The Sharing Tree. Southern Hills Christian Church (DOC) PRAYERS FOR THE PASTOR CLASS SHCC ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT IMPORTANT DATES THROUGH HOLY WEEK

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1 Southern Hills Christian Church (DOC) The Sharing Tree Vol: 28 Issue: 7 April 4, 2017 PRAYERS FOR THE PASTOR CLASS Over the course of the past year in Fun and Fellowship, the Pastor s Class has been learning about faith, what it means to be church, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are approaching an exciting time for those in our Pastor s Class. On April 7 and 8 the youth in the Pastor s Class will be taking part in a retreat. The retreat will take place in Lawton, OK. This is a very important part of the Pastor s class. At the retreat, everything that we have been learning starts to come together in meaningful ways. In our faith tradition, we have a long history of setting aside time for prayer and discernment before making an important decision or before important life events. We offer a retreat for the Pastor s Class so that they can set aside SHCC ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT This year we are joining with Bradford Village Retirement Community for our Egg Hunt! The hunt will be from 10:30-11:30 at Bradford Village. There will be a therapy horse to pet and take pictures with. The Easter Bunny will be there too! Our littlest ones through 2nd graders are invited to come hunt eggs, while our 3rd-5th graders will be helping the Bunny deliver cards to the residents! If you would like to help with this event or have any questions, please let Amber know. We will also be collecting Easter candy for the event. You can find the donation box in the gathering area! IMPORTANT DATES THROUGH HOLY WEEK time together to learn, pray and discern their own confession of faith. Our retreat is always the Friday and Saturday before Palm Sunday, because on Palm Sunday the Pastor s Class is invited to come forward and make their public confession of faith. The youth will be baptized on Easter Sunday. As youth take this time for prayer and discernment, we ask that the whole body of Southern Hills would pray for each of the youth by name. This year s Pastor s class includes, Reed Hill, Carter Marshall, Lindsay Morton, and Emily Tomlin. Their respective friends in faith are Mike Morton, Tim Brooks, Norma Bradly, and Mary Hirsch. 4/07 - Pastor s Class Retreat - leaving at 5:30 pm, returning to SHCC Saturday, April 8, 3:30 pm. 4/09 through 4/14 - Walk the Labyrinth in the Chapel, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (See article inside) 4/13 - Maundy Thursday Service - 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary 4/15 - Egg Hunt - 10:30 to 11:30 am at Bradford Village 4/16 - Easter Sunday - Services and Sunday School at regular times 4/17 - Church Office closed

2 CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY EVENTS APRIL SAVE-THE-DATES 7th 8th: Pastor s Class Retreat 9th: Deadline for Camp Registration and Fees 13th: Maundy Thursday Worship 15th: Easter Egg Hunt at Bradford Village 16th: Easter Sunday Worship and Baptisms 23rd: Connections Dinner 5:30 26th: Skate Church Night 5:30-8pm for all Youth and Children 30th: Earth Sunday CAMP Camp registration is open! If you are not registered yet, here s what you need to do: Go to the region s website at and register each child and youth for their appropriate camps. You will then receive forms via . Bring your completed form with the appropriate fees to Amber. I MUST HAVE ALL CAMP REGISTRATION FORMS AND FEES BY SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH! Junior Camp (completed 4th&5th grades) is June Central Discovery Camp (completed 2nd&3rd grades) is June Central Chi Rho Camp is June Oakridge CYF Conference is June Central WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTIVITIES Fun & Fellowship, Pastor s Class and CHAOS are winding down towards the end for the school year! Our last meeting will be on the 26th of April. We will be meeting in the back parking lot because Forgiven Skate Church will be here to put on a demo for us and tell us more about their ministry! We will meet all together Youth and Children from 5:30-8pm. We will have pizza outside. So bring your friends, your boards, your skates, and come for a good time for all! VOLUNTEER NEEDS We have several Teacher and Helper spots we need filled for May, June and July for Youth and Children. All of our curriculum is very user friendly and lays everything out for you step by step. Amber would be more than happy to answer any questions or offer training for anyone who is interested in helping. Sunday school for JourneyLand (Pre K-2nd) Sunday school for Faith Travelers (3rd-5th) Sunday school for Youth (6th-12th) VBS Co-coordinators We are in need of a chair person for the Children s Council and another for the Youth Council. If you are interested in finding out more about these positions please contact Amber for more information. KIDS CORNER EASTER ACTIVITIES This year we are joining with Bradford Village Retirement Community for our Egg Hunt! The hunt will be from 10:30-11:30 at Bradford Village. There will be a therapy horse to pet and take pictures with. The Easter Bunny will be there too! Our littlest ones through 2nd graders are invited to come hunt eggs, while our 3rd-5th graders will be helping the Bunny deliver cards to the residents! If you would like to help with this event or have any questions please let Amber know. We will also be collecting Easter candy for the event. You can find the donation box in the gathering area! HOLY WEEK In both the Palm Sunday and the Easter Sunday worship services, the youth and children will be waving palms, leading the way in to worship, and ushering in our Easter festivities. If you are able, please join us for these services as it will be a wonderful, joyous time!

