None of us would have guessed that for the second September in a row we will not be able to have a huge Rally Day celebration and Pancake Breakfast at the church to kick off the new church school year.

I want to share with you part of an extended letter that has been mailed out to every church in Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery (EOP), asking that it be read aloud at the September Session Meeting. It's from our General Presbyter, Moderator of the Committee on Ministry (COM), and the Moderator of the Pastoral Care Committee.

"The past eighteen months have been tremendously challenging for the churches as pastors of EOP. These are unprecedented times accompanied by exceptionally difficult decisions. The strain has been great. The burden is real and significant. Impactful ministry has been done during this time, but churches and pastors are increasingly feeling the stress and fatigue of the last year and a half. On behalf of Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery, we write to you today to praise the work you have done, celebrate your faithfulness and tenacity, and offer additional help at this juncture.

"There are no silver bullets or quick fixes to the multitude of issues and opportunities facing the church during this time, but a combination of the resources and ideas below may aid in the next stage of the pandemic:

Pastors:

Churches:

I will post the entire letter, with explanations of each point, on the bulletin board in the Narthex.

One of our pastors initiated this during a COM meeting (of which I am a member) to deal with "systemic weariness".

Being more cognizant of taking responsibility for my own self-care, I will be taking a week of study leave starting Monday, August 30 through Monday, September 6. I'm heading to Camp Gilmont, a retreat center run by Grace Presbytery in East Texas. They have a small private retreat house specifically for pastors where I can spend some alone time reading and reflecting and spending time in nature. (And by the time you see me next, I'll be 65 - yikes!)

If you are in need of rest and renewal (and who isn't) I encourage you to give yourself permission to find ways to do so.

We're going to make it through this, and be stronger in the long run.

Blessings, Rev. Todd 

Barbara Perry has two people who will take her to and from church on most Sundays, but there will be weeks when we need a driver to do one of these things. 

Would you be willing to be an occasional substitute driver for Barbara?  If so, please let CC Team moderator Gretchen Hrachovec know. Call or text Gretchen at 918-697-4198. 

Here are some photos (thanks to John Gammie) of congregational life soon after we returned to in-person worship (and didn't require masks for the vaccinated per CDC guidelines).

Also, photos from when conditions changed and we had to go back to require masks for everyone. The children of the church have been remarkable in wearing their masks!

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.

3 - Todd Freeman

      Remember the 

For Rachel Fuller's 90th Birthday recognition during the service of worship on Sunday, August 8, homemade and hand-decorated cookies were passed out to everyone after the service.

Our Outreach & Mission Ministry Team would like to thank everyone for their generosity in supporting Kendall Whittier and Sequoyah Elementary schools during last week’s Special Offering.

College Hill collected several school supply and uniform items, as well as cash donations totaling $960 – all to be split evenly between each school!  

·      Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery and The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, among others, are recommending re-imposing indoor masking and social distancing for all individuals.

2)    Masks are required for all individuals over the age of 2 while in the building.

7)    No fellowship gatherings allowed in Fellowship Hall before or after worship services.

Drivers to deliver

Cookies need to be delivered to me by Thursday, September 9th OR call Susan West and she will come pick them up. 918-724-7521.

We are changing things up so we can better serve the needs of our families.

Worship Connection (after the kids leave the worship service) will now be our time for church school. We will have a story, and an activity (music once a month, art projects, games, science experiments, drama, outdoor adventures, etc.), plus there will still be some time for the kids to just play.

Also, we will provide on-line lessons similar to last year. The story and activity for the week will be posted to the CHPC Family Fellowship Facebook page and emailed to families via Constant Contact.

We will offer childcare starting at 9:30 for parents who are attending an adult class.

The older kids can choose to stay in the worship service with their parents, help with Worship Connection, or meet together in the library.

We are creating a Children’s Library in an unused office adjacent to the Worship Connection room. We have tons of books for preschoolers, but we lack books for school age children. If you would like to donate, we will come get them.

Please (click name to) email our Christian Education Moderator Susan West, or you may call her at 918-724-7521, with anything regarding children's worship.

The children of the church recently picked apples (over 80!) from the tree planted on the church grounds by Linda Watts' class several years ago. They will be used in a special way with the congregation later in the year.

SEPTEMBER 5 - O, For a Thousand Tongues

SEPT 12 - Come Follow Me

SEPT 19 - Bill Major, baritone ~ TBA

SEPT 26 - Michelle Brobston, mezzo-soprano ~ TBA

CHANCEL CHOIR

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! If you would like to sing with the Chancel Choir this fall, we are welcoming new members. Please contact the Director of Music at kim-childs@utulsa.edu or call him at 918-230-2770. Chancel Choir is in recess temporarily due to the Delta variant.

BELLissimo Handbell Ensemble of College Hill Presbyterian Church rehearses Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall on the first floor. 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 email at kim-childs@utulsa.edu or call him at 918-230-2770. BELLissimo Ringers are meeting currently; please wear a protective mask to rehearsals. 

Coneys & Cookies!

Coney Islander will provide coney packs (two dogs wrapped together) for dinner at the Day Center.

Menu also will include slaw, pickled okra or dill pickles, oranges, homemade cookies and lemonade, plus 4 quarts of milk for breakfast.

Thanks to many generous donors, our Day Center dinner fund can provide all items except the homemade cookies.

If you would like to bake and deliver 3 to 4 dozen cookies, please text Caroline Johnson at

918-629-2882.

–      Tulsa World’s Animal Doctor column, May 25

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts can help you recreate your homegrown national park through its Yard by Yard Community Resiliency Program. Its checklist provides excellent guidelines for maintaining a pesticide-free yard and earth-friendly practices for soil health, conserving water and creating habitats and food gardens.

Mark Miller and Caroline Johnson will be happy to show you the Yard by Yard way toward becoming a good steward of your piece of Earth.

Fortunately, fall is a good time for some yard remodeling. Here are some ideas:

·      Replace introduced species of ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf with native plants such as redbud, roughleaf dogwood, river birch, passionflower vine, golden (buffalo) currant and,

of course, milkweed for the monarchs. Clover can provide a sweet, green space requiring only an occasional mow.

·      Now through the end of September is the perfect time to fertilize deciduous trees, shrubs, perennials plants. Providing nutrients depleted during the growing season will enable plants to enter the winter months with food reserves they need to stay healthy.

·      Use only organic products from Espoma Tone created for specific uses, such as Flower Tone, Garden Tone, Plant Tone, Rose Tone, Azalea Tone, Bulb Tone. I get mine at Southwood or Home Depot.

·      Welcome some new neighbors – birds, butterflies, dragonflies and bees! Remember, one in every three bites of food we eat is produced thanks to bees and other pollinators.

Farther afield … We have Sweden to thank for the green sport called PLOGGING. From the Swedish term plocka upp (pick up), it combines jogging and picking up trash. The activity has been adopted around the world, according to National Geographic, and adapted – pliking (picking up while hiking) or plalking (picking up while walking).

A meaningful way to celebrate your Birthday in this new 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.