Stephen Walker: All right.
Stephen Walker: So, Hannah, thank you for being patient with us. We had a very busy last weekend. We had a lead minister candidate and his wife come in for a weekend. And so it was really cram packed with a lot of activity so that he can get to know us, and we get to better know them. And so
Stephen Walker: so we just, you know, that took all of our attention and effort just to be involved in that. So thank you for being patient. And so
Stephen Walker: So we sent over 3 things. We sent over what we believe document, and we sent over kind of our journey, of how we are moving along in terms of honoring God giftedness with women.
Stephen Walker: And then we sent over Melody's sermon. And so this zoom is kind of. You've had a chance to read through the documents and look at the sermon.
Stephen Walker: So now we want to open up, so that if you have questions, we want to try to figure out how we can best answer your questions as best as we understand. Now, keep in mind. We are all on a journey here and some of when we 1st started this it was. It challenged our understanding a little bit, and so we had it took us, you know, some of us a while to kind of figure out, okay, is this where God is really leading?
Stephen Walker: And so so so day one was kind of be honest. It was a shock to the spiritual system of some of us right, because we have done things such a 1 way, and then we were gravitating. We didn't just like move into it, where we just begin to do things
Stephen Walker: differently in a unthoughtful way. We try to be thoughtful as we begin to introduce these things as we saw God leading us in a direction to honor women. And so we understand that this is a journey, because we're on the same journey, and but we want to acknowledge and recognize where you are and what questions you may have. And so that's why we're here today.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah, yeah, I was. So I was just kind of looking through y'all's documents that you sent over. And I just had a few questions. The majority of the things I agree with, and I'm good with
Hannah Sullivan: And then but before we get on, though, like the women's study, I.
Hannah Sullivan: You know I've been studying it myself, and because I knew it was always going to be a thing. Once I'm going into ministry as a woman, so I've always like I've tried to study it and make sure I know kind of where I stand on that. And like I told you. I'm still kind of unsure exactly where I'm standing on it. But right now I'm reading this really good book, as you can see, I'm still reading it.
Stephen Walker: Hannah, what's the book title?
Hannah Sullivan: It's women serving God. My journey and understanding the story in the Bible. By John Mark Hicks.
Stephen Walker: Okay, it's okay.
Hannah Sullivan: It's really good. I highly recommend to read it, because this kind of goes through like his journey, was like no participation to like limited participation to I think now where he is at.
Hannah Sullivan: and it's the Church of Christ. Portion. I think now, where he's at is like for participation in women's.
Hannah Sullivan: So he kind of just like breaks it down like, harmonically, theologically, and like historically.
Hannah Sullivan: so it's really interesting right now. I'm only in like Part 3 out of like 6. But
Hannah Sullivan: but so I've been reading that and stuff. So it's really interesting. So I highly recommend anybody to read that that was recommended to me by one of my mentors to read, to help me
Hannah Sullivan: see where like to go a little bit deeper than just what like the Bible says, and everything.
Hannah Sullivan: And then
Hannah Sullivan: so yeah, I'm the gender summary. I didn't see anything that like through. I don't know, like red flags, I guess, or like coffin flags. So like I, I completely agree with all of that. And then I have, since I'm doing this on my phone. I have the documents on my computer because it finally decided to be alive.
Hannah Sullivan: But on the what do we believe on like the salvation part when it says, like baptism by emotion, which I completely believe in baptism. I noticed y'all didn't put anything about like forgiveness of sins on there about baptism. So it's just one doing like.
Hannah Sullivan: why, y'all chose to leave out like that key part of baptism, as we've seen like acts 2, 38, where it says, Repent, be baptized for the forgiveness. And so I was wondering why y'all didn't decide like to drop that wattage. I guess.
Stephen Walker: Okay?
Stephen Walker: I'm just. I'm looking here to see if it's included someplace else in the document.
Stephen Walker: it's if you look at about salvation.
Stephen Walker: It says, we come to Christ through faith.
Stephen Walker: repentance, which is a forgiveness of sin, and then baptism. Right? So. I think that
Stephen Walker: What the word repentance is is our intentions to acknowledge that there, at some point to roll to baptism, there's an acknowledgement that you're a sinner, and you need to repent of that sin, and God forgives those sins. And so I think I think that is there.
