Our Mission Statement: “The Oklahoma District is a fellowship of congregations committed to lead people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.” As part of its overall mission, the Oklahoma District has a goal to assist congregations and agencies to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord to Go and make disciples of all nations. To do that, our District supports the mission efforts of our congregations and agencies with resources, along with conducting mission work on their behalf. Working together as God’s people, we will continue to connect people in Oklahoma with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is Ablaze? An initiative to ignite 100 million hearts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! All LCMS congregations and members are invited to participate in the LCMS World Mission movement called Ablaze! The Oklahoma District, at the 2006 Convention, voted to participate in Ablaze in 2007-2008. It is hoped that all have at least been exposed to the title and logo. Lutheran global partners, including our 29 sister church bodies, are participating in outreach and evangelism activities around the vision of Ablaze! To reach 100 million with a personal Gospel presentation by 2017. Ablaze! Partners report almost 3 million person-to-person conversations with unreached or uncommitted people to date, and the reported contacts are increasing everyday.

What is Ablaze! Activity? Ablaze! activity is about sharing your Christian faith – specifically, sharing the message of Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation – within the context of a relationship and when there is an opportunity for a person to respond to the Gospel proclamation. The response may be “Tell me more,” “Yes” or “No thank you,” but Ablaze! Activity must include the direct, person-to-person sharing of the Gospel.

One aspect of Ablaze! is going on in 2007 in the Oklahoma District. Fan into Flame is the national funding campaign in support of the international Ablaze! movement of LCMS World Mission. It will provide financial support to LCMS World Mission, LCMS districts, and congregations in their efforts to bring the Good News of Jesus to unreached and uncommitted people. At the April 2006 District Convention, the Oklahoma District voted to participate in Fan into Flame beginning in 2007.

Our needs: Throughout the district, several areas of our Mission Plan will require new capital. Confessing that Jesus is the head of the church and gives growth to His kingdom, the Oklahoma District Steering Committee asks for the Spirit’s blessing on our Ablaze! Mission Plan which will be implemented in 2007 through 2017.

The following District Mission projects require new funding from Oklahoma Lutherans. In order to fulfill our mission plan, the district needs to raise $3,200,000. Our goal for Fan into Flame is to secure a minimum of $120,000 in seed money for the following projects as part of our plan:

Planting 12 new congregations by 2017. Special attention will be paid to areas that promise population growth. For the foreseeable future, the main focus will be upon metropolitan areas (six new starts in the Oklahoma City area and six in the Tulsa area). Unanticipated growth-regions will be taken into consideration as they are identified. Given the growing ethnic/immigrant proportion of the population, it is hoped that up to half of the new congregations will be among ethnic/immigrant communities.