LIFE ADULTS A Path for the Next Generation

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The Life Adult Ministry at Heritage is dedicated to being a path for the next generation to follow in delighting in God and declaring His glory! Our aim is to 1) continue to invest our lives in deepening our intimacy with Christ Jesus, our Savior and 2) enhance our ability to minister to others through Gospel-centered lives that embrace God’s Word.We pray our lifetime of experiences and gifting blesses our families, our church and the world around us.

To Magnify in Word and Song Only months after the close of the Korean Conflict, Keith Wells was born in Fairbanks Alaska, the second son of a gifted soprano soloist and Eielson Air Force Base's Chapel music director, vocalist and accomplished organist. Immersed from the beginning in the rich hymns of the faith, it is understandable how Keith became impassioned early by the music of the church.Barely a toddler, Keith would strain to hear his father's voice on the radio and would cry out "Here's Daddy now!" each time his father spoke or sang over the air. Sadly, that would soon change after their transfer back to the "Lower 48" when due to a marital breakup, Keith would never hear his father's voice again. Severe poverty soon followed. For several Michigan winters, what they did not have in food or heat, they had in rich soprano renditions of hundreds of memorized hymns and spirituals: “Ivory Palaces,” “Deep River,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” and “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” among many others.At the age of nine Keith surrendered his life to Christ and was soon asked to join the adult choir at their Baptist church in Niles, Michigan. At twelve he sang bass in their men's quartet! By 14 he led the choir and was involved in a singing group often featured on two of South Bend, Indiana's TV stations. At 15 he answered God's call to the ministry. That year Keith left home to pursue a Christian Education degree while his brother was deeply entrenched in drugs and the 60s Counter Culture creating a dangerous home environment. Keith found his way to Grants Pass, Oregon where he found a job and put himself through the New Hope Christian School. Music always played a major part, and at 16 his preaching ministry began.Full time Christian concerts and youth conferences, revivals and evangelism opened up for several years throughout the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada and the Great Lakes region, then again a decade later throughout Texas and down into Central America. By invitation, Keith cut a gospel album "Alleluia!" produced by J. T. Adams, and hosted two Christian radio

Still Drawing Pictures by Rocky Hails Hymns & Hamburgers What an evening! Over one-hundred voices singing, lifted in unison glorifying our Lord:

This is one of many stanzas shared by the folks gathered for the Hymns & Hamburgers evening. So many people pitched in and helped this event. From setup of tables, printing of song books, greeting… so many acts of often unrealized serving. Then the burgers and fixins’ were a bustle of activity. Our prayer earlier for “fishes and loaves” was answered in that we had enough burgers when welcomed, but unexpected folks came in. (When we discussed this evening back at the first of the year we thought we might have 50-60 people. Oops!) An additional answer to prayer occurred behind the scenes when 3 of our 4 propane tanks quickly ran out in the middle of the burgers grilling, with people already standing in line! It was a blessing how the pans stayed occupied with burgers without running out, while two tanks were grabbed at the store!Then our worship team began leading us into an evening of hymns and choruses, punctuated with moments of history amplifying the life message of the writers. It was wonderful! A few days later Keith Wells, who led the evening, wrote, “…it thrills me to see God’s children blessed as they adored Him in their hearts as seen in their faces. Some had tears… some sat quietly with their eyes closed soaking in the voices around them. I had the best seat in the house… watching them worship in so many ways… To God be the Glory!…”

Life Adult Fall Retreat: Friday, September 20, 2019 Pressing Forward in Ministry: “Staying At It Until the Cows Come Home” is our emphasis for the Life Adult Fall Retreat 2019. A Western-themed program that features Elliot Johnson, Trail Ride Magazine author and former Heritage member, until he recently became a Texas landowner. Elliot will be sharing the importance of staying at ministry no matter what age we’re at. He will weave a tapestry of Biblical truth, stories of the West, and the zeal of an evangelist in exhorting us forward! Our musical worship will be led by the Council Road Crooners Band providing Bluegrass faith-based songs that will bless. We will enjoy a delicious dinner together including smoked “prairie chickens.” The event will begin at 3:00 in the afternoon with snacks, special games, and just being together. Dinner is at 5:30, and the program begins at 6:30. The cost for dinner is $15 per person; you may sign up online, at the Life Adult Luncheon, or at the Welcome Center.

