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| T O U C H S T O N E - A M i d W e e k B u l l e t i n |
10:00 a.m. FCC Worship in the chapel
Stewardship In-Gathering Sunday
Our Core Values are:
Spiritual Growth. Welcome. Justice-seeking
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November 13, 2016
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| Our youth serve the meal at Union Station. Article below. |
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Reflections on Sunday Worship . . .
The Election and Our In-Gathering
2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13
For a number of persons in our congregation, the election has brought with it strong feelings of anger, fear, anxiety and even despair. When an election so divides a country, we are reminded that over the years and decades of Presidential politics, we have found ourselves on different sides of issues, feeling encouraged and deeply concerned. This church over the years has for the most part been a unified voice for compassion, justice and witness to a welcoming God. We are committed to following Jesus amidst concerns over money, membership and a seemingly unending list of things that need to get done. After an election, the candidate becomes one who will have to govern - to stay in relationship with the people who elected that person to office - pronouncements now have real cost, real consequences and we take the measure of our elected officials for how they bear up under the scrutiny of that collective pressure. Our In-Gathering this Sunday is a celebration of the integrity and strength of our relationship as a community. Our stewardship witnesses, the letters from our Moderator and Co-Pastors, the hard work of our Church Council and our staff are all clear, strong reminders of the presence of a loving, just God among us. Our church is human and imperfect AND at the same time we are a crucial part of this Pasadena community that reminds all of the power of hope and faith. We have accomplished a great deal in our history - and in this year; come join us
Sunday to commit to our collective ministry in the days and weeks ahead, in personal and significant ways, among our neighbors here. Now more than ever we need to be the church in a culture and a country that is showing signs of great strain and hurt. Join us for worship at
10AM in the Chapel where we will collect our pledges, take stock of what it means to be church together and see a new Powerpoint about the cost and scope of our ministry.
-Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Also on Sunday:
Elementary class with Krysty Leckrone teaching and Neva Orr assisting in Room 232. Our youth are invited to work with Pastor Andy in prepping and serving food in the park. See Andy for details.
Sage McLeish will be our guest music director on Sunday on guitar and vocals along with soloist Kim Mendez. Welcome again Sage! James Chavers will be our 3rd Stewardship Witness, focusing on how our church nurtures and guides his faith. See below for link to read the witness of Heather Bland and Krysty Leckrone over the past two weeks. There will be a CHildren's Choir practice following worship with Connie Washburn and the children.
Please plan to bring your pledge envelopes to church on Sunday for our celebratory In-Gathering. We will be handing out colorful glowsticks.
to all households who turn in their pledge cards.
Building for Our Future Forum 11:30-12:30. See below for details on how to help make the use of our building consistent with our values.
Sunday Parking Update:
We are still in negotiations with Fuller about their new policy regarding the spaces under the Fuller overhang on Sundays. At this point you will get ticketed if you park on Sunday. If you receive a ticket please make a copy and give it to Sallie McNair our Building Manager before you pay it. We will let you know if we are able to have continued use of those spaces, but for now, please do not park there - you may park in the Walnut and Los Robles lots, on the street on Oakland, and in the University Lot if it is not chained.
Audio Update - we had issues with our sound system last Sunday and needed to update some equipment this week. Our audio tech David has been working with Building Manager Sallie and we thank you for your patience as we replace and update equipment.
Christmas Tree Purchase Benefits Friends in Deed
St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Altadena is having their annual Christmas Tree lot. All proceeds benefit Friends in Deed. The deadline for purchasing a tree is November 14th. Click here for details.
Looking Outward - Opportunities to Serve:
The Food Pantry at Friends in Deed is ALWAYS in need of food - especially cereal and canned protein. If you bring in your items any week we will get them up to them for you! The church school children have a donation box in the office for your items.
In addition, we are collecting men's clothes and shoes for men who are being discharged from County USC hospital. Over 80 patients each month are discharged and do not have clothes to wear. Sturdy shoes and pants are especially needed. Please bring your items to the church office and Dr. Laura Kalayjian will take them in for us. Thanks so much! Click here for more info.
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Worship Leaders:
Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Rev. Andrew Schwiebert
Kathie Arscott
Jeff Levison
Elementary class with Krysty Leckrone teaching and Neva Orr assisting in Room 232. Youth class with Pastor Schwiebert will be prepping for the (a)Spire Meal in the Park.
Church Nursery (for infants - K)
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Mrs. Phillips, Jaquelyne Rodriguez, and Serena Van.