3 MISSION JAMAICA 2018 Fundraising for the Jamaica Mission 2017 is beginning with the annual Garage Sale on April 22. The location is Floydette Seal s garage 1801 Craig Blvd., Edmond, OK. The Jamaica Mission will be centered at Riverside United Church, Jamaica. If you want to be a part of the Mission Team, we want you! Prepare to take your garage sale items to Floydette s garage. If you need help transporting something, please contact John Gauldin at or Jean Scott Gauldin, jean@southernhillschristian. org. Furniture is always desired, but please no large appliances (refrigerators, etc.) or large televisions. Set up will be on Friday, April 21. Shopping will be all day on Saturday, April 22. Last year we raised approximately $1,100 at the garage sale. This is more than half of the money needed for supplies in our building project, which helped renovate a small building into a kitchen used for a community kitchen and Meals on Feet program Craig Blvd. Your gift to the Easter Offering helps bring life, love and learning through the general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Ministries that receive funding from the Easter Offering include: Global Ministries involving missionaries, interns & volunteers Racial & Ethnic Ministries Disciples Men and Disciples Women, Young Adult, Youth and Family & Children s Ministries Refugee & Immigration Ministries Prison & Jail Affinity Groups Mental Health Initiatives Disciples-led Health & Social Service Projects Congregational Transformation Environmental Stewardship Ministries This special offering transforms gifts into life-changing programs. What a beautiful way to celebrate Easter. Learn more at disciples.org/ga 2017 GENERAL ASSEMBLY July 8-12, Indianapolis, IN Highlights and Features at this Assembly Election of a new General Minister and President Results from the Mission First! pilot project Inspiring Preachers, including Rev. José Morales, Jr., Rev. Dr. Serene Jones (daughter of SHCC's own Joe Jones), and Rev. Virzola Law Learning communities and workshops to resource your congregation for mission. Voting delegates at the 2017 General Assembly will elect the next General Minister and President. Southern Hills Christian Church is entitled to 4 voting delegates. If you are interested in representing Southern Hills at General Assembly, contact Rev. Jenny Wynn.

