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.
|
RETREAT CANCELED
The
All Church Retreat
at
Dwight Mission scheduled for
October 11-13 has been
canceled
.
|
The month of October will bring several special opportunities to gather as a community of faith!
We start this month with
World Communion Sunday,
October 6. At that service, we will also be receiving our annual
PCUSA
Peace & Global Witness Offering
(formerly the Peacemaking Offering). We keep 25% for our own peacemaking efforts here in Tulsa. These events help demonstrate and promote the
peace and unity
of communities of faith across the globe.
It is so exciting to host our third
Harold E. Hill Lecture Series
on
Sunday, October 20 at 3:00 pm
.
We will gather in our sanctuary, with overflow into Fellowship Hall – with a newly installed audio/visual system, including an A/V feed directly from the sanctuary. We are expecting lots of folks from the community to attend, so you may wish to come early to get a seat for this free event.
As you have seen publicized, and also in this newsletter, our speaker is award-winning author and leader in progressive Christianity,
Diana Butler Bass
. Lecture Theme:
What’s Gratitude Got To Do With It: How Giving Thanks Helps Us Through Chaotic Times
. I encourage everyone to read her latest book, Grateful: The Transformative/Subversive Power of Giving Thanks.
Diana
has also agreed to
preach
during our service of worship earlier that same day at 11:00 am. I am SO excited about this!
Since summer temperatures prevailed all the way to the beginning of this month, and have finally given way to cooler temperatures, I encourage you to get outside and enjoy the Sacred Presence of God in the beauty in nature and in all of creation!
Blessings,
Rev. Todd
|
These Days
Oct-Dec 2019
Daily Devotional book published through PC(USA).
Rev. Todd
was asked to write a short
devotional
for each day in the first week of October. The publisher provided the scripture passages (from the lectionary) and the overall theme: T
he Sacred Presence of God
. Reflections include the sub-themes:
Lament
.
Exile
.
Memory
.
Faith
.
Service
.
There are a few copies on the Information table if you are interested.
You may also
CLICK HERE
to view the pdf version of Rev. Todd's devotionals.
|
Harold E. Hill
Lecture Series
New Date:
Sunday, October 20
3:00 pm at the church
Diana Butler Bass
Lecture Title:
What's Gratitude Got To Do With It:
How Giving Thanks Help Us Through Chaotic Times
Diana has agreed to
preach
during our regular morning worship at 11:00 am here at College Hill that same day.
Our Book Study Group is currently discussing her latest book,
Grateful: The Transformative (Subversive) Power of Giving Thanks.
Previous books include:
Christianity After Religion
and
Grounded
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...................................................................
|
Hawaiian Shirt Sunday
In recognition, honor, and memory of Jim Brown
|
New Acolytes:
Grayson Patterson
and
Theo Decter Wright
|
Anders Olson
and
Grayson Patterson
|
Rev. Freeman
leading the Adult Church School Class:
An Introduction to Progressive Christianity
Drop in whenever you can. Each lesson in this 21-session DVD curriculum is self contained.
|
Pancake Breakfast on Rally Day
|
Fall Swim Party at the Gammie's on Rally Day
|
"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10
"The stillness required to truly know God is an
interior
stillness. We are invited to relax and sink into the silence found deep in our minds and our hearts — the silence beneath our thoughts and between our heartbeats. There, in that undefended place of deep interior quiet — that’s where we are invited to encounter the living God."
~Carl McColman
|
Book Club
October 27
after worship
Behold the Dreamers
by Imbolo Mbue
Book Club will meet for lunch
at Panera Bread (1624 E. 15th St., just west of Utica on the south side of 15th St.)
to discuss their latest read,
Behold the Dreamers
, by Imbolo Mbue.
A couple of years ago, Imbolo Mbue’s debut novel
Behold the Dreamers
landed on many “best of the year” lists and earned her a PEN/Faulkner award. From The Washington Post: “A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom . . . Mbue is a bright and captivating storyteller.” And from NPR: “[Mbue’s] book isn’t the first work of fiction to grapple with the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, but it’s surely one of the best. . . . It’s a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American.”
