Real religion means the doing of justice. Real religion means the giving to others every right you claim yourself. Real religion consists in duties of man to man, in feeding the hungry, in clothing the naked, in defending the innocent, and in saying what you believe to be true.  ~Robert Ingersol

There’s an old saying that it’s not a worship service unless an offering is received. At Hope we believe it’s important to take an offering at each worship service, but we don’t believe the offering is for our financial benefit. Instead, Hope gives away the plate offering—not once a month, but every Sunday. We do this so our church might set an example for others.

Each month, we give away ALL of the undesignated funds from our Sunday Offering. The Outreach Committee chooses organizations that support Hope’s mission. Recent Generosity recipients have included:

• BeHeard Movement
• South Tulsa Community House
• The Pencil Box
• Tulsa SPCA
• The Surayya Anne Foundation
• Oklahoma People First

The Order of Service contains a weekly announcement about where the money will go that week. In a typical year, the amount given away is approximately $10,000.

People sometimes ask how the church is financially supported if we give away the plate. We ask members and friends of the church to make an annual pledge of financial support. We encourage people to give to Hope until it feels good.

Hope Church is Partners In Education with MacArthur Elementary School.  We serve the school in various ways, serving as Reading Partners, test proctoring, providing snacks and supplies, and assisting with school celebrations.

Hope’s Feed the Homeless program began in the 1990s.

On the third Saturday of each month members and friends of Hope prepare a hot meal (the menu and recipes developed by a professional chef) for over a hundred people at The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.

A preparation team meets at the church in the afternoon to prepare the meal. We are especially proud of our youth and children who help in this ministry. Once a year we prepare and serve the same meal for an after church luncheon and fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the Feed the Homeless Program.

If you would like to participate in this activity please contact the church office. It is some of the most rewarding work you will ever do.

Monthly Needs

Please keep bringing in donations for the Day Center.

The Day Center has many ongoing needs including:

• Underwear for men and women, including bras
• Socks of all sizes
• Coats
• Tennis Shoes
• Towels
• Long sleeve shirts
• Pants and Jeans
• Sweatpants
• Sweatshirts

Place your donations in the large basket in Fellowship Hall.

When you purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate you are helping small farmers and helping the environment. Oh, and also — it’s delicious!

Always on sale in the Fellowship Hall.

Each Christmas Hope works with one of the local social service agencies (we rely on the agency to identify those in need) to provide help and assistance to those less fortunate. The details change from year to year depending on the needs that are most pressing, but our commitment to helping others remains a constant. Whether it is fulfilling wish lists for teachers at MacArthur Elementary School, providing clothing for children, outfitting a family moving off the street and into an apartment with basic household needs or food for hungry families, the work continues.

If you would like to be a part of this effort you can help by donating money or goods in kind. Announcements appear in Hope’s newsletter about the details of that year’s project. We hope you will be a part of this effort year after year.

As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.“