CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER



| CHURCH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER |

|A Bi-Monthly Publication – Issue Date: April 14th, 2015 |

|St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church |

|Thomas Hoffmann, Pastor |

|Jose Estrada, Associate Pastor |

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|Our Mission Statement: “St. Matthew’s Tulsa is a United Methodist congregation that brings Christ to people of all nations in our community.” |

|Our Slogan: “Every Person/Every Nation/All Together/One Location” |

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|Dear Friends, |

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|I am still remarking over all of the wonder of Holy Week. Four events – Spring Fling, Mission Outpost Passover Service, Good Friday Tenebrae Service and an |

|Easter Brunch and Combined Easter Service. Whew! But, Wow!!!! |

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|From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday I have witnessed God’s Spirit among us, preparing us for newness of life. During that time I along with Debbie, Pastors |

|Jose and Ana, and others distributed thousands of flyers and door hangers inviting them to Holy Week activities. We prayed for the houses and people we |

|visited. These are just a few steps for us to get to know our neighbors better and to let them know how welcoming and loving St. Matt’s is. Letting others |

|know that is easy to do. |

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|So what happens after Easter? Do things now slow down? Not on your life! Easter is not an ending but a new beginning. Now, we look forward to |

|Pentecost—and when we are filled with the Spirit--once again--we will be asked—once again-- to be God’s witnesses throughout all of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the USA,|

|and to the uttermost ends of the earth. Are you ready? |

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|You’ll probably be saying, Whew! But also: Wow!!! |

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|Because of Easter and Pentecost, I am . . . Blessed Beyond Belief! |

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|Pastor Thomas |

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|Mission Outpost |

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|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 |

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

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|Average Worship Attendance – 2014 & 2015 |

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|November |

|87 |

|Feb. |

|95 |

|May |

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|August |

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|November |

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|December |

|108 |

|March |

|94 |

|June |

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|September |

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|December |

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|January |

|99 |

|April |

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|July |

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|October |

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|Average Mission Outpost - Attendance – 2014-2015 |

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|November |

|52 |

|Feb. |

|42 |

|May |

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|August |

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|November |

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|December |

|57 |

|March |

|46 |

|June |

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|September |

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|December |

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|January |

|48 |

|April |

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|July |

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|October |

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|NEWSLETTER DEADLINE |

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|The deadline to submit articles for the |

|April 28, 2015, newsletter is |

|Monday, April 27. |

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|Please send articles to the church at stmatts@ and suzanne.pfeifer@ |

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|[pic] Good News from the Pantry |[pic] It’s Breakfast Time! |

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|Our Food Pantry is still in very good shape. |Come enjoy all your favorites from the VIM team this Sunday April 19th 7:30 to|

|There has been a drop in requests and a  number of generous donations so our |9:00. French toast, biscuits & gravy, scrambled eggs and more! |

|Pantry is very well stocked for the present. | |

| |The VIM loves to cook for you. See you there! |

|Thank all of you who have been so generous! | |

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|Barbara McDowell | |

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|[pic] |[pic] May Birthdays |

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|April Birthdays |4 James Cloer 16 Bob Johnson |

| |6 Mike Arnold 20 Joana Estrada |

|16th Tracy Duggan |11 Mike Rutledge 24 Skylar Etwardo |

| |14 Gert McKenzie |

| |14 Brayden McCammon |

|If you want your birthday listed in the newsletter, contact Alon at 622-7006 |15 Christy Arnold |

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

|[pic] |[pic]Sarah’s Circle |

|Ronald McDonald House – | |

| |We are studying the book, The Power of a Positive Woman. We welcome anyone who|

|These ladies will furnish main dishes and desserts for April 23rd - Jeanine |would like to join us for Bible Study and refreshments Tuesday mornings at 9:30|

|Keller and Rita Robertson. Thank you to these ladies. |in the Parlor. |

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|If you would like to furnish dishes for Ronald McDonald House, please call |Jeanine Keller |

|Joyce Hargrove.  918-437-0173.  I need people to furnish dishes for June | |

|through October. | |

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|I John 5:11 “And this is the testimony: God has given us Eternal Life, and this life is in His Son.” |

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|Please continue to pray for healing for those who are once again fighting allergies, flu, virus, colds, and pneumonia, bronchitis, and ear infections. |