And so this month, our Book Club will read “this story... that needs to be told.” (Bust Magazine)
This book
is available at book stores, your local library, online, and through other book sources.
Please
(click name to)
contact
Fritha Ohlson
for more information, and/or if you are interested in joining this group.
|
1st Sunday Food Collection
KWI Food Pantry
October 6
Our
1st Sunday food collection will go to the Kendall Whittier, Inc. Emergency Food Pantry.
We will again be collecting canned vegetables and canned fruit, which are especially needed, as well as other food items.
Cash donations are also always welcome and appreciated
.
|
Looking to
safely and responsibly dispose of unneeded
prescription glasses
and
unused,
l
abeled medications?
Neighbor for Neighbor
(505 E 36th St, N,, Tulsa)
accepts these items through their drop-off program, and handles everything for you
at no cost
!
From housing and food distribution assistance, to life skills training, flood disaster support, and everything in between - this tr
usted
organization
continues to help make a difference in our community and in the lives of our neighbors in need, for over 50 years!
Click here
for more information
about their drop-off program, as well as ways you may be able to support this worthwhile charity. You can also call them at
(918) 425-5578.
|
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 needs and events we enjoy throughout the year!
|
Flower Chart
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 open dates available for the new year. 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.
|
|
October Birthdays
1 - Valerie Ordonez
4 - Jeff Richmond
4 - Lillian Newsome
5 - Pat Beitel
5 - Mike Wood
6 - Brooklyn Hovenga
6 - Sherrie Garnett
9 - Ellen Nole
10 - Robert Babcock
12 - Charlotte Bronston
14 - Nataya Bostic
17 - Gretchen Hrachovec
17 - Hayley Voelkers
18 - Cynthia Fox
19 - Crystal Zerger
20 - Allison Redding
21 - Marilyn Hill
22 - Cathy Robertson
23 - Dixie Speer
27- Francis Garcia
30 - Emily Major
31 - Tracy Vanderburg
31 - David West
31 - Nancy Bennett
Remember the
Birthday Endowment Fund!
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World Communion Sunday
This Sunday, October 6
We will be collecting the
Peace & Global Witness Offering
(formerly called Peacemaking Offering)
The PC(USA) offering is divided four ways:
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
(PDA),
Presbyterian Hunger Program
(PHP),
Self-Development of People
(SDP).
College Hill
retains
25%
of the funds collected, for our ministry efforts.
Special giving envelopes will be included in that Sunday’s worship bulletin.
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You’ve heard Brad Burnham’s voice.
Now hear his story.
Have you noticed that the tenor section of our choir has recently sounded even richer than usual? If so, there’s an explanation. Brad Burnham, who joined our church in September, began adding his voice to the mix a few months ago.
Music has always been a huge part of Brad’s life. In
1965
, shortly after moving to Tulsa with his wife and infant daughter, Brad and Judy (“Jud
e
”) joined Harvard Ave. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Both of them loved singing in the choir, which would have been enough. But the organist left within a year of their arrival, and Brad (who had studied organ) was quickly offered the job. The church must have liked his work, because he held the organist position for 30 years, and
for 12 of those years,
direct
ed
the choir from
the
bench. Before leaving HACC and moving to Austin, Brad was choir director for an additional 10 years and directed the hand bell choir for 3.
During most of their 56 years of marriage, both Brad and Jud
e
worked as public school educators—Jud
e
as an instructor of composition at TJC (now TCC) and Brad as a teacher, then a guidance counsellor, at Union High School. Despite their demanding jobs and the delightful task of raising daughter Lisa and son Chris, the couple always found room for music. Brad joined the Association of Disciple Musicians (ADM), and took on leadership roles within that organization. Both Brad and Jud
e
sang in the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus (now the Tulsa Chorale). In 2016, the couple left the Harvard Avenue church, and were about to join College Hill.
