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


   Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost    
September 23, 2018    


Our Core Values: 
Spiritual Growth. Welcome. Justice-seeking
                      


                                     
                       

  
 A group of folks gathered last Saturday to participate in a Walk for Water - to support the work of Aid Africa which helps to bring fresh water to people in Uganda by digging wells. See more photos and information below.

Reflection for Worship. . .
 
Faithful Travel
Mark 9:30-37

"Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." (Martin Luther King, Jr.). I am not much of a traveler - I like to see new things and meet new people, but I also grow attached to the routines and the comfort of home. In our text for worship this Sunday we hear a lesson for the disciples about humility, and placing the needs of others ahead of our own needs - service before self-satisfaction is the mark of the faithful. In a reflection entitled "Faithful Travel" we will consider what this lesson means for us as we continue to pack and move to a new leased space in the coming months - how can we serve others, and retain an attitude of humility when we have concerns and worries about ourselves and our community? Sometimes others have let us down or taken advantage of us, so we can be reluctant to care for others with the same attention and energy as we look after ourselves. How will we find the strength and faith to change? Come join us for worship in the chapel at 10AM this Sunday...
                                                                                                Rev. John H Pomeroy
 
Also This Sunday
 
We now have boxes in the church office and in the chapel each Sunday to receive your used and old athletic shoes! Any brand or type may be donated. Once we have filled our two boxes the church school children will drop them off to the local NIKE store where they will be sent to be transformed into playgrounds, running tracks, turf fields, etc. NOTE: any brand of shoe is accepted but they are unable to use sandals, dress shoes, boots or shoes with metal cleats/spikes. Thanks for bringing in your old shoes to be repurposed!!
 
 
Transition Update
 
Our staff and volunteers continue to work faithfully on sorting and packing items to store or take with us when we move to our new location in the coming months. Many thanks to our Music Director Connie Washburn who undertook a project this Summer to sort and catalogue our vast music library in preparation for the move. Our intent is to stay in our current space until the end of December and then begin the process of moving our possessions to a nearby new space in January. We would likely begin worshipping in our new location in February.
 
This past Saturday Marlene Pomeroy, Krysty Leckrone, Randy Vandeventer, Jeff Tyler and Carolyn Olney met with the Trustees and Senior Pastor of another Pasadena church to ask questions and begin to work out the details of a lease for a new space for FCC. Our FCC folks were overwhelmed with the welcome of our prospective hosts - we have a similar theology to them and we will be able to partner with them on some interesting events and outreach projects during the time that we will be leasing space with them. There have been two prior meetings and at each step of this process so far, our needs and their hospitality have been a welcome match. The negotiation process has taken most of the Summer for us to get to this point - yes, church's move with great caution and each step must be discussed with our respective church officers. This latest meeting went well for all concerned and the host church is now in the process of drawing up a lease contract for us to review. Once we receive that draft lease, we will review it with our Church Council, present the information and the location of the church to our congregation in a Forum after worship and request any necessary revisions from our host before the Moderator signs any agreement. As our Bylaws indicate, the Council has the authority to act on behalf of the congregation unless we are selling or purchasing real property, calling a pastor(s) or changing the terms of our investment funds.
 
The Scout Team will continue to look at available properties in the Pasadena area for the foreseeable future, with the support of our Realtor Carl Whidden. The Scout Team will continue to ask the congregation and Council for input as they look at properties in the months ahead. You are also free to send your suggestions to members of the Scout Team or either of our co-pastors. Everyone's input is welcome and important. Many thanks to our Scout Team: Kim Story, Carolyn Olney, Heather Bland, Jeff Tyler, and Randy VanDeventer who, along with our pastors, have taken the time and energy to look at a number of properties and engage in discussion with a number of owners and church leaders in Pasadena this past year. 
 
Save the Dates:
     
Wednesday Sept. 26th - Friends in Deed Jazz on the Green fund-raiser at the historic Green Hotel. Contact Pastor Marlene for further questions. 
 
Saturday Sept. 29th - Fall Association meeting which includes the Ecclesiastical Council for Randy VanDeventer at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (now a UCC Church!!). This is one of the final steps before Randy is cleared for ordination. Let's plan to come and support him. Copies of his ordination paper are available below as a link. 
 
Sunday Oct. 28th Annual Halloween Party and Festivities.
  
Saturday Nov. 3rd Aid Africa Annual Fund-Raiser.
 
Saturday Nov. 4th Pasadena CROP Walk.
 


Worship Leaders 
Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy 
Rev. John H. Pomeroy
 
Liturgist   
Carolyn Olney    
   
Ushers
Judi Tyler
Dana Pell     
Mary Camacho
Jeff Tyler    
 
Pianist & Music Director  
Connie Washburn

Church School Teachers  
Combined class for elementary & youth - teacher are  Grace Rinck/Neva Orr.

Church Nursery (for infants - K)
Jaquelyne Rodriguez/Lachlan Ashenmiller      
 
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.   
 

Nina Kung   
Visit us at:  uccpasadena.org

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
 

     
 
Office Hours
 
  Mon. - Thurs.
 
9 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 . . .  
 
