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February 6, 2012
Dear Friends,
"I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you." Philemon 3-7, NASB.
You may recognize the above scripture passage from our previous 2:8 Update. It still applies today. We realize that God has placed us at the University of Oklahoma for "such a time as this;" and we realize that He has assembled a team of believers to accomplish His work. Thank you for your faithful role on the 2:8 ministry team.
We encourage you to read and pray through the articles listed below. You will find personal updates from both the Kyncl and Shepperd families, a link to our 2011 Annual report, an announcement about a new online giving service, and an announcement about an agreement with a local Christian counseling practice.
Thank you for your partnership with us. May God continue to bless each of you.
Dave, Rhonda, Mary and Jonathan Kyncl
Craig, Anita and Jude Shepperd
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 A note from the Shepperds...
By Anita Shepperd
Life changing is the word for 2011 for the Shepperds at the 2:8 House. The most significant event of the year was the birth of our son Jude. He is now nine months old and definitely giving us the time of our lives, as well as being generally tired and continually wearing some bit of undiscovered baby food.
This year has also brought change in our vocation. I resigned from my job working with special needs children and transitioned into a full-time domestic engineer. In addition, this change allowed me to begin working at the 2:8 House part-time. I am enjoying working with our recovery program and also developing deeper relationships with some of our students. Craig has also transitioned in his role here at the 2:8. He is now pastor to young adults and youth at the church and gives guidance to discipleship.
This season of change is a welcomed renewal of our lives. In the past few months we have seen God redeem, move, and answer prayer. I believe he is moving not only in our personal lives, but also in our community at the 2:8 House. I believe that working in and with our recovery program is a constant call to live out a life in community that is being redeemed daily. We are experiencing this redemption and also seeing it in students that we work with. Honestly, there isn't much greater reward than that! Okay, maybe a sweet grin from my toothy baby is pretty close, but maybe that is the way our Heavenly father feels as well. It gives God joy to see his children smile in spite of brokenness and realize that He loves them no matter circumstance. That is the type of joy we get to experience in seeing lives changed. Thanks be to God!
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 A note from the Kyncls
The past year will be remembered by our family as a year of transition for Mary and Jonathan. Mary is now a Norman High School Tiger, and Jonathan is an Alcott Middle School Wildcat.
Mary remains active in the band and continues to take private clarinet lessons. She also attended the Nazarene Youth Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in July. Jonathan still enjoys all sports, and he played his first year of tackle football. They both are doing well in school, enjoy hanging out with friends and are actively involved in the youth group of Norman Community Church of the Nazarene.
Rhonda continues as the assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at OU, and she began a three-year spiritual direction program in September.
In addition to his duties at the 2:8 House, David continued to teach a Gateway to College Learning class at OU, and also direct Nazarene Secular Campus Mission, which is a growing network of Nazarene ministries on state college and university campuses throughout the United States.
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 2:8 Recovery continues
The purpose of 2:8 Recovery is to provide a safe place for students to experience Christian fellowship and celebrate God's healing power through Celebrate Recovery's "8 Recovery Principles." These Biblical principles are analogous to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and provide the framework to work through a variety of hurts, habits and hang-ups, including alcohol and drug abuse, and experience God's healing grace. Through this process, we become free from addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors and experience a stronger relationship with God and others.
As students progress through the steps and principles, they discover their personal, loving and forgiving Higher Power-Jesus Christ.
2:8 Recovery meets weekly on Thursday evenings during each semester at the 2:8 House, 700 Chautauqua Avenue. The schedule includes dinner, a large group session, smaller share groups and a time of fellowship. In addition to this time, individual appointments and small group "step" studies are held throughout the week.
2:8 Recovery began in September, 2010. It also includes an extensive network of administrators, faculty and staff who have agreed to refer students who might be in need of recovery. We also are building a referral network of Christian counseling professionals in the area who are available to meet with students in need.
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 Ministry prepares to celebrate 20th anniversary!