Nursery opens at 9 a.m. for early birds and then everyone comes to worship at 10:00 and stays through the Children's Time and then children return to the nursery.
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Nina Kung
Sermon Podcast:
D
id you miss the gospel or homily? Please visit uccpasadena.org and select 'podcasts' from the menu on top of the home page or click below
http://uccpasadena.podomatic.com/
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday - Thursday
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
We close at lunch
12 - 1:30 p.m.
Tel. # 626.795.0696
Fax # 626.795.0698
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What is Highlighted in this Touchstone?
-Stewardship Sunday
-Building for our Future
-Upcoming (a)Spire Events
-Andy Schwiebert's upcoming sabbatical
-Aid Africa Fall Fund Raiser
Work on our Building Continues
-Annual Thanksgiving Feast
-FCC Youth Serve Meal at Union Station
-CROP Walk
-FCC Collects 16 Back Packs for Refugee Children
-6 FCC Folks Attend "Meet Your Muslims Neighbors"
Event
-You are invited to go to Uganda July 2017
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STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY - - - "GO AND DO THE SAME"
Bring your pledge cards to worship this Sunday the 13th or mail into the office.
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Building For Our Future?!
Two weeks ago Church Council presented a wonderful Forum with 20 folks who came together to evaluate our present church programs and groups using the values in our Vision Statement. This Sunday,
November 13th from 11:30AM to 12:30PM, we will look at how other church buildings and our own FCC building match up with our values! Successful organizations are ones that live out their values in their work and their production; we have been offering an inclusive, faithful, justice seeking community in Pasadena for years...how does our building reflect who we are and what we do? What would it look like for a building to be welcoming, to support spiritual growth, and to support our work for social justice? We will look at some examples of churches around the country that live out their mission through their buildings - and evaluate how our facility measures up to what we do with our ministry. Come join us for this helpful and engaging inventory!
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Aspire Upcoming Events
In late September Aspire made the decision to close its ministries this Fall. Our final event will be a Meal in the Park on
Sunday 11/13 at 12:30-2PM. We will also briefly celebrate Aspire in FCC worship at 10AM
on
Sunday 11/20. Join us if you can. Finally, Andy and his Pastoral Relations Committee (Carolyn Olney, Kim Story & Claire Richardson) will be completing a report to FCC summarizing learnings from Aspire, based on the responses to a survey distributed to both Aspire participants and FCC active supporters. We are grateful for this ministry and to all those in FCC who have faithfully supported its growth and development over the past 6 years.
Pastor Andy to Begin Sabbatical (Part 2)
It is our practice for pastors to receive a sabbatical after every 5 years of service for renewal, replenishment and education. Pastor Schwiebert took the first half of his sabbatical in the spring and saved the second half for the fall. Pastor Andy will return to work after the new year and resume his duties half-time in the areas of youth, outreach, and emergent non-traditional ministry among us. Here is his update:
On Monday November 21st I will begin the 2nd half of my 12 week sabbatical. For this piece of the sabbatical I plan to visit several other innovative and thriving church
es both locally, out of LA and out of state. I will also go on retreat to discern professional development goals for 2017, and enjoy my time with the family at the holidays. I return to FCC on
1/2/17
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Upcoming Youth Events
On
Sunday 11/13 during the church school hour youth are invited to help prepare meals that will be served in the park by Aspire at
12:30PM.
On Friday 12/23
Youth are invited to join visits to long term FCC members and friends, to bring some Christmas love and build inter-generational relationships.
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AID AFRICA FALL CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER
NOVEMBER 13, 2016, 5PM
JOIN US!
Click here for the flyer
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Thank you from Irene Phillips
Thank you so much for the love, wishes, presents, and cards on my birthday. I appreciate it very much and it makes me very happy. I am very blessed. With lots of love, Irene
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Work On Our Building Continues
This past summer our Church Council commissioned an inspection of our building to learn from a professional about the condition of our building. Our Building Ministry and Building Manager then looked carefully through the 70 page report to prioritize work that needs to be done and seek bids for those projects. With the inspection, report, summary and bids now nearly complete, the Church Council has asked a sub-committee to bring back a proposal for funding these upcoming, necessary projects. In the next week or so, the Council will send a letter to the congregation with a proposal for funding this work on our building, a date for a Forum on this proposal, and a date for a Special Meeting of the congregation to vote on any proposed funding. Many thanks to our Building Manager, Sallie McNair, our Building Ministry (Jeff Tyler, Chris Herb, Bob Rinck, Brian Weltman), Rev. Marlene Pomeroy, Moderator Elizabeth Lanski, Investment Chair Don Hughes and the members of Church Council for helping us to act responsibly and faithfully with our building.
