THE MESSENGER
 November 2015

College Hill Presbyterian Church
 A Theologically Progressive, Inclusive, Multicultural, 
'More Light Presbyterian' Congregation (PCUSA)
  

  

712 S. Columbia Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74104
918-592-5800

  

 Church office hours: 

 Mon - Th, 9 am - 3 pm

Closed on Fridays


  

9:30 a.m. Church School-all ages 
11:00 a.m. Worship in English

 11:00 a.m. Worship in Spanish 


 

Church email: 

collegehill@sbcglobal.net


 Pastor email:

revtoddfreeman@cox.net

  

Website:
 www.collegehilltulsa.org  


 

  Like us on Facebook


 

Join us for coffee, juice, cookies 

 and conversation in the 

Fellowship Hall before
Church School 
and before Worship.  
  

 

Mission Statement 
Build an inclusive
community of faith.
  
Receive and openly
share the love of God.
  
Reach out with a
compassionate voice 
for peace and justice.
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List

View the church calendar on our website 

 

November 2015 Calendar


The church office will be closed Wednesday, November 25 and Thursday, November 26 in observance of the 
 Thanksgiving holiday.

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1. 
Be sure to set your clocks
back one hour Saturday night.



 
Rev. Dr. Chuck Kriner
June 7, 1937 - October 17, 2015


New Member Welcome

Please welcome new member 
Alicia Odum 
and her grandson Kado 
to the College Hill family.

 
 
November Birthdays
 
 

  3 - Maise Stagner-Speer

  4 - Ruby Oldham

  8 - Vance Vanderburg

  8 - Paul Hartman

  9 - Elizabeth Turnbull

  9 - Sara McCullough

  9 - Emily Gamel

10 - Christy Lyke

10 - Jeff Ream

11 - Vicki Jordan

12 - Gretchen Hannefield

13 - Sally Gammie

13 - Terry Bloss

14 - Rebecca Howard

15 - Margarita Bustos

18 - Matt Schone

18 - Adrienne Williams

23 - Polly Kelly

26 - Todd Redding

29 - Jamie McCullough

29 - Gay Miller

30 - Gabrielle Porter

 

                          

  Remember the 
Birthday Endowment Fund!

 



Sunday School Friend of the Month
Clara Doyle

Kids Connection has officially kicked off their Bible Study for the fall, following Rally Day in September. During this time the kids will be working on biblical lessons and learning the value of being a good Sunday School friend. Also, the youth at College Hill will be working with the CE Music Director, Trinna Burrows, throughout the month of November preparing for the upcoming Christmas pageant.
 


 
Clara is 6 years old and is in Linda Watt's and Allison Campbell's Sunday School Class.
 
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Clara: I like to color and go horseback riding.
 
Q: What is something silly that you like to do?
Clara: I like to sing and dance in my room!!
 
Q: What is your favorite thing about Sunday School?
Clara: I really like to color and sing with my friends.

 
Photos

2015 Chili Cook Off & Talent Show


And the Winner Is...

The overall winner by popular vote was Friendship Stew - made by the children of the church led by Nancy Gammie.
 

2nd place in overall vote was
Pam and Trisha with their "FALL" chili.














Rally Day 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pancake Breakfast

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adult Church School Class




Congratulations Pam and Trisha

We wanted to share this very beautiful photograph, 
from Williams Photography, of the marriage ceremony of

Pam Alexander & Trisha Thompson
October 3, 2015



View more photos on our Facebook page
Like us on Facebook
  

Luncheon Club
November 19

Luncheon Club meets the third Thursday of the month at noon in Fellowship Hall.

Join us for wonderful 
food, fellowship and fun!
5th Sunday Special Offering
November 29

The Outreach & Mission Ministry team asks the congregation for coats and other winter clothes and supplies for the Kendall Whittier Clothes Closet.  

We will collect these, or cash dedicated for his cause, during worship on the 29th.
 
Dogs for the Day Center
Saturday, November 28

Our meal for the Day Center for the Homeless will feature a post-Thanksgiving menu featuring turkey franks, coleslaw & okra AND those homemade cookies they love SO much.

Sign up after church on Caroline's Clipboard to donate cookies, service or cash.
 
Dinners for 7 or 8
(DF7O8)

The guest lists for the Dinners for 7 or 8 have all been sent to the dinner hosts and planning has already begun for fall dinners. A master list has been placed on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. If as guest or host you have any questions or concerns, feel free to (click name to) contact Clay Finck-Ward.

