CHUMC: The Trumpet

The Pastor’s Column

By Rodney Newman

The View From the Back Pew

When our daughter Rachel was born, I took a few weeks of paternity leave. This gave me an opportunity to visit other churches. It felt very different to be on the other side of the pulpit and to be a participant without the responsibility for the service. I was surprised by the range of emotions I experienced in being a “visitor.” It was nice to have someone show me how to get to the sanctuary and how to find the nursery. There were awkward moments of meeting new people and finding my way through an unfamiliar bulletin. And I still remember the warmth of being greeted with a firm handshake and a friendly smile.

Just walking into a church speaks volumes. One church I visited teemed with young people who I could tell were all truly excited about being there. We seemed to get lost in another church, the huge sanctuary leaving a lot of space between a few sparse worshipers.

At our recent planning retreat, the leaders of our church discussed with excitement the number of new people who are visiting our worship services. We’re exploring even more effective ways that we can make everyone feel welcome. I would ask each of us to consider what it might feel like to be a visitor at Crown Heights. What questions would you have? How would you want to be greeted? How could you find out about programs, missions, and even the location of restrooms? Then let’s pay attention to those details that could be taken for granted so easily. Archbishop William Temple said that the church is the only organization that exists solely for the sake of others. With that attitude, exemplified in Jesus, we can’t help but continue to grow in numbers and in grace.

Crown Heights Pays

Apportionments – Again!

By Evelyn Phyffer, Lay Leader

In last month’s Trumpet, words of praise and congratulations were handed out for the success of many of Crown Heights’ ministries and missions in 2004. A large item in the church budget that is often overlooked until it is not paid is the apportionments. Apportionments are not taxes, a mandated assessment or a burden on local congregations. In the 2005 Connectional Ministries Guide, Bishop Hayes writes, “Methodists have always seen themselves as a corporate body,connected, accountable, and supportive of each other, in covenant with one another to be the hands and touch of Jesus Christ in a world in need. . . . To accomplish that goal, each local church was asked to be benevolent with its resources to continue and maintain vital programs and ministries . . . To set aside a portion (of our gifts) meant for others!” Bishop Hayes adds, “We should think of apportionments as opportunities and not as obstacles.”

A church’s apportionments are determined by a formula that compares what each church pays for certain items (base compensation for pastors and associates, utilities, housing, program expenses, etc.) with the total of what all churches in the Conference paid on these same items for the past three years. Apportionments are not based on membership or capital expansion. Some of the 38 or so apportionments are undoubtedly very familiar, including: the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, Criminal and Justice Mercy Ministries, Cookson Hills, Neighborhood Services Organization, Circle of Care, Volunteers in Mission, and Oklahoma City University. Other apportionments may not be so familiar, such as: World Service/Conference Benevolence, Leader-ship Development Team, and Interdenominational Cooperation Fund. Apportionments allow

us, as United Methodists, to expand our ministry and mission into areas where we, as a local church, might not be able to go alone.

Therefore, in addition to the praise for our successful year in ministry and mission handed out last month, we should celebrate the fact that since 1992, Crown Heights has paid 100% of its apportionments. This is noteworthy because we have not always been able to make this statement and some churches are still unable to make this statement. By fully paying our apportionments, we join other United Methodists in expanded and connected missions and ministries of the Conference and the denomination.

Ash Wednesday Service

February 9 6:30 p.m.

Come mark the beginning of Lent with this special service in the sanctuary. It will be a time of prayer and reflection on that in our lives which we need to let go and that which we need to embrace. We will conclude with a service of burning and the imposition of ashes.

Music Ministry

by George Massey

Lenten Music Series

During Lent this year, we will depart from our usual Cantata presentation to offer a special Lenten Musical Series on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. I have programmed two to three contemporary anthems for our Chancel Choir, along with Lenten selections from George Frederick Handel's glorious MESSIAH. This will offer us a nice variety of musical selections, with smaller instrumental ensembles on both Sundays. Our Children's Choir will also be featured in our Palm Processional and sing with our Chancel Choir in an expanded anthem.

