Well, more changes in plans to get away for a while. As most of you are aware, I have postponed by 6-week sabbatical until next spring, realizing the trip I had planned to Ghana was simply an overreach on my part. I will plan something more geared toward the nature of a sabbatical next year, with its purpose of rest, renewal, and refocus.

However, I will be taking the first two weeks off in August for just that purpose - a week, of which, will be spent in Santa Fe! I look forward to taking some hikes and doing lots of photography, perhaps even a day trip to Ghost Ranch.

Speaking of rest, I encourage you to be intentional in giving yourself permission to seek rest and renewal during these times that remain stressful, and oftentimes overwhelming.

Blessings to all students, parents, and teachers as school starts up again in August!

I want to thank all those singers and musicians who provided such inspirational music while the Chancel Choir took their summer break. The choir will be returning on Sunday, August 14.

Blessings, Rev. Todd

Our Office Manager Lisa Hays will celebrate

12 YEARS at College Hill on August 9!

Workshops will be held held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City.

Scan the code or click here to register for this

in-person or live-streamed event.

Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless

 … a mom and her young son come through our doors. He was 9 years old and had only the clothes on his back.

His mom came to get day services, a meal and a new set of clothes for them both. What breaks my heart is that a toy dinosaur we gave him was his ONLY toy. He was thrilled, and even asked our security officer to run it through the x-ray machine to make sure he is healthy. Not sure who enjoyed it more, the little boy or our security officer seeing him smile. This is a rough story, but this is reality for many families.

As much as we’d like this story to be a rare occurrence, it has been happening with alarming frequency. With the lack of affordable housing in Tulsa, we work very hard to find apartments, rentals and even sometimes extended-stay motels to house our clients. This all takes money.

$.91 cents of every dollar donated to the Tulsa Day Center goes to programs and housing. We are asking for YOUR help. Please consider a financial donation today.

You can text-to-give

You can mail a check to:

You can sponsor a housewarming basket online:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/tulsa-day-center/tulsa-day-center-2022-house-warming-baskets 

You can set up a FB Fundraising page

Afghan Neighbors:

The vast majority of our Afghan neighbors have arrived in Tulsa (nearly 750 of our 800). College Hill has donated a Narthex and van full of food, clothes and supplies to help. 

Now though, our neighbors need core volunteer “wrap-around” groups to help them orient to Tulsa and through whom to report needs as they come up. Pursuant to Session approval,

Outreach & Mission invites you to participate in a College Hill “wrap-around” group to support an Afghan family in a number of ways that range from minimal time commitment to nearly a part time job. 

Click here to learn more about “wrap-around” group roles. 

After that, click this link to sign up to join a group.    

If you want to know more about this initiative, please (click name to) reach out to:

Tally Ferguson or Mark Thurston.

To support emergency relief for those fleeing Ukraine, you may designate monetary gifts via text, online, or by phone:

You may also pick up a flyer on the table in the Narthex, that provides all the details.

Our First Sunday Food Collection for the Kendall Whittier Food Pantry is in need of breakfast cereal (Cheerios, Corn Flakes, or other less sweet cereals) and 1-2 lb. bags of rice. 

Cash donations are also accepted and appreciated!

A meaningful way to celebrate your 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.

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.

1 - Esteban Valencia 

   

   Remember the 

Click here

Click here

Along with other reunion activities, the Outreach & Mission Ministry team has reopened our Equal Exchange store, (on the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month, in Fellowship Hall), offering products such as coffee, tea, chocolate bars, chips and cocoa. These products are not only delicious, they also make great gifts. (and we all know the holidays will be here before we know it.) But most importantly, they provide a double impact on communities!

First, Equal Exchange provides small farmers with a better price for sustainably grown products, and with fewer middlemen, than the big corporate buyers.

Second, the profits (small, but significant) have for several years, been invested in JustHope, a local group founded by Leslie Penrose, which partners with inhabitants of three villages in Central America. The villagers decide what they need and provide labor, while JustHope provides some technical expertise, financial assistance and labor.

Bringing running water to these communities was followed by educational scholarships, a hardware store, a textile project and a model farm to help with adjustment to a dryer climate. One family has produced an impressive line of ceramics, while College Hill has been especially helpful in financing several microbanks for women starting small businesses (at 96% repayment with interest).

These items do cost a bit more than those similarly sold at Walmart, for example-but they make a huge difference in people’s lives!

One of the meaningful elements of our ministry that has been missing for so long is the causal gathering around a cup of coffee, etc, in the Fellowship Hall before the service of worship.

We are looking for volunteer(s) to help setup and prepare the coffee each Sunday morning before gathering around 10:30 am. There are many options to help make this happen, depending on the availability of one or several volunteers taking turns.

If interested, please contact/text Emily Oldham at 918-237-9592. Thank You!

A very special thank you to Susan West, Kye May and the Christian Education Ministry team, volunteers, and everyone who helps

The Chancel Choir of College Hill Presbyterian Church rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 pm in the second story choral room (next to the church office) for singing, fellowship and fun!

BELLissimo Handbell Ensemble of College Hill Presbyterian Church rehearses Wednesdays at 6:15 pm in Fellowship Hall (1st floor).

If you would like to sing with the Chancel Choir, or are interested in joining our Handbell Choir, (permanent member or substitute),

Please (click name to) contact our

Director of Music, Kim Childs.

AUGUST 7 ~ Quartet (Robert Babcock, Bill Major, Tim Smith-Redding, Todd Smith-Redding)

AUGUST 14 ~ Fight the Good Fight, W. Glen Darst

AUGUST 21 ~ O How Amiable, Ralph V. Williams

AUGUST 28 ~ Make Me a Channel, arr. Mark Hayes

Masks are again required because the CDC County Map has Tulsa County in RED.

@ nativebutterflies.org –a fascinating story in itself!

Okies for Monarchs, a statewide group of 40+ organizations and citizens, @ okiesformonarchs.org

Kansas University’s program @ monarchWatch.org