4 FORGIVEN SKATE CHURCH NIGHT On Wednesday, April 26th, from 5:30-8:00pm in the back parking lot, Forgiven Skate Church will be with us to put on a demonstration and tell us more about their ministry. This is during our normal Fun & Fellowship and CHAOS time, but all are invited! So bring your chairs, blankets, boards, and friends to this exciting event! A little bit about Forgiven Skate Church from their website: Forgiven Skate Team was started in September of 2012 by Charles Steiger. Charles and his kids all shared a love for skateboarding. That love would take them to South Lakes Skate Plaza in OKC, it was there that Charles felt the need to start a bible study. Through a local skate shop, Oklahoma Cheap Skates, Darrin Zdanowski and Charles crossed paths. Together they reached out to the local skate community by sharing the gospel and supporting the skate scene, this is where Forgiven Skate Church began. June 2014 Industrial Skatepark in Norman became Forgiven s home, where they held bi-monthly skate studies. In January of 2015 Industrial moved to Downtown OKC and Forgiven Skate followed. With this change Forgiven was able to move to weekly church services. Since moving to OKC, Forgiven has grown in both size and support. Today Forgiven Skate Church is steered and directed by a very diverse and gifted leadership board lead by Darrin Zdanowski. Together we are building a local Church to evangelize, serve and disciple the Extreme Sports community in the OKC metro area. Forgiven is dedicated to inspiring a relationship with Christ through the Church, skateboarding culture and lifestyle. Our overall purpose and goal is to help the local Extreme Sports community by providing a safe environment where they can grow in their craft, hear about the love of Jesus and be discipled through the local Church. YOUTH NEWS FOOD BANK NIGHT! On Thursday, March 30th, we took 12 youth and adults to the Food Bank for Rock n Box Night. We sang, we danced, and we worked 2,496 pounds of frozen carrots and provided 2,080 meals! Way to go! DISCIPLE MEN Disciple Men will not meet for their monthly breakfast in April. Instead, make plans to attend the Oklahoma Disciple Men s Retreat 2017, April 7 & 8 at Central Christian Camp & Conference Center in Guthrie. Registration forms are available in the Southern Hills front office. DISCIPLE WOMEN Activities for April: Book Group - Monday, April 10, 11:30 am in Boka Keene. Book Selection TBA. Bring your lunch and join us for a lively discussion. YOUTH COUNCIL We are still in need of a chair for the Youth Council. If you are interested in finding out more about this position please contact Amber. SOUP FOR THE SOUL Have you ever seen one of these things? Crocheted from a special yarn, they are wonderful for scrubbing pots and pans--metal, glass,ceramics, or whatever. Great for gifts. Wash in dishwasher. Jenny will teach us how to do this simple project. No experience necessary. Let me know if interested doing this sometime in late April. Men, women, children, all ages invited. Annette Duffy

5 EASTER MEMORIALS In past years, our Easter decorations have included lilies in our sanctuary and gathering areas. These were made possible through contributions made in memory of loved ones. Last year, the Worship Committee suggested having the Easter memorials take on a new meaning by purchasing beautiful perennial plants to repurpose the vegetable garden. Plants selected would attract butterflies and assist pollinators, which are declining in numbers. Our congregation responded generously! It seemed like a sign when, on the work day to install the garden, butterflies appeared to check out what was being planted. Later that day, when a neighborhood child yelled out from her mother s car Look at the flowers, Mom., we realized that more than just bees and butterflies were going to enjoy it! All summer and fall, different plants were blooming as butterflies, bees and even dragonflies came to feed. Children from CDC and the neighborhood visited the garden and Pastor Jenny had several opportunities to visit with them about helping pollinators. This year, plants that didn t survive the early November cold snap will need to be replaced and mulched. So, we invite you to participate again in purchasing Easter memorials for this purpose. Since the butterfly, like the lily, is revered as a meaningful Easter symbol, it seems a perfect way to honor our loved ones. As always, you are welcome to make as many dedications as you like. Look for order forms in the upcoming Sunday bulletins. STATIONS OF THE CROSS An annual ecumenical event, Stations of the Cross, is presented on Good Friday, April 14, 2017, at 12:00 noon. This special time of prayer and meditation is led by the Rev. Dr. Tom Jewell. Several ministers participate in the readings. Jean Scott Gauldin will be helping with one of the stations. The Jesus Wept statue is located across the street to the west of the Murrah Bombing Memorial, 620 N. Harvey in Oklahoma City on the property of St. Joseph Old Cathedral. Please join us! Holy Week Stations of the Cross Good Friday Commemoration April 14, 2017 TO ALL LADIES OF SOUTHERN HILLS Oklahoma Central Area Disciples Women will meet at Southern Hills on Tuesday, April 25th. We encourage all SHCC women to join us as we welcome this group to our church. Registration and Coffee time begins at 9:30 a.m. Program begins at 10 a.m. We will be providing lunch ($8.00) following the program. Reservations should be made through SHCC office. Our speaker for this meeting will be from the state EMT Association. We are requesting that you bring small stuffed animals (larger than beanie babies) for EMSA first responders to give to children when they make a call. Several SHCC ladies have been attending the Central Area Disciples Women meetings and have found them to be very informative and challenging. Save the date--tuesday, April 25th and join us. If you would like to help show our SHCC hospitality, contact Ruby Hunteman or Carolyn Christie.