Stephen Walker: Then it says also, because of our sins and disobedience, we are saved through Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father. And so you know, when you connect the repentance our forgiveness, acknowledge that we are sinner. We need forgiveness, and that forgiveness comes because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He's the only one that can save us, and allow us to have that access to the Father through Him in the Holy Spirit. So
Stephen Walker: so I
Stephen Walker: I I believe it's there. It may not be spelled out exactly the way that would make it obvious, but I do believe it's there, and so I don't think there's anything that will prevent us. If we were to rewrite that to include, you know, more direct language in it. So I don't. I don't. That's not. That's not something that
Stephen Walker: I would think would cause us to pause. But I think it'd be something that if it was unclear we would more definitely want to make that clear in the document.
Hannah Sullivan: Okay, yeah. So so to me, I didn't necessarily like, I'm just so used to seeing forgiveness of sins like spelled out a little bit more clearly. So. I was wondering what words or like ways y'all might have used it, instead of just saying like we would get baptized for forgiveness of sins.
Stephen Walker: I want to open up to like. Maybe Melanie and Jason, too, so that they can talk about. You know their experience in it, and how they see their life with Christ, and what part of giving us it come into their journey as well.
JVM: Melanie, first.st
Melanie: Well, I mean, I think
Melanie: I guess I would just want to make it clear that if the document which I can't speak for Jason. But it's not something I read on a weekly basis.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Melanie: You know, it's not like we have it posted on the wall. But if if it isn't
Melanie: specifically spelled out in there, and I want to assure you, and anybody that would be reading it is that that is still definitely a facet of salvation and baptism that is still
Melanie: that we absolutely believe and understand, and and are
Melanie: living out. And so it's it. It it might, I think I agree with Steve. I think the the
Melanie: spirit of the document and the the spirit of the the way it is spelled out is
Melanie: adequate. But yeah, I mean, I don't make documents, but I would think like, he said, it would be fine. We can. We can clarify and put it in so I don't. I don't want you to feel like if you didn't see it, that potentially we.
Melanie: that's a
Melanie: an intentional omission or anything that would not be something that we would have said, well, you know we don't really believe in that, because we do. I do. I think absolutely. That is the
Melanie: the one of the pillars of of baptism and of our eternal salvation is the the forgiveness that comes with that act, but the forgiveness that continues to wash over us throughout our faith journey right? And so I think
Melanie: I've been a part of this church a long time, and so I can feel like I can vouch for the fact that that is something that we all believe and live out every day.
JVM: Absolutely.
JVM: Yeah, I would.
JVM: I mean they they, Steve and Melanie pretty much covered it. I think.
JVM: I guess from from another angle.
JVM: One thing that I appreciate about
JVM: our elders at Mcknight is they're open to input from the church family.
JVM: And so I mean, this is a great example where it's a good conversation, because whether there's addition to the document or left left, as is, I think they'll be really open to, hey? Maybe maybe we do want to even just make sure, you know, to call it out more, or to talk about in other facets, because it is really really important to us. I think.
JVM: one thing that that Mcknight emphasizes more than at least some of the congregations I've been a part of in my limited experience which I, Hannah, I. Gave my life to Christ as a freshman in college at Michigan State, and then went to a church of Christ, Holmes Row, Church of Christ in Lansing, Michigan.
JVM: And you know different churches with my grandmothers that were.
JVM: you know, different. Growing up is just kind of figuring out my way. But again I've visited a lot of churches, and I would say, one thing that Mcknight emphasizes even more is is the forgiveness.
JVM: that is a part of salvation. But there's a huge emphasis as well on Jesus's continued forgiveness, you know, on our journey, and so I think that is tied to grace a significant amount. The only other thing I'll say is that when we went through teaching through the 7 values of Mcknight crossings.
JVM: the portion of Scripture, I had a chance to participate in that sermon series, and we were in the Book of Acts quite a bit.
JVM: And and so definitely acts chapter 2. And in different chapters, as far as really learning everything we could from the early church as well. And so, you know, passages like what you mentioned acts, chapter 2, verse 30, plus was a big part of that, both in terms of how people responded
JVM: to when they understood what Jesus had done for them, and the opportunity to be baptized, and what it gave them in terms of forgiveness of sins. And, you know, looking at the Holy Spirit as a huge gift.
JVM: but also in terms of what it meant in terms of their lifestyle, you know, and kind of how they aim to share together and to be there for each other afterwards.
JVM: That's all I would comment on. But yeah, it's definitely
JVM: a huge deal for us. Huge deal.
Stephen Walker: Thank you.
Stephen Walker: So how is there any other discussion around that part that we we need to have? Or is there other facet to the question that.
Hannah Sullivan: No, I think y'all I wouldn't say like defended, but like explained it well and like
Hannah Sullivan: it makes me feel comfortable, more comfortable like that. Forgiveness of sin is y'all y'all recognize that a part of the baptism and I can see, like in the different areas of the little words like. Now that you have explained the wording a little bit better. How y'all
Hannah Sullivan: put it in there. It was just not super clear.
