Dear Friends,
Last week in my reflections on the parable about the fig tree in the vineyard, I invited everyone in our community to encounter the gift of rest that God offers us. Instead of a time to grit our teeth and just work harder, Lent might be a season in which we can look up and see that God loves us even before we complete any task.
Over the past few days and weeks I have heard from many folks in our congregation who are dealing with personal and family struggles such as health challenges and losing loved ones. In most cases people seem to bring them up reluctantly — not because they don’t want to share, but because they see all the big tragedies of the world and don’t want to burden anyone else with things that might seem relatively small to others.
That’s why we need to remember the fruitless fig tree in the vineyard! In the midst of a bustling agricultural business, a fig tree was simply staying firmly rooted – not producing a useful product to be sold. And God loved it anyway.
You might be feeling like a fig tree that’s struggling, maybe not even feeling like your issues belong in the discussion alongside some of the big disasters and challenges that are around us. But you should know that God cares. As a community of God’s people in the world, we care.
Please know that the invitation to rest applies to your heart and spirit as well, not just your body. And rest doesn’t always look like going away to another room or place to be alone. Rest can be laying down a burden or asking a friend or community member to help you carry it.
If you are struggling, please reach out to me or to other members of our Sunnyvale Pres community, anyone you know or with whom you feel comfortable in conversation. We’re here to take care of each other — to offer rest to each other’s souls. And always remember that you can reach out to our Caring ministry staff by emailing Jean Ranck or our Prayer Team.
Wishing you blessed Lenten rest,
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Dear Friends,
Perhaps you are following the daily — or more than daily — updates in the news about the continuing news of Ukraine and the 3+ million refugees who have poured out while the invasion continues to claim more lives within the country. It’s heart-wrenching and feels overwhelming. Many organizations are responding and I want to point to a few ways our denomination is involved.
All of these organizations do great work to make a difference, both in addressing immediate needs and in providing long-term solutions. We are generally not first responders, but our denomination stays in places for the long haul, whether it is helping with development in American urban settings or overseas, providing food distribution along with training in new food production methods, or helping a community recover after a human-made or natural disaster.
All of these needs remain strong regardless of what else is happening in the world and we are grateful for the deep work each of these organizations does and grateful that they take the long view.
I want to share a couple resources Hardy noted previously. To see how Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding to the immediate needs caused by the situation in Ukraine, check out this link. They are already providing for basic needs such as hygiene, diapers, food, and more. And they expect to be linked to this work for a long time.
If you want another way to make a difference, you can add your voice to that of others by signing this petition. The numbers are already outdated, but the needs are growing everyday.
We are a community that prays, so please pray for Ukraine. We are a community that wants to work for peace, so let’s use our voices in the ways we can. We are a community that cares, so let the heaviness we feel in our hearts when we hear the news stir us to both of these actions.
Praying with you,
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Communion Sunday
April 3
A week from this Sunday, we will celebrate communion. If you’re joining us online, remember to have your communion elements — some bread and drink that’s common to your home and household — with you when you connect to Sunday’s livestream worship.
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Did you know that each time we come to the Lord’s Table for Communion that we also have the DipJar in the courtyard to help put food on others’ tables? Dip your credit card to give $5 to Sunnyvale Community Services. Want to give more? Just dip more! This method of giving is the most beneficial way to help SCS purchase needed foods in bulk. Thanks for caring!
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One Great Hour of Sharing
Over 40 years ago, the earthen dam of a nuclear waste disposal pond broke near Church Rock, New Mexico, and dumped tons of solid, radioactive waste and 90 million gallons of acidic and radioactive liquids into the Rio Puerco. The resulting contamination of the land, air and ground water affected nine Navajo municipalities.
The toxic and cumulative effects of this human-caused disaster have impacted the Navajo people for generations — especially in the form of such chronic health problems as asthma as well as a higher incidence of miscarriages, birth defects, and liver and pancreatic cancer. Each year, hundreds of Diné families and their allies come together near the tragic anniversary to pray, to heal, and to act together.
One Great Hour of Sharing connects us with these families through MASE, the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment. MASE’s mission envisions respectful, peaceful communities cherishing a healthy environment.
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Lent & Easter Schedule of Events
Sundays during Lent, March 6–April 3
- 11 a.m. Worship, onsite and online
Holy Week Services, onsite & online
- Palm Sunday, April 10 @ 11 a.m.