6 WALK THE LABYRINTH DURING HOLY WEEK During Holy Week, the SHCC labyrinth will be available in the Chapel whenever the church is open (9:00 am to 3:00 pm). We will also have a guided labyrinth walk on Friday, April 14th at 6:30pm. The labyrinth is many things to different people. It is often described as a walking meditation, a place of reflection, a prayer path, or a quiet space. While labyrinths come in many shapes and sizes, they all have one characteristic they are unicursal. This means labyrinths have only one path. The path will wind and turn, but it will take you to the center. This same path will lead you back out of the labyrinth from the center. If you are new to the labyrinth or just want to know more, I recommend visiting this website for more information: org/. Labyrinth designs are ancient. Some of the earliest labyrinth patterns have been found on rock walls and clay tablets dating from thousands of years ago. In medieval times, labyrinths began to be built in Christian churches in Europe. The most famous one surviving today is the labyrinth in the cathedral in the French town of Chartres (see illustration). Today labyrinths are found in many different places hospitals, retreat centers, churches, schools, and many more. Modern labyrinth designers have also creatively expanded the range of labyrinth designs that can be found. The labyrinth experience will be different for each person at each walk. Here I offer some suggestions for you, but feel free to do whatever feels natural to you at the time. Some people dance on the labyrinth; some sit quietly in the center. Most walk the path of the labyrinth. Start at the entrance, walk to the center at your own pace. Spend as much time as you like in the center, then return on the same path to the entrance. When you walk the SHCC labyrinth during Holy Week, you will find written recommendations and suggestions to help you make the most of your labyrinth experience. If walking is difficult for you, we also have finger labyrinths available that can be walked with your finger. Feel free to try both experiences. Some people also find it helpful to journal about their labyrinth experience or share it with another person. As we enter Holy Week, I invite you to walk the labyrinth in light of our Lenten theme of Rewind, Reset, and Renew. Rewind by considering your journey to this place and time your experiences, your interactions, your thoughts, your feelings. Reset by acknowledging those thoughts and feelings that are holding you back, leaving you empty, or causing you pain. Renew in the spirit of Easter with new purpose, new understanding, or new ideas. Be open and ask God to give you insight as you walk the labyrinth. Melissa Powers Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Veriditas EVENING OF LISTENING - ISLAMOPHOBIA Wednesday, April 19, 2017, 6:30-8:00 pm St. Paul's Cathedral, 127 NW 7th, OKC The culture is riddled with misconceptions and fears related to the religion of Islam. Muslims are persecuted in America by people who misunderstand the belief system of Islam. April 19 will be an opportunity to address the fears, learn about Islam, and dialogue about why this is happening. We will also take some time to talk about what actions we can all take to be more understanding of one another. Come and open your heart and mind to our Muslim brothers and sisters. Distinguished Panelists: Dr. Charles Kimball - Presidential Professor and Director Religious Studies Program at OU Imam Dr. Imad Enchassi - Senior Imam and President, Islamic Society of OKC, Chair-Islamic Studies at OCU The Rev. Dr. William Tabbernee - Executive Director, Oklahoma Conference of Churches Moderator: The Very Rev. Justin Lindstrom - Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral

7 Southern Hills Christian Church Location Key: S Sanctuary 3207 South Boulevard April 2017 BK Boka Keene YR Youth Room BV Bradford Village GA Gathering Area Edmond, OK C Chapel FH Fellowship Hall CR Conference Room TR Toddler Room P Parlor WW Worship & Wonder Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2 Camp Sunday 9:00 Traditional Worship (S) 2:00 Windsong Rehearsal (S) 3:30 Communion Service (BV) 3 4 Newsletter Published 6:30 Soultending (C) 7:00 Boy Scouts - Court of Honor 5 Regular Wednesday Schedule 6 7 5:20 - Pastor's Class Retreat leaves SHCC 6:00p DM Retreat (Central Christian Camp in Guthrie) 1 8:30 Leadership Training School (FCC-OKC) 8 12:00p DM Retreat ends 3:30 Pastor's Class Returns 9 Palm Sunday 9:00a Traditional Worship (S) 3:30p Communion Service (BV) 10 11:30a WOW Book Club (BK) 6:00 MNF-Big Theo. Questions (Patriarch) 11 Newsletter Deadline 3:30 Tai Chi (GA) 8:00 Boy Scouts Beading Ceremony 12 Regular Wednesday Schedule 13 Maundy Thursday 7:00 Maundy Thursday Service (S) 14 Good Friday 6:30p Guided Labyrinth walk (C) 15 10:30 - Egg hunt (BV) 16 Easter Sunday 9:00a Traditional Worship (S) 3:30 Communion Service (BV) 17 Church Office Closed 18 10:00 DW Fidelity (P) 1:30p DW Charity (C) 7:00 Caregiver's Support (P) 19 Newsletter Published Regular Wednesday Schedule 20 4:30 Food Co-Op (FH) 21 Drop off Garage Sale Items at Floydette's house. 22 Mission Jamaica Garage Sale (Floydette Seal's Home) 23 9:00a Traditional Worship (S) 12:30p Elder s Mtg (CR) 2:00 Windsong Rehearsal (S) 3:30 Communion Service (BV) 4:00 Leadership Council Mtg (C) 5:30 Connections Dinner (FH) 24 6:00 MNF-Big Theo. Questions (Patriarch) 25 Newsletter Deadline 10:00a DW Central Area Meeting (S) 26 Regular Wednesday Schedule 5:30 - Skate Church No Praise Team Rehearsal 27 1:30 CDC Music Prog (S) 7:00 Stephen Min. (CR Earth Sunday 9:00a Traditional Worship (S) 2:00 Windsong Rehearsal (S) 3:30 Communion Service (BV) Regular Wednesday Schedule 10:00a Wednesday Bible Study (BK) 11:00 Overeater s Anonymous (C) 5:00p Southern Bells Rehearsal (MR) 5:15 Fun & Fellowship (FH) 5:30 Praise Team Rehearsal (S) 7:00 CHAOS Youth Group (YR) 7:00 Choir Rehearsal (S)

8 3207 S. Boulevard Edmond, OK (405) FAX (405) Website: RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Service Times Sunday 9:00 am - Traditional Service Sunday 10:15 am - Sunday School Sunday 11:15 am - Contemporary Service Sunday 3:30 pm - Communion at Bradford Village IMPORTANT DATES 4/09 - Camp Registration Deadline 4/13 - Maundy Thursday Service - 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary 4/15 - Egg Hunt - 10:30 to 11:30 am at Bradford Village 4/16 - Easter Sunday - Regular Schedule 4/17 - Church Office closed 4/18 - DW Fidelity - 10:00 am in the Parlor 4/18 - DW Charity - 1:30 pm in the Chapel 4/18 - Cargiver s Support - 7:00 pm in the Parlor 4/22 - Outreach Garage Sale Craig Blvd. 4/23 - Elder s Meeting, 12:30 pm in the Conference Room 4/23 - Leadership Council Meeting - 4:00 pm in the Chapel 4/23 - Connections Dinner - 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall 4/26 - Skate Church Night 5:30-8pm for all Youth and Children SHCC STAFF Senior Minister: Minister of Congregational Care: Interim Dir. Children s Ministries: Director of Youth Ministries: Choir Director: Contemp. Worship Music Dir: Business Administrator: Dir. of Communications & Tech: Nursery Coordinator: CDC Director: Rev. Jenny Wynn Pastor Jean Scott Gauldin Amber Brooks Amber Brooks Andrea Hanson Jeanise Morton Suellen Caywood Chuck Marshall Valerie White Carolyn Lamiell ATTENDANCE Sunday School 3/26 81 Unified Worship 3/ Sunday School 4/ :00 AM Worship 4/ :15 AM Worship 4/02 57 Total Worship 4/ PRAYERS Dorothy Messenger; Mona Baird; Ann & Dennie Hall; Valerie White; John Wallace; Bryant Rains sister, Stephany; Alice Smith; Maureen Stickel; Billie Jo Spleth; Denise Hill; Howard & Nancy Wise; Joyce Wall; Barb Livingston; Betty Marcha; Kayla McClurg; Christian Millspaugh; Beth Gerardy; Wayne Jennings; Don Wiard; Stephanie Shaw and family; Amber Marcha; Jessica Scott