About Us
Our Mission
Novo Ministries is a non-profit missions organization that serves primarily inner-city, at-risk portions of Oklahoma City and its surrounding communities. Our mission is to develop leaders, reach children with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and make a positive impact on communities across Oklahoma City.
There is an obvious need to bridge the gaps that have developed in our communities between the church and the majority of Oklahoma City. By equipping and empowering creative men and women who have a vision for making Oklahoma City a place where our children are trained and equipped to become caring, responsible citizens we can make a positive impact on our community and change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Novo Ministries seeks to bridge those gaps in Oklahoma City in two ways. First, by providing training to equip believers to share the gospel and be more effective in children's ministry. Secondly, by providing outreach opportunities in local communities, such as summer missions programs and weekly, after-school, Bible Clubs For Kids.
Outreach
At Novo Ministries, our heart is to take the gospel to our surrounding communities, particularly to children who have never heard it before. We hold Bible Clubs in three different areas—public housing developments, apartment complexes, and elementary schools. Currently, we are ministering in 19 different “mission fields” here in Oklahoma City.
- Ambassador Courts Apartments (OKC Public Housing)
- Oak Grove Apartments (OKC Public Housing)
- Providence Apartments (OKC Public Housing)
- Sooner Haven Apartments (OKC Public Housing)
- Will Rogers (OKC Public Housing)
- Central Oak Elementary School
- Harvest Hills Elementary School
- Linwood Elementary School
- North Highlands Elementary School
- Tulakes Elementary School
- Wilson Elementary School
- Lee Elementary School
- Brighton Place Apartments
- Falls Creek Apartments
- Nottingham Apartments (Moore)
- Pine Bluff Apartments
- Rockwell Villa Apartments
- Windsong Village Apartments
- Olivet Baptist Church (serves children from Eugene Field Elementary School)
During the school year, we work with local churches, volunteer groups, families, and individuals to staff and facilitate programs at these locations in the Oklahoma City community. The programs, called Bible Clubs for Kids, last from 1-3 hours each week and consist of activities, games, songs, scripture memory, a Bible lesson, and quality time spent with the children. All Bible Clubs are run and funded through private donations from local churches, individuals, or corporations. Special thanks to all who make this possible by supporting our ministry financially!
During the summertime, we sponsor and run a summer camp program at a local campground. This is an opportunity for inner-city children, who financially could never attend a camp, to see God’s love first-hand, be challenged to grow spiritually, and be assisted in discovering God’s purpose for their lives. Each child who attends camp is fully sponsored by a caring individual who wants to see God change the hearts of our city’s youth.
Meet the Staff
Valerie Prentice
Since I was born and raised in Oklahoma City, this wasn’t the first place that came to my mind when I thought of a “mission field”. However, God often sees things differently than we do! After I graduated from high school, I anticipated obtaining a political science degree and pursuing a career in politics. During the year following graduation, my mother had a baby, was diagnosed with cancer, and I began volunteering within our city’s public schools in a character education program. These events coupled with the direct intervention of God within my life and heart radically changed my plans and the course of my life. God re-focused me, giving me a passion for serving Him and for reaching others, especially children, with the gospel.
During the six years after graduation, I started a personal chef service, running it for 3 years and saving money while working part-time in ministry. I also obtained my Bachelors degree in Business Management and received additional training in ministry from Kids Evangelism Explosions, Evange-Cube, Character First Education, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Childrens’ Institute International, and other organizations. In 2003, I started the initial work of reaching children through Bible clubs in the Oklahoma City public schools that has now grown into Novo Ministries.
email. vprentice@novoministries.org
Jay Sherrer
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. Growing up, I planned on pursuing a multitude of different vocations – everything from playing professional baseball to following in my Dad’s footsteps and becoming an architect. After a single year of college and through the guidance of my parents, I ended up here in Oklahoma City. Within three weeks of arriving here in the city and spending just a few afternoons a week working with Novo Ministries, God made it clear to me that He wanted me to continuing serving within this ministry.
