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The church office will be closed Wednesday, December 25,

in observance of Christmas Day.

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

Outreach & Mission

Ministry Team Update

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.

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.

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

Holiday Prime Rib &

Potluck Luncheon

November 17

THANKS to the Fellowship ministry team and its moderator Clay Finck-Ward

More photos of our church life!

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!

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.

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.

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.

New Member

Welcome

Charlotte Burton

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?

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!

For more information, please (click name to) contact Gay Miller or Gretchen Hannefield.

Alternative Christmas Gift Market

Sundays - December 1-22

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!

Out with the old, in with the new!

It isn't hard to recognize the difference it makes with these new outside doors off the parking lot. They will be painted later.

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.

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.

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 22            

Choral Anthem                          

Light the Advent Carol – Ruth Elaine Schram

 

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, 

Dr. Kim Childs

LISTEN TO PAST PERFORMANCES

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: 

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. 

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).

Something for the Spirit

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.

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.

 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 .

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.

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.

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.

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!