How many of you have looked in the mirror and decided that it was time for a change—new shoes, drop at least 10 pounds and most importantly—change your hair color!

I had wanted to age gracefully (really I was tired of having my hair colored), so I thought one way to age gracefully was to let my hair

be natural, meaning gray. Things were going well until I attended my sister, Paula’s, retirement party at the school where she had taught for 25 years. Two women came to me at different times dur-ing the party and said, “Oh, you must be Paula’s mother”! I’m only 4 years older than Paula, how-ever she does color her hair! I was unhappy about that, to say the least, but it wasn’t enough to make me change my hair color. A few months later I took my 93 year old mother-in-law to see our new church facilities at Christ’s Legacy Assembly of God. She attends another church in town. While taking her on the tour, one of the newer members asked if she was my sister! Time for a change!!! The grey is gone and I am feeling much better!

It seems that one change can lead to another—hence, our new look! I hope you like it. I want to say a special thanks to our new Oklahoma District Council IT/Graphics Designer, Brandon Knight. Just looking at our new design makes me feel bet-ter and younger!

Our 2009 Women’s Conference is just two months away! You should have already received your conference packet which included a large poster, one small black and white poster for copying, workshop/registration brochures, hotel list, special offering project information, and a vendor/exhibi-tor application form. If you have not received your packet, please contact Shirley at shirley.ophus@okag.org or 405-475-1190.

This year we have made arrangements and will minister to those who have special needs--women in wheelchairs, those who use canes, or anyone who just needs help getting from place to place. As our slogan proclaims, our events are for every woman. The contact person is LaDonna Harper - cell: 918-269-7049. I hope you are planning to attend with a group of women from your church. This is always an exciting time to gather with other Assembly of God women from around the state to worship together, laugh together, and seek God together. You will not be disappointed with our special guests, Mar-tha Tennison, Kerrie Pomarolli, and Kim and Brian Tabor. I look forward to seeing you in September!

Hillcrest Children’s Home and Highlands Pregnancy Home, both on the campus of AG Family Services Agency in Hot Springs, Arkansas, are in desperate need of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, laundry soap, breakfast cereal, and liquid soaps of all kinds. Contact them at www.agfamilyservices.org or 501-262-1660.

Missionaries, Tim & Lynley Hatcher, are in need of some special cookware to help their special needs son. They need a Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 3 quart saucier pan, red and a Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round French oven, 9 quart, Red. Call me for more information, 405-475-1191.

Women’s DirectorLinda Stamps-Dissmore

stamps.dissmore@okag.org

2 MEMOS | 2009

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Encouragment for

Leading WomenWhen she took over women’s Bible study,this leader learned some important lessons.by Virginia Vagt

LeadingBible studies and church committees can bring strange pressures. I felt many of them when I first began leading a women’s

Bible Study. I picked up the responsibility after the woman who founded our group moved out of state. As I took over her leadership post, I learned some important lessons about being a new leader.

Lesson 1: Sincerity can rival charisma-but it takes timeAt first I was suprised how well things were going. Attendance didn’t fluctuate much, discussions were lively, and it seemed to me that with every passing week I welcomed the group with more humor and less starch. When I was told I was too businesslike, I was unsure how to change. I learned from that lesson that, even in ministry, style matters.

Lesson 2: Leading alone isn’t for everyoneOur former leader had been more of a one-person show with helpers. I couldn’t pull that off, so two friends and I began to meet regularly to discuss how to increase the friendship factor and how to handle compulsive talkers. We also prayed for the group.

As a new Bible study leader, I was afraid to hurt any-one’s feelings and confront people who were monop-olizing conversation. As a team, we took on control-ling group dynamics and encouraging conversation.

Lesson 3: Criticism can be constructiveOur leadership team decided that instead of overhear-ing negative comments, we wanted to bring them into the open. If people felt irritated, disappointed, or bored, we wanted to know so we could respond.

Every few weeks we asked, “How do you think the study is going?” Although some people didn’t feel comfortable voicing their complaints to the group, our openness encouraged the kind of feedback we wanted, and it allowed me to stop worrying what people were thinking of my leadership.

Lesson4: Other leaders are great resourcesIt helped me to learn that I could go to my leaders for counsel. After two members of the group bitterly argued about the doctrine of election versus free will, I wondered if I should have cut off the discussion. Later I talked to one of our pastors about how to ad-dress conflict. His advice on diffusing tension was a great help.

Lesson5: Members matter as much as friendsWhen group attendance began to change and my friends in the group attended less frequently, my fears of rejection were stirred. But in this difficult situation my ego seemed to toughen up. Leadership has rewards; I saw this begin when a newly wid-owed woman, who yearned to join our group, slowly became a part of it. Seeing her and other new people coming bolstered my leadership self-image. After a while it no longer seemed so crucial that my friends always be there.

