SHUMC Times

2008

Alternative Christmas Market

By Adriane Jaynes
This week I saw a commercial for a Christmas movie. It was my first Christmas commercial of the
season. Last year the first Christmas commercial I saw sent me into a panic. As mall traffic, long lines, and
money flying out of my bank account flashed before my eyes, I felt sadness settle over me. But that didn't
happen this year. Maybe it's because no one has any money this year anyway, maybe I am more worried about
the inevitable ice storm between now and then that will leave me without power for 10 more days, or maybe
it's because our family has adopted an alternative view of Christmas…
If sitting in mall traffic is not your idea of abundant life; if going into (more)
debt to buy gifts for friends and family that they don't want or need is not your idea of
sacrificial love; and if you feel that so much of the Christmas season has been reduced
to greed, then I would encourage you to participate in our 3 nd Annual Alternative
Christmas Market. At the market, you will be able to give donations to various
charities in honor of friends and family Sunday, December 7th after church.
There are 2 ways you can participate: 1) Come and shop for the people on
your list; and 2) if there is a charity you are passionate about and would like
others to learn about, contact them and see if they would be willing to
participate. If they are unable to do so, feel free to get materials from them and set up your own table on
their behalf.
Get creative with the charities you choose for people. Jeff and I try to find charities doing work that the
gift recipient would be excited about. One year I gave my dad who is a private pilot, a donation to Angel
Flight, a group of private pilots that volunteer to fly children with serious illnesses to their doctor's
appointments if they need to travel to other cities and states to receive treatment. One year I donated money for
few hundred servings of fresh vegetables in honor of my mom and told her that it was to make up for all the
uneaten veggies left sitting on my plates throughout my childhood.
Get creative, make it fun, and come to Alternative Christmas Market. If we don't have the charity you
are looking for, that is ok. The point of the market is not to make you give to the charities represented, the goal
is to simplify the season and remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. For more info contact
Adriane Jaynes at aejaynes@gmail.com or 743 -8040.

CHURCH CONFERENCE
YOU'RE ALL INVITED... IT'S INFORMATIVE ... AND IT'S FREE!
Do you want to meet the District Superintendent? Do you wonder what SHUMC
has achieved this past year? Do you want to know how we are going to follow the
Conference’s Strategic Plan? Do wonder what is included in the Budget? Do you want
to be an informed member of SHUMC? This is your opportunity!
CHURCH CONFERENCE, 2008
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2008 7pm
This is for anyone in the Southern Hills UMC congregation. It is our "State of the Church" message.
There will be a time for questions. There will be issues put to a vote. I hope all of you will consider attending.
 Pastor Jeff Writes

We are about to get to the “stuff” time of year. The time of year when we stuff the turkey,
stuff ourselves full of turkey (and all the trimmings, of course), and then give and receive lots of stuff for
Christmas. And, in my house growing up, it is also when all the birthdays are celebrated…meaning —you
guessed it—more stuff.
It can be easy when surrounded by all that stuff to think it is our own. It’s easy to take a couple extra
servings of turkey or grandma’s pie (because it’s just that good). It’s easy, especially when you’re a kid, to
make wish lists of all the stuff you want for Christmas or birthday. In the world we live in, where self -
indulgence is impressed upon us from seemingly every angle, it is easy to surround ourselves with stuff.
It is hard, therefore, to break ourselves of the mindset that all this stuff is ours. Like the pioneers that
drove their stakes in the claims of Oklahoma and across the frontier, we claim the “right” to all this stuff. It
is our right to eat as much food as we want, to buy as much stuff as we want, to fill our lives with more and
more stuff.
But when we look at the Bible and see what it has to say about all this stuff, we can’t help but look at
our lives in a different way. Scripture reminds us that all this stuff is God’s —we just get to borrow it for a
while! Scripture reminds us that if we horde all the food at the table and leave none for those who are poor,
we face the judgment of God (1 Corinthians 11:17 -34). And we read stories in Scripture of those who had so
much stuff that they were not able to follow God (Mark 10:17 -31). In other words, Scripture doesn’t always
look too kindly on lives full of stuff.
That said, that doesn’t mean wealth (having lots of stuff) is a bad thing. There are many examples of
wealthy followers of God throughout Scripture (Job, Joseph of Arimethea, Zacchaeus, the wealthy women
who supported Paul’s mission, etc.). But what made their lives stand out was not the amount of money they
accumulated but their devotion to God with their whole lives, including their money. They were wealthy,
but they were good stewards of their wealth. Like the widow who gave her mite —all she had—in service to
the church, so did these men and women give of their lives and resources to build God’s kingdom.
That’s what stewardship is all about. It’s not just another conversation about stuff that we have this
time of year. It’s not just a way for us to pay salaries, keep the lights on, or cover the insurance bill
(although all of those are important). No, stewardship is about each and every one of us giving thanks for the
resources we’ve been given by God and returning those resources back into the Lord’s care for the building
of God’s kingdom. Stewardship is about asking what God wants to do with our money, how God wants us to
spend our time, and what God wants to do with our hands and feet.
As part of our focus on stewardship, I will be preaching for the next five weeks on the pillars of life
in the church: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness (you may recognize these as our membership
vows). Like pillars in a building, these are the load -bearing structures of our lives as Christians. We need
them all to hold up our house of faith. We need them all to be an active part of building God’s kingdom.
The good news for us is that the next two months don’t need to just be about stuff —for us as
individuals or for us as the church. Instead of focusing on stuff, we can focus on giving thanks for the many
things God does for us in our lives —life itself, health, monetary resources, etc.. After all, when we look at
the world from God’s perspective, it just might change how we use all this “stuff” God gives us.