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|Prayers are needed for Larry Boyce who is recovering from surgery. |

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|Elinor Bartleson is asking for prayers for her nephew Robert and her daughter Shelia. |

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|Jan Colvin is asking for prayers for her friend’s sister who is recovering from surgery. |

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|Cindy Rutledge is asking for prayers for the family of a teacher whose son has severe health problems, and for families that suffered a loss in the attack |

|at a Christian College. |

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|Alon Soderfelt is asking for prayers for two families who lost their sons to suicide. |

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|Prayer for my neighbor and her children who were attacked on the playground at Briarglen. |

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|Harry Arnold is asking for prayers for Don & Marianne Holli. |

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|Prayers are needed for Louise Wise. |

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|Continue praying for Kielee Farrel and her family. |

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|CONTINUED PRAYERS  |

|The Kleppe’s daughter, The Gatzke family, Glen & Vicky Hime’s son-in-law, Karol Burkhalter’s aunt, Jerry Horacek, Carol Nowlin, June Vannoy’s cousin, |

|Deanna Peterson, Richard Bachelder’s friend Bill, Sharon Polliard’s friend Gracie, Mary Saville, Nancy Hoffman’s mother, Ann Marie Boyce’s brother Eric, |

|Gordon Godfrey, Bud Loveless’ daughter Karen, Barbara Patterson and her son, Andrea Laney’s mom. |

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|BEREAVEMENT – Barbara Youngblood, Nancy Wilson and families in the loss of their mother Gladys Robertson. |

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|Yours in God’s love |

|Barbara Roderick |

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UMW Calendar

All women at St. Matthew's are invited to any UMW events. Most meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30.  Child care and rides are available upon request. 

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP THIS THURSDAY 6:30pm

All women are invited to Women’s Fellowship this Thursday, April 16th, for some food, fun and fellowship!  We are going to make teacher appreciation favors for Disney’s teachers, and finalize plans for our Spring Tea coming up on May 2nd.  We hope you have marked the calendar for this wonderful event.  We are looking forward to having you there!

 

Thursday, April 16               Women’s Fellowship Meeting  6:30pm

 

Friday, April 24-26               Spiritual Growth Retreat at Canyon Camp

 

Saturday, May 2                   St. Matthew’s Annual Spring Tea at 11:00 a.m.

You are invited to……

St. Matthew’s Spring Tea

Saturday, May 2nd

11:00 a.m.

Menu: Finger sandwiches

Fruit & vegetable tray

Salads

Desserts

Followed by……

Make it, Bake it, or Grow it Auction!

RSVP w/Jan Colvin 918-252-2919

Ann Marie Boyce 918-438-1622

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Youth Garage Sale - Saturday April 18th

We are now taking donations for the Youth Garage Sale. What a great time to stop putting off cleaning out that closet or attic and donate your stuff to the youth. All the money made from the Garage Sale will go to the Youth Mission Trip. You can leave your items by or in the Youth Room. If you have larger items you need help moving, give Debbie a call and she will arrange for someone to come pick them up. 918-770-3735.

Thanks,

Debbie Gant

BOOK FAIR SCHEDULED CORRECTION on date

 All along I’ve been putting the wrong date for the Book Fair in my articles!  The Book Fair is going to be held June 5th and 6th and NOT the following week-end as previous articles have stated.  I’m not sure what the hours will be, but that will be announced in a later news article.  As you do your spring cleaning and decluttering, think about donating your paperbacks, hard back books, non-news magazines (such as Time or Newsweeks).  People magazines, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Popular Mechanics & other “men’s” magazines are popular.  Please do NOT donate large condensed Reader’s Digest as they do not sell well, nor do textbooks.  If you can help set up on Thursday, June 4th it would be much appreciated, as well as the days of the book fair—all help is appreciated from setting up, days of the book fair and after it is over.  If you have any questions, please email me at alon.soderfelt@ or call me at 918-622-7006, if I’m not home, please leave a message.  Thanks.  Alon

Church directory

 

It is almost impossible to keep the church directory up-to-date.  So from time to time we will put new information in the newsletter and you can put it in your directory. 

Here are a few changes that need to be made: BJ Moore-10221 E.34th St.—Apt.# 716A

Tulsa, OK 74146 (New apt. #-address is the same as in directory). Ph 918-574-2286.

