CHUMC: The Trumpet

By Rodney Newman

Welcome Bishop Hayes

Last week I attended a meeting at St. Luke’s UMC of all the United Methodist ministers in the state. It was my first opportunity to meet our new bishop, Robert Hayes, Jr., and it was an inspiring event. Bishop Hayes immediately connected with his passionate preaching, sense of humor, and humble spirit. In the less than a month that he has been in Oklahoma, he has already traveled over 2,000 miles meeting with churches, such as Fairview, and attending ceremonies at Cookson Hills Mission and Oklahoma City University’s Centennial worship service.

Perhaps most exciting to me is our new bishop’s clear sense of vision and purpose for our conference. He has obviously thought very carefully about our situation and how best to address it. He began by noting our strengths, such as our large size relative to other conferences and our specialized ministries such as Volunteers in Mission and Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries. This is the type of conference, he said, of which he had always wanted to be a bishop.

He also announced that he wanted to energize our Annual Conference meeting in May, starting with a praise and worship event at St. Luke’s with Dr. Zan Holmes preaching. He intends to bring in nationally recognized leaders for continuing education events and he plans to call together all twelve district lay leaders periodically to sit as a lay cabinet.

Bishop Hayes acknowledged that he is willing to tackle some of our more difficult issues as well. He noted that the financial askings of our local churches are too high as a denomination and he outlined steps the Council of Bishops are taking to lead the way in reducing expenses. On the other hand, United Methodists rank near the bottom of giving based on percentage of income. We must address this issue of stewardship as well.

I believe we have a sensitive leader among us who will be open to the local churches and to the leading of the Spirit. I ask you to join me in welcoming and praying for our new bishop as he leads our church into exciting new opportunities for ministry.

We are happy to announce that Mary Altizer has been named as Director of Youth Ministries. This is in addition to her continuing work in the children’s ministry where she has done a great job over the past year, bringing innovative programs such as our rotation Sunday School. Now she will bring her energy and talents to shaping our youth in their spiritual development and mission as well.

Our youth group is growing. Seven young people joined the group when they moved to the 6th grade this year and some teens from other churches, including Epworth UMC, are becoming part of this fellowship. We’re very proud of our great children and youth!

Memorial Gifts

In memory of Marion Cohenour

James & Susan Johnson

Chester Smith, Jr.

Sartain Fischbein

In memory of Alice Eddings

Bob Green

In memory of Marge Saied

Virginia Hughes

This Month in Worship

The letter in the Bible we know as Second Timothy is one of a group of books known as the Pastoral Epistles. They are so named because they deal with issues associated with a local church, such as learning and passing on the faith and encouraging the members to remain faithful on their journey. We will take a look at some of the key texts in this letter this month and see how it speaks to our world today.

Reverend Newman

Sermons Titles & Texts

October 3 Beyond Space and Time

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

World Communion Sunday

October 10 Negating the Negative

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

October 17 TBA

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

October 24 Spending Your Inheritance

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

October 31 A Life Well Lived

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

All Saints Day

Music Ministry

by George Massey

Chancel Choir and Handells

Our rotational Sunday school is on its way! The kids have been enjoying the new activities in their centers. They travel to a different center each Sunday to participate in one of these activities: games, art, cooking, stories, science, and music. Each center is based on the theme "Dig into the Bible." The kids learn all about the Bible as they participate in the different centers that are all a part of the theme. Believe it or not, cooking DOES offer a way to learn about the Bible; and it is hands-on learning, which is best for teaching.

Since the kids travel to a different area each week, we are in need of shepherds. Shepherds help the kids get to the correct area, assist the teacher, and develop relationships with the children. The youngest group of 3-5 year olds and the middle group of 6-8 year olds are greatly in need of shepherds. If you think you could be a shepherd for our children, see me.

There are still a few openings for Sunday school teachers for the weeks of October 24 to November 28. Remember, you only have to teach for three Sundays in a row, and you can sign up for the center you are interested in. The sign up sheet is bright yellow and is in the children's hallway.

THANK YOU! To all of you who volunteered to teach this quarter and to all of you who attended one or more of the three information meetings about rotational. It shows how interested you are in the religious education of our children at Crown Heights. The trainer, Suzann Wade, was very helpful and knowledgeable. We had some great Chinese food at the training and we had visitors from Quayle UMC who are also interested in rotational.

