Week 2 has come and gone! We are so thankful that all 8 summer programs are in full swing across the nation, including this week’s highlighted chapter, Project Transformation Oklahoma!
This summer’s camp theme is Learning from Heroes! Children and youth will spend their summer engaging in activities and hearing stories about heroes who change the world.Truly, there are so many everyday heroes in Project Transformation’s midst–from the children and youth whose beautiful spirits teach and drive us, to the eager young adults who show up every single day to lead and learn, to the dedicated volunteers who read daily with children, to the countless servants who graciously provide food and join young adults in table fellowship, and last (but certainly not least), the staff who fiercely lead these local chapter movements. We are blessed beyond measure because the Spirit of God is at work in this beautiful ministry.

Each week, we are highlighting the transformative ministry happening with children, college age students and churches in each local chapter, sharing stories that exhibit Project Transformation’s 8 core values of Wesleyan Practice of Ministry, Mutual Relationships, Intentional Community, Connectional Ministry, Discernment of Purpose, Empowerment of Young People, Servant Leadership, and Holistic Development.

We are excited to report that Project Transformation Oklahoma is in their 18th summer and this summer’s impact will be as great as ever! Autumn Kibbie works for Project Transformation Oklahoma as the Central Oklahoma Site Coordinator. Her story depicts Project Transformation’s core value, Mutual Relationships.

Mutual, loving relationships are life-giving and life-changing. With God in the midst of them, they inspire hope, challenge growth, and build wisdom, empathy and understanding. Relationships– messy, hard, and complicated as they may be–help us see the world through another’s eyes in order to be more whole and fully human.

At Project Transformation Oklahoma, Autumn has been an integral part of Project Transformation. Prior to serving on staff, Autumn served four summers as an AmeriCorps member at Southern Hills UMC in Tulsa. Autumn began her first summer of service as a timid young woman who rarely spoke and was unsure of herself, her gifts, and the path she wanted to take in life. Through four years of service, PT Oklahoma helped Autumn better understand how relationships are the key to understanding herself and others in a more profound way.

Autumn said, “Project Transformation has given me some of my life-long friends. My first year of Project Transformation I came in quiet and shy, but after each year I became more outgoing and built really strong relationships with the people on my team, the children, and the volunteers at Southern Hills. I have met people from many different backgrounds, upbringings, and personalities, which has helped me learn how to work alongside people who are different from me. I am so grateful to have taken a chance and gotten out of my comfort zone during the summer of 2015.”

Through the mutual relationships, Autumn built with her team members, PT staff, volunteers, and children.  Autumn developed confidence in her calling to build relationships of trust and understanding with Oklahoma’s most vulnerable children.
“Because of my time on staff with Project Transformation, I have seen the power of nonprofits to make lasting change in the lives of children, and I now know the nonprofit work is where I am called to serve.”

Autumn’s personal transformation through PT is most apparent through her current role as Central Oklahoma Site Coordinator. Autumn now oversees the community development of three of Oklahoma’s eight sites! In this role she seeks to foster mutual relationships amongst the AmeriCorps members serving at these host churches, so that others will be transformed by their experience with Project Transformation as well.