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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 |
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Our Core Values:
Spiritual Growth. Welcome. Justice-seeking
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Friends in Deed Fall Fund-Raiser is coming Wed. Sept. 27th. See article below for details. We have up to 10 supplemented tickets to offer from the Appley Foundation gift (tickets normally $100 are now $50 each). Speak with Pastor Marlene ASAP!!!
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Reflections for Worship . . .
Matthew 18:15-20
Sermon Title: "Conflict resolution in community: from unholy triangulation to face-to-face communication."
What do you do when someone in the community or workplace does or says something that is offensive or hurtful to you? If we are honest with ourselves, the natural tendency is to complain about it to your spouse, or a close friend, or maybe a mutual friend of the person in question, either as a way to "gather allies" or just lash out at the person.
In Matthew 18 we read about Jesus teaching a counter-cultural way which does not involve lashing out as a first step. In other parables and lessons, Jesus calls us to some wildly difficult tasks-- love your enemies?! sell all your possessions and give to the poor?! forgive seven times seventy times?!? But in Matthew 18, he actually offers a VERY practical path to interpersonal conflict resolution. AND YET, it's still a challenge to follow this path! This Sunday we'll reflect on this text as a road map for conflict resolution.
Rev. Andy Schwiebert
Also this Sunday
We are honoring and celebrating Grandparents Day this Sunday in Worship!! Have a grandparent? Bring them to church on Sunday? Have a picture of you and your grandma or grandpa? Send it electronically to Marlene by Saturday, OR bring to church to share. Also, please bring a goody to share for our expanded coffee hour this week - have a favorite baked good that grandma used to make? Have grandpa's favorite cookie recipe? Whip it up and bring it in!!!
Our Fall Church School Class begins this Sunday -
Many thanks to Grace Rinck, Krysty Leckrone, Neva Orr, Roberta White and Jeff Tyler for planning our fall combined class. If we have enough youth on a given Sunday we may opt to have a sermon talk-back time after the sermon with the youth in the
youth room. Otherwise any youth can join the other
children for a combined weekly class.
Hurricane Harvey Relief
We remember and hold in prayer all those affected by Hurricane Harvey. This category 4 hurricane and the winds, rains and flooding have devastated southern Texas. Our UCC denomination is part of a network of responders who are gearing up for immediate
and long-term recovery work. You may contribute through our denomination by going to UCC.ORG and clicking on the
DONATE button associated with the Hurricane Harvey information on the main page. You may also contribute money through our local Pasadena church - make your check out to FCC Pasadena, marked
Hurricane Harvey Relief and we will pass it on to our conference.
The UCC.ORG website also has other ways for us to get involved, including sending money and putting our name on a list for future volunteer opportunities related to rebuilding the area. The UCC Disaster Ministries is offering $250 matching grants to congregations assembling CWS (Church World Service) Emergency Cleanup Buckets. CWS distributed 8,000 buckets for Hurricane Matthew. Other requests (such as hygiene kits and School kits) will be forthcoming in the weeks and months to come. For now, our prayers and monetary offerings are needed and appreciated.
Several Ways to Get More Involved In Your Faith Community:
Join our Church Choir this Fall! First choir practice will be Thursday September 7th. See Connie Washburn for more info.
Join a Union Station meal team - 1-2 folks are needed for Alpha Team (serves January/May/September)
Bring food to church for Friends in Deed food pantry
Join the next Habitat Build.
Learn about becoming more welcoming to immigrants.
Buy a ticket to the Fall Jazz event to support Friends in Deed.
Visit folks who are housebound or recovering.
Contact any of our pastors for more information on how to get involved in any of these! The more we give... the more we receive!
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Worship Leaders
Rev. Andy Schwiebert
Rev. John H. Pomeroy
Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Regina Meyers
Roberta White
Kathie Arscott
Jim Maddox
Liturgist
Grace Torpoco
Pianist
& Music Coordinator
Combined
church school class for children and youth in the youth room - the teachers for this week are Grace Rinck and Krysty Leckrone.
(If we have enough youth, we will have a sermon talk-back time in the youth room after the sermon.)
Church Nursery (for infants - K)
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Jaquelyne Rodriguez/Serena Van.
Nursery opens at 9 :15 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 service 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...
Upcoming Fall Programs
UCC Pastor Stands Up for Justice
Flower Chart
Union Station Team has Openings
Friends In Deed 'Jazz on the Green'
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Upcoming Fall Programs
September Welcome Back Potluck Sept. 17th. Join us, bring a friend AND bring a potluck dish to share! We will mingle, enjoy an art activity, eat and have a chance to catch up with one another after worship in our parlors. Sponsored by Membership Ministry (Tara, Lu, Kevin, Kim and Marlene)
Fundraising Outing on Saturday Sept. 30th
Enjoy an evening of Shakespeare and improv that entertains AND supports the work of My Refuge House. Discounted tickets are available thanks to the Appley Foundation Fund. Speak with Pastor Marlene for details. The reviews for this troupe are amazing - and Joey Bland is one of the members!
Pancake Breakfast on Sunday October 8th -
join us before worship for breakfast!