Thought ProvokersHow do you respond to criticism about your leadership? •Why might it be helpful to invite feedback from those you lead?Do you actively seek out wisdom of other leaders? If so, •what leadership lessons have you gleaned from those rela-tionships? If not, what is holding you back?

2009 Christianity Today Internationalwww.GiftedFor Leadership.com

2009 | MEMOS 3

4 MEMOS | 2009

A Message From Liz

Happy, Hot Summer!! Have you set outside this sum-mer to watch the fireflies

or just layed back and gazed at the Stars? Watching the sky and spot-ting that first star of the evening is such an amazing thing- God is so creative. We are another of God’s creative miracles. And He desires that we “Shine Like Stars’ Philippi-ans 2:15 ”so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which

you shine like stars in the uni-verse”.

As leaders God has given us the re-sponsibility to help our girls Shine! Yes, I know that some of the girls you minister to each week are more like the explosions of a Nova, but remember once a Nova has ex-ploded the star becomes even more luminous. As I was growing up I’m sure there were many people who thought I wouldn’t succeed or “shine” in anything. I didn’t have the opportunity of growing up in a Christian home and attend-

ing church regularly. But with the help of a few strategically placed individuals I found Christ. Now I am a pastor’s wife and minister and I want to help each girl I come into contact with find her place in Christ. I want to be the woman who pours into a girl’s life and helps her “shine” for the Lord Jesus Christ and in her world!

Girls DirectorElizabeth Moon

elizabeth.moon@okag.org

Let’s stay connected...join the Facebook group “Oklahoma Girls Ministries”. Set up your Facebook account (which is so easy- go to Facebook.com and get started). Invite me to be your friend- Elizabeth Matlock Moon and I’ll send you an invite to join our new group. If you need any info just email lizmoon@sbcglobal.net

Check out our website (it’s up to date!), www.okag.org and then click Girls Ministries

Girls Ministries Five-fold PurposeTo win girls to Jesus Christ through love and • acceptanceTo teach them to obey everything Jesus com-• manded us- developing girls spiritually and mentallyTo provide encouragement, support and ac-• countability through lasting Christian relation-shipsTo provide an environment for girls to develop • their gifts and abilitiesTo acquaint them with the Great Commission of • Jesus Christ our Lord

Dates & DeadlinesJuly 10 | Deadline for Celebration Apps• August 14-15 | District GM Celebrations• August 29 | Mega Training Day (OKC & Tulsa)• September 25-26 | National GM Sleepover•

Don’t’ forget your G.R.O.W. Giving! Girls Reaching Our World faith promises will be due Dec. 15, 2009

Mega Training DayProvided by the OK District Girls Ministries • Saturday, August 29 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.• The Assembly at Broken Arrow | Tulsa Area• __________________ | OKC Area• GM training for new leaders• GM Leadership Development Units Bronze, • Silver, and GoldAll sessions led by interesting and highly trained • individualsPlan now to attend and complete the necessary • levels of training to become a better leader! Registration forms and information will be • mailed soon.

Children’s Ministries Agencywith

Joint

ConferenceGirls Ministries

Millennium Hotel

SAVETHEDATE2010MARCH 1- 4

St. Louis, MO

open to ALLwho work withgirls

National

2009 | MEMOS 5

Missionaries Clark and Jennifer Jenson are ministering to these children in New Delhi and working to provide foster care and

education for the children on the street. Funds col-lected for Coins for Kids this year will go toward the building of a rescue center in the New Delhi slums. The rescue center will provide a home for abandoned

women and their children, nutritional food, as well as education for other children living in the slum area. Check out ngmevents.ag.org/cfk to download the free 2009 Coins For Kids video or give to Coins for Kids online. A DVD is also available from GPH (Item #73PM4923)

Global Family | Project India | Girls Ministries Coins For Kids

Sept. 13-19 National and Oklahoma Girls Ministries Week

Sept. 25-26 National GM Sleepover

The National Sleepover packet is now available on the website www.ngm.ag.org – check it out!

6 MEMOS | 2009

2009 | MEMOS 7

2009

District Girls Ministries

CELEBRATIONFriday, August 14th 7:00PMWestern - Section 7-12Saturday, August 15th 1:00PMEastern - Sections 1-6

DISTRICT TABERNACLE | 8701 N KELLEY | OKC

To view the Summer 2009 Financial Report just log on to www.okag.org. You can navigate under “MInistries” to the Women’s Department homepage. You will also find up-to-date contact info on all our reps, forms and downloads for upcoming events, and a lot of other great information.