CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER



| [pic] CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER |

|A Bi-Weekly Publication – Issue Date: August 4, 2014 |

|St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church |

|Thomas Hoffman, Pastor |

|Jose Estrada, Associate Pastor |

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|Our Vision Statement: To enable our family of believers to lead our community to Jesus Christ |

|Through love and the sharing of God’s Word and to be an inviting refuge of comfort. |

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|A Word [pic] From Pastor Thomas |

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|Dear St. Matthew’s family, |

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|These last few weeks I’ve been with a group of folks in Chicago who are good at helping churches like us take new steps.  One of the speakers was Christine Pohl,|

|a professor from Asbury Seminary, who taught on Christian hospitality.  I came away from my time with her believing that this is something very important—both |

|for the church AND for my personal walk with Christ.  Here are a few of her comments from her book about hospitality called Making Room: |

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|First, Pohl reminds us of the biblical commands to practice hospitality to the stranger, such as Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2.But, she says, “hospitality is not|

|first a duty and responsibility; [it] is not so much a task as a way of living our lives and of sharing ourselves. . . .”  |

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|As good as this is, she warns us that hospitality is just plain hard at times: “hospitality will never be free from difficulty. . . . Hosts,” she says, must be |

|“careful to nourish their own lives and to put guidelines in place to make sure they have adequate rest and renewal.” |

|But the rewards are great.   Pohl says that hospitable churches and homes provide a sense of peace and shelter, a place where faith is a way of life that deals |

|with brokenness and deep disappointments, a place where people sense they are wanted and loved as they are and that they have a place. They are settings in which|

|people flourish.  They can be safe places for the bereaved and sick to regain health and strength. |

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|All of this is pretty wonderful, in my opinion.  I know some changes I have to make in my own life and home to be more hospitable.  What about our church home?  |

|How are WE doing on exercising God’s gift of hospitality to others? |

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|Blessed beyond belief, |

|Pastor Thomas |

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|Spot 31 |

|WEDNESDAY EVENING SCHEDULE |

|4:00-5:30 p.m. Gathering and Small Groups - Children/Youth |

|5:30-6:15 p.m. Community Dinner |

|6:15-7:15 p.m. Small Group/Adults (please try to be in your room by 6:15) |

|6:15-6:50 p.m. Small Groups – Children/Youth |

|6:50p.m. Load bus for home – Children/Youth |

|7:30-8:30 p.m. Choir |

|8:30-9:3 0 p.m. Praise Band |

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|Average Worship Attendance – 2014 |

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|January |

|176 |

|April |

|168 |

|July |

|148 |

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|October |

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|Annual 2011 |

|155 |

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|February |

|170 |

|May |

|162 |

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|August |

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|November |

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|Annual 2012 |

|162 |

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|March |

|174 |

|June |

|163 |

|September |

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|December |

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|Annual 2013 |

|175 |

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|Calendar Reminder |

|If you have any event that you would like to have listed on the Sunday bulletin, please send an email with the information to the |

|church at stmatts@ with a copy to me at 2bach@. Thank you, Virgie   |

|[pic] Update on Pantry Needs |[pic] |

|  |Next VIM Breakfast |

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|GOOD NEWS FROM THE PIN FOOD PANTRY |September 7th |

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|We want to thank the very generous donation of food received last week.  It | |

|surpassed our hopes and is a wonderful blessing to the pantry. The donor had | |

|followed our request with much needed items and we take this | |

|opportunity to say THANK YOU SO MUCH! | |

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|For this week we really have no requests thanks to the generosity of this | |

|person.  If you have items to bring, we can always make room in the cabinet. | |