Hannah Sullivan: But yeah. So that was. I'm good with that, because I was just kind of like whenever I 1st read that, and was like, Oh, no! Are we going to like Southern Baptist and being like.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Hannah Sullivan: Baptism is only for, like the outward, like expression that like I'm a Christian. But nothing happens like in the inward, or like, you know, like they believe baptism isn't always necessarily a key part of salvation and a key part of how we wash away those sins.
Hannah Sullivan: So like, I was kind of a little worried that for a little, and if I wrote it, read it, and I was like, Oh, that like took me aback. So I'm glad that.
Stephen Walker: We got that cleared.
Hannah Sullivan: And then
Hannah Sullivan: I was trying to read through it, skim through it again to see if there was any other questions.
Hannah Sullivan: Of course, my computer decides now to freeze.
Hannah Sullivan: There we go.
Hannah Sullivan: It's back alive now. Okay, I like the
Hannah Sullivan: I like all of the like. I really like how y'all
Hannah Sullivan: define like the different priesthood of the all believers. That section.
Hannah Sullivan: I really like enjoyed reading that
Hannah Sullivan: and especially like with the wasp, like. There's no distinction between like clergy and Laoti, because
Hannah Sullivan: sometimes you can go into torches and be like ministers and odles, and then like Nimbles, and like
Hannah Sullivan: we're the same. So I like that. Also really
Hannah Sullivan: thought it was interesting. Where is it? On this? I know it's somewhere somewhere about the
Hannah Sullivan: the hold on. Oh, there it is the instrumental wash up
Hannah Sullivan: I like how y'all said that y'all believe instruments are allowed, but not required in worship. So that's cool, because, like, that's kind of where I'm at is like instruments are not a solving issue. It's more of a preference. Because a. It's never states in the New Testament like clearly, like, No, no, go on instruments. Yes, it says things make melody in your hearts, but like
Hannah Sullivan: you can do that in multiple, different ways, and plus, if God had an issue with instruments, why would He allow His people to worship him with instruments in the Old Testament
Hannah Sullivan: like. So. I really like that, because to me Acapella is just way more meaningful. And that's what I prefer.
Stephen Walker: But.
Hannah Sullivan: I necessarily don't think instruments are like bad.
Hannah Sullivan: because, like I listen to the message and like the way of him. And like Toby, Mac, and all of them like outside. That's typically what I listen to instead of any of the other, unless it's like all the 2,000 or nineties country. But like I listen to those type of music, just so I can keep my focus like on God.
Hannah Sullivan: And use those words to edify me, and like
Hannah Sullivan: speak better than what I can sometimes afford. So I think that was really interesting, that you'll put that there. And I liked that. You did put that there
JVM: So. But yeah, mainly the main question I had was about the baptism. So.
Stephen Walker: Okay. Okay.
Hannah Sullivan: Else looked good to me, so.
Stephen Walker: Oh, okay, all right. Well, so how would you rate Melanie's preaching.
Melanie: Oh, stop!
Melanie: Then.
Stephen Walker: That's not asking that.
Melanie: Steven.
Melanie: No comment, no man.
JVM: Melanie, where he where Melanie, where he was going was he was gonna ask that, and it was gonna be really high. And then he was. Gonna ask, then, what about Jason's preaching? Is gonna.
Stephen Walker: No, no.
JVM: That's what he was. Gonna do.
Stephen Walker: I could, and I can tell you one thing that
Stephen Walker: we underpaid Melanie for preaching. We definitely did. Melanie. Would you agree.
Melanie: No, no, I think you got a deal.
Melanie: Oh, good gosh, you guys.
Hannah Sullivan: Hey? I will just have to say you have a lot more guts than I could going in front of all those people.
Stephen Walker: Hey!
Melanie: Anna. It's been a journey, and we can talk about that anytime you want, but it is God.
Melanie: God finds a way to.
Stephen Walker: Nice.
Melanie: Do things, and sometimes I feel like a spectator. Sometimes I feel like a participant, and sometimes I just I try to go with the flow, but his flow is
Melanie: surprising sometimes. But anyway, to be honest, very graceful.
Stephen Walker: Melanie is a multi-talented person.
Stephen Walker: and if we were to stifle that, I mean that just hinders our ability to fully appreciate who we can become, you know, in the gospel, because we will, we will miss her voice. And and so she speaks into us in so many different ways. And so you. And when you know, as you begin to learn more about us as a group, you'll you'll learn that she's involved, and both of them are involved in this organization called Christian Family services. They both.
