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 Wednesday, December 25,
in observance of Christmas Day.
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We have entered the
Season of Advent
, the four-Sunday period of time used to help us prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on Christmas Day.
Advent is a time when we are to
wait with active anticipation
, for in many respects in a time between the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet.’
But waiting isn’t something that comes easily for most of us.
That’s especially true as the hectic nature of this season grows. Therefore, the primary theme that will run throughout the Sundays in December is
Waiting Well
.
Concerning the meaning of Christmas itself, many progressive Christians admittedly have trouble interpreting the gospel birth narratives of Jesus literally. However, while there are justifiable reasons for that perspective, it should not keep us from reflecting upon the question:
“
What significance does the birth, life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth have for you and your life?”
Here’s one response. In Jesus we have come to see that God is
with
us and
for
us. To quote Delwin Brown, author of
What Does a Progressive Christian Believe?
:
”God is somehow incarnate in the entire creation – the ordinary and extraordinary, the broken and the whole, the known and the unknown, the familiar and the mysterious world in all its dimensions…
In Jesus Christ we believe we see intimations of a God who is incarnate – a God who is with us fully, and fully, too, with all creation.”
Please note the
Chancel Choir Christmas program
will be presented during worship on
Sunday, December 8
.
Our
Christmas Eve
service of Candlelight & Caroling will be on Tuesday, December 24 at
6:30 pm, followed by a festive reception and fellowship
.
Allow the light of Christ, God’s Sacred Presence, to reflect upon others throughout this season. I pray that for you, this congregation, this country, and the entire world, this Advent and Christmas
Blessings,
Rev. Todd
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Outreach & Mission
Ministry Team Update
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T
hanks to College Hill’s partnership with
Kendall-Whittier Elementary,
eight KWE families
received a
basket of food
for a traditional
Thanksgiving dinner.
The
O&M team
thanks
College Hill members
for their
generous
financial
support
for mission activities in our community.
Looking for a hands-on way to
assist students, teachers, and families
? Ana Spitali, Communities in Schools Site Director at
KWE
, has provided a list of more
ways
we can
help
:
1.
Reading Buddies
to work with students Pre-K to 2nd grade - can be as seldom as once a month and whenever available. This is not the same as Reading Partners.
2. People who sew who can
meet with students
to make
friendship scrunchies.
3.
Cookies
for 120 teachers and staff - welcomed at any time, but especially nice around holidays, teacher appreciation week, etc.
4. People to help
stuff bags with goodies
for the kids for a couple of hours on Dec. 13th (probably). Each student receives a bag to take home at Christmas with books, gloves, snacks, etc.
5.
Hygiene items
are always needed, particularly sanitary pads, deodorant, and wipes.
Please contact
Terry Baxter
, O&M moderator, or
Gay Miller
if you’re interested in any of these
volunteer opportunities.
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Rev. Freeman highlighting information shared in the Adult Church School class;
An Introduction to Progressive Christianity. The class will run through February, so drop in anytime at 9:30 am.
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All Church Work Day
November 16, 2019
THANKS
to all our volunteers and to the Building & Grounds ministry team and its moderators,
Mark Miller
and
Gini Fox
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Holiday Prime Rib &
Potluck Luncheon
November 17
THANKS to the Fellowship ministry team and its moderator
Clay Finck-Ward
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More photos of our church life!
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December Birthdays
3 - Isabelle Thomason
6 - Peter Campbell
9 - Sue Haskins
9 - Emily Oldham
10 - Ryan Hovenga
13 - Jana Rhoads
15 - Megan Buchner
15 - Marci Platt
15 - Caroline Johnson
17 - Kado Bissell
18 - Ronda Robertson
19 - Tally Ferguson
20 - Roberta Smith
24 - Wyneth Roulet
25 - JoAnn Smith
28 - Charles Stanford
29 - Kathy Evanson
30 - Lisa Hays
Remember the
Birthday Endowment Fund!