- Maundy Thursday, April 14 @ 7:30 p.m.
- Good Friday, April 15 @ 7:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday, April 17
- 6:30 a.m. Sunrise service at Shoreline Park in Mountain View (also livestreamed on Facebook)
- 11 a.m. Traditional service, onsite & online
Use password Lent2022 to access the online Lenten resources.
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CLUE Retreat
Our high school CLUE retreat was rescheduled to a new date because of omicron! Join us this weekend at Westminster Woods for our annual retreat, this year discussing sex and sexuality. Details and sign-ups are available here. Scholarships are available for all. |
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Coffee Volunteers Needed!
Are you ready to have coffee again after the service? With our new policies, coffee can return. But only if we have volunteers! The good news is that the coffee will be made for us (thank you John Ahn!), but we will need two people each week to be a smiling presence and to clean-up afterwards. Sign-ups are online at sunnyvalepres.com/volunteer. Just a heads up — if we don’t have clean-up people on any given week, we will cancel coffee that day, so find a friend and sign-up soon! |
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Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World
Book Study • Wednesday evenings in April • Over Zoom • Sign up
Next month, Marsha Dyslin will lead a book study on Brian McLaren’s book, Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World. Join us to enjoy reading this book and then discussing it together each Wednesday.
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All Singers Invited!
Rehearsal Wednesdays, April 6 & 13 • 7 p.m.
Singing Palm & Easter Sundays, April 10 & 17 • 11 a.m.
Are you eager to sing in worship? Come sing with the Chancel Choir — all voice parts are welcome! Our next rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, April 6 and 13 in the sanctuary. Then we’ll sing during our Palm Sunday and Easter services on April 10 and 17. If you’d like to sing with the choir, please email Andy Aron or Valerie Sterk. (Proof of COVID vaccinations and masking are required.) Come sing in joy and praise with the choir! |
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Easter Egg Dyeing Party
Saturday, April 9 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Trinity Court
Children’s ministry is inviting you and your family to join us for a morning of Easter fun at our Easter Egg Dyeing Party! You bring the hard-boiled eggs — we’ll provide everything else! We will also have plenty of other crafts and activities to entertain your families while waiting for your eggs to dry. There will be a table for decorating plastic eggs for anyone with egg allergies. No registration required, just come join in the fun!
If you’d like to help out as a volunteer for this event, please fill out this quick form. |
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Volunteers Needed to Carry Palms
on Palm Sunday
Would you like to carry a palm in the Palm Sunday processional? All ages are welcome! For more information or to sign up, please email Beth Treitel. |
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Vacation Bible School
VBS is back this summer! Children age 4 to incoming 4th graders are invited on campus to spend the morning learning about God and the ways that we are called to love and serve one another. Come join us for interactive and exciting biblical learning! Click here for more information, including registration or volunteer opportunities. |
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CARAVAN Prayer Partners Needed
After a two-year COVID delay, the annual Youth CARAVAN mission trip is headed to Chicago from July 16–24 to learn about housing segregation. Prayer partners are one of the important components of this ministry. Each trip participant will have a person from the congregation to pray for them before, during and after the trip.
Whether you’ve been a prayer partner in previous years, or it’s new to you, we would love to have you. Please send an email to Youth advisor Elsbeth TeBrake or the Youth ministry with your name and postal address so we can send you more information. Let us know if you would like to be a prayer partner for a specific person or if you’d like us to choose a partner for you. Thank you in advance!
Read more about CARAVAN here. |
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Get Ready for Easter with a Good Book
Lent and Easter books are on the mobile cart in Trinity Court Sundays after 11 a.m. worship. Selections for the season include:
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40-Day Journey with Howard Thurman, edited by Donna Schaper — Inspiring passages from the works of this American author, philosopher, mystic, theologian, educator, civil rights leader, and spiritual advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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40 Days 40 Prayers 40 Words: Lenten Reflections for Everyday Life by Presbyterian minister, former PC(USA) Moderator and author Bruce Reyes-Chow.
- The hands-on Easter Story Cube, which lets kids read the story of Easter as they unfold the cube. Other children’s Easter selections include coloring and activity books.
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Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World by Bruce McLaren has been selected for church-wide discussion Wednesdays in April at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
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Get connected at Sunnyvale Pres! We have weekly and monthly online events for all ages, plus frequent special events on a wide variety of subjects. We’d love to have you join us!
