News SEPTEMBER 2019

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

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Church Events

Peace and Global Witness Special Offering

In October we will be collecting the Special Offering for Peace and Global Witness on Worldwide Communion Sunday. Within our de-nomination September 1-October 6th is noted as the Season of Peace. The hope is that we as a congregation will delve into issues that help us to be peacemakers in our world through education and exposure to issues that challenge our brothers and sisters.

The Peace and Global Witness Offering builds on the Presbyterian commitment to Peacemaking established in 1980. 25% of the offering stays in our community to support programs in our area. 25% will go to the Presbytery for a wider reach and 50% will sup-port the work of peace and reconciliation being done by Presbyteri-ans across the globe. To see your dollars at work in the world check out Presbyterian World Mission site

Our 25% will go to Linn Co. Rapid Response Coalition. A group of community members working with Immigration Counseling Ser-vices to provide low cost immigration legal services for community members seeking legal status. There will be an informational event Sun. Sept. 29th after church for those in the congregation that would like to know more about these efforts.

We are asked repeatedly to help here, help there and that can begin to feel like an obligation or a duty. Change that mindset to “an invitation”, think of it as an invitation to be part of God’s work in the world. On Worldwide Communion we are joined by believers around the world to remember Christ and his call to help the bro-ken, hurting and survivors of violence, Advocating for God’s justice.

September 4—Choir Rehearsal

resumes on Wednesdays @ 7:00 PM

September 6—Mission Sewing, 9 AM

September 6—Don Wimer, Celebration

of Life at 2:00 PM

September 8—Fall Kick-Off with

Blessing of the Backpacks during

worship, Godly Play & Lunch

September 9 & 23—Theology on Tap,

Meet @ Rogue Farms

September 9—Margaret Berger

Celebration of Life, 11 AM

September 11 & 25, Early Risers meet

@ 7 AM at Sweet Waters

September 15—Session Meeting

September 17—Fish Board Meeting

September 20—Book Study Begins on

Fridays, 10 AM

September24—Fly Fishing Meeting,

Round Room @6:30 PM (Steve S.)

September 28—Laudare Concert with

Amy Isted, 4:00 PM

Welcome Sara Staton

Minister to Children and Families

For the last three years, Rev. Sara Staton has been volunteering as coordinator for UPC’s growing children’s ministry. UPC’s and Sara’s mutual readiness, along with some special funding, has now allowed Sara to begin serving part time as Minister to Chil-dren and Families.

As Minister to Children and Families, Sara will continue doing what she has been faithfully doing—building healthy relation-ships with children and their families, and encouraging them in their spiritual growth through education, fellowship, fun, and service. This includes Godly Play, Vacation Bible School, worship leadership, and other programs.

Sara received her Master of Divinity from the University of Chica-go and was ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 2006. She served as the Pastor of Youth and Families for 6 years at First Christian Church of Albany.

Sara accepted a new call as a Pastor of the Playground (stay at home mom) after the birth of her 2nd child. During this time, her family found a home at UPC. She has been loved by this congregation since she was a child, was baptized here, and finds deep joy in providing a place for other children to encounter God’s big story in this worship community. She is delighted to officially join the staff at UPC, and is dedicat-ed to continuing to create opportunities for children and families to grow in their faith.

A big thank you to Rev.

Sara Staton and her

fantastic crew of help-

ers. It was a fun week

full of joyful happen-

ings and “Walking

with Jesus” as they

learned about the land

and people where he

lived.

Blessing of the Backpacks

Sunday, September 8

In worship on September 8th we will "Bless the Back-packs," which means asking God to be with our stu-dents, teachers, administrators, and parents as they begin and move through the new school year. We invite you to bring your backpacks and other school bags to worship as each child, youth, and adult present will re-ceive a bag tag that reads, "Peace Be Upon You." These words remind us that God’s peace is always with us and is also a benediction to be lived out wherever we are and whomever we are with.

FALL KICK-OFF LUNCH, Sunday, September 8

Thank you to Belonging Committee and Christian Education/Formation Committee for providing lunch directly following worship down in Booth Hall.

Fall Kick-Off Celebration Sunday, Sept. 8 10am Worship and Lunch

You are invited to join us as we kick-off the start of the children’s worship year and bless the school year. Children ages 3 - 5th grade will be dismissed after the children’s message to continue their worship in two new children’s worship spaces. Kids can bring their school backpack and receive a blessing tag to remind them of God’s love everywhere they go this year. We will celebrate the children’s journey through Israel during Vacation Bible School by sharing a few songs in worship and displaying the map of Israel with their artwork in the Round Room. A fellowship lunch will be held after worship.

About Children’s Worship

Godly Play (ages 3 - 2nd grade) introduces children to the rich language of the Bible through engaging, multi-sensory storytelling. Woven around a child-led liturgy, children learn how to engage in the various parts of worship and respond to the story through play. Young Disciples (grades 3 - 5) expand on this foundation with a more diverse set of stories which are explored as part of an overall unit. Children practice making connections between stories and working collaboratively on projects that deepen their ability to use the language of the Bible in relation to their personal life and experience.