Peace,

A “Friend Raiser” to share the story of the Circle of Care
with the Tulsa District churches is scheduled :
November 16, 2008
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
in the Jubilee Hall at Boston Avenue MC.
The night will include entertainment:
Tulsa District Children’s Choir; Tupper the Clown; Hands
of Love Choir ( Asbury special needs children & youth
choir); Boys Ranch; Children's Home; The Rock ‘n Roll
Carnival Worship Band from New Haven MC
Dessert Tasting – each church is asked to provide 3 pans
of one dessert for the dessert tasting; printed copies of the
dessert due October 29, 2008.
Silent Auction – theme basket; wreath; gift certificate or
other items to be auctioned.
Admission: Adults $5; Children Free
Opportunity to win a quilt: donation of $1 or 6 for $5.
Contact Nancy Nelson (492 -9451) or
Ellen Schmidt ( 749-8225 )
Next month - Circle of Care Sunday is December 7!
Bridal Shower
A Bride's Shower, honoring Sarah Ferguson, will be held
on Saturday, November 15, at 7 pm in the church parlor.
Sarah's husband will be returning home from Japan, with
the U.S. Navy. They will be moving and living in
Jacksonville, FL, where he will be stationed.
Sarah is registered at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, William
Sonoma, Linen and Things. They would also enjoy gift
cards from Macy's, Lowe's, Sears, Pottery Barn and
Dillards. Please mark your calendars and join us in this
happy celebration
Jo Jeanne London and Shirley Fretwell
SHUMC Book Club
Tuesday, Nov. 11th, 7:00 pm
Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen is the
Book Club’s selection for November. This
spiritual classic began as a simple request
from one friend to another. Fred
Bratman, a secular journalist and
writer, asked friend and
renowned author Henri Nouwen
to write a book explaining the
spiritual life in terms that he and
his friends could understand,
avoiding theology and technical language.
Nouwen’s answer has become one of the most
cherished books of our era. “All I want to say
to you is, ‘You are the Beloved’.” Nouwen
gives his friend insight into how in the
brokenness of the human state, we can fully
accept being God’s Beloved. The more that
we accept the reality of God’s love for us just
as we are, the freer we are to live joyfully in
each moment.
Join us on Tuesday, November 11th at 7:00
p.m. Whether you have read the book or not,
the discussions are always lively &
interesting.
CHOIR NOTES
Can you believe that it is Christmas
Time already? I know it is hard to believe with
all those pumpkins in the front yard of the
church, but the Choir is already practicing the
Christmas Cantata and are having a “blast”.
Come be a part of the group. We would love
to have you.
Our Christmas Program will be on the 21 st of
December during the morning worship time.
Jessie Feather
Choir Director
WORSHIP NOTES
by Jessie Feather

There are many changes in the Sanctuary during the Holiday Season.

First we have the THANKSGIVING celebration with decorations utilizing the

Pumpkins from the Patch and other places.
THEN: We Change to CHRISTMAS. It is a dramatic change and takes quite a bit of manpower to pull it off…
SO…we will pool our resources and time and make the change a fun one.
On Nov 23rd at 5:00 in the evening we will have a “HANGING OF THE BEANS”. Yes, I
said Beans. Usually you would expect the word “Greens” there, but we are going to have a
CHILI COOKOFF that evening – like a pot luck supper - and then go into the
sanctuary and hang all the greens and remove all the Fall Pumpkins, etc. If you
have a favorite chili recipe that you would like to share, you are asked to bring
your pot of chili to share and come have some fun. We have a great time judging
all the recipes for chili that everyone brings. Some of the pots of chili in the past have been –
“Road Kill Chili” -I think that was from Gary Hamby, Rocky Mountain Surprise – Gil Feather,
Wall Mart Special – Could that have been from Larry Reeder? We also had vegetable chili. Don’t know who
brought that one, and Buffalo Chili. Those are just some of the twelve pots we had last year. I know you have a
good recipe. Also a good title for each pot.