Then abrupt twists disrupted their lives. Son Chris died suddenly in 2016. Brad and Jud
e
moved to Austin, both to support Chris’s wife and daughters, and to recover together as a family.
Within a year
after settling into their new home,
Jude was
diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite treatment, she died in November of 201
8.
Brad adds, “She loved music so much, that she sang in a concert with the
Chorus Austin
less than a month before she passed.”
In June of this year, Brad moved back to Tulsa, where daughter Lisa lives. For someone who has been through so much in so little time, Brad remains strikingly positive about his life. “I have so much. There’s my faith, of course. I also have 5 granddaughters with whom I’m close, long-time friends in Tulsa, and my dog, Dixie,
who
takes me for frequent walks! I have many strong relationships through ADM, and a monthly newsletter I enjoy getting out to the members. I again have a place to sing, and a wonderful church to be a part of.”
Welcome, Brad!
|
Meet Our New Member
Jan Swafford
|
Say “Hello” to Jan Swafford! (or have you?)
Chances are, you’ve already said “Hi” to Jan. Although she publicly joined our congregation quite recently (August 11), she’s been a familiar face for several months. Jan says she wanted to “test the waters” before joining College Hill, and she’s been diving into our community’s life. Jan regularly attends adult Sunday School and worship, helps out with Fellowship activities, and participates in the Luncheon Club, the Celtic Circle and a College Hill book group.
It’s not that Jan wasn’t plenty busy before becoming a member. She has 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren here in the Tulsa area, and a daughter in Utah with an additional 4 children.) Keeping up with the grandkids’ activities and birthdays (yes, that’s
9 grandchildren
) requires a very good calendar and a lot of energy. In her “spare” time, Jan enjoys reading, taking voice lessons, and training to become a tutor in the library system’s adult literacy program.
Jan was on the cradle roll at First Presbyterian in Tulsa, and comes to us from that church by transfer of membership. She and her family participated in churches in OKC and Cushing before returning to Tulsa. She retired a few years ago from the IRS, where she worked as a revenue agent for 27 years.
Those of us who have come to know Jan would describe her as contemplative, empathetic, and joyful. Like many who have come to College Hill, Jan found herself on a spiritual journey, hungering for a vision of God that was reflected in a community of thoughtful and welcoming individuals. “Already, I’ve been nourished by this congregation in so many ways.” Jan, we’re so happy to have your discerning voice with us!
|
Luncheon Club
Thursday,
October 17
at Noon
Fellowship Hall
This month,
Susan West
and
Gretchen Hannefield
will
share
their most recent
international adventure
: the
European Garden Tour
.
Please
bring a dish
to share and
join
us for great food, fun, and fellowship!
College Hill Luncheon Club
typically meets the 3rd Thursday of each month.
All are welcome!
|
The Celtic Circle
Tuesday, October 22
6:30 pm
The group will gather at the home of
Bryan & Clay Finck-Ward
, to celebrate the
Celtic Festival of Samhain
(pronounced sou-in). We will be discussing preparing for our spiritual journey through the long nights of the coming winter.
Please (click name to) contact
Mark Miller
with any questions concerning the Celtic Circle.
|
Book Study
Small Group
Tuesday, October 29
6:30 pm
Not to be confused with the College Hill Book Club, we have another small group called the Book Study Group. This month, we are finishing up discussions of our current book:
Grateful
by Diana Butler Bass
Diana Butler Bass,
will be our
speaker
at this year's
Harold Hill Lecture Series
here
at College Hill on Sunday, October 20 at 3:00 pm.
We select one or two books a year to read and discuss in depth (typically on the fourth Tuesday,
at the home of Sue Haskins
) over several monthly Tuesday evening sessions.
Please (
click name to)
contact
John Gammie,
if you are interested in joining, and/or learning more about this group.
|
A Word About the College Hill
Congregational Care Ministry Team
Did you know that
each member
of
College Hill
is assigned to a “
Shepherd”
on the
Congregational Care Team?