-CD Copies of the Sept. 8th Program
-Walk for Water
-Youth Fall Outreach Activity
-Aid Africa Fall Fundraiser
-Fall Central Association Meeting  
-Apple Pie Day, Pilgrim Pines Camp
 

 
CD Copies of the Sept. 8th Program
 
Nina has made us copies of the Sept. 8th program and they will be available for anyone to pick up starting this Sunday. The suggested donation is $5 for the 80 minute CD. Many thanks to David our audio engineer for taping the event and for Nina for making copies for us! You may also listen to the entire program by using the link on the home page of our church website: uccpasadena.org



Walk for Water
 
About 25 folks from FCC and the community gathered at Montrose Park to hear about the need for clean drinking water in Uganda. We were treated to a demonstration of how Ugandan women carry water home! The event raised $4000 through sponsors and donations related to this walk - that translates into almost three new wells that can be dug! Each well costs $1500 to build and then must be maintained over time. Safe, clean drinking water close to people's homes helps cut down on the time it takes to travel for daily water and also protects women and children from wild animals and strangers in remote and unprotected areas. Many thanks to those who supported this walk. If you would like to read more information about the work of Aid Africa, check out aidafrica.net
 
 
 


Youth Happenings for the Fall - Next Outing is this Saturday at Friends in Deed  

We are planning several outreach outings this Fall for our middle and high school youth. Our hope is to offer two events each month. Please let us know if your youth can attend. The September outings are: 
 
The next youth outreach opportunity in September is a Friends in Deed food pantry sorting to be done on Saturday Sept. 22nd from 9-11 a.m. at Friends in Deed. Pastor Marlene, Neva Orr and Lu Burd will be the adults coordinating this event and onsite with the youth. Upper elementary and youth are welcome to help out- the maximum number of people for this is 10. Please be in touch with Meagan, Neva or Marlene if you wish to attend these events. Your parents will need to drop you off and pick you up.
 
Other outings/projects will include: an athletic shoe drive to repurpose old athletic shoes (see boxes in the church office and chapel for your drop-off), volunteering at Club 21, putting together care packages for Ronald McDonald House, sponsoring a family for the holiday through Friends in Deed, and visiting members of our church. The Youth Outreach Planning Committee is: Lu Burd, Meagan VanDeventer, Jeff Tyler, Neva Orr and Pastor Marlene.
 
In addition we will be holding a Confirmation Class for youth in the 7th grades through high school who are interested. Confirmation is a time for young people to learn about the traditions of the Church and God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, explore their faith, and determine if they would like to be confirmed. Pastor Marlene will be in touch with parents in the next few weeks to find a time for an initial meeting. Parents may also be in touch with Marlene with any questions.
 

Central Association
of the
Southern California Nevada Conference
United Church of Christ
 
Fall Association Meeting
 
Featuring a wonderful 15 minute prelude on their world famous organ, a festival of hymns including the singing of many of the traditional hymns of our faith, and exciting additional events. Also the date of our Moderator Randy VanDeventer's Ecclesiastical Council. See below for a link to his Ordination Paper so you may read in advance. 
 
Saturday, September 29, 2018, registration begins at 8:30 am. Meeting begins at 9:15-10:15 Hymn singing on their great organ.  Business meeting to follow at 10:15.
 
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
540 South Commonwealth Ave.
Los Angeles, CA  90020
 
RSVP
Marcia L. Hoffman, by text at (626) 940-7497 - Cell
 
Cost:
$5 per person for registration
$5 per person for lunch
 
Proposed Amendment to our Bylaws
The Executive Committee, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Church and Ministry, recommends the following amendment to Central Association's Bylaws as section "j" on Page 9 of 11, line 382:   Section IX. Committees, 2. Church and Ministry:
 
(j) Sections of the Committee may meet separately from the Committee of the Whole, on, at most, a quarterly basis, as that Section's workload or agenda may require.  When a Section elects to meet separately from the Committee of the Whole, a written report must be submitted to the Chair of the Committee prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee.  At any meeting of the Committee in which a Section is not present because that Section has or will meet separately in that month, no formal decisions will be made by the Committee.  Any pending votes will carry over to the next meeting of the Committee of the whole.  The quorum for any Sectional meeting shall be a majority of its membership.  The quorum for the Committee of the Whole shall be a majority of its membership.  The quorum for two Sections meeting together shall be a majority of their combined membership.
 
Explanation:  As you may remember at the Fall meeting on Oct. 28, 2017,  this item (paragraph "j") was removed from the bylaws and referred to the Committee on Church & Ministry for rewording.  The above amendment is the result of that referral. 
 
Child care will be provided
 
Randel VanDeventer's Ecclesiastical Council
Ordination Paper Attached
 


Apple Pie Day

Apple Pie Day is coming up at Pilgrim Pines, with an option for an intergenerational weekend camp as well, the 1st weekend in October. Info is on the Pilgrim Pines website http://www.pilgrimpinescamp.org/events.html   

Fall Fun for All Intergenerational Camp 
and Apple Pie Day 2018!
On October 5-7, 2018 Pilgrim Pines will be hosting our  
Fall Fun 4 All event!
 
The event has two different options:
Intergeneratonal (overnight) Camp  begins at 6:00 pm on Friday October 5th and ends after worship on Sunday October 7th (around 11 am). It includes two nights stay at camp on October 5th. Meals included are breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Cost is $95 for adults over 14, $70 for children ages 4-13, and kids 3 and under are free.

Apple Pie Day (One day visit) begins at 9:30 am on Saturday October 6th and ends at 3:00 pm. Lunch and activities are included. Cost is $16 for adults and $12 for children between 4-13. Children 3 and under are free.
For more information and to register, go to   http://www.pilgrimpinescamp.org/events.html 

Aid Africa Fall Fund-Raiser
 
This year FCC will be hosting the annual fund-raiser for Aid Africa on
Saturday Nov. 3rd from 5:00-9:00 p.m. We will be feasting on home-made soups in a hand crafted pottery bowl for dinner. We will also see and hear updates from Uganda and the work of Aid Africa. More details and invitations will be forthcoming but save the date and plan to attend!