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Small Group Addressing Racism Begins
On
Thursday November 17th from 6:30-8:30PM we are beginning a small group discussion of the book
Waking Up White by Debby Irving. We will meet at the Pomeroys (call the office for the address and PLEASE let us know you are attending) and a light supper will be served. We will explore together a couple of discussion questions from the first two sections of the book (thru page 60) - this is not a critique of the book but an opportunity to share about our own life experiences and learnings that may support our ideas and practices of racism, white privilege and white superiority. We will start and end on time - and we have room for 3-4 more persons - let Nina know in the office if you plan to attend and have not been part of the original email chain.
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YOU ARE INVITED TO THE FCC ANNUAL THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
You, your family and friends are invited to attend the annual FCC Thanksgiving Feast in the church parlors on
Sunday, November 20
at 11:45 am. For over forty years FCC has held a Thanksgiving Feast for our church community, on the Sunday prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, following our worship service and coffee time. We serve a turkey dinner, with stuffing, gravy, rolls, cranberries and beverages. The complete the meal please bring a vegetable, salad or dessert to serve 8. Ken Biery will be taking reservations and signups for food after church on this Sunday. You can also make a reservation with Nina in the church office. Many thanks to Roberta White for all your work helping to organize and set up this grand feast!
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FCC Youth Serve Meal at Union Station
This Monday November 7th 4 FCC young people prepared and served a meal to the homeless at Union Station Homeless Services, with the help of a few adults. The young people were able to catch up with each other and get reacquainted, all while serving a meal to 50 folks.
The next opportunity to serve will be this
coming Sunday 11/13, helping Aspire prepare meals (during the church school hour) for homeless folks in Memorial park.
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CROP WALK
Our FCC group raised $1,240 and joined many other groups in raising $31,000
toward hunger relief! Thanks to all who pledged and walked. Thank you: John ,Wesley, Roberta, Sue, Jake, Marlene, Peter, Irene, Brady and Roo who walked on our behalf.
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FCC Collects 16 Backpacks for Refugee Children
 Over the past few weeks FCC has collected backpacks that were donated to the Unaccompanied Central American Refugee Empowerment (UCARE) coalition. These backpacks were filled with school supplies and basic hygiene items (e.g. toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, combs, hair ties etc). In total, we were able to collect about 16 backpacks full of supplies. Guillermo Torres said, "Thanks so much for these backpacks!! We will get them to refugee children who need them. Each time we deliver them, the faces on these kids light up-- many of them have never received a gift like this. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity."
Discipleship Ministry promoted this backpack drive and is discussing next steps, including the possibility of in some way sponsoring the refugee family who came to speak after worship on 10/23.
6 FCC folks attend "Meet your Muslim Neighbors" Event
This past
Sunday evening, 6 FCC folks attended a special "Meet your Muslim Neighbors" event at the nearby Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church. We were spread out across 3 different tables where we enjoyed conversations with 2nd generation Muslim-American college students, recent Syrian refugee families, American Muslim converts. John and Wesley Gamber-Thompson sat next to Congresswoman Judy Chu for dinner and Elizabeth Lanski sat with the refugee family and their translator. Andy, Allison and Kaira made connections with two college women who volunteer for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). We each met members of Neighborhood UU and others from the surrounding community. We will report back to Discipleship Ministry as we discern what next steps we might take in educating ourselves and our community about our Muslim neighbors and their needs.
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You are Invited to go to Uganda July 2017!
 We are offering a trip for one FCC/(s)Spire member to travel to Uganda with Aid Africa next summer. You will see beautiful Uganda, meet the amazing Aid Africa staff and participate in their projects in the rural communities; visit the source of the Nile, go on a safari through a national park, and enjoy scenic side trips to waterfalls and local shopping. We sent Meagan VanDeventer on the tour last summer and she had a wonderful time. Ask her to tell you all about it.
If you are a member of our church
(male or female) you are already eligible to take advantage of this great opportunity.
The Women's Legacy Fund Aid Africa Uganda Trip Fellowship provides $2,650 toward the cost of the trip.
A short Application should be submitted by January 15, 2017. Additional information about the trip, what you'll need and other costs can be found in the soon-to-be-updated Travel Brochure and the Visitors & Volunteers Tour Guide. If you have any questions about Aid Africa or this opportunity to travel to Uganda, ask Peter Keller, Irene Keller, Meagan VanDeventer. or Elizabeth Lanski.
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