What would Christmas be without POINSETTIAS? Each year the church is decorated with poinsettias that
we order from the Tulsa Area Alumnae Panhellenic. You can buy a poinsettia for $12 each to take home or to
leave at the church. Order blanks will be available at the church and in the newsletter. Order deadline is Nov.
18 th, 2008.

What a great time Christmas is. Come be a part of the Advent, Cantata, and
Christmas program celebrations.

Caring for Creation

by Adriane Jaynes
Proper disposal of Unused Medications:
When we flush meds down drains or send them to landfills, they can make their way into rivers and even
drinking water. The U.S. Geological Service found that more than 80% of sampled rivers tested
positive for meds like antibiotics, birth control hormones, and antidepressants. Trace amounts of
pharmaceuticals end up in our taps (and bottled water, since 40% of bottled is just repackaged
tap water) because most treatment plants are not designed to filter them out.

Next time instead of tossing or flushing your unused medications, take them to the MET's household pollutant
collection. Lucky for us, the next one is coming up!

The MET's next household pollutant collection is November 8-9, 2008 at the Fairgrounds
Items accepted include: household cleaners, pesticides, fertilizers, automotive fluids, cooking oil, batteries, all
fluorescent light bulbs, small ammunition, smoke alarms, aerosol paint, hobby paint, pool chemicals, items
containing mercury and unused or out of date prescription medications.
Items NOT accepted at the event include latex paint, tires, computers, radioactive waste and commercial
waste. To dispose of latex paint, remove the lid and let paint completely dry. Place cans of dry paint next to
regular residential trash for pick up.
 OUTREACH...WHAT A TEAM!
THANK YOU!
With a joyous heart, we congratulate you
and celebrate our accomplishments for our busy
month of October. We were blessed by having our
missionaries, Umba and
Ngoy Kalangwa from
Tanzania, at an evening
dinner meeting and tell
about their work in
Tanzania. Ngoy teaches
ladies a trade so they may
have their own business. Learning to sew, dye
fabric and make beautiful patterns on the fabric.
This is the only way the ladies in their country
have a way of earning money, there are no jobs for
them. Each lady must have a sponsor. They also
have a school for children. Each child must also
have a sponsor. Umba and Ngoy also attended our
early morning prayer warrior group. Umba gave
the most beautiful prayer in Swahili, what a
beautiful language.
THANK YOU, CHAR, for opening your
home to Umba and Ngoy for the night and for
taking them to the airport.
A big THANK YOU to each one of you
that help make our Pumpkin Patch Pizza Lunch a
success. Darlene, Betty C. Donna, Jo Jeanne, for
your delicious dessert and also your help. You too,
Char and Claudia. Next was our Bread for the
World Lunch, Char, Betty C., Deb Stone, Betty T.,
Nicky, Bob and Shirley as the Coffee Man and
Desert Lady and the many others that always come
and give us a hand. You truly are a GREAT
TEAM and we appreciate and THANK YOU for
you service. See you November 3, 5:30 PM.
Your Outreach Committee
Reminder....DON'T FORGET YOU ARE THE
LIGHT OF THE WORLD... SO LET YOUR
LIGHT SHINE.....WE NEED 35 MORE
LIGHTS.....
News from the Pumpkin Patch
With the help of our wonderful congregation and students
from ORU, Asbury, Memorial High and Hale High
Schools we got the patch readied, and pumpkins unloaded
just in time for the patch to open on October 15.
It has been a great year in the patch - with the help
of all of the sales staff (a special thanks to Mike Skaistis
for his one man day) -sales are ahead of last year with just
3 days left for sales. Our sales total as of Tuesday,
October 28 is $13,073.10 . And, we are excited about the
increase in our commission granted from the Pumpkin
Patch (thanks to Linda Sisemore, Jeff made the call and
was granted an increase due to the delay in our delivery of
pumpkins).
We had 146 visitors sign up for the "Great
Pumpkin Giveaway" for the beautiful pumpkin painted by
Jo Jeanne London. We hope to add those names to our
mailing list for the monthly newsletter and inviting those
people and their families to join us for Sunday services.
The pumpkin was won by Peter Castillio. We called him
last Saturday evening after the drawing and he was excited
about his "win". He picked up his pumpkin last Sunday
after church and kept thanking us over and over....his
reason for stopping at the patch in the first place was "just
driving by". We had many customers who registered who
stated they had been coming for years, but the majority
were "just driving by".
We had about 27 pre -schools, schools and
churches sign up for the patch reading, science tent and
play time with approximately
744 children. A very special
thanks to - Shirley and Bob
Fretwell for being there each
day to set up the Care Crows
and the reading and science
tents and to our readers Shirley Fretwell, Betty Tam,
Nancy & Stephen Stodden, Barbara Mishler, Char Stone,