Pastor Ana has a new email address:  pastoranaestrada@. And Pastor Jose’s new email address is : pastorjoseestrada@

 

If you have any information in the directory that needs to be made or updated please let Barbara McDowell or Alon J. Soderfelt know.  Thanks.  Alon

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Please sign up for snacks

 

We all enjoy the snacks that we have with coffee between church services.  Thanks so much to those who have donated snacks so far this year!  The signup sheet is in the senior Sunday School hall—so check it out and put your name on an empty space.   Alon

April 19th Freda Heath

April 26th Andrea Laney

Coming Events

April 16th UMW Fellowship 6:30

April 18th Youth Garage Sale 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

April 19th Youth Game Night 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

April 21st Finance Meeting 6:30 p.m.

April 28th Spot 31 Meeting 6:30 p.m.

May 2nd UMW Spring Tea 11:00 a.m.

NURSERY WORKER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are without a nursery worker at the moment, so I’m looking for volunteers to work in the nursery if we happen to need one. I would like for people to sign up in pairs, and if everyone would take a turn, no one person would have to do it very often. Just grab a friend and sign up to help in this important mission. If there is no one needing the nursery the Sunday for which you are signed up, then you get to just attend the worship service as you usually would. I’ll have the volunteer opportunity list in the narthex or you can give me a call. -Deanna Rocha, SPRC

60s+ to meet

 

Keeping up with the Methodist tradition of eating together, the 60s+ group gets an A+.  This month we will be getting together for lunch at noon at First Watch on Memorial & 68th St. on Saturday, April 18th.    The actual address is 8104 E. 68th Street.  Arnold and Barbara McDowell are making the arrangements, and it promises to be a good time of good food and great fellowship.  You will be called so we can give the restaurant the number planning to attend.  Please mark your calendar for noon, Saturday, April 18th and plan to join us.  We enjoy having newcomers and won’t check your ID to see if you are “of age”. 

2015 Easter at St. Matthew’s

Beginning with Palm Sunday there were many activities to keep us focused on Easter. Pastor Jose discussed that in Puerto Rico where he grew up, the entire week of Easter was filled with celebrations, not just a few days. He said it was “cultural” shock when he realized how few days we in the U.S. took notice of Easter. I’m not sure if he said it, or Pastor Thomas-but one of them mentioned that when the people in Biblical times shouted “Hosanna”, when Jesus was riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday, that wasn’t cheering, they were really shouting, “Save me.” Matthew 21:9-11

Continuing with our celebration St. Matthew’s hosted a Spring Celebration, inviting our neighbors to come enjoy hotdogs, chips, lemonade, face painting, crafts, and fun jumping “houses”.

Then on Wednesday night Pastor Thomas led us in the Passover Seder. There were many in attendance including children and youth from Spot 31, our usual night for meals, teachings and activities. This was such a special evening, not only the ritual of the meal, but also the information given/taught. From the booklet Pastor Thomas had for us, “The Passover meal known as the Seder, which means “order,” because the meal and service are presented in an order of service called Haggadah (“telling”) which outlines the steps of the meal as well as the readings and songs for the participants.” The basic elements and order of this service have not changed for centuries, but each new generation can celebrate the Passover in new, creative ways.

In preparing for the Passover Seder, the tables were beautifully set with tablecloths and candles at each end, and the food items set in a particular way. Each item on the table had special meaning, from the bowl and pitcher of water (washing of hands) to the parsley, salt water, unleavened bread, horseradish, lettuce, apple, nuts & honey and the 4 miniature cups of grape juice. We had to pay attention so that we could follow along and do exactly what Pastor Thomas asked/told us to do.

The Passover Seder was followed with dinner consisting of chicken, cheesy potatoes and green beans. It was an interesting and informative evening.

Good Friday evening we experienced “Tenebrae.” Tenebrae means darkness and commemorates the evening that Jesus was betrayed. There were Bible readings and hymns sung along with media that made it very intense and meaningful. It was as if a person were right there seeing and hearing all that was going on.

We had one service on Easter which began with a brunch, hosted by the VIM team. This brought together people from both services; food was great and visiting with those who attend a different service than we attend was fun as well.

Finally there’s the victory of Easter Sunday when we, along with others through the ages, can rejoice that “Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed” Hallelujah!

