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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 |
Easter Sunday
Our Core Values:
Spiritual Growth. Welcome. Justice-seeking
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April 16, 2017
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Reflections on Holy Week Worship . . .
Matthew Chapter 26 (Maundy Thursday) and
Matthew 28:1-10 (Easter)
Please join us for our services during Holy Week. We will be gathering on Thursday April 13th for our Maundy Thursday Soup Supper and worship. Soup is served starting at 6:00 p.m. in our parlors (bring healthy nibble food if you are not bringing soup!). Our choir will slip away and practice at 6:30 and then worship will begin at 7:00 p.m. We will worship in our Chancel/Choir loft area of our sanctuary by gathering around a table together. With music from the oboe, piano and our choir, we will hear the story from Matthew's Gospel of the night before Jesus was crucified. We will sing together, listen to the story and partake in the Last Supper in commemoration of Jesus.
On Sunday April 16th we will gather at 10:00 a.m. for our Easter service of joyful celebration! Each Gospel has a different version of the Easter story and we will be hearing Matthew's account this year, which includes an earthquake, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and angel and guards who tremble at the power of God to resurrect! Easter is fantastic and fantastical and we will explore again how we are called to celebrate and live as God's Easter People!! Musically, our Music Director Connie Washburn has planned glorious music that will include the organ, a flute, piano and our choir! Come and raise your voice with others as we sing Alleluia, Christ has Risen! Rev. Marlene Pomeroy will be bringing us the message and Rev. Andrew Schwiebert will be officiating at Communion. All are welcome! Hope to celebrate Easter with you on Sunday.
Also on Sunday
:
 Please plan to come early with a flower or two to adorn our "living cross." It will be assembled in our narthex area between 9-9:45. Also, note that we
do
have a children's nursery on Easter for younger children (up through 1st grade), but we
do not
have church school so that our teachers can enjoy worship; older children and youth are invited to stay in worship with their families. We will have worship packets for younger children with items for children to explore during worship. We will celebrate Communion together and there will be an envelope for you to give use to give the church an Easter offering. All Easter offering money will be used for general ministries of our church which includes programming and outreach.
Good Friday Service - you are invited to attend a local Good Friday Service at the Altadena Community Church (UCC) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with readings and chantings from the Taize community.
-Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Yahweh's Yard Sale and Coffee Drive!
On Sunday April 23rd (the Sunday after Easter) we will have an expanded coffee hour which will allow us to have another Yahweh's Yard Sale and Coffee Drive. How does it work? YOU scour your closets and garage for amazing items that you want to get rid of. You bring them to church and set up on the table and price them. If they sell, the proceeds go to the church general fund! Our suggestion is to bring just 1-2 items that will fetch between $25-$75. You are responsible for setting up and cleaning up your lovelies. Last time several folks were very happy with their new items.
The Coffee Drive is our semi-annual drive for you to either bring coffee (decaf or regular - must be fair-trade), buy bags from our Peace and Justice Table, OR make a donation and we will purchase coffee for you!
Ways to Get Involved!
FCC Women's College Scholarship - final week to submit an application.
Deadline is April 15th.
Join a Union Station meal team - contact the church office or speak with a pastor.
Join our newly re-formed Bell Choir - speak with Connie Washburn.
We continue to accept cereal boxes and canned protein to be sent up to the Friends in Deed food pantry.
Many Thanks!
Thanks to everyone's generosity we were able to put together 12 Spring Baskets to deliver to Friends in Deed! Many thanks to our children who assembled the baskets and all of you who brought in goodies and gift cards for the baskets.
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Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Rev. Andy Schwiebert
Sandy Biehler
Robert Rinck
Kevin Cordova-Brookey
Liturgist
There is no church school on Easter. Younger children may go to the nursery after the Children's Time.
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...
Yahweh's Yard Sale and Coffee Drive
Pasadena Area Women's Scholarship
An Interfaith Day of Prophetic Action....April 13th
Maundy Thursday Potluck and Service/Easter Worship
Looking ahead
Update on 1st Quarter Giving at FCC
FCC Youth Sign for Summer Camp/ Camp
Information for elementary age youth and special needs adults
Sanctuary Sabbath 4/30
La Casa de Maria retreat details
FCC Women's Scholarship Tea Info and date
Palm Sunday Pictures at Grant Park
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Pasadena Area Women's Scholarship - final week to apply!