Annual Halloween Festival and luncheon on Sunday October 22nd - costume contest, spooky crafts and more!
Picnic in the Park on Sunday Oct. 29th - after worship. Sponsored by Membership Ministry
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UCC president supports statements of North Carolina pastor who denounced white supremacy September 06, 2017
A North Carolina minister and descendant of General Robert E. Lee recently resigned as pastor of a UCC congregation because of the attention his remarks against white supremacy and racism have focused on his church, Bethany United Church of Christ near Winston-Salem.
 The General's distant nephew, Robert W. Lee IV,
issued a statement Monday announcing his decision to step down.
In a statement of support, UCC General Minister and President the Rev. John Dorhauer lauded Lee for his courage and his convictions. Here is the text of that statement:
"The United Church of Christ stands in full support of Rev. Rob Lee and the statement he made at the VMA awards. He finds himself in a long line of prophetic voices from our past and present who find the courage of their convictions to speak truth to power in the face of fierce resistance. From abolitionist activists to Civil Rights leaders, from Black Lives Matter advocates to marchers on the streets of Charlottesville, Boston, Phoenix and beyond, the United Church of Christ remains an active agent for justice and racial equity. Rev Rob Lee embodies the best of that. I have spoken directly with Rev. Lee, and communicated to him both my deep pride in the courage he has displayed, and my certain hope that new ministry opportunities will emerge for him on the other side of this. Having spoken with him, it is clear that even his act of resigning was a display of courage as he sought to remove the church from the turmoil that has ensued surrounding his prophetic action. I pray for Rev. Lee, and for all who, like him, do not count the cost of their courage when standing up for justice."
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Flower Chart
We have the following openings to bring flower or "flour" for Sunday worship
(Dates that are open: 9/24, 10/1, 10/22, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10,12/24, 12/31). If sign up and give Nina $40 a beautiful live bouquet will be ordered for you. Or you may opt for the "flour" option which means that your $40 donation will be sent to a local hunger organization in your name and our wheat display will be on the altar. Please let Nina know when you sign up which option you would like.
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Union Station Team Needs Members
One of our primary ongoing outreach activities here at FCC is cooking and serving a monthly Union Station meal; folks at Union Station are participating in a program that helps support them moving from a life off the streets. We have been participating in this effort for several decades now. (many many thanks to Peter and Irene Keller for spearheading and staffing this effort for decades) We thank all of you who have served on a team or have subbed!!
Right now we have need of 2 people on the Alpha Team. This team serves the meal the first Monday in the months of September (THIS COMING MONDAY Sept. 3rd), January and May. Please contact a pastor before Monday if you can sub this coming Monday or wish to join this team.
Many thanks to the 16 folks currently serving on a team:
Barbara Klein/Regina Meyers/Alex Maddox - Alpha Team
Kim Story/Cindy Speakman/Krysty Leckrone/Neva Orr - Bravo Team
Irene Keller/one Cordova-Brookey/Lu Burd/Brian Brandenburg - Charlie Team
Peter Keller/one Rinck/Elizabeth Lanski/Josh Ashenmiller/Jordan Pederson - Delta Team
Many thanks to our Discipleship Ministry for overseeing this outreach activity.
Save the Dates for Upcoming Friends in Deed events:
Annual Fund Raising Event at the Historic Castle Green Hotel featuring the jazz trio performing that evening: Mr. John Pisano, Mr. Gene Bertoncini, and Mr. John Leftwich, Rev. Donna Byrns, recent past Executive Director of Friends in Deed will be one of the three honorees this year. Tickets are $99 each and all proceeds support the work of FID. See article below.
 Friends in Deed is a non-profit that serves the poor and homeless in Pasadena. It is one of our outreach partners that we support through our church both financially and with volunteer hours. FID oversees the Bad Weather Shelter, the Women's Room, the Food Pantry and many other services. Check out their website at
http://friendsindeedpas.org to learn more about their current programs and activities. We are pleased to be in relationship with this fine organization.
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September 27, 2017
Castle Green
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
An evening of live music, cocktail, hors d'oeuvres, and silent auction
We are pleased to have a jazz trio performing, Mr. John Pisano, Mr. Gene Bertoncini, and Mr. John Leftwich. These gentlemen have been bringing jazz to the world for over a half century.
John Pisano is a straight-ahead jazz guitarist who has recorded and toured the globe with artists such as Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Burt Bacharach, Natalie Cole, Peggy Lee (for whom he conducted the Dallas Symphony Orchestra), Diana Krall, Sergio Mendes, Manhattan Transfer, and many others. For more about Mr. Pisano,
visitjohnpisano.com
Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the "Segovia of jazz." An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, and Paul Desmond among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Eydie Gorme. For more about Mr. Bertoncini, visit
genebertoncini.com
John Leftwich is a classical guitarist who has performed with a wide variety of musical luminaries, including Tierney Sutton, Rickie Lee Jones, Chet Baker, Mel Torme, and Hubert Laws. In addition, his music has been featured in commercials, as well as numerous movies.
Tickets available now, click here.
For more information, check out the Jazz page.
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