Special Events
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CLUE 2022 Winter Retreat: Conversations about Sex & Sexuality • March 26–27 • Register
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Discipleship Class: Confession of Complicity • Monday, March 28 • 7 p.m. • Zoom
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CARAVAN Student Meeting #2 • Monday, April 4 • 7–8 p.m. • Check the calendar
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Book Study: Brian McLaren’s Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World • Wednesday evenings in April • Over Zoom • Sign up
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Easter Egg Dyeing Party • April 9 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m. • Trinity Court
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Vacation Bible School • June 13–17 • 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. • Info & register
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CARAVAN 2022 • July 16–24 • Chicago • Info
Ongoing Connections
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Bible Study • Sunday mornings • 8:45–10 a.m. • Email
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In-Person and Online Worship • Sunday mornings • 11 a.m. • See usual links in blue box below to connect online • Sign up for child care
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Children’s Church: STARS + BLAST • Sunday mornings • Register
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DipJar to support Sunnyvale Community Services • 1st Sunday • Give in the courtyard or online anytime
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Grief Support Group • 1st Sunday • 1 p.m. • Zoom (passcode: 265200) • Email
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Youth Group: FLASH + CLUE • Sunday evenings • New time starting in April! 6:30–7:45 p.m. for FLASH + CLUE combined • Check the calendar
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Children’s Virtual Small Group (grades 3–5) • Mondays • 6:15–7 p.m. • Over Zoom • Register
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College-Age Small Group • Mondays • 6–7 p.m. • Check the calendar
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Men’s Bible Study • Tuesdays • 6:30–7:30 a.m. • Email
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LGBTQ+ Family and Friends Group • 1st Tuesday • 7 p.m. • Email
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Parent Support Group for Neurodiverse Families: Morning Coffee • 4th Tuesday • 10 a.m.–12 p.m. • Room 702 • Email
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Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group • 4th Tuesday • 11:30 a.m. • Over Zoom • Call 1-800-272-3900
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LOGOS • Wednesdays • 5:30–7:15 p.m. • Email
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The Well (FLASH + CLUE) • Wednesdays • 7:15–8 p.m. • Check the calendar
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JAM (Just a Moment) Parenting Group • 1st & 3rd Wednesdays • 9:30–10:30 a.m. • Over Zoom • Email
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Parent Support Group for Neurodiverse Families: Virtual Coffee • 2nd Wednesday • 9:30–11 a.m. • Email for Zoom link
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MINT (Moments of Intentionality) Parenting Group • 2nd & 4th Wednesdays • 8–9:30 p.m. • Over Zoom • Email
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Prayer Shawl Knitters • 3rd Wednesdays • 7:30–9 p.m. • Over Zoom • Email
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Spice Dinner • 2nd Thursday • 6–8 p.m. • Check the calendar
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Queer Fellowship Group • 3rd Thursday • 7–8:30 p.m. • Email
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Hiking Group • 2nd Saturday • 9 a.m. • Email
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2021–2022 Fiscal YTD Results
February 2022 (month 11).........$K
Church Income....................$1,517
Church Expenses..................$1,558
Church Deficit...................$..(41)
Outreach Grps:PELC/TMS Surplus...$...98
Combined Organization Surplus....$...57
Pledge income for 2022 was strong in February, resulting in year-to-date church income of $1,517K. Church spending continues to run below budget and the church deficit dropped to $(41)K year-to-date. The outreach groups both operated at a surplus in February and The Music School is approaching break-even for the year. The outreach groups’ contributions more than covered the church deficit, resulting in a combined surplus of $57K year-to-date. This is great news and puts us in a solid financial status as we enter the last month of the fiscal year. These results are before the impact of the PPP income of $667K which funded quite a few months of payroll expenses throughout the pandemic, and will give us room to fund several of our key reserves as we close out the year in March.
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In Our Thoughts and Prayers...
- Patsy Duke and Bev Lenihan for health issues
- Ed Ranck and family for the loss of his father, Bill Ranck
- Beth Trietel and family for the loss of her father, Dick Nepstad
- The families and friends of Marline Brodeur and Margaret Lenz who died
Have a prayer request?
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:
- Shared confidentially with the prayer team and pastors only
- Listed in the weekly newsletter
- Shared during prayer time on Sunday
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Join Us Onsite or Online for Worship on Sundays @ 11 a.m.
Zoom Coffee Hour follows.
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If you’re not ready or able to join us in person, you’re invited to join the livestream broadcast of our weekly worship service.
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