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Poinsettia Orders
If you are interested in buying a
poinsettia
to help decorate the church during Advent
,
please click the link below to download and
complete
an
order
form,
and turn in to the church office.
Forms are also available
on the Narthex information table,
Donors’ names and the names of ones being honored are listed in the bulletin for the Christmas Eve service of worship.
Order forms
are
due
Sunday, December 15th.
Please (click name to) contact
Carolyn Brady
with questions.
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World AIDS Day Commemorative Service
Sunday, December 1 - 6:00 pm
Fellowship Congregational Church
2900 S Harvard Ave.
Theme:
Remember, Remind, Restore
Rev. Freeman will be joining with several other Interfaith leaders in this meaningful annual service.
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Christmas Eve Worship Service
Tuesday, December 24
6:30 pm
There will be a traditional Candlelight Service
of Lessons & Carols, with the
Chancel Choir
.
We will be collecting
cash donations
to support
Emergency Infant Services. (EIS)
After the service, a festive reception of cookies, cider & hot cocoa will be in the Fellowship Hall. All are invited to attend.
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New Member
Welcome
Charlotte Burton
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To many in this congregation, Charlotte needs no introduction. In her youth, she attended First Presbyterian in Ponca City and knew Gordon Edwards through Fellowship and Sunday School. As a young adult, she was first active in First Presbyterian Church of Sand Springs and later became a part of the Presbyterian Church of the Advent, working with Nancy and Vance Vanderburg, and Rosie Brown. Back in 1972, Charlotte suggested College Hill as an ideal church for just-married sister Carolyn and Jim Brady. Then in the mid-‘80’s, her mother, JoAnn Smith, moved to Tulsa and became an active and beloved College Hill member. Charlotte herself was an occasional, then frequent, visitor to our church.
“By the late 70’s, my life seemed to move at warp speed “. First, there was her second marriage, to Bob Burton in 1979. They did one better than the “Brady Bunch”, with his 5 children and her 2 boys making up a lively household of nine. “Can you imagine 5 teens in the house at once—pretty chaotic!” After only 9 years of marriage, Bob passed away from cancer. Charlotte had her hands full, balancing single parenthood with her full-time job. But it all worked out, and today she maintains a close relationship with all of the children, 4 of whom live in the Tulsa area.
Charlotte retired from the Williams Companies after 26 years, the last five years spent commuting back and forth from Houston every week. “Retirement was a bit of an adjustment, but it allowed me to spend much more time with my mother, and to pursue other interests.” One of those interests is gardening. Charlotte has a home garden, and helps son Kendall with his “monster plot” of vegetables and flowers. She is also a long-time curator of the beautiful entry path at the Linnaeus Gardens in Woodward Park. She loves to travel, and is planning a trip to England in May.
As Charlotte composed the eulogy for her mother’s memorial service a few months ago, she was struck again by the faith, courage and joy her mother had exhibited throughout her 100 years of life. “Writing about Mom made me determined to make my own faith commitment.”
Charlotte comments that she finds the progressive spirit of College Hill to be right up her alley, and the love shown in our congregation to be “pretty darn special”. A hearty welcome, Charlotte! And would you like to lend your skills to the Building and Grounds Team?
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Luncheon Club
Thursday,
December 12
at Noon
Fellowship Hall
College Hill Luncheon Club
will meet
one week earlier than usual
for this month’s lunch and program, which will feature the
Green Country Highlanders
playing traditional Christmas tunes from the British Isles.
Bring a dish to share
and join us for food, fun, and fellowship. Hope to see you there!
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Alternative Christmas Gift Market
Sundays - December 1-22
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Kendall Whittier Inc.
Annual
Lights On
Event
Saturday, December 7
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Kendall Whittier, Inc
. (KWI) hosts the
annual
Lights On
event in Whittier Square (1
st
& Lewis).
Join the fun with Santa, lights, book bags, crafts, food, music and entertainment!
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Out with the old, in with the new!
