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College Hill Presbyterian Church
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We are experimenting with a new Constant Contact format developed specifically for those who read their emails on smart phones or pads. It looks like it will be easier to read. Your feedback is much-appreciated!
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712 S. Columbia Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74104
918.592.5800
Church Office Hours:
Mon - Th, 9 am - 3 pm
Closed on Fridays
Worship Schedule:
9:30 am - Church School - all ages
10:30 am - Fellowship
11:00 am - Worship in English
11:00 am - Worship in Spanish
Church Email:
Pastor Email:
Website:
Join us for coffee, juice, cookies and
conversation in Fellowship Hall before
Church School and Worship.
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The church office will be closed
July 4-5
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2 - Bill Major
6 - Janie Potts
6 - Cathey Wilson
6 - Mark Miller
9 - Donovan Hamilton
10 - Gini Fox
10 - Mike Gibson
12 - Kaitlyn Robertson
17 - Mike Patterson
18 - Tim Smith-Ream
18 - Charlotte Slemp
18 - Ron Brown
21 - Gary Watts
21 - Bryson Featherston
24 - Bert Woodall
27 - Rosie Brown
29 - Dewey Echols
31 - Helen Holzschuh
31 - Deborah Hunter
31 - David Stambaugh
Remember the
Birthday Endowment Fund!
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Search for New Church Treasurer
As you probably know, our church treasurer of 25 years, Mike Evanson, is stepping down at the end of this year. According to the Book of Order, we have to appoint a Treasurer from the congregation. This person does not need to be an accountant. We may need to hire an accountant to do the budget reporting and keep the accounting records that Mike does if we don’t have a volunteer from the congregation who can do that.
The Treasurer will need to work closely with the service, if we need to hire one, and with Lisa Hays, our Office Administrator.
If you are interested in learning more about this volunteer position, or feel called to serve in this capacity, please (click name to) contact Johnna Thurston.
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I’m always thankful for those moments and experiences that confirm my call from God to be a Presbyterian pastor. The past two weeks have again proven that in a couple of instances.
The first, as you’ve already heard much about, was my experience as a commissioner and as a committee moderator at this year’s
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Portland. I will share more about this in-depth during both
church school and worship on July 3. I have been to several GAs in the past, and none came close to the tone of unity and mutual forbearance as expressed in this one. It’s truly the turning of a corner for our denomination, and a new way forward for the PCUSA. I love being Presbyterian!
Moderating a committee of 45, with an equal number of resource persons and interested onlookers also in the room, was quite a daunting task. It reminded me of the quote, “With great power comes great responsibility.” A moderator in these circumstances, following
Roberts Rules of Order to a tee, does indeed have a level of control that I’ve never experienced, of who can speak and who cannot. Yikes. But in order to do the business before us, it was indeed necessary. It also reminded me, however, of the difference between authority (which come with the position) and authoritarian (which I tried, mainly through fairness and humor, to avoid).
Even more heart pounding was presenting the committee report from the platform before the 594 commissioners, the Co-moderators of the GA, and the GA's Stated Clerk. Again I learned that God's grace (and some deep breaths and some humor) was sufficient!
The other experience that recently confirmed my call to be a pastor, and especially to serve here at College Hill, was the memorial service
earlier this week for
Matt Thomason. Matt was born, baptized, raised and nurtured in this congregation – son of
Alice Stanford, and later of
Charles Stanford. His ex-wife is church member
Amy Williamson, and father to
Isabelle and Cooper. Under the tragic circumstances of Matt’s death, this made it one of the hardest services for everyone to get through. Yet because of the heartbreak we all felt, we are reminded that it comes from a place of love and caring and compassion deep within each of us. It reminds us of God’s sorrow as well as our own at the loss of a loved one. It reminds us that we are alive – and therefore it contains an element of hope. As always, the response of congregation members has been touching, surrounding the family "like a great cloud of witnesses."
I pray that all of you will have a very fun and safe 4th of July weekend. I especially pray for those of you who are traveling this month and next – hopefully to spend some ‘down time’ vacationing and visiting family and friends.
Blessings,
Rev. Todd Freeman
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CHPC Church School ~ June 19
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The Rev. Sheri Curry and
Rev. Ann LaMar shared their experiences and thoughts on criminal justice in Oklahoma and the education programs they have been offering for many years at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa.