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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An Interfaith Day of Prophetic Action Standing with Immigrant and Refugee Families, April 13th
Join faith, community, immigrant and civil rights, worker and labor leaders on Passover and Maundy Thursday--a special and holy time of year for many people--as we gather in sacred resistance to tell ICE to stop tearing families apart!
Gather at La Placita Olvera, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. We will March to another location for an interfaith ritual action in observance of the traditions of Passover, Maundy Thursday, and other participating faiths. RSVP at bit.ly/sraction4-13
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Our Central Association Spring Meeting will be held on Saturday April 29th at the Altadena Community Church. It will feature a celebration of youth who attended the National Youth Event last summer (we sent youth with Pastor Andy), and a presentation on how churches can respond and work together to resist immigration deportations and support families who are split apart by deportation. Pastor Schwiebert will be the key presenter on the presentation on youth and immigration. Click on this link for more information and to register to attend and for lunch and childcare
http://www.scncucc.org/voices
Pastors and two delegates from each church are expected to attend each association meeting. Any other guests are encouraged to attend and stay in touch with the work of the wider UCC.
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Update on 1st Quarter Giving to FCC
Our bookkeeper Celina informs us that we are
on track
at the end of our first quarter of giving for 2017 - way to go!! Thank you to all pledgers and regular givers who have kept up with their giving; it allows us to pay our bills and keep up with our schedule of outreach giving. Celina will send out a statement at the halfway mark (June). If you wish to reach her before that you may email her at
cmchugh.fcc@gmail.com She normally works two days a week - check with Nina for her weekly schedule if you want to speak with her by phone about your giving.
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FCC Youth: Sign Up for Pilgrim Pines Summer Camp
Any junior high (6th grade thru 8th) or senior high (9th thru graduating 12th) who are interested in more information about attending, please contact Andy Schwiebert. We are organizing a group to go, most likely the 2nd week of July (though the 1st week is also a possibility). See the brochure here.
 We are hoping to start a new tradition of young children and special needs adults attending Pilgrim Pines Camp the same week. Pastor Andy is working with our youth to decide if there is interest in either Week 1 (July 2-8) or Week 2 (July 9-15) at Pilgrim Pines. Andy is interested in volunteering to be at camp all week and we hope that many of our children, youth and special needs adults can all attend the same week! There are camps for those entering 1st-3th grade, 3rd-6th grade, 7th and 8th grade, 9th-H.S. graduate, and Pinesters camp for adults with special needs ages 26 and up the first two weeks. Please check out the information on the link listed below and think about attending. The cost is between $435-$475 depending on the ratios. We may also need drivers to drop off and pick up campers at the beginning and end of the week. Pilgrim Pines is now mostly volunteer run for the four weeks of summer camp so if you wish to volunteer, check out the information on the website as well. Now is the time to start signing up with friends to get your preferred spot!
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FCC was invited by CLUE and other community organizations to take part in the upcoming Sanctuary Sabbath, a weekend to focus on how we might faithfully live out the biblical tradition of offering safety and protection to those facing persecution or being unjustly accused of a crime. We will host a guest speaker from the Pasadena Community Job Center who will share testimony about challenges facing immigrants. Between 7-12 congregations across Pasadena will take part.
That Sunday 4/30, after worship we will also hear a presentation on Sanctuary by Rev. Andy Schwiebert and then have a conversation with one another about options for sanctuary and have dialogue with Rev. Ken Heintzelman at Shadow Rock UCC in Phoenix, Arizona online.
Rev. Ken Heintzelman is pastor at Shadow Rock UCC in Phoenix, Arizona. On Sunday 4/30 after our FCC worship at 11:30-12:30 he will join us electronically by google chat to talk and answer questions about his congregation hosting several people in sanctuary with orders of deportation over the past few years.
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La Casa de Maria Women's Retreat is On!!
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Last year's Participants at La Casa
de Maria
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This is the final call to obtain the last 2 spots at the beautiful La Casa de Maria retreat center May 5-7. We need to release our final rooms in the next few weeks. So, if you are interested, please let Marlene know ASAP and give her your $100 non-refundable deposit ASAP!
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FCC Women's Scholarship Tea
 Save the date for 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. Through this scholarship we continue offering support to women pursuing higher education.
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PALM SUNDAY at GRANT PARK!!!
  
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