My experience ministering to kids is widely-varied - I’ve worked two different summers at two summer Christian camps and I worked with AWANA programs at my church throughout high school. I enjoy business and have a strong background in business through involvement within my dad’s company and through his influence. I am involved running much of the administrative side of this ministry, as well as overseeing the finances and graphic design.
email. jsherrer@novoministries.org
Ben McEndarfer
Growing up, if you would have told me I would spend the majority of my teens and twenties working with children and youth, I would have thought you were crazy! But praise God that He changes our hearts’ desires and redirects our steps. For the past 7 years, I’ve been working with children and youth through a variety of children’s ministries, summer camps, and overseas missions trips—Children’s Institute International, Camp Forest Springs, AWANA, and missions trips to Mexico, Taiwan, Russia, Singapore, and Malaysia. In January of 2007, I joined the staff at Novo Ministries and have thoroughly loved working with the Internship Program. My heart’s desire is to see every young person challenged to grow in their walk with God and to develop a passion for reaching the world for Christ.
email. bmcendarfer@novoministries.org
Paul Greer
I’ve lived most of my life in Missouri, growing up in the southern part of the state near Kansas City. I first came to Oklahoma City for a program working with young children in the summer of 2005. While I was here, the Lord gave me a real passion to share the gospel with children. I saw how hard their lives were, and how much they needed the hope Jesus brings. I came back to intern with Novo Ministries in the winter of 2006, and continued on as an intern the next three sessions. I officially joined the Novo team as of late March, 2007.
email. pgreer@novoministries.org
Julie Ziegler
Years ago, I would have never dreamed that I would one day be working in the inner city of Oklahoma City, far from my country home in Missouri. Looking back, I can see so clearly how God has directed and brought me here! I have always had a great love for children, and as I got older, God gave me a growing burden to share the gospel with them in some way. I had no idea where to start, but after praying for God’s direction, He opened the door for me to come to Novo Ministries as an intern in the spring of 2006. After only two weeks here, I realized God had given me the opportunity I was looking for to share the message of salvation with children who may never have heard it before. I knew I wanted to come back, and I returned for two different sessions as an intern before coming on staff in the fall of 2007.
email. jziegler@novoministries.org
Tara McLain
No one who knows me is surprised to find I’m working with children. I started working with kids in my church when I was 14 and have been doing so ever since. I attended a Christian college after graduating high-school, with the goal of growing in my spiritual walk and preparing for full-time ministry. My family has always been involved in local church and para-church ministry, and it seemed natural that I do the same. I finished school with a degree in Church Ministries (counseling, curriculum development, education, and para-church ministries). I’ve served as a resident assistant, camp and college staff, and children’s Sunday education ministry coordinator, and have worked with several children’s club programs and Sunday school programs in 3 local church ministries.
The day I arrived in Oklahoma City following a job lead, I was introduced to Novo Ministries. I began volunteering a few weeks later. Within seven months, I knew God was leading me to this ministry. I joined the staff in June 2007 to work with the curriculum development team and serve as the education coordinator.
email. tmclain@novoministries.org
Heather Johnson
As I was growing up, my older siblings were often involved in various children’s ministries. They encouraged me to get involved, but I never thought I would be good at working with children or that I could teach them. During high school, I began to serve within my church in vacation Bible school, children’s church and the AWANA program. God was working on my heart! In the summer of 2005, I was here in Oklahoma City working with Novo in a summer program. A burden for inner city kids was developing within my heart.
In the fall of 2006, I interned with Novo Ministries. God, once again, increased my burden for these dear children and caused me to want to see them “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord”. I’m so excited God led me to join the staff of Novo Ministries and to be involved in the work He is doing here in the lives of these children and those who work with them. It is only through God and His doing that I am able to be here and be a “sower” and “reaper” of the seeds God has given each one of us to plant!
email. hjohnson@novoministries.org
Megan Connell
I have lived in the Oklahoma City area nearly all of my life. The summer I was fourteen I went on a mission trip with my church to Mexico. When I came back I had a strong desire to tell people about God and His plan of salvation. That next year I taught in a Bible Club at Heronville Elementary, and was also involved in a character education program at another local elementary school. As I began to see the need these kids had to hear the Gospel, I realized I could be a “missionary” in my own city! Throughout high school I continued to volunteer with these programs. I was an intern for Novo in the winter session of 2007 and joined the Novo staff in August 2007. I am so excited to be part of a ministry that is reaching kids in my own community with the message of Jesus Christ!
email. mconnell@novoministries.org
Interested in supporting our ministry? Please contact 405.343.8128 or click on the “support” tab at the top of the page
If you would like to receive updates and newsletters by email please submit your email address below.
Our Ultimate Change summer camp went incredibly well! 72 children had the opportunity to spend a week at camp where they were clearly taught that true change can only happen through Jesus Christ. We praise God for all the ways He worked in the children’s hearts!
Are you willing to let God use and change you? Novo Ministries’ Internship Program is an incredible opportunity for young people aged 15 through 25 to be used by God in the hearts and lives of the children here in Oklahoma City. There is a need for young people to respond to this need. YOU can be the one who makes an eternal difference the lives of children across our city!
Please pray that God will bring the financial partners that we need. God has given us a vision for our ministry and how we can expand to reach the city for Him… but we can’t do it alone!