Tinker Chapel to host fall kickoff Published Aug. 14, 2015 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- To kick off the fall religious education season, the Tinker Chapel will host a party for all base personnel and their families Aug. 30, beginning with services at 10:15 a.m. for Protestant worship and 10:30 a.m. for Catholic Mass. Catholic services will be held in the chapel sanctuary and the Protestants will meet in the Tinker Auditorium. Festivities will begin following worship services at approximately 11:30 a.m. There will be a barbecue with all sorts of foods, bouncy castles and games. "This is definitely a great way to introduce newcomers and anyone else to the chapel," said Chaplain (Maj.) Ralph Elliot. "It's going to be a lot of fun." The kickoff party isn't the only thing on the chapel's calendar. In September, the chapel is hosting a 5K run/2.7K walk in memory of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The theme for this event is "No Greater Love," from John 15:13, which says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." The event will be held at 7 a.m. Sept. 11 and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Chaplain Elliot said the chapel staff hopes to see a large turnout, similar to the "Days of Elijah" run that had 500 participants. There will be T-shirts for the participants and the chaplain's coin will be given away as well. The chapel's Wednesday night Community Suppers returns on Sept. 2. The chapel family prepares meals for members of Team Tinker who want a night out. The goal is support base personnel with friendship, fellowship and food, especially those who have loved ones deployed. For those interested in spiritual growth and education, classes for all ages are available after the supper. A new class begins this year which will cover the history of the Christian church: "The Church's First 1,000 years." The class will be taught by Dr. Gill Sanders. The chapel also hosts a basketball league for those aged 35 and older. The teams are already formed up, but everyone is invited out to cheer on the team. For more information on chapel happenings, call 734-2111.