If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend the special services of the Passover Seder and the Tenebrae services this year, and if they’re offered again next year, I strongly advise you to attend. You won’t be disappointed. Alon J. Soderfelt

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Second Annual Gospel Fest

Gospel fest and auction fundraiser for district campground at Wagoner will be Saturday April 25th, at Memorial Drive UMC. The Silent Auction starts at 5:00 pm and the Concert starts at 6:00 pm. LeAnne Taylor of Channel 6 will be the Emcee.

Come here amazing music from:

Eternity

Sound Decision

Bixby UMC-QaVah

LeAnne Taylor – Asbury UMC

Owasso UMC-Bellevers Bell Choir

If anyone would like to make a basket or donate an item for the auction please contact Paul or Skip. Come enjoy some great music and help support the campground.

Tulsa District United Methodist Campground

Caretaker-Skip Hurst-C/O Methodist Camp Gibson

32402 East 720 Road, Wagoner, OK 74467

918-7247-0789 umccampground@

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The Youth would like to thank everyone who made Items for their Edible Auction. It was a lot of fun and a great success. We made a little over $2000.00 for our Mission Trip to San Marcos Work Camp located in San Marcos, Texas. We will be leaving June 14th and returning June 20th. Please start now praying for our team of teens and adults. Youth Missions is a time when our teens not only get to share the love of Christ through serving others but also grow in their own relationship with Christ.

Again a big thank you to everyone who donated everything from baked goods to salsa and of course everyone who showed up to support us.

Debbie Gant

Summer Camp

Summer is quickly approaching and this means it is time for summer camp. Children and Youth from the 1st through 12th grade will be attending five different age appropriate camps. Jan and Debbie will be passing out camp registrations over the next two weeks. If you have, a child or youth who would like to attend camp and did not get a form then please let us know.

The Saint Matthew’s family has always been very diligent in making sure every child who would like to attend camp gets to attend. Families who have multiple children going to camp sometimes need help with the cost. If you would like to make a donation to Summer Camp this can be done simply by marking your donation Summer Camp and placing it in the offering plate on any Sunday morning .

Summer Lunch Program

Summer also means we will be sponsoring the Summer Café Program through Tulsa Public Schools again this year. At no cost to St. Matt’s TPS provides lunch for anyone under the age of 18 through their Summer Lunch Program. We just provide the use of our building and volunteers to pass out the lunches. Deborah Worman has done a great job with this the last couple of years and has agreed to take this project on again this summer. Lunch is served from 11:30 – 12:30 Monday thru Thursday in our Fellowship Hall. If you would be available to help serve lunch a couple days this summer please let Deborah or I know and we can get in touch with you about specific dates. Summer Lunch begins June 1st and ends July 31st.

Youth Garage Sale

Please remember to come and visit the Youth Garage Sale this Saturday the 18th from 8:00am – 3:00pm. It is also not too late to donate items it you have them. It is always interesting to come out and browse you never know what you will find. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Youth Game Night - Sunday April 19th from 4:30 – 6:30

Search Institute

Part of the grant money given to Spot 31 was designated for training through an organization called Search Institute. Search Institute specializes in training adults to be positive role models for children and youth. They specialize in building Developmental Assets in children, which in turn gives kids the tools they need to succeed in school and in life. We have reserved a time for this training on Saturday, June 27th. The exact beginning and ending time of this seminar is yet to be determined, but it will pretty much be the majority of the day.

If you currently volunteer with Spot 31, you have already been asked to mark your calendar and make this a priority, but this training is not just for current Spot 31 volunteers. If you currently work with children or youth in any capacity or would like to work with children and youth, please plan to attend this class. Whether it is in Spot 31, Sunday School or Youth, this class is an excellent resource to learn what helps build positive assets in children in an effort to help them require skills they need to maneuver life’s obstacles and succeed in life.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. Although you can just show up for this class, an RSVP is preferred in an effort to make sure we have the correct number of supplies.

Thanks

Debbie Gant

Native American Awareness Sunday

|When |Sunday, April 19, 2015 |

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This Sunday serves to remind the church of the contributions made by Native Americans to our society. One-half of the offering will be used by the Annual Conference to develop and strengthen Native American Ministries. The balance will be used by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist schools of theology.

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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 |7-8 |

|Breakfast |3 | |Ronald McDonald |3 |

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

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

|Pastor Message |1 | |Announcements |6-12 |

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