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The Celtic Circle will meet in the home of Mark and Gay Miller. This gathering will focus on Lughnasa which is the celebration of harvest, the end of the agricultural summer, and the beginning of Autumn. Lughnasa is a time to clear out unneeded things. Our discussion will include letting go of things no longer needed in our lives.
Our snack theme for the evening will be grains, fresh produce, something from your own garden, etc. (Click name to) contact
Mark about participating in the College Hill Celtic Circle.
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2016
Vacation Church School (VCS)
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A Sampling of the
General Assembly from
Rev. Freeman's perspective
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Rev. Freeman with friend Rev. Janie Spahr, who is also a friend of College Hill.
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Visit our Facebook page for
more photos!
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The Chancel Choir of College Hill Presbyterian Church rehearses Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. in the second story choral room (next to the church office) for singing, fellowship and fun!
We are in recess (rehearsals) until Wednesday, August 10.
If you are a singer and would like to sing with the Chancel Choir, we are welcoming new members for the upcoming season. Please contact Kim Childs, our Director of Music.
Solo and Ensembles (instrumentalists and vocalists) will be presenting music during summer Sunday services from Sunday, June 26 through
Sunday, August 7.
BELLISSIMO HANDBELL ENSEMBLE
BELLissimo Handbell Ensemble of College Hill Presbyterian Church has bell-ringing rehearsals Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in playing in this fun ensemble (permanent member or substitute), please contact Director of Music for more information.
The ensemble is in summer recess from until Wednesday, August 10.
(Click name) to contact our Music Director,
Dr. Kim J. Childs, Director of Music
Mike Gibson, Organist
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Flower Chart Sign Up
If you would like to
bring flowers
to decorate the sanctuary for an upcoming worship service, please
sign up
on the Flower Chart on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.
There are many dates still available
. Your dedication will also be announced in the worship bulletin.
Flowers can be purchased from any store or brought from home. Please bring them in two containers the morning of the service for which you have signed up.
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Reaching out Back to School
At our June meeting, the Outreach & Mission Ministry team agreed to expand our community outreach by adopting Kendall-Whittier Elementary’s third grade! For clarity, we’re not literally taking 180 KWE children into our homes. Rather, we will provide the six 3rd grade teachers with the supplies they lack to deliver a first class education and nurturing environment for their students. Each teacher will have a wish list of such supplies, and they will include staples like dry erase markers, bandaids, kleenex, disinfectant wipes, and crayons. Beyond that, we’ll ignite their passion for writing by sending ‘pen pal’ notes to the six classes.
Over the Fall semester, we will get to know the six 3rd grade teachers, and that relationship may grow into further opportunities in the Spring semester and beyond – opportunities like reading buddies, lunch partners, and mentoring. Keep your eye out in the Messenger and worship bulletin announcements as Outreach & Mission shares the teachers’ names, lists the supplies they need, and coordinates pen-pal opportunities.
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As part of the activities leading up to the Pride Parade, College Hill’s
Evangelism & Communication Ministry team sponsored a booth in the Equality Center to show College Hill’s support for justice and inclusivity. This year, they let
Outreach & Mission team up and offer tiles for sale. These
tiles will decorate
Just Hope's cultural center in Chacraseca, and they carry with them messages from us to the
LGBTQ community in Chacraseca that they are loved and supported – quite a different message from what they may hear from the news. With your support,
we collected $170 for the cultural center, but more than that, we delivered
44 tiles!
Thanks to
Stefanie Olson for coordinating and staffing the booth. Thanks also to
Danielle Hovenga, Tally Ferguson, Becky Doyle, Mike Wood, Terry Gamel, Donna Wood, Nancy Gammie, Mike Gibson, Caroline Johnson and
Johnna and Mark Thurston for staffing the booth and contributing tiles.
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Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry (TMM)
Ron McDaniel Award Recipient
Bill Major
- in
recognition to an individual who embodies the spirit and furthers the mission of TMM
Excerpt from Bill's acceptance speech:
"...Part of TMM's mission is to build relationships with and between faith communities and organizations. In my work, I see the strength of various faith communities working together
and with secular institutions to do God's work in our community. In my view, God's work is reflected best when it involves activities that promote social justice and works to better the lives of those who are the most vulnerable, "the least of these".