Stephen Walker: We've invested time and effort to be on the board. Melanie's involved, and both of them involved with the children's worship program. That's 1 of the reasons why
Stephen Walker: they're here, and and both of them are invested in their children and their families, and so
Stephen Walker: Their example for the congregation is, is, I think, is more than think it is critical to how we see ourselves and how we see God using the gift of this in a congregation in so many ways, and so
Stephen Walker: I'm so excited that they are part of this journey in terms of the search committee, because I think it gives you a good flavor of the diversity of who we are and the level of spiritual commitment. They have not only to the body.
Stephen Walker: but to their families, and to the using their gifts for worship and work and service in a body. I think both of them are great at that, and so
Stephen Walker: So you you will come to find that out. The more you spend time with us, and I'll you know you'll come to those conclusions on your own.
Melanie: I would like to interject and say something for just a minute. Thank you for those flattering comments.
Melanie: But just. I've been praying and thinking a lot about you specifically, Hannah, but also anybody, as we try to, you know. Bring them in and and pull back the curtain a little bit.
Melanie: Not that there's a curtain. Never mind, there's not a curtain, but give insight right as you try to look into this fishbowl and figure out what we're all about. I think it's important. We want
Melanie: to show you who we are, and we want to be authentic with you, and we want to be real with you, because you, you or anyone coming in need to be
Melanie: at a level of comfort with
Melanie: how this works right? And so I was trying to really think about
Melanie: what I wanted you to know. And I I want you to know, 1st and foremost, that we have a leadership, an eldership that is
Melanie: I feel that they are incredibly humble and spirit led, and I think that is
Melanie: essential for a church that's going to be continuing to do God's work right that they're not. They don't let themselves or the issues get in the way. And they're a fabulous, wonderful, amazing group, so kudos to all of them.
Melanie: But we are a a group of
Melanie: misfits, right? We're Christian misfits, and and we're all sinners, and we all know it. And I think and I don't know if we use this anymore, Steve. So sorry if I'm pulling something back from the archives. But the
Melanie: our, our delight serve
Melanie: question belong is that are those the ones? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got him. I got them right.
Stephen Walker: Thank you.
Stephen Walker: Test.
Melanie: But.
Hannah Sullivan: A plus.
Melanie: That's exact, but I mean that could not be more true. And I think what it has taken a really long time. If I'm being honest for us to find
Melanie: a level of comfort, especially in that questioning part. But I do think, as a body of people we are becoming, and Steve might roll his eyes, because I'm sure he gets the hard end of all these
Melanie: those that are having a harder time with the questioning. But I think, in my own personal journey. But I feel that the Church also does. This is that we have. We realize we've got to be comfortable questioning what we think we know, because a lot of what we think we know is not actually Biblical, right? We think it is
Melanie: been around for so long. And it's been taught to us for so long like.
Melanie: Sure, of course that's right, but kind of like that book that you just mentioned this journey that this author has taken from. No, this is where women are supposed to be all the way to. Hey? This is where we think what it it's that openness. And it's that
Melanie: safety that we have in the people of God and the family of God. We are. We should feel safe to question and challenge and do that in a way that is productive. So my brother Jason and I may not agree on every little thing, but I feel like I can go to Jason, and we can have a respectful, deferential conversation and try to build each other up and help each other out. Right? Same with Steve. I mean anybody.
Melanie: And so I just like Steve mentioned. This is not a place we've come to overnight, and we are not all there at the same level, and we are not all in the same place. But I I do feel like it's important to
Melanie: appreciate that we are a people, a body of believers that are willing to
Melanie: think outside the proverbial box, so to speak.
Melanie: to ensure that we are doing what God and God's Spirit want us to be doing in order to be
Melanie: more reflective of him and his image that he wants for us. And that's why I love this church, I mean among lots of other things. But I just felt like that was something important for me to share with you, so that you understand that
Melanie: if you do decide to come and see us. If we do. You know, we go further in this process. We may not look like some other churches that you've been a part of before, but I like I do for anybody that walks through our doors. I pray that they just see with an open heart and open eyes and open ears and and can
Melanie: can.
Melanie: It should be obvious that the spirit is moving here because I really believe that it is. And it's the reason that that I invest a lot and and commit a lot, and and am served a lot by this this body of people. So
Melanie: just wanted you to know that.
Hannah Sullivan: I appreciate that.
Stephen Walker: Well, okay. As Melanie was talking, it reminded me. Melanie has an older brother. His name is Rob, and he was part of us for a while, but about 10 years ago, maybe not quite that long. He taught a class. It was called Doubt Lab.