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It isn't hard to recognize the difference it makes with these new outside doors off the parking lot. They will be painted later.
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F&S Attic Cleaning
Roughly half of the
Finance & Stewardship Ministry team showed up today to help bring boxes down from the church attic. We were expecting to find just a few boxes of finance material, but we instead found statements going as far back as 1992. We brought down
20 boxes of papers.
We searched through the boxes and found the usual bank statements, investment statements, balance sheets, income statements, receipts.. We found annual reports going back into the 1990's. We saved the annual reports, a handful of papers that might be of interest, and set everything else aside for shredding. All of the boxes are in the ping pong table room of the third floor, if you would like to look through them.
All finance material for 2011-present remains in the attic.
Gini Fox's son will pick up the boxes for shredding, though no date has been set.
If there are any reservations, or if you want some time to sort through the papers, please advise.
Thank you to
Gary, Charles, Johnna, Tally,
Terry and
Mike Patterson.
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College Hill hosted the November 22 meeting of
Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery
We gathered in the Fellowship Hall for most of the meeting, and concluded with worship in the sanctuary, where our organist,
Mike Gibson, provided such beautiful music. The last time we hosted a meeting was in December 2007, the meeting before Rev. Freeman was received into the presbytery.
Below:
Rev. Tim Bodgett, our new General Presbyter (behind podium), and
Rev. Leigh McCaslin, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery.
Further below:
Rev. Kate Houge presenting gifts to a delegation from the Synod of Livingstonia in
Malawi, in recognition of our longtime partnership.
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COLLEGE HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
Dr. Kim J. Childs, Director of Music
Mike Gibson, Organist
Music Offerings
December 2019
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DECEMBER 1
Choral Anthem
E’en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come
– Paul Manz
DECEMBER 8
Choral Anthems
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
– arr. David Willcocks
Love Came Down and Christmas
– John Rutter
The Shepherd’s Farewell
– Hector Berlioz
Amen
(from “Let Nothing Ever Grieve Thee”
Johannes Brahms)
Maureen O’Boyle, violin
DECEMBER 15
Choral Anthem
An Advent Alleluia
– Douglas E. Wagner
BELLissimo Ringers
Let All Mortal Flesh
– Margaret R. Tucker
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
– Dan R. Edwards
DECEMBER 24 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE
Choral Anthems
Away in a Manger
– arr. David Willcocks
Zither Carol
– arr. Malcolm Sargent
Torches
– John Joubert
DECEMBER 29
Guest Soloist
Diane Bucchianeri, cello
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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, we are welcoming new members. Please contact the Director of Music.
BELLISSIMO
HANDBELL ENSEMBLE
B
ELLissimo 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), please contact Director of Music for more information.
Please (click name to) contact our
Director of Music,
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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.
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Sunday, December 15
after worship
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
Drawing upon her childhood in the wilds of the southern United States and her decades as a wildlife scientist and researcher in Africa, Delia Owens’ “fierce and hauntingly beautiful” (
People) debut novel centers around Kya, the “Marsh Girl” whose friends are the gulls and classroom is the marshland of her North Carolina home. Kya’s story is intertwined with the local police department’s investigation of the death, and possible murder, of the town former star quarterback over a decade later. As aptly stated in
The New York Times Book Review,
Where the Crawdads Sing is “[a] painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.”
Book Club will meet for lunch and discussion on Sunday, December 15th, 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).
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Surviving the Holidays
Here are four simple, but remarkably helpful suggestions that can aid you prepare for Christmas. Each can reflect the guiding presence of God. If followed, they can help you focus on the true meaning of this season. They are:
1. Do less.
2. Breathe more.
3. Adjust your expectations.
4. Focus on people, not stuff.
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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
.
You may also
CLICK HERE
to view the pdf version of Rev. Todd's devotionals.
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1st Sunday Food Collection
KWI Food Pantry
December 1
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
.
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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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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.
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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 needs and events we enjoy throughout the year!
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