Starting January 1, our Sunday worship time will begin at 10 am!

With great hope for the church’s future, I am announcing that my time working with Sunnyvale Pres will come to an end on December 31, 2022. What good, faithful, hard, and risky things we’ve done together as God’s church!

I recently reviewed my 2019 cover letter applying to my position here as Director of Youth Ministry, and it was a joy to see the hope and excitement with which it was written. I am proud of the staff, volunteers, and lay leaders who have co-created with me since then. The fruits of that creativity are evident in the ways Youth Ministry thrives, remains resilient, and sustains itself through change. I believe I will leave a program that is stronger, more abundant, more organized, and more inclusive than when I first connected with it. During my tenure here, Youth Ministry has maintained volunteer capacity and student participation, expanded and thrived with new and adjusted programming, and creatively adjusted to a global pandemic — all while preaching about an abundantly loving God.

I remain ever appreciative to my hiring committee — to Bill Coleman, Carol Heath, Keyla Zorzella, and Hardy Kim — for the way they shared their hope for this program with me.

We, the Domske-Giles crew, don’t know what’s next! Please be in prayer for and with us as we look for new housing, as I look for a new job to fill my days, as Dan continues his postdoctoral position at SETI, and as Sagan continues to grow some adorable teeth.

With much love,

Addie (and the Hollenbeck House crew!)

Please join us for worship on Sundays and these community-wide events and celebrations. You should have received a mailing with resources from our friends at A Sanctified Art. (Contact the church office if we missed you!) Devotional booklets (not in the mailing) are available at church or on the church website (use password ADVENT). For daily Advent messages, text SVPC DEVOTIONAL to 51400 or check the church Facebook and Instagram pages.

Please join us at one of two candlelight services for the telling of the Christmas story and traditional Christmas carols. Stay afterward for hot cider and conversation around the fire pit!

5 pm Family-friendly service (in-person only) — Feel free to come dressed as your favorite nativity character (or borrow a costume from us!) for the family-friendly service. To borrow a costume, contact childrens@sunnyvalepres.com in advance, or pick one up on your way in.

8:30 pm traditional Lessons and Carols service (in-person & online) — Bell Choir prelude begins at 8. For those worshipping online, please join us on Zoom afterward for some holiday cheer!

 Check the church website for more information.

Children’s Church has been working hard on monthly service projects to benefit our greater community! Thanks to your donations from the bake sales, in the past two months we have made pet toys for animals rescued by the Anti-Cruelty Society and blankets for Binky Patrol, who gives them to children in need of extra comfort. This month, our children are stuffing stuffed animals to be sent to SAFE (Stuffed Animals For Emergencies), a nonprofit that collects and distributes stuffed toys to children all over the country who have experienced traumatic situations. If you would like to help support Children’s Ministry in our service projects, please support the bake sales on the first Sunday of the month after service. Join us at the next bake sale on December 4 for a sweet holiday treat!

Zoom (passcode: 654321)

If you’re 80 years or older, this is for you! It’s time for our Holiday Senior Coffee on Zoom. Grab your favorite cocoa, coffee, or tea and come spend some time connecting with one another!

On Sunday, December 4, we will be holding a very short congregational meeting immediately after worship to elect Diane Andrews to the position of elder.

Come together with other parents of all ages and enjoy a warm beverage and conversation each month. Our goal is to meet other parents from the church, PELC, and The Music School communities and share stories and community together. All are welcome. Find more details on the website.

Presbyterian Women (PW) invites everyone to the annual Christmas Angel Tea to celebrate the holiday season. Please join us for tea and refreshments and enjoy some special holiday music from the Mountain View High School choir. Cost is $15 — please RSVP here.

Thursday, December 8 • 6 pm • Map • RSVP

All those in their 20s and 30s are invited to the Young Adult Christmas party at the Heath home, 856 Grape Ave., Sunnyvale 94087. Food and fun will be on the agenda and Christmas sweaters are encouraged but not mandatory. Come meet other young adults from the church and feel free to bring a friend!

Please RSVP to let us know you are coming.

Saturday, December 10 • 9 am • Map • RSVP

Attention, Sunnyvale Pres hikers! Our December hike will be at Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose. We’ll meet in the Hacienda entrance parking lot at 21785 Almaden Rd. The hike is a 5.7-mile loop with an elevation gain of 1187 ft and rated moderate difficulty. For more information, to get on the mailing list, or to RSVP, email hiking@sunnyvalepres.com. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, December 11 • 12 pm • Gym • RSVP

Everyone is invited to share in a traditional Christmas dinner with ham (Hardy will be serving!), sides, and of course, pumpkin pie. Do not miss this chance to be together in community as we share food, fun, and laughter. We will also have opportunities to make Advent decorations that will be put up in the narthex during the Advent season.