The winners of the door prizes were: Rod Newman, a free night of babysitting, (it really was not fixed, I promise), Dawn McPhetridge, a gift certificate to Penn Square Mall, and a friend from Quayle, who won a gift certificate from Pepperoni Grill. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy!

Opportunity For Those Who Sew

We have discovered our acolyte robes are in need of hemming. We also have material to make curtains for the children's rooms. If you can help us with some really simple sewing, contact me.

Welcome to

Our New Members

Frankie Williams joined by transfer of membership on September 12, 2004. Frankie is a student at UCO.

Tasha Arnett and Scott Kane joined Crown Heights on September 19, 2004. Tasha joined by baptism and profession of faith and Scott by profession of faith. Tasha works at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center and Scott is a student at OU School of Medicine.

Congratulations

Glendon Hudson and Jayne Mueggenborg were married September 25, 2004 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Okarche, Oklahoma with Reverend Newman officiating.

United Methodist Women

Building On Our Heritage as Sisters In Mission

After Sunday church services 135 years ago in a small church in Boston, Massachusetts, three women met and organized the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Missionary Society prayed, studied, volunteered and gave a small amount of their money to support missions. This group of committed individuals with limited means began what is known today as the United Methodist Women.

We support the lives of women, children, and youth in our church, neighborhoods, people in Oklahoma and around the world. You can help us by donating your time in the pumpkin patch, or purchasing pumpkins and fall décor from our UMW pumpkin patch. Some of the missions in 2003 that benefited from our

patch were: Skyline Urban Ministries’ Jets and Clothes

For Kids programs, Neighborhood Service Organization,

The Cookson Hills Center in Cookson, OK, United Methodist New

Day Camp, Circle of Care, The Infant Crisis Center, and Suited

For Success.

Here it is again!!! Crown Heights is a critical annual contributor to the Skyline food pantry and our month to contribute is October. Last year, we had a record amount of 1,370 cans to give to our needy community. My goal this year is 1,371 cans. We continue to amaze the Skyline organization.

Skyline is a downtown ministry that supports the disadvantaged with food, clothes, church services, some medical help, etc. Churches collect food for distribution to those in need – not necessarily the poor. Conditions include 1) only 3 visits in a calendar year, 2) only 24 “families” can collect food in a two-hour window, Monday - Friday. A family may be a single person or consist of many members. These larger families are allocated a larger volume of food.

We need cans that you would want to eat if you were REAL hungry. Good things include tuna and other canned meats, fruit, vegetables, pasta. Not so good things include mushrooms, olives, water chestnuts, etc.

Year round, anyone can help distribute the food at Skyline. It really is fun and provides a good feeling to give to those who could use the temporary support. If you would like to give me a hand hauling our cans to Skyline in the church van, let me know.

My technique to collect the cans is to solicit as much help as I can get and give a weekly report on our progress. This tote board approach tends to get people excited about their contributions and unites the church toward a common mission goal. I thought 1000 cans was an aggressive goal last year and I’d be happy with that generous contribution. But, you surprised me last year and my faith says anything is possible! Whatever you can contribute is appreciated and is God’s blessing to the community.

Hey everybody! I want to let you know about our October-April Van Ministry. We’ve supported this ministry for years now and want to continue this worthy effort. One Saturday a month, we pick up mentally challenged folks at their homes and drive them to a church service at Westminster Presbyterian Church. After an hour or so, we pick them up at the church and return them home. The driving starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends around 12:30 p.m. I’m looking for some help. Two people are required to make it work each month – one driver and one other to give directions, help the people in the van, etc. Ideally, I’d have 14 people helping overall (7 months with 2 people each month). I provide the directions. Pick your month to help and let me know. Thank you so much.

The trip to Rio Bravo in December is well on its way to becoming a reality. The Round Up Sunday lunch in September brought in over $300 to be used for scholarships and materials. The Endowment Committee has agreed to use some undesignated funds to pay for the materials to build the 2 homes we will be building during the week. 18 people have committed that week to go on the trip and several more are seriously checking their schedules to go. We have a few medical personnel planning to go, so we are working at opening the clinic there during the week for medical services. Many have signed up to bring house warming gifts for us to take to the families who will be moving into the homes we build. Plans are being made for a wonderful New Year's Eve together in Mexico, and excitement about the trip is running high. And now is not too soon to begin putting this trip, its participants, the people we will meet in Mexico, and our church's

The Pastor’s Column

You Are Invited

Mary Altizer Named

Children and Youth Minister

This Month in Worship

Reverend Newman