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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 |
Fourth Sunday In Lent
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
Our Core Values:
Spiritual Growth. Welcome. Justice-seeking
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March 26, 2017
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We are collecting items to make 10 Spring Baskets to be distributed to Friends in Deed. See article and ideas below. Bring in your items no later than April 2nd.
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Reflections on Sunday Worship . . .
Changing Our Perspective
John 9:1-41
Our text in worship this week is the story of Jesus healing a man who was blind from birth - and the religious authorities refusing to accept this as a sign of God's presence. The Pharisees ask the man who was healed several times about his healing, about his sins, about his condition from birth - they even interview his family! We may be reminded of our reluctance in the church to try new things or approach a problem in a new way; or we may be reminded of a stubborn point of view that we face among our family members or colleagues at work. In a sermon entitled "Changing Our Perspective," we will consider how critical it is for our faith to open our minds and our hearts to new points of view! For example, what if we saw immigrants in our community as sharing with us important information about another part of the world, about our own concerns, and offering us new gifts for our life together? Come join us as we continue to preach using our Lenten book resource Our God Is Undocumented by Ched Myers and Matthew Colwell. Worship begins at 10AM in the Chapel and all are welcome!
-Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Ways to Get Involved!
Saturday March 25th Aid Africa Water Walk -See article below as we meet and carry water and raise awareness and money to support this organization in Uganda which is helping people become more self sufficient.
Friends in Deed Spring Baskets - help us support the distribution of Spring baskets by bringing items to put into 10 baskets. Article below.
FCC Women's College Scholarship - see article below for details and send the application to eligible women in the Pasadena area who are attending a college or trade school!
Deadline is April 15th.
Also this Sunday:
We continue to accept cereal boxes and canned protein to be sent up to the Friends in Deed food pantry.
Our Church Council will meet after coffee hour in the east parlor to look at and approve our financials for the month of February.
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Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Rev Andy Schwiebert
Judi Tyler
Dana Pell
Mary Camacho
Liturgist
Elementary class with Neva Orr/Grace Rinck
in room 232. Youth class with Jeff Tyler in youth room.
Church Nursery (for infants - K)
:
Jaquelyne Rodriguez & 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 heads to the nursery with caregivers and parents.
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Nina Kung
Sermon Podcast:
D
id you miss a worship and want to hear the sermon? 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
Mon. - Thurs.
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Lunch hours:
12:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m.
Tel. # 626.795.0696
Fax # 626.795.0698
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In this Edition...
Pasadena Sanctuary City Discussion
Friends in Deed Spring Baskets
Walk for Water, Mar. 25th
Lamplighters Event
Lenten Small Group on Immigration
Pasadena Area Women's Scholarship
Palm Sunday Festival and Potluck Sunday April 9th
Easter Lilies & Tulips Request Form
Union Station team needs a new member
Women's Legacy Fund Group Update
La Casa de Maria retreat details
Join the Bell Ringers
FCC Women's Scholarship Tea Info and date
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Pasadena Sanctuary City Discussion (Group Members and FCC Friends Invited)
On Monday March 27th at 6:30PM the Pasadena City Council will begin discussion of a policy to make Pasadena a Sanctuary City, meaning it would sever ties with federal Immigration & Customs Enforcement efforts.
Supporters of the policy are asking that we make a strong show of support through our presence. Prior to the city council meeting, at 4PM there is a
rally & concert with grammy-nominated recording artists Aloe Blacc, Cambalache, Los Jornaleros del Norte and others.
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Friends in Deed Spring Baskets
We have been invited to provide 10 baskets to children ages 2-13. FID asked that we include: candy, plastic eggs, small toys and new stuffed animals, Target gift cards of $10-15, etc. Please bring in your items in the next week and our church school children will assemble the baskets on Sunday April 2nd during church school. If you prefer to bring in a donation we will purchase items for you. Just give to Krysty, Neva, Grace or Roberta. Many thanks to teacher Krysty who has purchased the 10 baskets and Easter grass for us! If you can deliver them to Friends in
Deed April 6th or 7th let Pastor Marlene know!
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Walk for Water
Our mission partner Aid Africa is holding their spring fundraiser to educate friends and supporters about those who have to walk miles for their water - and the need for us to offer our support to our brothers and sisters in Northern Uganda. You may walk or sponsor a walker - please see the flyer that is attached to the link below for more information!
Membership Ministry is sponsoring a lunch in the park after the walk - join us for some food and fun.
A Clean Water Fundraiser
to benefit the Water Projects of Aid Africa
at 9am on Saturday, March 25, 2017
11 am picnic in Montrose, CA Click
here for flyer
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Lamplighters Event - "An Evening with Mr Bean"
On
March 25th at 5:00 p.m. at Sue Miele's house, we will enjoy a potluck dinner together and then spend an evening in merry mayhem enjoying some of Mr. Bean's most memorable comic moments. Bring a main dish, salad, or dessert to share. Contact Sue Miele or Bonnie Hughes.
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During Lent: a small group is reflecting on the immigrant experience...