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|Barbara McDowell | |

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| [pic] |[pic] August BIRTHDAYS |

|Sarah Circle | |

|  |5 Arnold McDowell 16 Fernando Rodriquez |

|Come and join us Tuesday mornings at 9:30 in the Parlor for Bible study |6 Tom Vannoy 17 Richard Bachelder |

|and refreshments. |8 Viviana Rodriquez 18 Tom Robison |

| |8 Linda Johnson 24 Jasmine Person |

|Jeanine Keller |8 Robert Stage 25 Brittany Stilwell |

| |16 Bri Parker Clary 29 Jan Colvin |

| |16 Rita Wilson 30 Rusty Colvin |

| |16 Summer Litsey Rice |

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| |If you want your birthday listed in the newsletter, contact Alon at 622-7006 |

| [pic] Ronald McDonald House |NEWSLETTER DEADLINE |

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|We will continue to furnish frozen casseroles, purchased cakes, cookies, pies |The deadline to submit articles for the |

|or fresh fruit for Ronald McDonald House.  Main dish for Aug 28th – Suzanne |August 18, 2014, newsletter is Friday, August 15thst |

|Pfeifer and Deborah Worman. Desserts – Bonita Young & Suzanne Pfeifer. | |

| |Please send articles to the church at stmatts@ and be sure to |

|Thank you to these ladies. |copy suzanne.pfeifer@ |

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| |Thanks! |

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|Psalm 19:9-10 – “Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are sweeter than honey, even |

|honey dripping from the comb.” |

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|Joyce Hardgrove needs our continued prayers for healing and for the release of pain. |

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|June Vannoy is asking for prayers for a former classmate Debbie whose husband passed away. |

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|We need to lift up Virgie Bachelder as she is having cataract surgery Wednesday 8-6-14. Please pray that is successful. |

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|Andrea Laney will be having surgery on Thursday, August 7th. Please pray it is successful and she has a full recovery. |

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|Continued prayers for Nancy Hoffman’s mom Helen who is moving to a new facility. Please pray for travel mercies for Pastor Thomas and Nancy on their |

|way home. |

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|Good news! Pastor Jose said this morning that his and Ana’s nephew is improving every day! |

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|Alon Solderfelt would appreciate prayers for her friend Mary Kay & her father. Mary Kay’s mom passed away. |

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|Mike Arnold requested prayers for Tony Cole who has health issues. |

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|Continued Prayers |

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|Bill Martin & family. Barbara Roderick’s neighbor Rene, baby Elliott, Ann Marie’s brother Eric, B.J., Pastors Michael and Sharon, Bolivians pastor’s |

|wife, Ted Cole Jr., Terry Kennedy’s co-worker’s son, the family of Justin Jackson, Richard Bachelder’s two friends with health concerns, Chuck Wise |

|grandson, Barbara Flanagan, Pauline Grove, Gordon Godfrey, Bud Loveless’ daughter Karen, Dr. Murray Crow, Andrea Laney’s mom’s eye sight, Lawrence |

|Long’s recovery from a fall and prayers for his friend Gail, Little Levi, Krista McKelvey’s grandpa, Elinor Bartleson niece, Paul Youngblood’s great |

|nephew Cooper, Alon’s mom, brother and care giver, Tawnya McCammon’s uncle, Deanna Rocha’s friend Michal, Jan Colvin’s friend sister, Leona Robison |

|brother and son, Alon’s friends Kay and Tim, Joy Barkat, Ken and Brenda Keethly, Cynthia Hobbs, Sharon & Del Gatzke, Dave Gatzke, Judy Williams friend’s|

|grandson, Deanna Peterson, her sister and her great great niece, Barbara Patterson and her son and family, Barbara Roderick’s friend, Alyson Harvey and |

|brother-in-law, Capy Catterton’s mother, Ron and Phyllis Maggard. |

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|Please continue to pray for the military and their families, our country, the Clergy. The President and his government leaders, the homeless and the |

|jobless. |

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|Yours in God’s love, |

|Barbara |

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UMW Summer calendar

 All women at St. Matthew's are invited to any of these events. Most meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30.  Child care and rides are available upon request.  Call Jan at 252-2919 or Alon at 622-7006.