Nancy Nelson, Jo Jeanne London, Gary Hamby and Lyle
Smith. Without them, we would not have had all those
children visiting the patch, and not made so many sales to
their parents on those "story time" days. A few of the
children even brought their parents back to the patch
because of their visit with their schools.
A World of Thanks to All
Sarah Ferguson and Katie Alfred
Frozen Fish
No, I’m not talking about those
great school lunch frozen fish
sticks…I’m talking about the
incoming cold weather and our
FISH program. As I write this,
we’ve just had our first hard freeze…
unfortunately the first of many. And, until
our economy thaws out a bit more, times
will continue to be tough for all of us —but
especially those who are already in need.
That’s where FISH comes in. We can
continue to Furnish Individuals with
Support and Hope (F.I.S.H.) but only with
your help. If you’d like to be a part of this
important program, and share a little warmth
with those in need, simply mark FISH on
your check or call Pastor Jeff to see how you
can give your time to this great program.
We’ll Miss Mississippi,
but Honduras still on Horizon!
Unfortunately, with holiday travel and a
slowing economy, we were not able to
recruit enough missioners to go to
Vancleave this year (we’ll find another way
to support the efforts there), but that doesn’t
mean we’re done with missions altogether.
We have a great start on a group going to
Honduras next Spring Break (so far five of
us have signed up for sure) and need a final
number soon. If you are interested in this
exciting opportunity or have questions about
the trip, please contact Pastor Jeff today!
Thank you to the SHUMC members for their
out pouring of love with prayers, meals,
cards, and visits while I am recuperating
from shoulder surgery to repair a serious
break (right arm too). I fell while walking on
a Riverwalk trail the first day of "Wendy's
Walkers" - please do not let this discourage
any of you from walking with the group.
Hopefully I will join you soon, at least Larry
hopes so.
God Bless Each of You!
Wendy Reeder
Young Adults Gathering Momentum
The young adults are gathering momentum and
will be meeting November 9th and 23 rd this
month. After weeks of travel, sickness, and
general life issues, we are back and getting
stronger. We’d love to welcome you to our great
group of folks. We meet at the Pastor’s house on
the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays of the month for food,
fellowship, and to watch a DVD from Rob Bell’s
Nooma series. Join us starting
November 9 th for this fun group!
Financial Notes
Thank you! Thank you! Jeff and I
want to send our thanks to every
member of this congregation. 2008 has
been a banner year for Southern Hills
UMC. The Trustees have completed over $65,000
of projects to upgrade and beautify our church
facilities (and prepare them for mission) without
creating any outside debt. The Administrative
Council continues to develop new and successful
programs, and the Outreach committee not only
serves needy families that come to the front door of
the church but also those across Oklahoma and to far
reaching places like Honduras, Tanzania, and China.
To make all of this happen each of you has
generously contributed to the success of these
programs making this year’s contributions the
largest in the past twenty years.
In order to build on these programs and move
forward into 2009 we will need your prayerful
support as we begin our Pledge Drive this month.
You will be receiving a letter soon giving a schedule
of events and a detailed review of our outlook for
expenditures in 2009. Again, thanks so much for
your continued support!
Jeff Jaynes Bob Fretwell
Pastor Finance Chair
SERMON RECORDINGS AVAILABLE
If you are unable to attend worship services, if you
missed a Sunday, or if you liked the sermon so much
that you would like to hear it again, you can pick up a
copy in the foyer or request it on your yellow card.
Thanks to Brenda Trammel, Tim Stodden, and Char
Stone for making these recordings available.
Calendar
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6160 S. Lewis Ave. Tulsa, OK
Tulsa, OK 74136
Church School Classes 9:45 a.m. Permit #72
Worship Celebration 11:00 a.m.
Monday Prayer Time 7:00 a.m.
Voice: 918-743-2013
Fax: 918-743-3151
email: shumchurch@shumc-tulsa.com
Rev. Jeff Jaynes -
pastor@shumc-tulsa.com
Linda Sisemore,Editor -
linda.sisemore@shumc-tulsa.com

Our Mission
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Start Your Week With A Prayer
Join the Prayer Team any Monday * Church Conference
morning at 7:00 a.m. to pray for the specific
requests and needs of our church family and * Christmas Shopping with
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enrich your prayer life and to start every week * Hanging of the Beans?
in a spirit-filled way. No special skills
necessary, only a desire to communicate with * Living on a Prayer
God.
See you in the church parlor next Monday!

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and Inviting Others to Come and See.