 Immigrants and refugees have been the focus of much of our recent national political debates, policy proposals and executive orders. Our faith is an important resource in the debate about immigration practices and policy. Biblical tradition and Christian history are rich with discussion and clear mandates concerning strangers, aliens and migrant people. We are reading
Our God is Undocumented: Biblical Faith & Immigrant Justice by Matthew Colwell and Ched Myers. Matthew is pastor at Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, and Ched is an author, biblical scholar and activist in Ventura County. This book is a mixture of Biblical reflections on questions concerning immigrants and case studies of local Christian practitioners working for immigrant rights.
Next Dates: Wednesdays March 22 and April 5 & 12 at 7-8:30PM
We plan to visit 2-3 local organizations serving immigrant communities. We visited the Pasadena Community Job Center on
Saturday 3/18 and will visit another site on 4/1, possibly the Filipino Worker Center or the downtown detention facility for immigrants
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Pasadena Area Women's Scholarship
A Pasadena Area Women's Scholarship is available annually in $500 to $1000 increments for any female who is currently enrolled or planning to enroll by Fall, 2017 at a college or trade/technical school at any level. This scholarship is sponsored by FCC Pasadena as part of its community outreach program; however church members are not eligible for selection.
Qualities to be considered by the Scholarship Committee are: goals, grades, financial need, college and/or community service and proximity to achieving degree objectives. Students are expected to enroll in at least nine (9) units per semester at the undergraduate level and at least six (6) units at the graduate or postgraduate level. Applicants must be current residents of the city of Pasadena or adjoining communities OR be enrolled by Fall of 2017 in a Pasadena college, university, technical or trade institution.
Blank printed applications are available in the FCC church office, 464 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, on the church website:
www.uccpasadena.org (click on the icon on the left column on the home page), via email:
fccmonina@gmail.com or click
here. In addition to the application, two references are required, as well as a typed 1-2 page autobiography. If currently attending college or trade/technical school, applicants must submit a photocopy of their transcript. The deadline for submitting applications is April 15, 2017. Scholarship awards will be announced on May 15th and presented on May 20th.
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Palm Sunday Festival and Potluck Sunday April 9th
 This year we are taking our annual Easter Egg hunt and luncheon off-site - to Grant Park (1200 Cordova St,). Our teachers have rented the Picnic Shelter area for us to have a potluck, games, egg hunt and general merriment! It's only 1.6 miles from church (go south on Lake and east on Cordova). Our Membership Committee will be sponsoring the Easter Egg Hunt so bring your baskets. We hope you will wear your
church t-shirt if you have one. See Marlene if you want to buy a shirt for $11. Currently we have youth sizes small (4), medium (3) and large (2), and women's v-neck small (2), and extra large (1). Let's show our church pride by wearing our t-shirts in public!
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Union Station Volunteer Needed
 Cooking and serving a hot meal to persons in need is an important part of the ministry of our church! The Alpha Team needs a new volunteer to cook and clean at Union Station (412 South Raymond) three times a year. We serve the first Monday of the month in January, May and September each year - we begin at 6PM and are usually done by 9PM. If you would like to help us, or know someone who could support this team, please call Nina in the church office at (626) 795-0696.
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Women's Legacy Group Support in 2017
The Women's Legacy Group stems from the Women's Fellowship Group which met for many years in our church. It has historically supported many projects in the church that were important to the women. Now the group is called the Women's Legacy Group and it meets at least once a year to decide how to use their funds to support projects in the church. The coordinators for this year are Cindy Speakman, Bevin Ashenmiller and Barbara Klein. The group met on March 12th and decided to fund the following this year: $3,000 towards the Women's Scholarship Fund, $1,000 set aside for something related to immigration education or support (we will entertain proposals that may come from any group in the church), and $424 to support the Aid African Water Walk. The remaining money after these expenditures is $14,000.
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La Casa de Maria Women's Retreat is On!!
 This is the final call to obtain your spot at the beautiful La Casa de Maria retreat center May 5-7. We need to release our final rooms in the next few weeks. The retreat is a wonderful way to unwind together, reconnect with new and established friends, do some art, have some conversation, do some yoga, walk, listen, pray, take a nap, etc. We have two housing options - a dorm style room with 5 meals for $190 each (one bed left) and a private double room with 5 meals for $265 each. So, if you are interested, please let Marlene know ASAP and give her your $100 non-refundable deposit ASAP!
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Join the Bell Ringers
Attention all folks who enjoy ringing bells! If you are a novice, or a veteran, and wish to join the ringers, please let us know! After the Easter season, our own choir member and director of the Burbank Community Band, Paulette Westphal, will be directing our bell choir in a Sunday of bells. Please contact Paulette or Connie if you are interested or have questions.
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FCC Women's Scholarship Tea
 You are all invited to attend our 2nd annual Women's Scholarship Tea on
Saturday May 20th in the afternoon in our parlors. We will be awarding a scholarship to a local woman (or women) . If you would like to make a donation to this important scholarship fund, please speak to Chairperson Grace Rinck. We awarded three gifts last year to three remarkable women and hope to continue offering support to women pursuing higher education. Mark your calendars now and save the date!!
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