OKWU Students Act as Hands and Feet of Christ to Copan Community
OKWU students pose at New Life Wesleyan Church. from left to right, Scott Coutouzis, senior, Rich Brown, senior, David Rannabargar, junior, Devon Arredondo, junior, James Hensel, junior, Matt Atwell, junior. Brown serves as a Sunday School teacher, Rannabargar is the youth pastor and Arredondo, is the interim worship pastor.
by Micah Jenner
OKWUeagle.com Staff Writer
New Life Wesleyan Church in Copan, Okla. has been a place for a variety of people in Bartlesville to volunteer their time, including members of First Wesleyan Church, Sooner Park Wesleyan, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
The church originally began in August of 2004, with eight adults and six children, all from the same family.
Terry and Patty Bryan, founding members of New Life Wesleyan, felt a great need to have a church in their hometown of Copan—about 15 minutes north of Bartlesville. The Bryan family met with individuals from First Wesleyan and Sooner Park Wesleyan to begin the process of a church plant.
Though there was a core group of people passionate about this church plant, they lacked one thing, a pastor.
Pastor Jay Friedman and his wife Brenda were in the process of moving to the Bartlesville area in 2004 for Brenda to accept positions at OKWU as a softball coach and professor.
“I resigned as the assistant pastor at my church in Tucson, didn’t have a job or house in Bartlesville, and had never been to Bartlesville before,” said Jay Friedman, pastor of New Life Wesleyan.
Though the original intention was to have different pastoral majors from OKWU come to New Life every Sunday to preach a message once the founders of New Life Wesleyan met the Friedmans they decided to offer him the position of senior pastor.
“God began to open doors for us. We sold our house in Tucson within three days without even listing it. We then found a job and house in Copan. I really felt at peace and that this is where we are supposed to be,” Friedman said.
Friedman accepted the position as pastor at New Life Wesleyan. Since then he has faced many trials but rests assured in knowing this is where the Lord has called him.
“God told us to hold on for the ride of our lives, and that is what it has been,” Friedman said.
The church held their first meeting at the Copan school, paying $20 a week in rent. During this time the youth group gathered in the Bryan’s garage. After a tenure meeting in a commercial building the church was able to build its own church meeting space.
Using the contacts made at OKWU with Brenda’s position, Friedman was able to talk with Dr. David Eaton, Dean for School of Religion and Philosophy, about the church. This eventually led to a partnership with the school helping the church with their beginning steps.
Today, OKWU students play an integral part of the functioning church. They have always had a large role in the “behind the scenes” aspect of the church.
Currently, a number of students are volunteering their time at Copan, enjoying the opportunity reach out to the Copan community.
Now the youth pastor of New Life Wesleyan, junior David Rannabargar started his involvement with the church as a volunteer.
“I have been attending church at Copan since my freshman year, and then began playing drums for them,” Rannabargar said.
By volunteering his time at Copan, Rannabargar has begun to see the effects of his diligence and hard work.
“It has really put into perspective, the learning behind the textbook and learning on the mission field,” Rannabargar said.
Lisa Lord, junior, has also gotten involved with New Life Wesleyan. She uses her talents for the Lord on the worship team.
“It is a very good opportunity to plug in somewhere. I feel like leading worship at Copan is something I should be doing,” said Lord. “I feel like I have been given a gift and this is a way of using it.”
These are only two accounts of when students have chosen to step up and put their faith into action. There still remain many opportunities for people from OKWU to make a difference at New Life Wesleyan.
If students are looking for an outlet to use their talents and abilities for the glory of Christ and to minister to the lives of children and their families, New Life Wesleyan Church is the perfect place to get involved.
The main mission of the church is to reach out to the children of Copan and to their families. The church plays an active role in the community around them. Friedman stresses the need for serving others and being the hands and feet of Christ.
This not only includes doing certain tasks for local people, but the daily interaction with those in the town of Copan.
“I am in my sixth season of being the assistant coach for the football team. This gives me an “in” at the school and allows me to meet some of the students and parents I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to meet otherwise,” Friedman said.
This contact with people in the community allows for members of the Copan area see the vision of the church lived out.
The mission and purpose of the church is:
“To help people develop and grow in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ and others, one step at a time.”
If volunteering at New Life Wesleyan appears like an opportunity an OKWU student would like to be a part of, please contact David Rannabargar, drannabarger@okwustudents.edu for further information.