And that each Shepherd’s
role
is to
look out
for the
welfare
of the dozen-or-so
people
on their list, by:
- calling
- visiting
- sending cards or emails to those on our list who are:
- experiencing illness or loneliness
- facing surgery
- needing meals
- needing transportation to appointments and/or to church
- wanting a friendly and encouraging word
Two points to consider:
1) We, as Presbyterians,
do not want to intrude
on anyone’s privacy. So you may not hear from your designated Shepherd unless we are
aware
of your challenge.
2) We are
all
shepherds in the eyes of God,
helping one another through life.
If you, (or someone you know in our congregation) has a need such as those listed above:
Please
notify Pastor Todd,
who (with your permission), will share this need
with the appropriate Shepherd.
We maintain
confidentiality
within the Team.
We value your trust and seek only to serve.
|
CHPC Christian Education Ministry Team
Upcoming Events
~
Nov 23:
The
children
will be
baking cookies
and
serving
them to the folks at the
Day Center for the Homeless.
Plan to
meet at church at 1:30!
~
Dec 1 & 8:
The
children
will be making
ornaments
during Church School to
decorate
the Fellowship Hall
Christmas tree.
~
Shortly before Christmas, the
children
will
deliver Christmas bags
to a few of our
homebound congregation
members.
Stay tuned
for
more fun CE activities,
to be announced soon!
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COLLEGE HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
Dr. Kim J. Childs, Director of Music
Mike Gibson, Organist
Music Offerings
October 2019
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
October 6
Choral Anthem
I Will Sing Praise
~Joseph M. Martin
October 13
Choral Anthem
Let Heavenly Music Fill This Place
~
Gordon Young
October 20
Choral Anthem
I Lift Up My Eyes
~
Carl Nygard
October 27
Choral Anthem
O How Amiable
~
Ralph Vaughan Williams
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
November 2019
TU Concerts with Commentary
Thursday, November 7 ~ 7:30 pm
University of Tulsa
Lorton Performance Center – Meinig Recital Hall
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ten Blake Songs
Kim Childs, tenor and
Lisa Wagner, oboe
Free Admission
TU Fall Choral Concert
TU Concert Chorale
Friday, November 15 ~ 7:30 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
Maurice Durufl
é
Messe cum Jubilo
Casey Cantwell, organ
Benjamin Britten
Ceremony of Carols
Lorelei Barton, harp
Free Admission
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CHANCEL CHOIR
Th
e
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!
If you would like to sing with the Chancel Choir this fall, we are welcoming new members. Please contact the Director of Music.
BELLISSIMO
HANDBELL ENSEMBLE
BELLissimo Handbell Ensemble
of College Hill Presbyterian Church
rehearses Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m.
in the second story choral room. If you are interested in playing in this fun ensemble (permanent member or substitute) this fall, please contact Director of Music for more information.
Please (click name to) contact our
Director of Music,
|
New Pew Cushions
The
Worship & Music Ministry team
has been
redecorating
. We have purchased
soft, velvety, cushions
in blue and gray for use in the
sanctuary
for anyone who finds the pew seats a little hard. You will f
ind them on the left
as you enter the sanctuary.
Feel free to pick one up
as you proceed to your seat.
Some of you had brought your
own cushions
. Currently they are stacked in the left corner. If you want to take yours,
please pick it up soon.
In a few weeks, we will
donate
the remaining pillows to a deserving organization.
|
2019
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.
Checks can be made payable to College Hill and marked "Birthday Fund" on the memo portion of the check.
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College Hill
Recycle and Donation Center
We have re-purposed the cabinets in the hallway outside of Fellowship Hall for use as a place to deposit recycling and donations.
Recycle bins will accommodate paper, cans, plastic bags, compact fluorescent lamps, batteries, and printer cartridges.
Donation bins are also available for diapers and baby care products, dry goods and hygiene items, and school supplies.
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