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For years, the Oklahoma Conference has celebrated The Five-Star Church Award, honoring churches’ excellence in missions.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, the Conference’s Mission and Service Ministry Team (MSMT) will launch a revision of the program. It will be named The All-Star Church Recognition and Award Program.
Why the change?
Two reasons. First, we wanted a way to recognize significant missional efforts made by churches that could not always complete all five stars in a single year. Second, we wanted to give churches more choices in how they responded to missions.
With the new program, a church can be recognized for earning a minimum of three stars—and awarded as many stars as it sets its heart and hands to!
A church acquires "stars" by supporting selected United Methodist missional emphases and ministry opportunities within a calendar year.
• Conference recognitions will be given to churches that achieve a minimum of three stars.
• Conference awards will go to churches that achieve a minimum of five stars.
• Churches that report exceptional work in missions can receive additional Gold Star or Stellar Church awards.
The criteria for the program will be reviewed annually by the MSMT and will periodically change, to reflect General Church and Conference emphases. Changes typically will be announced at the Annual Conference session prior to the year of implementation.
To apply for recognition or an award, a church must pay in full its Conference and district apportionments.
For the 2009 calendar year, the award criteria will still be based on the Five-Star program.
"The new All-Star program will not begin until 2010."
For more information about the new award program, download the information sheet or contact the chairperson.
You can find an application for the current Five-Star Church Award online here http://www.okumc.org/Five_Star.
Applications for the Five-Star award must be submitted to the Conference secretary of Global Ministries, Michael Fletcher-Taylor, mlft@cox.net.
Deadline is Jan. 31, 2010.
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