 

Women’s Fellowship August 21st

Join your sisters of faith on Thursday, August 21st at 6:30pm as we enjoy an evening of food, fun & fellowship!  Our guest will be Betty Prentice of Pryor. She will give us the opportunity to make a magnetic wrap bracelet, which is said to help with arthritis and/or carpal tunnel.  Freda Heath will also present a short program on Call to Prayer.  Virgie Bachelder and Vicky Hime will be our hostesses.  See you on the 21st!

UNDIE  SUNDAY

Our mission project for August is going to be undies for Disney Elementary.     Please place your donations in the basket in the narthex.  All sizes from 6 to 12 are needed, for both boys and girls.  Thanks for showing you care.  Disney appreciates you!

How Is It With Your Soul?

If you weren’t able to go to OK City for Mission u this summer, you can still catch one of the studies in August right here in Tulsa.  Pastor Charla Gwartney – one of the instructors at Mission u – will be leading the study “How Is It With Your Soul?” on Saturday, August 16th at St. Stephen’s UMC in Broken Arrow from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.  The class is free; see Ann Marie Boyce for the book.  We will carpool from St. Matthew’s at 8:20, and you will need to take a sack lunch.

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Coming Events at St. Matthews

August 12th – Finance Metting 5:30 p.m.

Ausust 12th – Strategic Planning 6:30 p.m.

August 16th – UMW District Mission Study – St. Stephan’s UMC 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

August 16th – Sixty Plus - noon

August 21st– UMW Fellowship 6:30 p.m.

60 PLUS TO MEET  8-16-14

 

 Before you know it the 3rd Saturday of the month rolls around and it’s time for 60’s+ to meet.  So mark your calendars for Saturday, August 16th at 12:00 noon.  At our July meeting Chuck invited us to his home, preparing barbeque ribs for the occasion; others brought a variety of salads and desserts which rounded out the meal nicely.

We had some “first-timers” and hope they will continue coming, even though we can’t promise such a delicious meal at each meeting!  Chuck introduced us to his dog, Rusty, who is sooo cute. He was showered with an abundance of pats and kisses.

 

On Saturday, August 16th the McDowell’s and Pauline Grove will be our hosts. Plans are being made as I write this so the program is TBA later.  They are planning a salad lunch at church Fellowship Hall, which knowing our group, will be scrumptious.  I’m sure there will be desserts for all of us who have a sweet tooth!  You will be called/notified about what to bring and I will ask Barbara to send the program information out on the prayer line, once it has been confirmed.

 

Needless to say, anyone 60 or over is invited to come.  We love newcomers!

Alon J. Soderfelt

 

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|MISSIONARY NEWS |

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|On Sunday evening August 10, St. Matthew’s has the honor of hosting Dr. Dora Canales Nunez who is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the |

|United Methodist Church serving as president and professor at Wesleyan Theological Seminary in Lima, Peru. Dr. Canales, a native of Chile and a lay member of the |

|Methodist Church of Chile, is working with the Peruvian church to shape a curriculum appropriate to the area and to Wesleyan theology. We will have a potluck dinner |

|at 5 PM in the Fellowship Hall followed by a time for Dr. Canales to speak to us about her work in Peru. |

|As you know the proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch each year goes to support a missionary. Since the inception of St Matthew’s Pumpkin Patch, our missionary has been |

|Diane Wimberley in Bolivia. Rev. Wimberley has retired so we will choose another missionary. Since Dr. Canales is with the General Board of Global Ministries, we |

|have the option for our support to go to her mission. It makes it much more personal if we get a chance to meet the missionary that we support so please don’t miss |

|this opportunity to hear about Dr. Canales’ work in Peru. Please mark your calendars - ST. MATTHEW’S, SUNDAY, AUGUST 10 @ 5 PM. |

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|Deanna Rocha, Mission Chairperson |