Stephen Walker: So the class was designed for people who was, who was maybe had some things that they needed to be able to express, have a conversation about right. And so so he provided that format
Stephen Walker: for that to happen, and that's all been a part of our journey. I think that helped, you know. That was part of the things that helped shape us culturally in terms of. We are a place where people can ask questions and be vulnerable. You know about their journey and not feel like they're going to be judged, you know, because we all acknowledge. I think we had a place where we all acknowledge that we're sinners flawed, and we come up short right in some areas. And
Stephen Walker: I remember going to this, and this may apply, I think, to us as Christians in our journey. I remember going to a marriage class, and the facilitator said, Hey, no matter where you are, each marriage has at least 10 areas of incompatibility.
Stephen Walker: you know, but you work through those. And so I think, as a as a body of believers sometimes that applies to where we have things that we're not really totally compatible on, but because of who Jesus is, and and who we serve right, and we all are pointed to him that allow us to see each other through his eyes. And so all the flaws and imperfections, or the things that we don't feel we're compatible with, they become secondary.
Stephen Walker: What becomes primary is how we, how we commune with one another as a body of believers, right, how we serve, worship, and be an example to the community for one another, so they can see Christ and not us. And so
Melanie: Amen!
Stephen Walker: So I think that's what we're all about is that we and we're learning every day how to.
Stephen Walker: How to become more engaging that way. And some days are better than others, just to be honest.
Stephen Walker: you know. And so
Stephen Walker: we don't have it all figured out, but we're that's the journey that we're on.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah, I appreciate that.
Hannah Sullivan: it's always neat to see the different ways. God can walk through a church and the way God can walk through us humans who are so broken and flawed. But he sees us as worthiness to use us for his purpose to get more people inside his kingdom.
Melanie: Hmm.
Stephen Walker: Okay. So, Hannah, are you feeling comfortable with moving forward now that we kind of.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah.
Stephen Walker: Okay.
Stephen Walker: I don't want to speak for the group entirely, but I think
Stephen Walker: I I am, too, I think before you know. I think we we all kind of was wanted to go through this session to see where things stood, and
Stephen Walker: but the next step would be, thank you for providing references. We'll be reaching out to the references and jointly, what we would like to do is also send you a document. This is called a Memorandum of understanding. It's it would be a document, that kind of described kind of the the benefits of the job. You know the kind of a salary range and those kind of things for you to review and look over.
Stephen Walker: And then we we you're more than welcome to ask questions about all of that. And we'll definitely want to be open to hearing whatever you have to say.
Stephen Walker: And once we you know, once we are both kinda
Stephen Walker: going through those phases where we've had a chance to talk to references. You had a chance to look at the document.
Stephen Walker: Looks like we ready to move forward? Then we'll very likely want to invite you in for an in person. And so so that's what's so, that's next is that we're gonna do those 2 things get the document to you.
Stephen Walker: and then we'll begin to reach out to your references. We didn't think it was appropriate to be reach out to the references until we had a chance to make sure you were comfortable with even taking that step. Now that you've expressed a level of, you know, comfort and taking that step. And so now we think this is an appropriate time to reach out to references, and so that we will, we'll do that as a next step.
Stephen Walker: Okay.
Hannah Sullivan: Sounds good to me.
Stephen Walker: Guys any closing comments or, okay, great.
Melanie: I've talked plenty. Jason, are you good.
JVM: I am. I'm good. I did just wanna say, Hannah, it's it's refreshing and encouraging
JVM: the maturity and the patience that you've had, and wanting to like. Have this follow up?
JVM: And wanting to understand some things better as opposed to
JVM: just saying, All right. Yes, I definitely want to move forward, you know, without having some of the answers to questions that you asked, or or just saying, I definitely don't want to move forward. Instead of having a conversation around the questions that you asked. So
JVM: really, really appreciate that and really excited about the next step. So it's all in one day.
Stephen Walker: Good. So, Hannah, would it be okay if you close this out in a prayer.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah, most definitely.
Stephen Walker: Good.
Hannah Sullivan: Dear Lord, thank you for today. Thank you for the birds dropping, the wind blowing. Lord, just protect everyone who lives got impacted yesterday with all the wild fires in Oklahoma, all the crazy winds that happened here in Oklahoma yesterday. And, Lord, just be be with those 1st responders who are having to go see
Hannah Sullivan: the destruction to be strong, because in front of the community, and, Lord, just help them lean on you. During this time, Lord, and help the people who lost their homes or lost their
Hannah Sullivan: yesterday to lean more on you, Lord, and know that you. You are with them, and you
Hannah Sullivan: you are protecting them in ways that they might not even see yet. Lord.
