A Century on South New Haven Avenue
First Adventist Church of Tulsa marked its 100th anniversary in 2015, gathering each Sabbath on the east side of the city at 920 South New Haven Avenue. About 400 members of every age and many ethnic backgrounds now call this congregation home, and the church describes itself as "large enough to serve, yet small enough to care." Members come together to worship, encourage and pray for one another, share meals, and serve the surrounding neighborhood.
The congregation belongs to the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, a mainstream Protestant body of roughly 19 million members that keeps the seventh day as the Sabbath. The Tulsa church centers its week around Saturday, with morning Bible study, a traditional worship service, and a monthly fellowship meal that has welcomed visitors for decades.
Saturday Mornings: Breakfast, Sabbath School, and Worship
The Sabbath at First Tulsa begins early. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. for a light breakfast, then at 9:45 a.m. everyone gathers in the sanctuary for a combined Family Bible Study that opens with singing and prayer. Around 10:00 a.m. the group divides: children head to their graded Sabbath School classes while adults move into discussion groups around the weekly lesson. The Divine Worship Service follows at 11:00 a.m., a traditional format that includes congregational singing, prayer, a children's feature, and a Bible-based sermon from the pastor or a guest speaker. Occasionally the sermon is replaced with a Christian musical program, especially during the Christmas season.
The service blends familiar hymns with contemporary praise songs, accompanied by an electronic keyboard, organ, guitar, or piano. At least one Saturday a month, usually the fourth, the Hospitality Ministry serves a complimentary lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the service for visitors and members alike.
Both the adult Sabbath School discussion and the worship service are broadcast live each week on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel, with archived video available on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and Churchstreaming.tv. Members and friends who are traveling or homebound can stay connected through the same weekly rhythm.
Services in English and Spanish
In addition to the English-language services, a Spanish-speaking congregation also meets in the church. The Hispanic congregation shares the building for its own Sabbath School and worship times, and a Sabbath School class held in Spanish is well-attended and welcomes visitors and new members.
This bilingual character shapes the wider life of the church. Members of different language backgrounds share the same campus, the same cafeteria, and the same potlucks, and children often grow up moving easily between English and Spanish spaces within the congregation.
The School Across the Parking Lot: Tulsa Adventist Academy
Across the parking lot from the sanctuary sits a spacious building that has been home to Tulsa Adventist Academy since the school became part of the church campus. TAA is supported by several Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the Tulsa area and offers Christian education from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The teachers and staff work to cultivate a warm, family-like atmosphere where students can grow academically, spiritually, and socially.
The school offices are reachable at 918-834-1107, and the campus sits at 900 S. New Haven in Tulsa. As an extension of TAA, the academy runs a vegetarian food store in a room of the school building, offering canned and frozen products from Loma Linda, Worthington, Cedar Lake, Morning Star Farms, and other Adventist-friendly brands. The school secretary helps with purchases during office hours, and all proceeds go back into the school.
Children's Ministries: From Beginners to Teens
Each Saturday morning, age-appropriate Sabbath School classes welcome children from newborns through high schoolers. The classes use GraceLink, the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Christ-centered, Bible-based, child-friendly curriculum, and divide learners into seven divisions: Beginners (birth through age 3), Kindergarten (ages 4-6), Primary (ages 7-9, grades 1-4), Juniors (ages 10-11, grades 5-6), Earliteen (ages 12-13, grades 7-8), and Youth (grades 9-12). The church calls these classes "an hour of active learning geared to their stage of development," giving parents the freedom to attend the adult service while children are learning alongside peers their own age.
Older students in the Youth division take on leadership roles within the wider congregation, helping with children's classes, music, and community outreach as they move through high school.
Prayer Ministries Throughout the Week
Prayer is woven into the rhythm of the church beyond the Sabbath. The Prayer Ministries team coordinates several regular touchpoints:
- Daily Prayer Conference Call: Monday through Friday, 6:00 to 6:15 a.m. Callers dial 712-432-0232 with access code 1013047#.
- Oklahoma Prayer Line: Tuesday mornings, 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. Callers dial 605-468-8020 with access code 450698#.
- Midweek Prayer Meeting: Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the chapel, open to anyone who wants to gather and pray.
