Friday beginning with the Inaugural Parade of Books at Rod's Books and Relics at 4:00 p.m. More than a dozen local authors will be selling books, giving autographs, and answering questions from fans, supporters, and aspiring writers. At 7:00 p.m. the 35th Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade will meander through downtown.

Inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to kick off at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday

This Tuesday marks what many Sand Springs residents and business owners hope will become an annual tradition. A tree in the downtown Triangle Park has been decked out in more than 3,000 lights and at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Mike Burdge will flip the switch to kick off the holiday season.

Originally the brain child of Joni Sporleder, the event has been coordinated by the City Parks Department, Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the newly-formed Sand Springs Small Business Coalition. 

As part of the City of Sand Springs's ongoing efforts to brand Sand Springs as a tourist destination, several small business owners and concerned citizens have made it a goal to promote holiday activities throughout the month of December and to try and draw shoppers and diners back to the heart of the community.

From 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Marshall Voice Studio choir will be caroling, then the Olivet Baptist Church choir will take over from 6:45 to 7:00. Mayor Burdge will speak and turn on the lights, then Olivet will resume caroling till 7:30. 

From 6:00 to 8:00 WSB Homes will host Birch Studio and artist Jade Crawford along with cocoa and hot cider. The architecture company is located on the triangle at 2 East Broadway Street.

Joni's on the Triangle hair salon will have cookies and hot chocolate at 211 North Main Street, and multiple food trucks will be on hand. Three Feathers Catering will be serving up the barbecue recipes made famous by Papa Pat, and Lee's Charburgers will be selling their selections from the historic Lee's Diner.

The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum will be open with their annual "Art of Giving" Christmas tree display. For $1.00 visitors can vote for their favorite tree, with each tree being sponsored by a local charitable organization. 

Several "Snapped in Sand Springs" photo booths are located downtown, including Beau Wilson Insurance (17 East 2nd Street), Blush Hair and Makeup Lounge (208 North Main Street), Inez Kirk City-Garden Park (101 East Broadway), City Hall (100 East Broadway), Mobley-Groesbeck Funeral Service (211 East Broadway), Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce (1 West 1st Street), Security Finance (15 East 2nd Street), Vintage Stables on Main (115 North Main Street), and YellowHouse Market and Boutique (122 North Main Street). 

A small "Sandite Santa" figurine will be hidden in various businesses around downtown Sand Springs through December 20th. Patrons who find the Santa can take a picture with it and post the photo to the "Shop Small, Sand Springs" facebook page for a chance to win a prize basket. 

A Crafty Christmas will return to the Shops at Adams Road Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Friday they will have free Santa photos from 5:00 to 6:00. 

Also on Friday, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Rod's Books and Relics will host their inaugural Parade of Books with more than a dozen local authors doing autographs and taking questions. The 35th Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade will be that evening at 7:00 p.m. 

SEE RELATED: Downtown Sand Springs to host local authors for Christmas Parade of Books