Hannah Sullivan: Lord, thank you for Mcknight crossings, and Lord, and
Hannah Sullivan: thank you for being with them, and letting your Holy Spirit lead them, Lord, throughout this process, and give them your wisdom
Hannah Sullivan: and guidance. During this process. Lord.
Hannah Sullivan: Lord, thank you for all of that.
Hannah Sullivan: I have learned throughout this process that you are still with me. You are watching me and
Hannah Sullivan: letting me continue to heal throughout this process of looking for another Turner's ministry. Job. Lord.
Hannah Sullivan: Lord, thank you for Jesus most of all who came to this off
Hannah Sullivan: to live as a human, so you can better understand what we go through every single day, Lord, and to show us the way to be closer to you, Lord.
Hannah Sullivan: and to ultimately die upon that course
Hannah Sullivan: and be beaten and tortured, and then raised 3 days later, saying that death cannot hold you down, and that the devil thought he was victorious for 3 days. But, man, you showed him that you can defeat, no matter who is in charge. Lord, and thank you for Jesus allowing us to have forgiveness of sins to
Hannah Sullivan: baptism, and through the study of your word Lord, and thank you for the Holy Spirit that intercedes for us, even when we don't know what to say to you, Lord and Lord, just thank you for all the blessings that you've done for us, and all of your faithfulness, that you will
Hannah Sullivan: have done for us all, doing for us, and will do for us, Lord, in your Son's holy and most precious name. Amen.
Stephen Walker: Amen. So Hannah signed. There was some devastation in your community last night.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah. So in the State of Oklahoma, not necessarily in where I live right now, luckily, but in the State of Oklahoma there's been
Hannah Sullivan: like 20 different wildfire fires, and that all happened yesterday and the like. There was wind gust up to 80 miles per hour yesterday in front of the States, I think, in my area we got up to 40 miles per hour of guests, but it looked like we were pretty much in the dust bowl, because, like it was so.
Hannah Sullivan: Dusty and like you could see, and then, like in part of the Texas Panhandle as well. It was so bad where, like you couldn't see like 5 feet in front of you and some of the of Oklahoma. And there's been wise, widespread wild fires out throughout the State.
Hannah Sullivan: that has destroyed some communities destroyed people, Ops and lands, and
Hannah Sullivan: and like they were trying to do different fire breaks, trying to get that to stop before it hit different cities. And so there's just been a lot of devastation over the last 24 h and more to come. Probably once they can actually take a toll of all of the damage that was done
Hannah Sullivan: yesterday by all the different vials, because they were just so widely spudged, so much because there was so much wind.
Hannah Sullivan: So yeah, it's been definitely a crazy 24 h yesterday of the way. Luckily.
Hannah Sullivan: Where we are at. It was a super windy and no, no files got crazy.
Hannah Sullivan: but I mean there was power lines being torn down and
Hannah Sullivan: creating fires and just wildflowers going all over the places from all the wind and craziness. Yesterday.
Hannah Sullivan: like my dad, is a volunteer firefighter, and he took off his
Hannah Sullivan: full time job yesterday because there was different.
Hannah Sullivan: Different task forces all throughout the State of Oklahoma.
Hannah Sullivan: ready to fight the fires. They had all the firefighter helicopters, the firefighter planes, like all of the big different firefighters.
Hannah Sullivan: fire truck and equipment, trying to be ready as much as they can to control the loss, because yesterday was such a high fire, danger day. And so they were just trying to pull out all the stops and all the different task forces being ready.
Hannah Sullivan: dig a respond to all the different firewalls. So yeah, yesterday was hard for Oklahoma, and it will continue to be hard over the next few days, too.
Hannah Sullivan: See how much damage was done by all the different wildflowers and fires. I'm saying flowers but fires. But yeah, it was like in Stillwater. I don't know if you all know where that is, or like man board
Hannah Sullivan: And stuff like the Osu Star equestrian team was asking anybody and everybody that has any knowledge of horses to come help them get their horses evacuated. Different cities had to be evacuated yesterday. Sadly, some cops had to, and Dhs had to come in and take kids from homes because their parents weren't evacuating.
Hannah Sullivan: and the close to the houses and the parents were to evacuate. So the dhs and cops just came in and took the kids at least.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Hannah Sullivan: So yeah, it was just very crazy. There's still some pixels and stuff like the total destruction is still coming, but it's just crazy.