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Upcoming Events Aug 24 Parenting Seminar Aug 28 Wednesday Classes Fellowship Meal AWANA Resume Sept 13-14 Flee the City Sept 20 Life Adult Fall Retreat Oct 18-20 Family Fall Retreat Oct 27 Membership Class Oct 30 Fall Festival Dec 8 Life Adult Christmas Luncheon

Keith Wells

I love thee because thou hast first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;If ever I loved thee my Jesus, ’tis now.

broadcasts, "A Quiet Place" in Oregon and later, "The Lighthouse" in Michigan. Ordained in 1977, he entered the pastorate and has fed churches in four states.  Some of the most rewarding ministry has been leading pastors’ conferences in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Keith holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology and a Master's in Christian Education. He has

been offered an honorary ThD, but has opted to earn it...(when he can carve out the time). With a passion to glorify the Lord by magnifying His majesty and grace, it remains a blessing to this servant to be able to do so both by the spoken word, as well as in song. It is his prayer that God's children be drawn to a rich experience in Christ through the encouragement found in the Word and in the music that proclaims Him!  Galatians 2:20

Starting Your Day With Godby Ed Bedrosian

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Every day of our lives we have the opportunity to spend time (praying) talking with God. We call these moments by various names, Quiet Time, Devotions, or Morning or Evening (Vespers) Prayers. It is essential for those who confess Christ as their Savior to communicate daily with Him. Prayers are the life blood of believers through the Holy Spirit, as we seek to know the will of God in our lives. Prayer gives us directions and the opportunity to ask God for help for our daily living. Prayer is vital for the believers to show gratitude to God for His blessings and a time for reflection of His past grace and mercy in our lives. Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Jeanette and I have the opportunity to start our days spending time together talking (praying) with God. We want to discover God’s steadfast love and new mercies each day. Since our semi-retirement from full-time pastoring, we have been able on most days to read and pray together. We begin our day by reading a devotional called “The Daily Bread.” We have enjoyed this material over the years and it has ministered to us on many occasions just like sermons we hear. We have often said that what we just read or heard was exactly what we needed. We also are enjoying reading through the Bible in a year using the 5-Day Bible Reading Plan we received from Heritage.In every aspect of being a disciple of Christ, we have found that it takes time to grow and develop our relationship with God. This means that we order our days and time to make God a priority in our lives. As we work to prioritize our time with God we find that we are less stressed and no matter what happens to us, we know that God is directing our steps.Starting our day with God gives us the opportunity to pray for the ministries at HBC, for our pastors and staff, church leaders, and

the needs of our church family. We want to know God’s will for our lives everyday. We look for understanding in what we read so we can grow and mature in Christ.Grandparents also have a great opportunity to pray for their grandchildren. A new ministry called Grandparents at Prayer (G@P) began last year. Since its inception, more than 40 grandchildren are on a list for our Life Adults to pray for the salvation and spiritual growth of their grandchildren. This list is available at our Life Adult Luncheons, and your grandchildren can be added to the list and prayed for as we meet together. Jeanette and I pray for our own children and our 11 grandchildren daily for their salvation and spiritual growth as well as other grandchildren on the G@P list.Starting our day with God is vital for Jeanette and me. It is vital for every believer as we seek to know and do God’s will. It is vital for the growth of our church and ministries in our community, for our missionaries, and missions. My prayer for all of us as believers is that we will have an effective prayer and devotional life that will impact our families, our church, and our communities. James 5:16b, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” NKJVLet me encourage you to be steadfast in your prayers, and encourage you to “Start Your Day With God.” Blessings.Ed Bedrosian is a Graduate of California Baptist College (University) B.A. Religion, GoldenGate Baptist Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, Trinity Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care. Ed has pastored 46 years in California, with 27 years concurrently in two churches. Now semi-retired he is serving as a volunteer at Heritage Baptist Church, Oklahoma City.

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Then Sings My Soul A resource recommended during Hymns & Hamburgers was the book, Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan. From the back cover: Does your soul lift in song when you hear the first few bars of a favorite hymn? Robert Morgan’s lifelong interest in hymns led him to discover the richness of the stories behind many of the best-loved hymns. Many of the stories also reflect the impact hymns have had on ordinary people as they read, heard, and sang the great hymns of the faith.One of the author’s goals in writing these stories is to help people reacquaint themselves with these wonderful, old hymns and the importance of keeping the hymns as a vital and meaningful part of today’s church.

• 150 Devotional-Style Stories• Complete with Music & Lyrics• Unique Ragged-Edge Paper• Indexes by Title, First Line, and Writer

Then Sings My Soul is a book to treasure for oneself or to give as a gift. It makes the ideal personal devotional and is a wonderful gift for music ministers.Designed to be personally reflective, the stories also give practical applications for your life. From “Abide with Me” to “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” these stories will not only speak to your soul but will add depth and meaning as you worship God through song.

Opportunity Visit our website heritageokc.org/serve to find ways to volunteer. One specific way beginning soon is through Whiz Kids, a one-on-one mentoring program. Heritage partners with Portland Avenue Baptist on Thursdays from 3-5pm. Contact Joy Fischer 405-822-4401 for more information.

Please Be in Prayer AWANA begins August 28—That volunteers would be intentional in connecting with the children and be an example of Christ’s love to them, and that seeds of the Gospel Truth flourish in hearts. Wednesday Evening Classes begin August 28—Students, Share & Prayer, Women’s Bible Study, 4MEN, and a new six-week class, Engaging Our Culture.Our Church Body— Pray that folks will prioritize abiding in Christ, pursue deep relationships with other believers in the Body of Christ, and prayerfully seek/find ways to use their God-given gifts to serve the Body of Christ.