Pastor’s Pen

Dear Friends, The end of August is an important transitional period for many of us. New or familiar rhythms are beginning as summer comes to a close, kids are heading back to school, and our favorite football teams are back in action. The rhythmic beauty of a new season is that it nudges us in new directions with new possibilities. UPC is gearing up for a new season with good opportunities to learn, grow, worship, and connect with each other as a church family. We hope you will join us in celebrating a new season and God’s good work at UPC at our Fall Kick-off Celebration on Sunday, September 8. We will usher in the new school year with a special commissioning of our Godly Play teachers, a fellowship lunch after worship, and the blessing of the backpacks for students, teachers, and administrators to remind them of God’s peace everywhere they go this year. "Peace Be Upon You" – what better message could any of us receive at the start of a new season? This universal message of Peace Be Upon You is used around the world by many different cultures and religions. In Hebrew, it's Shalom aleichem and in Arabic, it's As-salamu alaykum. Just as a risen Jesus spoke “Peace be upon you” to frightened disciples in a locked house, his Spirit still walks into our lives speaking those words. These words are both a blessing and an invitation to live the peace of Christ wherever we are. Peace be upon you, Brandon

Sermon Series: Wandering in Wonder September 1 Proverbs 8:22-31 Playful Wonder September 8 Psalm 104 Manifold Wonder September 15 Job 38-42 Wounded Wonder September 22 Ecclesiastes Mundane Wonder September 29 Isaiah 43:15-21 and Amos 5:21-24 Prophetic Wonder October 6 (World Communion) Lamentations 3:19-26

Calling to Mind ___________________________________

COMING SOON: Baby Lewis The Lewis family is excited to announce baby number four in February 2020. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome a new member to our family. Caden, Elliott, and Micah are so happy to finally have a SISTER. We’re doing our part to keep helping grow UPC’s children’s ministry! With love and anticipation, Brandon, Hillary, Caden, Elliott, and Micah Lewis

I.D.E.A.S.—I Don’t Eat Alone on Sundays

Meet at a local restaurant following worship for no-host fellowship—all are welcome! Here are the September IDEAS locations:

September 1 Izzy’s September 8 Fall Kick-Off Luncheon (No IDEAS) September 15 Cascade Grill September 22 Sizzler September 29 Sweet Waters

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church Led by Pastor Brandon, Fridays @ 10am – Booth Hall, Book Cost: $10

For many people, church represents a complicated relationship of both longing and apathy. The late Rachel Held Evans offers here a heartfelt ode to the past and hopeful gaze into the future of what it means to be a part of the Church. Rachel was a best-selling author and speaker who challenged and gave voice to wandering Christians wrestling with their faith. She died last Spring at the age 37. Like millions of her millennial peers, Rachel Held Evans didn't want to go to church anymore. The hypocrisy, the politics, the gargantuan building budgets, the scandals—church culture seemed so far removed from Jesus. Yet, despite her cynicism and misgivings, something kept drawing her back to Church. And so she set out on a journey to understand Church and to find her place in it. A memoir about making do and taking risks, about the messiness of community and the power of grace, Searching for Sunday takes readers through a liturgical year with stories about baptism, communion, confirmation, confession, marriage, vocation, and death.

Searching for Sunday Study Schedule

September 13: Part 1 – Baptism

September 20: Part 2 – Confession

September 27: Part 3 – Holy Orders

October 4: Part 4 – Communion

October 11: Part 5 – Confirmation

October 18: Part 6 – Anointing the Sick

October 25: Part 7 – Marriage

Ryan, Chris, David, Sam, and Peter (not pictured) Hill

Linda Melikian

Don & Bonnie Altig

These new members

were received on

Sunday, August 25th.

Please look for them

in worship and give

them a warm wel-

come to United Pres-

byterian Church.

September UPC Music Happenings

Choir rehearsal begins September 4 on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. We have new carpet and a new piano in the choir room. The choir also has brand new robes to wear—they will be singing on Sundays starting on September 15.

Contact Michelle L Mayers (Misha), our music director, if you are interested in participating in our music ministry. Her contact information is:

upcmusic@outlook.com Office: (541) 926-5551 x315 Cell: (541) 908-5115

330 Fifth Avenue Southwest

Albany, Oregon 97321

www.upcalbany.org

Office Hours

Closed on Mondays

Tuesday—Friday

9am-Noon, 1:00-4:00 pm

Phone 541-926-5551

THEOLOGY ON TAP: Fall Dates and Topics, Various Mondays @ 6:00 PM

Drink. Conversation. Community. God. For centuries men and women have gathered together to try to understand and experience God. They have added to the mix their own faith, practices and beliefs, their own unusual ingredients. At times agree-ing, other times not, they mingled their own theology with the theology of others as they attempted to know God.

This is what we do at Theology On Tap. Sharing. Learning. Listening. Agreement is not required, but respectful dia-logue is the only way this works. All are welcome.

(Rogue Farms – 3590 Wigrich Rd, Independence)

September 9: What is judgment?

September 23: What is righteousness?

(The Barn at Hickory Station – 640 Hickory St. NW)

October 7: What is truth?

October 21: What does it mean to “pledge allegiance”?

November 4: What is wholeness and what does it look like?

November 18: What is the meaning of life?