Stephen Walker: Wow! So sorry to hear that that sounds horrible for communities. We didn't get it quite that bad that I know of. We had some tornadoes and high winds. But that, you know, I'm not sure of the level of devastation. I know my community. This few branches down, but nothing. No homes, I can tell, that were destroyed did drive around earlier today, driving people off to work. But that sounds horrible.
Hannah Sullivan: Yeah, this definitely was crazy. I was expecting my dad to be called out any minute to go help other counties in Oklahoma could to go but he's still possibly getting called out.
Hannah Sullivan: He's on.
Hannah Sullivan: He works full time for at and T. But he is on through at, and T. He's on the natural Disaster relief team, so he may be getting called out soon to go. Do that aspect of it like a few months ago he was called out whenever the hurricanes, like devastated North Carolina, South Carolina, and all of.
Stephen Walker: Hmm.
Hannah Sullivan: The area. He was called out to go, help have generators and make sure the like. 9, 1 1 still had the phone lines, opiable, and everything like that. So
Hannah Sullivan: he might be getting called out here fairly soon to go help either a fight files
Hannah Sullivan: or be for at. And T with all the phone lines, and trying to go.
Hannah Sullivan: We get everything back online for that.
Stephen Walker: Yeah, communication is very important when you have disasters. That's so important. Okay, sure.
Stephen Walker: Well, thank you, ma'am.
Hannah Sullivan: Thank you. We'll talk to you all shortly, hopefully.
Stephen Walker: Yeah, we'll be in touch. We'll start next week working with references. And then there's a guy that will be working on the Mou as soon as member end of understanding as soon as he finished that document, I'll make sure you get a copy of it.
Hannah Sullivan: Okay. Perfect. Sounds. Good.
Stephen Walker: Thank you.
Melanie: Hey! Hannah!
Hannah Sullivan: Y'all have a good one.
Melanie: Bye, bye.
JVM: Bye-bye.
Stephen Walker: Okay, well, how are you feeling.
Melanie: I'm good. I'm good.
Stephen Walker: But.
Melanie: Are we? Do we still have Jason? Or did he go?
Melanie: He jumped off. What? We didn't get him back over here.
Stephen Walker: It will be fine.
Melanie: I'm gonna take off my glasses, though, because I can't. I am at that stage where I can't see anything on my phone. I'm wearing glasses so, but I felt like to be professional. I should, you know, not.
Stephen Walker: Have my glass.
Melanie: Passes on, didn't want her to think I was a different person. But yeah.
Stephen Walker: Messed up anyway. You had Saturday available. I know what your active family man I was like.
Melanie: Well, we had some cancellations and some but Nora's at reset. All weekend.
Stephen Walker: Oh, that's right.
Melanie: You know, and they.
Stephen Walker: Building last night, right.
Melanie: They were, so they had to wisely, I think, pivoted and stayed at the building, and.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Melanie: I'm sure Nathan made it great, you know. She was a little disappointed, but still she gets to be with her. That's why I told Leanne. She gets to be with her people. She'll be fine.
Stephen Walker: Yes.
Melanie: So so they, I'm assuming, made it out there this morning, and have been out there and then.
Melanie: just had regular errands and stuff that we needed to do, but could move them, you know. So today was a little bit more flexible. We've been had a busy week, so now the weekend tomorrow's nuts, but today turned out to be.
Stephen Walker: Man!
Stephen Walker: Good! How are you?
Melanie: -
Stephen Walker: Okay, so are you feeling good? About just moving forward with her
Melanie: Yeah, I am. I mean, I think I had a a realization the other day because I went to
Melanie: It was just Thursday to Betty Nunnery's funeral. You heard about that?
Melanie: Oh, cool you knew the nunneries 3.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Melanie: Yeah, so awful and tragic and sad, and very, very.
Melanie: let's just say old school Church of Christ, right? And so just the hymns, and the old white men, and the whole, you know.
Stephen Walker: Okay. Please.
Melanie: And it. Yeah, honestly, that's 1 of the amidst all the other things. It's 1 of the things I thought of, and I was. It just kind of clicked with me that? Oh, yeah, to a lot of people this is still what Church of Christ looks like.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Melanie: So I just really felt like.
Melanie: I mean, knowing what we know of Hannah and the conversations we've had. We've had with her. I do believe that she is, seems open and receptive, and
Melanie: we've been transparent. And so I think that's fine. But there was this little part of me that thought.
Melanie: oh, my goodness! If she comes to us thinking the more traditional.
Stephen Walker: Hmm sure.
Melanie: Church of Christ way, we're gonna knock our socks off.
Melanie: and so, of course, the whole women preaching thing. And I mean, so there's there's definitely things that she's open to that that makes me not
Melanie: too nervous about that. But I did. I did want to make sure to sort of highlight.