The 2:8 House and the Nazarene Student Center for the University of Oklahoma, Inc., will celebrate its 20th anniversary as a non-profit organization in July, 2012.
The Board of Directors has formed a select committee to plan the celebration for this milestone!
Please contact Dave at kyncl@28house.org or Anita at cranita@28house.org if you would like to share a story and/or help plan the party!
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2011 Annual Report
A printed copy of the 2011 2:8 House Annual Report was mailed recently to donors.
A copy of the report is available by clicking here.
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Online giving service established
Donors may now establish an online account to schedule donations to the 2:8 House. This secure service allows donors to schedule contributions through their regular checking or credit card accounts.
"We have been investigating this type of service for several months," David Kyncl said. "After careful review we signed an agreement with Stewardship Technologies to provide this valuable service."
Stewardship Technologies has been providing online donation services to charities for several years. Their list of clients include Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City and several other Nazarene churches and colleges.
The service fee for contributions through individual checking accounts is 30 cents per transaction. The service fee for credit card donations is 30 cents per transaction and an additional 1.5 to 3 percent fee charged by the credit card company.
Click here to establish your online account.
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Partnership with Transforming LIfe Counseling Center begins
Directors of the 2:8 House and Transforming LIfe Counseling Center signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a referral network to provide counseling services for OU students. "This agreement is a significant step as we continue to walk with students through the process of recovery from their hurts, habits and hangups," David Kyncl said."The agreement includes a commitment to raise funds that can help provide counseling services to students who are unable to afford the service." According to their website, " Transforming Life Counseling Center was started to provide counseling services at affordable rates within the community and assist clients in their search for wholeness in life. Founded on principles that value the best in clinical practice while also integrating Christian faith perspectives, Transforming Life Counseling Center wants to assist the Christian faith community by encouraging honest exploration of issues in people's lives which prevent full functioning in interpersonal relationships, work and other domains of life." To learn more about TLCC visit their website at www.tlccok.com. |
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Fundraising as a ministry
"From the perspective of the gospel, fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are so central to the life of God's people that without vision we perish and without mission we lose our way. (Prov. 29:18; 2 Kings 21:1-9) Vision brings together needs and resources to meet those needs. (Acts 9:1-19) Vision also shows us new directions and opportunities for our mission. (Acts 16:9-10) Vision gives us the courage to speak when we might want to remain silent (Acts 18:9).
Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission. Fundraising is precisely the opposite of begging. When we seek to raise funds we are not saying, 'Please, could you help us out because lately it's been hard.' Rather, we are declaring 'We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you--your energy, your prayers, and your money--in this work to which God has called us.' Our invitation is clear and confident because we trust that our vision and mission are like 'trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither' (Ps. 1:3).
Fundraising is also always a call to conversion. And this call comes to both those who seek funds and those who have funds. Whether we are asking for money or giving money, we are drawn together by God who is about to do a new thing through our collaboration (see Isa. 43:19). To be converted means to experience a deep shift in how we see and think and act. To be converted is to be clothed in our right mind, to come to ourselves the way the younger son did when he was starving far from his true home (Luke 15:14-20). It is a shift of attention in which we set our mind on divine things (Matt 16:23). 'Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect' (Rom. 12:2). Fundraising as ministry involves a real conversion."
--Henri Nowen, Fundraising as Ministry pp. 16-18 |
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| Deuteronomy 32:1-2 (The Message) |
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Listen, Heavens, I have something to tell you.
Attention, Earth, I've got a mouth full of words.
My teaching, let it fall like a gentle rain, my words arrive like morning dew,
like a sprinkling rain on new grass, like spring showers on the garden.
For it's God's Name I'm preaching--
respond to the greatness of our God! |
| Contact Information | |
700 Chautauqua Ave.
Norman, OK 73069
405-447-7027
Donations may be sent to: 2:8 House, P.O. Box 3211, Norman, OK 73070.
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