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|PSALMS |

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|Beginning Wednesday evening, July 30, John Worman started leading an adult class studying the book of Psalms. This is a great opportunity for you to become part of a|

|small group, to fill your need of Sunday School if you aren’t able to attend on Sunday morning, or to supplement your Sunday School learning experience. We meet in |

|the Adult Sunday School classroom at 6:15 PM and finish at 7:10 PM in time for choir practice. This study will run through the remainder of the summer. John will be|

|ordering books for this study, cost TBD. |

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|Recycle News |

|We have found a closer place that will recycle our aluminum cans, tin cans, anything tin and iron.   We have put the plastic tub back outside the door on the east |

|side of the church.  I know that it’s real handy to use the city recycle bins but if you use ours at the church you will know where it is going.  Also McDonalds is |

|taking the aluminum pop can tabs and we are collecting them again in the Fellowship hall. |

|Robert Stage |

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|Flea Market |

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|The youth will be going to the flea market August 11th. You will need money for your purchases. Please be at the church by 11:00. |

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|Debbie Gant |

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Call for volunteer help

Volunteers are sought who can assist in legal work with the migrant children being housed at Fort Sill, Lawton, OK. Persons who speak both English and Spanish especially are needed. The Oklahoma Conference of Churches, whose member entities include the United Methodist and Catholic Churches, is sharing this information on behalf of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

At the request of the U.S. government, Catholic Charities has been asked to provide Know Your Rights presentations and to legally assess each child’s situation. To learn more about the types of volunteer service needed, go to .

— from the Oklahoma Conference Department of Communications

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|General Shelter Needs: Housewarming Box Items: |

|Men's Underwear (all sizes) Alarm Clocks with battery back up |

|Women's Underwear (all sizes) Calendars |

|Men's Pants or Jeans (waist 30-38) Hand Towels |

|Men's Shoes (most needed-size 9 and larger) Bath Towels |

|Backpacks (for adult clients) Shower Curtains with rings |

|All Purpose Cleaner |

|Comet or Ajax |

|Dish Soap |

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|Hudson Villas: Medical Clinic: |

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|Please support our permanent housing complex Canes (aluminum, adjustable) |

|Extra Long Twin Sheets Eyeglass cases |

|XL Twin Size Bed in a Bag Travel Size Insect Repellant |

|Hand Towels (white or beige) Travel Size Sunscreen |

|Bath Towels (white or beige) |

|Wash Cloths (white or beige) |

|Adult Soccer Socks |

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|You Can Make a Difference in just 4 hours a week! |

|The Tulsa Day Center is currently seeking volunteers of all ages to work in various areas including our reception desk, clothing room, shower desk |

|and family rooms.  Please contact Colleen Helms at 918-556-6418 for more information.  |

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|CONGRATULATIONS!! |

|Hudson Villas, our permanent supportive housing community, just celebrated its one year anniversary.  Congratulations to the residents and staff for|

|achieving this milestone. Hudson Villas assists chronically homeless individuals with securing housing and getting back on their feet by providing |

|the guidance and support needed to stay housed and succeed as they face the challenges of rebuilding their lives.  In addition to housing, residents|

|have access to a computer lab, a cafeteria, a gym, and community vegetable garden, common areas for socializing and more.  To learn more or to |

|schedule a tour of this unique facility please contact Brian Darrough, Program Director, at bdarrough@ or call 918-921-3900.  |

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|SAVE THE DATE |

| Mark your calendars for the first annual HOME SWEET HOME event on the evening of Aug. 14th, 2014.  Home Sweet Home will be held at Hudson Villas.  |

|This event will feature live music, hors d'oeuvre created by our resident chef and sweet desserts provided by local Tulsa businesses.   Watch for |

|more information.  |

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St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church

12424 E. 31st Street

Tulsa, OK 74146-2202

(918-622-8703)

E-mail address: stmatts@ Website: stmatts.us

|INSIDE THIS ISSUE |

|Mission Outpost |2 | |Prayers |4 |

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|Birthdays |3 | |Events |6-7&8 |

|VIM NEWS |9 | |Ronald McDonald |3 |

|Church Rolls |2 | |*Sarah Circle |3 |

|Food Pantry |3 | |*UMW |5 |

| | | |*VIM Breakfast |3 |

|Pastor Message |1 | |Youth |8 |

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