Dear
SVPC Family,
These are stressful times—not just because of the threat of illness, but because of all the uncertainty too. We are not exactly sure how to stay safe and healthy, how long it will take for many to get back to work, or even when we’ll be able to gather together in community again!
Your leaders on session and staff are working hard to keep us all connected during these socially-distanced times. A
resource that has been helpful for our deliberations comes from the Wisconsin Council of Churches.
One statement from this document that resonated strongly with me was:
“As churches and Christians, wherever we have the ability to aid in...life-saving goals, we have a moral and ethical obligation to do so. This is about loving one's neighbor.” We are called to follow the way of God’s love for us by doing all we can to protect the health of our neighbors.
Amid all the uncertainty of these days, please know this for sure: the leadership of SVPC seeks to live out Christian love by putting the health of
everyone in our community as an essential priority—especially the most vulnerable, whether our members or not. And we will keep working to provide spiritual, emotional, and substantive support to you in ways that are consistent with that priority, even if it means things are strange or awkward at times.
Thank you for your understanding and support, so that we can ALL work together to be the love of God reaching out to the world!
Your partner in ministry,
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Dear friends,
We’ve entered that season of new things—flowers blooming, gardens growing, and lawns that won’t stay cut! I love that as these things grow, so are new friendships at church. Whether at Coffee Hour, a gathering with a pastor, a SPICE Zoom dinner, or via phone calls, people are meeting one another and finding yet more community. I hope you’re choosing to join, and if you find yourself wishing you had people to connect with regularly who share a desire to grow in faith, send a quick email to
Carol Heath, our Director of Community Life. She’d love to help connect you into a small group!
Peace,
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So many of you have commented about Karin’s flowers! The flowers you see next to Karin each week during our online service are lovingly grown and arranged by her neighbor. Her neighbor drops them on Karin’s doorstep on Sunday, rings the bell, and then returns home.
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Thoughts from Rev. Dr. Stephanie Lutz Allen, Parish Associate
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I feel closest to God in a garden or an art museum. Cut off from the latter, I’ve spent many hours in my garden, not just tilling it, but observing and meditating. One source of inspiration during the shutdown has been poetry by African Americans and one in particular, “Lines to a Nasturtium (A lover muses)” by Anne Spencer. She describes the flowers as the beloved of bees and birds, and then compares them to a beautiful brown woman beloved by her unnamed lover. The flowers, the description of the woman and her beloved, all show forth the fingerprint of God. I
posted a reading of the poem in my garden for my friends. Or read the poem yourself
here.
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JOIN US FOR “LIVE” WORSHIP SUNDAYS @ 2 PM
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Watch the livestream broadcast of our weekly worship service on the church
Facebook page or the
SVPC website. Then join us for
coffee hour after the service. Click on the blue or green or orange buttons shown here and on the website.
Would you like to listen to Sunday’s service on your phone?
Follow these instructions on your phone to dial into listen only mode on Zoom:
- Use this phone number: 1-669-900-9128
- Enter this meeting ID followed by #: 668 692 256 #
- Enter # for Participant ID: #
- Enter this password followed by #: 254631#
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Need help accessing worship services or virtual events online?
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PAUL
’
S LETTER TO THE ROMANS
DISCIPLESHIP SERIES RESUMES ONLINE
Wednesdays • June 3, 10, 17, 24 • 7–8 p.m.
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This Discipleship series, taught by Dr. Bill Prior, will resume online beginning June 3. The series focuses on Paul’s perspective on the concept of salvation, the relation between faith and works, the role of God’s grace, the status of Gentiles and Jews, predestination, and the nature of Christian ethics.
In order to attend the class online, please register
here.
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STAFF PROFILE
Everyone, meet
Richard Collins
, Acting Director of Children's Ministry. Richard joined SVPC staff in October 2019.
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Favorite snack or dessert?
Homemade chocolate chip cookies. No wait, hot fudge sundaes. No, homemade apple or cherry pie...
Favorite activity to do at home?
Jigsaw and crossword puzzles, reading, playing fantasy baseball, and watching movies.
Favorite musician/band?
This is even harder than the favorite dessert question. Not to give away my age, but my top choices would be The Beatles, Cat Stevens, David Bowie and Paul Simon.
One superpower?
Healing!
How do you serve at SVPC?
I’ve been a volunteer in the Children’s programs since 1998 and on staff since last fall. I have two grown children who went through SVPC’s Church School, The Music School and LOGOS, two college-age step-daughters who went through those programs plus FLASH and CLUE and worked in SVPC’s child care and at PELC, and hope that my grandson Felix will be able to attend PELC. I hope that all of the children at SVPC will grow up loved and cared for, and will share that love and care with others.
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UPCOMING
“
VIRTUAL
”
EVENTS
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Ongoing Connections
- Sunday mornings, Bible Study • 8:45–10 a.m., Email
- Online Church School • any time, Info
- Mondays/Thursdays, Yoga with Youth Ministry (everyone welcome) • 10 a.m., Info
- Mondays, FLASH (Middle School) Small Group • 7–8:30 p.m., Info
- Mondays, CLUE (High School) Small Group • 7–8:30 p.m., Info
- *NEW* Mondays, FLASH & CLUE DnD Small Group • 7–8:30 p.m., Info
- Tuesdays, Men’s Bible Study • 6:30–7:30 a.m., Email
- *NEW* 1st Tuesday, LGBTQ+ Family and Friends Support Group • 7 p.m., Email
- 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, Parent Support Group Coffees • 10–11 a.m., Email
- Wednesdays, JAM • 2 p.m., Email
- *NEW* Wednesdays in June, Paul’s Letter to the Romans Discipleship Series, • 7–8 p.m., Register
- 3rd Thursdays, Parent Support Group Coffee, • 7:30–8:30 p.m., Email
Special Events
- Tuesday, May 26, Happy Hour with Hardy • 5–6 p.m., Sign up
- Sunday, May 31, Deadline to submit names, photos and milestones for Promotion Sunday, Submit
- *NEW* Wednesday, June 3, Coffee with Karin • 10:30–11:30 a.m., Sign up
- Sunday, June 7, Promotion Sunday • 2 p.m. worship service
- Sunday, June 7, Leadership Nominations Due, Submit
- Sunday, August 16, Wine & Cheese & Documentaries (formerly CARAVAN Sunday) • 6–9 p.m., Info & RSVP
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RESOURCES
This sleek online digital edition lets you thumb through the magazine just like the familiar paper copy. Select the language you want to read the magazine in (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese), and if you like, follow their tutorial on how to navigate the magazine.
PC(USA) Online Store
- Truth and Hope, Essays for a Perilous Age by Walter Brueggemann
- The Pleasure of God, Finding Grace in the Ordinary by J. Ellsworth Kalas
- Tokens of Trust, An Introduction to Christian Belief by Rowan Williams
- A Geography of God, Exploring the Christian Journey by Michael Lindvall
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IN OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS...
- Those who died while serving in the U.S. military
- Those recovering from surgery
- Those who have lost loved ones and are unable to grieve with family
- Those missing weddings, graduations and births
- Those with homeless family members
- Businesses that have had to close permanently
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