We need to know how much food to buy so PLEASE RSVP! If you would like to volunteer to help, email Carol Heath.

Sanctuary and Zoom (passcode: 12142022)

If you see the happy decorations of Christmas all around but recognize a sense of loss or hollowness in your own being, come and join us for this Advent service that takes the reality of grief into account and exists to create space for a breadth of life experiences in the midst of the commercial holiday madness. All are invited and I look forward to seeing you there.

Classes run January 10–April 15 • Register

In January our annual confirmation class will begin! All 8th graders and older youth who haven’t participated in a confirmation class yet are welcome to learn more about the Presbyterian Church and what it means to be confirmed as a member of Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. Sign up now.

The Inquiring Minds group will be taking a break during December. Please plan to join us again starting in January on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 7 pm. As a reminder, this is a group of inquiring minds who boldly seek to evolve our faith by being curious, asking questions, and engaging in brave conversations. During our gathering we watch videos, movies, or other media and then have a discussion together. No need to prepare or RSVP. Come and join this small group and find community and safe space to learn and grow together. All are invited! For more information, email Amy McLeod.

Scout Troop 466 member Abhay Chidurala successfully completed his Eagle Scout project which involved restoring and relocating the Sunnyvale Pres campus map. Abhay is a senior at Monta Vista High School and plans to pursue a college education in biological sciences. Outside of school and scouts, which he has been involved in since kindergarten, he enjoys playing the guitar, biking, reading, and spending time with friends. He will be recognized for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in an upcoming Court of Honor ceremony. Troop 466 is sponsored and hosted by the church.

The purpose of the eagle project is to give the scout an opportunity to “plan, develop, and give leadership to others.” Eagle Scout projects are evaluated on the benefit to the organization being served and on the planning and leadership provided by the candidate. Only 6% of all scouts achieve this rank! Congratulations to Abhay and special thanks to Gama Ramirez, the church’s maintenance supervisor, for lending his time and sharing his expertise with Abhay.

Ralph Robinson’s life story, co-authored with his late wife, Maddie, numbers 547 pages and weighs over five pounds. You’d have lots to write about, too, if, like Ralph, you had been born a century ago, in October 1922!

Our Adventure, Life includes tales of Ralph and Maddie's many travels and their life in Sunnyvale, where they moved in 1964, making Sunnyvale Pres their church. The autobiography mirrors a century of dramatic history.

Ralph served in the Army Air Corps in WWII as an advanced flight trainer. He received the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2006 for more than 50 years of contributions to aviation. At Sunnyvale Pres, he was a Chief Pilot of the mock flight at the annual LOGOS Flight Night.

In addition to Ralph’s amazing tales, the Book Sale Cart has selections for your Advent journey. You can also pick up your free coloring page for the adult coloring contest. The contest deadline has been extended to December 11, so there’s still time for you to join in the fun!

To learn more about events for children and youth subscribe to their e-newsletters. Also, check out the Children’s Ministry Facebook page or Youth Ministry’s Instagram or Linktree, or text ‘FLASH’ (Middle School) or ‘CLUE’ (High School) to 51400 for live updates.

Church Income......$ 729

Church Expenses....$ 860

Church Deficit.....$(131)

Outreach Surplus...$ 101

Combined Deficit...$ (30)

Church income in October was strong, resulting in year-to-date church income of $729K. Church spending is at $860K year-to-date, resulting in a church deficit of $(131)K through October of our fiscal year. The outreach groups (PELC and The Music School) continue to operate at a surplus — they are contributing $101K year-to-date, resulting in the combined deficit of $(30)K. As we wrap up our stewardship season for 2023, we remain grateful to all who support our church in so many ways, and thank you for your commitments via pledging for next year. If you have not had an opportunity to make a pledge for 2023, we hope you will consider doing so, to help us plan our programs for the upcoming calendar year.

A memorial service for Hilde DeMarco will be held in our sanctuary and over Zoom on Friday, December 2 at 10 am with a reception following.

In place of the blue prayer cards you filled out on Sundays, please send your prayer requests anytime to prayer@sunnyvalepres.com. Be sure to include whether your request should/can be:

Look for the red banner at the top of our new website (SunnyvalePres.com). Click the white button, “Join online worship & events.”