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Fellowship Ministry Team is looking for members to join our team to assist in the planning and carrying out of special events important to the life of the church. If you would like to join our team or sit in on a couple meetings to decide, please (click name to) contact Clay Finck-Ward or come to a meeting on the 3rd Sunday of each month following the worship service.
 
 KWI 1st Sunday Food Collection
Sunday, November 1

Our First 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.

They are also in desperate need of canned meats and/or entrees at this time.

  
Penny FundPenny
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!
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 for 2015 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.
 
Word from the Pastor
November is one of my favorite months of the year. I love the change in temperature and the opportunity to wear sweaters. I love the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. And I love the holiday of Thanksgiving - even more than Christmas. I also often find it the month where I can slow down a bit and seek some renewal for my body, mind, and spirit. So I encourage each of us, individually and as a congregation, to take time to pause and reflect upon all of our many blessings over the past year.
 
Living life with spirit of gratitude is one of most important elements necessary in order to live life to the fullest. The gift of being thankful, to God and for each other, lays the foundation for other qualities and virtues such as generosity, compassion, and good stewardship, which are true hallmarks of the life Jesus calls us to live. It is within the spirituality of gratitude that also expresses itself in the giving of our time, talents, and financial resources, as good stewards, so that we live into what it means to be part of the kingdom (or kin-dom) of God.
 
Speaking of giving thanks, I am deeply grateful for the family of faith here at College Hill. It is YOU, along with all of us together, that makes this congregation such a vibrant and relevant part of the Body of Christ. In this season of thanks, I also want to take this moment to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve you and this congregation as your pastor.
 
Blessings,
 
Rev. Todd 



  
News & Events
All Saints' Sunday
Sunday, November 1

 
The service of worship this day will focus on the traditional themes of All Saints' Day, including a Litany of Remembrance.

Historically, this day was celebrated as the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. 
 
It was a time of year, in the pre-Christian Celtic tradition, when the veils between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be at their thinnest: when the spirits of the dead could most readily mingle with the living once again.
 
Later, when the festival was adopted by Christians, they celebrated it as All Hallows' Eve, followed by All Saints' Day, hence retaining elements of remembering and honoring those who had passed away.
 

Congratulations to our 
Newly Elected Elders

Elders were elected during our 
Congregational Meeting on October 25:

Class of 2018:

PJ Brobston
Terry Gamel
Marilyn Hill
Stefanie Olson

 

Unity Youth Group Meeting
November 1, 12:30-1:30 pm

The group will meet at the The Phoenix (6th & Peoria) in the Library room to discuss the topic of dating. Samantha Wade from DVIS will be presenting. It would be nice if some of the adults there could tie in how our faith plays a role in our relationship/dating values. Be sure to bring money for lunch and drinks.

(Click name to) contact PJ Brobston for more information about this group.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family Fellowship gathering on October 10

Commitment Sunday
November 15

Please bring your completed pledge card, as they will be collected during the service of worship, or you may send it directly to the church office as soon as possible. 

For anyone interested, we will answer any questions about the 2016 Proposed Budget in Fellowship Hall after the service. Pledge cards are also available on the table in the Narthex. Stewardship Sunday is November 8.
 
Holiday Fellowship Luncheon
November 15 after worship

Fellowship Ministry Team will host CHPC's annual Holiday Fellowship Luncheon following the worship service. We have had many new additions to the congregation and this date also is Commitment Sunday so we expect much participation. 

Once again we will be serving prime rib, potato bar, and salad. We would ask the congregation to contribute desserts for sharing. 

Click name to contact 
Clay Finck-Ward for more information.


Monday, 
November 16
6:00 pm

Do you enjoy playing cards, dominoes or board games? Then join us every month in Fellowship Hall. 

Please bring a snack to share, so we can munch while we play. 

If you require childcare or would like more information about Game Night, please (click name to) contact Marilyn Hill, or you can call the church office. We'll have lots of games, but if you have a favorite game, feel free to bring it! We look forward to a fun night of fellowship!

Advent Family Night
Sunday, November 29
5:30 - 7:30 pm


Come join us in Fellowship Hall for Advent Family Night. This year's theme is the Jesse Tree, telling the line of Jesus' family, focusing on the family. We will have ornaments that tell the story of Jesus's family for young and old alike to make. 

Also, we will have a new family church quilt. The old one is from 1999, so it is time to make a new one. Your family of any size can make a square to go in the quilt and it will be put together and hung in the sanctuary. 

Cards for our shut-ins and staff will be there to sign, made by Susan West to go along with our theme.  

Please bring finger foods and come have a lot of fun making the tree ornaments and a church quilt.