And there is so much to be done...as our community continues to do less for those who have the least: less education for those who need it the most, less childcare help for families struggling to work full-time, less wage support for families struggling to be self-sufficient, less help for families who are caring for those who have a disability, less healthcare for those whose lives are impacted with chronic health conditions, less time in school for those who depend on that institution to meet their basic food needs...and even though we become burdened with the enormity of this list...it is nothing compared to the burdens that we place on struggling families trying to survive.
Some say that religious institutions and private philanthropy must step up and fill in the gaps created by governmental policies which leave the most vulnerable at risk. I say that our faith communities must rise up and help change the conversation so that our political institutions and policies reflect the best of our community values and not those of greed and indifference..."
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Something for the Spirit
The Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness: 8 Helpful Tips
May 27, 2016
by Janet Miller
You don’t have to be a Buddhist (or a hippy) to practice mindfulness, and you don’t have to spend hours sitting on the floor in meditation.
Practicing mindfulness is simply bringing awareness to yourself and your existence. By practicing mindfulness in your life, you can feel more focused, less stressed, and more happy. Here are eight ways to introduce mindfulness into your life.
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Day Center Dogs
Saturday, July 23
All-American Hot Dogs will be the featured entree at the
Day Center for the Homeless, with the ever-popular tradition of
College Hill homemade cookies for dessert.
Sign up on
Caroline's Clipboard to
donate money, service or cookies.
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2016 Birthday Endowment Fund
A meaningful way to celebrate your Birthday this year is to
donate
an amount equal to your new
age
to the
Endowment Fund
.
This donation is also a wonderful way to honor others such as children, grandchildren and friends and allows the church to have funds available for special projects.
Birthday Fund envelopes are available on the Narthex table. Checks can be made payable to College Hill and marked "Birthday Fund" on the memo portion of the check.
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1st Sunday Food Collection - KWI
July 3
Our
First Sunday food collection will go to the
Kendall-Whittier, Inc. Emergency Food Pantry.
Current needs include canned vegetables and canned fruit, as well as other non-perishable food items.
With children being out of school on Summer break, healthy snack and meal items are in high need at this time.
Cash donations are also welcome!
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Penny Fund Donations Welcome
Thank you for your donations to the Penny Fund! You are always welcome to donate your pennies (or any loose change), in the red container on the Narthex table. This money goes toward funding many College Hill events/needs!
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Book Club
Sunday, July 24
Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
A New York Times Bestseller and acclaimed by many as one of the best books of 2015, the following quote by Ann Patchett seems to encapsulate how many responded to
Circling the Sun: “Paula McLain is considered the new star of historical fiction, and for good reason. Fans of
The Paris Wife will be captivated by
Circling the Sun, which is both beautifully written and utterly engrossing." With 1920's colonial Kenya as the setting and real-life adventurer and aviator Beryl Markham as the heroine, author Paula McLain tells an extraordinary, engrossing tale.
Circling the Sun: A Novel by Paula McLain is available at books stores, your local library, and other book sources.
Book Club will meet for lunch and discussion on at Panera Bread (1624 E. 15th St., just west of Utica on the south side of 15th St.) immediately following worship service (about 12:15pm).
(Click name to) contact
Fritha Ohlson if you are interested in more information about Book Club.
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Have You Completed
the Survey?
If you did not get a chance to complete the
Congregational Care Ministry Team's recent
survey, please click the link below.
We completed this survey several years ago. but have many new members and you might want to change what you put on the last survey.
As a church family, we all take care of each other. We all have different likes, strengths and time constraints which allow us to participate differently in the
care of others - from providing transportation, to hospital visitation, to writing cards, making phone calls, etc.
It only takes about 5 minutes to complete the survey and will help the Congregational Care Team better minister to the whole congregation.
Please click below to
download.
Completed surveys can be returned to Marilyn Hill or to the church office.
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College Hill Mission Statement
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~ Build an inclusive community of faith
~ Receive and openly share the love of God
~ Reach out with a compassionate voice for peace and justice
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STAY CONNECTED
View Photos and upcoming events on our Facebook page!
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College Hill Presbyterian Church | 712 S. Columbia Ave., Tulsa, OK 74104
Rev. Todd Freeman, Pastor
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