Melanie: something that I think most.
Melanie: and I don't really know what most churches of Christ think. So I don't mean to be like arrogant, and think I know that because I've never been a part of a traditional church of Christ to be honest, because we've never really fit that mold. But but I just. I wanted her to understand that we
Melanie: we're willing to flex right? Like, I just think that's something that traditionally.
Melanie: especially when people hear Church of Christ. It's like
Melanie: rules. And the yeah, I don't know. And so I just I I just so I hope I wasn't out of line. I just really.
Stephen Walker: No.
Melanie: Her to to understand that things are gonna look different when she comes here, most likely, but that we're not careless about it. We're not it's not something that is
Melanie: that just like you mentioned. We didn't come to it lightly. We came, you know, so I take that for granted, because I've been here. I've been here every step of the way, and I've been, you know, and we've I've watched it unfold, and it's been.
Stephen Walker: Yeah.
Melanie: Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes it it's God's working, and I I don't know. So that was the only thing that
Melanie: for the 1st time it kind of hit me that.
Melanie: What if we're just gonna be alien stars.
Stephen Walker: Oh!
Melanie: Oh, she comes!
Stephen Walker: Effort to, you know, maintain that transparency. I think that's really critical, that we set the right expectations for her.
Melanie: Right.
Stephen Walker: She doesn't have that. She's still gonna be shocking and yeah
Stephen Walker: unnerving. But you know, if she's if we prepare her for what to see, and what to expect, and what the experience. It may not be exactly how she envision it, but it won't be like totally foreign as well. So
Stephen Walker: right.
Stephen Walker: I think the transparency part is really critical. Glad that we're trying to maintain that and provide that because what we want we want a candidate that feels like they can. They both they can belong, be a part of who we are, and and function and grow right at a high level.
Stephen Walker: Good.
Stephen Walker: So so when they come, so they get some of what that they expected. But also we want them to feel like they got the freedom to also put their, you know. Get signature on the minute.
Melanie: Yes.
Stephen Walker: Because we don't want to lock you into a box.
Melanie: Yes.
Stephen Walker: Should be able to use your gifts and be express that, and take the ministry where it needs to go. And we want to be open to that, because I think that allows us to have. You know, whenever the next person finish whatever they do with us, to take our ministry down that path a little bit further, right? So not expecting someone to be here like the Steve Autry. 25 years
Melanie: Yeah.
Stephen Walker: But, whatever God decide in terms of the duration of the next children's minister, the hope is that we are better off
Stephen Walker: when they transition out, you know, at some point. So and we, I think we can be that when we allow them to use their giftedness
Stephen Walker: they see things a little bit, maybe differently, or things that we might be blinded to because we are locked into that community, that we are a part of.
Stephen Walker: See things through the eyes of that community, and how that community, you know, the culture of that community right?
Melanie: Right.
Stephen Walker: So. No, I I thank you for wanting to be transparent. That's really important, I think, you know, setting the stage for to have a good experience.
Melanie: And I think I see her
Melanie: being able to handle that just because of what? What? Jason called out. She didn't just say, oh, gosh! They didn't put forgiveness in that document. So we're they're out or.
Stephen Walker: Okay.
Melanie: Or, you know, like she didn't act on her assumptions. She saw that out. So I do. I say that, but I also think that there is a high likelihood that this could be the right move for her right, not just for us.
Stephen Walker: So much.
Melanie: For her. She's clearly exploring. She's questioning, you know, and that to me is an indicator of
Melanie: of potential success. Right? I don't. I don't. I try not to
Melanie: not judge, but consider only where people are, but where they're willing to go. And I it sounds like she's open to that. And then, I think, in the right environment.
Melanie: Of course, I think our environment's pretty good. I think. You know. I think that she could grow, and she could continue to like you mentioned, bring her own gifts, but also find
Melanie: comfort and chat, you know, along with the challenges that come with, you know. Joining this, you know new Ragtag group of I didn't mean to call misfits. I think you know.
Stephen Walker: I think that's a great description. I think it's a great description.
Melanie: We're anyway. So yeah. But yeah, I. So I feel good. I feel like,
Melanie: everything you lined out and we've talked about before is perfectly fine. Yes, checking the references is a good idea and reasonable. But if there's not any huge, I don't anticipate any, but you know there's not some huge cautionary flag that that pops up from those I think you know, bringing her in and and letting her check us out and seeing her in action a little bit would be, would be good.
Stephen Walker: Okay, I have a question for you. I'm gonna take it off recording here about the one question here.
Melanie: Cool.
Stephen Walker: Alright! Let's see.