Musical Calendar

The Administrative Council has programmed the entire year with tentative dates for all of our special musical presentations. We will distribute these dates for your vacation and special family date scheduling.

February Birthdays

February 1 Patricia Wetmore

February 2 Bettie Douglas

Aaron Gean

Ethan Noble

February 3 Connie Harris

February 5 Marcee Beam

Joe Whitaker

February 6 John Blizzard

Michaela Pojezny

February 7 Lauren Hutton

February 8 Garen Draper

Jimmy Epperson

February 9 DeDe Chapline

Jessie Chapline

February 12 Jack Funk

February 13 Bill Puffinbarger

February 14 John Funk

February 16 Jonathan Higgins

February 19 Robert Lasater

February 22 Jerri Kelly

February 23 Robert Masson

February 24 Ann Thompson

Lauren Walton

February 25 Ed Durell

Alan Krone

Seth Puffinbarger

Susan Springfield

Brett Wooley

February 28 John Chapline

Willis Wheat

February Anniversaries

February 15 Patrick and Jerri Kelly

This month we begin the season of Lent, the six weeks leading up to the celebration of Easter. The Apostle Paul will be our guide as we learn from his passionate exploration of the meaning of the cross.

Sermon Titles & Texts

For 15 years now one of the highlights of church has been the celebration of Souper Bowl Sunday on the same day as the NFL Super Bowl. Everyone is invited to gather in the Fellowship Hall after the 11:00 a.m. worship service on this day to enjoy a meal together.

Cook up a pot of your favorite soup or stew and bring it for all to share. You may also bring crackers, cheeses, or desserts. If you know ahead of time what you will bring you can notify the event coordinator, Sally Hayes, at 787-4239. Whether you bring something or not, we want everyone to participate.

We also ask that you remember others who are hungry by bringing a few cans of food or a donation for the food pantry in our church.

The Whiz Kids tutoring program at Crown Heights is in its second year and has just now run into the problem of a tutor having to leave the program. This leaves a very disappointed student without a tutor. If you have the time on Thursday afternoons between now and the middle of May from 3 to 5 p.m., and would be willing to learn how to help our Whiz Kid learn to read better, please call Janet Kingsolver (524-3895) or the church this week.

The team from the mission trip to Rio Bravo over the Christmas holiday will share their experience with their church family on Sunday, January 30, during the Sunday School hour. All are welcome to come see and hear about the task of building a home for a family of eight and the mission of developing relationships with others through the love of Christ. You will hear about the “Snore Chart” rankings, riding in a van with either all our worldly possessions or the Krone family debaters, those who learned every child’s name at our work site, who made and gave out tons of angel necklaces, who can make a wall with cinder blocks and mortar in the quickest time and who can’t do it quick at all, how so much stuff can fit into such a small space, and many other things about the trip.

Each Saturday night the 8th Street church of Skyline Urban Ministry is alive with people who come to worship in a loving atmosphere and share a meal together. Many of those who come live on the streets of Oklahoma City and are hungry not only for food but for people who care. They find both at Saturday Night Alive. Different groups prepare the meal for about 150 people each Saturday night, and Crown Heights will be preparing the meal on February 5. Greg Jorgensen is coordinating this event this year. He needs about 13 casseroles made and cooked (he has the recipe), cooked green beans, oranges, bananas, rolls, and bought cookies, along with 10-15 people to help serve. If you would like to be a part of this in any way, call Greg (840-1218) as soon as possible.

For the third consecutive year, Evelyn Phyffer will lead an Oklahoma Conference VIM team to the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp near Accra, Ghana, West Africa. The tasks will focus on the areas of leadership development for youth, men, and women; Christian education for children and youth; computer skills training; woodworking; baking/cake decorating; tie/dye and batik; and health screening. Our tasks will be aimed at helping prepare the refugees for repatriation and reintegration as they return to Liberia. If you are interested in joining this team, or know of someone who may be interested, or you would like to find out other ways in which you might support this mission, please contact Evelyn Phyffer at 528-1511 or ephyffer@oktax.state.ok.us.