1. I love living in Tulsa as much as I thought I would. 

I grew up spending a few weeks with my grandparents every summer. When I graduated from college, my parents moved to Tulsa. So, my entire life, I have had close family that lived in Tulsa. But I had never lived here. And it hadn’t even occurred to me that I could live here. A few years ago, I started sensing a draw to Tulsa. I had never felt a sense of calling to a place. I am so thankful for God’s goodness in bringing us here!

2. I love teaching at Asbury Theological Seminary as much as I thought I would.

My first time on Asbury Theological Seminary’s campus was 2017. That seems impossible to me. I had been curious about Asbury for a long time but had not actually been on campus until I was invited to preach in chapel just before the 2017 meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society, which was held at ATS that year. (You can watch that sermon here, if you want to take a trip down memory lane!) I remember walking around campus and sensing the Spirit’s presence in an almost overwhelming way.

In my first year, I taught Church History One, Basic Christian Doctrine, and a new course on the history and practice of Wesleyan Discipleship. And the students in every class have been fantastic! It has been such a gift to me to be at a place where my convictions are deeply in sync with the institution where I serve, with my colleagues, and with my students. I am blessed!

3. Hybrid classes are fun!

Every class I have taught to date has been in the hybrid format. This means that the classes have online modules where students complete assigned readings and other assignments. Once during the semester, there is a three-day intensive where everyone gathers together in the same place. (Asbury Theological Seminary offers hybrid classes in Wilmore, KY as well as at each of our Extension Sites: Tulsa, OK; Orlando, FL; Colorado Spring, CO; Memphis, TN; and Tampa, FL.)

As I was praying about my first hybrid last Fall, I felt like the Lord kept giving me the word “retreat.” As in, the hybrid is supposed to be a retreat for students. And to be honest, I thought to myself: there is no way students are going to buy that 20 hours of time in class over three days is going to feel like a retreat!

As the Lord usually does when I argue, I just kept hearing the word “retreat.” Finally, I embraced it and sent an email that felt very naïve to my students. I encouraged them to come expecting the time to be a retreat. I invited them to make a plan to put aside all other distractions and be present to the Lord and each other.

And that first hybrid just might be my favorite teaching experience I’ve ever had. We spent time together in prayer, even praying for one another. We worshipped together. Oh, I also lectured some. Several students confessed that my email about the retreat seemed crazy to them, but that to their surprise the hybrid did indeed feel like a retreat. 

Only God!

I am learning to relax into the time we have together in the intensives and shift from trying to cram 20 hours of lecturing into the class to being present to the Holy Spirit and his agenda for our time together. I still have a lot to learn. But the journey has been so fun. 

I can’t wait to see what God does in my classes this year!

4. Asbury Church is more of a blessing than I could have asked or imagined.

I cannot express what a gift it has been to me personally and to my entire family to be at Asbury Church. Rev. Andrew Forrest is an exceptional preacher. I don’t know how he does it week after week. And he is as good or better of a leader than he is a preacher. Serving on the Asbury pastoral team under his leadership has been a gift. 

A highlight for me at Asbury Church was our Summer of Prayer series for six weeks right in the middle of the summer. We invited the church to press in to prayer in a deeper way. We preached through the book of James. We had a night of Prayer and Worship on a Wednesday during the series. The Holy Spirit was present in a powerful way that I believe broke something new open in the church. I got to preach the last sermon of the series and preached on James 5:13-16 and invited people to respond by coming forward to receive prayer for healing. The interest in healing and testimonies to healing seems to be building from the Summer of Prayer. (You can check that sermon out here, if interested.)

More Lord!

The sermon I preached felt like releasing something that has been in me for a long time. It was really important to me to know that I was operating under the authority of the leadership of the church. And throughout the series I experienced spiritual covering and blessing to be who I am in Christ in a way I have never experienced. I still can’t really describe what a blessing it has been. I am so thankful!

5. Asbury Theological Seminary is trusted by an even broader section of the church than I realized.

I knew that Asbury Theological Seminary was viewed as the premier seminary across the Wesleyan evangelical family throughout the world. I did not realize the degree of interest there is in building relationships with Asbury in many nondenominational and independent churches that have typically done most of their preparation for ministry in house.

I hosted a gathering of pastors from a variety of nondenominational churches here in Tulsa to talk about the work they are doing to raise up the next generation of leaders for the church. I was humbled that they would make time to come to Tulsa and consider a partnership with Asbury. Everything about the time together was fun! Great conversation. Exceptional leaders in parts of the Body of Christ I’m eager to get to know better. Openness to the Holy Spirit. Deeply committed to basic Christian orthodoxy. And aware of what time it is. Check out this description of the gathering. 

The thing I most enjoyed about this meeting was spending time with leaders in the broader church who sharpen me and help me be better at what I do. My calling is to raise up the next generation of leaders for the church. It is all about the church. And so, the more I can be around excellent pastors the better!

Asbury Theological Seminary is known throughout the church. And as people are sensing that some places may be shifting away from their historic commitments, there is growing openness and interest in partnering with Asbury. I am so curious to see what God does!

The first year in Tulsa has been better than I could have hoped. But do you know my favorite thing about where I am at right now? I am even more excited by several things I am working on now than what I have experienced in the past. I have a deep confidence that the best is yet to come.

Stay tuned!