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Fellowship Ministry Team is looking for members to join our team to assist in the planning and carrying out of special events important to the life of the church. If you would like to join our team or sit in on a couple meetings to decide, please (click name to) contact Clay Finck-Ward or come to a meeting on the 3rd Sunday of each month following the worship service.
 


(Click name to) contact Tally Ferguson, Outreach & Mission Ministry Team Moderator, if you are interested in attending with our group at College Hill.

Youth Room Remodel 
Fundraiser

Your donations raised over $3,200 for our youth group room remodel project, far exceeding our goal! Thank you for your generosity!





Thank you from Charlotte


Our beloved Charlotte Bronston turned 93 on 
October 12. Below is her thank you letter to everyone:

What a great surprise I had for my 93rd Birthday! I was told that my son Jason was taking me to dinner so that was fine. When we got there-all the rest of the family were present-then Jason tells me we will be having cake at his home. Very unusual-he doesn't like cake. 

We get to his house and there's Nancy Gammie waving us in-something wrong here-he doesn't even know her. What is going on? A great bunch of friends were waiting to surprise me! Thanks so much for all the cards and gifts. It is wonderful to have so many friends and loved ones.

Love to all,
Charlotte B.
 

Beyond Coexistence
 
Inaugural Event
Sunday, November 1, 2015  -  1pm-4pm
The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma:
1304 N. Kenosha Avenue  - Tulsa, OK 74106
 
On Sunday, November 1st, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, congregations and communities of all stripes and sizes will gather to do some good in the world - and to do it together!
 
A new program, spearheaded by the Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, has been formed to provide an opportunity for groups across religious spectrums to come together not only to interact with one another but also to have a work day for one of the many social-justice oriented community groups in Tulsa.  
 
Beyond Coexistence is built on the notion that "coexistence" should be our baseline...the beginning point.  We strive for meaningful interaction, for inter-religious dialogue, understanding and cooperation.  We hope that by working together we can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries, foster accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures and cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings-even those we may have once regarded as enemies.
 
It is not a fundraiser, it is not an interfaith forum, it is simply a chance for people from different faith backgrounds to roll up their sleeves and do some good work together, and maybe make a new friend in the process. 

Music Ministry
CHANCEL CHOIR

The Chancel Choir of College Hill Presbyterian Church continues its rehearsals Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. Come join in the second story choral room (next to the church office) for singing, fellowship and lots of laughter!

 

If you are a singer wanting to use your talents, please see Director of Music, Kim Childs. We would love to welcome new members this upcoming fall season! Click here to contact Kim.

 

BELLISSIMO HANDBELL ENSEMBLE

BELLissimo Handbell Ensemble of College Hill Presbyterian Church continues rehearsals at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in playing in this fun ensemble, please contact the Director of Music for more information.

 

SPECIAL SOLO OPPORTUNITIES

We would like members of the choir and congregation that are interested in solo vocal/instrumental opportunities, to contact our Director of Music.

  


 

Something for the Spirit

The Forms of Stewardship
                         
Stewardship is far more than the handling of our money. Stewardship is the handling of life, and time, and destiny.

The basic forms of stewardship are twice defined: (1) by the opportunities for doing good that we learn to become aware of, and (2) by the gifts God has on deposit with us designed to meet such opportunities.

The Bible puts the basic forms of stewardship within everyone's reach by speaking in terms of cups of cold water, going an extra mile, crusts of bread, a helping hand, the exercise of patience, and the like.

Make a list sometime of the very ordinary forms of stewardship the Bible asks of us. It will become clear that basic stewardship is concerned with sweetening human relationships in our everyday world. Nothing momentous. Something like a genuine smile, nod, wave, kindly word, the steadying hand; and the sensitive heart, compassionate spirit, flowing out into acts of kindness, generosity, trust, and grace. Time invested in these virtues is time invested in heaven. None is beyond our reach-if the heart is aware, and the will bent to do God's service wherever and whenever.
 
To read the entire blog, 

College Hill
Recycle and Donation Center

 

The cabinets in the hallway outside of Fellowship Hall have been repurposed 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 will be provided for diapers and baby care products, dry goods and hygiene items, and school supplies.

 

2015 
Birthday Endowment Fund
 
A meaningful way to celebrate this year's Birthday 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, under the Birthday balloon. Checks can be made payable to College Hill and marked "Birthday Fund" on the memo portion of the check.

  


 
     College Hill Mission Statement

     ~ Build an inclusive community of faith
     ~ Receive and openly share the love of God
     ~ Reach out with a compassionate voice for peace and                              justice