The ministries also include intercessory prayer, teaching others to pray, and providing prayer and ministry opportunities for the wider church family. Members who cannot attend in person still have a way to join the church's prayer life from home through the daily phone lines.
Helping Neighbors: Community Services on Tuesdays
The First Adventist Church of Tulsa Community Services Center sits on the church campus and is the local expression of Adventist Community Services, a network known for tutoring and mentoring programs, Youth Volunteer Corps, health screenings, inner-city missions, and disaster response. The Tulsa center opens its doors on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to provide clothing and other assistance to those in need.
Volunteers and donations of nonperishable food and clothing are always welcome. Beyond the weekly opening, members of the church have partnered with other area Adventist congregations to staff ministry booths at the Tulsa State Fair, sharing the gospel with fairgoers under the coordination of James Davison and Leatha Hamilton.
Campus Ministries for Local College Students
Pastor Samson Sembeba leads a ministry specifically for students attending colleges and universities around Tulsa. The Campus Ministries team hosts Bible studies, social activities, and outreach opportunities geared toward young adults navigating higher education. Visitors and newcomers are invited to plug into this ministry alongside the pastor and his team, making the church a natural gathering point for Adventist and Adventist-friendly students in the metro area.
Social Ministries: Activities for Men, Women, and Everyone
The Personal Ministries Department plans events that meet the social needs of the church family and the wider Tulsa community. Women's gatherings in past seasons have included a flower arranging workshop and tea party, a prayer breakfast, and a painting party. Men's outings have included a river float trip and football activities. Members of all ages enjoy shared events such as themed get-togethers, chili cook-offs, hikes, and holiday celebrations.
A Hospitality Ministry supports these gatherings and welcomes first-time visitors, while a Health Ministry touches on the Adventist emphasis on whole-person wellness, an outgrowth of the church's teaching that God cares about the way people live, eat, and care for the world around them. Together, these ministries keep the social calendar busy throughout the year.
A New Roof and a Building That Keeps Improving
In early 2022, the church began a long-anticipated roof replacement to put an end to the damaging leaks that had plagued the building. The angled section was replaced first, followed by the flat portions. Members and friends are invited to mark gifts "Roof Fund" to help retire the approximately $80,000 cost of the project, and online giving through Adventist Giving makes the contribution simple. The roof work is one example of how the congregation invests in its building as a long-term home for worship, school, and community service.
Beliefs: A Mainstream Protestant Faith with a Sabbath Heart
First Adventist Church of Tulsa belongs to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, a mainstream Protestant body of approximately 19 million members worldwide and more than one million in North America. Members of the church affirm a Trinity of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are one God. They hold that salvation was made possible when Jesus, the Son, was born in Bethlehem, lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will, was crucified for the sins of the world, and rose again on the third day. After returning to heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Counselor, and the church looks forward to His promised second coming.
Adventists understand that God is concerned with the quality of human life. The way members live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around them is part of His plan. The seventh-day Sabbath is a vital belief: given at creation, observed continuously ever since, and seen in the book of Revelation as a special seal or sign of an ongoing relationship with God. Members do not keep the Sabbath in order to be saved; they keep it as a sign of their relationship with God.
Visiting First Adventist Church of Tulsa
Friendly greeters stand at the entrances on Saturday mornings to help newcomers find classes and restrooms or answer any other questions. There is no dress code at the church. Some members dress in suits or dresses, others wear business casual, and others wear jeans. The only expectation is that visitors come comfortable.
Worship is held in the sanctuary; Sabbath School classes for children and adults take place in adjacent rooms; the Wednesday prayer meeting gathers in the chapel; and the Tuesday Community Services Center operates out of the campus building.
Anyone who wants a personal touchpoint can request a visit from Pastor Sembeba through the online Pastor's Visit Request Form, a way to get to know the pastor before or after a first visit. Tithes and offerings can also be given online through Adventist Giving for those who prefer digital contributions, and the weekly church bulletin is posted online for anyone who wants to see what is coming up.
The church remains a family-oriented community rooted in the Sabbath, and it invites anyone looking for a church home to step into Saturday morning services, grab a plate at the monthly fellowship lunch, and see what it is like to belong.